‘Sophomore walk’ is worth the trade off
HUB correspondent
Many DHS students leave campus every day during lunch and take the five minute “sophomore walk” down Scripps Dr. to the Anderson Plaza so they can grab a bite to eat.
The surge of DHS students at lunchtime can cause problems for the stores but it also provides noticeable revenue for these businesses.
At Savemart during a recent Monday lunchtime a line of students extended from the hot food counter all the way back to the next aisle. There were three to four checkers working the register and there was a line of about 10-15 students at the self-checkout.
“Mondays are the most crowded, it kind of dies down around Tuesday and Wednesday but then picks back up again by Friday,” said Robert Kerr, store manager of Savemart.
There have been no specific incidents of shoplifting so far this year that Kerr is aware of, which “is surprising because they usually happen at the start of the school year but then settle down as people hear about others getting caught,” Kerr said.
Kerr said that in past years there have been many incidents of shoplifting. Students usually stole small items like candy and bags of chips.
But they also stole hot food such as chicken and fries by carrying their bag around the store and eating before they left, leaving the white paper bag behind.
According to Kerr, there are always kids loitering in the alcohol aisle and lots of trash dropped around the store or outside.
Maia Polis, a sophomore, goes on the sophomore walk often and usually eats at Savemart or McDonalds.
“One time at Savemart I stole a bread roll because there was no barcode to scan at the self check-out and the lady started yelling at me so I just ran away,” Polis said.
“It’s all part of business, and we have enough staff to overlook those specific issues,” Kerr said.
Kerr agrees that although noise and trash can be a hassle it is “definitely worth it because it creates so much business on a daily basis.”
Sophomore Ellarie Hernandez often walks to Taqueria Guadalajara to get her favorite burrito and diet Pepsi for lunch.
“I have seen people making poor choices: littering on the streets, and students walking through people’s lawns on the way back,” Hernandez said. “Students there are very loud, but I find that Savemart handles everything very well.:
At McDonalds, “Students often ask for cups for water but then get soda from the machine instead. It is small but it can still add up,” store manager Martha Montes said.
