Oxford Academy Vol.

n 5 Issue N 6 May, 2009

o. o.
the
Gamut
the
Gamut Oxford Academy Vol. no. 5 Issue No. 6 May 2009
I n a few months, every editor in The Gamut
will graduate. Many of us on the editorial board
started at this school in 2003, and since then a lot
has changed: teachers and administrators have
come and gone and the dress code has gotten a
little more lax (no more tucking in those shirts and we get to wear
black!?). Even the quad got a much needed face lift that removed
pg 3 almost all shade.
Most importantly, however, The Gamut did not exist in 2003.
Since then, this paper has been founded, shaped an identity of
for love of the audience its own, and published over two dozen issues. More often than
club fiddlers perform from the heart not we have managed to remain under the surface, but on certain
occasions The Gamut has succeeded in provoking some kind
of reaction in its readers. Last year’s special issue on academic
dishonesty and the 2005 “Ask an Asian” column come especially
pg 5 to mind.
However, despite all the activity of the last six years, the
school has remained more or less the same in its most important
who gets to be free? respects. The students are still competitive, the seventh and
band-aid solutions by the progressive left eighth graders are still ridiculously tiny, and it is still quite possible
to spend half of your lunch waiting to get your lunch.
We say these things, though, not out of malice, but out of
fondness and a pre-emptive feeling of nostalgia. Yes, we are
pg 7 desperate to graduate and leave high school, but one does not
spend four to six years with a class of less than 200 people
without forming some strong relationships, and not just with other
a most peculiar gang people.
the president has surrounded himself with to For us, this issue is our last issue of The Gamut. With its
save the world (U.S.A.) publication, the relationship we have all had with this paper for at
least two years (one of us for four) will come to a close. The next
pg 9 issue, the Summer issue, will be produced by those who still get to
stay at the school for at least another year. We can only wish them
the best of luck.
garden of worlds
a photo-centric look at Huntington’s Gardens
John Hogan, Opinion Editor

pg 14
learning the basics
jenica marilla in pole vault, triple and long
jump MAY
Monday - Wednesday, 4 - 6 — OA Instrumental Performance at Knotts
Tuesday, 5 — AP Computer Science Exams
Wednesday, 6 — AP Calculus Exams
Thursday, 7 — AP English Literature Test
Thursday, 7 — Juniors and Seniors Prom Fashion Show
Friday, 8 — AP U.S. History, European History and Art Studio Exams
Friday, 8 — Mother’s Day
staff positions Friday, 8 — AUHSD Pops Festival/Choir
Allen Tran Staff Writer Monday, 11 — AP Biology and Physics Exam
Alison Shawver IIllustrator / Layout Monday, 11 — OA Foundation Fundraiser Dinner/Silent Auction
Anh-Thu Tran Staff Writer
Monday - Friday, 11 - 15 — National Fitness Week
Charlie Fierro Sports Editor
Staff Writer
Tuesday, 12 — AP Chemistry Test
Cory Hansen
Diana Elazem News Editor Wednesday, 13 — AP English Language and Composition Test
Dominique Zamora Editor-in-Chief Friday, 15 — AP Spanish Literature Test
Grace Yoo Staff Writer Friday, 15 — Class Activities: Junior High, Freshman, Sophomore,
Guadalupe Ruelas Staff Writer Junior, Senior
Jessica Ayunani Staff Writer Tuesday, 19 — Faculty vs Seniors Basketball Game
Jessica Lim Staff Writer Thursday, 21 — Senior Portfolio Presentation
John Hogan Opinion Editor Friday, 22 — Band[Aid] Concert
Julie Nguyen Staff Writer
Monday, 25 — Memorial Day
Katia Barron A&E / Lifestyle Editor
Special Features Editor
Tuesday - Friday, 26-29 — CEO De-stress Week
Mai-Anh Ha
Medha Raj Staff Writer Wednesday, 27 — 8th Grade Promotional Dance at Knotts
Min Lee Associate Editor Friday, 29 — Instrumental String Show
Mousumi Shapna Islam Staff Writer Saturday, 30 — Prom
Priya Chakrabarti Financial Manager
Sarah Kim Layout Editor
Thy Vo Staff Writer

