POSTSCRIPT The Park School Brooklandville, MD May 28, 2004 Volume LXIV Issue No. 9 Parents’ Healthy Food Committee bans soda sales on campus by Sarah Dunn ‘06 Starting next year, Park will ban daily nutritional requirements. It is stat- to more healthy drinks. At Oldfields, healthier foods in schools is happening the sale of sodas on campus. This move ed directly in the proposal that, “health many other junk foods have been elimi- all over the country. In New York City is the result of an April 14 proposal made related behaviors are established early in nated as well. Almost 95% of what is sold and Los Angeles public schools, sodas by the Park Healthy Foods Committee, life” and the Committee believes that in its vending machines are healthy were banned from vending machines. In a group that consists of faculty and par- Philadelphia public schools, all soda sales ents. The proposal stated that the school were eliminated. Other states taking a should not profit from the sale of such stand on the foods sold in their cafeteri- unhealthy drinks and that they should not as include Texas, South Carolina, New be sold on school grounds. The Park Hampshire, Washington, California, and Parents’ Association approved the plan; Minnesota. Dr. David Jackson, Head of School, and Next year, Park will discontin- Caleb Karpay ‘04, former Upper School ue its vending machine soda sales as President, also supported it. well. Unlike St. Paul’s, students will be Deirdre Smith, a parent and a permitted to bring sodas on campus, but member of the committee, explained that the school does not wish to profit from the number one disease among teenag- them. Smith stressed that the Parents’ ers is obesity, a condition that is directly Association and Park Healthy Foods linked to the consumption of sugary so- Committee are working with students das. She stated that the recent trend of and faculty to find healthy alternatives soda replacing milk in the diets of many for the cafeteria. She says that now, teens also puts them at risk for os- there are almost 40 healthy products that teoporosis, a disease that results in lower come out each year, in addition to milk bone density. Soda consumption has and juices, that teenagers enjoy. To iden- similarly caused increases in the number tify appropriate snacks, the Committees of teen dental problems over the past 10 will be looking in stores such as Whole Parents have voted to remove soda from the cafeteria line. photo by David Al-Ibrahim years. By cutting down on sugary, high- Foods and Trader Joe’s. They also plan calory products, the Committee believes eliminating sodas can only have a posi- snacks such as granola bars, pretzels, and to meet with Sarah Raifman ‘04, Upper that Park could help solve these issues. tive influence on the community. trail mix. School President, who will serve as liai- The main reason for eliminating Here in Baltimore, the St. Paul’s According to a handout com- son to the student body, to discuss sodas is that students rarely meet their Schools have switched over from sodas piled by Smith, the movement towards student opinion. Dogs invade campus during Cicadas force May Day inside first ‘Bark at Park’ festival by Everett Rosenfeld ‘09 May Day, the Lower School’s Liss, selected the music for the event. By Rachel Kutler ‘06 annual end-of-the-year celebration, takes “We look for songs that are easily sung place today. Previously, the event was by all ages, kindergarten through fifth “Don’t look for a school; it The idea for Bark at Park held on Tompkins Field, but this spring, grade.” As usual, the Park School an- doesn’t look like a school, it looks like a evolved from a plan conceived in Sep- the 17-year cicadas have driven May Day them will be sung first. beautiful park,” said someone giving di- tember to raise money for the Baltimore festivities into the Athletic Center. “We “In the past, each grade or class rections to Park School. John Roemer, Zoo. Since then, SETA members spent have no choice this year because we performed separately in some way,” said Park’s Upper School every Monday X-block plus other free don’t know what to expect,” Halpert, “but as the times to get the event rolling. Instead of said fifth grade teacher Lin- school got larger, ev- dedicating the money to the zoo, they in- da Halpert. “I love May eryone just began to vited different animal shelters such as the Day outside; it’s so beauti- sing together.” The Humane Society of Baltimore County, ful when the weather’s songs are always ac- Greyhound Rescue, and German Shep- perfect and the ground is companied by Liss on ard Rescue to set up kiosks and provide not wet.The problem with the