Callin' All Movie Lovers- My Favorite (Animated) Female Protagonist Characters!

by Chelsea L. 

Okay, not cool. 

I was just browsing the web, when I came across a really interesting article by CinemaBlend. According to this report, "only 15 of the 100 highest grossing 2013 films contained a female protagonist, and only 13 contained as many female characters as male characters." 

So what? some may ask. 

Well, the article hits the nail on the head. "That's a problem, not only for theatergoers who want some measure of diversity, but also for younger, more likely to be influenced fans." 

This is so true. Quite frankly, I never really paid attention to the gender of my favorite movie characters- and when I think about it, a lot of them are males. Having grown up with comics, animated films, chick flicks, etc., I guess I never noticed this stark disparity in gender representation. 

When women or girls are the main characters, they're usually:

• Disney princesses who are waiting for their prince charming to save the day
• Crazy, catty drama queens who completely transform themselves to be popular and get "Mr. Right" (I'm thinking Mean Girls)
• Terrible female bosses who are so heartless and power-hungry that they can't even stay married (Devil Wears Prada, anyone?) 

Okay, so that was a gross overstatement... but really, I'm going to try to be more aware of the media I'm consuming.

SO... time for my TOP 5 FAVORITE (animated) FEMALE PROTAGONISTS! 

1. ELSA (Frozen)

Do I even need to discuss why Elsa is aweeeesommmeee? 

She's all about overcoming fears, embracing who she is, and confidently leading Arendelle as the Queen. Though her childhood leaves her feeling scared and unsure of her potential, she gradually learns what it means to own her special powers. Unlike the quintessential Disney princess story, she doesn't rely on prince charming to save her– instead, Anna (her sister) helps her save the kingdom through an "act of true love." Frozen was adorable. If you have not yet seen it, I'd definitely recommend you do that now. :)

2. KIKI (Kiki's Delivery Service)

Kiki is a 13 year old witch who accepts a job to fly by broomstick and deliver baked goods in the port city of Koriko. In the middle of the film, she starts losing her flying ability, which causes her to suspend her delivery business. Throughout the movie, she seeks out a new "purpose" for herself and becomes increasingly confident in her own skin. However, when a strong gust of wind sends an airship out of control, causing her friend Tombo to hang in mid-air, she regains her flying abilities and saves the day. YAY cute witches! 

3. EEP (The Croods)

Eep defies all female stereotypes- she has a dense & compact body, she's crazzzyy athletic, and has unkempt curly red hair. She's beautiful because her character embodies a heroine who forges her own path in life, and she is not defined by what she looks like. She's rebellious, inquisitive, and works to bring her family out of their caveman lifestyle. Through her persistence, she is able to show her family a world beyond just their caves, bringing an experience they could have never imagined. Okay, so there is a love story, but still. Eep is a cool cat. 

4. Mulan (Mulan)

Mulan starts out trying the whole "make up/small waist/quiet woman" thing, but she fails miserably at it. When her father is enlisted into the military, but cannot do so because of an injured leg, Mulan heroically rebels against her society's gender roles. She risks dishonor, social exclusion, and her life to keep both her father, and her nation, safe. Mulan establishes the idea that gender is not important- it's courage and determination that counts. She is resilient, strong, selfless, and compassionate. Oh my gosh, if I could be anyone, I would want to be Mulan. 

5. Korra (Legend of Korra) 

Okay, so Legend of Korra is not a movie- I admit. It's a spin from Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender, but this TV series has so many important female characters, I couldn't not include it here. This series portray women as real people. They are strong, intelligent, strong-willed; they are also weak, manipulative, sarcastic, and shy. The series presents women as both heroes and villains, as each character is extremely complex and unique. Korra is an amazing character who teaches girls that it's possible to be everything and anything they want to be. It's not wrong for girls to feel emotional, to cry, or to seek love- these things are not mutually exclusive with one's goals or dreams. Korra displays a broad spectrum of human emotions, and she shows that gender does not present limitations on what she can and cannot do. 

