Research in the Community, vol. 2

1 Research in the Community Volume 2: 2009-2010 Table of Contents Issue 1: November 2009 Low-income Housing and the Issues: How do students in low income housing get exposed to violence, and how does it affect their academic performance?.……….…………………………………Elizabeth Arrellano

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Teen Pregnancy……………………………………………………………………………………. Zoe Anne Blatt

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Teen Methamphetamine Addiction…………………………………………………………………. Alice Blecker 12 Your Morning Cup of Joe: More Beneficial Than You Think……………………………………. Jogreet Chadha 15 Plastic Pollutants………………………………………………………………………………………... Max Chao 19 The Conflict of Sharp Park……………………………………………………………………….. Jesse Greenfield 21 Your Librarian Wasn’t Kidding: Reasons to Read………………………………………………... Kathryn Hobart 24 Let’s Get Physical…………………………………………………………………………………... Chloe Kissane 28 Earthquake Preparedness in San Francisco……………………………………………………………. Ben Libbey 32 Urban Farming on a Rural Scale: Agriculture in San Francisco………………………………... Bayley McMillan 36 The Survival of Peace, Love, and Spirituality: Mainstreaming San Franciscan 60’s Values The Ingraining of Hippie Ideals from Music in Today’s American Culture……………………….Sabina Menotti 39 Military Hazing……………………………………………………………………………………. William Napoli 45 Lessons from History: Why Racial Profiling Is Ineffective and Wrong…………………………... Naoki O’Bryan 48 Where are the Ethics of the Military? A Reexamination of Media Recruiting……………………….Cole Stevens 51 Companies Using Organic Fabrics………………………………………………………………. Madison Tiansay 55 Issue 2: March 2010 The Decline of Vaccination Rates in the First World: Why Intelligent Parents Reject What is Best for Their Kids……………………………………… Dexter Antonio 60 Concussions in the NFL…………………………………………………………………………………. Josh Baer 66 I’m not a Geek; I’m a Level 12 Paladin: An in-Depth Look at the Effects of Video Games on Teenage Boys……………………………Andreis Bergeron 70 Devolution: The End of Surfboard Progression…………………………………………………… Robin Brandon 73 Digital Books in a Digital World: Have We Transcended the Need for Print Books in Our Modern Day Society?………………………. Yeva Cifor 77 Hair and Society: A Trichy Situation………………………………………………………...Rachel Cohen-Sidley 81

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Veterans Benefits: Serving America’s Heroes………………………………………………………Jack Courtney 85 Treatment for OCD: Case by Case Treatment Should be Provided, Support Groups Should Not Be Overlooked………...Caity Dekker 88 Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony to the Mind: Music’s Effect on Focus…………………………... Taylor Forman 94 Dude, Where’s My Water: California’s Water Crisis……………………………………………… Ben Gershbein 97 Border Corruption…………………………………………………………………………………. Taylor Graham 102 Food for the Future: America’s Transformation into a Vegetarian Culture………………………… Ava Hoffman 106 Watching the Boob Tube: An Exploration of the Media’s Impact on Girls……………………Karis Kirchgestner 111 Why Play? Appeal of Video Games…………………………………………………………………… Alex Knoll 116 Drugs in the Media: Influencing Youth and Society……………………………………………….. Malia Madden 120 Success with Single-Sex Education………………………………………………………………... Melissa Martin 123 It has always been and will forever be: the reality of Oakland…………………………………………Kimi Mena 126 Talking through Spray Paint: Street Art’s Capability of Influencing and Representing Communities……………………………Julia Millhouse 131 Adulthood: An In-Depth Report of the Extent to Which the Years of Childhood Have an Influence…………………………………….Valerie Moon 135 Gun Control Verses Gun Rights: Which is Better for California?………………………………… Jordan Murphy 139 The Problem with Martial Gaming…………………………………………………………………… Ludo Nengo 144 Innocent or Guilty?

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Juvenile Judicial System in California……………………………. Sophie Owens 149 Investigative Reporting of Athletes: How Far is Too Far?…………………………………………… David Perell 153 Our World Shakes in Earthquakes: Solving the Puzzle of Putting our City Back Together……….. Zoe Pressman 156 Stress, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll………………………………………………………………… Sebaztian Ravitz 160 San Francisco: An Exploration into the City’s Culinary Scene……………………………………...Kate Restaino 165 Seasonal Flu Vaccines: Are They Worth the Risk?…………………………………………………. William Sano 169 “Are We Getting Graded on This?” False Motivation and the Detrimental Affects of Grades… Veronica Stamats 173 Danger in the Mass Media………………………………………………………………………... Annie Steinberg 178 Should Parents Stay Together? : Divorces’ Effects on Kids………………………………………… Jessica Sykes 182 The Salary Strike Out……………………………………………………………………………. Daehan Vazquez 188 Production of Produce: a Comparison of Agribusinesses and Local Farms…………………….. Angele Williams 191

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Issue 3: June 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility…………………………………………………………. Robin Cassatt-Johnstone 197 Let’s Dance…………………………………………………………………………………………... Rina Castillo 203 Cancer vs. Chronic………………………………………………………………………………... Scout Crampton 207 Alcoholic Advertising: Joy, Sex, Violence, Crime, and Crashes……………………………………. Luke Fernald 211 Green Transport……………………………………………………………………………...Christopher Flanagan 215 Baseball Bats…………………………………………………………………………………………... Henry Gale 218 Equality for All and All for Equality………………………………………………………………… Jose Godinez 221 Strokes: A Leading Cause of Death, Disability and Controversy…………………………………….. James Koch 225 Transforming the Special Education Department within the SFUSD……………………………... Sophia Lemmo 229 NBA Now or Later?……………………………………………………………………………… Connor Mattoon 234 Cost of Teen Driving……………………………………………………………………………….. Brent Messino 238 Face Down: A Tale of Addiction………………………………………………………………..Zander Nethercutt 241 Sufficient Funding +San Francisco Schools=Well Prepared Students……………………… Imani Pardue-Bishop 246 Thrash Metal in the Bay Area…………………………………………………………………….. Chase Patterson 250 The Death Penalty in California: How Societal Biases Affect Who Receives a Death Sentence……Luke Pickrell 254 Sex Trafficking………………………………………………………………………………………. Leah Podolin 260 Creating the Ripple: The increasing impact of documentaries on social change…………………... Julia Reichard 265 The Signs of a Liar: Wouldn’t it be Easier if we all had Noses like Pinocchio?……………… Jessica Rios-Lopez 269 Marijuana, How It Works and How It Affects Users’ Lives………………………………………..Eugene Rivera 272 Sports and Stadiums: The Truth Behind Wild Spending on Sports Stadiums………………………... Avi Stricker 275 Pets: They’re good for you… or are they? …………………………………………………………. Amara Taylor 280 The Gentrification of the Mission District…………………………………………………... Jackie Van Der Hout 282 Nurturing to Eat: Parents’ Influences on Their Children’s Behavior………………………………….Emily Ward 288 Mission Multitasking: Impossible…………………………………………………………………… Marisa Wong 293 Advertising’s Effect on Children…………………………………………………………………. Hannah Wooley 296

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Research in the Community Volume 2 Issue 1 November 2009 The Bay School of San Francisco

5 Elizabeth Arellano Research in the community Craig Butz October 21, 2009 Low-income Housing and the issues: How do students in low income housing get exposed to violence, and how does it affect their academic performance?

Trevor is a 7 year old boy who lives in Bayview Hunters Point. As he walks into his small house, he walks past his mother who is smoking. He walks into his room, but he can’t see the wall on the other side because his brothers have filled up the room with smoke. This is known as “hot boxing” the room. Trevor isn’t a typical 7 year old boy; he has been through a lot and has seen more then you could imagine. Trevor doesn’t have a role model to make a positive impact on his life. Many people look at Trevor and feel bad for him because he is so young. Many would believe his future is set for him. A future with drugs, violence, poverty, and no education. Living in lowincome housing can have a seriously negative impact on a child’s academic performance because of the problems faced by people living in poverty. These include the culture of drugs and violence, as well as the need to work, and take care of younger siblings. Trevor was born into a family who had no higher education. Like most other families in low income housing.

What is Low-income housing : Low income housing also know as Section 8 or the “Projects”, is housing provided by the government for families or individuals who have financial issues, meaning their annual income is very low. To be eligible to apply for low income housing, for an average family of 4 they would have to have make less then $43,680 a year or be on welfare. The rent for a typical family of four people would depend on where they are applying to live (Affordable Housing). Over 79% of people that live in San Francisco low income housing are African American and Hispanic (SFHA).

How do issues in low-income housing affect children's academic performance?

There are many negative things that impact the youth in low income housing and many of these problems directly affect their academic performance. Jose Sanchez is a 16 year old boy who lives in Sunnydale. He attends Mission High School. Jose isn’t the strongest academic student in the class room, but he isn’t a horrible student.

He’s the oldest of 5 children. His father was arrested when he was 11 years old and he hasn’t seen or heard from him since. Since he is the oldest, Jose pulls night shifts after school and helps his mother pay the bills. Jose is a father for his younger siblings. There are many cases like Jose’s. Jose and many other children have to take a parental role at a very young age. Taking a parental role can vary because you can be a parent to siblings or other family members.

There is also the issue of becoming a parent at a very young age. The issue of teen pregnancy can have a big impact on a young girl’s academic performance. Stephanie Robles had to drop out of school because she was a teen mother.

Stephanie also lived in low- income housing, and she didn’t have a father figure. She’s most children in low income housing. Her mother had two jobs and was never around to help her. Stephanie said, “I am absolutely positive that if I had my mother or father around I wouldn’t be in this situation”. Since many parents have two jobs or there is only me parent at home, younger sibling gets sick “many kids have to stay home and take care of their younger siblings” say board of commission Hydra Mendoza. Besides taking a parental role at a young age the issue of drugs can extremely affect a child’s future. First, if the child wants to live the “fast life” and get “fast money” they begin selling drugs. Second, drugs are like candy, anyone can get them from anyone and anywhere. Young people begin using drugs to escape from their family problems or school problems. Both of theses issues can and will affect a child and their academic performance. "When you come from the hood," says Sonya Brunswick, Maisin Award program coordinator, "you have to survive and you must have the creative ability to maneuver around obstacles if you want to succeed. Some of these kids have to worry about where to find food and a place to sleep after school.

They have to learn how to avoid gangs. They might have to figure out how to take care of their siblings and get their homework done. These kids don't realize it but they're acquiring skills through their everyday lives. These kids are phenomenal multi-taskers and they know how to work hard” (College bound). These kids know how to work hard, but there comes a limit. If they don’t have the support they need they will not be able to keep on succeeding.

Having to work at a young age can have a serious impact on a child academic performance. The strain of working can tire a child out. Ares Brown, a young African American who lives in Bayview Hunters Point says, “my older brother had to work to help my mom out, he said that he didn’t mind working because he had to help his mom, and if he had to sacrifice time to help his mom raise his younger siblings he’d put the time in”. He also said “I work so I can give my mom money so she can buy my younger brothers and sisters things I couldn’t have, I can’t give them everything but I could give then more than my mom could have gave me when I was younger”. Ares’ brother was a great brother who put his family before everything; he was doing well with everything and had balanced

6 everything out. One day he started feeling the stress when everything began getting hard for him. He turned to drugs and the\an began selling them. As well he quit his other job to dedicate more time to selling drugs because it was faster money and he didn’t have to work as hard. Eventually he stopped going to school and dropped out. This is just one example the kind of things that can happen when children work to support their family. There are a few children who can succeed while dealing with supporting a family, but many can not handle everything without some support.

Children in low income housing face issues of drug violence. They can also be forced with having to take the role of an adult. All these things can add to have a negative impact on a child’s academic performance. Many of the sixth through eighth graders at James Lick middle school said that their parents are not around so they don’t have the support they would like.

Drop out rates are a big issue in low-income housings. This is an on going cycle that adolescents need to break. The cycle begins with a mother and father, who grew up in the “projects” and didn’t finish high school and than the children go through the same thing they went through. It is an on going cycle until one child comes along, breaks that cycle and graduates high school.

Over the past year, SFUSD graduation rates have decreased. From 2006-2007 to 2007- 2008 the graduation rate decreased by 1.6%. Over the past two to three years, the students who have dropped out have predominantly been African American. During the 2006-2007 year, the drops out rates for Latino’s were at 30%. This was close to African American who were at 34.4%. Yet in 2007-2008 the drop out rate for Latinos decreased by 7.6% and for whites it increased by 8.2%. Asian students were less than 10% of the drop outs. A high percentage of theses children that drop out come from low-income housing, have family problems, or have a relationship with drugs.

What are a few issues people face in Low-income housing: A major issue faced in lowincome housing is violence in the community. The cycle begins with the issue of poverty. For example Ares Brown says stealing and poverty have a cause and effect relationship because “if someone is poor they will want to steal to get what they want and if the only way they’ll get it is by stealing then they’ll steal” say Ares.

Also, “Since many of us are poor here we find a way to get fast money and selling drugs is an easy way. The fact that it is illegal to sell drugs doesn’t scare anyone because until the day you get caught it doesn’t matter no one here thinks ahead.

Drugs are an on going cycle and this cycle is continuously growing especially in areas of low-income housing. The issue is, that day by day, younger and younger children begin to see younger children selling drugs and getting “fast money”.

Some male teenagers begin to sell drugs because they feel responsible for helping the family with the income. They say that they have to bring the money into the household because they are the oldest male, since most fathers aren’t in the picture. Drugs are the main reason for the next problem in low income housing which is fighting. Numerous causes of fighting are the issues of drugs and money problems with “drug dealers” and their buyers. Other types of fights can be between territories, meaning people from Bayview Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, and Sunnydale who fight with one another because people from different territories don’t “like each other”. Their neighborhood is where they come from it’s their identity. Since everyone in low-income housing doesn’t have a lot, they need to be apart of something bigger, and they can all be apart of their community. If one neighborhood disrespects another one or messes with someone apart of their neighborhood the conflict begins. The SFUSD board of commissioner Hydra Mendoza said, many children I work with or talk to say they don’t know anywhere else besides their neighborhood.

They said they can’t go to a different part of the city because they are afraid that they’ll get “jumped or shot” because they aren’t from that neighborhood. Violence is the beginning and then comes the death and crime rates.

Epps, a man who's lived in the low income housing his whole life, says a main reason why there's so much violence in low income housing is because "Anyone can get a gun at anytime"(Wagner) Sandra Knox, who was born and raised in Sunnydale says ."I've never been to jail or prison, but in Sunnydale it feels like I'm there every day, this place is like Iraq. There are gunshots all the time and criminals running around” (Fulbright, Leslie.). These are the opinions of people that live in low-income housing. It’s a daily thing for them but for other people it would seem

7 like an absolutely horrible nightmare. In 2008 San Francisco was placed 102 out of 400 cities in crime rates and most crimes in San Francisco originated in lower income neighborhoods (CQ). Everyone sees or hears about violence, violence could be around any corner and many don’t think about the affect violence has on our youth. One cause of violence in low-income housing is problem of guns and shootings. “The recent rise in gunfights and shootings baffles Epps and others in the neighborhood. Years ago, they say, the OGs, the original gangsters, had more control over the young ones. But now it seems to be a free-for-all. Traditional neighborhood networks, including the church and community elders, are frayed and unable to mediate peace. For more than a year, a beef between Hunters Point gangs Big Block and West Point has terrorized residents” ( Wagner ). Last year Bayview Hunters Point District claimed 16 of the 61 homicides in the San Francisco. That’s at least twice as many as any other district. Epps also says “The reasons for the dispute depend on who you talk to. The police say it centers around drugs, turf, and the conflict has more to do with high unemployment, poor education"( Wagner ).

Some solutions: There are solutions to help decrease the drop out rates in in San Francisco Unified school district and help students do better in school. Many students say they would be more interested in school if the teachers seemed to care more.

Hydra Mendoza say’s that the city should provide better training for teachers so they could be more sensitive to children and their situation. Before they come into the school they would have to understand where many of these kids come from. Many teachers don’t know how to deal with children with these problems. Even though teachers aren’t meant to be the student’s counselor or parents, they could have a little bit more kindness towards students. For children to make better decisions and do better many believe that if we talk to kids in elementary school about college and set their mind to educational goals. In elementary school it would be more effective because in middle school, children already have their personality. In middle school many can tell if a child is starting to have issues by their grades, but once they leave middle school and enter high school they already have their personality. Even though people can change, most already have their mind set. Hydra Mendoza says that the city of San Francisco is thinking about passing a law so that parents can be more involved with their children’s and school. The government’s reward would be if a student that lives in low-income housing has 90% attendance that the city would reduce the families rent by 20%. This will be one step in helping parents get involved by making students attend school. This will also help the San Francisco Unified school district because the more students who attend school, the more money the district will receive.

A major issue is that most parents don’t get involved with their children when it comes to their education, and parents need to get involved. It will help the children and make them feel motivated. Students living in low income housing or dangerous neighborhoods need to be motivated and have positive role models in their life to succeed.

Work cited “Affordable Housing.” Homes and communities. NP . 25 Aug 2009 .web. 18 Sept. 2009. <http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/> Brown, Ares. Personal Interview. 30 Sept. 2009.

“College bound: Mission High School students beat the odds.” SFGate home of the San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc. ND, Web. 18 Sept 2009 CQ Press. “2008 City Crime Rankings (continued).” 2008. PDF file.

English, Dennis. “The Silent Violence of Environmental Racism in Bayview Hunter's Point” NP. 9 Jan, 2005. Web. 20 Sept 2009.

Fulbright, Leslie. “A few escape Sunnydale, but many are trapped” San Francisco Chronicle . 4 Feb, 2005. Web. 20 Sept 2009.

Fulbright, Leslie. “Life at the bottom: S.F.'s Sunnydale project” Hearst Communication Inc. NP, 3 Feb, 2008.

Web.16 Sept 2009.

Helton, Trevor Personal Interview. 2 Oct. 2009.

Mendoza, Hydra. Personal interview. 26 Sept. 2009.

“Public Housing Information”. San Francisco Housing Authority. 2009. Web. 22 Sept 2009.

Robles, Stephanie. Personal interview. Oct 3, 2009.

San Francisco Housing Authority. 2009. Web. 22 Sept 2009.

“San Francisco Housing Authority's Demographics” San Francisco Housing Authority. 2009. Web. 22 Sept 2009.

San Francisco Unified School District “SFUSD Graduation and Dropout Rates Released” 2008- 2009. PDF files.

The Young Woman’s Research Project: Trial of an Intervention to Impact Contraceptive Behavior, Unintended Pregnancy, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Among Adolescent Females (REACH). Clinical Trials; A service Of the U.S. National Institues of Health. Copyright 2006.

8 Zoe Anne Blatt October 6, 2009 Research in the Community Craig Butz Teen Pregnancy Imagine Taylor Campbell as an average sixteen year old girl from the Bay Area. Although she lives in a dangerous neighborhood, she has managed to keep herself out of trouble. Taylor gets good grades and is captain of the soccer team at her school. Everything was going well until she meets a new boy who had just relocated from Texas named Travis. This is Taylor’s first boyfriend. They begin having sex and they hide it from their friends and family. Taylor begins to push the people she loves away. Two months later Taylor finds out that she is pregnant.

Once Travis finds out that Taylor is pregnant, he breaks up with her. Taylor is alone, young and about to bring a child into this world. Teen pregnancy can cause abrupt changes in a teen’s social life as well as completely change a family dynamic. Pregnancy rates are increasing due to lack of education in schools as well as in our homes. As role models and as educators we need to motivate the youth through education about the risks and issues surrounding teenage pregnancy before the rates continue to grow.

Taylor first knew something was different when she missed her menstruation cycle for the second month in a row. At first, she thought nothing of it because her menstrual cycle is sometimes irregular due to her young age. However, after the second month Taylor began to notice some symptoms. She often felt tired and occasionally dizzy. When she began throwing up in the morning she knew there might be a problem. Some other pregnancy symptoms may include: implantation bleeding (spotting), swollen/tender breast, tiredness, frequent irritation, and headaches. She was happy that those symptoms had not presented themselves yet (Family first aid).

Based on the symptoms that Taylor had experienced, she had decided to take a pregnancy test.

Taylor visited the local drug store in her neighborhood, hoping no one she knows will see her. She looked at all the different brands of pregnancy test, ranging in prices from $7.99 to $19.99, Taylor only had five dollars in her pocket but she really wanted to be certain that her results were accurate so she quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching and slipped the $19.99 pregnancy test into her backpack. The walk home was silent leaving Taylor time to think.

She felt only slightly guilty on the walk home because her head was filled with visions of the future based on what the pregnancy test might reveal. Once Taylor got home, she went into the bathroom and took the pregnancy test. For the next ten minutes, she waited in complete despair for the results. When the test came up positive, Taylor was not shocked but extremely disappointed in herself. She realized that she had given into peer pressure. She slept with a boy she barley knew, and he talked her in to doing this with no form of birth control. She could have pushed the issue of protected sex with Travis, but most of the girls that she knew that were having sex, said that there shouldn’t be any problems. According to The Examiner, “Seventy eight percent of surveyed girls who are non-virgins say they have had sex without a condom and fifty six percent of surveyed girls use no form of birth control at all.” As Taylor’s shock wore off, she began to think about her options and realized that she only had three: she could have an abortion, put the child up for adoption, or raise the child as a single teen mother.

If Taylor had known of the risks of having sex with no form of birth control, she could have taken the Emergency Contraception Pill (“The Morning After Pill”) up to five days after engaging in unprotected sex. The Morning After Pill could have prevented this pregnancy all together. This pill blocks the hormone called progesterone, which is needed in pregnancy, therefore preventing the development of a baby all together. The Emergency Contraception pill also changes the lining in the uterus or the womb, causing no fertilization and making it so the egg does not develop into a pregnancy. The Morning After Pill is most effective up to 72 hours after engaging in unprotected sex (Planned Parenthood).

As far as abortion is concerned, Taylor had two options. She could either take the abortion pill or have an in-clinic abortion surgical procedure. If she chose to take the abortion pill, she would have had to agree to have an in-clinic abortion if the pill did not work. The abortion pill prevents the egg and/or sperm from entering the fallopian tubes. In-clinic abortions are only offered up to 18 weeks after your last period. In the state of California, teenaged girls are not required to get a parents’ permission to for the abortion procedure and/or pill. In some other states under aged girls do need to notify one or both of their parents or legal guardians (Planned Parenthood).

There are many controversies surrounding the topic of abortion, which are greatly influenced Taylor’s decision. Some people think that abortion is murder. According to Pope John Paul II, “the sacred value of human life is from its very beginning” (Society For the Protection of Unborn Children). A majority of The Jewish community views abortion as the killing of an innocent child. The belief is that “any descendent of Noah who kills another being should be put to death” (Society For The Protection of Unborn Children). The only exception to this rule applies only if the mother’s life is in danger. There are also people who view abortion differently and help keep

9 the rights of women protected. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood are well aware of the differences of opinions. The planned Parenthood Pro-Choice Religious Network states: “We believe that ultimately the decision about abortion is a matter between a woman, her conscience, and/or her God, and that those close to her should offer support in any way they can” (Planned Parenthood). Planned Parenthood also promotes other pregnancy options, such as adoption.

Taylor also thought about adoption but worried that she would not be emotionally strong enough to give her child up after birth. Adoption is a good option for young teens who do not feel mature enough or ready to raise a child. In the state of California, there are two legal options for adoption. One can choose to go to a government or a private agency, or one can find the adoptive parents on your own (Planned Parenthood). The adoption process is long and tedious. The moment the birth mother and/or father sign the adoption papers; they are giving up both the rights and responsibilities of the child (Planned Parenthood). In any adoption case, the State Department of Social Services must approve the potential adoptive parents because the “buying or selling of babies is against the law” (Planned Parenthood).

Taylor’s final option is to keep the baby and raise it on her own. “If you become pregnant you have the right to continue your pregnancy, regardless of your age, marital status or financial situation” (Planned Parenthood).

Once a woman decides to keep her baby, there are many precautions that are necessary to take in order to keep the baby healthy. If a woman already has prior health conditions, she needs to reevaluate her current medication, in order to make sure it is safe for her baby.

Taylor began to think about her options. After much consideration, she concluded that abortion is out of the question because of her personal and religious views. Taylor was left with the remaining two options. Either give the baby up for adoption or raise the baby herself. Taylor’s final decision was based on her own experiences growing up with a young mother. Taylor’s mother had her when she was 17 years old and Taylor began to think that she is capable of raising her child too. Taylor then made the decision to keep the baby.

Taylor’s next step was to go to the closest Planned Parenthood clinic, where she knew she could obtain information regarding the process of her decision. Taylor walked to the clinic by herself, like many young teen do; with little support, leaving her with nothing to do but think of the recent events in her life. Her world had been completely turned upside down leaving her feeling confused, alone and having to grow up in the next seven months.

She cannot only think about herself, she then had to think about herself and her unborn child. While at the clinic, Taylor received the much needed information and support that got her started in the process. She was given recommendations for a family doctor and information about some of the health problems that can occur during pregnancy.

Taylor learned that women can often develop problems that they did not have prior to being pregnant.

A somewhat common problem is gestational diabetes, or pregnancy diabetes. A woman who does not have diabetes can develop this in their pregnancy, therefore contributing to a higher risk pregnancy. Four percent of pregnant women are effected by this form of diabetes and is more prevalent in women who overweight. Gestational diabetes develops when a woman is not producing enough insulin. When the insulin is not being produced, it causes blood sugar to go up and this put the baby in danger because the blood sugar travels though the placenta.

There are also higher risks for the baby’s of younger mothers such as; hypoglycemia, jaundice after birth, an increased rate of later developing type two diabetes and an increased risk of being stillborn (Baby and Pregnancy). There are emotional risks for the baby’s of young mothers as well. According to Family First Aid, “The children of teenaged mothers have lower birth weight and more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at a greater risk of abuse and neglect.”

After her visit to Planed Parenthood, Taylor felt a bit overwhelmed. She realized that she cannot do this without her mother. As Taylor walked home she was sweating and her hands were shaking out of control because she was so nervous. She knew what she is going to do but she is scared of what the possible outcomes will be. She was aware that her mother would be disappointed in her, but then again how could she get mad? Taylor’s mother made the same decision that Taylor did, and was a teen parent herself. According to Family First Aid, “daughters of teen mothers are twenty two percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves, and sons of teen mothers are thirteen percent more likely to end up in prison.” Taylor knew that this is something that her mother did not want for her. Taylor hopes that she will not make the same mistakes that her mother did, such as not finishing high school which “one third of teenaged mothers do not do” (Family First Aid). However, this is the culture Taylor has grown up in, this is what she sees around her, this is normal. Teen birth rates are higher in places with a larger population, such as San Francisco, or other places in the Bay Area. One neighborhood that has particularly high rates is Bayview, Hunters Point. “Bayview Hunters Point have pregnancy rates almost two times higher that the state” (Clinical Trials; A service Of the U.S. National Institutes of Health). Not that growing up in this neighborhood

10 makes it okay to become pregnant at an early age, but it is difficult for young women not to become pregnant and not make the mistakes as their elders if they do not have a strong female role model in their life.

As Taylor is almost home she knew that her mother would be home when she got there, and she had been wondering where Taylor was. When she arrived at the front of her house she could barley walk up the steps. She reached out for the door and opened it. This was one of the most difficult things that Taylor ever had to do in her life. When she saw her mother she immediately began to cry. When her mother asked her what is wrong Taylor just said the words; “I’m pregnant.” The look on Taylor’s mother’s face went from concerned, to anger. It was hard for her to hear these words from her baby. Her innocent little girl is going to become a mother? She had to step back to grasp what her daughter had just told her.

Taylor’s mother was not just concerned with the fact that her child is going to be bringing another child into the world, but she has concerns that her daughter is going to go down the same path as her. She wants her daughter to finish high school, and eventually be the first person in the family to go to college. Not only does Taylor feel that she has failed, but her mother does as well. She wishes that she had talked to her daughter about sex and what the outcome could be, forty percent of girls say that their mother’s never talked to them about sex, while only seven percent of mothers say they never talked to their daughters about sex (Family First Aid). “Teenagers who have strong emotional attachments with their parents are much less likely to become sexually active at an early age and less likely to have a teen pregnancy” (Family First Aid).

Taylor and her mother knew that they have to begin to take the necessary steps which include regular doctor visits. Over the course of the next six months Taylor and her Mother make regular trips to the doctor, everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, at school Taylor was faced with social dilemmas and was beginning to loose most of her friends. She was no longer captain of the soccer team, and it more difficult to do well academically because her body required a lot more rest and was always focused on the fears of raising a child as a single parent. Taylor found herself isolating herself from her peers because she felt ashamed and did not want to talk about her pregnancy. She was no longer invited to parties or to hangout at friends houses, her friends stopped returning her calls and no longer made an effort to reach out to her. She had slipped away in the social scene.

When Taylor was eight months pregnant she stopped going to school. She tried to do online classes but spend most of her time resting and preparing for the baby. Two weeks before her baby was do, her mother went on family emergency leave from work. The whole family was making an effort to support Taylor in this long journey.

Early morning on a cold Sunday, Taylor’s water broke. She was rushed to the doctor where after five hours of labor, gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy named Marcus.

The story of Taylor is just one of the many stories of teen pregnancies. Teen pregnancy cost the world, about seven billion dollars annually (Family First Aid). The United States of America has the highest teen pregnancy rate in all of the Western Industrialization Nation, and experts say that the rates are going to continue to rise (Clinical Trials; A service Of the U.S. National Institutes of Health).

One major problem in our society today is that sexual behavior is glamorized through the media, and the youth are greatly impacted by this. One thing that the media does not do, is show the possible outcomes of having risky sex. There is no mention of the realities that exist from that one-night-stand on The Real World or the future dilemmas of the teenage girl who decides to keep her baby on any Lifetime movies. But things are slowly starting to change in the media's glamorization of risky sex. On the popular teen network MTV, a new show has just bee added. This show is called “16 and Pregnant.” The crew of the show, follows the everyday life of seven expecting parents. The lives of the teens range according to where they live, their race, as well as their financial and marital status. Viewers watch as they go through the trials and tribulations of becoming a teenage parent. Each story has a different outcome, so the viewer becomes aware of the reality of teen pregnancy and is able to learn from the experiences shown.

There is a sign that teen pregnancy rates have been decreasing. According to The Examiner, “in California high schools, eighty-four percent of students are protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STI's) and unplanned pregnancies.” As a community, we need to “educate males [and females] at an early age to identify and understand the legal, financial and emotional roles and responsibilities of parenthood” (Planned Parenthood).

We also need to continue this education throughout a child's life, so the cycle of teenage pregnancy does not continue. Through communication and education, the rates of teenage pregnancy can decrease even further and there will be fewer teenage girls, like Taylor, suffering through their adolescence.

11 Works Cited AtYourCervix. “More on high risks pregnancies.” Women Health Community. Nov. 2009. <http://www.wellsphere.com/women-s-health-article/more-on-high-risk-pregnancies/20377> Bee, Courtney. “Teen pregnancy 2009: up or down?.” The Examiner. Copyright 2009. <http://www.examiner.com/x-1961-Sexual-Health-Examiner~y2009m9d7-Teen-pregnancy-2009-Up-or-down> “Cerrera Pregnancy Prevention.” The Children’s Aid Society. Copyright 2008. <http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/youthdevelopment/carrera?gclid=COrA6bXPgZ0CFR4Hagodn3lIbQ> “Help for troubled teens.” Family First Aid. Copyright 2000-2004. <http://www.familyfirstaid.org/teenpregnancy.html> “Just for Teens.” Planned Parenthood. Copyright 1988. <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppgg/just-teens27718.htm> “Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections.” California Adolescent Health, Copyright 1988. <http://www.californiateenhealth.org/pregnancy_sti_overview.asp> “The Young Woman’s Research Project: Trial of an Intervention to Impact Contraceptive Behavior, Unintended Pregnancy, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Among Adolescent Females (REACH). Clinical Trials; A service Of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Copyright 2006. <http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00230880> “Religious views on abortion” Society of protection for unborn children. Copyright 2009. <http://www.spuc.org.uk/students/abortion/religion> Roselynn. “I Learn Everything the Hard Way.” Stand up girl blog. Copyright 2007. <http://standupgirl.com/web//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2935&Itemid=224> “Statistics on Adolescent Pregnancy.” Mary’s Shelter, Copyright 2009 <http://www.teenshelter.org/data.htm> “National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity.” U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics. Copyright 2006. <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf>

12 Alice Blecker Craig Butz Research in the community 12 Oct. 2009 Teen Methamphetamine Addiction Thirty years ago, the average US citizen would not have even heard or Methamphetamine. However, today the “Meth Epidemic” has swept through the entire United States and is fast becoming a global crisis. We know that Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive drugs there is, and there are theories about why this drug affects some people more strongly than others, but we don’t have a definitive answer for why this is true. One particular group is affected more than others: people between the ages of fifteen to twenty-five, the teenagers in our society. Because not only genetics, social interactions, but also age and surroundings determine whether a teen will become mentally or physically addicted to Methamphetamines, teens should have more accessible drug education and treatment before it is too late.

Methamphetamine is a relatively new drug, but it has spread incredibly quickly. Unlike other drugs, such as Heroin, that is from Afghanistan , and Cocaine, that comes from South America , Methamphetamine is a home grown drug (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). Meth originated here in the Western United States and Mexico . The first state to witness what is now widely known as the “Meth epidemic” was Oregon (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). In the 1970’s, Oregon was the only state in the US with a significant percent of Meth addicts (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). By the 1970's, Methamphetamines had become a favorite of truck drivers and college students. Truck drivers began using it because it helped them stay up for long periods of time without needing to eat (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). College students used it to help them stay up studying. Meth became extremely popular and widespread in the 80’s because that is when crystal Meth was created. Crystal Meth is a much purer and stronger form of Methamphetamine (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). This stronger form of speed attracted lots of different types of people, rather than simply truck drivers and college students (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). People began using Crystal Meth recreationally; instead of just for work. In 2003, Meth had completely spread to the rest of the western states, and had begun to extend East, towards Boston and New York .

Today, Methamphetamine is the most talked about drug in America . It is also the fastest growing drug in the United States (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). In addition, Meth has gotten peoples attention because it is one of the most addictive drugs available to the inhabitants of America (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). One reason that Meth is so widely talked about is because if someone is a Meth addict it affects everyone else in their community. This is because Meth users will do anything that they can to feed their addiction. For example, in Portland , Oregon , the Meth capital of the US , 85% of property theft is committed by Meth addicts (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). Another reason that the Meth is so widely discussed is because unlike other hard drugs, such as Heroin and Cocaine, its main effects are on rural areas, not just big cities (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). Meth has also had an enormous effect on children through out this nation. The number of children that have been abandoned due to Meth has sky rocketed within the past 20 years, and the numbers continue to increase (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread).

There is a lot of appeal of Meth in the United States today. It is very cheap, and extremely easy to buy or make. Over the counter cold medicines contain pseudo ephedrine, which is the key ingredient to Meth (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). You can buy pseudo ephedrine legally in any drug store for very little money, and make Meth yourself in your own kitchen (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). Meth has an extra appeal to teens because it is compact, and it has no smell, unlike marijuana, so they can bring it to school, or keep it at home and be at a lower risk to get caught by their parents or teachers. Since it is so cheap, it has a special appeal to teens who don’t have much spending money. Another thing that makes Meth seem more attractive is the fact that there are many ways to get it into your system (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). A person could smoke Meth, inject Meth, snort Meth--you could even eat it (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients).

Research has shown that there are many risk factors that can lead to addiction. One factor is genetics (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). There is no one cause of addiction. It is established that both alcoholism and drug addiction can be genetic. However, there is no genetic test for a person’s tendency towards addiction (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). Even if no family members ever actively used substances, an individual can not be certain that they do not have a genetic predisposition to addition (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread).

Another risk factor for addiction is a person’s surroundings. In certain communities, Meth is more prevalent than others. Methamphetamine is more widespread in Western, rural areas in the United States (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). Simply living in a community where Meth is present increases a person’s chance of getting involved with it (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). In addition, periods of time when Meth has been more

13 pure, such as the 1980’s, puts users at a greater risk of becoming addicted. The purity of the meth at the time is determined by the amount of pseudo ephedrine bought by the manufacturers of cold medication (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). The amount of pseudo ephedrine available is determined by the American and Mexican governments. The more pseudo ephedrine available, the purer the Methamphetamine will be.

Being a teenager also puts a person both at a higher risk of addiction and makes one more vulnerable to brain damage. This is because there are two periods of explosive growth of brain development in humans (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). One is between the ages of one and three. The other is between the ages of 15 and 20.

Unfortunately, this is the age when most people experiment with drugs (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients).

Teenagers are vulnerable to risky behavior because their developing brains seek a lot of stimulation and they lack the ability to evaluate risk (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread).

Some people begin doing Meth because they are curious about it, or they are just bored and want some more excitement in their lives. However one of the main reasons that most people do Meth, and teens especially fall into this category, is because of depression and other mental illness (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). Meth is an instant anti-depressant. This can especially appeal to those who do not have health insurance and can’t afford anti-depressants from a Doctor (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). Often Teens don’t want to tell adults about their feelings, or wait up to two months for a medication to start working. It can seem much easier to see a drug dealer and $20 on something that can make you feel better instantly. However, though it is an instant antidepressant, Methamphetamine also wears off quickly leaving you much more depressed than you were to begin with, and wanting more. For example In the memoir “TWEAK” by Nic Sheff, which explains his personal experience of being a young meth addict in San Francisco; he attributes his Meth use to an underlying bi-polar disease.

Methamphetamine is an ‘ultra stimulant’ (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). “Meth gives you a euphoric rush” says PHD psychologist, John Grey, who specializes in addiction. Nic describes his own experience using meth for the first time: “There was a feeling like—my god, this is what I’ve been missing my entire life. It completed me. I felt whole for the first time. I guess I’ve pretty much spent the last four years chasing that first high. I wanted desperately to feel that wholeness again” (Nic Sheff 5). You get this “euphoric rush” because Meth produces dopamine, which is the substance your brain releases when you feel pleasure. For example, when you eat a piece of chocolate, your brain releases a little bit of dopamine. Basically, every time you enjoy something, Dopamine has been released in your brain (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). When you put Meth into your system, it produces 1,250 units of Dopamine, which is more than 12 times the amount your brain is made to handle (“Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread”). When Methamphetamine gets into a person’s system, it permanently destroys the Dopamine passages inside their individual brain cells (“Trying to Regulate Meth’s Ingredients”).

When your Dopamine passages are destroyed, it is hard to feel any pleasure, and as Dr Gray says “everything feels grey.” Not only does coming off of Meth feel awful, it makes people less capable of regulating their mood. It makes a person depressed and often psychotic (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). Any regular users of Meth for twelve to eighteen months will suffer from serious permanent psychological dysfunction (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). When a person stops using Meth after they have been addicted, they become much more depressed than they were before they started, and the reasons they started using Meth, such as depression, mental illness, boredom, or social anxiety; become magnified, whatever they were. Not only does it make your original problems worse, it creates other problems that you didn’t have before (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread).

Teens should know this information so they can make informed decisions about their bodies and minds. Having more information might prevent more teens from beginning this vicious cycle.

Recovering from a Meth addiction can be a life long challenge (National Epidemic). A very small percentage of people who are addicted to methamphetamine are able to make a full recovery. Even if a person enters treatment, the odds are against them that they will stay clean and sober. The average Meth addict who receives help and treatment relapses over five times (David Sheff 120). However, relapse is not always a bad thing, and can be vital for a person to make a total and complete recovery (FBI). Relapse helps people realize that they are powerless against their addiction, which is the first step of the Twelve Steps program, one of the most popular and effective programs to cure addiction (David Sheff). Relapsing does not only mean failure, or that all of ones work was wasted, but it simply means that you need more help (Lost Opportunity).

When a teen is recovering from Methamphetamine addiction, there are more obstacles than there would be for an adult. Over two million young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty suffered from substance abuse problems in America in 2003 alone (Educate Yourself), which shows how hard it is for teens to quit. One of the most effective techniques with teen Meth addicts is group therapy with other teen addicts. “It gives teens that sense of community,” says Dr. Grey “This is vital for recovery. Addicts, especially teens, need someone to be open and honest with about their problems and, most often; it is much easier for them to talk about their problems with other

14 teens, rather than adults.” Rehab is also usually a good option. It offers the individual the opportunity to get away from the pressures of school and family and focus on solving their problem (I am an Educator…).

Any kind of addiction changes a person, but Meth causes some of the most drastic transformation. Not only does meth alter you mentally, physically, and socially, but your ability to regulate your mood and temperament (Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread). It also changes the way you think about things. In comparison to being on Meth, everything seems drab, boring and depressing (Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients). Almost nothing can make you happy. Meth has a distinct deteriorating effect on people’s physical appearance as well as their health.

Though some don’t think that the “Meth Epidemic” will affect them, if it continues to increase at the current, the results will be catastrophic; the crime rates will go up, as will the unemployment rates, homelessness and poverty. If we want to focus on our nation’s future, it is vital that we educate our youth. We must do this by combining drug and alcohol treatment with sexual education in public schools. Currently, public schools are required to teach only abstinence only drug treatment and this must change before the problem becomes irreversible.

Works Cited Uncovering Meth’s History and Spread. Frontline, 2006. pbs. Web. 20 September 2009.

Lost Opportunity . Frontline, 2006. pbs. Web. 20 September 2009.

Trying to regulate Meth’s ingredients. Frontline, 2006. pbs. Web. 20 September 2009.

A national Epidemic. Frontline, 2006. pbs. Web. 20 September 2009.

“FBI report: One drug arrest made every 18 seconds.” Huffpost. 14 September 2009. Web. 16 September 2009.

“I am a student…” Safety First. Drug Policy Alliance . 2008. web. 16 September 2009.

“I am a parent…” Safety First. Drug Policy Alliance . 2008. web. 16 September 2009.

“I am a educator…” Safety First. Drug Policy Alliance . 2008. web. 16 September 2009.

“Educate yourself Facts about drugs: METHAMPHETAMINE.” First. Drug Policy Alliance . 2008. web. 16 September 2009.

Sheff, Nic. Tweak. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. print.

Sheff, David. Beautiful Boy. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2008. print.

“Educate yourself Facts about drugs: HEROIN.” First. Drug Policy Alliance . 2008. web. 16 September 2009.

15 Jogreet Chadha Craig Butz Research in the Community 22 October 2009 Your morning cup of Joe: More beneficial than you think Walk into Peet’s, Starbucks, or the local coffee shop around the block and you see business men and college students among the crowd enjoying their cup of coffee. They aren’t the ones thinking about how coffee can ruin their health, and they may even be right. Sure, coffee isn’t a “healthy” drink, but despite the common and overwhelming thought, it isn’t necessarily an unhealthy one. Coffee contains both good and bad components; the most infamous one being caffeine. When thinking of the caffeine content in coffee, many picture a college or high school student drinking 4 plus cups to pull an all-nighter and finish an essay due the next day. This, however, is just one extent of drinking coffee for caffeine. Caffeine, when not heavily consumed, can help headaches, performance in sports, and may even prevent some diseases.

Many of the common myths of coffee are simply untrue, such as the myth that parents often tell their kids to keep them from drinking coffee: coffee stunts your growth. It is certain myths like this, and other exaggerations of harmful effects that have given coffee a bad name among many adults. Although coffee is known for its harmful health effects, when consumed in moderation, coffee can provide benefits to health such as reduced risk of certain diseases.

Caffeine, the main component in coffee that is most worrisome, is the “most widely used psychoactive drug in the world” (“Passionate About Your Coffee?”).This drug stimulates the central nervous system and can seriously affect the health and behavior of adults, and especially kids. At least, this is what most people believe and tend to exaggerate. Yes, caffeine is mildly addictive in the sense that after consistently having a couple cups a day, one may feel dependent on the substance and can be subject to withdrawal symptoms when stopping consumption. And yes, caffeine may make you jittery and nervous, increase your heart rate and blood pressure, and even make it difficult to concentrate (“Caffeine and your Child”). These are all legitimate concerns that many parents and anti-coffee believers have. The thing is, caffeine can be helpful by increasing alertness, helping keep focus and concentration, and even improving physical performance. The good news for athletes is that the caffeine in coffee takes effect almost immediately; it goes to the muscles, making them contract and further improving performance (Chuang, Carol). It also triggers the release of adrenaline and makes the muscles work harder for a longer time. Caffeine helps physical performance so much that until 2004, the International Olympic Committee considered it a controlled substance. This did not mean that athletes would be considered doping if they drank coffee, but rather, those who exceeded the IOC caffeine limit which is estimated to be about 1000mg or 8 cups of coffee (Shute, Nancy). Caffeine is also a diuretic, encouraging the kidney to make urine and leading to mild dehydration. The water that coffee contains makes you urinate more frequently in order to get rid of the excess fluid in the body (“Coffee-Grounds for Concern?”). So, at the same time coffee helps physical performance, it may not be a smart idea to fuel up on coffee before a sports game. The key to getting the benefits of increased alertness, focus and performance without feeling groggy, jittery and unfocused is the amount of coffee you consume. After too many cups of coffee, people can feel too wired and actually have a harder time concentrating. But if you drink one or even two cups, it may be enough to help you get more done and do better physically.

For younger kids, drinking just two cups may be too much since caffeine affects kids so much more than adults. This is mainly because of the small size of children compared to adults, making the amount of caffeine consumed by an adult, have almost double the affect in a kids and their small bodies (Chuang, Carol). The caffeine can make kids too hyper and create sleeping problems. For children with behavior or attention problems like ADD and ADHD, coffee may help or create more problems. Coffee may help these children stay focused, concentrated and well-behaved because of the caffeine’s stimulant effect that medications like Ritalin and Adderall have. But there haven’t been many conclusive studies on this; at the same that coffee may help ADD kids stay focused, it may also cause many of the unpleasant side effects of coffee to occur. Many of the flavored coffee drinks that kids like to drink have whipped cream, sugary syrups, plus more added sugar. If given too much regular coffee, it may result in having a kid become unfocused; but especially if given a sugar-laden latte, it may result in an even more hyper kid than you started with (Hawkins, Robert).

Don’t think that adults are immune to these effects though. Adults, too, can feel these symptoms that often come with drinking coffee. Coffee, both decaffeinated and caffeinated, stimulates the secretion of stomach acid and can cause an upset stomach and stomach pain. Depending on caffeine tolerance, one person may feel the effects of coffee more than another. Over time, after drinking coffee more consistently, one becomes more tolerant to coffee and its effects (Drake, Victoria). But nutrition consultant Carol Chuang, worries that too much caffeine in anyone can affect the body in bad ways. When you drink coffee with caffeine, stress hormones are released by the body.

16 Carol Chuang compares the effect of consuming caffeine to someone under attack. If someone is being attacked by a tiger, when encountering danger, the body releases stress hormones; these are the same type of stress hormones released when you intake caffeine. If you are constantly consuming caffeine, your body is constantly being chased by a tiger and under stress. In Carol Chuang’s opinion, kids shouldn’t even be drinking coffee, and if they do, they shouldn’t be having more than half a cup because it strongly affects them.

With all these different ways that the caffeine in coffee can affect health, one may be wondering what more of the benefits are. Here is one interesting benefit that caffeine provides: a 50% reduction in the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Wendy R. Galpern of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that “when looking at Parkinson’s disease patients, they may be up to 4-8 times less likely to have been heavy coffee drinkers.”

Though she does admit, “it’s hard to know if this is just an association or if this is cause and effect,” because of the limited studies that have been done on this (“Coffee- Grounds for Concern?”). In this case, caffeine is what provides the benefit, not the coffee. Researchers are not certain why caffeine has this beneficial aspect, but they do know that it helps men even more than women. Women, too, can receive this benefit, but only those who do not use postmenopausal hormones, while women who do use post-menopausal hormones may have an increased risk. Dr. Alberto Ascherio, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, claims that for men, the risk of Parkinson’s can be cut by half (compared to those who do not drink) by simply consuming 150 milligrams a day, which is about the amount in an average cup of coffee (Foreman, Judy). This claim can be backed up by several studies done in 2003, which showed that drinking just one cup of coffee a day could reduce the risk of Parkinson’s by 50 %. One acknowledged reason for this preventative aspect of caffeine towards Parkinson’s may be because caffeine blocks the receptors for adenosine, “a neurotransmitter that plays a role in motor function” (Shute, Nancy).

One common worry that is now dispelled is that coffee can lead to cancer. Heavy coffee drinkers often have the bad habits of smoking cigarettes and low physical activity. For this reason, many previous studies done that show more health risks due to heavy coffee consumption, including risk of cancer, can be discounted (“Concerned About Coffee?”). It is widely known that cigarette smoking can cause lung, pancreatic, kidney and other types of cancers. While research was being (or trying to be) done on effects of coffee, what was actually concluded were probably the effects of smoking. There are, however, other reasons that have led some to think that drinking coffee can cause cancer. During experiments, it is shown inside the test tube that coffee damages DNA, and since DNA damage is linked to cancer, for so long, doctors were lead to think that coffee could cause cancer. The human body is different than a test tube; just because something was shown to have a certain result in a controlled environment like a test tube, does not mean that it will react the same way in our bodies since there are other components that must be accounted for in our bodies. Though DNA is damaged in a test tube, Dr. Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health explains, “that doesn’t mean that coffee causes cancer in people. Coffee also has high levels of components, called antioxidants, that protect DNA” (“Concerned About Coffee?”).

Coffee’s potent antioxidants are linked to providing many of the benefits coffee can produce. Interestingly enough, the roasting process increases the amount of antioxidants in the bean (Klos, Beth). You may actually be getting more antioxidants from your morning coffee than you thought; series of studies done in 2004 showed that “coffee was the single biggest contributor to total dietary intake of antioxidants” (Luttinger, Nina and Gregory Dicum). It is thought that this component of coffee may be what protects against liver cancer, gallstones and other types of cancers. Although most studies don’t find any correlation between coffee consumption and most cardiovascular diseases, in one particular study, findings suggest that drinking coffee can lead to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease due to the antioxidants. The Iowa Women’s Health Study followed 27,000 women, who were ages 55-69, for 15 years. The study found that those who drank 1-3 cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24% compared to those who didn’t drink any. This same study also showed that women who drank 1-5 cups of coffee a day, reduced their risk of any cause of death by 15-19% compared to those who didn’t drink any. The findings suggested that the antioxidants in coffee may be what help here because it “dampens inflammation” (Bakalar, Nicholas).

One common worry used to be that coffee can increase the risk of heart attack in those who are infrequent drinkers (“Is Coffee Bad for You?”). Doctors thought this because caffeine can raise blood pressure and heart rate, but for frequent coffee drinkers, Dr. Reis of NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, says, “In long-term studies, higher levels of caffeine have not led to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease” (“Concerned About Coffee?”). It is now believed that coffee may have a protective aspect towards stroke in women (Chuang, Carol).

One particular study published in the journal, Circulation, showed a 19% lower risk of stroke in women who drank 2-3 cups of coffee a day than those who drank almost no coffee. This study focused on 83,000 women who were followed for 24 years, and there was no shown risk reduction or harm in other cardiovascular diseases (Foreman, Judy). A national health survey which was reviewed by scientists at UCLA and USC, found that the more cups of coffee consumed, the less likely it was to be reported being diagnosed with a stroke. This survey collected data from

17 about 9,400 adults who were 40 years or older. Because both of these studies were observational, it cannot be concluded that coffee was the only important factor for reducing risk of stroke (Hitti, Miranda).

Researchers, doctors and studies all seem to agree that coffee reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. There has been the strongest research looking at the effect of coffee in preventing type 2 Diabetes, compared to research on other diseases. There have been more than 20 studies that have looked at this phenomenon in various populations and consistently there has been consensus that coffee helps prevent this health problem. It seems as though the more coffee you drink, the less your risk of type 2 Diabetes is. Dr. Rob M. Van Dam of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and his team found this exact thing: that it is heavy consumption that gives you the most protection against Diabetes. In their 2002 study, they reported that those who drank more than 7 cups of coffee a day had a 50% lower risk of type 2 Diabetes, than those who drank less than 2 cups (“Concerned About Coffee?”).

Although these findings are consistent, it is still unknown what exactly it is in coffee gives this protection. We do know that caffeine, in this case, is not the component that can provides the benefit since the same result of risk reduction was shown when drinking decaffeinated coffee. One possibility is that antioxidants in coffee help control cell damage which diabetes can develop from (Bakalar, Nicholas). Another is that coffee is a source of chlorogenic acid and trigonelline, which reduce the concentration and slows the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the intestines. It also stimulates GLP-1, which is a chemical that boosts insulin and guides sugar from the blood into cells. The reason may not be certain, but coffee, decaf and caffeinated, is a source of something that strongly helps prevent against type 2 Diabetes.

Just because heavy coffee consumption is linked to lower risks of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s, does not mean that it’s healthy to be drinking 6+ cups of coffee a day. Other risk factors have to be accounted for with heavy coffee consumption. Some coffees, like espresso, raise LDL (bad) cholesterol. If you drink a lot of espresso, French press, and other types of unfiltered coffee, your cholesterol may be raised because certain chemicals coffee contains.

Paper filtered coffee is a much better choice if one is a heavy drinker because the paper filter captures most of the oils with chemicals that raise cholesterol (“Concerned About Coffee?). For those who are non-drinkers or infrequent drinkers of coffee, caffeine may spike blood pressure. There have been a couple of studies showing a result in cardiac arrhythmias, but most studies show no link between the two.

With regular consumption, one becomes more tolerant towards caffeine and the effects of coffee. But at the same time, regular coffee drinkers can become easily addicted to the caffeine in coffee. Nutrition Consultant, Carol Chuang, says that by consuming anymore more than 100 mg of caffeine per day, which is almost the amount in a cup of coffee, one can become addicted to the substance. Addiction makes it difficult to get through the day without coffee, as one becomes more and more dependent on it. When trying to quit or lessen consumption, withdrawal symptoms such as, headaches, depression and irritability can occur, making it important to take it slowly and not go cold turkey.

This may make drinking coffee sound scary, but as long as you find yourself not becoming too dependent on it, coffee can affect you in good ways. Drinking coffee in moderation is the key to receiving the benefits and not the harmful effects coffee also has. The confusing part is that studies for Parkinson’s and type 2 Diabetes show heavy consumption key to holding the benefits. Although heavy consumption is linked to protecting against these diseases, the bad may outweigh the good when too dependent on coffee. This, however, can be different from person to person. Some people are much less affected by coffee than others. These people may be able to handle drinking five cups of coffee a day and receive the several benefits or coffee drinking. While on the other end of the spectrum, there are people who are very intolerant towards caffeine and feel negatively affected by coffee after drinking two or three cups. Drinking moderately still provides you with some risk reduction of these diseases, and not to mention, alertness and better performance done in tasks along with an overall mood elevation. As Donald Hensrud, chair of the division of preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, says “For most people [who] choose to drink coffee, the benefits probably outweigh the risks” (“Is Coffee Bad For You?”). So go ahead and enjoy your morning cup of Joe, or even couple cups of Joe, just make sure you keep it to moderate consumption and you’ll be enjoying the variety of benefits coffee brings to your health along with the delicious taste.

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“Passionate About Your Coffee? Me Too.” Harvard Health Commentaries. Aug. 2006. Health and Wellness Resource Center. Web. 21 Sept. 2009.

Shute, Nancy. “Over the Limit?” U.S. News and World Report LP, June 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.

19 Max Chao Craig Butz Research in the Community October 10, 2009 Plastic Pollutants Water pollution is one of the most important issues today. It is an ongoing situation that is killing and hurting the marine life and the bay. The waters in the Bay are being infected by pesticides and chemicals like mercury, other heavy metals, and etc. But the main and one of the most potent things entering the waters in the Bay is plastic. The plastics in the sea are harming animals and it is flowing into a spot in the Pacific Ocean. This spot is known as the “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This patch is a pacific gyre full of plastic and it will harm any marine creature that enters. We as a community need to take action, before the ocean is polluted by plastics.

Marine life and the bay are being affected by plastic bags in many ways. “Plastic bags, once ingested, cannot be digested or passed by an animal so it stays in the gut. Plastic in an animal's gut can prevent food digestion …As plastic bags can take up to. 1000 years to break down, once an animal dies and decays after ingesting plastic, the plastic is then freed back into the marine environment to carry on killing other wildlife” (“Effects on Wildlife”).

This means the biggest danger of plastic bags in the ocean is that the problem doesn’t go away after a certain amount of time. Additional plastic bags increase the rate of which wild life is destroyed per year. One example of how the plastic bags affect marine life is when studying turtles. A Marine Biologist named Kathy Townsend verifies that about forty percent of turtles that she has autopsied have plastics in their intestines. This is because the turtles mistake the plastics as food like jelly fish (Cook). This passage shows that humans are often unable to see the environment from the perspective of organisms that don’t understand our technologies. Also, when the marine animals consume the plastic, they get full, and they don’t get the nutrients they naturally need.

One reason why plastic bags are uniquely troublesome problem is the difficulty of cleaning them after they have been disposed in the ocean. According to the studies done by Charles Moore, plastics are photodegradable meaning it breaks into smaller and smaller particles with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Then they become molecules of plastic which is then impossible to digest, clean, and remove (Moore).

Even with those who are not concerned with the health of animal life, they should be involved with this issue because their health can also be affected. Charles Moore, a marine researcher, is worried about the potential dangers of the plastics affecting wildlife. Chemicals in the plastic can cause cancer in humans and other life forms.

This passage shows how personal and direct damage is to the environment and can be really damaging to your own health. “Pollutants also become more concentrated as animals eat other contaminated animals—which could be bad news for us, the animals at the top of the food chain” (Barry). This passage states how that animals that contain the toxins, will be spread to other creatures if not taken care of.

The problem isn’t brand new, to show the current situation of pollutants in the ocean, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is a good case study. Many scientists believe that the patch was approximately double the size of Texas, but now some say that it is almost as big as the United States (Hurrell). It contains 3.5 million tons of trash which includes toys, bags, shoes, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles. There are too many to be sure. Even with all this garbage in there, no one is making a move to clean it all up. The waste in the Garbage is mostly plastic that is not biodegradable. The way the plastic gathers at the patch is by the winds and waves that direct all the debris and material towards the patch (“Stop Trashing The Ocean”). The waves are spiraling ocean currents, which can make the garbage flow into one spot (Tejpar). Many animals, including birds are dying because of this. They are starving and dehydrating because of plastic debris in their stomach (“Stop Trashing The Ocean”). “Anything that floats, no matter where it comes from on the north Pacific Rim or ocean, ends up here, sometimes after drifting around the periphery for 12 years or more” (Moore). At least fifty to eighty percentage of trash enters the ocean by land. In the year 2008, an organization collected at least seven million pieces of trash on the coastline and two hundred fifty thousand pounds of debris in the ocean. Humans have briefly in its history started consuming plastics as a common consuming product. In this short amount of time, we created something of this enormous magnitude. If we don’t control this situation, there may soon be no habitable place in the ocean for wildlife.

The effects of plastics are not just affecting the marine life and other animals, but they are also affecting us.

The plastic pollution is effecting and poisoning human health is many ways. Plastics can extract toxic chemicals at high levels, and fragments of the plastic break down into such a size that marine animals and organisms mistake the plastic as food. Because they accidentally eat the debris, the toxins may be released into their body and may be passed up by the food web, which can potentially reach our dinner plates contaminating our bodies and giving us plastic poisoning (“Plastic Pollution”). The passage is a justification regarding how plastic pollution is poisoning humans. We need to take control of this circumstance or else soon more and more people will be poisoned by the food we eat.

20 One important factor to know about is what people are doing to reduce plastic pollution.

Currently, the Save the Bay organization is trying to ban the makings of plastic bags. “Save The Bay is fighting to dramatically reduce plastic bag litter in the Bay and ocean by advocating for legislation that stops the distribution of plastic and paper bags in the Bay Area and the entire state of California. Save The Bay is mobilizing tens of thousands of Bay Area residents to stand up to the plastics industry by supporting strong policies that will require the community to switch to reusable bags” (“About the Campaign”). Save the Bay organization is taking action in trying to reduce the pollution of plastics. Furthermore, Save the Bay initiated The Bay vs. The Bag which was to dramatically try to reduce the amount of usage of plastic and paper bags. Save the Bay is currently working on trying to require a 25 cent fee on all paper and plastic bags (Brones). Because of this, the state requires you to bring a reusable bag to, so you don’t have to pay an extra 25 cents.

A problem that Save the Bay has to deal with is the American Chemistry Council. The American Chemistry Council is an organization that is a top trade association representing North American chemical manufacturers. The American Plastic Council which deals with signifying the plastic industry has merged with the ACC (American Chemistry Council) in the year 2002 (“American Chemistry Council”). Because of this, the ACC has been defending the ban of plastic bags, which causes trouble for the Save the Bay foundation.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch connects with the San Francisco Bay in many ways. Currently, during the time of September 2nd, 2009, scientists who have returned from their pacific patch mission took about a hundred water samples linking San Francisco and the Farallon Islands. Each of all the water test samples had minuscule bits of plastic floating in it (Rogers). This is a major problem because now plastic fragments are entering into the S.F bay. Because of this, the people, marine life, and other animals in San Francisco are at jeopardy of plastic poisoning.

Plastic Pollution is a great deal and it needs to be dealt with. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an extreme example of how much waste we throw into the ocean. Plastic is a deadly item that is capable of killing. The marine and other animal life and most importantly the people are being affected by the poisons of plastic. We as a community need to take action before we poison all the waters with plastic and make the waters an inhabitable place for the marine creatures.

Works Cited “About the Campaign.” Bay Issues. Save the Bay, 2008. Web. 25 Sept. 2009 “American Chemistry Council.” Source Watch Encyclopedia. CMD, No Date. Web. 22 October 2009 Barry, Carolyn. “Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All -- And Fast.” National Geographic News. National Geographic Society, 20 August. 2009. Web. 2 Oct. 2009 Brones, Anna. “The Bay vs. The Bag: Reducing Plastic Bag Pollution in San Francisco.” Wendmag. WEND, 14 April. 2009. Web. 2 Oct. 2009 Cook, Michelle. “Wildlife Have Had a Gutful of Plastic Bags.” Plastic Bag Reduction.

PlanetArc, 3 May 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2009 “Effect on Wildlife.” Plastic Bag Reduction. PlanetArk, 2009.

Web. 23 Sept. 2009 Hurrell, Stephen. “New Study Into Plastic Island that is Devastating Ocean Life.” Click Green. Click Creative, 31 July 2009. Web. 9 Nov. 2009 Mayntz, Melissa. “Types of Pollution.” Green Living. LoveToKnow Corp, 25 January 2009. Web. 19 Sept. 2009 Moore, Charles. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Mindfully.org. Mindfully, No date.

Web. 29 Sept. 2009 “Nonpoint Source Program.” San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. California Environmental Protection Agency, 2007. Web. 15 Oct. 2009 Rogers, Paul. “'Pacific Garbage Patch' expedition finds plastic, plastic everywhere.” Mercury News. San Jose Mercury News, 2 Sept 2009. Web. 22 Oct. 2009 “Plastic Marine Debris: What We Know.” Marine Debris. NOAA Marine Debris Program, No Date. Web. 7 Oct. 2009 “Plastic Pollutions in our Oceans.” WaveMakers. Oceana, 2009.

Web. 10 Oct. 2009 “Stop Trashing the Ocean.” The Great Garbage Patch. Sea Studios Foundations, 2009.

Web. 18 Oct. 2009 “Volunteer.” Get Involved. Save the Bay, 2008. Web. 20 Sept. 2009 “Water Pollution Prevention.” San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. SF Gov, No Date Web. 17 Sept. 2009 Zito, Kelly. “Bay Area Beach Water Pollution.” SF Gate San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc., 30 July. 2009. Web. 23 Sept. 2009

21 Jesse Greenfield Craig Butz Research in the Community 22 October 2009 The Conflict of Sharp Park The conflict of Sharp Park started about five years ago when a biological group called the Center for Biological Diversity sued the city of San Francisco over the issue that one of its city courses, Sharp Park, is killing a rare species of snake and a rare species of frog. The rare species of snake is the San Francisco Garter Snake, a snake that is famous for its vibrant colors. The frog is called the Red-Legged Frog; it is the main prey of the San Francisco Garter Snake. In addition, the environmentalists make an excellent point that not only is the course killing the two rare animals but it is also a financial burden losing $30,000 to $300,000 a year. On the opposite side of the argument, golfers are trying to protect the course stating that it is an historical monument created by one of the most famous golf course designers in the world, Alister Mackenzie. Even though Sharp Park was originally designed by Alister Mackenzie the City of San Francisco should close the golf course due to the killing of two rare species of animal and the financial mess that the course is in.

The conflict has been raging on ever since the filing of the suit against San Francisco by the Center for Biological Diversity. There have been numerous meetings of the San Francisco City Council debating on whether or not Sharp Park is worth the burden to keep open. The most important vote so far is one that involves Sharp Park and the snake and the frog. It states that the course will be charged $1,000 for each dead snake or frog found on the premises. This new notion still did not please the environmentalists because the course can still kill the frog and the snake and not be severely punished by San Francisco. The golfers were also upset since the frog and the snake would never have been at Sharp Park is it was not for the golf course. Before the golf course was built Sharp Park was mostly sand dunes with some wetlands then when Sharp Park was built the wetlands were naturally expanded due to the a lot more water tht was being used by the course. The golf course made the new habitat very desirable for these two species so they moved in. So far Sharp Park has been watched under a very careful eye of San Francisco and its residents. There has been a compromise plan which consists of turning Sharp Park Golf Course into a small 9-hole course (instead of its original 18) and using part of the land for the frog and the snake, yet these talks have died down since neither side wants to compromise.

A main supporter of restoring Sharp Park is actually Brent Plater a golfer who contends that if Sharp Park closes golf will become much better in the Bay Area. He is a lawyer for an organization called Wild Equity Institute.

Plater’s idea is to sell the land to a wetlands restoration group for about $750,000 an acre. There is over 200 acres of land in Sharp Park so if San Francisco sold all of the land they would make a gross profit of $150 million dollars.

Plater explains, “We could sell the land for at least $750,000 to private wetlands restoration groups and make a gross profit of $150 million and the total profit would be close to $145 million ”. The reason San Francisco would sell Sharp Park is because Sharp Park is violating the Wetlands Mitigation Act, a federal law that states if you destroy an acre of wetlands you must build an acre of wetlands to make sure wetlands do not disappear due to expansion of cities and buildings. Plater also said that the sale would benefit the other city courses such as Lincoln and the newly restored Harding Park. Since San Francisco spends so much money on just keeping Sharp Park open they are neglecting other city courses. So if Sharp Park closed they would no longer have to keep on funding this toxic asset but rather take the money from funding it and part of the $150 million from selling Sharp Park to renovating the beautiful but not well groomed Lincoln Golf Course into a premier golf course in the Bay Area.

One point that golfers have in this argument is that golf is in demand and it is growing as a sport. In fact golf is growing rapidly not only in the United States but all over the world (Golf Magazine). There are over 7.5 million people in the Bay Area, and there are not enough courses in the Bay Area to satisfy the need.

Environmentalists do not understand the views of the golfers and state false evidence such as it costs $100 dollars to play Sharp Park while it really costs $10 for residents of San Francisco and juniors (SaveSharpPark.org). They also say golf is an elitist sport that only rich white men can play yet the number one golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, is black and grew up in a middle class family in Southern California. Golfers are frustrated since many of their favorite courses have been closing due to the financial crisis. Many golfers consider Sharp Park to be a little part of them because they have friends that work there or they play there every week. They consider this a historical landmark designed by the most famous golf designer, Alister Mackenzie, who created such classic venues like Cypress Golf Course and Augusta National where the PGA Tour plays their most famous event, The Masters.

Sharp Park was built in 1932. The project was originally started in 1929, though the grand opening was delayed due to “moist conditions”. The grand opening was open to the public and more than 400 golfers played. The course was very difficult to build since the natural land was wetlands so almost all of the land for the course was dredged and filled to provide dry land. Also Mackenzie wanted an oceanside links-style course which was most

22 desirable for a golf course in those times. What Mackenzie did destroyed the natural barrier between the wetlands and the Pacific Ocean (SaveSharpPark.org). Then after he destroyed the wall, he built 7 ocean holes. The destruction of the course came with great consequences. In 1938 the course flooded and it took months to restore Sharp Park from all the water damage. After the flood the United States Government put up an artificial levee 30 feet high to protect the course from flooding. This levee has caused many problems since it was built because the wetlands were draining to the Pacific Ocean and the levee blocked one of the wetlands main streams from moving water to the Pacific Ocean. This caused the streams to overflow resulting in the naturally soggy conditions of the course today.

Then in the late 1950’s Highway 1 was expanded and by the early 1960’s the highway was finished and the highway split Sharp Park in to two separate sections (SharpParkGC.com). When the highway came, the course was redesigned so that the configuration would coexist with the highway. The environmentalist argument is that, yes, Sharp Park was designed by the famous golf designer Alister Mackenzie but it has been redesigned so many times that it is no longer considered his course. The course is famously known as “poor man’s Pebble Beach” because of its spectacular views at an extremely low cost of just $24 dollars for a non-resident (Sharpparkgc.org). The course is also known for the extreme crowds of loyal fans it attracts. It is not uncommon to see all tee times disappear in a matter of minutes. The people that play there are from all races and economic classes not just rich white men as the environmentalists claim. Golfers say that golf will be more expensive if Sharp Park closes because the demand is growing for golf and there are not sufficient golf courses. One would agree that this would be non-beneficial for the game of golf since nobody could play due to the high costs of playing the courses so golf would eventually disappear in the Bay Area.

Not all environmentalists care about the game of golf. They think that golf is an elitist sport that middle class people never will be able to play because it will be too expensive in these tough economic times. The golfer’s argument is that the environmentalists are just making the problem of golf being too expensive worse since Sharp Park is one of the cheapest golf courses in the Bay Area, though the environmentalists make a good point that golf in San Francisco is not a popular activity coming 17th out of 20th in a survey in 2007 while the number one demand was more hiking and biking trails (Plater). If Sharp Park was restored it could be converted into a national park with more hiking and biking trails with easy access for San Franciscans. This is generally supported by the San Francisco City Council except the plan does have some general problems. Since Sharp Park would become a national park, the current economic state of our country would be an issue. Moreover many economists say this would not benefit the city because we would not be selling the land to the private wetlands restoration group/s, rather the city would just give the land to the federal government and let them handle the specifics.

This would mean San Francisco would not get the $150 million which the city needs to deal with its massive debt. The creation of a national park would be beneficial to San Franciscans, however they might not get the economic benefits of selling Sharp Park but San Franciscans would definitely get the benefits of a national park.

They would be able to hike and bike throughout the 200 acres of Sharp Park and the frog and the snake would be safe from potential extinction from the golf course. Another great aspect of having Sharp Park turned into a national park is San Franciscans would not have to worry about the funding of the park since it would be federally owned.

The benefits of a national park would outweigh the potential drawbacks of turning Sharp Park into a national park.

If Sharp Park were to stay, rates would have to rise considerably. The rates would probably skyrocket to over $100 because in order to keep Sharp Park for an extended period of time without going bankrupt they would need to be independent from city funding (SaveSharpPark.org). This however, would give people the image that golf is an elitist sport where you have to buy clubs for hundreds of dollars and to play a run-down municipal course for over $100. This would be the only way to save Sharp Park in its entirety but it is definitely not a popular notion.

Most golfers that play Sharp Park play because of its extremely low rates especially for residents. These are the middle-class families who still enjoy the sport and do not have to spend a fortune on playing golf. The suggestion of raising the price $10 has angered these people but it would help Sharp Park immensely as it would be able to stop losing so much money that could be used for improving other places in the city. If San Francisco kept this course it would be very difficult if not impossible to make money off Sharp Park or at least not lose so much money that the golf fund for San Francisco is taking money from the parks fund so the golf courses can stay in business. The only logical way to keep the course is by raising rates which most people do not support.

There also has been talking about moving Sharp Park to another location where the snake and the frog are not present and the location is similar to Sharp Park. This could work though it would be exorbitantly expensive since the purchase of the land and the design of the course would cost at minimum tens of millions of dollars. It seems that the only solution if the city wanted to keep Sharp Park is to raise rates whether people like the notion or not.

There would be more benefits to closing Sharp Park other than the potential money San Francisco could gain. It could also benefit more San Franciscans than the golf course would. The clubhouse for the golf course could

23 be turned into a visitor center and the wetlands would be restored to their natural state. There also could be a small farm where local organic food could be grown and sold to the public for cheaper prices than organic food at the supermarket. This is a great idea but how much could it affect the community around San Francisco since the course is in Pacifica? The land could sell for at least $750,000 an acre to even $3 million dollars in a non-recessionary market. Do San Franciscans really want to use $750,000 an acre land as farm land?

The idea of turning Sharp Park into a eco-farm would be beneficial if the land was cheaper but from an economic point of view the city of San Francisco should sell the land for as much as they can get and get rid of the toxic asset that it currently draining money from an already in debt San Francisco. This idea is good but it would not affect many people and would be somewhat a waste of money for perfectly good valuable land.

If San Francisco could afford Sharp Park they should keep it because it is one of the lowest if not lowest priced golf courses in San Francisco, but there is a recession and the city can simply not afford to maintain a golf course that is not making any money and definitely not one that is losing money. Selling the wetlands to the highest bidder seems to be the best option for Sharp Park since it is so dependent on the city’s funding. The $150 million dollars could be better utilized for better healthcare for San Franciscans or improved public transportation something that could benefit all, not just the few who play Sharp Park. The golfers will also get the upside of seeing other San Francisco municipal courses improved due to more funding if the city sells Sharp Park. Even the national park idea benefits everybody because San Franciscans would get their demands met of having more hiking and biking trails if Sharp Park is converted into a national park. In general Sharp Park needs to be closed because the ecological and economic gains would not only benefit the general public but also the golfers who would see increased quality in municipal courses.

Works Cited Arietta, Barbara. “Future of Sharp Park topic of local meeting”. Pacifica Tribune, September 3, 2009. Web. September 17, 2009.

“Conflict brews over closing Sharp Park Golf Course to protect an endangered species.”Golfers and Environmentalists. Wordpress, September 8, 2009. Web. September 21, 2009.

King, John. “Fight continues over fate of Sharp Park course.” San Francisco Chronicle, August 31, 2009 Web. September 14, 2009 King, Ken. "Letter: Contrary to Claims, Sharp Park is economically viable." The Coastsider. May 1, 2009. Web. September 22, 2009.

“The Future of Sharp Park: Total Eco-Wonderland.” Out and Back .March 26, 2009 . Web. September 21,2009.

Quiroga, Greg. "Sharp Park Golf Course Seems Set to Close." Examiner National, November 7, 2008. Web. September 14, 2009.

Sampson, Curt. "Environmentalists and golfers square off over future of Sharp Park.".Golf Magazine, May 5 2009.

Web. September 14, 2009 “Sharp Park Golf Course: A Case Study of Hubris & Insolvency”. SaveSharpPark.org. N/A. Web. “Sharp Park Images and Thoughts.” Geoff Shackelford. July 21, 2009. Web. September 22, 2009.

“The Case for Restoring Sharp Park.” Pacific Riptide. N/A. Web. September 21, 2009.

“The RPD Frog & Snake Extinction Plan Update .”SF Natural Areas. October 22, 2008. Web. September 22, 2009.

Wuerfel , Nancy. "The Case for Keeping Sharp Park." San Francisco Chronicle. September 15, 2009. Web. September 21, 2009.

24 Kathryn Hobart Craig Butz Research in the Community T1 22 October 2009 Your Librarian Wasn’t Kidding: Reasons to Read In this age of digital media, what is the need for paper books when the answers to your questions are just a mouse click away? Why bother carrying a book when you can be just as entertained by the movie on your iPod? In short, why read? Because reading is good for you, and besides, it’s fun. Reading is important not just because it is a method of transmitting information. Reading is a source of skills that are incredibly useful, if not essential, both in school as well as out in the real world.

Reading has a positive effect on children’s grades. According to a study on the reciprocal effects of reading

by Anne E. Cunningham, associate professor of UC Berkeley’s Department of Education, in first grade, measures of reading ability – such as word recognition, decoding, and comprehension – predicted 11th grade reading volume.

This means that the better a child was at word recognition, decoding, and comprehension in first grade, the more they read as juniors in high school. Therefore, innate intelligence is not the only predictor of future grades, an early start at reading can give a child the extra boost they need to succeed. But why?

Cunningham states that reading is linked to general language skills and more advanced writing skills and sentence structures. She hypothesizes that there are benefits one gets only from reading. She cites the statistical distribution of words – their frequency of appearance in a type of media – as a theoretical reason to read. Average intelligent adult conversation has an average of 17.3 “rare” words out of 1000 – words that occur at least 10,000 times less than “the,” which is the #1 most common word. For example, the 9,000th most common word in the English language is “shrimp.” Rare words occur at least 1,000 times less than shrimp. Now think about how often you use shrimp in your daily vocabulary. It really isn’t that often that people use the word “shrimp” in their day-today communication, so having 17.9 rare words per 1000 sounds like a lot. However, children’s books have an average of 30.9 rare words per 1000 – almost twice as many as intelligent adult speech (Cunningham). This means that children who read would be exposed to nearly twice as many rare words than they ordinarily would through listening to people speak. This in turn would equal an increase in vocabulary exposure of the child, and therefore cause an increase in comprehension of both the written word as well as common speech. Children who read books are also likely to learn more about spelling and grammar through reading, since they are exposed to all these new words.

Reading and exposure to words can also help students spell better. According to Stephen Krashen, emeritus professor of education at the University of Southern California, “language is too complex to be learned a rule at a time” (Krashen 19). People who are fluent in a language have absorbed the complex grammatical uses and nuanced meanings of many words. Studying all these would be nearly impossible and certainly unrealistic, so Krashen argues that reading is an effective method of gaining literacy development without instruction. A study he did concluded that spelling instruction actually does very little, since many children are able to spell most words with accuracy before they are taught. He states, “Spelling instruction, when it works, may only succeed in helping children learn to spell words they would have learned on their own anyway” (Krashen 27). Children, however, can only spell a word that they know. So how are children exposed to all these new words? Evidence shows that reading also increases vocabulary.

Reading increases vocabulary. Many studies that show the benefits of reading in this way use a read and test method. This is a study in which test subjects read a passage containing unfamiliar words in context. After finishing the passage, the subjects are tested on their acquisition of some or all of the meanings of the new words. A study performed by University of Illinois researchers (Nagy, Herman, and Anderson; Nagy, Anderson, and Herman) showed that elementary and middle school students gain a small, but consistent, increase in word knowledge.

Although it may not seem like much, students who read regularly can significantly increase their vocabularies just by reading. Nagy et al. predict that, “Even by conservative estimates, students learn upwards of 600 words per year” (Nagy et al., 234) and not all of them can come from direct teaching. However, some contexts give better clues than others do. According to Beck, McKeown, and McCaslin, 61 percent of contexts found in elementary and middle school readers were helpful in acquiring new vocabulary, while 31 percent were not helpful, and 8 percent pointed to the wrong meaning. Even though 39 percent of contexts in which new words are found are unhelpful and rarely obstructive, students will eventually encounter the right meaning of many words. The few words that will need to be looked up in a dictionary or end up being completely wrong are a small minority compared to the large amount of new vocabulary successfully acquired. If reading increases vocabulary by helping people learn new words in context, then it makes sense that reading also helps people learn new sentence structures and how better to get ideas across through writing.

25 People who read more write better. Because the actual amount of writing done by the average elementary student is low, it would be impossible to learn all the writing skills just by writing, and if the writing skills turn out to be wrong, extended writing practice might reinforce the wrong writing skills. Stephen Krashen concludes, “writing styles is not consciously learned but is largely absorbed, or subconsciously acquired, from reading” (Krashen 133). According to a study on the relationship between reading and writing by Stanford professors Langer and Applebee, “the majority of school tasks require recitation of previous learning, in which the student has little room to claim ownership for what was being written or read” (Langer and Applebee 186). According to their study, which asked students how many essays they had written over six weeks of school, only 18.6 percent of fourth graders wrote more than ten essays in the six weeks, and only 7.8 percent of eleventh graders wrote more than ten essays in six weeks. These students did not write much out of school, either. The 11th graders did the most out of school writing, but only 17.4 percent kept diaries (Langer and Applebee). Krashen states, “Language acquisition comes from input, not output, from comprehension, not production. Thus, if you write a page a day, you writing style or your command of mechanics will not improve” (Krashen 136). After all, learning about appositive phrases is boring, and most people, even after they did a unit on grammar, don’t remember what an appositive phrase is, or how to use it if you asked. Most people, however, can use appositive phrases in writing without even thinking about it, because they have learned about their usage on a deeper level. Additionally, if you are told to use an appositive phrase in your writing assignment, but have no idea what that is, you can’t learn how to use it just by writing.

Krashen states, “People with large vocabularies and good writing ability do not generally claim to have developed them through study” (Krashen 20). People hardly ever cite their 4th grade spelling list as a reason for their large vocabulary, or their 9th grade in-class essays as a reason for their skill at writing. Most people gradually gain vocabulary and writing skill and style through exposure. Reading good works of literature, presumably with different sentence structures, can help improve writing because the reader absorbs the writing styles of the book.

Although books can improve grades and make people speak and write with skill, that is usually not the reason why people read. Very few people read with the intention of increasing vocabulary or learning to write better. People generally read because reading is fun and they find the subject in the book interesting. According to an interview with the Ross School librarian, Suzannah Barbour, “One of the really important things about reading is that I see it as a reward – I see it as sort of a highlight of my day, and I love to get my work done so that then I can lie down on my hammock and read or lie down on the couch… It’s a huge sort of relaxing thing.” Reading can relax a person. People often read to escape something that is happening in the real world. This is important because, for me at least, sometimes I need to get away from the real world and, through reading, I get to be someone else for a while, and I don’t have to think about whatever I needed to get away from in the first place. While reading alone can be relaxing, reading also brings people together. Regardless of what type of reading material you choose, be it a fiction novel or the economy section of the newspaper, the reader is developing a connection – generally one sided – with the author, in the case of non-fiction, or the main character in a fiction book. Through books, people can learn about a time period, a historical figure, or even go on adventures in space. The likelihood that a reader is actually a swashbuckling pirate, an elf, or a talking small animal is very low, but anyone who reads books with pirates, elves, or talking animals in them develops a connection with the characters and is dragged along for the ride through the adventures experienced by the characters. Unless you have a time machine hidden in your basement somewhere, you can’t go talk to any famous figures of history – such as Queen Elizabeth – but if you read a historical fiction or nonfiction book about the famous queen, you can still get a sense of what she was like. Anyone who has had a book read aloud to them knows that there is a connection between the person reading aloud and the listeners. Books can bring people together in other ways too. Book groups bring people together on the basis that, while they may be very different people, they have all read and are ready to discuss a book. Often, what determines if people find reading fun is their initial experience reading. If a child is introduced to reading through a book that is far too hard for them, they probably won’t continue to read as much as a child who is introduced to reading through a book that is really interesting and they can actually read.

If reading is fun and good for you, why don’t more people read? One reason could be access to books.

According to a study by C.Y. Lao, in an article in the New Mexico Journal of Reading, teachers who described themselves as “reluctant readers” as children said that they grew up without access to many sources of literature.

The teachers who described themselves as “enthusiastic early readers” said that they grew up surrounded by literature. Her study showed that children who have access to books read more. One of Lao’s subjects, an “enthusiastic” reader, reported that although her family did not have many books at home, her family got books from the public and school libraries (Lao.). A study on the differences between in school and out of school reading

by Jo Worthy showed that students who “hate to read” often have little access to interesting reading material.

Additionally, in-school reading books often bore children because they have to read for certain aspects or themes in the book, and teacher-led discussions have them answer the questions that the teacher wanted rather than what the

26 kids really wanted to discuss. In fact, all the students studied that were considered “reluctant readers” by their teachers were enthusiastic about many other kinds of reading (Worthy). In other words, if kids don’t find the book they are reading fun or interesting, or they don’t have access to books that they will like, they won’t read.

Access to interesting reading material isn’t necessarily about the kids. Oftentimes, low-income families and families living in low-income neighborhoods have far fewer places to find interesting books. A study by Neuman and Celano in 2001 looked at the differences between high-income and low-income print environments.

They found that there were more places to buy books in the high-income neighborhoods. Within these booksellers, the higher-income neighborhoods’ shops had more young adult reading materials, and, “high-income children have 4,000 times the number” of children’s and young adult books available. The high-income communities’ public libraries had a better reading environment, better staff, and were open later than the low-income communities’ libraries. In addition, there were more places to read – such as coffee shops and parks– in the high-income neighborhoods where children were more likely to see adults reading. According to their study, “children from middle-income neighborhoods were likely to be deluged with a wide variety of reading materials. However, children from poor neighborhoods would have to aggressively and persistently seek them out” (Neuman and Celano 15). Therefore, kids from better neighborhoods have more access to books; they also have access to a larger number of books on interesting subjects.

Neuman and Celano found that kids from low-income families generally got their literature from the drug store. The only widely available literature appealing to children at a drug store would be the comic book. Comic books, far from being considered trash, are actually a viable source of literature, especially if no other is available.

Current comics average about 2,000 words per issue. Assuming a child is able to acquire and read a comic a day, the child would read over half a million words a year (Neuman and Celano). That, according to Stephen Krashen, is about half the average reading volume of middle-class children. Comic book reading is at least as beneficial as other reading. Reading only comic books will likely cause a child to develop adequate, although not advanced, competence in language and literacy (Krashen 107). Neuman and Celano’s study also showed that low-income heavy comic book readers read more than the occasional and non-comic reading middle class boys did. In addition, reading comic books can help develop the skills and interest necessary to read bigger books. If there is no access to interesting books when the kids need them, then they could never learn to read for pleasure. And comic books are that available reading material that will expose children to reading.

And what about television? Is TV really the mindless brain-melting time waster it is made out to be? As long as the amount of television viewing isn’t excessive, TV, while less beneficial than reading, still has some benefits. Stephen Krashen believes that television can actually be beneficial for students, as long as it is established in a household and viewing isn’t excessive. According to Stephen Krashen, “when television is new, it can displace reading. When it is more established, it does not” (Krashen 141). In other words, introducing television into a household decreases the amount of reading the people in the household do. However, if television is already established in a household, regardless of whether the people consider themselves light or heavy TV watchers, reading remains the same. However, people without TV or who do not watch TV read more than either types of TV viewers. Additionally, the TV viewers did not read material of any less substance than the non-TV viewers did.

(Krashen 140-143). Some studies, such as one by Himmelweit et al. in 1958, have found that children are more likely to read a book that they saw produced into a television show, or they hear about or see on television. In that sense, children may actually read more because of watching a TV show that features a particular book. In terms of vocabulary, Anne E. Cunningham’s study showed that popular children’s shows had 20.2 rare words per 1000, only a bit more than educated adult speech (17.3 rare words per 1000), while cartoons had 30.8 rare words per 1000, about the same as a children’s book, around 30.9 rare words. (Cunningham 3). Television isn’t any better than reading, for kids at least, solely from a vocabulary standpoint. Kids who read will ultimately learn more vocabulary, but watching TV will cause a larger increase in vocabulary than just listening to adult speech. However, popular adult TV shows are far worse, with an average of 22.7 rare words per 1000. Krashen states, “the overall impact of television is negative, but slight. In fact, it is hardly detectable” (144). School-related achievement actually increases (slightly) with moderate amounts of TV watching, although it rapidly begins to decrease after the time spent becomes excessive. Krashen states that there is some evidence that TV is worse for older students, although the outcome mainly depends on the type of shows, since adult dramas have less vocabulary than cartoons. If television viewing isn’t excessive, and the person in question still reads a lot, it can actually be good for that person.

However, reading is still better, and books don’t require electricity.

Reading is important not only because is it enjoyable, it is a source of skills that are useful both in school as well as in life beyond. Children who read will develop at least adequate literacy levels, and one of the major requirements for an effective democratic society, like ours in the U.S., requires its population to be literate. Reading brings people together, both across time and space, as well as in communities. For me, reading was never about

27 learning new vocabulary, or learning how to spell or write. Reading has always been about fun. I’m not quite sure when I learned how to read. But I love to read, and I read a lot. The added benefits of reading, to me at least, are secondary compared to the joy of reading.

Works Cited Barbour, Suzannah. Personal Interview. 28 September 2009.

Beck, Isabel L, Margaret G McKeown, and Ellen S. McCaslin. “Vocabulary Development: All Contexts are Not Created Equal.” The Elementary School Journal 83.3 (1983) 177-181. Jstor. Web. Brockenbrough, Martha. “What Effect Reading Has on Our Minds.” Parent Resources. Msn.com, No Date. Web. 21 September 2009.

Burgess, Jacqueline Richburg. “Modifying Independent Leisure Reading Habits at Home.” The Reading Teacher 38.9 (1985):845-848. Jstor. Web. Cunningham, Anne E. and Keith E. Stanovich. “What Reading Does for the Mind.” American Educator/American Federation of Teachers. Spring/Summer (1998): 1-8. www.aft.org. Web. “The Effects of Independent Reading on Reading Achievement.” www.eduplace.com. Houghton Mifflin Co, 1997.

Web. 22 September 2009 Guthrie, John T. et al. “Relationships of Instruction to Amount of Reading: An Exploration of Social Cognitive, and Instructional Connections.” Reading Research Quarterly 30.1 (1995): 8-25. Jstor. Web. Himmelweit, Hilde T., et al. “Television and the Child; An Empirical Study of the Effect of Television on the Young.” Television Information Office. Nuffield Foundation, 1958. Web. 9 October 2009.

Howard, Donald E. “The power of reading: reading and companionship.(LIFE).” World and I 21.5 (May 2006):n/a.

General OneFile. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.

Howard, Donald E. “The power of reading: reading and freedom.(LIFE).” World and I 21.6 (June 2006):n/a.

