THE M E R E D I T H
Founders'
HERALD
Week 2019
in this issue
NEWS
Meredith Through the Years Food Poisoning Prevention
A&E Restaurant Review The Vagina Monologues Avoiding Roommate Conflict OPINIONS Crime and Immigrants Water is the New Milk
Founders' Week By Mimi Mays, Associate Editor
Wandering into the Meredith Alumnae House during this year’s Founders’ Week, Feb. 25-Mar. 1, is met with a unique atmosphere of bustle and excitement. In part by design and in part by coincidence, Founders’ Week this year contains not only Founders’ Day, Giving Day and other Merediththemed celebrations, but also the commemoration of Meredith’s Beyond Strong campaign. The Beyond Strong campaign began in July of 2012 and wrapped in December 2018. In February 2016, the campaign had already raised $26 million, and at that time the college also announced that the campaign’s final goal would be $75 million. As of August 2018, donors had given a total of $86,355,254. “We well surpassed our goal,” says President Jo Allen, “proving how beloved this College is,” but the final campaign sum has been kept secret. On Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m., Dr. Allen will announce the number at the Founders’ Day Celebration in the Johnson Hall Rotunda, but the campaign is without a doubt Meredith’s largest, most successful fundraising effort.
@meredith_herald #harktheherald February 27, 2019
The Sword and Shield of Meredith’s Campus, Part 1 By Savi Swiggard, Staff Writer Amidst the flood of stories of school shootings and sexual assaults, female students above all value safety. In order to be Meredith Strong, we have to question how safe the campus is, what is being done to make it safer, and how we as staff and students can contribute to the security of our campus. Meredith College’s soon-arriving improvements in security will begin where it all began: driving by the guardhouse. The first building anyone sees when arriving on Meredith’s campus is the guardhouse, a small symbol of something much greater. In an interview with the Herald, Chief Al White expressed the importance of this first impression on not only students, but the community as a whole as well. White expressed that visibility is one of the most effective tools campus security has in preventing potential aggression and violence. When the first visible building reminds visitors that the campus is guarded by an attentive security staff, Meredith is flexing its muscles, and we’re getting stronger. Over the past few weeks, the first phases of guardhouse improvement began. White noted that what may
seem like cosmetic improvements are already improving the safety of the campus. “The guardhouse wasn’t insulated before now,” he explained. “It was hard for officers to be stationed in the hot or in the cold, but we’re adding thermopane glass and an HVAC unit. The guardhouse will now be staffed at all hours.” After this, the next phase of guardhouse improvement will be the addition of fluorescent guard arms. This addition will not only increase interaction between security and incoming traffic at night, but will also stop outgoing traffic to monitor who may be on Meredith campus during off-hours. The final phase of guardhouse improvement is the invisible safety technique. White explained that security cameras will be added to the guardhouse which can record every license plate driving onto Meredith campus. The cameras will be active 24/7 and will keep a registry of every car that drives onto campus for security to monitor. White explained that the guardhouse improvements aren’t the only ways in which campus security is both visibly and invisibly protecting the campus. While many professors and students have expressed
concerns about the public greenway that runs through Meredith’s campus, as it allows through traffic that isn’t stopped by the campus police, White assured that security is active on the greenway. They drive along the greenway during the day, allowing the campus police to be visible to the community and the greenway closes at dusk. It’s not the security risk many believe it to be, as it is monitored. White also wanted both students and staff to be aware that Meredith’s campus security has an incredible wealth of knowledge. With over 170 years of law enforcement knowledge and experience, in addition to the decade of campus specific work held by White himself, Meredith’s campus police are a strong resource for any issue occurring in or around campus. If there are any doubts, White encourages students to check the numbers. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports are available online on the Meredith website for anyone to see and the numbers speak for themselves. Across the board, Meredith College is one of the safest college campuses in the Southeast.
