Posted on 08/12/2004 3:25:22 PM PDT by knak
BLUE HILL, Maine Aug. 12, 2004 — A Twinkie standing the test of time on the edge of a blackboard may be a retiring science teacher's lasting legacy.
Roger Bennatti developed a reputation as an innovative teacher during his 31-year career at George Stevens Academy, using new methods to introduce students to subjects he loved. But the legend of the Twinkie looms over all.
Speckled with bits of mold, the bright yellow cake still adorns his lab, but Bennatti only vaguely remembers why he kept the Twinkie so long.
"We wanted to see what the shelf life of a Twinkie was," said Bennatti. "The idea was to see how long it would take to go bad."
The Twinkie stayed on top of the board through his career joined in later years by a Fig Newton and occasionally inspired new food experiments. Bennatti estimates the ever-yellow Twinkie is about 30-years-old.
"It's rather brittle, but if you dusted it off, it's probably still edible," Bennatti said. "It never spoiled."
The fascination with the Twinkie lasted until Bennatti's retirement in June, said Libby Rosemeier, a former Bennatti student and teacher at the school.
"We had to spirit it away at the end of the year," said Rosemeier, who has volunteered to become the Twinkie's new caretaker. "The kids all wanted it."
Rosemeier said her father, a carpenter, plans to make a case for the snack, and she hopes to hang it in her new classroom next year.
Bennatti will not leave teaching altogether. He purchased a large telescope and plans to develop a small observatory at his home in Bucksport, where he hopes to bring in small classes from area schools.
"This is how I can keep my hand in it," he said.
Mkay, someone needs to hook this guy up with that 80 year old orange.
Does anyone really want to test to see if it's edible?
If michael mooreon had visited his classroom that Twinkie would be gone and he would have made a movie and blamed Bush.
Paging Ann Blyth.
Reminds me of the Family Guy episode where a nuclear war happens and the only food around is left from a twinkie factory where a new society was built around it.
I guess there are no roaches in Maine.
What's this about an 80yr old orange?
Wrapped, or unwrapped?
The big question is, will he eat it?
... and will it be televised?
"Rosemeier said her father, a carpenter, plans to make a case for the snack, and she hopes to hang it in her new classroom next year. "
Ahhh...........does it have a name?
That 30 year old twinkie would go just great with my 25 year old six pack of Billy Beer.
....And will Geraldo be there?
Twinkie? McGreevey?
I can't find the thread. There was an old woman that was keeping an over 80 year old orange. I don't know why.
You don't know why? LOL. She's probably forgotten, too.
Who is that? I had an English teacher in H.S. that had a desiccated orange. But it can't be 80 y.o. - maybe going on 40.
Here's a thought:
That Twinkie is 30 years old!
Wow! What were you doing thirty years ago?
Amazing, isn't it? That was sure a LONG TIME AGO!
Well...add six years to that, and that's when John Kerry was in Vietnam. And his entire campaign is based on what he did all that long time ago. :)
WOW
My cat might. He loves Twinkies.
It's sad to think that this Twinkie will outlast this teacher's career.
Thirty years ago, I was weeping over Nixon's resignation. Now it's likely that a single Twinkie can outlive us all. There's a thought that puts into perspective all the things we think are important, e.g., "Love conquers all, that's true, but can love outlast a single Twinkie?"
Just goes to show what preservatives will do.
Kerry's memory of his Vietnam "tour" is a bit like that Twinkie...Baked on the outside, soft in the middle.
My youngest kept an apple in his closet for about a year. I didn't know it until I looked inside one of his toys and found a moldy mass.
On Twinkies, we have been hungry for Twinkies lately, haven't had one in years. Took some to a church dinner once. ALL the ADULTS ate them - they all said they didn't remember the last time they had one! One of life's simple pleasures - junkfood - YUM!
Hasn't Barney Franks been a congress critter for about 30 years?
...Baked on the outside, soft in the middle.
Stop talking about TeRAYza and Mrs. Edwards!
Wasn't there something in Lethal Weapon about Twinkies?
Nice pic - but where's the beady eyeballs and little centipedal legs?
(2) Love the JJW lyric in your tagline.
I have a 6 pack of BB myself!!! It's a shame that Billy would have made a better President than Jimmuh, but sadly it is true!
LLS
Silly customer! You can not damage a twinkie!
Why is that sad? 30 years is a pretty good career.
It is a good career...but he is outlasted by a Twinkie. That's my point.
Well at least that Twinke had a longer shelf life than the Twinke that just resigned as New Jersey Governor.
one of my co-workers just got back from Vegas, and she says there was a place covering twinkies with funnel cake batter and deep frying them. She said she didn't try one because she was afraid she would gain twenty pounds, but there was someone eating a deep fried twinkie who kept saying "it's so sweet, it's so sweet." Duh.
he could auction that off for good money!
... just thinkin' out loud here.
Sadly this was not the Twinkie destined to end the life of Harvey Milk.
The Hostess Twinkie....The closest thing on earth to eternal life.
John Kerry, 1971: "They told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to their Twinkies and turned up the power..."
LOL... that is funny.
I had a French teacher in Jr. High who had a 15 year old croissant from an Air France flight. She had kept it because she was curious as to how long it would last. It still looked fine.
I heard a few months ago that she died from lung cancer (she was a heavy smoker). I still wonder what happened to the croissant....
There seems to be something with teachers and observing food petrify ::lol:: ...
LQ
She didn't eat it, but I wish she had.
One of the best reasons yet never to put that kind of junk in your body.
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