Deadlines

Deadlines

I put the pro in procrastinator; I would do everything at the last minute if I could. Due to this retched habit I have developed a certain skill for turning out good work at the last minute. Ironically enough journalism is the type of profession and practices that doing things at the last minute comes along with. Journalism comes with deadlines, stress and the need to improvise by gathering data as quickly as possible and putting it into writing in a way that is suitable for readers. Procrastinating may not be the best method it has proved to help me to work with a deadline. 

Brittany

Neighborhood Terrors

These creatures are masked, they are predators of the night, they feed on anything they can get their paws on, and they could be terrorizing your local suburbs.  Elizabeth Fitzpatrick of Cherry Hills, Colo. has been a victim of such creatures, formally referred to as raccoons.

            Following their family Thanksgiving celebration, Fitzpatrick noticed her dog, Chelsea, had been acting a bit abnormal.   

“Our fire place is down stairs and she was constantly running down there freaking out and peeing everywhere like she was trying to mark her territory,” Fitzpatrick said.

As the dogs abnormal behavior continued, the Fitzpatrick’s decided to call someone to investigate the underlying issues between Chelsea and the fireplace.  A professional from Enviropest Wildlife Removal reported to the house.  After examining the situation he proceeded to call for back up. 

“He looked at me and my friend who was over and said, ‘you’re going to want to see this,” Said Fitzpatrick.

            The two women moved to the back yard and waited for something to happen.  They watched as a raccoon made its way out of the top of their chimney, scurried to the edge of the roof and without second thought did an Olympic dive straight to the ground.

“We thought that was all, but then right after that a second raccoon came popping out ran to the edge, wasn’t quite sure how he wanted to jump, aimed for the tree and sort of shimmied down and followed the other into the brush,” she said.

            After the realization that they had been unknowingly running an ‘inn for raccoons’ they began to make their way inside, only to be grazed by another raccoon jumping to the ground. 

“We went inside and heard a cry from the basement and when we went to check it out we found one of the pest guys with a raccoon attached to his arm,” Fitzpatrick said, “so we hurriedly got out of the way as he ran outside with the thing and let it go, to top it all off with a grand total of four raccoons in our chimney. It was absolutely unreal.”

             Enviropest Wildlife Removal representative Eric Arundel emphasized the importance of prevention regarding pests.

“It’s common sense really, secure your trash cans and lids, keep your pet food inside, lock pet doors, and make sure your house is secure.” Arundel said. 

            Raccoons average 2-3 feet long and 8-22 pounds and are more commonly found in urban areas than rural. They ordinarily reside throughout North America, and are found more in the northern United States and Canada. Northern raccoons can reach up to 50 pounds, where as raccoons found in the south are considered large at 20 pounds. 

 Arundel also said that it is quite common to find raccoons burrowed in a chimney because to them it is like a big hollow tree. Enviropest recommended that individuals who have experienced prior issues with raccoons or other pest animals should install a cap of some sort into their chimney.  Aside from prevention it is usually best not to try to deal with pest problems on your own, professionals with rabies shots are probably you’re best bet.

These animals cause many unwanted problems including damage to households, frightening family pets, eating any edible substances on the property and a variety of unwanted noises of scratching and barking.

Raccoons pose more problems than just nuisance alone; they can also be threatening health wise, as they carry a number of diseases and parasites.  According to the Wildlife Damage Management Program raccoons are the number one carrier of rabies.  Wild animals should be handled with caution, even though they can be fluffy and cute, with their masks and considerably in style tail stripes, they are not domesticated pets for a reason.  

Bike for the Unborn

Five days, 50 miles a day on a 250-mile bike pilgrimage from mission to mission across Southern California. Bike For The Unborn organizers close in on the first year of the ride, to take place June 12-15, in attempts to garner riders to help change the culture of life in America. 

“We're asking for divine intervention, and even a Pentecost on our country, for hearts to become pro-life,” said Fr. David Nix.

The Bike for the Unborn team is lead by Fr. Nix, parochial vicar at St. Anthony’s parish in Sterling Co., with their unified goal for rejuvenation for the pro-life movement. They are calling on anyone interested to join in the ride. Each rider asks for sponsors to both support them on their ride as well as donate approximately one dollar per mile to raise money for various Pro-life Organizations. 

