McCallion
Quest
To Chew or Not to Chew?…That is the question
By: Kirsten Morrison
“Go throw out your gum,” is a phrase commonly heard by students in many schools, including here at Hazel. Teachers and school officials have been preaching that gum is not allowed at school because, in our words, “it is a cause of disruption” and also because “gum can stick to almost anything and creates a mess which is a pain for teachers and custodians alike to clean”.
However, what these teachers don’t realize is that chewing gum in class can be considered healthy and believe it or not, it can promote better academic performance. Many of us study for hours for a school test and learn to believe we completely understand the material. But, when we take a seat at our desks, our mind goes as blank as the page. By allowing gum chewing, school boards could actually improve the memory of students and thereby increase achievement in class.
In tests, scientists have found that the ability to recall words improved by 35% among people who chewed gum. The reason chewing gum is so beneficial is due to the fact that the act of chewing raises the heart beat, causing more oxygen and nutrients to be pumped into the brain. Another reason for this increased ability to memorize things is that chewing actually triggers the production of insulin, which stimulates a part of the brain involved in memory (BBC, 1). Students perform better in school if they can remember things more accurately and take in more information during class time.
Not only does gum improve the memory for certain people, there are many dental and digestive benefits as well. Many people may argue that students can easily just chew gum at home to get the same advantages, but students spend almost 6-7 hours at school; it is almost like a second home. Chewing sugarless gum can clean teeth, thus reducing the number of cavities, and thereby decreasing the time spent out of class at dentist appointments.
A further advantage is gum’s ability to create much more pleasant smelling breath for students, which of course is a lot more pleasing to others around them, including the staff. Very few, if any students have the time to brush our teeth at school, so chewing gum is a perfect alternative to unpleasant stenches that can come about after students eat our lunch.
While chewing gum has long been banned in schools, it may be time to revisit this rule in the interest of increased academic performance, improved dental hygiene, and sweeter smelling conversations amongst students and staff.
Bibliography
“Chewing your way to a better brain.” March 2002. BBC NEWS. Nov. 22, 2005