Front cover photo credit:

Vaibhav Birda Staff Writer

“Venus and Cupid”— Sarah Kim

William Trinidad Staff Writer

Adviser
Hiba Taylor
1
FBLA brings “Real Men
of Genius” to campus
Supplementing the classroom with professional partnerships
“We are hoping to get one or
two more guest speakers by the
end of this year,” Nguyen said.
“Currently we are looking to people
in the education or fashion [and]
arts area.” Sponsored by the
Future Business Leaders of America
(FBLA) “Real Men of Genius” series,
three representatives from Northrop
Grumman visited the campus
Apr. 7 promoting opportunities in
engineering and the new Robotics
Club to debut next year.
Florence Lee, who has children
currently attending Oxford, was
one of three presenters from the
international defense contracting
company, and head of the community
outreach committee that helped
make the sponsorship possible.
“Northrop Grumman was
already seeking a partnership, to
create a robotics club, with the
Oxford Academy Foundation,” said
current FBLA president James Li. “So
we decided to step in a help generate
campus interest with an event.”
Robotics Club, funded in part by
Northrop Grumman, will prepare
for the multiple For Inspiration
and Recognition of Science and
Technology (FIRST) competitions held
year-round with smaller engineering
side projects beforehand.
“Even if we don’t know what…
the competition challenge will be, we
can work on refining components
French teacher announces
retirement career after withdrawal of French Program
Ann Powell-Cordon says au revoir to lengthy
Language teacher Ann Powell-
Cordon has confirmed her plans to
retire this June, bringing an end to her
41-year teaching career after budget
cuts determined the French program
lacked the student involvement
necessary to continue.
Powell-Cordon has been
teaching at Oxford for 11 years,
since its commencement. Although
she has a mother in a senior home
and a retired husband, she had not
planned on retirement until the
Anaheim Union High School District
(AUHSD) considered discontinuing
French classes for the 2009-2010
school year.
“This was the hardest decision
of my life, but I’ve chosen retirement
because it’s the best thing for me,”
Thy Vo
Florence Lee presents on missile and satellite defense technologies at Northrop Grumman.
that will go into it,” Tran said. “Those
side projects will hopefully make for
good learning experiences.”
Lauren Hom, a senior at
Saddleback High School and captain
of the Beach Cities Robotics Club 294,
presented on her club’s involvement
with FIRST competitions.
“The first motion to get some
Powell-Cordon said.
Although Powell-Cordon
declined to stay and teach Spanish
I, she hopes to continue serving
Oxford by substituting.
“[Principal Kathy Scott] has
asked me to substitute at Oxford,
and I think I will,” Powell-Cordon
said.
Students in lower French
classes must now choose between
Mandarin and Spanish, while French
III students, having fulfilled the
University of California language
requirement, are not obligated to
continue taking language classes.
“I was planning to take French
next year,” freshman French II
student Johnny Cao-Nguyen said.
“I don’t want to feel that I have to
group of people on campus to do
robotics was actually about a year
ago, when Abraham [Ordanza]
told me about the FIRST robotics
competition,” junior David Tran
said. Ordanza, who is also a junior,
is involved in the robotics program
at the Tiger Woods Learning Center.
“We thought it would be cool to get
stay committed to another language
after I’ve already put in three years
of French.”
However, International Club,
which Powell-Cordon established ten
years ago to represent students of all
ethnicities, will continue regardless
of her retirement, although it is
uncertain which teacher will advise
the club next year.
“[Powell Cordon] has great
experience with this club because
she has been doing this for as long
as I can remember, and I have been
in this club since seventh grade,”
International Club President Kaushik
Shankar said. “She has seen all the
things that have worked, and haven’t
worked, and because of it, we know
what we can do.”
a team together and enter—then we
looked at the price tag.”
The ‘Real Men of Genius’ series
began as an effort to “supplement
learning in the classroom with real-
world application and professional
perspective,” according to Li.
“John Moorlach was called in
to support our learning in AP
In addition to teaching and
advising International Club, Powell-
Cordon has organized trips to
France that allow French students to
exercise their language skills. With
her retirement, these trips will no
longer be offered.
Powell-Cordon, however, does
not consider her retirement to be an
end.
“It’s another door opening and
another closing,” she said.
Besides caring for her mother,
Powell-Cordon plans to travel
extensively after her retirement.
Among her destinations are Quebec,
the Czech Republic, France, and
Germany, which she has not visited
since its reunification.
“I want to see the world,” Powell-
news
Government and Economics with
his current prognosis and tips for
teenagers and Northrop Grumman
was asked to support our learning in
Physics,” Li said. “We love to provide
students on campus, not just FBLA
members, with a chance to explore
different career paths, even if it’s not
strictly ‘business.’”
The series was introduced on Mar.
4 with Moorlach, the Republican
member and chairman of the Orange
County Board of Supervisors.
Moorlach, who is often recognized
for his prediction in 1994 of the
largest municipal bond portfolio
loss and bankruptcy in U.S. history,
was scheduled to give students tips
on surviving the current economic
recession.
While FBLA is still refining
the details to its new project, they
are ultimately hoping to provide a
variety of speakers in different fields
of study.
“You probably won’t see guest
speakers from the same field come
twice in a year,” Li said. “We work
our connections, and in most cases,
as is with other organizations on
campus, we are very privileged to
have them say ‘yes.’”
Junior Erik Nguyen, who will be
the Southern Section President next
year, says FBLA is hoping to continue
the presentations throughout this
year and into the next as well.
Guadalupe Ruelas
Cordon said. “I have a curiosity of
history, culture, music, art, and all
things involved with language.”
A self-described grandmother
to her students, Powell-Cordon has
devoted herself to various campus
organizations; she serves as PTSA
faculty and staff representative, and
participated in last year’s sophomore
class committee. Powell-Cordon ahs
also received recognition from the
Veterans of Foreign Wars and was
acknowledged last year as AUHSD
Teacher of the Year.
“Since I don’t have a family,”
Powell-Cordon said, “Oxford is my
family.”
2
 news