Getting Started

            During a mission trip in Los Angeles during February, Fr. Nix sat in the company of some of the students he works with contemplating how to spend their spring break.

“Father Dave looked at me and said let’s either go fishing in Alaska or do a bike ride in California,” Said Colorado University junior Keenan Fitzpatrick, “ We decided to take a week and pray about it.”

With the week of prayer at its end Fr. Nix and Fitzpatrick reconvened on their thoughts. 

“I told him I thought we should do it and he agreed,” said Fitzpatrick. 

Both felt lost in their urge to take action with no direction in how to get started. They began to brainstorm with ideas of a bike ride in California, one thousand bikers, they would get donations from sponsors and their passion would light their way.

Spring break, when they were to pedal out their plans, neared at just four weeks away.

They needed more time.

They pushed the date back to the summer and set their new deadline for June the two weeks that Fr. Nix had off.

“It happened to fall during the same time as the Eucharistic conference in Ireland and summer training for Focus missionaries who is a huge group in the catholic community,” he said.

Fr. Nix began incessantly attempting to contact big names trying to garner support. His efforts proved futile.

Getting Numbers

“God wanted us to be patient,” Fitzpatrick said, “we needed to realize that even if we didn’t get the thousand people we had pictured even if only five people did it (bike for the unborn) it was something God wanted to be done.”

They focused on their individual preparation and transformation through prayer. After a couple weeks Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood Director turned pro-life activist, was put on the page. 

            “I stopped worrying and thought more about transforming myself and then God granted us with publicity with big names like Abby,” Fitzpatrick said. 

            Fr. Nix began reaching out to individuals he knew would be motivated to help and developed the current Bike for the Unborn team of seven: Fr. Nix, Keenan Fitzpatrick, Grace Schneider, Alyssa de la Torre, Beau Wagner, Kileen Willis, and Steven Seguin.  

            “I was asked by Fr. Dave Nix, my friend and spiritual director, to join the team and organize Bike for the Unborn,” Said, CU student Grace Schneider, “Although a bit intimidated by the prospect of biking 250 miles, I was intrigued by the idea of bringing people together for a time of refreshment, renewal and deep prayer for the pro-life movement.”

Schneider’s role as a team member is to write to religious men and women to ask for prayer support. She has written to men and women all around the country asking them to lift the group up in prayer and penance. 

“Prayer is the backbone of this endeavor. We, as bikers, will be visible witnesses for the pro-life movement, riding through CA and fundraising for pro-life organizations, but only God can work a miracle in our country,” Schneider said.

            Fitzpatrick reached out to his high school friend and college roommate, CU Junior Beau Wagner because of the religious ties he has within his family.

           

            “Keenan reached out to me and I was interested in at least doing the ride, then Father Dave gave me a job to reach out to people in my family,” Wagner said. 

            With his older brother Brady, priest at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic parish of Littleton, and his older sister Carrie, is a focus missionary at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his mother, counselor at St. Mary’s school and parish; Wagner not only has contact to the third and fourth largest parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver, but to groups from outside the state.

           

            CSU freshmen and Students for Life member Kileen Willis, said she got involved with the ride after the pro-life club brought Abby Johnson to the university. Fr. Nix, who was also at Johnson’s talk, approached Willis with a proposal to be apart of the team. 

“The bike ride gained my interest because I love that is a ride for renewal of mind and spirit,” Willis said,  “as a pro-lifer it is not easy standing outside of a clinic and watching the destruction happen before you. I feel for the women because we love them and want more for them and I feel for the unborn child.”

Willis role is to be a representative to talk to the local media and she has been able to advertise for the ride on the Denver Catholic Register, LiveAction, Students for Life, and LifeSiteNews.

            “The group goal is not really of any "financial" goal, but really for spiritual relief…but it would be nice to facilitate some money towards pro-life organizations so they can continue to do their work!,” Willis said.

            Riders are asking for support either through supporting them in their overhead costs such as transportation to California, bike rental, equipment and food, or by pledging a per mile donation or writing a check directly to the pro-life organization the rider chooses.

“As far as our organization is concerned we will not be making a penny, we are more so the vehicle for other organizations to receive support for their work,” said Willis.

