10
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
Remain holiday-
healthy over the
hreak...your body
will thank you
As most Guilford students prepare to leave
campus and head to all of the varied points
that we call home, the daydreams of all the
meals to come begin. Turkey, ham, dressing,
gravy, pumpkin pies, and for vegetarians,
tofurky, stuffed hazelnut and cranberry roast
and maple-glazed root veggies. But what
happens when the novelty of the food and
holiday parties are over? The battle of the
holiday bulge has began. What can we do to
combat it?
According to healthland.time.com, the
average college student will gain three and
one-half pounds during their first year of
college and ten total pounds during their
college career. The website also states that
students have the potential to add to those
numbers as some will gain seven to ten
pounds during the holiday break. This does
not have to hold true as long as we pay
attention to how we enjoy our holiday and
what we put into our bodies.
The first point of emphasis should be meals.
Make sure that all dinner meals begin with a
salad. A nice green, lightly dressed salad and
not one that is covered in heavy blue cheese
dressing. When the main course is served,
prepare a smaller plate than normal. Smaller
meals are healthier for the body and does not
facilitate overeating to the point of getting
that bloated feeling that's only relieved by
unbuckling your belt. Moderation is the key.
Speaking of moderation, we all know
that alcohol flows for many of us at holiday
parties and get-togethers, and that is okay. As
college students we all are know about what
alcohol does to our bodies, but we don't put
that knowledge to use when doing shots
of Jose or tapping a keg at a party. Another
one of the factors that cause weight gain is
alcohol. Alcohol also affects decision-making,
as increased alcohol consumption potentially
leads to adverse interactions with others that
shouldn't happen. This is why moderation
has to practiced as well as taught.
In closing, be sure to incorporate activities
in your holiday celebrations that benefit your
body and health.
Holiday food is great, especially when
mom cooks it, but understanding how to
respect your body enough to truly enjoy it is
even better.
The editorial board of the Guilfordian consi^s #
FIVE section editors, A PHOTO EDITOR, LAYOUT EDITOR,''
WEB EDITOR, DIVERSITY COORDINATOR, ADVERTISING MANAGER,
VIDEO EDITOR, EXECUTIVE PRINT COPY EDITOR; EXECUTIVE
COPY EDITOR, SOCVO. JUSTICE EWTOR, MANAGING ANO’J
Refleqing Guilford CoaE^'s core Quaker values, t
THE TOPICS AND CONTENT STAFF EDITORIALS ARE OlOSEN;
THROUGH CONSENSUS OF Ali16 EDITORS.
FORUM
Soy products vs. tho prison system
By Sarah Welch
Staff Writer
It lurks in tofu, vegetarian hot dogs,
non-dairy milk and many packaged food
products.
The culprit is soy and it is almost
as famous as corn in the foods that
Americans consume. While there are
perks to being a celebrity, soy faces a
world of criticism.
Recently, this criticism has come from
a prisoner in Florida. According to a New
York Times article, Eric Harris is suing
the Department of Corrections because
he says that the prison's soy-based diet is
hazardous to his health.
"Florida prisons serve meals with 50
percent soy and 50 percent poultry three
times a day," the New York Times article
said.
Yet, Florida is not the only prison
system incorporating soy into the
inmates' meals. The Illinois prison system
serves over 100 grams of soy .protein a
day to their inmates.
Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, a person
should eat between 50-175 grams of
protein a day. So, this means that prisoners
in Illinois are probably either eating too
many calories, too much protein from soy,
or too much protein in general if protein
sources other than soy are being served.
Soy is not unhealthy, but the amount
and the quality of soy act as vital players
to one's wellbeing.
The Florida prison system is using soy
in their meals because it is cheaper than
using all meat. The fact that money is the
reason behind the use of soy leads to the
assumption that the quality of the soy
would not be the number one concern of
the prison system.
Unfortunately, cheap, low-quality soy
is often a genetically modified and highly
processed food. The low quality coupled
with the high quantity means a substantial
amount of chemicals that are not naturally
found in soy are being pumped into the
prisoners' bodies daily.
This reason, and the existence of soy
allergies among prisoners, is cause for
concern. Lastly, the chemical components
of soy are an argument against its vast use
in prisons.
"(Soy) contains isoflavones, which are
naturally occurring phytoestrogens,"
said registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake,
in her book "Nutrition and You." "These
plant estrogens have a structure similar to
human estrogen."