Founders’ Day, always on Feb. 27, commemorates the founding of Meredith College on that day in 1891. Giving Day, or Make It Count for Meredith Day (#makeitcount4MC), always occurs on the Tuesday of every Founders’ Week. This year, for Meredith’s fourth annual Giving Day, we raised $536,877 in donations in 24 hours, exceeding the goal of $400,000. This year’s goal is $50,000 greater than last year’s; but with such a small and devoted donor and alumnae base, the college is always expected to be ambitious when it comes to fundraising goals, says Erin Cleghorn, the director of the Meredith Fund, so it wasn’t too zealous to set a goal much larger than the last.
Donors on Giving Day (or to any Meredith campaign on any day) can provide their relationship to the college, their class year (if applicable) and their intentions for their donations. Alumnae of Meredith accounted for 83% of donations, parents accounted for 8%, faculty and staff accounted for 5%, current students accounted for 3% and friends of the college accounted for 2%. Donors’ class year affiliations (of alumnae, students or parents) ranged from 1938 to 2024—1985 yielded the most money raised, while 2004 yielded the greatest number of donors. Donors also chose where their money would be allocated: the most popular category was “College’s Greatest Needs.” “We really push
for donations of that kind because they’re the true lifeblood of the college,” says Erin Cleghorn; they fund anything the college needs— everything from scholarship tuition to facilities improvements. The best part of Founders’ Week, says Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement Cindy Godwin, is that it encourages and celebrates members of the Meredith community working towards a common goal. “The more the merrier,” she welcomes. For Giving Day, donors were encouraged to donate in the name of the strong women in their lives, and it is thanks to their donations that Meredith College can keep putting those strong women into the world.
ambition: “always a whale to chase,” she mused. She reflected on her many opportunities: no matter how small an endeavor, she made sure to “maintain a kernel of a dream.” One of the most meaningful stories was that of when Howard finally realized that being a strong, independent, modern woman does not mean disregarding the advice of older women like her mother. It wasn’t until later in life that Howard began paying attention to (and
respecting) her mother’s cooking and, more importantly, her as a person. According to Howard, it was an important moment for her to acknowledge that the experiences of more mature women are not things to be disregarded due to them being “outdated.” Finding inspirational female role models—no matter the age—creates inspirational women like Vivian Howard.
Woman of Achievement By Olivia Slack, Features Editor On Feb. 19, Meredith College President Jo Allen presented the 2019 Woman of Achievement Award to chef and television host Vivian Howard. The Woman of Achievement Award is presented by Meredith each year to a woman who is an “inspirational role model.” Howard joins former recipients N.C. Supreme Court Justice Sarah Parker, N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, journalist Judy Woodruff and more. To celebrate Howard’s
@meredithherald
receipt, Dr. Allen interviewed her about her life and how she found her way back to small-town North Carolina from big-city New York living. During the conversation, Vivian Howard shared many a humorous anecdote about life as a successful chef and businesswoman. She talked about handling bad reviews: don’t always take it to heart, she said, but “follow the trends” if they’re there. She discussed her
To be continued Mar. 20...
