(October 27, 2003) — It’s getting harder and harder to enjoy a decent meal at Clark. It is just a high school and the menu shouldn’t call for first class delicacies, but the food currently being offered is consistently high-priced and unhealthy. Although pizza is a popular lunch item that sells very quickly, it can be found in different variations in different prices all over the school. Mobile Carts offer only one slice—an often tiny one at that—for $1.50. On other days, you can find the lunch carts offering Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas for $2—50 cents more for twice the product and, negatively, twice the grease. So, what if students want to eat healthier? They could always pop for the turkey sandwich, but that’s $2.50—a little steep for a large piece of bread, some turkey and a few shreds of lettuce. But nonetheless, it is more healthy than a grease-sponge piece of pizza. Thirsty? How about a drink? Bottled water will cost you a whole buck, while Naked Juice will run you a buck and a half. How can you save money in the beverage department? Buy a soda—it’s only 50 cents. Why are all the healthy options so expensive? If a student wants a sandwich and a bottle of water every day, it’s going to cost around $18 in just one week. That puts a hefty dent in most allowances! The argument here isn’t about the quality. The bottom line is healthier food should not be more expensive at a high school. That feeling of being ripped off is becoming more prevalent every lunch period and it needs to stop. We are students, not professionals, and it’s getting to the point where some of us can’t afford to eat healthy or even eat at all. Perhaps if food sales dwindle enough due to more students packing lunches, the district would get the point. For now, however, their hands remain deep in our pockets for an everyday basic we all rely on.