BIFU in the Lunchroom

It’s lunchtime at BASIS Independent Fremont, and sunshine is beaming down onto the courtyard benches. As high schoolers spill out the two quad doors, the sound of feet shuffling and the loud bustle of student laughter fills the air. Middle schoolers shuffle in the opposite direction as they head back in for classes. After eating, some students head out to the field while others hit the textbooks— and real lunch begins.

After students are done eating, many choose to take shelter in Room 130—a classroom facing the outdoor quad—to work and study. Pranesh Saran (11) is one of these hardworking students—he uses this time to catch up and get ahead, ensuring he feels ready for the remainder of the day.

“If you’re stressed out about a test, you can come in here and build your confidence—get that practice in before the exam,” said Saran.

But while indoor studying is now an integral part of his routine, it wasn’t always this way, as he used to spend more time outside with friends.

“Originally I would go outside to play Four Square, and then in 10th grade [Isabelle Chen (12)] brought me inside,” said Saran, “my workload increased ... and some things I couldn’t get to until the next day—so I’d finish them at lunch here.”

When asked about his productivity, Sean Ma (9) also reflected positively— his routine is built around his lunchtime work.

For others, lunch is a place to connect with friends and share some laughs. Sunny Fang (11) takes advantage of the high schooler privilege of being able to walk off campus, and often goes to Starbucks to eat lunch with his friends.

For Sunny, Starbucks was a means of escape from the yellowjackets that had infested the school earlier this year. Once the pests had left, Starbucks remained a habit.

“I got used to it,” said Fang.

Juhi Bhora (9) on the other hand, can be found with the sophomores on the benches under the shade of the artificial canopy.

“I’m a talker,” she said, “A lot of the [conversations] are very brainless though. I disassociate from everyone else."

When she was in middle school, she was separated from her friends in high school, and lunch had served as an important bonding point for them.

“I talk to everyone basically, I feel more comfortable with the sophomores,” said Bhora. "I was in 8th grade before, [so it] happened this year."

Bhora is a freshman, and still has another year before she can venture off campus. In the meantime, she waits and stays within BIFU’s gates, walking on the blacktop and talking with friends.

Others engage socially through imaginative worlds. Ayan Rajagopalan (9), constructs these worlds with his friends in his D&D campaigns.

While the characters they are playing are imaginative, the interactions they share are very real.

"It’s usually loud—especially when we’re rolling dice during combat. When we’re discussing the story, it’s quiet because we’re all listening,” said Rajagopalan.

In each campaign—which can last for months—they go on adventures to slay monsters, to secure treasure, but mostly, to have a good time.

"This campaign’s been going a few weeks, but we’ve been playing D&D since seventh grade,” said Rajagopalan, “It’s fun, because it’s a way we can connect with each other."

BIFU isn’t all study and talk, however. Many students rush out to play sports, once staff open the gates to the field. One of these sports is soccer, which nearly every sophomore boy participates in. Rusheel Karnataki (10) is one of these players, and he has a very important role in the game: goalie.

"I’m just like, really passionate about, you know, getting my physical activity and having like a good social circle, and like just having fun, man," said Karnataki.

Karnataki believes that soccer is really about having fun with friends, but that doesn’t stop him from being competitive.

"It feels like, you know, people are out there fighting for their lives, fighting for their death, fighting for their families,” said Karnataki.

Others play basketball and four square on the parking lot, bonding and talking while relieving themselves of stress.

For students at BIFU, lunch serves as a way for us to escape from the stress of school and connect with our friends. Some dive into imaginary worlds to battle grand monsters, others find solace in mindless conversations, while some just need a quiet moment to study. Lunchtime is an important part of every student’s day, and we spend it having laughs, telling stories, and building connection.