The Lab School of Finance and Technology has renovated and completely changed the cafeteria. Several aspects of the cafeteria have been altered. For example, there are now different types of tables. In addition to the original circular tables, there are now bar stool-style tables and booth tables that look like you’re in a restaurant. When I interviewed some of my friends about the school cafeteria before the transformation, they didn’t originally think that the school would also change the tables. They just thought that they would add images and paintings in the cafeteria. The paintings in the cafeteria represent the South Bronx.
I also love how the school added the table booths in the cafeteria because it’s an amazing place to do homework. You can now rest your back on the booths, instead of not being able to sit back on the original circular chairs & tables. I’ve seen multiple students have their computers out only on the new tables, which shows that it’s a great hotspot for concentrating and doing your assignments. The tables in the cafeteria are an amazing way to socialize with your friends. They are much better and more intimate. With the original round tables, you can’t face your friends, and you all are just in an awkward circle like you’re doing some kind of ritual or something. But now with the booth tables, you could face your friends, and it feels like you’re having a hangout with them.
Additionally, when I have lunch during the fifth period, I always see one of the gym teachers, Mr. Marascia, with the other teachers playing dominoes in one of the booths. These booth tables are fantastic for playing card games, board games, or even just dominoes while spending time with friends. With the circular tables, it was kind of difficult to play games like dominoes because someone else could just easily peek and look at which dominoes you had.
The place where you eat your food in the cafeteria is not the only thing that has changed, the place where you get your food has also changed tremendously. The inside of the cafeteria has shelves that give a bakery vibe, and there are multiple options of food from which you can choose. This is a major difference from how the cafeteria was before because before there were not multiple lunch choices. For example, on Mondays, you could get pizza, and then on Tuesdays, you could get mozzarella sticks.
But now, you could get any one of those options on any day. For example, you could now get pizza on days like Wednesday or Friday. The inside of the lunch serving area looks more aesthetic. This is because before, the trays of food were just put on top of the table, it just looked like a prison giving you food. Also now the chocolate milk is stored inside the lunch serving area, before the renovation, it was just stored where all the students sat, which I don’t think is logical.
The other change people should make to the cafeteria is repainting the walls differently. The paint on the walls is so old, and peeling off. I believe if we painted the walls nursery-themed colors such as light green or light blue, it could psychologically lighten someone’s mood. It will also complete the look of the cafeteria and the other modern and cool renovations that have been done to our cafeteria. Our cafeteria went from really dull to decent. I admire the Department of Education for funding the school to make a grand change to one of the busiest places in the school that students go to every day to take a break, eat their food, and relax.
