Cheers and Jeers (dad)

CHEERS to Idaho Falls High School Principal Steve Holtom. He refused to take a side in the cola wars. Soft drink companies are trying to buy their way into American schools, negotiating exclusive access to their young clientele. Coke and Pepsi executives believe winning a youngster' s loyalty to their brand will create a lifelong customer. In exchange, they' re willing to pay a bonus to schools that give them a monopoly on the vending machines available to students. Three of Idaho Falls' four high schools have signed these kinds of contracts. And that' s netted them some money. That' s fine. A marketing battle over soft drinks isn' t going to break any moral principles. Just the same, it' s refreshing to see a school administrator allow students to exercise their own choice - ahead of a few extra dollars.