# data[].attributes.body
I went to Oceanside High School . Each grade was  small compared to the schools in the city however, the high school building itself is huge. each student was assigned a period in the day for their lunch. Each lunch period consisted of a completely packed lunch room with all the grades. I disliked this method for lunch because it was rare that you got to have lunch with your friends

# data[].attributes.body
The high school I attended was Roosevelt Senior High School. It is a pretty small school, with about 1,000 students in total from grades 9-12. Our lunch periods combined all 4 grades, so not all of my friends were in one lunch period, some of us were in separate periods. There was also a courtyard outdoors in our cafeteria, but most people chose to stay indoors during lunch. Our schools did not allow us to leave the campus for lunch so we would just stay in school. Most of the time we would just go to the library or the school's rec room to spend time together, or sometimes just walk around the building or go to an empty class. Because my school mostly consisted of black and hispanic students, I didn't really notice any separation, as most tables were a mixture of both races. However I did notice that the ESL students did tend to sit and stay together, mostly due to the language barrier, as they were learning English. Thus they would only hang out with other Spanish speaking friends.Our cafeteria had a mixture of long rectangular tables, and round ones, and the rectangular ones were mostly in the middle with the round ones around them sort of surrounding them. My friends and I mostly sat by the large windows, in the round chairs, but every year we switched depending on how many of us sat together. In high school there were many people I was interested in getting to know, however they mostly just spoke spanish, and my spanish was not that great in order to be able to have a full on conversation, however I did have some friends my senior year that were english learners/ I think many people aren't able to communicate due to language barriers, and this often prevents them from becoming friends and communicating efficiently with one another.

# data[].attributes.body
The high school I attended was Roosevelt Senior High School. It is a pretty small school, with about 1,000 students in total from grades 9-12. Our lunch periods combined all 4 grades, so not all of my friends were in one lunch period, some of us were in separate periods. There was also a courtyard outdoors in our cafeteria, but most people chose to stay indoors during lunch. Our schools did not allow us to leave the campus for lunch so we would just stay in school. Most of the time we would just go to the library or the school's rec room to spend time together, or sometimes just walk around the building or go to an empty class. Because my school mostly consisted of black and hispanic students, I didn't really notice any separation, as most tables were a mixture of both races. However I did notice that the ESL students did tend to sit and stay together, mostly due to the language barrier, as they were learning English. Thus they would only hang out with other Spanish speaking friends.Our cafeteria had a mixture of long rectangular tables, and round ones, and the rectangular ones were mostly in the middle with the round ones around them sort of surrounding them. My friends and I mostly sat by the large windows, in the round chairs, but every year we switched depending on how many of us sat together. In high school there were many people I was interested in getting to know, however they mostly just spoke spanish, and my spanish was not that great in order to be able to have a full on conversation, however I did have some friends my senior year that were english learners/ I think many people aren't able to communicate due to language barriers, and this often prevents them from becoming friends and communicating efficiently with one another

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Smithtown High School East in Saint James, NY. This was one of our cafeterias. We had 2 different ones. On was for the freshman and sophomores and the other was for the juniors and seniors. This is what the upper classman cafeteria looked like during the years of covid. We all had separate desks and we weren't allowed to move our desks by our friends, The only way we would be allowed to talk was if we were outside. The lunch room also doubled as a study hall room, and a lot of kids would skip and just go hang with their friends during class here. It was just a space where there was always people, their were quiet parts where you could study and they there were loud parts were you and all your friends can hang out together. I was a very shy person in HS and I would talk to my friends but ultimately I thinks that's what held me back from getting to know the people I didn't know or wasn't close too.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Petro Nini Luarasi high school located in Tirana, Albania and let me say this now, I had the best time of my life. I know most of students enjoy college the most but high school for me was the best experience I have ever had.
I am an international student in Adelphi and I did not attend my high school in the U.S but in my home country, Albania. I lived in the capital city, Tirana and my I went to a public high school which was ranked on the first place as the best public high school in Albania.
There is a big difference between high schools in the US and Albania.
Firstly, high school in my country is 3 years and not four. That is because middle school in Albania is 9 years.
We did not have a cafeteria or a room where we could hang out and socialize.
We did not have seperate classrooms for each subject but instead we had a main classroom where our classmates would be the same for 2 years and the professors would come to our classes instead of us going to a history class for example. I had my classmates for 2 years and the third year the classes as separate based on your interest. You had science department, psychological department and medical department. Each department had 5 classes and most of my peers I had in my senior year too.
Tirana is a big city but not big enough for you not to know some of the people you go to school with or at least mutual friends of those people.
I had a lot of people I knew in high school.
The curriculum was typically heavily focused on academics, and students are expected to take a wide range of subjects, including math, science, language, and social studies.
The academics was extremely hard and for some subject there was not enough tools and
In terms of extracurricular activities, my high schools offered clubs, sports teams, and other opportunities for students to get involved outside of the classroom.
I made a lot of new friends through these activities. We were very active in the extracurricular activities our high school would organize and also we as students would invest in engaging in different activities.
In addition, I had the best time in high school and gained a lot of friends and experiences.

