Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe NYS WANTS MORE VEGETARIAN FARE If New York state lawmakers have their way, tofu, meatless meatloaf and beans will become regular fare at school cafeterias. Advertisement The New York Daily News reports the state Legislature approved a resolution that asks schools to serve veggie-friendly dishes and healthy snacks -- every day. "The No. 1 health problem is obesity, and I haven't found too many vegetarians who are obese." says Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, a Democrat from Brooklyn. "No one will be forced to serve or eat these meals but vegetarian meals are usually lower in fat and calories." 'FLY ON THE WALL' MONITORS TEACHERS In a pilot project, Purdue University School of Education faculty are using a "fly on the wall" to observe student teachers. Professors are using digital video equipment via the Internet to observe student teachers in the classroom in real time -- the student teachers are told when the professors are observing. Traditionally, student teachers are observed for two-hour periods several times during their student teaching assignments. Professor Gerald H. Krockover says the new approach is more cost-effective, efficient and yields better results than traditional methods. Some say the fly on the wall gives a truer picture because having the professor observe in the classroom changes the dynamics. Advertisement TOMMY FRANKS HONORED AT CHURCHILL CENTER Democrats and Republicans and the family of Winston Churchill are honoring retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who led military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Churchill Center in Chicago is presenting its Liberty Award to Franks at a benefit dinner at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, May 21. Demonstrating the political collegiality of Churchill, the dinner is co-chaired by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and former Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp, a Republican; and former U.S. ambassador to Canada Paul H. Robinson Jr. The Hon. Celia Sandys, the granddaughter of Britain's prime minister during World War II, will represent the Churchill family. The Washington-based center has worked since 1968 to preserve the memory of Churchill, the British statesman whose mother was American and who was devoted to Anglo-American unity in world affairs. YOUTH SMOKING ASIAN BIDIS Asian cigarettes flavored with vanilla, cherry, root beer and other flavors called "bidis" are increasingly popular with American youth, especially minorities. A study, published in the American Journal of Health Behavior, finds that while 12 percent of middle school students and 34 percent of high school kids smoked some tobacco -- 5 percent of the middle-schoolers and 9 percent of high school students smoked bidis. Advertisement The bidis' candy-like taste lead many youth to think they are safer than ordinary cigarettes, according to Mary Hrywna, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. However, bidis deliver more nicotine than conventional cigarettes, increasing the likelihood of addiction and raising the risk of cancer.
