Coca-Cobesity

As one of America’s greatest cultural icons or artifacts, Coca-Cola, or Coke as it is commonly referred to, is something that essentially every American, or nearly every person in the world for that matter, can recognize and relate to. It is hard to imagine that any American has never tasted Coke before as it is present in nearly every restaurant, sporting event, or party and in fact many people drink it on a daily basis. But there are a few things for those avid Coke drinkers to consider before they just start guzzling down bottles and bottles of Coke.

            According to a recent study, the average American drinks up to fifty gallons of soda a year. And since Coke is the most sold cola beverage in the United States, we may assume that much of that is Coke. Americans in these days have been subject to record levels of obesity and that may be linked to drinking cola drinks because by just drinking one 12 ounce can of soda a day, a person can gain up to one pound per month because of its high levels of sugar, so we can assume that at least part of America’s high levels of obesity is contributed to the consumption of cola drinks. If one would like to burn off that can of soda they would have to walk for at least 30 minutes. Other health risks also come from drinking Coke too such as; osteoporosis, tooth decay, or even heart disease. So while Coke tastes great and may be okay to drink conservatively, as in not every day, we should refrain from overdoing it and pay more attention to our health.

            One thing that Coke does in order to get itself out there in the public eye is how it displays itself. Its simple colors of red and white and easy to recognize cursive lettering gives Coke the ability to be recognized almost instantaneously by Americans. Whether it is in bottles or cans, Coke can be recognized from a mile away. And even Santa Claus loves it. When Christmas time comes around and we see Santa Claus in all kinds of propaganda, we can even associate him to this iconic beverage from all the commercials at that time of year that we tend to see. So is it any wonder that Santa could stand to lose a few pounds because he drinks so much Coke? The point being that any American man, woman, or child can recognize its colors, logo, or the things it is associated with. Since it is so easily recognized and has that family appeal, people tend to buy it and consume it because when they see it in the stores or restaurants they have impulses to buy it because those images from commercials and other advertisements are on their minds. Whereas if Coke did not have that image or the ability to be easily recognized, do you think it would be nearly as popular or widely consumed? Probably not. This marketing technique also can cost coke drinkers not only in their health, but also in their pocket. If one person drinks two 12 ounce cans of soda a day, that person may be paying more than two hundred dollars a year.

So, while there are iconic things in our culture, Coca-Cola can be seen as being one of the biggest that we have in today’s society due to its immense popularity and its ability to be easily recognized. But those that are avid Coke-drinkers or any avid drinker to any soda must keep in mind their health as well as their pocket books before they become hooked. Keeping Coke intake to a small amount is important, but there are always occasions to enjoy it, in fact, that is something that is a slogan we are all familiar with: Enjoy Coca-Cola.

Paraprofessional: The Perfect Job for a College Student

          When a college student is going to school full-time, it is hard to find a job that pays well, that does not require you to work too many hours, and still gives you time for homework and a social life. That is why I believe that one of the best jobs that a college student can have, especially if the student is majoring in education, is one that I currently have which is a paraprofessional for the Washington County School District. A paraprofessional is someone that assists the special needs children in their classes with their homework and makes sure they stay on task, which proves to be relatively easy while receiving great satisfaction from helping these children.

            This job fits perfectly around a student’s school schedule because you can either work in the morning or in the afternoon, which leaves the student freedom to choose to go to school in the morning or afternoon, whichever is his off time. Also the hours are great because you only have to work four hours a day, five days a week and the latest you will have to work is three o’clock in the afternoon, leaving the rest of the day for homework and free time. The pay is very decent too with other benefits that come from working at the school district such as discounts off your cell phone bill and other stores and just seeing these children succeed and progress in their classrooms. Also, paraprofessionals at the school district are in demand, so getting a job is not entirely difficult to get.

            While there are many benefits to working with the school district, there are some bad things as well that need to be changed. For example, employees only get paid at the very end of the month, which can cause financial problems if money runs out during the month because the employee will have to possibly wait weeks for a paycheck. I, for example, started working around the twentieth of August and in order to get the job I had to pay around two hundred dollars for tests in order to get the job and I will not receive a paycheck until the end of September even though I have bills to pay now and am out those two hundred dollars for the tests. One other thing that can make this job hard is sometimes, because they are special, the children can become uncooperative at times and can throw temper tantrums when they do not get what they want. Things that could make this job better may be having two paychecks a month to make it easier on employees (especially the new ones) and the schools should have a room to take the kids that may be throwing temper tantrums to have them cool off in and having some kind of rewards program for the kids when they do their work, for example, a piece of candy for every homework assignment completed.

            All in all, the positives of the benefits, schedule, pay, and general satisfaction of helping disabled children outweigh the negatives for a college student that come from working at the school district and are well worth the sacrifices that have to be made in order to get the job.