News
How Has Meredith College Changed Over the Years By Ashley Ricks, Staff Writer
When someone thinks of a Meredith student, they often picture late night Cornhuskin’ practices, a close sisterhood and the Onyx. The description of a Meredith student is constantly evolving, which is evident when looking through old Oak Leaves editions. Over the past 128 years, the Oak Leaves yearbook has documented the changes at Meredith and also in American society. In 2019, it is hard to believe that Meredith published a yearbook that had no mention of a class ring or of a single tradition, but the yearbook of 1910 also represented a different time for women. Oak Leaves was first published in 1904, and the earliest volume found in the library, 1910, shows a very different culture than today’s Meredith. For example, during the 1920s, Oak Leaves began to include class categories. The superlatives consisted of generic categories such as “most athletic,” but a surprising category found in earlier yearbooks is the “most attractive” superlative. Living in an environment that now so heavily promotes inclusivity makes it hard to imagine that Meredith students once voted on who was the prettiest woman in their class. Another striking difference
when she attended in the late ‘80s of the early yearbooks is the lack and ‘90s was “probably not like it of diversity among students and is now,” though she does “rememfaculty. Although Meredith has not had a scandal in its yearbooks ber a girl from Iran in [her] class.” similar to one surrounding a racist The fact that Marshall remembers only one international student photo in UNC Chapel Hill’s 1979 being on campus is a far cry from yearbook, Oak Leaves is evidence Meredith today, but it is evidence that for a long time there were no that the college has made strides minority students enrolled. The to improve the diversity of its stu1925 yearbook has only one page dedicated to featuring the minori- dents. On another note, the most ties on campus and those minoripopular ties majors at were Meredith classiconsist of fied as Business workAdminers. Acistration, cordBiology, ing to Psycholthe ogy and ArCommuchives, nication, it was Photo courtesy of Meredith College according not until to the Office 1968 when of Institutional Advancement. A there were minority students enmajority of these majors did not rolled at Meredith. In 1971, Gwenexist in 1943, or if they did exist, dolyn Matthews Hilliard received they were not highly populated the first degree obtained by an programs according to students’ African American at Meredith. majors listed in the yearbook. Although minorities have been welcomed at Meredith since 1968, Looking at students’ majors in the 1943 and 1957 volumes of Oak the student body continues to be Leaves, many students majored in majority white. Kelley Marshall, Home Economics and Education, ‘92, said the diversity on campus as women were pushed to pursue
How to Prevent Food Poisoning By Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Staff Writer During the current Trump administration there have already been two government shutdowns and subsequent uncertain reopenings. During these long periods, most government departments are either not functioning at all or have to make major cuts on the functions they can afford to continue. One of these departments is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, which regulates food production and inspection in order to ensure the American population is consuming foods free of dangerous pathogens and contamination. Such an important department is often gone unnoticed throughout our daily lives but is one of the most affected during these periods. According to NBC News, the FDA is able to continue foreign food inspections because they are considered imperative, but domestic food production continues to be completely unregulated; therefore, potential dangers may exit these domestic facilities undetected. The outbreak of E. coli in U.S.-produced romaine lettuce began before the actual shutdown, but as a result of the shutdown
it became difficult to contain. As seen through the results of the outbreak, the inability of the FDA to function can cause major dangers to the American population. The E. coli virus linked to romaine lettuce infected a total of 62 people across 16 states and the District of Columbia, as reported by the CDC. Furthermore, 25 of those people were hospitalized and two of the individuals developed hemolytic uremic syndrome which is a type of kidney failure. The foods that we need to be the most careful of are those prone to carrying foodborne illnesses and causing food poisoning. According to the CDC, these are raw foods of animal origin, which can easily be contaminated. This includes “raw or undercooked meat and poultry, raw or lightly cooked eggs, unpasteurized milk, and raw shellfish,” as well as fruits and vegetables. There are four key steps to making sure our food is safe when preparing it: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill. Firstly, it is important to clean our hands and the surfaces on which we cook both before and after cooking. All utensils, cutting