# data[].attributes.body
this was my cafeteria in high school. i went to Amityville memorial high school. the cafteria is new and big theyre were many round tables linging the walls and only a few rectangular tables throughout the middle of the cafeteria. I didn't really enjoy sitting in here because it was always so loud and fights were constantly happening. i tended to gravitate towards the library where me and my friend's would sit and relax or catch up on work

# data[].attributes.body
I went to school at Susan E. Wagner High school, in Staten Island, NY. This school was a basic high school which included grades 9-12 with about 4,000 students . I attended all 4 years at this school. The cafeteria was pretty big however due to every lunch period being a mix of all grades together it was easy for the cafeteria to get very crowded. My freshman year I sat on the benches by the windows with my friends to avoid the crowds. However the rest of my years at the school I sat at different tables with different friends in order to be more social. I truly made some of the best bonds during lunch time throughout the years. Overall, I liked my school and enjoyed my time I just wish I was able to spend all 4 years in person and not have gotten lost in the mix due to covid.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to two high schools, Jericho (K-10th grade) and Locust Valley (11th-12th grade). I was more of a quiet person, had friends here and there but didn’t fit into any specific group. In Jericho, the place where kids would skip or go if they had a free period was the lunchroom, the snack shack was right outside the lunch room as well, so when kids would get their chips, coffee, etc they would go straight into the lunch room with their friends. I know when I wouldn’t want to go to class I would go to the lunchroom and sit with any friends I saw. The lunch tables were round and had 6-8 (depended on how big the table was) chairs attached to the table. And on the sides of the room there were about 4-6 booths on each side of the room. In the back of the room, there was the senior lounge. I never went in, hence the “senior lounge” and I moved schools going into my junior year so I don’t really know what it looks like on the inside. I moved to Locust Valley during the peak of masks and covid, so I didn’t have a normal junior and senior year and didn’t get to experience the things everyone else did, including going on the “senior ramp” and taking pictures with friends. Everyone was allowed on the ramp since it was the only way to get to the other part of the school, but if you couldn’t find one of your friends you most likely would find them on that ramp. Seniors would have their name and the college they were committed to on the ramp, and some would have their senior pictures and/or baby pictures.

# data[].attributes.body
When it came to my own high school experience, I can describe my cafeteria as very large. It had big round and rectangular tables, and some were also smaller and square. These tables were usually broken up by the hiarchy of the school though. It was usually the popular kids in the back going down the line. I went to Mepham high school. it was a place where everyone was accepted. Everyone was friendly to each other even if you weren't technically friends with them. I was part of what everyone would call the middle class in high school. Everyone knew who I was, but I didn't have many friends, I was friends with the same five people all through high school who I always sat with in the middle rectangular tables at lunch, and we were the kids you always found together Ron the weekends. There wasn't anyone particularly in high school that I wanted to get to know, but I wish some of the friends that I ended up loosing stayed. I wish I was able to fix things with them before we got to college knowing they were still good people no matter what had happened in school.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a photo that was taken of my high school cafeteria a few years ago. I went to Oceanside High School . Each grade was rather small compared to the schools in the city however, the high school building itself is huge. For lunchtime, each student was assigned a period in the day for their lunch. There are 9 class periods in a whole day and the students were assigned a period between period 3 and 7. Each lunch period consisted of a completely packed lunch room with all the grades. I hated this method for lunch because it was very easy to be placed in a period with none of your friends. And also, I always felt that 3rd period was way too early to have lunch considering 3rd period starts at 10am. Luckily, as an upperclassman, you have privileges such as being able to leave the building and go out for lunch. Because of this method, there were a lot of kids who had really no other choice than to sit alone often times.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Dewitt Clinton High School. Above is an exact picture of our cafeteria. Our cafeteria wasn't the biggest it was kind of small compared to other schools. One side was for freshman's, and sophmores, and the other side was for juniors, and seniors. This division actually prevented me from making new friends who were older than me since we had to stay on that one side. The middle part was the kitchen where you would swipe your id or put in your student ID # to be able to get your lunch. When we would first get there we had to walk through double doors where they'll be lunch aides monitoring who's going in and out of the cafeteria, and making sure everything stays in order. This image is an exact representation of how it really was. There was so many different clicks of friends in different areas. In my personal experience, when I started HS I was very shy, and lonely. However, thats actually where I met my friends. We all ended up sitting at the same table and we all instantly clicked. These friends are actually my current best friends which is very heartwarming for me.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Valley Stream North High School which is very close to college. I transferred to this high school during COVID as a result of our move from Queens. I was the new girl, but I really did not get to make friends because I just went in person for like a month and then I switched to online because that is what most of the kids did. In the cafeteria, when I was there, everyone had masks, so it was really hard for me to make any friends. So COVID was a big obstacle during that time I was there which was 2020-2021. I believe the cafeteria is smaller than most high schools but everything is divided into smaller periods. Most kids go out during their lunch period and there a few people that decide to stay in.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Mount Sinai High School. In my cafeteria, there were long rows of tables in the middle, however, in the back corner by the windows were round tables where seniors had claim over. This photo is very very similar to what my cafeteria was like, except mine was about half of the size. People would move around to different tables for a short amount of time but mostly your seat was your permanent seat for that year. I had a close bond with my lunch ladies as well. They always treated me like a friend, and even would give the kids some extra lunch at the end of the day since they would be throwing the food out anyway. Most of the social areas were open rooms that allowed for everyone to remain connected. The school recently created an area with comfortable seating, access to a printer, computer, and tables where student can go to hangout or study. It is a more casual area compared to the classroom. Mount Sinai never really had many barriers, other than cliques which is in every school. Everyone was pretty much friends with everyone, and teachers, faculty, and other staff were part of these friendships.