For love of the audience

OA Fiddlers continue on toward their next gig
allen Tran
Bow and violin in hand, the OA we enjoy it.”
Fiddlers brought the Irish spirit to the To perform at these functions, the
Cypress Senior Center on St. Patrick’s club relies mainly on invitations from
Day as the audience danced and event coordinators, making club
clapped to the rhythm. awareness key to their success.
It is this type of enthusiastic “The Fiddlers do not have a set
reception that motivates the members, schedule for events,” Chavez said.
inspiring them to continue honing “[Usually], people who have heard
their art. us call us and ask us to perform at
“[The seniors’] faces light up [an] event. We also have a sponsor
when they hear music [from their who recorded us and now has an
childhood],” eighth grader Gerson OA Fiddler music CD available upon
Galdamez said. “Being in [the] Fiddlers request.”
has reminded me that music is not Once arrangements have been
something to think of as a chore, but made, members commit time to
as a fun hobby to enjoy with other perfect the pieces, with additional
people.” practices if late notice was given or a
The Fiddlers Club, whose music piece still needed work.
ranges from country to war songs, “The time commitment is
seldom performs on campus, placing manageable,” sophomore Katie Krebs
greater emphasis on community said. “We meet once a week for an
performances as a mean to help hour and a half on Mondays after
members build awareness for their school, and most of the performances
community and to cement their are on the weekend, so it’s not too
foundations as a group. hard to [accommodate the club].”
“Performing at community, state The extra practice has its perks as
and national events is another way of well, considering many members also
having fun,” Fiddlers President Ryan Fiddlers Alex Lee, David Le and Julie Ngo soulfully combine their respective sounds to the direction of adviser Steven. participate in the school ensembles.
Chavez said. “[It] raises our awareness “Fiddling gives me a [faster]
of the events in Orange County, and raises demonstrate their talents. the experience and positive, loyal reception bow speed and sight reading confidence
the general public’s awareness of the Oxford “[Students] join because they enjoy the they receive when performing. for orchestra,” senior Chris Nguyen said.
Academy Fiddlers Club.” music,” Adviser Bruce Stevens said. “I only “During our St. Patrick’s Day performance “Orchestra reminds me to stay on tempo
As a result, the club tends to draw require that they have played the violin for at at the senior center, a lady said, ‘I came this and to keep the middle of my bow on the
students already enrolled in the school least one year. They may not be able to play year because I knew you would be here,’” strings. It’s mutual learning and I get to apply
instrumental programs who want change in the music at first, but they will at the end.” Stevens said. “And that’s why we [perform]. techniques from one side to the other.”
their pace of music or a better opportunity to What the players value most, however, is We do it [not for] the publicity, [but because]

