By Kyra Cooperman ’19, Staff Writer

The image describes the high school cafeteria according to Mean Girls, the 2004 teen comedy that pervades pop culture. The limit to the differences between lunchtime at Newark Academy and North Shore does not exist. The first distinction is that North Shore has a cafeteria and we have a dining hall. Additionally, “losers” in their school eat in the bathroom, while we can’t bring food outside of the dining hall. 

To categorize the tables in the Newark Academy dining hall would be almost impossible. The most common division that exists is between grades, and even that is not too prevalent. Perhaps for the sake of entertainment, North Shore’s divisions are more exaggerated and extreme than those at almost any school. Newark Academy, in comparison, has a strong sense of unity. As seen in some photos from lunchtime, it’s safe to say that Newark Academy’s social divisions do not even come close to the separations imposed in North Shore.

Although it does not take the entire hour that is given for most students to eat, sitting in the dining hall for a longer time is just a part of the social experience. It is an opportunity to sit with peers in different grades, meet new people, and catch up with friends.

As you can see from these pictures, which show a blend of grades and genders at each lunch table, social divisions in Newark Academy’s dining hall are hard to find. This reflects positively on our school culture – after all, students here don’t have a burn book!