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School Lunches
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School Lunches
School lunches in the United States have been the focus of many fierce debates. The main reason for this is that significant portions of school lunches across the country comprise of processed foods saturated with fats, salt, and sugars. These types of food pose a serious threat to the health of children in the country. The United States has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity, and school lunches do little to help the situation. The United States Department of Agriculture manages the school luck program, and those contracted by the organization show little concern for the nutritious benefits of the lunches served in schools. Unless parents and other parties in the school program fight for their children’s health, things will likely remain as they are. Ann Cooper provides lunches to schools in the Berkeley Unified District, and she addresses her concerns on the nutritional value of school lunches in a TED talk titled, ‘School Lunches.’
Ann Cooper makes a strong case against the current trend in school lunches. She explains that most school lunches are made up of unhealthy foods such as corndogs, chocolate milk, sodas, chicken nuggets, frozen sandwiches, among other unhealthy options (Schanzenbach 685). Having joined the lunch program, two years before her talk, she gives insight into the situation she first encountered. However, she and her team soon began to switch up things, even including a salad bar in her lunches. Many were skeptical of her approach, but she explains that the children to it quite well (Morris). Ann explains that children go to school to learn about different things, and nutrition should be one of them. When children are served all these kinds of junk and unhealthy food in school, they develop an attitude that it is okay for them to consume it. The danger is that most children are too young to realize the nutritious value of the food they consume, and they need the right message when it comes to food.
In the TED talk, Ann emphasizes some of the things that should be changed in the school lunch programs. The first thing is that children in school districts should consume majority of locally produced foods. She explains that transporting food across the country makes little sense as it contributes to pollution, and it also discourages people from consuming what is locally available (Morris). Another point in the talk is that school districts should provide more organic foods for children. A lot of the non-organic food contains hormones and antibiotics that end up making children sick as they grow up. Ann also explains that the school feeding program should be categorized as a public health and social justice issue and placed under the management of the CDC. In the Berkeley school district, Ann is in charge of cooking and planting classes that help to change children’s attitudes towards food. Most children enjoy fast food because they have grown up with the idea that healthy food is not as delicious, and this comes at a cost to their health and wellbeing.
Ann Cooper’s TED talk is an eye-opening review of the country’s lunch program. Although she mainly points out the problems in the system, there are some positive points. For example, the current school lunches are quite cheap, and this is what most school districts in the country can afford (Jensen 23). They have to work within their available budgets and choose what works best for them. Another positive aspect of school lunches is that it provides food for many children, some of whom cannot afford to eat otherwise. Providing meals for millions of children across the country, thus helps to feed those who may be too poor to afford food otherwise. Schools provide one meal a day, and that is why school lunches have limited options. It is expected that parents and guardians provide nutritious meals for their children outside school, and also teach children about healthy eating habits. Schools already do enough for children, and parents should take over teaching their children about nutrition.
Another reason why the current school lunch system works the way it does is that there is limited time to prepare meals. Cooking for hundreds of even thousands of children each day proves to be quite tasking, and frankly too expensive. Having prepackaged meals delivered to schools is the easiest option in most school districts. Ann Cooper also suggests organic meals be served in schools, but that is quite a challenge. Organic foods are too expensive to provide in schools which feed millions of children each day. School districts need money for other things, such as paying teachers and purchasing additional resources for the learning process.
In conclusion, the school; lunch program in the country has come under criticism from many stakeholders. People complain that the food offered to kids in schools is too unhealthy and encourage them to develop bad eating habits. Such unhealthy diets on schools also contribute to the deteriorating health and wellbeing of children, as explained by Ann Cooper in her TED talk. However, the school lunch program still works and benefits many children for various reasons, for example, it provides cheap food for children and ensures that all kids are fed, especially those who cannot get food outside school. Parents should take up the responsibility of teaching their kids about healthy eating habits rather than putting everything on the schools.
Works Cited
Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård, et al. “Economic viability of new launched school lunch programmes.” British Food Journal (2013).
Morris, Richard. “Ann Cooper- School Lunches-TED talk.” YouTube. 24 February 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSTZ6AdQdwk&list=PLBxVg6-9tfFPY0a85Gc0DlJZ51YE3_FMm&index=9&t=0sSchanzenbach, Diane Whitmore. “Do school lunches contribute to childhood obesity?.” Journal of Human Resources 44.3 (2009): 684-709.
Samsung
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Samsung
Technology plays a significant role in the success of a company. Samsung relies on new technologies to come up with new products that will satisfy customer needs and demands. In today’s world, competition among companies has grown very stiff hence the need to do a lot of research into the latest technologies. With new technologies coming out every day, Samsung and its competitors have devoted a lot of time and resources into research and development. As explained in the text, the use of technology affects the financial performance of any company. Before rolling out the technology in company operations, there must be extensive research to find out the costs and benefits before making the final decision.
