The Phoenix
High Voltage Shocks TYWLS of Astoria Monday, December 19, 2011 By Noura Mahmoud ‘14
Shocktober, an event that encouraged students to be healthy by focusing on being sugar free, was hosted by High Voltage, also known as Kathie Dolgin. She has been teaching healthy life styles and fitness principles since 2001. She said if it works on celebrities, it can work on teens. High Voltage is attempting to educate students to be healthier by showing that sugar is America’s number one drug. People who wanted to participate in the event had to take a pledge. The pledge basically explained that you can be happy without drinking super sweet beverages. The students who signed it went sugar free for five whole days by only drinking water. The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria had their first Shocktober dance party on Friday October 28. Students played Dance Dance Revolution and had fruits and vegetables as snacks. Those who were filmed in a video said how they felt after going sugar free; they said that they were full of energy and not lazy. You can see the video here . When I surveyed students from 6th to 9th grade, to see what they felt about Shocktober, I was surprised from the results I saw. From a total of 200 students, only 90 students agreed with Shocktober and 110 students disagreed with it. I wanted to know why TYWLS of Astoria participated in this event, so I figured the best to ask is principle Laura Mitchell. I simply asked her “Why did you involve TYWLS in this event?” She said, “I noticed that many girls at TYWLS of Astoria were not making healthy eating choices...I found Energy Up, a fitness and lifestyle program founded by High Voltage...Energy Up will inform, model and offer alternatives to sugar filled food that will be just as satisfying and tasty. It will be difficult to break our unhealthy eating habits, but I am confident that over time we will be eating much healthier in the New Year.” High Voltage inspires teens to be more active. For more information go to www.energyup.org/ |