Owen – No

Let’s be honest, we all freaking love food. Looking past all the health concerns and religious limitations around food, humans need nutrients and we should be allowed to indulge ourselves once in a while. That’s why food is the perfect thing to be giving students throughout the day as a treat or a reward. It’s the one thing we all can enjoy with an added bonus of some nutrients and calories. However, not all food is the healthiest thing for students, and in general, the food offered to students isn’t on the healthier side. Though this food is being offered, students still have free will to decline it. If the food is something they know they shouldn’t be having, they have full control to pass on it. This wave of “junk food” being offered more often may be a cultural norm rather than a school one.
In America, it’s part of our culture to be eating unhealthy food– we’re comfortable with the amount of fast food, candy, baked goods, and other foods high in cholesterol and sugar we encounter on a daily basis.
As well, these less healthy options are a lot cheaper than a less processed, organic alternative. The price of a McDouble at McDonald’s is $3.19, and while a McDouble isn’t the healthiest burger out there, the alternative is a slew of options in the $20-$30 range that just isn’t affordable to be giving out to everyone at school. I’m not saying Parker’s handing out McDoubles on the daily either, but if the concern about food is access, a cheaper option would be less healthy but far more accessible.
While Parker may have funding for a lot of its educational endeavors, we certainly don’t have the funding to be spending five times the amount of money we currently are on snacks and desserts. As well, the food offered to students isn’t meant to be benefiting them on a healthy level, it’s meant to boost their morale. While teachers may be offering candy or donuts on a rare occasion, these aren’t lessons on how to eat in your daily life, these are tools to bring a little joy or happiness to students with something everyone can find some joy in. I’ve had many times where I might be needing a snack that’s a little less healthy and it tends to brighten my day. That’s not to say I’m not reliant on Dunkin (which also might be true) but it just means that my day goes a little bit better after I’ve had my chocolate donut with rainbow sprinkles (don’t hate, it’s the best thing that establishment makes). We may not be in the thick of the French Revolution, but in a way, high school resembles the French Revolution.
So, in the words of Marie Antionette, let them eat cake.

Uma – Yes

First of all, let me set something straight. I visit the Senior Snack drawer every day. I eat Fruit by the Foot and barbecue popcorn (if you know you know during advisory. I greatly enjoy College Counseling’s sweet treats. I posted the following on the Weekly’s Google Classroom: “for all FUNNY content produced, you will be awarded a MUNCHKIN.” I love snacks, and they can be an incredible motivator. But it shouldn’t have to be this way.
Excess glucose consumption is linked to memory and cognitive deficiencies, a study conducted by University of Montreal and Boston College found. As much as I like eating sugary snacks, I know that they don’t help me focus in class. For example, if I eat a cookie during lunch, I start to get lethargic towards my last period. When I get home to do my homework, I may (and often do) take a nap instead. Consuming sugar causes blood glucose levels to rise and fall in a short period of time, leading to drowsiness, irritability, and a lack of concentration. You can tell yourself that snacks make students happy all you want, but the science says otherwise.
I know, I know, I have free will and nobody is forcing me to eat snacks. But childhood and experiences in school are about learning to make good decisions that we carry for the rest of our lives. The very American concept of excess is visible in Parker’s hallways when free food is offered, and the natural response is to take it. As Owen said, consumption of junk food is a hallmark of American culture. I say that we must collectively make a choice to change the culture. Mr. Bruno’s Senior Snack Drawer often features a selection of healthy snacks, such as fruit bars and popcorn.
Although healthier snacks tend to be more expensive and perhaps less enticing, it is worth our health to make this shift.
Many Parker clubs, including the Weekly, offer sweets at meetings in hopes of attracting members. And don’t even get me started on Club Fair and Democrafest. When club heads use food as a decoy, members come to eat and not to partici-pate. Some members will even ‘eat n’ run, which shows incredible disrespect to club heads. What’s more is that club heads sometimes buy sweets with their own money and are either unaware that they can get reimbursed, or they just don’t feel like it. Students should attend club meetings because they are passionate about the club, not because they have snacks. Instead of using food to attract student participa-tion, club heads should use accountability systems and internal motivators.
I am incredibly appreciative of the adults and students in the building who spend time and money providing students with snacks. However, certain sweets can be a detriment to our health. Snacks are not what should bring us joy, nor should they replace our passion and participation. We are better than this.