Lunch time at West Potomac is always busy, and students purchase cafeteria food or bring their own packed lunch. For those who bring their own food, some opt to heat up their lunch, and make their way toward the microwave.

There are two microwaves in the cafeteria, each one in between the lunch lines. Students have been using it since the beginning of the school year, but just a couple weeks back, one of them lost its turntable plate and stopped working. It has become an inconvenience for students to heat up their food with only one microwave available.

“I usually wait until there’s nearly nobody in the lines,” said sophomore Micaiah Bomah. “Nobody wants to stand by themselves [for a long time] heating up their food.”

Students shouldn’t hold their breath for a replacement microwave anytime soon.

“Nobody is going to fix it, it’s basically trash,” said Building Supervisor Rita Matos. “We’ll need to buy a new one.”

Administrative Assistant Joanna Copeland is in charge of buying a new microwave, and has said that this situation is the result of a lack of communication.

“Nobody said anything,” said Copeland. “We have to talk to the boss [interim principal] and see if we can replace it.”

Interim principal Dale Rumberger is new to West Potomac, so it will take some time for him to adjust and make decisions. In the mean time, students will have to use the single microwave in the cafeteria. 

Update: the PTSA has provided two new microwaves for the cafeteria.