Over the past few weeks, the difference in NDB’s student size between the current school year and previous years has been evident. Crowded hallways, a changing lunch schedule, and limited parking spaces are just a few of the examples of how the growing student population has affected the everyday lives of NDB girls.

  Carolyn Hutchins, Associate Head of School for Student Affairs, said, “As the student population grows, more faculty is hired. So, there isn’t much of an impact on faculty per se, as we try to keep their class sizes the same, despite our enrollment. Other areas like Student Leadership, Health and Wellness, Athletics, clubs, etc… may feel an impact and work on developing other opportunities for students to be involved in their school.”

However, despite attempts to alleviate the effects of growth increase, girls have still felt the impact of a larger student body. One of the most prevalent examples of this can be found in the lunch lines.

  Initially, the lunchtime release schedule was supposed to remain the same as the past school year with sister classes being released together and a ten-minute time difference between the two groups.

However, in an email from Hutchins sent out nine days into the school year, the schedule was changed. Due to students being “frustrated by the long lunch lines,” the new plan for lunchtime was for each class to be released individually on three-to-four-minute intervals.

  Lunch is not only a time for students to eat and socialize, but it is when the majority of club and leadership meetings take place. Unfortunately, with the new schedule, some students are not released until 11:31a.m, while many meetings start at 11:30a.m. This either results in students who are late to meetings, choose not to come to club meetings that they may be interested in, or who skip eating so that they can arrive on time.

  When asked about the faculty’s plans for the future in regard to the growing student population and lunch lines, Hutchins responded, “We are considering doing an express line for lunch. People going into this line would be those who want no modification to what’s on the menu…We are still considering this as another option to try to speed up the lunch lines.”

Despite these small issues, Hutchins puts it best when she says, “We are all grateful for the additional students and welcome them into our Notre Dame family!”