boards and countertops should also be washed with hot, soapy water. If your meal includes fruits and vegetables, it is also important to rinse under running water before eating. Secondly, it is important to prevent cross-contamination from raw foods to other foods by keeping them seperate. The CDC recommends to “use separate cutting boards and plates for raw meat, poultry and seafood,” and also keep them separately from readyto-eat foods at all times, including during grocery shopping and in storage. Thirdly, one of the most important steps is cooking foods until the internal temperature reaches high enough to kill all germs. Contrary to popular belief, the color and texture of food is not indicative of whether or not it is safely cooked. The only way to ensure this is through using a food thermometer. The temperature of beef, pork, veal and lamb should reach 145℉. Ground meats such as beef and pork should reach 160℉. All poultry, leftovers and casseroles should reach 165℉. Fresh ham and fin fish should reach
these career paths in the ‘40s and ‘50s and were given less options compared to today’s students. Although being a stay-athome wife or teacher are both still respected jobs today, the current major choices show a wider range of options. As women started to gain more opportunities in the labor force, Meredith began to offer more majors to reflect the changing roles of women in society. Instead of going to school to get a degree predetermined by gender norms, Meredith students are coming to college to start a career in any field they choose. Meredith has always strived to educate women and recently students have been choosing majors which have been traditionally male dominated. Looking through old Oak Leaves, it is evident that Meredith’s culture has evolved to encompass a student body which embraces diversity in many ways. Meredith has changed significantly over the years, but one thing has always stayed the same: the bond of the sisterhood. Marshall reminisced of her time at Meredith by saying, “I developed wonderful friendships and had adventures I never dreamed possible. I love the beautiful campus and feeling home away from home there.” 145℉ and fish should be cooked until the flesh is opaque. The last step to know is how to refrigerate food properly. Refrigerators should be kept below 40℉ at all times and leftovers and perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours. When the outdoor temperature reaches above 90℉ it is important to refrigerate within one hour as food perishes more quickly in hot temperatures. These key steps can help prevent foodborne illnesses and food poisoning. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you do get food poisoning, which usually clears up within 48 hours, it is important to let your stomach settle and stop consuming food and drink for a few hours and make sure to rest. It is also important to ease back into eating and replace lost fluids by drinking electrolytes and other fluids so that your body can build its strength back up. Overall, making sure what we consume is safe is one way to ensure our success. Correction: Allison Dahle's name was misspelled in our most recent issue.
Arts & Entertainment
A Different Dimension: A Review of Rockin’ Rolls Sushi Express By Ashleigh Murr, Staff Writer I ate at Rockin’ Rolls Sushi Express at the newer North Raleigh location, for lunch on Thurs., Feb 17. The Raleigh location is located at 9650 Strickland Road, Suite 101. However, the original location in Durham at 3405 Hillsborough Road, Suite E, is also a convenient drive from Meredith. The unique environment is a fun twist on a typical restaurant scene. My first impression was excitement for all the types of food I would get to try. The staff was kind as I paid upon entry, but after that, as it is a self-serve buffet, there is not much interaction with the staff. The restaurant appeared clean throughout, though the whole process could allow for the spreading of germs depending on how people grab their food. Each person sits in front of a conveyor belt which is guarded by a plastic covering. Across from each seat is a small door that can be opened to grab the desired food options as they come by. Because it is not a charge per plate, I was able to try many different types of sushi that I otherwise may not have branched out to taste. I tried a unique fried banana sushi roll that I surprisingly loved and
would eat again. The food all tasted delicious to me, and I enjoyed a wide variety of sushi and other Asian specialties such as beef gyoza, spring rolls, and miso soup. Taylor Whitley, ‘19, also visited the North Raleigh location but for the dinner buffet and stated, “When I walked in, it was like being in a different dimension with all the sushi, hibachi, appetizers and sauces you could ever want. Luckily, I went super hungry.” Her statement sums up the restaurant’s excellent taste and unique atmosphere. If you like Asian food, specifically sushi, head on over to Durham or Raleigh and give Rockin’ Rolls Sushi Express a try. The Raleigh location serves lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, but is open until 10:00 pm on FridaySunday. On Saturdays and Sundays, they serve their dinner menu all day from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (The dinner menu includes endless hibachi, while lunch does not.) Lunch is $10.99 a person and dinner is $14.99 to account for the extra hibachi.
