2nd Guest post...LUKAS! Friday, September 7th.

     Here is the first guest post from our second guest poster, Lukas!!  Lukas also attends school in a small rural Kansas community, and is quite the achieved distance runner!  He will probably be posting every two weeks or so, so be on the lookout for more!

     Hello Everyone! My name is Lukas; I attend a school much similar to Shane’s in aspect of size, and community. I live on a farm and understand the importance of healthy diets, which goes for animals and humans. But what is most special about me is my ability to run. I have loved running since grade school, and it has become a key part of my life. In the course of my high school career, I have brought home many titles and awards to my community. So from a true athlete’s perspective, we NEED more food! Like most pre-collegiate students I weigh under 200 lbs. Skin and bones, is probably the most accurate way to describe us. Now I am not saying that the food is gross, because I am by no means a picky eater, but the quantity is not rational at all. The statistics may say that the U.S. is overweight but where I come from we aren’t much more than bean stalks. This is a picture of the lunch that was served on Friday the 7th; I took every possible item of food that was possible.

• 1-Sloppy Joe
• 1-Bean Salsa with tortilla chips
• 1-leaf of Romaine 
• 2-1/2 slices of tomato
• 1 pear
• 1-cup of milk

     As you can see there is not a whole lot on my plate, the sloppy Joe was delicious, but that was the only meaty and filling part of the whole meal. Bean salsa? Come on, that is an appetizer. This lunch, however, was on Friday, and my cross country meet was on Thursday. The day after a race is known as a 'Recovery Day', which means you have to re-nourish all the vital elements your body lost during your race. The average runner (typical high school runner) needs more protein per pound of body weight than a professional body builder. There isn’t enough protein on this plate to recharge a 5^th grader after PE and recess. 

     We pay for these lunches, and I don’t believe that gives the government the right to restrict them. If the overweight people want to chow down on Honey Buns and Soda, who are we to judge them, Let alone stop them? It is their body and they can do to it as they please! We are adolescents, our metabolism is peaking. It’s possible to eat a little grub and still keep our low body fat. School lunches aren't the problem, and making them smaller will only encourage indulging in fatty foods after the bell rings. I hope to post again soon, but until then God Bless.

-Lukas

Thanks, Lukas!! 

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#BrownBaggingIt

     In many school districts across the country, several students have decided to bring their lunch this year.  Yesterday, I had a link to the Beatrice Daily Sun article explaining that almost 40% fewer students buy lunch at BHS.  But, it seems that it is a growing trend across the country.  For those familiar with Twitter, a trending hashtag (#) in recent days is #BrownBaggingIt.  According to an article from the Huffington Post, "Plum High School student Sean Doyle started it all by going on Twitter, telling everyone to bring their own lunch to avoid purchasing from the school for a day."  He then created the #BrownBaggingIt hashtag, and ever since it has become a trending topic on twitter. 
     Some say that bringing your own lunch to school will die out as the year goes on, but the majority of students I've talked to think that it will continue.  "I bring my lunch now, and plan on bringing it for the rest of the year.  The lunches aren't going to get any better," said senior Shelby.  Another student, senior Dylan said something quite similar, "It's becoming part of my morning routine.  It just fits in, and doesn't even take that much more time."  
     This topic--school lunches--has received a lot of attention in the last few weeks, as parents, students, and teachers get back into the school groove.  Several people, from the West coast to the East, have written about lunch in a similar way that I have--a blog.  One of my favorite posts I have read is School Lunch Soapbox, written by a woman named Annie, a mother of three from South Dakota.  In her post, Annie describes her feelings and a story tied with school lunch when she was a 9th grade teacher.  Make sure to check it out--it's a good read!!
     
-----This brings me to my next idea......I am going to start featuring guest bloggers, letting them tell you from their point-of-view how the lunch in their school is!! Be on the lookout from posts from Lukas, Shane, and a couple of others!!  If you know someone who would be a good candidate for an interview, let me know!
----- Also coming soon, a Q&A with the Assistant Director of University Dining Services at UNL!
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Until next time, stay full!!