By Adaire Fit Fish reporters | Editor’s note: Earlier this school year, due to poor student behavior during lunchtime, the sixth graders were not allowed to choose their own seats in the cafeteria. The students expressed frustration at not being permitted to sit with friends from other classes.Â
After speaking with Principal Jenkins during an interview on the topic of empathy, they were advised to speak to Dean Price to see if they might find a solution to the problem. Several reporters composed an email to Dean Price and met with him to discuss the matter.
He told them the seating policy was in place because students were throwing food, disrupting other classes during transitions, and being disrespectful. He was open to ideas to improve student behavior so that the seating policy could be changed. Since this conversation, the sixth graders’ behavior has improved, and they have been granted an open-seating policy during lunchtime. Below are several student reflections on the experience.
The seating issue was a large problem for at least a couple weeks. The students of sixth grade became frustrated, not able to sit with their friends due to the policy. We wanted to do something, and that started out with an email to Dean Price and ended with the policy changing. When we were brainstorming about what to write and what to say to convince Mr. Price of our goal, the biggest issue was probably intimidation. He was seen by many students as someone more distant, or frightening, because of the power he has over our daily life at school. We were afraid to write the mail, and we were afraid to interview him. We pushed through though, and found someone willing to speak to him, which turned out not to be as difficult as we thought it would. With this information, we were able to come to a solution that was better for everyone with ways to stop bad behavior while giving people seating they want.
─Loren Grant
As the one of the three people who interviewed, asked, and emailed the dean of Alexander Adaire Middle School, Mr. Price, the work that other students and I put in together was worth it. When anybody puts their mind to doing something, they can do it. It took a leap of courage just to write an email to Mr. Price because we never used our voices to solve a problem that we think needed to be solved. But when that email was sent, it not only opened doors for us to interview and talk to Mr. Price, but it also let us sit with our friends at lunch! I think that when a small number of people come together to solve a problem, it not only benefits those people but can benefit others as well. I encourage you to try to solve a problem that is bothering you. You will get a whole lot out of it but so will others.
─Elliott Rong
I think the new seating chart in the lunchroom was a good idea. There are more spots to sit with more tables. You can sit with your friends from other classes because lunchtime is one of the only times you can interact with them. There are different groups across classes. If seating is limited to only three tables per class, groups that don’t like each other will be forced to squeeze into one table. I think that the three tables in the middle should be out too, so that there will be even more space. At lunch, sometimes random people come to my table and make it crowded since there aren’t any other tables. I can’t sit down or get up with so many people. I also think that there should be different people passing around the trash can. The kid that has been working at lunch recently has only been at one table with all his friends. Other kids and I must walk over to throw out trash because the seventh graders love talking to their friends. Also, fifth graders have been coming over to the tables and it’s really annoying. So yeah, I think the change is good. But there are many other flaws to lunch.Â
─Isabella GiacobbeÂ
Illustration by Dera, 7th grade, Adaire, 2025-26.
