Back in the 90's when these two corporations began expanding their markets with offers of scoreboards and free computers and software, Coca-Cola spokesperson Scott Jacobson said, "Kids and teachers who spend hour after hour after hour in school get thirsty. Every time they consume a beverage brought from home it's a lost revenue opportunity for the school. So it's kind of a 'win win win.' It's good for us. Good for people who are thirsty who want our products. Good for schools."
You'll note that Mr. Jacobson said "good for us" (Coca-Cola) first, because that's the way big corporations think. They have pushed their view that students and teachers are a "revenue opportunity" upon us and that type of thinking should give the Board pause about doing business with them.
These are high times for Lincoln County High School sports. It's time for Patriot boosters and fans to pony up and buy a scoreboard and tell both corporate giants to shove off because it's good for the health and success of the students and it's the ethical thing to do.
In the course of reviewing proposals to solicit bids for a variety of services, the Board was concerned that bids for soft-drink vending would come to them labeled as Vendor 1 and Vendor 2 instead of their widely known trade names, and therein lay the problem. If Vendor 1 was chosen, Vendor 2 might come in and tear down scoreboards it had donated, and Vendor 1 no longer provides scoreboards. According to the athletic director, the district can't afford to buy a new scoreboard.
This type of gamesmanship challenges the spirit, if not the letter of the law regarding competitive bidding. It also begs the question, why not tell them both to take a hike? A recent study in British Columbia confirmed what any teacher could tell you. Caffeine causes irritability and restlessness, difficulty concentrating, an increased need to urinate, and afternoon sleepiness. Additionally, the study concluded that "these effects are stronger in children because their bodies are smaller, and the effects can make it harder for them to do well in school. For preteens and teenagers, caffeine combined with up-and-down hormone changes can be particularly difficult for them (and teachers!) to deal with."
Back in the 90's when these two corporations began expanding their markets with offers of scoreboards and free computers and software, Coca-Cola spokesperson Scott Jacobson said, "Kids and teachers who spend hour after hour after hour in school get thirsty. Every time they consume a beverage brought from home it's a lost revenue opportunity for the school. So it's kind of a 'win win win.' It's good for us. Good for people who are thirsty who want our products. Good for schools."
You'll note that Mr. Jacobson said "good for us" (Coca-Cola) first, because that's the way big corporations think. They have pushed their view that students and teachers are a "revenue opportunity" upon us and that type of thinking should give the Board pause about doing business with them.
These are high times for Lincoln County High School sports. It's time for Patriot boosters and fans to pony up and buy a scoreboard and tell both corporate giants to shove off because it's good for the health and success of the students and it's the ethical thing to do.
