As St. Dominic will grow by at least 90 students next year, administrators have been working hard to make sure lunch still moves as smoothly as possible. However, whatever changes may be implemented, Empower Hour as a whole is not likely to make the list.

One of the biggest problems that presented itself to administration is simply space. With nearly 100 extra people walking around school, will there still be room for everyone to enjoy our much needed hour every day?

One possible solution is that the small gym may be available for lunch again. Administration is talking about closing the Sister Mary Bender lobby and instead putting up tables and chairs in the small gym every day, which would add a whole lot of extra space.

There may also be extra registers added in the cafeteria, which would speed up the huge lunch line that always gathers during first half. There is even a possibility of assigning each grade different times to buy lunch in order to decrease the size of the lunch line.

However it may change, Empower Hour itself is not going to disappear.

“It’s good for kids to have a brain break,” principal Stacy Stewart said.

Despite the huge growth St. Dominic will see in the 2020-2021 school year, our hour of freedom isn’t going anywhere.