What’s the Deal with Yams?

Whats+the+Deal+with+Yams%3F

Shannon Donnelly, Reporter

Have you heard students in the hallway joking about yams? Maybe you’ve seen “YAMS” written on whiteboards across the school.  If so, you’ve probably wondered what the heck is the deal with yams. Well, Mr. Gianfrancesco’s A.P. Honors English class has all the answers.

Recently the class read the famous novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.  The story takes place in tribal Africa, where a man’s status in society is ranked by how big his yam fields are.  With the beloved vegetable being such an integral part of the community, it was mentioned often in the novel.  The students quickly fell head-over-heels for yams as well.  That is where the writing on the boards came in.

Mr. Gianfrancesco has decided to have some fun with his students’ love for yams. As an extra credit assignment, he has initiated the following challenge: Make a yam dish for Thanksgiving, document yourself doing so with pictures or video, and submit it to Mr. G for extra points on an analysis paper. He is very specific about this assignment, however: a picture of the receipt must be included.  If the receipt says “sweet potatoes” and not “yams,” credit will not be awarded. ONLY YAMS ARE ALLOWED!

When Mr. G has collected the pictures from his students, he will create a Wall of Yams in his classroom with them.  Be sure to check in room 226 for the Wall of Yams after Thanksgiving!