The Vagina Monologues 2019
By Kathleen Daly, Staff Writer, and Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor
On Feb. 24, the Extra Theatre Company (ETC) at Meredith College presented two showings of its annual production of The Vagina Monologues—a 2 p.m. matinee performance and a 7:30 p.m. performance in the Studio Theatre of Jones Auditorium. The original production was written in 1994 and in 1998 inspired the creation of V-Day, a worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls. The $10-perticket proceeds from this year’s performance went to benefit InterAct of Wake County, a nonprofit that provides resources for those who have experienced sexual assault and domestic violence. The Vagina Monologues has been produced at Meredith for over 10 years; fittingly, ETC wrote in the program that the performance was “dedicated to all of the brave women who came before us and all of the women we hope to inspire in the future.” The Vagina Monologues is a collection of monologues written by Eve Ensler about reallife female’s accounts of their femininity as it relates to their
vaginas. The narratives in the production come from a range of women of different races, age groups, sexualities and genders assigned at birth. While the topic seems at first to be very specific, the production discusses a variety issues affecting women in our country, from sexual harassment to body positivity to transgender identity. Despite there being less than a week between the audition and the performances, the cast put on an impressive show. Tessa Minnich, ‘19, who delivered “The Flood,” explained, “This was my first time acting. Hannah Johns, the director, encouraged me to audition and participate in The Vagina Monologues. I am so happy I did it! I enjoyed [reading] my monologue and it was nice hearing a few laughs while I performed.” Those considering attending the show in the future should keep in mind that it features explicit language and discusses sensitive topics. ETC produces The Vagina Monologues every Feb. at Meredith.
Meredith Music Events
Women Warriors Series
Ain’t I a Woman! Shinnerrie Jackson and The Core Ensemble Wednesday, February 27, 2019 8:00 pm Carswell Concert
Rachel Niketopoulos, horn Tuesday, March 19, 2019 8:00 pm Carswell Concert Hall
Meredith Classical Guest Artist Series
North Carolina Guitar Quartet Friday, March 8, 2019 8:00 pm Carswell Concert Hall
The Music of Bill Robinson Performed by Meredith faculty Sunday, March 24, 2019 4:00 pm Carswell Concert Hall
Ready to Move Out: Getting Along with Roommates By Kristen Viera, Staff Writer We’ve all heard them before—unbelievably horrifying roommate stories that should not be wished upon anybody. Whether the conflict is extreme or not, everyone is likely to run into roommate problems at some point or another because not everyone gets along 100% of the time—as Residence Director Jessica Sharpe says, when it comes to roommates, “it’s not about the good days.” College is one of the places where many run into such dilemmas, but living on campus can be a great experience and a comfortable place away from home for residents to learn and grow. With helpful quotes from an interview with Sharpe and from The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen, here is a list of things to remember in order to combat these unavoidable situations when they arise.
do or say anything about it, your roommate might think you’re cool with it.” Agree that issues will be discussed within 48 hours—that is, not with everyone else, but with each other. Sharpe says, “It is okay to say ‘Hey, you cannot eat my goldfish anymore’ because then that person knows where they stand with you.” Naked, smelly, drunk, klepto or gettin’ busy in the same room kind of roommate, whatever the problem, approach the situation ASAP the first time around. 4. Be considerate. Community living can be a great experience as long as each resident remembers that it is a shared space. Sharpe says roommates should “be okay if they are not best friends with their roommate, but it is important to at least be cordial.” Each has the right to study in the room, and each has the right to ask the other to take their phone conversation outside or put in headphones. 1. Communication re5. Close friends may take adally is key. To avoid escalating a vantage. Best friends are likely to problem, Sharpe says, “Be open, live together, but remember that be honest, be realistic, and be okay the closer and more comfortable with saying ‘no’… Be okay with the relationship, the less likely disagreeing with your roommate. each person will try to please the Talk about it, and then move on.” other. In other words, they might Each roommate needs to be made be less tidy, expel gas at will or not aware when something has made be as respectful of things. the other uncomfortable and what 6. Use your Resources. Resiis okay with being shared. dence Life is here to help if the 2. Set boundaries before they situation is too uncomfortable or are needed. Respect each other’s gets out of hand. Most importantdifferences, stuff and space. Make ly, if emergency help is needed, do rules or write a roommate agreenot hesitate to call campus police ment to help avoid uncomfortable (919.760.8888), the RD on duty situations. Things such as guests, (919.612.6350), or use the counselsharing food or clothing, cleaning ing center (919.760.8427). and noise are big topics of discussion. The bottom line: Cohen writes, 3. When there is conflict, work “If you want to get along and your it out as soon as possible or it roommate wants to get along, will get worse. Cohen writes that, you’ll get along. If not—welcome “If you see it or hear it and don’t to roommate hell.”