Another event organizer and CU student Steven Seguin, will not be able to attend the event due to his year long trip abroad, but has been promoting the ride on his blog OneBillionStories.com

Getting closer

The route is designed to follow the path of Blessed Junipero Serra, the 18th century Franciscan priest who evangelized colonial California and started the state’s first nine missions.  Starting in San Diego, on Presidio Hill, Serra placed the cross dedicating the first mission in Alta California, eventually leading the 21 missions established today. 

The event’s Facebook page shows 42 people committed to ride to raise money for pro-life organizations such as 40 days for life, Project Rachel and Students for Life. 

            The ride will start Tuesday June, 12 at 10am at the St. Gabriel’s Mission, and will end at the same place Saturday June, 16 in the evening.  It will consist of about two to five hours each day riding to the various destination points, with the rest of the time allotted for free time to worship, pray, and set up camp to maintain gear and recover.

            It’s amazing to see how many people want to help even if they can’t ride,” said Fitzpatrick, “

            A woman who wanted to participate but could not because of her pregnancy came to Fr. Nix and offered to follow the riders in a van to provide water bike tubes and alternative transportation for riders who needed it. 

            Bike for the Unborn while only in it’s first year, will be following the work of events such as March for life in D.C. (40^th year), Walk for life in California (9^th year) and Biking for Babies which starts in New Orleans and ends in Chicago (4^th year).

            In 2011 Biking for Babies raised $21,185.20 for pro-life organizations traveling 860 miles.  Bike for the Unborn, while starting out small, has the hopes of it’s team to continue the ride to spread the pro-life message in the same way. 

            Organizers suggest for anyone interested in riding to start training right away.

           

            “I've just been trying to make sure I get on my bike every day. I usually bike for about an hour. I went running today because I left my bike at work yesterday. Just making sure I do something in the ways of exercise. Hopefully I'll be okay,” said Schneider. 

           

Links

Bike for the Unborn

http://bikefortheunborn.com/

Map of the ride: http://bikefortheunborn.com/info/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/350770734974942/

Pro-life Organizations mentioned:

Project Rachel

http://hopeafterabortion.com/

40 days for life

http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/

Students for life

http://studentsforlife.org/

One Billion Stories

http://onebillionstories.com/10985/bike-for-the-unborn-in-california-summer-of-2012/

 By:Brittany Lancaster

Tattoos in the Workplace- Chance

Sailors, ex-convicts, hookers and Hell’s Angles.  Up until recently, these were the types of people associated with the former deviance of tattooing.  Now it’s become trendy to look like one of these dangerous demographics of people, which has ironically dulled its edge.  The shock of having a tattoo has lost its luster, just like that faded first mistake I put on my arm when I was 17.

A battle ship on some former Navy sailor’s arm has turned from black to dark green- a blurry remnant of the past.  This is proof of who he was, what he did, and where he went…a map of his life.  Now it’s the norm for a frat boy to sport a tribal design while under the impression that he is doing something original and tough.  The “originality” ranks right up there with the Superman logo and the infamous “tramp stamp.”   

Tattoos in the workplace, once considered more scandalous and taboo than today, have emerged into a form of self-expression that has become more tolerated in recent years.  With this in mind, employers still hold reservations about the public display of body art while on the clock. 

            Sheila Cynkar is the owner and office manager of Orthotic Prosthetic Solutions, a Colorado clinic with locations along the Front Range.  Clearly a product of the 1960s, she is a person who describes herself as “an old hippie,” but is apprehensive to let go of some of the more traditional values of her era, like tattoos. 

“I don’t have an objection unless they are distasteful.  If it were something offensive that might cause a patient to complain, I would have my employees cover up,” said Cynkar about her thoughts on tattoos in the office, who supervises three employees with visible tattoos.  When asked what might be considered offensive, she thought back to standing in line at the grocery store with her now grown kids, shielding them not from the smutty tabloid rags next to the register, but from a naked women tattooed on a man’s arm, cringing as she revisited the scene. 

“Tattoos don’t bother me at all now; I’m pretty liberal; I have a harder time with piercings.  Tattoos seem to be more of an accepted part of society now.”   

            In contrast, John Barrett believes that tattoos in the workplace represent a negative representation of a business.  Senior Master Sergeant Barrett not only adheres to the strict regulations of the Air Force National Guard’s dress and appearance, but said that “if an individual is representing a company, I would not want their tattoos representing me, the country, or our job.” 

