THERE IS NO DOUBT that childhood obesity is one of the most significant problems facing this country today. (add boring statistics here). Experts have proposed a myriad of solutions ranging from healthier school cafeterias to an increased emphasis on physical fitness programs. Although many of these solutions are well-intentioned, they face serious restrictions. The prevalence of fast food restaurants and the barrage of junk food advertisements may overwhelm the influence of a healthy school lunch. Additionally, the increasingly competitive global economy has placed an emphasis on communication and technological skills which may eclipse time devoted to physical education. I have come up with a solution, however, that will allow children to not learn effectively but to become healthy as well. And the answer doesn’t come from Washington, DC or an education think tank: it comes from the gym.
Ever since it was introduced in the 1980s, indoor cycling, or spinning, has become a national phenomenon. This form of exercise involves a room of individuals pedalling along to the commands of an instructor. Although spinning has been done almost exclusively in the gym setting, it has many aspects that would be useful in the nation’s education system. By replacing traditional desks with modified stationary bicycles the leaders of this nation could wipe the childhood obesity problem off the map. With students exercising for hours a day, educators could combine valuable learning time with essential and much needed physical education.
An immediate concern evolving from this change would be logistical. Countless desks would have to be discarded and millions of bicycles would have to be acquired. Although the initial costs of this conversion would be high, the long term medical savings would be substantial. Not only would it save thousands of lives a year from heart disease, diabetes and a number of other ailments, but it would also provide the country’s students with a new and unique set of skills. Students would be proficient in multitasking after years of combining movement with learning. The change would also herald a revolution in the sport of cycling. The American domination of the Tour de France, started by Lance Armstrong, would continue for decades to come as millions of American cyclists would enter the world stage. With so many cyclists there would also be a decreased use of automobiles and other fossil fuel based forms of transport. Bicycles in the classroom could also be used to create electricity in order to power the school and surrounding buildings. These innovations would significantly reduce America’s already disproportionate carbon footprint and create cleaner, more liveable cities and towns.
Surely objections will arise to this proposal that exercise and learning cannot be combined. These doubts may be valid with activities such as football or basketball, but are flawed with regards to cycling. Spinning is a relatively mindless activity, especially at comfortable levels, that can easily be mixed with education. The presence of bicycles in the classroom will also give the instructor a harmless and effective method of discipline. Instead of corporal punishment or forcing the child to leave the classroom, the teacher can simply increase the difficulty on the pupils bicycle.
This plan may ultimately prove to be effective, but it is still merely a suggestion. It should be implemented slowly in pilot programs across the country and detailed mental and physical results should be recorded. Although the link between spinning and learning may be undocumented, it has been proven that children in better physical shape are more motivated to lean then unfit children. If this proposal becomes the standard, children may finally be allowed to not only have their cake, but to eat it as well and still remain healthy.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Yet More Arsenal?
I know it may seem that every one of my posts about Arsenal, but I just can't help it. After seeing maybe a few games a year in the States, I am now in a country where every game is broadcast and I can actually see the games. Which I did. Twice.
The first game was this past Sunday against Bolton in the FA Cup. Emirates Stadium was packed and the crowd was pretty into it. The game was pretty good and ended in a 1-1 tie. Arsenal very easily could have won with all the chances they missed, but I was satisfied with a tie.
The game I was most looking forward to was tonight against Tottenham Hotspur. For those who don't know, these two clubs have a fierce rivalry going. They are located only 4 miles apart in London and have been rivals for decades. A good analogy would be the Yankees and Red Sox in the States, except here it might be worse. In America, Yankee and Red Sox fans sit side by side in discontent, but in relative harmony. Here they separate Home and Away fans because if they don't then a riot could break out.
This game was different then Sundays. I wasn't in the upper tier anymore, I was only 9 rows back from the pitch (field). The crowd was also much louder and meaner. It is truly something that has to be experienced first-hand, but hearing 60,000 Arsenal fans screaming "If you hate Tottenham stand up!", and then seeing everyone standing up, is something I will never forget. Nothing even comes close to this atmosphere in the States.