# data[].attributes.body
I attended and graduated Forest Hills High School in Queens, NY. The cafeteria is pretty big and always had plenty of room to accommodate all the students who had lunch that period. Unfortunately, because of the structure of schedules and class times, I wasn't able to enjoy this time with my friends. Most of us all had different lunch periods, so we were all mainly isolated during our time in the cafeteria. This also caused me to come out of my comfort zone and make new friends as it would be a waste to sit in the cafeteria alone. Thankfully, my school is extremely diverse and there are almost little to no barriers, so making new friends was not a major issue for any students including myself.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to high school for health professions and human services. The cafeteria was really big and there was two of them. I normally didn't sit in the cafeteria. I would sit in the senior basement and hangout with my friends there. There wasn't any specific tables for anyone to sit at. It was more so just like friend groups sat there. My high school was very very diverse and there were kids from all 5 boroughs that went there. There were some cliques in the school but there are cliques almost everywhere you go.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a picture of the cafeteria at my high school. Don’t just judge it based off this picture. I went to Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station. The cafeteria was easily the number one place for most socialization. Everyone would meet up here to hangout. Some would skip class to come down to hangout. There were a lot of visuals on the wall from wall paint. The art on the wall had many characteristics that would make it appealing to look at. I had a lot of good times in high school and the cafeteria was a big part of it from all the laughs and joy I had with my friends that I consider my brothers

# data[].attributes.body
I went to H. Frank Carey Jr. Senior High-school in franklin square/garden city. I was more of a quiet type of person in high school.  I always did my own thing and had a good group of friends that I still talk to now. Our lunch tables were round however as a senior you have different privileges such as being able to go out for lunch or having a shortened day due to only 5-7 periods of class a day being needed. I went to cosmetology school in the morning and went to my high school for periods 5-8 and then I went home. However the lunch room is where a lot of students have the chance to communicate and have that free time to Do whatever they had to do. Each lunch period was 43 minutes long and the cafeteria that I drew was the south cafeteria which was for grades 10-12 and the other cafeteria that I didn’t draw was the north cafeteria for the 7th graders all the way through 9th grade. Overall, I like my high-school but I wasn’t involved 100% because I’m more of a shy person which was a barrier for me.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Holy Trinity Diocesan High school in Hicksville. Every grade shared the cafeteria and the back of the cafeteria there would be long tables for the seniors. There was also a garden for the upperclassmen to hang out during their free time like lunch. There were 3 lunches in the day and I'd look forward to my lunch because it was a time where i was able to hang with my friends before going back to classes. There were cliques back in high school like the athletes would hang with each other, theatre kids, stem kids, and so on. My friend group was a mix so we were a bit diverse and wouldn't mind other people sitting with us.

What I had noticed was that there were a few Hispanics in school so once there was a new Hispanic student I'd try to become friends with them which worked and we're currently still friends. I really enjoyed the sports and clubs after school it was kinda of new to me since i wasn't used to getting out my friend bubble and talking to others. I enjoyed my years in high school gaining new experiences and still sticking with my friends.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to a Public School in my incorporated village of Floral Park. When you walk through the main entrance, you are met with many tables along the walls and a few pushed together in the center of the room. There are a few circular tables along the back of the cafeteria. A door in the back leads to our courtyard, where they have a few metal tables to enjoy lunch outside on nice days.

Most friend groups stayed together within their sections, but a few groups didn't remain in the lunch room. I was one of the students who would take my lunch to the music wing of the building. My friends and I would take a trip to the lunch room, get our lunch, then show a pass given to us by the music teachers to practice in our free time. We would sit in the band hallway and eat, then practice in the practice rooms. Technically, we weren't allowed to eat where we did, but our teachers didn't mind They were aware of the seclusion within the cafeteria and didn't mind us spending our time in the music department. That felt more like home than the cafeteria.

Many cliques would stay together at their designated tables. Our community was so small that the majority of the class knew one another, so sitting outside your friend group was okay as long as you knew the people at a different table. Preconceived notions about others were automatic as soon as you walked in the cafeteria doors, and hierarchies tended to sit towards the back of the room at the circle tables. Social Status was kind of like a pyramid, the closer to the entrance, the less "relevant" you were perceived as. I didn't like the judgment of my peers, so I would avoid this section of the school for the most part.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Plainedge High School in Massapequa. The cafeteria was a decent size but it felt smaller because they really packed in the tables and chairs. Lunch periods were from period 5 to period 8. Every grade was combined with lunch periods. There was also a smaller outside portion of the cafeteria with tables and benches that we were allowed to eat at when it got warmer. Sometimes it was hard to enjoy the lunch period because of the constant fights that would break out. When you first walked in there were two teacher monitors that would be there and you had to go to them whenever you were leaving and tell them where you were going. There were two separate areas for food. The right side had hot and cold lunches. On the left side, there was the snack area. You were able to get chips, frozen yogurt, or cookies. Grades 9 and 10 had to be in the cafeteria, it was mandatory. Grades 11 and 12 had the option to leave school for lunch. Most 11th graders stayed in because they did not have many places to go. 12th graders were never in the cafeteria. I do not think there were any barriers preventing me from being with and talking to those I wanted to. We were all able to sit with whomever we wanted. If there was someone who I wanted to go talk to and they were not sitting with me, I would just be able to walk over to them and speak with them.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to East Meadow High School that is in Nassau County. In my school, we had two separate cafeteria's. Cafe 1 was for the freshmen and sophomores and Cafe 2 was for the juniors and seniors. The photograph above is Cafe 2 and my brother currently works at my old high school so he was able to capture this picture for me. This cafeteria was smaller in size so socialization was relatively easy. The tables were connected so students were close together. There were structural barriers between the upperclassmen and the underclassmen being in two separate cafeterias. If you were an underclassman you were not allowed to go into Cafe 2 and the teachers located in the lunch room would often check ID's and vice versa. I spent most of my time leaving the school with friends to grab food somewhere close by. To leave the school you had to be an upperclassman and you had to scan your ID to exit and to re-enter the building. I made great memories leaving on my off-periods with my friends and I wish COVID didn't cut my senior year short!

