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EDUCATION THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 - 16, 2019 • Page 12 BY TAYLOR ROBINS taylor@dekalbchamp.com Northwest announces fall 2018 Vice President’s List The Vice President’s List for the fall 2018 semester at Northwest Mississippi Community College has been released by college officials. Among the students to be recognized for making the Vice President’s List for academic work during the fall 2018 semester is Thomas Johnston of Brookhaven. The Vice President’s List includes students completing a minimum of 12 semester hours with a 3.50 to 3.74 average. Campbellsville University graduates 680 students, largest in history of the institution President of Campbellsville University Dr. Michael V. Carter told 680 undergraduate and graduate students in two commencement ceremonies Dec. 7, the largest in the history of the university, to thank those who helped them along their journey and that their graduation day will be a day they will remember. A total of 1,653 students received diplomas for the 2017-18 academic year. . Local students who graduated were Natoya C. Scott-Blackmore of Decatur, who earned a master of social work degree; and Shruthi Rao Marikanti of Decatur, who achieved a master of science degree in information technology management. Campbellsville University is a Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 13,000 students offering more than 90 programs of study, including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. Area residents among ICC 2018 fall semester graduates Several area residents were among those who earned associate of arts or associate of applied science degrees or certificates at the conclusion of the 2018 fall semester at Itawamba Community College. Cortez Davis of Decatur is a local student who graduated. The United States Department of Agriculture announced its final plans to lower nutrition standards for grains, flavored milks and sodium in school cafeterias. DCSD to change menus after nutrition requirements lowered nationwide Eight years after the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was signed into law by then-President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump’s administration has plans to roll back rules for school lunches. According to the New York Times, “the United States Department of Agriculture announced its final plans to lower nutrition standards for grains, flavored milks and sodium in school cafeterias that were part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and that Michelle Obama, the former first lady, had advocated.” Nutritional requirement changes will go into effect July 2019, in time for the 2019-2020 school year. According to DeKalb County School District’s school nutrition services executive director Connie Walker, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids act was designed to improve the nutritional consumption for students. The act called for an increase in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nonfat and low fat milk. “I think it’s good,” Walker said. “I think that rolling back on certain aspects but not everything is good. That’s what we’ve done, we’ve modified the rollbacks.” Walker said that the biggest challenge that the district faced with the nutritional changes was the increased amount of whole grains to food items. Among the food items that students did not like were whole grain biscuits, grits and breading on meat items such as nuggets, according to Walker. “They would ask for the regular biscuit we had prior to making the transition,” said Walker. Since the announcement of the rollback, the district has gone back to the previous biscuits and grits and the district has seen a 2 percent increase in breakfast participation district wide as a result, according to Walker. Participation and waste is measured by customer feedback and cafeteria managers. “It’s okay if we can eat certain foods in moderation,” Walker said. “I think a gradual change is best. I think the kids going straight to whole grain grits [who] had never been exposed [wasn’t the best way to introduce the food item]. We should have had some samplings and it would have gone over better.” Another challenge that the district faced was meeting the required sodium levels in foods. “We struggled trying to get our analysis to meet [the act’s] targets,” Walker said. “So we’re going to stay [at the baseline requirement]. We’re not going to try to reduce sodium because really it changes the flavor profile.” Sodium intake in DCSD schools are 540 milligrams for breakfast and 1,230 milligrams for lunch for the K-5 grade level; Less than 600 milligrams for breakfast and 1,360 milligrams for lunch for the 6-8 grade level; and less than 640 milligrams for breakfast and 1,420 milligrams for lunch for the 9-12 grade level. The district had the same amount of sodium in its food before the 2010 act, according to Walker. DCSD students did respond favorably to the act’s changes that include nonfat and low-fat milk. The district plans to keep its current milk. “With the flexibility of the proposal we can actually go to 1 percent milk,” Walker said. “But we’re hesitant to do that.” Walker said that the district may conduct studies in some schools to test student respond to 1 percent milk however. Other food items from the 2010 act that students like that came with the 2010 act include kale salad and roasted cauliflower. DCSD’s nutrition services plans to host a food show, where students can sample foods before final decisions are made. The food items will meet nutrition standards. No date has been set. “I think it’s a start,” Walker said. “We’re going to let the kids help us plan the menu for next year so we can continue to increase participation.”
