Everyone knows the feeling: you’re in the middle of class and your stomach starts to make a grumbling noise. You pull out a snack to calm it down, but the teacher snaps and threatens you to put the food away or else they’ll send you to the office.

On page 42 of the Pentucket High School Student Handbook it states that “NO food or beverage (other than water) is allowed in classrooms, or anywhere outside the cafeteria.” However, this rule is disregarded by many students and teachers.

Pentucket junior Brandon Barlow describes eating in class as “awesome”, he said that he eats in class every day. If he doesn’t eat, he says he feels like he’s going to pass out.

But what seems to be the cause of this hunger? Of the 15 students interviewed, 12 of them said they always skip breakfast. Pentucket high school’s nurse, Mrs. Kelly, believes that eating food in class is a negative thing. She thinks that if kids ate breakfast everyday they would not have to eat in class.

Though this may be a solution, many students, such as sophomore Simon Davis, skip breakfast in order to make it to school on time. He believes that food in class is a positive thing. “We should be allowed to eat in class because if we’re expected to sit 7 periods a day just to get crappy food at lunch, we should be allowed to get snacks” said Simon.

Another reason why just eating breakfast may not be an effective solution is because from before school to lunch time, students are expected to wait five and a half hours to eat. Freshman biology teacher Mrs. Endyke stated her opinion frantically. When asked if she enforced this rule she replied, “No, I allow it when necessary…most teenagers can’t go five and half hours without food, and with no 10 minute break, it’s impossible.”

Pentucket High School’s football coach Mr. Hayden said that he believes food in class could be a positive thing. “Everyone should be able to have snacks in class, but kids should be more responsible with it as far as cleaning up the messes and looking out for kids with peanut allergies.”

Peanut allergies have been a large problem for Pentucket; however, recently researchers have tested a new product which may prevent life threatening situations to those who suffer from peanut allergies. Scientists have recently created and tested a skin patch (much similar to a nicotine patch) which allows people with peanut allergies to tolerate up to ten peanuts.

According to expert nutritionist Dr. Sharon E. Griffin, one of the most common symptoms in hunger is lack of concentration. If a student is hungry in class, he is scientifically less concentrated and struggles more to concentrate on what the teacher is trying to teach. So, effectively, food in class can help you focus more in class and concentrate on getting good grades.