Administration prepares for

WASC Accreditation
Self-study reveals changes in Oxford curriculum
In preparation for the March Western
Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
“Focus on Learning” accreditation visit, the
campus WASC committee released a self-
study document assessing curriculum, analyzing
performance and outlining changes for the
upcoming school year in light of new budget
restrictions.
Coordinated by counselor Jill Briquelet,
the 149-page document, posted on the Oxford
website, defines the school’s profile, suggests
strengths and weaknesses and provides detailed
assessments of individual and collective goals at
Oxford.
“From our self-study, three goals were
established,” principal Kathy Scott said.
“To effectively analyze data from various
assessments,” meaning California Standardized,
Advanced Placement and unit tests; “continue
to improve collaboration within each curricular
department and expand cross-curricular
terminology in writing; “[and] to continue to
address support services for students at risk of
leaving Oxford…due to [their] GPA.”
Citing a “need to further support students
who struggle academically and/or emotionally”
and lower attrition rates among Hispanic
students, Scott says the faculty will improve
academic probation, the Oxford Academy
Success in School (OASIS) program, and work
to develop an “Oxford-specific program to
support [the] current Latino population and to
increase the number of Latino applicants.”
The study also notes several deficiencies
in staffing due to increasing restrictions in the
budget. After the loss of two assistant principals,
Dr. Tracy Brennan and Dr. George Triplett,
administrative duties have been divided among
two positions rather than three. And while
identifying a need to make counseling more
effective for students, Oxford has the highest
counselor-to-student ratio in the district, and
Association recommends an ideal counselor-
to-student ratio of 1 to 250,” head counselor
April Hancock said. With a population of 1125
students, counselors each handle approximately
375 students.
Yet despite limitations, the review indicates
that course selections will be continually
improved upon for variety and efficiency. A to determine how effectively they taught the
100,000 dollar grant has enabled the medical
pathway to expand Biotechnology courses
and form a partnership with the University of
California at Irvine (UCI) Medical Center. Other
changes include tenth grade World History
instructors teaching the novel Animal Farm to
better support the English department.
“The English department is the best example
of collectively working together on lessons and
assessments,” Scott said. Using vertical teaming
and alignment between teachers of similar
subjects aims “for students to receive the same
quality educational experience regardless of the
Thy Vo
the study, outlining specific steps the school
will take in the near future, indicates further
investment in the school library, teacher training
in programs like Data Director, peer tutor
programs, and OASIS.
“Teachers are recognizing that they give
assessments, but are not analyzing the results
content,” Scott said, regarding the purpose of
Data Director. “They give exams, look them
over, record the grades, and assume low scores
are attributed to the student’s lack of preparation
or understanding, not to their role as the
instructor. Our goal is [for] more reflective and
responsive…instruction.”
Vertical teaming, late start staff meetings,
implementation of Zangle and email-based
communication, increased monitoring during
enrichment, ongoing bell schedule changes and
further investment in the school library are all
recent changes reflective of issues identified

3 collaboration,” for example, English and

History departments use of common
does not have the funding to hire more.
“The American School Counselor
teacher.”
The Schoolwide Action Plan included in
during the 2002-2003 accreditation process.

