A current issue at Scituate High School involves the senior cafe and the PAC lobby during lunch. Each area is reserved for members of the senior class, but gender lines have been drawn: The huge attraction at the senior cafe is the ping pong table, which senior boys dominate. Meanwhile, the PAC lobby, which features high-top tables, has been taken over by senior girls.
Why are boys occupying the senior cafe and girls gravitating toward the PAC lobby?
Is the ping pong table to blame?
Avid senior cafe goer James Sullivan confirmed the ping pong table was initially wildly popular among boys. He said, “The line would continue for what felt like the whole lunch.” According to Sullivan, the senior cafe is a crucial senior privilege, but the popularity of the ping pong table has died down, noting, “the huge rush has really relaxed with fewer people playing.”
When asked about the huge separation between boys and girls at lunch, senior Sam Allard stated, “I do believe that the boys do take up a lot of space in the senior cafe–along with creating a lot of noise while being crazily competitive.”
Senior Lily Kroeger agreed with Allard, saying, “The boys really do make a lot of noise and get very competitive during their games.” Kroeger added, “My friends and I do enjoy going to the senior cafe and hanging out with the boys in our friend group–even though it is majorly dominated by boys.”
Kroeger had an interesting perspective on the senior cafe–she doesn’t feel like it is a huge problem.
During one (typical) school day, only eight girls ate lunch in the senior cafe–one group was sitting with their friend group while two other girls were sitting together. Out of the eight girls in the senior cafe, none of them played ping pong.
Senior Katerina Guyette shared her perspective: “I do like to play ping pong; however, the tables are overrun by boys.” This observation prompted the question, “Do you think this is why the senior cafe is mainly populated by boys?” Guyette answered quickly and said, “Absolutely! There was one time when I tried to hop on the table after a game and immediately got booted off the table.”
Looking at the other side of this issue, the PAC lobby is overrun by girls. If the boys are taking over the senior cafe, is this causing senior girls to venture to the PAC? Senior boys responded to this question by stating the ping pong paddles are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition, girls complained about the cleanliness of the senior cafe–and the apparent unpleasant smell of it.
Knowing the packed senior cafe is only open during lunch hours, SHS assistant principal Lisa Kirk kindly extended the hours during December to include study hall periods. Kirk made this offer partly because of the Sailor’s tragic loss to Duxbury at Gillette Stadium during the high school Super Bowl.
During the month of February, seniors will have access to the senior cafe during Anchor blocks; however, according to the administration, this senior privilege can be revoked if it becomes problematic.