Opinion
The Truth of Crime and Immigration By Cro Owens, Social Media Coordinator
Immigrants have been in the news a lot recently—a number of ICE arrests throughout N.C., President Trump referencing criminal behavior in immigrants in his State of the Union Speech...but how many immigrants are really criminals? And what kinds of crimes do they commit? Unfortunately, the facts aren’t entirely clear. There’s no one database explaining all the crimes immigrants have committed, and what little data there is is hard to come by in the U.S. and even harder outside of it. However, there is a lot of data to indicate that the stereotype of criminal immigrants is just that—a stereotype. For starters, it’s pretty difficult for criminals (even those convicted of minor offenses) to come to the U.S. Anyone who has committed a serious crime cannot obtain refugee status. And if someone applying for a green card has a criminal record, they can be denied for anything on that record, even a minor traffic violation. But, assuming some morally faulty
immigrants do enter our country, their choices in breaking the law aren’t always so clear cut. Immigration laws are different from state to state. The disparity in state laws surrounding immigrants makes it difficult to compile the data and find a firm rate of crime among immigrants. For example, in Arizona, police are allowed to stop and ask anyone their immigration status if they suspect the person is not in the country legally, but this practice is not authorized in North Carolina. This kind of law primarily focuses on stopping one type of nonviolent crime: illegal immigration. Because undocumented immigration is a crime in itself, stop-and-frisk laws inflate the crime rate in those states that have them. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about 34% of criminal aliens removed from from the U.S. in 2015 were only criminals because of their immigration status. The third largest group of criminal aliens, 13.5%, were removed from the U.S. that year
because they were convicted of traffic violations. However, I am more concerned with the overall relationship between immigration and crime, and one year’s worth of data doesn’t prove much. According to public data from the Department of Justice and private data sourced from Pew Research Center, the vast majority of aliens removed from the U.S. between 2006-2016 were not criminals. The rate of unauthorized immigration in the U.S. was low in the early 2000s, spiked to 12.2 million in 2007, and has since stabilized. As of 2016, there were about 10.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. In 1990 there were approximately 3.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S., and the aggravated assault rate was 424.1 per 100,000 people. In 2007, when unauthorized immigration was the highest at 12.2 million, the aggravated assault rate dropped to 287.2. In 2016, with 10.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S., the aggravated assault rate dropped
further to 248.3, indicating no direct correlation between the flow of unauthorized immigration and aggravated assault. Crime data from the Center for Disease Control indicates a similar pattern in the rates of sexual assault and homicide. I write all of this because of the popular narrative that immigrants are criminals and are to be feared. I’ve heard it on the news, I’ve heard it from politicians, I’ve even heard it from fellow Meredith students. But that’s simply not the story the data tells. The criminalization of immigrants by the government seems to contribute more to the increased crime rate than any tangible trends in violent crime. The data may not be as thorough as we want it to be, but it’s clear enough—the presence of immigrants does not lead to an increase in violent crime. So it’s time we stop treating them like criminals.