The majority of inmates are men, and if
these men are being fed soy they are being
fed a food that has similar properties to
a female sex hormone. Men have small
amounts of estrogen and they need to
maintain a proper proportion of estrogen
to testosterone. The male prisoners are
more than likely eating beyond the
recommended amount of isoflavones,
which could affect the proper balance of
hormones in the body.
However, these are prisoners. Harris
committed sexual battery of a child and is
serving a life sentence. Who cares what he
eats? Who cares if what he eats is healthy?
The Department of Corrections, whose
job includes taking care of the prisoners,
should. And Americans citizens, whose
tax dollars go to pay for the prison system,
should. We need to care because of
expensive medical bills, the right to health,
and to prevent sickness in this population.
We know that a healthy diet helps in
warding off sickness. Inmates do not need
to feast on gourmet health foods, but their
wellness should be considered because
no one wants to pay the medical bill of a
person in prison.
Remember, not all prisoners are guilty,
and not all are serving life sentences.
Prisoners are entitled to basic human
rights, and one of these rights is health.
There are inmates who will reeriter society,
and we do not want this to increase disease
in our population.
Senators' stipend amount trivial compared to the role they play
By Eleanor Coleman
Staff Writer
The Community Senate executive council members receive
a $500 stipend per semester for their work. Their open forum
allows us to contribute to shaping Guilford by making
positive changes and thus they deserve their payday.
Our Senate executives take our ideas and run with them.
They spark connections between us and what we see as
important, resulting in a plethora of opportunities.
Their role in the community of our school is pivotal. We
acknowledge the amount of time and effort required to fulfill
these roles and we are all very thankful for what they do.
"They are essentially the voice of the students," said Erin
Fox, director of student leadership and engagement and staff
advisor to Senate.
"In my position ... I see how much they care ... and how
much energy, time, and effort goes into what they're doing.
So part of (receiving the stipend) is for the work they do, but
also when students serve in those roles, there's a large time
commitment typically involved, enough so to preclude them
from having time for part-time jobs," said Fox.
Also, the stipend often serves as a reimbursement for their
own money spent on what may be necessary for them to
fulfill their responsibilities.
According to Fox, the stipend is simply a token of thanks in
return for the missed job opportunities, and for their energy
and hard work in the Senate to be an "ear and a voice."
This is not to say that there are not many students on
campus who devote much of their time to community
organizations.
"WQFS, the CAB board, the Guilfordian ... they all do
incredible things," said Fox.
However, the significant difference is that Senate officials
are student-elected. By choosing the students for these
positions, we hold them at the highest level of expectations.
"Students care a lot about who represents them, as seen
when it's election time," said Fox.
She explained that the last election became very heated,
which to her showed that students know how important
these roles are and want to make sure that those elected will
do the job well.
"I try to take the ideas that students have and turn them into
projects, and then I try really hard to follow through on those
projects," said Community Senate Clerk/President Yahya
Alazrak. "I facilitate students empowering themselves."
You can imagine that Alazrak's position is extremely
demanding and entails a jam-packed schedule of Senate
duties on top of being a student.
This does not nearly describe the amount and extent of
those tasks but it may give you an idea.
Each week, Alazrak attends enrollment management
meetings and Board of Trustees meetings. He clerks the
full Senate and steering meetings. Throughout the week he
is meeting with administrators and responding to students
emails. At his meetings, he presents upcoming projects.
Another valuable responsibility of his is being a connection
between students and administrators.
"Whenever Tm on campus I feel like I'm working," Alazrak
said.
It's great that the stipend is being talked about. We should
ask questions when we feel uncomfortable.
"That's why senate exists," said Fox. "You should be an
informed member of your environment."
Sophomore Kelsey Robb said, "I think it's definitely a
complicated issue, especially when considering the hard
work that so many other students in volunteer positions
do to benefit our school without payment. However, I feel
that the Senate officers go above and beyond doing so many
positive things for our community. And after comparing how
little the stipend is with the amount of effort they put in and
how much they care about the work they do, I don't think
the stipend is something we need to put too much focus on."
Being elected officials sets the Senate executive positions
apart from other club positions. And for practical reasons
like compensation for missed job opportunities and to pay
back fees paid out of pocket, a small stipend is a legitimate
supplement to our thank-you to them.
The money comes from student activity fees to the Senate,
but amounts to only about one percent of those fees per year.