Listening to music at lunch using headphones is a thing of the past as groups of friends have started playing music using speakers instead with school administrators showing leeway in this relatively new lunch time activity.

“I haven’t had any problems when I’m in the lunchroom with kids playing their music out loud and I haven’t had any kids report any concerns,” associate principal Ashley Rainwater said. “Most of the students I see, because the lunch room is pretty loud, have their ear phones in or are listening to music that way.”

While school administrators don’t have any issues with music at lunch, they are still trying to change headphone behavior in the halls.

“The big thing is we ask kids who are in the hall to keep only one ear phone in so that they can hear if somebody’s talking to them,” Rainwater said. “I think that whenever they’re in the halls or their in the cafeteria most kids, if their ear phone is in, is listening to something.”

While some students either enjoy or don’t mind music being played out loud at lunch, some students that do hear the music find it to be a distraction.

“It’s kind of annoying because you can’t talk to your friends because of the music,” freshman Minaa Rahmani said. “The table right next to mine, they play loud music all the time and it’s hard for me and my friends to talk to each other. I think that the problem starts because people want to go against what people at school are saying because we all know that dying your hair isn’t allowed at school, but people still do it and people go against the dress code all the time so I guess it’s a way of people to rebel.”

Other students express less irritation, however, with some even embracing the gradual change in lunchtime culture.

“I think it’s fun,” sophomore Daniela Iturrino said. “I think it brings a fun environment on campus and overall brings people together.”