Is assigned seating at lunch beneficial to Carrollton junior high students?

Design by Abigail Diez and Morgan Midyette

In junior high, assigned seating is sometimes enforced at lunch to “help girls figure out [who] they might connect with,” said Assistant Dean of Students Mrs. Aguiar. This causes some students to connect with peers while others feel frustrated. 

In a poll of 89 seventh and eighth grade students, over 75% said they have never connected with a new person when in an assigned seat. This suggests that assigned seating may not be working effectively for most students. 

In addition, there may actually be some drawbacks. For example, it can strain existing friendships. “Friendships kind of feel weaker, and it’s definitely hard to make plans on the weekend,” Alessa Arguello ’30 said. She pointed out that with assigned seating, it’s often difficult to find time to talk to friends during school hours. Lunch is one of the few times she can connect with her friends. 

Some agree that assigned seats at lunch may lead to decreased socialization with established friends. An article from Ingenious Culinary Concepts states that it “may make kids less excited about lunch since they can’t sit with their chosen friends.” 

However, while assigned seating at lunch can feel negative to students, research shows it can help some develop friendships that they may not have had before and that it can create a more organized and inclusive environment, reducing the chances of students feeling left out or isolated. It is important to note that 16% of those surveyed said that assigned seating has made them feel less stressed and more comfortable when trying to find a seat at lunch, and over 24% have made lasting connections with others as a result of assigned seating.

Mrs. Aguiar hopes assigned seating will build new connections and relationships amongst students. She states that “[assigned seating is] to create opportunities for you to connect with others because that’s what Carrollton is about, building those relationships and building community.” She also hopes “it ensures that everyone is included.” 

In the future, Mrs. Aguiar thinks that enforcing assigned seating in connection with Caritas would be effective so that students “can continue fostering the bonds and the connection with the people that are in [their] Caritas group.”