You all know it. You all love it. The luscious bread that breaches your lips every morning for the small cost of two dollars. The bagels that Student Activities sell every morning are such an excellent food source. They are a burst of energy in the form of a breaded torus that so many students rely upon. But these bagels are part of something bigger. The funds collected for their sales play an integral role in sustaining many activities that students look forward to every year.

Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, a landmark decision was made to rise bagel prices by $0.25. Protests ensued, and chatter circulated the school, asking how Student Activities could make such a seemingly unwarranted ruling. What many students failed to understand was that this extra quarter, which was oftentimes donated to relinquish one of the burdens of carrying loose change, would strictly be used to further the school events that make Coral Gables Senior High the place that it is.

As Mrs. Ana Suarez consistently reinforces, the extra 25 cents go to all school events such as Prom, class trips, and the Senior Picnic. While it is up to the students to become involved in these activities, it takes a significant financial burden off of their backs when it comes to paying for these events. The dozens of clubs that Gables has to offer, a luxury that many schools are unable to sustain, are also benefited by the extra money flowing into the school as well. Overall, the slight increase in bagel price may have initially seemed random and inconvenient, but in the long run, it will benefit students.

“I don’t eat breakfast when I leave my house, so bagels are the perfect way to not stay hungry the whole day,” senior Alejandra Orozco said.

While the 2 Dollars 2 Much protests were an excellent, albeit eccentric, use of the students’ right of assembly, many failed to understand the reasoning behind the price increase. The protesters jumped to the conclusion that the system was once again against the good of the common people – that Student Activities was not out of malicious intent, and due to their monopolized bagel business, the price would meteorically rise to an unreasonable point. The slippery slope was vividly present in their minds and left an ominous fear in their heart. But this was just not so. The minuscule price increase was solely for the benefit of students, agreed upon and put into place so that other events could become more affordable.

The bagels themselves are a luxury in their own right. An entire breakfast for $2 is both reasonable and practical for the many students who may wake up in a rushed manner, not having time to brush their hair and much less so to eat a full meal. While the price interest will stay, hopefully in the coming months the dissenters will come to realize that when inspected below the surface, the school’s students’ best interests were kept in mind.