RealSchool Update: Food Day and our Consolidated Tech Team

Amitai created this awesome logo for Super Food Day!

Talia and Marni encouraged Frisch students to eat superfoods

Tsipora and Arianna got stickers saying "I Ate a Superfood" . . . 

. . . as did Solomon, shown here with his Superfood, oats!

Food Day is one of Health and Environment's favorite days. This year the H and E team focused on Superfoods, working with the Frisch cafeteria chef Kim Anderson to create a menu that included as many Superfoods as possible. Kim even made special blueberry smoothies for the day, since blueberries are a Superfood (did you know they help maintain good vision?). The H and E team, along with Mrs. Wiener's English class, prepared flyers with nutritional facts about the Superfoods, and we even translated the Superfoods into multiple languages, including Hebrew, Spanish, French, Russian, and Ukranian (thanks to Michelle G. for the last two and for Morah Dafna, an awesome Hebrew teacher at Frisch, for teaching the Superfoods in Hebrew!).

Morah Dafna (right) gets in the Food Day spirit
by teaching the Superfoods in Hebrew!

Rabbi Ciner loved the logo for Superfood Day so much -- thanks to Amitai for the amazing Super Cougar, who's based on the Green Lantern -- that he asked us to make a poster with it, so the Health and Environment team is now working on a permanent poster for the Frisch cafeteria, listing the nutritional benefits of Superfoods and including Amitai's Super Cougar.

OK, the froyo isn't soo healthy, but check out the salad: it's got spinach AND broccoli!

The Tech Team

This year, we merged all our tech teams -- App Making, Graphic Design, Video Production, and Web Design -- into one. Not everyone interested in the different technologies is working on everything, but streamlining has made these RS teams more efficient and productive. This past Monday, the Tech team met and accomplished the following:

1) The Graphic Design group is finishing up the logos so we can update our website with student-made logos. We're excited that Ari's brother Oren has now taken off where his brother left off with RealSchool's website design and maintenance!

Here's a sneak peek at one of our newly-designed logos, by Jamie Lebovics, who's been making logos for RS since it began:

A graphical representation of the Fibonacci sequence will be our Arts team logo.
The Arts team created an exhibit on the Fibonacci sequence
 for RealSchool's first Yom Iyun in March 2012.

2) An article about an app the App Making team created will be published this Friday in The Jewish Link. We'll be posting that as soon as it appears!

3) Simmy is spearheading the making of a music video for those interested in video production. The song the Tech team chose to work with is "Gold on the Ceiling" by The Black Keys.

4) Amitai is learning HTML, so stay tuned for our plans for Coding Hour this December!

RealSchool Update

We've been having a great day moving forward with a lot of our projects.

First, we're getting ready for the PSAT's by once again selling "I Am More Than A Test Score" T-shirts. Make sure you get yours -- you can scan the QR code in the image to access an order form -- so we can move our society that much closer to an SAT-less and AP-less world. Imagine that utopia!

Daniel Rothner explaining the fundamentals of how to start a non-profit

We had a great meeting with Daniel Rothner of Areyvut about a social action and entrepreneurship project that will keep us busy the entire year. Stay tuned for more details! We're excited to partner with a community organization for this project, since becoming more involved with and connected to the real world is part of the RealSchool mission.

Lunch was the perfect time to plan for Food Day this October 24 and to decide on some of the projects the Health and Environment team wants to undertake this year. We're going to focus on superfoods for the day and spread the news about the health benefits of eating them. Check out the website we're using for our information!

Earlier in the week we also launched our literacy program, which we'll let you know about soon as well. In the meantime, if you have educational games, please bring them to Mrs. Wiener's/RealSchool's office or mail them to The Frisch School, 120 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ.

All in all, it's been a really productive week at RealSchool. Next week: tech and Religious Identity meetings!

Genetically Modified Food

Eleventh-grader Jamie weighs in on genetically modified food:

"Genetically modified organisms" sound downright terrifying to the layperson. "You want me to eat something that's been created in a lab by a bunch of mad scientists?!" one might ask. That's the stigma speaking. It's all based on misconceptions. People are afraid of the unknown, and that fear is contagious.

The article I read induces fear with statements such as, "You’ve been eating it for a long time and no one has told you," as if it were a shocking secret that people have been trying to cover up.

Requiring that foods made with GMOs be labeled as such would only perpetuate these unfounded fears. It would create undue concern.

Unknown does not necessarily mean bad, but as the article mentions, it does not necessarily mean good either. The article fails to mention, however, the scientific process behind it. Consider the following background information: plants, and all known living organisms, have spent billions of years evolving into what they currently are. One aspect of this is random mutation of genes. A plant's genetic code may change for the better or for the worse because a base ( A, T, C, or G) is substituted for another or omitted. This is completely natural. Scientists, at least in a simplified version, achieve the same effect by purposely changing the code. The main difference? It isn't random. It is far from random and every base in every gene is calculated to do only the desired effect, whether that is protecting it from insects or increasing its nutritional value, or other beneficial traits. Then they are inserted into their place in the DNA. 