General OneFile. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.

Howard, Donald E. “The power of reading: reading and inspiration. (LIFE).” World and I 21.4 (April 2006): n/a.

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Howard, Donald E. "The power of reading: reading and society.(LIFE)." World and I 21.8 (August 2006): n/a. General OneFile. Web. 22 Sept. 2009 Koolstra, Cees M. et al. “Television’s Impact on Children’s Reading Comprehension and Decoding Skills: A 3-Year Panel Study.” Reading Research Quarterly 32.2 (1997): 128-152. Jstor. Web. Krashen, Stephen D. The Power of Reading. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. Print.

Langer, Judith A., and Arthur N. Applebee. “Reading and Writing Instruction: Toward a Theory of Teaching and Learning.” Review of Research in Education 13 (1986) 171-194. Jstor. Web. Lao, C.Y. “Prospective teachers’ journey to becoming readers.” nmsu.edu. New Mexico Journal of Reading, 2003.

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Libers, Abagail. “Read ‘Em And Reap (them, health benefits of book reading).” Self 31.5 (2009): 118. Gale. Web. “Libraries are Good for You.” American Libraries 31.1 (Jan 2000): 32. General OneFile. Web. McQuillan, Jeff. “Seven Myths about Literacy in the United States.” PAREonline.net. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation: a peer reviewed electronic journal, 1998. Web. 11 October 2009.

Nagy, William E, Richard C. Anderson and Patricia A. Herman. “Learning Word Meanings from Context During Normal Reading.” American Educational Research Journal 24.2 (1987): 237-270. Jstor. Web. Nagy, William E, Patricia A. Herman, and Richard C. Anderson. “Learning Words from Context.” Reading Research Quarterly 20.2 (1985) 233-253. Jstor. Web. Nell, Victor. “The Psychology of Reading for Pleasure: Needs and Gratifications.” Reading Research Quarterly 23.1(1988):6-50. Jstor. Web. Neuman, Susan B. and Donna Celano. “Access to Print in Low-Income and Middle-Income Communities: An Ecological Study of Four Neighborhoods.” Reading Research Quarterly 36.1 (2001): 8-26. Jstor. Web. Oak, Manali. “Why is Reading Important?” Buzzle.com: Intelligent Life on the Web. Buzzle.com, 16 June 2008.

Web. 21 September 2009.

Worthy, Jo. “‘On Every Page Someone Gets Killed!’ Book Conversations You Don’t Hear in School.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 41.7 (1998): 508-517. Jstor. Web.

28 Chloe Kissane Craig Butz Research in the Community 3 October 2009 Let’s Get Physical In the United States, only 36% of high school students are receiving the recommended amount of physical activity. Physical activity is beneficial to a student; they need physical activity in order to be a successful student and to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. This requires a balance between both academic pursuits and physical activity. Physical activity has a significant impact on a student’s grades and their ability to learn in the classroom.

The primary reasons for schools reducing or entirely eliminating physical education is due to financial constraints and the pressure for students to improve on standardized test scores. Many schools do not have enough money for funding physical education. Instead, they focus on spending most of their money on academics. The school officials view classroom time to be more effective then physical education (Trost). Research has shown that physical activity not only benefits a student physically, but is also an important factor for a student’s academic, social, and spiritual fulfillment.

Some school officials think that having a student participate in physical activity does not affect a student’s grades and therefore has a negative or no impact on their academic achievement. They think it is a waste of time and money. However, many studies have been conducted about this issue and have discovered that physical activity does have a positive affect on a student’s ability to learn and concentrate in the classroom. Researchers have found a direct relationship between physical activity and its positive influence on a student’s academic achievement. There are many benefits when performing physical activity.

Physical Benefits: Across the United States, students are not receiving enough physical activity and this has contributed to a large portion of them being diagnosed with obesity. According to WebMD, “Much of the increase in obesity in the last 20 years is thought to have resulted from the decreased level of daily physical activity” (Obesity). The graph below indicates how obesity has steadily increased over the past forty years in children and adolescents. This graph shows that obesity has increased exponentially over the past forty years and will continue to become a bigger problem among children if one does not educate them about health and nutrition. Obesity is a serious medical condition that can lead to other life threatening diseases. The definition of someone being obese, according to the Mayo Clinic is, “it means [a person] has too much excess body fat.” Obesity is caused by insufficient exercise and improper nutrition. A person is considered to be obese if there Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 or greater. A BMI measures the relationship between a person’s weight and height. A person is considered to be overweight if their BMI is 25 to 29.5. A person is considered “morbidly” obese is a person has a BMI over 40 and they have a higher risk of death (Obesity). If a child does not change their lifestyle by having a better diet and doing physical activity, they could be diagnosed with serious life threatening diseases. Those diseases are Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, asthma, liver disease, and various eating disorders. It is important for a child to stay healthy and fit so they will not be negatively affected later in their lives.

Not only can being obese affect one’s health, it can also affect one’s social life and how one interacts with children. Being obese may lead to teasing, bullying, and low self-esteem. American society emphasizes a person’s physical appearance and attractiveness. Many people “judge a book by its cover.” Therefore, they base their opinions on a person’s physical appearance which can have a negative impact on a child suffering with obesity.

Studies have shown that active children are more likely to grow into fit and healthy adults. Physical activity is key component in order for a child to lose weight. According to the Mayo Clinic, “It not only burns calories but also builds strong bones and muscles and helps children sleep well at night and stay alert during the day.” The habits a child makes in their childhood have been shown to benefit them through their adolescence. In addition, they will be become healthy and strong adults.

For a child to stay in shape, they don't have to necessarily do vigorous exercise. A child can play active games "such as playing hide-and-seek, tag or jump-rope,

29 can be great for burning calories and improving fitness." Also, it is also important for a child to have a variety of different activities and let the child choose what they want to play. Furthermore, it is important for a child to consume healthy and nutritious food. Children should eat vegetables, fruits, and beverages that do not have a lot of sugar in them.

Childhood obesity is a serious life threatening disease that comes with other drawbacks. A child should never have to go through the pain and suffering of obesity. If a child eats healthy food and gets the recommended amount of exercise, it will benefit them in later life and they will lead a healthy life style (Childhood Obesity).

Mental Benefits: Not only does physical education have a positive affect on a student’s weight and health, it also has a positive influence on student’s grades and their ability to concentrate and learn in the classroom (Trost). Many researchers have found a positive relationship between physical activity and cognitive function. Cognitive function is defined as “an intellectual process by which one becomes aware of, perceives, or comprehends ideas. It involves all aspects of perception, thinking, reasoning, and remembering” (Castelli and Hillman). There have been numerous amounts of experiments that have been conducted about this topic and researchers have discovered that physical activity has a positive affect and influence on a student’s cognitive function and ability to learn in the classroom. For example, a study was conducted in 2005 between a control group of students and an experimental group of students.

The control group of students did not have any physical activity time and instead had forty extra minutes of classroom time. The experimental group had forty extra minutes of physical activity instead of classroom time.

“After the experimental students were exposed to daily physical education, their academic performance became significantly better than that of the students in the control group who were not exposed to daily physical education” (Smith and Lounsberry).There have been many other studies that have shown the positive effects of the relationship between physical education and cognitive function.

However, it is important to know that academic achievement and success “does not come single handedly from fitness and activity alone” (Castelli and Hillman). In other words, just because a student exercises for an hour doesn’t mean that the child will automatically do better in school. It is a gradual idea; if a student exercises daily and has a healthy balanced life style, they will have better concentration skills and more academic success (Smith and Lounsberry).

A person who is an expert on physical activity is Dennis Hartzell. Dennis Hartzell is both a basketball coach and a teacher at The Bay School. His observation over the years, concerning his players, is that they perform better in academics in the season of their sport. When talking about why they do better in the season, Dennis states, “Basketball is really important to them and their commitments to their teammates are very important to them. In order for them to meet those commitments in a way that demonstrates their own commitment to our program, they have to be more organized. They have got to be more disciplined and more structured in the approach to their work and because of this it results in them performing better.”

The pressure of sports and physical activity makes the student become more organized in order to maintain good grades and have academic success. Dennis goes further into an explanation by saying, “There's also the obvious reality that the pressure and stress of academic work can be relieved by good physical exertion. I mean sweat is a really good thing in terms of managing stress and feeling better about yourself.” Physical activity can relieve the stress of academic work and can control a student’s stress levels in order for them to maintain a higher GPA and get better grades. .

The Bay School of San Francisco has a unique activity program, which they believe benefits the student in a variety of different ways. The Bay School’s goal is for the student to maintain a healthy lifestyle, do physical activity, and therefore receive good grades. One factor that makes The Bay School of San Francisco unique is that the have a mandatory physical activity program. Dennis Hartzell comments on this program, “As Father Malcom used to say, ‘If you got a good night sleep, you ate healthy food, and you got vigorous physical activity a few times a week, you just might learn something.’ We really do believe that this place is a learning community in which all concerned with the whole person.” The Bay School focuses on different aspects, besides academic, that makes up a student’s life. Physical activity is a major factor that benefits a student’s academic achievement (Hartzell).

Therefore, a student needs exercise in order to exert energy, lead a healthier lifestyle, and be able to be successful in school.

Social Benefits: When children participate in physical activity either in PE class, sports, or recess they are able to work together in a different way then how they work together in an academic classroom environment. When children play sports together, they are able to create lasting bonds that they would not form if they did not receive recreational

30 time. When playing sports, children are able to learn life lessons because they become a part of a team and learn how to be part of a group. Kids make new friends and create friendships they will remember forever. Also, physical activity during recess enables children or students to talk and do group activities such as jump rope, four square, and pass (Childhood Obesity).

When I came to the Bay School, I decided to become a part of the girl’s basketball team. Not knowing anyone, I hoped that I would be able to create new friendships and bonds. Upon becoming a member of the basketball team, I bonded with the girls on different experiences relating to our team. For example, our practice schedule was different from everyone else’s activity schedule. So we had endless opportunities to be able to work on homework together and chat about Bay. I was able to connect with the girls on a new level besides school. I was a part of a team where we had to work as a group in order to be successful. I spent at least two solid hours with them each day for five days each week. I created bonds and lasting friendships that I would not have been able to form unless I participated in physical activity program.

Emotional and Spiritual Benefits: Evidence has shown that physical activity can prevent anxiety, decrease anger, create a better relationship with parents, and can increase self-esteem. According to WebMD, “Many people eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger” (Obesity). Many students could benefit emotionally from having a daily exercise in there lives. Studies have shown that by being physically active, anxiety can decrease. Physical activity has increased the satisfaction levels of teenagers by being able to exert a large amount of energy (Academic Achievement Higher).

When students exert energy by playing sports and having physical activity, they tend to lead happier lives.

They are able to have healthier tactics and make better decisions. When I did not participate in physical activity and did not have a daily requirement, I was generally unhappy and upset. I couldn’t find the source to my sadness. When I came to Bay, I was required to have at least sixty minutes of physical activity each day. As time progressed, I found myself happier and more content with myself and my school work.

In summary, physical activity is important for a successful, balanced student. Many studies have shown that physical activity has a positive impact on a student’s grades and their ability to learn in the classroom.

Unfortunately, many schools are decreasing or entirely eliminating physical education programs due to budget constraints. Obesity has become a major problem in children and adolescents which could potentially lead to life threatening diseases (Childhood Obesity). In order to decrease those risks, students need to have the recommended amount of sixty minutes of activity per day in order to be healthy. Physical education has also shown to improve cognitive function in students and children. Students have a better academic performance when they participate in sports (Castelli and Hillman). Physical activity and education has also shown to have a positive impact on a student’s ability to interact with children and decrease anxiety. Research has shown that physical activity not only benefits a student’s health, but is also beneficial to their academic performance, social circles, and emotional well being.

31 Work Cited "Academic Achievement Higher Among Most Active Kids - Vigorous Physical Activity Linked To Better Grades."

MediLexicon International Ltd 2006: Web. 20 Sep 2009.

Castelli, Darla M., and Charles H. Hillman. "Physical Education Performance Outcomes and Cognitive Function."

Gale, Cengage Learning September - October 2007: Web. 20 Sep 2009.

"Childhood Obesity." Mayo Clinic (1998): n. pag. Web. 10 Oct 2009.

Gilbert, Jennie A. "No, You Do Not Have to Run Today, You Get to Run: Using Physical Activity to Teach Fitness Concepts across the Curriculum Will Encourage Students to Develop Good, Lifelong, Fitness Habits. ."

Gale Group 2004: Web. 20 Sep 2009.

Hartzell, Dennis. Personal Interview. 26 September 2009.

Kerr, Jacqueline. "Designing for Active Living Among Children." www.activelivingresearch.com. 2007. Web. 20 Sep 2009.

Kirch, Joel. "Reuniting Mind, Body, and Spirit: The Lessons of sports for School Reform." Editopia (2001): Web. 20 Sep 2009.

Lee, Sara M., Charlene R. Burgeson, Janet E. Fulton, and Christine G Spain. "Physical Education and Physical Activity: Results from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006." Gale, Cengage Learning 77.8 (2007): Web. 20 Sep 2009.

"Obesity." WebMD (2005): n. pag. Web. 10 Oct 2009.

O'Malley, Patrick M., Lloyd D. Johnston, Jorge Delva, and Yvonne Terry-McElrath. "School Physical Activity Environment Related to Student Obesity and Activity: A National Study of Schools and Students." Elsevier Inc 45.3 (2009): 71 - 81. Web. 20 Sep 2009.

"Physical activity contributes to academic success. (Lifelines)." Vibrant Life 18.5 (Sept-Oct 2002): 6(1). General OneFile. Gale. Bay School - Baisl. 21 Sept. 2009 "Physical Education and California Schools." www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity. 2006. California Boards Associtaion, Web. 20 Sep 2009.

“Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents.” Graph. Discoveryhealth.com. 10 September 2008. 6 October 2009.

Siegel, Donald. “Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement.” Gale Group. 2006. Web. 21 Sep 2009.

Smith, N., and M. Lounsbery. "Promoting Physical Education: The Link to Academic Achievement. " Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 80.1 (2009): 39-43. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 29 Sep. 2009.

"Study Finds Link Between Physical Activity and Enhanced Academic Performance." Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2009): Web. 20 Sep 2009.

Trost, Stewart G. "Active Education." 2007. Web. 20 Sep 2009.

32 Ben Libbey Craig Butz Research in the Community 10/22/2009 Earthquake Preparedness in San Francisco San Francisco is a city constantly on the verge of disaster. It sits several miles away from one of the most dangerous geological features on the planet, the San Andreas Fault. This fault line has been responsible for some of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of the United States and has caused hundreds if not thousands of deaths (Lynch). With these earthquakes comes the potential for tsunamis and massive fires. The city government of San Francisco has taken extensive measures and San Francisco is prepared for an earthquake; however these precautions and plans will be for nothing if the general public does not work and cooperate with the city.

The source of the massive destructive force of an earthquake is a fault line. This is a place where the plates that make up the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crust rub or collide against each other. These interactions between plates are what generate the energy of an earthquake, which is essentially shock waves stemming out from the point of collision on the fault line. These shockwaves are measured on the Richter scale; this is basically a rating of the strength of the earthquake. In San Franciscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case the fault line is the San Andreas. The San Andreas Fault line is the place where the Pacific and North American plates rub together. The North American Plate is moving south while the Pacific plate is moving north causing them to rub together. This is called a transform fault. However, the movement of the plates is not fast nor is it gradual. The plates move an average of a couple inches a year. This is an average, sometimes the plates will not move for years at a time, and then when they do move they go several feet. It is when they move several feet that we really feel it, in the form of a large earthquake. A good example of this interaction between the two plates is Point Reyes. Point Reyes is situated on top of the Pacific plate however the mainland is situated on the North American Plate. This causes the Point to constantly move north farther away from its original position (Lynch).

Earthquakes from the San Andreas Fault have been affecting California for thousands of years. Since San Francisco was built there have been several major earthquakes. The most famous of these earthquakes occurred in 1906 and 1989. Both of these earthquakes were devastating in terms of property destruction; the human loss of life, however, was relatively low. In 1906 less than five hundred people died, and in 1989 it was even less.

On April 18, 1906, at 5:12 a.m. a large earthquake shook San Francisco to its bones. It has been estimated that the magnitude of the earthquake was about 7.8 on the Richter scale. The initial shaking caused many of the predominantly brick buildings downtown to collapse and fall down. Because of people leaving their gas on fires broke out in the city. These fires took four days to put out and cause most of the destruction associated with the earthquake. In the end 4.7 square miles of the city were burned, 28,188 buildings were destroyed, and about five hundred million dollars of property loss and damage was recorded (Burkhart).

83 years later another large earthquake hit San Francisco. This one was dubbed Loma Prieta, and was recorded as a 7.1 on the Richter scale. Because of advancements in seismic engineering this earthquake was much less devastating than 1906. However, several freeways and a section of the Bay Bridge completely collapsed.

Luckily the quake occurred during the World Series so very few people were commuting or out in the streets, which limited the number of causalities drastically. In the end only 62 people were killed in Central California.

In order to prevent the widespread destruction and huge amounts of property damage and loss caused by the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes the City of San Francisco had to prepare for several phenomena. The first and most obvious phenomenon to prepare for is shaking. This includes the initial earthquake and also the aftershocks. The second that needs to be prepared for is Fire. In the 1906 earthquake most of the destruction was caused by fire. The third phenomenon that needs to be prepared for is tsunamis. San Francisco is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, and the part of the San Andreas Fault line that is closest to San Francisco is actually offshore greatly increasing the chances of a tsunami in San Francisco.

The main phenomenon that needs to be addressed is shaking. The results of this include structural failure, liquefaction, and landslides, three of the main causes of damage and injury in an earthquake. All three of these issues have been addressed by the city in their emergency response plan.

The first result of shaking, structural failure, is when a building or other structure falls down or is damaged.

The main reason why this is such a big problem is that some buildings are not designed to withstand earthquakes.

The reason buildings fall down in earthquakes is that they are designed to withstand pressure from above, mainly the weight of the building. However, they are not always designed for shaking from side to side. This is why brick buildings are at high risk during an earthquake. While brick is strong and solid normally, in an earthquake side to side motion causes it to come apart and collapse. This was part of the reason why the most affected areas during the 1906 Earthquake were the areas with predominantly brick buildings. Retrofitting old buildings is one way to make

33 them more earthquake safe. It is also much cheaper than repairing them after they have been damaged in an earthquake. One common way of retrofitting buildings is to strengthen their foundations to allow them to better flex and bend in an earthquake. While the flexing and bending may seem like a bad thing it is actually a good thing. It means that the building is going along with the Earthquake and therefore less likely to collapse. Another common way of retrofitting that is also used on new buildings is ground isolation. This is when the building is isolated from the ground and springs are inserted to help it move from side to side as the ground does. This is one of the more high-tech and effective ways of preparing for earthquakes. However, many buildings do not need to be retrofitted.

Mainly, these buildings are those made out of either wood or steel. Wood is good at withstanding earthquakes because is strong but it can bend and flex enough that it does not topple or collapse. However if a wood building does not have strong foundation this does not matter. Steel buildings withstand earthquakes well because steel is one of the strongest commonly used building materials, and it can also flex quite a bit under stress (7 articles).

While the city does fund the retrofitting of many public buildings, and requires the renovation of previously damaged and old buildings; they do not require or fund the renovation of many houses. The city also requires the retrofit of all un-reinforced brick buildings.

The second result of shaking is liquefaction. Liquefaction is when the huge amounts of tension in the ground during an earthquake cause loose sand or soil to sink pushing moisture and water up to the surface. This makes the soil behave like a liquid and buildings can sink and collapse into the ground. This can be a very large problem, especially in San Francisco where most of the soil is sandy. In 1906 this is what caused many of the water mains to break. It was also the cause of the high amounts of property damage in the marina district, which is primarily built on top of landfill. Liquefaction has also been known to cause mudslides that sometimes will take building down the hill with them causing lots of damage and potential for injuries. (Hazard Mitigation Plan).

The third result is landslides. The United States Geological Survey has recorded landslide induced damages in almost every earthquake in the bay area since 1838 (HMP). These landslides are always caused by the vibration of the ground, which usually works loose pebbles which like an avalanche gather speed and momentum.

Mudslides are also common and just as deadly.

The City of San Francisco has helped to address the issues having to do with shaking in several ways.

First, they have promoted and carried out retrofitting on many buildings throughout San Francisco. Second, they have mapped out and identified areas that are at risk of landslides and liquefaction so that they can better allocate their resources in a disaster. Lastly they have implemented specific and conclusive guidelines for the seismic standards of all new buildings constructed (HMP).

The second phenomena caused by an earthquake are fires. In 1906 the loss of pressure in the water system and the destruction of water mains caused the fire department to be unable to do anything except watch the fires spread, until through the use of dynamite they finally put it out. For the most part this is no longer an issue as the city has designed the water circulation system specifically so that it will not lose pressure and so that fire fighter will have access to water with which to fight fires that may break out during an earthquake.

However, there are several other ways that fires can pose risks after an earthquake. One of the major causes, is gas. Often in the case of an earthquake people will leave their gas on, through a variety of ways the gas can be ignited sparking massive fires that can be fueled by other sources of gas. Generally these gas fires are started when stoves or furnaces are left on or are not anchored down properly. Leaving a stove on can cause a fire easily even without an earthquake, and with the gas leaks caused by an earthquake these fire become a much bigger problem. Gas fires can also be caused by broken pipes, underground and connecting household appliances. To prevent this from happening the city requires all appliances to be connected to the gas with flexible pipes that can shift in an earthquake. Electrical fires are generally caused by shifting wires. This can cause arcing and shortcircuiting which can quite easily create a fire. While these fires are less explosive they are more common and cause just as much damage (MFFER).

There are two solutions. Many companies make gas nozzles and systems for peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes that turn off automatically in the case of a fire or earthquake. Also, the city of San Francisco and PG & E have negotiated so that Pacific Gas and Electric will turn off gas for the city in certain cases.

The third, and last phenomenon that must be prepared for are tsunamis. Tsunamis from the San Andreas Fault are actually not as much of a threat as one might think. However if someone does not heed warnings and stays out by the ocean after hearing the many tsunami sirens and warnings then they could be at risk. Tsunamis are a result of the displacement of water along the ocean floor, because the San Andreas is a transform fault and not a subduction fault it does not produce the kind of tsunamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that are seen in other parts of the world. However there are other fault lines throughout the Pacific. And, while these lines may be far away they can still produce enough force to create a tsunami that could potentially cross most of the pacific ocean and still cause damage. However the

34 tsunami warning system in San Francisco is in place especially for the situations. In the case of a possible tsunami the sirens and speakers will turn on and warn people to stay away from the water.

San Francisco’s emergency response plan is very robust. It covers every possible danger associated with an earthquake. It mandates everything that needs to be done in order to prepare for these dangers, and react to them. It also delegates the responsibilities of the various emergency response organizations. Put simply, it prepares the city for almost any disaster.

There is one thing the city cannot do, and that is control the actions of all of the individuals in San Francisco. There are some ways which the city can utilize to influence the actions of individuals. These include emergency response education programs and workshops, however there will inevitable be many people who these messages to not reach. If there are people who either don’t know what to do, or don’t make the time to follow the city’s guidelines, San Francisco will not reach its full preparedness potential.

The San Franciscan public’s awareness level is very hard to track and identify. This makes determining individual earthquake preparedness difficult to attain. However, the Department of Emergency Management in San Francisco held a city wide Earthquake drill on October fifteenth 2009. Over nine hundred thousand Bay Area residents took part in the event (Davis). This indicates that many bay area residents have started to take and interest and initiative to prepare themselves, obviously it would be better if everyone signed up for the drill but as it is the turnout was fairly good.

People not following proper procedures or disobeying city laws has a bad effect on every aspect of preparedness. For instance, if there is a tsunami warning, signaled by sirens, and somebody does not heed this warning and stay near the water; they could be injured or killed. That adds one more person to the large list of injured people that is inevitable in an earthquake of any magnitude. Another example of this theme is if someone does not heed fire codes in their business. Not only could this cause damage to the business and possibly the owner, but it could also cause injury to the employees of that establishment. As well, it would waste the time of the firefighters, who in an earthquake scenario would have other important duties.

Possibly one of the most evident examples of disobedience resulting in less than sufficient safety is voluntary retrofitting. The City of San Francisco has funded and required the retrofitting of many buildings especially public service buildings. However the city does not require home and business owners to retrofit their property. If the owner is willing to retrofit their property they can do so, and often get help in funding for it.

However, if they do not they are not in violation of any laws however they are putting at risk anyone who might live in, work in, or visit their property.

San Francisco’s emergency response plan is highly effective. However, only if it is heeded and followed by everyone in the city. There is no reason why someone should not follow the rules and guidelines set down by the plan. After all, it is for the safety and well being of everyone in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

35 Bibliography “Earthquakes: San Francisco at Risk.” Spur.org. SPUR. August, 2004. Web. 9/22/2009.

“Mitigating Fire Following Earthquake Risks.” Institute for Business and Home Safety. Disaster Safety. May 2009.

Web. 10/3/2009 “San Francisco Earthquake History 1915- 1989.” The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. Web. 10/3/2009.

Burkhart, David. “Earthquake Days, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire”. San Bruno, CA: Fault Line Books, 2005. Print.

City and County of San Francisco Emergency Response Plan. San Francisco: Department of Emergency Management, 2008. Print.

Civil Engineering; Studies in the area of civil engineering reported from University of Sherbrooke. (2009, September).Journal of Engineering,122. Retrieved September 21, 2009, from AP Science.

Clark, C.S. “Disaster Response.” CQ researcher. Volume 3, Issue 38, October 15, 1998. CQ researcher. Web. 9/18/2009 Davis, Diane. “San Francisco Taking Part in ‘The Big Rumble,’ Citywide Earthquake Drill”. Examiner.com. Clarity Digital Group. October 15, 2009. Web. 11/14/2009 Lynch, David. “San Andreas Fault Line” Geology.com. (2005-2009). Geology.com. 10/1/2009.

Monmonier, Mark. Cartographies of Danger: Mapping hazards in America. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1998.

Print San Francisco. City of San Francisco. www.72hours.org Are You Prepared?. City and County of San Francisco.

September 21, 2009 San Francisco. Department of Emergency Management. Bay RICS. SF: Dept. of Emergency Management, 2008.

Web. San Francisco. Department of Emergency Management. Emergency Coordination Plan. SF: Dept. of Emergency Management, 2008. Web. San Francisco. Department of Emergency Management. Hazard Mitigation Plan. SF: Dept. of Emergency Management, 2008. Web. San Francisco. Department of Emergency Management. Strategic Plan 2008. SF: Dept. of Emergency Management, 2008. Web. Selna, Robert. “Bay Area Cities Lag in Making Housing Quake Safe”. SFgate.com. San Francisco Chronicle.

October 12, 2009. Web. 11/14/2009.

United States. United States Geological Survey. “A Series of Ten Short Articles for Students, Teachers and Families”. United States Department of the Interior, 2008. Web United States. United States Geological Survey. 7 Steps to an Earthquake resilient business. SF: Dept. of Emergency Management, 2008. Web.

36 Bayley McMillan Craig Butz Research in the Community A Block Urban Farming on a Rural Scale: Agriculture in San Francisco San Francisco has been the birthplace and home of many environmental movements throughout the years, and is now an active participant in one more. Urban agriculture has had a home in the City by the Bay for many years, starting with the Victory Garden movement during WWI (Victory Gardens), and continuing through today with urban farms and forests (San Francisco Community Gardens). Families, couples, young adults, and children alike are drawn to the openness and community these farms have to offer, whether in a community garden or their own backyard. The diversity of space, people, and weather of San Francisco makes it especially susceptible to caring about what is happening in the world. San Franciscans tend to want to get involved with global movements, and the climate of the Bay Area is perfect for farming. Urban agriculture is and will become more vital then ever because of its financial and health benefits. The importance of urban agriculture is especially significant in San Francisco because of San Francisco’s longtime leadership in ecologically-friendly movements.

There are three main types of urban agriculture: urban farms, community gardens, and backyard gardens.

Although urban farms and community gardens are both, normally, larger places where people can grow their own food, there are slight differences. Urban farms are not communal ground; they are cultivated by workers and the produce is bought and distributed to families, restaurants, and charities. However, the American Community Garden Association defines community gardens to be “any piece of land gardened by a group of people” (What is a Community Garden?). This normally consists of plots, which vary in size, that are tended by different people or groups of people. The goal of community gardens is to “provide wholesome low-cost fresh fruits and vegetables and can be a springboard for community residents to learn about good nutrition, health, [and] organic growing methods” (Community Gardens). Backyard gardens are pretty self-explanatory: a garden grown on your own property that produces food. These kinds of urban agriculture are the main sources of food produced in cities (Brisebois).

All kinds of urban agriculture can be traced throughout history. Indeed, they were the very first types of agriculture, however, their modern roots can be found in England’s Industrial Revolution. Because of insufficient land, an “ethic of self-help and philanthropy developed, leading to the division of community areas for gardens to grow food” (Hannah, A.K.). This same ethic resurfaced years later during WWI and WWII in England and the United States. Urban Agriculture was recently recognized at the United Nations International Conference on Human Habitats in 1996 as an activity that benefits your whole being, your community, and your life (Health Benefits of Urban Agriculture).

The Victory Garden movement began in the United States during WWI. Because everyone was on rations, the government began to popularize the idea that planting your own food would help the war effort. The government called these gardens Victory Gardens, symbolizing victory over the war. These gardens were profitable for the country because the more food the U.S. could send to troops, the better. People were excited by the idea that they could help the war effort, even if they could not fight (Victory Gardens). Over 40% of the United States’ produce was supplied by Victory Gardens at that time. Urban Agriculture’s popularity decreased for many years, but gained momentum again during the Great Depression and WWII. When the price of food went up and many people were in a state of poverty, people turned to growing their own food to combat the bad economy (Hannah, A.K.). San Francisco was very enthusiastic about the program: even the lawn in front of city hall was planted and harvested.

The Victory Garden program in San Francisco became “one of the best in the country” (Victory Gardens). People became obsessed with farming and planted wherever they could. It is recorded that there were at least 800 individual plots in Golden Gate Park in 1941.

Even though people were enthusiastic about urban agriculture in the 1940-50s, this excitement is only seen in a few places today. A lot of people do not think they have enough time or space to grow their own food. Those who do have the space and time can be simply lazy, or do not know of the benefits of growing their own food.

Gardens do take some effort, however they are easy to maintain once they are started. There can also be difficulties trying to obtain space, for some landowners think planting food is not the best use of their space. People don’t realize how much of their money goes to buying food; if they did, they would see gardening is an investment, one that pays off greatly. However, if you can afford locally grown food, it is a healthy option that benefits the community (Nicole Brisebois).

The financial benefits of growing your own food are simple: you rarely have to buy produce at the market anymore. Backyard gardens yield a surprising amount of food, there is always more to be harvested. Just a few cabbage plants can last a large family for months. Learning how different plants grow together and how to make

37 gardens more efficient can help the output of a garden, and getting as much out of the soil as you can is key to a successful nursery. It is true that you must invest some money into your garden, but the money you save far outweighs the money spent on supplies. It is estimated that you spend an average of 43% of your total food bill when you grow your own food, counting the cost of seeds or young plants, soil, pots, and water (How Much Money…). That’s less then half of what you were previously paying!

Along with the financial benefits of locally grown food, San Francisco’s great location and enthusiasm for new ideas makes it a prime place for people to get interested in urban agriculture. There is already a vibrant community of farmers and gardeners alike in the city limits; there is more than enough support for anyone who has questions about gardening. Nicole Brisebois is the youth educator at the Garden for the Environment, an urban farm that has worked closely with city hall to publicize urban gardening. She says that San Francisco is the perfect place for urban gardening because of its environmental diversity and the amount of people that are interested in the subject. The Garden for the Environment is one example of a demonstration garden in San Francisco. A demonstration garden is an urban farm that has many different examples of food, flowers, and trees that can be grown in San Francisco. The Garden for the Environment specializes in Victory Gardens, and the farmers there teach people how and what to grow in their backyards. San Francisco’s environmental diversity – not too much sun or rain, and no snow – is beneficial to those who want to grow food here because there is no way plants will get too much or too little of anything. As long as plants are watered, they will not need much more attention unless they are very delicate. This is why it is especially important that San Franciscans get involved with the urban agriculture movement: they are the optimal people to popularize the idea.

The importance of urban agriculture is not specifically obvious. Most would say it is important because the produce is organic and locally grown. However, there is much more to it than that. Locally grown food is beneficial because it is, firstly, grown closer to where you buy it, so it has been on the road for a shorter time and is fresher.

Secondly, there is less transportation costs involved. And finally, it keeps more money in the community. Fresh food is important to a healthy diet because foods, especially produce, lose nutrients after a couple of days. When you buy food that has been imported from other places, you are not just paying for the food but also for the trucks, trains, boats, or planes it took to get to you. This can accumulate into hundred of dollars and millions of pounds of CO2 that are emitted unnecessarily. If you grow your own food, you not only don’t pay for transportation, you don’t pay for the food itself. If you use your own compost, you save even more; putting your food waste to work growing more food.

Exercise is another reason growing your own food is beneficial, speaking from my own experience it can be quite a workout. Sally Brown, a research professor at the University of Seattle, has compared gardening to running and walking as exercise (Brown, S.). You also learn how to take care of your body. She has proven that people who grow their own food are several times more likely to eat healthy, or at least healthier, then those who do not. It has been concluded that “the more experience people have growing food, the more likely they are to eat it” (Health Benefits of Urban Agriculture). This makes sense, for if you have put effort into these fruits and vegetables, you want to eat them, right? You want to taste the fruits of your labor, even if it’s actually a vegetable. For me personally, it’s cool to be able to go outside and pick my own lettuce, or tomato, or cucumber for a sandwich. Urban gardeners tend to be more knowledgeable about what they put in their bodies, something everyone should be aware of. Working in a garden and eating the food that comes out of it is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.

If a person chooses to become part of a community garden, there are all the above benefits, but also the benefits of being part of a community. People from all walks of life tend to flock to community gardens, and you may have some interaction with people you never would have before. People who join community gardens have reported feeling like they have more of a connection with their neighborhoods, the people in them, and the Earth.

Gardening, especially if you live in an urban environment, “connect[s] us to nature and nature connects us to the universe” (Hannah, A.K.). People who live surrounded by concrete and steel have found gardening therapeutic.

Humans have always had a need to have a connection to the Earth, which gardening provides (Brisebois).

Because there is less transportation involved with urban gardening and buying locally, there is less of an impact on the atmosphere and the Earth. But also because fewer pesticides are used, there is less of an impact on the environment. Pesticides are one of the main contributors to soil and water pollution, and cutting back on these harmful substances could help reverse some damage done by their toxicity. Furthermore, more greenery contributes to more conversion of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, to oxygen. Simply having and caring for plants helps reduce carbon footprints, for they emit oxygen naturally. And of course, “gardens beautify a city, and more beauty is a good thing” (Get Your Garden On!).

Urban agriculture is becoming more necessary by the day; its financial, health, and environmental benefits are mandatory for a bright future. During the current recession, saving money, no matter how much, can be essential

38 – especially to those who have lost jobs. The health benefits of urban agriculture are becoming more important as the national weight average increases, which it has by over 25 lbs. since 1960 (Longley, Robert). People, especially Americans, need to learn to eat healthier. The environmental benefits of urban agriculture will become increasingly important for obvious reasons: global warming and pollution. Growing your own food helps combat those issues.

Urban agriculture is “not a new idea, just a forgotten one” (Brown, S). This idea has been vital to metropolitan areas before, and is becoming vital again because of similar circumstances. Urban agriculture cannot replace grocery stores or rural farms, but it is perhaps just as significant.

Works Cited Brown, S. "TEACH THEM AND THEY WILL COME." BioCycle 1 May 2009: Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1738938221&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PRO D&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1253574935&clientId=71553>. 21 September 2009 “Community Gardens.” Carraig Dulra. 16 September 2009. <http://www.dulra.org/community_gardening>. 16 September 2009.

“Get Your Garden On!” WorldChanging San Francisco. 20 September 2009. < http://www.worldchanging.com/local/sanfrancisco/archives/005975.html>. 20 September 2009.

Hannah, A.K.; & Oh, P. (2000). Rethinking Urban Poverty: A look at Community Gardens. Bulletin of Science, Technology and & Society. 20(3). 207-216.

“Health Benefits of Urban Agriculture.” Community Food Security Coalition's North American Initiative on Urban Agriculture. Foodsecurity.org. <http://www.foodsecurity.org/UAHealthArticle.pdf >. 21 September 2009.

“How Much Money Can be Saved by Growing Your Own Vegetables.” Laminated Garden Guides. 1 May 2009. <http://www.laminatedgardenguides.com/2546/HOW%20MUCH%20MONEY%20CAN%20BE%20SAV ED%20BY%20GROWING%20YOUR%20OWN%20VEGETABLES.pdf>. 21 October 2009.

Longley, Robert. “Americans Getting Taller, Bigger, Fatter, Says CDC.” About.com. 7 October 2009. <http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/healthcare/a/tallbutfat.htm> 7 October 2009.

“San Francisco Community Gardens.” San Francisco Garden Resource Organization. 20 September 2009. <http://www.sfgro.org/sfgardens.php>. 20 September 2009.

“What is a Community Garden?” American Community Garden Association. 20 September 2009. < http://www.communitygarden.org/learn/>. 20 September 2009.

“Victory Gardens.” FutureFarmers.com. 21 November 2008. <http://www.futurefarmers.com/victorygardens/history.html>. 21 October 2009.

Brisebois, Nicole. Personal Interview. 23 September 2009.

39 Sabina Menotti Craig Butz Research in the Community 12 Oct 2009.

The Survival of Peace, Love, and Spirituality: Mainstreaming San Franciscan 60’s Values The Ingraining of Hippie Ideals from Music in Today’s American Culture The San Francisco hippie, dancing in Golden Gate Park with long hair flowing, has become as much of an enduring American archetype as the gunfighters and cowboys who roamed the Wild West. More importantly, the rise of '60s counterculture has had a significant impact on our culture today.

-Joel Selvin, Senior Pop Music Critic, San Francisco Chronicle Today, San Francisco is a diverse city with a rich cultural and musical history. The United States of America is a place where even if dominated by large corporations, there is still room for individualism, spirituality, and experimentation in music and arts in general. Although some may not notice or recognize it, much of today’s music and the free-thinking culture that we take for granted, is all rooted in the movement that took place in San Francisco during the 60’s. What people don’t comprehend is that even some of today’s mainstream pop and hip-hop music, has links to the past. Without the music of San Francisco in the 1960's and 70's, today's American culture wouldn’t be as interesting, political, or challenging to the former norms of society.

The 60’s and 70’s was a time when the whole country was rejuvenated; and the beginning of a whole new era. And the city of San Francisco, at the time, a foggy, music-oriented, divergent town, already recognized as “a sanctuary for those outside the mainstream” (PBS) took perhaps the largest role in making this cultural phenomenon happen. In her book of gathered experiences, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion describes that, though the country was more-than-stable financially, what it felt like on a deeper level before the Summer of Love (which took place in 1967) was, It was a country of bankruptcy notices and public-auction announcements and commonplace reports of casual killings and misplaced children and abandoned homes and vandals who misspelled even the four-letter words they scrawled. It was a country in which families routinely disappeared, trailing bad checks and repossession papers. Adolescents drifted from city to torn city, sloughing both the past and the future as snakes shed their skins, children who were never taught and would never now learn the fames that had held the society together. People were missing.

Although this may be a poetic amplification, the ghastly essence that the country held at this time is quite evident.

The United States of America was hungry for something new, exciting, and life-changing that would forever transform and determine the way that they and future generations think. After World War II, when men started coming home from war and recreating new families and lives, a gigantic new generation (know as baby boomers) was born by virtue of these post-war circumstances, and things began to change.

Youth were becoming interested in new ways of thinking and seeking something more than the new highly organized and materialistic lifestyle that was given to them: “The new standard of living in 1950s America offered an abundance of affordable homes, sleek new automobiles, miracle drugs. Science and technology seemed to have an answer for everything. But beneath the surface lurked a deep anxiety.” (PBS). Scholar Theodore Roszak, a history professor of several universities in California, tells about the inner struggles of teens (baby boomers) growing up during this time, and their drive to make sense of things by seeking something more than the prosaic life that was ‘gifted’ to them: That combination of affluence and anxiety is a crazy-making combination to live with, to grow up with. So, you had a generation of kids who arrived at high school and then in college, trying to make sense of a world which they've been told is just grand and wonderful, and there's nothing to complain about anymore… There was a deep issue here. Whether material affluence is what life is all about. Because that is what an industrial society, a market economy, can give you. But what if that's not good enough?

That’s the question adolescents were asking themselves. They wanted something more, but didn’t know what; San Francisco had the answer.

If it wasn’t for this curious generation, the counterculture of the 60’s wouldn’t have become nearly as large or made as much of an impact as it did. Because this massive new age group of baby boomers, encouraged by the use of mind-altering drugs, began thinking nonconventionally and had the power of mass and interest of change, as well as “a unique confluence of critical events and issues serving as an intellectual catalyst for this large, freethinking population of young people”, cultural change began to happen (“Goodbye Innocence”, Selvin). Thus, both

40 music and the youth (and of course drugs) served as the main cultural impetus. Music was the inspiration for this spiritually sojourning youth; the lyrics in the new songs emerging on the radio confirmed the feeling that there was a cultural revolution going on somewhere else, outside of their brain as well, in San Francisco.

The genesis of this culture-turnaround began in the North Beach district of San Francisco, with poets such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who challenged the norms of American society beginning in the late 1940’s: “The Beatniks, or Hipsters, rejected the conformity and materialism of 1950s America and embraced poetry and jazz, mysticism and marijuana.” (PBS). They launched a movement now known as the ‘Beat Generation’, which was essentially poetry and a newfound mentality against the mainstream American values, and in favor of diverse forms of spirituality, sex, and drugs. Eventually, this evolved into the counterculture of the 60’s, and beatniks were replaced by hippies: By the mid-1960s, as North Beach became commercialized, baby boomers drawn to a Bohemian lifestyle began moving into a low-rent neighborhood across town, the Haight-Ashbury district.

They shared the Beatniks' disdain for corporate America and the politics of inequality and war.

But they preferred the sunshine of nearby Golden Gate Park to the darkness of coffeehouses, the passion of rock-and-roll to the cool of modern jazz, wild, expressive colors to beatnik black.

(PBS).

In both of these movements, be it jazz or rock-and-roll, it is hard to omit the fact that music is and was the verifying substance to spark these deviating thought trains, and thus, a new mentality and era.

This new culture, and all of its components, stemmed from and was fundamentally inspired by all the new bands being established, and their music and lyrical content. In all of San Francisco, “Rock bands with funny names were springing up everywhere—Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Country Joe and the Fish—and the golden age of San Francisco rock was under way” (“Goodbye Innocence”, Selvin). Many more bands formed and contributed to the great marvel that was picking up momentum in the Bay Area, including Jefferson Airplane, Carlos Santana, Sly & the Family Stone, Flamin' Groovies, Janis Joplin, and The Doobie Brothers, among many other influential artists. All different kinds of rock, especially ‘psychedelic rock’ (influenced by LSD) were popular and essential to the development of free-spiritedness of the country, because of a complex set of factors described by San Francisco Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic Joel Selvin, Rock music gave the movement a public voice. It provided an easy entrance to the subculture and spread easily around the world. The early heroes of San Francisco rock not only broke the threeminute barrier in pop music—stretching songs past the boundaries of the length of a 45 RPM single record for the first time—but they were making startling, fresh music unlike anything that had ever been heard before.

That was what this time was about: the spreading of new unconventional ideas, music, thinking and actions, backed up by carefree attire and living conditions. ‘Drugs, sex and rock-and-roll’ took the Bay Area, and soon America, by storm: Before long, Chet Helms opened weekly dances at the Avalon Ballroom at Sutter and Van Ness, and the golden age of the San Francisco rock underground was in full swing. Dancers flocked to the halls, grooving beneath pulsing, throbbing psychedelic light shows. Large portions of the audience were under the influence of LSD. The bands often were, too. Helms recognized these tribal rites as Dionysian revels. (“Goodbye Innocence”, Selvin) With highly regarded social events like these, and free publicity in magazines, “There couldn't have been better advertising. College students read about the Human Be-In in Golden Gate Park in January 1967. Some of them came to check things out during spring break. The rest couldn't wait for the school year to be over” (“1967”, Selvin) word was spread throughout the country. Immense masses of youth (about 50% of the population was under 25 (PBS)) came trudging to San Francisco in hope of new experiences as well as pristine spiritual mindfulness and comprehension.

At that time, corporate America wasn’t ruling everyone and neither was money. Even if you paid a small sum to see a Grateful Dead concert one day, the next, Santana would be playing for free at Ocean Beach. Big and influential musicians had the mentality and down-to-earthiness of blithe street musicians. (Patrick, Linda). Although in today’s world this laid-back feeling in the entertainment business has been replaced by masses of fame, money and materialism, "If these young people hadn't declared the possibility of a new culture, a new family," says beat poet Michael McClure, "a new tribe, believing in peace, nature, sexuality, the positive use of psychedelic drugs—if they hadn't been there to broaden and deepen the hundreds of thousands and then millions of people who were broadened and deepened by this— we would be in an even bigger stew." (“Just a Season”, Selvin).

41 While the 60’s and 70’s were a mostly positive and progressive time towards the future of America’s society, the era was not just full of smiles and hippies and evolutionary cultural turning points and flowery dispositions and love everywhere. There was also a sordid side, overshadowed by the cheerfulness of the time, which began to manifest on the streets of Haight and Ashbury after the Summer of Love, and marked that things were going downhill. Joel Selvin says that the aftermath of this movement and its encouragement of psychedelic drugs, led to the squalidness that has colonized the Haight up until at least the 90’s, and is still visible if you visit today: “Almost as soon as the party began, the nature of drugs on the street changed. Speed became an epidemic.

The colorful, carefree characters who populated Haight Street only a year before had been replaced by long-haired urchins holding out their hands and asking, "Spare change, man?" Health and hygiene issues festered.” And up until the past few years, this is how Haight St has remained in the minds of many San Franciscans as well as tourists. It wasn’t until the more recent 2000’s that the Haight caught its first splashes of gentrification and began shifting into a trendy hangout and mini shopping district with chic stores. But even now, old and young grungy neo-hippies can be spotted on every block of the Haight, and on days such as April 20th and the Haight St. fair, the old customs of marijuana, peace, and love seem to have returned, in benefit of everyone.

Both the good and bad aspects of the 60’s counterculture had and still have tremendous influence and effects in today’s society. During the 60's, as well as the next few years subsequent to the Summer of Love, real changes were made in American society, and the feeling of love, change, and happiness simmering in the air, were accompanied by a brewing cultural revolution. Encouraged by the Summer of Love was the Civil Rights movement, and the majority of the colossal progression of the 60’s can be tied back to what emerged from San Francisco (Patrick).

An example of one of the first progressions made is that of the Diggers, a group who began taking care of the homeless in the Haight, “Revolution was in the air. Free thinkers turned to social action. A Haight-Ashbury group calling itself the Diggers began to serve free food every day in the Panhandle… soon, the Diggers opened the Free Store on Haight Street, where everything in the store was given away” (“1967”, Selvin). Inspired by the culture of change, Dr. David Smith, founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic and current specialist in substance addiction treatment, tells how his compilation of experiences (conspicuously accessible for everyone in the Haight at that time), changed his medically-educated life and took a turn for the benefit of others, and how he became part of the movement: "I took LSD and had a spiritual experience. I had a cultural transformation and ended up starting the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. After I took LSD and got involved in the counterculture, the air moved and you became one with the world. Suddenly, you had to help the poor. It was this consciousness transformation that happened during that time.” And these are just local examples; as the movement spread eastward, waves of protest and revolution began hitting and recharging all the suffering souls of the U.S., some of whom soon took part in the Civil Rights movement in the southern states (“1967”, Selvin). Progress was made throughout the community, country, and if one takes in mind the separate influence of rock music as a whole, the world.

Woodstock Festival, a music and arts fair that first took place in 1969, was such a substantiating event in American history that there were documentaries and songs (among other tributes) made in honor of it; it was also named one of the Rolling Stone's "50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll". And it is made evident in the article “Woodstock at 40: Exploring the Bay Area Connection” that the Bay Area and San Francisco had constructed the prototypical road towards everything, more than just music, that took place in the 60's: "Forty years later, the Aug. 15-18, 1969, festival is now recognized as the most famous concert of all time, as well as the defining moment in the '60s counterculture revolution. And it might never have happened without the things that came before it on the streets of Haight-Ashbury... In other words, the road to Woodstock began in the Bay Area," (Harrington). This is yet another milestone in 60’s history, and all undeniable evidence that without the music of San Francisco in the 1960's and 70's, today's American culture truly wouldn’t be as interesting, political, embracing, or challenging to the norms of society as it is. Official photographer of Woodstock, Elliott Landy, gives us the overall picture of San Francisco’s influence on America, "San Francisco set the tone for peace and love and it shifted eastward across the nation," (Harrington). Before this time, there wasn’t much creativity, deviation, or ‘peace and love’ floating around the United States, one of the many things that changed after the Summer of Love, Woodstock, and such San Francisco-inspired triumphs.

Even the negative aspects of the 60’s (mainly drugs) in San Francisco have benefited American society.

Because drug abuse climaxed around the late 60’s and 70’s, not only did federal laws come down to put people in place, the many people involved in the counterculture realized on their own, that the rampant use of drugs was getting out of hand, and that things needed to cool down. According to former bookkeeper of the Grateful Dead, Linda Patrick, because "the following generation didn’t want to raise their children in that same care-free, loose, free-spirited way that they were raised in, they pulled that back in, and things started changing once again. I think that slowly, like anything else in America, corporations and where the money is at, started to close those cultural

42 gaps wherever they could, and that’s partially how we got to where we are today, relatively free, but still restricted by corporations." Paradoxically, this drug-induced, awareness-altering era was full of consciousness: during the movement, people gained the insight to recognize new things and thoughts, radicalize the country with new ideas, and help the needy with organizations and beneficial programs. As the movement began to decelerate, some of these same people gained opposing awareness that with so many people dying from overdose and drug problems, enough was enough. And while the free-spiritedness should still live on, these ex-hippies and their following generations (some of which still tried to chase the tail end of the movement) began to tighten the reigns on the looseness that was still spreading; bringing back to life the formality that would acquire one success, while still maintaining unprejudiced views, which brings us to where we are today.

Forty years later, the cultural impact of 60’s San Francisco can still be observed nationwide in various ways: in our music, clothes, relationships, drug culture, and diversity in sexuality, beliefs, ethnicity, and thought processes, just to name some. According to actor Peter Coyote, former member of the Diggers in the late 60’s, cultural ignition transcended everything else, including politics: “If you look at all the political agendas of the 1960s, they basically failed. We didn't end capitalism. We didn't end imperialism. We didn't end racism. Yeah, the war ended. But if you look at the cultural agendas, they all worked” (Quoted in “Just a Season”, Selvin). While this is true, the era can be seen as ignorant towards responsibility, the nation’s necessity for cooperation, and phrases such as “what happened to American values?!”; it is important to understand that these values were being reshaped and metamorphosed into better and more futuresque ideals, and that the accountability and uprightness of the U.S. had to take a time out for this to happen. (“Just a Season”, Selvin) An example from today of an annual festival that and holds most of these reshaped values of the 60’s, and even began in San Francisco, is Burning Man. An event that is popular nationwide, with people from every state coming to participate, this life-changing festival, embraces all forms of art, diversity, self-sufficiency, drugs, exploration, human relationships, peace, love, community, nudity, self-discovery and free-spiritedness. This supernatural event is no doubt a descendant of the Summer of Love, the Human Be-In, and Woodstock. Values and influences of the 60’s and hippie-ness can be seen nowadays in our daily life throughout all of America: in yoga classes, all outdoor concerts, the organic and slow-food movements, even the mere consideration of medical marijuana, anti-materialism, Burning Man, the gay rights movement, gardening communities and park restoration, racial equality, arts festivals, plant and hemp products, thrift and vintage clothing stores, neo-psychedelic rock bands, the availability of drugs, and countless other camouflaged occurrences. This movement of the flower children was essential to the key American values and ideals we abide by today; if you look beneath the surface of many events, as well as human actions and relationships that occur in our culture and country today, they can almost all be traced back to the history that commemorates the 60’s, and of course, San Francisco.

In the streets of San Francisco today, trends of the past are much more easily spotted and clearly synthesized than trying to come across 60’s ethics in all of America. Because San Francisco has such a rich cultural and musical history, the components that make up today’s way of life are built upon the past. In music for example, naturally, as in all of America, things have evolved to something much more then the just psychedelic rock that was popular in the 60’s. But now in the current 2000’s, a particular music scene that centers in the more gentrified part of San Francisco’s Mission District, seems to be extracting psychedelic styles from bands such as Big Brother and the Holding Company and Jefferson Airplane, and signals that the past is coming back (if anything, in the reincarnation of influences towards local music). As written in a Guardian article, although the hippies of the 60’s aren’t as populous in San Francisco anymore and the events that happened are now of the past, music today is becoming influenced by that of the 60’s: The open-top tourist buses still cruise down Haight Street, their drivers pointing out the house where the Grateful Dead lived and the park where they held the Human Be-In. San Francisco is still indelibly linked with psychedelic music, the city called "16 square miles surrounded by reality”. Of course, the tourist buses on Haight Street give a clue as to what happened to it all: psychedelia became big business, and the scene fell apart. But there are signs that now, more than 40 years on, a new wave of psychedelia might be gathering force in the Bay Area (Simmons).

It is true, owner of Porto Franco Records (a small record label associated with today’s Mission music scene), Peter Varshavsky, also says, in a personal interview, that he definitely sees influences of 60’s San Francisco music in many of today’s jazz, rock, and even electronic music that is signed to his label. These bands are mostly experimental and are drawn the uniqueness yet down-to earthiness of 60’s music and sound effects; they are using past music to make something one of a kind, “creating new music with elements of the old ones” (Varshavsky). The main component of 60’s San Francisco music (psychedelia) is being brought back to life in new and diverse forms, varying on the bands (such as Wooden Shjips and Sleepy Sun, names which are also, quite flower-childesque).

43 Although music is a main element of culture, tendencies of the 60’s counterculture can be observed more prominently in San Francisco’s customs today, than the influence of past music on current music can. Outside Lands, the Bluegrass Music Festival, and Power to the Peaceful, all just a few of the many existing outdoor concerts in San Francisco, can be traced back to the times of peaceniks. Not only are they outdoor concerts, all held in Golden Gate Park like everything during that time of bohemianism, they are also non-mainstream musical festivals with most of the artists performing carrying the true mindset of a hippie within their skulls, which has become a popular and attractive concept. They show this mentality in their peaceful music, creating an atmosphere not too different from what might have gone on at free concerts in Golden Gate Park in the 60’s. Power to the Peaceful, a yearly music festival helping to end global poverty, combines not only love and tranquility, but also promotes cultural coexistence, environmental sustainability, and peace through art and music, all things that our nonconformist ancestors of the past would be quite proud of (Arnold).

LovEvolution (lovefest), an outdoor, inclusive electronic dance parade, also held annually in San Francisco, is participated in by over 10,000 new and evolved flower children. Built upon Berlin’s Love Parade, this event highlights and endorses the main values of our fellow Summer of Love partakers: peace and love, which have developed into a religion practiced by many lovefest goers: PLUR, or Peace, Love, Unity, Respect (Knight). Though techno music replaces the laid back guitar strumming and psychedelic mind trip-inducing music of the 60’s, LovEvolution is essentially the present day’s annual tribute/ version of the Summer of Love, and just so happens to also take place in San Francisco. Of course, the drug culture of all events and concerts like these are also not so different from that of the 60’s. All in all, today’s culture, both in San Francisco, and all of America, is significantly influenced by customs, beliefs, and things made possible during the 60’s. And what started that whole movement again? That’s right, music.

It is manifest that the music of the 60’s and 70’s has shaped today’s American and San Franciscan culture.

In the words of Linda Patrick, the reason that music was so crucial to this counterculture is because it was the only thing they had, and it was the lyrics of the songs that first got them to think differently, "Our whole thing was getting high while sitting around and listening to records, then talking about what it was the record was trying to tell us.”

And although Patrick says that today we have lost a lot of love and appreciation for music, which is true (because of other dominating media), she also thinks that this generation of youth may be the ones to start something new again: "I think its almost coming back now, as you go the next generation, to your generation, I think this generation is gonna start crackin' outta the egg, like we did in the 60's." Throughout the interview, Patrick recurrently used the analogy of ‘the cosmic egg’, and that each time a generation breaks the shell, things will be done that will change future generations forever. Two examples: The renaissance, when religion began being questioned, and the 60’s, when American ideals and lifestyle began to be questioned. There have been many turning points such as these in history; both of these events have impacted the generations to come in ways colossal, and just the hope that this generation could be the next is quite exuberating (Patrick).

However, because American teen’s today do not have the freedom and elbow room that the baby boomers did to commence an uprising, things will be harder. Mainly because corporate America has taken control over most everything (particularly music), something so free-spirited and evolutionary will be difficult to not get shut down.

"There was no one telling you, other then the anti-disestablishmentarianism telling us that we were wild and crazy, there was nobody else; it was all agreed upon that everything we did was ok” (Patrick). Due to today’s smaller proportion of youth, that would not fly by very well now. Principles of what is politically correct have been established, and a community so open to change would be tricky to find. Bob Weir, founder of the Grateful Dead, explains, "We were the young, artistic community and we didn't have to struggle quite as much as young artists normally do, because there was a big market for what we had to offer right there in the neighborhood " (“1967”, Selvin). Today’s youth doesn’t have as much freedom and support for something of the sort to happen again, especially musically.

Nevertheless, we do have a way of passage that is quite dominant in the spreading of ideas, something that they didn’t have in the 60’s: the internet. Though not many yet, I know there is youth that is not content with the way things are going in America, and longing for some sort of spiritual rediscovery and asylum like that of the 60’s.

Linda Patrick can see it in the means of the teens in Berkeley that are protesting the price, teachings, and neglectfulness of schools. It is this growing consciousness that will drive change, as it did in the 60’s. Nobody knows where, but the time has come again, where the American youth is hungry for something new, exciting, and life-changing that will transform and determine the way that we and future generations think, forever. And without the music of the 1960’s we wouldn’t even be here thinking about this hope of possible change in the current 2000’s.

If the music of the 60’s hadn’t inspired so many soul-seeking young people to carry out the revolutionary movement that they did, we would be lost today, and American society wouldn’t be the open and somewhat freespirited place we know it as. Carolyn Garcia (Mountain Girl), ex-wife of Jerry Garcia (of the Grateful Dead), and

44 strong participant in the counterculture, illustrates what benefit this movement has done for us today, “I see remnants of that movement everywhere. It's sort of like the nuts in Ben and Jerry's ice cream—it's so thoroughly mixed in, we sort of expect it. The nice thing is that eccentricity is no longer so foreign. We've embraced diversity in a lot of ways in this country. I do think it's done us a tremendous service” (Quoted in “Just a Season”, Selvin).

Because it has become mainstream to not be mainstream, there are no longer many things that would be considered out of the ordinary, and America has become a more open-minded place. Of course there are communities where things of the sort will never be accepted, and controversy in small insulated communities will arise (on the topic of 60’s values and sauciness), but America as a whole has made remarkable progress as a free-spirited and openminded nation, in gratitude to the awareness and brazenness gifted to us by our flower-children forbearers of the 60’s. American culture is what it is today: open-minded, controversial, yoga and drug-practicing, embracing of diversity and artistry, interesting, challenging to the norms of society, and inspiring to the creation of a new nonconformist era, all because of the ground-breaking movement of the 60’s and its music.

Works Cited Arnold, Eric. “Power to the Peaceful Wrap-up.” SF Weekly. SFWeekly.com. 14 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2009 “Bay Area Talent Explosion ’91.” Sun Reporter. ProQuest. 25 Sept. 1991. Web. 21 Sept. 2009.

Crawford, Matt. “The Best of the Fest.” SF Station. San Francisco’s City Guide. 14 Aug. 2009. Web. 17 Sept. 2009 Didion, Joan. Slouching Towards Bethlehem. USA. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968. Print.

Harrington, Jim. “Woodstock at 40: Exploring the Bay Area Connection.”

The Oakland Tribune. Inside Bay Area. Aug 9, 2009. Web. Oct 7, 2009.

Knight, Heather. “Love is in the Air along SF’s Market St.” San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate. 4 Oct, 2009. Web. 7 Oct, 2009.

Patrick, Linda. Personal Interview. 26 Sept. 2009 Patrick, Jim. Personal Interview. 26 Sept. 2009 “Rock Music.” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2009. MSN. N/A. Web. 21 Sept, 2009 Selvin, Joel. “1967: The Stuff that Myths are Made of. Summer of Love: 40 Years Later.” San Francisco Chronicle.

SF Gate. 20 May, 2007. Web. 29 Sept, 2009.

--- “Goodbye innocence, hello hippies! The party starts as rock 'n' roll ethos, LSD inspire beatniks and beckon an influx of free spirits to San Francisco. Summer of Love: 40 Years Later.” San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate. 21 May, 2007. Web. 29 Sept, 2009.

--- Just a season, but it lives on: From politics to music to sexuality -- even to the way the PC was designed -- the values are ingrained in our culture. . Summer of Love: 40 Years Later.” San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate.

23 May, 2007. Web. 29 Sept, 2009.

---. “The Top 100 Bay Area Bands.” San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate. 19 Dec, 1999. 30 Sept, 2009.

Simmons, Sylvie. “Film & Music: Rock & pop: If you're going to San Francisco ...: The city that defined the original 1960s psychedelic explosion is throwing up a new wave of bands who like to mess with reality.

Sylvie Simmons hangs out with the Frisco Freaks.” The Guardian. ProQuest. 4 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Sept.

2009 Summer of Love. American Experience Video. PBS Programming. Web. 26 Sept. 2009 Taking Woodstock. Ang Lee and James Schamus. 28 Aug. 2009. Focus Features. Video. 15 Oct. 2009 Varshavsky, Peter. Personal Interview. 30 Sept. 2009

45 William Napoli Craig Butz Research in the Community 16 December 2009 “A Marine drill instructor slapped, beat and ridiculed nearly all 40 recruits in his platoon for two months, showing a “complete disregard and contempt” for rules that ban such maltreatment, a prosecutor alleged”( Glass 1).

Militaries around the world and here in the US have this “problem” of hazing. Hazing throughout the world has taken many lives, yet other methods can not help in the same way that hazing can, and it is necessary for basic training. People say that it has helped the soldier become more ready to fight and to endure pain on the battle field.

Even though hazing is necessary for basic training, many people have been injured or even died. That is why so many people want the Military to “crack down” or do something about it. Hazing in the military is ethical but when it gets to the point of serious injury or death then the government should refer back to the code of conduct and punish the way they said that they would punish.

Hazing happens not only in the military, but in other places as well, such as, in fraternities and professional spots teams. The people in these fraternities feel like these traditions need to keep on going on. They feel this because it creates a boundary and uniqueness to their " group". Hazing also puts a feeling of bonding into the new inductees or recruits. Parents of victims to death caused by hazing think that hazing should be more controlled. They think that hazing is bad because of the many deaths and injury caused by it. Also a lot of pledges might risk death to bond with the fraternity. ( Janis 19). Therefore hazing is something that needs to be controlled, but is a key element to rituals and bonding experiences for fraternities.

Marines are learning, an uncorrected pattern of misconduct does not qualify as a tradition.” Hazing has never been a tradition of the Marine Corps," said 1st Sgt Joseph E. Vanfonda, MCLB Barstow Headquarters Battalion first sergeant.” (Marine Corps Hazing Policy). Although Frank Pereira states that this is normal, 1st Sgt Joseph E. Vanfonda, M.C.L.B Barstow Headquarters Battalion first sergeant states that hazing in the military is nit and showed not be happening. These rituals or right of passage are becoming more popular and is happening more often, and the Marines are now paying the price. The policy for hazing of the US Army is, and states, that the Army is a well based organization that every person is encouraged to do the right thing, with dignity and respect. Hazing is fundamentally in opposition to our values and is prohibited. (Army Command Policy). Although the Army and the Navy say the same thing, in both of my interviews of two men, one is in the Army and one that was in the navy, both stated that they have witnessed hazing. The hazing that they were referring to is much different then the hazing that I just stated above. Not the hazing which is defined by, “Hazing is defined as any conduct hereby a military member or members, regardless of service or rank, without proper authority causes another military member or members, regardless of service or rank, to suffer or be exposed to any activity which is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning, or harmful. Soliciting or coercing another to perpetrate any such activity is also considered hazing. Hazing need not involve physical contact among or between military members; it can be verbal or psychological in nature” (Naval Policy 6). As a matter of fact they both talk of the same kind of hazing. The hazing that is defined by Mr. Frank Pereira, “ . . . it was the job of the upper classmen to pick on or so called haze the freshmen, no to the point of injury, or a physical thing really, but a mental thing that would actually toughen the soldier up and show him that the military is no the game. I think that is a key part of basic training because it makes that particular soldier tough mentally. The difference between the hazing and what I just said is that that what you here in the news is when hazing gets out of control and an upper classmen get on a power trip and thinks that it is okay to hurt when it is not” (Pereira).

So is this type of hazing okay or should the Army or military punish the ones who do this. Because both Mr. Pereira and Staff Sergeant Ben, stated that hazing in the milder form is essential for training to go onto the battlefield, to take orders and to become a better soldier in general.

The definition of hazing is very important because if defined incorrectly then there can be problem.

This would be a problem because knowing the wrong definition can change ones opinion about hazing. There have been many incidents of hazing in the military, not only here in America but all over the world. Hazing is defined by the Navy as; “Hazing is defined as any conduct hereby a military member or members, regardless of service or rank, without proper authority causes another military member or members, regardless of service or rank, to suffer or be exposed to any activity which is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning, or harmful. Soliciting or coercing another to perpetrate any such activity is also considered hazing. Hazing

46 need not involve physical contact among or between military members; it can be verbal or psychological in nature” (Naval Policy 6).

The Navy states that hazing will not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form, and will be punished to the fullest extent (Naval Policy 7). The Dictionary of American English defines hazing as being, “The activity of making people do silly, humiliating or dangerous things” (Dictionary of American English). So the Army and Dictionary of American English have very similar definitions but just in different contexts. These definitions are significant because without them many people would be confused about what hazing actually is.

Frank Pereira a graduate from the United States Naval Academy in 1987, talks about his experiences of hazing in the military in a personal interview that I had with him and he stated: “When I was in the Naval Academy it was the job of the upper classmen to pick on or so called haze the freshmen, not to the point of injury, or a physical thing really, but a mental thing that would actually toughen the soldier up and show him that the military is not a game, and that it is a very serious place and organization. I think that is a key part of basic training because it makes that particular soldier tough mentally. The difference between the hazing and what I just said is that that what you here in the news is when hazing gets out of control and an upper classmen gets on a power trip and thinks that it is okay to hurt when it is not. As a matter of fact if an upper classmen gets caught hurt a underclassmen he will be punished.” (Pereira).

Military hazing throughout the world has taken many lives, but the military and some experts say that hazing to a certain extent has that Hazing has helped the soldier be ready to fight and endure pain on the battle field, that other methods can not and that it is necessary for the basic training of a soldier. In my opinion I think that the Military has this policy because they want to make the public happy so the public will not get on the Militaries case. I think that technically it is not right, but since I do believe that hazing is a very necessary component to basic training in the military. I do believe that military organizations do have to right to make the people happy. Except for the occasion that a military personnel gets injured or dies from hazing, I think that doing what the protocol states and what they might going to do (punishment wise) should go hand in hand.

Hazing in the Russian military is a titanic problem. Although hazing has the benefits like ehat Mr. Pereira describes, it can also have a very dark side, not only here in the United States but other places like Russia.

According to the information from the Mother's Right public foundation, about tree thousand soldiers die in the Russian army every year.

The statistics of the Defense Ministry is not trustworthy. Military officials say that 1,100 young men died during their army service in 2004. This information is not true. We are certain that the real figure is three times as much – about three thousand soldiers die in the army on a yearly basis (Marchenko).

“Veronika Marchenko started the “Mother’s Right” Foundation in 1990, while she was still a student in Russia. She worked out of a small room in downtown Moscow, with one table, one chair, and a telephone.

When her activism brought public attention to hazing in the then-Soviet armed forces, the small foundation became an NGO with a mission of exposing the true circumstances surrounding hazing deaths in the army.

It provided moral and legal support to surviving families and lobbied against corruption in the armed forces” (Bennett).

According to Marchenko, about 28 percent of deaths in the army happen in the Moscow. “About 35 percent of parents that come to our organization say that their sons commit suicide in the army” (Marchenko). Not only does the Russian Military loose soldier on the battlefield but, about 16 percent of Russian recruits commit suicide or die as a result of brutal army hazing. A lot of the time the Russian military will lie about the deaths of the soldiers to their mother and fathers will not believe them: (Marchenko). We have recently had an absolutely outstanding incident, when parents received a call from a military unit. They were told that their son jumped out of a window after he decorated a Christmas tree. Other parents were told that their son committed suicide because he was reading Chekhov, Veronica Marchenko said she also said that she and her program have been able to prove many incidents about the soldier dieing and been able sue the Russian Military.

Although many people hear about hazing as it being something that is just to hurt or humiliate. Much of hazing is done for ritual purposes. This passage is relating initiation into a fraternity (as a ritual) compared to rituals for hazing in the military. “Interviews with several American service men and women reveal that, like college fraternity initiation rites, hazing has grown from unofficial rituals to sometimes violent traditions - and their superior officers know it."It goes on in all the services. It goes on in other countries' services," says David Segal of the University of Maryland's Center for Research on Military Organization. "It gets people to identify with the organization." The US military has, he says, "tried to get control over" abusive rites and those rites "involve less sadism than they used to"” (Landlay). Although these rituals are supposed to bring a platoon together, the army has banned all rituals of this sort in the military to avoid injury and death. Even though the military does not approve of

47 hazing in the sense of a initiation ritual, some experts say, hazing can build morale and a sense of belonging that enhances discipline and teamwork. That is the reason why some platoons or squads do this. Senior military officials say there is a "zero tolerance" policy for barbaric practices. But questions about the extent of abusive hazing rituals are now being asked because of a 1991 video showing Marines pinning medals into the chests of parachute school graduates, making blood come out. Active and former service military veterans say the practice of blood pinning, though not as vicious as captured on the video, also takes place in the Army and involves men and women. This is not even an unusual occurrence for this to happen, one army man state "This happens all the time," and later he talks about how this happens in most military units including the military unit of his older brother (Langlay). Other rituals include, in a base in Colorado there is a central area, and in this central area the grounds has structured like squares.

The freshmen can only walk on the line, then can not just pass through cutting through the middle. The Commander of this base says that they do this because it teaches the freshmen to take orders, no matter how strange the order might be.

Hazing in the military is and is still going to happen. With all policies and punishment hazing will still be going one. People like myself still think that it is good and even healthy for a soldier because it makes a soldier more prepared for war that other methods can not. The definition of hazing is very important because if interpreted incorrectly then there can be problem. The problem of knowing the wrong definition can change one opinion about hazing. Hazing in the Russian military is a huge problem, but hazing is also a problem here in the United States.

Although many people hear about hazing as being something that is just to hurt or humiliate. Much of hazing is done for ritual purposes or initiation. In the past, it may not have been uncommon to see a group of Marines do a ritual or right of passage that could have been looked at as cruel, abusive or humiliating. Hazing (not to the extent of injury or death) is one of the most valuable ways to make a soldier ready for war, but when it gets out of hand, hazing is very dangerous. Because hazing is interoperated differently by many people this miscommunication is causing an enormous difference in how hazing can and has to be treated and thought of.

Works Cited Navas, William. "SECNAV INSTRUCTION 1610.2A". Department of the Navy. 9/20/09 <http://fas.org/irp/doddir/navy/secnavinst/1610_2a.pdf>.

Costello, Joseph. "Hazing". Army Study Guide. 9/20/09 <http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/military_justice/hazing.shtml>.

Bigg, Claire. "Russia: Brutal Hazing Incident Rocks Army". Radio free europe Radio library. 9/19/09 <http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1065152.html>.

Kimball, Harry. "4 GIs Charged With Hazing Suicide Soldier". Newser. 9/20/09 <http://www.newser.com/story/67476/4-gis-charged-with-hazing-suicide-soldier.html>.

"3,000 Russian recruits die of army hazing every year". Prauda. 9/19/09 <http://english.pravda.ru/accidents/21/96/383/15005_hazing.html>.

Casey, George. "Army Command Policy". Us Army. 9/20/09 <http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_20.pdf>.

PG 37 Navy K-9 unit accused of viciouse sex hazing". Newer. 9/20/09 <http://www.newser.com/story/68604/navy-k-9unit-accused-of-vicious-sex-hazing.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hom>.

"Army hazing victim dies in Moscow". The Other Russia. 9/20/09 <http://www.theotherrussia.org/2008/02/18/army-hazing-victim-dies-in-moscow/>.

48 Naoki O’Bryan Craig Butz Research in the Community 10/12/09 Lessons from History: Why racial profiling is ineffective and wrong February 1942. Two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was acutely aware of her vulnerabilities. In the shadows of a war against imperialism, 110,000 ethnic Japanese—most of them American citizens—were interned without trial or due process. Their crime was their race. In retrospect, the internment is widely regarded as a shameful chapter in American history, one never to be repeated. Sixty years later, now freshly reminded that we are not invincible, we face the choice of whether or not to use racial profiling as a tool in combating terrorism. While the use of racial profiling may seem an obvious choice, the answer is no—both for the pragmatist and the idealist.

What is racial profiling?

Profiling is creating a profile, or a description, of a person most likely to commit a crime. Profiles can take into account appearance, clothing, behavior, and of course race. When that last element is included, profiling becomes racial profiling. There is, admittedly, some usefulness to racial profiling, because it lets law enforcement decide who to search with their finite time and manpower.

In June 2003, the Bush Administration put out a fact sheet on racial profiling, which gave two good examples of what is and what is not racial profiling. According to the Bush Administration, an example of racial profiling would be if a police force, as part of an ongoing campaign against drug dealers, goes to a particular neighborhood not because of “the number of 911 calls, number of arrests, or other pertinent reporting data relating to that area, but only on the general assumption that more drug-related crime occurs in the area because of its racial composition” (Fact sheet… 3-4). But it would not be racial profiling if a police officer gets a description of a criminal, including race, and uses race among other factors in finding the criminal (Fact sheet…4). In other words, racial profiling is using race to try to guess who will commit crimes, and then apprehend them beforehand, or apprehending all members of a certain ethnic group to stop a dangerous minority of it from committing crimes.

What’s wrong with racial profiling?

In the wake of global terrorism, some commentators have come out in favor of racial profiling, and they have a point. It’s not Norwegians who are flying planes into skyscrapers. In a 2005 column written shortly after the London bus bombings, Jewish World Review columnist Charles Krauthammer said that random searches on subways were ridiculous. Certain people should be profiled, he said, because it’s a “simple statistical fact” that “the overwhelming odds are that the guy bent on blowing up your train traces his origins from the Islamic belt stretching from Mauritania to Indonesia” (Krauthammer). In short, let’s unleash the full fury of our security forces onto those who look like they might possibly be from the Islamic belt.

And don’t advocates for racial profiling have numbers on their side? In the case of drug busts, statistics from around the nation show that blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately arrested for drug use. It’s inferred that this is because they use more drugs, (but as we’ll get to later, that may not be the case.) So why not transfer the same application to terrorism by searching more people from Krauthammer’s “Islamic belt”?

Conservative author Michelle Malkin defends the Japanese internment camps of World War Two as a necessary measure for security, and says that we face similar circumstances today. After 9/11, Japanese Americans were among the first to speak out against racial profiling due to their historical experiences. Michelle Malkin says that using the internment camps as a “trump card” against racial profiling “jeopardizes” national security, because necessary security measures would be protested and hindered by so-called “civil liberties chicken littles” (Iwasaki).

While she admits that Japanese Americans “suffered”, she says that security risks justified the internment— it was a necessary evil, so to speak. She says that “any inconvenience, no matter how bothersome or offensive, is preferable to being incinerated at your office desk by a hijacked plane” (Iwasaki).

Much like gun control, racial profiling is an issue of my security verses someone else’s freedom. It’s my safety as a Caucasian not to be “incinerated” in the manner described by Malkin versus some “Islamic belt-looking” peoples’ freedom not to be treated as suspects for the color of their skin. Which is more important?

Advocates for racial profiling have some points, and two of the most important are 1) that it’s common sense, and 2) that security trumps civil liberties in times of crisis. Let’s examine those statements.

Racial profiling doesn’t work.

In 2001, Richard Reid, an unkempt, disheveled man of British and Jamaican heritage, boarded a flight from Paris to Miami. During the flight, he tried to light a fuse protruding from his shoe. He was from the rough and tumble life of south London and had embraced radical Islam during a stint in prison. In his shoe was enough

49 explosive to blow a hole in the plane’s fuselage. But like in many other cases, you wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at his skin.

William Press, a statistician at the University of Texas, Austin, did a study on the effectiveness of racial profiling. It starts with an idealized hypothetical scenario: a government has complete records on all of its citizens, and those citizens, based on a profile, are all given a risk quotient. The higher your risk quotient, the more you’re checked. But things go awry in this system—the profile gets something wrong. The flaw gets more and more pronounced as actual risk quotient differs more from that of the profile (Timmer). Security personnel don’t use their finite resources as effectively.

So is there an alternative to racial profiling? John Timmer of the Ars Tehcnica online magazine explains Press’s solution: The solution is something that’s widely recognized by the statistics community: identify individuals for robust screening based on the square root of their risk value. That gives the profile some weight, but distributes the screening much more broadly through the population, and uses limited resources more effectively (Timmer.)

This means that a slight degree of profiling, along with random screenings for as many people as possible, has the highest statistical risk of catching a would-be terrorist. Relying entirely on profiling would be flawed because not every criminal matches a profile; relying entirely on random searches lets too many people through. Statistically, racial profiling has flaws, and more importantly, an alternative: a balance between light profiling and random screening.

Racial profiling can be counterproductive as well as ineffective because it fosters distrust between ethnic American communities and law enforcement. Strong counterterrorism efforts require trusting bonds between law enforcement and ethnic American communities, like the South Asians and Arabs of Krauthammer’s “Islamic belt”, so they’ll feel compelled to respect the law and turn over radicals. But targeting people for the color of their skin accomplishes just the opposite. It breeds “fear, frustration, and anger” (Harris 233). After the Bush Administration decided to interview thousands of young Muslim men in America, Hussein Ibish, a spokesman for the Arab American anti-discrimination committee, said “I don’t think it builds trust to interview thousands of people based on a racial profile” (Harris 233).

Admittedly, there’s some good in profiling. Profiles aid law enforcement in narrowing down whom to search. But the “Islamic Belt” is so broad that using it as a profile would throw in, along with the vast majority of peaceful Muslims, people who aren’t Islamic at all. How can the average law enforcement official, for all his/her smarts, distinguish between a Muslim from the Islamic belt and the Hindus, Sikhs, Bahais or Christians that share the same skin tone? (Hate crimes against Sikhs and Hindus after 9/11 profess to the fact that a lot of people have this problem.) Washington Post columnist Colbert I. King describes how searching for people who appear to come from the “Islamic belt” would cover his (African-American) sons: [The] profile also ensnares my older brown-skinned son, who…has the complexion of many men I have seen in Africa or the Middle East. He happens to be a television executive. But what the hell… “young Muslim men of Arab or South Asian origin” fit the profile! How, just by looking, can security personnel identify a Muslim male of Arab or South Asian origin goes unexplained.

No profiles are perfect, and the profile of “Islamic belt-looking” people as potential security threats is vague and ineffective.

Advocates for racial profiling like to say that’s logical because of, among other things, high hit hates for searching minorities for drugs. But racial profiling, in the words of Toledo College law professor Richard Harris, is a “self-fulfilling prophecy” (Harris 241). Racial profiling that disproportionately targets a certain group will yield disproportionately large “hit rates” from that certain group. In the war on drugs, special attention was given to crack cocaine, a cheaper variety more popular among minorities, and police actions almost always targeted the streets of minority neighborhoods. So should we be surprised that while studies show that blacks hardly use more drugs, they get arrested more? (Harris 75). The statistics used to defend racial profiling do not necessarily represent its effectiveness. This logic can be applied to the fight against terrorism. Disproportionately stopping and questioning people from the “Islamic belt” will certainly yield more arrests from that group, which translates into numbers that can be used to promote racial profiling as “logical” and “common sense.” But then what happens to people like Richard Reid?

Racial profiling lets some threats through while searching many more innocent people. The argument that a high enough proportion of South Asian and Arab men from the “Islamic belt” warrants a degree of racial profiling is not only racist but wrong.

50 Racial profiling lets some threats through while searching many more innocent people, weakens links with ethnic American communities, and doesn’t work. Remember the argument from before, that while racial profiling may be wrong, it’s a necessary evil? Looks like it might not be necessary after all.

Racial profiling is wrong.

The strongest arguments against racial profiling come not from facts and figures, but from our shared values as Americans. This argument doesn’t merely stem from political correctness. Just as we knew that the biggest threat in World War Two was Japan, today we know that our biggest threat is Islamic extremism. But just because we know what the threat comes from doesn’t mean we know who the threat comes from; nor does it give us the right to start throwing people into jail because they fit a profile.

The Japanese-American internment happened in a fit of hysteria, of lashing out at those who most closely resembled your attackers. Our values of liberty and equality were lost in a flurry of fear begetting racism. Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. reflects on the legacy of the internment: …nobody seemed to care. The courts didn’t intervene, the nation watched passively. And ever since, we have lived with the shame of the moment when America was smaller than its largest ideals (Pitts Jr).

Pitts is not naïve about the danger we’re facing: “….I don’t mean to diminish the danger. Terrorism is a threat. Believe me, I get that. But the loss of civil liberties is, too” (Pitts Jr). So are we going to give away—or actively destroy—our civil liberties in the name of security?

Conclusion: stop history from repeating People have a “bottomless capacity to do crazy things when they’re scared” (Pitts Jr). One of these things is racial profiling. While some people say it’s “logical” and “rational,” a necessary measure in the age of terrorism, evidence shows that’s not the case.

Racial profiling would betray our ideals and infringe upon the freedoms of affected people. It's said that we're fighting this war for freedom, because the terrorists would take those freedoms away from us. Let's not destroy our freedoms for them—not in the name of self-defense, not ever.

Works cited “Fact Sheet: Racial Profiling” United States Department of Justice. USDOJ, 17 June 2003. Web. 28 September 2009. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/racial_profiling_fact_sheet.pdf> Harris, Richard, Profiles in Injustice: Why Racial Profiling cannot Work. New York: The New Press, 2002 Iwasaki, John “Book defends WWII internment of Japanese Americans, Racial profiling” Seattle Post-Intelligence.

Seattle PI, 6 August 2004. Web. 28 September 2009. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/185162_vcenter06.html\ Krauthammer, Charles, "Give Grandma a Pass: Politically Correct Screening won't catch Jihadists." Jewish World Review. Jewish World Review, 29 July 2005. Web. 29 September 2009. http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/krauthammer072905.asp Pitts, Leonard, “America remains smaller than its largest ideals.” Seattle Times. Seattle Times, 14 November 2004.

Web. 28 September 2009. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002089453_pitts14.html Timmer, John. "Study: racial profiling no more effective than random screening." ars technica, 2 February 2009.

Web. 5 October 2009.

51 Cole Stevens Research in the Community Craig Butz November 8, 2009 Where Are The Ethics of The Military?

A Reexamination of Media Recruiting A seemingly unimportant commercial, an amusing videogame, an unexpected phone call. Throughout the years, the military has tried countless new tactics and methods of recruiting young people. Yet in recent years many of the ethical choices of the military media recruitment campaigns have come into question by the American people.

Although the media are a very effective way to recruit young people, the army’s methods for media recruiting are ethically problematic and should be reexamined.

Many recruiters are having problems with soldier enrollment numbers because the Iraq War is abhorrently unpopular to Americans. Since it’s inception in 1784, The United States Army has fought numerous wars throughout the world (“America’s Wars”). Some of these wars including Vietnam, Korea, and The SpanishAmerican War are widely considered unjust and thus became unpopular by the public (“America’s Wars”). Yet none more so than the Iraq war. The Iraq war began on April 23rd, 2003 in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 (Pike). In six and a half years since the war began the Government has spent an estimated 2.7 trillion dollars, “with no definite end of the war in sight,” states John Pike, a military analyst at GlobalSecurity.org. With over 4,262 U.S. Soldiers dead and 30,182 wounded, The Iraq War’s current approval rating is at around twenty-six percent with the American public (Pike). The American people now greatly disapprove of the war on terror. These distrustful feelings towards military recruitment have caused the parents of many potential recruits to dissuade their children from joining an “unjust, or in this case, unpopular cause,” states Jim Miklaszewski, a MSNBC News Contributor. As the approval ratings for the war are at an all time low, it has become increasingly harder for recruiters enroll young people into the army.

The economy plays an essential role in recruitment numbers as well. Throughout the majority of the Iraq War, the economy has been stable and expanding. A stable or expanding economy causes recruitment numbers to ebb. This is because jobs are much easier to find when the economy is expanding. Many people consider the military one of their last options if they can not obtain another job (Wattendorf). However, America has recently been in a very difficult recession causing enrollment numbers for young people to temporarily spike because many feel as though finding a job would be much more difficult than joining the army where money and benefits are guaranteed.

As the United States economy has been steadily rising from a difficult economic recession, recruitment numbers to the army and the marines in particular have been predicted to start declining once again (Pike).

With the economy beginning to pick up and the Iraq War considered the most unpopular war in history, recruiters “have their toughest sell yet” states Sgt. Lang of the Kokomo Recruiter’s Office (Hodierne). As enrollment numbers start to decrease, and with the public opinion still very negative, many recruiters believe that it is extremely difficult if not impossible to reach their monthly quotas.

Recruiters have many tasks that need to be done. Rigid deadlines set by the Army increase anxiety for recruiters to meet their twenty-four soldiers a year quota (Cosgrove-Mather). Although twenty-four soldiers a year may seem rather small, it is no easy task. Recruiters are, in essence, signing a human life in service to the United States. Recruiters who do not meet their quotas are forced to attend seminars about improving performance, which takes place on the weekends without pay (Cosgrove-Mather). As a recently laid off recruiter states, “I hadn’t met the quotas for a couple months now. So they make you attend a seminar on your own time for becoming a better recruiter. And if you miss too many quotas, it hurts your chances of getting a promotion” (Cosgrove-Mather). He later went on to say that there was a tremendous amount of pressure placed on recruiters to meet their goals however possible.

Due to these challenges, many recruiters express temptation to bend the rules, in order to reach monthly quotas. Various ways that recruiters have been caught breaking the rules are through overlooking important medical and police records, making false high school diplomas, and lying about veteran’s benefits to recruits (CosgroveMather). As Sgt. Green, a Richmond recruiter states, “If I get 100 eager kids to talk to me, maybe 60 pass the test.

Of those 60, 20 have clean medical and criminal records, of the 20; maybe 5 or less actually enroll. The odds are basically 1 in 100” (Sgt. Green). Although in the moment illegal methods may get a recruit to enroll, it ultimately hurts the army’s reputation with civilians in the form of negative press coverage. Before the war on terror began in 2001, an average of 93 officers per year was charged with some sort of impropriety in enrolling new recruits. Yet once the war began, the impropriety number jumped to 126 officers in 2005. The number was again raised to 325 recruiter improprieties in 2007 (Cosgrove-Mather). The raises in recruiter impropriety rates have forced the army to introduce new techniques for more effective recruitment.

52 Although recruiters have many challenges, they need to accurately illustrate military service to their target audience. The army’s target audience is thirteen to twenty-four year old males (Lovell). This is problematic because although one is legally an adult at eighteen, and therefore allowed to make individual decisions without parental consent, their brain does not stop maturing until their mid to late twenties (Comley). One can not make informed decisions unless their brain is fully developed. When recruiters make pitches, it is most often to young people because they are most impressionable. Almost 600,000 teens between the ages of seventeen and eighteen are enlisted out of the 1,000,000 active and reserve soldiers (Allen). This shows how recruiters spend the majority of their time and money on younger audiences, and in turn, is yielding great numbers of recruits because they are impressionable.

As one grows, the last part of their brain to develop is the mature prefrontal cortex (Allen). The mature prefrontal cortex is sometimes referred to as “the area of somber second thought”, thought to control and assess major decisions and their repercussions. Teenagers’ brains often lack the impulse control of this part of the brain. A 2004 pentagon database study shows that an overwhelming sixty percent of people who enlist in the marines are between sixteen and eighteen years old, this number sharply declines to less than ten percent with people over twenty four; who possess fully developed brains to make informed decisions (Allen). The military is an excellent vocation, yet a person considering the military may not be able to make an accurate decision because their brain is not fully developed in order to asses all perspectives of the job.

As Olara Otunnu, a U.N. special Representative states, “Chiefs of warfare reach out to children precisely because they are innocent, malleable, and impressionable” (Allen). Recruiters and the Army send cold calls, free videogames, school visits, and pamphlets to students starting at thirteen years of age because of the fact that student’s brains at this time are still developing and therefore lack the mental capability to fully asses all the costs and damages of war. The students side with epithetical and emotional reasoning at this age (Lovell). Therefore recruiters should heighten their target audience because their recruits can not fully mentally assess their decision to join the Army until it may be too late.

