Meals

The typical American teenager survives on a startling diet of trash. Many BPCPS students-including star athletes-consume a large percentage of their calories as Doritos. Students take comfort in pre-packaged food. I observed one especially skittish student try a pastry like this: First, she smelled it, thoroughly, in the manner of a dog sniffing a piece of strange meat. Then, she poked her finger in through a corner, and peered inside the hole. Finally, she rolled back her lips, and, with bared teeth, bit off a tiny flake.

Needless to say, the Italian way of eating has been really eye-opening for these kids. Many have never sat at a table for so long. One learned to properly hold a knife and fork. One complained: "My stomach can't digest all this unprocessed food!" (Especially salad.)

Just recently on this trip, students have begun adopting more cosmopolitan attitudes. I watched a lengthy speculative conversation about the ingredients in that night's pasta. They're identifying their favorite gelati, and learning that it's cheaper to eat standing at the bar than sitting down. Yesterday, Donovan adopted one of my favorite strategies: he bought something unfamiliar (a delicately fried ball of meat and vegetables) just because it looked good.

I don't know exactly how these new attitudes fit into our school's system of virtues, but they seem important nonetheless.