Untitled Document

By Jake Stoops

The following are original excerpts from essays written in my two high school heath classes at Kotzebue High School. Students were assigned background information including "Super Size America" in U.S. News & World Report and a news story "L.A. Officials Ban Sale of Soda Pop in Schools" by Reuters news service. Following individual research, the students wrote an opinion essay explaining whether or not they thought Soda Pop should be sold at KMHS.

Pros
"I don't think that soda pop should be sold in school, because it isn't healthy for you. One can a day increases the chances of becoming obese by sixty percent. The acid in soda eats calcium, which your bones need to grow. When a child drinks pop during school hours, the sugar affects how a student acts in class. A lot of sugar isn't healthy for you."

"In my opinion, I think soda pop machines should not be allowed in schools. I know soda isn't very healthy. It can lead to broken bones, osteoporosis and obesity. Soda pop can increase diabetic rates, cause kidney problems and may cause addiction. And students are drinking it more than ever."

"The sale of soda in school should be stopped! If you keep vending machines in schools, then students are late for class because there is such a long line to buy soda. Reason number two is because students buy it in the morning when they should be drinking milk or orange juice."

"By drinking and eating sugary stuff, a child increases their chance of becoming overweight or obese. In the last 20 years, the percentage of overweight adolescents went up 14 percent. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 have also grown fatter. In 1999 thirteen percent were overweight compared to just 4 percent in 1965."

"I think school systems should switch to selling healthy drinks. An article we read said sales of machines in schools did not decline when pop was replaced with water, milk and juice." "Parents should limit their children's consumption and demand that schools get rid of the soda pop machines, just as they did to drugs and cigarettes."

"Some school boards have already banned the sale of junk food during lunchtime. In Texas, along with Oakland Unified School District in Northern California have done similar things."

"I don't think pop should be sold in school because of the mess. There are always cans all over the place and spilled pop is sticky and nasty."

Cons
"I believe soda should be sold in schools because the profit has to go somewhere. Here at our school, it goes to athletics. We don't get a lot of money from the school, so we have to raise our own money to travel to tournaments and dual meets. When you go to freestyle wrestling tournaments, parents of the home team sell soda, muffins, candy bars, etc. Selling soda will provide enough money for the wrestling club to go to its next tournament."

"If we didn't have vending machines to sell soda, a lot of schools wouldn't have enough money for athletics and other school supplies."

"I think schools should sell pop because students need some sugar in their diet. They can get the sugar from an apple or some other healthy source, but not as much as a pop or candy bar. If they have a pop or candy once in a while they will still be healthy. If students don't get they sugar they need, they can die from low blood sugar."

"I don't really care if they stop selling pop in school. Last year, they unplugged the machines during the day and we just went to the store and bought six-packs."

"I don't think they should even try to stop selling pop in school because most of the people like it. Most kids don't care if they are fat or skinny. If they don't like being fat they can stop drinking pop. If they are skinny it doesn't really matter because they can do whatever they want, not what other people want."



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Should Soda Pop Be Sold In Schools?
	By Jake Stoops The following are original excerpts from essays written in my two high school heath classes at Kotzebue High School. Students were assigned background information including "Super Size America" in U.S. News & World Report and a news story "L.A. Officials Ban Sale of Soda Pop in Schools" by Reuters news service. Following individual research, the students wrote an opinion essay explaining whether or not they thought Soda Pop should be sold at KMHS. Pros "I don't think that soda pop should be sold in school, because it isn't healthy for you. One can a day increases the chances of becoming obese by sixty percent. The acid in soda eats calcium, which your bones need to grow. When a child drinks pop during school hours, the sugar affects how a student acts in class. A lot of sugar isn't healthy for you." "In my opinion, I think soda pop machines should not be allowed in schools. I know soda isn't very healthy. It can lead to broken bones, osteoporosis and obesity. Soda pop can increase diabetic rates, cause kidney problems and may cause addiction. And students are drinking it more than ever." "The sale of soda in school should be stopped! If you keep vending machines in schools, then students are late for class because there is such a long line to buy soda. Reason number two is because students buy it in the morning when they should be drinking milk or orange juice." "By drinking and eating sugary stuff, a child increases their chance of becoming overweight or obese. In the last 20 years, the percentage of overweight adolescents went up 14 percent. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 have also grown fatter. In 1999 thirteen percent were overweight compared to just 4 percent in 1965." "I think school systems should switch to selling healthy drinks. An article we read said sales of machines in schools did not decline when pop was replaced with water, milk and juice." "Parents should limit their children's consumption and demand that schools get rid of the soda pop machines, just as they did to drugs and cigarettes." "Some school boards have already banned the sale of junk food during lunchtime. In Texas, along with Oakland Unified School District in Northern California have done similar things." "I don't think pop should be sold in school because of the mess. There are always cans all over the place and spilled pop is sticky and nasty." Cons "I believe soda should be sold in schools because the profit has to go somewhere. Here at our school, it goes to athletics. We don't get a lot of money from the school, so we have to raise our own money to travel to tournaments and dual meets. When you go to freestyle wrestling tournaments, parents of the home team sell soda, muffins, candy bars, etc. Selling soda will provide enough money for the wrestling club to go to its next tournament." "If we didn't have vending machines to sell soda, a lot of schools wouldn't have enough money for athletics and other school supplies." "I think schools should sell pop because students need some sugar in their diet. They can get the sugar from an apple or some other healthy source, but not as much as a pop or candy bar. If they have a pop or candy once in a while they will still be healthy. If students don't get they sugar they need, they can die from low blood sugar." "I don't really care if they stop selling pop in school. Last year, they unplugged the machines during the day and we just went to the store and bought six-packs." "I don't think they should even try to stop selling pop in school because most of the people like it. Most kids don't care if they are fat or skinny. If they don't like being fat they can stop drinking pop. If they are skinny it doesn't really matter because they can do whatever they want, not what other people want."



Student Advertisements Designed to sway peers from drinking soda pop.