The game was exciting but scoreless up until a 77nd minute Arsenal goal. I thought the match was over and was almost ready to go when Tottenham scored in the 85th minute. So, the match went into extra time. Arsenal scored in extra time to take the lead and never looked back. Excited, we all pointed at the Spurs fans and chanted "You're not singing anymore!" As I left the stadium chants of "We beat the scum three to one" echoed throughout North London.
It is experiences like this that made all the Study Abroad paperwork bullshit worth it. All the forms, essays, meetings, stress required to go abroad is finally paying off. Being in London, eating amazing food, watching amazing football, it's just indescribable. I miss the States, but right now there's no place I'd rather be.
I promise to do a non-Arsenal post soon, but it's very late in the UK and I need some sleep.
The first game was this past Sunday against Bolton in the FA Cup. Emirates Stadium was packed and the crowd was pretty into it. The game was pretty good and ended in a 1-1 tie. Arsenal very easily could have won with all the chances they missed, but I was satisfied with a tie.
The game I was most looking forward to was tonight against Tottenham Hotspur. For those who don't know, these two clubs have a fierce rivalry going. They are located only 4 miles apart in London and have been rivals for decades. A good analogy would be the Yankees and Red Sox in the States, except here it might be worse. In America, Yankee and Red Sox fans sit side by side in discontent, but in relative harmony. Here they separate Home and Away fans because if they don't then a riot could break out.
This game was different then Sundays. I wasn't in the upper tier anymore, I was only 9 rows back from the pitch (field). The crowd was also much louder and meaner. It is truly something that has to be experienced first-hand, but hearing 60,000 Arsenal fans screaming "If you hate Tottenham stand up!", and then seeing everyone standing up, is something I will never forget. Nothing even comes close to this atmosphere in the States.
The game was exciting but scoreless up until a 77nd minute Arsenal goal. I thought the match was over and was almost ready to go when Tottenham scored in the 85th minute. So, the match went into extra time. Arsenal scored in extra time to take the lead and never looked back. Excited, we all pointed at the Spurs fans and chanted "You're not singing anymore!" As I left the stadium chants of "We beat the scum three to one" echoed throughout North London.
It is experiences like this that made all the Study Abroad paperwork bullshit worth it. All the forms, essays, meetings, stress required to go abroad is finally paying off. Being in London, eating amazing food, watching amazing football, it's just indescribable. I miss the States, but right now there's no place I'd rather be.
I promise to do a non-Arsenal post soon, but it's very late in the UK and I need some sleep.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Europe and Arsenal
One of the main reasons I came to Sussex is the month long break in between the two terms. I plan to go all across continental Europe and see as many cities as possible. Since this trip is less than two months away, I decided to do some preliminary research as to the feasibility of my trip. As of now, I plan to visit the following cities:
On another note, I will be traveling to North London on Sunday to bear witness to the mighty Arsenal. They are playing Bolton in the FA Cup and it should prove to be a memorable experience.
Also, Arsenal are playing their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in the Carling Cup Semi-Finals tomorrow. I will be at East Slope Bar for all the action! Should be a great game...
-London
-Paris
-Amsterdam
-Copenhagen
-Berlin
-Leipzig
-Prague
-Vienna
-Bratislava
-Munich
-Venice
-Florence
-Rome
On another note, I will be traveling to North London on Sunday to bear witness to the mighty Arsenal. They are playing Bolton in the FA Cup and it should prove to be a memorable experience.
Also, Arsenal are playing their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in the Carling Cup Semi-Finals tomorrow. I will be at East Slope Bar for all the action! Should be a great game...
Sunday, January 21, 2007
ARSENAL!!!
