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Area high schools no longer offering high-calorie drinks

By William Jones

Many Oak Lawn Community High School students were shocked when they grabbed a cup for fountain drinks after returning to school this fall. While the machines still offer a selection of diet soft drinks they are devoid of traditional sodas, with fruit drinks having taken their place.

The change is the result of a federal mandate from The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which stipulates all schools remove high-calorie sodas from cafeterias in an effort to fight obesity. The program started at the grade school and junior high levels, but has worked its way up to high schools this year, according to Oak Lawn High Assistant Principal Joseph McCurdy.

The initiative was organized by the federal government with the three major soft drink bottling companies, Oak Lawn High cafeteria manager Lynn Sullivan said. Oak Lawn High still has vending machines with the high-calorie beverages around campus, but they are not activated for use until after school hours, Sullivan explained. All high schools are supposed be in compliance with the mandate, she said.

“We have eliminated most of our soft drink products,” Evergreen Park High School Principal Bill Sanderson said.

In addition to eliminating soft drinks, Oak Lawn High is trying to offer healthier snack alternatives such as baked products, rather than fried, and granola bars.

“We’ve always had healthier choices,” Sullivan said. “Unfortunately, they just don’t sell.”

One way or another, fewer students are drinking soda at Oak Lawn High. During the bustling noon lunch hour Tuesday, lines of students waited in line for the fountain drink dispensers, but roughly nine out of 10 of those students simply filled their cups with water.

Eliana LaSpina, 14, appeared shocked when she approached the fountain. She grabbed a cup, looked at the choices, then called to a friend.

“They’ve only got diet!” she exclaimed.

LaSpina said she has been buying her lunch the entire year, but usually just brings a bottle of water from home. Tuesday, she decided to get a soda but didn’t find what she was looking for. While LaSpina said she understands the initiative for healthier selections, she didn’t like the choices she was left with.

“It’s good for some people,” she said.

Huda Salahat, 16, and her friend, Nour Abdulla, 17, both said they don’t usually drink a lot of soda, but don’t like the new juice choices including passion orange mango, kiwi strawberry and blue raspberry. Abdulla said she wishes the school still offered at least one soda option. Salahat said she thinks the idea is good, but doubts the school will sell as much of the new choices.

Giries Hattar, who does not usually drink soda, said he sees the merit in steering high schoolers away from hi-calorie drinks.

“It’s a good switch,” Hattar, 17, said.

Some students are less enthusiastic about the change. Tom Murphy, a 17-year-old senior, said he was stunned when he came back to school this year to find the regular soft drinks gone. He was so surprised he considered sneaking into the teacher’s lounge to see if he could find a real soda there, he said. Murphy believes diet sodas are just as unhealthy, if not more so, as regular pop, but that the idea behind the program is good.

“I like that they have healthy alternatives,” he said.

Eric Sequeira, 18, said the switch is getting the job done, albeit against his will, though he’s not a fan of the flavors offered. He usually drinks lemonade nowadays.

“I was a little disappointed,” he said when learning of the switch. “I’m happy I was forced to make a healthier choice.”

McCurdy said things were a bit shaky at the beginning of the year, but most students have come around to the new policy, which still allows for high-calorie soft drinks brought from home. Still, many students buy their lunch at school and most are drinking something other than soda if Tuesday’s lunch hour was any indication.

“They’ve adjusted,” McCurdy said.

This is part of the November 5, 2009 online edition of The Reporter.

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