Here you can see the process and timeline of the original Feed Us More Than Peanuts Campaign, from May to June 2008, run by Rowland High School students.
Also find out information about Feed Us More Than Peanuts, or follow the process and timeline of the campaign through our video jounral entries.
Also find out information about Feed Us More Than Peanuts, or follow the process and timeline of the campaign through our video jounral entries.
Phase 1- Planning and Letter Signing
Students fold letters, put them in envelopes, and sort them out based on legislator.
The Idea
By Richmond Wong
I got the idea in May of 2008, after hearing about the drastic budget cuts that the state of California was going to take during the 2008 budget crisis. Looking at the Rowland Unified School District's (RUSD) proposals to deal with the state budget cuts, I was suprised to see the academic competition budget was proposed to be cut by 50%. I was on Rowland High School's successful team in the academic competition Destination Imagination. I spoke at a special district meeting, emphasizing the need to fund extracurricular activities, especially academic competitions. The idea of Feed Us More Than Peanuts began formulating during the May RUSD Board Meeting. Board President Ms. Gloria Burt said something akin to "We are being punished for a problem we didn't create. We have to try to do the best we can with what the state gives us." I realized that the funding problems weren't from the district, but from the state of California. I knew teachers in the unions, PTA, and other parent groups were sending letters and calling state officials. However, I felt students should and must play a role too. We are the ones directly affected, it is our education that is going to suffer from these budget cuts. So from that, I began planning a student movement - to be called Feed Us More Than Peanuts.
I got the idea in May of 2008, after hearing about the drastic budget cuts that the state of California was going to take during the 2008 budget crisis. Looking at the Rowland Unified School District's (RUSD) proposals to deal with the state budget cuts, I was suprised to see the academic competition budget was proposed to be cut by 50%. I was on Rowland High School's successful team in the academic competition Destination Imagination. I spoke at a special district meeting, emphasizing the need to fund extracurricular activities, especially academic competitions. The idea of Feed Us More Than Peanuts began formulating during the May RUSD Board Meeting. Board President Ms. Gloria Burt said something akin to "We are being punished for a problem we didn't create. We have to try to do the best we can with what the state gives us." I realized that the funding problems weren't from the district, but from the state of California. I knew teachers in the unions, PTA, and other parent groups were sending letters and calling state officials. However, I felt students should and must play a role too. We are the ones directly affected, it is our education that is going to suffer from these budget cuts. So from that, I began planning a student movement - to be called Feed Us More Than Peanuts.
Planning the Campaign
After creating the initial idea, some groundwork began to fall into place. Emails were sent to several teachers, who helped to get the approval for the project. Another key part was the letters, to be sent to Californian politicans. First drafts of all the letters were written in mid-May. Students began getting lined up to participate in the campaign, and to help spread the word. The project got into the planning stages, trying to figure out how to get the student body involved, and how to execute the campaign as a whole.
Letters
Signing Letters
Letters were written, to be sent to local legislators. By the end of May 2008, the campaign was in full swing. Dozens of students went around the Rowland High Campus with clipboards to collect signatures on pre-written letters, as well as original letters by the student body. There were three different pre-written letters, one focusing on extracurricular activities, ____, ____, though students were encouraged to write their own original thoughts to their state representatives. Hot copies of letters rolled out of the copy machines as the clipboard students went around campus during lunch hours, as well as before and after school. As students were collecting letters from the student body, another team of students were folding the letters, and putting them into envelopes, sorting them out by the legislator that they were going to. By the conclusion of the letter phase in mid June, the Feed Us More Than Peanuts Campaign amassed 1327 letters from a student body of slightly more than 2000 students. The letters were soon boxed up and ready to go.
Some of the stacks of letters, the ones in the background are bundled based on their destination