Instrumental Music takes San
Diego by storm categories and top honors
Students sweep the festival
Despite district-wide budget cuts, the
instrumental music program attended its
annual festival trip, featuring metropolitan
San Diego this year from Mar. 19-21.
In preparation for this tour, the
department suffered slight financial setbacks,
but ultimately rebounded through heavy
fundraising efforts.
“This trip was definitely impacted by
the economy,” Instrumental Music Director
Deanna Miner said. “OAIMBA, [however,
helped] subsidize each trip by about $100
per person from their general funds. Students
raised money by selling [tickets for] shows,
movies, Taste of Chocolate and Taste of Ice
Cream.”
Even with these obstacles, the planning
for San Diego was still a simpler task than the
program’s trip to New York last year.
“The trip was much easier to plan, [since] it
was shorter and less students attended,” Miner
News-in-Brief
HOSA students
explore the
health industry
Jessica Lim
HOSA (Health Occupation Students
of America) members expanded their
knowledge of the health industry by
competing against other HOSA members
from across California and taking part in
workshops during the California HOSA
State Leadership Conference held in
Sacramento on Mar. 20-23.
“The conference was a weekend for
HOSA in Sacramento where a group of
thirteen students from Oxford went to
compete in a series of events from biomedical
debate to CPR to a multiple-choice medical
terminology test,” sophomore Michelle
Kim said. “It is for students interested in
the health careers pathway to study and
experience something related to it that can
help them in the future as well.”
HOSA members experienced early
success at the conference with sophomore
Zachary Oh placing third in the medical
math competition. In addition to Oh’s
win, Region 4 Vice President junior Lily
Fu, sophomore Vicky Yu, and sophomore
Jessica Tran were recognized on the HOSA
honor roll by having a 3.7 unweighted high
school GPA, approval from their chapter
adviser, and writing an essay to explain
the importance of education in their future
health care plans with HOSA.
Despite their success, Oxford HOSA’s
primary reason for attending their first
conference was to gain experience and
attain more knowledge.
“The main thing this year was to just
experience it all and have a lot of fun, which
we did,” Fu said. “I’m just so thrilled to see that
everybody came away from the conference
with a new perspective on HOSA, Health
Careers, and professionalism.”
said. “The cost was less than 20% of New
York and only involved one performance at
[a single] venue, [whereas] the New York
trip involved three performances at three
different venues.”
During the three day event, students from
the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble,
and Intermediate classes competed as two
groups at the annual Heritage Festivals in San
Diego, where they were assessed against a
set standard for their level.
“Similar to the local festivals we
participate in, groups are placed into
categories based on instrumentation and
then in class based on level,” Miner said.
“The skill level of the festival ranged from
beginning to advanced, [and] groups from
both junior high and high school, and as far
away as Alaska, [attended].”
In the weeks prior to the exhibition,
they were required to rehearse weekly
Unconventional spring
breaks Breaks thumbing through AP prep books and
While many students spent their Spring
squandering long hours before video games, others found
novel ways to make the most out of their spring break.
Tara Millspaugh and the “unofficial” hiking club pose before an array of rocks.
Tara Millspaugh. 12th grade
The hiking club group, which Millspaugh
considers “the best unofficial thing that has
ever happened to Oxford Academy,” consisted
of Mary and Bruce Stevens, Christopher and
Stephanie Ontiveros, and 14 seniors and one
junior.
Stevens started the club at the beginning
of the year in response to popular demand.
“I always tell my students about my hiking
trips, and one day, I told them if they were
interested, to show up,” Stevens said. “And
they did.”
during Enrichment to perfect their pieces. At
the festival, students showcased the fruits of
their labor.
“I was very proud of all of our performers,”
Miner said. “Our String Orchestra and
Symphonic Band both received a gold rating.
In addition to this, our Symphonic Band
received first place in their section.”
Outside of the competition, students
toured renowned venues, such as the San
Diego Symphony, experiencing the culture of
the city and more importantly, strengthening
their bonds as a group.
“From shopping at Horton Plaza, jumping
on the Merry-Go-Round, and [sightseeing] at
the San Diego Zoo, I met people [I wouldn’t
have otherwise],” junior Daniel Martin said.
At the end of the day though, the
performance remained the highlight of
the trip and praise for the students’ artistry
continues to chime and echo in.
From Wednesday afternoon to Friday
morning, the group embarked on a four-mile
hike on the first day and an eight-mile hike
the next day. In addition to hiking, the group
explored Joshua Tree’s nature center and
Barker Dam, a lake located in the desert, and
clambered over rocks located throughout the
park.
“We hung around the bonfire all night
laughing and looking up at the stars […] the
trip was truly unforgettable,” Millspaugh said.
“I was able to spend spring break with my
closest friends and most admirable teachers.”
news
Allen Tran
“Both performances this year were
outstanding,” chaperone and former
Instrumental Music director Bill Erkenbrack
said. “What came to mind during [their]
performances was not just the beautiful
music made, but what incredible capacities
they each have at their age. All of them have
taken the term ‘quality multi-tasking’ to a
new level.”
Coming off the momentum from San
Diego, the instrumental music department
says the plans for next year’s trip are already
in the works.
“We have sent the audition materials
for a festival in Hawaii and [have started]
to select the excursions we want to take,”
Miner said. “Once accepted, we will start
fundraising, and most [importantly] of all,
preparing the music.”
Jessica Lim
Jared Leeong, 8th grade
Eighth grader Jared Leeong
spent six days of his spring break
canoeing and camping along the
Colorado River with the Boy
Scouts of America Troop 201.
“When we got to Colorado,
all of our gear went into the cars
and trailers, which [were driven]
down while we unloaded the
canoes and began going down
the river,” Leeong said.
As Leeong and the
Boy Scout troop stopped at
sightseeing locations such as
Rainbow Beach, Moabi Park,
Castle Rock and London Bridge,
they were able to see lesser
known areas along the river
while implementing their Boy
Scouts expertise.
“It’s a tradition for us to
go on this trip,” Leeong said. “It
puts all the skills that we learn in
Boy Scouts into practice like putting
up and taking down tents, making our own
food and respecting nature.”
Aside from canoeing, the trip provided
Leeong a valuable opportunity to bond with
his troop.
“Sometimes we raced each other, played
catch, or we brought out a huge tarp to make
a sail for the canoe to ease our way down
the Colorado,” Leeong said. “Along the river,
there was a huge 60 foot rock and most of
the boys, including me, went to the top and
jumped into the water.”
4
 opinion