So I just got back from watching one of the best football (soccer) games of my entire life. Arsenal v Manchester United. Man U came in as the favorites, but Arsenal had a fighting chance. First half produced no goals. In the 53rd minute Wayne Rooney scored a nice goal for Manchester. All seemed lost, but in the 83rd minute Van Persie scored for Arsenal. I would have been satisfied with a tie, and thought the next 10 minutes would be scoreless. In about the 91st or 92nd minute (with basically two minutes left in the game) Thierry Henry scored for Arsenal. To say East Slope Bar went wild is an understatement. Football is such an amazing game of suspense and instant gratification. As much as I would like to be in America watching the NFL championships, I think i can very easily get used to this...
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Punker Bunker and El Taco
So, it’s been a while since my last post. Let me try to sum up what is going on…
I found a lot more cool places in Brighton. I went to this organic market, Infinity Foods, and got some good vegan food. They have a café too that was closed when I got there but looks good. I was walking down the street from there and found a vegetarian fast food place! Granted, it is no Foodswings, but it’s not bad. The hotdog with caramelized red onions is fucking amazing. I also found a place open late that had decent falafel and a 5 pound all-you-can eat vegetarian Indian food buffet.
In that same area I stopped by this basement record store aptly called the “Punker Bunker” (the punks in Brighton really got their shit together when it comes to naming things. There’s also a piercing place in town called Punktured). It’s a really cool record store but all the records there are at least 9 pounds ($18) so it’s a bit pricey.
On a similar note I went to a hardcore show Friday at this place called the Engine Rooms. Well, there was only one hardcore band, but it was still pretty good. The headlining band was this folk/ska group from London, the King Blues, and was pretty good. I would have appreciated a little more folk and a little less ska, but that’s just me. The band I really wanted to see, Phinius Gage (melodic hardcore from Brighton), only played four songs because their van broke down and they showed up way late. Regardless, I felt at home hearing some solid hardcore. I’ve been feeling some culture shock and homesickness over the past 10 days or so, but when that first chord hits all those feelings go away.
On a sad note, I don’t think the Earthquake show is happening. It’s been TBA forever and the supporting band removed the date from their Myspace calendar. Oh well…I picked up a bunch of flyers for some other good shows coming up, so not all is lost.
The British do a lot of things well, but imitating American things is not one of them. I’ve found only one “Mexican” restaurant in Brighton, “El Taco,” and the burrito was definitely below par. I miss Chipotle, Cal Tor, Mariachi Loco, and every other place I have had amazing burritos in America. One thing the British do right: “poundstores.” They’re like dollar store in the States but all the products are much nicer and way more amazing.
I saw a brakeless track bike outside Arts D the other day. My faith in this University has been reestablished. The ride from campus into Brighton is only 5 miles, but the entire time going into town (towards the sea) is a headwind. It will let up for about 10 seconds only to come back twice as strong. Conversely, the ride back to campus is quite nice with a constant tailwind. The wind in this town is ridiculous. If you go down to the waterfront the headwind will almost stop you from walking and the tailwind will almost push you over. The weather in general is pretty absurd.
Arsenal is my favorite football (soccer) team in England. I saw an amazing match with them against Liverpool earlier this week in East Slope bar. Drinking a pint in an English bar watching football with English fans is an indescribable experience. I also paid 40 quid (slang for pounds) to become an Arsenal “Red Member” this week. That means if the season ticket holders don’t buy up all the tickets to a match then I have an opportunity to buy some. Hopefully I will be able to see one or two matches and this won’t be a giant waste of money.
I think that’s about all I have to say for now. Cheers.
Europe Rules
Today I remembered that Skittles and Starburst are vegan in Europe...I've eaten 3 bags of each in the past 12 hours. I feel sick but oh so satisfied.
Oh, and carrying 8 cans of beer, a liter of apple juice, a bag of apples, other groceries and a 5 lb ulock 5 miles from Brighton to East Slope is not fun. My left arm got numb about 2/3 of the way through my ride from my messenger bag cutting off circulation. I'll post more later about this weekend and this past week, but now I need to have some dinner.
Oh, and carrying 8 cans of beer, a liter of apple juice, a bag of apples, other groceries and a 5 lb ulock 5 miles from Brighton to East Slope is not fun. My left arm got numb about 2/3 of the way through my ride from my messenger bag cutting off circulation. I'll post more later about this weekend and this past week, but now I need to have some dinner.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
The First 72 Hours...
