Olivia Crosby

On any given day in Wash­ington D.C., groups of protesters can be seen demanding their rights. Whether these individuals are fighting for gun rights, same sex marriage or gender equality, it is clear that Americans are passionate about personal freedoms. We hold the rights given to us in the consti­tution sacred; they are the very foundation of the United States. However, we have reached the point where any institutional ac­tion is viewed as an infringement on the sacred ability to pursue happiness. This is a problem; there are times when the govern­ment’s actions are in the right.

Yes, I am talking about the peanut butter and jelly sand­wiches in the cafeteria. For those of you who are not familiar with this issue of extreme importance, allow me to elaborate. Recently said sandwiches appear to have been reduced from four slices to two. Many students have noted this occurrence as Chartwell’s at­tempt to force its healthy eating agenda upon the Staples popu­lace. However, I wholeheartedly disagree with this opinion; in this scenario Chartwells is acting in the right.

Our school is our govern­ment. It might not be directly democratic, but high school stu­dents still expect the basic rights given to all Americans to exist within this system. The opinion of many is that we have the right to be unhealthy. Proponents of this viewpoint claim that no one should be forced to be healthy, and I agree. One’s diet is one’s personal choice. What these in­dividuals ignore thought is that it is also the institution’s role to ensure our well-being.

However, the very goal of the government (and therefore the school) is to ensure the welfare of its citizens. People entrust a por­tion of their money and freedom to the government, and in return the government looks after their well-being. The students are what make Staples the high school that it is, and therefore it is this insti­tution’s sacred mission to ensure that they are healthy. This lat­est sandwich development is not destroying our right to eat as we choose. This right is still respect­ed, as you can eat as many sand­wiches as you please. It is simply a nudge in the right direction.

Outside of the halls of Sta­ples the school has no power over our diets. However, inside this building the school has a power­ful mission: to promote good eat­ing habits. This sandwich slice issue is not the institution trying to force a uniform diet. It is just the school “government” trying to protect its most valuable aspect, its “citizens.”