# data[].attributes.body
I went to East Meadow High school. This is a picture of the upperclassmen cafeteria where socialization took place. There were about 250 students in my grade so there were many different lunch periods throughout the day upperclassmen were able to go out during their lunch period but if it was snowing, we were not allowed. With all the different lunch periods a good amount of my grade was separated. I remember most of my friends had different lunch periods than me. Even though we were allowed to leave the school we were not allowed to walk around the school, once we went into the cafeteria, we had to stay in there for the period. My high school was very diverse, most people had their own set of friends, but my grade kept to their own groups. Most friend groups were made by similar interests such as clubs or sports teams. Even though I did have friends from different groups my grade did seem very divided, many people felt they couldn’t talk to people from other friend groups. However, in classrooms, there was less of a divide and people talked to each other. Overall, I had a good high school experience with good friends.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Midwood High School in Brooklyn,NY. This cafeteria (pictured above) was a safe space for many students, as it allowed us to reconcile with our friends to share a meal while decompressing. The stress that came as a result of the academic pressure had a negative impact on all students. The cafeteria was a place where we were able to converse and spend some time with our friends. However, with the benefits came some negatives. I can see how the cafeteria was an intimidating spot for other people in the school. It was hard to make friends in the cafeteria itself as everyone seemed cliquey. Although we were able to eat with students from all grades it created a separation. Many students that were cliquey and “popular” tended to stay together and were rude to other people in the school. For individuals that are more introverted this place was a place that they would try and avoid at all costs. There was a lot of separation within the cafeteria although all the tables were close to one another. Despite all the negatives, I loved getting to sit down with my friends throughout the day and be distressed. Some of the friends I made in the cafeteria are still in my life today and allowed us to strengthen our friendships.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows, NY. The cafeteria went through a major construction over the summer in my sophomore year summer. It became very spacious and bright, and everyone would spend a lot of time in the cafeteria. The cafeteria was not only for food, but also a meeting place at any time of the day. Certain friend groups always sat at the same table every day, no matter the time. I had multiple friends in all walks of life, and I knew everyone and everyone knew me. One of the barriers that I had was that I would have class when a bunch of my friends would be hanging out in the caf, and I couldn't leave to hangout with them. Other than that, I loved my school and really enjoyed my time there.

# data[].attributes.body
For high school, I attended Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, located in East Elmhurst, Queens. It was classified as a private catholic high school, even though most of the students don't specify with that religion. It was a very small school, with about a little over 200 students per grade level. Our lunch consisted of three different time periods that separated the grades pretty evenly. In my school, we had three different areas where we could eat, the cafeteria, the "mall", and an outside-inside area. Me and my friends sat in the mall. Our lunch period was roughly 40 minutes long, as every other period during the day was. The cafe and outside lounge area had long tables that sat around 12-14 kids at one, while the mall had smaller square tables that sat about 5-6 depending on the chairs that were available. In the mall, where I spent my lunch period, we would have one or two teachers working the lunch period and they would monitor the students. The tables of students throughout the mall typically separated of friend groups within sports teams, certain clubs, but wasn't really confined to such. Everyone meshed together and there was no student left out. Lunch time was the perfect time for students to spread out amongst their classes and find their friends as well as socialize. There were no barriers that confined students, more so this time was where you can do whatever you like, catch up on homework, eat, etc. Since I went to a very small school, everyone knew each other therefore no-one felt excluded or limited to venturing out and talking/sitting with new tables. During lunch, everyone typically had their designated spot where they'd sit, it kept the dynamic organized and no-one seatless. Overall, I enjoyed high school and had a great experience, lunch of course was my favorite free period to spend time with friends, catch up on the day to day, and have fun.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to a Catholic school in West Islip New York called Saint John the Baptist DHS. This school was for grades 9-12 and there was one lunch room for all the grades. Each grade was split into different sections of the cafeteria. From the left it was all freshman, then all sophomores, then juniors, and then the seniors got the biggest tables on the end. Because of Covid, it was very restricted when it came to sitting at lunch my last two years of high school. We were only allowed to sit with a certain number of people at our table, but even prior, they did not let us sit with people in different grades. There was this girl on my volleyball team who always never had anyone to sit with at lunch and it made me upset that I couldn’t ask her to sit with me because she was younger than me. If you had someone at your table who wasn’t suppose to be there, you would get yelled at or they were forced to go sit somewhere else. I loved my school, but I thought some of the rules like this were kind of pointless and not that inclusive.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to W.T. Clarke high school. my school would actually be connected to the middle school but high school students and middle school students had their own cafeterias. in my school, Jrs and seniors were allowed to leave out for lunch there lunch period. sometimes I wish I could go back to high school I loved the friend group that I had and when I could go out to eat with my friends during my lunch periods

