February 23, 2007 Vol. 35 Issue 9
Editorial: Take responsibility for actions
By Katie Hauser, sr.
For the Editorial Board
In today’s society, people often look for someone to
blame for their shortcomings. Americans usually do not like taking the responsibility
for their actions.
This can easily be seen in all of the frivolous lawsuits against corporations.
People sue for reasons that others consider silly.
If coffee burns someone’s
hand, a lawsuit is certain to follow, despite the fact that coffee is supposed
to be hot.
Another example is that many people who eat too many fatty foods at a fast
food restaurant and have health problems, blame the restaurant, not themselves
for their health issues.
Cartoon by Bethany Wolverton
We as an Editorial Board believe that these
lawsuits are getting out of hand. People should realize that they are
responsible for their own food choices.
Restaurants are not to blame because people become overweight or face
health problems. That person is at fault for the lifestyle choices that
were made.
This does not mean that all food options offered by fast food restaurants
are healthy. We just believe that people should know that what they choose
to eat affects their bodies. While restaurants may not always offer the
healthiest foods, they cannot be held responsible for the fact that people
choose to
eat there day after day.
Many fast food restaurants now offer healthy alternatives on their menus.
These options can create a balanced diet. Fast food is not necessarily
bad, but in large quantities it can be.
The bottom line is that consumers need to watch what they are eating. The
food industry may be not giving the most nutritious food, but it is not
forcing anyone to eat anything.
Health conscious individuals should take the responsibility to choose nutritious
options that most benefit them and their lifestyles.
Cut out calories, eat in (Pro)
By Melany Megenity, jr.
Opinion Editor
As a citizen of the United States, I am becoming concerned
about the health of the nation. I believe Americans are eating more fatty
foods. This intake has gone up because of too much fast food.
Every day, there are millions of citizens eating at fast food restaurants.
Why is this? A common excuse is lack of time to cook at home. This excuse
may seem valid with today’s busy lifestyles, but is this option the
most healthy one?
Maybe conjuring up some fast food nutritional information will cause readers
to change their minds about eating out.
Let’s start with a popular fast food restaurant, McDonald’s.
When getting a double cheeseburger the thought is, “I am getting a
dollar’s worth of two meat patties, two pieces of cheese, condiments,
and bread.” What the dollar is really going toward is 440 calories,
according mcdonalds.com.
People usually order fries or drinks to go with that double cheeseburger.
They may be eating more calories than they realize and may begin gaining
weight from the excess calories.
Eating at fast food restaurants can often contribute to excessive pounds
put on by the consumer. Parents need to start thinking about the future of
their children. Unhealthy eating habits can lead to possible health problems
in a person’s future such as diabetes and high cholesterol.
People should cut out the calories and start eating at home more often. Besides
being healthier, this option can also be less expensive than eating out for
every meal.
Fast food
convenient option (Con)
By Laura Watts, so.
Reporter/Photographer
Eating fast food repeatedly is not necessarily bad. It is
convenient, has easy access, and there are healthy options to be found
on many menus.
Fast food can be convenient in many ways. Many people have jobs, so calling
a restaurant and ordering food is easier than baking foods themselves.
Also, students that have open lunch see it as a great opportunity to get
out and eat publicly instead of eating at school.
Sometimes people just do not feel like cooking or cleaning the kitchen,
so calling a restaurant to order dinner sounds like a great idea.
Fast food restaurants are usually easy to find. They are
almost always found along main streets and are spaced out throughout most
towns.
Ordering food from restaurants can also save time. For example, it often
takes less time to call Subway and order a sandwich than to go home and
make one.
People rarely like cleaning up a messy kitchen after dinner. That is why
they simply order something that is made fast, and there is no mess to
clean up because everything is supplied and can be thrown away. Restaurant
workers are even there to clean up the table when a family finishes the
meal.
Most people think of fast food as unhealthy junk food that is not good
for anyone. Yet, the person that orders the junk food is the person that
is responsible for their actions and will regret it in the long run. There
are healthy options on many restaurant menus. Almost every fast food restaurant
has something healthy. Examples could be a Subway sandwich, or a healthy
salad from Sonic or McDonald’s.
Review: Chris Daughtry heads
toward promising career
By Deron Owens, so.
Reporter/Photographer
Season five American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry released
a new album on Nov. 21, 2006. The album is called Daughtry, and leading the
album is the hit single “It’s Not Over,” which peaked at
number four on the charts. The album features a variety of music, ranging
from hard core rock to a more subtle ballad feeling.
Daughtry has a promising career in the near future as a rock vocalist; his
voice is confident but not overbearing. Besides being a talented singer,
Daughtry is also a songwriter, penning all but two of the songs himself.
In its first week, the album sold more than 298,000 copies.
The tracks on the album are “It’s Not Over,” “Used
To,” “Home,” “Over you,” “Crashed,” “Feels
Like Tonight,” “What I Want,” “Break Down,” “Gone,” “There
and Back Again,” “All These Lives,” and the last track
is called “What About Now.”
On the song “Home,” Daughtry shows off his softer side with compelling
sounds and lyrics. This is a good song for anyone who takes their job onto
the road a lot; it is about being pulled in two different directions, and
it focuses on the relief a persons feels when they are at the place they
feel the safest.
The song “Crashed” is a tough and edgy song that still manages
to be tender at the same time. Daughtry is joined by the band Slash for the
song “ What I Want,” to create a heart-pounding love song.
At the end of the album Daughtry includes an acoustic version of the songs “Crashed” and “Home.”
Although Daughtry did not win American Idol, he has certainly made a name
for himself with this compelling and emotional album that I enjoy listening
to.
Can fast food eating be healthy? Why or why not?
 |
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Travis Wall, sr., “No, there
is a lot of fat in any fast food, and usually when eating fast food
people eat big quantities.”
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Trina Ysusi, jr., “Sure
it is; as long as you do not eat it all the time. Even though I eat
fast food constantly.”
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Rusty Olsen, so., “I think
it depends on what is being ordered at the fast food restaurants, but
they are mostly unhealthy.”
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Channing Sallee,
fr., “No, because it has a lot of grease and fat
no matter what you order.”
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Missy Channel, cook, “If you limit your portions of fatty, greased, and fried foods and choose to eat baked items or salads it could be okay to eat fast food occasionally.” |
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