During the first week of this school year, the students of HHS were awarded a new privilege: eating in the library! For the first time, people could have food and drink inside the library, which was a good way to start the new school year, providing an alternative eating location. Some initial provisions were set, however. If the library staff found food in the library three times, the privilege would be postponed or taken away for a certain amount of time.

“We have never been able to have an open food library,” librarian Bradley Walton said, an idea that provoked the change in policy.

So, the administration deciding to give the students the freedom to do just that, in hopes that if students did not have to hide food, then they would be more willing to follow the rules and clean up after themselves.

The library staff decided on “three strikes, you’re out” policy for finding food or trash in the library.

“It is not too high and it is not too low,” Walton said.

Soon, the strikes started adding up. There was not a specific lunch that left the most trash in the library, however.

“It is an equal amount,” Walton said.

By the second day of school, the number had reached two. Within the first two weeks of school, the privilege was revoked.

“We were hoping that if we gave the students an opportunity to eat in here, they would take ownership, instead of having to sneak food and more willing to clean up after themselves, since there would be something to lose,” Walton said.

He was not surprised, however.

“I am not remotely surprised, but I am pleasantly surprised about the number of people eating in here and how little we had to clean up,” Walton said.

Even though the privilege was lost fast, it is still a possibility in the near future.

“[You will be allowed to eat again in the library] but it will be awhile. It is in the hands of the students,” Walton said.

The library staff has a very specific plan on how long the students will not be able to eat in the library, and also what will happen if someone is caught eating in the library in that time period. The 10 days will start over if you are caught eating before the 10 days are up, and the counter will reset back to 10 days.

As for now, the library remains closed to food.