The smell of waffles and fresh oatmeal wafts through the air, as students and teachers grab breakfast at the bistro with the updated breakfast program, Breakfast for Students v2.0.

As a continuation of the earlier Breakfast for Students program, the new system was put into effect on January 14 with a few changes. The program is run by student council and led by ASB Treasurer Kevin Lin (12). Breakfast is offered from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m. and costs $3, buffet style. A hot item such as french toast, breakfast burritos, or fresh oatmeal is served each morning along with cold foods like cereal, fruit, and yogurt.

With the previous problem of food theft, the biggest change to the program is that students are now required to bring their Student ID cards in order to enter the eating area and pay for their breakfast. Additionally, students are only allowed to stay in the bistro if they are eating.

For many students, the program allows them to eat breakfast at school instead of rushing at home or on the car, a prospect especially beneficial for those with long commutes.

“I think it’s really helpful because I usually have to wake up earlier to eat breakfast,” Ria Desai (12) said. “I drive from Fremont so I have to get up at 6:30, eat, and leave by 6:50. So this is better for me.”

Breakfast for Students also gives students a warm place to stay with friends before school while eating hot food.

“It’s a nice bonus in the morning,” Monika Lee (11) said.

Along with students, many teachers also like the opportunity of having breakfast at school. Some feel that the program would not only help students ease their morning schedules but also help out with traffic on campus in the morning.

“I’m hoping it will be a plus for everybody: the traffic, a little easing around 7:45, [and] a good breakfast for students who only get a pop-tart that they eat at the back of the car,” English teacher John Heyes said.

Yet some students found that the breakfast hours were too early as they wanted the option of grabbing some quick food right before the first bell instead of at 7 a.m.

“A lot of people come late, plus it closes kind of early. A lot of people come after 7:45,” Kelly Wang (10) said.

While some only plan to drop in once or twice a week, other students will make breakfast at school a regular part of their morning routine.

“I’ll probably be eating here every day; usually, I don’t eat breakfast because I have to rush to school,” Luke Wu (9) said.

The student council will be monitoring student and teacher reactions to further develop the program in the future.