piano, however, for information for the public. being outdoors, however, is the song Tecolote, there Members of SETA are Toni that there are a lot of vari- will be a small group Adelberg ’06, Claire Brookmeyer ’06, ables that we don’t know of fifth graders playing Benjamin ‘08 and Noah Carver 05, and Carly Donnelly ’06, Kiley Ford ’06, about.” a variety of percussion AndrewSchaffer ‘05 with friends. Rachel Kutler ’06, Rebecca Martin ’06, May Day celebrates instruments, while Emanuelle Noar ’06, and Ally Oshinsky fifth graders moving on to Photo by Rob Piper second graders dance The almighty cicada changes SETA (Students for the Ethical Treatment ’06, and Andrew Lillywhite ’07. Middle School. As it has in along. May Day locale. of Animals) advisor overheard this com- years past, the long-standing After the ment during Bark at Park, a day of springtime event will include songs, songs conclude, the traditional passing- festivities for pets and their owners held speeches, the May Pole dance, and an of-the-flag ceremony, in which fifth Saturday, May 15 in the meadow. afternoon picnic with activities. graders give handkerchiefs to fourth Bark at Park was a success by Many other traditions will be graders to welcome them into fifth grade, all counts. At $3.00 per person, the stu- broken. In normal years, students walk will occur. dent-run SETA activity earned $500 to in a procession onto the risers. This year, The Parents’ Association plays be donated to animal rescue organizations they will begin their performance on the a large part in the planning and organiz- and other local needy shelters. The day stands because the Athletic Center has ing of May Day. After the May Day included dog activites, among them a limited space. In another break with the songs end, activities will be held along walk path, wading pool and agility con- past, there will be no overriding theme. the pond with booths offering face paint- tests. Face painting, magnetic fishing “Without a theme to the songs, we were ing and tattoos, beading, paper mache contests and a scavenger hunt were photos by Rachel Kutler‘06 allowed to choose good music that didn’t flowers, model airplane flying, and relay geared to owners. SETA member Bon- M. Izu, S. Imhoff, and N. Imhoff with limit us to a particular topic,” said Low- races. The money raised on May Day nie Kenney took pictures of pets and Travi, winner of the Wet Mess Award. er School music teacher Bruce Bryant, will go to the Parents’ Association as well their owners. who, together with his colleague Emily as to fund for other special events. May 28, 2004POSTSCRIPTNEWS Page 2 Park team triumphs in Arbor Day activities beautify campus Mock Trial State Final by Ben Hyman ‘06 Park reigned supreme Bishop Walsh High School. in the Maryland State Mock Tri- The team is composed al Championship, beating of Ben Bloom ’04, Matt Rogers Richard Montgomery High ’04, Whit Cohen ’05, Vera Eidel- School in the Annapolis finals man ’05, Zach Gidwitz ’05, April 30. The school’s Mock Dahlia Silberg ’05, Allie Brandt Trial team, under the leadership ’06, Brad Mendelson ’06, Adam of History teacher Tina Forbush Rogers ’06 Joe Rosenberg ’06, won 55-52. In the semifinals, Alex Trazkovich ’06, Ben Wein- Park earned a perfect score of stein ’06, and Marta Dain ’07. 60, defeating Allegany County’s One group works on the stream bridge while Alex Goldberg ‘05 delivers plants to faculty. Rain did not prevent large numbers of picture books tification of the courtyard next teams of Upper School students in the library. to the old gym, where students from planting trees, cutting The largest activity for planted four trees and four large vines, potting flowers and per- Arbor Day was planting trees. bushes. Eighty-nine trees were forming a number of indoor and Ecology Club activist Ben Pula planted in all. outdoor tasks designed to im- ’05 wrote and obtained a grant Other activities of the prove the campus on Arbor Day, from the Chesapeake Bay Foun- day included a Habitat for Hu- May 19. Organized by the Stu- dation for the purchase of trees manity trip, cleaning up Robert dent Government with help and arranged for the school to E. Lee Park, non-indigenous from the Ecology Committee, pick them up. Students and fac- plant removal, cleaning the the afternoon of community ser- ulty planted most of the saplings theater and striking the set. Fol- photo courtesy Todd Silver, Md. Court Info. Office vice activities also included by the meadow near the lowing the activities, there was Maryland’s Mock Trial state champions pose with Judge Robert window washing, delivering streams. Emmanuelle Noar ’06 a 30-minute celebration, consist- M.