Who Gets to be Free? Cory Hansen

Since the inauguration of Democratic President Barack conservatism by becoming the moral watchwomen of the went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show immediately after the
Obama in January, there have been numerous policies and nation. Prohibition, for all the good it attempted to do, created presidential election to celebrate the victory of the Democrats.
funding initiatives geared His hurrah that, “all
toward advancing the of [the] excuses have
liberal cause in the been removed,” for
United States, and African-Americans,
while the self-styled however, did not
Democratic left tries pertain only to the
to position itself as a mid-left’s immediate
paragon of civil liberties political success, but
and progressive values, claimed to destroy
these ideals are often racism in America
corrupted by attempts – after all, a black
to correct problems man is in office.
without regard for their Whether disparities
roots, leading the Left between income,
to become distracted education level
by band-aid solutions. and incarceration
Problems for the decrease is yet to be
left arise when individual seen, and to celebrate
freedoms and group now is to give up any
freedoms don’t appear battle for equality.
to align. The 1920’s Electing a black
prohibition movement man does not create
was supported by both egalitarianism; it’s
religious groups on the simply an individual’s
traditional right and success and a gesture
first-wave feminists in the correct
on the left. Susan B. direction like the end
Anthony, possibly the of slavery or universal
most recognizable suffrage. The proper
19th century women’s response to the
rights leader, began her election would be
crusade for equality to note the election
in the temperance as a continuation of
movement, citing the civil rights marches
abuse felt by wives and started long ago, but
children of alcoholic not its finish line.
husbands as reason I n s t e a d
enough to outlaw of standing as a
alcohol. From her “liberal” against
perspective, the choice a “conservative”
was between the freedom to drink and saving women from a foundation for organized crime and led to many dying from agenda (or vice versa), the handle should be one of radicalism.
their husband’s abuse. Instead of engaging the larger structural unsafe home-made alcohol. The point is to critically scrutinize and alter not just the policy
gender disparities and counseling their husbands on the abuse Conversely, liberal-democratic proponents of equality choices such as prohibition or who lives in the White House,
or attempting to legally restrain their husbands, women struck may become myopically focused upon what appears a symbol but the institutions and societal customs shaping the need for
out against a symptom, or rather, the cause of a symptom, of of freedom. While Obama’s election marked a victory for the those policies in the first place. By adopting the radical mantle,
their poor treatment. Because of their stance, the feminists slid Democratic Party, it has been called a step to destroy racism, as politics as we know it will be pushed to its limits and flaws
across the ideological divide into the realm of totalitarian social well. Will Smith, while not normally associated with social issues, before unknown exposed.

