The Upper School’s infamous lunch duty system has arrived at its tentative conclusion. After consideration by senior faculty members in the beginning weeks of the new school year, lunch duty at Hackley’s Upper School has been abolished for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Lunch duty was created as a result of Upper School students failing to clean up their lunch tables. Instead, individuals often left their messes for members of the FLIK staff to clean up.

To resolve this issue, a system was created in which students were assigned to walk around the lunchroom during specific lunch periods to tell their friends and classmates to clean up their tables. The end of lunch duty in the Upper School has been met well by Hackley’s student body. “I think the abolition of lunch duty was the right move because as high school students, we should be able to clean our plates and cups after we’re done using them,” said junior Ijeoma Nwokorie. As many students already knew to clean up after themselves, lunch duty became a trivial task. “I always tended to clean up my plate anyway,” said sophomore Cristina Paz.

Teachers and administrators, in sharp contrast with students, felt that the system of lunch duty was necessary in keeping the lunchroom clean. “Lunch duty did help to keep the lunch room orderly. If we work to shift the culture and regulate [the lunch room], there is still a chance that we don’t have to go back to lunch duty, but right now, we’re not where we should be,” said sophomore dean Melissa Stanek.

Questions regarding the effect that the abolition of lunch duty has had on the state of the lunchroom still remain in the minds of Upper School faculty. “Thus far, on the negative side, the lunchroom has been worse than it was when lunch duty existed,” added Mrs. Stanek.

By eliminating lunch duty, Hackley’s faculty hopes for students to begin to view cleaning up their messes at lunch as a collaborative effort in which all members of the community must play their part.

“We are trying to state a very clear expectation (that had long been an expectation), and I hope that students rise to the occasion and begin to understand the concept of common courtesy that underlies the philosophy of one taking care of their space and not leaving their mess for someone else,” said Upper School Director Andy King. Hackley faculty members also hope that the concept of common courtesy begins to trickle to other areas of the Hackley community.

“I would love it if this kind of expectation expands out to ensure that people take care of their space. There is no doubt in my mind that students here are enormously proud to be Hackley students. One way to demonstrate your pride in your affiliation with something is to take care of it,” Mr. King said.