With increasing pressures, the army has developed new techniques to counter low recruitment rates such as increasing cold calling. The recruitment technique allows a recruiter to call any public high school student and talk to them about joining the army. Public schools are required under federal law to give all their student information to recruiter’s offices (Miklaszewski). This law is part of the “No Child Left Behind” Act which requires public schools to give student’s names, addresses, and phone numbers to recruiters (Cupolo). Many have voiced concern about this process, calling for privatizing numbers to stop cold calling. As First Class Sgt. Lang of the Kokomo Recruiters office states, in an interview with Robert Hodierne, “The army recruiters will make 300 calls a day,” in which he later explains “About the financial help the army can give them for their college education, the bonuses and how the training can help in their future career. Recruiters will sometimes make multiple calls to a single house. Although this technique is more effective at directly reaching the target age of possible recruits, it should be limited because it is very intrusive and harassing.

Another enrollment technique that the army and recruiter’s offices use is through Army funded videogames. As of now the army is sponsoring five videogames: America’s Army 1, 2, and 3, Rise of a Soldier, and Full Spectrum Warrior (Etherington). These videogames have millions of teens playing every day, with over 100,000 new kids signing up every week (Etherington). People are signing up because the majority of these videogames are free, and anyone with a personal computer can access them. Major Chris Chambers, the director of America’s Army, justifies the videogames by stating that, “We treat it openly and honestly; we don’t sugar coat it” (“Videogame Used”). Yet, many feel as though these methods involve trickery because it is not giving an accurate portrayal of warfare. The videogames offer a sanitized view of warfare states Missy Comely-Beattie, a writer for National Public Radio and Nashville Life Magazine. It is not showing the thousands of soldiers battling post traumatic stress disorder, or how a soldier genuinely copes with death. As another military reporter from the Charlotte Observer states, “Videogames are supposed to be fun. There’s no denying that. But war is not. ‘America’s Army’ is only helping confuse the issue for young men and women.” Many recruiters set up the videogames in their offices and at Army sponsored events to get kids inside (Smith). The America’s Army series has also come into connection with high post traumatic stress disorder levels in soldiers, also referred to as PTSD. This is apparent because soldiers come to expect a certain sanitized version of warfare, which is not there; therefore the videogame lowers expectations of warfare violence, making recruits more shell shocked when in real combat situations.

Videogames are very persuasive and a good recruitment tool to a key audience of thirteen to twenty-four year olds, but it should be discontinued because it involves deceit and is misleading when recruits play the games because the simulated warfare is not real or accurate portraying combat (“Videogame Used”).

In the past few years the army has continued to increase commercials in the media as a way to more effectively recruit young people. In recent years the campaign has had two focuses: to persuade the parents of

53 potential recruits that they should let their children consider the army as a career path, and to show the “testosterone filled rigors of boot camp” (Dao). These commercials do not accurately portray a soldier’s life. The first tactic is attempting to “guilt trip parents into allowing their children enroll,” states James Dao, a New York Times columnist.

It accomplishes this by showing parents that accept their child’s choice to join the military without question, simply stating: These parents are being understanding of their child’s life choice, why aren’t you? For example, many commercials have been aired showing a man in the armed forces controlling a military drone, seemingly stating to the public that, “Being in the armed forces is about as easy as sitting on the couch playing videogames” (Sirota).

This is completely untrue. The next focus is due to the recent and momentary successes of the majority of the branches of the army reaching recruitment numbers. The pitch is more down to earth, showing some of the rigors of basic boot camp, yet the actors are of veterans of The Silent Drill Platoon, not actual new recruits. The Silent Drill Platoon is an elite group of twenty-four highly trained marines, not a group of new recruits for the Army (Dao). This causes people to underestimate the actual rigors of boot camp. Commercials made by the Army are often misleading and give the public an incorrect picture of the war and the life of a soldier, thus making it a dishonest recruiting instrument.

Although the methods of media recruiting may be more effective for a time, the amount of negative opinions voiced by the press and the people outweigh the gains in enrollment. In recent surveys conducted by The New York Times and CBS have shown that “One in five trusts the government or the military to do the right thing” (Smith). These methods of persuasion and trickery through videogames, commercials, and cold calls end up giving the army bad press. Therefore people have a negative view of the military in general which impedes the effectiveness of other acceptable recruitment techniques.

Of course, there is no one solution to the problem of ethically acceptable recruitment methods. As a Richmond recruiter, Sgt. Green states, “I think that the most effective way to reach out to students is to become known. That is to become a part of the community. Let the kids come to you, build trust with them, because trust is the most important factor in these kinds of decisions.” Many other methods that recruiters use are also ethical and effective, such as making class presentations to high school kids and sending information packets to families. These methods are less intrusive and are more upfront to kids.

A recruiter’s most important asset is their attitude. If they present themselves as aggressive and inexperienced, by cold calling and enticing kids into offices with videogames and misleading commercials, then young people will not be attracted to the army. However, if the recruiter’s attitude more resembles a calm person who does not sugar coat facts and lets the possible recruits come to them, people will be attracted to the army. Most people agree that military is an acceptable career path. There is no doubt that the work recruiters do is difficult.

However the army needs to rethink how they present themselves through the media to young people.

54 Works Cited Allen, Terry J. “Pentagon's Teen Recruiting Methods Would Make Tobacco Companies Proud” In These Times.

Alternet.org. 22 May, 2007. Web. “America’s Wars: A Complete History” History Central. Multieducator Inc. 12 October. 2004. Web. Boyd, Clark. “US Army Cuts Teeth on Videogames” BBC News. British Broadcasting Center. 25 November. 2005.

Web. Bregman, James. “Full Spectrum Warrior Hits Target” BBC News. British Broadcasting Center. 2 July. 2004. Web. Comley, Beattie. “Military Recruitment – Seduction of the Innocent” Scribd. 5 May, 2007. Web. Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie. “Hardball Recruiter Gets Promoted” CBS Evening News. CBS. 14 July. 2005. Web. Cupolo, Diego. “Military Recruiters in High Schools” Gotham Gazette. Citizens Union Foundation. 12 January, 2007. Web. Dao, James. “With Recruiting Goals Exceeded, Marines Toughen Their Ad Pitch” NY Times. New York Times. 17 September. 2009. Web. Etherington, Daniel “Playing War with the U.S.” BBC News. British Broadcasting Center.10 July. 2004. Web. Hodierne, Robert. “Concern over U.S. Army Recruitment” BBC News. British Broadcasting Center. 23 August.

2006. Web. Miklaszewski, Jim. “Army, Marines Miss Recruiting Goals Again” MSNBC. MSN.10 May. 2005. Web. Powers, Rod. “Military Ethics and Conflicts of Interest.” About.com: US Military. About.com. Web. Sgt. Green. Personal Interview. 15 September. 2009.

Smith, Sam. “Distrust of Government at Highest Level in Fifty Years” Undernews. Blogger. 27 July. 2009. Web. Sirota, David. “Military Recruiting Ads Present False Image” Sun Journal. 31 August. 2009. Web. Toner, Dr. James H. “Military or Ethics.” Air & Space Power Journal. 1 June. 2003. Web. Pike, John. “U.S. Casualties in Iraq” Military. GlobalSecurity.org. 15 September.2009. Web. “Videogame Used to Lure New Recruits.” Mlitary.com. United States Military. 4 March. 2005. Web. Wattendorf, William J. “The Ethical Development of The Professional U.S. Army Officer” Center for Army Leadership. 1981. Web.

55 Madison Tiansay Research in the Community Craig Butz October 8, 2009 Companies Using Organic Fabrics You walk into your favorite mall and are immediately bombarded with eye-catching advertisements saying, “Got Green?” “Green is the New Black,” “The Earth: Love it or Leave it,” and many other clever slogans.

Nowadays, it seems like everyone in the marketing world has caught the “going green” fever, especially clothing companies. You walk out of the store, feeling like you got a good product for a good price, but is this really a good business strategy for companies? Do the retailers really benefit and profit from using organic fabrics?

Businesses must make the decision that not only makes economic sense but also appeals to the customers.

The use of organic fabrics has been a greatly debated business strategy amongst those in the clothing industry.

Companies strive to sustain the environment while making it a profitable enterprise. There is a potential tension arising from higher costs and lower profits and putting out a product which customer’s demand. Companies that offer organic fabrics have a potential win/win situation: it is a profitable economic strategy that enhances the company’s image and preserves the environment.

While various materials such as linen, cashmere, silk, polyester, and wool are used to make clothing, one of the most popular fabrics in the world is cotton (“Organic Cotton Clothing”). It is a breathable and easily-produced fiber that customers and retailers love. “Cotton accounts for about 40 percent of total world fiber production” (“Facts and Figures: The Cotton Trade”). There are two main types of cotton: conventional cotton and organic cotton.

Conventional cotton is an annual crop grown in sunny or warm environments. The top five cottonproducing countries include China (24%), U.S.(20%), India (16%), Egypt (13%), and Turkey (11%). The production of conventional cotton is highly dependent on the use of pesticides. It “accounts for 25% of all agricultural pesticides used in the U.S.”(“The New Cotton Debate”). An organic clothing blog states, “The simple act of conventionally growing cotton and harvesting one pound of cotton fiber needed to make a T-shirt takes an enormous and devastating toll on the earth’s air, water, and soil that impact global health” (“Cotton: Facts Behind the Fiber”).

The chemicals cause air pollution and reduce soil productivity. They also “routinely contaminate groundwater, surface water, and pollute the water we drink…. Fish, birds, and other wildlife are also affected by the movement of these chemicals through the ecosystem” (“Cotton: Facts Behind the Fiber”). These pesticides are not only harmful to the environment, but also harmful, even lethal, to human beings. It has been known to cause cancer, vision disorders, and chromosomal aberrations. For example, in a cotton farm in India, “91% of male workers exposed to pesticides eight hours or more per day experienced some type of health disorder, including chromosomal aberrations, cell death, and cell cycle delay (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Cotton farms all around the world have started to use the genetically modified (GMO) cotton seed, which is a more advanced conventional cotton seed that is genetically altered to use fewer pesticides. GMO cotton is also used “to achieve higher production efficiencies that will allow poor cotton farmers to compete more effectively with developed countries” (“The New Cotton Debate”). For instance, under-developed third world countries such as Africa are able to produce more cotton, allowing them to join the main cotton producers. Although this new cotton seed has proven to be beneficial to some, it still requires the use of pesticides and costs just as much as it would to produce organic cotton.

Organic cotton, on the other hand, is grown all-naturally and does not contain genetically altered seeds. It is “cultivated in rotation with other crops and is fertilized with manure and compost, which preserves and even increases the soil’s fertility” (“Organic Cotton”). The fact that organic cotton is pesticide-free is extremely significant because it reduces the use of toxic chemicals and helps build a more biologically diverse agriculture (“Organic Cotton Facts”).

Even though pesticides and fertilizer are not needed for organic cotton, production costs are higher.

Organic cotton must be hand-picked and therefore, more labor is needed. Organic cotton also costs more to manufacture. First, most facilities utilize the same machines to produce both organic and conventional cotton. Each time conventional cotton is produced, the machine must be cleaned of contaminants in preparation for manufacturing organic cotton. Because organic cotton must pass strict regulations in order to be certified, it is often manufactured in more expensive factories. Second, the production of organic cotton requires meticulous and highlyskilled labor, which translates into higher labor cost. Organic cotton farmers must learn new techniques and processes that will enable them to successfully cotton that meets specific certification requirements.

When all the costs are tallied, organic cotton is 2 to 3 times more expensive. Companies must determine whether the additional cost is less than the profit opportunity to make a calculated business risk. Organic cotton is a

56 better product but it may cost more and potentially make less of a profit. In addition, retailers must offer its potential customers the right products, keeping in mind the design and variety of offerings. It could end up helping the company in the long run, but the management must decide if they are willing to take the risk. Is money or quality more important? Or can it be both?

In order for an article of clothing to be certified as organic, it must pass various strict regulations. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prescribes products “must contain 95% organic ingredients produced without conventional fertilizers or synthetic pesticides and use sustainable and environmentally-friendly agricultural methods” (“Certified Organic Clothing: What does it mean?”). The regulations also prohibit the use of genetically-altered seeds. After inspection by a USDA representative, a USDA organic logo is awarded to the cotton farm. However, the USDA process may not necessarily guarantee a truly eco-friendly organic product.

Once the cotton plants and fibers are inspected and approved by the USDA, the product does not need to go through any further inspection or testing. Unlike the USDA standards for organic produce, there are no global or U.S. standards to verify organic textiles. For example, you can have a 100% organic cotton shirt treated and manufactured with hazardous chemical dyes. There are non-governmental, accredited organizations such as the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) that strives “to promote organic agricultural practices that benefit farmers, workers, traders, retailers and consumers” by creating certain standards and policies (“Certified Organic Clothing: What does it mean?”). IFOAM aims to have the same quality standards the USDA has for its food, and by establishing these regulations, it hopes to promote social justice and fair trade.

Although the use of organic cotton is extremely beneficial to the environment and businesses, cost can be a limitation to the retailers. Companies that have made the choice to use organic cotton are now faced with the dilemma that there is a high demand for the fabric but not enough resources to match this demand. An article in Business Week Magazine states, “Between 2004 and 2005, organic cotton production in the U.S. increased by 8%and was up 7% in China, 25% in India, and 40% in Turkey…. As a result, the growing number of retailers wanting to offer eco-friendly clothing is facing a crunch” (Reena). Because organic cotton is increasing in popularity, companies are now forced to compete against one another in gathering supplies, which can drive costs even higher.

For example, large retailers such as Wal-Mart are getting priority over small boutiques because “small companies lack the size and buying muscle to achieve economies of scale that drive prices lower” (“The High Cost of Organic Clothing). Cotton farmers would much rather sell their product in large amounts to big mainstream retailers because they sign a contract guaranteeing future business. With these conditions, local businesses or specialty boutiques are being charged more for organic cotton and, therefore, have to raise their prices to compensate.

Cotton farmers may refrain from growing organic cotton due to the decrease in crop yield. “The total amount of cotton produced by such process [rotative cultivation] yields 14-20% less crop in comparison to crops grown by using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides” (“Organic Clothing- the Latest Trend in Practice”). Farmers may choose to produce genetically altered cotton, which can increase their cotton yield by up to 30-35%. The fact that organic cotton farms produce less cotton each year is crucial because “crop yield is a critical economic factor” (Folkart).

Design has also become a limitation when dealing with organic fabrics. “Brooklyn designer Bahar Shahpar says, ‘Without a doubt, the most difficult part of designing sustainably is the sourcing of fabrics and materials….

Choice is extremely limited in terms of color and print” (“Demand for Organic Clothing”). Although there is a small selection of naturally colored organic cotton, design that retains sustainability has been difficult to incorporate. This can be crucial when design is what sells (Silva). Aimee ‘tHooft, Banana Republic Stores Operation Manager, says, “Although this [organic] collection does sell relatively well, the customers are more attracted to the style than the fabrics being used. The use of organic fabrics is just a bonus.” In some companies, the use of organic fabrics has become a secondary thought, coming after design and price.

A growing number of companies have begun to make the transition from conventional cotton to organic cotton because of the positive effects it has on the environment and clothing companies. Companies are presented with a win/win situation that benefits both the company and the environment. Production of organic cotton provides a sustainable impact on the earth’s water, soil, and wildlife. In the marketing world, the use of organic cotton, “going green”, has become extremely popular, resulting in an increase of customers and sales.

Organic cotton farming diminishes the health risk of cotton farmers, families, and livestock. Because of the use of pesticides, those exposed to the chemical can be at risk. “Long-term exposure to pesticides can increase the risk of developmental and reproductive disorders, immune-system disruption, endocrine disruption, impaired nervous-system function, and development of certain cancers. Children are at higher risk from exposure than are adults. Acute exposure to pesticides can lead to death or serious illness” (“Toxic Hazards”). The livestock that feed off of the soil and water are also impacted by the chemical.

57 The use of organic fabrics is a growing new trend that has attracted many environmentally conscious consumers. The fact that organic cotton is a sustainable fabric that also helps the environment is a great appeal to the customer. It has become the new fad taking over the apparel industry. Printwear and Promotion Magazine states, “In terms of promotional clothing, green is certainly the new black…” Many customers choose organic fabrics because it is considered the “healthy choice.” Some retailers have chosen to target the baby clothing line because “organic cotton is excellent for the tender developing skin of a baby… and causes fewer allergies” (“Benefits of Organic Cotton Clothing”). For example, Senior Director of Gap Kids Production, Lisette Silva, says that Gap has decided to limit the organic line to baby clothing because parents like the idea that their baby boy or girl is wearing something organic. Also, exposing children at a young age to the organic lifestyle will hopefully set a trend in their future lifestyle.

The lifestyle of living organic has become the new trend. The acceptance of organic clothing has been mainly influenced by the growing organic food industry. It is said that “the organic clothing industry—much buoyed by the meteoric rise of the organic food sector—is experiencing rapid growth accompanied by rising consumer awareness” (“Organic Clothing”). Organic fabric retailers are capitalizing on the consumers that have shown an interest in organic foods. Companies have an opportunity to promote a socially responsible and healthy lifestyle.

Successful companies should, like the Gap, “incorporate environmental and social risks and opportunities into their business strategies” (Gap Social Responsibilities). Already, local and mainstream businesses have devoted a certain portion of their apparel to use organic fabrics. Edun, a small fashion label, uses organic cotton in most of their products and strives to have sustainable trade that economically supports farmers in third world countries.

Levi’s Jean Store has made 50% of their products organic using natural dyes, organic cotton, tags made from recycled paper, and soy ink. Nike Inc. has committed to blend their jerseys and sportswear with organic cotton; their goal “is for all of their cotton apparel to contain at least 5% organic cotton by 2010” (“Organic clothing: it’s not just for tree huggers”). Patagonia, a company devoted to sportswear, has been “going green” and using organic fabrics since 1996. Mainstream retailers such as Gap, H&M, Adidas, American Apparel, and Banana Republic have joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Steering Committee, which promotes “environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable cotton cultivation” (Brita). Organic Exchange’s Callahan Klein says, “This shows that bigbrand apparel makers are really making a commitment to organic farming. It’s not just a fad” (Reena). This business strategy enhances the company’s image and demonstrates their intensions of doing the right thing. It is not just about making profits nor sacrificing quality anymore. Instead, retailers can actually have a win-win scenario.

The future of organic cotton is very promising. Studies show that the amount of organic cotton grown is steadily rising at an average of 22%, and the demand is growing at an impressive rate of 30% per year. (Reena). By the end of 2008, non-food organic sales, including organic cotton, reached $1.648 billion. “Eco-friendly design in the fashion industry is far from being established” (Brita). Companies have an enormous opportunity to offer cool designs that meet the customers demand, resulting in an increase in sales.

58 Works Cited Belli, Brita. “Getting Consumers to Care About What They Wear.” The Eco Fashion Revolution. The Environmental Magazine, 2009. Web. 20 September 2009.

“Benefits of Organic Cotton Clothing.” Organic Facts. Green LA Girl, 2009. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Certified Organic Clothing: What does it mean?” Organic Clothing. Fashion Photography, 2009. Web. 20 September 2009.

Claudio, Luz. “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry.” Environmental Health Perspectives. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2007. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Cotton: Facts behind the fiber.” Organic Clothing. Fashion Photography, 2009. Web. 20 September 2009.

“Demand for Organic Clothing Doubling Every Year.” Organic Consumers Association. The Environmental Magazine, 2009. Web. 15 October 2009. d’Estries, Michael. “The Touch, The Feel: Organic Clothing Industry Continues Sky-High Growth!” Groovy Green.

Green Living, 2007. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Facts and Figures: The Cotton Trade.” PBS. Jumpstart Production, 2009. Web. 15 October 2009.

Folkart, Bob. “Economic and Ethical Conflicts Confront the Organic/Green Industry.” Pizza Fusion Blog. Pizza Fusion, 2009. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Going green.” Printwear and Promotion. P & P Magazine, 2009. Web. 18 September 2009.

“Going for green: US cotton market in an ecological revolution.” Organic Consumer Association. International Market News, 2002. 15 October 2009.

Gunther, Marc. “Organic for Everyone, the Wal-Mart Way.” Fortune. CNN News, 2006. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Health Risks of Agrochemicals.” BGO Singapore. BGO Singapore, 2009. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Organic Cotton: Beneficial to Humans and Environment.” Helvetas. Organic Exchange, 2009. Web. 17 September 2009.

“Organic Cotton Clothing.” Organic Cotton Clothing. Eartheasy, 2009. Web. 20 September 2009.

“Organic Cotton Facts.” Organic Trade Association. The Organic Report Index, 2008. Web. 18 September 2009.

“Organic Clothing: it’s not just for tree huggers.” Goliath Business News. The Gale Group, 2008. Web. 15 October 2009.

“Organic Clothing- The Latest Trend In Practice.” Scribd. Fiber2Fashion, 2009. Web. 15 October 2009.

Reena, Jana. “Green Threads for the Eco Chic.” Business Week, McGraw Hill Companies Inc., 2006. Web. 16 September 2009.

“The High Cost of Organic Clothing.” Organic Clothing. Fashion Photography, 2009. Web. 20 September 2009.

“The New Cotton Debate: What is sustainable cotton?” Organic Clothing. Fashion Photography, 2009. Web. 20 September 2009.

“Toxic Hazards.” The Health and Environment Linkages Initiative. World Health Organization, 2009. Web. 19 October 2009.

59

Research in the Community Volume 2 Issue 2 March 2010 The Bay School of San Francisco

60 Dexter Antonio January 13, 2010 Researching the Community Craig Butz The Decline of Vaccination Rates in the First World: Why Intelligent Parents Reject What is Best for Their Kids Vaccinations have been one of the greatest medical achievements in all of history, yet some parents are choosing not to vaccine their children. Parents who don’t vaccinate their kids, despite their willingness to do anything to preserve their children’s health do so because of inaccurate assessment of the risks, misinformation conveyed to them by parents of autistic children and the media, and a mistrust of science. This issue must be addressed through education and by decreasing the power of people who create and propagate misinformation, before this problem spreads.

Vaccinations are essential to preventing diseases and not receiving them, whatever the reason, puts everyone including the vaccinated in danger. Vaccinated people create herd immunity, acting as shield against the disease by decreasing its ability to spread throughout the population (specter 98). This herd immunity shields those who are most susceptible, newborns who cannot receive vaccinations and people with compromised immune systems such as the elderly. When herd immunity decreases, because of people refusing to vaccinate, newborns and elderly people are far more likely to contract and die from the diseases (Rogers). This also affects healthy vaccinated people because vaccinations are not 100% effective therefore high herd immunity is important to prevent the disease from spreading to those who the vaccination didn’t work against. If herd immunity decreases we will see an increase in deaths from these preventable diseases (Specter 99) The dangers of a decrease in herd immunity was shown in Japan where a rapid fall in whooping cough vaccinations caused a massive increase in whooping cough cases. In 1974 Japan vaccine rates were high, and there were 393 cases of whooping cough and no deaths from whooping cough. In the next two years vaccination rates dropped 70% causing whooping cough cases and fatalities to jump to 13,000 cases and 41 deaths in 1976 (“Anti vaccine movement”). If vaccine rates continue to decline then this same scenario is going to happen in the United States causing deaths and permanent injuries to both the vaccinated and non vaccinated. (Rogers).

Despite the importance of vaccinations many parents choose not to vaccinate. These parents, who choose not to vaccinate, usually have one of two beliefs. One belief is that faith in God is more important than their child’s health and that vaccinating shows lack of faith in God. The second belief is and that vaccinations are not the best thing for a child’s health.

For hundreds of years certain parents have refused modern medicine for religious reasons. These parents tend to believe that by praying to God they can be healed and to seek medical help shows a lack of faith. Therefore they often will avoid vaccinations in favor of prayer. Although this stern belief often results in unnecessary deaths, it is not the main cause of low vaccination rates because this belief is not shared by enough parents to explain the falling vaccination rates (Guzder). These traditions of rejecting modern medicine have done in favor of faith in God has been going on for centuries and this belief is not increasing at a rate that would account for the decreasing vaccination rates in certain areas (Fraser).

The second believe that parents might have that would cause them not to vaccinate, is that vaccinations are not the best thing for their child’s health. This false belief is a consequence of statistical illiteracy, misinformation, and mistrust of science.

A major reason that people feel that vaccines are dangerous is because of a misunderstanding of statistical evidence. Statically illiterate people often feel one in a million is an unacceptable risk and will often hold an illogical repulsion to it, whether it be dying in a plane crash or having an allergic response to a vaccine. Yet when it comes to something like dying from the flu, one will think of it as unlikely and not even worry about it. John Paulos explains this phenomenon in Innumeracy saying “if you don’t have some feeling for probabilities, automobile accidents might seem a relatively minor problem of local travel, where being killed by a terrorist might seem to be a major risk”. In reality the likelihood of dying in a car crash is significantly more probable than falling victim to a terrorist (Paulos 7). He goes on to say how when people are confronted with the statistical unlikelihood of their fears they “inevitably respond with the non sequitur, ‘yes, but what if your that one,’ and then nod knowingly, as if they’ve demolished your argument with their penetrating insight.” He attributes this illogical response to statistical evidence as people’s “tendency to personalize” statistics (8).

Kev Leitch, an online blogger who writes about vaccine safety, states that in statistically illiterate people they will often weigh the perceived risk of something against the perceived risk of another. In the case of vaccines and measles for example, a statically illiterate person would likely weigh the perceived risk of measles against the perceived risk of vaccinations. Because they have never heard of anyone dying of measles yet heard a lot of debate

61 about vaccine safety, they would perceive the risk of measles to be lower than the vaccination and consequently choose not to vaccinate their child (Leitch).

This perceived risk is far from the actual statistical risks. The CDC says that measles cause serious brain damage in 0.3 percent of cases, death in 0.1 percent where vaccines cause life threatening side effects only one in every million vaccinations. This illogical approach to judging risks, which results from statical illiteracy, is a major reason people reject vaccinations (“MMR vaccine side-effects”).

Another major reason that parents might choose not to vaccinate their child is because of the belief in misinformation about the safety of vaccines. The belief in this misinformation leads them to the false conclusion that they shouldn’t vaccinate their child. Non vaccinating parents often received the misinformation they believe, from parents of autistic children who spread their false beliefs through the media.

The media often sensationalizes issues leading to unnecessary fear such as when the media started the frenzy about shark attacks in 2001, which Time Magazine duped “Summer of the Shark”. Even though there was massive media coverage that made it seem shark attacks were a major danger to beach goers, there were only 79 unprovoked shark attacks and 10 deaths the previous year which is a small number when compared to the thousands of beachgoers. Despite the statistical unlikelihood of a person being attacked by a shark, the media continued to dismiss statistics in favor of vivid descriptions of the dangers lurking offshore. (McCarthy, Terry).

Another example of fear being created by the media was when the major networks covered the safety of the swine flu vaccine. All networks questioned the safety of the vaccine, and it was enough to cause vaccine rates of the H1N1 to be lower than the CDC wanted them (Landau). The media’s spread of an irrational fear is shown in the titles of articles following the swine flu vaccine release: “To Vaccinate or Not? Some Wary on H1N1 Choice” and “When It Comes to H1N1 Vaccine, Some Doctors Are Just Saying No”. These articles portrayed the swine flu vaccine as this risky thing causing unnecessary fear among parents. By reading these articles the readers might come to the false belief that many medical experts are calling the safety of the vaccine into question, or that the safety of the H1N1 vaccine is a real issue in the medical community, although the CDC and the majority of doctors recommend the H1N1 shot (“2009 H1N1 Vaccination Recommendations”).

The method in which the media addressed the issue was even more damaging. Even if the medical community believes strongly in the importance of immunization, it’s reasonable, though unnecessary, for doctors and the media to debate the issues in a scientific way. This was not the case when news networks were questioning the swine flu vaccine’s safety. In the article “To vaccinate or Not? Some Wary on H1N1 choice”, written by Elizabeth Landau, she quotes parents who are concerned about the vaccines safety in order to determine the reasoning behind their decision. Although she accomplishes this goal she fails to fully address the parents’ misconceptions causing uneducated readers of the article to start to believe the same misconceptions of the concerned parent. She demonstrates her lack of skill in addressing these parents’ illogical concerns when paraphrasing a concerned mother. “Peterson isn't against all vaccines -- she and her daughters have already gotten the seasonal flu vaccine, for example. But she is concerned about mercury in some of the new vaccine varieties.

Thimerosal, a mercury preservative found in the multi-dose vial H1N1 vaccines, has been controversially linked to autism, though no studies have proved that theory. Peterson said she is also concerned about the toxicity of mercury” (Landau). She does address the issue with a small quote, “the CDC says there is no evidence that thimerosal is harmful to pregnant women or fetuses” yet never addresses the mothers main concern, the mercury preservative effect on her children (Landau).

Thimerosal, the mercury preservative in vaccinations is completely harmless in the dosage given in vaccines. When injected into the body it degrades into ethylmercury that is far safer than methylmercury, the mercury that is responsible for almost all mercury poisonings. melthomerucry has a half life in the body of 120 where ethylmercury is only 14 therefore one’s body can absorb a much higher dosage of ethyl mercury without complication (specter 69). A study preformed by the National Academy of Sciences also showed that there were no dangerous effects that resulted from the level of thimerosal in vaccines (70). Landau’s failer to address the mothers concerns about the mercury preservative is simply one example of how the media can spread misinformation about the safety of vaccinations.

This same media hype was present during all stages of the vaccine debate causing vaccination rates to fall, and get parents of autistic children to band together strengthen their false belief in the vaccine autisms connection. (specter 64) The reason that these parents believe in the link between autism and vaccines despite the lack of any scientific evidence is because eighteen months, the time when a child receives vaccinations, is also the time when a child’s autism symptoms are most likely to present. Therefore it’s understandable why many parents make the false connection between autism and vaccines (64).

62 This tendency to make false connections is amplified by the fact that the parents feel out of control, due to their child being diagnosed with a disease they can do very little to fix. A scientific study performed by Jenifer A. Whitson, at the University of Texas, found that lacking control, increases the likelihood that one will perceive patterns where none exist. The study titled “lacking control increases illusionary perceptions”, set out to determine if feeling out of control increased “identification of a coherent and meaningful interrelationship among a set of random or unrelated stimuli.” It proved that lacking control in fact did so through six separate and controlled experiments.

One of the experiments demonstrated that lacking control increases the likelihood of random patterns being perceived. The test consisted of two separate groups; one was the experimental group, in which the group members were manipulated to feel out of control by a computerized test that gave them random feedback on the correctness of their answer. The other group, the control, took the test without receiving any feedback. Each group was then given a test to gauge how in control they felt. This showed that the control group felt more in control than the experimental. Finally to test if this lacking of control feeling increased the likelihood that nonexistent patterns would be perceived by the experimental group they showed each subject twenty-four snowy images, twelve of which contained hidden images and twelve of which contained no hidden image. The subjects in the experimental group was 170% more likely to see a pattern that didn’t exist then the control group proving that lacking control increases the likelihood that one will perceive nonexistent patterns. Based on this data Whitson hypothesized that the reason for this false connection was that “the need to be and feel in control is so strong that individuals will produce a pattern from noise to return the world to a predicable state”(Whitson 177). This need to return the world to a predicable state combined with the tendency for autism to develop around the same time children receive their vaccinations leads many parents to make the false connection.

This vaccine fear was publicized by Dr. Andrew Wakefield who created a study that connected autism directly to the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. The study was extremely flawed and had only a small sample size of ten test subjects (Specter 61). Later it was found that he foraged data and has recently been brought up on fraud charges for doing so. Despite the many defects of this study, it was published by a prominent medical journal, the Lancet, and over hyped by the media causing vaccination rates to fall throughout the First World. In Britain, for example, “Vaccination rates fell from 92 percent to 73 percent and in parts of London to nearly 50 percent” (Specter 62).

After Wakefield’s study was disproven by the National Academy of Sciences study and discredited by ten of the thirteen paper’s authors, parents of autistic children started to create other hypothesizes on how vaccines could have caused their child’s autism (Specter 62). Because of Wakefield’s publicized study, these parents had banned together all believing in the same unproven hypothesis, that vaccines caused their child’s autisms. In order to prove their belief they spread an unsubstantiated hypothesized that autism was caused by the thimerosal, a mercury based preservative found in some vaccines, yet never present in the MMR. This theory, although unsupported by any scientific data, caused enough public pressure to cause the US government to remove thimerosal from most vaccines. The government thought this would quell the autism vaccine debate but it only added fuel to the fire.

Autism blogs created by the parents desperate to blame and various “activists” desperate for fame said this was proof that the government was covering up the harm that vaccines caused (70).

Even though there was no evidence linking autism to thimerosal the media made it seem as if there was through many unscientific articles and interviews. An example of this was an article published in The Rolling Stones and Salon, written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that stated how the government and pharmaceutical companies conspired to cover up the thimerosal, autisms link. He speaks of the “secret” conference between the FDA, CDC, WHO, and big pharmaceutical companies in which they discussed how to “whitewash the risk of thimerosal” (Kennedy). His article was full of misleading information. At one point he quotes the leader of the National Academy of Sciences Immunization Safety Review Committee, McCormick, out of context to support his point. He quotes her in saying “[the CDC ] wants us to declare, well, that these things are pretty safe”. His reference to this quote implies that the vaccine safety committee had made up their minds before conducting the study (specter 74).

The actual transcripts reveal how Kennedy took her quote out of context. What McCormick actually said was “I took away actually an issue that we may have to confront, and that is actually the definition of what we mean by safety. It is safety on a population basis, but it is also safety for the individual child. I am wondering, if we take this dual perspective, we may address more of the parent concerns, perhaps developing a better message if we think about what comes down the stream as opposed to CDC, which wants us to declare, well, these things are pretty safe on a population basis.” In contrast to the small snippet Kennedy quoted, this full quote reveals that McCormick was solely interested in finding the truth (specter 74).

Although thimerosal was removed from vaccines, autism rates continued to increase so the desperate parents tried to find another way in which vaccines could have caused their child’s autism. Next they started to blame the vaccine schedule stating that children were receiving too many vaccines at once and this was

63 overwhelming a child’s immune system. Again this claim was unsupported by any scientific evidence, yet many blogs emerged, again retelling the horror stories about how their perfectly healthy child was suddenly turned autistic by a vaccine.

News networks and magazines also aided in the spread of this new false theory, which likely resulted in other parents refusing to vaccinate. Jenny McCarthy’s lack of qualifications, which consist only of being a mom of an autistic child, did not hinder her ability to propagate her false beliefs about the safety of vaccinations. In 2007 she appeared on Opera, 2008 she was interviewed on Larry King Live, in 2009 she wrote an article for the Huffington Post and also interviewed by Time Magazine, American Morning and Larry King again. (81) During these interviews the host would often ask softball questions ignoring the scientific evidence in favor of McCarthy’s false, unsupported belief. On an interview on CNN’s American Moring the host asks the question “The American Academy of pediatrics and others continue to say there is no link in-between vaccines and autism. They go on to say to that the risk of not vaccinating could be even worse. What do you say about why first of all why they are reluctant to talk about any possible link between vaccines and autism” (CNN)? Although the beginning of the statement has actual facts the question section is false and leads the listeners to the false belief that the vaccine autism link hasn’t been adequately studied. This is far from the truth 20 scientific studies have found no link inbetween vaccines and autism (Rogers). This sets up McCarthy to answer the question with ease without having to address the difficult evidence that is against her belief.

The news network didn’t even address the absurdness of her claim, that the vaccine schedule caused autism. Even though the number of vaccines the CDC recommends a child should receive has doubled in the last 30 years, “their actual antigen load has been lowered from 3,000 to just about 150, only 5% of what the people making this argument were exposed” to when getting their childhood vaccines (“if it’s catchy, why bother with the science?”). Despite the absurdity of this hypothesis news networks allowed vaccine deniers to speak on their sets and write newspaper articles causing their false ideas to spread.

The third reason that some parents hesitate to vaccinate their children is based upon a general mistrust of science. Vaccines require faith in science and technology. As people have witnessed examples of science failing, the public has less respect for science and expert opinion. One reason that people don’t trust science is because of the harm science has caused. A recent example of this was the Vioxx Scandal.

In 1999 a pharmaceutical company Merck released a Drug called Vioxx that was used to treat the pain caused by arthritis (Specter 24). Early studies showed that Vioxx was more effective at reliving pain then traditional treatments, such as aspirin, but didn’t cause any of the stomach problems normally associated with the traditional ramifies. (25). These positive effects combined with, one of the “most aggressive advertising campaigns in medical history” lead to 2.4 billion in annual sales by 2003 (25).

Although the profitability and benefits of the drug were apparent, the dangers of it were initially concealed

by Merck, although they eventually became evident. A double blind study that showed that patients taking Aleve were far more likely to have heart attacks if taking Vioxx than if they had been give [just] Aleve”. Merck claimed that these results were due the healing benefits of Aleve, not to the dangers of Vioxx. Yet they had no evidence to back this up, and when the lack of evidence behind their claim raised questions about the safety about Vioxx, they denied the dangers(Specter 26). Even after these results came to light Merck refused to acknowledged the potential risk this drug presented to people with heart problems. Eventually in 2006 they removed the drug from the market but that was after it had caused an estimated 38,000 deaths.

After it was taken off the market more evidence emerged that Merck knew about the possible dangers of the drug and tried to avoid exposing them at all costs. In 1984 Garret FitzGerald found that COX-2 enzyme, which causes swelling and pain in arthritic people, “Might prevent arterial blood clot formations” and therefore COX-2 inhibitors, such as Vioxx it might increase heart attack in unhealthy people where COX-2, the anti-clotting enzyme, was necessary. Although this data was included in the FDA report, FitzGerald’s concerns were not directly addressed. Instead Merck attempted to prevent the discovery of the dangers of this drug by creating a study that attempted to hide the serious cardiovascular side effects. To do this they created the VIGOR (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research) in which “80 percent of the patients were woman with an average age of 58, with Merck being well aware that woman, on average, develop C.V. [cardiovascular] Disease 10 years later than men. Only 4 percent of the total subjects had a prior history of C.V. disease and were felt to be a high risk for further C.V. events.”

Despite Merck’s attempts at rigging this study to hide cardiovascular risks, it still showed that the subjects taking Vioxx had a much higher risk for heart attack then those who took Aleve. “During the first six weeks of the study, there was no significant difference between the two drugs. As the follow-up period continued, the patients taking naproxen clearly were having fewer heart attacks than those taking Vioxx.” In an attempt to show the benefits of the drug in groups where aspirin would be sufficient, they conducted several more studies each it “avoided delving specifically into possible C.V. complications” In September 2004 a study called APPROVe proved again that Vioxx

64 increased the rate of heart attack among those taking it and this finally lead to Vioxx being taken off the market (Burton “How Merck stacked the Vioxx deck”).

This scandal shows perfectly how a corrupt drug company could damage the health of Americans and why so many distrust science. Yet we still need science in our daily lives so we cannot reject it entirely. Therefore we need a way to tell when the pharmaceutical companies are hiding the dangers of a treatment or drug and when something is safe. Robert Burton says the key to this is “transparency”. “There are plenty of smart, independent folks who could sift through the information and give us an informed opinion. We must demand that study data be made public, and available to those without a vested interest”.

This manipulation of data, studies in the interests of profit shows why many don’t trust modern medicine and therefore don’t believe vaccines are safe. The problem with this theory is that the same variables that allowed Vioxx’s dangers to be hidden are not present with vaccines.

The main reason that Merck kept a dangerous drug on the market was because they wanted to continue making a large profit, something that isn’t as easily achieved with vaccines. Paul Offit, a medical doctor and strong vaccine advocate, says “Pharmaceutical companies are gradually abandoning vaccines because the research, development, testing, and manufacture of vaccines are expensive and because the market to sell vaccines is much smaller than the market for other drug products”(Paul Offit “Why Are Pharmaceutical…”). Due to this fact it’s unlikely that the pharmaceutical companies are intending to hide the dangers of vaccines in order to secure a minuscule profit—nor would they wouldn’t hide a danger of vaccine for threat of lawsuits because the HRSA( National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program) pays for all injuries resulting from vaccines.

The method which Merck used to hide the dangers of Vioxx is also not plausible in the case of vaccines.

When creating studies about Vioxx Merck carefully “avoided delving specifically into possible C.V. complications” and even then one of their studies raised questions about its safety (Burton “How Merck stacked the Vioxx deck”).

In the case of vaccines twenty studies , most independent of the drug companies, have been performed. All found no other dangers that what have already been known in vaccines. One carefully organized study consisting of highly qualified medical doctors, funded by the National Academy of Sciences, set out to the main concerns of vaccines head on. All of these have found nothing that points to the links that many people attribute to vaccines.

There are no simple solutions to halting the decline in the percentage of the population that gets immunized, but two main ideas can prevent this problem from spreading. First and foremost is education. Educate people in the proper way to understand the difference between snake oil salesman and legitimate, unbiased research.

Teach people to ask questions and make informed decisions. Encourage the public to have confidence in science when it’s transparent. Inform parents on the greater risks to themselves and others of not having one’s children immunized.

From a media perspective encourage programs to not sensationalize health issues, but to inform. Also encourage sponsors to not support programs that spread misinformation.

The decrease in vaccinations rates due to statistical illiteracy, misinformation, and the mistrust of science must me countered. This can be dealt with through preventing people from spreading this misinformation and educating the uninformed about vaccine safety. Although these solutions might not convince the people who are adamant about vaccine dangers, it will inhibit their false ideas from spreading. This is important in order to insure the health of the vaccinated and non-vaccinated, which can succumb to sickness if vaccination rates decline to a low rate. If action is not taken the diseases that ravaged our country in the past will again become a major threat.

65 Works Cited “Anti-Vaccination Movement.” Skeptic. Robert T. Carroll, December 5, 2009. Web. 1 January. 2010. <http://www.skepdic.com/antivaccination.html> “if it’s catchy, why bother with the science?”.Weird Things. 19 JANUARY. 2010. Web. 25 January 2010. <http://worldofweirdthings.com/2010/01/19/if-its-catchy-why-bother-with-the-science/> Burton, Robert. “How Merck stacked the Vioxx deck”. Solon. Solon, Mar 31, 2005. Web. February 1. 2010.

CNN. American Morning. 2009.

Fraser, Caroline "Suffering children and the Christian Science church," Atlantic Monthly, 1995 Kennedy, Robert. “Deadly Immunity: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. investigates the government cover-up of a mercury/autism scandal”. Rolling Stones. Rolling Stones. Jun 20, 2005.

Landau, Elizabeth. “To vaccinate or not? Some wary on H1N1 choice”. CNN. CNN,October 9, 2009. Web. 26 January, 2010. <http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/09/h1n1.vaccine.skepticism/> Leitch, Kev. “The myth of mild measles”. Wellsphere. Stanford. October 8 2008. Web. 23 January. 2010.

McCarthy, Terry.“Why Can't We Be Friends?”. Time. Time May 30, 2001. Print.

Offit, Paul. “Why Are Pharmaceutical Companies Gradually Abandoning Vaccines?” Health Affairs. Project Hope.

2005. Web. February 2. 2010.

Paulos, John. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy And Its Consequences. New York: Hill and Wang, 1988. Print.

Rogers, Rob. “Refusal to vaccinate puts kids at risk”. Marin IJ. Marin IJ. 04/11/2009. <http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_12125899> Specter, Michael. Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms The Planet, And Threatens Our Lives. New York: The Penguin Press, 2009. Print.

United States. Center for Disease Control. “ 2009 H1N1 Vaccination Recommendations”. CDC. CDC, October 15, 2009. Web. 23 January. 2010.

United States. Center for Disease Control.“MMR vaccine side-effects”. CDC. CDC, 13 March. 2008. Web. 23 January. 2010. < http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm#mmr> Whitson, Jennifer. “Lacking Control Increases Illusionary Perceptions”. University of Texas. Science, 2008. Print.

66 Josh Baer Craig Butz Research in the Community 1/20/2010 Concussions in the NFL If you have watched a football game before you have most likely seen a dazed player stumble off the field with an apparent concussion. Did you ever wonder why that player was allowed to return to the game?

After players ending their career because of concussions and links to long term effects of concussions, the NFL is becoming more involved in protecting their players. Although the NFL, its Owners Committee, and Players Association have recently spent millions of dollars on research on concussions, tightened their policies on return to play guidelines after concussions, and started to educate players, team doctors, and coaches about concussions in the league, but there is still more that the league can do to prevent short and long-term effects of concussions. Even though the concussion problem is more severe in youth leagues and college, I will only talk about the NFL throughout my essay, but some of the solutions to the NFL concussion problems can have a trickle-down effect on high school and college football leagues. There are two primary reasons for that. First, people look up to the NFL, and second, the NFL has the most money and resources to deal with the concussion problems.

The NFL uses the following definition and explains common symptoms of concussions, A traumatically induced alteration of brain function manifested by an alteration of awareness or consciousness, “ding,” sensation of being dazed or stunned, sensation of “wooziness” or “fogginess,” seizure, or amnesic period, and by symptoms commonly associated with post concussion syndrome, including persistent headaches, vertigo [dizziness], light-headedness, loss of balance, unsteadiness, syncope [LOC], near syncope, cognitive dysfunction, memory disturbances, hearing loss, tinnitus [ringing in the ears], blurred vision, diplopia [double vision], visual loss, personality change, drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue and inability to perform usual daily activities (Nowinski, 24-25).

The definition of concussions is different from what they used to be even as recent as five years ago. Now, doctors, trainers, coaches and players all have different definitions of a concussion, which leads to a bigger problem.

Now the definitions cover more symptoms and don’t have to be caused by a loss of consciousness. Despite what people used to believe about concussions the majority of them do not involve a loss of consciousness: “only 1 in 10 people who had a concussion were knocked out. The vast majority weren’t” (NFL Concussion Policy Changes).

If concussions go untreated or are treated incorrectly, they can be life threatening (Mihoces). Through well respected medical research, it is apparent that there is some correlation between serious long term health issues and concussions. These long term effects of concussions include dementia, Alzheimer’s, headaches, and depression. The extent between how connected these effects are to concussions is still being debated. Dr. Stanley Herring, team doctor for the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, who states “information on Alzheimer’s and dementia is interesting but needs to be studied and verified further” (Herring). In his book Head Games, Christopher Nowinski notices a more direct link between concussions and its long term effects. “Players who had suffered three concussions in their lifetime had more than three times the rate of clinically diagnosed depression and five times the rate of mild cognitive impairment, also known as pre- Alzheimer disease. Twenty percent of the group with at least three concussions was depressed, and 17 percent had significant memory impairment” (Nowinski, 8.) This data offers a medical link between concussions and brain functioning problems. However, they do not show that everyone who suffers multiple concussions has long-term effects. These long-term effects bring up the question that no one has been able to answer with certainty, how come some athletes who suffer multiple concussion end up getting long term effects and others do not? Some doctors and neurologists think that with more research they will have a better understanding of this situation as Dr. Michael Dillingham longtime 49ers team doctor explains, “the answers aren’t all there on concussions” (Dillingham).

Although the NFL has recently made some changes before Congress got involved with concussions in the league, Congressional involvement in the issue stimulated more changes from the NFL. Currently, the NFL is beginning to use independent neurologists to help evaluate head injuries, which have been approved for about half of the league's 32 teams as part of a new program, however, many current team doctors have their concerns about how helpful having an independent neurologist on the sidelines will be. Dr. Dillingham explains “A practiced sideline physician who has made a study of things, can certainly handle the concussion” (Dillingham). But, the results of the NFL’s new program where a portion of the teams are using independent neurologists to help diagnose head injuries are yet to be determined.

Another big change that the NFL recently made is its policy on returning to play after a concussion. Now a player who sustains a concussion or has symptoms associated with a concussion has to be immediately pulled from the game and cannot return to future games until all of his symptoms are gone both at rest and at exertion

67 (Schwartz). This aligns with medical experts understanding that it is not safe for a concussed player to return to a game. Dr. Herring explains, “A player should only be allowed to return when he has demonstrated that he is able to do physical and cognitive activities before returning to the field” (Herring) It probably took the NFL too long to get better guidelines on treating concussions, but it seems like these new rules will help limit short and long-term effects of concussions. However these guidelines may not be severe enough for every player, especially ones who have suffered previous concussions. Dr. Herring noted the amount of time a player needs to recover is inconsistent, “It varies player to player when the player can return to play” (Herring) As a result; team doctors and neurologists need to continue to exercise safety when treating concussions. That could require teams to be more cautious than the rules force them to be.

Although the league was doing independent research before Congress got involved in concussions in the NFL, since Congress’s involvement the NFL has done more research recently. This includes a recent clinical study that the NFL did to determine whether a system free waiting period has a positive result and lowers the risk of getting another concussion (Effects of a Symptom Free Waiting Period On Clinical Outcome And Risk Of Reinjury After Sports-Related Concussion). A system free waiting period is when a players symptoms are gone at rest and at exertion. The league has also recently funded an independent group to evaluate the NFL’s concussion problems and what they should be doing. The independent neurologists should eliminate the alleged bias of the committee (mTBI which stands for mild traumatic brain injury) that was led by Elliot Pellman who is a controversial team doctor of the New York Jets. He ended up resigning from the committee after it had been publicly scrutinized for being biased towards the NFL. Nowinksi is very critical of the NFL’s decision to make Dr. Pellman involved in solving the concussion problems the league faces. “As I’ve explained, some were surprised when the NFL appointed Pellman, who is not a neurologist, to head up its concussion committee. Pellman is no stranger to such controversy” (Nowinski 91). However, recently the league has made the right choice by hiring a well respected group of neurologists (who had been critical of the NFL in the past) to evaluate what the league can do, to limit concussions and whether any policies need to be changed or added.

Despite people being critical of the NFL and saying that they aren’t doing anything to prevent the concussion problem. The NFL has taken multiple actions to decrease the concussion problems that the sport is currently facing. The NFL has put millions of dollars into research on concussions they have investigated concussion problems in the NFL but also in other sports and ways to limit the long term effects of concussions. The NFL has created stricter new policies about when a player can return to practice and to games after suffering a concussion and the NFL has issues fines on helmet to helmet hits which can often lead to concussion. They have made other rules to prevent intentional contact to the head. The NFL has also spent a lot of time and money educating doctors, coaches and players on the concussions and how they need to be taken seriously. As Dr. Dillingham explains, “what they have done has helped” (Dillingham). Additionally, what they have done includes mandatory conferences held to educate team doctors about concussions. The NFL has also sent out information about the effects of concussions to the doctors in the league so they are aware of how a player might feel after having suffering a concussion. These changes are starting to have an effect on the seriousness with which concussions are dealt with now.

There is a perceived issue that coaches want players to play regardless of concussions because all they care about is winning. That is an issue coaches at the NFL level know how to deal with respecting player’s injuries (especially concussions) and not trying to rush them back to the field before they are ready. States Dr. Herring the Seattle Seahawks team doctor “coaches understand how injuries need to be managed” (Herring). Dr. Dillingham, the 49ers team doctor agreed, that the coaches did not try to influence the doctors to change their decisions on when a player could return to play. “I did professional football for twenty-five years I was never badgered; I was the professional in the situation and what we said went” (Dillingham).

The coaches need to be better educated on what the definition of a concussion. This would allow the coaches can make better decisions on when a player needs to be taken out. “Head coach Bill Cohwer was asked by the press whether Duce Staley had suffered a concussion. He answered ‘No he was just a little groggy.’ He was asked ‘Did Ben Rothlisberger get knocked woozy?’ He answered, ‘Yes … I think on the one point after his scramble … [But] there is no concussion.’ According to the NFL’s concussion definition, Cohwer was 0 for 2 on those diagnosis.” (Nowinski, 84) However the coaches do a good job following instructions, from the team doctors about when a player can return to play and that he is not allowed to be in the same game that the concussion was suffered.

Players are better protected now than they used to be. Big name players in the NFL including Ben Rothlisberger, Kurt Warner, Brian Westbrook, and Clinton Portis had to miss multiple weeks at the end of the regular season due to concussions. (Schwartz) This cautious approach taken by the NFL would not have occurred in the past. The new policies were created in 2007 so the benefits are still being observed but now one can start to see improvement. Dr. Herring states, “the culture is starting to shift in the NFL.” (Herring) Another part of the improved

68 protection of players is the new rules outlawing helmet to helmet hits. Due to the past concussion histories of quarterbacks, the NFL has recently been handing out more fines for illegal hits. (Pasquarelli) As players start to learn the new rules on illegal hits we should start to see less helmet to helmet hits which will hopefully decrease the amount of concussions in the league.

There have been a lot of different ideas that have been thrown out there that will limit concussions. Some of these ideas are valid and others are not. Although I think that helmet companies should try and reduce concussions with there helmets, I do not think it is realistic to think that there is a helmet that will eliminate the concussion. Dr. Herring explains that it is not likely that the solution to concussions in football is designing better helmets, “it is a error to assume solution lies in designing the perfect helmet” (Herring).

I think that educating players on the severity of concussions could help them be more honest with doctors when evaluating how they feel. They have to understand that concussions are a different type of an injury than a broken bone or a muscle strain. Because concussions have lasting effects that can often be severe. “The first step is education. Identifying the symptoms of a concussion is not rocket science. With the state of concussion education as poor as it is today, parents should sit down with their children and explain precisely what the symptoms of a concussion are, and why it is important to tell an adult when one has occurred.” (Nowinski, 166) It is important that football players at all levels know the symptoms of concussions and are willing to take themselves out of the game when they are experiencing these symptoms. Also, because players never want to come out of games it is important that trainers develop tests for concussions and do not rely on what the player say about their symptoms. Some players will do anything possible to stay in the game even if it means lying about or downplaying symptoms (Nowinski). Educating players will probably lead to more honesty about a players concussion related symptoms.

Being able to diagnose concussions more accurately is vital to reducing the long and short term effects of concussions. “trainers diagnose fewer than 10 percent of concussions that occur, so we need to find ways to identify the other 90 percent” (Nowinski, 166). This is a major problem, because a concussion is a lot more dangerous when gone undetected. So to fix the problem we need to rely on the players to report their symptoms and make sure that the trainers are well trained on concussions. Concussions will always be a part of the NFL but if players report symptoms and the culture in the NFL improves towards resting when you have a concussion. Additionally, the doctors, trainers, coaches and players are well educated and we need to continue to do research on the concussions and continuously evaluate how to improve league policies. We can continue to reduce the concussion problem which the league has already started to do. This will help lead to fewer problems in the youth football leagues as well.

69 Bibliography Schwartz, Alan. "NFL Issues New Guidlines On Concussions." New York Times. 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/sports/football/03concussion.html>.

Knapp, Gwen. "NFL needs culture shift on concussions." Sfgate.com. 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/01/SPGO1ATD4K.DTL>.ncussions."

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Pasquarelli, Len. "NFL levies fines for illegal hits on quarterbacks." Espn.com. 16 Sept. 2006. Web. 4 Jan. 2010.

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"NFL, union begin approving independent neurologists for each team." NFL.com - Official Site of the National Football League. Associated press, 9 Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81471cc6&template=with-video-withcomments&confirm=true>.

McCrea, Michael, Kevin Guskiwicz, Christopher Randolph, William B. Barr, Thomas A. Hammeke, Stephen W. Marshall, and James P. Kelly.

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Dr. Dillingham. Personal interview. 10 Jan. 2010.

Dr. Herring. Telephone interview. 20 Jan. 2010.

70 Andreis Bergeron Craig Butz Research in the Community A Block February 4, 2010 I’m not a Geek; I’m a Level 12 Paladin: An in-Depth Look at the Effects of Video Games on Teenage Boys In today’s world, billions of dollars have been made from video games, so our society needs to be aware of the effects these games can have on gamers. In 1996, 6.2 billion dollars were made from selling video games, and in 2008, an 11.7 billion dollar profit was made by the video game industry. If one took all the video games; by 2008 and placed them end to end around the Earth they would go around the Earth’s equator about 29.2 times ("Video games & the Economy"). Since video games are beginning to play a big role in the modern world, we need to be informed and understand what the possible effects on individuals can be.

Modern day video games can affect the player physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally in both positive and negative ways. The most harmful effect that video games induce is addiction, because once one is addicted to playing video games, the other negative effects continue to harm them. Playing video games is an exciting experience for most teenagers and there is no reason to completely avoid them, however playing video games excessively can have detrimental effects. To avoid such problems, one should play games in moderation, along with a variety of other activities such as social interaction and physical activity to promote well rounded brain activity.

The first of many effects that video games can have on the player is through physical means. Most of the short term physical effects are not that harmful, however the long term effects can become a much more substantial problem. The physical consequences while actively playing video games are very minimal. For example, after playing, one may experience their fingers in pain because of the repetitive movement that their fingers make while playing the video game. This is known as carpal tunnel syndrome. Another minimal but negative side effect is that extensive video game play can be bad forones eyes. Staring at the screen for extended periods of time may cause blurry vision or headaches. It is bad for the eye to watch video games extensively because normally ones eyes are used to something such as a piece of paper. When gamers play video games there eyes are looking at a screen, they do not know what to focus on because the picture constantly changes. This factor increases when one plays less than six feet from the TV, because it can cause the player's eyes to get irritated ("Playing video games may cause eyestrain"). Many people think that these effects are not that severe, however if one was to play a multitude of video games for a long period of time, then ones vision may be compromised after extensively staring at the TV. Long term effects can also lead to excessive amounts of video game play, which leads to lack of exercise which then leads to obesity.

The two main positive physical skills that playing video games helps is improving hand- eye coordination and reaction time. The hand eye coordination skill is developed by looking at the screen and having to be pressing the buttons on the controller at the same time. When someone plays video games, they will improve their reaction time because they have to be able to look at the screen while their brain comprehends what it sees on the screen and perform the motion of pressing a certain button. By performing this repetitive activity, the player will improve the time from when the player saw something to when he reacted to it. (“Video games affect the brain.”)

There are a few positive effects that video games have on the brain or on the player's mental health, such as problem solving skills. However, excessive use of video games can have a very harmful effect on ones mental health and brain. One of the positive mental side effects from playing video games is that it can help one improve their problem solving skills. For example, during the game one has to decide or choose one path or the other, and often times in video games there are puzzles where people have to use common logic in order to discover the answer.

If played in moderation, video games do not physically harm ones brain, however doing other basic activities are better for brain development, than playing video games. This was proven by Kawashima, a when he designed and carried out an experiment that tested teenager's brain activity while playing video games. he hope this experment would help large video game corporations stop producing violent games. His experiment involved one child playing Nintendo and another child "adding single-digit numbers continuously for 30 minutes". To see the different brain activity and which had a better workout for the player's brain, he used an MRI to monitor the brain's responses to the different activities. He discovered that while playing Nintendo, the gamer only used the vision and movement part of the brain. Where as the child that was adding single-digit numbers for 30 minutes used a lot more of the brain by using the right and left hemispheres of the frontal lobe. From this discovery he concluded that it uses a lot more brain activity, and that there are a lot better ways to develop ones brain then playing video games. If just simply adding single digit numbers used more of the brain than playing a video game, imagine how much more of

71 the brain is used just talking, doing something active, or other activities people do everyday ("Heavy video games use by kids slow brain development"). Playing video games does not use as much brain activity as adding single digit numbers or other basic activities; however it is ok to play video games in moderation even though it is not an enhancer of brain development. Video games are a good way to pass time and have fun, and are ok to play as long as video play does not substitute all other activities. If the player prioritizes video games over a variety of more productive activities, then it can slow brain activity, because they are only working a certain part of their brain.

Video games can also influence ones emotions in a positive or negative way.

The basic positive emotions that players experience while playing the games include joy, confidence, empowerment, and excitement. After interviewing some teenagers about this I have found that they enjoy playing video games very much, however they also get frustrated while playing the game, and experience aggression. 14 year old, Gian-Paul states, "I enjoy playing video games, and at times video games can be a great outlet for anger because it does not matter how frustrated or distraught I feel, when I play certain non-violent video games it gets rid of my stress and I can just relax." Many teenagers have this same feeling about video games; that it provides an opportunity to get away from ones normal life and escape for just a little while. Multiplayer video games can also be used as a semi-social activity that can help some shy teenagers open up. However, for others this can isolate them from social activities. About 80% of the teenagers that I interviewed believed that playing online video games can help people become more comfortable with talking because they provide a structure that makes it easy to talk to people without being embarrassed. Video games are able to supply a social structure, because while playing online games the player can talk to others through a microphone. Anonymity exists in online video gaming and this offers teenagers the chance to slowly become more relaxed when in social situations.

A larger negative emotional effect that players may obtain from playing extensive amounts of video games is becoming socially awkward. Social awkwardness makes the player more inclined to keep talking to people without seeing them and then they will be more uncomfortable in personal situations and real life relationships.

Another emotional consequence is that if one had a combination of violent video game play and violent behavior, it can later lead to very harmful behaviors. This was proven by an experiment conducted by letting a group of teenagers play violent games, mixing teenagers that are normally aggressive and people that are not normally aggressive. Douglas Gentile and three other professors found from this experiment that playing the violent games did not have much of an effect on the person that was not normally aggressive, but for those that were normally aggressive it could very easily lead to violent crime. They also found that most people that had aggressive behavior liked to play violent games or watch more violent behavior and this combination of a violent personality and violent media can lead to aggressive acts (Gentile et al.). People, especially teenagers, that already have a violent tendency should be more aware of the combination of playing violent video games and have a aggressive behavior can lead to more harmful and aggressive behavior later in life. However, even people that have an aggressive behavior can prevent this by just playing violent video games in moderation. If one was not to play violent video games constantly, then the behavior that is portrayed in the video game will most likely not be incorporated into their daily behavior.

The most detrimental effect that video games can have on the player is how the video game can potentially shape the player's behavior into performing aggressive acts they would not normally do. The experiment that Douglas Gentile and three other professors preformed proves that violent media can have a large effect on ones behavior. It tested the difference between a student with normal aggression levels to a student that has an overall more aggressive behavior. The procedure involved a group of teenagers that were given an intervention for 6 months. The point of the intervention was to lower the exposure to violent media they either watched or played.

After this 6 month period they compared the students that had the intervention to those who did not, and those who had the intervention demonstrated behavior that was a lot less aggressive and did not get into as many arguments or fights as they did before. The point of the intervention was to reduce the amount of video game play. From their experiment the professor's found out that students who have normally low aggressive behavior and are exposed to a lot of violent video games had a 38% chance of getting in a fight. Students that have highly aggressive behavior and are not exposed to a lot of violent video games had a 28% chance of getting in fights (Gentile et al.). This illustrates that playing violent video games extensively can make somebody that normally does not act aggressive take on very aggressive behavior. If some one was to play violent video game that was normally aggressive the change of adapting this aggressive behavior from the video game would be much grater. The two main aggressive acts that the students showed were the physical fights and arguing with teachers. They also hypothesized that the reason why the students were more likely to get in physical fights was because in most violent video games, there is not much arguing and there is a lot more physical fighting. Also, arguing tends to be a lot less aggressive then fighting.

Additionally, in the video games where they do argue, they are mostly arguing with friends or enemies, not higher authority figures, so gamers would not be as compelled to argue with the teachers because they do not do it in the

72 games they play. (Gentile, Douglas) Teenagers are at a more susceptible time in their life to different behaviors because they are still adapting to new behaviors and if the teenager plays violent video games frequently they may soon adapt this aggressive behavior from the violent games that they are playing. If teenagers are exposed to violent video games it can lead to even more aggressive behavior later in their life.

If teenagers keep playing violent video games excessively later in life, their aggression will be more hostile. A professor of psychology states , "Children who watch a steady diet of violent programming increase their chances of becoming more aggressive towards other children, less cooperative and altruistic, more tolerant of reallife violence and more afraid of the world outside their homes” (“video games”). When the players are afraid to go "outside their homes" then they are more likely to become addicted to the game because it is the only place they feel comfortable. To prevent this, parents should not let children or even teenagers play violent games that are not acceptable for their age. The parents should understand the ratings for the video games so they do not accidentally expose their children to violent games.

When one gets addicted to playing video games, all of these effects become even more harmful, because it becomes difficult to stop playing, and these harmful affects just keep repeating themselves.

Playing video games is an exciting experience for most teenagers and there is no reason to completely avoid it, however playing excessively can lead to detrimental side effects. To avoid such effects, one should play in moderation, along with a variety of other activities such as social interaction and physical activity to promote well rounded brain activity. It would be ideal if video game industries thought and analyzed what the effects can be for making and publishing such violent games, because these games can have harmful long and short term effects on teenagers. Especially since these games are marketed to teenagers, and teenagers are at a time in there life were they are developing new behaviors, and if they are constantly playing violent games then they are bound to adapt more aggressive behavior. However it is not realistic to ask large companies to stop making and publishing violent video games, so it is the parents' responsibility to take action in restricting excessive amounts of video game play for their children. Video games have become a large part of our current world and since millions of teenagers and children are playing video games constantly, we need to know that extensive video game play can lead to detrimental effects on today's youth.

I would like to acknowledge the following people for editing my paper Paul Bergeron, Craig Butz, Alex Knoll, Caitlin Dekker,Yeva Cifor. Plus Chris Ferguson and Gian-Paul for letting me interview them.

Works Cited Gentile, Douglas A. et al. “The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance.” Journal of Adolescence 27 (2004) 5–22. Iowa State U. Dept. of Psychology.

Web. 13 Jan. 2010.

“Heavy video game use by kids may slow brain development.” About.com: mental health, November 09, 2005.

Web. 04 Jan. 2010 “Playing video games may cause eyestrain.” About.com: Vision, November 09, 2005. Web. 04 Jan. 2010 “Video games affect the brain – for the better and Worse.” The Dana foundation. July 23, 2009. Web. 04 Jan. 2010 “Video Games.” Implications of online gaming. Miami University , 17 Apr. 2002. Web. 11 Jan. 2010.

“Video Games & the Economy.” The Entertainment Software Association. Privacy Certified, 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2010.

73 Robin Brandon Craig Butz Research in the Community 4 February 2010 Devolution: The End of Surfboard Progression Surfing. To some people, it is the single most important thing in life. When you can’t surf, it’s all you think about, because when you are, you’re happier than you’ve been all day. It’s healthy, inspiring, creative, and it really is, the most fun thing in the world. In the water, nothing else matters. All you can do, is focus on is that next set of waves, lining up on the outside, getting out there, and pulling into one. And it’s not just the time you spend in the water; it’s packing up the car, the ride out to the beach, and the anticipation of getting in the water and paddling out to the line-up. It’s the excitement of getting that perfect board, the one that’s taken months to save for. Each time you get in the ocean, there is a special connection to that board.

There is a new trend in the industry, though. This is the “pop-out” surfboard. These are boards being made from cheap materials in overseas factories run by huge corporations. These companies are just trying to squeeze some cash out of people buying into the culture, and in turn working toward the collapse of the industry. The increase in pop-out surfboards has slowed design progression, taken business from local, respected shapers, and has changed the mentality surrounding surfboards, and in turn, the sport.

Since the earliest known surfers—the native Hawaiians—surfboard design has come a long way. Long before the American colonization of the Hawaiian Islands, the native people had been surfing. To them, it was a spiritual practice, but also done recreationally. It was incorporated in sacred ceremonies and also done purely for fun. It was even used to solve conflict between tribes. Today, a similar mentality exists among Hawaiians. They respect each other and respect the ocean. Surfing is still very sacred. In the past the shaping of a surfboard was often a ritualistic process. They would normally be from ten to sixteen feel long and weighed over 100 pounds. The chiefs of the tribes rode olo’s; these were usually between fourteen and sixteen feet long. The commoners, the ones who were strong enough to get their board out to the water at least, rode ten to twelve foot alaia’s. When the Americans took over the islands in the late 19th century, surfing almost died out. In the 20th century, the American influence decreased (Parker), and both Hawaiians and new settlers on the island began surfing again. While in Hawaii, George Freeth, an American, took a sixteen foot solid wood board, and cut it in half. He took this board back to the United States with him, and became the first “professional” surfer (“History of the Surfboard”).

In 1926, Tom Blake designed the first hollow surfboard. The board was fifteen feet long nineteen inches wide, four inches thick, and shaped from redwood. There were 100’s of tiny holes drilled through the wood and a veneer was glued to the top and bottom of the board. Though ridiculed at first, it eventually became very popular, and in 1930, it became the first mass produced surfboard (Parker). In 1932, balsa wood from South America was being imported and became the most common wood used. These boards were a mere 30-40 pounds. There was a much greater demand for these, as you didn’t have to be incredibly strong to just get your board out to the water (Parker). This was also the first time the materials used were being imported. In 1934, Tom Blake developed the first surfboard fin, giving the surfers much more stability in on the wave, allowing them to be able to do different maneuvers (Parker).

After the end of Word War II, many new materials, such as fiber glass and Styrofoam, were available to shapers. This created a great opportunity for innovation. The shapers had the ability to make the boards much more buoyant, and in turn, they could be shorter. Dick Brewer was one of the first people to utilize these materials and is credited with developing the first “short-board.” Boards shrank from an average of ten feet to six feet, allowing for a great increase in maneuverability (Parker). It was also around this time that the first pop-out surfboard was made.

Big Business wanted to cash in on the surfing craze. At this point, the pop-outs were being made in the U.S. and cost around half the price of a real board, and rightfully so. These boards were made from cheap materials and were not respected by surfers. They didn’t stay around long (“What is a Pop-out?”).

One major improvement in design was the development of the twin fin. The idea was first tried in California, pre 1970’s, but it wasn’t fully utilized. Around 1971, Geoff McCoy, an Australian shaper, expanded the idea further and started a revolution; this was the invention of the fish. Eventually, Mark Richards, one of the strongest, most popular Australian surfers, got a board from Dick Brewer, and in 1979 he won the world title on one (“Twin Fin”). The shape of boards was changing; the wide point was pulled back and they became shorter, stubbier, and could be ridden much more aggressively.

In 1981, the “thruster,” a board with three fins, and a more pointed nose was made. When the thruster was developed, the ideas of what could be done on a surfboard were greatly reconsidered. Pioneers such as Kelly Slater and Bruce Irons were working with shapers designing all kinds of boards. The boards became thinner, and were being shaped with much more rocker1 allowing more radical maneuvers. The surfers could accelerate faster,

74 allowing them to get deeper in the barrel2 and also perform airs, above the lip of the wave. Today, shapers are putting all kinds of new ideas to the test. Previous conceptions of what a board should look like are being thrown out the window and the bar is being raised. A skinnier, thinner board is now slow, wider boards are fast, and huge waves don’t have to be ridden on huge boards (History of the Surfboard”). One of these innovations, is the “quad,” a shortboard with four fins, and the modern fish. People are rethinking how the foam should be distributed which is leading people to be able to ride much smaller boards in larger waves. With these new boards, new things are being tried in the water. Airs are being done on bigger waves and people are starting to see that there really isn’t a limit to what can be done on a wave. (::[ ]::) Currently, there are four main types of construction (“Surfboard Construction”). The most common, and in most peoples’, opinion the best boards those shaped from polyurethane foam with a wood stringer3 through the center, covered in fiberglass cloth, and coated with polyester resin. Another form of construction that has become more common lately is a type of board shaped from polystyrene foam, wrapped in fiberglass cloth and glassed epoxy resin, these are lighter and more durable, but the resin costs about twice as much. Both of these can be shaped either by hand or machine. Pop-outs are made by placing expanding polystyrene foam and a mold, then covering it in a thick 1 The curve from the nose to tail of the board 2 A hollow section of a breaking wave 3 A thin piece of wood running from tip to tip that strengthens the board epoxy resin. There are also soft-tops. These are made with a semi-rigid foam core, then, instead of a resin, they are covered with a soft foam sheet (“Surfboard Construction”).

When someone is shopping for a hand shaped board, they will go into a shop, a company’s warehouse, or an independent shaper’s shaping bay, and will say, “I want to buy a board from you, let’s work on a design that will fit the conditions I surf in, my ability and the amount I surf,” After getting an idea of what the customer wants and taking some notes on it, he will put it in line to be shaped.

When working on a board, the shaper will start off with a blank, a large piece of foam from a company that specializes in surfboard foam. This is a very rough outline of the board, with stringer glued in the center of the two pieces of foam. The shaper will either trace a template he has, or draw a new one on the block, then cut it out with a handsaw. After this, he will shave it down, usually with an electric planer, keeping the desired bottom contours, rail shapes, and concave in mind. He will continue to shave down the foam until he has a close shape. Next, he sands out all the rough spots, and usually accentuates the curves a bit more. Then he adds the fin boxes and takes it to the glassing room. A sheet of fiberglass cloth is spread over the top and covered in resin, after which, he adds two more coats. Then, he does the bottom, usually with a lighter coat of resin, making sure not to cover the fin boxes. After it dries, the customer will have the exact board he wants. He wont order a 6’ 2” when he wants a 6’ 1,” but if he is buying a pop-out, he might have to settle for whatever’s closest to what he’s looking for. A custom, hand shaped board usually goes for about $400 if its fiberglass, and about $500 for epoxy.

There are downsides, however, to working with a shaper. The order can be interpreted incorrectly, or if he wants to change the design, the shaper could make the wrong board by mistake. If this does happen, the customer will notice and he will tell the shaper. If the shaper has made an error, the customer obviously won’t be obligated to buy the board from him, and he will either have him shape the right board, or go to a different shop. He will have to wait, though, for the correct board to be made.

There are two types of pop-outs on the market, boards for beginners and ones for more experience surfers.

Beginners’ boards from companies such as NSP, BIC, and West Point, are usually longer, thicker, more buoyant boards with softer, more forgiving rails. This makes the board less responsive and easier to learn on. “Performance based” pop-outs are made by various companies including Surftech and Santa Cruz. These are generally made from better materials, are lighter, and are about twice as expensive as the lower end pop-outs. They are still made overseas and in the same method as the cheap ones—an expanding polystyrene foam in a mold. More research and design goes into these boards, and some people do really like them. They usually cost around $650. Very little work goes into either of these types of boards, and they are not made for a specifics surfer. They are just another duplicate—nothing special was ever created in a factory.

If someone does, however, find a pop-out model that they really like, they can keep getting that same board. In a way, this stops both board design and surfing from progressing. If a surfer is ordering the same board when his wears out or breaks, he will never try anything different. If he doesn’t get a different board, his surfing will

75 never have to adapt to it. If he were to order a new board, he might have to change his style slightly to fit the way the board rides. He could discover something about his surfing that he wouldn’t on his old board.

There is a compromise of sorts between the two: machine shaped fiberglass and epoxy boards. Channel Islands, arguably the largest producer of surfboards in the United States, shapes boards using this method. These give the surfer the benefit of the materials used in the polyester and epoxy boards, which most prefer, and the consistency that Surftech boards can provide. Al Merrick, the head shaper for the company, has developed a vast range of models with various professional surfers, including nine-time WCT champion, Kelly Slater, along with Rob Machado, Dane Reynolds, and Jordy Smith. These boards come in a large variety of dimensions, and there is a shape for almost any surfer. If they don’t have the size a surfer needs, he can have one custom ordered. These normally go for $550 and up. (::[ ]::) The pop-out companies are slowly beginning their domination of the industry. In the past year or two, a couple branches of Costco, have started to carry surfboards. As one would think, they are poorly made, cheap boards from Asia. In a way, this has shown a complete separation of people selling boards, so that the customers can themselves and have a good time surfing, and huge businesses selling boards to Costco for the general public to buy.

And this posses the question: What will happen to the average, backyard shaper, who has a real love for surfing, and has found a way to support himself, while also creating something for someone else to ride, enjoy, and hopefully love. In the end, it will be the shop owners and local shapers, the people that built and support the industry, that suffer from “Big-Business” cashing in on surfing. If these shapers go out of business custom boards will no longer be available and surfers will have to settle to what ever is closest to what they want. Additionally, surfboards, one of the few things left in the world that can be customize and are separate from the American corporations, will eventually merge, and just become another piece of junk neglected in a garage (M.).

With this new generation of surfboards, the mindset that surrounds surfing could greatly change. For most surfers, the ocean and surfing is something separate from everyday life. While surfing, there’s no connection to the outside world, no ringing cell phone, no new emails, and everything that could be bothering you, or is your mind, is erased by that first wave of the day. There is a special connection between surfers and there boards, but that relationship is weakened when the board has no individuality. When someone designs and shapes a board, they have an idea in mind of what they want to be able to do on a wave, what every curve, every bottom contour, and variation will allow them to do. But when you’re just looking for a board that simply allows you to paddle out and catch a wave, it looses the special quality, that feeling that this board has been shaped for exactly what you want.

Some surfers, including myself, abhor the thought of riding a board that was created in a factory, along with thousands of the same exact board. Much like the relationship between shapers and the boards they make is the one between frame builders and the bikes they make. As said by Giovanni “Ciocc” Pelizzoli, a much respected Italian frame builder “A bicycle built by a frame builder has the soul of the builder. A mass produced frame does not have a soul. It doesn’t know anyone.” The same goes for a surfboard. One shaped by a real person is a true extension of their knowledge and experience in the craft.

Additionally, the Costco employees can’t tell you which board will work best at your local beach. They lack the knowledge that a person working at a shop has. There is no family, no story behind how the store came to existence. No one put all they have into opening another Costco; it’s just another huge corporation. When someone buys a board from Wal-Mart, Big 5, etc. they’re spending money there that doesn’t go to a place like Proof-Lab or Fat Kat—community based, home-grown surf shops that could really use the business. (::[ ]::) Independent shops, for the most part don’t sell pop-outs. The people choosing which boards to stock must be experienced surfers, and they know that they don’t surf well. They lack the drive, momentum, and flex properties that a polyurethane board has. The big companies hurt local shapers’ business, and most shops would rather support them, real people that they know, than a corporation. Some shops, that specialize in beginners needs, will sell the lower quality pop-outs, like NSP and South Point, because they are a cheaper, stronger alternative to buying a new polyurethane board. People will usually keep these boards for a couple of months, then sell them to someone or back to the shop. One upside to them, though, is they do hold their resale value very well, because of how durable they are.

Mcklevin’s Surf Shop, a classic example of a free standing, community based shop in South Carolina, has a very strong opposition against pop-out surfboards. With the increase of pop-out surfboards, many shapers will go out of business. “A few shapers may still exist to make you a custom board, but the price will be out of reach for most.” If the increase in popularity of pop-outs were to grow as it has in the past couple of years, it wouldn’t be long until we see the end of custom surfboards.

76 Hopefully, though, it won’t keep growing as it has. Maybe this people will start to see what’s happening to the industry and will stop supporting the CEO’s and realize how much the shop owners have sacrificed to get where they are. Maybe the people will see how nice it is to have something completely unattached to the rest of the problems in the world and decide to keep it that way.

I would like to acknowledge help from Ava Hoffman, Ludo Nengo, and Beth Brandon. Each of these people helped me correct my grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.

Works Cited “History of the Surfboard.” Club of the Waves. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 January 2010 .

M. Mary. “Surf Report: Would You Buy a Surfboard at Costco?” Los Angeles Cityzine. N.p. 22 Febuary 2008. Web. 14 December 2009.

Parker, Shaun. “History of Surfboards.” Surfing. Digestopia, 31 October 2009. Web. 12 December 2010.

Pirsch, Steven. “How to Build Your First Surfboard.” Surfer Steve, N.p. 21 January 2010. Web. 25 January 2010.

“Shopping for Cheap Surfboards.” AllAboutSurfboards.com. N.p, n.d. Web. 16 December 2009.

“Surfboard Construction.” 360 Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 December 2010.

“Surfboard Fin History.” The Surfing Handbook. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 January 2010.

Surfcrazy. “Stanley’s Surfboard Notes.” Stanley’s Surf Gear. Surfcrazy, 27 July 2007. Web. 14 December 2009.

“The No-Popouts Story.” Mckevlin’s. Mckevlin’s Surf Shop, 20 July 2005. Web. 9 December 2009.

“Twin Fin Surfboards.” McCoy Surfboards. Geoff McCoy Shapes, 15 September 2007. Web. 12 December 2010.

“What is a Pop-out?” Kennebunk Outdoors Surf and Skate. N.p, 1 December 2009. Web. 12 December 2009.

77 Yeva Cifor Craig Butz Research in the Community A Block 4 February 2010 Digital Books in a Digital World: Have We Transcended the Need for Print Books in Our Modern Day Society?

In this age with technology coming into the forefront of our lives, the amount that teenagers are reading is changing significantly. This may have beneficial or negative outcomes based on the changes of the reading that is being performed. Traditionally, reading has been either a hobby or a requirement for school in the format of a book.

However when teens today read, the reading material is becoming increasingly digitized and some dispute that this modern day digital format constitutes reading at all. Teens in this digital age are reading more short works on the internet, such as emails or blogs. Although this reading is helpful, it is not as beneficial as reading a long piece of writing, such as a novel. Longer, more complex readings aid teens in improving their vocabulary, achieving better test scores, and forming reading habits for the rest of their lives.

Currently teenagers’ reading is transitioning from the traditional book to modern-day digital reading and this fairly new change brings in the curiosity of what really constitutes beneficial reading as well as the issue of convenience. According to a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) study about American reading, this activity is declining as a hobby, hence teenagers are reading fewer books (NEA “To Read or Not to Read”). This change is happening slowly, but “when you’re at the beginning of a transition like we are, it’s tremendously difficult to sort of hold the past, the present and the future in your head all at one time” (“Books 2.0”). Due to this transition in the forms of reading, it becomes more difficult for the reader to grasp the changes which are occurring from paper to digital and accept this new form of reading. This decline from the customary book reading to the more modern-day digital reading has been aided by the progressing evolution of technology, which has made reading by making it more convenient. This convenience encourages people to read since “the formats of reading are changing, especially with handheld devices….alot of people are excited about that because it is easier to hold the device on Muni than a large book” (Collins). Many people prefer carrying a small device, compared to a large book which can be heavy and difficult to carry around thus providing people, teens specifically, with the means to read while traveling to school. However, there is another adaptation in the form of reading, which would encourage young adults to read through making book reading convenient. This would be in making a video game and book that work together to combine their separate benefits (Rich “Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers”). But has this convenience come at a price? Depending on the content of the source, especially on the internet, the reading being performed is much less beneficial than conventional book reading, through the desire to place convenience as a priority over quality.  Both forms of reading have benefits for the reader which can help contribute to not only academic success but to long-term success in jobs and in life. For teenagers, required reading for school or to aid in standardized testing provides the foundation for improving literary comprehension in addition to helping increase standardized test scores. However teenagers who also read for pleasure show more academic success, thus showing that “reading for pleasure correlates strongly with academic achievement” (NEA “To Read or Not to Read”). Reading that improves academic accomplishments is important for teens at this stage in their life, since many are preparing for college and life beyond and that will entail reading. Pleasure reading especially, can better prepare young adults’ for literary challenges to come.

Although traditional reading benefits teenagers, so does digital reading which can aid in solving problems that traditional reading cannot, such as providing easy-to-translate short works for non native English speakers (Rich “In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update”). For immigrants coming to the United States it can be difficult to learn English and how to read in English; this is where the internet comes in. Since it is easy to translate English texts to other languages as well as find a variety of web sources from all over the world in other languages besides English, the internet and digital reading provides people with convenient methods to help them read (Rich “In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update”). Although these translations are not entirely accurate, since they only translate words and do not think about context, which can make the translation sometimes confusing and inaccurate. Internet translators will probably be something looked into and improved in the future as digital reading becomes more popular and progressive. Along with providing immigrants with reading sources they can understand, digital and internet reading is often better for teens that have dyslexia, a common learning difference. According to Hunter Gaudet, a dyslexic teen, “in a book, ‘they go through a lot of details that aren’t really needed... [Reading] online just gives you what you need, nothing more or less’” (Rich “Literacy Debate”). In addition to helping teenagers with learning differences or who may be immigrants to read, internet reading prepares teenagers for future jobs; since in this

78 digital age technology is becoming more and more dominant and it will be important for teens to have digital literacy skills. In an article by New York Times reporter, Motoko Rich, writes that “some literacy experts say that online reading skills will help children fare better when they begin looking for digital-age jobs” (Rich “Literacy Debate”). Therefore digital reading can be even more important for teenagers in the future and should be considered important and necessary to be at least proficient in.

Despite digital reading becoming more popular and necessary as a basic skill, traditional book reading is still important and can benefit teenagers in different ways, since published works have been processed through a vigorous editorial process, so the content is often better than sources on the internet, since those sources are often posted without being edited. While the younger generations are becoming more drawn to convenient forms of reading, where a book is not usually relevant unless it is required reading for school, older generations are more drawn to books. Since books provide people with a tangible feeling of holding the book in one’s hands and physically turning the page, which other digitalized forms cannot provide. Also, reading from a book is better for longer periods of reading; since the paper is not lit from behind like a screen it is better for the eyes (Whitman). In addition to these other beneficial aspects of reading books, this medium also offers the reader a closer connection to the author, which allows the reader to imagine the story the author tells through the book directly (Levy). In addition, books often supply teenagers with better content that has been edited before being published, which can help improve their reading comprehension and vocabulary, as well as setting them on the course to beginning a reading habit for life. These improvements will contribute to teenagers’ academic success in high school and in their futures in college.  Conversely, both digital and traditional reading styles have their downsides, but reading is still more beneficial than many other activities, even if the form and content are not as beneficial as would be preferred.

Pleasure reading as a hobby is declining in teenagers since television and video games are often more appealing.

This is because teens can simply focus on the digital entertainment, without comprehending the information they are processing. Reading is struggling to hook young readers in since it is “up against all this easily accessible and endlessly varied fare—from Palm Pilots to Ipods—the reading of stories, poems and plays is having a tough time competing” (Magnet). A direct effect of the decline in young adult reading is demonstrated by standardized test scores, which in the reading comprehension section have declined or stagnated. In the an NEA study, this decline is shown in the reading scores of seventeen year-olds, where the average score decreased from a 288 in 1999 to a 285 in 2004 (NEA “To Read or Not to Read”).

Digital reading, although popular and becoming even more commonly used, has its drawbacks as well as its benefits. These drawbacks are mostly due to the device that is used in the reading; however the content can also be something that can be compromised in this form. With devices such as Amazon’s Kindle, reading becomes less personal and this choice made for convenience just adds to the amount of devices and personal items one has to bring when commuting to work or school. Ann Krischner, an avid reader, said in an On The Media segment about reading, “Reading electronically you have a lot more control. If you want to make the font larger, you can. If you want to play with the margins, you can. What I didn't like about the Kindle was that I had to make a conscious decision to take it with me” (“For the Love of Reading”). This decision to use yet another device among others that we use daily actually inconveniences people despite the fact that this is the reason the devices were initially invented. Teenagers are quickly adapting to internet reading, and along with this more recent form of reading comes more difficulty, since younger generations will need to be proficient in navigating digital sources which add to their need to know skills for life. As Michael DeSchryver and Rand J. Spiro say in a scientific article about internet learning, Most current Web-based learning is rather cursory and fact based (Kuiper, Volman, & Terwel, 2005), therefore new skills and approaches are needed to in order for Post-Gutenberg learning to develop.

Foremost among these are the ability to search using advanced Web exploration techniques and with an opening mindset that promotes more wide ranging searches that go well beyond finding facts or “answers” by using just simple Google results or embedded hyperlinks in one’s search (DeSchryver and Spiro).

This need to be able to perform in-depth internet learning is coming into the forefront of teenagers’ lives since it will greatly benefit them in the future. With the need to maintain quality, the importance of solely focusing on cursorily (very quickly) found information is becoming more of an issue, since it often compromises quality. While we are entering the Post-Gutenberg form of reading, from the print to digital, it is highly important to maintain this quality, while keeping teenagers interested in reading. Nonetheless internet reading inspires teenagers to read who would otherwise not be reading. Teenagers such as Nadia Konyk a fifteen year old girl who reads on websites like Fanfiction.com, are able to allow express themselves through writing and reading other teens stories. These internet

79 communities encourage teenagers’ to read even if the content is not as high-quality as many published works, since these websites give teenagers a connection through reading and writing (Rich “Literacy Debate”).

Not only does digital reading have its downsides, but even the traditional form of book reading does as well. Hard copies of books cannot compete with the convenience that digital reading provides, and so book sales are suffering which is detrimental to book publishers and eventually, even libraries. As Tom Peters explains in a LibraryJournal.com article about the future of reading, “Reading also entails an economy. Incredibly, the publishing industry currently is experiencing as much Sturm und Drang as housing and the job market. As Kindle versions outsell hardcover editions of some best sellers, the publishing industry…is scrambling to envision and develop a model that will actually work” (Peters). This “Sturm und Drang” (in English “Storm and Stress”) harms the already fiscally hurt economy, and although this conversion is gradual, someday in the future most people will be dependent on digital versions of books and the publishing businesses will be hard-pressed to be financially self sustaining, since they will be publishing solely digital versions of books which often cost less than hard copies.

In addition, the process of book making is harmful for the environment since it takes many trees to make paper for books and in such an environmentally conscientious age, with many things being done to protect the earth, people will be more drawn to digital forms of books which are less harmful to the earth’s resources, since they do not require trees to be cut down. Because of this environmental concern, library books, especially paperback which are destroyed more easily, will be used less since many people use these books and with use they are worn out and are no longer usable. Sometime in this cycle of purchase, use, and destruction, people will probably stop relying on these books either out of environmental concern or for the convenience provided by these digital versions.