Water is the New Milk: The U.S. Needs to Get with the Program By Kristen Viera, Staff Writer That’s right! Cows are obsolete according to Canada’s new dietary food guide that was released on Tuesday, Jan. 22. What was once an image of four equal food groups (vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives) is now a beautifully colorful and detailed image of a plate that has drastically different recommendations. It clears up much confusion on what types of food the public should be aiming to eat. Unlike the mundane blocks of color that make up the United States’ MyPlate, Canada’s food guide is aesthetically pleasing with real examples of food in each category. Additionally, it is no longer just about what you should be aiming to eat for a healthy diet and a healthy planet, but it is also about taking on healthy consumer habits overall. One of the first noticeable differences is that dairy is no longer its own category. Instead it is recommended to make water your drink of choice, and “lower fat dairy products” is now a small subsection amongst the proteins. The second most noticeable change is that meat is no longer the star of the protein group. Instead the focus is on plantbased proteins. The official website recommends to “choose protein foods that come from plants more often… [because they] can provide more fibre and less saturated fat than other types of protein foods. This can be beneficial for your heart health.” When it comes to national dietary advice, Marion Nestle, author of
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, writes that, “To advise the public to consume less fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol was to advocate eating less [meat, dairy foods, and eggs], as well as of processed foods high in fats and oils.” The USDA food guide creators have tried to avoid conflict with big money-making meat and milk industries by avoiding recommendations that advise to consume less of them. By stating directly which foods support a healthy diet, Canada’s new food guide clears up
Photo courtesy of canada.ca the confusion, whereas the U.S.’s MyPlate vaguely says to “focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.” Nestle writes that “the food industry accounts for much of the public confusion about nutrition.” While the MyPlate website allows consumers
to enter in their age, sex and level of physical activity to learn more about specific portion sizes, it does not specifically state which proteins are healthier. In Canada’s guidelines, there are no listed portion sizes yet, but people can tell by the visual image that they are divided so that half their plate should be of a variety of vegetables and fruits, a quarter be proteins—mostly plant-based—and the other quarter be whole grains. Drink water to wash it all down, and, of course, limit highly processed foods or those that are high in sugar, sodium and saturated fats. All in all, it is a visual that directly states which foods support a healthy diet and is easier to understand and put into practice than trying to have perfectly correct servings sizes anyways. Alongside focusing on what people should aim to eat, Canada’s new food guide also acknowledges the benefits that come with mindful purchasing, home cooking, and communal eating in order to form healthy habits and truly enjoy the food you eat. It is also advised to look at food labels and consider the influences of food marketing. Would the U.S. ever note that on their food guide given how much companies spend on marketing for fast food, ready-to-eat meals, and soda brands? In 2017 alone, McDonald’s spent 1.51 billion U.S. dollars in advertising, and Coca-Cola spent 3.96 billion according to Statista. Canada’s new food guide is not stopping there with the updates. The government is continuing to
make improvements. Documents outlining serving sizes and needs for different demographics are in the works for health professionals and policy makers to use. They will have documents considerate of Indigenous peoples, people with higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and people facing food insecurity. When it comes to educating the public on which foods support a healthy diet to combat heart disease, diabetes and stroke, Canada’s Food Guide has stepped up to bat, and they knocked the MyPlate out of the park. The future for dietary guidelines in the U.S. can be bright, but we need to catch up because “got milk” campaigns are a thing of the past. #WaterNotMilk #PlantProtein
U.S. Government's current dietary recommendation Photo courtesy of choosemyplate.gov
STAFF
Sarah Kiser, Editor-in-Chief. Mimi Mays, Associate Editor. Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor. Abby Ojeda, News Editor. Rebecca Dowdy, Opinion Editor. Olivia Slack, Features Editor. Micah Clark, Cartoonist. Cro Owens, Social Media Coordinator. Nikki Wertz, Layout Designer. Photographers: Laney Flaugher, Inaya Rivera Staff Writers: Kathleen Daly, Haley Ivey, Ashleigh Murr, Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Ashley Ricks, Ell Shelp-Peck, Savi Swiggard, Kristen Viera.