Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at University School, the Upper Commons area is swarmed by students racing to get in line for snacks at the “Café US.” The line stretches from wall to wall nearly every time, and sometimes the line even curls around in a loop. Although Café US is generally looked upon in a positive light, it also has some downsides.

On the bright side, Café US can provide students with an after-school snack before a sports practice, a club meeting or while they wait to be picked up. As a result of Café US’s popularity, the University School Parent Association, or USPA, earns substantial amounts of money, which goes towards important events such as After Prom. Additionally, Café US offers an enormous selection of snacks, ranging from pizza, to varieties of candy, Gatorade, chips, and more. This variety of food, coupled with the convenience of the location, makes it an enjoyable experience for students as their school days come to a conclusion. Furthermore, with Snack Cards, students can charge their purchases directly to their student accounts without having to use cash.

Nonetheless, there are downsides to Café US. For example, there is consistently a long line that is formed within just minutes of the 3:20 bell, making many students reconsider whether it’s truly worth the wait. Moreover, the prices of the snacks in some cases are questionable. For example, one slice of warm pizza is two dollars. While two dollars may not sound like an outrageous amount, for a small slice that isn’t hot, most students agree that two dollars is an excessive price. Furthermore, the maintenance staff at US constantly tries to keep the school clean. With more than 100 students buying snacks every Tuesday and Thursday, the amount of trash left behind at Monkey Island and Upper Commons unnecessarily increases the burden on the cleaning staff.

Overall, Café US is loved by many students, and has become a rather successful experience for the most part. Upon asking students for their opinions, most of them replied with, “It should be everyday,” or “The line is too long”. Both of these responses are understandable. Going forward, the administration ought to require that students throw away all garbage. If students do not follow this simple rule, everyone would lose the privilege of purchasing food at Café US. Additionally, the prices should be re-evaluated, as some items are overtly overpriced. Café US may have both positives and downsides, but overall it appears to have been a good idea thus far. Whether it will continue or be brought to a halt, only time will tell.