I’m sitting in class trying to ignore the pangs of thirst creeping through my throat. All I want is a long gulp of cool water. My mouth feels like the Sahara Desert. In the middle of class I can’t stand it any longer and leave to find a water fountain. The only problem is there isn’t one on the floor my class is on. There’s a water bottle fill-up station, but I don’t have my water bottle with me at school. Not wanting to be scolded for being gone too long, I return to class with an even worse thirst. The moment class is out I rush to the Lang Café, only to remember that water isn’t being sold in the beverage section and I don’t have a water bottle that I can fill up. I head to the ladies bathroom, scoop water in my hand, and sip just enough to quench my thirst until I can make it home.
This was the moment when I first realized that in an attempt to make The New School greener, the administration has taken away the one drink that is best for students’ health. The sugary soda options that are available include all Coca-Cola products (Sprite, Coke, Fanta, Barg’s, Dr. Pepper and more), Snapple, and Tropicana juices, but no water. The closest drink to plain water is carbonated water made by Canada Dry, which is also a Coca-Cola product.
Being a Coke girl and not a Pepsi fan, I’m happy that these drinks are available to me in surplus at any of The New School cafeterias. But who wants to drink a Dr. Pepper at eight in the morning? I definitely don’t. On top of that, when I try to buy a juice all of the good flavors are gone. Maybe it’s just bad timing, but only once have I gotten to the Lang Café early enough to get a normal orange juice.
If The New School is trying to be greener and healthier, why do they offer soda products that use just as much plastic as bottled water does? I am completely in support of being greener and decreasing our carbon footprint by not selling plastic bottled water, but I think there needs to be a better supplement to make up for the lack of available water.
With the recent passing of the Big Gulp Ban by Mayor Bloomberg, this issue seems more relevant than ever. Why would the New School want to fill up their students with caloric and sugar-dense drinks without even the option of water? In addition to the absence of water in our cafeterias, there aren’t enough water fountains and water bottle fountains (the ones you can’t drink out of and can only use to fill up your water bottle) present in New School buildings in the first place. When I want water I feel like I have to go on a scavenger hunt through the bowels of our buildings.
If The New School isn’t going to let us buy bottled water then I think small recyclable or compostable cups should be given for students to use as a substitute. In addition, reusable water bottles should be sold in the cafeterias for students to buy and therefore be able to fill up at our rare fountains. If the administration truly cared about the well-being of its students, it wouldn’t force beverages with high sugar content into our lunch menus. I understand the need to be aware of our carbon footprint, but a balance between environmentally conscious and convenience is possible. If The New School would shell out a bit of its budget to install a few extra water fountains, so be it. As long as no student at The New School needs to drink water out of their hands in the bathroom ever again.
My feeling exactly. A kid who is drinking bottled water is a kid that isn’t drinking a soft drink.