Our Top Five spring break reads!

by Ridhima Gurnani

We've come up with 5 of our favorite books! With homework and exams, it's often hard to do leisure reading during the school year. That's why Spring Break is the perfect time to sit on the beach and grab a cool read!

...

What's Going on in American Education?

by Chelsea L.

A Republican Proposal within the House of Representatives has called for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), a bill that supports standards-based education reform in the United States.

What does it mean to “Reauthorize” a bill?

• A number of laws have “sunset provisions,” meaning that they will expire after a period of time. Reauthorizing a bill will extend the term of the bill for a longer period of time.
• In the context of education reform, reauthorization is the process by which Congress can add changes, additions, and deletions to NCLB. This enables legislation to be adjusted to current programs and needs within education.

What is NCLB?

•           NCLB is an act that was proposed by President George W. Bush in 2001, and was signed into law in 2002.
•       NCLB has the following statues:

o   In order to receive federal funding, all public schools must administer an annual, state-wide standardized test to all students

§  These were the STAR exams you may have taken in elementary and middle school!

o   To receive funding through Title I (a federal program that aims to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students by funding local school districts), schools must meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). As an example, to meet AYP, 5^th graders this year must perform better on the exam than did the previous year’s 5^th graders. 

o   Rather than having a uniform, national achievement standard, each state has the ability to develop its own assessments and tests 

    

          What is the new plan, and what are some concerns?

• The new Republican proposal, The Student Success Act, is a plan that will cut back on federal regulation of education:
• This will give state and local governments more authority over assessing teacher and student performance. Additionally, they will be able to allocate Title I money according to the state's unique needs

• If instituted, this bill will change certain provisions of NCLB:
•  It will eliminate requirements of “adequate yearly progress” that schools must meet in order to receive federal funding
• Though the new act will not change testing requirements (which has been a highly controversial aspect of NCLB), it will give states flexibility to decide which standardized testing to use
• President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are concerned that this plan would hurt school districts with large percentages of low-income students:
• Low-income students currently receive extra money under NCLB
• The new law allows for portability, which is when students can take their funding to the public school of their choice
• School districts with high concentrations of low-income students will lose more than $3 billion in federal funding over the next 6 years
• In fact, according to Mr. Duncan: “If you look at the numbers, it’s a pretty devastating portrait of what could happen. Detroit could lose $256 million, L.A. three-quarters of a billion. If you go district by district, you get some idea of the severity.”

• Though NCLB passed with bipartisan support in 2001, there are several provisions of the law that have incited backlash. Congress has attempted (but failed) to reauthorize NCLB since 2007, and this represents renewed congressional efforts to improve our existing education system.

It will be interesting to see what they finally decide in Congress. Stay tuned- we'll keep you updated on what the government decides is best for the future of our education system!

What's the He for She Campaign?

by Chelsea L.

Soo.. a couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about Emma Watson and her service as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. You may have noticed that a lot of her pictures incorporated logos from the "He for She" campaign. (At least I did!) I decided to get the inside-scoop on what this powerful organization is all about, and I wanted to share more about it with you!

What is He For She?

• "HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all."
• This campaign intends to mobilize one billion men and boys as "advocates and agents of change in ending the persisting inequalities faced by women and girls globally." 
• He For She casts inequality as a human rights issue that affects all of us. Any efforts to overcome gender inequality will "benefit everyone socially, politically, and economically." 

What is their mission?

• He For She tackles gender inequality, which is one of the most persistent human rights violation. 
• The campaign seeks to spread awareness and spark action amongst men and women to eliminate violence and discrimination against women and girls. 
• They seek to inspire people to take action against gender-based discrimination, and incorporate governments, mens organizations, civil society organizations, and universities in the movement.
• By creating a platform of role models who advocate against gender-based discrimination, men and boys will learn to take a firm stand against injustice. 
• He For She aims to develop a global recognition that women’s empowerment is "essential for inclusive economic growth, social cohesion and social justice, environmental balance, and for progress in all spheres of life."

