"Sesame Street" goes green for its birthday
By Staff Writer | Nov. 18, 2009"Sesame Street" will be celebrating its 40th anniversary of broadcasting on Nov. 10. According to "The Muppet Newsflash" online, the new season is called "My World is Green and Growing" and will continue teaching children through songs, lessons and games while focusing on creating a green environment.Sesame Street Workshop will release two new books. "Sesame Street: A Celebration of Forty Years of Life on the Street" by Louise Gikow discusses the idea of show, starting with the pilot episode and how it has changed through the years. The book includes pictures and an exclusive look of the characters and writers of the show. "Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street" by Michael Davis will look at the creation, development and success of the show, including interviews with the main characters of the show. The show has gone through many changes since it first debuted on PBS and many new characters have been added to the show through the years. Another change occured in 2004 when "Sesame Street" began its "Healthy Habits for Life," which teaches children about healthy living habits, such as brushing their teeth and eating well. According to the website, the project also helps build self confidence and shows fun ways to grow up healthy and happy. Muppets, such as the Cookie Monster, teach healthy habits by singing songs such as, "Cookies Are a Sometimes Food.""We're helping children establish an early foundation for healthy habits," the web site said. "We're fostering respect and understanding among the world's children. We're bringing education's building blocks to children everywhere. We're helping children build the resilience they need to cope during tough times."In the past seasons many celebrities have appeared on the show ranging from singers such as Norah Jones, Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder. Jamie Fox, Jack Black, Christopher Reeve, Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno, as well as Barbara Bush and Michelle Obama have also made guest appearances on the show.According to "Muppet Newsflash," viewers can expect Kobe Bryant, Tiki Barber, Jeff Gordon, Jason Mraz, Hugh Jackman, Eva Longoria and many others to make guest appearances in the 40th season. Students at SHU have some fond memories of growing up with the show."I remember the Cookie Monster," freshman Stephen Paramo said. "He was my favorite just because I liked cookies as much as he did. I never liked Big Bird because when I thought of a girl, I never thought of a girl that towered over my face."Junior Kristen Henry said her favorite character was Snuffaluffagus. "Everyone forgets that he's there, but he's so cute," she said. "I used to watch with my younger brother, and he used to have a hard time learning numbers. I would learn counting and letters from there and try to help him from there. There's characters you'll never forget. Certain character's names you don't forget where they're from."