# data[].attributes.body
3) Forest Hills High School was my high school in Queens. This was a large school with many thousands of students. The school was extremely crowded, particularly in the lunchroom. The lunchroom, as seen in the photo, had tables next to each other. When students entered the cafeteria, there would be someone and a computer waiting for them to slide their IDs to ensure they belonged there. My high school was diverse in terms of ethics, religion, and nationalities. Everyone was included in some way, and there were different groups of tables/friends. But, in my school, they were not excluding; everyone felt comfortable talking to anyone they wanted to. There were no real barriers; people had their own friends but were not excluded or limited from meeting new people. There were no major structural obstacles; it was all up to the individual and their personality.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick, NY. In my opinion, I was always very happy with the inclusivity at my high school and it was a good experience. My high school had two cafeterias, an East and a West, with the kitchen and lunch line in between the two. The lunchroom always tended to consist of mostly 9th graders, because once we got to 10th grade we were allowed to leave campus during our lunch period and most people chose to do that. Most of my freshman year was spent in the lunch room. There were multiple tables in each room, and each could probably fit anywhere from 8-10 people. Everyone had their own unassigned but designated tables, and it usually went by friend group. Although there was some obvious division of people through the seating, everybody pretty much talked to everybody. I never witnessed first hand any outright exclusion, and I am happy to be able to say that. Most people at my school were able to get along with everybody. My school is known for having an excellent special education program, and we would become friends with the students and eat lunch with them, some of which I still keep in contact. It was a very accepting and friendly environment. There were people of many different backgrounds, and everyone for the most part got along well. If I wanted to talk to or get to know someone new, I would simply just go up to them, and it was always easy to do so. There were cafeteria supervisors always around to make sure people were following the rules and behaving well. I can definitely say I have friends today who I got to know better in the lunch room in 9th grade. I am lucky to say that I had a very inclusive high school, and I enjoyed my time at Calhoun.

# data[].attributes.body
3) The school I attended for high school was Bayside High School in Bayside, NY. This was a public high school in my neighborhood. I always remember my school being very large, when I started as a Freshman it was a bit intimidating, but as I got older I became more used to the school environment. There were 4 different floors we used in my school. There was the basement, which had the large Cafeteria, bathrooms, and locker rooms. The basement of the school was basically dedicated for students lunch and free periods. It was a decent environment. The cafeteria was pretty big, but there was always a lot of students. The Cafeteria had tables spread out throughout the area and had a designated area for students who wanted to get food from the school. Students were permitted to sit wherever they liked and the deans were there to supervise all the lunch periods. After my Freshman year I mainly spent my lunch breaks in room 104 on the 1st floor with my math teachers. It was a much more peaceful environment and I was able to catch up homework and study, as well as speak with my past teachers. My high school was very particular about having us always carrying our ID cards with us or having a hall pass. They were heavy into security and making sure students were not "cutting class." Besides the basement level, we had the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors. These floors consisted of classrooms and the different departments. The first floor consisted of a lot of offices and classrooms such as the Principals office, main office, deans office, guidance counselors and a lot of other services. Besides the offices there were also classrooms which were mainly in the right wing of the school. The right wing first floor area is where I spent most of my lunch periods in room 104. Besides this room I also spent a lot of time in the Math and English department at my school because of my close bonds I formed with my teachers. These departments were located on the second floor. The second floor of my school was home to most of the Departments, along with more classrooms and science labs. The third floor of my high school had the library, history and language departments along with more classrooms. But mainly if I had extra time in my schedule I would spend time with my friends. We would either go to the library or to a teachers room. Occasionally, we would would go to the Cafeteria or tutoring room. My school had quite a few different options for where you could go during your breaks, but I always preferred to be either with my friends or teachers. Additionally, my school made it pretty straight forward if you wanted to meet with a teacher during your break. For the most part my teachers were accessible and tried their very best to accommodate all students. I am very fortunate to have had a decent experience in my high school.

# data[].attributes.body
This image reflects my high school cafeteria, where most socialization took place. Since many students attend this school, the area is quite large with numerous tables and seats. When entering through the front of the school, everyone must pass the cafeteria area to get to the classrooms. Within this area, there is also the school’s art gallery, restrooms, large windows, vending machines, a kitchen, and a lounge. Reflecting back on my time in high school, I remember that students spent most of their time there during lunch periods, of course, but also during the morning, off-periods, and after school.  Students would often socialize with peers, work with teachers, complete homework, play games, and more. There are usually one to two teachers monitoring the cafeteria each period. While it is an extremely open space, the physical structure and long term role systems that have been implemented in this school definitely have an impact on each individual student’s high school experience. More specifically, it is expected that freshman sit at the last few tables in back of the room, then sophomores, juniors, and lastly, seniors. For years, seniors have occupied the first few tables in the front of the room. I remember as an incoming freshman, my older sister and cousins had warned me about this which caused me to feel nervous on the first day. Social grouping also occurs across all the tables. Popular students sat together towards the front, while the less popular students sat towards the back. I personally did not spend much time in the cafeteria since I either bought lunch off campus or went home during off periods. Occasionally, I would spend time with my friends in the cafeteria and we were always open to including everyone else that was around. While I had only positive experiences in my high school cafeteria, changes could definitely be made to improve others. I believe that having circular tables and staggering them around the area would help to break these structural barriers by making a more inclusive environment.