Ideally , this all goes perfectly according to plan and nothing is overlooked. We are all human though and have to consider the possibility that some food do have harmful long-term effects.

A better solution is to ensure that only the GMOs that have been studied and tested to a sufficient degree ("sufficient degree" is up to the experts to determine) should be allowed out into the public. Fortunately, there is such a system: the Food And Drug Administration. If someone believes that its standards are not high enough or rigorous enough, and that harmful GMOs get through the system, which is entirely possible, then complaints should be directed to the FDA, not the entire category of GMOs.

Tu B'Shevat Continued

RealSchool's Health and Environment team offered ways to keep us healthy in honor of Tu B'Shevat, Judaism's "Green Day." Here is a blog post FastCoExist posted right after the holiday, and in it you can learn how important trees are to human health. Read the post, and then read some student responses to New York Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on the size of sodas some NY vendors can sell. Is Mayor Bloomberg's plan a reasonable way to fight obesity and keep New Yorkers healthy?

An Archive of Ancient Tree DNA Will Help us Clone the Ones we Destroy

Student response 1: Con:

Mayor Bloomberg has many valid reasons for wanting to ban the sale of sodas larger than sixteen ounces, in restaurants, street carts, and movie theaters. It is a major cause of obesity, which can result in many health issues as well as death. Five thousand people in New York die of obesity each year. Research shows that an extra soda drink a day increases the probability of a child becoming obese by 60%. In addition, one or two sugar drinks a day increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 25%, which is the cause of more than 60,000 amputations a year. There are many other negative effects of soda drinks, such as tooth decay. These are all conditions which nobody should have to experience, and Mayor Bloomberg believes disallowing the sale of large bottles of soda will help decrease the amount people drink and therefore also the number of people that have these potentially fatal conditions. However, many people believe this law shouldn’t be passed. It is forcefully taking away business not only of the soda industry, but also of the restaurants, street carts, and movie theaters that would no longer be able to sell the larger products. I do believe actions should be taken to help prevent obesity, but not in this way. First of all, it is unfair to many businesses. But in addition, I don’t think it will have much effect. If people want more soda, when they finish the first bottle, they will just buy another one. If they are at a restaurant, they can ask for a refill. Other actions need to be taken that won’t harm businesses but will also have a major effect.

Student response 2: Pro:

Over the past few years, many researchers have expressed their concern about the regular consumption of sodas and sugary drinks in our society. They have found that one soda or other sugary drink, which contributes the most calories to our diet, each day can increase a child’s chance of obesity by sixty percent. Sugary drinks, such as sodas, can cause tooth decay, obesity, and diabetes, which is the leading cause of amputations. Health problems related to obesity are the cause of death for five thousand New Yorkers each year. 
For this reason, Mayor Bloomberg has proposed a bill to ban the sale of sugary drinks in containers larger than sixteen ounces in restaurants, street carts and movie theaters. This, he hopes, will decrease the number of obesity-related deaths and other health problems in New York. Many New Yorkers oppose the measure, though, claiming that it will cause losses to small businesses and limit their rights. They do not want the government telling them what and how much they can drink, and they have a point. Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal will probably help with the obesity epidemic, but it does have some problems. First, people can buy multiple smaller-sized bottles of sugary drinks, which will amount to more than sixteen ounces, and it would be deemed legal. Also, his proposal only bans excessive amounts of soda to be sold in establishments that receive inspection grades from the health department. Therefore, convenience stores, vending machines, and some newsstands would be exempt from the law, as well as the sale of fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, alcoholic beverages, and no-calorie diet sodas. I believe that Bloomberg’s proposal is a good step toward fighting obesity, but I think he should follow through fully and ban the sale of excessive amounts of all sugary drinks everywhere in New York.

A Modest Proposal from the Health and Environment team

Satire is a great tool to effect change in society. We tried it at Frisch, and Ronit came up with this modest proposal to combat obesity in America. RS's Health and Environment team wanted to share the proposal with you:

Supermarket Shopper by Duane Hanson, made in 1970
Hanson seems to have predicted the current obesity problem

A Modest Proposal

by Ronit L.

       There's no doubt to anyone with eyes that there is clearly a problem with the people around us. They are all fat. But the solution is in sight. After years of research and collaborations among food corporations and engineers from all around the world, the MTMFP (Movement to Move Fat People) has found the answer: robots. 

      When our researchers sat down to find the source of American obesity, the problem all stemmed from one thing: laziness. People take in so many calories, but they are too lazy to get moving and burn them off, so we have found a way to get those bodies in motion. Researchers have found that if people can not get to food, they can not eat it. Therefore, starting this summer, we will change the way you shop for food. While all the clothing stores will be preparing their stores for the fall, we will be remodeling supermarkets to get ready for MTMFP. 

      Billions of dollars will be going into completely redesigning supermarkets everywhere. We will replace all the shelves with our newly-designed “Run-it Rover” © system.

The “Run-it Rover” or RIR for short is a shelf on wheels. It has internal sensors that allow it to sense when a person is coming towards it. When the RIR finds someone, it takes off in the other direction. The RIR is programmed to run away from you until you have burned the number of calories in the food product the RIR is shelving. 

