EDITORIAL NATALIE WHITE
BALLARD TALISMAN A Clash in Nutritional Values
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APRIL 11, 2011
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ruits, vegetables, grains - those foods that donít sit too well with our taste-buds but always seem to worm their way into our parent’s lectures. Since the age of diapers and sandboxes we have been reminded of their nutritional value and their undeniable connection to our future big muscles and fast legs. However, once teenage rebellion and that new aura of independence settles in, those once seemingly vital reminders start to tamper off. That newfound independence isn’t just a bluff. Rather, teenagers truly do start broaching the line between adults and children. Choices are made that go beyond which T-shirt to wear, friends are made without parental approval and money no longer resides in the bottomless pockets of parents. That said, as teens begin establishing some separation they begin making some lifestyle decisions, one of which has to do with eating. While there are many elements to a healthy lifestyle they are all ultimately rooted in what we eat. By now it’s pretty clear that our eating habits stem from the amount of money we have and as teenagers that amount is normally just shy of broke. Rather than spending those three lonely bills on healthy food, teens normally put them towards a cheap meal at McDonalds, Taco Bell or any number of other fast food places. Fast food does more than just taste good, it is also rich in calories and packed with energy - all things that blooming adults need. A recent study at the University of Washington found that a typical 2,000-calorie diet would cost a mere $3.42 if junk food was the sole component while a day of healthy low-energy dense foods would amount to a startling $36.32. Given that the cost of healthy food is nearly 12 times
more than that of junk food on an average day, it’s easy to see why many teens would chose the latter. However, while junk food has come to dominate the diets of many teens, the majority of us still have parents who devote a corner of the dinner plate to fruits and veggies. The lunch menu at school also attempts to create a balanced diet with their salad and fruit options. Money isn’t the only consideration in a teen’s diet. That wave of independence also sends many teens into a new social spectrum; friends are made and style sets in and that drive we all feel to fit in extends to our diet. No matter how versed teens are on the importance of nutrition, odds are it won’t be a high priority on a night out with their friends. Instead of going to a high-end expensive restaurant or the healthy section of a grocery store they will likely drop in to a quick and inexpensive fast food place. While a clear trend of teens, the quick and efficient eating route often extends into the lives of countless American families. Burdened by work and the numerous other responsibilities, parents will often take their family out for dinner, and more often than not to an affordable and quick designation. Of the 10 percent of income the average American family spends on food, 40 percent goes towards eating out. With all the chaos in the average family’s life, especially with the bustling schedules of teenagers and demanding careers, eating out for cheap is becoming more of a common tendency. The recession isn’t helping matters either as cheap food is becoming more appealing and healthy less realistic. Whatever the reason, healthy food continues to stray from the diets of teens. And as a country that keeps racking up the obesity rate it may be a good thing to recall those warnings and reminders we received as kids as the future looms.
Letter to the Editor
I have been teaching math for 35+ years, mostly here at Ballard High School. I have taught Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Pre-Calculus. I was the Ballard Math department chair for over ten years. So, I feel qualified and responsible to comment on the disaster that is just beginning to happen to the math department at our grand school and has been happening in our district subtly for the past few years. This is written out of concern for all of our students. We have a terrible math problem in this district and it’s going to get worse. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t care about students. Even people who disagree with what I am going to say have the student’s best interest at heart. We at Ballard do a fine job with our top math students. In the past 5+ years since Mr. Nutting and I have been working together we have a tremendous success ratio of students who pass the AP Calculus exam with 5’s and 4’s. I am concerned, however, for the students at the other end of spectrum. My concern is for the students who come to Ballard or any high school and are not prepared for the starting level of math (Algebra is the lowest level of math that we offer).
This is the 1st year Ballard has not offered a class or two below Algebra for students who are not prepared to take Algebra. We still have those students. Now we put them all into Algebra 1 classes and expect them to make it - or fail and repeat the same class the next year. It doesn’t work….Here is why: Students without the necessary preparation usually are not as skilled or motivated to do math; some learn math at a slower pace. When we put all of these unprepared students into regular Algebra classes they are doomed to fail. I have proof. Usually my failure rate in Integrated 1 or Algebra 1 classes is about 20 percent. (Nobody said math was ever easy.) Now with no Pre-Algebra classes I have over 40 percent failure in my Algebra class. This is directly attributable to having an additional 2030 percent of the students in Algebra who are unprepared for the rigors of Algebra. No amount of differentiation in the classroom can help these students “catch up” in one year. There is another affect I’m finding when the unprepared students in Algebra are in a class of prepared students. The prepared students suffer
in lack of content taught and in class disruptions from students who can’t do the work so they are distracting others. All the students-suffer… Those who are unprepared for Algebra learn little. Those who are prepared and in the correct math level do not get as much math due to the slower pace a greater percentage of the class needs. This is a “trickle up” syndrome. Each year students going to high level math classes, Geometry and Algebra II, will be less and less prepared. I’m bringing this to your attention because this is a school and district problem. School boards and administrations do listen to parents and students. I’ve written school board members and our new Superintendent Susan Enfield and discussed this with the Ballard executive committee PTSA. If you consider this a problem please write, call, or email our Ballard High School administration, the school board, and or the superintendant. Your voice, with others, can change a problem that, in my experienced view, is just beginning. Sincerely, William Bonney