Although reading rates overall are declining in teenagers, there are ways to encourage reading, such as perseverance in support and encouragement from a peer or adult. Not all teenagers dislike reading and some do it in their spare time. In an NEA study, with information from 2004, these percentages of teens who read more often were for thirteen year-olds: 30% and for seventeen year-olds: 22% (NEA “To Read or Not to Read”). These young adults have probably discovered books or other sources that are not a requirement for school and have been able to pursue their literary interests by being provided with material that is interesting to them, thus encouraging them to read. This material, whatever subject it may be, can motivate teens by showing them that not all reading is difficult or boring like some classic books that are school requirements are perceived to be, because they are not about a topic that teenagers find interesting (Rich “A New Assignment”). In addition to finding material that is interesting to teenagers, sometimes a teacher just needs to encourage a student who dislikes or has difficulty with reading by providing them with support and encouragement. In I Won’t Read and You Can’t Make Me, Marilyn Reynolds tells a story about Nancy, a girl who was obstinate in her stance on disliking reading but “Finally, after two long and tedious weeks of perfunctory glances at books I’d placed in front of her, repetitions of her ‘I won’t read’ stance, and arguments…she finally took Anna’s recommendation, got caught by Go Ask Alice, read it in a week, and demanded another book” (Reynolds). As Reynolds shows in her story, sometimes getting teenagers to read requires perseverance and dedication, but if a teacher, parent or peer in the teenager’s life is there to encourage them, they could turn out like Nancy and become an avid reader.  Despite the competition between both digital and conventional reading, if the two forms can find a middle ground which combines the best of both, then reading could have more of an appeal, drawing in younger readers to sustain paper reading in our digital-age culture. Reading will not be disappearing anytime soon, however to make it more important in teenagers’ daily lives and learning, the best option for the book would be to embrace technology as it is already and become digital (Thompson). As Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon, says in an article when talking about the Kindle “‘This is the most important thing we’ve ever done…It’s so ambitious to take something so highly evolved and improve on it. And maybe even change the way people read’” (Levy). This exploration of improving the traditional book with technology, using devices like the Kindle and iPad tablet (from Apple), is changing the forms and possibly the ways that people read, marrying the technology with the historically innovative book. With this change, resources like libraries are being left behind. In order to stay an important resource for teenagers doing research projects or just to do pleasure reading, “libraries will need to develop, test and deploy new services” (Peters).

However there are suggestions of different ways to encourage teens to read, to help determine what path the future of reading will take, so as to best benefit young adults. To combat the decline in young adult reading, researchers Donna Alvermann, James Marshall and others, in their scientific paper about after school programs for youth literacy, suggested creating an after school program. This would make time for teenagers to read and encourage them, as well as “increase an appreciation for, and a better understanding of, the ways in which Webbased communities foster motivation and a sense of self-efficacy among underserved youth who…behave more like proficient readers and writers in informal learning contexts” (Alvermann et al. 3). This idea which would prepare

80 teenagers for future web-based interactions with other people in their communities will improve their digital literacy, which will be invaluable in this modern digital-age as well as in the future. Although there is the possibility that digital and traditional reading could combine to best benefit teenagers, or digital reading will flourish on its own and some of the content could be compromised. However, we do not know, since “the future of reading is very much in doubt. In this century, reading could soar to new heights or crash and burn” (Peters). Despite this uncertainty, reading will probably be around for quite a while longer. The best option to promote teen reading would be to combine the convenience and connections felt with peers, through internet communities, with the content and power of a book.

Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Andreis Bergeron, Caitlin Dekker, and Dexter Antonio for peer editing my paper.

I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz for giving me advice about ideas and helping me to improve my paper.

I would like to acknowledge Rachel Shaw for helping to initially find source and giving input about ideas.

I would like to acknowledge Marika Cifor for editing my paper.

I would like to acknowledge Lynn Lampky for proof reading my paper.

I would like to acknowledge Veronica Stamats for helping me to come up with a title, as well as peer edit my paper.

Works Cited Alvermann, Donna, and James, Marshall, et al. “Literacy Practices in Afterschool Web-based Youth Communities.”

Robert Browne Foundation. 35. New York Times. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

“Books 2.0.” On The Media. National Public Radio, 27 Nov. 2009. Radio. National Public Radio. Web. 16 Dec. 2009.

Butz, Craig.

Collins, Jennifer. Personal Interview. 6 Jan. 2010.

DeSchryver, Michael and Rand J., Spiro. “New Forms of Deep Learning on the Web: Meeting the Challenge of Cognitive Load in Conditions Unfettered Exploration in Online Multimedia Environments.” Cognitive Effects on Multimedia Learning. 2006,2007,2008: 22. New York Times. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

“For the Love of Reading.” On The Media. National Public Radio, 27 Nov. 2009. Radio. National Public Radio.

Web. 12 Jan. 2010.

Levy, Steven. “The Future of Reading.” Newsweek. 26 Nov. 2007. Web. 26 Dec. 2009.

Magnet, Myron. “Is Reading Really at Risk?” The Weekly Standard. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, 16 Aug. 2004. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Peters, Toms. “The Future of Reading.” LibraryJournal. 1 Nov. 2009. Web. 6 Jan. 2010.

Reynolds, Marilyn. I Won’t Read and You Can’t Make Me. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004. Print.

Rich, Motoko. “Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?” New York Times. New York Times, 27 July 2008.

Web. 28 Dec. 2009.

Rich, Motoko. “Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers.” New York Times. New York Times, 6 Oct. 2008.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Rich, Motoko. “In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update.” New York Times. New York Times, 16 Feb. 2009. Web. 3 Jan 2010.

Rich, Motoko. “A New Assignment: Pick Books You Like.” New York Times. New York Times, 30 Aug. 2009.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Thompson, Clive. “Clive Thompson on the Future of Reading in a Digital World.” Wired Magazine. Wired Magazine, 22 May 2009. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

National Endowment for the Arts. To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence. United States.

NEA, 12 Nov. 2007. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Whitman, Ryan. “Is One E-Reader Better for Your Eyes Than Another?” MaxiumPC. Future Us, Inc., 12 Feb. 2010.

Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

81 Rachel Cohen-Sidley Craig Butz Research 1a 29 February 2010 Hair and Society: A Trichy Situation As one who does not have mere bad-hair days, but rather an unbroken series of bad-hair decades, I understand, quite personally and pathetically, how much hair means, how important it is to self-image and one's sense of humanness, and how hard it is to give it up.

-Natalie Angier Trichotillomania, a hair loss disorder caused by stress and anxiety, affects an estimated two to four million Americans per year (Brody). While the average American takes the hair on their head for granted, or, doesn’t even think about it, those with Trich struggle on a daily basis to maintain what others consider a given. Throughout their lives, people plagued by Trichotillomania suffer emotionally and physically due to this lack of hair. The significance that our society places on hair, as well as our skewed image of youth and beauty, causes those afflicted with the psychological disorder Trichotillomania to suffer immense insecurities surrounding their self-image which intensifies the symptoms of their disorder and could be avoided by societal acceptance of a more realistic outlook on youth and beauty.  It is 5 am, Monday morning, and Sarah is already awake. She stands on a white, plastic stool staring blankly across the sink and into the mirror. Slowly, Sarah reaches up to her head and untangles the rubber-band from her knotted hair. She parts her hair in the middle of her scalp and bends over further in front of the mirror, to see the damage she has done. Immediately after parting her hair, a storm rushes to Sarah’s eyes. How will she cover up the bald spot? There was no one to blame but herself. What if next time she rips it all out? What if she loses it all? Sarah bangs her forehead against the rim of the sink; she tries to shake those scary thoughts out of her head. Suddenly, Sarah feels that malicious urge which has taken over her life. As if a demon has taken full control over her hands, she begins to stroke her hair in search of that one which does not belong. Her heart and mind ache to find those curly hairs amongst a head of thick straight ones. Using her left hand to hold her hair down she takes her right pointer finger and thumb and squeezes the curly hair out from the depths of her scalp. Again, and again, and again Sarah pulls and picks, tugs and yanks at her head. This hair, this is the one! She studies the hair, admiring the clear gel-like hair follicle surrounding the root. Soon, she has lost track of time. From downstairs she can smell burning bagels and hear her dad hollering “One minute until carpool comes, let’s go, let’s go!” Sarah runs into her bedroom and looks at the clock. Its 7:30. Two and a half hours and two bald spots later, the urge has passed, for the most part.

After getting dressed, Sarah returns to her spot by the mirror. First she tries folding her hair to the left, but the glimmering white spot shines through her coarse brown locks. How about the right? No, that won’t work either. She could braid it? But the spot in front still peeks through. Perfect. A braid will cover the spot on the crown of her head and a hair clip will cover the front. It is 7:45 am, what a way to start the week.  Trichotillomania, otherwise known as “Trich”, is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as an impulse control disorder, comparable to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (“Trichotillomania”). It is a psychological condition which urges people to yank the root of their hair out of their head, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Although it is hard for those without Trich to understand, a “trichster” (a person diagnosed with Trichotillomania) literally cannot overcome an urge simply by will power. Upon seeing a trichster pull out their hair, one may think that if they genuinely wanted to, they could stop pulling. However, that is not the case. Trichotillomania is the act of a body focused repetitive behavior that is legitimately uncontrollable apart from the use of certain treatments. Part of what makes Trich so hard to control is that the act of picking becomes habitual over time. An article from TeensHealth describes the cycle of hair-pulling: Any relief that comes with hair pulling usually only lasts for a moment. The urge almost always returns.

That's because when the mind becomes used to giving in to the powerful urges that go with compulsive behaviors, the behavior is reinforced, and then becomes a habit. The mind gets trapped in a cycle of expecting to have the urge satisfied. The longer this goes on, the harder it can become to resist the urge. (“Body Image”) Because of the urges described above, trichsters often become anxious and nervous. Such anxiety results in panic attacks, skin-picking, further hair-pulling, distractibility, depression, and increased tension. Hair pulling and skin picking, both symptoms of Trich, cause those affected to feel a sense of self-hatred, allowing the disorder to take control. These feelings can be treated through the prescription of antidepressants such as Zoloft or Prozac, the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in which patients learn ways to resist urges, and, by joining local support groups

82 which include fellow trichsters. Despite the fact that there are ways of treating Trich, for the most part, it lasts for a life time.  Throughout all of class Sarah sits, patiently listening to her teacher Mr. Z babble on and on about oscillating cycles. For the third time, she raises her hand and signals to Mr. Z that she needs another bathroom break.

She hops out of her musty orange chair and sprints out the periwinkle door to the empty bathroom above the cafeteria. Looking in the mirror Sarah rips her hair out of the braid she spent so much time perfecting. Her mind goes blank and all she can think about is how eager her fingers are to rub against that coarse hair, the one that is harder and thicker than the rest. Sarah pries the stubby black hair out of her balding, loose scalp. Has the urge passed now that she removed what she was in search of? Of course not. Ten minutes later a concerned classmate comes into the bathroom and scares Sarah out of her own world. Sarah jumps at the sound of the opening door which plunges her mind back into reality, into D block physics.

The entire bus ride home Sarah has her hands atop her head feeling around for uneven hairs which just don’t fit in. She searches and searches for imperfection, for an excuse of some sort to wrench that one last hair out of her aching head. This is the last one she tells herself, time after time. Sarah can’t seem to fool herself.  In 21st century America, the media reinforces society’s obsession with youth and beauty, particularly in relation to women. If one were to turn on the television to any channel one might find an older female, perhaps 60 years old, masked with make-up, surgery, and hair dye, in attempt to appear 40 years younger than her real age.

Take the television channel, Quality Value Convenience (QVC) for example. QVC advertises women’s clothing and jewelry. One of the hostesses who advertises for QVC is 55 years old. Strangely, she has bleach-blonde hair and a wrinkle-free complexion. Jocelyn Cramer, a therapist who treats teens and adults with Trichotillomania and other anxiety-based disorders, illuminated the fact that many grandmothers and elderly ladies in America no longer have grey hair. In the middle of the 20th century, women in their 50’s and 60’s began undergoing plastic surgery in an attempt to look young. Until this time period, old age was a respected attribute, in that the elderly were revered for their accumulated intelligence and wisdom. It was both accepted and expected that if one was over 50 one would have wrinkles and grey hair (Cramer). Today, the focus of American culture is on youth; the elderly now have dyed hair, botox, and face lifts in an attempt to hold onto their worth by looking young. However, it is not just older generations who are displeased with their body image. In fact, more than any other age group, teenagers struggle with low self-esteem and body image issues. This is because teenagers’ bodies are constantly changing and developing, and when combined with the unrealistic ideals set by the media, teenagers often feel inadequate about looking the way they are “supposed” to look (“Body Image”). Teenagers have a natural desire to be accepted by society; however, most teens also have a very critical mind. Because the media objectifies women by portraying them as purely sexual beings, adolescents often compare themselves to celebrities, and runway models. A member of the Boston Women’s Book Collective talks about the negative influence of the media: "The media eye, in its many different forms, objectifies all of us. The result? Many of us begin to objectify ourselves" (Walker). This critical mind often results in feelings of failure which lead to low levels in self esteem. Especially during one’s teenage years, low levels of self-esteem can be overwhelming and can cause teens to resort to unhealthy coping methods. An article written to inform society about these struggles which teenage girls face, declares; "Sometimes low self-esteem and body image problems are too much to handle alone. A few teens may become depressed, lose interest in activities or friends — and even hurt themselves or resort to alcohol or drug abuse" (“Body Image”).

What many teens do not realize is how unrealistic their idea of beauty really is. The media is setting unrealistic goals and therefore promoting self-dissatisfaction amongst teenage girls. This dissatisfaction results in depression and self-harm as written in the above quote. Researchers have found that the amount of media exposure which teens receive through mediums such as television, advertisements, and magazines, distorts their perception of reality (“Adolescent Girls”). Moreover, the pictures of women depicted via commercials and billboards are often technologically enhanced; companies use programs such as Photoshop to enhance their pictures making women look as though they are thinner, have more defined bone structure, thicker hair, and longer lashes than they realistically do. How can a teenage girl compete with a computer program? She can’t.

The media negatively portrays women with body hair in places such as one’s underarms, legs, and face, as being unnatural and unclean. It is okay for men to occupy hair in such areas however women should be hairless in all areas apart from their head. Every year women spend hundreds of dollars on tweezers, shaving cream and razors, bikini waxes, and other hair-removal products. The media is the main source which portrays this unacceptability of body hair on women (Cramer). In a recent commercial promoting the cellular company Metro PCS, we see an example of the way in which female body hair is portrayed as grotesque. The commercial shows a women and a man on a bicycle. She has three inches worth of thick, sweaty, armpit hair flowing from the depths of both her

83 underarms and into the mans face. The commercial proceeds to compare the unacceptability of this woman’s body hair to the extra fees required by competing cell phone companies. The woman turns around to the man and says, "It’s a little gift from Mother Nature. I’ll tell you what’s wrong – its cell phone companies charging hidden fees" (Linn). Here we see Metro PCS reinforcing the idea of female body hair as unnatural and undesirable. This only further worsens the instable emotional state of teenage girls undergoing puberty. The removal of any and all body hair gives these girls one more obsession to become self-conscious about.

In addition to the unrealistic ideals portrayed by the media and the unhealthy feelings they promote, the media excludes those with disabilities as being capable of achieving beauty. People with disorders or diseases, as well as those who are overweight or disabled, almost never appear in the media as beautiful. Because all individuals find flaws in themselves, we always strive to be that which we are not. There is a created desire to be flawless and this desire is portrayed as unrealistic to those with disabilities yet an achievable goal to those without. "The image of "perfection" we see in the media excludes [ALL] women with disabilities. This almost total lack of representation means that the lives of disabled women remain a mystery to many able-bodied people…. Because women who are disabled, fat, or old are seen as deviating from what is "normal" and desirable, we are often presented as stereotypes, rather than as real people" (Walker). This exclusion leads those with disorders or disabilities to believe that they are not in the same pool as everyone else. It adds to feelings of abnormality which these people already suffer from. If the media were to create a more realistic vision of what teenage girls look like, and encourage individuality, it would enable more teens to feel better about who they are and what they look like. In addition, this would lead to a healthier and more open-minded society in which people would feel more comfortable in their own skin and not have to worry as much about their physical appearance in comparison to others.

Hair, in particular, acts as a beauty accessory in our society, and thus those who lack hair have trouble feeling beautiful. Dr. Cramer, a therapist specializing in the treatment of Trich, agrees that, because of our societal obsession with hair, trichsters often feel abnormal and isolated from society. She says: Just go down the aisle of any drug store and you will see rows of clips, barrettes, head bands and hair ties.

There are also many advertisements in beauty magazines such as Tailored for Women which always contains articles on the latest hair style and how to fix ‘bad hair days.’ Because of our obsession with youth and beauty, teens with Trich presumably feel less attractive. (Cramer) However, feeling less attractive, as Cramer explained, is only one result of our societal obsession with beauty and its impact on hair-loss sufferers. In further detail, TeensHealth explains that a trichsters self-image often plummets because they feel as though they cannot be beautiful and have bald spots. The article reads: "having Trichotillomania can affect how people feel about themselves. Some are self-conscious about how hair pulling affects their appearance. Because of this, they might feel less confident about making friends or dating…..Feelings like these can cause a person's self-image to suffer" (“Body Image”).

One of the reasons that a lack of head hair hurts one’s self-esteem has to do with the lack of awareness surrounding Trich. Because very few people have heard of Trich or know what it really is, hair-pulling appears grotesque and alien to those who are unaware. Trichsters often convince themselves that these perceptions are true and that they really are helpless, monstrous beings. ''They are convinced that they are crazy,'' Dr. Swedo says. ''They have to do this thing that is painful and disgusting, yet they continue. They struggle against it all their lives” (“New Hope”). Because Trich is uncontrollable, feelings of anger, frustration, shame, and humiliation come from resulting bald spots and incurable urges. “During adolescence, which is an especially crucial time for developing self-esteem, body image, comfort with sexuality, and relationships with peers of both sexes, teens may endure ridicule from family, friends, or classmates, in addition to feeling shame over their inability to control the habit. Therefore, even a small bald patch can cause devastating problems with development that can last life-long” (Factsheet). Trichsters are constantly worrying about what other people think of them and what others will say or do if they find out about Trichotillomania. Although there are many trichsters who lead perfectly normal lives during the day, like Sarah, and proceed to go home and tear their hair, on the opposite side of the spectrum, some trichsters attempt to take attention away from their problem by acting non-existent. This approach is harmful in the long run because it causes trichsters to lack social skills and disregard relationships with others. Like Sarah’s experience, Cheryn Salazar, an adult currently being treated for Trichotillomania, talks about her adolescent experience with Trich: I cried many a night, alone, afraid, and full of self-hatred. I feel the pain today remembering those feelings as if it were now…Fear of my make-up coming off if I swam, cried, perspired, rubbed my eyes, had my hair washed before a cut by a beautician, and much more. (“Progress”) Effects of Trich such as self-hatred and low levels of self-esteem could be improved if non-trichsters had a better understanding and acceptance of what Trich is. This way, Trich could appear less abnormal to those with it and without it. If people become aware of what Trichotillomania really is and are able to weaken our societal obsessions around youth and beauty, trichsters may finally begin to feel accepted by their community and

84 comfortable in their own skin. One way in which American society as a whole could weaken the pressure placed on adolescent girls to look beautiful would be for the media to redefine beauty in a more realistic way. This redefinition of beauty should stress creative expression, and originality. If girls are encouraged to look different from one another, and have their own individual sense of style, the stereotypes, which we see in the media pertaining to what one should look like, may disintegrate over time. Once stereotypes disintegrate and adolescents are encouraged to be comfortable with themselves, trichsters will also feel as though bald spots are part of who they are and simply add to their individuality. In addition, if the media and local support groups work to better the recognition of Trich and spread awareness surrounding the disorder, those with Trich may feel comfortable coming out to their friends and families about their condition. This would provide Trichsters with a support system that they may not otherwise have if they felt as though society would not accept them as normal or beautiful due to their disorder.

Trichotillomania is worsened by our culture’s obsession with youth and beauty. Hair is seen as a symbol of such traits, and thus those who lack hair often feel abnormal and alienated from society. Feelings of abnormality often provoke feelings of self-hatred and isolation which cause trichsters to become depressed. Depression and low levels of self-esteem in trichsters could be prevented by awareness around what Trich is and a decrease of media attention towards being “beautiful”.

Sarah’s story is my story. I have struggled with Trich since the third grade and I still do today. I am in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and on anti-depressants; however, nothing seems to help. I hope that someday, I can accept Trich as part of who I am.

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Jessica Sykes, Julia Millhouse, and Zoe Pressman for editing my research paper. I would like to acknowledge Ava Hoffman, Craig Butz, and Gwen Sidley for help pertaining to the construction of my thesis.

Works Cited: “Adolescent Girls and Body Image.” NASW. Washington DC, Nov. 2001. Web. 8 Dec. 2009.

Angier, Natalie. “Hair Today.” New York Times. New York Times, 5 Dec. 1999. Web. 12 Jan. 2010.

“Body Image.” TeensHealth. The Nemours Foundation, May 2009. Web. 2 Jan. 2010.

Brody, Jane. “Personal Health; Help but no sure cure for hair-pulling disorder.” The New York Times 4 Jan. 1995: C8. Print.

Cramer, Jocelyn. Personal Interview. 4 January 2010.

“Factsheet: Trichotillomania.” Mental Health America. Mental Health America, 2010. Web. 29 Dec. 2009.

Linn, Allison. “Boost Gets (armpit hair) in Your Face.” Ads of the Weird. MSNBC, 23 Feb. 2009. Web. 1 Feb. 2010.

“New hope for those who tear their hair.” The New York Times 29 Aug. 1989: C9. Print.

Salazar, Cheryn. “Progress.” Trichotillomania Learning Center, 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

“Trichotillomania.” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 6 Feb.2008. Web. 2 Jan. 2010.

Walker, Sarai. “Body Image: The Media Lies.” Our Bodies Our Selves. Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, 2008. Web. 8 Jan. 2010.

For Further Reading: Grubb, Hugh. “Recovering from the Trauma of Trichotillomania.” Trichotillomania Learning Center, 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Keuthen, Nancy J., and Dan J. Stein, Gary A. Christianson. Help For Hair Pullers. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications Inc., 2001. Print.

Montgomery, Aimee. “Aimee’s Story.” Trichotillomania Learning Center, 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Novak, Carol. “Barriers to Recovery from Hair Pulling.” Trichotillomania Learning Center, 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Penzel, Fred. The Hair-Pulling Problem. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.

Trichotillomania Learning Center. Home Page. Trichotillomania Learning Center, 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

“Trichotillomania.” Kidshealth. The Nemours Foundation, May 2009. Web. 30 Dec. 2009.

Waller, Lewis "Trichotillomania Experts - How to Treat Trichotillomania." Trichotillomania Experts - How to Treat Trichotillomania. 30 Jan. 2009 EzineArticles.com. 4 Jan. 2010.

85 Jack Courtney Craig Butz Research in the Community January 29, 2010 Veterans Benefits: Serving America’s Heroes Over the years brave men and women have stood up to fight our Nation’s battles. Upon their return home they often require medical and psychological care as well as help re-establishing themselves in the workplace. In the past there have been many issues regarding what benefits and care veterans should be given. The veterans affairs system and many hospitals have issues providing proper care to returning Soldiers, such as, medical care, counseling, and services that help heal the mental wounds of war. Providing proper care and support for these Americans who have served all of us is not only a matter of what is right but a matter of national obligation.

In the past when veterans would return home there was a sturdy system to provide them with benefits and care, but now, due to the large amount of veterans relying on the system the VA has trouble tending to them all. The VA has had constant issues with claims being rejected, the poor appeal system, and also with the poor quality of care being offered to some veterans has also been questioned (Veterans Benefits Frustrations).

The veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are a new breed of veterans that the VA has never had to deal with before. Due to the fact that medical care and battlefield conditions have evolved since the days of Vietnam, the types of returning casualties has changed drastically. In the past when a soldier would receive a severe enough injury he would die in the field (Ryan).With advances in modern medicine these troops are surviving and returning to the United State with horrific wounds. The VA has had to deal with these unprecedented levels of injury in new ways, spending more money on Amputee research and Brain trauma research. The new breed of wounded veterans is causing immense strain on the Veterans Affairs system (VA). While the VA system has 153 veteran’s hospitals with close to 8 million veterans registered in its healthcare system, it can only see about 6 million of them every year. About 420,000 of them are veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. There are thousands more who have not filed official reports of their wounds (Red Tape). The VA is already having issues handling the current level of injured vets, but the true numbers that need care are astronomical. The VA has most of its problems with keeping up with the wide spectrum of injuries out there. It is hard to invest in research for all different injury types, be they mental or physical (Red Tape).

One of the main injuries that the VA has had issues treating is severe traumatic brain injury. Due to the extreme levels of disability caused by these injuries, and the large amount of new needs, like prostheses and rehabilitation, is hard for the VA to keep up with. Recently the VA has not been able to keep up with the new demands of new veterans.

A new development in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that has caused immense problems for the VA is IED use in combat. Day after day improvised explosive devices have been claiming the lives of thousands of American servicemen and women. Improvised explosive devices are often made from artillery shells and mortars, they are set up along roadways and areas where there are high amounts of troop traffic. Insurgents wait for a group of soldiers or a vehicle to come into the kill zone and detonate, usually using a cell phone based detonator. Those who are not killed in these explosions have their bodies torn to shreds. Upon returning home they need specialty care from the VA, more so than any other group of injured personnel. Amputees require a large amount of physical therapy and also therapy to get over the memory of their injury. Complications can also arise after amputation, there is a bone disorder known as HO or Heterotopic Ossification, which occurs after there has been an amputation but also a brain injury that results in nerve damage. HO causes the brain to misread the amputation and try to grow back the bone that has been blown away. It becomes extraordinarily painful as the bone grows outward and tries to push through the skin grafts. There is no way to really treat HO, you can only wait for the bone to stop growing which can sometimes take a long time. With so many complications being caused by amputations the VA has to provide specialty care and spend money researching causes and cures of complications. As a result of the high amount of new amputees returning home the VA has committed a vast amount of resources to the research and development of new prosthetic limbs (Ryan).

The VA is at the forefront of prosthetic research, creating bionic and human compatible limbs. Newly developed prosthetics include arms and legs that can respond to commands through a patient’s nerve system, and even some with working hands and fingers. The VA is on the forefront of the development of new bionic arms for servicemen and women. Although these huge leaps forward have been made there is still room to grow, these arms and legs help but are in many ways still primitive. In the future it is predicted that there will be far better prosthetics available, there is even rumor of bionic skin which can feel with small nano-tube bundles replicating human nerves.

This new bionic skin will even be temperature sensitive, it will bring new hope for severely injured amputees (Bionic Limbs).

86 On the other hand, many issues that were prevalent in Vietnam veterans are no longer relevant. In the Vietnam War a chemical called Agent Orange was used to defoliate the rainforests of the small south-east Asian country. The chemical was later found to cause cancer and many returning Vietnam veterans died from exposure (Vietnam Veterans of America). Cancer patients that contracted cancer after Vietnam still rely on the VA for help but new veterans have not contracted cancer as a result of exposure in Iraq. As old problems die out new ones develop, but unless the VA changes the way they operate they will always be one step behind.

The biggest problem that American veterans of all wars have had with receiving the benefits owed them, is claim rejection. Many soldiers are placed on “Medical Hold” after they place their claim and could have to wait years before action is taken to help them. As many as 450,000 veterans must wait more than 30 days before they can even receive an appointment. To put this into perspective, in 2003 there were 227,000 claims pending, 44,000 of which took more that 6 months. In 2008 there were 343,000 claims pending, 78,000 of which took more than 6 months (Red Tape). As can be seen from the huge statistical difference in pending claims since 2003, the VA has a lot of work to do in regards to backlogged claims. Sometimes the Vets that are awaiting these claims are unable to work due to the injuries they are seeking help for, this can plummet them into debt and cause them to lose their homes and livelihood. The VA requires veterans to now have proof that their wounds were either during the duration of their service, or if a more serious injury, in combat. The issue for veterans is that in the heat of battle, keeping records is the last thing that many soldiers are focusing on. This proves problematic for veterans who want to place claims for injuries sustained in battle because it is impossible for them to prove the circumstances of their injuries. It is unfair to have these expectations just to receive benefits from obviously battle related wounds, such as shrapnel or explosion related injuries. For men and women who have given so much for our country these requirements are an unfair roadblock to the benefits they deserve. Over the course of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan there have been 13,646 soldiers rendered unfit for military service, yet not disabled enough to procure real VA health benefits (Red Tape). It is unfair to expel these people from the military, taking away their livelihood, and not compensating them with healthcare they need. The VA needs to automatically supply benefits to servicemen and women who are discharged from the military as a result of a medical issue.

Another issue that has surfaced in recent years is the large number of veterans who can not be served by the VA becasuse they live in very rural areas. The VA clinics and hospitals are usually in heavily populated areas to serve the largest amount of veterans. The problem with this is that is leaves many veterans completely underserved by the VA, only because of where they choose to live. There are over 1.7 million vets that live over 60 minutes driving distance from the closest VA institution. In order to combat this problem the VA has created 4 mobile health units to serve rural veterans, and 50 new mobile counseling centers. The VA still has a long way to go in respect to rural veterans because the U.S. Army has been heavily relying on recruits from rural areas (Red Tape).

One severe disability that has plagued veterans for years is the effects of post traumatic stress syndrome.

PTSD was officially recognized as a medical issue after the Vietnam War, when thousands of returning soldiers began to suffer from its symptoms. PTSD is common in veterans of intense combat. Over half of the returning veterans of Vietnam suffered from PTSD, roughly 1.9 million servicemen and women. The rate of PTSD diagnosis in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans is 1 in 5. The difference in statistics is mostly due to the fact that there was a higher amount of time spent in combat for the average soldier in Vietnam and opposed to a soldier now.

Symptoms of PTSD can cause serious problems in a soldier’s life. Essentially PTSD is not being able to forget an event where you felt immense helplessness or uncontrollable fear. PTSD causes your body to biologically change after a traumatic event. There are a wide range of problems that can be caused in severe cases of PTSD, sleeplessness, nightmares, flashbacks, and emotional detachment are just a few of them. Soldiers who return home to their families after having witnessed a traumatic event are sometimes not the same person they were before the war. Their relationships are destroyed by outbursts and over reaction to many situations. A family member having PTSD can have immense strain on the family as a whole (Web MD: PTSD). The VA has taken many steps to help those who have been diagnosed but there are many PTSD veterans who do not get diagnosed and therefore do not receive medical care. The VA has provided many veteran support groups and activities to lighten the load these men and women carry but there is still more that can be done (Vietnam Veterans of America).

As a result of many different types of mental and physical disabilities soldier have trouble re adjusting to life at home. Men who come back with horrific injuries are often left by their families, because they are scared of having to attend to all of he soldiers new needs.

Often seriously injured vets are different people upon their return home, sometimes a person that their family does not want anymore. For example; if a vet develops a very severe case of PTSD they may lash out at their families and surroundings. Amputees also face this due to the fact that their mobility and ability to undertake certain tasks becomes restricted. In some cases this can turn a family’s provider into a burden on the family unit. This is a

87 problem facing many veterans, the fear of abandonment is palpable among the seriously disabled vets of Iraq and Afghanistan (Ryan).

These feelings of hopelessness has caused many vets to commit suicide or lose the will to live. The high rate of suicide is mostly caused by untreated cases of PTSD or abandonment issues. The statistics on military suicides are disturbing and show the mental health crisis facing the military, for both active duty personnel and veterans. Last year from January through October (the most recent statistics available), the military confirmed 134 active duty suicides with another 74 deaths still under investigation and pending confirmation as suicides. The number of non-active duty confirmed suicides is 19 with an additional 42 pending confirmation (Wall Street Journal Suicides). The VA must build more group homes where disabled vets can receive proper care but also live with comrades that are in similar situations.

What is not understood by many vets is that it is not the country that is letting them down. It is the problems within the VA and VA hospitals that are causing the most trouble for benefit seeking veterans. In the words of a particularly disgruntled veteran who made an appearance on 60 minutes; “We have made a deposit for our country and now it is time for us to make a withdrawl” (Veterans Benefits Frustration). What I find particularly dis-heartening is that many vets have simply given up on the veterans system and no longer rely on it for benefits.

This is horrible because many of these vets must pay for medical care on combat related wounds out of their own pockets. Overall it is fair to say that the Veterans Affairs system in the United States needs work. It is an institution meant to serve the needs of our countries heroes, and although there are many benefits and services available more could be done to help this need breed of American veteran. If we do not change the way that the VA operates, and increase government funding to the organization we will continue to let down these veterans. The VA needs to increase its care, to not only improve the quality of life for veterans but for their families too. It is a matter of great importance that our veterans receive the benefits they deserve, because they have done so much for our country.

Work Cited Anatomy of the administrative claims process for service connected disability. Iraq War Veterans Association.

IWVA Inc. 2009. Web. January 1, 2010. http://www.iraqwarveterans.org/anatomy_of_a_va_claim.htm Altshuler, Glenn. Blumin, Stuart. The GI Bill – A New Deal for Veterans. Oxford University press. New York.

2009. Print.

Dreazen, Yochi J. Sucide Toll Fuels Worry That Army Is Strained. The Wall Street Journal. New York. November 3, 200. Web. Febuary 20, 2010.

Fischman, Josh. “Bionic limbs.” National Geographic. January 2010: 100+. Print Glantz, Aaron, The war comes home: Washington’s battle against Americas veterans; Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. Print.

Marks, Alexandra. Back From Iraq and suddenly out on the Streets. Christian science monitor. New York. 2005.

Web. January 1, 2010. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0208/p02s01-ussc.html Paul S. Boyer. "GI Bill." The Oxford Companion to United States History. Oxford University Press. 2001. Web. 1 Jan. 2010 Mulhall, Erin. Williamson, Vanessa. “Red Tape.” Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of America. February 5, 2010.

Web. Febuary 6, 2010.

Ryan, Joan. “War without end: Damaged soldiers start their agonizing recoveries.” SF Chronicle. Sf Article Collections, 26 Mar. 2006. Web. 17 Jan. 2010.

United States. U.S Department of Veterans affairs. Benifits. VA, Web. November 12th 2009. http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA “Veterans Benefit frustrations.” 60 Minutes. Narr. Scott Pelley. CBS. New York. 5 Jan. 2010. Television VVA. Vietnam Veterans of America. Ptsd. 2004. 2006. Web. December 12, 2009. http://www.vva.org/benefits/ptsd.htm Vietnam Veterans against the war, VVAW, Spring 2004. Web. January 1, 2010. http://www.vvaw.org/ Vietnam War Veterans, Philedelphia design, 2009. Web. January 1, 2010, http://www.vietnamwar.info/veterans/veterans2.php.

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Caity Dekker Research in the Community A Block Craig Butz 14 January 2010 Treatment for OCD: Case by Case Treatment Should be Provided, Support Groups Should Not Be Overlooked Introducing OCD Millions of Americans, from a broad age range and exhibiting different levels of severity, suffer from one of the most chronic and anxiety producing disorders relevant to society today: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The disorder involves recurring and invasive images or thoughts that influence ones mental state to such an extent that people faced with the disorder often feel a captivating need to perform an action, or compulsion, in response. The compulsion may fail to connect rationally to the original anxiety, but nonetheless the person feels compelled to perform it in the hopes of suppressing their seemingly unmanageable stress (IOCDF). These compulsions can impact peoples’ lives in different extremes-some may not be able to go about daily life or function without pausing to perform a compulsion frequently, whereas others may obsess more internally and not physically express it at all. The disorder is often chronic and lifelong (Ginsburg), but treatment options are available, potentially relieving symptoms and providing skills for lifelong application.

Obsessions are almost never related to plausible, “real life” issues (Livestrong), but nevertheless spark a reaction in the person suffering with them similar to a legitimately dangerous conflict. The obsessions are never desired nor sought out, (IOCDF) rather they are considered uncontrollable by those dealing with them because of their potentially severe frequency and impact. Because of this, compulsions serve as an often unexplainable form of short term relief. Many people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder know that the compulsions they perform are irrational, but nonetheless feel psychologically pulled to continue to do them, even if they don’t make sense, to ensure safety or to reassure them in the situation. Everyone has distressing thoughts once in a while, but what sets people with OCD apart is that their obsessions impact the way they live their lives and may occur frequently enough to get in the way of daily functions (National Institute of Mental Health). This is also what classifies it as a disorder (Ginsberg). Studies have shown that on average, OCD sufferers spend 14-17 years without seeking help before treatment is eventually sought, and that many people are unaware that what they are experiencing can be a clinically diagnosed and explained disorder (IOCDF). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects one in one hundred adults and one in two hundred children (IOCDF), and most often onsets before the age of twenty five (Massachusetts General Hospital).

OCD manifestations, though often extremely diverse, can be generally classified into five common groupings. First there are those who deal with obsessions by constantly checking things to reassure themselves that everything is secure, whether it is through checking if a door is locked or checking whether the stove is turned off.

Second there are hoarders, whose compulsions are extremely external manifestations of the disorder. Many hoarders feel a compelling need to save and collect items without considering or paying attention to the fact that they may not be clean or have any sort of worth attached to them. Next, there are those who perform obsession based rituals, where a certain word or phrase needs to be repeated over and over again until one is put at ease or deems the repetition satisfactory (OCD World). The next grouping includes those who perform compulsions based on a need for order or for perfection, whether it has to do with a homework assignment or the meticulous organization of cans in the pantry. Finally, the fifth most common classification of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder includes those who feel an essential pull to washing or cleaning themselves or objects around them (OCD World). Although these are the five most common manifestations of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, there is still a wide range of other cases that display OCD symptoms in other ways.

The goal of the diverse array of treatment options, including cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, self help groups and many more, is ultimately to help drive the disorder in a peaceful, even dormant direction where it no longer affects the daily lives of sufferers despite the fact that it inevitably will be present to some degree forever (Ginsburg). But why is it that there is not a set “cure” for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? The truth is that although some aspects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be generalized, and, through research, some treatments can prove effective to a majority, relief from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder symptoms essentially depends on the characteristics of the specific case. Those suffering from OCD to the extent that it affects their personal relationships or the progression of their lives should be aware of and seek the treatment that is most tailored to their individual needs. Because there is essentially no one general solution attached to the breadth of OCD, recovery significantly depends on the symptoms of the distinct case. Although therapy is often considered one of the

89 more effective methods of treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, it is vital to not overlook the potential power of a support group to fill in the emotional gaps that a therapist cannot necessarily occupy by solely listening, rather than experiencing the disorder firsthand.

Research is still being conducted about what causes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but researchers have not made any one hypothesis concrete. A popular idea credits miscommunication between the frontal parts of the brain and deeper portions caused by low serotonin levels as being the predominant trigger. Research has also shown that OCD may be hereditary and might be passed down through genes, but this is not as thoroughly confirmed.

Other plausible causes have included external factors or stresses in a sufferer’s environment that could trigger an obsessive compulsive reaction (IOCDF), such as abuse or another form of trauma (“Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” Epigee). One of the more controversial explanations for OCD is that it can onset as a response to a streptococcal infection, such as strep throat, where the body’s system attempts to fight it to such an extent that the brain is affected and OCD inspired (OCD World). To researchers, OCD is still an extremely vague diagnosis in terms of logical explanation and researchers are still attempting to finalize and prove concrete causes for the disorder. The causes of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are not completely justified, but the disorder is very common and diverse in manifestations and severity.

Research has shown that the most effective forms of treatment for OCD sufferers are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and a properly administered serotonin medication. According to the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation, “seven out of ten” sufferers will benefit from either CBT, medication or a combination of the two, and sufferers who attend regular cognitive behavioral therapy sessions will have the manifestations and overpowering portions of their disorder lowered by 60-80% (IOCDF). However, it is important to keep these statistics in perspective, and to ensure that they are not the only methods considered when searching for treatment.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a very direct and hands-on therapeutic approach, deals with specific problems and how to manage them, as well as providing tools for future application in terms of managing and manipulating anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy success relies on the characteristics of each specific case, and can only be treated when all individual symptoms are evaluated (National Institute of Mental Health). CBT involves two main concepts: cognitive growth and behavioral growth, one focusing more on learning psychological skills and one focusing on physically managing the disorder. Cognitive growth focuses on ensuring a patient learns solid skills for keeping anxiety in check if a new obsession or compulsion was to surface after treatment ended, whereas behavioral growth puts patients in situations where they are literally faced with whatever they fear or have deemed dangerous enough to ritualistically try and avoid. Behavioral growth focuses on learning to be in that uncomfortable situation without giving into the temptation of performing the compulsion (“Guide to Treatment”).

A branch of CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy, also proves very effective for the general Obsessive Compulsive Disorder population. The focus is on dealing with a specific recurring image or thought, and to expose the person with OCD directly to what they are afraid of, as well as focusing on making the conscious decision to resist the urge to perform a compulsion in response. It focuses directly on the behavioral aspect of the practice as opposed to placing emphasis on the cognitive tool building portion. Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy focuses on stopping the obsessions by initially working towards stopping the external compulsions first before any internal and psychological ground can be broken. Since people with OCD are convinced through their obsessions that they will be in a certain amount of danger if they do not perform their compulsions, the active role in choosing not to give in to the urge to perform a ritual provides some perspective on how much rational danger the person is actually in (IOCDF). For example, if someone had a germ obsession and was terrified by the idea of a dirty sink, an exposure could involve someone cluttering and dirtying the sink. The person who initially thought that they would be faced with a certain heightened level of danger if they were not to perform the compulsion of washing the sink, will be guided in a more rational and grounded direction by seeing that they are in little to no danger despite the fact that a ritual was not performed. Exposures will rapidly increase in severity and hopefully in discomfort for the sufferer, heightening their fear and thus lessening their future need to perform a ritual in response to the initial obsession (Massachusetts General Hospital).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is different from other practices because it requires a massive amount of patient openness and willingness to be raw and vulnerable in order for sizable benefits to be recognized. For this reason, possibly because the compulsions are too embarrassing or the idea of direct contact with adversity is too frightening, one out of four people suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder refuse to seek help in the form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IOCDF). However, psychotherapy where an emphasis is placed on learning more about the disorder (Massachusetts General Hospital), as well as “traditional talk therapy” (“OCD Treatment” Healthy Place) are not as effective in terms of treating compulsions and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder symptoms.

According to Irena Ginsburg, a clinical psychologist who has dealt with many cases of OCD among her clients, CBT is more effective because it simply recognizes a problem and works on eliminating a specific symptom as

90 opposed to focusing on “making the whole person better.” CBT is a process where one gets to see fast, noticeable results, and traditional talk therapy can be applied to the progress made by CBT depending on the case (Ginsburg).

A mix can be very helpful, but since a direct and noticeable relief system is what most OCD sufferers want and need, CBT is more effective than psychotherapy or talk therapy which are more gradual, “whole picture” processes.

However, although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most effective methods of treating OCD symptoms, it is not a process which can occur passively or from a place of client reservation. A solid therapist client relationship built upon ideals of trust and support is the first step to a successful therapeutic approach (Ginsburg). In order for the direct results of CBT to manifest, the client not only needs to feel a grounded and comfortable relationship with their therapist, but also needs to feel confident and secure enough to completely open up about all aspects of their experience with OCD. There is no room for holding back when seeking CBT treatment, because without complete exposure to all aspects of the specific case despite the fact that some details may be shameful or vulnerable, worthwhile progress cannot be made and the path to relief cannot be paved.

Even though therapy is often a very effective way to see results in treating OCD, one should not underestimate the power of seeing a support group when looking for treatment options. It is easy for sufferers to be deceived by the statistics that highlight therapy as being a preferred treatment option, and to overlook the possibility of self-help. Although therapy has proven extremely effective in many cases, and may cause symptoms to subside, there are many emotional gaps that potentially cannot be filled by solely seeking help from someone who cannot truly empathize. When seeking help from a self-help group, often in addition to therapy, OCD sufferers can empathize on a different level with each other when retelling stories of success or of hardship than when the same stories are told in a therapeutic environment with a professional. Even though the professional may have some valuable tools for managing symptoms, seeing a group of people who are able to understand through experience rather than through simply being educated on the subject can be remarkably healing, and improve the treatment process on a different level than can be achieved through therapy (UCSF Support Group).

A support group that meets once a month at the UCSF hospital, consisting of about five regular attendees, reemphasizes the therapeutic factor of meeting with a group of peers as opposed to a professional. When going around the circle and explaining the role attending a support group played in their treatment, all of the members explained that they had had experience with therapists and had done ERPT as well as CBT, and though for many those experiences were helpful, they were adamant about the benefits of the support group. They explained with enthusiasm that without having a professional in the room a different level of empathy was achieved, and many of them had moments where they felt they knew exactly what another are talking about, or where they could genuinely relate to something. They explained that even though they have had successful therapy client relationships in the past, it is impossible for their therapist to really understand their disorder in the same way as someone else who is diagnosed with it can. They explained that attending the support group was an important step to their recovery, in addition to other more commonly accepted methods of treatment (UCSF Support Group).

Another commonly discussed and advocated method of treatment for OCD is serotonin level modifying medication. Research has shown that 40-60% of sufferers who take medications will see improvements. As previously mentioned, one of the possible causes for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is low serotonin levels in the brain, causing limited communication between the frontal and deeper portions of the brain. Therefore, certain medications including Luvox, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, Anafranil and Effexor have proven effective in relieving symptoms. Results often do not appear until three months after consistent intake, and unfortunately there are almost always side effects. The International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation emphasizes that the "risk of relapse" is diminished for people that stay on a low dosage of medication for many years (IOCDF), as opposed to completely abandoning medication once relief is noticeable. Ironically, one of the negative aspects of prescribing medication is that obsessions involving the medication itself can surface, making medication intake a worrisome notion as opposed to one meant to heal (Kent).

There are four main types of medications used to help people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The first are benzodiazepines which focus on short term relief from symptoms, and are essentially anti-anxiety based medications. The second type is tricylic antidepressants which have proven to have more long term effects than benzodiazepines but have more severe and heightened risk of side effects including problems involving blood pressure. The third group of medications, one of the most common, is called selective serotonin uptake inhibitors or SSRIs. These medications revolve directly around the notion of serotonin imbalance in the brain causing OCD, and work to increase serotonin levels with the hopes of achieving better lobe communication in the brain. Extremely high doses of SSRIs are often needed to see results, but side effects are nowhere near as severe as some of the other types of medication. Finally, serotonin nonrepinephrine reuptake inhibitors also directly correspond to the notion of imbalance in serotonin levels, but also deal with a wide diversity of cerebral neurotransmitters and are not just

91 limited to serotonin. These medications are less commonly prescribed to OCD than they are to other disorders including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Kent).

Researchers are still unsure of many details regarding the technicality of the medications; for example the reasons why and how these medications are effective, but side effects and other practical adversities have been thoroughly researched and retained. Many of the common side effects of these medications include nausea, memory problems or inability to sleep soundly, but if treatment is stopped the side effects subsequently will follow suit and often will not be chronic. Medications also tend to be quite expensive, ranging from six to seven dollars per day, which is a large deterrent for people who initially seek out the diversity of help options (Massachusetts General Hospital).

Although the aforementioned four types are the most commonly prescribed medications, other classifications of medication can be used to treat more extreme or severe cases. Tranquilizers are a very rare necessity, but are prescribed with the hopes of physically relaxing the body’s muscles so one does not feel that overpowering urge to carry out a ritualistic compulsion (“OCD Treatments” Epigee). In extreme cases medications can also be dually prescribed: for example one may take both an antidepressant and an antipsychotic (“Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Treatment and Drugs” Mayo).

Medications and cognitive behavioral therapy are two of the most common and statistically effective means of treating OCD, but generalizations are hard to make since cases can differ on so many levels, and for some, other methods of treatment may be more effective. For extremely severe sufferers, psychosurgery is an option, which is a more current and less risky form of a lobotomy. This surgery focuses on going into certain portions of the brain with “electrodes” and attempting to form a more fluid and direct connection between the parts of the brain that are supposedly miscommunicating due to low serotonin levels. Psychosurgery truly is a last resort option and should only be tested if sizable results have not been achieved from any other medium. However, in extreme cases one out of every three patients sees a noticeable improvement in their disorder after the surgery (“OCD Treatments” Epigee).

OCD sufferers should keep in mind that although medications may be an essential step on their personal road to recovery, there is a lot of potential therapeutic validity held in conversing with others who suffer from OCD. In support groups people can discuss certain medications they have tried that work for them, offer advice or offer other personal anecdotes that may be helpful to someone else, or even introduce new treatment options to their peers. After attending the UCSF monthly meeting for a consistent period of time, multiple people expressed that their experience dealing with OCD involved medications, but on top of that they received a great deal of emotional support while pursuing those additional methods of treatment, from others who have gone through similar situations (UCSF Support Group).

Alternative self-help treatments include OCD Anonymous groups which are run and held entirely by those recovering from the disorder, or online forums such as OCD Tribe. OCD Tribe introduces the concept of an entirely self help based recovery, where sufferers can connect with others in the same or similar situations to ask for advice or share experiences. The website also provides links to events run by people with OCD seeking treatment, and has a “live chat” option to directly connect with others (OCD Tribe). Even if meetings with others who have the disorder are not face to face, results can prove extremely beneficial and consolation can be achieved even if people talk over the phone or through a website, sharing stories and offering first hand experience based advice.

Unfortunately, I am an OCD sufferer. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder became a noticeable part of my life when I was ten years old, the year I moved from fifth grade to sixth grade. My sixth grade year was one of the hardest and most emotionally trying years of my life; my Dad was laid off from his job, I had just changed schools and my anxiety was becoming a prominent part of daily life. Today, my anxiety is far more manageable and I do not perform many of the compulsions I had once considered essential and unavoidable, and I am now very open and comfortable about my past experiences with the disorder. The compulsions and obsessions I had were very interactive: meaning they often involved another person, and I could not keep them inside. One of my most common compulsions included asking for constant reassurance that something would be okay or to ensure that the doors were locked at night even after I had ritualistically checked them four times just few minutes earlier. Before bed each night, I would evaluate all of the doors and windows in my house to make sure they were closed. Although most of my previous compulsions occurred externally, I was compelled to perform a few internally, which looking back are very vulnerable and even embarrassing subjects to discuss. One of these more internal rituals involved 11:11: the seemingly meaningless time of day when people are encouraged to “make a wish” until the clock strikes 11:12.

Somehow I convinced myself that if I wished for something bad to happen on 11:11 it would come true, and this idea plagued me. I knew that I would never wish for anything bad or harmful, but somehow my mind was convinced that I was going to, and 11:11 suddenly became the most threatening part of the day. My thoughts began to spiral out of control. I would look at the clock and beg to have just missed it, because if it was 11:12 everything was in order

92 and there was nothing to worry about. Wishes on 11:12 meant nothing, and my mind would inexplicably be put at ease. I knew this was irrational and I was embarrassed to talk about it.

My Mom, a practicing clinical psychologist, noticed some of these behaviors and signed me up for therapy at around age eleven. I credit much of the success I currently have in terms of not letting OCD impact how I go about life to the work I did with my therapist as well as the tools I learned from my Mom which she had passed on to me through her clinical experience with the disorder. I was not a part of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program, rather a traditional talk therapy program, in addition to having my Mom there to teach me practical tools for managing my anxiety. Having my therapist as an outlet was sincerely a defining factor for me in learning to comprehend and manage my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I did not need any sort of medication nor did I need a traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy environment, but my symptoms were nonetheless almost completely set aside and are virtually unnoticeable at this point in my life. My personal story reemphasizes the notion that a general diagnosis for those suffering from OCD cannot be reached, and that each individual case needs to be evaluated and diagnosed before a customized treatment can be devised.

OCD is a broad concept, leaving room for a lot of breadth in severity as well as the way people show it. For example, in my case my obsessions and compulsions were a noticeable part of my life and took time out of my day, but through the right mixture of cognitive skills and traditional talk therapy I was able to silence most of these disturbances and thus my case, when put in perspective, is not very severe. On the contrary, there are some cases where OCD has gotten to such a point where relationships are scarred or even terminated and safety has been questioned. For example, on the A&E show Hoarders, Shannon had such a hoarding problem that her house was deemed unsafe for her children to inhabit and Child Protective Services were contacted. She hoarded both animals and material objects, and at her peak was living with twenty five cats and seventeen dogs (Julie & Shannon).

Although this may be a far more extreme case than many and emphasized for television audiences, in reality there are many people who have lived with OCD to an extent that it has made this significant of an impact. In contrast, described in The Boy Who Finally Stopped Washing, John B. explains one of his hardest obsessions involved his parents walking in on him looking at explicit magazines in his bedroom (The Boy Who Finally Stopped Washing).

Therefore since OCD can range so much and can manifest on such different ends of the severity spectrum, it is of the utmost importance that each individual be personally diagnosed and evaluated, and a specific rather than generalized treatment plan formulated. “Trial and error,” says Irena Ginsburg, is really the only certainty we have in treating OCD and testing the effectiveness of each treatment option. She explains that if one treatment method fails, it does not mean that there isn’t hope for future relief; instead it implies that a different treatment method should be tested for that specific individual’s response (Ginsburg).

One treatment option that should not be overlooked lies in the power of a self help group or simply conversing with others in similar situations. Whether it is through the OCD Tribe website or physically attending regular support group meetings, sometimes the most effective form of treatment is found in the empathy that others who can truly understand are capable of providing. Although seeing a therapist or testing out medications is encouraged and thoroughly proven to be effective, they cannot provide for the same psychological affirmation and consolation that can result from talking to others in the same, or similar situations. It is important for OCD sufferers to be aware of and use this commonly underestimated resource, in addition to other methods of treatment to find justification and solace in their feelings and to be able to empathize and be empathized with. Sometimes, simply being understood can be a defining factor on the road to recovery, and this can often not be achieved solely through a wholesome experience with a professional therapist alone.

I would like to acknowledge Dexter Antonio, Yeva Cifor, Dre Bergeron, Lewis Buchner and Craig Butz for assisting me in revising my paper, as well as Irena Ginsburg for taking the time to participate in an interview for furthering my knowledge on the subject, the monthly OCD support group at UCSF for allowing me to sit in on one of their meetings and for sharing their stories, and Ellen Dekker for offering some of her professional advice.

93 Works Cited Alspaugh, Laura. “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.” Live Strong. Demand Media, 16 July 2009. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

B., John. The Boy Who Finally Stopped Washing: OCD From Both Sides of the Couch. Ashland, OH: Cooper Union Press, 2008. Print.

Boston, Massachusetts. International OCD Foundation. International OCD Foundation. IOCDF, 2009. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Ginsburg, Irena. Personal Interview. 11 Jan. 2010.

“Guide to Treatment.” Anxiety Disorders Association of America. ADAA, 2009. Web. 10 Jan 2010.

“Julie and Shannon.” Hoarders. A&E. AETN, 28 Dec. 2009. Television.

Kent, Justine. “Treating Anxiety Disorders with Medications.” Anxiety Disorders Association of America. ADAA, 2009. Web. 10 Jan 2010.

Massachusetts. Department of Psychology Massachusetts General Hospital. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Research Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital. MGH, No Date. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.

“Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.” Mental Health. Epigee, 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2010.

“Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health. National Institutes of Health, 7 July 2009. Web. 3 Jan. 2010 “OCD Treatment.” Healthy Place: America’s Mental Health Channel. NIMH, 8 Dec. 2008.

Web. 10 Jan. 2010.

“OCD Treatments.” Mental Health. Epigee, 2009. Web. 10 Jan 2010.

OCD Tribe. Free Online OCD Support Community. Web Tribes, No Date. Web. 11 Jan. 2010.

OCD World. Joshua Cole. OCD World, 2010. Web. 10 Jan 2010.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Treatment and Drugs.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Mayo Clinic, 19 Dec. 2008. Web. 10 Jan 2010.

UCSF Support Group Meeting. Personal Interviews. 2 Feb. 2010.

94 Taylor Forman March 1, 2010 Research in the Community D Block Craig Butz Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony to the Mind: Music’s Effect on Focus Music is a large part of cultures all around the world and has had many different uses in the past: in ceremonies of life and death, in war to comfort soldiers, during sports activities and events, for therapy, and for parties and celebrations. Music is a huge industry in the world today and high school students are large consumers of music. If you walk around a high school, you will notice that most of them listen to music while they study. When asked why, they claim it helps them do homework. Does music positively affect one’s focus? While some people get distracted when listening to music and working on their studies, for most people music influences their emotions and blocks background noise causing them to better focus on the task in front of them.

Music has a great ability to influence one’s emotions, which increases motivation and minimizes stress (Cheong-Clinch). For example, parents know they are able to calm their young children with a lullaby or other soft toned music (Bales). In films, music is used to create a mood for the characters (Kok). For example, there might be haunting music to build suspense. Karen Fisher, a private elementary and middle school art teacher in Los Angeles uses classical and new age music to calm and refocus the energy of students when they come in to class wild and distracted. For a teen, music has a positive effect on self-control, comfort and the elimination of stress, which creates a safe, accepting environment and an increase in motivation (Cheong-Clinch).

Social challenges, the search for identity and the development of self-image play a significant role in the teenage life, in addition to stress, lack of control and the need for personal space. One escape from the challenges that they are facing at this time in life is music. According to Carmen Cheong-Clinch, music can reflect “the emotional and mental states of the young person” (Cheong-Clinch 51). The lyrics can correspond to the person’s life and make them feel like someone else knows what they are going through (Martin). It also gives a person a sense of control over their environment because they are able to choose what song they would like to listen to (CheongClinch). In the survey of the students at The Bay School, one person said music “can make me upbeat when I've had a bad day or wake me up when I'm tired.” Headphones create a “symbolic personal space” (Cheong-Clinch 51), especially important for an adolescent’s stressful life. When a person has had a stressful day, music can be a comfort. When someone is happy, there are more parts of the brain that are able to focus, because they are no longer very bored (Cheong-Clinch). For a teen, music’s ability to increase self-control, comfort and the elimination of stress creates an environment which leads to an increase in motivation (Cheong-Clinch).

Music helps block out unexpected sounds coming from the environment around the person. In one study done by Dr. Robert Desimone, a consistent tone was played repetitively and then a single different tone was played.

Dr. Desimone found that the single different tone grabbed the attention of the brain because it was unpredicted. “It’s as if the brain forms a prediction of what’s coming next, and registers surprise if the prediction is not fulfilled” (Tierney). The brain had become used to the single repeating sound and predicted it would continue playing; therefore, when the different tone was played, the brain was surprised (Tierney). For most people, familiar music acts the same way as the consistent tone because the person has listened to it before and so the beats and or lyrics are known. Since the music is predicted, it is easy for the person to tune out and listen to without attributing their full attention on it. At the same time, this music blocks out the unpredictable sounds going on around the person that might otherwise be distracting, such as the door closing or pots and pans that are being rattled in the kitchen. It can also be helpful to stifle other students typing or talking when in a classroom doing individual work. These unfamiliar noises are distracting and often cause a person to get distracted (Tierney). However, when a person is listening to music, these sounds are blocked out. Therefore the person does not get distracted with the spontaneous noises in the environment around them.

In addition to blocking out distracting noises, music also has an effect on the cardiovascular system that can enhance focus. In 2008, a study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center was done on the effects of music on the cardiovascular system. In the first part of the study, the participants chose and listened to music that influenced joyful emotions. The results showed that the “average upper arm blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent” (“Joyful Music”). In another part of the study, the same people chose and listened to music that caused them anxiety. Results showed that the blood vessel diameter was decreased by six percent (“Joyful Music”). Blood in the human body carries oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive system to the rest of the body and the brain. In the cells of the body the nutrients and oxygen are used to produce water, waste, carbon dioxide and energy. An increase in blood vessel diameter provides better circulation of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and to the brain. More energy being processed to the brain through the body results in better performance (Campbell). The positive effect of joyful music causes the cardiovascular system to increase circulation. Neurons in

95 the brain need oxygen to survive. Active neurons need more oxygen than ones that are resting. Blood flows to the parts of the brain that are active to provide oxygen to those parts for more efficient neurological transmission. When there is an increase in circulation even more oxygen is provided to the neurons in the brain. Therefore more stimulation in the cardiovascular system provides for a better functioning brain.

The types of music that help a person focus vary with each individual: some of the main characteristics are musical genres, unfamiliar vs. familiar, lyrics vs. no lyrics and slow vs. fast pace (Kok). Each person’s likes and dislikes vary. Since the variety and types of music are so vast, it is impossible to identify specific music types which work to assist the greater majority on their task. The combinations of different music people like or dislike only add to this impossibility. For example one person might like country, opera and classical and dislike rock. Whereas another person might like rock, country, and classical but dislike opera. A person’s tastes and the way certain music affects them has a large effect on what music actually helps them with their task.

There is little known about what specific genres best help people focus their mind. The reaction a person has towards a particular genre plays a crucial role in which genres work to focus the person. Dr. Michael Miller, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine states that, “The answer, in my opinion, is how an individual is ‘wired’” (“Joyful Music”). Everyone interprets and hears music differently, leading them to like some genres more than others. Rock and Roll for example might be distracting or have a negative effect on some people who prefer listening to music that is less edgy. Some researchers say that classical music has a larger effect than other genres of music. The more complex musical structure of classical music is said to be more helpful to the brain.

However, other types of music also work to help a person concentrate (Bales). A person’s reaction to a genre may be positive or negative depending on their taste and the way the music affects them.

Not much direct research has been done on the affects of unfamiliar versus familiar and which one has a greater ability to assist the focus of an individual. However, the tone study mentioned earlier done by Dr. Desimone suggests that unfamiliar music has a greater ability to distract (Tierney). The Bay School survey results support this perspective; the majority of students felt that unfamiliar music is more distracting. The new beat and or lyrics may cause the person to focus on the music as opposed to the task at hand. One person states that “Unfamiliar music makes me want to pay full attention to it so I can hear it better.” In contrast, other people in the survey felt that music which is more familiar is more distracting. The fact that it is familiar causes them to engage more in the music than in the task that they are trying to focus on. One person explains, “Sometimes when I register that I recognize the song that's playing, I’m tempted to sing along.” While some people say listening to familiar music is less distracting, others say listening to unfamiliar music better helps their focus.

Some people work well with lyrics, while others do not. In the Bay School Survey, many students claimed that music with lyrics is more distracting. Thirty-two point six percent of respondents said that lyrics were one distracting aspect. Some said that when listening to music with lyrics they often start to sing along. Instrumental music, such as jazz provides a sort of rhythm to work by (Kok). Research shows that it is better to listen to music with lyrics when performing tasks that don’t involve critical thinking (for example cleaning the house, etc.) When using critical thinking, music without lyrics work best (Kok). When working on something that requires critical thinking, lyrics are said to be distracting.

People also react differently to slow paced music than fast paced (Kok). Going back to the cardiovascular study, the majority of participants in the study chose country music as their favorite to create a joyful mood. Country music can be described as light and mostly a genre of love songs. For the part of the study that tested how anxious music affects the cardiovascular system, the same study participants chose heavy metal (“Joyful Music”). Heavy metal is faster paced, more erratic, and has a quality that disrupts a person’s train of thought. In the Bay School Survey one person said “if it’s an ‘angry’ song then it becomes kind of just distracting noise” (Bay School Survey).

However, not everyone thinks heavy metal is distracting. Each individual, given their musical preference, is affected differently by slow and fast paced music.

Music can effect emotions negatively and positively. If music is used properly to influence positive emotions, the person can be motivated to work on the task ahead. Music also blocks out background noise by providing a familiar noise which is not distracting but at the same time masks unpredicted sounds in the persons surrounding environment. Music that is pleasing to the person has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system therefore improving stimulation in the brain. Each person is influenced differently by the broad variety of genres and types of music. Depending on the individual’s tastes and how different music affects him or her, music helps a person focus on the task at hand. By understanding these effects, a student can choose music that works to focus them.

96 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Lori Cohen for editing my paper and helping me with my topic sentences. I would like to thank my Dad for helping me rephrasing awkward sentences and expanding to make my paper longer. I would also like to thank Melissa Martin for helping me rephrase sentences. I would like to thank Kathryn Hobart, Jogreet Chadha, and Rina Castillo for helping me organize and make sense of the information. I would like to thank Karis Kirchgestner, Will Sano, and Jack Courtney for editing my rough draft.

Bibliography Bales, Diane. “Building Baby’s Brain: The Role of Music.” College of Family and Consumer Sciences. The University of Georgia, 2005. Web. Web. 12 Jan. 2010.

Bay School Survey. 2010.

Campbell, Neil A., and Jane B. Reece. Biology Concepts and Connections. San Francisco: Pearson Education, 2006.

Print.

Cheong-Clinch, Carmen. “Music for Engaging Young People in Education.” Youth Studies Australia. (June 2009): 50-58. General One File. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Fisher, Karen. Personal Interview. 9 Jan. 2010.

“Joyful Music May Promote Heart Health, According to University of Maryland School of Medicine Study.”

University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 2009. Web. 24 Jan. 2010.

Kok, Siow Chien. “Music and Learning.” Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. San Diego State University, 2010. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Martin, Melissa. Personal Interview. 28 Jan. 2010.

Tierney, John. “Does an iPod Help You Concentrate? (And Other Questions About Attention).” New York Times.

New York Times, 7 May 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2009.

97 Ben Gershbein Craig Butz Research in the Community A Block February 3, 2010 Dude, Where’s my Water: California’s Water Crisis With California’s current rate of population growth and the recent drought, there might very well be a day in the near future when the average Californian heads to his tap, and not even a trickle of water pours out. Most Americans take for granted that all they need to do to access a clean water supply is to press a button or turn a knob.

Forty years from now, however, if Californians maintain their current levels of water usage, authorities predict that California will need to ration its water supply. Throughout the past century, California has been struggling to supply water to a growing population. In 1865, the population of California was a half million people, but with the Gold Rush, this population grew dramatically (“State of Thirst”). Since then, the population has continued to increase, at eighteen million in 1960, and up to thirty-eight million now in 2010 (“California: Running Dry”). Authorities do not expect this growth rate to slow, and it has been projected that in 2050, there will be sixty million people in the state of California (“Schwarzenegger Pushes 11B”). However, the water supply has not grown at the same rate as the population nor have there been significant updates to the water supply system. The recent population growth has highlighted the urgent need for a more productive and abundant water system. To approach the critical issue of the depletion of water resources in California and protect local ecosystems, the government should educate the public about the current water system, pass laws and restrictions to strictly limit water usage for agricultural uses, create 20% enforced reduction of residential usage, keep the Delta at a sufficient water level to sustain multiple ecosystems, and retrofit and update all water supply and delivery facilities.

While water is critical to the everyday workings of modern society, most people do not know where California’s water comes from and how it is transported to their homes and businesses. California derives its water from multiple sources, and California struggles to transport water from one part of the state to another. The most obvious supply comes from rainwater, which occurs between the months of October and April (“California Water: Facts”). Rainwater enters different bodies of water, and that water is then transported to different areas of the state, where it is then pumped from distribution facilities. The waterways of California are based on two main rivers, the Sacramento River, the largest river in California, flowing from the north to the south, and the San Joaquin River, the second largest river, flowing from the south to the north. Before water flows into the Sacramento or the San Joaquin Rivers, it is collected in the Sierra Mountains from snow and rain. This water flows through creeks down to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. A damming system regulates the flow of waters and helps to direct it to these main rivers (California Water Crisis). However, given that these water sources are so dependent on rainwater and that California is currently in a drought, many of the rivers and streams we depend on are not providing enough water to sustain even the current population.

Adding to the problem of a diminished water supply is an aging pumping and transportation system, which is in severe need of improvements. This system was developed through federal and state programs designed to help bring water from the Sierras through the two main rivers and then ultimately to urban centers throughout California.

In the 1930s, for example, the federal government developed the Central Valley Project, which took water from the Shasta Lakes, through the Sacramento River, and channeled it to the Tracy pumping plant, located in Alameda County (California Water Crisis). Although some updates have been made, California is still using the same system today. Similarly, in 1934, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir system was completed. It pumps water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to San Francisco through a system of dams, reservoirs, tunnels, pumping systems, aqueducts, and pipelines (Randolph). The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir system, which still services the San Francisco Bay Area, pumps 260 million gallons of water per day (mgd) (Randolph). Though some repairs have been made, the majority of the piping from the reservoir to San Francisco is still the original piping. With such a vast amount of water flowing through these aging pipes daily, if they were to crack or break, California residents would suffer severe consequences.

The Delta, which serves twenty-five million people, is the hub of the California water system (Weisen).

The Sacramento River flows into the Delta, and the Delta is used essentially as a large pipe to direct water to various locations. Water enters the Delta from the north, and then gets pumped out through the piping on the southeastern edge (Schwartz). This water goes mostly to agricultural lands in the Central Valley and also gets pumped down to cities in the Southern region of California, such as Los Angeles. This occurs through a network of piping, canals, and purification centers. However, the Delta-based system is not the most efficient system, as from the Sierra Mountains to Los Angeles, half of the water gets either evaporated or absorbed into the land or native vegetation (“California Water: Facts”). Keeping the Delta full and in good working order as well as increasing its efficiency is

98 necessary to keep the California water system alive.

Increasing pumping from the Delta is not a solution to the current water crisis, as recent surges in the water flow from the Delta are degrading local ecosystems. In order to support various ecosystems, two-thirds of the water coming from the Sacramento River is supposed to drain out through the San Francisco Bay and into the ocean (Schwartz). Fish, such as the Chinook salmon, which is a native fish to the Bay Area, are supposed to swim up creeks and waterways to lay their eggs. However, water is not flowing into the Bay because the water authorities are pumping it to various places in the state in order to support agriculture and feed California families. The Chinook who swim into the Bay are either getting lost or stuck in the Delta as a result of dried up waterways (Schwartz).

Recently, a federal judge ruled that pumping must slow down in order to protect the smelt, another local fish species suffering as a result of the drought. Since this was a federal judgment declared under the Endangered Species Act, California cannot overrule it (Steanhaver). Moreover, this judgment is a bad sign for California’s waterways. The smelt has been described through Sixty Minutes and other environmental organizations as an indicator fish. If an indicator fish is affected, it has a chain effect on the ecosystem it inhabits, which results in a greater environmental impact than can be gauged just through the loss of one species (“California: Running Dry”). In short, the increased demand on water from the Delta has the potential to cause an environmental crisis in the state of California.

Given that agriculture accounts for eighty percent of water usage in California, any proposed solution to the water crisis must seek to decrease agricultural water usage while maintaining economic stability for farmers. The farming industry uses forty-three million acre feet of water solely for agricultural uses. One acre foot can be measured out to 360,000 gallons of water, which is equivalent to feeding two typical families for one full year (“California Water: Fact”). Eighty percent of the water coming from the Delta that is pumped south flows through the Central Valley, the majority of which is desert where the water is used for crops (“State of Thirst”). Because this area is desert, it does not have its own supply of water and must rely on northern resources. As a result of the decreased amount of pumping due to the federal limitations, the agricultural industry has suffered. There are currently 400,000 to 500,000 idling acres of farmland that cannot be used due to lack of water (Cline). As California increases limitations on water usage, the first to feel the effects are the farmers. With current use restrictions and the potential for more, the farmers will need to be more productive and efficient in their use of water in order to continue farming in California.

Powerful water contracts in California limit the options available to the state in developing a solution and complicate the water infrastructure. Cities control nine percent of the water, which is distributed across California via the Delta or other local reservoirs (“California Water: Facts”). The distribution system to these cities is carefully regulated by contracts that protect various areas' rights to water. These are some of the most powerful contracts in California, so powerful in fact that if one county is totally dry and the next is overflowing with water, the neighboring county cannot simply divert some of its resources (Schwartz). Each county gets it water from very specific locations, all of which are based on contracts, which cannot be interfered with even in an emergency. As an example, seventy-five percent of California's water comes from north of Sacramento, but eighty percent of the demand comes from Southern California (“California Water: Facts”). These water contracts will need to be considered in any solution to California’s water crisis.

Adding to the urgency of the water crisis is the water infrastructure’s vulnerability to a major disaster, particularly an earthquake. The California water system, including the Delta and its piping, spans five fault lines, which makes it extremely vulnerable to an earthquake (“California: Running Dry”). An earthquake, which is highly likely to occur in the near future, would disrupt the California water system to an extreme degree. "The question is not if but when we will have a major catastrophe in the Delta" (California Water Crisis). In some areas, California's water system is as old as sixty to seventy years old, and has not been reinforced to protect it against earthquakes. In fact, it is predicted that California levees, with a span of 1,100 miles, will most likely crumble with an earthquake of 6.7. Over the past years, there have been reports of the levees cracking, which is an indication of their vulnerability.

If there were to be an earthquake that affected California's water system, water could not be distributed around California for ten to thirty days and may not even be able to be distributed for more than sixty days. Although communities across California have small local reservoirs, they can provide only 48-72 hours worth of drinking water (Randolph). Sadly for the Delta, if the levees decided to collapse, saltwater will flow into the Delta and destroy all the drinking and farming water for California's agricultural and urban land (Schwartz). The very real possibility of an earthquake in the near future necessitates the immediate retrofitting of all levees, pipes, dams, and reservoirs.

In developing a solution, California should consider other sources of water, including underground supplies, recycling, and desalinization. California currently receives some of its water from underground water systems or from water recycling facilities throughout California. Underground water is water that flows subterraneously into California from the oceans and is purified through the soil to become freshwater. In California,

99 there is no such thing as water property lines (Schwartz). If someone were to buy property with an underground lake beneath it, he/she could pump that water, even if the lake spans the neighbor’s property line as well. Currently, everyone is trying to pump water as quickly as possible; however, it takes an extended period for the water to refill, which causes the land to subside and threatens any structures built on this land. Therefore, while underground water may be an additional source, its extraction needs to be carefully regulated in order to prevent depletion and property damage (Schwartz). There are also other alternatives for ocean water, such as desalinization. However, desalinizing water requires an enormous amount of energy. Similarly, recycling water, which is a process that purifies sewage water, also takes an extreme amount of energy. Despite the high energy costs, some places have been successful in using recycled water. Orange County, for example, has been successful in recycling water, producing 70 million gallons per day, and serves 2.3 million people, which is three-fourths of Orange County's population (Archibold). If California remains in a drought, any solution to the water crisis will need to look toward developing access to and regulation of alternate supplies.

The governor of California has proposed a plan that would address some of the issues facing California’s water system; the plan calls for a series of new canals, repairs to levees, and retrofitting of the majority of California's levees, dams, and piping. This project will also include underwater monitoring and storage. However, the costs of Schwarzenegger’s plans are very high, currently estimated at 11 billion dollars, to be funded by a bond (Cline). The breakdown of this funding is outlined in the graph below (“California Water Plan Highlights”).

The California governor feels that this proposal will allow us to pump enough water to satisfy everyone, including agriculture, cities, and the environment. However, with the current budget crisis, it is unclear how California will fund this project.

Beyond his proposal, Schwarzenegger has taken other steps to help address the water crisis. For example, Governor Schwarzenegger and other government organizations have been running ads to influence people to conserve water. Governor Schwarzenegger has also decided to restrict water usage and is pushing to limit water use to eighty percent of what was consumed in 2009; however, this is not a forcible reduction. The governor and others who support him, such as the farmers of California, also feel that the federal judges' ruling was unjust and would like to overturn it. They have expressed that this ruling expresses a preference for fish over economic stability (“California: Running Dry”). The Governor’s solution provides only a partial fix, as it is incredibly costly and does not enforce required reductions in water use.

The Governor’s plan also includes a proposal for a canal, which would help to make the water transportation system more secure; however, this proposal is incredibly expensive and does not address the concerns of environmentalists. Governor Schwarzenegger plans to build a canal to go around the Delta, so that California does not rely on the Delta for freshwater (“Schwarzenegger’s Peripheral”). This will cause water coming from the Sierra Mountains to go straight down to the Central Valley and Los Angeles. This Canal would be bigger than the Panama Canal and is quoted at forty billion dollars (“California: Running Dry”). If a big canal is built, California

100 will need major land reform and will have to buy, at market value, private land around the Delta. This will result in many unhappy private landowners. If the canal is put into place, environmentalists also worry that state officials will keep on pumping water from Shasta without paying attention to the environmental effects. Although some water will flow into the Delta to supply the environmental demand, many are still concerned (“Schwarzenegger’s Peripheral”). Previous governors and other governmental departments have offered similar proposals, none of which have been enacted. Most likely, the Governor's proposal will not be passed either. While the Canal represents an attempt to develop a solution, its high cost and environmental implications suggest that it is not the right solution for California.

There is no way to have it all, but we can enact policies in order to improve water consumption and delivery throughout California; the first task is to ensure that we understand the water situation fully. We need to gather as much data as possible, including measuring the water levels and calculating the minimum needs of each sector, including cities, agriculture, and the environment. In short, we need to determine how much water we have and, at minimum, how much we need. Whatever solution we develop must include an honest assessment of the current water supply and future water usage.

The next aspect of any solution must include protection of the water delivery system, including piping, levees, and reservoirs. We need to ensure the safety of our water, either from saltwater coming into the Delta as a result of the levees collapsing or from the misuse of water resources. Without sufficient water, the agricultural industry will collapse, and cities in Southern California will not have water. A key element of protecting our water is retrofitting. California is highly vulnerable to earthquakes, and we must prepare for the inevitability of an earthquake interrupting out water supply by replacing or reinforcing every piping system, dam, and levee. Once the retrofitting is complete, we can focus on distributing the water we have accordingly. As the two largest consumers of water in the state, agriculture and the environment will have to balance their water needs. The collected data will indicate how we can do this with the smallest impact. Updating and retrofitting all aspects of the water delivery system is a key step in ensuring that water keeps flowing to residences and businesses.

Another crucial component of any solution to the water crisis is decreasing water consumption. Farmers must change their irrigation systems and transition from sprinklers, which are 40-50 percent efficient, to drip systems, which are 90 percent efficient (“State of Thirst”). We also need to plant different crops. Plants such as alfalfa and cotton take up fifty percent of the water used for agricultural purposes. It costs a lot of money to change crops and watering systems, so the California government should help fund these water improvements. California must take it upon itself to make it worthwhile for the farmers to adopt drip systems and new crop distributions.

Farmers also need to be held accountable for their water use, so water should be set aside for agricultural usage that is allocated based on acreage. Each acre will be allotted a certain amount of water, and farmers cannot exceed this amount nor can they trade any unused portion. We also need to decrease residential water usage by twenty percent so that Californians understand the severity of the water crisis. Urban dwellers have not experienced drought so do not fully understand the dire situation we are in. Finally, while plants and animals in the wetlands of California need to be sustained, the amount of water that is currently allocated to them will most likely decrease. Hopefully, we will be able to continue to provide a sufficient amount of water to support the Delta and the ecosystems of the Delta. Conservation of water resources will ensure that each sector receives a sufficient water supply moving forward.

Californians will have to address the reality that we do not have enough water to sustain the current water usage patterns. California will have to conserve and develop more efficient ways to distribute water. With the population growing, California's people and environment will have to adapt. All the legislation that has passed through the state government in Sacramento is only a failsafe, a temporary solution to put off the looming catastrophe. The state and federal government will have to work together to raise the funds to retrofit California's water system, create a more efficient delivery system, and decrease water consumption patterns.

101 Bibliography Archibold, Randal. "From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking." New York Times. New York Times, 27 Nov. 2007.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

California: Running Dry. 60 minutes, 2009. 60 Minutes. Web. 28 Dec. 2009.

California Water Crisis. ACWA , California's Water Crisis. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

“California’s Water: Facts on ‘California’s Water System’.” Association of California Water Agencies. Web. 20 Dec. 2009.

"California Water Plan Highlights." Department of Water Resources. Department of Water Resources, 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Cline, Harry. "California water plan faces challenges." Western Farm Press. Western Farm Press, 7 Dec. 2009.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Randolph, Sean. " Hetch Hetchy Water and the Bay Area Economy." The Bay Area Economic Forum. The Bay Area Economic Forum, Oct. 2002. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Schwartz, David. Personal Interview. 10 Jan. 2010.

“Schwarzenegger pushes $11B water bond plan, dams.” San Diego Network. 10 Nov. 2009. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

“Schwarzenegger's Peripheral Canal Proposal to ‘Save the Delta’: Has common sense been thrown out the window?” CSPA. California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, 24 Jul 2009. Web. 7 Jan 2010.

State of Thirst: California's Water Future. KQED Quest, 2008. KQED. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Steinhauer, Jennifer. "California Water Overhaul Caps Use." New York Times. New York Times. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.

“Water Pipeline Serving South Bay Area Burst.” The Sacramento Bee. 24 Dec. 2009. Web. 26 Dec. 2009.

Weiser, Matt. "Feds take bigger role in Delta protection." The Sacramento Bee. The Sacramento Bee, 23 Dec. 2009.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

102 Taylor Graham Craig Butz Research in the Community 4 February 2010 Border Corruption Border patrol corruption is a crime that is all too often happening across the United States/Mexico border.

There are approximately 17,000 border patrol agents working on the U.S./ Mexico border that are expected to prevent detrimental things from entering into the U.S. (Jeffrey). Unfortunately, there are a small number of border patrol agents that take bribes in the form of money, sex and other valuable objects to allow people to cross the border carrying harmful things. The corruption of border patrol agents is such an immense problem because having a permeable border allows criminals, illegal drugs and possibly terrorists into the United States. This increase in crime-inducing objects will in turn lead to an increase in grave crimes such as robberies and murders. Corruption of a border patrol agent is something that will lead to fines and time in prison, but that is visibly not harsh enough to stop them from not being corrupt. Because of the long term affects and consequences of having a corrupt and porous border, the U.S. needs to be more diligent in finding qualified, competent and honest border patrol agents to stop the risks of drugs and criminals entering into the U.S. Harmful things that are being brought into the U.S. can increase the crime rate in cities. When a border patrol is approached by a member of a cartel, all the cartel members tell the agent is that they will receive some type of payment if they let their vehicles through without proper documentation or searching of their vehicles, thus, the border patrol has no idea what could be in those vehicles that are being let through. The officer does not know it, but those vehicles could very well be carrying dangerous things such as illegal narcotics, weapons and possibly even terrorists, illegal immigrants looking for work is the very least of the matter. Letting drugs into the U.S. can drastically affect crime. A perfect example of how drugs affect crime rate is in San Francisco. In San Francisco, more than 50% of the crimes committed are drug related. There are very many ways that drugs can cause crimes.

The most common drug that is involved in crimes is crack cocaine. When a middleman receives a shipment of cocaine, he sells it to a drug dealer who most likely turns it into crack because it is the most economical way of selling. The drug dealer cuts the cocaine with things like baking soda or baby powder; they then cook it until it becomes a solid. Since the cocaine is less concentrated from the dealer cutting it, the high when smoking crack is a lot weaker than that of cocaine. This leads to a lot of crimes because people can get addicted to crack in just one hit from a crack pipe, therefore, they need more and more to feed the addiction. The addict usually wants more money to pay for drugs, so they commit crimes to get this needed money. Therefore there is an increase in crimes that this drug addiction can cause. Some crimes that are deeply related in drugs are muggings, robbery, murder and prostitution. These all bring money in the hands of the ones committing them. When there are more and more drugs being brought into the U.S., there are more drugs to be fought over and more drugs for people to commit crimes to get. The drugs that are being brought in into the U.S., often times by corrupt border patrol agents, are fueling cities crime, causing the crime rate to increase.

Drugs are also intensely related to gangs. The most cases of gangs fighting over turf is for ideal corners to sell drugs. Drive-by shootings are also a very significant crime that happens quite often in San Francisco and also in Oakland. One of the purpose of drive-by shootings are to target stationary individuals posted at a corner or any other place along a street in order to gain that territory, often hurting innocent people.

Different drugs are also related to different neighborhoods in San Francisco depending on ethnicity. Most of the drug crimes that happen in the Mission and Caucasian neighborhoods are related with Heroin, because it comes from Mexico, which is why the Mission has a lot of it, and also it is very expensive. Crimes involved with crack are mostly in the Tenderloin, mostly because of the poverty in the Tenderloin and it is very cheap, and methamphetamine crimes are centered in rural areas such as Marin because they have enough space to have meth labs (Cheung). There are expanding problems in San Francisco’s Mission district with drug violence. There have been 151 drug arrests just in a quarter mile radius of the 16th street BART station just from July – September in 2009 (Duthie). As one can notice, drug involvement in crime is extremely prevalent and accounts for the majority of crimes happening in the San Francisco Bay Area.

There are many things that cause border patrols and other people in power to become corrupt. Some causes are they may be disgruntled, they don’t like their job or they aren’t making enough money, or that they are greedy and take any offer made to them no matter the consequences (FRONTLINE/World). Corruption is most of the time, if not all of the time for personal gain. “Corruption is a human weakness. A human is generally vulnerable and whatever their weakness is, it is going to get exploited, particularly around money or possessions.” This is indeed the case with the corruption of border patrol officials because they could possibly make their annual salary or more in one days work if drug cartels are paying them to let their vehicles through the border. People want to have more

103 money in order to obtain more pleasure by the buying of luxury items and in order to acquire more power (Rashid).

These factors are very tempting and can lead people to do corrupt things in order to obtain more money or other luxury goods.

It is in actuality that humans are never going to think that they have enough money; they are always going to want more. Corruption is more prevalent in poorer countries primarily due to the fact that they are desperate. A survey done in 2005 shows that Mexico is one of the most corrupt countries. Transparency International conducted a study where they asked a large number of people whether in the past twelve months if they or anyone in their household had paid to bribe someone or bribed someone. Thirty one percent of the people answered yes to the question that a person in their household has paid to bribe someone in the past twelve months (Transparency International). This wanting for more and more money is categorized as greed, and greed most often leads to corruption. “It is a reality that human beings never get enough money when they want them greedily. It is greed that overwhelms a person to be corrupt.” Greedy, corrupt people always want to be on top of the wealthy in terms of possessions, so they do anything to obtain that wealth (Rashid). This is the driving factor in what makes corrupt people keep doing corrupt things. People become corrupt for many different reasons, but all of the time it is for personal gain, and in the cases of poorer families, for survival and basic necessities no matter what the consequences are.

Border patrol corruption is an ever growing problem with many cases per year. Since 2004, there have been 84 border patrol corruption cases; this is a significant enough problem that there has been a sect of the FBI formed especially dealing with fraudulent border patrols. In the past decade, there has been more arrests of border patrol agents that ever before. “[The] arrests of Customs and Border Protection agents and officers have increased 40 percent in the last few years, outpacing the 24 percent growth in the agency itself, according to the Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s office. The office has 400 open investigations, each often spanning a few years or more” (Archibold). It is very tempting for border patrols to let smugglers into the U.S. because they could possibly make their annual salary in one night. (Black in FRONTLINE/World). The corruption of border patrols is a very serious topic because border patrols think that they are just letting in illegal immigrants for them to have job opportunities. Many agents believe that the worst thing that they are doing when they let an illegal immigrant in is taking a job away from a United States citizen, but in actuality they are letting in drugs, weapons and potential terrorists or people with an extensive criminal record.

In 2004, arose the case of Michael Gilliland. Michael Gilliland pleaded guilty to taking anywhere from $70,000 to $120,000 in return to let hundreds of illegal immigrants into the U.S. They had recorded phone calls of how this was going to go down. Gilliland was a mentor for those younger than him. He was 46 and had been working at the border for 16 years (Archibold). Gilliland’s colleagues said the veteran officer was a very nice guy, whatever he could give you he would, “If you were moving, he would lend you his truck” (Archuleta). Even the most honest and trustworthy patrol agents are being caught doing these heinous acts of crime. The temptations are so incredibly high, that even trusted, veteran agents are falling for the bribes of drug cartels. This experience shows that even the most trust worthy, high ranking border patrols are becoming corrupt.

Another case that has been in the news recently is the case of Luis Alarid. Alarid had risen from foster homes, some of which had been abusive, served in the Army and the Marines. Alarid took two tours to Iraq and returned home to fulfill his dream of being in law enforcement. When he returned from Iraq, he began to work as a border patrol agent. After a while he was waving trucks from Mexico carrying loads of Marijuana and illegal immigrants. He made upwards of $200,000 in cash from this. Mr. Alarid’s history in the military probably made him seem like a good candidate for the customs job. But Alarid had a tangled family history. According to court papers, both his parents were drug addicts. The smuggling crew that he waved through was thought to be members of his family and he was intended to work for the border patrol just so that they could smuggle drugs into the U.S. The Alarid case was considered a serious breach in security due to how he was allowed a position as a border patrol even though he was supposedly working for a drug cartel belonging to his parents. This is actually an increasing and very common thing, to have drug cartels send members to apply for positions only for the purpose of enhancing the goals of their criminal organizations (Archibold).

One of the most important and biggest cases that is currently being reviewed is the case of the Villarreal brothers. They are a team of corrupt border patrol agents that worked in escorting large amounts of drugs over the border. The Villarreal brother would meet immigrants near the border with their border patrol issued truck and pick up illegal immigrants, not to take them to a jail, but to houses where there were a bunch of others that they had escorted across. When people got suspicious, they could just say that they were taking these guys in to jail. There is no specific reason why the brothers betrayed the border patrol. The brothers had gained a lot of trust with other agents and they were never suspected of doing such bad things (Archibold). The Villarreal brothers were finally

104 arrested after fleeing to Mexico in Tijuana in October of 2009. This proves the corruption of border patrol agents is a very important crime to crack down on because of the long term affects that it can have on the U.S. There needs to be an end to all of the violence that is happening over drugs, but instead or trying to catch every drug dealer, there needs to be healing at the source. There needs to be things done with the border patrol and its techniques. There are also many other options that would be suitable for preventing bad things from entering into the U.S. For sometime now, the U.S. has solely blamed the drugs coming into the U.S. because of Mexican forces and how they are very porous and corrupt. The U.S. thinks this because there have been many cases of corruption of not only border patrol agents, but of police officers and other law enforcement figures. When Leah Podolin, a student at The Bay School of San Francisco, was visiting Mexico in the summer of 2007, her family was pulled over by a corrupt police officer. The officer demanded money from them, making them hand over the money in a discreet way so no one would witness the transaction. Although people from the U.S. believe that only Mexican forces are corrupt, there needs to be forces on the U.S. side of the border letting these things happen too. Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president replied back stating, To get drugs into the United States, the one you need to corrupt is the American authority, the American customs, the American police - not the Mexican. And that's a subject, by the way, which hasn't been addressed with sincerity," and also added "I'm waging my battle against corruption among Mexican authorities and we're risking everything to clean our house, but I think there also needs to be a good cleaning on the other side of the border (qtd. By Calderon in Mendoza and Sherman).

United States citizens tend to be ignorant and deny that the U.S. has a corruption problem as well as Mexico because they believe the U.S. forces are more civilized than that of Mexico (Mendoza and Sherman).