# data[].attributes.body
For high school I went to General Douglas, MacArthur high school in Levittown, New York. I experience going to the school for four years. It was grade 9 through 12. Overall, the school was very big therefore they were two separate cafeterias. There was cafeteria A, and there was cafeteria B depending what grade you were in that’s how they chose the cafeteria you were in. Usually the older kids would be in cafeteria a and the younger kids were in cafeteria b. Most students wanted to be in cafeteria a because it was very large and spacious. It fit tons of students. This allowed the students to interact with one another during their lunch periods. During the first week of school, everyone got to choose where they wanted to sit and that was your seat for the rest of the year. Therefore, therefore, you cannot change your seat. Of course everyone chose to sit with their friends, so it was never an issue. Normally each table got called up for lunch and you got to pick what you want to eat that day. They gave us many choices for food. For example, we had a deli, hot, lunch, pizza, and some other ideas. The staff at General Douglas, MacArthur high school always wanted everyone to feel involved and included with their friends. Therefore I never felt excluded or alone. I enjoyed every moment I had in the school. Sometimes I wish I can go back because it was just the four years that were core in my school career Throughout these four years, I never had an issue making friends or talking to people. Everyone was always so including an outgoing with one another. I really did enjoy the time I had a general Douglas, MacArthur high school in Levittown New York.
Kayla Barbara

# data[].attributes.body
I attended Lindenhurst Senior High School. My high school contained grades 9-12, which were mixed within all classes, activities, lunch periods and gym class. As we only had one cafeteria, lunch periods began at period 3(around 10am) to period 7(around 12:45). Lunch periods were chosen based on what was available for each students schedule, and there were no separate periods for each grade. My highschool was very strict with lunch periods, as we had to scan our ID to enter, and nobody who didn’t have that specific period was allowed in. Within the 6 exits from the huge cafeteria, there was a security guard/check in station at each door. The security guards also made sure everyone behaved, cleaned up their lunch etc. You were allowed to it where you pleased, no matter the grade or age of the students. Some lunch tables were over crowded with 10-12 kids, while some only had 2-4 kids at them. This depended on friend groups, sports teams etc. Within my 3 years of actually staying for lunch, I saw around 4-6 fights occur, all over immaturity, or something as simple as backing a chair into someone. We were not able to leave the school grounds during our lunch periods like other schools in the area, due to drug use, fights and students getting hit by cars from previous years. I found this as unfortunate because I live close to my old high school, and it would have been great to be able to go home for lunch. I never had any issues the days I went to my lunch period, and I never really ate the school food I would just socialize with my friends/teammates and take a break from class. All in all, I have some great memories from my cafeteria at my high school, and im sure some people feel the same, but some people probably feel different. My high school was very divided, which is definitely a downside and shouldn’t be the case, but it never grew to be an issue for me as i got along with everyone. Although, I wish it wasn’t like that, because it would have been a much better experience if my high school wasn’t so split up, as it is unfair for everyone. With that being said, I do believe that there were barriers in place from meeting people that I never did, but I argue that is in all schooling systems everywhere, including college and secondary schools. There is always something that makes people separate no matter if its culture, race or hobbies, and I don't think that segregation will ever diminish.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to George W. Hewlett High School. Our school had about 250 kids per grade but our cafeteria wasn't big enough to hold everyone during lunch so we were allowed to leave school whenever we wanted. We have a bunch of food places across the street so that's where the majority of people went to lunch. Also, our school allowed us to have as many free periods as we wanted (for example, my senior year I had like 5 free periods out of 10). People were constantly going in and out of school  if they had random free periods (sometimes doubles) or if they didn't start or end when the school did. There were a couple of places people hung out during their free periods and the one I drew is called the commons. It was in the back of the school where the parking lot is so it was the loudest place to spend your free period because of the constant traffic. The tables were generally filled but by the end of the period it was packed. The other places were the cafeteria (which people didn't really hang out in), the library (which you had to be quiet and couldn't eat), or the Internet cafe (which was small and quiet). I think our school had a huge impact on our social lives because free periods were a big part of my school. If you had friends that also had free that's great, but if you don't that's isolating. Also because most of us went out for lunch, it could be hard for people who didn't have the money to go out everyday and that could become uncomfortable. I can't think of anyone specifically who I wanted to be friends with and couldn't, but I do remember wanting to be friends more with other people who weren't in my grade. I think clubs and sports are a great way to become close to other people that you wouldn't have classes with and that happened to me when I played tennis my first two years. My last two, however, I couldn't play due to health issues and I remember missing some of those friendships.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to a private high school in Brooklyn, NY. It was a very small school where all the students and teachers knew each other. Since it was a tiny school it was very inclusive as well. We constantly had activities and other fun things to do for the entire high school. The goal of my school was always to include everyone whether it was during lunchtime or out of school. our lunchtime was in our classroom, we would all sit together and enjoy our free time. Since our lunch was in our classroom we took that advantage and spent time with our classmates. My class, in particular, has always been inclusive especially when a new girl would join. Overall, my school always tried to do its best with making everyone feel comfortable and safe and I couldn't have been more grateful for that.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Forest Hills High School, in Forest Hills Queens. My high school was a very very very big school, we had over 4,000 students. This is only one part of our cafeteria. Our cafeteria always looked spacious but there were so many students that it didn't feel like it. On the tables there wouldn't be many room and we would all kind of be squished within each other. In my school there was a vide variety of students. We had students from every part of world. But we still all sat with our type of people. For example, the Hispanics would sit with Hispanics, white with whites, black with black, Asian with Asian, and etc. Even though it was a broad school, students still kept with there own type. In order to get into the cafeteria students are supposed to swipe there id card and a teacher or aid is usually there to check if you are in the right lunch period. This is done because many students skip classes and go to lunch to hang out with friends, so there was a system to try to prevent that. The best part of my school is that in every class and every year you always meet new people. You are never really stuck with the same group of people unless you are in a special program. I was in an honors science and math program so majority of my classes were with students in that program. But I was still in classes with all types of learners. I really enjoyed my time in high school and was able to have an amazing experience.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to an alternative school in Oceanside, NY called Castleton. It was a single hallway in the kindergarten building and was for kids who didn't thrive in the traditional school environment, aka the main high school, for many different possible reasons. I drew the layout of the hallway, and by looking at it you can see how different this environment was compared to a 'traditional' high school. We only had 4 subject teachers all 4 years, and an art teacher. The music room had drums, guitars, and a keyboard and wasn't there for music classes but mainly to go to when you needed to decompress. We also had a weight room/gym to go and work out when we needed to decompress. There were also 2 therapists and a meditation room. We didn't have a lunchroom because we didn't actually get school lunches. We were just kind of given the cold sandwiches and rolls/bagels from the day before in the high school. We mainly went out for lunch, since it was an open campus during our lunch period. For those who would get food and come back to the school to eat, people who would just have a snack from the 'food' table, or where we would just hang out, all of that happened in the All Purpose room. The room had a vending machine of drinks, a ping pong table, and a TV with a Wii and a really old Xbox. that's where everyone would sit around and gossip, hang out, and play games together. There were only 40 kids in the school, about 10 per grade, so there weren't really any opportunities to NOT be able to interact with others, because of how small the school was. Everyone was like a little family. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity I had to go to Castleton, and how loving and encouraging not only the students were, but also the faculty. It was truly what was best for me, I graduated top of my class and if it wasn't for this school I truly don't know where I would be in life at this point.

