It’s 3:40 pm, and the school day is officially over at Poly. The 4 o’clock buses are getting ready to pull out, athletes are preparing for after-school practices, and a swarm of middle schoolers are running down the hallways. All of them are going to one place: Commons.

Commons is one of the main social spots, eating locations, and community spaces at Poly, along with serving as the primary lunch cafeteria. Commons is known for its breakfast in the morning and, of course, its famous snacks in the afternoon.

Last year, one of the biggest changes Poly had to make to adhere to social distancing protocols and other COVID regulations was to close Commons. This meant that students could no longer get breakfast in the morning and snacks in the afternoon at Poly. But this year, Commons is back in full swing and so is the chaos.

Every afternoon, as soon as school finishes, a horde of students rush to Commons. As a result, the hallways are chaotic, and Commons’ line for snacks seems never-ending. Commons is infamous for its long line. The line grows as a bunch of students all go to Commons at the same time when the last period ends. The people in front are not moving fast enough, which leads to disorder and confusion. The only way to the front is to wait your turn, cut the line, or get to Commons quickly enough.

Another reason that Commons is so chaotic is because most middle schoolers are in a big hurry to get their food. Many middle school students have to catch the 4 o’clock busses or have to get to an after-school activity, which means they have no more than 20 minutes to wait in line.

Also, a majority of middle schoolers seem to believe that there is not enough food for everyone. This means that a bunch of students are practically fighting to get to the front of the line in an effort to get food. In actuality, there is an abundance of food at Commons, and therefore the fight to get to the front of the line is unnecessary.

Although Commons is one of the most hectic and turbulent places at Poly, Commons is also Poly’s epicenter of community, friendship, excitement, and, most importantly, amazing food. Commons’ chaos has become a vital part of Poly’s culture and dynamic, as well as a routine experience in the day-to-day life of students.