For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the lunch tables have been brought back to WHS. The COVID-19 pandemic forced WHS to take away the tables and bring in desks so that students could maintain the required three feet of social distancing.

Since the beginning of the year, WHS has had under five COVID-19 cases, and the school has a 90% vaccination rate. Many students are also weekly pool-tested. Due to these factors, WHS administration announced during the third lunch on Friday, Nov. 12 that the tables in the cafeteria would return.

When students returned to school in the fall, there was a lot of talk about hopes for lunches to return to normal. Many students felt the desk setup created an impossible environment to interact with friends.

“The current desks don’t allow for students to have interactions, so I am very excited for the lunch tables to return after being gone for so long,” junior Lila Powers said. “Because of the way that the desks are placed, there just aren’t enough seats to always sit near your friends.”

For freshmen and sophomores, this will be the first time they experience traditional lunch tables at the high school.

“I don’t know what the tables are like because I haven’t had lunch with the tables at the high school yet,” freshman Tristen Chow said. “I hated having lunch where we were faced forward, so people tried to sit outside with the tables, but it is too cold for that now. I am excited to actually be able to sit with people.”

For seniors, the return of cafeteria tables presents a special gift: window seats.

“I have been waiting to sit by the windows since my freshman year, so I am excited,” senior Madeeha Syeda said. “It is one more sign of normality coming back to the school year, so that is exciting.”