Posted on 12/24/2004 1:40:08 PM PST by holymoly
It's Snapple or nothing for thousands of thirsty students who attend Brooklyn high schools where a new policy bans kids from carrying outside beverages into school.
"It's wrong," said Shabana Mohumad, a freshman at Clara Barton High School who saw her sealed water bottle confiscated last week. "It was insulting."
Barton students said they are being bullied into drinking Snapple - the only soft drink available in city schools - but education bosses insist that was not their intention.
"It didn't even cross my mind," said Gloria Buckery, superintendent for Region 6 in Brooklyn.
The policy was meant to reduce litter in hallways and get students through metal detectors faster, said Buckery. Metal cans set off scanners, and safety agents must inspect bottles to make sure they are not opened.
Still, students said they feel like prisoners.
"I'd like a little variety," said Barton sophomore Deshanti Woodburn. "What happens if you don't drink Snapple?"
In exchange for the right to sell beverages in schools, Snapple has returned $4.1 million in profits to the Education Department - paying for an expansion of middle- and high-school sports. The city is expected to reap another $7 million this year.
"We feel like we are smuggling drugs," said Danielle Williams, a Barton freshman who saw a junior try to sneak in a Dr Pepper. "We can get drinks at the grocery store cheaper."
Buckery handed down the edict last week, but didn't give schools a deadline to enforce it, she said. After getting a flurry of complaints, she plans to revisit the policy in January, she said. "Our only goal is making sure children are in the best learning environment possible," she said.
Related: Fractures on the rise among children (USA Today)
These exclusive contracts are just plain wrong;public edukashun-no common sense,no ethics,no religion,know nothing.
This is Bloomie's baby.
If she's a DemonRat (and no doubt she is), it figures.
Read my profile. It was restrictions on what I could bring to school for lunch that turned me into a small "l" libertarian in the first place.
How is a water bottle against the rules.....this is plain wrong.
Pong.
Why would anyone send their children to a place so dangerous that everyone entering is sent through a metal detector?
Pung.
Peng?
Pang.
Pyng
Exactly!Snapple is nothing but sugar water.At least provide the kids with some fruit juice or milk as you stated.
Here in my school district,the kids eat abominably-cheese puffs,sodas,nachos,candy and crap with no nutritional value.And then we wonder why they are so hyper in class and seem to have trouble learning.
Again we must go back to the parents who take the lazy way out and bring home KFC and Burger King instead of taking the time to prepare a balanced meal.
Our motives are pure so don't you dare question our methods. Barf.
just stop buying the school stuff...period.
We were better off for it, too.
I went to Brooklyn Technical HS, and back then we had no security systems. Gym teachers took care of whatever minor stuff happened, and that was with a school full of 6000 boys. Recently I went to the schools website and they now have security offices, and ID cards and a security manager. Problem is, like time, these types of changes no go backwards. And each generation becomes less aware of the way it was.
The biggest problem with allowing containers from home is that there could be booze in them.
How do you know if it's water or vodka?
As far as the beverage concessions in schools go, companies, Coke, for example, will give the schools scoreboards, towels, sport's water bottles, etc. in exchange for exclusive beverage rights. Scoreboards are big bucks, many schools sign the contract for that reason alone.
longjack
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