Air Force dress and appearance dictates that no tattoos will show above the collar and anything on the arms will not exceed more than one fourth of that exposed body part. 

When asked if tattoos promote an unprofessional image, Barrett said “I personally feel that they do, but I also don’t care for tattoos.” 

Even though Sergeant Barrett said he feels tattoos do not convey the vehicle maintenance shop he supervises in a positive light, he respects his employees’ rights to have them while keeping with Air Force regulations “as long as they’re not offensive to religion, race or anything sexually explicit.” 

Mija Teak, bank manager of Advantage Bank in Fort Collins, can relate to Sergeant Barrett’s concern for a professional image.  The banking industry is a business that is formal in its appearance.  “Banking is so traditional.  When you see someone behind a desk with tattoos, I think it’s distracting.  I don’t think it’s a professional look,” said Teak. 

Teak explained that outside of the workplace, she does not have a problem with tattoos, but that the company policy dictates that they need to be covered.  Teak prefaced her apprehension of tattoos by saying, “Let me give you my age: I’m 61, I’m old school.  I don’t believe they belong in the workplace.”  Teak explained that she frequently experiences the generation gap between she and her younger employees, “This young lady came in for an interview and told me that she took out all of her piercings, but she still had one in her tongue!  This has happened on more than one interview.”

 These company policies of visible tattoos spill over into the food service industry as well.  If you are a frequent patron of Starbucks, you may have noticed that the coffee franchise is free of tattoos and piercings amongst its employees.  Melissa, who refused her last name due to company policy, is a manager of a Loveland Starbucks.  She explained that it’s the company’s policy that tattoos cannot be visible.  “I don’t know the reason behind this, only that it’s something that our CEO and founder have mandated.” 

Melissa herself does not have any personal reservations against tattoos in the workplace, “I have tattoos…I have tons of tattoos.  I just keep them covered.  I understand that every workplace has its own dress code.”

            With rapidly evolving technology, the Internet is making business dealings much less face-to-face.  J.B. Kellog is the manager of Madwire Media, a web design firm in Loveland.  “Tattoos around the office are not a big deal for us, especially because there’s not a lot of client interaction,” said Kellog.  As far as his personal outlook on whether tattoos belong in the workplace, Kellog said, “In some ways it might be kind of fitting from the standpoint of our clientele.  In sales, we might be more conservative about it though.”

            Kellog does view certain parts of the body as being more acceptable than others.  “I think that the arms are a little bit more common place.  When you start getting around the neck, it becomes a little more intimidating to people,” referencing how up until a few years ago people had a similar perception of arm tattoos.      

            One of Madwire’s project managers has actually appeared in several tattoo magazines.  Stephen Seward uses tattoos as a form of self expression, “It’s a very artistic thing for me.”

            Seward definitely sees a change in tides with how tattoos and other forms of body art are depicted professionally, “The typical view of a business man is changing as younger generations are entering the business world.  As new companies grow, new generations come in and it becomes more acceptable.” 

            “I’m a very professional person,” Seward said when explaining that tattoos should not be a factor when determining an employee’s professionalism, “the fact that you can look at someone and automatically discriminate is offensive in itself.”  Seward gave an example of what he viewed as a contradicting work environment, “I used to work at a golf course where it was unacceptable to show tattoos.  At the same time, tons of people who golfed there had them.”

            As someone who literally wears a heart on his sleeve, Seward explained that it’s hasty to count someone out even if their tattoos can be considered offensive.  “There are tattoos that are purposefully offensive.  At the same time you need to consider that person’s past: what led them to getting a certain tattoo?  Could be something they now regret?  People need to understand the person and who they are rather than what they look like.”

