During lunchtime, students generally make their way through the crowded cafeteria to sit with their friends, and enjoy their lunch while being supervised; however, many schools are now authorizing students to have an open campus lunchtime. An open campus allows students to leave school campus unsupervised to have lunch or hang out at a local restaurant or business. Having an open campus is beneficial because it allows students to gain independence, responsibility, trust, the health of students, socialize with friends, and help increase business at local restaurants. Therefore, I believe Arapahoe should continue to have an open campus for the benefit of our students.
Having an open campus allows students to leave the school grounds to have lunch outside and be able to socialize with their peers. In the article 9 Primary Pros and Cons of Open Campus Lunch, the author expresses some of the benefits of having an open campus, “Open campus lunch is observed to have taught students to be able to interact with the world and be more responsible in certain ways that are closer to how adults do it. Well, they have to communicate with other people when they go to the bank and then to the dining establishment, which is really helpful to their learning even if it is just quick” (ConnectUs). An open campus permits several learning opportunities for students. Allowing students to venture off campus to test their responsibility and trustworthiness. Also, it helps develop decision-making