      The bio-engineers here are MTMFP know that not all bodies are created equal. In order to accommodate people of all shapes and sizes, all the tiles in food establishments will be replaced by scales. Additionally, laser scanners will line the walls to gauge people’s height. This way when a person steps close to a RIR, the RIR receives a message from the scale and the lasers, telling it how much the person weighs and their BMI. This will allow the RIR to know how far it has to run. If a person is underweight, the RIR will remain still and allow them to take their food with almost no calorie loss. But if the RIR see the person is severely overweight, the RIR will make them run extra hard. 

      With this new technology comes the need for space. With everyone running to get their groceries, there will be a need to expand the aisles to reduce collisions. This space will be provided by converting hospital buildings into supermarkets. Doing so will be safe because once people are no longer fat, obesity-related illnesses will decrease dramatically, thereby eliminating the need for an abundance of hospitals. 

      For all you mothers out there who are thinking, How will I get food for my children? Don’t worry, we have the answer. When a child is born, he or she will receive a food card. This food card has a unique bar code, specialized to that child. The food card will be programmed by your doctor. The doctor will give the child a certain calorie count for the day, and when you are shopping, you will be able to flash the food card at the RIR, and the RIR will deliver the food to you, for no calories!

      The MTMFP has already built prototypes of this model in cities in the midwest and the results have been phenomenal. One woman reported that she lost fifty pounds within a month of the RIR’s being in her store. She commented,“This system works great. If you do not work, you do not eat.” She noted that when she first encountered the RIR, it was difficult and time- consuming to work out to get her food, but now the RIR barely has to run from her. “It was a great self-confidence booster knowing that the RIR stopped running,” said her husband in agreement. Pediatric offices are also ecstatic about the program. Dr. Mark Smith, an expert in child obesity in Des Moines, Iowa, said, “Not only is the RIR great at keeping kids eating the rights amounts of foods, so they avoid running into problems later in life, it also ensures that the children are always coming in for appointments to change their calorie count. I’m now able to closely monitor all my patients’ weights.”

      So, shoppers, get ready for a whole new kind of shopping experience. We, as Americans, will no longer stand by as our countrymen get fat. Instead, we will lead them on a bright path to a better future where everyone can be healthy and thin.

*This ad is sponsored by the World Hunger movement. Donate today and be part of the movement that will end hunger across the globe.

Update from RS Meeting

RealSchool members had a lot to do as we gathered for the first time since Chanukah:

Religious Identity and Video Production

The Religious Identity and Video Production teams met to discuss the content of the 2-3-minute video they plan to film about how to make prayer more meaningful for students. As RS members brainstormed ideas for the video, Marni came up with a great tagline for the Religious Identity team in general: 

Turning Practice Into Purpose

We love it, Marni! Thanks!

Religious Identity is also gearing up for its next discussion on prayer, which will be on December 26 and will cover Tefillah in Talmud. Since we began the discussion series with a look at how prayer appears in Tanakh, we thought one next logical step would be seeing how prayer is addressed in the Talmud. Frisch has agreed to allow RealSchool to host a minyan on the days that we run a discussion group, so we'll do so that morning. Penina came up with a headline for the flyer we'll post to advertise the minyan:

Be the minyan you want to see in the world.

Great stuff, Penina. Thanks go out to you, too!

Karen, who heads Graphic Design, is going to make us a logo for with the line, so we'll be able to use the logo every time we run the minyan.

Last week many of RealSchool's Religious Identity members led discussions with the freshmen about where to draw the line between Judaism and the secular world. The discussion was part of an integration program at Frisch called Greek Week. For more information about Greek Week, see Greek Week at Frisch: Cougars Draw the Line. The Religious Identity team liked the way the discussion went and wants to have more of them with the freshmen. Therefore, what came out of tonight's meeting is a three-pronged approach to creating more mindfulness in student religious practice:

1) Videos, made for and by students, about the search for religious meaning
2) Additional discussions about prayer and a RealSchool minyan on the day of the discussions
3) Continued informal discussions with the freshmen, led by RealSchool: Religious Identity members

Graphic Design and Health and Environment

Religious Identity and Video Production weren't the only teams that got things done tonight. Graphic Design also laid out an action plan for the next few weeks, so we can realize our goal of having student-made logos for each of our RS teams. Health and Environment team continued work on the green cookbook we plan to make, although we're rethinking whether we want a formal cookbook or an app/website that we update, so we have a virtual recipe folder. Health and Environment team members also decided they want to focus on giving healthy makeovers to unhealthy recipes. Whatever else we decide on, one thing is clear: a recipe for kale chips is a must!

Soon you'll be able to make these kale chips yourself,
thanks to RealSchool's Health and Environment team and
Frisch's Environmental Club

Thanks to everyone who attended tonight. We got a lot done and also managed to get in some ad hoc discussions of one of our favorite topics at RS: education reform.

Finance and Fashion

Next on the to-do list:

Finance Team events
The Frisch Fashion Show, which we'll plan this year with the school's dance team