The solutions to the problems need to be accomplished on the side of the United States. The U.S. is blaming Mexico for problems we have because one thinks of Mexico as corrupted and shady (Ellingwood). Possible solutions for finding competent border patrol agents can be as simple as deeper background checks. This is a very important feature that should be included and one with every border patrol applicant. Although time consuming and therefore expensive, it will save money drastically in the city wide level because the police would not have to deal with such large drug bust operations because those drugs would never have been brought into the U.S. in the first place. Another option with reducing the permeability of the border is reduce human contact. This could be implemented by the use of a device that watches and monitors the border from afar, rather than having a face to face encounter with people that are trying to cross the border. The system that could be put into place could be the Boeing Integrated Defense System. It is currently only used in some parts of Texas. The Boeing Integrated Defense System is a revolutionary system that is a structure about 150 feet tall that consists of many cameras, both thermal imaging and also night vision, motion sensors and GPS technology that can lock onto moving objects to track possible illegal immigrants and people trying to bring drugs across. This will reduce human contact because border patrol agents operate this system from afar, with border patrols on duty ready in their truck to arrest the people that show up. This will not cut the corruption down to zero percent because a lot of the times the operations of border patrols allowing drug cartels into the U.S. is setup before hand. Since the U.S. has spent a lot of money on the border already, they need to now choose things that are sure to produce better results. The U.S. has many resources and options to protect the border that they can use to prevent malicious things from coming into the U.S., but they also need to have qualified, competent and honest border patrol agents or else those options that they chose to protect the border will be worthless.

105 Works Cited Archuleta, Edward. “Personal Interview with Edward Archuleta.” FRONTLINE/World: 28 Mar 2009.

Archibold, Randal. “Border Agents, Lured by the Other Side.” NY Times. NY Times, 27 May 2008. Web. 27 Dec. 2009.

Archibold, Randal. “Hired by Customs, but working for Mexican Cartels.” NY Times. NY Times, 17 Dec. 2009.

Web. 27 Dec. 2009.

Becker, Andrew. “Southwest border corruption cases continue to rise.” Center for Investigative Reporting. Center for Investigative Reporting, 20 Nov. 2009.

Black, Andy. “Personal Interview with Andy Black.” FRONTLINE/World: 1 April 2009.

“Drug smugglers bribing U.S. agents on Mexico border.” The National Policy Institute. The National Policy Institute. 15 July 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2009.

Duthie, Heather. “Drugs Plague 16th Street.” Mission Local. Mission Local, 11 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 January 2009.

“Global Corruption Barometer 2005.” Transparency International. Transparency International, 2 Dec. 2005. Web. 22 Jan. 2010.

Marosi, Richard. “17 charged in string of brutal kidnappings and slayings in San Diego suburbs.” LA Times. LA Times, 14 Aug. 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2009.

Jeffrey, Terence. “Administration Will Cut Border Patrol Deployed on U.S-Mexico Border.” CNS News. CNS News, 24 Sep. 2009.

Jervis, Ricky. “Arrests of border agents on the rise.” USA Today. USA Today, 24 April 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2009.

Kouri, Jim. “Border corruption: Border Protection inspector sentenced to 11 years.” The Examiner. The Examiner, 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 25 January 2010.

Mendoza, Martha. “Corruption up among U.S. border law officers.” Journal Star. Journal Star, 9 Aug. 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2009.

Podolin, Leah. Personal Interview. 4 February 2010.

Sgt. E. Cheung. Personal Interview. 25 January 2010.

106 Ava Hoffman Craig Butz Research in the Community A Block 27 February 2010 Food for the Future: America’s Transformation into a Vegetarian Culture Precondition Carl's Junior advertisements boasting juicy, oversized hamburgers flash on national television seemingly every other commercial. Driving down the street in a city such as San Francisco, it's nearly impossible to go a mile without being distracted by the image of McDonalds’ golden arches or Kentucky Fried Chicken’s fluorescentlylighted red and white logo. Come Fourth of July, the smell of barbeque in the air is unavoidable, as is the turkeyoriented tradition rooted deep within Thanksgiving. Undoubtedly, meat is a dominating and defining aspect of American society. Meat is so heavily embedded within the culture and history of America, residing as an impressionable component of the “American image”. Most omnivores can’t imagine how they could possibly live without meat, but for many vegetarians, the question arises: how could we go about undoing meat’s well-established culture? America clearly accepts meat consumption, prompting a consensus that dietary choices are merely personal business. However, unlike the vegetarian community composing merely 2.3% of America’s population, most people do not realize that what we choose to eat is a pressing issue due to the profound impact that consumption has on the future of our society. Those who choose to consume meat, thus contributing to the meat industry’s conquest of the nation, are unaware of the detrimental influence of meat. A cultural shift based on the conception of a vegetarian nation is a necessary societal improvement, which would involve informing the public about the negative impact of meat. Widespread vegetarianism would beneficially reform America’s approach to food by fundamentally invalidating the unhealthy, industrialized national food apparatus.

One of the main problems that vegetarianism faces is a lack of public acceptance and legitimacy; many people dub vegetarianism as a trend or a fad, in which people will soon lose interest. However, despite such criticism, vegetarianism—complete with each of the following components—is a revolutionary and important cultural movement which needs to be considered more seriously. The case for the vegetarian movement is strengthened by its’ convicting philosophy. Stanley Sapon, linguistics professor at University of Rochester, states: It makes a difference whether vegetarianism is a ‘diet’ or a ‘philosophy’. A diet is a list of the foods you choose—a philosophy is a set of coherent reasons for making those choices. You cannot build a movement around a ‘diet’. To have a movement you have to have people believing, living, and working in concert to realize an idea. (qtd. in Maurer 70) In addition to maintaining a common ideology, the vegetarian movement “work[s] to generate collective social identities, motivate personal transformation, and manipulate common beliefs and ideas,” while using “cultural products such as values, beliefs, stories, art, and literature to spur collective change” (Maurer 48). Cultural historian Margaret Visser explains that modern people in affluent societies have attained a stage of exhaustion with choice, leading them to the desire to be able to reject something (Maurer 9). Since, according to sociologist and author Donna Maurer, “culture, not nature, motivates and perpetuates meat consumption” (101), meat is an ideal object of rejection and target of a cultural shift.

Essentially, we can envision America’s imperative transformation into a vegetarian nation by following the history of cultural shifts such as smoking, by redirecting media attention. Meat shouldn’t be banned—that would be ineffective—but once vegetarianism gains a more positively accepted public image, increased convenience and access to vegetarian foods is essential. If vegetarianism is portrayed as a legitimate cultural movement, as opposed to a trend, movement leaders next need to take action to appeal to a wider variety of people including attracting younger generations by insisting on the urgency of meat’s environmental destruction . Each of these steps is crucial to the success of the vegetarian movement, which if executed properly would enable America to undergo a gradual cultural shift into becoming a vegetarian society. *** A Comparative Cultural History Though difficult to definitively determine, the history of various cultural shifts—reflecting valuable sociological information—can be applied to the future of the vegetarian movement. The most applicant comparative cultural change is tobacco smoking. The cultural phenomenon surrounding smoking cigarettes has experienced a large-scale transformation in popularity and public image over the past century. Smoking peaked in popularity in the mid-1900's when half of the country’s population smoked, though between 1950 and 2010 this statistic has been cut in half (Feinmann). Smoking, though seemingly a mere illogical habit, “has a significance beyond the personal: it's not only something you do…it's something you tell others about yourself” (“Fatal Attraction”). Correspondingly, our dietary choices tell the world something about ourselves individually and also as a society. Meat is a similar

107 illogical habit with great significance; in order to project a good cultural image to the rest of the world, we need to make healthier choices, the first of which is the conversion to vegetarianism.

So how did American society move smoking cigarettes out of the spotlight of cultural identity? The clear answer seems to be the extensive impact of media, providing both positive and negative reinforcement, which significantly influenced the cultural habits of the American public. Through attention to positive role models who subtly and gently encourage vegetarianism while setting a good example (Maurer 99), meat-eating can follow the cultural history of moving smoking in the media out of the spotlight. “And that is the fascination of images of smoking in popular culture: they turn us quickly into instant and highly competent decoders of images” (“Fatal Attraction”). The positive image, of successful movie stars smoking in films, which the media portrayed in the 1950's, led to increased smoking rates; on the other hand, the current advertising campaigns revealing the true negative effects of smoking have assisted in decreasing smoking rates. Mark Rosengrant, of the food policy research institute, sees “a stronger [than formerly attempted] public relations campaign in the reduction of meat consumption—one like that around cigarettes—emphasizing personal health, compassion for animals, and doing good for the poor and the planet” (Bittman). According to Maurer, meat is “an unnatural cultural phenomenon that many people will abandon once they are exposed to the vegetarian message in a positive way” (102). People will stop eating meat when the public comes to terms with the harmful environmental, health, and moral effects of eating meat, as they did with smoking cigarettes and other habits which have been proven to be detrimental.

Many people have suggested that a mandate of vegetarianism would be an effective approach to achieve the creation of a vegetarian nation; however, banning meat products would be controversial and people may feel even more inclined to break such laws. An example of a similar ineffective ban was the Prohibition of alcohol in the 1920’s—the 18th amendment (Becker). When it comes down to it, according to San Francisco Vegetarian Society President Dixie Mahy, the law won’t stop people from doing what they really want. The prohibition of alcohol or other illegal products such as marijuana has proven to be ineffective (Hartglass), and therefore a ban on meat would induce a similar reaction and would not be a good approach. *** Promotion and Progression Although food habits have shown to be resistant to change, there are cases and additional methods of promoting vegetarianism in which it can thrive, the first of which is convenient access to vegetarian options.

(Maurer 10). The availability of vegetarian foods makes people more receptive to the presence of vegetarian foods in the future, making way for cultural change (Maurer 139). One of the major motives behind meat consumption, or rather the general unwillingness to become vegetarian, is that “there is no access to quality food” (Constable). Taste is the main driver behind consumerism, so if vegetarian foods were to be better promoted and distributed, more people would be inclined to become vegetarian (Mogelonsky). Commercial trends have indicated that the realization of more accessible and better tasting vegetarian options is underway (McCloy). The main method of doing so is by means of employing faux meat to target people who are finding difficulty in making the transition into vegetarianism (Constable). One example of such a realization is in progress in New York City by restaurateur James Tu, who envisions taking “Zen Palate”, his vegetarian Asian-fusion hot spot, “and its tasty food concepts mainstream, and thus revolutionizing the sector” by introducing “Fro-Zen” prepared convenience foods and “ZenBurger” fast food (Constable). Similarly, the North American Vegetarian Society has their “Vegetarian Express Fast Food Campaign” (Maurer 51), which would be successful in the sense that it would eliminate the convenience issue surrounding vegetarianism. In order to sustain and make this a more widely accepted industry, we as consumers need to be more demanding and open minded towards the idea of purchasing meat alternatives. Donna Maurer proposes that the “commercialization of vegetarian foods makes way for the movement to capitalize on cultural environment where vegetarian foods are accepted” (133). Rather than protesting meat distributors, vegetarians should focus on supporting such vegetarian initiatives, inducing situations which are beneficial for the consumer's interests and are also lucrative for participating businesses (Maurer 110).

In order to better understand the initiative to transform vegetarianism into a more convenient lifestyle, one must also understand how promotion advances vegetarian foods. Promotion of vegetarianism is mainly in the hands of vegetarian groups and non-profit organizations due to the general lack of economic means to attract large-scale media attention. Vegetarian groups, who provide resources, get-togethers, meetings, and most importantly social support and a sense of community, are of great assistance in the conversion process to vegetarianism. One of the biggest problems that vegetarian organizations face is lack of involved volunteers and youth participation. This lack of involvement by newer generations is an issue because youth are the best targets for being receptive to vegetarianism. College students, specifically, are most susceptible to change seeing as they are old enough to be independent of their parents and make their own choices yet not old enough to be embedded in strong cultural traditions (Maurer 97). Despite challenges, however, vegetarian groups are making progress. Phil Becker, educator

108 and Vegetarian Resource Group Advocate, expresses that vegetarianism is finally being considered less as a “cult”, and is in the process of public legitimization due to increased awareness and education regarding the truth about vegetarianism. According to Maurer, “Vegetarian groups are central to movement activities because they generate and promote ideas about the most effective ways to achieve personal, cultural, and social change—in other words, how to be a vegetarian and how to create a vegetarian world” (3). Being in a group, or being influenced or accompanied by people who share similar views, is a great motivation for many new vegetarians. Being vegetarian is a dueling task; “you just haven’t lived until you’ve tried to function as a strict vegan [or vegetarian] in a meatcrazed society” (Steiner). The sense of social support, encouragement, and common interest which people find from joining a vegetarian group appeals to a part of the population who otherwise would not have the incentive to make the shift alone.

A second major factor to consider when envisioning a vegetarian nation is conditional circumstances.

Conditional circumstances can be defined as times of necessity, which although undesirable, prove the conservational benefits of vegetarianism. In modern times, we are self-imposing the risk of resource exhaustion. We will soon be incapable of providing adequate nutrition for the masses due to climate change, increased population, rising oil prices, and the use of crops for fuel rather than food (Elliot). Vegetarianism allows us to “radically rethink in how we produce and consume food…..We must maintain the natural resources…on which food production depends” (Elliot). In order to sustain ourselves, we simply have to consume less; “it’s going to be almost impossible to feed future generations the kind of diet we have now” (Elliot). Under conditional circumstances, “the most dramatic consequence would be every person eating a predominantly vegetarian diet” (Elliot). Although journalist Valerie Elliot describes how those who depend on meat may see vegetarianism as a “consequence”, conditional circumstances present a perfect opportunity for the application of widespread vegetarianism and prove that people need to be open minded regarding vegetarianism simply due to impending necessity.

Thirdly, with all of the talk about becoming more environmentally-friendly, the most simple and effective way to eliminate unnecessary resource depletion, excessive wastefulness, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a massive transition to vegetarianism. The growing affluence in American society in recent years has provoked the demand for more meat, which is met by the factory farming industry (Bittman). Despite the fact that the world’s population approximately doubled between 1961 and 2007 (World Factbook), the world’s meat demand quadrupled (Bittman). In response to those who claim that meat provides nutrition that cannot otherwise be attained, Americans’ meat consumption is twice that of the global average, exceedingly more than the amount of protein than the government recommends. (Bittman). Livestock production accounts for 21% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions (McWilliams), and accounts for 3/4 of all water problems in the United States (Bittman). According to Caryn Hartglass, executive director of vegan advocacy group EarthSave International, “We will not be able to afford to feed plants to animals to feed people. It’s too inefficient and there won't be enough food to go around. We can feed more people if we feed the plants directly to them, rather than to animals raised for food”. If we redistributed the limited resources we do have by feeding all of the grain that factory farm animals consume to people, there would be enough food to nourish all of China and India, not to mention some of the 10.4 million children who go hungry and perish each year due to malnutrition and environmental contamination (Bittman). Gibbons explains that currently, the environmentalist fads are gaining attention, yet are not making sufficient progress to make a significant difference: “Environmental commerce and consumption, just like climate change, isn’t going anywhere.

There will be fads and trends and companies that venture superficially and make no change. The main story here is one of a cultural shift”. America, and specifically San Francisco—the so-called “Green City”—can not honestly pride itself on being actively concerned about the environment without the core component of vegetarianism. Due to all of these problems, the drawbacks of meat and its’ negative ecological impact on America clearly outweigh the temporary satisfaction that eating meat provides; environmentally, vegetarianism just makes sense. *** The Great Transformation The pressing necessity presented by conditional circumstances along with access to quality vegetarian foods and awareness about the environmental impact of meat will aid the spread of vegetarianism, however in envisioning a vegetarian world, several problems emerge as well. So how can we approach these issues?

“Moralization”, sociologists and psychologists Paul Rozin, Maureen Markwith, and Caryn Stoess suggest, is the most probable and effective solution. Primarily, as previously discussed, meat holds great cultural and traditional significance, residing as a barrier from transitioning to vegetarianism (Mahy). These authors define moralization as the process in which objects or activities which were previously considered to be morally neutral acquire a moral component on both cultural and individual levels. As Donna Maurer states, Cultural movements that require behavioral and attitudinal changes may find it difficult to convince potential members that they will benefit from these changes.... Because food is central to people's lives—

109 their memories, identities, and social relationships—changing both how they think about food and what they actually consume is a monumental challenge. The beliefs and strategies of the leaders of the vegetarian movement will play a significant role in determining whether vegetarianism remains a marginal, idiosyncratic, often temporary habit or a deeply embedded, socially acceptable, moral choice. (146, 150) Moralization also consists of the transformation of preferences into values, which is effective in the long run because values are durable and therefore are more easily transferable from generation to generation than preferences (Rozin). To counter these challenges presented by the prospect of a vegetarian world, meat needs to be moralized, and vegetarianism needs to undergo a transition on an individual level from being approached as a mere dietary preference into a value. This way, vegetarianism can be approached in its true nature, as a way of life.

In terms of cultural comparisons, moralization has also occurred recently with smoking, and historically with slavery. Moralization also brings about support from government and other institutions, meanwhile allowing for the exposure of the negative and even disgusting aspects of the given practice. Rozin, Markwith, and Stoess explain that vegetarianism is in an early stage of moralization, however, the government along with health care and school institutions need to become more involved in promoting vegetarianism by fundamentally incorporating vegetarianism into our nation’s core values before the movement can further progress (Rozin). A vegetarian nation would transform our culture and the “whole face of civilization”, yet the American public needs to recognize that this would be a positive societal change, as Alonzo Englebert Taylor of the Food Research Institute explains. All in all, the moralization of meat would be an effective and feasible approach towards solving the issues such as deeprooted tradition within meat consumption which are posed in the application of large-scale vegetarianism.

To contend with the reality that a vegetarian nation is going to take time to generate and would be a difficult transformation, there are some compromises between widespread vegetarianism and meat domination.

Vegetarianism doesn’t need to be viewed as an extreme, vegetarians aren’t “different” than anyone else; simply embracing a more eco-friendly and health-oriented lifestyle is a step in the right direction (Becker). To name a few other approaches, waste from animal production should be better managed, meat consumption could be minimized by resource necessity, there is the possibility of in-vitro scientifically generated meat to reduce waste, and finally subsidies could be removed from meat products and be applied to vegetarian alternatives. The latter of these compromises would be the most feasible and effective solution due to the unreasonableness of heavy U.S. subsidization: “In the American West, water is so heavily subsidized that if irrigation supports were removed, ground beef would cost $35 a pound” (Bittman). This way, people would have the option of buying meat, but it would be discouraged due to economic restraints and the ridiculousness of paying so much for meat, thus eliminating the economic barrier preventing people from buying organic health foods.

These compromises are a start for the vegetarian movement; however, vegetarian activists will not be satisfied until larger-scale progress is achieved. The application of widespread vegetarianism is a lengthy, timeconsuming process which requires deep involvement and dedication. Thus, the suggestion of gradual change towards vegetarianism is more effective than rapid change. Maurer states, “Focusing on the positive aspects of gradual change downplays vegetarianism’s “absoluteness” and encourages people to view the change as a series of choices, a set of alternatives. If people perceive that the only way to ‘go vegetarian’ is to forgo all meat products (or in the case of veganism, all animal products) immediately, they may resist change altogether” (99). This gradual transformation to vegetarianism occurs on both the personal level and cultural level; individually, people will find themselves content with vegetarianism by giving up one-meat product at a time, and culturally, although vegetarian advocates “aspire to broad-based cultural changes”, vegetarianism will gradually become accepted one person at a time (Maurer 100).

Vegetarianism is the necessary true sacrifice which would allow for a cultural change towards the betterment of our society. According to James McWilliams, associate history professor at Texas State University and fellow in agrarian studies at Yale University: Vegetarianism is not only the most powerful political response we can make to industrialized food. It’s a necessary prerequisite to reforming it. To quit eating meat is to dismantle the global food apparatus at its foundation….Sure, we’ve been inundated with ideas…But these proposals all lack…genuine sacrifice. Until we make that leap, until we create a culinary culture in which the meat-eaters must do the apologizing, the current proposals will be nothing more than gestures.

Vegetarianism is necessary, because we need food for the future. We, as Americans in a progressive society, need to make dietary decisions that will pave the way for a bright future culturally, but also economically and environmentally. “We need to look at global issues that affect food security here. That’s why we need to consider what food systems should look like in 20 years and what must happen to get there (Elliot); this path is vegetarianism. As McWilliams expresses, “What I eat influences you. What you eat influences me. Our diets are deeply, intimately and necessarily political”; eating can't be a mere personal choice when our decisions so closely

110 influence the future of our society and the world. Thus through individual fundamental action, sacrifice, and change, greater social and cultural change will be attained (Maurer 149-150). A vegetarian nation is a pressing and necessary cultural change for the improvement of society; it would lift the negative meat culture imposed on America and allowing for a healthier, more sustainable, and multi-beneficial culture.

Acknowledgments: I would like to acknowledge Robin Brandon, Rachel Cohen-Sidley, Alex Knoll, and Ludo Nengo for peer editing my research paper. I additionally would like to acknowledge Craig Butz for helping me develop the concept of my research question and for editing my paper.

Works Cited Becker, Phillip. Personal Interview. 23 December 2009.

Bittman, Mark. “Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler”. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. 27 January 2009. Web. 14 December 2009.

Constable, Simon. “Restaurateur's Vision: All-Vegetarian Fast Food”. TheStreet.com. TheStreet.com. 24 August 2007.

“Fatal Attraction: the vanishing culture of smoking”. The Independent. TheIndependent.co.uk. 29 October 2005.

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Elliot, Valerie. “Food crisis could force wartime rations and vegetarian diet on Britons”. Times Online. Times Newspapers Ltd. 10 August 2009. Web. 14 December 2009.

Feinmann, Jane. “So why do we still smoke?”. The Independent. TheIndependent.co.uk. 10 March 2009. Web. 19 January 2010.

Gibbons, Giles. “Cultural shifts will change eco-awareness”. Times Online. Times Newspapers Ltd. 25 June 2008.

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Hartglass, Caryn. Personal Interview. 23 December 2009.

Mahy, Dixie. Personal Interview. 30 December 2009.

Maurer, Donna Ph.D. Vegetarianism: movement or moment. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002. Print.

McCloy, Johanna. “Encouraging Vegetarian Foods at Concession Stands”. Vegetarian Resource Group. Issue 3 (2004): n. pag. Web. 14 December 2009.

McWilliams, James. “Bellying up to environmentalism”. The Washington Post. 16 November 2009. US National Newspapers, ProQuest. Web. 9 December 2009.

Mogelonsky, Marcia. “New Product Trends Category Analysis: Advancing Vegetarianism”. Prepared Foods Network. BNP Media. 1 February 2005. Web. 14 December 2009.

Taylor, Alonzo Englebert. “Is vegetarianism capable of world-wide application”. Popular Science, 79:36 (December, 1911): 587-593. 15 December 2009.

Rozin, Paul, Maureen Markwith, and Caryn Stoess. “Moralization and Becoming a Vegetarian: The Transformation of Preferences into Values and the Recruitment of Disgust”. Psychological Science, Vol. 8, No. 2 (March, 1997): 67-73. JSTOR. 14 December 2009.

Steiner, Gary. “Animal, Vegetable, Miserable.” New York Times. 22 November 2009, New York Times, ProQuest.

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“World.” The World Factbook. 26 January 2010. The Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 22 January 2010.

111 Karis Kirchgestner Craig Butz Research in the Community Block D February 5, 2010 Watching the Boob Tube: An Exploration of the Media’s Impact on Girls By the time a girl is seventeen, she has heard and seen over 250,000 commercial messages (Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising). Some estimate that teens view as many as 3,000 advertisements per day, most of which are selling beauty products featuring disproportionately skinny models (Witmer). Media such as TV shows, movies, commercials, and other advertisements create powerful images and communicate strong biases to the people that view them and teenage girls are the most highly targeted audience. Although TV is widely enjoyed in today's society, young girls have become victim to TV's degrading and unrealistic images of women, resulting in self consciousness, poor body image, and eating disorders. While it is impractical to block all media from girls’ viewing, parents can watch TV with their girls and discuss the content so that these traumatic problems may not arise in teenage years.

Teens and young adult women who struggle with negative body images often do so as the result of their exposure as young girls to media’s detrimental messages. The primary types of TV based media that young girls are exposed to are movies, TV shows, and commercials. Through television, girls are continuously exposed to strong stereotypes as they grow up. Typical high school characters such as the popular cheerleader and the spirited and athletic tom boy may originate in real life, but are solidified and magnified through children’s TV. Most female characters in children’s TV, though typically not main characters, are girly girls, talkative divas who are interested in shopping, dressing up, glitter, and pink, and the only alternative are the tom boys, girls who are spunky, smart, have an attitude, and are athletic. While girls are often given only two ways of perceiving themselves, boys comparatively have limitless options. Boys are given the opportunity through children’s TV to see themselves as smart, a jokester, sensitive, a bully, weird, and many more! Because of this difference, girls are taught at a very young age that they are confined by society to act in certain limited ways and be certain people while boys are free to be who they are. To further extend this stereotype, mothers and fathers have specific roles within TV shows.

Mothers are still usually portrayed as the stay-at-home-moms who do the kitchen work, garden, and drive car pool.

This stereotype doesn’t only exist within TV shows, it also exists in commercials. It is important to note that until children are around the age of six, they can’t differentiate a TV show from a commercial; therefore, everything they watch is perceived the same and worth the same attention (Lamb). If you watch only a little bit of children’s TV, it will become obvious very quickly that these commercials are gender differentiated. Girls are shown in commercials playing with Easy Bake Ovens, Bratz, and Barbies shown participating in more adult activities such as “‘clubbing,’ hot-tubbing, wearing makeup, and looking cute in a sexy kind of way” (Lamb 65). “Boy” commercials feature a couple or group of boys running around with water guns or playing with cars, while reinforcing the stereotype that only boys can be prepared to fight off villains or play video games. Through these images, children receive a consistent image that girls are supposed to be in submission to boys.

Similar themes show up in Disney movies, which eventually branch out to TV shows, CD’s, and a wide variety of merchandise. There are common values within all of Disney’s fantastical creations: Disney princesses are particularly thin, graceful in everything they do, and have extremely beautiful faces. The girls in Disney movies love to gossip, to look in the mirror, and are simply lacking if they don’t have a man in their lives. They are portrayed to be completely innocent while looking subtly sexy; they are always in the quest for the perfect man. Through these images, Young girls are encouraged at an inappropriately early age to strive to be older and to be concerned about more mature topics. The only Disney movie that doesn’t fit these criteria is Lilo and Stitch. Lilo has a great support system and family surrounding her; the characters in Lilo and Stitch have average bodies, faces, and personalities, unlike most Disney princesses. Shows and movies like Lilo and Stitch are greatly needed so that girls can have reflections of relatively normal role models (Lamb).

The tween years of a girl’s life are probably the most confusing; this holds true within the entertainment that sustains them throughout long weekends, sleepovers, and sick days. Preteens are young enough to watch cartoons such as Sponge Bob, yet old enough, according to some, to watch Sex and the City. Sadly enough, the stereotypes that slyly show themselves within children’s TV are also present in television geared towards preteens.

In these shows, instead of portrayals of a beautiful yet evil witch, as in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, we see the typical popular cheerleader, as portrayed in Mean Girls. Desirable beauty is linked to mean and hurtful characters; this is extremely harmful for preteen girls who just want to fit in at school. Preteens receive the message from movies like Mean Girls that the popular girls are powerful because they are in control of themselves. The type of in control they are selling to girls is starving yourself to achieve thinness so boys will like you, stabbing your best friends in the back, “hooking up” with a boy that might not necessarily be your boyfriend, and manipulating in order

112 to get your way. This hardly sounds like a teenager who is in control of herself. Nevertheless, preteens have bought into this image willingly according to Sharon Lamb and Lyn Brown, who are Ed.D’s, authors, and professors of college. The messages girls receive from their favorite PG movies seem subtle, funny, and harmless, but are actually explicit. These movies are filled with sexual innuendoes, drug references, and the dialogue between characters about the physical attractiveness of the other gender. These scenes train kids to expect these interactions and to want them as they are growing older (Lamb).

Television that is produced for teenagers takes a big leap towards themes that are adult in nature. In teenage television, there are mainly two ways girls can attain power: they either have some sort of supernatural power, as in Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or obtain power through how far they’ve gone sexually. Although the teens who watch shows like Gossip Girl, The Hills, and 90210, watch for entertainment purposes, the characters become role models and their scandalous behavior becomes accepted and normalized. According to Lamb and Brown, in these shows, “girls who are richer than anyone that most girls will ever meet have had sex, gotten drunk, two-timed their boyfriends, developed a drug habit, exposed a disorder of some kinds, and run away. Their power comes from taking familiar types of girls… to the limit and beyond… it glamorizes problem behaviors and neglects to develop the girls as people with interests outside of partying and romance”(Lamb 98). These are exactly the shows teens are dying to watch at 9 o’clock on a Monday night. Is it really worth their time? The popular show America’s Next Top Model along with other self improvement shows such as The Bachelor, and Made are about being chosen. These shows reinforce the idea that girls have to keep adjusting themselves until they are perfect, something completely impossible for even the richest person to achieve. These shows also put girls in the role of being one another’s judge. While watching America’s Next Top Model, the flaws in each woman’s picture and their personality differences cause them to be judged and rejected. In doing so, girls are encouraged to judge themselves and the people around them. Once judging becomes a habit, it is almost unbreakable. This is the root of self dissatisfaction that is so common with today’s adolescent girls.

Sexual content on the TV screen overall has virtually doubled since the late 1990’s. In all of the most popular TV shows for teens right now, such as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl, True Blood, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, the sexual content is heightened to extremes. Representations of sex and sexual experiences are constantly being thrown at adolescents; as much as they would hate to admit it, these shows have an effect on how they perceive other people, themselves, and even life. This is just another example of how girls feel they aren’t measuring up. If they aren’t satisfying the man in their life, something is wrong with them causing more self-hatred and a desire to achieve a version of beauty that ensures happiness.

In summary, the messages declared by the media to girls of all ages are highly influential. They train girls to judge their personalities, bodies, abilities, and then tell girls what they should change about themselves to make them “better.” The main message sent out to young girls is one of restriction where young girls can only do certain things, and boys have the freedom to do many more. Commercials, which are the most influential, perpetrate this falsehood the most. They illustrate that only accepted girls shop, dress up, and watch boys play. The media also shows young girls what is expected of them in later life, that when they are older, they need to be with the boys and for the boys (Lamb). At such a young age, girls don’t realize that this directly translates and effects the preteen years of their lives. Once the middle school stage of a girl’s life hits, girls are no longer portrayed as playing with dolls, but rather imitating the dolls they played with when they were younger. The messages that reach girls as young as 8 or 9 years old are that they need to become sex symbols, objects for another’s pleasure. For girls to measure up to this expectation, they need to meet the requirements set for them. Only skinny girls are seen as desirable, and they are taught to judge one another based on looks. Denise Witmer observes that ads “…on television typically glamorizes skinny models who do not resemble the average woman”(Witmer). The image of “innocent yet sexy” appeals to girls from the ages of nine to 12. Teens are bombarded with advertising, the purpose of which is to sell products, “but it sells a great deal more than products. It sells values, it sells images, it sells concepts of love and sexuality, of romance, of success, and perhaps most important, of normalcy. To a great extent, advertising tells us who we are and who we should be” (Killing Us Softly 3). The main focus of fitting the criteria is based on physical appearance and bodies. “Women’s bodies are still, in fact perhaps more then ever, turned into objects, into things” (Killing Us Softly 3). Women’s bodies are placed all over advertising to appeal to men and women. In both situations, usually one part of the body is focused on, making that the selling point of the commercial. The faultless body parts are falsely shown to be real and flawless as many are nipped and tucked or photo-shopped to appear ideal. The result is that girls are willing to alter their bodies to be accepted in friend groups, and society in general.

“To be born women is to know… that we must labor to be beautiful,” quotes Jessica Bennett of William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet, in a Newsweek article (Bennett). Lastly, Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D, author, and speaker, makes the observation that:

113 the primary message that young women and girls get in our culture today is the message in this ad. At the top, it says 'the more you subtract, the more you add. What a horrible message… At least one in five young women in America today has an eating disorder. The most common of which are anorexia and bulimia.

And if you think of an eating disorder as any kind of disordered attitude towards eating and one's appetite, it's probably closer to four out of five. Now where else could this image of thinness come from if not at least in part from the media images that surround us and tell us that in order to be acceptable we need to be painfully, unnaturally thin? (Killing Us Softly 3) Marketers’ schemes and ploys for targeting their teen audience is purely manipulative and deceptive. A marketer has to attract the right audience for their product by luring them in with images and themes that are in vogue for that age range. Teens are probably the most targeted audience for marketers right now (Todd Cunningham). In James P. Steyer’s book, “The Other Parent,” he quotes a teen marketing executive named Rob Stone, “‘If you don’t understand and recognize what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling, and then be able to take that and come up with a really precise message that you’re trying to reach these kids within their teens, you’re going to lose…’” (Steyer 113). Rob Stone hints that marketers have to know the teens they are targeting, but in a PBS interview with the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Planning for MTV, Todd Cunningham, he suggests something even more drastic such as “[rifling] through their closets. We go through their music collections. We go into night clubs with them… We shut the door in their bedrooms and talk to them about issues that they feel are really important to them. We talk with them about what it’s like to date today; what it is like dealing with their parents; what things stress them out the most… We have them show us their favorite clothing outfits, what they wear to parties, some things from their photo albums and things that really mean something to them.” (Steyer 114).

The investigatory work of MTV that Cunningham is referring to is very similar to that of “Cool Hunters.” Cool Hunters are the people marketers hire if they want to better target their audience. Cool Hunters’ jobs are to go out in society and take in the culture of the youth. They have to be the “eyes and ears of youth culture… they [advertisers] will use our information to… test whether or not their advertising is relevant to these kids or what kind if advertising is relevant, so that they can do something similar” (“Cool Hunting”). These “Cool Hunters,” gather information on teens to better educate the marketers who create the personalized messages that are sent out to teens.

The degrading messages sent to adolescents from the media have a direct impact on girls emotionally. Bad body image, low self-esteem, weight dissatisfaction, depression and anxiety are results of the exposure to media’s images of thin women (Body Image, Media Effect on). With thin, young, and highly sexualized models being the example of ideal, it is nearly impossible for girls to have a healthy self image (“Special Issues for Tweens and Teens”). Often, girls compare themselves with one another. They compare thigh circumference, stomach flatness, they look each other up and down in passing, and they judge themselves harshly compared to others. According to Healthy Place, through an experiment, it was found that girls who were shown images of thin models reported lower self-evaluations than girls who had seen normal or overweight models (“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”). These images aren’t just a picture on a TV screen, they mean something significant for girls.

Advertisers have figured out that by putting the “ideal” or “desirable” body just out of girls capability, they “create an unattainable desire that can drive product consumption” (Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising). Adult sexual desires and actions are also sold to teens coupled with their favorite fashion designs (Special Issues for Tweens and Teens). This abusive marketing strategy and the exposure to the media create extremely negative behaviors, health, and life choices. According to Daniel J. DeNoon, the senior medical writer for WebMD, these negative effects begin in as early as 4-5 year olds and continue all the way through adolescence (DeNoon).

“You cannot expect to have a sexually saturated society with all of your media outlets, but then, at the same time, be surprised when this influences people and their behaviors,” says Dr. Yolanda Wimberly, the medical director of the Center for Excellence in Sexual Health. (Landau). When all of TV’s messages and influences prey on media consuming girls, girls feel pressured to be perfect; one way of achieving that is through anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders. Unrealistic ideals are set for women and the media warps their priorities and women don’t put their health first when striving for thinness (Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising). According to the NEDA, the National Eating Disorder Association there are roughly 10 million women “fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder”(Statistics). Although this is true, NEDA suggests there are even more than this number because girls tend to be secretive and hide their eating disorder because of shame. Healthy Place even goes as far to say that due to the mass obsession over weight and physical attractiveness, girls tend to measure their worth by their physical appearance (Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising). This sad realization is true among most girls. In a survey of Bay School students, almost all of the respondents said that they were either unhappy with their body, or wanted to change something about their body. Although this doesn’t necessarily lead to an eating disorder, these types of thoughts are the leading force towards cultivating one. The rates of anorexia and bulimia are increasingly, and so is the diversity of the people it affects. Young, white women of upper-middle-class were and are

114 at high risk of developing an eating disorder, but the commonality is spreading to people of color, men, children, and older people (Body Image, Media Effects on). Plainly stated by the Media Awareness Network, “media images can contribute to feelings of body-hatred and self-loathing that can fuel eating problems” (Special Issues for Tweens and Teens).

Throughout the years, there have been copious numbers of surveys conducted within high schools, colleges, cities, the U.S., and the world regarding how girls feel about their bodies. According to a survey conducted

by Dove, 81% of women within the U.S. believe that the media sets unrealistic standards of beauty (Dove: Campaign for Real Beauty). Jean Kilbourne, in her 30 minute DVD special, Killing Us Softly 3, clearly states that media’s portrayal of “desirable beauty” is impossible for the average woman to achieve; therefore, sending girls into a never ending downward spiral of unsatisfied expectations (Killing Us Softly 3). The average model is 5 feet 10 in. and 110 lbs. The average woman is 5 feet 4 in. and 145 lbs (Witmer). Only about 5% of the women in the world have the specific body type that is labeled desirable by marketers (Killing Us Softly 3). These women are models; they are tall, thin, have small hips, big eyes, big lips, a big bust, and a small nose (“Fashionable Body”). Most fashion models are 98% thinner than American women (“Statistics: Eating Disorders and Their Precursors”). One can clearly observe the unrealistic standards set for women. A University of Minnesota study says that by staring at a digitally edited image for just 1-3 minutes can damage a girl’s self esteem.

The New York Times reported that the U.S. is so utterly focused and obsessed with the negativity of obesity that normal weight girls are seeing themselves as fat. Girls are focusing diligently and struggling to avoid obesity; this new obsession and fear is causing danger for normal weight teens whose self-esteem have plummeted (Parker-Pope). In a survey conducted by the NEDA, 81% of ten year olds are afraid of being fat and 42% of first through third graders want to be thinner. Within a different survey, 80% of women in the U.S. were not happy with their bodies (“Statistics: Eating Disorders and Their Precursors”).

As girls are trying to navigate these confusing waters, there are solutions to these seemingly permanent body image issues. Parents can have a huge influence over their daughters, whether a young girl, preteen, or teenager. Young girls are being introduced to the ideas of stereotypes all throughout their childhood, and parents can help reverse or avoid these false values by simply talking and engaging in conversation. While watching a TV show, commercials, or children’s movies, parents can ask their daughters questions to evoke their opinion, and they can realize that the reality of the “world is much richer than what she’s being sold”(Lamb 265). In a chapter of Sharon Lamb’s book, Packaging Girlhood, called Rebel, Resist, Refuse: Sample Conversations with Our Daughters, Lamb states that by reintroducing a girl’s life in comparison to what they watch can and will influence the choices they make and what they believe (Lamb). Parents can model critical thinking by comparing and contrasting the images that they see with their actual child’s experience. Although finding a solution for tweens is slightly harder than doing so with young children, the process is the same. The questions parents should ask their daughters are more complicated and the conversations had should be more reflective then conversations with a young girl (Lamb). A parent can point out the unfair changes a girl must go through in society to be acceptable. Because most teenage girls desire to be independent, parents need to be cautious when talking to their teenage daughters about the images sent out through media. When teenage girls sense a critical undertone, they get defensive and are prone to fight back, defending who they are. Although they may not want to admit that whatever group they have placed themselves in has been influenced by the media, the parent can still talk to them about “their world” (Lamb). Girls need to realize that they can criticize the media’s messages without criticizing themselves. Sharon Lamb states it plainly that “the point isn’t to make your daughter skeptical about the world, but about the people who are presenting a narrow view of it to her and thereby limiting her opportunities”(Lamb 294).

Media’s outlets target teenage girls and overwhelm them with messages degrading their bodies and selfworth. The detrimental damage done to teenage girls is almost inevitable in today’s society. Although this is true, teenagers have a way to either stop these effects from taking place, or reverse the damaging effects. Parents have a conceptual understanding of the media’s goals and influences that teenagers often miss. Parents can discuss the stereotypes they see, engage in conversation about awareness, question the media’s motives and statements, and debate the message’s impact with their daughters to let girls realize the incriminatingly obvious lies of the media.

Girls are led to believe they are valueless objects, only created to be subject to others pleasure; this is what they get after starving themselves so that they can fit into a society where girls are taught to be a certain type of person, other than themselves, often for the purpose of selling products. Boys do not face these same problems as girls or not as intensely. It is vital that girls think critically about the media, its messages, and who will shapes their lives. Girls, like all people, should be nurtured to care for themselves, not because they are consumers, but because they are valuable human beings, desired, and accepted no matter what they look like.

115 Work Cited List Bennett, Jessica. “Generation Diva.” Newsweek. Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2009. Web. 30 Dec. 2009. http://www.newsweek.com/id/191247?GT1=43002 “Body Image, Media Effect on- Trends in Media Depictions of the Ideal Body, Media Effects on Body Image.”

Encyclopedia Britannica. Online Encyclopedia. 30 Dec. 2009. http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/6435/Body-Image-Media-Effect-on.html “Cool Hunting: What’s it like Hunting for ‘Cool?’” Frontline, PBS. Web. 23 Jan. 2010. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/etc/hunting.html DeNoon, Daniel J. “Media Exposure Linked to Child, Teen Health, Behavior Problems.” Fox News. Fox News, 4 April, 2006. Web. 2 Jan. 2010. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190566,00.html Dove: Campaign for Real Beauty. Dove. March 14, 2008. Web. 9 December, 2009 “Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising.” Healthy Place: America’s Mental Health Channel. 11 Dec. 2008.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/eating-disorders-body-image-andadvertising/menu-id-58/ “Exposure to the Mass Media and Weight Concerns Among Girls.” Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Acadamy of Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics. 1999. Web. 2 Jan. 2010.

“Fashionable Body: a brief history.” Dove. http://www.dove.us/#/CFRB/arti_cfrb.aspx[cp-documentid=7051092]/ “Key findings from the Teen Media study.” Teen Media: Mass Media and Adolescent Health. 2005. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women. Narr. Jean Kilbourne. The Media Education Foundation, 1999.

DVD. Lamb, Sharon Ed.D., Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D. Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing our Daughters from Marketers’ Schemes. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2006. Print.

Landau, Elizabeth. “Study links sexual content on TV to teen pregnancy.” CNN. 3 Nov. 2008. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/03/teen.pregnancy/index.html Slim Hopes. Narr. Jean Kilbourne. The Media Education Foundation, 1999. DVD. Parker-Pope, Tara. “Many Normal-Weight Teens Feel Fat.” New York Times. New York Times, 23 June 2008. Web. 30 Dec. 2009. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/many-normal-weight-teens-feel-fat/ Petersen, Karla. Personal Interview.

“Special Issues for Tweens and Teens: The ‘Tween Market.’” Media Awareness Network. Web. 2009. 4 Jan. 2010. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/issues_teens_marketing.cfm “Statistics: Eating Disorders and Their Precursors.” NEDA. 2008. Web. 2 Jan. 2010. http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=286&Profile_ID=41138 Steyer, James P. “The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media’s Effect on Our Children.” New York: Atria Books. 2002. Print.

“Teen Media Exposure Associated With Depression Symptoms in Young Adulthood.” Science Daily, 3 Feb. 2009.

Web. 2 Jan. 2010. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202174816.htm “Merchants of Cool: Interview: Todd Cunningham, Frontline, PBS. Web. 23 Jan. 2010. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/interviews/cunningham.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/etc/hunting.html Witmer, Denise. “How does the media effect body image in teens?” About Teens. About. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://parentingteens.about.com/od/bodyimage/f/media_bodyimage.htm

116 Alex Knoll Craig Butz Research in the Community A Block January 19, 2010 WARNING: THIS PAPER MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! Why Play? : Appeal of Video-Games 4.7 million copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold in the US and the UK alone over the opening weekend (November 2009.) Once it hit the shelves, millions of gamers immediately went to go buy the game. These gamers have earned Infinity Ward, the creator of this game, over 310 million dollars on the opening weekend. These figures leave behind the 155 million dollars that box office smash film, The Dark Knight, earned during opening weekend (Gaylord). This grand success is not only due to the fact that most new release Xbox games (Modern warfare included,) cost $60 while most movies cost $10-12 for the general public. It is also due to way the game designers create their games. They couldn’t get all of those gamers to buy a game that they wouldn’t enjoy playing for hours on end. Game designers craft video games so that gamers feel appealing emotions and associate playing the game with feeling the desired emotion. This causes the gamer to have a desire to play the game every time they want to feel the emotion. There is no assured way to make sure a game sells. Game designers can rely on old templates or base games off of those that have done well but in general, game designers have to go off their gut when producing their art (Bura 1).

Because the art of making video games is hard to examine with logic, let us examine video game design as a science. And because it is hard to find a definition of one good game, let us use a possible definition given by a revolutionary game designer, Sid Meier. In Meier’s opinion, “a [good] game is a series of interesting choices.” (qtd. in Bura 2). Each choice is determined by what game variables that the game designer has put into the game and lay in front of the gamer. Each choice affects their emotional state and they’re eventual impression of the game.

One basic example of emotional game design is the best selling game, Legend of Zelda. During the game, you play as Link, the heroic swordsman who goes to save the Princess Zelda from the evil magician, Ganondorf. In the game you are fighting your way through all of the various castles which are filled with Ganondorf’s minions.

During this time, your health is measured by a number of pink hearts at the top of the screen known as your health bar. Giving the player more hearts means a greater amount of health and would instill confidence in the player.

Despite the fact that confidence is generally a good emotion and makes the player happy, occasionally it can lead to other bad emotions. When someone becomes overconfident, they may not proceed with caution and they may become injured causing a negative change in the emotional state. Because of effects like this, game designers even try not to induce positive emotions that may induce other emotions that may be negative (Bura 1). In general it would be better to induce positive emotions that do not cause actions that lead to negative ones.

A few examples of good emotional programming within a game can be found in Haden Blackman’s newest game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Discussing what emotions are crafted into the game, Blackman said, [Lucasfilm] basically wanted to make you feel really empowered in the universe and be able to do things in the game that you wouldn’t think were possible… There is a moment in the game early where you come into this hangar and there’s a whole bunch of tie fighters up there, hanging from the ceiling and you can actually use the force to grab a tie fighter and slam it into the ground. …Every single time we demoed the game, we had to tell the people who were playing the game to try it. Because they … wouldn’t think you could do that. That seems just so over the top. Then once they did it, it was awesome.

In this case, the emotion is empowerment or confidence. The player feels empowered whenever playing and would associate playing the game with feeling. The game provides a sense of power that one wouldn’t have when playing, say, football. The gamer can pickup a small spacecraft from hundreds of yards away and crush the oncoming threats with it or electrocute people with your fingers (along with many more options.) Blackman also said that while designing the game the designers made sure that “every level … had to have 3 or 4 of these sandbox moments where the gamer could do something big.” The moments usually occurred when fighting a boss (a significantly harder opponent that marks a milestone along a game) and usually portrayed the gamer’s character finishing them off.

Whether it was filling a Sarlacc pit with force lightning or crushing an AT-ST with their mind, these sections of the game do a exquisite job of making the gamer puff up their chest with pride as they single handedly bring down those who seem unbeatable.

Along with the emotion of empowerment, there are a couple other emotions you feel as you play through the story of the game. Star Wars is such a famous saga and an enormous crowd of people feel a strong attachment to the movies they saw when they were younger or, for the new generation, maybe even game stories that they played through or TV show spin-offs that they have seen. For these audiences, going back and reinventing Star Wars and controlling the character as they found the rebellion would give the gamer a feeling of nostalgia. It will cause them

117 to think back about the various characters that you see in the story. Some of them are even painted in different lights throughout the story. For example, Darth Vader will make a gamer feel a wide variety of feelings throughout the story. The game starts playing as Darth Vader. The mission objective is to eliminate one of the last few Jedi who survived Order 66 (when the majority of Jedi were killed by their own soldiers.) Vader fights through the Wookie planet of Kashyyyk, learning the controls of how to play the game, until he finds this Jedi. He is defeated easily, but Vader feels a stronger force power nearby. He kills the Jedi and find out that the strong power was the Jedi’s 5-6 year old son. He save this boy from the imperial forces who are trying to kill him and over time he becomes Vader’s apprentice who you play as for the remainder of the game. The fact that Vader saves the character you inhabit’s life makes you feel, in the beginning of the game, invested in working for Darth Vader” (Blackman). However later in the game, your character is betrayed by his master as he stabs you and throws you out into space. He tells you that he did all of this in order to make the emperor think the apprentice is dead but the gamer should feel some resentment and shock over their master’s betrayal. Over the rest of the game Vader betrays him a second time and the rebel’s side should seem more and more appealing. On the final level, the apprentice storms an imperial ship and defeats Vader. You have the choice to run away and save the rebels, or stay and finish off Vader who has been defeated and take his place at the emperor’s side (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). During the game, in addition to feeling empowered, you will also feel at first loyalty and then anger or even hatred of Vader. Also, you may feel companionship with the rebels that you once hunted but now support. At the end of the game when you reach the climax where you have your choice to make, you have a choice of emotions. You can indulge revenge and wipe off the source of your anger, or you can have the warm fuzzy feeling of having saved lives. Either one canl feel good for different reasons but the player will get to choose which emotions they wish to feel once they reach this section of the game.

In addition to the sense of empowerment and the emotional rollercoaster that is Vader, each individual level has a general emotional theme. There is a “haunted house level and an action diehard level” (Blackman) in an addition to so many more that make the story fun. There are so many different emotional elements in each one. It may be slowly creeping through a Sarlacc with unseen enemies popping out at you (fear,) a level filled with problem solving and riddles (fascination,) or a level filled with intense action sequences and beautiful landscapes (enthrallment,) but there is always emotional triggers embedded into each section of the game. There are several different styles to play video games like this. You can run up close and button mash (press the same buttons really fast) in order to slice up your opponents with your lightsaber. Or you could take a more tactical approach by throwing objects and chocking enemies from afar. Or you could electrify several enemies at once. Whatever your style, game designers make sure that each style look appealing and is enjoying to the player (Blackman).

In a different game, say, Left for Dead 2, we find several differences and similarities. But first in order to compare and contrast them you need to understand the basic plot. Basically, there is a zombie apocalypse and you are one of the few left standing. You and your friends choose from the four characters in the game and fight your way through levels, finding new weapons or types of ammo, filling up escape cars with gas or even playing a rock concert to scare zombies away. Just like in SWtFU (Star Wars, the Force Unleashed), there are relatable and hateable characters. But unlike SWtFU, there is an option to play with friends. “Once you add a multiplayer option,” Blackman says, “it is no longer a single player game with a multiplayer component, it is a multiplayer game with a single player component.” Despite the enormous appeal of being able add a team mentality and a feeling of accomplishment from defeating a human opponent, it is much harder to make a multiplayer games fun then it is to make single player games fun. For example, Blackman said that there was going to be an online multiplayer competitive mode to The Force Unleashed, but because they give you so many powers in the game, when they tested the mode, people were using so many force powers that no one could tell what was going on. And unfortunately, unlike your AI opponents, human players need to see in order to function. There are two obvious solutions to this problem: remove powers in multiplayer modes or play co-operatively. Both of these solutions have their problems. If the player plays through the story and gets used to having all of these extremely powerful abilities, it will make the multiplayer seem dull to dull down all of the powers so that gameplay is visible. But if you play cooperatively, gamers may get tired of playing the same levels because unlike human enemies, AI enemies will probably follow vaguely the same course of action each time you play. When human enemies face each other, it is a new experience every time. The Left for Dead series solves this problem by playing co-op through the story. They try not to make it boring by making a lot of levels that you can play and making new editions of the game that provide new levels and new AI opponents to defeat.

Unlike SW:tFU and Left for Dead, Fallout 3 a couple aspects that are individual to in comparison to the other games. As you play through the story, the connections to the characters seem to end up being stronger than most of the other games. There is a character in the game who is your friend from childhood. She is at you birthday party when you play as a small child and she gives you your present at your party. Over the story you feel an

118 attachment to her. There is one section in the game where you are the run from the people who own the facility you are in. You are walking through this hallway and you hear a girl crying. You turn and look through a window, and you see two menacing men standing over that girl. I have asked a couple of my friends and all of us reacted the same way. We felt such a protective feeling that we broke through the door and shot down the two men. The girl immediately starts screaming and sobbing and tell you she never wants to see you again. It turns out you just shot her dad. You feel really guilty because you saw the dad earlier and you know who he is but because you are so caught up in the way each character and setting make you feel, you don’t think of the people as people but more as threats that are threatening the character you have sympathized with. This is proof that you are so emotionally immersed in the story that you may react stronger to situations then you would in real life.

The popular game, Portal, approaches game design in a different way; it is a puzzle game. The gamer wakes up in a room and a computer voice instructs them that they need to complete various tests. You have a gun that shoots two types of energy. When the each kind of energy hits a wall, it creates a different kind of portal. When you walk into one portal, you will come out the other and vice versa. You use this gun, logic, and reasoning in order to work your way through many levels avoiding gunfire, poison, and fire. The player feels a sense of accomplishment as they work through the story, figuring out tricky puzzles that defy the laws of physics. Also, in the game, there is an element of humor. The computer is trying to convince you that you need to do the experiments and they wont hurt you despite the fact that it is very clear that they will. They are trying to emulate human emotions and it is comical where the game designers made the computer fail. For example, this computer tries to give you a friend and it hands you a box. This is dubbed you “companion crate.” Also, it keeps offering that, “Cake, followed by grief counseling, will be available at the end of the testing period.” (Portal). However, you keep seeing markings on the wall from past test subjects who apparently went crazy. But you keep seeing messy scrawling on the wall that says “THE CAKE IS A LIE!” (Portal). Then when you go to the “party,” they try to put you in an incinerator. You escape and go to destroy the computer. The computer starts laughing and telling you it was a joke. As you start to destroy the computer, it starts to make excuses to itself to make it seem as if it’s fine like, “You think you're doing some damage? Two plus two is... [Sparking and fizzling noise] Ten. IN BASE FOUR! I'M FINE!” (Portal). As the computer continues to die, it keeps making comical excuses, threats, and even sings you a song during the credits.

Not only are these game experiences funny and enjoyable experiences for the gamer, but some of these phrases become insides jokes among people who played the game. These inside jokes and catch phrases are referred to as memes. These memes such as “the cake is a lie!” or “companion crate” (Portal) can encourage people who haven’t played the game to play the game in order to understand these inside jokes among their friends.

All of these examples show different emotions induced by choices on various gameplay variables. The game provides different levels of freedom as you work your way through the story. In the beginning, the story starts out the same for everyone. This makes the cinematics fit as you learn how to play the game. As you follow the story, you are forced to make choices. They can be small ones, like which fighting style you use during a fight, but as you move through the story, during the middle you are given a great deal of freedom (in most fun games.) you will be given the opportunity to choose how you reach the end of the game. You are given a beginning and an end but it is you who decides how you get there. So, overall, you have the most choices and freedom during the middle portion of the game. These choices have been shafted so that you may come away from the game with an overall positive gaming experience.

Because video games stir such emotions in gamers when they play, they may spend their time with a game console instead of going outside. This could seem harmless, but in the case of impressionable teenage boys, this could have some harmful effects. If you spend your time only reacting to digital AI personalities, you may not learn all of the necessary social skills in order to react once you get out into the real world. Or, because the vast majority of the video games played these days by teenage boys include enormous amounts of violence, playing these games for hours on end can result in violent or aggressive behavior when the boy finally does interact outside of the game.

These detrimental effects to a child’s development can cause many problems in a child’s life so even though playing video games can evoke appealing emotions, play in moderation.

I would like to acknowledge the following people: Ava Hoffman, Andreis Bergeron, and Craig Butz for help editing my paper and Haden Blackman for allowing me a personal interview.

119 Bibliography Binns, James. Interview by Marc Cieslak. BBC. Radio Broadcast. Bbc.co.uk. Jan. 2, 2010.

Blackman, Haden. Personal Interview. 19 Jan. 2010.

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Brockman, Joshua. “Who’s Gaming Now? Seniors turn to Wii Bowling.” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. Dec. 10, 2009.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Video Game. Activision, Jan. 18, 2010. DVD-ROM. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Video Game. Activision, Dec. 25, 2009. DVD-ROM. Gaylord, Chris. “Modern Warfare 2 sales nuke all previous records.” The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, Nov. 12, 2009. Web. Dec. 10, 2009.

Goodman, Rachel Dretzin, John Maggio, and Will Lyman. Growing Up Online. Alexandra, Virginia: PBS Home Video, 2008. Print.

Herring, Steven. “A good FPS with Promise for the future...” Product review for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

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Joeckel, Sven. and Dogruel, Leyla. "The Appeal of Unsuitable Video Games: An Exploratory Study on Video Game Regulations in an International Context and Media Preferences of Children in Germany" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Marriott, Chicago, IL, May 21, 2009. Nov. 11, 2009.

Parker-Pope, Tara. “10 Video Games to Cross of your Child’s Gift List.” The New York Times. The New York Times, Dec. 10, 2009. Web. Dec. 10, 2009.

Portal. Video Game. Valve, Jan. 30, 2010. DVD-ROM. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Video Game. Lucasfilm, Jan. 21, 2010. DVD-ROM. “Video Game Industry Tries to Broaden it’s Appeal.” The Sydndey Morning Herald. Sydney Morning Herald, Jul. 17, 2008. Web. Dec. 12, 2009.

120 Malia Madden Research in the Community Craig Butz 25 January 2010 Drugs in the Media: Influencing Youth and Society In our society, the media play a large role in creating an image of what is considered proper behavior for teenagers. The media present both individual viewpoints and stereotypes of different lifestyles, which then affect the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of young children who are just learning about the world and thus most vulnerable to new ideas. When children grow up seeing and hearing certain things in the media, they tend to believe that the behaviors depicted are normal and acceptable. By the time they are teenagers, they have preconceived attitudes about sex, “appropriate” relationships, violence, and, most importantly, the role of drugs in society. Music, movies and television tend to portray drugs as either commonly acceptable or highly harmful. Both the positive and the negative portrayals of drugs are extreme, unrealistic and detrimental to the youth of society; they must be changed if we want a healthier community.

Because most homes have televisions, this medium is the most accessible when it comes to the portrayal of drugs and drug addiction. In most cases, television does not delve into harder drug addiction, focusing instead on the use of marijuana and alcohol. Because television does not talk about drugs in such a serious light, it is the least influential of the three media. On television consumption of these substances is usually shown as “carefree,” ignoring any hidden consequences. Although some commercials, such as “Above the Influence” ads, show drugs as detrimental, they are so over-dramatized in their portrayal of marijuana’s ill effects that teenagers do not take them seriously. And yet, because television tries to appeal to a wide audience, the consequences of serious drug use are rarely displayed.

Movies, however, are more likely than television to explore hard drugs and the plight of addicts in society.

A study done by the National Drug Control Policy found that 98% of movies show the use of drugs (“Truth About Drugs” 118). Michelle Thorsen, a drug addict counselor in San Francisco whom I interviewed, says that the depiction of drug users in movies is both demoralizing and discouraging to watch. Thorsen finds that her patients, particularly females, often feel a sense of powerlessness and worthlessness when they see addicts shown as helpless victims with no hope for their futures. Rarely is it shown that it is possible to take drugs, hold down a job, and still live a decent life. Though the result of drug use varies in movies, teenagers are less likely to be tempted when they see a negative outcome. When the outcome is positive, drug use appears more appealing and exotic.

Another study showed that 26% of movies involving drugs “contained explicit, graphic portrayals of their preparation and or ingestion” (“Substance Use” 5). This can be highly dangerous because it provides teenagers with too much knowledge, which in turn allows them to learn how adults use different drugs (“Illicit Drugs and Use”).

Even television news programs are guilty of such real-life footage of drug use, which serves no useful purpose other than confusing children and tempting teens.

Movies and television may be popular, but music is the most influential form of media for youth everywhere. On average, youth listen to music four to six hours per day, which is approximately half a day (National Drug Policy Control). The main genre of music that glorifies drug use is rap, which usually makes references to the more “popular” drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and acid. In fact, 63% of rap songs reference illicit drugs (“Drugs in Media”). Most often, the songs associate using drugs with having a good time, or selling drugs to make money.

Because of rap’s enormous popularity with youth, its portrayal of drugs as an important element of wealthy, glamorous lives is most detrimental.

But rap is not the only musical style that glorifies drugs. Famous bands such as The Beatles, one of the most influential musical groups of all time, often refer metaphorically to LSD and other heavy drugs. Because famous, respected artists endorse drugs through their music, they send out a subtle message that drugs can lead to fame. Teenagers who listen to this music and know the lyrics of every song get the idea that by using drugs, they too will be able to relate to these artists, and that drug use is acceptable in society and essential to creativity. Songs that address refusing drugs or that show drugs as harmful are very uncommon in popular music.

In all media, the portrayal of drugs falls into three main categories. The first and least influential is when the media show no drug use. This makes youth believe that drugs play a less important role in society that they actually do. The second and most powerful portrayal of drugs is one that shows their serious, negative consequences: overdose, death, suicide, depression, lack of relationships, and powerlessness to resist drugs. These sorts of portrayals can scare audiences into thinking that all drugs, even less harmful ones such as marijuana, will lead to ultimate and permanent harm. When the media over-dramatize drug use this way, viewers have a distorted perception. Finally, the third category portrays drug use as resulting in no consequences. This portrayal conveys the

121 message that a person can use drugs and still maintain a functional life, which serves to entice youth to try drugs without fear of addiction.

These different media portrayals affect four distinct groups: young children, undecided teenagers, teenagers against the use of drugs, and drug addicts. Each group is affected by the portrayals in a different way. The first, most naïve audience is young children, who are often exposed to a large amount of media. Children between 8 and18 spend an average of 6.5 hours per day consuming different media, mainly music, movies, and television (“Drugs in Media”). If the media show no substance abuse whatsoever, children remain oblivious to the problem and unaware of the lure of drugs. As they transition into teenagers, they will suddenly be exposed to a large amount of drug use both in the media and among their friends in high school, and be ignorant about the negative effects of drugs. On the other hand, if they see the serious consequences of drug use when they are too young, they end up frightened and will avoid drugs and view people who use drugs as bad and dangerous.

Teenagers who are unsure if they want to try drugs comprise the most unpredictable group because they can go toward drug use or away from it. Because they have an “open” view, they may be easier to convince. For these teens, media without the mention of drugs still leaves them curious about the positive and negative effects.

Showing these easily influenced teens the negative effects and serious consequences of drug use will tend to push them away from the draw of drugs. It has been shown that people who want to try drugs but have not yet done so are very influenced when shown the harm that drug use can cause (“Drugs in Media”). On the other hand, showing no consequences from drug use is disadvantageous because it then gives teens the idea that a person can take drugs without fear of negative results. Teenagers respect different popular actors and artists, and if they see these famous idol-like figures involved with drugs without consequences it will impact their views.

The third group affected by media portrayal of drugs is teenagers who are against drug use and closed off to the idea. Teenagers’ views are constantly changing, and the power of peer pressure is a never-ending struggle. When the media show no drugs, the teens feel as if it is possible to live a normal life without the need for drugs, which proves that not showing drug use can be beneficial. If the media show stern consequences and a negative attitude towards illicit drugs it also reinforces the beliefs of these anti-drug youth. Yet showing only the harshest consequences and putting all drugs in the same category give teenagers misinformation and false perceptions. Worst of all is conveying the image that drug use has no negative effects, which makes drugs seem acceptable and may make these anti-drug teens rethink their life choices.

The last group targeted by the media is not necessarily comprised of younger people susceptible to influences, but people who have already been influenced and suffer from drug addiction. Because they are already suffering with this problem, they are more sensitive to the depictions of drug abusers. When the media show no drugs, this can be the most comforting to users because they do not have to reflect on their already life-consuming problems. but can mindlessly enjoy the pleasure of different entertainment. When, however, they see themselves portrayed as worthless and pathetic, they, like Michelle Thorsen’s patients, must struggle with self-esteem. Unlike many other therapists, Thorsen believes that it is sometimes possible to live a normal life and cope with addiction, and that this idea should be expressed more clearly. Addicts who are made to feel even worse about their value and possibilities will dive deeper into helplessness and addiction, according to Thorsen. Lastly, when the results of drug use are shown as harmless, this portrayal may cause mixed feelings for abusers about themselves, but overall they will be happier not being viewed as worthless, immoral human beings.

In conclusion, it seems that the best possible outcome for all targeted audiences is showing little or no drug use in the media. Granted, children and teens may not be prepared when confronted with drugs, but neither will drugs seem to be such an important element of society. Since both negative and positive portrayals of drugs cause mixed feelings about the subject, it is most logical to keep the mention of drugs or views of drugs out of the media.

If teenagers see that drug abuse does not play a major role in their community, they will think less of drugs and their importance to youth. Not just that, but people already suffering with addiction will feel comforted to know they will not have to see such harsh depictions of users like themselves. Most portrayal of drugs, both good and bad, change and effect viewers’ outlook on the subject, which society needs to realize. Slowly, society must discourage the media depiction of drug use until the content dwindles and eventually disappears.

Overall, the influence of the media plays a large part in the upbringing of teenagers and what they view as the “social norms.” Both positive and negative portrayals of drugs make an impact on how teens think drugs might improve their social status and make them more like the popular actors and music artists who glorify drug use.

Because the media play such a large role in people’s lives, so many drug depictions, both positive and negative, are harmful to society and result in an over-emphasis on drugs that must be changed in order to create a healthier, smarter future for all.

I would like to acknowledge Maia Madden, for proof reading my paper and helping me with grammatical errors.

122 Bibliography “Adolescent Decision Making.” ASPE. Health and Human Services. Web. 9 December 2009 “Ads Linked to Unhealthy Habits in Kids.” Family Guide. Health and Human Services. 17 November 2004. Web 9 December 2009..

Roberts, Donald F.. “Alchohol, Drugs, and Tobacco in Media.” National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

February 2000. Web. 1 January 2010.

Black Tar Heroin. Dir. Steven Okazki. Home Box Office.

“Evaluation of National Youth.” National Institute on Drug Abuse. Web. 2 January 2010.

“Exposure to Substance.” National Survey and Drug Use and Health. 2 April 2009. Web. 2 January 2010.

“Illicit Drugs and Use.” National Drug Intelligence Center. 1 Januuary 2006. Web. 2 January 2010.

“Influence of the Mass Media.” Health Affairs.Web. 2 January 2010.

“Media and their influences.” PubMed Central. BCJP. Web. 2 January 2010. “Prescription Drugs and Media.”

NIHCM Foundation. September 2000. Web. 1 January 2010.

“Preventing Drug Abuse.” Office of National Drug Control Policy. 1999. Web. 2 January 2010.

Robert, Donald F. “Substance Use in Popular Movies and Music” National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. March 1994. Web. 1 January 2010.

Kittleson, Mark J., ed. “The Truth About Drugs” New York: Book Builders. Print.

123 Melissa Martin Craig Butz Research in the Community D Block January 23, 2010 Success with Single-Sex Education From one of the greatest philosophers, scientists and writers of all time, Sir Francis Bacon, comes the famous quote, “knowledge is power.” Throughout time, education has been vital for the growth and success of society. Education separates the classes and affects every part of life. Humanity’s common goal is to gain as much information as possible and use it to its advantage. In previous times, education was reserved for wealthy men, and only within the last century have women been able to attend schools. While it was believed that women were not as intelligent and were not worth being educated, that notion has changed in modern day society. Recently, a great amount of research has been done about female and male brains and how each learns best. Traditionally, women and men were segregated because of hierarchy in society but studies have shown that single-sex education is beneficial to a child’s development. While there are disadvantages to single sex education, the pros outweigh the cons. It is necessary that the differences between the genders be known for the wellbeing and interest of the child’s education.

Although single-sex education seems outdated and exclusive, boys and girls benefit from specialized teaching fitted to how they learn best and in single-sex schools, they’re provided with the skills they need to become successful leaders in the world.

With the differences known about how their brains are wired comes an understanding of how the students learn and how each gender behaves which gives the teachers and parents a better sense of the kids. This understanding helps the teachers create a curriculum fitted to the gender and also how to interact with them.

Problems occur when both genders are held to the same standards because boys and girls are different and can’t be compared.

An example of teachers knowing about how boys learn and act appears in Why Gender Matters. Dr. Leonard Sax tells a story of boys in a classroom. The boys sat in the back of the room and the teacher thought that they were distracted and were choosing not to pay attention. This was not the case. While the teacher was speaking in an audible manner, the boys in the classroom had a harder time hearing than the girls did. Their lack of focus came from their difficulty hearing the teacher. With this difference known, the teacher might not have judged the boys thinking that they were not paying attention (Sax).

Boys are typically more distractible and active than girls; sometimes that hinders their ability to learn.

While it is a stereotype that boys are more hyper and don’t focus as well, it is true. According to the United States Department of Education, boys are five times more likely to be classified as “hyperactive” (Understanding).

Although it is seen in a negative way, those are the traits of boys but with proper help and education this can be remedied. Since boys have a lot of energy and it is often hard for them to sit for long periods of time, hands-on activities and movement help them learn (Understanding). At an all-boys school, the educators are aware of this and include more hands-on activities and allow the students to take more breaks. Also, boys are less verbal than girls. An average classroom is 4/5 language based. A few decades ago, children weren’t expected to read until first grade but now that schools are expecting that the children are able to read in kindergarten, it is harder for them to catch up.

Along with not understanding the material, they feel a sense of shame and are discouraged when they’re around peers or girls who grasp the concepts more easily. Over time the experience of failure sticks with them and they come to believe that they’ll never get better or change (Understanding).

“Prohibited from the physical activity they need, criticized for the content of their mind and required to do work they can not do as well as the little girls around them, it is not surprising that some of these boys get off to a bad start, giving up before they’ve begun (Understanding).

At a single sex school the teachers are more educated about the pace of reading for the boys and won’t hold them to such high standards nor would they compare them to the girls in the class.

Girls minds are less concrete and more open ended. In an interview with Julie Taufa’asau, Dean of Students at the Bay School of San Francisco, who previously worked at an all girl’s school in Hawaii, mentioned something she had learned in a seminar. Girls don’t do as well with multiple choice questions on a test. The girls struggle with this because their minds are more open ended and they don’t see things in “black and white.” After learning this, Ms.Taufa’asau had a better understanding of her student’s minds and knowing that they struggle with multiple choice questions she incorporated more open ended questions on her tests(Taufa’asau).

According to multiple sources, it is said that a single sex education lowers gender stereotyping. For example, boys in an all boys school could pursue the arts without feeling the pressure of “masculine” interests and classes. In an interview with Ms.Taufa’asau, she said that this was apparent. Working in an all girls school she said she worked with girls from all ends of the spectrum. She mentioned about her experience there, “I have never been

124 surrounded by such girly girls as I was at a girls schools and I’ve also never been surrounded by such stereotypical ‘manly’ girls as I have at that school. You have the girls who would belch…and the girls who’d put glitter on everything and had their furry pens” (Taufa’asau). In such schools, individuality is accepted and the idea of impressing or embarrassing yourself in front of the opposite gender does not occur.

Another social part of single-sex education is the comfort level with each other and interactions with the opposite sex. In a single-sex school there is a greater sense of camaraderie and the people are closer to one another (Taufa’asau). I learned about this by talking to people about their experience at single-sex schools. The people I spoke to believed that they were closer to the people in their class and there was a greater connection to each other compared to the co-ed high schools they attend now.

One thing Ms.Taufa’asau noticed was that boys like to push the boundaries and girls are more inclined to please and do as they are told. Her experience at Bay is that sometimes the girls are pushed and influenced by the boys to challenge rules and policies. She also mentioned how the girls keep the boys “in line” (Taufa’asau). It is also said that the interaction between boys and girls is considered beneficial. Studies show that there is often competition between the sexes which is beneficial to academic improvement (Clark).

A main argument against single-sex education is that it does not directly improve academic success. While private schools generally have nice facilities, focused curricula and small class sizes, the success comes from those qualities not the aspect of it being a single-sex school. One person’s view is that, “they benefit merely from being rich and attending elite private schools with favorable student- teacher ratios and superior facilities and curricula.”

Also, it is believed that female and male natures don’t require a separate education (Kaminer).

Another main argument is that single sex-schools don’t affect the person’s interests in a certain class or subject. From one source it says that the inclination to math or science, for example, is an individual choice and not scientifically proven (Single Sex Schools Database). Certainly we all have our own personal interests but at a singlesex school each gender is exposed and encouraged to be interested in all subjects. The boys could freely pursue arts and music and the girls could pursue math and science for example. Exposure and interest in all of the subjects makes them more well-rounded students (Single Sex vs. Coed).

Since we live in a mixed gender society, it is necessary that we interact with the opposite sex. A few sources advise that children should be introduced to the other gender at a young age so they can learn each other’s behavior and get along with them (Single Sex Schools Database). A lot of the aversion to single-sex education is that it involves the person going to school with their own gender and not with the opposite sex. Especially for students higher than elementary school, they would prefer being with the opposite sex. In a survey about women’s colleges only three percent of high school seniors consider the United State’s eighty-two women’s colleges.

Prestigious women’s schools such as Smith, Wellesley and Mt. Holyoke are losing women to schools such as Harvard, Brown and Yale (Kaminer). In the past, women didn’t have the privilege to attend those schools which only admitted men.

Currently few adolescents don’t have the opportunity to attend single-sex schools. In the past there were many but currently there are fewer of them. Single-sex schools are almost always private schools. One source says that they are “for wealthy people and the underprivileged don’t have the same advantages” (Kaminer). This is the unpleasant truth but the reality. Many students are not granted that privilege. Dr. Leonard Sax, the main researcher on this subject, is helping change this. Although public schools are not single-sex schools they are trying to create single sex classrooms where they have some of the classes separated (Single Sex vs. Coed).

Similar to the idea Dr. Leonard Sax is trying to impose, many schools are experimenting with having single-sex classes in their co-ed schools. For example, in a school in Alabama after the principal read Dr. Leonard’s Sax’s book Why Gender Matters, he offered single-sex classes (Weil). This is a good solution for students who like being in a school with the opposite sex. This provides them an opportunity to have a good education and have a good experience in school.

While both types of education are proficient and produce good students, the education the students receive at a single-sex school goes beyond the standards. With the teachers knowing how to serve the students best, their teaching is more effective and helps the students really grasp the material. Many factors are taken under consideration when choosing between a single-sex and co-ed school but the arguments and benefits with single-sex education are outstanding. Education based on how the students learn best along with an accepting environment creates students who will succeed in schools, careers and beyond.

I acknowledge my peer editors Veronica Stamats, Taylor Graham and Angele Williams. I also acknowledge my mom for helping with the final edit.

125 Bibliography Clark, Charles S. “Education and Gender: Does the educational system shortchange females?” CQ Researcher, 3 June 1994. Web. 9 Dec 2009.

DeFao, Janine.” Single-gender education gains ground as boys lag / Experts worry that coed classrooms geared to girls put their counterparts at a disadvantage.” SF Gate. SF Gate, 18 January. 2007. Web. 17 December.

2009.

Kaminer, Wendy. “The Trouble With Single-Sex Schools.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly, 1998. Web. 14 December. 2009.

Sax, Leonard. Why Gender Matters: Why Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Random House, 2005. Print.

“Single Sex Schools: Database- Debate Topics and Debate Motions.” International Debate Education Association.

Web. 9 Dec 2009.

“Single Sex vs. Coed: The Evidence.” National Association for Single Sex Public Education. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Taufa’asau, Julie. Personal Interview. 16 Jan. 2010.

“Understanding and Raising Boys: Boys in School.” PBS Parents. PBS. Web. 30 December 2009.

Weil, Elizabeth. “Teaching Boys and Girls Separately.” New York Times, 2 Mar 2008.Web. 9 Dec 2009

126 Kimi Mena Research in the community-a block C. Butz It has always been and will forever be: the reality of Oakland There are certain problems which a stride for a solution might not be as realistic as we would like it to be.

Various real-life stories can illustrate the dangerous lives that youth in Oakland face that affects their life in general and their education. The education of teens, which are victims of or are involved with violence, in Oakland is detrimentally affected by means of [emotionally troubled students and dropout rates]; the police and school system need to approach this issue to become more aware of the severe toll that violence has taken on student's education.

Violence affecting Education (names and dates have either been changed or kept anonymous to protect the identity of individuals) Xavier and his best friend Juan lived on 3900 block of Oakland. Xavier and Juan were just like any other 7th grade boys living in Oakland, the city which had become dangerous it got the nickname "Baby Iraq". Xavier never understood why that was so, he had been living there since he was 3, and him and Juan had been neighbors since then, they were used to this lifestyle. Even though they were like many other 7th grade boys from any surrounding cities such as San Leandro, Richmond, and San Francisco, these boys had gone through so much living in Oakland that they talked about life as if they were 80 year-old men. And just like 80 year old men that had given up on trying in life and that weren't easily motivated, they would use a shortcut instead of walking a simple block, the boys named their laziness the "fun shortcut". The "fun" way home consisted of them telling their parents that they were taking the bus, getting money, walking instead, and buying food after school. Their routine went as follows: "we would walk to the liquor store on the corner, then 'cus we didn't want our parents to know that we weren't finna take the bus-and we weren't tryna be late- we would take a fun ass shortcut through the park for them little kids [a block away from home, on the 3800 block]. It was especially fun 'cus our parents never knew" said Xavier. Unfortunately one fateful day their traditional fun came to a tragic end. On April 20th, 2005 the boys decided to take their usual route, but at the end of the "little kids" park there was something they didn't expect, a dark figure. The tall dark figure then stopped them suddenly; asking them in a deep voice "what do ya bang?" At first Juan and Xavier tried to ignore him, and then he asked them again- directing his sharp eyes toward Juan. Juan and Xavier had only heard people use this term but never had they actually been asked such an awkward question.

Juan unaware that the man meant bang as in "where do you live", assumed that the man was using the word bang in the context of sex, because of the double meaning in for the word so he naively replied, "ha-ha, nothing Ima virgin, smart one", and Xavier just giggled. The boys kept walking through the small park, but as Juan shuffled for his house keys from his back pocket, his wallet dropped out. Xavier and Juan simultaneously looked back to see what had fallen and as Juan bent down and picked up his wallet they saw that same dark figure looming over them. He held a gun and looked directly at Juan yelling "I'm not a stupid Mayate [rude slang for dark person, usually related to being stereotypically stupid], I didn't ask you if you've fucked, I asked you what you banged!" In a blink of an eye Juan was on the park ground bleeding to death with three shot wounds to the head. Xavier cradled his dying best friend in his arms as the sirens of the ambulance played like a lullaby in the background, the paramedics came and everyone rushed out of their houses.

Xavier is now 19 and still blames himself to this day about Juan's death. Since then Xavier's awareness of what occurs around him while living in Oakland. He has lost many acquaintances, class mates and friends but "none of them will ever compare to Juanito's death." Many people go through this because, as Xavier has learned in the past five years, "the rule of Oakland is revenge over remorse." Xavier hasn't been the only person, and won't be the only teen to go through this or a similar experience. Many kids such as Gustavo who has lifelong and high school friends in gangs has gone through a lot to. He hasn't necessarily had a death that has been really close to him, but he's gone through other struggles. The reality is that Xavier's story is surprising but not uncommon in the youth of Oakland.

Oakland is the eighth-largest city California it's located in the San Francisco Bay about eight miles east of San Francisco. Based on the United State Census Bureau for 2008, Oakland is the 44th-largest city in the United Sates and has a population of 404,155 residents. Oakland has been widely recognized for its violent streets and gangs, and it's been made clear to anyone living or residing near the so called "town". Recently Discovery channel added an additional segment to their show Gang Wars called "Gang Wars: Oakland" and made two parts for a sequel. Both of these Oakland Gang Wars focused on two sides of East Oakland and on particular stories. Although the plots of both were fairly different they both opened up the same way. In both editions the narrator started off by saying, "Oakland, California, nearly 10,000 gang members fight for control of these streets. The result: A war zone with a murder every three days."("Live Dash Transcript") Many individuals were upset by this but the reality is that, Oakland is a violent place and especially difficult for student trying to get out of there or have a better life then that.

127 The violence that surrounds the youth in Oakland such as Xavier or others has been a lifestyle that kids have had to get used to. It's common to see that kids get involved and or have friends that are. The first segment of Gang Wars show specially focused on the African-American gang affiliation and the side of East Oakland widely known as "The Deep" or "Deep ESO". This segment showed how a drug dealer and OG [in gangs you become an Original Gangster once you have lived passed 18] named Filthy Rich, who is trying to decide whether he will to avenge the murder of his cousin who was like his cousin. This segment also followed the Oakland Gang Unit as they search for the person that killed Ronnie Grier, a 16-year-old murdered for being friends with a group called The Squad Boys.

In the second part to Gang Wars: Oakland there was a shift in focus. Gang Wars: Oakland II focused on the Latin gangs that reside in the rest of East Oakland. This segment followed the team of 8 members that make up Oakland's gang unit (Discovery) as they tried to find an alleged murder suspect by the name of Zapper. This segment also shadowed a small crew in Oakland that go by the name "9400 Boyz". Their leader Javier and his boys wear the colors of the Border Brothers, which run that area. The 9400 Boyz have learned the hard way that the colors that were supposed to protect them actually ended harming them. At the end of them Latino Gangs segment it's revealed to the audience that one of the Boyz is killed in a sideshow by the Norteno gang that dominates Oakland and has become one of the Border Brothers biggest rivals. The difference and similarities between both these segments show how Oakland not only got its reputation, but its getting an even newer one. Oakland is known for their "modern segregation" (interview) as well. The fact that Discovery channel had to shot to programs of Gang Wars in one city not only shows how hard it would be to get an education in a violent community such as Oakland , but it also speaks to the fact of how a teen in Oakland would be affiliated with gangs.

Just live Xavier, Gustavo has had a difficult time concentrating in school and classes, but for different reasons. Because of the fact that Gustavo has friends in gangs he sometimes gets caught up in there actions. He doesn't necessarily do what they do but, just like any other teenager going to school and living in Oakland, he's affiliated to them. He and many other teens in high school know that "getting caught up is unavoidable". In an interview with a teen such a Gustavo a girl that would like to stay anonymous said, "Si, muchos de mis amigos están en la pandilla de los norteños y yo ando con ellos, pero lo que nadie quiere aceptar es que la pandilla es mi familial no mi familia de verdad, pero si es mi familia. Cuando a mi me mataron a mi hermano mayor, todos me apoyaron y me dijeron de que ellos iban a estar ahí para mi cuando yo .los necesitara. You feel me though? yo no ando matando en la guerrillera de Oakland ni nada de eso pero igual como ellos me apoyaron a mi, yo los apoyo en lo que hagan.

La regla de ellos es: el que nos mate, lo mataremos, and those that fuck with us, gets fucked up." [Translated: Yes, many of my friends are Norteño gang members and I hang out with them. What no one seems to understand is that they're my family. They're not my biological family, but they're my family. When my brother was killed my older brother, they all were there to hold me up, and they made it clear to me that they were going to be there for me when I needed them for anything. You feel me though? I'm not out there killing in Oakland's war zone and none of that, but just like they supported me, I support them and their cause. Because their rule is: the one that kills one of us gets killed; and those that fuck with us, gets fucked up.] In many one on one interviews with youth living in Oakland, students said things such as "its part of living in Oakland" and "you can't stop it, it never crosses your mind 'cus, unless you don't live in Oakland, it's your life". Many individuals that live in Oakland said that "police profiling make the Oakland stereotypes stronger because that's all that people hear of", referring to the broadcasted news that "sees Oakland through the eyes of the cops or someone completely outside of the community". That's why one of the quick responses for many students when asked the simple question, "what makes it worse?" they responded, "police and their profiling".

While in Oakland the police in general act with the belief that more police force will result in less commotion, therefore the OPD is always recruiting new members and putting them out on the field faster. With less experienced and trained cops on the field, instead of putting more force for a positive outcome that backfires. The OPD in general should teach its new cops that police profiling in general is not right. In a conducted interview with an Oakland student, Arman, he shared a story about how police profiling has really messed him and his record up.

Arman stated that one day I after he was leaving a liquor-store a kid about four feet tall had stolen an item and ran, but as the police came to the scene they hand cuffed him and accused him of shoplifting. Not only did this not make sense because not only had Arman paid for his items and left the store after the kid, but he was also about six feet tall. There was a definite confusion and the only thing that tied them together was the fact that they had both gone to this same store, around the same time, in Oakland. Arman isn't the only person that goes through this, if you take in consideration Adora's story, you'll know that police profiling in Oakland happens everywhere and too common. She says that the "police always suspects" because she hangs out with her friends or just simply walking with her older brother. She shared many situations in which police profiling and there suspicions have just been ridiculous. In one of the situations she shared the instance in which during an argument with a white lady in west Oakland her friend ended getting bruises on her hand and when the police came it was apparent that the lady had nothing wrong with

128 her. But because of her race the lady was let go and her friend paid the price. In this circumstance the police officer clearly went out of his or her way to fine her friend when clearly she was the victim. This profiling and the stubborn thought coming from the OPD isn't making the situation better. Because in real circumstance, where someone is actually doing something nothing happens. The youth is being looked down upon by the governing officials of the city and the conflict between youth and police isn't getting resolved. Its obvious that it won't be resolved any time soon, but if the OPD doesn't do something to fix what they have been doing, and then they're just adding to the issue.

If the police task force just keeps poking at individuals and certain issues, of course they're going to strike back. It's like poking a cat while it's asleep, if you keep doing it there's going to be a point in which it will strike back and hurt you. Then whose fault is it? The cat was simply sleeping, you provoked it, and you could even say that it was just doing the same as you were. And this effects the youth's education because not only do they have enough distractions living in Oakland, but worrying about the police and worrying about what issues you'll face without doing anything, all this just makes matters worse. How is the district supposed to expect you to think hard and study harder if the Oakland officials aren't doing anything to help either? Exactly, they cant.

But unfortunately it has been made clear that Oakland's reputation doesn't just affect those living or commuting there, because Oakland's reputation has set fear in people all over the state and the country. On March 29,2009 the LA Times titled one of their articles "Oakland has been defined by violence, but its true identity is more complicated The slaying of four police officers last week has reinforced the area's negative reputation." Oakland's reputation doesn't necessarily affect others in the same way that Oakland's city members are affected. But their point of view on Oakland and what their students are worthy of doing is challenged. And not only because they see Oakland from afar and outside but because even Oakland's unified school district, isn't which should support their own students. Students don't necessarily have to be held to high standards if no one else seems to be willing to help them stay up when they're down. Its pretty dawning that a city inside of Oakland, Piedmont, has such strong academic support and all and that the city surrounding it has lost hope in their students. Piedmont's school district has "approximately 2,600 students. The student population has become increasingly diverse and includes 20 percent who are Asian, 3 percent Hispanic, 3 percent African American, and 74 percent Caucasian. On California Standards Tests (CST) and STAR, PUSD is among the highest ranking unified school districts in the Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x161;Ă&#x201E;Âś" (PUSD).

Where as in Oakland the school districts serves about 38,826 students, where there's 36.5% are African American, 33.7% are Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% are Asian, 6.8% White (not Hispanic), 5.4% are multiracial, 1.2% are Pacific Islander, .8% identify as Filipino and .4% as American Indian or Alaska Native"(OUSD). Having so many kids in such a well known city as Oakland, why have so many education standards in Oakland have dropped because the area seems. Dropping the educational standards and enforcing more and more police doesn't help anyone.

I think something needs to be done about this. I understand that most ideas such as: more money for the OUSD, or less police profiling, more police on really violent blocks, all these suggested solutions sound great, but they aren't necessarily realistic. Not only do we not have the money as a community, city, state, and even countrybut the other solutions aren't necessarily too realistic either. More police on heavy violent streets wouldn't necessarily help, if it hasn't helped yet. Police profiling won't just stop at the snap of anyone's fingers, if it could be it would've been done a long time ago. But for now and on a more short term basis some possible resources for student's facing this kind of stress or unavoidable issues could be youth groups. The following list is made up of a few groups that would be easily accessible and focus on getting the word out or helping you in situations. Most groups on the following groups open their arms to any students who are willing to commit to going and being openminded: Girls Inc., Boyz II Men, Youth in Focus, Youth ALIVE, and many more. There are also places that the youth can simply go to such as the East Oakland Youth Development Center, Oakland County youth assistance, and places during the summer like project YES. But for the parents of students in Oakland, something good to remember is to left your child come to you, and be open to what they have to say. If you tell them that what they do Is wrong or if you pressure them to go to some program that they might not necessarily be interested in then your just playing the sleeping cat on them, and it wont be pleasurable for anyone.

Acknowledging: I acknowledge: Rachel Shaw for helping me with a title. Sebastian Ravitz, Annie Steinberg, and Ben Gershbein for revising what I had at the time. I also acknowledge Gina-First Graduate tutor- for editing my story, paper & helping me with my organization. I'd also like to acknowledge all the students that were either mentioned or not mentioned in my paper and that let me interview them, there cooperation helped me tremendously.

129 Working bibliography Allison, Aimee. "Discovery Channel's 'Gang Wars: Oakland' Series Spreads All the Wrong Messages about Poverty and Minorities" AlterNet. Street Gangs, 22 September. 2009. Web. 4 January. 2010.

Adora. Personal interview. 13 January. 2010 Anonymous. Personal interview . 13 January. 2010 Anonymous. Personal Interview. 13 January. 2010 Anonymous. Personal Interview. 13 January. 2010 Asimov, Nanette. "Study puts Oakland dropout rate at 52% Mayor decries crisis--district questions research accuracy" SF Gate. San Francisco Chronicle, 5 April. 2005. Web. December 08. 2009.

Arman. Personal interview. 13 January. 2010 "Best High Schools: Gold Medal List" US News. U.S.News & World Report LP, 9 December. 2009. Web. December 28. 2009.

