The new snack program has been a highlight of this school year. With a daily rotation and numerous options, students could indulge themselves in the long stretches before and after lunch.
“Snacks are really important. I don’t think I realized how hungry students were throughout the day, and it has changed the game on how students feel about this space,” said Dr. Bucio, an English teacher and fan of the program’s benefits. This state-funded program is now undergoing reforms, making the snacks only available to students after school hours. Kimberly Minestra, the Director of Nutrition Services at ETHS is in charge of implementing these new regulations.
“It’s just a bummer,” Minestra stated, “I just wanted to be able to have food available to the students throughout the day.”
Students are disappointed with this change as well, as they will no longer be able to eat during class time.
“Most people leave after school and can get snacks anywhere, but during the school day there’s no options because the vending machines are closed and we get hungry,” junior Nola Bokor stated.
The snack program is something most students looked forward to seeing in school. Minestra and her team are now looking for other ways to provide food for students during the school day.
“I hope we can incorporate something in some way to make sure there’s food available all day,” Minestra expressed. One possibility is an extended breakfast program that would end around 10 in the morning, providing breakfast for students who may be late to school and in need of something to eat.
“Teenagers are hungry. They’re hungry, they’re growing, their minds need fuel on an ongoing basis,” Dr. Bucio stated. “I think that this is a larger issue that goes beyond the Evanston community.”
ETHS is one of the first schools to have a program like this, setting an example for other schools in the Chicagoland area. With Minestra and her team working out solutions, we can be sure to see some kind of alternate option for food in the future.
“I’m just happy that this is something that students can benefit from and that people are really happy about.”
