Letters: less fat, extra charges

Dear Editors,

I’m sure we all miss the days back in third grade when they sold cosmic brownies and funnel cakes in the lunch lines and Uno’s pizza on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now they have filtered it to low-fat cookies and cheap pita bread tacos.  My letter is partly in response to a previously mentioned subject involving the school’s nutrition. There are two issues that I wish to address: the recent changes in products, and the cost of food.

If I walked around the school and started a petition, I’m sure at least 85 percent would vote for the old Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, and agree that the new, sketchy “low-fat” Bonzers cookies taste like cookies fresh out of the trash. I don’t know about you, but I’d be OK with consuming 30 more calories for a quality cookie.

I think there should be a choice, and that they should put both cookies out there. That way, people who actually care about 30 less calories, two less grams of fat and five less milligrams of cholesterol can eat the Bonzers health cookie and those who really don’t care can eat the nice gourmet cookies that are Otis Spunkmeyer. The least they can do is take the cookie posters down in the cafeteria; it’s not like they’re selling them anymore.

Another issue would be the recent changes in the cost of food. I am slowly going broke because of the 35-cent increase of candy bars, and the 25-cent increase of bottled water. This forces a lot of students to now turn to the water fountain, which recently seems to have only been spitting out hot water.

Speaking of hot water, in the snack line at lunch, the lunch staff  has demanded a 25-cent charge for hot water because they “ have to pay for electricity and water bills” and for labor. Well, I’m sorry that lifting a 40-pound water jug wasn’t in the job description, but I don’t see why people buying the Ramen also having to buy the water.

I would understand if the people bringing the Ramen were charged 25 cents, but now I have to pay $1.50 for a cup of five spoonfuls of Ramen. Why? Who are we paying all of this extra money to? Because it sure isn’t going toward the school’s funds.

In conclusion, if people want to lose weight, let them bring their own lunch. However, for students who want to enjoy life and lunch here (or anywhere in FCPS, for that matter,) they should have a choice, and not have to eat gross lunch food, and should not have their pockets drained.

Sincerely,

Bria Nichole Bass