Burress, Charles. " Killings common, answers rare in Oakland area Oakland's 'war zone': Bullets fly, bodies fall on MacArthur Boulevard - as fear and grief overwhelm families, police step up patrols and outreach" SfGate.

Heast Communications, 28 September. 2008 Web. 30 December.2009.

De Gruy, Leiloni. "Over breakfast, grappling with solutions to violent gang crime" Los Angeles Wave. Wave Newspapers 24 December. 2009. Web. 29 December. 2010.

Dolan, Maura." Oakland has been defined by violence, but its true identity is more complicated: The slaying of four police officers last week has reinforced the area's negative reputation" LATimes. Los Angeles Times, 29 March. 2009. Web. 7 January. 2010.

Dunlap, Kamika. "Fruitvale calls for help on crime" BNET. Oakland Tribune, 30 December. 2007. Web. 3 January.2009.

"Gang signs" BNET. Oakland Tribune, 12 October. 2005. Web. 29 December.2009.

"Gang Wars: Oakland II" DSCP. Live Dash. 01 November. 2009. Web. 4 January December. 2010.

Halverstadt, Joan. " How Violence Affects Student Learning" CPSV. Center for Prevention of Violence. Web. 29 December.2009.

Harris, Harry, Hill, Angela, and Woodall, Angela. "Police seek suspects in deadly gunfight" Inside Bay Area.

Oakland Tribune, 4 December.2009. Web. 29 December.2009.

Harris, Harry and Maher, Sean " Article: Oakland teen caught in sideshow dies" HighBeam Research. Oakland Tribune, 22 July.2009. Web. 3 January.2009.

Herron Zamora, Jim. "Architeckz look to build outlet for Oakland youth / Dance troupe channels emotions through 'turf dancing,' a younger sibling of 1980s break dancing" SfGate. Heast Communications, 10 March. 2007.

Web. 29 December. 2009.

Johnson, Chip. "In Oakland, the innocent find no safety" SfGate. Heast Communications, 30 September. 2008 Web. 3 January.2010.

Johnson, Chip. " Oakland's new tactics on crime appear to help" SfGate. Heast Communications, 13 March. 2009 Web. 3 January.2009.

Johnson, Jason B.. " OAKLAND / Neighborhood likened to a war zone / AK-47 slaying adds to residents' fears of gang violence" SfGate. Heast Communications, 22 March. 2006 Web. 29 December.2009.

Lee,Henry K.. "OAKLAND Shooting kills teen, wounds his girlfriend" SfGate. Heast Communications, 21 December. 2008. Web. 29 December. 2009.

McDonald, Ryan. "Berkeley Man Dies in Oakland Shooting" DailyCal. The Daily Californian, 13 September. 2005.

Web. 29 December. 2009.

McLean, Kate. "'Gang Wars: Oakland' leaves locals perplexed, upset" Oakland North, December. 2009. Web. 4 January. 2010.

Mara, Janis. "BART investigating whether glass-shattering scuffle violated policies" Contra Costa Times. Mercury News, 23 November. 2009. Web. 3 January. 2010 Payton, Brenda. "Oakland gangs are out hunting" Inside Bay Area. Oakland Tribune, 20 August 2007. Web. 30 December.2009. Gang Wars: Oakland Producer, 2009. Youtube. Web. 14 Jaunary. 2010 Robinson, Tony. Personal interview. 20 January. 2010 Scott. "Oakland Two More Homicides July 19th Avery Thompson and Francisco Villasenor Both Shot To Death" Fugitive Watch Productions. Fugitive Watch Production, 19 July. 2009. Web. December 08. 2009 Steve. "16 Year Old Antonio Nunez Jr. Fatally Shot in Front of His Home on Sunnyside St., 2 Others Shot" Fugitive Watch Productions. Fugitive Watch Productions, 5 December. 2009. Web. December 08. 2009.

130 Youth Communication. Things Get Hectic: Teens Write the Violence That Surrounds Them. New York: Touchstone, 1998. Print.

"Youth Violence Puts School Safety in Jeopardy" Tell Me More. National Public Radio. Publisher of Radio Program, 15 October. 2009. Radio. Tell Me More. Web. 29 December.2009.

Yoon. Personal interview. 20 January.2010 Zuckerbrod, Nancy. "High School Dropout Rate Remains High" BNET. Oakland Tribune, 31 October. 2007. Web. 29 December.2009.

131

Julia Millhouse Craig Butz Research in the Community A block January 20, 2010 Talking through Spray Paint: Street Art’s Capability of Influencing and Representing Communities Anger, misery, denial, triumph, and tenacity are some of the many emotions and reactions that can be manifested through intricate paintings on walls of buildings to one word scribbles on street signs. It is safe to say that everyone has an opinion, no matter how fervent or how halfhearted it may be. Desire to have these beliefs heard, united with cities’ busy, public lifestyle has cultivated the development of graffiti and murals which contain deeper meanings that further carry the emotions of the writers. Although many forms of graffiti are used solely for name recognition and the pursuit of fame, street art can be an effective means of conveying important political and social opinions because it is uncensored and easily available for members of the society to see.

Throughout history, mankind has felt a need to express oneself through art, and in many cases this art has been written, painted, or etched onto public places; from this desire and the emphasis on celebrity, modern graffiti was born. Nomads used to engrave stories and writings on the cave walls in which they dwelled, likewise, in the struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism in Ireland, the walls of several buildings in Belfast contained propaganda and slogans which advertised each of the feuding religions (“In Defense of Graffiti”). Such “street art,” because of its ability to send messages and stories, evolved into a method of communication which was initially used between homeless people who wrote messages describing the local town environment to future homeless dwellers. Contact by means of street art was soon adapted by gangs, employed to mark boundaries of their territories and neighborhoods (Broderson).

The intention behind street art revolutionized when more writers began to strive for acknowledgment of their artistic style rather than claiming specific areas. In Philadelphia, artist Darryl McCray started the tagging movement when he wrote his renowned tag, “Cornbread,” on municipal areas such as walls, zoos, trains, and even the plane traveled on by the Jackson 5 (Latty). This was revolutionary because this form of street art was not territorial, but purely artistic and fame-driven: a turning point for graffiti everywhere (Gastman). One writer, who goes by the name “MICO,” explained that the transformation to tagging “began in different neighborhoods. But we all had one thing in common: We wanted to be famous” (qtd. in Ehrlich). A student at The Bay School of San Francisco, who wishes to remain anonymous due to the illegality of graffiti, aspires to impress the people of the city with visually pleasing and artistic writings and to gain a reputation among his peers who also write.

Reputation also became a prominent element when writers used the American railways and public transport systems to send their messages throughout the country. In the United States alone, Americans take about 34 million public transportation trips each weekday (American Public Transportation Association). This gives the opportunity for people to see the abundance of graffiti, and the more a certain tag or piece of graffiti is seen, the more fame and recognition the writer gets. “It has now moved onto freight trains that go all across the country” states the author of The Graffiti ‘Hit’ Parade, Richard Goldstein, “The idea is that your name travels” (qtd. in Ehrlich). The modernization of transportation supports graffiti that constantly moves about the city, consequently causing a greater majority of people to see and be influenced by the writings. The pursuit of reputation and fame combined with the factor of public transportation has changed graffiti from communication and boundary marking into the style of street art that it is today.

The true meaning of graffiti lies beyond the aesthetically pleasing words and colors and carries passionate opinions in order to invoke emotion from its viewers. People can develop these strong opinions from controversies.

Frequently, controversies are rooted in politics; therefore, political decisions and wars are often depicted in graffiti and murals. The street artist MICO, who had originated from Puerto Rico, coined the term “Abstract Social Realism” and advocated the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States along with other causes. His goal “is to awaken an emotion in the viewer” (qtd. In “Graffiti Interviews: MICO”). Thus by expressing biased opinions and revealing injustices, MICO tries to help spark reaction and feeling in observers of his pieces. Other examples of his political writings are the contentious slogans such as “Hang Nixon” and “Free Mandela”. However, not only did he represent his opinions, but when five Puerto Ricans were jailed as political prisoners, the group advocating their freedom approached MICO and other graffiti artists, asking them to raise awareness for the innocence and rights of the five prisoners. (“Graffiti Interviews: MICO”). This demonstrates just how influential graffiti is thought to be in the judicial and political sphere. More recently, graffiti and murals have been used to protest the war on terror.

Street art is a prominent method of protesting the war on terror because it is one of the channels of expression that is not censored by the government or corporate interests; graffiti has the ability to express raw, cynical ideas about the government’s actions without censorship and suppression. For instance, people feel America

132 has become more focused on violence and has lost its ideals. This is manifested in a spray painted picture of the statue of liberty holding a gun, no longer representing freedom and its original intentions of the constitution, but rather violence and the need to control others through force (Tapies). These political messages carry a meaning and an inspiration for change that the writers are trying to see in their society. At the other end of the world, Palestinians assembled to write messages and personal thoughts concerning the Israeli apartheid on the wall separating Israeli and Palestinian territories in the West Bank in the spring of 2009. Participants acted upon this in the hopes of raising awareness of the brutality happening, and potentially the Israeli army will then realize cruel demeanor of their actions (Lipshiz). In addition, not only does graffiti and street art convey reactions and opinions, but it also parallels political and economical behavior in that the competition for quality and repetition of tags is “a reflection of the great side of capitalism, where everyone wants to have the biggest stock or bond portfolio, or the fastest or most expensive car” (Ehrlich). The competition in economical life mirrors its competitive nature in the network of graffiti writers. Lack of censorship and strong stances on controversial issues are the roots of political graffiti which in turn has the ability to raise awareness and influence the opinions of the community.

Individuals’ feelings concerning the community and social aspects of daily life are also echoed in graffiti pieces. A writer who goes by the alias “12 Midnite” is, like many other artists, “trying to open people's eyes by using the best method available” to him. He explains, “It is not just what I think is going on. It is going on…. I don't agree with violence, I don't agree with drugs or religion and I deal with those things through my art” (Rafferty).

Graffiti and murals in this way can be a means of expression for those social aspects that he either fervently agrees or disagrees with. He writes with meaning as he aspires for the community to hear his voice because one’s opinion doesn’t often get heard when living in a big city, surrounded by thousands of others.

Another way in which graffiti puts across a point is not only in the word and its connotation, but the act of breaking the law itself. The mere act of vandalizing a public space with a word or message that is unique to a person represents the writers’ defiance to the laws which criminalize graffiti. This disregard of government indirectly demonstrates how graffiti conveys the idea of rebellion and pressure against the law system and authority, the anonymous student at the Bay School of San Francisco said. A further social significance found in street art is the shift from gang and territorial tagging to writing with importance and passion (Ehrlich). This mirrored a societal change in that the new age desired to focus more on the art and its purpose; sometimes the street art would be condemning gang violence, such as some murals seen in the mission district of San Francisco. Through these examples, graffiti and other forms of street art are proved to be significant messages sent to the community on people’s emotions and biases.

Contrary to the popular view, graffiti can benefit the community in that it offers a medium for opinionated expression and representation of society views. In Orange County, for instance, students were asked to paint murals of noteworthy cases at the courthouse. Not only did this give the students an opportunity to express themselves through art and stay away from other forms of potentially dangerous entertainment, but by asking students to paint these murals, the court and the students will feel a relationship begin to form (Esquivel). On this subject, Justice Eileen Moore says, “I think what these paintings mean is people will be coming to court because they feel part of the community and they want to come to see’ the artwork” (qtd. in Esquivel). Forming connections between the judicial system and the people profits the community because when there is no rift separating the two, the community can work towards improving their neighborhood. Messages conveyed by graffiti will additionally tend to represent views held by the public, such as opposition to the war in Iraq (Tapies). Writers act as advocates for their society, which is more beneficial than having the community stay silent.

Lastly, with such messages written in a visually pleasing manner, graffiti also has the power to positively change the look of decrepit and worn down buildings and subway stations. Graffiti uses public spaces as its canvas, thus art is not limited to be seen in galleries and museums (Ehrlich). Through these ways of expression, graffiti has maintained its presence in today’s society.

Nonetheless, street art has the potential to harm societies economically and environmentally, and for that reason governments have banned graffiti. In major cities, the appearance of some graffiti is not artistic or aesthetically pleasing and consequently, studies have shown that people who live in such neighborhoods feel less secure (Hunt). Because of this sense of instability, people do not desire to live in these environments, making the property prices decline and as a result the economy is affected negatively. In inner London, public officials made a movement to decrease vandalism and as a result, property prices raised bout 1%, demonstrating the benefit of the criminalization of graffiti (Gibbons). The feeling given off by a community does not only affect those who live there, but it diminishes the rate of tourism. With more tourism, the city could obtain more money in order to pay for resources such as education (Deanna). Another way in which money is a major factor in the illegality of graffiti is the removal that must be done by the city. In San Francisco alone, it costs the city 20 million dollars per year to clean up vandalism—precious tax money that could have been used for more valuable reasons (Glover). From this

133 point of view, some of the public consider graffiti as “egocentric vandalism” (Gastman) that unnecessarily harms the community and city.

In order to repair this dilemma of non-artistic and meaningless tagging, neighborhoods are employing murals to discourage vandalism and public officials are setting aside spaces in which tagging is legal. On a tour of murals in the mission district of San Francisco, one can see that the electrical boxes on street corners painted with small murals depicting aspects of that neighborhood. The tour guide explains that these were painted in the hope that vandals would not desire to write over paintings, thus ruining them. So far, this method has proved effective because the murals have stayed spotless because the writers have respect for artwork and would not deface such paintings (Precita Eyes Tours). Also, vandalism is being reduced because of the use of spaces in which writers can freely tag without persecution, such as a public graffiti wall in Venice, California. Without that risk of being arrested, writers will want to tag in those areas and will stay away from residential neighborhoods (Hart). Steps are being taken not with the aim of completely outlawing graffiti, but to find a middle ground between vandalism and expressive public artwork.

On the other hand, these effects are only negative because of societies’ negative outlook on street art and refusal to accept graffiti as any form of art. Cleaning and painting over graffiti with the help of tax money is simply viewed as a necessity because people have grown to have a negative perception about the nature of street art. If the public is educated about the positive manners of graffiti, it will not remain as a taboo in today’s society and those feelings of insecurity and desires of removal, caused by such art, will slowly disintegrate from the community.

The reason graffiti has not been completely eradicated in America today is because of its strong appeal to those who wish to deny authority, prove a point, and gain fame and recognition from the network of writers. In America, a great deal of emphasis is put on fame and attracting attention, therefore it is understandable that the impressionable youth feel this same desire. Tagging gets one’s name seen and recognized, hence the prominence of graffiti in youth culture (Gastman). The illegality of graffiti perpetuates its appearance in society as well given that the adrenaline rush that comes coupled with the act of committing a crime is appealing (Rafferty). Artists also say that writing graffiti and murals on canvas instead of vandalizing public areas has, in MICO’s words, “not the same feeling” (qtd. In “Graffiti Interviews: MICO”). Certain irreplaceable aspects of graffiti maintain its status in city culture and will continue to tempt artists and vandals everywhere.

The list of negative effects of graffiti indisputably exists, and for logical reasons. However, graffiti is an effective tool in demonstrating viewpoints and has the ability to influence and mirror societal situations, if it is not used merely to gain fame and recognition. The nature of public art is not a right or wrong one, though many believe it to be so; it is rather a circumstance in which a middle ground needs to be met, conciliating the negative and positive effects of street art in the community.

I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Jessica Sykes, Rachel Cohen-Sidley, and Zoe Pressman for editing and revising my paper.

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Powers, Stephen. The Art of Getting Over. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. Print.Tapies, Xavier A. Street Art and the War on Terror: How the World’s best Graffiti Artists Said No to the Iraq War. London: Rebellion Books, 2007. Print.

Rafferty, P. “The Street Art/Graffiti of Youth: Questioning the Normalizing Influence of Tradition.” Phenomology Online. Max Van Manen, 2002. Web. 11 December 2009.

135 Valerie Moon Craig Butz D Block Research in the Community February 27, 2010 Adulthood: An In-Depth Report of the Extent to Which the Years of Childhood Have an Influence  “The childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day” – John Milton  Just like no snowflake is alike, neither is any childhood. Therefore, we all experience different things, and are thus affected differently. Throughout everyone’s childhood, there are moments that are referred to as life changing.

Often times, in retrospect, an adult will reflect on their “defining moments”. People refer to these moments when their lives change, either for better or for worse. Often in movies, one views the protagonist undergo a difficult trial, and they are later affected by it. However, to what extent do these situations affect our adulthood physically and emotionally?

A supportive family and attachment to parents is one of the most important factors of a child's years, which can positively influence adult behavior later in life. With a secure attachment, children can strengthen their positive thoughts and emotions, and diminish their negative emotions. Because of this attachment, children are able to utilize their parent's developed brain along with their own to make better sense of their surroundings and outside influences. This attachment betters an infant's chances of survival. Therefore, it goes without needing to be stated that attachment to parents is imperative in the years of childhood. The attachment system is developed before a child is even born; it rests in the brain and causes a child to strive for communication and closeness with parents. A child develops expectations because of their repeated experiences. Hence, if a child has positive repeated experiences, they will more likely become an optimistic person, and possibly less fearful (Siegel). Negative childhood experiences, such as abuse and family trauma, undoubtedly hinder an adult’s behavior; the achievement of accomplishing adulthood with positive behavior and resulting beneficial experiences lies in the influence of a functional family.

According to a Bay Area therapist, Theresa Armstrong, the most important aspect of childhood is the family.

Throughout the years in her profession, she has found that most of her clients developed issues because of their damaging childhoods; however, there are many other contributors to an adult having psychological difficulties.

Every single person is affected by his or her family, and is influenced either negatively or positively. Specifically to having a good family, it is important that a child have a secure attachment with their parents, especially with their mother. If someone has an amazing mother, who relentlessly and selflessly puts her child's needs before her own, the child will likely grow up to become a strong, confident individual, with fewer troubles than other adults do. Even if a child has other difficulties, having a good mother to look out for them can make those issues much less significant. This attachment to family, parents, and especially the mother is most important during the early years of a child's life. The attachment to parents can be physically seen in a baby's health, development, behavior, and appearance. This young age is so important because a child undergoes much development up until age three.

Sometimes a situation that occurs causes the normal attachment to parents to be tainted. Children who experience this often develop "attachment disorders" and later struggle with certain situations. However, family is not everything. For example, a child could be continually bullied by his school peers, and the family would not be able to block out this experience entirely, but they could provide support, and compassionate advice, which in most cases would be helpful (Armstrong).

Often times, when a child experiences trauma such as bullying or abuse, their adulthood can also be negatively affected. Negative childhood experiences can be detrimental to an adult's physical health and psychology throughout their life. A study conducted by New Zealanders, lead by Duke University, discovered that there are tangible health problems caused by childhood abuse, social isolation, neglect, and/or economic hardship. The subjects, who had previously experienced various childhood psychological traumas, at age 32, were more likely to experience chronic inflammation, depression, and metabolic issues. In most cases, these are stress related, and can lead to later health issues, at an older age. These issues include diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases (quoted in Bates). Avshalom Caspi stated, “What we’re learning is that poor adult health is, in part, manufactured in childhood” (quoted in Bates). In relation to this statement, Edward M. Arnett, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, states, “The human stress response is implicated not only in psychological conditions but in other health conditions as well” (Bates). This scientific research undergone by this group of New Zealanders produced the confidence that the probability of developing serious depression and chronic inflammation was twice as likely for adults who had suffered maltreatment during their childhoods. In addition, the probability of developing metabolic issues around age 32 was twice as likely for those adults who had been impoverished or socially isolated during their childhoods. Because of this experimental procedure, it was found that the childhood could have an effect on the immune and nervous system, and endocrine functioning (Bates). The Futurity site also says that Caspi

136 also states, “It appears to be a classic dose-response relationship,” and “The more difficult the childhood, the more adult age-related disease risk factors we see” (Bates). Certain cases of adults with physical ailments have proven to link with having traumatic childhoods. With this knowledge, people should realize that children’s experiences greatly influence their adulthood. In fact, it is possible that an adult will not only have mental detriments because of a childhood event, but also physical suffering, such as disease. The Futurity site continued, Ever since Freud, if not Plato, the assumption has been that early childhood experience shapes adult functioning and psychological well-being,’ says Jay Belsky, from the Birbeck University of London, who was not involved with this study. ‘What we see here is even more than that. The early years are important for reasons we haven’t even considered’” (Bates).

Therefore, it should seem obvious that if society was to address poverty, abuse, and neglect for children, related adult health problems could be avoided, or at least diminished.

Those who are abused as children are certainly affected; however; there are debates concerning the exact repercussions of the abuse. It has often been told that when a child is sexually molested, they are likely to later become sexual predators themselves. This statement is not precise. It is true that a large number of sexual predators were, in fact, sexually abused as children. But often times there are mental problems that add to someone feeling the need to sexually abuse children. During her career as a Psychotherapist, Theresa Armstrong had one case of a man who was terrified that he would become a sexual predator, because his grandfather sexually abused him as a child.

However, later in his life this man had children, and contrary to his fear, he never once abused them.

There are many statistics pertaining to child abuse, of all forms, and all of these statistics demonstrate that child abuse is an issue in our nation. As said by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, 905,000 children were abused or neglected in 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008). The site also declares that child abuse can result in damage for the entire lifetime, or for subsequent generations. One of the ways that a person can be affected is by suffering from damaged brain development, damaged cognitive development, difficulty with emotion, depression, anxiety, and other high-risk factors. However, this does not mean that all mistreated children will have long-term consequences of their maltreatment, because there are always the exceptions. Children who depart from child abuse without much negative effects often do so because of their resilience, due to optimism, intellect, confidence, humor, creativeness, and independence. It has also been concluded that factors determining whether a child will have long-term consequences rely on age, the stage of development when the maltreatment occurred, the type of abuse, whether it was physical, sexual, or negligent, the reoccurrence, how long it lasted for, severity, and the relation between child and abuser, whether it was close or distant.

There are many varying health factors due to an assortment of types of child abuse. These health factors may range from ‘shaken baby syndrome’, ‘impaired brain development’, poor physical health, allergies, asthma, arthritis, ulcers, bronchitis, and high blood pressure. There is also a difference between the long and short-term occurrence of child abuse; these symptoms can range from feelings of isolation, trust issues, to fear. The long-term results of child abuse may be depression, lack of confidence, and difficult forming relationships (Child Welfare).

The Child Welfare Information said that "In one long-term study, as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21" (Child Welfare Information Gateway). This excerpt shows the physical evidence pertaining to detriments of child abuse. Not only are the negative results always pertaining to behavior and mentality, but also to the ability to learn. "NSCAW found that children placed in out-of-home care due to abuse or neglect tended to score lower than the general population on measures of cognitive capacity, language development, and academic achievement" (Child Welfare Information Gateway). The effects of child abuse are very broad, and very real. In addition, children who experience neglect or rejection are at much higher risk of developing antisocial traits, violent behavior, or possible personality disorders.

Additional possible results of childhood difficulty may vary from adolescence turbulence, adult criminal behavior and/or juvenile delinquency, abuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs, and abusive behavior towards others.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway believes that Much research has been done about the possible consequences of child abuse and neglect. The effects vary depending on the circumstances of the abuse or neglect, personal characteristics of the child, and the child’s environment. Consequences may be mild or severe; disappear after a short period or last a lifetime; and affect the child physically, psychologically, behaviorally, or in some combination of all three ways.

Ultimately, due to related costs to public entities such as the health care, human services, and educational systems, abuse and neglect impact not just the child and family, but society as a whole (Child Welfare Information Gateway).

Because of research conducted and the information provided by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, the public should be aware that the negative results of child abuse are multiple and varying. The results of the different types of abuse can be physical, emotional, and behavioral.

137 Due to a significant amount of research, the prominent belief is that childhood experiences do, in fact, affect adults, and it is imperative that trauma and dysfunctional families be avoided. There is much evidence to support the importance of a functional family. While interviewing Theresa Armstrong this became apparent, and as I was watching the interaction of young children. Therefore, it seems that the best way to ensure reaching adulthood with ease, and the least amount of childhood induced issues; one must have a good family. A good family entails attachment. Attachment to parents is imperative. It may seem a small part, but when a child has a strong attachment to both parents throughout their young lives, they develop better mentalities and also better behavior. In addition, the most influential time of a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, is from the womb through the toddler age. Additionally I believe that this attachment to parents can affect the child in various ways. I have come to realize that the family is the core of most issues that adults develop, or the core of positive benefits. For this reason, since the family is so important, there should be precautions against children suffering because of dysfunctional families. School therapists should be more prevalent, and should take concern with the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; family lives. I believe that because the family life is so important and influential, the society would benefit from stricter laws to ensure that children are able to benefit from a functional family. However, it is up for debate what these laws should be. In addition, it is important that those who are not blessed with functional families benefit from a network of people to talk to such as therapists, friends, coworkers, and extended family members. Talking can be one of the best forms of therapy. Armstrong verifies these discoveries. According to experience in the field, children who are sexually abused discover sexual feelings and inclinations that normally would not develop until later in their lives. Although this is not a physical ailment, it severely affects the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mentality and behavior. Child abuse of any kind, physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse is detrimental to the victim. Sometimes the abuse is obvious, sometimes it is not so apparent, sometimes they never even realized the abuse, and sometimes they put themselves down without even realizing. Even minor family traumas, which may not have appeared to be traumatizing at the time, can affect the child into their adult lives.

I would like to acknowledge Sophie Owens, Jordan Murphy, and Josh Baer for peer editing my research paper and for providing me with constructive criticism.

138 Works Cited Armstrong, Theresa. Personal Interview. 5 January 2010.

Bates, Karl. Childhood trauma lingers in mind, body. Futurity, 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 31 Dec. 2009. <http://futurity.org/health-medicine/childhood-trauma-lingers-in-mind-body/>.

Child Welfare Information Gateway. Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. United States. Child Welfare Information Gateway Children's Bureau, 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 31 Dec. 2009. <http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm>.

Siegel, Daniel J. The Developing Mind – How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. New York: The Guilford Press, 1999. Print.

Trouth, Dr. Annapurni Jayam, Yvette Harris, and Areva Martin. “Understanding Brain Development in Children.”

Host Farai Chideya. NPR. NPR, 26 Jun. 2008. MP3 file. 31 Dec. 2009. <http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=91919442&m=91 919434>.

Further Reading Alland, Alexander. An Introduction to Darwinian Anthropology An Introduction to Darwinian Anthropology. New York: Anchor Press, 1973. Questia. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. <http://www.questiaschool.com/read/98840827?title=Evolution%20and%20Human%20Behavior%3a%20 An%20Introduction%20to%20Darwinian%20Anthropology>.

Boeree, Dr. C. George. Personality Theories. C. George Boeree, 2006. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. <http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/persintro.html>.

Chattin-McNichols, John. Foreward. The Absorbent Mind. By Maria Montessori. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1995. Print.

Coll, Cynthia Garcia, Elaine L. Bearer, and Richard M. Lerner, eds. Nature and Nurture: The Complex Interplay of Genetic and Environmental Influences on Human Behavior and Development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. Questia. Web. 2 Jan. 2010. <http://www.questiaschool.com/read/104853725>.

Cronk, Lee. That Complex Whole: Culture and the Evolution of Human Behavior. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1999. Questia. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. <http://www.questiaschool.com/read/82273433?title=That%20Complex%20Whole%3a%20Culture%20an d%20the%20Evolution%20of%20Human%20Behavior>.

Hetherington, E. Mavis, Richard M. Lerner, and Marion Perlmutter, eds. Child Development in Life-Span Perspective. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988. Questia. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. <http://www.questiaschool.com/read/98651432?title=Child%20Development%20in%20LifeSpan%20Perspective>.

Koenen, Karestan C. Nature-Nurture Interplay – Genetically Informative Designs Contribute to Understanding the Effects of Trauma and Interpersonal Violence. NCBI, 2005. Web. 1 Jan. 2010. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1780137/>.

Lerner, Richard. Concepts and Theories of Human Development. Ed. Bill Webber. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. Print.

Lindley, Daniel A. On Life’s Journey – Always Becoming. Illinois: Chiron Publications, 2006. Print.

McInerney, Joseph. Behavioral Genetics. U.S. Department of Energy – Office of Science, 16 Sept. 2008. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/behavior.shtml>.

Montague, Read. Your Brain Is (Almost) Perfect – How We Make Decisions. New York: Penguin Group, 2006.

Print.

139 Jordan Murphy Craig Butz Research in the Community March 21, 2010 Gun Control Verses Gun Rights: Which is Better for California?

Guns have helped to shape America’s history as a nation. However, the topic of gun control has been controversial in America for decades. Although many people have opinions on the matter, the public is often helpless in enacting firearms control laws. The legality of gun control laws in America is decided by the courts who interpret the supposed intent of the founding fathers; these controversial and unclear views however, continue to drive the gun control issue in America today. California would suffer if either extreme party prevailed entirely in the issue of gun control, which is why compromise is needed in California.

Firearms have played a key role in the United States history since before America was even established.

America, when it declared independence in 1776, based their new government on that of their previous sovereign England. England at the time, being relatively small in size and population, relied on extra military power that many nations did not have-the armed civilian (Henderson 11). When Europeans first landed on American soil, during the 1600’s, people needed to both hunt for food, and to protect themselves from Native Americans and highwaymen. In the words of Historian Daniel Boorstin, “civil and military uses of firearms dovetailed as they had not generally done in Europe” (Henderson 13). This fact may have helped contribute to the fascinating and unique gun culture that would develop in America during the next several centuries.

After the Colonies of America declared independence in 1776, one of the first things the British did was to repeal the Militia Act in the new colonies. This Act is what ensured the colonists the right to form organized military groups to defend themselves. This action forced the colonists to form their own relatively untrained militias composed of “minutemen” (Henderson).These minutemen were a small force “which were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly” (Ronemus). When the British came to seize the firearms from the colonists, the minutemen attacked. This event started a long wave of guerilla attacks made by the minutemen of America (Henderson). Come the Revolutionary War, these outlaw militias played a huge role in America’s forces which consisted of just over 230,000 men. Of these men, 165,000 of them were relatively untrained militias (Henderson 14). The remaining were American soldiers under General Washington and French solders who supported America’s independence (Henderson).

When America gained independence, the founding fathers instated a right for the people that after much debate was worded “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (Carver). This is now the Second Amendment in the United States Constitution. This is also the most argued over right of the people. Wayne Snodgrass, a Deputy City Attorney of San Francisco, says that this Amendment was controversial until 2008 when the Supreme Court ruled that this Amendment did protect the individual’s right to own and carry a weapon at all times in the case of District of Columbia vs. Heller. The ruling that would have favored the District of Columbia was that the Second Amendment only protected the right of the people to make armies to defend themselves. He also said that not surprisingly this ruling has been a key point in the gun lobby’s argument in the courts (Snodgrass). It has also been argued that the Supreme Court made this ruling as to not “[T]hreaten gun-control measures in other states” (O’Connor). This a reasonable argument because it was brought up that if the ban was not struck down by the Supreme Court, then the NRA would bring up lawsuits across America questioning various laws (O’connor).

At the turn of the 20th Century, guns were still very commonplace in American society. The 1920’s sparked lots of tension around the gun issue for many reasons. In this period, prohibition started, which sparked violence between the various gangs fighting for control over alcohol. Alcohol was then worth much more than it previously was due to its illegality. Also these gangsters were equipped with a new breed of firearm, the Thompson SubMachine Gun, or the Tommy Gun. These two events started to make people think about controlling how people acquired and used firearms. Even with these occurrences, gun control was not a national issue until the 1930s, when there was an assassination attempt on President Franklin Roosevelt. This caused several new laws to be enacted.

Firstly, firearm dealers had to be licensed in order to sell guns, and could not sell to convicted felons. Secondly, a large tax was laid on machine guns and “Sawed-off Shotguns”. Although these measures seem very trivial to people in our time, they were very large steps in the direction of gun control in those times (Henderson 14-19).

However, violence with guns did not stop. In the twenty years following these laws enactment, John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated (Henderson 16). This new wave of gun violence caused groups and organizations to start fighting for both sides of the arguments. Two of the most notable that groups being the National Rifle Association, which is strongly opposed to gun control and The Brady Campaign which is in favor of gun control.

140 The National Rifle Association was originally founded in 1871. However, back then it was just a riflery club. Not until 1934 did they instate a Legislative Affairs Division which kept people informed about political affairs involving their gun rights. The NRA has done many well-intentioned actions over the years that haven’t been connected directly to gun control. One example of this is at the beginning of World War II, they offered their shooting ranges to the American government to train troops. They also asked their members to donate to Great Britain’s defense and were supposedly responsible for over 7,000 firearms being donated to the British Army. Since then, they have been focusing on educating youth in the ways of hunting and marksmanship, as well as protecting Americans’ gun rights. Still, many people think they take this later duty too far (A Brief History).

Although raising awareness on the gun control issue, and trying to pressure the government into protecting the people’s right to own guns without regulation gave the NRA a name, it did not personally become politically active until 1975 with the creation of the Institute for Legislative Action. Since its creation it has lobbied for the enactment of laws that protect gun owner’s rights, and attacked bills that have intruded on gun owner’s rights or attacked the American gun industry (Cox). Lawyers in this section of the NRA prosecute cities and states when they try to pass laws like this. Despite having this branch of the organization, the NRA still has its main goal of keeping marksmanship and riflery a growing sport in America (A Brief History).

Often times, when the NRA-ILA goes to court, it is up against a city or state government. It is up to City Attorneys or State Attorney Generals to defend the city/states position. There are however, also organizations that help in the defense of gun control legislation. A prime example being The Brady Campaign, but because they lack legal standing in courts, they have much less political power than the gun lobby. These attorneys on the local and state level must be well versed in the laws of the country, the state they work in, and any cities they associate with because laws from all of these localities may be brought up in court.

One person involved in this legal battle is Wayne Snodgrass, a Deputy City Attorney for San Francisco. He works to protect and defend San Francisco and the cities position. He has been involved in defending San Francisco’s attempts to regulate guns. He made it very clear that much of what he told me were his personal views and not his office’s views on the subject. His personal view on the subject is that gun control laws make people safer in cities. In 2008, he stated, after a long and much debated process, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment does apply to the individual’s right to own firearms for personal defense. Mr. Snodgrass believes that although this ruling did have a negative impact on the gun control legislation, the new important argument in California is whether States have the right to enforce laws that may restrict or constrict this right. In other words, how much control does the Constitution have over State laws, and local laws? Yes the Constitution protects free speech, but there can be regulations as to the time, place, and manner of that speech, especially when it comes to the health and safety of citizens. One important case Mr. Snodrass remembered was in 2005. San Francisco passed a law banning people from owning handguns. However, despite that Supreme Court had not clarified the Second Amendment, the NRA sued San Francisco and had the bill overturned because it conflicted with California State laws. This hierarchy of laws can conflict with the efforts of cities to make laws controlling firearms possession, which makes designing and instating laws of this nature a long and tedious process.

The NRA has several lawsuits pending in California based on the new Supreme Court ruling. One important and extremely controversial bill being looked at is one limiting the people’s right to buy anti-personnel ammunition for firearms (Snodgrass). The NRA is suing based on the claim that any attempt to limit the ability to buy ammunition conflicts with the Second Amendment (Snodgrass). There is a second important lawsuit going on involving a law limiting the purchase of ammunition. This law, that was approved by Governor Schwarzenegger in October, 2009, forces gun owners in California to get fingerprinted and put into “the system” when they purchase ammo. Firearms dealers will have to keep these records on site (“Read AB 962”). The firearms dealers argue that it will be prohibitively expensive to keep these records. Another argument against the legislation is that it will prevent people from buying ammunition online which is where many sales are made (Worley). A metaphor brought up by an employee from the State Assembly’s office was that a firearm is like a laptop; people deserve to have access to them, but only if people do not abuse the privilege. This man was Mr. Quinton Mecke, the Communications Director for State Legislator Tom Ammiano’s San Francisco Offices. Mr. Mecke made the metaphor that ammunition is like electricity, so if there were laws that said they couldn’t take person’s laptop, they could prevent him/her from using it un-thoughtfully by taking away the electricity (Mecke).

The Brady Campaign, a large organization that is a leader in pro-gun control action. It was named after and developed by James Brady and his wife after he miraculously survived a bullet to the brain in the assassination attempt of Ronald Regan. James Brady was an assistant to President Regan as well as White House Press Secretary.

One reason this organization was developed was to counter the negative effects that James and his wife thought that the NRA was having on society (Helmke “Welcome”). Their goal is to make America safer by “Passing effective [gun] laws that make sense” (Helmke “Welcome”). The Brady Campaign in many ways is not as extreme in its

141 beliefs as the NRA is in its beliefs and could be considered an organization that promotes compromise. The Brady Campaign believes that many people should have the rights to own guns, but not dangerous people. Examples of these people being convicted felons, people with serious mental health issues, or people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list. They say that these dangerous people can be kept from acquiring firearms by conducting background checks, but the NRA insists that these checks are not necessary (Henigan).

According to many sources, California does have stricter or safer gun control laws than most other states, and, despite the attempts of the NRA, many laws that restrict peoples’ gun privileges have been passed (“State Legislation California”). Although many of these laws seem simple, and many have loopholes that determined gun owners can sometimes use to evade the penalties for breaking these laws, there are many restrictions in place. The laws to prevent gun trafficking in California prevent any one buyer to purchase more than one handgun per month.

California also has bans on assault weapons, which are defined by a huge list of possible attributes, but specifically one that is a center-fire, semiautomatic rifle that accommodates detachable magazines (“State Legislation California”). A common theme in laws like this is that if people already have firearms that would be outlawed by this regulation, they may keep their rifles, but people can’t buy new rifles with this description (Senate Bill 23).

Other examples of restrictions in California are that it is illegal to sell firearms to people under the age of twenty one, one needs a permit and/or gun license to purchase a handgun in California, and there is a ten day waiting period between when a firearm is paid for or bought in California to when the buyer can obtain it. This final law is to allow a period to conduct a background check on the buyer and as a cool down period to prevent crimes of passion (“State Legislation California”).

People have strong opinions on this issue, especially in California. Despite this, Quinton Mecke, who works in the offices of State Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, when talking about whether California has stricter rules than other says “California, while it’s perceived to be a progressive, and/or liberal state…. It [(gun control)] is still in tension as it is in a lot of areas” (Mecke). In fact, in late 2009, California Attorney General Jerry Brown and former Governor of California filed a brief to the Chicago courts arguing for a handgun ban to be overturned because “if the court doesn’t act, ‘California citizens could be deprived of the constitutional right to possess handguns in their homes’” (Matier, Ross) Brown is widely respected and admired in California, despite his pro-gun views which shows the extent to which this is not as important of a topic as many believe to Californians. Other sources repeated this idea as well. The issue of gun control is pushed by the urban areas and fought against in rural areas. This is due to the sociology of densely populated cities. Crime rates in urban areas are higher and these crimes are due more to the usage of handguns than in other areas (Crutchfield, Curban). This is important because California is one of the most densely populated states with over 200 people per square mile compared to an average of about 75 people per square mile in America (“California” Quickfacts).

Mr Mecke also brought up the idea that police and law enforcement officers often are the strongest advocated for gun control. In March of 2009, several officers were killed in Oakland by a felon with an assault rifle.

This sparked many ideas and arguments for banning assault weapons, a move supported by police. As former San Francisco Police chief Tony Ribera stated in response to the shootings “’The officers in Oakland, like all officers in the State of California, are well trained officers. But, when you're up against that type of firepower it's just, the odds are overwhelmingly against you’” (Hollyfield). Many believe that this is just one of several reasons to ban assault weapons in California (Hollyfield).

To fight for their arguments, both parties have come up with tactics. Both parties also voice their arguments clearly outside of the court system. The gun control lobby’s basic argument is that more guns will result in more gun violence. The gun lobby’s position is that more guns will result in more people being able to defend themselves, thus resulting in more safety. Both arguments are logical and have evidence behind them to back them up. However, both arguments also need and assume several things to be true.

The proponents of gun control’s underlying case, assumes that much of the violence with guns is done using legally obtained firearms. Many gun control lobbyists believe that outlawing all firearms would be the safest solution. This is an extreme view, similar to those of the NRA for the other side. The Brady Campaign is a fairly conservative group, and does not believe in total ban on firearms in America. Their motto is “Sensible Gun Laws Save Lives”, and another “It is too easy for dangerous people to obtain dangerous weapons” (Helmke, “Force Guns”). Some examples of these sensible gun laws are firstly, requiring background checks on all sales of firearms at gun shows. A survivor of the Virginia Tech attack, Collin Goddard, teamed up with The Brady Campaign to help prove to the gun lobby, politicians, and everybody in between that background checks need to be conducted on everybody that tries to buy a weapon. They have made videos that can be found on the Brady Campaign website that demonstrate how easy it is for people to buy firearms anonymously. This is a very important issue for many people and politicians. Another topic The Brady Campaign fights for is the idea that guns should not be allowed on college campuses. Surprisingly this is one idea the NRA fights for. The gun rights lobby believes that responsible student

142 carrying weapons could help protect all of the defenseless students if there is trouble. However, because most people don’t agree with this statement, even those who can carry weapons legally, wouldn’t on campus and thus the law would not help in most cases.

On the opposite side, the gun rights lobby’s argument requires that people who do own and obtain weapons of this sort are responsible with them and know how to use them properly. Despite these conditions being necessary for the gun lobby’s argument to be legitimate, organizations such as the NRA, lobby against restrictions that would actually encourage these conditions to exist.

The National Rifle Association, according to many people, sometimes oversteps the boundaries it has given itself. The NRA’s goal is supposedly to protect Americans’ right to own firearms and defend themselves. But is it okay to protect them when they don’t want protecting? When San Franciscan voters passed a law that would outlaw the sale of handguns, whose right was the NRA protecting when having the law overturned? The NRA has turned from “working for the people” to working to prove a point to the gun-control lobby that it can’t do whatever it wants.

This idea was also supported by a recent survey made by Republican Pollster, Frank Luntz. This survey shows the true views of the over four million NRA members (Henigan). The most revealing statistic found was that 82 percent of NRA members believe that laws saying that people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list should not be allowed to purchase firearms (Henigan). The most important statistic considering the times and current political situation is that over sixty percent of NRA members believe that all people selling guns at gun shows should have to run background checks. This is a regulation that the NRA strongly apposes, and is also currently the gun control supporters’ main focus (Henigan, Helmke “Force Guns”). So the NRA does not even represent it’s own members?

Although this question is a little harsh, it is important. If the NRA does not represent the people, and does not represent its own members, then who do they represent?

There are smaller organizations in California with members who do support the NRA and agree with their political actions here. Even though as individuals they may not support everything the NRA does they believe in the basic principals or the organization. One example of an organization is the International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts or I.C.OR.E. This group believes that shooting and marksmanship are regular sports and people should have rights to participate in. One recent event organized by this group was on January 31, 2010 in Richmond California. This shooting match was fairly small in comparison to others, but there were several people who arrived to shoot their revolvers in the competition. Although it was indeed a competition, most of the people simply came for the camaraderie and to meet people who had similar interests. People like this are plentiful in California and people like those who participate or enjoy watching matches like these are the people who would suffer if the NRA did not fight for gun rights in California. These people are a minority unrepresented in their government and like all people in their situation they deserve to be protected.

Considering all arguments on both sides, the answer that would be the most beneficial to America is to make a compromise between the two extremes, similar to what the Brady Campaign has done but perhaps more so.

Although the majority of people in California may be pro-gun control, there are many people and groups in California who rely on the NRA to protect their rights. These people, like all minorities need someone to stick-up for them because without help, their needs and ideas would never be heard. Compromising would also be a good choice for the state of California because if done correctly, can allow responsible people to protect themselves and their communities, but also keep people who would misuse firearms unarmed. California needs to put to rest all extreme views because if either extreme view is adopted lots of people would get hurt and upset. America is a democracy and it is understood well by many politicians that, “it is [their] duty to serve the majority of their constituents, not simply pander to the noisy few” (Henigan). Some may argue that compromising will please nobody, but it would be the safest for the people in California. The vast majority of people in the state do not agree with either extreme but fall somewhere in the middle.

143 Work Cited “A Brief History of the NRA.” The National Rifle Association Headquarters. National Rifle Association. Web. 25 Jan. 2010.

“Attorney General Position on the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.” Office of the Attorney General. Office of the Attorney General, Web. 18 Dec. 2009.

“California” State and Country Quickfacts. U.S. Census Bureau, Web. 24 Jan. 2010 Carver, Tom. “Analysis: America's Gun Culture.” BBC News. BBC, Web. 18 Dec.2009.

Cox, Chris. “Who we Are, and What we Do.” NRA-ILA. National Rifle Association. Web. 2010.

Crutchfield, Robert D., Chris E. Curban. “Urban Crime - Are Crime Rates Higher In Urban Areas? Explaining Urban Crime, Explaining Variation In Urban Crime” Law.jrank.org. Web. 2010.

“Firearms Laws for California” Nraila.org. NRA-ILA, Web. 2010.

“Have Your Say: U.S. Gun Freedom.” BBC News. BBC, Web. 21 Jan 2010.

Henderson, Harry. Gun Control: Revised Edition. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2005. Print.

Henigan, Dennis. “Who Does the NRA Represent?” Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Brady Blogs, 3 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009 Hollyfield, Amy. “Officer Killings Renew Gun Control Issue.” East Bay News. ABC 7 News, Web. 22 March 2009.

Long, Colleen. “Gun Deaths Tried to Fray the Thin Blue Line in '09” Associated Press. Google News, Web. 12 Dec. 2009.

Matier, Philip, and Andrew Ross. “Gun Opponents Up in Arms as Jerry Brown Aids NRA.” SFGate.com. San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Dec. 2009.

Mecke, Quinton. Personal Interview. 20 Jan. 2010.

O’Connor, Anahad. “Gun Control Supporters Show Outrage.” NtTimes.com. New York Times, 27 June 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2009.

“Read AB 962” Assembly Bill 962: California Ammunition Ban Info. NRA. 2009. Web. Ronemus, Andrew. “Minutemen.” USHistory.org. Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia. Web. Feb. 4 2010.

Sanchez, Rene. “California Republicans Aid Gun Control Wave.” The Gun Fight. Washington Post, Web. 23 Oct. 1999.

Snodgrass, Wayne. Personal Interview. 22 Jan. 2010.

“State Legislation California State Page.” BradyCampaign.org. The Brady Campaign, Web. Worley, Ed. Interviewed by Cam Edwards. Cam and Company. NRA. NRA.org. North Virginia, Web. 9 Dec. 2009

144 Ludo Nengo Craig Butz Research in the Community December 9, 2009 The Problem with Martial Gaming “ATTENTION,” shouted retired army colonel, X. “So you want to join the marines, huh?” I had been conducting an undercover (so to speak) research-based interview at a tidy little recruitment center in downtown San Rafael. For the past hour and a half, I had been sitting on an uncomfortable bench-press listening to a retired marine talk about how joining the corps was going to change my life and make me a far superior human-being. Throughout the interview I kept thinking about how awkward and uncomfortable it was to sit here and listen to a collection of talking points that were designed to make kids like me excited about the military. It was here that I began to understand the practical use of video games in army recruitment.

Since 1972, the U.S. army has had the arduous and seemingly impossible job of recruiting an all-volunteer armed forces to protect the American agenda both at home and abroad. In recent years, since 2002, the army has employed the use of video games to make up for their sagging recruitment rates. For kids all over the states, malls have housed portable gaming+recruitment stations. Games have become the staple at recruitment centers where they are a large draw. Then of course, those who access them free from the army on the web or those who buy video computer games from stores (commercial off-the-shelf users), are being exposed to the army's call of duty. Not surprising, then, that the army has been able to satisfy nearly all of their recruiting goals. The practice has come to be known as virtual recruitment and since its implementation in early 2003, it has helped the military to fulfill all of its recruiting goals: for the Army Core, National Guard, Air Force, Navy, and marines without having to drain the nation’s defense budget on other inefficient advertisement campaigns (Wawro 17).

Utilizing the gaming market as a means of exposing youth to the military has proven an effective recruiting tool but at what cost? While games like America's Army are more appealing to a wider audience, they also tend to falsely and inaccurately portray the realities of combat.

The army’s virtual complex is geared toward males, 13 to 55 years of age (Thomson 22), a population consumed with the desire to be technologically adept. This generation of gamers is fascinated with gadgets and is, to a certain extent, a prisoner of its desire to consume them and keep up with the rate of “progress” in technological development, specifically, the development of games. For this huge population, a market drives products [video games], but agendas are easily influencing the population through the product. So how is this “persuasion” achieved? The aim of this community-based project is to provide a logical discussion of the problem of virtual exploitation through recruitment.

Authenticity and Realism Over the years, the status of a war game or the acclaim it earns has had much to do with its level of “authenticity and realism (Thomson 45).” The sought-after traits that make it a marketable product are also central to the identification of youth with the culture of war gaming. That the best brains work for the military and are involved in the relationship between the military and the gaming industry (or, the Military Entertainment Industry or Complex - MEC) is key and is fact.

So what makes a game real and authentic? In the first phase of military game development was the stamp of the military. Emblazoned on the jacket of Full Spectrum Warrior (“Institute for Creative Technologies”), for example, is “based on a training aid developed for the U.S. Army (Thomson 45).” A game is considered “realistic” in details that reveal a military origin ('top secret' real-world military details, settings, scenarios, prototype weapon systems). It is considered authentic if, for example, tactical operations in a game are represented like they are in real life and death situations, and if the military was involved in production). These are what primarily make up the perception of realism and authenticity in war games. Successful war games set the benchmarks of authenticity and realism, regardless of whether the games were originally training tools, dual-purpose (developed for training and commercial purposes) or just commercially available. (Thomson 135).

The MEC (military entertainment complex) allowed the production of games which were ‘much more realistic than any other game ever produced for this genre, “making commercial success highly likely (Katz 36).”Thomson describes Call of Duty [2007], as “a combination of the representation of real weapons and real-world elite military units, with probably the most photo-realistic representation of warfare ever”. As the relation between commercial success and authenticity keeps escalating, it is logical, Thomson argues, to say that gamers are encouraged to draw direct links between game and reality (Thomson 45). And this is even more true of the sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which generated 170 million dollars in revenue in less than its first month of sales. Immersion into the intricate details of weapons, uniforms, buildings, trucks, tactics, scenarios and settings is what militant gaming

145 promoters, after all, have touted as authenticity. Making games more realistic and life-like does not, however, make them authentic representations of combat. Immersion in details desensitizes the player to realities of combat.

Responding to this, two other features have been promoted, “agency” and “interactivity” (Thomson 133). “War games with known military input in the past eight years have been exclusively one person shooters or squad based tactical shooters. Turn taking strategy based ‘God-plan’ games” (where the player has complete control of an army) are now a thing of the past (Thomson 122).

How long has the call for authenticity and direct military involvement in development been the driving force in gaming? The story of military agendas, played out since the 70's, dove-tailing with the development of war games unfolds below.

In the last decade, numerous games have been released in relation to military recruitment and training. Full Spectrum Warrior, Spearhead II, Delta Force series, Falcon 4, Close combat, Real War, Kuma War, Socom:Navy Seals, Tom Clancy Rainbow Six, and Microsoft Flight simulator have all been linked to the army’s recruiting agenda. Full Spectrum Warrior is the first product from the Institute of Creative Technologies to be funded by the military (Thomson 15). The U.S. Government takes the role of computer games in promoting the army's training and recruitment agendas very seriously. Two billion dollars a year is the annual budget of the Program Executive Office for Simulation Training and Instrumentation [PEOSTI]. This is not surprising, considering the fact that 90% of the current 75,000 enlistees are listed as “casual gamers”, and 10% as “hardcore (Thomson 19). As training tools, computer games are familiar, fast, cheap, and accessible. The bottom line? These essential marketing properties allow for their maximum consumption by the gaming community.

According to the mission statement for the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) the goals of authenticity and realism were to be met with enhanced visual effects via the entertainment industry. The Department of Defense (DOD) predicted that future gaming criteria will include “fantastically futuristic visions of high-tech military prototypes.” (Thomson 89) Video Games Applied as Propaganda After September 11, the call for more military spending dovetailed with the development of new and evermore compelling games. US V Corps Commander Wallace states “The enemy we’re fighting is a bit different to the one we war-gamed against” (Thomson 20). In 2003, America invaded the tiny, seemingly insignificant country of Iraq. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld needed seamless confidence, and willingness, on the part of the American public in the military’s capacity to fight any war anywhere with high tech solutions requiring the appropriation of ever more funds. War games had been elevated to the privileged status of promoting the new war.

This they were well-positioned to do. In 2006, 69% of households played computer or video games related to the military (Thomson 23).

By 2007, the video and computer game industry was a 9.5 billion dollar enterprise. The first person shoot'em'up Halo 3 was the biggest entertainment launch in history, with over 170 million copies sold in the first 24 hours! But another virtual blockbuster had yet to be released. The “Call of Duty Modern Warfare Series”, released in late November 2007 proved a programming masterpiece that would eventually beat out Halo in the much acclaimed “Game of the Year” and other subsequent awards.

The Call of Duty Modern Warfare Phenomenon Call of Duty 2 Modern Warfare (more commonly known as COD) is the latest installment in the Call of Duty series and debuted in conjunction with two other Call of Duty games: Nintendo DS, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Reflex, each one a variation of the same game designed to run on different consoles. According to preliminary sales figures, Call of Duty Modern Warfare netted over 4.7 million units in the United States and the UK, on its debut release. Gaming consultants also claim that the game’s online counterpart has surpassed 8 million.

According to the National Purchase Diary the game sold another 4.2 million for the Xbox and 1.87 million for the playstation in November, a month after it was released. “COD” has received world-wide critical acclaim for its “compelling story-mode, a package of slick mini-missions and a multi-player that is pretty unparalleled in depth. To understand the magic of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare requires some more investigation into the history of the military's involvements around the world (Thomson 63).

Video Games and War Strategy For the Gulf War, Colin Powell envisioned a clean, clinical, precise war fought with high tech equipment (“Revolution in Military Affairs”). The so-called revolution resulted in fewer casualties in that war, in Bosnia, and later in the first invasion of Iraq. They were post-heroic, involved human disengagement in the piloting of unmanned aerial vehicles from 10,000 miles away. In the use of overwhelming military force, or “overmatch” – the individual soldier was unimportant and the outcome was inevitable. In 2003, the Iraq War made Special Forces actions significant feature of its strategy on the ground. Rumsfeld saw the need to “field a small but technologically superior force” and follow its operations with “overmatch”. This strategy came to be known as “Military Transformation”,

146 and is depicted in and has dictated the format of the vast majority of computer war games since then (Thomson 76).

This style of programming provides a sort of buffer that the gamer experiences making him feel as though he cant loose. This is a problem, however, because this does not prepare them for the realties of war and combat.

This same virtual trap is described by Thomson in his thesis on the new American militarism. “In Call of Duty2: Modern warfare, you fight as a Special Forces soldier on the ground but you can also view from above while commanding a high-tech targeting system.” As 'death from above' – “you control the weapons system on an AC-130 gunship targeting enemy using a thermal imaging operator to provide cover for special forces troops on the ground (Thomson 85) [Embedded] media news footage is used as well as actual video footage of AC130 gunships at work in Afghanistan and Iraq. Integrated in this ‘system of systems’ – sensors, command and control, and precision strike, facilitated by information technology, communications systems, and precision weapons – precision strike capabilities, and accurate long range weapons requires smaller land forces ensuring quick, clinical, low-casualty conflict with reduced risk to troops on the ground and a reduction in collateral damage.” As the lone soldier, or special force squad of four soldiers, you kill terrorists, hunting down and avoiding snipers along the way, your equipment dropped to you from the sky, movement through the terrain earning you increasingly deadly sets of weapons. The gamer is engaged in “cognitive tactical training (Thomson 90).” Decision making skill, correct execution of drills and coordinated squad maneuvers” are rewarded with more serious capabilities. The game is interactive, the action embodied, the simulation convincing. You are invincible (Perry 30).

The majority of COS and dual-use games are designed as 'cognitive tactical trainers' with earned capacity for doing damage followed up by the overmatch – the hero ultimately supported by military high technology. In Conflict: Desert Storm, for example, the hero “finishes off General Azziz with a GBU-28 Bunker Buster air strike using a laser designator” (Perry 32).

And programming will be getting even more interesting, with computer games advertising a variety of knew, advanced features. In my interview with Jack Rebbetroy, a game developer for Black Sun Productions, and he claims that “in future wars – live, three-dimensional image of the entire battlefield displayed on a computer screen with full intel on precise location and activity of enemy units even at night or poor weather—hiding behind mountains or under trees. “Integrated warfighter system based on the Future Force Warrior program being developed by US Military providing every soldier with overmatch capabilities’ Total battlefield visibility and total integration in the digital battlefield (Thomson 80).” From an ad for a game on the Army Future Combat Systems website – “take command of an FCS and prevent destabilization of Dalilar by neighboring Sabalan”. Everywhere, the procedural logic is the same – military transformation is the key to winning wars.

To further understand the hypnotic power of Call of Duty, the features of embodiment and remediation must be mentioned. To do this, it is instructive to compare the game to the current crop of movies called “military techno-thrillers”. While we could go as far back as WWI with films about flying aces, the story-line remains the same (Thomson 84). argues that war movies, like games, are promotions of the vision of military transformation.

“Movies [technothrillers] are primers in current or future military capabilities, driven by “what if?” scenarios of military transformations. The population views these and approves them in the context of any number of potential global flashpoints that could erupt into conflict, and the conditions and consequences that would result from use of the new technology are reviewed through infinitely more accessible vicarious experiences”.

Thomson points to “the validating interpretive framework of popular culture…the medal of honor tagline – ‘Can one man truly make a difference?’ to illustrate how ‘popular hero narratives and actual military policy’ converge – how the idea of outnumbered heroic forces and the idea of overmatch are made compatible and appealing. The most pronounced overlap to be found in computer games, where “new found technological sophistication” and “old-fashioned individual heroism” are combined."An American with a laser designator could kill 3,000 Taliban in an afternoon…In an almost Biblical sense, one man could bring down a whole bunch of the enemy” (Thomson 126).

Thomson also argues that “as the number of Americans who have experienced war first hand falls – WWII, Korea and Vietnam vets, the all-volunteer army represents a smaller sector of the population…” Without these veterans being “put in your face”, so to speak, the general public soon forgets about the horrors of war making it possible for the media to fan the flames of war and represent it in the American imagination. Described above is how “an overblown faith in transformational capabilities is contributed by computer games to the new American militarism, encouraging recruitment to a particular understanding of how military force works as a tool for conflict resolution (Thomson 71).”

Technology’s Inaccurate Portrayal of War All of this occurs alongside a real and very different war, with troops withdrawing from urban Iraq and drawn into cities and villages of Afghanistan. Down-playing challenges faced when computer technology is

147 involved – the hackers, disrupted recon signals, and plain signal interruption, the games do not show how military transformation has failed in real operational environments.

In Iraq and now in Afghanistan, the weaker enemy has developed the element of surprise ambush to huge effect – from roadside bombings to suicide bombings “In asymmetric warfare – the weaker develops unexpected methods (Thomson 149)”, with explosive strapped pedestrians and truck-driving snipers. On the other side, the current version of military transformation thinking is a tactic called “Joint Vision [2010], built on the premise that US forces must be able to defeat any adversary in any situation (full spectrum dominance), but the equipment and operations involved do not take anything like “nation-building”. Any given three block radius is officially no longer a combat zone and Iraqis are engaged in rebuilding their homes, infrastructure, clinics with the aid of US troops providing manpower and security while in the next block a soldier may encounter an ambush. Reconstruction, peacekeeping, nation building exercises require a large number of troops on the ground, but in the games, all plot twists are ultimately resolved by calling in an air strike. Much of the confusion on the ground in Iraq and now Afghanistan ground operations … came from gaming. “Computer simulations were institutionalizing the limitations of information technology’s capability to represent the true complexities of war (O’Neill 71).

Effects So who does the militarization of the virtual world in a videogame effect specifically? Well as you might have guessed, it deceives the public into thinking that everything in war is perfectly coordinated and planned out: every tactic, every strategy, every maneuver, in a kind of bamboozling of the average gamer. “It encourages the belief in high technology as the solution to complex political issues and means of meeting global aspirations (Thomson 72). “Americans no longer question the idea that high tech is going to make us win wars (Thomson 72).

Youth culture has adopted the assertions embedded in war games, with every prospective Rambo engaged in “cognitive tactical training”. The determinism of the narratives is adopted as adventure. Progress is determined by a predefined sequence of events – a conventional narrative underlies a sequence of which cannot be altered. Though figures could not be found for the current paper on the number of teen-age gamers involved in war gaming, it is possible that this population is more sleep-deprived, and possibly more addicted to gaming than their gaming fathers, who have, on average, been playing for 12 years.

Possible Solutions If a programmer wanted to make a game true to the realities of war the most obvious solution would be to create a scenario in which the characters actually die after being shot. By dying, I mean the players mission is terminated. One attempt to develop a game like this, by game analyst Gonzalo Frasca (2000), with no re-spawning [coming back to life], has, appropriately, the opening screen read “This is not a game.” Realistically speaking, however, this would make the game a marketing bust. No sensible gamer, or anyone for that matter, wants to get locked out of game play. So being able to keep playing will continue to be a factor in games, including military ones.

The reason games produced by the military are so popular is because the military is depicted as an adventure unparalleled by any other than a crime spree (Halo). I interviewed Jack Rebbetroy, and he seems to think that illustrated realism has a role to play. “Maybe that does influence people to join, but I also think increased realism has made people more aware of army life. Basically it boils down to how well your product sells. If you make a game where realism requires that you get locked out of game play when you die, people aren't going to play it. So you kind of have to have a nonstop gaming experience.”

The most plausible solution is appropriate media promotion. This is what prompted an interview with Chris Anderson., chief editor for “Wired Magazine”. His proved to be the “received view” on gaming and connections to the military (that these were conspiracy theory about a tendency, among boys, to love to play at war). This view clearly and confidently states, in the same breath, that technological advances for military uses feed the rest of technology and the entertainment industry with ever new and improved innovations. Nonetheless, the best solution must be to Address the media's output on this subject. Writing letters to military strategists and agents of military recruitment, contacting anti-recruitment activists with media coverage, writing letters to editors of blog and journal columns in newspapers and gaming mags and journals, creating a website, contributing to Wikipedia on issues concerning games and the military, speaking vigorously to and on behalf of peers about the subject could, all together, constitute movement in the right direction.

The military’s efforts at coercion, through the medium of videogames, is, at many levels, dishonest. That virtual recruitment involves coercion could be disregarded completely if games were modified in order to portray the reality of combat in a more accurate sense, but the possibility of that is hard to fathom, given the structure and features of interactivity in gaming. As Americans this should be a matter of grave concern. Recruiters may not be on your street or in your neighborhood but they are in your X Box, metaphorically speaking. And if you don’t have one,

148 you want one, it’s a calculated means of feeding you their perception of war which, in many cases, is an inaccurate representation of the cold facts. These are the realites of war, and these should be the realities of a videogame.

Thomson points to the tagline – 'Can one man truly make a difference?'” to evoke the forever popular hero story line in describing how it has dovetailed with actual military policy – how the idea of outnumbered heroic force and the idea of overmatch are made compatible and appealing. He argues that the most pronounced overlap is to be found in the call for new technologies to wage war. Computer games, where “new found technological sophistication” and “old-fashioned individual heroism” are combined make for compelling advertisement (Thomson 99). The military’s fascination with high-tech is borderline obsessive.

“An American with a laser designator could kill 3,000 Taliban in an afternoon…In an almost Biblical sense, one man could bring down a whole bunch of the enemy (Thomson 96),” is indicative of this disjoint between fantasy and reality.

The current version of military transformation thinking is a tactic called “Joint Vision 2010,” built on the premise that US forces must be able to defeat any adversary in any situation (Full spectrum dominance)”, Hence, the title of the game “Full Spectrum Warrior”. While in Congress, the transformational model is being opposed, and Donald Rumsfeld resigned amid allegations that his arrogance and love of technology brought on a state of military unpreparedness that leaves American soldiers unequal to the task of nation-building to stop insurgency, and vulnerable to attack, 9 billion dollars (2006) has been dedicated for special forces and design and building of unmanned aerial vehicles toward “swiftly defeating” or “winning decisively”. In the new Call of Duty, military transformation is being identified as both the source and the solution to the problems that the military is facing, but the mantra is still “When in doubt … call in the air strike (Thomson 99).”

Acknowledgements : I would like to acknowledge my interviewees : My brother Mickey, who plays a lot of Call of Duty, gave his and his friends’ perspective on the experience; Christopher Anderson, Chief Editor at ‘Wired Magazine’, gave his perspective on the involvement of the military in gaming, Jack Rebbetoy, Game Developer, gave his thoughts on the future of military games. The Marine Recruiter. (I don’t think I want to get his name, or that he should get mine) a local character whose job it is to convince me to think about joining the army. Of the many articles and blogs I read about this subject, by far the most informative is Matthew Thomson’s dissertation Military Computer Games and the New American Militarism: What Computer Games Teach Us About War, the source I use for information and quote from extensively. Lastly, I would like to thank my mother, who helped me (a great deal) with this project. Any fault with it is mine, since I was too intimidated by the long and explicit list of directions to read them first and carefully.

Bibliography Anderson, Craig. “The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence.” www.amazon.com, Februar y 2007. Web. January 1, 2010.

Gonzalez, Anette. “Video Games Are U.S. Army's Most Powerful Recruitment Tool.” www.gameinformer.com, November 27, 2009. Web. December 17, 2009 Goodman, David. “War Games: The Army’s Teen Arsenal.” www. Motherjones.com, September, 2009. Web. January 1, 2010.

“Lawmakers Back Divisive Army Games.” www.nationaljournal.com, November 24, 2009. Web. November 13, 2009.

Penny, Simon. “Representation, Enaction, and the Ethics of Simulation.” New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996. Print Teng, Wai. “VG Researcher – Psychology.” www.vgresearcher.word press.com, July 2, 2008. Web. January 1, 2010.

“The Virtual Recruitment Office.” www.academic perspective.com, November 6, 2009. Web. January 1, 2010.

Thomson, Matt. “Military Computer Games and the New American Militarism”. New York: University of Nottingham, 2008. Print “Uncle Sam Wants Videogamers.” CBSNews.com. CBS News Interactive Inc., Feb, 8 2009. Web. December 9, 2009 “Video Game Used to Lure New Recruits.” Military.com, March 4, 2005.Web. November 19, 2009 “Video Game Violence Can Make You Cold-Blooded in Rea Life.” www.UniversalClass.com, April 14, 2006. Web. November 19, 2009 “War games: Military training goes high-tech.” CNN.com. Cable News Network LP, November 23, 200. Web. December 9, 2009

149

Sophie Owens Craig Butz February 5, 2010 Research in the Community: D Block Innocent or Guilty?

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Juvenile Judicial System in California The juvenile judicial system is an extremely important aspect of our society. Juveniles at risk for arrest are most likely performing poorly in school, experiencing a dysfunctional family environment, have a mental disorder or are abusing substances in an attempt to self-medicate. Because of these detriments in the child’s life, many times these children feel hopeless and that is when they are most likely to commit a crime; this is where the juvenile judicial system is involved. The system, in California, strives to protect the public and rehabilitate the juvenile.

There are many different ways to go about the process of rehabilitation. Juvenile Hall in San Francisco, for example, meets these set goals by providing the following: a more stable education system for the juvenile, connections to social service agencies, community-based organizations, treatment programs, detention, incarceration, and community supervision. Many times the system is beneficial to the child; however, the juvenile’s problems are not always addressed adequately. For instance, should a thirteen year old be sentenced to a life in prison? Another issue to think about is the effectiveness of punitive boot camps as a way of helping a juvenile offender change his behavior. Does a school comprised mostly of gang members benefit or hinder the student’s ability to learn. These practices are in dire need of their own rehabilitation. While the system can be beneficial to bettering a child’s behavior and psychological health, there are also serious detriments that are cause for concern and must be properly addressed.

Until the late 1900s, law-breaking minors in the United States did not receive special treatment due to their young age. Children under the age of eighteen were deemed property of their parents and were either sent to jail or institutionalized if they broke the law, punishments that were befitting of their parents. Some youth, regarded as troublemakers, were sent to “reform school” where the emphasis was on punishment and the children were isolated and not always fed. It was not until 1967 that the United States Supreme Court distinguished juveniles “as persons with individual rights under the law” (Jacob). Providing juvenile offenders individual rights was a necessary step in the modernization the of juvenile justice system. In 1967, the United States Supreme Court reviewed a case concerning a 15-year-old boy named Gerry Gault who had been arrested for making an offensive telephone call to a neighbor. At the time, like all teenagers, Gerry had no personal rights under the law. Neither Gerry nor his parents were provided with written notice of his hearing, only the charge. When his parents inquired about the hearing, the police told them that Gerry was not allowed to be represented by a lawyer; he was also unable to call witnesses on his behalf or question the victim. Gerry was found guilty because of a probation officer’s statements. The judge sentenced him to seven years in a juvenile detention center. In the Gault case, the Supreme Court ruled that the protections provided by the Bill of Rights apply to juveniles as well as adults (Jacob). The Gault case reformed the juvenile justice system dramatically. Fortunately, juveniles are now able to be represented by a lawyer, receive written notice of any charges against them, allowed to have personal witnesses, and are able to cross-examine the opposing witnesses.

Over time, the juvenile judicial system has evolved into a system where, among other things, teenagers are entitled to be notified of criminal charges filed against them and they have the right of representation by an attorney.

The age limit for juvenile cases varies depending on the state and ranges from eighteen to twenty-one. California sets its age limit at eighteen. The juvenile judicial system in California is geared toward both public safety and rehabilitation. The Gault case was an important development for the juvenile court system and yet the justice system has a very long way to go before it fully develops equitable standards.

There have been many attempts to reform the juvenile court system but the fundamental process normally remains the same for each juvenile offender. Typically, in California, one to two weeks after the child is arrested, a sentencing occurs. In order to make a decision, the judge takes into account the young person’s family, criminal history, psychological profile, and facts pertaining to the case. Recommendations by the probation officer, district attorney, public defender, and psychologist are also considered. The penalties decided by the judge may include jail time, probation, counseling, and/or payment to the victim.

One benefit of the juvenile justice system in California is that it truly focuses on rehabilitation and making sure the child gets the help needed, not just the punitive consequences. Rehabilitation occurs by assisting the family, re-enforcing a positive social group for the child, and referring the juvenile to professional aid. The family may be assessed for psychological and/or medical help, financial aid, and employment counseling. It is important to assist the family because often the juvenile offender has come from a disadvantaged and dysfunctional home environment

150 that is in need of external and professional aid to support the child. It is important to help the family and not solely the minor; this is because, sometimes, if a child is sent to a rehabilitation center for a period of time and is successful, the parents might feel as though they have been left behind or that the child is implying his superiority.

These steps of rehabilitation are imperative to the overall experience of the juvenile offender and, with the help of this process, he will most likely be better off than he was prior to his arrest. In addition to helping the family, the system works to offer the child a more affirmative and constructive social grouping, because many times the offense is due to peer pressure or gang involvement.

Many programs in California, such as the Community Youth Center or City Youth Now, are involved with the development of a child’s leadership abilities and self-reinforced peer groups that tend to be more positive than their previous social circles. For example, in San Francisco, the Community Youth Center provides Asian juvenile offenders with the opportunity to participate on a dragon boat racing team in hope that the competition and commitment will build motivation and leadership qualities. This sort of teamwork is an excellent way to rehabilitate the social circle of the juvenile offender and should be incorporated in all additional probation experiences.

The juvenile offender is also assessed for psychological, medical, and educational needs to be provided for by the state. Dr. Patti Weiss shares a story about a young boy who has recently been tested at Juvenile Hall: “A child we recently tested was found to be nearly deaf, but had not been diagnosed prior to his arrest. [Juvenile Hall was] able to get the judge to order hearing aids and medical help from an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor for him, with the city paying the bill” (Weiss). Most of the time, when a kid gets arrested, they end up with more help than when they first came in, although this is not always the case. While this process of rehabilitation is important and many times beneficial to the juvenile, there are also many flaws with the system such as trying children as adults, the maltreatment of children within detention centers like those run by the Division of Juvenile Justice and a lack of an effective educational system.

The idea of trying children as an adult was born out of the “tough on crime” movement in the mid-1970’s where the public protested the benign punishments of the justice systems. Many spoke of “harsher mandatory prison sentences, increased use of capital punishment and life without parole, rollbacks of prison education programs and other rehabilitation efforts, as well as increased development of maximum prisons and control units” (“Prisons”).

Many people believe that, when a person disrespects the law, he should not receive any sympathy and that a heinous crime must receive the same punishment no matter who commits it.

Trying children as adults under a judicial waiver is an extremely controversial policy. More than half of the states in America allow minors as young as twelve to be tried and sentenced as adults. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C. allow children as young as seven years old to be prosecuted and tried under the adult court system in the case of murder or other extreme crimes. While the United States Supreme Court deems capitol punishment unconstitutional for offenders under the age of sixteen, some states still consider the death penalty for seventeen and eighteen-year-olds who are convicted of a severe crime (First Comprehensive Policy…).

Today, there are three principle arguments as to why juvenile offenders should be tried and sentenced under the umbrella of the adult court system. These arguments are as follows: juvenile offenders are responsible for their actions and a heinous crime should have the same punishment for everyone; young people are more sophisticated these days and have a better understanding of the consequences before they commit the offense; and lenient sentencing does not teach the lessons that must be learned (Reaves).

Trying children as adults is unconstitutional and does not benefit anyone involved, especially the juvenile offender. The following are five main arguments against trying children as adults: juveniles should not have access to weapons in the first place; minors lack the morals to understand the consequences of their actions; the court system is too complicated for minors; rehabilitation gives the minor a second chance and therefore they are less likely to commit a crime again; and, adult facilities are too dangerous for minors. According to Tracy McClard, founder of Campaign for Youth Justice, “when [minors] are put into adult prisons, the education is sparse, they have no counseling… they’ve had no mental health [treatment], so when they are released, they are 34% more likely to re-offend in a more violent way then when they went in because they have learned how to defend themselves through fighting. They grow up learning how to be criminals and they re-enter society more vulnerable then when they entered the prison system in the first place” (McClard). McClard has fought hard against trying and sentencing children as adults ever since her sixteen-year-old son took his own life in an adult prison shortly after he had been convicted for shooting another teenager and sentenced to thirty years in an adult facility. Along with the issue of trying children under a judicial wavier, the “tough on crime” movement also results in a higher incarceration rate.

Because of the high imprisonment rate, there was a need for more staff members; not all of the staff could be properly trained due to a lack of funding. This harsher policy, “tough on crime”, impaired the juvenile judicial system and many of the resulting problems still exist today. One of these problems includes poorly trained staff members who are commonly abusive to juvenile offenders within punitive detention centers.

151 The practices of organizations such as the Division of Juvenile Justice, formerly known as California Youth Authority, are controversial. The Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is a center for minors who have committed offenses such as gang violence, sexual felonies and other serious crimes. Some believe that the DJJ is the only solution to housing incorrigible, high-risk youth. However, this center has earned itself a reputation as dangerous place because of the poorly trained staff, inadequate education system, and frequent violence between guards and incarcerated youth. In addition to these drawbacks, it costs the state about $80,000 a year per child to be housed at the center (California Youth Authority). The center’s emphasis is punishment and, many times, a child is put into isolation if he acts out. Because the offender isolated, he cannot attend class for the 72 hours he is alone. If the child has difficulty staying out of trouble, he does not receive an adequate education. The Division of Juvenile Justice is the equivalent of prison for a child. Dr. David Arredondo, a child psychologist, in speaking about programs such as the Division of Juvenile Justice, says the following: “I’ve seen children who were delusional. I’ve seen children that were hallucinating in solitary cells, left there for days because there were no mental health services available for them” (Improving Mental Health…). In recent years, there has been bad press regarding the treatment of the juveniles at the DJJ. By one report, several inmates escaped and went to the police station where they reported being beaten or kept in isolation for long periods of time (Weiss). According to former juvenile deputy district attorney George I. Kita, “Children [there] are often treated like animals in a zoo. A state study recently found that children were often ‘locked in cages as punishment’. They would receive their schooling while they were sitting all day in little individualized cages. The state study also found that those with mental problems are ‘frequently drugged and improperly cared for’” (“California Youth Authority”).

A final flaw of the California Juvenile Justice system has to do with inadequate education of offenders, often due to punitive isolation and gang involvement. According to Dr. Weiss, about 30% of the children in Juvenile Hall have learning disorders, meaning they need as much academic assistance as they can get. However, this is not always easy. For example, because of the disciplinary isolation policy, when an offender acts out, they are isolated and therefore may not get to their classes everyday. In addition, some of the special schools developed to accommodate youth on probation have a population consisting mostly of gang members. One specific school, in San Francisco, called the Principal’s Campus Center (PCC) is a good school, but all the kids there are on probation and most of them are gang members. While they often come from a school where there are some gang members, at PCC about 80% of the students are involved in a gang. In that regard, that child may have been better off where he was prior to his arrest. The Principal’s Campus Center is the last resort, where a student who has so few credits that he is at risk for not graduating, can get a GED, a high school equivalency degree. Although the education of the juvenile offender after his arrest is an important contributing factor to his rehabilitation, the education is not always as effective as it needs to be. The fact that there are whole schools of gang members can make it hard to focus on learning and the social dynamic has a negative effect on the behavior and performance of the offenders both in and out of the classroom.

It is important to reform the juvenile justice system in California because it is expensive and for the most part, ineffective. Something must be done about the flaws of the juvenile justice system in California because it is not beneficial to the community or the juvenile offender involved. All across the country, there have been attempts to reform the juvenile justice system, mostly within the last ten years, with varying degrees of success. One new approach to the system that has been quite successful is the “Missouri Model”. This program focuses on treating others with respect and emphasizes dealing with and understanding anger. Girls live together in a home-like environment while boys are housed in a more structured facility. Both centers have a policy called “checking in” which means that a staff member or facilitator is available at all times to speak with the children about how they are feeling at that moment; checking in can be either a long talk or a simple exchange words. The Missouri Model has proven its effectiveness by the fact that it has a 7.3% recidivism rate, compared to California’s average rate of 85% (Missouri Model). The Missouri Model is a good alternative to the abusive and costly system of California. The emphasis on therapeutic rehabilitation is important to the success of the child. If the juvenile justice system in California adopted the effective system that is working well in Missouri, the recidivism rate would be drastically lower and it would be generally less expensive.

Illinois has passed three new laws with the hope of reforming their juvenile justice system. These laws were put into effect on January 1st, 2010. These laws emphasize the importance of drug rehabilitation, counseling, and keeping low-level offenders out of the prison system. Betsy Clark, the president of the Juvenile Justice Initiative states that All three of these new laws improve juvenile justice in Illinois – an advancement based on research findings and acknowledgement that locking up low-level offenders in state prisons is not just expensive but can spur repeated offenses by juveniles following the harsh punishment. Sending juveniles to state prisons is very

152 expensive, and it often doesn’t change the behavior of youths or keep communities safer. (Illinois Laws Offer Youth New Opportunities in 2010) In an effort to reform the system in California, one organization called Books Not Bars has as the following goals: close the Division of Juvenile Justice, for it is costly and abusive; have specialists as the staff, not prison guards; do not mix minors with detained adults; make the juvenile justice system independent from the adult correction system; and engage the community in oversight programs (Ella Baker Center). Books Not Bars aims to shut down the abusive and expensive youth prisons and detention centers and “replace them with alternatives that work—regional rehabilitation centers and community-based programs” (Ella Baker Center).

In conclusion, although the juvenile justice system in California can be helpful in the process of rehabilitation, the method of assisting the child is not always constitutional or humane. It is important to reform the juvenile justice system in California because the process in place is often not the best and most effective option for the juvenile offender. It is imperative to emphasis the importance of therapeutic, character building and educational programs that will help the child be more successful in life and offer a second chance, while also acknowledging that the juvenile has committed a crime for which he must receive a consequence. The juvenile justice system in California could be beneficial to the juvenile offender, and yet has flaws that must be modified or eliminated all together.

I would like to acknowledge Valerie Moon, Jordan Murphy, Josh Baer, Craig Butz, and Tracy Schmidt for editing my paper.

Works Cited “California Youth Authority”. Top Juvenile Defender. 2003. Web. 1 Jan. 2010.

“Ella Baker Center: About Books Not Bars”. Ella Baker Center. 2009. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

“First Comprehensive Policy Study of Trying and Sentencing Children as Adults Find 22 States May Sentence Children as Young as 7 to Adult Prison”. The University of Texas at Austin. 28 July 2009. Web. 12 Jan. 2010.

“Illinois Laws Offer Youth New Opportunities in 2010”. Models for Change: System Reform for Juvenile Justice.

McArthur Foundation. 2008. Web. 20 Jan.2010.

“Improving Mental Health Care in Teen Justice System”. Michelle Trudeau. National Public Radio. 25 Dec. 2005.

Web. 11 Jan. 2010.

Jacob, Tom. They Broke the Law, You be the Judge. Minneapolis, MN. 2003. Print.

Missouri Model. David Ball. 2009. YouTube. 14 Jan. 2010 “Prisons: History—The “get tough” movement”. Law Library- American Law and Legal Information. Web. 27 Jan. 2010.

Reaves, Jessica. “Should the Law Treat Kids and Adults Differently?” Time Magazine. 17 May 2001. Web. 1 Jan. 2010.

Tracy McClard on KFVS-TV in Missouri/Illinois. 2008. YouTube. 13 Jan. 2010.

Weiss, Patti. Personal interview. 10 Jan. 2010.

153 David Perell Craig Butz Research in the Community January 29, 2010 Investigative Reporting of Athletes: How Far is Too Far? “US Weekly to Release Jaimee Grubbs Voicemail from Tiger Woods” (Lindellof). Is this ethically correct? Is it okay for the media to release what were meant to be confidential voicemails to the public? What should the media ethically report to the American People? What constitutes “fair” reporting about athletes and when is it an invasion of privacy, and who decides?

The controversial issue of tampering into athletes’ private lives has been a longstanding debate in America’s celebrity-obsessed culture (Baird). Many controversial issues have arisen over the past thirty years concerning invasion of privacy, as the media does not seem to be able to resist the urge to cover a juicy story. After all, juicy stories sell! It is essential that events that occur in a public setting should be made public, whereas events that occur inside the home should be kept private.

The debate regarding the rights to protect ones character and right to privacy, called the “most comprehensive rights and the right most valued by civilized men” (Brandeis) has been reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court but is being constantly challenged by members of the media. For example, the while the Supreme Court has protected the overall rights of a free press, it has left situations of invasion of privacy, especially concerning public figures, more open to ethical judgment on the part of the media.

Specifically, the landmark New York Times vs. Sullivan Supreme Court case clearly detailed how far news organizations could go to report the actions of people without being punished for factual errors or defamation of character. The ruling gave news organizations the freedom to report key events about public figures (including celebrities) without having to worry about being sued, as long as they did not act with malice or reckless disregard for the truth when a case concerns a public figure (New York Times vs. Sullivan).

Subsequent cases, Time vs. Hill and the Gertz vs. Welch, expanded the rights of the media by ruling that private figures did not have to prove “malice” towards the media; private figures only had prove that the accusations of the case were false or that the media acted with “reckless disregard” for the truth. (Bussin).

The Gertz vs. Welch case of 1974, decided that private figures would have more lenience when arguing that a news report invaded privacy or was false (Gertz v. Welch). However, the court argued that public figures and officials should have a much more difficult time convicting the media of wrongdoing, because of their ability to access the media and rebut the facts (Herbeck). This gives the media an added right to report the wrongdoings and events that occur that are of the general interest of the American public concerning public officials or pubic figures such as sports celebrities.

It is reasonable to believe that the issue of the media’s involvement in celebrities’ lives has had both a positive and detrimental influence in the lives of athletes in the United States. On one hand, one might argue that the media has the right to report credible information about a celebrity – good or bad. On the other hand one might debate that athletes deserve the same rights to privacy as the general public.

The Tiger Woods case, for example, would be completely different if Tiger Woods were a private figure, for the public’s interest would be non-existent. However, the Associated Press’ athlete of the decade is more than just a private figure; Tiger Woods is the first athlete ever to earn a billion dollars (Barrett), is BusinessWeek’s “most powerful athlete” (BusinessWeek), and has generated so much popularity, he would never have been able to win a suit against the media for defamation of his character due to his fame. (He would have had to prove “malice” or “reckless disregard for the truth”, neither of which was the case.)

Due to his esteem, it wasn’t just the celebrity enthusiasts who were tuned into new updates on the situation.

Instead, people from around the country were tuned into the Tiger Woods drama. Regardless, the media wouldn’t have been interested in reporting such events if Tiger Woods had been a private figure. (Krolik).

In Tiger Woods’ December 1st statement, he asked for privacy, along with forgiveness, and he essentially “begged” the media to exercise restraint: “I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness…. Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period” (Tiger Woods).

As shown in his statement, Tiger Woods admits to his “infidelity,” and criticizes the media for tapping into his private life. This shows that even athletes covet their privacy. Though Tiger understands that the media has a right to investigate his personal life due to his popularity around the country, he still desires his family’s privacy, therefore allowing them to remain out of the media spotlight. The media honored the privacy for the rest of the

154 Woods family, but also recognized that United States law enabled the media to investigate many of Tiger’s scandalous stories for he is a public figure and the news reports were of legitimate public concern (Krolik).

Therefore, the media reported the often controversial or scandalous mistakes that Tiger Woods had made throughout the previous few years.

On the issue of privacy for sports celebrities, Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News, offers this guideline: “The virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family.” “Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family should not have to mean public confessions” (Lupica). Lupica states that the mistakes made in an athlete’s private life do not have to be events that are known to people around the nation. Instead, he believes that these infidelities must be kept within the family. Nevertheless, in contrasting the ideas of Lupica, the Supreme Court still defends the media, arguing that the mistakes that athletes (public figures) make are of public concern and may be reported.

The issue of invasion of privacy, especially for public figures such as athletes, has been less defined by the Supreme Court. After reviewing privacy regulations from States around the country, my beliefs closely parallel Florida Law. Bussin states that “one man’s gossip may be another man’s news, but distinguishing between the two is often the key in determining weather the press is guilty of ‘invasion of privacy.’” Bussin concludes that privacy can be invaded in four ways: 1.

The most common way that the media can be convicted is for “intrusion upon a person’s seclusion or solitude,” such as entering a private property to take photographs or to gather information without the consent of the property owner.

2.

Secondly, one can (including the media?) be accused of “appropriation of a person’s name or likeness”, altering the image of a person, therefore harming their reputation for the worse. This rule however may only be applied when the media incorrectly states the events that occur.

3.

Thirdly, the media may not report “public disclosures of embarrassing private facts”, reporting private facts, often concerning an athlete’s sexual relationships, the ideas expressed in personal letters, information about an athlete’s personal hygiene or personal matters that are meaningless public.

4.

Lastly, the media may not give the “athlete publicity which places a person in a false light,” therefore lying about an issue when reporting on the athlete. In order for a plaintiff (i.e. a sports figure) to charge the media for reported events, articles must contain highly offensive material concerning the plaintiff (Florida State Bar).

Through the investigation of Florida Law, I noticed that the states would have a difficult time winning a lawsuit against the invasion of privacy, due to the media’s investigation of an incident in multiple states.

The media does have an obligation to gather and report news of public concern. But public figures, including athletes also have a right to their privacy. When this is violated, or leaked, the press faces a dilemma: to report or not to report?

I learned from one of my interview with Peter Waldman that Barry Bonds had been placed in front of a federal grand jury. Bonds admitted that he indeed used a clear substance and a cream developed by Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO); Major League Baseball did not have the ability to detect the drug. Bonds, however, did not admit that he took steroids. Bonds’ invasion of privacy came when a transcript of the federal grand jury case, (which is supposed to be as confidential as matters dealt with by the CIA) was leaked. In doing so, Bonds’ reputation was ruined and he became one of the most disliked players in baseball (Waldman). Bonds deserved his right to a concealed grand jury trial. However, with the leaking of such a confidential transcript, I believe that Bonds owns a strong argument towards invasion of privacy, specifically, defamation of character. The media’s counter argument was that although this was perhaps an invasion of privacy, it was of significant interest to sports fans around the nation, therefore giving the report legitimacy under U.S. law (Waldman).

The American courts now use a two-step process developed by the Supreme Court to conclude if the press is guilty of invading an athlete’s privacy (Linder). The courts use two methods to consider the possibility of invasion of privacy. Firstly, the courts look at the media’s methods towards finding their information and question if they therefore invaded one’s privacy in the process. Secondly, the court system looks at the media’s inalienable rights towards the first amendment. The media has certain rights to investigation that others may not have. Nevertheless, athletes from around the world value their privacy and the media must respect their requests on a case-by-case basis (Belsey).

It is essential that the media respects athlete’s privacy, for they possess facts about their private lives that they do not wish to be revealed to the rest of the world. At the same time, athletes need to respect the media’s right to submit reports concerning their behavior – public and private – and people’s natural desire to learn about their often fascinating private lives. It comes with the territory. If athletes wish to keep information about their lives away from the media, they should not become public figures, and should wish to remain private figures (Barrett).

155 Nevertheless, in some cases, I believe the media must respect certain wishes of the athletes to keep sections of their lives private. The media should have the right to report anything that they would like, as long that it is of legitimate public interest, and as long as the media is not breaking the law when investigating a celebrity’s private life such as tampering into phone calls, or which unlawfully breaks into an athlete’s private life (Bussin). However, I do believe the media should have the right to conduct interviews with people close to the athlete who may be willing to give away details concerning the private life of the athlete.

