PHOTO CREDITS: Samantha Roberts
BY SAMANTHA ROBERTS
As soon as Mark paid for his second chocolate bar of the day, he almost immediately tore open the wrapper and started munching on the crispy, chewy pieces. You didn’t see him glance at the label on the back at all; the wrapper took a short and sharp turn into the trash. Everywhere you look around Cooper City High School, you see students carrying large candy, chocolate bar, or chocolate covered pretzel boxes. Why is this? Organizations and clubs at CCHS believe that this is the best and easiest way to raise money. However, they’re all forgetting about one thing: nutrition. These boxes that are filled with what you think are “delicious” are just a big bubble of potential diabetes getting ready to be opened up. These fundraisers are a part of the reason why teenagers eat so unhealthy. Most teenagers don’t have time to go to the gym or look at a nutrition label nowadays because they either have too much school work to do or they’re just too lazy. Unhealthy fundraisers offering snacks in class are only adding to this health problem.
Any school organizations that think candy sales are the best way to make quick money are wrong. There are plenty of fundraisers that don’t even include food products. The CCHS Fashion Club sells hair bows for homecoming. These bows are hand-made, cute, and stylish; they raise money for the club while advertising what their club is actually about: fashion. FMPA is selling pink Breast-Cancer ribbons during the month of October for Breast-Cancer Awareness Month. Since FMPA focuses on students who want to become a profession in the medical field, this sale is 100% appropriate and even raises money for a good cause. Yes, it’s easy for clubs and organizations that are lacking in creativity to result to the easy chocolate box for sales, but other forms of fundraisers can raise money without raising the numbers on the scales.
Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like all food is bad for you! CCHS has many healthy options to fundraise with. In the past, our school has had Jamba Juice fundraisers after school. Jamba Juice products are mostly all natural with healthy fruits and veggies. Contrasting with just one chocolate bar, which has more than 3 times the amount of fat, carbs, and sugar. You may think that “teens have a sweet tooth, and they’re not going to want to buy a smoothie over a chocolate bar.” That is true; however, it would still be an appetizing option if our campus wasn’t plastered with candy boxes. Besides, if we don’t change the way our own school perceives the importance of healthy eating, the obesity rates in teens will continue to rise.
Mark didn’t look at the nutrition label; neither do most of teenagers. We see a “World’s Finest” chocolate box and our eyes light up at the mere thought of getting our hands on a delicious treat in the middle of class. It’s only rarely that the 250 calories inside ever cross our minds, and often when it’s too late. You may not think that’s not that bad, and that you can just save calories later in the day- but when half of those calories come from fat it’s not a good sign. These bars aren’t made of broccoli or flaxseed – they’re pure sugar. It’s important to think before you eat. Setting up good nutrition habits for your health should start now while we’re young. Just because some kids can snack all day while still remaining skinny and in shape, doesn’t mean they’re the picture of health. If they continue to eat like that for the rest of their lives it could potentially cause major problems. Unfortunately, all of this relates back to our high school fundraisers-fundraisers that are supposed to do good for the students of CCHS. These sales need to stop. If clubs and organizations need a way to raise money, they can try food that is more nutritious or just sell things that don’t involve food at all. If students at CCHS aren’t looking out for their health, somebody needs to be looking out for them.