Who are their supporters?

• 224,931 supporters all over the world:
• 62,440 of these men are from the United States!
• http://www.heforshe.org/ (for a breakdown of #'s by country, click this link!)
• Many celebrities have endorsed this movement, and are helping to spread the word too!

How can we get involved? What can we do about this?

• He For She provides an "action toolkit" for people to start a campaign within schools, universities, and organizations:
• http://www.heforshe.org/action-kit
• The action tool-kit provides a timeline, with step by step information on how to go about implementing the campaign.
• Encourage the men and boys in your life to sign up too! 

Did you see Patricia Arquette's Oscar Acceptance Speech?!

by Kate M.



Patricia Arquette won "Best Supporting Actress" for her role in Boyhood (one of my personal favorite movies of the year).

And she did something pretty cool with her acceptance speech: she demanded wage equality for women in the US.

Gendered Wage Inequality is a big problem in our country:

• In 2013, among full-time, year-round workers, women were paid 78 percent of what men were paid
• The pay gap has barely budged in a decade

• The pay gap is worse for women of color

• Women face a pay gap in nearly every occupation

What does this mean for you?
It might be hard to believe, but you will be in the work force sooner than you think. (As someone who is entering the work force in just 4 short months, I can tell you- it all happens before you know it). Therefore, you have a clear interest in knowing about the pay gap, and should stay informed so that you know what it means for you when its your time to get a job. 

Find out more here: http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/

Breakups and Breakouts — how to deal with both!

by Jasmine S.

When I look back on high school, I think about how little guidance any of us got on how to deal with the whirlwind of unprecedented problems we suddenly had on our plates. I guess there was Seventeen magazine, but I mainly went there for bad fashion advice.

Starting with the easier one:

Think of it this way, you're young and fresh, and oily skin is a sign of that youth. Understanding that most teens, boys and girls, are battling zits might help you feel better about the giant red planet on your chin and maybe build some solidarity with your peers.

• Wash your face every day: It's important to wash makeup off your face every night. 
• Cover up with makeup. This can actually clog pores, but it is a good short fix. Stick to mineral makeup for this purpose and stay away from oily products. 
• See a doctor who can recommend and prescribe some topical creams. These will work wonders for more severe acne problems!  
• Don't sweat it! Stress zits and acne may seem like the end of the world, but the truth is, everyone is dealing with the same thing, and people probably aren't blinking twice. Make a joke about it and move on! You've got more important things to worry about 

Acne care by jasmine-k-sachar featuring Neutrogena

Rodial face cleanser
$59 - selfridges.com

Kiehl s kiehls face wash
$34 - liberty.co.uk

Neutrogena face cleanser
amazon.com

Powder foundation
$28 - nelly.com

There are libraries written on how to deal with a breakup, and to some extent, there is only so much advice can do. It is very much a process every person has to go thorough and get through on their own. Here are some helpful hints to get you started.

• Feel! Cry. Talk to your mom, your dad, your aunt, best friend, teacher, stranger on the street. Remember pretty much everyone above the age of 20 has gone through a gut wrenching break up before and understands your pain. 
• Write it down. Keeping a journal that you write in whenever you're sad or frustrated can help you sort out your feelings and studies show this helps you feel better. 
• Remember what makes you you!  You have your own interests, hobbies and goals. Fill your schedule with these things, and find some new cool things to be interested in. All these will distract you and remind you that you're an awesome, capable person who is going places.

Remember the golden rule: Time + Distractions = getting over a breakup 

How would Ruth Bader Ginsburg look as a Princess?

by Ridhima Gurnani

If Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a United States Supreme Court Justice, was a Princess, she would look like this!