In the end, it is a delicate balance between the media’s right to report, the public’s “right to know” and an athlete’s right to privacy. While in the past clear rules regarding appropriate coverage among major media could be enforced, the introduction of new media – such as blogs, text messages and other instant media that are less regulated make managing harmful information and protecting an athlete’s privacy more difficult. This long-lasting issue will continue to be debated by people around the world (Krolik).

I would like to acknowledge Valerie Moon, Kate Restaino, Cynthia Harrison, Daehan Vasquez, Malia Madden, Avi Stricker, Laura Nethercutt, Zander Nethercutt, and Josh Baer for helping me with my paper.

Works Cited Baird, Julia. "Privacy, a Forgotten Virtue." Newsweek 14 Dec. 2009: 29. General OneFile. Web. 18 Dec. 2009.

Barrett, Connell. “Did ‘SNL’ Tiger Woods Sketch Go Too Far?” Golf Magazine. Golf Magazine, N.D. Web. 8 Dec. 2009.

Belsey, Andrew and Chadwick, Ruth. Ethical Issues in Journalism and the Media. New York : Routledge, 1992.

Print.

Brandeis, Louis and Warren, Samuel. The Right of Privacy. MIT. Harvard Law. 1999. Web. 23 Jan 2010.

Bussin, John and Levine, Paul. “Invasion of Privacy and the Media: The Right ‘To Be Let Alone.’” The Florida Bar, Reporters Handbook. Web. Aug. 2004.

Gertz V. Welch. 418 U.S. 323. Supreme Court of the US . 1974. Supreme Court Collection. Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School . 13 Jan 2010. Web. n.d.

Herbek, Dale and Tedford, Thomas. Freedom of Speech in the United States , 6th ed. State College , PA : Strata Publishing, Inc., 2009 Krolik, Jeff. Personal Interview. 1 Feb. 2010.

Linddelof, Bill. “Tiger’s Infidelity Hurts Sponsors.” Sacramento Bee 29 Dec. 2009: D1. Print.

Linder, Doug. “The Right of Privacy.” UMKC Law School. University of Missouri – Kansas City . 2009. Web. 23 Jan 2010.

Lupica, Mike. “Tiger Woods Should Blame Self for Media Coverage of Kalika Moquin, Jaimee Grubbs, Rachael Uchitel.” NY Daily News. NY Daily News, N.D. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.

McGuire, Tim. “This Want to Know and Need to Know Distinction in Tiger Woods’ Case.” ASU Walter Kronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.

Smolla, Rodney A. “Privacy and the First Amendment Right to Gather News” 67 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 1097 (19981999). Print.

Sterling, Christopher H. “Encyclopedia of Journalism.” 2009. Sage Publications. Print.

New York Times v. Sullivan. 376 U.S. 254. Supreme Court of the US . 1964. Supreme Court Collection. Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School . 13 Jan 2010. Web. n.d.

Waldman, Peter. Personal Interview. 4 Feb. 2010.

Woods, Tiger. “Tiger Woods Taking Hiatus From Golf.” Tigerwoods.com. 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 Jan 2010.

156 Zoe Pressman Craig Butz Research in the Community 20 January 2010 Our World Shakes in Earthquakes: Solving the Puzzle of Putting our City Back Together "Fire could not stop them, nor the earthquake daunt. They talked of beautiful boulevards, of lofty and solid steel and concrete buildings and of the sweeping away of the slums....

They talked of magnificent palaces to take the place of those that had fallen before the earthquake, fire and dynamite."

—The Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror 256 It is thought that soon an earthquake will strike San Francisco, the biggest one since 1906. We can prepare for this future disaster, even though it is hard to know for sure exactly how bad it will be or when and where it will strike. While being prepared saves lives and property, San Francisco will always be caught unaware and needs to know that. As a city, we have come back from 7.0+ magnitude earthquakes and come back better and stronger. The most significant and most wide affecting changes have to do with the layout and planning of San Francisco; an earthquake grants special opportunities to change and fix the layout of the city. San Francisco needs to take advantage of the opportunities given by an earthquake by preparing for the future, by knowing and identifying past mistakes and good ideas, and using that knowledge to build a better and brighter city.

The biggest disaster this city has ever faced, and subsequently recovered from, occurred at around 5:00am on April 18th, 1906. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake itself caused lots of damage such as fallen buildings and cracks along the street, but the fire that rose from the debris caused the most harm to the city. The next day, April 19th, The Call, Examiner, and the San Francisco Chronicle pooled resources to release a newspaper together. One of the first lines in the article read: "Everybody in San Francisco is prepared to leave the city, for the belief is firm that San Francisco will be totally destroyed" ("Earthquake and Fire: San Francisco in Ruins"). The residents of San Francisco agreed; one man, P. Barrett, later described it by saying that “buildings were crumbling as one might crush a biscuit in one's hand. Ahead of me a great cornice crushed a man as if he were a maggot" (Remembering the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake”). Looting was so bad that Mayor Eugene Schmitz called in troops into the city and ordered them to shoot to kill anyone they caught breaking the law (“Hearing Voices: The S.F. Quake Centennial, Part 1”).

However, most San Francisco residents did make it through the disaster and rebuilt the city, even though the citywide rebuilding suffered from corruption and injustice.

The biggest scandal that occurred during the rebuilding of the city focused on the two most powerful figures at the time, Mayor Eugene Schmitz and lawyer Abe Ruef. Although technically Mayor Schmitz was in charge, in reality Ruef pulled all of the strings. On June 13th, 1906, Mayor Schmitz was found guilty for extorting $2,700 from a restaurant owner, the equivalent of around $63,900 in today’s money (“Mayor Schmitz Found Guilty”).

Abe Ruef went to San Quentin Jail in 1907; one of the few of the numerous corrupt officials to actually be sentenced to jail time. There were a total of 250 indictments handed out to the corrupt officials in 1907, but dishonest conduct did not end there. One of the prosecutors on the various cases was shot during a court session; the murderer committed suicide a while later. The newspaper editor following the case was kidnapped and held for ransom; this was not so bad compared to the witness whose house was blown up and the mysterious demise of the police chief (Nolte 3).

While some took the opportunities given by the earthquake to become corrupt, others chose to use those opportunities to impose racism on the future layout of the city. For example, Chinatown was viewed as a waste of space and should be replaced by a new financial district (The Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror 256).

Such racism was widespread; a book published to exploit the curiosity of tourists was released soon after the earthquake. The book, The Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror, credited to an anonymous group called “the Survivors and Victims” as the authors, devoted an entire chapter to explaining Chinatown in prejudiced detail. At one point, the book ensured the reader that although “all Chinaman are smooth faced and have their heads shaved, they do not 'look alike' to the policemen, who have no trouble in telling them apart" ("The Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror" 251). The city wanted to relocate the Chinese immigrants to a less central location. The Chinese government and local Chinese community, however, retaliated by “threatening a trade boycott if San Francisco went though [sic] with the relocation plans and for good measure the Chinese locals rebuilt many Chinatown buildings with pagoda roofs. Chinatown stayed where it was" (Nolte 2). Ironically, it was the prejudice

157 against Chinese immigrants that gave San Francisco the vibrant and diverse Chinatown we know, mainly the Chinese styled architecture of the buildings. Even though Chinatown remains, San Francisco is in danger of making prejudiced mistakes that can lose large portions of its history, especially by taking advantage of post-earthquake opportunities for rebuilding.

The Loma Prieta Earthquake, one of the worst earthquakes in the Bay Area, gave San Francisco at least one opportunity to change for the better. During the World Series on October 17th, 1989, at around 5:00pm, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Bay Area along the San Andreas Fault—widely known as the Loma Prieta Earthquake. In one respect, the earthquake actually fixed a planning problem. There used to be a freeway, Embarcadero Freeway, which ran along the waterfront, cutting it off from the rest of the city. The Embarcadero Freeway caused massive controversy; it was unsightly and decreased trade in the piers. However, people voted not to take down the freeway because they didn’t want to spend the money or the time (King, “15 Seconds”). During the earthquake the freeway sustained a significant amount of damage. One engineer at the time said that if “the quake had continued for another five seconds … the Embarcadero Freeway would have failed” (qtd. in “15 Seconds”). The freeway, however, could still have been repaired. In an interview with Urban Design Writer John King, he talked about how the other construction projects underway across the city allowed more people to consider the idea to just tear it down. There had been a previous bill to tear the Embarcadero Freeway down, but it had the majority support to keep it running. A lot of people hated it but were too afraid of change, especially change backed by city officials, but after the earthquake there was already so much change in our environment that it was easier to push a couple of more changes through. The earthquake gave everyone the chance to get rid of the Embarcadero Freeway for good without being held up by red tape and traffic delays.

To build a better San Francisco, many plans have been created and discussed over the years. To name a few, there was David Burnham’s “city beautiful” plan in the early 1900s, the growing New Urbanism movement more recently, and the various actions by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) and the Architectural Resources Group. Each plan or series of plans all envision a better San Francisco; this vision could be obtained either by slow year to year building or a more large scale project—which would be possible to set in motion from a square one approach after an earthquake.

David Burnham spear-headed the “city beautiful” project in San Francisco. Chicago had previously used David Burnham for their own “city beautiful” for the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893; one new design aspect was to build houses alongside newly dug canals. Mayor James Phelan, in office from 1897-1902, decided to do a similar thing for San Francisco; he thought that if he gave complaining citizens a hope for a better city future it might help him win the reelection (King, “Grand S.F. plans” 1).

David Burnham’s plan called for a lot of changes in San Francisco. He wanted sweeping boulevards so that there would be scenic routes inside of the city proper, large amphitheater on the hills, and playgrounds atop Bernal Heights and Potrero Hill. While increase in parks and large, easy streets sounds nice, most of his other ideas for change were “impractical or elitist” (King, “Grand S.F. plans” 3). The families that currently had houses in the sections of the city that were proposed to become boulevards became angry because they would soon become homeless (King, “Grand S.F. plans” 4). His design called eleven different streets that connected Market and Van Ness and a plaza for twenty-one museums and government buildings, which would have highly increased traffic and congestion. There would be a newly built elaborate train station for the sole purpose of increasing tourism, even though the Ferry Building already served the same function and was the main mode of tourist transportation.

Burnham loved the sights in San Francisco, so proposed to cut down existing forests to increase ocean views. He also strongly opposed Chinatown, like many San Francisco residents at the time, and wished it to be destroyed.

Another proposed relocation would be to move a local charity house to the outskirts of the city, calling it “a blot on one of the fairest vistas” (King, “Grand S.F. plans” 3). Modern times UC Berkeley architecture professor Stephen Tobriner said that the visual plan is “cool and beautiful but as a real thing imposed on the city it would have been so totally wrong” (qtd. in King, “Grand S.F. plans” 3). Although David Burnham’s planned layout was well loved at the time, it would have only been a mistake. Even if San Francisco had originally wanted to follow through with his plan, the design arrived at City Hall one day before the earthquake and was consumed by the fire with everything else (King, “Grand S.F. plans” 3).

In an interview with Urban Design Writer John King from the San Francisco Chronicle, the main reason why this plan was never brought to life was because after the earthquake there just was not any money to devote to designing something completely different. When people tried to get money after the disaster, they found that their insurance settlements were “tardy, partial, or nonexistent” (Fradkin 226). It was easier to just build directly on top of existing street lines quickly than to try and find the money to make changes.

In modern times, a design scheme called New Urbanism is taking hold. In short, New Urbanism wants to promote local businesses, increases diversity and relationships in communities, and creates better modes of

158 transportation within city limits (King, “Sprawl Fighters”). The Director of San Francisco Planning Department, John Rahaim, remarked that it is a good direction for San Francisco to go (Keegan). One idea would be to mix residential neighborhoods with low density commercial areas so families can walk to a local restaurant or grocery store—cutting down on gas emissions and supporting small business owners. Then, in neighborhoods small alleys would be built to connect houses other than by the main street, offering a safer and closer knit community within a larger city. New Urbanism supports all styles of architecture; the more different houses are in one block shows diversity between neighbors. The most appealing part of New Urbanism to city planners is that it allows for more small scale and local rebuilding; it is a great way to fix past mistakes because one can refurbish or build over something existing. There’s no need to start from square one (King, “Sprawl Fighters”).

One problem with New Urbanism is if the idea of making communities more self-sustaining is only taken at face value. Sometimes new designs are calling themselves New Urbanism, when actually only the fronts of buildings are changed to make the houses look homey. Author Alex Marshall commented on the wide spectrum of New Urbanism: "East Coast is aesthetics and cute. I prefer the West Coast approach. It focuses more on policy than packaging" (qtd. in King, "Sprawl Fighters"). In theory New Urbanism is what San Francisco wants to achieve, but only if it is taken seriously.

San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) is an organization dedicated to making positive changes to the planning of San Francisco. They also deal in what steps the government should take before and after an earthquake to build a better and safer San Francisco. In an interview, Egon Terplan, the Regional Planning Director of SPUR, talked about the variety of steps and legislation SPUR has taken to help prepare San Francisco. He mentioned that many of the houses that sustained major damage after an earthquake all had unsupported garages. There were not any walls or pillars that held the garage in place; in the event of an earthquake, the top layers would come crashing down onto the garage, or the house would simply fall over. In the short term it is costly to reinforce a garage—about $3000-$10000 (“Retrofitting questions & answers”)—but it the long term it saves money because the entire house does not need to be rebuilt after an earthquake.

After an earthquake, SPUR has a number of different ideas to put into place. They can pass planning decisions that before would have taken too much time; Egon Terplan talked about one of SPUR’s ideas is to bring a now underground river above ground, like it used to in the old days. SPUR also has a number of problems in mind.

One fear is that after an earthquake, San Francisco will become merely a tourist destination. The city would be completely dependent on other surrounding cities and would only make money through tourism. That is the last thing SPUR, or anyone, wants. Also, if low income housing was destroyed and replaced by a more expensive housing, the previous residents would not be able to afford the rent or the taxes. Poorer families would be kicked out of their homes if their houses were fixed to a higher standard.

The Architectural Resources Group, a group that takes old buildings refurbishes them so that the buildings have a purpose in modern day times, does not deal with post-earthquake or urban planning in general. They’re job is a reduce, reuse, recycle program that focuses on buildings, like how the Bay School was converted from an old army barracks to a high school. Even so, the old buildings they work on do have to survive through the numerous disasters over the years. The Associate Principal of the Architectural Resources Group, Charles Chase, talked about how the older a house is, the better it stands against storms and earthquakes because the house is properly maintained.

Charles Chase also mentioned that someone who makes decisions to fix or rebuild a house is drastically influenced if they personally live in the city. No one wants to tear down houses that they know, even if it is safer and more cost effective for the city. There needs to be a third party group who oversees decisions to minimize any mistakes.

All this adds up to a series of steps that San Francisco should take in order to be better prepared to rebuild after an earthquake. It is almost impossible to know how or when an earthquake will strike, so complete rebuilding of the city after an earthquake should not be counted on. San Francisco needs to have an impartial group that leads the rebuilding of the city. Corruption is common in times of need, so all of the money being distributed needs to be carefully followed. There needs to also be a way to make sure that no one is discriminated against or misplaced after rebuilding occurs: all neighborhoods should remain in the same location but streets can vary. San Francisco should always be prepared to rebuild; good quality supplies and money need to be accessible at any time and should be used in construction wisely without rushing into mistakes. When rebuilding, styles like New Urbanism should be in mind to increase communities. Opportunistic plans, like taking down the Embarcadero Freeway, should be considered beforehand and then should be proposed again after an earthquake.

The most important thing for us San Franciscans is to know what we want in the future, and to take any opportunity to make those ideals happen.

159 I acknowledge Craig Butz for editing my first draft; Ava Hoffman, Alex Knoll, and Rachel Shaw for helping me develop my title; and Rachel Cohen-Sidley, Jessica Sykes, and Julia Millhouse for peer-editing.

Works Cited “About SPUR.” SPUR. San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, 2009. Web. 5 Jan. 2010.

"Earthquake and Fire: San Francisco in Ruins." Call-Chronicle-Examiner. The Library of Congress, 19 Apr. 1906.

Web. 18 Dec. 2009.

Fradkin, Philip. The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself.

Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press, 2005. Print.

"Hearing Voices: The S.F. Quake Centennial, Part 1." Day to Day. NPR. 17 Apr. 2006. Radio. Web. 9 Dec. 2009.

Keegan, Edward. "The Urbanist: John Rahaim." ARCHITECT. Hanley Wood, 14 Mar. 2008. Web. 2 Jan. 2010 King, John. "Grand S.F. plans that never came to be." San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc., 12 Apr. 2006. Web. 5 Jan. 2010.

---. "15 Seconds that Changed San Francisco." The San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc., 17 Oct. 2004. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

---. "Sprawl Fighters." The San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc., 3 Feb. 2002. Web. 26 Dec. 2010.

"Mayor Schmitz Found Guilty.” New York Times. 13 Jun. 1907. Web. 2 Jan. 2010.

Nolte, Carl. "Rising from the ashes." San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc., 18 Apr. 2006. Web. 14 Dec. 2009.

"Remembering the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake." The Morning Edition. NPR. 11 Apr. 2006. Web. 9 Dec. 2009.

“Retrofitting questions & answers.” Earthquake Safety.com. Earthquake Safety Inc., 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.

Thayer, Bill, ed. The Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror: “by the Survivors and Rescuers”. Bill Thayer.

Web. 18 Dec. 2009.

160 Sebastian Ravitz 21 January 2010 Craig Butz Research in the Community Stress, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll Stress is unavoidable in anyone’s life; however, there are ways to reduce stress and even control your stress so that you are not faced with severe health problems that are stress induced. Teenagers do not realize the affects that their stress is causing on their health. Scientists have proven that stress affects not only your mental state and health, but also your physical health. There are multiple kinds of stress that people deal with in their everyday life.

Most teens don’t know that there are ways to reduce stress, and even avoid it so that they can do better in school, have a stronger immune system, and just live a happier life in general. There are many ways for someone that is stressed to reduce that stress; however, many teens don’t know the ever so simple methods of doing so. If school systems were to teach students ways to reduce their stress, students would be able to stay focused, stay healthy, and stay happy.

Stress is a part of all teenagers’ everyday life. Stress is said to be “your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand” (“Understanding and Dealing”). It is possible for stress to be caused by either a good or bad experience. When a person feels stressed by something that is happening around them, their body reacts by releasing certain chemicals into the blood. The chemicals released give people more energy and strength, which is a good thing if their stress is caused by a situation that is physically dangerous. However, this release of chemicals can also be a bad thing when one’s stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet for them to discharge this extra energy (“Understanding and Dealing”). So for teens who become stressed over large projects assigned, relationships, or other emotional stressors, this can become a very serious problem.

Stress in a teenager’s life can be caused by a large variety of things. The more extreme causes of stress can be a traumatic accident, a death, an emergency situation, as well as dealing with a severe illness or disease.

However, stress is not only caused by traumatic incidents. Stress can also be caused by situations that occur in daily life. In the hectic lifestyles that we live nowadays, it is hard for people to stay calm (“Stress and Your Health”).

Things like changing schools, going on a date, high expectations placed upon a teenager by parents and teachers or one’s self, competing in sports, participating in extracurricular activities, having a frustrating job or an overscheduled day, not fitting in socially, being ahead or behind in your physical development, throwing a party, a dysfunctional family suffering from alcoholism or abuse in the home, and trying to get into the college of one’s dreams can all be those minor stressors that we don’t realize are affecting our health. In daily life, many teens run into these obstacles, letting stress take over their minds. Teenagers could greatly benefit from learning it is possible to control, and even avoid their stress.

There are four main types of stress. The first is eustress, the type of stress we experience in a fun or exciting event. It causes small bursts of adrenaline in our body. The second kind of stress is acute stress, a very short-term kind of stress that can be either useful or detrimental. Acute stress is the type of stress we find ourselves facing daily, like dealing with a stressful drive home in traffic or being assigned a large project in school with a due date that seems impossible to meet. Episodic acute stress is acute stress that seems to never end, making you feel like it’s your way of life. Episodic acute stress makes your life complete chaos and hectic. The last and most severe type of stress is chronic stress. Chronic stress is that type of stress that we all fear. When facing chronic stress, it feels like there is no escape. Long-term stressors are usually the cause of chronic stress, like being unhappy with your family, school, or just life in general (“Stress and Your Health”).

Neither teens, nor adults realize the kinds of affects that stress can have on not only your mental state, but also your health. The affects caused by stress are jaw dropping. Stress has the power to alter a teen’s normal eating patterns, which means it can cause someone to eat more or less throughout the day when they would normally eat. In some teens, acute stress can cause heavier breathing and can even cause hyperventilation, which can trigger an asthma attack. When a person is exposed to chronic stress over time, it can worsen asthma and has also been linked to the development of asthma in young children (“How Stress Affects Our Body”). It’s a shame that teens take these risks when they could learn ways to manage their stress and have the potential to avoid such severe consequences.

Stress can literally create fat. High levels of cortisol, which is created when a person is experiencing chronic stress, can, overtime, lead to the development of fat around the abdominal area, rather than fat going to the buttocks or hips. This can cause even thin teenagers to take on a shape which resembles an apple. As adults, this will become a large risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and other severe illnesses (“How Stress Affects Our Body”).

For those who are self conscious about weight, isn’t it nice to know just learning to stay more calm, and relaxing yourself could stop the unwanted development of abdominal fat?

161 In one’s body, there are hormones that work to help calm and slow down your brain when you are stressed.

Researchers believe that if one’s stress becomes chronic, these hormones can stay activated, which can lead to the feelings of depression and lethargy. Also, the hormones activated by stress, slow the emptying of one’s stomach and the production of stomach acid, which often leads to indigestion or a stomachache. These hormones also stimulate the colon which can cause diarrhea and aggravate digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (“How Stress Affects Our Body”).

Stress hormones suppress the body’s immune system and make a person much more vulnerable to infectious illnesses like colds and flu, which result in missing school. Missing school and getting behind on school work is a huge stressor for teenagers. However, just by lowering your stress level you can keep your immune system stronger, which, in the long run will result in less sick days, and less make up work to try and manage. Not only can stress make you less immune to illnesses, but it can also cause immune cells to malfunction, which increases the risk for autoimmune diseases in which the body’s own healthy cells are attacked (“How Stress Affects the Body”).

Scientists have done studies that prove when you are stressed; you have increased levels of cortisol in the brain. This increased level of cortisol reduces the production of brain cells used for memory and alters the cell’s ability to function (“How Stress Affects the Body”). This means that when you are studying for a test, stressing out will make it harder for you to learn and remember the material.

Stress can also have an affect on your sexual health. Studies have shown that chronic stress can reduce the level of testosterone in men, leading to low sperm counts, erectile dysfunction, and also impotence. For young women, stress can prevent ovulation and worsen the symptoms of PMS (“How Stress Affects Our Body”).

Not only does stress create changes in your body on the inside, but it can also change your physical appearance. Studies show that chronic stress can worsen a variety of skin conditions like psoriasis, hives, and eczema. It can also cause teens to have acne break outs. Another physical affect is stunted growth. Suffering from chronic stress can slow down the rate at which growth hormones are released into one’s body that are needed for a child’s healthy development. Stress won’t usually make a person go bald; however, it can cause hair loss or thinning of the hair (“How Stress Affects Our Bodies”).

The affects stress has on young children’s brains are quite frightening. Recent research has shown the brains of young children, as well as teens, are much more sensitive to stress than the brains of adults. Chronic stress or even eustress has been found to be particularly damaging to young brains. Researchers now believe that it is possible that stress is an important risk factor in the development of schizophrenia, as well as other mental illnesses.

Ongoing stress, for example, being in a school where you are unhappy, or having family problems, is now known to damage the brain’s hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the part of brain that regulates sex hormones, blood pressure, and body temperature. It also affects the pituitary and adrenal glands. These two glands regulate many of the important body processes including digestion, immune system, mood, growth, body temperature, and even sexuality. They are also both negatively impacted by stress. In a human’s brain the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and adrenal glands are found in the HPA axis. It is called the HPA axis because of the large number of interactions between these three areas of the brain. The HPA-axis has been proven to be the essential area of the brain that is involved in schizophrenia and mood disorders (“Child and Teen Brains”).

The “Fight or Flight Response”, is the response triggered by stress when one’s body feels that it is being threatened or in danger. It is also the most useful reaction that is stress induced. When this response happens, adrenaline is released into your body by adrenal glands and cortisol is released into your brain. These hormone releases can speed one’s heart rate, slow digestion, shunt blood flow to major muscle groups, and change various other autonomic nervous functions, which give one’s body a burst of energy and strength. Originally, this response was given its name because it enables one to physically fight or run away when in a dangerous or threatening situation. However, we are unconsciously using this response in a way that our body does not intend us to. The response can unintentionally be activated in situations where it is not appropriate, like during a stressful day at school. The way our body is created, after this “danger or threat” is gone, systems in our body are made to return back to normal function by relaxation. Unfortunately, during times of chronic stress, this returning back to normal function does not happen fully, and can cause damage to one’s body (“Stress and Your Health”).

Stress can cause a student to have a harder time figuring out a solution than they would when relaxed. In Rick Nauert’s, Stress Disrupts Thinking But Brain Is Resilient, he says, “the findings in a study published in December 2009, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, show that 20 male senior year medical students, in the middle of preparing for their board exams, had a harder time shifting their attention from one task to another than other healthy young men who were not under the gun.” This suggests if students were to relax first, and focus their minds on finishing the task without getting stressed; it would be much easier and take much less time.

When experiments were done on rats, scientists found that rats under stress, searching for food, had a harder time finding food than the rats that were not stressed. Bruce S. McEwen, the head of the Harold and Margaret Milliken

162 Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at the Rockefeller University, confirmed that “the research in the rats led to imaging work on people, and the results matched up remarkably well” (Nauert). These results imply that trying to do a school project under stress would take much longer, and be much harder than if you were to relax yourself first, then work on it. Many students believe that working stressed will make them work faster, and produce better work, when it actually causes you to think in an unorganized fashion and produce scrambled work.

Despite all the negative affects of stress, there are some specialists who believe small doses of stress can be good for you. Jennifer Parmelee a yoga instructor in New York, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the pressures and annoyances she faces in everyday life, says that she uses these pressures and annoyances to keep her motivated throughout her day. She believes that “stress is needed to a certain degree, but what you need to do is not let it get out of control” (Weaver). Even though the feeling most of us have is that we want stress completely out of our lives, there are reactions that are stressed induced that are completely vital for your survival.

When a teen is going through a stressful time in their life, and a parent or therapist asks the teen to tell them about the problem. Most teenagers believe they are just asking because it’s their job. Unfortunately some parents and therapists believe this as well. However, there is a deeper, more beneficial reason. Mathew D. Lieberman, UCLA’s associate professor of psychology and founder of social cognitive neuroscience found that when a person sees an angry face, simply calling it angry changes our brains response. Lieberman said that “when you attach the word ‘angry’, you see a decreased response in the amygdale” (Buddhist Meditation). The amygdale is part of the limbic system that is responsible for controlling emotions and emotional responses. Commonly, the amygdale is associated with the emotions of fear as well as anxiety (Anissimov). Studies have shown that putting your feelings into words literally produces therapeutic effects on the brain. The amygdale is less active when a person labels their feelings. Lieberman said that, “when you put feelings into words, you’re activating the prefrontal cortex region and seeing a reduced response in the amygdale. In the same way you hit the brake when you’re driving when you see a yellow light, when you put feelings into words; you seem to be hitting the brakes on your emotional response” (Buddhist Meditation). Teens are often unwilling to talk about their feelings, but this research makes a strong case for the benefits of talking about your emotions. When teens take the risk of sharing a feeling, they are really reducing their stress and also making it easier to find solutions for their problems, which further reduces their stress.

Unfortunately for stressed teens, many parents believe there is nothing they can do besides encourage their teens by telling them they’ll get through it. However, parents are one of the keys to making their children happier.

Surprisingly, when teens were asked what makes them happy, “spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question” (“Youths’ Stuff”). There were more than 100 questions asked of 1,280 people, ages 13-24 in a survey conducted by The Associated Press and MTV on the nature of happiness among America’s young people.

After spending time with family, spending time with friends was the next most popular answer, followed by spending time with a significant other. Along with enjoying spending time with their parents, almost three-quarters of teenagers feel that their relationship with their parents makes them happy (“Youths’ Stuff”). Parents helping to create a stress free environment will help their teenagers manage their stress.

There are many things that a teen can do to relieve their stress. A lot of these things are very simple, free, and you can do it in your home. Sometimes teenagers are not always to new ideas, or they may resist things they think are "new agey". However, teens who are open and aware of the need for change will find many of these suggestions very helpful in reducing their stress. The most basic thing to remember is that stress is much easier to handle when you have had a goodnight sleep. A poll taken in 2006 by the National Sleep Foundation discovered that "nearly half of teenagers sleep less than eight hours on school nights - significantly less than the recommended nine to nine and a half hours" (“Teens and Sleep”). A goodnight sleep goes a long way in helping teens manage stress, and this is something that teens need to take seriously.

Daily exercise is also very important when trying to manage stress. Often when teens do not have enough sleep they feel unable to go out and exercise. It was reported that “more than three quarters of teens report feeling too tired to exercise” (“Teens and Sleep”). Exercise, along with relieving stress, boosts your overall health and is great for making you feel like your life is good. In addition, exercise also has its benefits that are directly related to reducing stress. When you exercise, you increase your endorphins (“Exercise”). When you have a high level of endorphins, it gives you a feeling of well-being. However, in order to have the energy to exercise, you must give your body what it needs to produce real energy.

Eating healthfully is not only good for your body, but crucial for reducing your stress. Good food is important for maintaining energy, mental concentration, and also emotional stability. When you are stressed, your body's need for nutrients increases, which can cause your immune system to weaken. A healthy diet can help this.

Protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and also minerals all work towards strengthening your body (“Nutrition”).

Taking the time to make sure you are giving your body healthy food is essential to stress reduction. In order to make sure you have the time to sit down and have healthy meals, you must manage your time well.

163 Managing your time in an effective manner is key to reducing your stress. Before letting stress take over your day, just sitting down and creating a plan, can help you feel as though there is nothing to worry about. Also, keeping a schedule of your day, sorted by time, can help you avoid conflicts that would become a stressor.

Prioritizing your day can also save you all that time that you would have spent with unimportant tasks. Also, taking breaks throughout the day to let yourself rest will significantly help you stress level (“Time Management”).

There are also more extensive ways to get yourself into a state of relaxation. The more popular forms are meditation and yoga. Guided imagery relaxations, as well as progressive muscle relaxations, are becoming more and more popular. Guided imagery is a form of relaxation that uses your imagination to re-direct your stressful thoughts to relax yourself (“Guided Meditation”). Guided imagery relaxes you by having you imagine that you are in a peaceful place, rather than being there. Sometimes your mind doesn't know the difference. Progressive muscle relaxation is a form of relaxation where one focuses on tensing themselves, then slowly relaxing the muscles (“Relaxation”). Progressive muscle relaxation works especially well for teens that become so stressed, they are in an out of body state.

A big part of any teenager’s life is school, which happens to also be a huge source of stress. If the Bay School were to offer an after school activity that combined the stress reduction techniques and guidelines that were mentioned above, it would be a great benefit to students. It would be an exponential benefit because it would not only help them in their studies, but also their social and family life. The course might combine physical activities like yoga and running, as well as education about self care, including nutrition and sleep requirements. Also, because sharing ones feelings is such an important part of reducing stress, the course might also teach peer counseling skills that would help students become better listeners and provide an environment where they can feel safe in talking about what is really going on in their life. Since family is the soil from which every student grows, it would be very beneficial if on one of the parent education nights, the Bay School had a speaker come in and talk to the parents about how they can help their teens manage stress.

Teenagers bodies aren’t meant to handle the type of stress that modern life is thrusting upon them. Life is becoming ever more stressful. It is vital for teens to learn how keep their stress low. Teenagers need to understand they must take an active role in managing their stress. Parents and the Bay School can take an active role in providing the skills and support that teens need to be successful in this endeavor.

164 Works Cited “A Brief History of Stress.” MedicineNet, ND. Web. 26 Dec. 2009.

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165 Kate Restaino Craig Butz 5 February 2010 Research in the Community: D Block San Francisco: An Exploration into the City’s Culinary Scene Introduction and History of the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco’s captivating culinary scene and breathtaking views draw tourists in from around the globe.

This city’s advanced food culture has helped it to become a leader in the food industry, and an inspiration to many.

With a small population and over 4,000 restaurants (“Passion of the City”), it’s not a surprise that San Francisco is teeming with chefs and “foodies” alike. Today, San Francisco is arguably the best and most influential food city in America, and one of the finest in the world. San Francisco’s unique combination of foods and people has enabled the compact city to become a cultural and culinary mosaic, one which in turn has promoted sustainability and innovation in cities across the country.

While it’s hard to deny that San Francisco is a great food city, as it boasts restaurants like Delfina and Coi and bakeries like Tartine, the city has also influenced American food production, restaurants and eating habits. The Center for Culinary Development, which helps nationally prominent companies develop new food ideas, is based in San Francisco, primarily because of the fountain of exciting ideas springing from the city’s chefs (Center for Culinary Development). Additionally, San Francisco and the adjoining countryside is home to legendary sourdough bread, artisan goat cheeses and olive oils, the mighty Mission burrito, cupcakes, and of course, local, fresh food.

Chez Panisse, a restaurant which has helped to shape the way people think about and consume food since 1971, is also located in the Bay Area. And, as Steve Sullivan, founder of ACME Bread explains, Michael Pollan, who has written best sellers about the American diet, moved from New York to the San Francisco Bay Area in part because the area is the center for creative thinking in American food.

San Francisco’s success as a culinary influence can be attributed to a combination of factors: climate and geography, location, and its proximity to the Napa Valley, access to a variety of ingredients, wealth and education, innovative chefs, and cultural diversity. These factors have helped San Francisco to become a “melting pot”, and have allowed the city to earn an international reputation.

Before examining the numerous factors which propel San Francisco’s influence, the city’s agricultural and cultural history must be touched on. Indians inhabiting the Bay Area, especially Marin and San Francisco, found the land fertile and versatile — a major benefit when trying to grow a variety of crops. The area’s history of fertility has continued, and, while few Indians now reside in the Bay Area, many of their crops are still planted today. More important, however, were foreign immigrants who traveled to the city to escape economic and political turmoil in their native countries. Many came for the Gold Rush, which they hoped would easily make them rich. This diverse collection of people created a food culture which was a combination of their own cultures. By bringing their traditions, religions and cultures with them, they laid down fundamentals of “Californian Cuisine” (Sullivan). The immigrants that originally arrived in San Francisco must be thanked, as their work is the foundation of ours (Sullivan). And, the food article “Passion of the City”, sums this idea up perfectly: "The influence of immigration can hardly be overstated. Beginning in the 1800s with the mostly Chinese immigrants who helped build the city, today San Francisco is home to flourishing Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese communities. Equally vital Latino, Mediterranean and Eastern European communities also have put down deep roots here". It’s clearly evident that the immigrants who gravitated to San Francisco impacted the food that this city is known for today (Sullivan).

Climate, Geography and Location San Francisco is fortunate when it comes to climate, as it serves as a backdrop, enabling many other conditions to be present. Often said to have a “Mediterranean climate”, San Francisco also boasts a multitude of microclimates. (“San Francisco Weather”). The San Francisco Bay Area’s cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers, supports farms and wineries. This weather can be attributed to the coast and San Francisco Bay, (“San Francisco Weather”). This unusual atmosphere attracts entrepreneurial farmers, as it helps crops flourish and thrive under these superior conditions (Sullivan).

While credit must be given to the distinctive climate, even more important is San Francisco’s geography.

The city’s geographic diversity is what allows San Francisco’s culinary scene to thrive. With fertile valleys and coastal areas accessible, the San Francisco Bay Area can easily cultivate a wide range of food. The coast provides seafood and the inland region is able to cultivate grapes for wine, grow produce and support livestock (Coletta).

Another factor that is normally forgotten is San Francisco’s port, which allowed foreign ideas to flow in and original ideas to flow out of the coastal city (Sullivan). Because the city’s port also served as the West Coast’s main port, San Francisco was constantly developing, as it was frequently in contact with the products shipped to and from the seaport. The article “Passion of the City” supports this idea and agrees that “In addition to welcoming waves of

166 Asian immigrants who have made the local restaurant scene one of the most diverse and exciting around, the ships that docked in the Port of San Francisco helped turn the city into the commercial and financial capital of the West Coast, an essential component of a booming regional economy that attracted the skilled, the sophisticated, and the affluent". The port strengthened the city’s economy and also allowed it to receive foreign ideas and share original ones (Sullivan).

While San Francisco’s proximity to the Napa Valley was touched on before, it is important to understand and acknowledge just how essential having this wine capital near the city really is. Since the 1850s, Napa Valley has successfully supported and encouraged those visiting the area to go to the city, and San Francisco has done that same in return, which creates a strong relationship between a wine capital and a food capital (Napa Valley Vintners).

When many people travel, they are looking for gourmet food and great wine — a new, yet very popular idea. San Francisco’s location allows for this successful blend and encourages people to visit the city (Cowin). Though other international cities may offer great food and wine, the traveler will not be able to experience the same atmosphere found in San Francisco, nor be an hour away from the an abundance of fine wineries. Here, food and wine are local, a quality that attracts traveling “foodies” (Coletta). While pages could be written on just how fundamental the Napa Valley is, the article “Passion of the City” hits the nail on the head: "San Francisco is uniquely situated in the center of the most important wine-producing region in America… Napa and Sonoma to the north, Livermore to the east and Santa Clara to the south. The importance of California wine preceded that of California cuisine, but now the two go hand in glove". Being so close to these wine-producing regions allows many restaurants in the city to carefully select certain wines and grow strong relationships with the growers, which, in turn, encourages consumers to purchase wines, and promotes the wine industry.

San Francisco’s proximity to an abundance of high-quality ingredients gives the city enormous advantages over other food capitals. Being surrounded by some of the best growing lands and wine regions in the country appeals to many traveling tourists. The article “Passion of the City” argues that while the city itself must take much of the credit in creating the wonderful dishes, It's also an understanding that, in large part, great food is made on the farms and ranches and orchards, by the hands of skilled artisans who craft cheeses and olive oils and vinegars with much care and no shortcuts. What chefs call "product" doesn't begin to describe the immense bounty of Northern California — a staggering variety of fruits, vegetables and produce, much of them organic and delivered from field to kitchen with hours of harvest; free-range chickens and ducks and hormone-free beef and lamb, raised on nearby ranches; Dungeness crab and salmon taken from the Pacific; oysters farmed in Tomales Bay; calamari and spot prawns from the waters off Monterey.

Without all these growers, San Francisco would find it difficult to be the food capital it is today.

To show just how fortunate San Francisco is when it comes to history and abundance of ingredients, Chicago is an international city that can serve as a comparison. Chicago is a bigger city, but one that would find it extremely difficult to match the likes of San Francisco’s immense food variety. Unlike the bounty of San Francisco, Chicago’s climate and geography hinder the city’s growing capabilities, instead of aiding them. Chicago has short growing seasons, ones that are often plagued by bad weather, which can easily ruin crops. Additionally, Chicago’s port is not ocean-side, meaning trade with powerful foreign countries, like those in Asia, becomes a more daunting, expensive task. Lastly, Chicago doesn’t have the same rich, historical immigration background San Francisco is famous for. Most immigrants in Chicago migrated from Europe, and came with a more narrow range of food traditions (“Travel Guide: Chicago”). Without these benefits, Chicago, though a powerful city, could never be an innovative food and wine center like San Francisco.

Sustainability San Francisco’s various famers markets allow the city to be leader in sustainability, and urge all consumers to use and eat organic, local and fresh food. While there are many farmers’ markets scattered around the city, the largest, and most well-known is the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, whose mission is to “Promote the Bay Area's vast ethnic diversity and serve as an incubator for artisan producers who are returning to sustainable methods of agriculture and production". Christine Farren, the Administrative and Events Manager at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, says that the farmers’ market also educates the urban consumer about where the food came from and how it was made, and aims to be the link between the growers and the consumers (Ferry Building Marketplace). Christine Farren mentioned that one reason many people choose unhealthy take-out is simply because they never learned how to cook. To change this, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market provides free cooking demonstrations and classes, in hopes that after people learn how to cook, they will be more willing to spend their time creating dishes at home (Ferry Building Marketplace). Because San Francisco is so influential, if people who live here learn about and practice acts of sustainability, they message will get out to the wider food community (Farren).

167 While acknowledgment of the raw ingredients is vital, it is also imperative to recognize the people who helped to shape the way San Francisco looks at food. Alice Waters, a pioneer in the culinary world, has had a major influence on chefs all over America, and especially those in the Bay Area. By promoting sustainable practices and local, seasonal foods, she is sending out a message encouraging places to follow the San Francisco Bay Area modern practices. She emphasizes a food economy that is good, clean and fair, which directly correlates to the ideas of the Slow Food Movement (Slow Food San Francisco), an organization she is actively involved with. Alice Waters is the owner of the celebrated restaurant Chez Panisse, a restaurant which has "helped create a community of scores of local farmers and ranchers whose dedication to sustainable agriculture assures the restaurant a steady supply of fresh and pure ingredients" (Chez Panisse). The restaurant aims to ensure that future generations are educated about sustainability, an idea which Alice Waters calls "Cultivating a new generation". While Chez Panisse has had a broad influence of American Cuisine, the restaurant is directly responsible for creating the popular goat cheese salad, and starting chefs on the path towards opening ACME Bread, Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants, and Cowgirl Creamery (Sullivan). Alice Waters focuses her energy in and around the Bay Area because she believes that it has the potential to be extremely influential to other places, and idea she has helped make true (Coletta).

Section 4: Wealth, Education and Innovation Wealth and education essentially propel San Francisco by providing the means for sustainability and innovation to occur. Steve Sullivan and others agree that people who reside in San Francisco understand that organic food produced in a sustainable manner is more expensive, and are therefore willing to buy it (Sullivan). The amount of wealth and education in San Francisco serves a springboard, and easily pushes the city’s ideas into the media, and without them, San Francisco wouldn’t have the means to be an example and influence (Sullivan). Paul Coletta, who works in food marketing in San Francisco, says, “Money and success breed innovation”, a theory that is clearly true in San Francisco.

When most people think about San Francisco they think of the city’s topographic beauty along with the food.

And, when asked why the food in San Francisco is so extraordinary, many believe it has to do with the creativity and innovation that goes into San Franciscan dishes. The article “Mecca for the Mouth” articulates that "San Francisco has been at the forefront of such trends as Asian Fusion cuisine, exotic greens, heirloom tomatoes and pedigree produce. Innovative chefs use the diverse cultures that comprise San Francisco as a muse. It's not a melting pot — more of a teaming salad bowl with unusual mixing together, yet retaining their distinctive flavors". The chefs working in the city love to explore new techniques, and are certainly not afraid to take risks. Many chefs love working here because they can take risks and still be accepted and acknowledged in the competitive culinary world (Farren).

Steve Sullivan, who has been an entrepreneur in the food industry, believes that certain atmospheres are better when creating new foods, and as it happens, innovative food is the byproduct of the culture in San Francisco.

Because of this, innovation has a greater chance of success when grounded in strong cultures and their culinary traditions. (Sullivan). These risks fuel the city’s unique culinary scene, and propel it into unchartered territory daily (Coletta).

Diversity The immense diversity of the people and food alike has allowed a vast palette of flavors to successfully coexist in San Francisco, and create some unique dishes. The diversity in San Francisco urges other places to broaden their cuisine, and try new flavors. The article “Mecca for the Mouth” attributes much of the city’s culinary achievements to the “creativity and competition in a health balance that creates a friendly food environment for food. Drawing on many cultural communities- the Italian North Beach, the Latino influences of the Mission, the Cantonese infusion of Chinatown and the Richmond District, for example. If a visitor is not content to remain in one dining district, one can explore the many neighborhoods within a few blocks and discover other culinary treasures". San Francisco allows a person to immerse themselves in many different food experiences by simply strolling up and down the city’s streets, what other city can say that?

The San Francisco Bay Area’s Influence and Conclusion San Francisco’s impact on other people and places alike is a question with a multitude of answers. Regardless, Paul Coletta, Steve Sullivan and others quickly agree that sustainability and innovativeness are what really create an impact. Based on the current situation, Steve Sullivan believes healthy food movements and innovation will continue, as people in San Francisco consider them a part of life, not just a trend. Still, people need to be aware that if some of the factors currently making San Francisco a culinary influence were to change, the city could easily become another industrialized food city, where few products are made. While San Francisco has helped to nurture, support and promote a sophisticated food and wine culture, without the city’s location, it would be extremely difficult to remain such an influence. This being so, healthy, fair relationships with growers must be in place to ensure that the city of San Francisco can live up to its legend.

168 Though San Francisco still hopes to inspire sustainability and innovativeness, the city already has one major achievement under its belt. The San Francisco Bay Area was the birthplace of the “New Californian Cuisine”, a movement which took hold in the 1970s, and quickly spread to other major cities. San Francisco’s open and explorative residents and innovative restaurants like Chez Panisse started to question “Old Californian Cuisine”, which was characterized by fast food joints and processed food, and instead started favoring fresh flavors. This new trend attracted many followers, and soon the ideas of the San Francisco Bay Area spread all over California, and eventually, all over America (Coletta). Take New York, another city famous for its fresh food. That wasn’t always the case. Going back fifty years or so, New York, like the majority of cities in America, relied on canned, processed food, instead of using the fresh, vibrant ingredients they use now. New York is now arguably the most famous food city in America today, but it must give credit to San Francisco, which shared its new ideas of food with the Big Apple. Now, fresh, light is an international idea, an idea that all started in the small city of San Francisco and its surrounding countryside.

San Francisco’s superb location and variety of people lets this compact city boast international food and wine recognition. To provide the urban consumer with satisfaction, dishes must be organic, local and fresh, and food must be prepared with creativity and appeal. While not everyone believes this, many other cities hope to follow in San Francisco’s wake, a daunting, but worthwhile task. Places that hope to be recognized as fine food and wine cities must learn to share ideas, creating new and innovative dishes daily, an idea San Francisco has mastered.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank Tom Restaino, Craig Butz, Malia Madden, DaehanVasquez and David Perell for contributing their ideas and editing my paper.

Bibliography Center for Culinary Development. Center for Culinary Development, 2007. Web. 6 Jan. 2010. <http://www.ccdsf.com/> Chez Panisse. Chez Panisse Restaurant & Café, 2009. Web. 12 Jan. 2010.

Coletta, Paul. Personal interview. 21 Dec. 2009.

Cowin, Dana. “What Defines a Great Food City?” Food and Wine. American Express Publishing Corporation, June 2007. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. <http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/what-defines-a-great-food-city> Gabriel and Glen. Personal interview. 19 Dec. 2009.

Farren, Christine. Personal interview. 19 Dec. 2009.

Ferry Building Marketplace. CUESA, 2005. Web. 9 Dec. 2009. <http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/> “Mecca for the Mouth.” Taste SF. San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau, n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. < http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/taste/mecca.aspx> Napa Valley Vintners. Napa Valley Vintners, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. <http://www.napavintners.com/about/> “Passion of the City.” Taste SF. San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2009. <http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/taste/passion.aspx> “San Francisco: Geography and Climate.” City-Data.com. City-Data.com, n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. <http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/San-Francisco-Geography-and-Climate.html> Slow Food San Francisco. Slow Food USA, 2009. Web. 9 Dec. 2009. <http://www.slowfoodsanfrancisco.com/index.html> <http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/sfnews/?p=73> Sullivan, Steve. Personal interview. 9 Jan. 2010.

“Travel Guide: Chicago”. Vcarious. Vcarious, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. <http://www.vcarious.com/TravelGuide/UnitedStates/Illinois/Chicago/Background.html>

169 William Sano Craig Butz Research in the Community: E Block 15 January 2010 Seasonal Flu Vaccines: Are They Worth the Risk?

In the United States, there are an estimated 50,000,000 cases of seasonal influenza reported each year (“Influenza Statistics”). As a result, there are 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths, all of them directly linked to this widespread disease (“Ask the Experts”). Effective vaccines for seasonal influenza have been available for decades, so it is easy to wonder why only one third of Americans get their seasonal flu shots each year (Clachar).

There are a variety of responses to this question, such as religious regulations, financial motivations, alternative medical practices, or even just a fear of needles. However, the most prevalent response among Americans today on why they do not get seasonal flu shots is because they are afraid the vaccine itself. Many organizations, such as the influential Generation Rescue, claim that vaccines can cause significant damage to the brain and body, and strongly disagree with government and Center for Disease Control policies on seasonal flu vaccination. The proliferation of the anti-vaccine policies promoted by such organizations can be partially to blame for the devastating effects that seasonal influenza has on this country each year. If one examines the myriad of scientific studies on this controversial topic, it is clear that the personal risks of contracting seasonal influenza, along with the risks to your community, far outweigh the highly unlikely or medically disproved risks associated with the seasonal flu vaccine.

First described by Hippocrates 2500 years ago, what we now call seasonal influenza causes 250,000 to 500,000 deaths each year worldwide.(“Regular flu has killed thousands since January”).The global reach of the influenza virus can be ascribed to its adaptability to almost any environment. Viruses in general require the use of other organisms to reproduce by the use of the protein synthesis occurring in the cell. The influenza virus, along with others like AIDS and the coronavirus, carry their genetic information in RNA, or ribonucleic acid. This is in contrast to other viruses that use DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, to carry their genetic information (Barry 105-106).

The significance of this characteristic is that DNA is able to detect and remove changes in its genetic code: a sort of proofreading mechanism, called DNA polymerase, and this prevents most viruses from successfully infecting the organisms(Fidalgo da Silva). RNA has no such mechanism, and viruses that are able to directly encode their information into the RNA of a cell are able to reproduce extremely rapidly. As is the case with human reproduction, the more offspring there are, the more likely the case that there will be mutation. With approximately 100,000 to 1,000,000 new viruses being created after the infection and replication of one influenza virus in an single human cell, there are between one thousand and ten thousand new variants that have different characteristics and immunities than its “mother virus” (Barry 105-106). Of all RNA viruses, the influenza virus is by far the most rapidly changing, earning a classification as a “quasi-species” (Barry 105).

Before modern medicine, many of the diseases that today are seen as trivial caused many deaths and serious injuries. In most cases, there was little one could do to stave off or expel disease from ones body. In some cases, “remedies” were made by alchemists or witch doctors that claimed to cure disease; however, many of these remedies only soothed symptoms, and did nothing to prevent the diseases or infections themselves. With the invention of vaccination came an almost absolute protection from particular diseases. Although possible evidence of vaccinations in China from the 16th century has been discovered, the first corroborated documentation of the principle of vaccination came in 1796 with Edward Jenner. Already an established doctor, Jenner was consulted by a dairymaid with a blister. Jenner diagnosed it as cowpox, but later became curious when he realized that dairymaids often did not contract the then virulent smallpox. He drew a sample of liquid from the boil and injected it into the son of his gardener. As he suspected, when he later injected the boy with smallpox, he did not become infected.

Jenner published this in his book ‘An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae; a Disease Discovered in some of the Western Counties of England, Particularly Gloucestershire, and Known by the Name of The Cow Pox’ (‘Cowpox and the First Vaccination for Smallpox’). This telling became the first verified vaccination account, and laid the foundation for the creation of vaccines for other diseases.

Due to its ever-changing nature, a true vaccine for the influenza virus was not invented for almost 130 years after Jenner’s discovery. In 1931, after a notable flu epidemic, a technology was developed that facilitated the controlled growth of viruses. By utilizing the contained environment within a chicken egg, scientists were able to rapidly grow massive amounts of influenza virus. The grown influenza virus was chemically killed, and formulated into a vaccine (WHO). By using this technology, the United States had a readily available influenza vaccine by the 1940’s (Hilleman). This vaccine, now referred to as the inactivated flu shot, is the most commonly used vaccine today, with about 132,000,000 doses available this year (Altman).

For “quasi-species” like influenza, it is almost impossible that one can gain complete immunity from a vaccine. To create an effective seasonal flu vaccine for the coming year, scientists from the CDC convene in

170 February each year to select three strains of influenza, out of many millions, that they expect to be the most infectious during the coming flu season. These strains are then grown in the eggs and distributed throughout the world. Through this practice, the seasonal influenza vaccines used today 70%-90% effective in preventing flu and flu-related illness (Clachar).

This vaccine, however, is not without proven side-effects. The CDC has examined accounts of side-effects of the seasonal flu vaccine, and found that the most common are, “Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, low grade fever, [and] aches (“CDC – Seasonal Influenza (Flu) – Key Facts”). These side-effects can be commonly seen among recipients of the flu shot, but what people are really scared of are the extremely rare, more dangerous illnesses that are or have been reported to be linked to the seasonal influenza vaccine.

The disease most commonly associated with the flu vaccine is Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS. A disorder of the nervous system, Guillain-Barré causes the body to attack its own nerve cells, causing ascending weakness and paralysis, which usually goes away in several months (“CDC – Guillain-Barré”). Whenever the body is fighting an infection, there is a very small chance that GBS can arise. A current debate between scientists today is whether getting a seasonal flu shot increases this miniscule probability. The CDC currently publishes on its website “one person out of 1,000,000 vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine” (“CDC – Guillain-Barré”). Dr. Erika Steffe, an expert on internal medicine and the influenza virus, agrees with the CDC on that statistic, but believes that, “since there is a constant risk of Guillain-Barré when the body is fighting any infection, [including influenza,] whether or not fighting the influenza virus contained in the vaccine makes GuillainBarré more likely would require a sample study too large for modern science”. (Steffe) Therefore, she does not consider GBS a relevant health risk associated with the influenza vaccine. Even with such a small risk of getting infected from a flu vaccine, the risk of you actually dying from GBS is even smaller. To die from Guillain-Barré, the ascending paralysis, which starts in your legs, must continue to progress all the way to your respiratory muscles, which would be highly unlikely before the immune systems halts the disease. The paralysis of the respiratory muscles, resulting in death, happens in only five to six percent of all Guillain-Barré cases (“CDC – Guillain-Barré).

Therefore, combining the two statistics, the chance of dying from Guillain-Barré contracted through a seasonal flu vaccine is really one in 20,000,000. To put this in perspective, being attacked by a shark in the ocean is two times more likely to happen than dying from GBS from a flu vaccine.

Another risk believed to be associated with the seasonal flu vaccine is that it can hamper the development of the brain in young and unborn babies. Anti-vaccination groups and their constituents claim that a preservative used in some flu vaccines, called thimerosal, causes neurological disorders like Attention Deficit Disorder and autism (“Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated”). Thimerosal is an ethylmercury based preservative used by vaccine manufacturers to prevent bacterial contamination in multi-dose vials (“CDC Thimerosal”). It has been used since the 1930s in many vaccines besides the seasonal influenza vaccine, but due to its high concentration of mercury, has been blamed for thousands of cases of autism (“NEJM – Thimerosal”).

Since a 1999 report published by the Food and Drug Administration on the mercury content of vaccines, an anti-vaccination movement has formed around the demand for the removal of thimerosal from vaccines. In this study, it was found that in the common childhood injections of Diptheria-tetnaus-pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and Hepatitis B that there were 187.5 micrograms of ethylmercury from the thimerosal used in the preservation of those vaccines, more than ninety one times the amount of methylmercury, or natural mercury, that an infant should receive in a day (“NEJM – Thimerosal”). However, the ethylmercury in thiomersal passes through the body much faster than methylmercury, and numerous studies by the Center for Disease Control and independent laboratories have found that this prevented the absorption of large amounts of mercury by the body, and thimerosal has been deemed safe on all accounts (“NEJM – Thimerosal”). These reports did little to quell the anti-vaccine movement, so the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement, saying, “Parents should not worry about the safety of vaccines. The current levels of thimerosal will not hurt children, but reducing those levels will make safe vaccines even safer. While our current immunization strategies are safe, we have an opportunity to increase the margin of safety.” (“NEJM Thimerosal”). After this statement, thimerosal levels in many childhood vaccines were lowered.

Today, however, thimerosal is still used in most flu vaccines because it affords those getting vaccinated more security from contaminated shots, and smaller bottom line for the vaccine manufacturers ("Vaccines: VFC/CDC Vaccine Price List”). However, there is still unrest over the safety of deliberately exposure to mercury.

For this reason, organizations such as Generation Rescue are calling for the government to “Green Our Vaccines” by taking out the thimerosal all together. (“Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated”). This position is contradictory to many studies that have proven thimerosal safe, and the CDC says, “There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the small amount of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor effects like swelling and redness at the injection site due to sensitivity to thimerosal.” (“CDC – Thimerosal”). However, to make sure that the many people who are afraid of

171 vaccines containing thimerosal receive seasonal flu shots, the CDC ordered 50,000,000 thimerosal-free single dose vials of influenza vaccine for this years flu season (“CDC – Thimerosal”). Dr. Steffe, along with researching the influenza virus, runs her own health clinic. She is on the side of the CDC in her belief that thimerosal does not cause neurological disorders. However, for her personal clinic, she buys thimerosal-free vaccines whenever she can. She says, “Why give somebody mercury if you don’t have to?” (Steffe).

Guillain-Barré and neurological disorders represent the main factors that contribute to side-effect-based fear of the influenza vaccine. The potential for life-threatening or life-altering illness is what makes almost two thirds of Americans take their chances with influenza every flu season (Clachar). It is the opinion of many people that it is safer to take ones chances with the often tame seasonal influenza virus than to expose yourself to the possibility of more serious conditions. This position makes sense for most individuals. With an estimated 50,000,000 cases of influenza each year in the United States, there are only 36,000 deaths (“Influenza Statistics”).

So even if one gets seasonal influenza, which is already about a one in twelve chance, there is 00.14% chance of death. Although this may seem like a very small chance, this is unrepresentative of the true risk factors involved.

Seasonal influenza can infect anyone, with the usual effects being fever, headache, body aches, cough, sore throat, and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting. Nevertheless, there are groups of people who are more prone to serious influenza-related complications, considered the high risk groups. According to the Yale School of Medicine, these high risk groups, namely infants, the elderly, and individuals with chronic or pre-existing health conditions, are twice as likely to suffer respiratory failure and/or death from influenza than those not in high risk groups(“Clinical characteristics associated with poor out…”). For individuals in high risk groups for influenza, the CDC strongly recommends seasonal flu vaccinations (“CDC – Seasonal Influenza (Flu) – Key Facts”).

Aside from endangering themselves by choosing not to receive a seasonal flu shot, people who don’t get vaccinated are also endangering those around them. Influenza, along with many other diseases, can spread rapidly in areas of high human concentration. Previous flu epidemics, notably the 1918 Spanish flu, took place for no more than a couple years, but in the process killed many, many millions of people (Potter). People who are against vaccinations say that epidemics on the scale of previous flu epidemics will never happen again with the large vaccinated population that we have today. However, the vaccinated population is not a stalwart shield against seasonal influenza because it is not completely immune. The seasonal influenza vaccine is not 100% effective, which means, when surrounded by a large number of infected individuals, vaccinated individuals have a chance of getting infected themselves. A study conducted in Colorado on the whooping cough vaccine, which like the seasonal influenza vaccine is also not 100% effective, showed that schools with school-wide outbreaks of whooping cough had a 2.8% higher rate of students who were not vaccinated for whooping cough compared to the national average (Winstein).

Outbreaks of seasonal influenza can not only kill millions, but they can also have great economic impact.

When an individual in the workforce gets sick with seasonal influenza, he loses, according to a study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 8.8 days of “perfect health”, and therefore reduced productivity. For the entire city of Hong Kong, and the thousands of cases of influenza each year, this means a significant economic impact: about four billion dollars each year (“CUHK Study Indicates HK Suffers Huge Economic Losses Due to Flu and Flu-like Illnesses"). Another study, conducted in the United Kingdom by GlaxoSmithKline, found that for an individual incidence of influenza in one worker cost the worker’s company, on average, 543 dollars in healthcare costs, along with the money lost from their absence from work. (Keech). The effects of influenza on productivity, and therefore the economy, can be severe. With the economy at its current state, a large outbreak of influenza could have disastrous implications.

Seasonal influenza is one of the most wide-spread illnesses in the world. Its unique capabilities make it extremely dangerous, and previous epidemics are proof of its infectious potential. Vaccines for seasonal influenza are available, but the low vaccination rates in the United States causes millions of infections and thousands of deaths each year. Those against influenza vaccines cite serious illnesses as side-effects of the vaccine; however, these associations either have been disproved or are so tenuous that they cannot be considered medically relevant. With death, epidemic, and economic impact as its chief risks, the seasonal influenza virus itself can be deemed much more dangerous than the supposed risks of the influenza vaccine, and seasonal flu vaccination is recommended for anyone interested in staying healthy during flu season.

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173

Veronica Stamats Craig Butz Research in the Community February 25, 2010 “Are We Getting Graded on This?” False Motivation and the Detrimental Affects of Grades Two to four times a year students await their report cards in earnest yet fearful anticipation of their grades.

Preoccupation with grades is a large part of what makes high school and even college stressful for students. What they hope to do with their lives partly depends upon what they learn as well as the grades that they receive in high school and college, placing enormous amounts of pressure on adolescents. Ultimately every parent worries about the grades their child receives in school, but are they worried because their child isn’t learning or because good grades are necessary for their child to move on to the next level of school? Kids have become so caught up under the pressure to get good grades that they forget about the purpose of school itself. Alfie Kohn, a teacher and author of many books on the topic of motivation and praise states that “the proper occasion for outrage is not that too many students are getting A’s, but that too many students have accepted that getting A’s is the point of going to school” (Kohn “Degrading”). Grades take the emphasis of learning out of school and replace it with the idea that good grades should reward effort (Kohn). In this way grades have made the motivation for learning external rather than intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is a drive that lies within to accomplish something, for instance, when one wants to do something solely because of how interesting, challenging, or exciting it may be (Jalongo). Though extrinsic motivation, including grades, praise, and rewards, has been shown to have positive short term effects on a student’s academic accomplishments, students should instead be taught to foster intrinsic motivation that will build long lasting affects and help them with self motivation in the future.

Grades do accomplish three tasks. First of all, they inform the students and their parents what their level of academic achievement is and what subjects they need to improve in. The second is to illustrate for high schools and colleges the accomplishment level or promise certain students have in comparison to their peers. The third is to “give kids a short hand sense of how they are doing against a standard,” according to Ms. Wolman, director of the Upper School at Burke’s, “and [grades] can then give them an opportunity to measure their own progress against their previous achievement” (Wolman). The main reason that the majority of schools give out letter grades is because right now they are the easiest way of communicating how academically accomplished a student is and how much effort they give to schoolwork and learning. Grades give colleges and high schools a glimpse of the potential that students have to become an accomplished individual and thus seem like a necessary part of evaluation.

Although grades perform all of these functions for students, teachers, parents, and schools, a more difficult question is “what do grades do for the children?” Answers might range from “they are detrimental and negatively affect motivation” to “they allow them to see their level of academic achievement and are thus important in their educational process.” Either of these responses is partially mistaken. To the first response it must be said that while grades are predominantly negative, which later evidence in this paper will support, there are the few upsides that were previously described. The reason that the second response is also incorrect is because although the grade might possibly tell a student where they are compared to their peers, there is no standard that they are held to and thus the grades are only ranking them rather than informing them of their accomplishments.

This whole idea of ranking the students is an occasionally unintentional but also unavoidable aspect of grades. Ranking is unfortunate because it gets in the way of students’ social interaction, especially when there are grading curves where only some students can get an A. Then every student becomes a “potential obstacle” to the rest (Kohn “Degrading”). In this way grading can cause cliques to form within schools and can cause a competitive classroom environment. Also, students with lower grades can begin to feel inferior to those with higher grades and may begin to feel intimidated by their peers. This can affect the confidence levels of the students strongly and can lead them to believe that they are unintelligent.

Along with ranking students, another negative aspect of grading is that the students become extrinsically motivated by them. Extrinsic often motivation works in the short term; however if a student gets a reward like a good grade or praise, then many times they will stop learning unless they have that reward continually hanging in front of them. Richard Swanson, a researcher of external and internal motivation says that eventually children become so used to getting rewards for learning that if “explicit short term rewards are not present, they refuse to learn” (Swanson). Another issue with grades is that because they are just a reward for learning the material in the short term, the material does not get instilled deeply in the student’s brain. This allows students to forget everything they have learned as soon as it is no longer necessary for school. Grades diminish students’ recall about what they have learned because there was no intrinsic motivation to learn it in the first place (Kohn “Degrading”).

174 Another downside to extrinsic motivation is that the more a student gets rewarded with good grades for something, the less interesting the subject will seem because it will start to seem like a duty or something the student has to learn. This affects the quality of their thinking because most creative ideas come from real interest in a subject (Kohn “Degrading”). Extrinsic motivation can also provide students with a reason to cheat. Grades encourage students to cheat because although a student may feel that cheating is wrong, they will be so focused on getting an ‘A’ that they will compromise their academic integrity (Kohn “Degrading”).

Students become so used to grades and their role in school that their focus shifts from learning to getting the reward of being at the top of their class. Obsession over grades is not unusual in schools and it even affects teachers. Writer Howard Kirschenbaum emphasizes the negative aspects of grading in the classroom: I’m getting tired of running a classroom in which everything we do revolves around grades. I’m tired of being suspicious when students give me compliments, wondering whether or not they are just trying to raise their grade. I’m tired of hearing you ask me ‘Does this count?’ And heaven knows, I’m certainly tired of all those little arguments and disagreements we get into concerning marks which take so much fun out of the teaching and the learning…. (qtd. in Kohn “Degrading”) As Kirschenbaum stated, grades remove a positive learning atmosphere and replace it with tension that is caused by a little mark on a report card. At this point one begins to doubt whether grades are beneficial in a school environment, since they seem to diminish a student’s love of learning. An example that demonstrates some of the detrimental effects of grading is that of a girl named Heather.

Richard Swanson, author of the article Toward the Ethical Motivation of Learning, talked about the changes that Heather went through when switching from 5th grade to 6th grade, when she went from no grades to receiving rewards for the schoolwork she did. Swanson said that Heather started 6th grade enthusiastic about learning, knowing that she would now get a reward for doing the homework that she had always done before without the reward. After three months of being rewarded for her hard work, Heather no longer cared for the work she did, she just did it for the reward. Her motivation had been changed from learning because everything was fun and interesting, to trying to doing everything for the outcome (Swanson). In this example, the positive rewards that were given to Heather only made her enthusiasm for what she was learning go away. Students like Heather, who are rewarded for learning, eventually learn only to get rewards, so when the rewards stop, so does the learning (Swanson).

Swanson gave another example of the negative effects of rewards by comparing football players who played on scholarships to those who chose to tryout for fun and made the team. The students who play football for money end up enjoying the sport less than those who are playing for fun because the player not playing for money has no reason to play other than for pleasure. The scholarship player might depend upon the football scholarship to pay tuition and thus would be afraid to lose it (Swanson). In the end the student who does not play for money or for a scholarship learns more from the experience of playing because he can take chances. That player has nothing to lose other than glory or a feeling of accomplishment.

Changing the motivation from internal to external has other negative effects that depend on how the person is externally motivated. Some of the effects that grades have on motivation include the way that they are used as rewards and punishment. Traditionally our society has thought that the best way to go about motivating people is by using the “carrot and stick” method. This means to hang a carrot in front of a student to motivate them or threaten them with a stick if the carrot does not work (Kohn “Punished”). Rewards and punishments have been proven to have significant effects on behavior; however they are another form of external motivation. An example of the negative effects that the “carrot and stick” method has is that rewards make the focus of the person rewarded narrower so they notice less about things off topic than those told to do something with no reward (Kohn “Punished” 62). The way that Kohn puts it is that in the phrase “‘Do this and you’ll get that’ … makes people focus on the ‘that’, not the ‘this’” thus the focus is on the outcome, not the process of getting to the outcome (Kohn “Punished” 67). Tests have proven that by giving a reward to someone for a task that they would do anyways leads them to find the task less enjoyable sooner, because the task is then viewed as a chore rather than an activity (Swanson).

The “Stick” portion of the “carrot and stick” method also has its harmful attributes. Punishments are a poor way to motivate because of their negative long term effects. While effective, short term punishments lead to negative emotions which have been proven to decrease learning (Swanson). For example, the students may start disliking their punisher, and if the punisher happens to be their teacher, then a bad relationship develops and the teacher becomes a bad model for the student (Swanson).

Rewards are motivation; however although they motivate the student to get rewards, they don’t actually get the student to enjoy doing what they were motivated to do (Kohn “Punished” 67). Kohn believes that rewards are less effective than just making the material more interesting if your goal is to try to create effective long lasting motivation (Kohn “Punished” 144). Students learn best when they find the topic matter interesting. Motivation

175 doesn’t have to come from rewards; in fact, the more impressive achievements come from self motivation that may have no reward other than satisfaction. Examples of this kind of achievement may be a girl who has memorized every word to every song in every album of her favorite band, or a boy who grew up watching his favorite Kung Fu show and became a black belt so that he could be just like his favorite character (Kohn “Punished” 146).

Rewards can also push kids in the direction of a fixed way of thinking, an outlook defined by Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, to be a fixed mental state in which the person is not willing to grow and improve or has no intrinsic motivation to try or put effort into their actions (Dweck “Mindset” 16-17). Rewards do this by demonstrating to the student or child that the only thing they need to do is follow directions to succeed and get the reward. This limits the child and automatically puts them in a state of thinking in which intelligence depends on how smart of a person you are. Children with the growth mindset, the opposite of the fixed mindset, have much more chance of success because they will be more accepting of failure and of putting in effort to accomplish tasks. For these kids, the point of learning is to gain information, not get the reward. In schools it has become necessary to foster intrinsic motivation in order to further growth mindsets in children (Dweck “Mindset”16-17).

Another negative and fairly controversial point about grades is that they can be a form of praise. When a student receives an ‘A’ for an assignment, they are being praised for their excellent work. This ‘A’ might boost the student’s ego and self confidence, which could make that student a stronger person; however, it can also make them more susceptible to disappointment. Some learn to think, after being praised repeatedly, that they are smart and shouldn’t have to put in effort to accomplish challenging tasks (Mindset 71-72). On the other hand, when kids are praised for their process of getting to the right answer, then they will try to put in the effort again and will be more open to the failure that may follow (Mindset 71-72). The negative effects of praise depend on what exactly is being praised and how the student or person understands it. In the frameworks of thinking, effort means different things.

To those who care more about being smart, effort actually indicates lower intelligence. To those who care for learning more than anything, effort is how they achieve intelligence (Dweck “Self Theories” 39). Those who are praised for what they have done forget about the effort and focus on the outcome, those who care about the process of learning and are praised for effort understand that the good outcome comes from the effort. Students should understand that what is important is that they put time into whatever it is that they are trying to accomplish. Carol Dweck stressed the importance of effort in her book of self essays by saying: “What should we do if students have had an easy success and come to us expecting praise? We can apologize for wasting their time and direct them to something more challenging. In this way we may begin to teach them that a meaningful success requires effort” (Dweck “Self Theories” 42). Most worthwhile outcomes come from struggles. If there wasn’t any struggle or effort, then anybody could have done it and there is nothing worth feeling good about.

The last argument brought against grades is that of validity. Validity is the issue of how well grades actually portray an individual’s academic performance (Allen). The problem is that grades aren’t solely accumulations of academic performance because they include things like behavior, participation, effort, and tardiness. Richard Allen brings up the idea that we have to start questioning “what learning is being assessed and the validity of the communication of that assessment to others” (Allen). Every grade is incredibly arbitrary, and “A teacher can meticulously record scores for one test or assignment after another, eventually calculating averages down to a hundredth of a percentage point, but that doesn’t change the arbitrariness of each of these individual marks” (Kohn “Degrading”). Although grades represent academic performance, non academic criteria such as effort, participation and behavior are often included in a final grade which has nothing to do with the student’s

176 level of academic performance (Allen). The solution to dubious validity would be to make a separate mark on individual student report cards that mark for participation and effort, so that things like that aren’t included in the assessment of a student’s academic achievement (Allen).

The question of whether potential is also being assessed puts in question the validity of grading. Can a student’s potential be assumed from the high or low grade mark received when potential is not a concrete or set matter? Potential cannot and should not be measured because measuring can only limit a student. You can not tell from an IQ test that a student it going to have great intellectual success in the future because abilities can grow (Dweck “Self Theories” 60). Why should we assume that we have a limited amount of potential when it will always be more beneficial to think that “skills can grow and abilities can blossom?” (Dweck “Self Theories” 60).

There are many controversial but effective solutions that can be put into effect to avoid all of the negative effects of grades. Options that do not include getting rid of grades would still decrease the detrimental effects; however, unless grades are completely abolished there will always be some negative aspects that may harm students.

Some of the main options that could be applied in the near future include standard based grading, the Montessori Method, and completely abolishing grades altogether.

Some of the arguments against abolishing grades come from avoidance of change, and since most people grew up with grades, they believe that everyone else should too (Allen). Another argument against abolishing grades is that teachers who teach 150 students in college don’t have enough time to write the alternative, individual written evaluations for each of the 150 students. However, there is a solution to this problem which is to make the student to teacher ratio lower in college classrooms and schools in general (Kohn “Degrading”).

The solution for the invalidity of grading is to make a standard that students are compared to and are graded on whether they have reached the standard. Right now there is no standard for what should receive an A in schools, so parents who want to know what the best schools are can’t use grades to compare them because of the arbitrariness (Medina). Schools could choose to give 50% of all the students ‘A’s which would raise the average GPA and make parents and students happy. A New York Times article described how some schools had started giving 4’s and 3’s on report cards which were said to be more accurate because this grading system “measures each student against a stated set of criteria, rather than grading on a curve, which compares members of a class with one another” (Hu).

The standard based grading system was brought into account to tell parents what their child’s real academic achievement is so that outside factors like participation and turning in homework on time weren’t included (Hu).

Although parents want the “big picture,” the standard based report cards provide more specific information about a student’s strengths and weaknesses (Badertscher). In this way standard based grades do more than simple letter grades do, because they let the student know how they can improve rather than just informing them of what level they are at (“Study Critiques”). Standard-based grading avoids the ranking aspect of letter grades, and it informs the students about how they can improve and make reachable goals for improvement (Hu).

Another way for our society reach a grades-free state is to give every single student an ‘A’ as long as they meet certain conditions. This idea sounds rather drastic; however an experiment conducted by Sara Beckman, professor at UC Berkeley, has shown that, when well-executed, the learning environment is enhanced in many ways.

Ms. Beckman conducted this experiment with one of her college courses. She made an assignment on the first day of class that asked every student to write her a letter, saying what were the reasons they should get an ‘A’ in her class.

The students were asked to write these letters before they had actually participated in the class, so they had to be creative. After she receiving these letters, Beckman found that she didn’t have to worry about who showed up for class or participated anymore. She was able to do more because they had a “broader agenda” where they were conducting the class together and didn’t have to worry about how everything they did affected their grade. Beckman recognized that the students began to feel more comfortable in the classroom because they weren’t always thinking “what do I have to do to get an ‘A’ in this class?” (Beckman). Beckman got the students away from being so hung up on the grade itself, as most students are, which can distract them from the importance of learning (Wolman).

Another solution to our troubles with grades is to convert schools to the Montessori Method. In a Montessori school, the classroom is not as directed where you have to study this or that, the kids are given lessons that they have to take and can then choose to follow up on the lesson they just had or follow up on a lesson they had a previous day in a more interesting subject. This way, the students are taught the basics of everything but can delve deeper into the topics that are most interesting to them. This way “you are ensured of complete comprehension in all subjects, but those lessons do not take up as much time as they do in a public school setting” so there is more time to expand in other areas that are more interesting to the student (Scherschligt). Some don’t like the Montessori Method because specialization, becoming attached to a specific topic and focusing only on that subject, happens so soon.

Since everything is pretty optional, students can choose a path for themselves very early (Scherschligt).

Even without changing the way that we grade students, fostering intrinsic motivation is still important.

Since grades are often the only form of feedback that students pay attention to, teachers should make sure that at

177 least comments and rubrics, if there are any, come before grades so that they will be looked at (Ickes Dunbar). In addition, teachers should try to make school interesting by connecting information to prior learning or how it’s important to the students’ lives (Jalongo).

Grades are never fun to give or receive, and the reasons for why we choose to use them are not legitimate enough for us to put the amount of stress we do on them for high schools and colleges. It is important that teachers avoid the extrinsic motivation that grades bring about by fostering intrinsic motivation to the best their ability through connecting schoolwork to every day life and by making everything interesting. Grading does not have to be abolished completely; however the stress that most schools have on grades should be deemphasized to make sure that every student’s motivation is primarily for self benefit, not for the reward of the grade itself. If one of the ultimate goals of teaching is to help students realize and live to their utmost potential, intrinsic motives should be at the core of their motivation.

Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Angele Williams, Taylor Graham, Melissa Martin, and Yeva Cifor for proof reading and peer editing my paper.

I would also like to acknowledge Karen Allen for editing my paper and for giving me suggestions for organizing my own thoughts and opinions.

Last but not least I would also like to acknowledge Craig Butz for giving me advice on the organization and content of my research paper. I would also like to thank him for guiding me through the researching and writing process.

Working Bibliography Allen, James D. "Grades as Valid Measures of Academic Achievement of Classroom Learning.” The Clearing House 78.5 (2005): 218-223. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Badertscher, Nancy. "Education: COBB COUNTY: Parents to protest new grading system: Updated report cards called 'unproven fad.' Do '3-2-1' grades better describe kids' abilities, or promote mediocrity? " The Atlanta Journal - Constitution 28 May 2009,US National Newspapers, ProQuest. Web. 13 Dec. 2009.

Beckman, Sara. Personal Interview. 3 January. 2010.

Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House, Inc., 2006. Print.

Dweck, Carol S. Self Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development. New York: Psychology Press, 2000. Print.

Hu, Winnie. “Report Cards Give Up A’s and B’s for 4s and 3s.” New York Times. New York Times, 24 March.

2009. Web. 27 December. 2009.

Ickes-Dunbar, Andrea. "Beyond the Dunce Cap: "What's My Grade?" Phi Kappa Phi Forum 84.4 (2004): 34. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 13 Dec. 2009.

Jalongo, Mary Renck. "Beyond Benchmarks and Scores: Reasserting the Role of Motivation and Interest in Children's Academic Achievement. " Childhood Education 83.6 (2007): 395-407. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Kohn, Alfie. “From Degrading to De-Grading.” Alfie Kohn. Alfie Kohn, 1999. Web. 14 December. 2009.

Kohn, Alfie. Punished by Rewards: The Trouble With Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes.

New York: The Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. Print.

"Study critiques schools over subjective grading; An education expert calls for greater consistency in evaluating student achievement.” Los Angeles Times. 4 Oct. 2009, Los Angeles Times, ProQuest. Web. 13 Dec. 2009.

Scherschligt, Cecily. Personal Interview. 5 January. 2010.

Swanson, Richard L. "Toward the ethical motivation of learning.” Education 116.1 (1995): 43. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Wolman, Rebekah. Personal Interview. 12 January. 2010.

178 Annie Steinberg Craig Butz Research in the Community / Block A February 3, 2010 Danger in the Mass Media When flipping through a Seventeen magazine, a girl might see pictures of models her age with the “hottest bodies” or tips on the best hair styles and makeup products to improve her looks. Reading these magazines may seem like simple fun; however, these images and tips stimulate unattainable expectations and warp the minds of teenagers. Awareness must be brought to the media’s attention on these perfect, yet unrealistic beauty types as it has caused vulnerable teenagers, particularly girls, to negatively question their own bodies, and this in turn has led to an explosion in eating disorders.

The media has always played a major role in society, influencing people’s views and actions. Everyday, the average person is exposed to about 3,000 advertisements through commercials, billboards, marketing ads, clothing brands, and the internet (“Thinspiration”). Television shows, movies, music videos and magazines also influence people’s attitudes and habits. Because the media images are everywhere, it’s inevitable for people to easily be manipulated by images and messages flashed by the mass media. Media often targets teenagers and many of these influences negatively affect youth. One of the main problems is the promotion of specific body types, an impossible attractiveness, which contradicts healthy eating habits.

The fashion industry uses a glamorous lifestyle in marketing products, but the recent employment of overly thin models has begun to cause public concern. Twenty years ago, the average model size was eight, today it is zero (“The Real Skinny”). Fashion models now weigh 23% less than the average woman. Some photographers will send models away if they are not skinny enough (“The Real Skinny”). Models seen on the runway today are freakishly thin, with bony legs, defined ribs, and emaciated arms. Nada Stotland, a professor of psychiatry at Rush Medial College, Chicago remarked, “These people look scary. They don’t look normal.” The Fig. 1: “Models” Sydney Herald Tribune famous “it” girl, model Coco Rocha, is one of the few major fashion icons who has spoken about the fashion industry. At age 15, she flew to Singapore for a photo shoot and lost ten pounds in just six weeks. When she returned form her trip she was told to lose even more weight (“Super Skinny Models”). Rocha also recalled a time when the industry told her, “The look this year is anorexia. We don’t want you to be anorexic but that’s what we want you to look like” (“Super Skinny Models”). These “cookie cutter looks” promote insecurity in girls who long to emulate the thinness of high fashion models.

The push to be thin can start even at very young ages. National icons like Barbie can have a bad influence on girls. Studies have shown that even girls as young as 5 and 6 are dissatisfied with body shape—they want to be skinny like Barbie (“Barbie too Skinny”). Kids think that culture is telling them to be sexy and beautiful, warping children’s perception of body image.

Teenagers struggling with body dissatisfaction often obsess about weight-loss, which can lead to eating disorders. Over eight million people in America suffer from an eating disorder and about half of Americans know a person struggling with one. Government statistics have concluded that 90% of these people with eating disorders are teens (“Anorexia, Bulimia, & Binge Eating Disorders”). Eating disorders include two main types: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is categorized as self starvation with excessive weight loss. Bulimia is a disorder in which a secretive cycle of binge eating is usually followed by purging (“Anorexia, Bulimia, & Binge Eating Disorders”). Eating disorders can be physically dangerous and emotionally draining. They affect not only the lives of the person with the disease, but also the lives of their family and friends.

Unfortunately, about 1 out of 100 girls suffer from anorexia, and anorexia Fig. 2: “Anorexia” Photobucket is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents (Chang).

179 First-hand accounts of anorexia provide personal insight into how people develop eating disorders. In an interview, Evi Strauss, a middle-aged woman who had struggled with anorexia throughout her teen and early college years, explained, “I was just afraid of being fat. I created strict eating habits where I only ate certain foods. If I ever strayed from my specific diet, I would beat myself up.” A recent, female college graduate, who still sometimes struggles with her body image remarked, “One summer I went to a camp with bad food. I ended up losing quite a bit of weight, unintentionally. When I returned from camp my friends told me I looked great, encouraging me to lose even more weight until I couldn’t stop myself.” When asked if the media had taken a toll in the cause of her disease, she said, “The media definitely played a role in the cause of my disease. It was hard seeing super skinny girls all over covers of magazines. I just wanted to look like them.” Both of these women weighed less than 100 pounds at one point in their lives and were later hospitalized. One commented, “I knew that I was slowly killing myself,” and both said that, without treatment, they would have died (Strauss).

In many cases, it is difficult for families with a sick teen to acknowledge that their child is suffering. At home, Strauss’s relationship with her father and mother was distant and cold; she became depressed as she longed for recognition from her parents. Strauss began to lose weight at age 15. Months later, her mother noticed a change in her figure and congratulated her for achieving such a nice physique. However, as Strauss continued to grow thinner, the compliments did too. Her mother soon realized her daughter had a problem, but handled the situation poorly by insisting her behavior stop, rather than providing her with help. She had failed to realize that Evi could not stop starving herself. Similarly Evi’s father had been oblivious to her disease, and it crushed her to see her parents act as if they did not care. Not once did either parent try to talk to her about the way she felt. Evi says she was belittled by the lack of care from family and criticisms about her body—the only thing Evi could control was her eating behavior.

Not only is the media triggering eating disorders in teenagers, but a number of disturbing internet movements specifically promote weight-loss. “Pro-ana” organizations are made up of people with eating disorders like anorexia, whose aim is to encourage girls to continue to lose weight. These people promote anorexia as a lifestyle, rather than labeling anorexia as an eating disorder. People who take part in Pro-ana believe that doctors and family should accept anorexia as a choice and deny they are mentally ill. Pro-ana is a phenomenon of the internet, where online sites and blogs, written mostly by women, contain tips on becoming skinnier, advice and techniques on best ways to induce throwing up, and the promotion of the use of laxatives and emetics. Thinspiration is an aspect of Pro-ana in which pictures of girls, models, and celebrities with eating disorders are shown through Youtube and websites to advertise their thinness. Pro-ana attracts girls who seek tips on losing weight and girls already struggling with eating disorders (“Thinspiration”).

Eating disorders in teens are usually a result of low selfesteem. With the media advertising such unnatural body images, it’s understandable for teens to question and challenge their own bodies, especially because teenage years mark the start of puberty.

During this stage, teens undergo many physical and psychological Fig. 3: “Eat Less” New York Times changes (Kramer). It is hard for many teenagers to accept these changes; with so many “perfect” body types being flashed at them every day, girls find themselves judging their figures and comparing themselves to what the media is promoting (Lawton). For girls, changes such as breasts, wider hips, thighs, and other body fats can make them feel selfconscious. This may lower self esteem, leading to unhealthy dieting habits, which can result in eating disorders. Changes in boys occur as well. Guys begin to grow more muscle, gain broader shoulders, develop lower voices, and body parts become larger. Usually boys who are dissatisfied with their appearance feel they are too thin and may take drugs like steroids to help them shape their physique (Lawton). Since girls are twice as prone to become anorexic as guys, it is harder for boys who struggle with anorexia to come forward for help because society seems to view eating disorders as female diseases.

A survey of Bay School students confirmed that many teens are dissatisfied with their bodies, with girls being more self-critical. 90% of girls (38/42) reported something they Fig. 4: “Body Type Scale”

180 wanted to change about their bodies, in contrast to only 45% of boys (18/40). Looking at a scale of nine different body types of girls and boys, they were asked to choose the body type which they thought most resembled theirs, the body type they thought was most attractive to the opposite sex, the body type they wanted to have, and the body type they found most attractive. Most girls reported a body size in the mid-range (4,5,6) and indicated the desire for a leaner figure. They also answered that boys were attracted to girls who were thinner than they are. In contrast, boys labeled themselves as thinner, but longed to look bigger. Girls were far more likely to find multiple imperfections in the way they look. For example one girl listed, “weight, nose size, hip and thigh size, breast size, finger length, lip size, eye size, flat stomach, leg length, skin tone, hair color, hair type, nose type, waist size” as features she would change, whereas boys mainly wanted to become, “hella ripped.” The survey also showed that about 6% of the students have struggled with anorexia and about 5% with bulimia.

While many teens find themselves trying to replicate the body types of models, celebrities, and other images shown by the media, the truth about these photos is that almost all of them have been retouched. Fashion magazines use lighting tricks and exposure to enhance the photos (“Smile and Say No Photoshop”). Now, software like Photoshop has the ability to completely change the model or celebrity’s appearance by making them thinner, their teeth whiter, their skin flawless, their eyes bigger, and their hair more voluptuous. Most editors even demand photo retouching (“Smile and Say No Photoshop”). This unattainable standard of beauty literally makes it impossible for anyone to look the way a model or celebrity appears in a photograph.

Although the fashion industry has set a bad example for young teens, changes have begun to be made. After the death in 2006 of the 88-pound, Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston, people began to give attention to the problems within the industry.

Months after this first death, another model Luisel Ramos from Uruguay, died of heart failure during a fashion show, prompting Madrid to ban underweight girls. Ramos had been on a three-month diet of simply green leaves and diet coke (“With Models Death…”). Madrid set a rule that models had to be at least 125 pounds to be able to take part in any of their fashion shows (“Do thin models warp girls’ body image?”). The Council Fashion Designers of America holds workshops for eating disorders, offers healthy snacks behind runway fashion shows, and forces models with known eating disorders to get help if they want to continue their career in modeling (“Super Skinny Models”). The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is another organization that helps spread awareness for women by showing real, healthy body types (“Super Skinny Models”).

In conclusion, it is important for people to understand that the mass media is simply a world of pure fantasy. It is impossible to watch television, flip through a magazine, or browse online without seeing ads for body-improving products and photos of “picture perfect” models and celebrities. Understanding that no two people look exactly the same will allow individuals to accept their uniqueness. Anorexia and bulimia are not diseases that just go away over time; they are both serious psychological disorders that can both lead to death. Sufferers often feel alone, depressed and require immediate medical care and support from friends and family. Organizations such as Pro-ana and Thinspiration set horrible examples for teens and contribute to the growing epidemic, while other organizations like the Dove campaign promote healthy body sizes and enable teens to realize what real beauty is.

The media is unlikely to change the images and messages it sends out, making it our responsibility to reject them and to monitor our reactions to the false images. More awareness of health risks and less cultural emphasis on thinness are two steps that need to be taken to combat this tragic epidemic, and hopefully society will realize the harmful effects, preventing teenagers from even beginning to enter the dangerous path to eating disorders.

Fig. 5: “3 Photoshoots” New York Times

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge Ben Gershbein, Sebastian Ravitz, Kimi Mena, Shohei Burns, and Craig Butz for helping review my paper.

181 Bibliography “Adolescent Girls and Body Image.” NASW. Washington DC, Nov. 2001. Web. 8 Dec. 2009.

“Anorexia, Bulimia, & Binge Eating Disorder.” National Eating Disorders Association. Web. 14 Dec. 2009 Chang, Maria L. “Walking a Thin Line – Celebrities, Mass Media, and Eating Disorders” BNET, 14 Dec. 1998.

Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

Dobson, Roger. “Skinny Barbie Blamed Over Eating Disorders.” Times Online, 14 May 2006. Web. 9 Dec. 2009.

“Do Thin Models Warp Girls’ Body Image? USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2006. Web. 3 Jan 2010.

Kittleson, Mark. The Truth About Eating Disorders. New York: Book Builders LLC, 2005. Print.

