As a student of three years here at NDA, I have experienced the rules firsthand. One of the rules has been that you can not eat food in class. This has been a controversial argument that affects almost every student. 

Having to experience this rule has not been pleasant because as a teenager I became quite hungry during the school day– even after having a fulfilling breakfast. The majority of students have shown they become quite hungry during the school day as well. Also, some students don’t eat much before school, but having a supplement between then and lunch is very beneficial. Being among a plethora of student-athletes in their adolescent years, fueling our bodies is crucial to our development and performance. Almost 75 percent of students at NDA are athletes, so being nourished throughout the day is important to the development and performance of their respective sport(s).

 It is also shown that being hungry can affect school performance. I know when I am hungry during the school day my mind does not focus on what I am there to learn. It is safe to say that this applies to many other students as well. I take pride and care deeply about my academics and athletics, so I feel having supplements during the day would increase my performance in both. 

The counterargument is that eating in class can lead to infestations and messes. The hardest messes to deal with are spills so I agree on only having water in class but don’t agree about not having food in class, which is a lot easier to clean than liquids. My solution to infestations and messes would be to clean up all messes and, just like at lunch, the student(s) can not leave till the mess is cleaned up. Of course, if that is not followed it can carry out like any other punishment. Finally, if needed, it can be argued the teacher can dictate some parts of this, such as how extravagant some food can be: eating a chicken salad vs a protein bar.