TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2006
Wednesday Edition: Disappearing School Cupcakes
My son turns nine this week. It looks like we will bring cereal bars
and dried fruit to his class to celebrate. Close your eyes and imagine
what the reponse from a room full of third graders will be.
The time-honored ritual of sending cupcakes to school to celebrate
children’s birthdays is under assault. The federal government appears
now to be behind a national wave
of school district decisions to ban cupcakes from classrooms because
the feds worry that the cupcakes will make the kids fat. Districts that
participate in the National School Lunch Program must have a local
wellness policy in place for the beginning of this school year. Many
systems, it appears, have included the no-cupcake policy as part of
their initiatives to ban unhealthy foods from schools.
Some years ago, about the time our teenaged
daughter entered kindergarten, our schools required parents to send
only "store-bought" goodies - no home-made cupcakes
because, I suppose, they could not trust that home kitchens were clean
enough. Now we have moved into a whole new phase. Currently, our local
schools say parents may not send cookies, cupcakes or ice cream. The
school system suggests that parents send crackers, dried fruit,
tortilla chips or cereal bars instead. Now THAT sounds like party food,
huh?
The school may approve sugary snacks for up to three school-approved events per year according to our local guidelines.
In
Texas, this topic got enough attention that last year that the legislature
took up what became known as the Safe Cupcake Amendment. The bill was an attempt to keep the authority (for whether to allow cupcakes) at the local level.
I found other school districts have adopted the "no cupcake" rule. Instead students are encouraged to sing "Happy Birthday." In 2004, The Boston Globe
reported that one school was going to adopt the "Birthday Package"
which included decorating the student’s desk, giving them a sash to
wear, a birthday sticker and a special pencil.
Kindergarten and preschool kids get to wear a birthday crown.
In the meantime, cookie dough, candy and other such sales designed
to raise money for PTAs and schools have not been universally banned –
maybe because they bring in big bucks.
Meanwhile, I am wondering if Pop-Tarts are off limits as birthday
snack foods. The school's information sheet does not ban them outright.
I am thinking of them as flat cupcakes.
The "Axe Effect"
Here is another back-to-school story that
you may have missed. In this troubled world, this is not the biggest
problem and/but it is an interesting sign of the times. The Omaha World-Herald found a great story about how boys, especially middle-school boys, love new body sprays like Axe and Tag. The boys are spraying so much that it is disrupting class. Teachers are seizing the sprays.
The story said:
"That’s causing a stink at some schools. Teachers patrol the halls
for overeager Axe users. Spraying cologne or body spray during passing
periods can get you detention. And several Omaha and Grand Island
schools are considering more formal policies.
Principals roll their eyes when asked about the "Axe Effect."
Physical education teachers joke that clouds of body spray roll out of
boy’s locker rooms.
If you can believe the press releases, teen boys are ditching cologne in favor of body sprays.
Students Love Wikipedia (maybe a little too much)
C|NET has a few words of advice
about how students may rely too much on the website. It can be a good
starting place, but too many students just grab from it and go.
Political Power Ties
While I was teaching in Lincoln, Neb., last week, I had the opportunity to witness a debate between
the candidates for U.S. Senate. Both Senator Ben Nelson, and challenger
Pete Ricketts, wore exactly the same thing: a dark suit, white shirt,
the mandatory flag lapel pin and a red-striped power tie.
In the 2004 Presidential debates,
President Bush, favorite of Red states, wore blue ties, whereas Blue-
state candidate Kerry wore red. What was that about? Read an image consultant’s take on what all of that meant.
Joe Liebermann could learn something from this. Election night (when he lost) he wore
the blue suit and white shirt, but his red tie was sort of dull, not
boldly striped. The old rule of thumb is, when on TV, make sure you
don’t wear anything that is more exciting than you are. The Canadian website Tyee.ca asked fashion experts to analyze politicians and their fashions.
An image consultant website, Rourk Public Relations, reports:
According to image and personal branding consultant, Sandy Dumont of
Virginia, there is a 50- percent chance that what you're wearing at this
moment may NOT give you and your company a competitive advantage.
Dumont has advised Fortune 500 companies as well as bankers, nurses,
politicians, media personalities, and forward-thinking business leaders
throughout the United States and Europe, and says 90 percent of her
clients wear the wrong clothes and colors at least 50 percent of the
time.
About ties and accessories, the consultant says:
Men--Wear Classy Shirts and Ties:
• The most important
rule of all: The tie must dominate (by color, not gaudy pattern). Red,
burgundy, yellow and indigo look dynamic. Avoid wearing red and yellow
together; it suggests food, not business. Avoid matching shirts and
ties.
• Good tie patterns: stripes, discreet polka dots, small repeating patterns (club or Ivy League).
• Shirts: Well-cut, white cotton shirts are the most powerful.
Women--Wear Bold Accessories:
• Bold accessories give a look of power, success and worldliness. Wear belts with skirts and pants.
•
Earrings are a must. Good example: chunky hoops. Avoid thin ones as
they are associated with gypsies and teenagers. Flat clip earrings look
conservative and stern.
• Bold, chunky necklaces and pins are also good power accessories. Single-strand pearls and scarves are for "ladies lunch."
Trick Debate Questions
Often in debates, journalists ask
questions designed to get a peek into the person running for office. I
have heard reporters ask if the candidates know the price of bread, if
they have ever used an ATM machine, if they know how to send an email.
I remember years ago somebody asking candidates what their favorite
drink was. The candidates seeking support in Florida said orange juice,
others needing help in Wisconsin said milk. They should have said beer.
At the debate I attended in Nebraska, one journalist asked:
When was the last time you balanced your checkbook?
When was the last time you mowed your lawn?
When was the last time that you had a family dinner? And what did you eat?
Seems neither candidate mows his own lawn.
Senator Nelson claimed, by the way, that he regularly goes to the
supermarket to buy groceries, shampoo and deodorant. Both Nelson and Ricketts say they
regularly eat family dinners. Senator Nelson says he regularly balances
his checkbook. The challenger says he is three months behind, but uses
Quicken.
Fake Photos (fauxtografs) in History
To put the recent "journalism" photograph scandals in historic context, read this chapter from Paul Lester’s photography ethics book. The chapter cites photo manipulations beginning with Civil War pictures.
C|NET offers more info on the topic.
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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas,
edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites,
as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes
directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be
provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends
upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors
and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
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