#18: Cafeteria Lines and School Lunches
In 1975, high school cafeterias brought students together every midday over plastic trays and classic hot lunches. Cafeteria staff dished out daily staples like dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, side salads, and milk cartons under expanded federal guidelines from the National School Lunch Act. Feathered hairstyles, thick-rimmed glasses, and patterned collared shirts filled the cafeteria line, where teenagers gathered to recharge, trade food, and socialize between classes.
