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Raising smaller voices: Facebook as a medium
September 19, 2007
Once in a while, I creep on over to my high school alma mater’s Facebook group to check changes and catch gossip through the eyes of the students. My findings are usually pretty insignificant:
Plaster falling from ceilings: Check.
Classroom Shortages: Check.
Constant matball: Yes!
On my last visit, about a month ago, I noticed a wall post by a peeved student about lunch prices. I remembered the costs during my senior year. $1.75 got you a slice of pizza and twelve handfuls of french fries. Reading further, I found out that the price was increased to $2.00. Not too bad of a raise after four years, right?
I was wrong. Today, the $2.00 gets you the slice of pizza and…the Styrofoam tray. Fries? Extra .75 on top of the $2.00. I hate to think of how the “healthy choice” food prices have evolved. For what it cost for a “good” meal back then, you’re better off leaving for Friday’s.
My general response was, “wow, that sucks.” I forgot about it soon after, as the replies to the original post began to build up behind me.
Driving home tonight, I got a call from Molly (8th grade), asking me to watch the news at 11. She was too tired and wanted to know what they said about the school. I asked her why, what happened, as my mind drifted to senior pranks, unnecessary cafeteria violence, and endless building construction.
“No one bought lunch at school today. Everyone’s boycotting the prices.” I went on to find out that the junior high also joined in on the idea, and the flabbergasted lunch ladies began charging for the use of napkins and spoons as they filled their own faces with the hundreds of unsold pizzas.
I’ll clarify that we live in a rather large school district. My graduating class had over 630.
I was instantly thrilled. I thought it was brilliant that a comment on Facebook brought thousands of stereotypically inactive high schoolers into action. Apparently, it was enough for the local news to take notice.
I’m having trouble finding the story online just yet, so I’m unsure of the school’s response, but I’m hoping the district makes changes, for the sake of the students. Either way, I’m excited for the use of a social networking site as a common ground for younger students who would otherwise find it difficult to collaborate and rise up.
Update from KDKA news:
The district isn’t planning any changes to the current prices. “We don’t make money on these lunches anyway.”
Students: “They’re hardly giving us any food. We’re not going to just keep paying their prices no matter how high they get. The boycott will continue for the next week, or the rest of the year if necessary.”
Parents: “Our children aren’t sitting around, complaining. They’re actually doing something about it. We’re so proud of them.”
Awww.
Categories: Daily, Pittsburgh
September 19th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
NICE! If that happened in my high school, I don’t think it would ever be carried through.
September 19th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
630? In ONE class?! Jeeze.
I love how parents are always capabale of making anything cutesy and huggy.
It’s pretty cool how a single seed, a Facebook wall post, could result in (probably) hundreds (thousands?) of dollars of loss for a school.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
That’s their best excuse — we’re not making money anyway? I guess if they can’t afford to give kids better lunches, they can’t afford decent PR.
Money issues aside, what’s the point of serving lunches that are neither filling nor, by the looks of the online menu, nutritious? (Papa John’s? Really?) The cafeteria might as well be decorated with golden arches.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Well, the kids will have to end the boycott tomorrow - they’re serving “Chicken Fryz”!!
September 20th, 2007 at 12:41 am
(link!) http://nhsd.net/lunch_menu.cfm
September 20th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Leslie - Ah! I KNOW! The 15-year-olds were more eloquent! And I’m sort of wondering what other cities are like in terms of serving “brand name” lunches. One of the neighbor schools has Taco Bell daily. If profit is unimportant, why make deals with fast food giants?
Marianne - Who could resist fryZ?! Which are most likely served with fries?
September 21st, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Nice, I’ve never actually heard of something like that happening. People plan it, it happens in movies, maybe a few kids will do it, but the whole school?! Nice.
I applaud you on your memory, I can’t remember how much our pizza and soda cost in high school. Damn, now I’m going to be trying to figure it out all night!