Works Cited

Shiela Cynkar- (970)484-8388

John Barrett- (970)378-5130

Mija Teak- (970)204-0450

Melissa (refused last name)- (970)663-4014

B.J. Kellog- (970)962-8471

Stephen Seward- (970)962-8471

Long Awaited Response to Bullying- Chance

            A local student group is taking a firm stance on bullying.  There is little question what its goal is with a name like Defy the Hate.                                                                                              The student group is based at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins.  Its mission is to raise awareness of bullying against groups and individuals.  “Defy the Hate is a photography driven campaign,” described founder Matt Angelo.  “The campaign was started in October of 2010 as something I experimented with on my Facebook page,” said Angelo.  “I just posted some pics of myself and got a great response.”                                                                    The main idea of Defy the Hate is for people to express themselves with body paint.  “By March of 2010, a lot of people got involved through word of mouth.  When people show up for a photo shoot, they write their message of anti bullying on their body.  It makes the message more personal.”  The photos are then posted online, via Facebook and Linkedin, and spread throughout the internet.                                                                                                                                           “When I started Defy the Hate, I didn’t expect it to be anything more than anti-bullying.  Since then it has turned into an anti-suicide campaign.”  Angelo is referring to the recent events of cyber bullying’s playing a part in teen suicides.  The important distinction is that online bullying has recently showed trends in suicides related to the bullying.                                                 Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are a new outlet for kids to pick on each other.  Schools and parents are currently faced with how is the proper way to confront the issue, as exemplified in an article by New York Times reporter Jan Hoffman.  The article examines the challenges that one set of parents was faced with when their child was a victim of cyber bullying.  Since the bullying occurred via text message over the weekend, the school’s principle was unable to administer any sort of punishment.  These administrators are still deciding how to deal with situations such as this which involve relatively new technology with few rules in the books.                                                                                                                         “We’re at the age where we’re not seeing bullying like we used to,” said Andy Motis, “bullying is at a completely new level with social networking like Facebook on the rise.”  Motis is a student at Front Range Community College. As a board member for Defy the Hate, Motis serves as the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual liaison.  In this postion, he has raised awareness of bullying, especially against gays.  He has led the charge by speaking at public rallies and expressing himself through the Defy the Hate Photography campaign.  “Defy the Hate is about standing up for any group or individual that is being broken down by bullies.”                                                        Motis addressed several recent occurrences in the media in which young people have taken their own lives because of the ridicule experienced from online bullying.  “Parents aren’t keeping up with their kids online.  It’s not like it used to be where you could confront a bully that got in your face.  Now it’s all over the web.”   This has been the motivating factor that Motis cites as the advent of Defy the Hate.                                                                                                                    “College wide, bullying on the web is on a much larger scale.”  As a gay man, Motis is sensitive to issues of homosexual abuse.  Cyber bullying has hit close to home when it comes to his stance on gay issues.  “Recently, a spy cam was set up in the room of a homosexual guy by his roommate, and then he posted videos of him having sex with his boyfriend on the web.  The guy later committed suicide.”  This is the sort of situation that Andy Motis and those standing along side him are fighting against.                                                                                                                                                        

Works Cited

Angelo, Matt.  Over the phone interview January 25, 2012. (970)980-9121.

Hoffman, Jan. (2010, June 27).  Online Bullies Pull Schools Into the Fray. New York Times.     Retrieved January 27, 2012, from     http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/style/28bully.html?pagewanted=all

Motis, Andy.  Over the phone interview January 25, 2012.  (970) 308-8290.

Resident Accuses Graham of ‘Coaching’ CPD- Chance

The controversial new stadium proposal by Colorado State University President Tony Frank was the center of this evening’s Fort Collins City Council meeting.  One concerned Fort Collins resident used tonight’s meeting as an opportunity to voice her opposition to the new stadium. 

Frank and CSU Athletic Director Jack Graham have been fighting for the existence of a new stadium, addressing the city council.  CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, a group that fosters community involvement in civic matters, has also hosted round-table type discussions to gain community feedback.

            Anne Colwell, a 1996 CSU graduate and Fort Collins resident, approached the council by saying, “I’ve become increasingly disappointed by my alma mater.  This has not been an open and honest forum.”  Colwell was speaking about the 10 round table discussions that had been scheduled from Feb. 23-March 7. 

            Colwell’s goal is to “do her part to make this issue as open and honest as possible.”  She elaborated by giving the example that Jack Graham had been coaching CPD facilitators on what to say during these 10 discussions, emphasizing a conflict of interest.  “CPD was used as an independent institute for community feedback, but Jack Graham was given 45 minutes to speak to facilitators before the CPD sessions.” 

            Martin Carcasson, associate professor in the CSU Department of Communication Studies is the director of CPD, and who Colwell claimed allowed Graham to “coach” the facilitators. 

“He (Carcasson) said that after three or four sessions into the stadium discussions, Graham requested the he present to the facilitators,” said Colwell, “this was when he began speaking to them for 45 minutes before the discussions began.” 

