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I never thought about snacks in this way. I really appreciate this. I have a lot of issues around food, but so many people don't talk about it that I forget how many of us there really are. Sure, not everyone has ALL the issues, but one is enough to cause stress and lose focus. Great points all around!

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I might be overly sensitive to them! It doesn’t destroy me or anything, but when I’m teaching I really want to create a classroom environment that’s friendly and comfortable for everyone. People are vulnerable in a writing class.

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This was so surprising and insightful. I never once thought about the snack arms race in classrooms (also at book club). At each point I kept wanting to say, “Oh my. She’s right!”

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Ah, thank you! It's a weird thing to be a grinch about, and it often throws students off. I hate the thought that I might even make someone feel guilty for bringing snacks! Not my intention.

There's a bit I wound up cutting from this post about a professor in grad school who sort of weaponized food in a way that made me REALLY conscious of these dynamics. They were a special case, but it did bring this type of stuff to my attention in a visceral way. (It made such an impression on me that I fictionalized the incident in Bad Habits!)

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