# data[].attributes.body
The high school I went to is named "Holy Cross" in queens NY. The cafeteria was decently sized it isn't big as your typical cafeteria would be. In this case different grades were split to have different times to fit all. Tables were connected before covid however during covid our tables became desks and each student had their own desk to sit and eat on which made it difficult to be able to sit with our friends, many felt isolated. Personally each table was not characterized of " rich people" sit at one table etc, everyone had different friend groups that sat at each table and even students who weren't friends with each other still sat at the same table. Most of the time i sat with a friend or by myself if they werent at schooll. There was no one in particular who I've wanted to get to know. Instead I would study or finish homework during my lunch period. Some barriers that could prevent a person from getting to know someone could be social anxiety, I myself experience this. Another could be different interests you might not share the same characteristics as other students. I've shared a photo how the cafeteria was like during covid and I've shared my drawing of how it was always set up.

# data[].attributes.body
The high school I attended was Bellport High School which is located in Brookhaven, New York. The place where the most socialization happened was definitely the cafeteria. How lunch was separated in our school was freshman and sophomores were separated into one cafeteria meanwhile, juniors and seniors were placed into another cafeteria. Each cafeteria has a different seating set-up. In the freshman/sophmore class cafeteria, there are long tables which extend from one end of the cafeteria to the other. Inside the junior/senior cafeteria, there were booths against the wall, round tables and high top chairs. Also the way they distributed the times of lunch were different from other schools. Our school had a nine period day and the time lunch was served between periods 3-8. So the chances of you having lunch with someone you knew was always slim to none depending on how many friends you had. My first few years I got pretty lucky on having other classmates I was friends with in the same cafeteria and period as me. After covid-19, our cafeteria seating set-up changed. Instead of the options I stated above, rows of desks were placed into the cafeteria spaced equally apart for social distancing. This created socialization to decrease and many students began to eat lunch in silence and stare at their phones or doing homework. Once masks were removed, covid restrictions were lowered, etc., this is when the socialization in the cafeteria began to rise again. Our class sizes were very small, so it was uncommon for students to not know one another. Because of this there was no one I was interested in getting to know. Since everyone knew each other, everyone tended to be welcoming and accepting of one another when it came to socializing in the cafeteria and in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to General Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown, NY. This school was for grades 9-12 and I went there all 4 years. There were two cafeterias that are connected by the lunch stations. As a senior, you get senior privileges. This means that you can leave during your lunch or off periods. The tables were oval with circle seats connected. The cafeteria is spacious and fits a lot of students. At the beginning of the year for the first month or so you could sit anywhere you want, then you pick what seat you want to sit in for the rest of the year.  I chose to sit with my friends which is what everyone usually did. Each table gets called up separately to buy lunch. There were a lot of choices. For example, Deli, hot lunch, pizza, etc. The faculty always wanted everyone to feel included and get involved. I never felt not included/isolated because I always had people to talk to. I also would talk to anyone. Overall I had no problems with my school and enjoyed the time I got to spend there.

# data[].attributes.body
I went to Thomas Edison High School and I feel that it was a very diverse school. From my experience, there hasn't been much social barriers. The faculty at my school tried their best to make sure everyone felt included. There was always people from all backgrounds conversing with each other and having fun. I had multiple friends from different backgrounds. One social barrier could be organization of time, some of my friends were in different lunch periods so it was harder to socialize with them, however, other than that my school community was great. There weren't really any fights when I was in school then, it was an accepting environment I feel/

