WOODBURY – Lunch waves separated by three bells puts friendships on the line. Being alone in the cafeteria surrounded by unfamiliar people makes students wish they had their best friends there with them — but they don’t have lunch until next period. 

Sophomore Katie Savulak says being in lunch waves separate from her friends has affected her and could affect other students. 

“The different lunch waves have affected me because without having some friends in my lunch waves and then not having them in my classes definitely makes us drift apart more,” said Savulak.

Sharon Gomes, the social worker at Nonnewaug, professionally agrees that lunch waves can have positive or negative effects on students. 

“Depending on what lunch wave you have and if you are with your friends can highly impact your day,” Gomes said. “I have talked to a lot of kids, especially freshmen, and they really have a difficult time when they first get here if they go to lunch and are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know anybody.”  

Not having existing friends in a lunch wave might not be such a bad thing, according to freshman Paloma Koemp. 

“The lunch waves have forced me to get out of my comfort zone and make new friends,” Koemp says. “I like how we have one day that’s different so that it’s not the same thing every day. I really like the new people I have met through the new lunch waves.”