Hastings’ Last Hurrah

The snack cart in the Lumen Center helps students get a grab-and-go snack between the 2nd and 3rd periods from 11:00-11:20 am.  The cart serves apples, oranges, and a couple of different granola bars that vary in kind, but nothing too exciting. While the healthier snacks are good, the favorite was always the fruit snacks served primarily on Fridays. Out of all the various foods, the gummies were the most eaten and anticipated. Then, right around spring break time, without any warning or reasoning, when Friday came, there were no fruit snacks. No one thought anything of it, maybe thinking it was a mistake. But when the next few Fridays went without it, it was clear that they were not returning.  

After some digging, the removal of the fruit snacks was not random. Mr. Hummer said that after serving fruit snacks, many would end up on the floor consistently, causing a huge mess. In addition, they would get stuck in the students’ shoes and track down the hallway, sticking to the floor. It was “causing more work for the cleaning crews to take scrapers to scrape it off the floor,” Mr. Hummer commented. The breaking point was a little before spring break when a staff member noticed the countless fruit snacks on the floor and witnessed a couple of students throwing them at each other. After this occurrence and talking with the deans, the decision to discontinue serving fruit snacks was made final. 

Though many students miss the fruit snacks, there is hope for them to return. On account of Mr. Hummer, he said that they may come back next fall. But for this to happen, the students must keep the hallways and Lumen Center clean and not throw the snacks around. Furthermore, the absence of fruit snacks highlights the importance of keeping the campus clean and respecting the school environment.