# data[].attributes.body
I went to High School for Arts and Business in Corona, New York. My high school is extremely small. It is right by the Horace Harding Expressway, and it only takes up one city block. So, most students would separate into groups based on race/ethnicity, interests, similarities, etc., before or after school and go to nearby restaurants like Dunkin' or take the bus to the Queens Center Mall. Some students would be there during school hours, skipping class as well. However, the cafeteria is where most students hang out during the day. Students would line up by the two front doors during their lunch period or study hall. Then, when you walked in, there were two ID swipe machines where students would swipe their IDs to make sure they were supposed to be there and not skipping class. To the left, there was a lounge with chairs and tables for students to go to when they did not have class or had a study hall. To the right, there were two doors that led to a staircase and classrooms. There was also an exit door that was used for emergencies. In addition, there were food vending machines and vending machines with bottled water. Also, there were long tables with benches connected to them. There was a step towards the front of the cafe, and on that step, there was another ID swipe machine for lunch, and students would get the food, water, and milk. Since our school was so small, the cafeteria was also our auditorium, where we would have small school events and concerts. So, in our school, there was a major language and cultural barrier because about 70 percent to 80 percent of the students were Hispanic and spoke Spanish. I liked high school because I met some people that I could hang out with and learn more about different cultures. I would hang out with the unpopular, nerdy, and "smart" kids that were of all races, ethnicities, and genders. I also hung out with some non-Hispanics because some of the Hispanics were so ingrained in their culture and the Spanish language that it was hard to speak to them and have a cultural connection with them. Therefore, some Hispanics would only hang out with other Hispanics and so sometimes the non-Hispanics would hang out just because we were not Hispanics.

# data[].attributes.body
The high school I went to was Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Hollis, NY. It was a very inclusive school and I loved it. Although the tables weren’t connected, everyone was free to sit wherever they wanted. There wasn’t one specific table for a specific group of girls. I personally liked to sit with my friends, but was also happy when other girls came to join and talk with us at lunch time. We were friendly to them and they were just as nice to us. Additionally, although all my friends and I knew how to speak in Russian, we all spoke in English at our school so that everyone would feel connected and so we wouldn’t form our own “fences”- blocking others away from us. I didn't feel that there was someone I was interested in knowing and wasn’t able to, because in my high school, everyone knew each other. We shared so many classes with each other and did group projects with one another that it was hard not to know each other. We even had twelfth graders be our “big sisters” in helping us through our first year of high school. They helped us make friends, showed us around the school, made group projects with us, and even helped us study for our exams. Overall, I loved my school for its inclusiveness.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an actual picture of my high school where all of the socialization took place. I went to a high school in Queens and it had grades 9-12, as well as D75, and each grade had their own lunch period, however my grade was so big we had two different lunch periods. This was kind of annoying because some of my friend group was separated. We weren’t allowed to leave the school to get outside lunch because my grade often got into fights, and were very loud at the restaurants and stores nearby. We also weren’t able to leave the cafeteria, and at one point we weren’t allowed to use our phones because of the countless fights and suspensions that occurred. As soon as you walked into the cafeteria, you saw the big stand where you were able to get either hot or cold lunch. There was also a teacher monitoring it and making sure students swiped their ID cards before getting lunch. The lunch ladies served us lunch, and were always so nice and friendly. On the left and right side of the cafeteria were all seating areas; we had a mix of round tables and booths. Although there wasn’t an official seating arrangement, the popular kids had their “own” booths and would get mad if someone else took them. The regular kids sat at the circle tables and had their preferred table to sit at, but it wasn’t a big deal if someone else sat there. Sometimes it felt very divided because you can see that some students were eating alone, doing homework, or they would eat fast and try to get a pass to go to the library. However, there were times where it felt unified. For example, when it was someone's birthday and they came in dressed nice, had gifts with them, and balloons someone would start singing Happy Birthday, and the whole cafeteria would join in and sing. Overall, I had a good experience at my high school. The cafeteria was a good place to spend time with friends, and it was also always entertaining.

# data[].attributes.body
My high school was an all-girls private school with an open cafeteria. In addition to serving as a lunch venue, our cafeteria doubled as a prayer space, school-wide presentation hall, and performance stage. Given its almost constant occupancy, many students would take advantage of good weather by gathering outside on the lawn or picnic tables, while other areas such as lockers, staircases, and classrooms would also become popular places to eat and socialize. Situated in a small, tranquil neighborhood among private residences, our school provided a safe and secure environment. Being part of a private institution with a shared religious background, we did not encounter any significant systemic or structural barriers, and each grade level was able to develop a strong sense of friendship. This bond was reinforced by our grade-specific group chats, particularly during the annual color wars competition, where each grade is designated a specific color and engages in friendly competition through a variety of skills, games, and activities.

# data[].attributes.body
3) I went to Benjamin N. Cardozo high school that is located in Bayside, Queens. In my opinion, the cafeteria was somewhat spacious, however, there would always be kids up and out of their seats, with some of them running around the cafeteria. Many kids hung out here, with some even attempting to skip their classes to come to the cafeteria. However, there were teachers located at the entrances/exits and they regulated the students that came in by scanning their IDs. Oftentimes, there were teachers/supervisors roaming around the cafeteria serving as authority figures to prevent students from getting too rowdy. This was an important system that helped to keep things orderly in school. Additionally,  Everyone would sit in their own "designated spots" with their friend group. Meanwhile, if a student had lunch, but they weren't in the cafeteria, they most likely would have been in the library which was open to those who had a free period (which is where I often went). Therefore, those who had work to do, had to study for a class, or just wanted somewhere more comfortable to hang out, then they would head to the library instead.
4) When I was in middle school, I had a close friend and we eventually landed up at the same high school. However, due to the organization of classes into AP, honors, etc., we eventually lost contact. The structure of our school served as a barrier to communication. We weren't able to see each other as often and it was hard to meet for long after school because all of my free time was taken up by assignments and studying.