Where do I begin..it all seems like a blur..
Flight was good. Watched 'The Departed' and 'Jackass 2' on the plane. Both quality movies. Food was actually not bad.
One of the things I failed to anticipate and brace for was that I would be getting into London at rush hour (8:30 local time). There is nothing more enjoyable then carrying 80 pounds of luggage through the rush hour Tube and Victoria Station. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I didn't sleep a wink on the plane. Battling exhaustion was a constant problem and the first hours in England felt like some kind of dream. By the time I got onto campus I had been up for 24 hours. Pretty surreal stuff.
The weather. Holy shit the weather. Yesterday I woke up it was cloudy, dark, rainy and windy. Today I woke up and it was cloudy, dark, rainy and windy. The Weather Channel shows some form of rain here everyday for the next 10 days. I can't even begin to understand this weather. I saw the sun for about an hour today before it quickly went behind the clouds and was followed by rain. It's not showers, its more of a drizzle. Sometimes a light drizzle, sometimes heavy. I've never been to Seattle but from what I hear its a similar climate. It's also a bad sign that very few people in Brighton today had umbrellas during the rain showers. They must be used to it...
Food. Food has been hard to come by around campus. There are grocery stores that sell groceries but there are no eating establishments that serve vegan food. Yesterday I had a hummus bagel (spelt homous here) and that was alright, but I'm sure I'll get sick of that bagel in no time. I went into Brighton today and got some decent food, but did not have enough time to eat a proper meal. I think that Brighton has a lot potential for good vegan food. Also, vegetarianism here seems to be way more acceptable then it does in America. Most goods are labeled with a big 'V' for 'Suitable for Vegetarian' (even the vodka my flatmates and I drank last night was labeled with it). People in England also don't seem to be as intolerant towards vegetarians as Americans do. All the people I've told so far have been way more accepting then most Americans I tell. Restaurants seem to have more vegetarian options and are much more willing to cater to herbivores. On a side note, I went to a grocery store today to get vegan food and Linda McCartney has tons of her own vegetarian products. The English also have very funny looking apples and fruits.
Little differences. Since America and England speak the same language (some may argue otherwise) one notices lots of little differences between the two countries. In England they aren't ATM's, they're 'cashpoints'. The keyboards on computers are different. Paper sizes are different. In order to have a TV in your dorm room you need a TV license and penalties are steep if you are caught without one. Thus, our flat does not have a TV. Which I am kind of bummed about, not because I am a huge TV addict but because I occasionally like to relax and watch the Real World. 6 Months with little TV may turn out to be a blessing in the end but I'm a little sad about that now.
My flat. Aside from the lack of television my flat is pretty cool. Flatmates are nice and there is a bar maybe 100ft from my door.
Comforts. The main thing I miss about America is the comforts. In Ardsley, in New York, in DC, I know what to expect. I know where food is, I know where friends are. If I want to watch the Jets game I know a thousand places where I can see it. Everything is so new here that getting adjusted is hard. I'm sure this will pass, but the excitement about being in a totally different place is mixed with the anxiety of being in a new place. As each day passes, however, I am starting to get more comfortable and feel like myself. As the jetlag begins to fade I am starting to feel better. I bought a secondhand bike today and got a good 5 mile ride in. Not only will that bike save me money (everything here is so expensive!) but will keep my sane and fit as well. The ride from campus into Brighton is really pretty and I look forward to doing it may times.
In general, things are getting better. As I start classes and start making friends I think this experience has a lot of promise. My favorite Brighton band is playing on the 12th and there is another sweet hardcore show on the 15th. Brighton is a really awesome city and I can't wait to spend more time there. I miss New York, but even if this experience sucks it will at least make me appreciate home more.
One thing I can't do in the States, however: watch the Arsenal game in a bar 50 feet from my dorm room. Thats where I'll be in an hour. This country rules.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I could have made it even longer. Everything is so different and I have no one to talk to who would understand. Hopefully I will be posting much more in the future.
