Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School consists of about 1,557 students with many classrooms and hallways. Throughout the school, students have found places to hang out during lunch, both before and after school. Some students gather in the cafeteria, near the elevator or in the music wing. Some choose their spots based on whatever space is available while others choose their favorite teacher’s classroom.
In the mornings, the cafeteria offers a variety of food at the “Raiderlicious Snacks” stand. In addition to their regular drink and snack selection, they offer bagels, chocolate chip muffins, egg sandwiches and more. The cafeteria is also available in the morning to complete unfinished homework or to socialize with friends.
The spot in front of the elevator is known to the people who sit there as the (Trash Corner). Here they hangout, play games and chat. This corner came to be after the library kicked the group out at a certain time and they decided to find a new spot to buckle down.
“Around freshmen year my friends and I used to hang out in the library but eventually we drifted this way because it was one of the only untaken spots.” Senior Lindsey Magee said.
Another spot in the school that is popular among students is the music wing. Students meet in this wing before and after school and during lunch. Many people choose this wing as the main lunch spot rather than the cafeteria due to the available room the wing provides.
When not in school, students also have their regular hangout spots around town. Some popular spots include La Grande park; where students can play tennis, baseball and more. The Fanwood Bagel, public libraries and shopping malls around the area are also popular among the students. Sophomore Dylan Klein prefers to roam the streets of downtown Westfield shopping in its various stores and dining in its various restaurants.
“I actually don’t hang out in downtown Scotch-Plains,” Klein said, “I go to Westfield a lot with my friends, so other towns definitely.”
Having originally been a run down unused bank 25 years ago; built by Delano & Aldrich, Urban Outfitters is a popular hangout stop for the students of SPF in downtown Westfield. It sells a variety of merchandise from clothing to home and lifestyle items.
Yestercades is popular due to the fact all their games are available for free; no quarters or tokens required. The way that Yestercades earn their money is through the amount of time an individual spends in their establishment. They charge $9.25 an hour per player and add an additional $2.31 every 15 minutes after the hour is up. You can even choose to purchase a daily re-entry pass for $25 per player.
These are just a few of the many spots the students of SPF choose to spend their time.