It is clear that the cost of technology affects the profit margins of the company in question. If a company finds that the use of a particular technology costs more than the profits to be generated, it is imprudent to use such technology. Companies, therefore, look to maximize their profits by using the most cost-effective technology there is. Technology should also be used to satisfy customer needs. If a competing company has some technology that increases the efficiency of their products, then other companies must do their best to step up their efforts at similar technologies. In the market, most products from different companies have the same technology; hence, a company that lags will lose its market share. Research and development are two key factors when it comes to developing new technologies. Companies must study their target markets and analyze their needs. From this information, engineers can then come up with technologies that meet the market requirements. It is also essential for the researchers to look at competitor’s products to determine which technologies will work best and which will fail. The cost of technology is then calculated. If it results in a reasonable profit margin, the company can go ahead to implement it.
Romeo and Juliet
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Romeo and Juliet
1. Our differences certainly define us. Each person has different personalities, beliefs and backgrounds that make them unique from the next person. The first difference that defines us is our personalities. Some types of personalities are shy, outgoing, friendly, attentive, extroverted, creative, serious, funny, leader, follower, among many other. If a person is an introvert, they tend to keep more to themselves and not be too talkative while in contrast extroverts love to talk about themselves and to other people. Culture and background is another thing that defines us. Depending on where we come form or our culture, there are unique ways of living such as the food we eat, the way we dress and communicate that set us apart from each other, essentially defining who we are. The third thing that defines who we are is our beliefs. These include moral and religious beliefs. Our beliefs guide how we relate with other people and the way we live our lives, therefore our beliefs undoubtedly define who we are as a person.
Juliet
In the play Romeo and Juliet, the two characters who are very different but refuse to be defined by their differences. They come from two different families that happen to be enemies with each other. Romeo belongs to the Montague family while Juliet belongs to the Capulet family. Because of this, their love is forbidden from the start but they do not allow that to stand in their way. Juliet exclaims, “What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, Nor arm nor face nor any other part Belonging to a man. Oh, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.” (II.ii). Juliet is also a perceptive young woman who had a feeling that Romeo would die when she says, “O God, I have an ill-divining soul! Methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.” (III.v.)
Romeo
When the lay first begins, Romeo is an immature young man while Juliet is a mature young lady. Romeo does nothing but dwell on his love for Rosaline all day long which is rather silly for a grown person. He says, “Oh, my. Time drags when you’re sad…Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast…What else is [love]? A wise madness…A deadly poison…In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.” (I.i)They are not defined by this difference in their personalities are Romeo becomes more mature from his interaction with Juliet. Romeo believes in fantasy and sees their love as freedom. Juliet asks him how he found her room and he replies, “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out.” (II.ii.)
Nurse
The Nurse is quite different from Juliet and Lady Capulet but this does not deter them from getting along. The Nurse is more of a surrogate mother to Juliet because she, the Nurse, lost her daughter who would have been about Juliet’s age. They develop a close friendship and the Nurse often encourages Juliet to find happiness. “Go girl; seek happy nights to happy days” (I.iii.107). Nurse enjoys being humorous and this sets her apart from Lady Capulet but they get along fairly well. : Nurse tells Lady Capulet, “Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old, / I bade [Juliet] come” (I.iii.2–3). It would have sufficed her to say I summoned Juliet but she adds flair to her statements.
Mercutio
Mercutio is defined by his humor and cynicism. He makes fun of Romeo’s love for Juliet, showing that he does not believe in love as Romeo does. He remarks, “Appear thou in likeness of a sigh, Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied, Cry but “Ay me,” pronounce but “love” and “dove.” (II.i.). Mercutio sees their love to be immature. He is also disdainful of dreams and fantasies, dismisses them in saying, “True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy.” (I.iv.)
Tybalt
Tybalt is an angry person, quick to draw his sword at the slightest provocation instead of listening to reason. He is Juliet’s cousin and believes that Montagues are their enemies simply because of their names. He tells Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, “Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, A villain that is hither come in spite To scorn at our solemnity this night.(I.v.69-71). He hates the fact that his cousin married a Montague and dared Romeo to a fight. Tybalt says,” Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.” (III.i.65)Romeo refuses to be baited, and Tybalt ends up accusing Romeo of being weak.
3. Juliet is one of the significant characters in the play. She is a young lady whose parents want her to marry Paris whom she does not love. I would have approached her situation in a similar manner as she did. She chose Romeo over Paris although her parents objected to her choice. Despite the cat that she was very young, she was able to think in the clear headed manner about the man she would marry. She chose to run away from her life and privilege to be reunited with Romeo. Romeo killed her cousin Tybalt and for this. Juliet belonged to an aristocratic family, and she was not free to get out of the house and mingle with other girls of her age.
In the modern day, there may still be aristocratic families that desire their children to marry specific people. This is, however, a very rare scenario. With many of today’s young people having firm opinions and options available to them, it is difficult to imagine a situation such as Juliet’s. Juliet would never be forced to marry a man against her wish. She would have the choice to run away and live her own life. She would not be defined by her aristocracy or her age but by her determination and her passion.