Every week, students and faculty alike long for Friday at 2:12 pm when the last school bell rings, initiating the start of a relaxing weekend. Students can’t wait to be free of stressful school work, while teachers are excited that they won’t have to see our bothersome faces for the next couple days. But it’s what we do with our new free time that excites all students, whether it’s hanging with friends, eating out, or just chilling at home.

This week’s Throwback Thursday comes from the year of 1995. An article in the senior section is titled, “After the Bell.” It talks about how on Friday nights, the most popular hangout spot for students was Denny’s, a diner close by to the school. Students could order essentially anything they wanted, and the diner was open all night for optimum hangout sessions.

These days, students have similar ideas when it comes to choosing the hangout spot on our Friday nights. The top places are all centered around food, one of the primary concerns of high school students. Coming in at #1 is the very popular Mexican grill known as Chipotle. With thousands of ways to enjoy a burrito, bowl, taco or salad, students can never get tired of eating at this restaurant. Not to mention, you can get a delicious meal for under $10. Next on the brain is where to go after you’re done with your meal. With so many of these spots popping up all over town, students can eat frozen yogurt whenever they want. Again, with so many choices of how to load up that “froyo” cup, students are never bored with all the yummy flavors and toppings that frozen yogurt shops have to offer.

There’s even places students can go if their nights start later than most. With Chipotle and most frozen yogurt places closing at 10 pm, some students are at a loss for where to spend their Friday nights. But that’s where the famous chain Applebee’s comes in. Starting at 9pm and for the rest of the night, all appetizers are half off. This great deal is very enticing to high school students, so it’s not uncommon to see huge groups of kids hanging out at Applebee’s with their tables full of half priced “apps.” Students also enjoy a quick run through the Chick Fil A drive though on their busy Friday nights, because who doesn’t love their tasty waffle fries?

Students spend all week looking forward to where they will be spending their Friday nights, which, most of the time, is a restaurant.  The social aspect that surrounds food spots will always be present, whether it’s with students in the year 1995 or students in the year 2015. Kids 20 years ago weren’t that different from how teens are today; all we need is a place to hang, good food to eat, and great friends to share it all with.