ESOL teacher Katie Hutchison has come up with an interesting way to demonstrate decay from a biological and a health perspective. 

Hutchison decided to buy a cheeseburger from McDonald’s last February and set it up in a clear container in her room by the window. She wanted to show how long processed food lasts. It’s been sitting for about ten months so far. To show the insanity of this, she has compared it with a cucumber from her garden. The cucumber lasted about three days before liquifying.

“I, like everybody else, thought it was gonna be gone by May,” social studies teacher Jack Hood said. “I’m not sure that it’s gonna be gone by this year to be honest.”

“I think it’s pretty disgusting, it’s something that’s been there for a long time, I don’t really know how to feel about it,” freshman Oliver Elena Mejia said.

Hutchison talks about how the preservatives in the food at McDonald’s compare to other fast food places with the same processes used to make the food, and how other places with fresher ingredients compare.

Hutchison wants to send the message that science is everywhere. She also wants this experiment to bring up the discussion about what we put in our bodies. 

“If we look at something that stays that preserved after six months of it starting to decompose, you have to wonder, what is it doing to our bodies?” said Hutchison.

There is a raffle for betting on when the burger will be fully liquified. Put in your bet and slip it under Ms. Hutchison’s door. She will contact you once you’ve won your prize, a cheeseburger.