Colwell said that Carcasson revealed this to stadium opposition group, Save our Stadium, Hughes, a citizen group that is promoting the continued use of CSU’s current stadium. 

Carcasson has rebuked this claim.  His explanation is that Graham spoke to his CPD students while they were in class for about 45 minutes.  The “class” being that of communications students.  Even though this was before the community discussions were held, he did not view the meeting as “coaching.”

            Members of the Fort Collins City Council had little say on the topic of Graham’s accused coaching of CPD.  Council member Ben Manvel gave a scenario on what he guessed may have taken place, “Here’s what I could have seen happening: Graham could have told the deliberators beforehand ‘We’ll have a discussion about the stadium, and this is what the issues are.’  He (Graham) was essentially bringing them up to speed,” said Manvel, “I can understand how people could see that as an advocate of the stadium coaching deliberators.”

Works Cited

Colwell, Anne. (970)227-9987

Manvel, Ben. (970)217-1932

PSD Nutritional Changes Face Opposition-Chance

The Poudre School District Board of Education spent the first half of the February 28 meeting with discussion heavily surrounding proposed nutrition implementations in public schools.  Local controversy has been growing in town as Poudre schools are making an attempt to heavily alter school meals and offer healthier choices.

            Poudre School District’s kitchen staffs offered a diversity of perspectives on the issue. 

“We are losing kids,” said Monica Morison, cafeteria worker for PSD “They are not bringing lunch from home, and they are not packing nutritious lunch.  They are not able to refrigerate the food they do bring from home.”  Although Morison said she sees a problem with nutrition at the schools, she said she does not feel that it’s the responsibility of the cafeteria to make sure students are making healthy choices.  Additional responsibility would be placed on cafeteria workers to help insure this, as well as cooking foods, rather than heating prepackaged meals.  “This is my job as a mom, not as a lunch lady.  Students need to be educated at home by showing them a menu and teaching them nutrition.”

Deirdre Sullivan, member of the School Nutrition Action Council (SNAC), a parent group focused on school nutrition education, took an opposing stand stating “I would want to dispel misinformation about reform.  We are not out to eliminate kitchen staff.  We are trying to turn lunch ladies into lunch teachers.”  Sullivan also expressed her dislike for the title “lunch lady.”  These new lunch teachers, Sullivan described, would help to “stop serving meals that have nutrition facts that take up half a page.”

Patti Vale, a school nutrition substitute, defended the current system in place.  She argued that although she does not think the current system is perfect, she cannot afford to feed her own kids as well and as healthy as the school does at lunch.  “We had to replenish the salad bar today because the fruits and vegetables go so quickly,” said Vale. Vale proceeded to explained that she conducted her own survey amongst several students today on what they had for snacks and dinner after school.  She read off a very long list of cakes, pies, muffins, cookies and fast food that students told her they eat after school, saying  “they have more of a choice at school than at home.”

Virginia Clark is the obesity prevention supervisor for Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity, a self proclaimed “task force.”  Clark appeared in front of the school board to advocate her position being in favor of the changes in nutrition for PSD.  “Obesity is a complex issue, and we don’t expect PSD to solve it alone,” said Clark, whose goal is to go beyond the minimal USDA requirement for health and nutrition. 

In a survey presented by Clark on parents of PDS students conducted by PDS, she found the top two concerns are to decrease processed foods and increase veggies.  One method doing this would be to use “scratch” meals.  This would be a step in the proposed direction, and also a way to keep costs down. 

Clark suggested that one way to combat the use of processed foods would be to make the food in school by the staff, also presenting the opportunity to use organic, local foods.

Clark would ultimately like to see food not given as a reward saying “isn’t there a kind of physical game that could take the place of a pizza party?” A decrease in the role of junk food in the schools is another goal being sought after.  Finally, nutrition education in the cafeteria is a role that the current kitchen staff would eventually take on.

            Advocates for these changes are making the argument that higher quality nutrition will ultimately lead to increased academic performance.  Clark stressed that she has no intention of taking decision making away from parents but said “schools are the role models for what is ok for kids to eat.  It’s the parents’ responsibility to give choices, and the kids’ responsibility to make that choice.  It’s not a matter of taking away choice, but looking at what choices we give,” said Clark. 

Work Cited

Poudre School District Board of Education meeting.  February 28