Standing proudly before the main entrance of Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS), the brand-new outdoor lunch tents create an COVID-friendly atmosphere for students to enjoy. In just October, Roosevelt’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), raised $20,000 to provide this helpful addition to Roosevelt. By November 22, thanks to diligent custodial staff, they were fully assembled.

“I like the tents,” remarks junior Larissa Olson, who spends her lunchtime in the tents. “I think the tents were a good idea, but we need to make sure we’re keeping them open, because if we don’t that would probably increase the spread of COVID.” 

The tents, holding about 30 tables each day, are part of the new wave of efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at school. According to the CDC, “mealtimes [in school] should take place outside, because risk of transmission is much lower”. They recommend outdoor spaces in lieu of “limited” cafeteria spaces, as expanding the area students can eat lunch improves physical distancing and ventilation. They warn against eating in areas with crowds, enclosed spaces, and poor ventilation, so allowing students to eat outside gives them an option to follow these recommendations.

However, with the December chill, the majority of the tent tables are frequently unused. “Since it’s colder,” Olson suggests, “we should get outdoor heaters so we can keep them open and people will use them.” The PTSA is currently fundraising for tent heaters to encourage more people to eat outside during the winter.

“[The tents] are worth it,” says Olson, “if people continue to use them.”