Cheers.
-Steve
Flight was good. Watched 'The Departed' and 'Jackass 2' on the plane. Both quality movies. Food was actually not bad.
One of the things I failed to anticipate and brace for was that I would be getting into London at rush hour (8:30 local time). There is nothing more enjoyable then carrying 80 pounds of luggage through the rush hour Tube and Victoria Station. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I didn't sleep a wink on the plane. Battling exhaustion was a constant problem and the first hours in England felt like some kind of dream. By the time I got onto campus I had been up for 24 hours. Pretty surreal stuff.
The weather. Holy shit the weather. Yesterday I woke up it was cloudy, dark, rainy and windy. Today I woke up and it was cloudy, dark, rainy and windy. The Weather Channel shows some form of rain here everyday for the next 10 days. I can't even begin to understand this weather. I saw the sun for about an hour today before it quickly went behind the clouds and was followed by rain. It's not showers, its more of a drizzle. Sometimes a light drizzle, sometimes heavy. I've never been to Seattle but from what I hear its a similar climate. It's also a bad sign that very few people in Brighton today had umbrellas during the rain showers. They must be used to it...
Food. Food has been hard to come by around campus. There are grocery stores that sell groceries but there are no eating establishments that serve vegan food. Yesterday I had a hummus bagel (spelt homous here) and that was alright, but I'm sure I'll get sick of that bagel in no time. I went into Brighton today and got some decent food, but did not have enough time to eat a proper meal. I think that Brighton has a lot potential for good vegan food. Also, vegetarianism here seems to be way more acceptable then it does in America. Most goods are labeled with a big 'V' for 'Suitable for Vegetarian' (even the vodka my flatmates and I drank last night was labeled with it). People in England also don't seem to be as intolerant towards vegetarians as Americans do. All the people I've told so far have been way more accepting then most Americans I tell. Restaurants seem to have more vegetarian options and are much more willing to cater to herbivores. On a side note, I went to a grocery store today to get vegan food and Linda McCartney has tons of her own vegetarian products. The English also have very funny looking apples and fruits.
Little differences. Since America and England speak the same language (some may argue otherwise) one notices lots of little differences between the two countries. In England they aren't ATM's, they're 'cashpoints'. The keyboards on computers are different. Paper sizes are different. In order to have a TV in your dorm room you need a TV license and penalties are steep if you are caught without one. Thus, our flat does not have a TV. Which I am kind of bummed about, not because I am a huge TV addict but because I occasionally like to relax and watch the Real World. 6 Months with little TV may turn out to be a blessing in the end but I'm a little sad about that now.
My flat. Aside from the lack of television my flat is pretty cool. Flatmates are nice and there is a bar maybe 100ft from my door.
Comforts. The main thing I miss about America is the comforts. In Ardsley, in New York, in DC, I know what to expect. I know where food is, I know where friends are. If I want to watch the Jets game I know a thousand places where I can see it. Everything is so new here that getting adjusted is hard. I'm sure this will pass, but the excitement about being in a totally different place is mixed with the anxiety of being in a new place. As each day passes, however, I am starting to get more comfortable and feel like myself. As the jetlag begins to fade I am starting to feel better. I bought a secondhand bike today and got a good 5 mile ride in. Not only will that bike save me money (everything here is so expensive!) but will keep my sane and fit as well. The ride from campus into Brighton is really pretty and I look forward to doing it may times.
In general, things are getting better. As I start classes and start making friends I think this experience has a lot of promise. My favorite Brighton band is playing on the 12th and there is another sweet hardcore show on the 15th. Brighton is a really awesome city and I can't wait to spend more time there. I miss New York, but even if this experience sucks it will at least make me appreciate home more.
One thing I can't do in the States, however: watch the Arsenal game in a bar 50 feet from my dorm room. Thats where I'll be in an hour. This country rules.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I could have made it even longer. Everything is so different and I have no one to talk to who would understand. Hopefully I will be posting much more in the future.
Cheers.
-Steve
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