Barbie Image M. Shapna Islam

It was a long distance assault on the 50 year old, when
Malibu Barbie got attacked by a state legislator in Charleston,
West Virginia. Representative Jeff Eldridge launched the first
strike when he read his symbolic bill on the House floor,
proposing a nationwide ban on the sale of Mattel’s famous
Barbie doll. Elridge, who has a background in counseling,
contended that the plastic figurine “promotes or influences
girls to place an undue importance on physical beauty to the
detriment of their intellectual and emotional development.”
Given that West Virginia has the second lowest household
income of any state in the Union (only Mississippi is less
wealthy), the representative’s infatuation with Barbie
may seem a bit odd, but while Elridge’s bill is ridiculously
misguided, he does have a point when it comes to Barbie.
from anorexia nervosa to binge-eating to bulimia nervosa
and all of them are classified as a mental health problems,
meaning their cause is not physical. Furthermore, of those
eight million Americans with an eating disorder, nearly
ninety percent are women. According to the Girl Scout
Research Institute, 45 percent of overweight girls feel they
are at normal weight while 14 percent of normal weight girls
believe they are overweight.This should not be surprising
given the ubiquity of the thin ideal in the media. A girl can
be subjected to an image of emaciated female perfection
every time she flips though a magazine, spots a billboard or
bus ad, flips through television channels or logs on to the
Internet.
However, despite the problems many girls across the
widespread than a simple top-down approach, the only kind
of approach government can provide. A good start for this
grassroots strategy can be seen in the fashion industry where
the Council of Fashion Designers of America has sponsored
health lectures to combat the overwhelming presence
of rail-thin models on the catwalk. Some shows even bar
models who are dangerously underweight. Magazines
targeting teens, such as Seventeen, also help by carrying
candid stories of girls with eating disorders and supplying
prevention steps.
These steps are all much better at helping teenage girls
than banning Barbie from retail shelves. Skinny dolls do not
create a need to be thin in girls, they merely reflect a desire
that is already present. Besides if there were ever dolls that

5 An estimated eight million people in the United

States have an eating disorder of some kind, ranging
country have with body image, government action is not an
effective solution. The changes required need to be more
needed a blanket legislative ban, it would be Bratz. At least
Barbie can spell.
 opinion

The IranianOpportunity Vaibhav Birda

On March 31, Ali Akbar Javanfeker,
personal adviser to the president of Iran,
offered his take on America’s new head
of state in a special op-ed published
by the Los Angeles Times. Although
mostly giving a diplomatic account of
recent dialogue between the United
States and Iran, parts of Javanfekr’s letter
communicate the difficulty in improving
America’s relations with the Middle East.
For example, while Javanfeker
repeatedly stressed the importance
of moving into a new era of bilateral
cooperation, he also felt the need to
mention that the “United States has a long
history of interfering in Iran’s domestic
affairs” and went on to lambast America
for its “arrogant, bullying, and insulting”
behavior. Not the strongest of assertions,
to be sure, but that they were included at
all, in what had to be a carefully crafted
piece, indicates that Iran, despite its
assertions to the contrary, is still fixated
on the past.
Bolstering this claim is the op-ed’s
ludicrous assertion that the Obama
administration is riddled with “Zionists.”
Such stance is representative of a tendency
among Islamic nations to let religious
prejudice get in the way of effective
foreign policy and diplomatic outreach
efforts. Indeed, polls show that over two-
thirds of the people in Indonesia, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Egypt (the four largest
Muslim majority nations by population),
believe the goal of American activity in
the Middle East is to spread Christianity.
Given the prevalence of such views, the influence of religion the accomplishment he wanted. It means being able to shift accomplishment, like disarming Iran or forging a peace treaty
on policy making in the Middle East cannot be countered head opinions and policy over time, rather than doggedly sticking that both Israel and Palestine are willing to adhere to, an
on, but must instead be sidestepped and officially ignored. to a single view. It means the United States must engage the increase in dialogue between the United States and the Middle
On the other hand, only aggressive action on the part Middle East based on practical rather than moral or ideological East will amount to nothing.
of President Barack Obama will allow the United States to considerations. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have seriously While Javanfeker’s op-ed featured harsh criticism, that the
improve its position in the Middle East. This is not to suggest weakened America’s bargaining stance in the region, but the Iranian government is willing to start new dialogue gives the
that more wars should launched in the name of freedom, Middle East is much too important to give up on. U.S. a chance to improve relations with that key nation, even if
but rather that more energetic and dynamic diplomacy is Luckily, simply taking a more aggressive diplomatic Iran has yet to follow through with substantive actions to boost
necessary. This means making important crises like the Israeli- approach will not be enough; specificity is also required. This U.S.-Iranian relations.
Palestinian conflict a priority from the beginning of Obama’s is a time for Obama the policy wonk as well as Obama the How successful Obama is in exploiting this new
term, unlike Bush who only got involved after the war in Iraq orator, an Obama who is as interested in specifics as he is opportunity with Iran will determine the near term success of
and Social Security reform had failed to provide him with in abstractions, to work together. Without an eye on concrete U.S. policy throughout the entire Middle East.

The Ecologist vs. The Egoist John Hogan

With the popularization of the idea of global warming in
the past few years, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on
what we consume. Filmmaker Annie Leonard is emblematic
of the environmental movement’s criticism of consumption. In
her documentary, The Story of Stuff, she tells viewers that “80
percent of the planet’s original forests are gone” and “in the
Amazon alone, we’re losing 2000 trees a minute” and blames
these environmental ills on the amount of goods people,
primarily Americans, consume. Consumerism, the tendency of
people to buy new goods and throw out old goods at a fast
pace to satisfy never ending wants, has come under attack with
a ferocity not seen since the Puritans first landed at Plymouth.
However, while consumerism may have an adverse effect on
the environment, is it a moral problem? Is consumerism morally
wrong?
A key part of the critique of consumption and consumerism,
according to Colin Campbell at the University of York, is that
the consumption of luxury goods, rather than of necessities, is
attacked. What opponents of consumerism attack then is not the
consumption of goods, but the consumption of items perceived
as luxuries, as unnecessary. When one realizes that it is the
consumption of necessary items (food, shelter, clothing, etc.)
that makes up most resource use, the environmental position
becomes ridiculous. Opponents of consumerism who claim
that it hurts the planet, are really opposing the consumption of
luxuries, those things that are not necessary for the sustainment of
life, but add pleasure to life. Indeed, opponents of consumerism
are really opposing pleasure.
This raises the question of what opponents of consumerism
are protecting. Some, no doubt, really do believe that man
should impact the environment as little as possible and so
protest consumption on that ground. Others believe that the
constant acquirement of newer and more goods is morally
debilitating, causing people to become greedy and envious.
Both groups, however, have a view in common. Both groups
believe that people should only consume what is essential to
life and remove that which makes life enjoyable.
To anyone who actually wishes to enjoy life, the positions
just described should seem ludicrous. Only a strange kind of self-
hatred and misanthropy, a strange belief that man is inherently
bad, can sustain the anti-consumerist view. Consumerism, is the
ultimate expression of man using his intelligence to increase
his own pleasure. It is striving for an ideal where one is happy.
Whether the acquisition of more goods is conducive to that
goal is debatable. Consumerism, however, should only be
attacked on the basis that it does not increase happiness, and
then an alternative should be proposed. The primitivism of
environmentalists and the puritanism of moralists only does
the first part, it does not provide an alternative for finding
happiness, only an alternative which promises privation
and destitution. 6