Lawton, Sandra. Eating Disorders Information for Teens. Detroit: Omigraphics Inc, 2005. Print.

Luscombe, Belinda. “The Real Skinny.” Time CNN, 25 Sep. 2006. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

“Media’s Influence on Eating Disorders.” Intelligent Life on the Web, 2010. Web. 3 Jan 2010. Strauss, Evelyn.

Personal Interview. 10 Jan. 2010.

“Super Skinny Models: This is What The Fashion Industry Calls ‘Curves’?” The Huffington Post, 15 Oct. 2008.

Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Taber, Kimberly. “With model’s death, eating disorders are again in spotlight –Americas – International Heal Tribune” New York Times, 20 Nov. 2006. Web. 2 Jan. 2010. "Thinspiration." Walden Behavioral Care.

N/P, N/D/ Web. 3 Feburary. 2010 Wilson, Eric. “Smile and Say ‘No Photoshop’.” New York Times, 27 May 2009. Web. 2 Jan. 2010.

182 Jessica Sykes Craig Butz Research in the Community February 4, 2010 Should Parents Stay Together? : Divorces’ Effects on Kids “There is no such thing as a divorce being good for a kid”, states Dr. Terrence Owens. In our society, divorce is a common event that in the long run, can ruin the lives of children. Usually when parents divorce, they think of making themselves happier. Of course they think of the children, but do not realize what it will really put them through. Even if the parents handle it well, divorce impacts the feelings, emotions, and actions of kids, both in short and long terms. Unless the marriage contains physical conflict or abuse, parents should do their best to stay together in order to prevent their child/children from going through both the immediate effects, such as anxiety, fear, depression, confusion, and academic failure, as well as the long lasting effects, such as losing a childhood, forever lacking trust in relationships, and higher divorce rates.

Over the past twenty years, the divorce rate has steadily increased. 50% of marriages currently end in divorce. Reasons for divorce include infidelity, abuse, lack of love, financial problems, and getting bored with one another. Despite the variety of causes of divorce, all of them have similar, if not the same, effects on kids. People may think that if marriage involves verbal arguments, a divorce will help the children; however, as long as marriage does not involve physical fighting and/or abuse, children will rarely benefit from a divorce. Dr. Owens, a psychologist who wrote his dissertation on the effects of divorce on kids, finds that almost all kids have a “negative response” to divorce, and the reason for divorce does not change the reaction of the children.

These reasons for divorce can be helped more easily than the effects it will have on the children. The way the involved parents react to the divorce can change the reaction of the child. If the negative emotions are not hidden, they can be passed onto the kids. Stress can increase in the kids when the parents continue to fight after the divorce, especially when the arguments are about the children (Emery and Kelly 353; Sindell 74). Depression and stress usually occur for the parents as a result of the divorce. Mark J. Kittleson, the professor of Health Education at Southern Illinois University, explains that divorced parents do not have “the time, energy, and self-confidence to enforce rules and discipline” (31). These parents can enhance the emotions and feelings, but can also cause the children to feel as if they are not loved anymore. This is also a result of parents not spending as much time with their children, an almost inevitable result of divorce (Kittleson 29). Dr. Owens believes that when the kids are the most important things to the parents, and the emotions of the parents are controlled, the children are more likely to handle the divorce better. The “welfare” of the children should be the priority and it is vital for the parents to be “cordial” with one another. If arguments are to occur, the kids must be left out in order to prevent more effects (Owens; Amato 1280).

If conflict still occurs after the divorce, parents often complain about one another, and sometimes the other parent’s belief. Many kids are left to figure out two beliefs due to arguments of their parents. Elizabeth Marquardt, a scholar at the Institute for American Values whose parents are divorced, mentions that when parents are married, they work out their conflicts; however, when they get divorced, they no longer have to worry about each others views, allowing them to have their own beliefs. This means that the child has to make sense of the two different beliefs themselves. The parents are not “offering something whole” to the kids (29). She describes that, as a child, she “had to try and make sense of [her] parents’ increasingly different ways of living” (29). Judith Wallerstein, a psychologist and researcher about divorce, wrote a foreword in Marquardt’s book and mentions that the children are left to make their own decisions if the moral guidelines of the parents do not correspond (xii). One example of this is that each parent may suggest a different view of religion and God, leading to confusion for the kid and not knowing which parent to believe (Wetzstein). Kids are often faced with opposing views and have to make their own decisions.

One of the most important jobs of a parent is to protect their child and provide a safe, secure environment for them as they grow up. But, because of divorce, many parents feel helpless. The child then feels the need to protect the parents, effectively reversing the roles of the parent and child. Because this often happens, many kids from divorced families have given up their childhood in order to care for their parents (Marquardt 39). This process usually carries on until the death of the parent, creating a burden for children that does not go away (Wallerstein 283). Younger kids find it especially hard because they are at the age where they need parental protection the most (Wallerstein 159). In return, the parents find it hard to do the same for their child, leaving them to feel “more unprotected”, according to Marquardt (54). When living with intact families, kids visualize their home as their safe place; the place that provides protection and will always be there for them. Not only does divorce change the lives of the children completely, but it takes away their “security blanket” (Kittleson 95). Marquardt describes that in her

183 situation, she and her brother felt the divorce “threatened [their] sense of emotional security and sometimes [their] physical security as well” (59). Taking care of parents is a big responsibility that children and teenagers should not have the burden of.

The protection usually occurs when a parent has sole custody and the kid spends more time with them than the other parent. When the mother has sole custody, the “daily” amount of time spent with the father decreases (Marquardt 28). The importance of the father in the lives of the children is crucial. When a father is not involved in a child’s life, the child suffers in many ways: they do not do as well in school and can present behavior problems (Emery and Kelly 356-357). The involvement of the father is particularly important to young boys. Boys look up to their fathers and once they are no longer around, the boys have no role model. In an interview with Judith Wallerstein, Lytle, a reporter for NEA today, discovered that it is “like they’ve lost their right arm”. If the visitation with the father is kept to a limited schedule, it can be difficult for the children. Often, the child will be forced to give up social opportunities and sometimes ruin the chances for a working relationship with the parent (Wallerstein 174181).

When there is joint custody instead of sole custody, kids can feel as though they are being “kicked back and forth like a football”, as described by Marquardt, a scholar at the Institute for American Values whose parents are divorced (1). When parents divorce, kids have two homes, sometimes becoming disorganized. This is because one parent moves out and finds a new house. The children sometimes move from house to house, whether it is every other week or a couple weeks or weekends a year. A lot of the time, kids will leave things behind at one house and lifestyles will become a mess as the child is always moving, living with different rules, and losing personal items in the process of moving about so much (Sindell 72). Sometimes, both parents move, and the kids have to create and adjust to changes in their lives, such as schools, friends, and neighborhoods (MacGregor 43). This new life requires more maturity. With only one parent to run the house, the kids have to chip in and help make up the work of the missing one (MacGregor 42). This can be especially hard if the economic situation is not stable, causing more negative outcomes (Amato 1280). The thought of having two homes is scary for kids. Before the divorce, they rely on their one home as their one safe and secure place (Owens). When they no longer have that, they can become scared and not adjust well to the divorce.

Having two homes affects the housing situation, but also education of children. Kids from divorced families do worse in school; however, the parents can help not impact their child’s education by trying to stay together. A test described that “children from divorced families scored significantly lower on a variety of outcomes, including academic achievement, conduct, psychological adjustment, self-concept, and social competence” (Amato 1277). Divorce causes kids to have lower grade point average’s, drop out of school, be absent more often, and score lower on tests (Black and Stevenson 60-67). The decline in academic achievement can be attributed to the fact that these kids tend to daydream, disturb class activities, and express anxiety and sadness. (Kelly 268). When the divorce first happens, children can’t take their minds off it, thus making it difficult to concentrate in school and do well (Marquardt 28). Dr. Owens, a psychologist, says that all kids from divorced families will struggle in school; nonetheless, in most cases, the kids are able to regain their academic concentration by the time they reach college, and usually before. Although divorce does not directly cause an academic decline in the long term, a few years wasted learning can cause future troubles for the children who go through it.

Kids are challenged with the many emotional effects of divorce, which force their childhood to undergo substantial changes. These emotions build up inside the children unless they are released. The feelings that kids feel right after the divorce consist of anxiety, fear, depression, guilt, anger, and loneliness (Kittleson 24). When kids first learn about the divorce, their reaction is “distress, anxiety, anger, shock and disbelief” (Kelly and Emery 353).

Owens says that kids from divorced families will suffer from a depression, while Marquardt says they suffer from a restricted childhood (38). The lives of children changes immensely when this modification to the family occurs.

Usually, a struggle for financial stability appears where there is divorce, which results in substantial changes in the daily routine of the kids (Sindell 80). The thought of parents splitting up is hard enough for kids, but the emotions that it brings makes it even worse.

Younger kids cover their stories by making new ones and go through several changes. Kittleson mentioned that babies will have “changes in eating, sleeping and bowel movements. Some may become fretful or anxious”. As they get older, toddlers will cling to their parents and have to be in close proximity at all times. Often, there will be tantrums and possibility of regression in behavior (31). Preschoolers tend not to develop as quickly as others and the divorce will result in change of normal behavior (Frankel). Kids in elementary school will fear that if they leave their parents side they will never see them again, causing a feeling of being unprotected (Lytle). Young girls will try and make up stories in order to make their lives seem better on the outside, while girls aged 9-10 try and be perfect in order to hide their anxiety and make up for their imperfect home life (Lytle). Once the kids reach school, they will either act on their best behavior because they think the divorce is their fault, or become more aggressive (Frankel).

184 In general, Owens says that girls will become quieter, withdrawn, and less social, while boys will get involved with and cause more fights.

Teenagers do not act the same way as younger kids. Teenagers tend to act out, as a result of their emotions.

At first, teenagers usually show desire to be independent and show consideration (Lytle). This soon changes and Alan Frankel, a psychotherapist and a divorce mediator, describes that “signs of distress are displayed by ‘acting out’ behaviors, such as running away, truancy from school, school suspension, physical fighting, trouble with the law, drug and alcohol abuse, and promiscuity,” as well as suicide. In a study by Judith Wallerstein, a psychologist and researcher about divorce, one in four kids of divorced parents used illegal substances before age fourteen. Girls from intact families usually hold off on sex until at least senior year of high school when they have been in a long relationship, while girls from divorced families become sexually active at younger ages (Wallerstein 188). As well as drinking and doing drugs, many kids of divorced parents get diagnosed with diseases and become violent in response to their parents marriage failing (Marquardt 39).

These behaviors are increased when the divorce occurs for no apparent reason. This is a common situation, which enhances the belief for kids to feel it was their fault. Owens mentioned that this ruins their relationship with other people. This causes feeling of self victimization appears, which often times kids try to hide (Krantzel 64). In a study, it is proved that blaming of oneself leads to “depression, externalizing problems, and lowered feelings of selfcompetence” (1281).

Most people agree that divorce causes short term effects for kids; however, there is much dispute on whether there is a long term effect. The evidence for divorce impacting the future lives of children far out ways that of the beliefs that divorce doesn’t have a huge influence. Most kids will remain affected when they reach the adult stage of their lives. A study by Wallerstein found that five years after the divorce, one third of the children were still struggling. Of that third, 17% “felt rejected and unloved by the mother”, 39% had the same feelings about the father, one quarter were not satisfied with the “visiting relationship” because there was either not enough time with a parent or because they felt no emotion toward the parent, and 20% “yearned” for “the absent father” (Kelly 211). After five years, 27% of the kids in Wallerstein’s study felt “intense loneliness”. This was because they found themselves “coming home to empty houses after school” due to their parents wanting to have their own social lives on the weekends, and “want[ing] privacy” (Kelly 211). Loneliness and insecurity are emotional affects that continue to appear many years later.

In the words of Owens, “divorce becomes a part of you”. Once a child has lived through the experience of their parents divorcing, they will never forget it. Future relationships will be affected as well as the emotions and actions. Through research, one can find many immediate effects of divorce. However, when trying to find the long term effects, information is harder to come across. Although there are just as many long term effects as short term effects, they are not discovered as often because they are harder to attribute. When the divorce first happens, it is inferred that these are caused by the divorce. If someone is suffering many years later, it is harder to relate this distress to the divorce (Owens). However, in many cases the depression or negative feelings are directly related to the divorce.

When these kids reach adulthood, the effects are still present. According to Kittleson, the professor of Health Education at Southern Illinois University, “adults of divorced parents have more problems and lower levels of well being than adults whose parents stayed married. They are depressed more frequently, feel less satisfied with life, get less education and less prestigious jobs. Even their physical health is poorer” (96). Kittleson also mentioned that even those who were successful to begin with ended up being insecure (97). In an interview, Wallerstein states that “a parent’s divorce is not a time-limited crisis. Rather…it has long-term effects on a child that reach a peak in adulthood. Adult children of divorce are more likely to divorce and have a more difficult time…forming intimate relationships. Even those in solid marriages have trouble handling routine conflict. They have never seen…how arguments are waged and settled among happy partners” (qtd. in Bumiller).

Dr. Owens believes that children from divorced parents have one of two views on their own marriage; they are either determined to make it work out or “don’t trust” marriage, thinking it’s not possible to have a happy relationship. He says they usually take the pessimistic side. These beliefs with love make it difficult to have a happy relationship or marriage. Kittleson discovered in a study that “30 out of 93 children of divorce had never married, even 25 years after the divorce” (97). This is usually a result of “fear of being betrayed in adolescents and young adults,” which carries over to adulthood (Lytle). Of those who do get married, they have higher divorce rates and many of them married as a teenager (Lytle). The inability to make a relationship work is called the “sleeper effect”.

Relationships containing this do not include trust, since the kids from divorced families have not witnessed a lasting happy marriage (Marquardt 10). In general, when, and if, kids from divorced families get married, they are more determined to make the marriage work since they do not want their kids to suffer the same things they have, according to Dr. Owens.

185 While the belief that divorce has bad long term effects is the strongest, there are opinions that it lives with the child through adulthood, but does not cause that much damage in later years. Andrew Cherlin, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, said, “’divorce…raise[s] the risk that you might not graduate from high school, or you might have a child as a teenager, or you might have some mental health problems. But most people don’t experience those problems. It’s as if the risk of getting an illness goes up, but you’re still unlikely to get the illness’” (qtd. in Bumiller). Although this view is recognized, studies have shown that the percent not affected is a small number. In one of Wallerstein’s studies, she found that after a year, some of the kids became better and utilized “the school experience as a support system while the situation was still difficult at home” (Kelly 274). This study was of a large number of people, and this statistic is only a small amount of them. Therefore, the majority did suffer through the bad experiences and effects. Wallerstein mentioned that the kids were able to create a better environment at school, but also that it was still difficult at home. Although it may allow a better school life, being difficult at home will create problems for kids which will eventually lead to long term effects. This is supposed to suggest that while one situation is still hard, another is improving. The difficult situation out ways the manageable one in this case. In the same study, five years after the divorce, “28% of the group strongly approved of the divorce, slightly more disapproved strongly, and the remaining 42% were somewhere here in the middle, accepting the changed family but not taking a strong position for or against the divorce” (198). This suggests that a lot of kids were ok with the divorce; however, the amount that disapproved of the divorce was larger than those that approved. Furthermore, even if kids have no opinion over the divorce in long term, this does not mean they are not affected by it. The evidence for divorce having negative affects many years later is stronger than that of divorce not doing much in the long run.

Despite all these negative effects of divorce, there are a few positive outcomes. When parents divorce, it can cause all kids to become mature, independent, and resourceful (Kittleson 32). Children in divorced family’s experience more loneliness, but by being alone, kids will learn to take care of themselves (Sindell 83). If the parents financial situation requires a move, or even if the move is not for financial reasons, it can allow kids to experience new things and see new places, especially if the move is to a different state or country (Sindell 82). One of the most significant positive effects is the relationship with the parents. If a kid lives with just one parent, they will become closer to them (Amato 1278). Although these are important positive effects of divorce, more positive outcomes occur when a family is intact. In addition, the negative effects are more drastic. The bad results will cause more harm for a kid than the good results would make a kid happy or matured.

When the lives of kids from intact families are compared to those of divorced families, kids from divorced families feel less protected and live an entirely different life. When living with two parents, the child does no have to worry about safety (Marquardt 64). Marquardt, a scholar at the Institute for American Values whose parents are divorced, describes that in most situations, including her own, going from house to house feels like you are growing up in two families (21). Not only are there two, but “the post divorce family, no matter what the level of conflict, is an entirely new kind of family, that lacks many features of intact family life that might seem natural and unremarkable” (27). This includes eating meals as a family, family outings, and even watching sports on T.V. with parents. This does not just occur with those high-conflict divorces, but also ‘good divorces’. Kids from ‘gooddivorces’ still feel unsafe, even more than those kids from intact families which are low-conflict but unhappy (59).

The difference in intact and divorced families is having a mother and father to protect you together; “Tragedies within or outside the family can happen to a child, no matter what kind of family they live in. But on the whole, having both a father and mother who will look out for you, and not having unrelated adults passing often through the home, makes things safer” (Marquardt 65). Children from divorced families have to suffer through feelings and insecurity that kids from intact families do not.

Parents do not have to watch their kids suffer from uncertainty and insecurity if they remain married.

However, there is a reoccurring belief that divorce does not do good things for children, but if handled correctly and help is received, the result can be ok. The preference of a good divorce, when the parents have a healthy relationship after the divorce, over a bad divorce is still worse than a happy marriage (Marquardt 16). The difference between a good divorce and a normal or bad divorce is the way the parents handle the situation. Krantzler, author of Moving Beyond Your Parents Divorce, believes that divorce is not the cause of the damage, it’s the way the parents handle it (29). The involvement of the father is an important key to helping the kids overcome the divorce (Emery and Kelly 357). If the parent is not involved, the divorce seems more drastic and the split of the parents more dramatic. The conflict between the parents is included in the way they handle it. The more they argue the more anxiety for the kids (Black and Stevenson 117). If the parents are able to be harmonious with each other, it is a lot easier for the kids; however, it does not prevent the negative affects. The other thing that can help the children is therapy. It aids them in the process of getting over the divorce (Amato 1281), and according to Dr. Owens, “the sooner the better”.

Therapy can help kids express their feelings and not feel so congested.

186 Many children have to suffer through the immediate and long term effects of divorce. Parents can help prevent their children from going through this devastating transition in their lives. Countless marriages end due to divorce; parents do consider their children, but consider their selves more. Parents get divorced for many reasons, and an innumerable amount do not realize the harm it will inflict on their children. The solutions to this problem fall in the hands of the parents. If parents want what is best for the children, they should “fight harder to save their marriages instead of opting for a ‘good divorce’” (Wetzstein). Every reason for divorce, although producing the same effects, have their own solutions but can all be solved.

Divorce usually occurs after one parent has committed adultery. One parent will have an affair and immediately a divorce is filed. If the reason for divorce is infidelity, parents should learn to forgive. Although this is hard, and although infidelity creates a rough relationship, the parent committing the offense should recognize their mistake. Even if the relationship does not contain as much love as it did before, the kids will do better when the parents are together, despite the affair. If this causes the parent to be uncontrollably miserable, therapy and counseling can help. If the parent is still unhappy and nothing is helping, then divorce it is better for the parent to get a divorce. If it means they are not able to take care of the kids, then a divorce will be better for the children too.

However, if the parents still have conflict after the divorce and do not have a healthy relationship, the child will be affected. Parents should take a lot of consideration into whether they can try and stay together before opting for a divorce in this situation.

If the reason for divorce is lack of love, parents should try to agree to stay together, even if this means just being friends. It is a lot easier for parents to work together to be happy than for kids to watch their parents tear apart.

Unhappiness does not last a lifetime, while the effects of divorce do. If the reason for divorce is because of unhappiness, parents should learn to grow from this stage, instead of putting their children through the painful effects. Unhappiness can be overcome by counseling or just time apart, but a divorce is usually not necessary.

The only situation when divorce will benefit the child is when the marriage involves physical conflict and/or abuse. If one parent is a risk of being injured, divorce provides the safest and easiest lifestyle for the child.

This is for two reasons: if the parent is unable to take care of the kid due to abuse, then the kid will have to take care of themselves. The other reason is because they are at risk of getting hurt. However, for standard conflict between parents (non-abusive), the child is not at any risk of harm if the parents stay together.

Today we live in a disposable country. If we don’t like our phone, i-pod, or laptop we just go and get a better one. A new one comes out and we like it more, we go and buy that one. This lifestyle is appearing in divorce.

People find someone they like better and move on to them, throwing away their husband or wife. Many children are watching their parents split apart and are suffering through the effects when they don’t have to.

In a study, many kids told Wallerstein that “the day [their] parents divorced [was] the day [their] childhood ended” (Wallerstein 26). If parents want to prevent their kids from suffering through the immediate and long term effects, they should try their hardest to stay together, unless the marriage contains physical abuse. Divorce is taken seriously but not seriously enough. Divorce is hard on everyone involved, especially children. There is no doubt that the best thing for children is for the parents to work out their problems and raise the kids together. This will allow the child to live a normal and happy life and not suffer the effects of their parents' divorce.

I would like to acknowledge the following people: Craig Butz, for editing my first draft.

Julia Millhouse, Rachel Cohen-Sidley, and Zoe Pressman for peer editing.

Jane Sykes, for editing my paper.

187 Works Cited Amato, Paul R. The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children. Journal of Marriage and Family.

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Bumiller, Elisabeth. “Wallerstein on Divorce: Ideas”. New York Times. Divorce Source Center, 16 Dec. 2000. Web. 2 Dec. 2010.

Emery, Robert E. and Kelly, Joan B. Children's Adjustment Following Divorce: Risk and Resilience Perspectives.

Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations, 2003. JSTOR. Web. 1 Jan. 2010.

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New York: Basic Books, 1996. Questia. Web. 16 Dec. 2009.

Kittleson, Mark J. The Truth About Divorce. New York: Facts On File, 2005. Print.

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MacGregor, Cynthia. The Divorce Helpbook for Teens. California: Impact Publishers, 2004. Print.

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188 Daehan Vasquez Craig Butz Research in the Community January 14, 2010 The Salary Strike Out The close of 2008 was an unfortunate period for the economy of the United States. The housing market took a sharp downturn, bringing about one of the worst economic crises since the Great Depression.

Unemployment, homelessness, bankruptcy, and foreclosure were at their highest point in decades, and in the tough economic times, many people found it hard to feed their families and keep roofs over their heads. However, not everyone went through the fiscal struggle experienced by many American families in 2008 and 2009. Some individuals continued to enjoy high salaries and job security, despite the recent economic disaster. Included in this exclusive group are a large number of professional sports players. Major League athletes in many popular American sports receive extraordinary salaries, such as Major League Baseball player CC Sabathia, who signed a 7-year, $161,000,000 contract with the New York Yankees. Naturally, the following question arises: considering the economic status of the United States, do sports players deserve such large salaries? My answer is no. After reviewing the facts, it has become clear to me that even though Major League Players often provide both economical and charitable aid to the United States, the League must be stricter on player salaries and the reception of noncontract revenue.

In order to see how I came to this conclusion, one must examine the several factors that influence and augment a player’s revenue. These include how Major Leagues currently regulate player salaries, ways in which players can accrue revenue not covered by their contract, and ways in which Leagues and players positively impact the United States. When examined, it is clear that Major Leagues are too lenient on players in limiting their revenue.

In the Major Leagues, players’ salaries are often regulated by salary caps. A salary cap is a limit, determined by the leagues revenue in the previous year, on how much a team can spend on acquiring or keeping players. This system, most notably employed by the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), can be split into two subcategories: a soft cap and a hard cap. A soft cap is a salary cap with many exceptions and, often, a more lax penalty system. This system, utilized by the NBA, allows teams many opportunities to exceed the salary cap for reasons such as to keep a veteran player, or if active contracts signed in previous years exceed the current salary cap (Article VII). Hard caps, on the other hand, have few exceptions and harsh penalties if exceeded. This system, used by the NFL, allows teams little or no opportunities to exceed the stated salary cap for a given year, and penalties which can exceed a $5,000,000 fine if the salary cap is unlawfully circumvented (NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement). While this may serve as a system to limit salaries, salary caps can be ineffective, as their main purpose is to prevent domination by wealthier teams, rather than restricting the amount of money that ends up with the players.

The regulations regarding the salary cap are written out in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, or CBA. This document acts as a financial constitution for the league, covering all fiscal situations from injury grievance to fines. However, the Collective bargaining agreement can do little to effectively restrict player salary due to its being negotiated with heavy influence from Players’ Unions. This document is negotiated by representatives from the league, who project the best interests of the league itself, from the owners, and by the Player’s Association. The Player’s Association for each league acts as a union for the athletes, representing the interests and protecting the rights of players. Together these representatives negotiate every major financial decision of the league (National Basketball Player’s Association).

Another major fiscal factor in player salary is player strikes. Strikes give players more leverage in bargaining with the league, and the overarching threat of a player strike is a major influence in economic decisions.

Many Leagues, most notably the MLB, have a history of player strikes, some of which were large enough to cause the cancellation of a league season. While there are numerous concerns which factor into strikes, the most publicly recognized purpose of strikes are to increase players’ salaries (EH Economic History of Baseball).

The amount of money a Major League athlete receives is not always limited to his contract salary; players, especially talented or popular athletes, often receive large amount of non-salary revenue that can be difficult for the league to restrict. These sources of income quickly enlarge the player’s yearly income to incredible proportions.

This revenue can come in the form of bonuses, such as signing bonuses, endorsements, or merchandise sales. When popular players are up for free agency, many different teams attempt to procure said player by offering bonuses.

These bonuses can be incredibly large, and though they are not part of a player’s salary, said bonuses can be a large part of a popular player’s revenue. Similarly, endorsements are large sums of money used to encourage players to sign a contract. However, endorsements are usually offered by commercial entities to persuade players to advertise

189 their product. This can be an easy way to earn money for popular players. Many times this “advertising” simply involves a player holding the product, or even simply being in the background during the commercial. Lastly, merchandise revenue is a form of revenue similar to endorsements. The major difference is that instead of the player being offered money by a company, the player produces a product for sale. These often come in the form of clothing, shoes, or other sports related products (i.e. the “Jordan” line from Nike). Alternatively, the product can be produced by the league itself, such as a player’s jersey replica (i.e. Michael Jordan’s signed high school jersey can cost over $800 dollars at the NBA store). This can also be a major source of revenue for a popular player. Because the Leagues do not have any part in negotiating the endorsements and merchandising deals of individual players, it is difficult or impossible to restrict these types of revenue from boosting a players’ salary.

After reading thus far, it is probable (and understandable) for one to believe that Major League Sports exist simply to funnel money into athletes’ bank accounts. On the contrary, not all financial circumstances serve to supplement a player’s revenue; there exists many ways in which a player can quickly lose money. However, even though these fines can be substantial, they are not instituted with the purpose of restricting player revenue and therefore are ineffective means of regulating income. Each Major League has its own set of fines and penalties for both the player and team who break regulations set forth by the CBA. These punishments are incurred by the player in 2 major ways: unsportsmanlike conduct and violation of contract. Unsportsmanlike conduct mostly consists of serious infractions of game rules such as fighting, swearing, arguing with officials, and uniform violations. These penalties are almost exclusively incurred during play, and are instituted mainly to allow smooth, safe, and cordial game play. The amount of money fined against the player varies from league to league, violation to violation, and sometimes change depending on the number of violations accrued per game. A recent instance of this penalty occurred on January 27, 2010 when NBA star LeBron James kicked a water bottle into the stands after receiving a technical foul. The vice-president of the NBA fined the popular Cavaliers star $25,000 the next day for the second time in less than twelve months (Cleveland.com). The other way players can receive penalties is through a contract violation. This involves the player engaging in any activity that is restricted through either his contract, CBA, or any other binding agreement pertaining to the league. These can be incurred either during play or off the field, and are instituted for many reasons, such as ensuring that a player will be healthy for the league season, maintaining a good reputation for the team, and keeping all parties involved financially accountable. These infractions can lead to suspension, fines, or any other punishment laid out by the CBA. An example of said infraction is the case of the Golden State Warrior’s superstar guard Monta Ellis, who was suspended for 30 games without pay after tearing a ligament above his right ankle in a moped accident, an activity explicitly banned by Exhibit A, Paragraph 12 of the National Basketball Association’s CBA (“Exhibit A”). This, when calculated, adds up to a hefty fine of about 3 million dollars, but when one considers the fact that Ellis makes $11,000,000 a year on his contract alone, it is clear that this money will not be missed.

Another aspect one must consider when judging the financial situations of Major League Sports are the positive contributions of the Leagues to individuals, communities, and the United States. The Major Leagues and its affiliates (individual teams) provide numerous, important jobs nationwide. This extends beyond just the team staff and roster. One must consider all the employees required to make the leagues run smoothly, from the first day of pre-season to the championship game and everything in between. This can include: officials (referees or umpires), stadium staff (caretakers, announcers, etc.), league staff (analysts, event organizers, regional team correspondents, etc.) not to mention all the employees of companies commissioned by the league for various purposes. As such, one league can easily be the main source of income for thousands of individuals nationwide. Especially in the recent fiscal occurrences, the Major Leagues provided important job security for an incredible number of hard working Americans who otherwise would not have been able to feed their families.

The Major Leagues do not only provide vital jobs, they also stimulate the U.S. economy, both by bringing money into the United States from other nations and by encouraging domestic citizens to spend their money on U.S. based companies. Sports have always been an important part of American culture. This is reflected by the fact that many American Major Leagues are the largest and/or most widely recognized organizations within their individual sport. Naturally, there are a large amount of domestic fans of Major League sports. Many of these fans show their enthusiasm for their team through their purchases. Fans often buy sports packages from TV providers, purchase game tickets, buy merchandise, and perform other monetary actions in support of their favorite sport or team.

Similarly, Major Leagues often draw large numbers of international fans. According to NBA.com, a 2007 NBA game featuring opposing Chinese players Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian drew an incredibly large Chinese audience, estimated by Chinese announcers to be between 100 and 200 million people. If accurate, this number is greater than the amount of Americans who watched Superbowl XLI, the most recent Superbowl prior to the game. As in the United States, when foreign fans are interested in a sport, they invest money into the leagues, which in most cases happens to be an American league based in the United States. Once in the United States, the money has a much

190 better chance of being spent in the United States, thus causing an inflow of foreign cash that tends to circulate in the United States. Additionally, many private companies have decided to capitalize on the large audience drawn by Major League games. Many companies pay large prices for advertisements during sporting events, especially highly publicized events such as All-Star games or the Superbowl.

Of course, for the money brought in to the United States’ economy to have any effect, the Leagues must spend it in the United States. Major Leagues are not only important economic stimuli for the United States; they also serve as influential, philanthropic patrons by aiding charities through donations and volunteer work. This often involves signing players, buying equipment, upgrading arenas, or paying employees. However, not all transactions by the League are purchases or payments. Major League organizations have also developed a new focus on donation. Major Leagues often have charities that they regularly sponsor. Some are, besides the donations, nonaffiliated with the Leagues, while others, such as NBA Cares, are philanthropic branches of the Leagues themselves.

These organizations have varying purposes, from helping the homeless to uplifting communities and enriching intercity youth. Whatever methods are used however, each serves to improve the quality of life for the needy and improve the lives of all American citizens. These donations are given from the organization’s revenue, and can be donated by individual players and teams as well as leagues. In addition, many leagues encourage or require players to give of their time in volunteer work to a League recognized charity.

Even though Major League Salaries can be extraordinary, Major League players often perform considerable services for their communities and the United States at large. Not only do Major League players provide a main source of entertainment for millions of people across the globe, players and leagues bring enormous amounts of money into the U.S. economy, help support our capitalist society through commercial endorsements and other means, and they also give back to their communities through humanitarian work and donations. Nonetheless, it is clear that Major League salaries can be incredible. Commercial endorsements, bonuses, and merchandise revenue can inflate the total amount of money a player receives annually to ridiculous proportions. This money is clearly unnecessary for players to sustain a more than comfortable way of life, and could undoubtedly be better spent by Leagues, teams, and private companies. After comparing the different factors involved in this topic, I have concluded that even though Major League Players often provide both economical and charitable aid to the United States, the Leagues must be stricter on player salaries and the reception of non-contract revenue. In order to prevent players from negotiating deals without the Leagues, Leagues should insert a clause in its CBA requiring that all endorsements be directed towards the leagues themselves, thus allowing companies to still have commercial freedom while at the same time keeping players’ revenues from inflating to enormous proportions. This would also generate more league revenue, allowing the league to spend the money on other concerns such as improving stadium quality, raising player safety standards, or league sponsored charities. In the end, these implementations would benefit everyone. Players would receive better care, with higher safety standards and improved equipment. Leagues and teams would enjoy increased revenue, better commercial endorsement deals, and more negotiating leverage in contract deals. Private companies would have the benefit of advertising with an entire League, instead of having to spend money “recruiting” individual players for ad campaigns, and would achieve higher brand recognition due to the wide span of a Major League. Charities would gain heightened donations from Major League organizations, and would be more capable to combat homelessness, poverty, hunger, sickness, and poor living standards. This would obviously be a tremendous aid to the nation and people worldwide who are currently suffering due to lack of aid resources. Therefore, it is a responsibility and an obligation on the part of the Leagues and their players to put aside greed and implement solutions that would benefit the largest amount of people, both here in the United States and in the global community.

Works Cited “Article VII: Basketball Related Income, Salary Cap, Minimum Team Salary, And Escrow Arrangement.” National Basketball Players Association., Web. 12/15/09 Cleveland Live, Inc. Cleveland.com. Cleveland Live, Inc,. Web. 1/20/10.

“Exhibit A: National Basketball Association Uniform Player Contract.” National Basketball Players Association., Web. 12/15/09 Haupert, Michael. "The Economic History of Major League Baseball". EH.Net Encyclopedia, December 3, 2007 National Basketball Player’s Association. National Basketball Player’s Association. NPBA,. Web. 1/15/10.

NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement., 2006. NFL Players Association. Web. 1/15/10

191 Angele Williams Craig Butz Research in the Community February 3, 2010 Production of Produce: a Comparison of Agribusinesses and Local Farms Two plates sit in front of us, one with genetically modified food that has traveled from all over the world, perfect in appearance, on the other whatever is in season (locally), maybe a slightly oddly shaped food that has traveled less than 50 miles to get onto your plate. Americans are at a moment of decision. What are we going to eat?

Right now most Americans don’t know the difference, apart from appearance. It is our job to become more conscious about what we eat and where it is coming from and “vote with our fork”. Although agribusiness has made fresh produce available at lower price and promoted eating fresh foods throughout the United States, in comparison to local small scale farming, the detriments of mass-produced food from corporate farms far outweigh the benefits that it has for the producer, consumer, and environment.

Farming and agriculture provide the food that we eat everyday. Many Americans do not know how much energy and work goes into the production of produce, whether it is from a supermarket or farmer’s market (The Future of Food). Agriculture has a huge impact on the environment and is responsible for 17-32% of global emissions of green house gases annually (Millstone 62). Most foods in US supermarkets have traveled over 1,500 miles. This is incredible considering that one century ago everyone bought locally (The Future of Food). Not only does the transportation of food, but the growing practices themselves emit green house gases. As of now, one of the biggest problems with the production of food in the United States is the conflict between agricultural-development and environmental interests (Haynes). Not only do large agribusinesses support development harmful to the environment, but now (small-scale) farmers are also changing their views on food and are giving into the use of pesticides to meet the demands for “nice-looking” produce (Cannard). Agribusiness today is a combination of industrial techniques, applied chemical products, genetic engineering and corporate business practices on a huge scale. Sustainable agriculture is local, small-scale, typically family owned, growing diverse and seasonal produce. It does not use genetically modified seeds or rely heavily on man-made chemicals. Right now America has problems with the way that it looks at produce and food in general. Both agribusinesses and sustainable farms have their benefits and disadvantages and it is important for us to become informed to promote a healthier way of living.

Agriculture has come a long way throughout the years. It has shaped what we eat and how we live.

Humans ‘arrived’ two million years ago and they depended on dirt (fertile soil to grow crops) to keep them alive as we do today (Dirt!). From hunter gatherers to global agribusiness, people’s lives have centered on food. The first form of agriculture was when people started to domesticate plants and have ‘gardens’. This was a huge step in cultural evolution. People had a more predictable food source and were able to start societies and cities all because of cultivation and storage of food (Dirt!).

Agricultural technology began to evolve, becoming more efficient and consistent. Even so, until the “mechanization of farming began in the 19th century” it was relatively stable (Millstone 34). Machines began to replace people in the fields. In the 20th century, farming went through an even more radical change. Plants need nitrogen to grow and for years farmers simply added manure, a natural source of nitrogen, before they knew what nitrogen was or that the manure contained it (Pollan 30). The manufacturing of nitrogen-based bombs, eventually lead to the nitrogen-based fertilizers. Farmers started to use these chemical fertilizers to ‘help’ their crops (The Future of Food). The chemical industry evolved more fertilizers and developed pesticides. Using new methods of farming delivered higher production, more reliable crops, cheaper prices for the consumer, and consistent availability. This technology proved disastrous during the drought and subsequent Dust Bowl in the 1930’s.

The focus of agriculture shifted to having pest-free crops and corporate growers exchanged plant diversity for scale of operations with monoculture. Pests spread throughout single crop fields. DDT was the “hero of its generation”; this was of course until scientists found it to be extremely harmful to humans ( The Future of Food”).

Beyond DDT scientists have devolved thousands of targeted pesticides and crop fumigation is the norm for agribusiness. Aircrafts are used to cover vast stretches of crop land for each pest. Pest free fields have been accompanied by huge amounts of pesticide use.

The whole idea of bioengineering changed our views on food and other living organisms forever. The development of bioengineering followed the discovery of DNA; this is when genetically modifying food and seeds became possible. Until 1978 patents on living organisms had never been assigned. An effort of over 2 years allowed Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty to receive the first patent on a living organism in 1980. This opened the floodgates and many patents on plants, seeds, animals, and even non-genetically modified seeds were issued (The Future of Food).

Now many biotechnological companies own patents on numerous living organisms (Millstone 43). In addition to

192 new ownership rights agribusiness has developed policy to maximize profit which requires farmers to purchase seed from them every year or face patent infringement lawsuits.

In reaction to this industrialization and disconnection from personal experience of nature and our food supply people began to oppose these practices and think about alternatives. “The first Earth Day was held in April 1970, and the idea of organic food began to catch on”, not only with food but an organic way of life; it was the general idea of living with nature harmoniously (Pollan 113). Along with the alternative movement, pesticides and genetically modified foods and seeds were still becoming more common. Efforts to label and educate people about genetically modified in their diets were unsuccessful.

Inspired by Alice Waters advocacy, Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, has planted an organic garden on the White House grounds. This symbolic gesture represents a major development in public awareness of the Slow Food Movement (“Slow Food”). Slow food is a combination of local organic supply and connections to local farmers and growers.

Despite distancing us from food production, agribusinesses have provided several benefits for America. For example, by making fresh produce available at a lower cost, it has promoted healthy eating. Another aspect of this is that the food that they produce looks a lot nicer and makes fresh produce more appealing to the consumer. Also, when using genetically modified seeds and pesticides, farmers are able to produce a more consistent crop- allowing for more plants in smaller spaces and increasing their harvest (Sagoff). Genetically modified foods and seeds also have allowed growers to select traits which can ensure that their products are uniform and desirable to consumers.

They provide a small variety of fresh produce for supermarkets across the world in vast quantity. In addition they have engineered qualities into produce to make shipping and storage more reliable. Genetically modified crops are engineered for compatibility for pesticides e.g. Round Up Ready Soy Beans by Monsanto. Today agribusinesses are no longer a national concern, but rather a global reality. Agribusiness is big-business; Nestle sells one hundred billion dollars annually.

Even though agribusinesses and genetically modifying foods can be helpful in some aspects, there are significant disadvantages. They use vast amounts of energy and petrochemicals to both grow and keep their crops safe; the United States uses more than 400,000 tons of pesticides annually (Millstone 46-47). A negative affect that agribusinesses have on smaller farmers is that the “agribusiness companies take in billions of dollars in profit,” leaving local and small-scale farmers with almost no money (Pollan 34). This is when the government comes in. The government supports farmers so that they can stay in business; though this is a positive investment in nonagribusiness farms, they are paying through means of subsidies that the consumer is paying for through tax dollars.

Because agribusinesses have such large farms, they need to use large machinery. These machines are harmful to the environment; not only because they decrease the topsoil, but also because they produce green house gases that are harmful to both the farmers and the environment.

Genetically modified foods are not all bad or all good. Though they can produce a more predictable crop and they can increase the harvests they are untested. By changing the genetics of plants, you are physically changing their nature. This can produce seedless, or greener or rounder traits but they also can make the food less safe to eat.

Another point to this is that by genetically modifying food, we are almost challenging nature and it degrades the value of food (Sagoff). These genetic changes are unpredictable when released into the fields. Studies have only focused on bringing them to market and not on any consequence if they propagate outside the laboratory.

Genetically modified foods also bring up significant issues of patents on living organisms. There are many significant problems with patents on life and “the issue of patenting life has never been [formally] voted on” (The Future of Food). Patenting life is corrupt; no one should be able to ‘own’ living organisms. Yes people can own pets but they did not ‘create’ the pet and distribute it across the United States. Pretty soon people could patent humans’ genes and then that scientist could sue families for having that gene, which is ridiculous. Thousands of generations of farmers have contributed to diversity and quality in produce, when an improvement is made in the lab the result shouldn’t be able to be owned. Today around 70% of the world’s (small scale) farmers depend on their own saved seed as their primary source of seeds. If their seeds are contaminated with a GM seeds owned by a corporate company, like Monsanto, they can be sued and taken to court for using that company’s seed without permission.

Monsanto currently has over 11 million patents (The Future of Food). Though many of these seeds are developed to make farming ‘easier’, many of them do not reproduce, making the farmers that ‘gave in’ buy new seeds every year.

The irony in these problems that we face today is that conventional farming used to organic (Pollan 112). Today it is the unsustainable practices that are considered the conventional ways of farming (Haynes).

Along with all of the negative effects on the environment, consumer, farmer, and wallet, agribusinesses and genetically modified foods also weaken the connection that people have to food. The “modern methods for harvesting, shipping, and storing [produce] have made these fresh foods more widely available…. At the same time, [produce] is often picked before [it] is ripe, and may be offered for sale when [it is] not at [its] best” (Margen 187).

193 The connection of growing something and eating it after pulling it out of the ground is gone when you walk into a supermarket; though this may not seem as bad, food loses value and the work that went into creating, growing, and harvesting it is overlooked.

On the other hand, local farms and farmers markets increase the connection that the consumer has with food. Even though the consumer may not be pulling the produce out of the ground, they are connecting with the farmer and seeing the food when it is ripe, rather than seeing it after over 1,500 miles of travel, still unripe. At farmers markets, there is an opportunity to strengthen the bonds with not only the food, but the farmers too. A farmers market, sells only produce that is in season, and it has been picked ripe to get to you at the best possible time. This is optimal for the plants nutritional value, your health, and your taste buds.

In sustainable agriculture, the seeds that the farmers are planting are centuries of work and in agribusiness they are planting genetically modified seeds. The main difference between these is that one is natural and the other is not. For thousands of years people were gathering plants and by selection, they would choose the bigger plant; the same goes when humans started domesticating plants to have a stable crop, they would use the seeds from the healthier and bigger plant. Genetic modification has similar goals but differs in the manner that they are executed.

Many species of fruits have been lost because corporate ions are mass-producing only about 100 crops. This reduction of diversity means original species are driven out by planting such large farms.

Again, genetically modifying foods can be helpful in some situations but they are not a perfect solution. In the end sustainable, organic, and diverse seeds will allow us to keep on growing the crops that we have today (The Future of Food).

Local agriculture also has its disadvantages. Economy of scale is missing. Government regulation favors overproduction. Because most people do not know how to approach it, produce doesn’t look as good as engineered food, it is often inconvenient to buy versus supermarketed foods. Right now, many people see farmers markets as more expensive and harder to get to; in many places this is true. Many towns and cities in America do not have farmers markets often or at all. Also often the prices at the market are higher than those at the supermarket. Another big problem with local farms produce and even produce in general is that people may not know how to approach it.

Because Home Economic classes aren’t as common, less and less people know how to cook. Most people know the basics, but if string beans are not in season and a consumer sees kale and doesn’t know what it is, they will be more likely to go to the supermarket where they have string beans year round. Another problem is that people are often turned off by the appearance of food. The bright red, perfectly spherical tomatoes in the supermarket often attract more people than the multi-colored, oddly shaped ones from smaller farms not using pesticides. Because agribusinesses often use pesticides, there are rarely bugs on the produce, which again is a benefit because people generally don’t like seeing bugs in their food. Another problem with farmers markets is that they are not in every town and city, and they do not always have convenient hours. Many times a farmers market will open after a consumer goes to work and close before they get home. This makes buying locally more difficult, therefore making the supermarket more practical.

Local and small-scale farms have more benefits than disadvantages. Local is environmentally sustainable.

Sustainable agriculture produces healthier plants that are beneficial to both the consumer and the soil and water supply. Sustainable agriculture practices do not include the use of pesticides and embrace biodiversity (“What is Sustainable Agriculture?”). Local farms produce what is in season; it would be very difficult to buy mangos in the winter in New York if they weren’t shipped from some other country. Not only does buying in season help the farmers, but it also helps the consumer eat a greater variety of food. But education is necessary both in understanding what is grown locally and how to prepare and enjoy these foods.

There are around 80,000 known edible plants that we know of today and only 100 of those are cultivated worldwide as common crops. Of that 100 only 20 are what make up 90% of food crops today (Sagoff). Though a lot of biodiversity has been lost, we need to embrace the available foods. Sustainable agriculture is better for the producer because once the land is healthy; farmers can use it with out having to worry about having to nurse it back to health every turn over (Cannard). Generally local and sustainable agriculture is better for the consumer because they are not eating pesticides or added chemicals. The basic benefit of sustainable agriculture that doesn’t use pesticides or GM seeds is that it is real food; what the earth has created and what humans have been eating for thousands of years. Sustainable agriculture is a way of producing food that is fair to the consumer, producer and environment; sustainable agriculture holds the solutions to these problems.

The Slow Food Movement is an organization based around sustainable food and spreading awareness to get the world to a healthy state once again. The Slow Food Movement was founded in Italy in 1986 (“Slow Food”).

Alice Waters help found the Slow Food movement in California that revolutionized how Americans thought about food (Carpenter). Just as Julia Childs did in the 1950s, she brought in a new way to look at food and interact with it.

In addition to the Slow Food Movement if we buy locally, and pay attention to what we buy and eat, we can

194 improve the industry. We have to support sustainable and local farmers so that they can stay in business and make a profit (“Climate Change Debate”). If they stay in business we can eat healthier, help the local economy and help the environment. If you pay more attention to what you buy and where you buy it, you are already improving the food industry because again you can support the ‘better’ option and hopefully that ‘better’ option could become the stronger. Inaccurate labeling or no labels are hurdles people have to overcome to be informed. Genetically modified foods are not required to be labeled. The food could be GM or contain GM ingredient without you every knowing (Sagoff). Availability and convenience are what we are struggling with, the next time you are shopping, think twice about what you are buying, where you are buying it and where it is coming from.

Both agribusiness and local farms have produced the food that we eat. They both have benefits and disadvantages. As of now, agribusinesses are providing produce that is more convenient for the average American consumer. Farmers markets are increasing but still need to be supported to be more successful. Agribusiness and local farms can both be improved; agribusiness to become more humane and healthier and pay the actual costs associated with bringing their product to market, and local farms to become more successful providers for the towns where they are located. This requires a farmer to be an advocate and educator. One great thing about supermarkets is that they allow for a greater variety of foods; all of the sudden, people in New York could have Florida oranges without going to Florida. One great thing about farmers markets is that you get to interact with the food and the farmer on a personal level that you miss at a supermarket. Both supermarkets and farmers markets have largely influenced today’s culture and society, but we need to have more control in what we eat. Right now, we are being fed what agribusinesses are producing and we need to encourage more sustainable eating.

Food is a basic human necessity to live; not only survive but to really live life to its fullest. As consumers we should work on appreciating the work and energy that goes into producing food. Although agribusiness has made fresh produce available at lower price and promoted eating fresh foods throughout the United States, it has come with many hidden costs. The reduction of biodiversity and reliance on energy intense methods are serious cost for future generations. Fertilizer and pesticides can be toxic to humans as well as the plants. Separation from where our food is produced and the people we trust to feed us is a cost to our spirits. In comparison to small scale farming which preserves diversity, treats the land with respect, allows for healthy nutritious and ripe foods.

Acknowledgements I acknowledge Craig Butz, Judd Williams, Veronica Stamats, Taylor Graham, and Melissa Martin for reading and editing my research paper.

Works Cited "Agriculture and the Environment; New findings in agriculture and the environment described from China Agricultural University. " Information Technology Newsweekly 22 Dec. 2009: AP Science, ProQuest.

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Carpenter, Edward. “California Prize Goes to Alice Waters.” University of San Francisco 4 Nov. 2009. University of San Francisco. Web. 9 Dec. 2009.

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The Future of Food. Lily Films, 2004. DVD. Haynes, Richard. "Agriculture." Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy. Ed. J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2009. 28-35. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Web. 22 December 2009.

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Sagoff, Mark. "Agriculture and Biotechnology." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen G. Post. Vol. 1. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 116-121. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Web. 22 December 2009.

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Research in the Community Volume 2 Issue 3 June 2010 The Bay School of San Francisco

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Robin Cassatt-Johnstone Research in the Community Craig Butz May 13th, 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility Businesses exist in some form or another have across the world. With businesses everywhere selling every range of products imaginable, it is easy to see them as ubiquitous and their processes as so set-in to our culture to be not worth your consideration. Businesses sell their wares, people buy them, and this process has gone on for centuries. Starting some 40 years ago however, the idea that businesses had a responsibility to give back to their community became popular, and the term CSR, or corporate social responsibility was born. The idea is that businesses have a social responsibility to their community, to help out in various ways. While the degrees of social responsibilities businesses have, if they have any at all is controversial, there are a few general principles that are hard to argue. The idea that businesses should follow the law is an obvious one, along with the sadly less followed practice of avoiding child labor. Among the realm of less agreed upon responsibilities, there are two sections: responsibilities which are a part of businesses’ everyday dealings, such as providing safe working conditions, and those which come afterward and are not directly related to business, such as donating to local charity. Also, the relationship between the social responsibilities of large businesses and small businesses is complex, and the main difference stems from the fact that a small business is much more dependant on a single community. Because all businesses are dependant on the support of local people in their area, businesses have a responsibility to help the people in their community, and to maintain safe and fair practices.

Commonly abbreviated to CSR, the term corporate social responsibility covers a wide range of ideas and is quite controversial. A basic definition is maintaining integrity in a business’ practices, helping the people of their community, helping the environment, and more, because businesses owe responsibilities to their community as a result of the fact that without the support of people in the community, the business would not be able to exist. A definition by the World Bank says, “Corporate social responsibility is the commitment of businesses to contribute to sustainable economic development by working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their lives in ways that are good for business and for development”. Many people would argue that a business can not be said to have a responsibility, as evidenced in the essay written in 1970, by the late free market advocate Milton Friedman, “What does it mean to say that ‘business’ has responsibilities? Only people can have responsibilities. A corporation is an artificial person and in this sense may have artificial responsibilities, but ‘business’ as a whole cannot be said to have responsibilities, even in this vague sense” (Friedman).

While there are convincing arguments that in a free market economy, like the one we have in America, businesses are entities that exist with the sole purpose of making money and their sole responsibility being towards their shareholders, that of making them a profit, it is my belief that a business, because of its dependence on the communities that support it for its existence, owes a debt to ensure responsible management, quality products, and fair treatment of people and the environment. These responsibilities of a business can even be said not to interfere with their responsibility to make money, as social responsibility by a corporation may lead to stronger consumer loyalty, and through responsible management, a lack of waste. Throughout the world there are many examples of such responsibilities being carried out by corporations, and of the success this has lent them.

The case studies of various corporations’ enactment of social responsibility show how companies help out people in their area, and people who use their services, because they feel the responsibility. While there are many good examples of social responsibility in action, there are not many clear studies on the topic that gives a clear overview on the situation of corporate social responsibility in general, especially among small businesses. In the journal article “Social Responsibility and Small Business: Suggestions for Research,” Judith Thompson and Howard Smith make the problem clear, "Virtually methodological areas in small business CSR studies appear to have serious problems. Samples drawn to this point are very weak in generalizability [sic]. They are nonrandom or convenience-based, and limited in geographic representation. The sample sizes are very small and are hampered by low response or compliance rates…it is difficult to ascertain to whom the results are generalizable [sic]" (Thompson, and Smith).

While the general state of understanding of corporate social responsibility has improved since that article was published in 1991, there is still a similar lack of data or facts, and problems in generalizability still are commonly encountered because of a lack of common definition.

198 While a lack of data may still be present in CSR studies, there are reports on social responsibility by businesses available for study. One example of a company following corporate social responsibility is the case of Autovias, a highway and road services company located in Brazil. Early on, Autovias encountered a problem with the relationship between their services and the environment. During the rainy season in Brazil, water gathers on the highways and then runs off, which can cause road damage or erosion. This pattern lead to significant costs in maintenance on the roads, and a lack of water for the local environment. The situation and the solution of Autovias is summarized in a case study done by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

“Autovias has developed an ambitious project that collects water on the highway's surface and directs it towards the aquifer. The preservation of this vital water reserve was one of the main objectives in the program's design. Although the company is not earning any direct income from the use of this water once it is in the aquifer, the program helps road maintenance and prevents washouts, thus saving the company money” (Autovias).

Although Autovias was not required by law to create a system to remove the water from their highways and roads and send it back to the local environment, their actions are a clear example of not only corporate social responsibility, but profitable CSR too.

A second example of corporate social responsibility in action is the example of the efforts of Asiana Airlines, one of the largest airlines in South Korea. The actions of Asiana are examples of both a strong sense of responsibility to help out the environment, and of actions in their day to day operation that they follow in order to meet this sense of responsibility. Asiana Airlines believes that because the planes that they operate contribute greatly to global climate change, they have a responsibility to do their best to offset this however they can. Asiana’s response to their social responsibility is also revealed in another study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

“Asiana Airlines, a member of the Korean BCSD, recognizes the importance of preventing global warming as a part of its corporate social responsibility and makes companywide efforts to do so by saving energy and reducing aircraft emissions. Carbon offsets are applicable to all employees who go on business trip on Asiana operated flights and a carbon offset program for customers is set to be introduced in 2009. The company also has energy savings activities for its operations, ranging from procedural and flight plan improvements to reduced flight distance & altitude and weight management. Asiana Airlines also creates energy savings through maintenance. By combining all of its efforts, Asiana Airlines reduced emissions by 220,000 tons in 2007. The company will continue to reduce CO2 emissions by introducing high-efficiency aircraft and through other measures” (Asiana).

Again, while these actions by Asiana are clearly positive for the environment, they were not required to do any of them by law, and thus enacted these procedures out of a sense of corporate social responsibility they held. While carbon offset programs may be costly to Asiana Airlines in the immediate future, it is very likely that they may attract a larger, more dedicated customer base among environmental activists because of these positive actions.

A third example of a company acting on their recognition of their corporate social responsibility is that of Rustic Bakery, an organic bakery located in Larkspur, California, whose owner I interviewed. When asked if she had ever seen any tangible results from her socially responsible practices, she remarked on the increase in popularity her business received from her involvement in supporting local causes.

“The thing that really surprised me, as soon as we opened people started asking us to support them, their charities, or little league, but you have no idea how many schools there are in Marin county, and they all have a lot of good causes, so at first I was overwhelmed, and I [wondered] how can I deal with this, but I realized it doesn't have to be a big thing, it can be as little as a couple of bags of flat bread but at least you're supporting everyone. I realized I couldn’t say no to everyone, and at least I could do something for everyone, everyone who comes to me gets something. What I learned is that it came back to me 100 fold because the people I helped told their friends and they told their friends and this groundswell happened and Rustic Bakery became really popular. That was a direct result of being socially responsible. At first it seemed like a burden, but it's turned out to be a real plus, because we get so many customers who see us at this or that [event we've donated to]” (Levalley).

This positive result from her contributions to local schools and charities is a clear example of benefits from nonbusiness related corporate social responsibility. The first example is of corporate social responsibility that involves daily operations, but is not a direct part of it, while the second example clearly illustrates corporate social responsibility enacted in day to day business practices. The example of Carol Levalley on the other hand, shows the potentially positive results from post-business social responsibility.

In examining social responsibility of corporations there is one obvious distinction that stands out from others. This distinction is of the difference between the corporate social responsibilities of small businesses versus

199 that of large corporations. The obvious differences stand out immediately. A large business, any business larger than a small business, which by general definition of the Small Business Association is a business with larger than 500 employees (Size Standards), has potentially much more revenue with which to give back to the community, while a small business has lesser amounts of profit to share, and is often strapped for cash before giving to the community.

While it may in certain situations be difficult for a small business to make good profits, this does not excuse them from social responsibility.

Small businesses are often ignored in the realms of corporate social responsibility studies. This is obviously a problem, because “The [tendency] for CSR research to be conducted primarily in large-scale corporation ignores the fact that more than 60 percent of the U.S. work force is employed by companies with fewer than 50 employees (Trost 1988). Only 0.08 percent of all businesses employ 1,000 or more people; 95.3 percent of all businesses employ fewer than 50 people” (U.S. Department of Commerce 1987).

With many surveys ignoring the majority of the American populace, it is evident that important information may be missing. The reasons for small businesses often being ignored in studies on corporate social responsibility have to do with two main differences between small and large businesses. The first difference between small and large businesses that causes small business to be ignored in studies is the earlier mentioned idea the small business are not able to contribute as much. This is a broad statement, which at its base is quite untrue however. The reason for such a common belief is because when people say something like this, what they are really referring to is money, and an absolute value of money at that. While small business will not have the same gross profit as a large corporation, they are often able to more specifically target causes they believe in, thanks to a better understanding of the community, and more freedom with their spare profits. Moving away from money however, small businesses are exactly the same as large corporations. In terms of hiring from the local community, paying reasonable wages, ensuring good working conditions, and maintaining quality products, are all more or less equally manageable by all businesses, both small and large. The second difference between small and large businesses which leads to a lack of research on the corporate social responsibility of small businesses is the fact that large businesses are the ones most often recognized for their responsibility. There are many reasons for this, some of them mentioned earlier, such as the sheer size of their profits allow them to donate large sums of money to charities, figures which easily stick in peoples’ minds. Another reason why large businesses are often assumed to be the only real social contributor to society is because they are known across the country or world, and thus their actions have entered the global understanding about corporate social responsibility, and seem much more important, when compared against some small local business.

“Small and medium-sized businesses have gained the reputation of being less capable of fulfilling CSR than large corporations. Admittedly, the magnitude of resource investments or corporate contributions by small businesses may be constrained compared to big business. The [visibility] of social actions is also less conspicuous. Nonetheless, an enlightened view of CSR suggests that small business social actions are only limited by the imagination of small business owner-managers” (Thompson, and Smith).

While small businesses are often ignored by those who study corporate social responsibility, when taking into account all the actions by all the small businesses in America, their contributions are substantial. Many small businesses have much more freedom in choosing what to do with money that they wish to give to the community.

While a larger corporation may have larger profits, what they do with that money is tied up in legal issues, stockholder’s expectations, need to cover a much larger infrastructure, and potential conflicts of interests when giving money to various charities who may or may not be supported by business partners. In the case of a small business however, most of these issues are much smaller or entirely non-existent. Small businesses are usually much simpler than large business in regards to relationships with other corporations, and expectations of making large profits. If the owner of a small business wishes to donate his entire yearly profit to a local charity, he is much more likely to be able to do so than a large business, regardless of the consequences, as evidenced by Milton Friedman.

“The situation of the individual proprietor is somewhat different. If he acts to reduce the returns of his enterprise in order to exercise his "social responsibility," he is spending his own money, not someone else's.

If he wishes to spend his money on such purposes, that is his right, and I cannot see that there is any objection to his doing so. In the process, he, too, may impose costs on employees and customers. However, because he is far less likely than a large corporation or union to have monopolistic power, any such side effects will tend to be minor” (Friedman).

Another reason why small businesses are important to the idea of corporate social responsibility is because they may indeed have a higher responsibility to their community in proportion, than large businesses. This is because a small business is much more tied to a local community than a large business is. While a large corporation may have many stores in hundreds of different communities, the support of any individual community does not make a large impact

200 on the success or failure of a large corporation. On the other hand, if a single store business is not supported by the community which it is a part of, they will fail and cease to exist as a business. Because of the stronger dependence of small businesses to their individual communities it can be said that small business have a greater responsibility to support said communities.

While there are many examples of support for the idea of corporate social responsibility, the arguments against CSR are also plentiful, in both ideas, and supporters. The first argument, and most general one cited when pressing the case against CSR is that businesses exist as an entity solely to make a profit, and do not and should not have responsibilities of a social matter.

“The political principle that underlies the market mechanism is unanimity. In an ideal free market resting on private property, no individual can coerce any other, all cooperation is voluntary, all parties to such cooperation benefit or they need not participate. There are no values, no "social" responsibilities in any sense other than the shared values and responsibilities of individuals. Society is a collection of individuals and of the various groups they voluntarily form” (Friedman).

This example is quite common, and rests on the basic idea that a business deals with the trade of money, and involving itself in social responsibilities would be against their point of existence. Another common argument against corporate social responsibility uses the idea that CSR does not pay off.

“Part of the reason why CSR does not necessarily pay is that only a handful or consumers know or care about the environmental or social records of more than a handful of firms. "Ethical" products are a niche market: Virtually all goods and services continue to be purchased on the basis of price, convenience and quality” (Forbes).

If corporate social responsibility does not help a business than there is not a reason they should be obligated to act responsibly, because businesses have to care about money and are beyond moral areas.

“Business has traditionally been beyond morality and public policy. We will do what we're allowed to do.

We expect governments to provide the legal framework that says what society will put up with. There's no point, for instance, allowing smoking to remain legal - even making large tax receipt from it - and then acting as though tobacco companies are all immediately beyond the pale. If you think it's so dreadful, you should make it illegal. If not, then let us get on with the job of meeting the demand out there of adults who can choose for themselves” (Baker).

This quote evidences statements which argue that a business does not control laws and thus does not deal with policy or responsibility. They do what they want to make money, and others tell them what is allowed or not.

Continuing on this idea, there are arguments that if a leader of a business deals with social responsibility than he is doing a politician’s job and should be elected.

“The whole justification for permitting the corporate executive to be selected by the stockholders is that the executive is an agent serving the interests of his principal. This justification disappears when the corporate executive imposes taxes and spends the proceeds for "social" purposes. He becomes in effect a public employee, a civil servant, even though he remains in name an employee of a private enterprise. On grounds of political principle, it is intolerable that such civil servants–insofar as their actions in the name of social responsibility are real and not just window-dressing–should be selected as they are now. If they are to be civil servants, then they must be elected through a political process. If they are to impose taxes and make expenditures to foster "social" objectives, then political machinery must be set up to make the assessment of taxes and to determine through a political process the objectives to be served” (Friedman).

If a business deals in social issues he should not be set up by stockholders and should instead be elected by the general public, Friedman argues.

Lastly, corporate social responsibility may often be an attempt solely to improve profits, and benefit the corporations, which are not truly interested in helping out their communities.

“CSR is supposed to be win-win. The companies make profits and society benefits. But who really wins? If there is a benefit to society, which in many cases is doubtful, is this outweighed by losses to society in other areas of the company's operation and by gains the corporation is able to make as a result? CSR has ulterior motives. One study showed that over 80% of corporate CSR decision-makers were very confident in the ability of good CSR practice to deliver branding and employee benefits. To take the example of simple corporate philanthropy, when corporations make donations to charity they are giving away their shareholders’ money, which they can only do if they see potential profit in it. This may be because they want to improve their image by associating themselves with a cause, to exploit a cheap vehicle for advertising, or to counter the claims of pressure groups, but there is always an underlying financial motive, so the company benefits more than the charity” (What’s wrong).

201 If a company is not sincere about their fulfillment of their social responsibility, it defeats the purpose and goes against why corporate social responsibility exists in the first place.

While the arguments against corporate social responsibility are populous, there are many arguments in its favor. The biggest and simplest argument is that it is the ‘right’ thing to do. While a company may be a responsibility lacking entity, it is made up of real people, all who know that the good thing to do is to support the communities their business exists in. One of the main reasons why businesses should have a social responsibility relates to it being a good thing, and is summarized by a quote from Dave Packard, a co-founder of Hewlett Packard.

“I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our being. As we investigate this, we inevitably come to the conclusion that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately-they make a contribution to society, a phrase which sounds trite but is fundamental” (Guide).

Many people believe that institutions need to help advance society because they have a responsibility as part of the human race to help improve the lives of people. “It is widely believed that the goal of an economic system is to advance social welfare” (Guide). Another argument for CSR is that it can often be profitable to businesses that practice it. If it helps out people in their community, and improves their profits, than it is hard to see a reason why a business should not engage in corporate social responsibility.

“I think you can compare [being socially responsible] to advertising. If I were to put an ad out in the newspaper, it would cost me a certain amount of money, but this way is much better, because people are talking about the bakery, and you always trust what your friend says more than what you read in the newspaper and it's worked. It's seemed to attract the right type of people to, who like what we're doing and don't think it's too expensive” (Levalley).

This is a clear example of a win-win situation, which, when it happens is a clear sign that corporate social responsibility is working well, because it supports both your community, and your business.

Corporate social responsibility is important because businesses owe support to their communities because they could not exist without their communities. As businesses owe their existence to the support of their community, they have a responsibility to support them back. “CSR broadly represents the relationship between a company and the wider community within which the company operates. It is recognition on the part of the business that ‘for profit’ entities do not exist in a vacuum, and that a large part of any success they enjoy is as much due to the context in which they operate as factors internal to the company alone” (Guide).

Even if corporate social responsibility is accepted as a fact, there are the questions of just how much a corporation is required to support their local community and by what means. One factor which may influence this is the amount a company exists on their community in order for them to survive. Obviously all companies need somebody to invest money in them or their products in order for them to succeed, but the degrees to which a company is dependant on the community it is located in depends on the type of business it is. A stock trading firm, for example, could have a physical location in a town or city, yet do all its tradings with people from foreign countries and never interact with the community they are based in. An important question is whether or not this lack of dependency on a community changes their responsibility to their local community and by how much. Another factor which may change the amount or type of responsibility owed by a corporation to their community is the current status of that community. If there are two businesses in two different communities, one with a low unemployment rate and one with a high unemployment rate, there is the question of if the business in the community with a higher unemployment rate has any more of a responsibility to higher more people from inside their community. Carol Levalley thinks so: “Oh absolutely. They should hire in their immediate area. It makes sense in all ways. The stuff that is socially responsible just makes sense”. This is an example of how the situation of a community can affect the responsibilities of a business, leading one business to put more effort into their social responsibility, because of that responsibility to help out a harder off community.

Community social responsibility is a crossover of both society, and economics that affects everybody in the world, in one way or another. As it deals with businesses helping society, corporate social responsibility is a topic that should be well known and recognized by everyone throughout the world. Sadly, this is not often the case as many people do not consider corporate social responsibility when they think about businesses and their dealings.

Many people decry large corporations for being greedy money making entities that do not care for the people it may hurt, but they often don’t think about the possible positive solutions do these problems. Small businesses are often ignored completely in studies of corporate social responsibility, even though around 60% of the US population is employed by a business that has 50 or less people. The convulsed nature of the definition of corporate social responsibility further exacerbates the situation, because many people, even if they are aware of the term, they often

202 don’t understand the meaning. It is important to realize, that in the end, because a business is dependant on the support of local people in its area, all businesses have a responsibility to help the people in their community, and to maintain safe and fair practices, in everything they do.

Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Rina Castillo, and Scout Crampton-Glassanos for reading my paper and providing their feedback on it.

Works Cited Friedman, Milton. "The Social Responsibility of Business is to increase its Profits." Colorado.edu. 13 September, 1970. Web. 24April 2010.

“Corporate Social Responsibility.” IFC. No date. Web. 23 April 2010.

Thompson, Judith Kenner and Howard L. Smith. “Social Responsibility and Small Business: Suggestions for Research.” Journal of Small Business Management. 29. (1991):. Questia. Web. 30 March. 2010.

"Waterway Program: Autovias." World Business Council for Sustainable Development. 3 October, 2008. Web. 25 April 2010.

"Environmentally Friendly Management and Sustainability: Asiana Airlines" World Business Council for Sustainable Development. 15 January, 2009. Web. 25 April 2010.

Levalley, Carol. Personal Interview. 30 April, 2010.

"Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes." SBA. 22 August, 2008. Web. 1 May 2010.

U.S. Department of Commerce (1987), United States County Business Patterns. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Friedman, Milton. "The Social Responsibility of Business is to increase its Profits." Colorado.edu. 13 September, 1970. Web. 24 April 2010.

“CSR doesn’t pay.” Forbes. 16 October, 2008. Web. 22 April 2010.

Baker, Mallen. "Arguments against corporate social responsibility." MallenBaker. No Date. Web. 24 April 2010.

"What's wrong with Corporate Social Responsibility?" Corporate Watch. No date. Web. 28 April 2010.

"A guide to Corporate Social Responsibility." Miami.edu. 24 July, 2008. Web. 28 April 2010.

203 Rina Castillo Research in the Community – A block Craig Butz May 11, 2010 Let’s Dance Dance has been around for thousands of years; some people may even say that dance has been around since the beginning of human kind before there was talking and writing. Dance has been used throughout the generations to help children understand themselves and the world around them ("Dance"). Today dance is considered an art, and even a leading sport (Dhirmalan). It has managed to make a huge impact on society today and is enjoyed by many young people. Though many schools offer dance programs as an activity, students should consider participating in dance classes, for dance has proven to have had a positive effect on students, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

Culture has had a huge influence on dance and offers a variety of styles. Culture decides what type of dance people enjoy, when, where, how, with whom, for whom, and why. A dance from a culture can even lead to define a nation, a generation, a gender, or even a person (Hanna 12). Some cultures use dance as a way to tell stories and celebrate important events ("Benefits of Dancing for Children"). The Pop Wuj, for example, is a dance that portrays the four stages of what they Mayan’s consider the development of humankind. The stages include: the Man of Mud, a man who was killed for not acknowledging the gods, the Man of Wood, a man who was considered too rigid and its eventually burned, the Monkey Man, who was too silly, and the Human Being, who must worship the gods (“Maya”). Today there are many dances used to tell stories from the past or stories that are made up on the spot.

These dances allow students to learn more about other cultures as well as their own.

Through dance students and adults learn to respect diversity by learning about other cultures, beliefs and societies (“Dance”). Since culture and dance revolve around children, children develop a love for dance at a young age. Their bodies begin to develop and they become more coordinated ("Dance." The Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Charlotte Lee a dancer and a student as the Bay School of San Francisco said that children develop a love for dance, "because it's a fun activity that every person can find a section of it that they feel really expresses them as a person."

As culture defines who a person is, dance can also define that individual. That is why researchers have been observing the benefits that dance has had on people.

Researchers and dancers have discovered that dance can help people confront and work through their problems by developing methods that can help them improve their physical problems, mental problems, emotional problems, and social problems through Dance Movement Therapy. Dance Movement Therapy is a form of therapy where the patient uses movement as a way of interacting so to accomplish their goals. Therapists encourage people to try Dance Movement therapy as a way to help people get their lives in order. People do not have to visit a therapist to benefit from Dance Movement therapy; they just have to dance (Dancing for Health 185). The therapy helps the individual learn about themselves, to respect others, to have self-discipline and direction, and to have a healthy lifestyle ("Program Rationale"). Dancers also learn to take risks (Knowles 27). Ruth L. Murray, Professor Emeritus, and Wayne State University explained that, “All of arts provide ways in which people can bring shape and order to their fragmented and rapidly changing world. But dance provides a primary medium for expression involving the total self…dance and the movement it is 'me' and is the most intimate of expressive media. A person's self-concept, their own identity and self-esteem are improved in relation to such use of their body's movement. If we believe that movement plays a crucial role in the developing life of the individual and that all education should foster creativity, body movement as a creative medium in education attains great significance," explains Ruth L. Murray, Professor Emeritus, and Wayne State University (“Program Rationale”).

Dance Movement Therapy continues to grow popular and therefore people are inspired to dance.

As a way to stay healthy, people turn to dance as an exercise that can benefit them physically. Today in society it is difficult for children to stay healthy and in shape, so schools encourage students to go out and play.

Dance is one of the many activities that students can choose to do. Dance helps people become more flexible and in the long run helps prevent future injuries (Dhirmalan). By moving around, people get a full workout. They work the whole body thus enhancing muscle tone in different areas such as the legs or arms. Depending on the music the dance routine can be at a fast or slow pace which improves the respiratory system along with the circulatory system.

The lungs are fortified and eventually people improve their mobility by doing more activities for longer periods of time ("Benefits of Dance"). Charlotte Lee, a dancer and a Bay School student, agrees with those benefits. She says that, "dance is a great way of getting cardiovascular and strength training, cardiovascular because of how fast paced and long some routines can be and strength because of how much muscle you have to build up to properly execute

204 some dance moves." Because of these physical benefits schools teach dance in physical education. The styles of dance most offered are aerobic, folk, ballet, social, and creative ethnic. All the physical benefits that dance provide have encouraged students to dance and while others choose different activities to stay in shape, students should consider dancing as one of those activities.

Dance therapy is based on the idea that the body and mind are interrelated, therefore besides the physical benefits that dance provides, there are mental benefits. Stress is a major problem for the mind because it distracts the mind from focusing on the task at hand. Dance helps students cope with the stress that is build from peer pressure, relationships, self-identity, self-esteem, parental expectations, and school work (Dancing for Health 200). Dance can reduce stress through three ways. One way is to confront the stress by composing a routine that expresses the reason for the stress. By telling their story to others, who they are comfortable around, the dancer is able to think of a solution to the stress. Another way to cope with the stress is to ignore the stress completely. By concentrating on the dance routine, the dancer forgets the stress is able to find relief and peace. After the dance, the dancer may then think of a solution to the stress. The final way to cope with stress is to relax muscle tension by either dancing at a face pace so that the body can completely tire itself out or move at a slow pace that would allow the dancer to feel the music and move with it (Dancing for Health 42-44). Once the individual has dealt with their stress they are able to obtain other mental benefits.

The other mental benefits that a student can profit from can also help in school or life in general. For example, dancers learn to trust others and their instincts by moving spontaneously ("Benefits of Dancing for Children"). They can also enhance their cognitive learning, which includes improving memory, perception, judgment, and reasoning ("Benefits of Dancing for Children"). Dance has also helped students to focus. (Lee). By remembering routines and the timing of the steps, dancers stay more in focus. Performing is the outcome of the creative process, where students are able to think critically and approach things in new and different ways, along with helping evaluate their work and choices. Finally students develop a respect towards other’s work and their own (“Dance”). These mental benefits allow students to achieve more by allowing their mind to be at peace while still critically thinking of ways to achieve their goals.

Along with the physical and mental benefits, people are able to benefit from the emotional benefits that dance offers. Students go through tough times and most hide their emotions and restrain from expressing themselves.

Through dance, a dancer learns to express their emotions, emotions right then and there or past emotions (Partnering Dance and Education 15). Dance has made many students happy. Everyone should be able to express themselves and one alternative should be through dance.

Once students participate in dance classes, they will realize that their social life can and may improve as well.

By learning to communicate with others, students learn to deal with people they meet in the future. Most dances are done in partners such as tango or ball room dancing, but some are done solo or in groups which overall can bring people together. Working with others creates special social bonds and allows dancers to feel comfortable around others ("Benefits of Dancing for Children"). Attending dance classes allows students to meet other people and make new friends ("Benefits of Dance"). Charlotte Lee says that “Some of the people who are in my dance classes are people who I've known for ten or more years. The people who I meet through dance tend to be different from those people who I meet in other activities or in school. I find dance to also be a great way to relate to other people because it is such a broad, world wide activity." Through dance, it "enables students to discover their own innate capacity for the communication of ideas, thoughts, and feelings" ("Program Rationale"). Dance helps people express themselves and communicate their thoughts to others. Alessandra Ferri, an American Ballet Theater star said, "Even if you are not telling a story, you are playing a character. You are playing yourself. You are bringing something of yourself into the dance. You are telling a story… you are telling the story of your life in your body” (Partnering Dance and Education 12). Due to the bonds students create, students tend to seek dance outside of school, during vacations, or after school (Partnering Dance and Education).When entering a dance class, students surround themselves with people they can relate, people from other backgrounds and in the process improve their social life.

These benefits have influenced many schools across America to include dance in their curriculum. Over 15 states have currently developed a dance curriculum to provide students with the opportunity to dance. Including California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. These curriculums allow all students the opportunity to attend a dance. There are three reasons why schools considered having dance classes. The first reason was that dance helped in the development of the individual. The second reason was that dance developed the body as way to express themselves.

The last reason was that dance developed an appreciation for art (Knowles 46). The curriculum that schools developed included those reasons along with a parental and community support, an administrative confidence and support, and a positive working atmosphere (Knowles 40). Schools encourage the students to consider dance as an alternative to other activities.

205 Dance teachers at schools or other organizations play an important role in a students dance goals. Dance teachers at schools are teachers who are passionate about dance and have some background of dance. They inspire students, encourage students, are dedicated people, and accept student's needs (Knowles 121). Instructors most of the time, want to train the dancers in technique, creative work, and helping students understand the links between dance and other academic subjects. For example a student who loves to write and dance can combine those two passions and become a dance critic (Knowles 13-14). Some instructors work according to the idea that movement reflects personality and therefore they help students bring out their personality in their dance (Siegel 17). The more the teachers encourage the students to dance the more the students work harder. A tenth grader at Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts, while interviewed for a case study said, “If you make a mistake, [the teacher doesn’t] yell at you. They try to help you see what your problem is… but if you don’t try, they are going to push you harder; it makes everybody want to try just a little bit more (Knowles 14). Once encouraged, students try to pursue dance as much as possible.

Students who are passionate about dance can accomplish their dance goals if they, their parents, and educators are all on same page and with the same goal. Those students who are really passionate decide to attend schools who concentrate on the arts such as Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts in Buffalo New York. In the case study done in Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts, the current head of dance stated that “you [the parent] must take an interest in what they [the student] have to say” (Knowles 12). Together the school, the teachers, the parents, and the students can then see the progress of a dancer by observing the student’s performances.

Through performances students are able to put together all the material they have learned and in the process continue to learn something about themselves. For example students at Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts were asked to perform a scene from the Holocaust. An excerpt from a student’s journal shows how students are able to critically think about other things beyond the task at hand: I had a thought today…What a test it would be being in the Holocaust. It would, I think, bring out the real you. You would find out if you were (are) good and kind… or if you're evil and selfish. What would I do? What if I'm actually a horrible person, but just in a circumstance that doesn't let my horribleness show" (Knowles 16).

Schools provide dance classes to students as much as possible because they and parents believe that students can benefit from dance, but it is difficult for schools to continue to offer dance class during these times.

Currently due to budget cuts schools have had to cancel their arts programs including dance classes, so many kids are not able to enjoy dance, but there are dance studios that are kind enough to hold free dance classes and performances so that students are once more able to benefit from dancing. Dance studios such as the ODC School and Rhythm and Motions Studios in San Francisco are kind enough to provide students with economic problems, some free dance classes or tickets to performances. During this year they held a week free dance classes during the week of April 26 through May 2. As for performances, every year they perform The Velveteen Rabbit. They give away 1500 tickets away to students in elementary schools and sometimes they just invite the school. These ways, organizations are able to bring dance to students when students can not seek dance themselves.

Opportunities such as the ones offered in schools and other dance organizations encourage them to pursue dance as much as they can so that they are able to experience all the benefits that dance has to offer. Students should try dancing sometime, at home, at school, or anywhere else. Dance is for anyone and can be done anywhere at anytime.

Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Imani Pardue-Bishop, Amara Taylor, and Scout Crampton- Glassanos for critiquing my paper and suggesting ways I could change it.

206 Work Cited “Benefits of Dance.” Dance Scools. N.p., 2005-2010. Web. 12 April 2010.

“Benefits of Dancing for Children.” EduDance Classrooms in Motion. N.p., 2007. Web. 12 April 2010.

"Dance." The Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2010. The Encylopaedia Britannica Online. Web. 12 April 2010.

“Dance.” NC Standered Course of Study. Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction, n.d. Web. 13 April 2010.

Dhirmalani, Millie. “The Benefits of Dance.” Fred Astaire Dance Studios. No Sponsor, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. 11 Feb 2010. Web. 12 April. 2010.

Hanna, Judith Lynne. Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress. New York: AMS Press, 1988. Print.

Hanna, Judith Lynne. Partnering Dance and Education: Intelligent Moves for Changing Times.

Google. Web. 13 April. 2010.

Jupiter- Jones, Annie. Personal interview. 15 April. 2010.

Knowles, Patricia, and Rona Sande "Dance Education in American Public Schools: Case Studies." Council for Research in Music Education, School of Music, University of Illinois at Urbana. Education Resources Information Center,1991.Web.13 April 2010.

Lee, Charlotte. Personal interview. 23 April. 2010.

“Maya.”Countries and Their Cultures. Advameg, Inc., 2010. Web. 6 May 2010.

Overby, Lynnette Young. “Status of Dance in Education.” Status of Dance in Education.

Education Resources Information Center, 1992. Web. 13 April 2010.

“Program Rationale.” The Baltimore County Public School Offices. The Baltimore County Public Schools, 2010. Web. 13 April 2010.

Siegel , Elaine V. Dance- Movement Therapy: Mirror of our Selves The Psychoanalytic Approach. New York: Human Sciences Press , 1984. Print.

207 Scout Crampton Research in the Community A Block Craig Butz May 1, 2010 Cancer vs. Chronic In the last ten years, marijuana has become a very popular treatment for cancer patients. Why do cancer patients use medical marijuana? It is because it provides a more natural way to medicate and reduce pain, which is why more and more people are starting to use it. It also helps with the sides effects of chemo therapy, which can be devastating to a person’s life.

The reason why marijuana is used as another form of medicine is because patients who use marijuana find it to work better then any other prescription. It relieves pain for about three or four hours at a time, which is especially helpful to those who are going through pain in their everyday lives, a lot of which is a result of chemo therapy. Some of the other side effects of chemo therapy are diarrhea, constipation, mouth sores, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, as well as blood-related side effects (“Chemotherapy”). This is one reason why not only cancer patients are being prescribed medical marijuana. There are a lot of other people who go through similar symptom who use marijuana, but their illness may be different. Many cancer patients prefer this to some kind of pill because it is a much more natural way for them to medicate. A lot of people don’t even know what is in prescription pills that they get, and smoking a plant can seem much safer and natural (“Marijuana Use”). Another side effect of chemo is loss of appetite. This is partly because of the nausea, but because of this loss of appetite, patients can lose an unhealthy amount of weight once they have gone through treatment (“Put this in your pipe”). A common known fact, although usually portrayed as a joke, is that smoking marijuana gives you “the munchies”, or in other words it makes you very hungry. But for people with no appetite what so ever, it is actually a very helpful way to help them eat, and make them healthier (“The Benefits of Medical Marijuana”).

The active ingredient in Marijuana is Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The cannabinoids that are within THC are what is most important to people using it as a medicine. These are what gives the user a ‘high’ feeling, and what helps reduce many symptoms. When a person inhales the smoke from burning marijuana, it is filled with THC, which is how it gets into the body. When people eat food that has had marijuana cooked into it, it is only the THC that is in the food. It works this way because THC will stick to fat, so the plant is cooked into butter, which is a fatty food, and then strained so that only the THC is in the butter, which is then cooked into food (“Cancer and Marijuana”).

Eating might seem like something you never really think about, you eat when your hungry, and that’s that.

But if you were always feeling sick and nauseas, you would have no desire to eat. Have you ever spent a few days at home sick and then realized you haven’t been eating because you’ve felt so bad? Imagine that feeling but not only worse, and for a lot longer then a few days. Now you can get an idea of how much marijuana can help, because it allows the patient to eat, to not feel as sick, and to not be in as much pain. This is so important because eating is how we survive, we need the proteins and vitamins and everything else that is in food for essential reasons. But if you are just going to throw whatever you eat up, or not be able to even it in the first place, it is obvious how fatal this can be.

“I have been through chemotherapy and been so sick and nauseated that I lost nearly half of my body weight” (Patients Need Those Munchies”).

In the case of Andrea Rowe, a cancer patient who had been through chemo therapy said until about two years ago, she would have thought that medical marijuana was the same as any other medicine to help with the after effects of chemotherapy. She says that one of the most commonly prescribed medicines for chemo therapy is Phenergen, a common anti flu virus. But as Andrea says, “chemotherapy is no flu virus”. After more then twenty surgeries and chemotherapy, Andrea had lost more then half her body weight. After every surgery, she would wake up vomiting, and she says this was the worst pain she ever went through in her life. What was the medication which helped her start to gain all the weight she had lost back? What was the medication that stopped the nausea, vomiting, and pain? It was medical marijuana. She had tried many other kinds of pills that are supposed to ease nausea and vomiting, but nothing has worked quite as well as medical marijuana. So overall, yes she could have used a more politically correct form of medication, but in the end our focus as humane people should be what works the best for the patient, while doing the least amount of harm to them. What would some kind of pill have done for her? It would put some ease on her symptoms, because that’s what it is meant to do, but they wouldn’t work as well as the

208 marijuana she ingested. Another downside to taking some kind of pill is that you are putting chemicals into your body that you really don’t know about, and many people don’t like the idea of that.

The use of marijuana as a medication has been found in Indian and Chinese texts dating back to 3000 years ago. Back in these times, it was used to cure many of the same things that we use it for today. It was used to cure beriberi, constipation, gout, malaria, rheumatism, absent mindedness, depression, insomnia, vomiting, tetanus, and coughs. Although it is something that is becoming more and more popular here in America, you can see that it has been around to help people for thousands of years (“Marijuana”).Now we obviously cannot rely on thousand year old texts to tell us what is medically best for us, but it shows that even this long ago people turned to marijuana to ease their pain. In the last few years, there has been much research done around the subject, and although smoking marijuana can be harmful, the upsides of using it outweigh the downsides by a lot.

The problem with smoking marijuana is that obviously inhaling smoke into your lungs is harmful to the body. You might wonder why it is not as dangerous as smoking cigarettes, or you might already think it is. There are two main reasons why smoking marijuana is not as harmful as cigarettes. The first is that when you smoke marijuana, you are not inhaling the thousands of chemicals that are in the named brand cigarettes you see today.

There are no additives to medical marijuana, which does not make it better for you, but it makes it a lot safer then smoking a cigarette. The other big reason why there are fewer cases of cancer and sickness from smoking marijuana then cigarettes is because of the amount you smoke. People smoking marijuana tend to smoke maybe a couple joints a day, if even more then one. Cigarette smokers tend to smoke up to 20 cigarettes a day, if not more, making it much more harmful. But there have still been cases where marijuana smokers have been diagnosed with some sort of cancer because of the toxic smoke. Fortunately we are at a day and age where we know how to ingest marijuana without smoking it. There are many harm free ways of getting marijuana into your body, such as baking it into foods, taking it in gel capsules, or buying mouth sprays and many other forms like this from a medical dispensary.

The legal side of medical marijuana is more about what people are doing wrong under government law to help themselves, but it is something that is just as important to know about. If marijuana wasn’t legal for the patients who use it above other medicines, then they wouldn’t be getting the right treatment that they need. This is why it has been made legal for people with notes from their doctors saying they need it and not to the general public (“A Sticky Situation”). This is to try to keep it so that only those who need it can use marijuana, instead of the entire public.

The only problem with this is that anyone can go to their doctor and tell them they have back pains, or trouble sleeping, to get recommended for a cannabis card.

As medical marijuana becomes more and more popular, it has become more and more accepted by the public, but there is still a lot of controversy around the issue of letting people ‘smoke weed’. The two sides of this controversy is the cancer, AIDS, and many other sick patients who use marijuana because it is the best form of treatment, and then there are those who think that it should be a crime for all, either because the government has a hard time taxing it, or because they think it is a too intoxicating drug, or for any other reason. This causes cancer patients and many other patients who use marijuana to be harassed by the government and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which many times results in the closing of marijuana dispensaries, making it very hard for patients to get the medication they need (“A Sticky Situation”). The controversy is that in certain states in the US, medical marijuana is legal under state law, but it is not legal anywhere under federal law. So the harassment doesn’t come from local police, but from the government agencies like the DEA, or homeland security. Now imagine how hard it would be to be told that it is perfectly legal to get the medication you need in a certain state, and then to be arrested by a government agent because they say that it is illegal.

If a qualified doctor tells a patient that using marijuana is the best medication for them, and the patient is happy with it and it makes them feel better, then it is obviously the right thing for them to use. They should not have to deal with any harassment when buying marijuana from a medical dispensary, because they are supporting the government by paying the taxes on the marijuana. Our government should have no right closing a place that helps other people and at the same time gives the government and the community money. California alone brings in around 14 billion dollars from marijuana crops, and although the majority of this is sold illegally, the amount that is legal brings a lot of money back to the community (“California Could Legalize”).

Another big factor of medical marijuana dispensaries is that they help take drug dealers off the streets. If a patient knows that he or she can go buy the medication that they need in a store without the risks of buying it off the street, they most likely will. The main goal for having legal marijuana is so people that are sick can get what they need. It is very good that we have this system, because where would we be if cancer patients and those who need the medicine have to go to get what they need off of the street. Not only is it impossible to tell if buying marijuana under the table is safe, but the war on marijuana costs about 42 billion dollars of the governments money every year (“The War On Pot”). Getting a ‘cannabis card’ to be able to buy from these dispensaries really only takes a letter from a doctor and some money, which enables many people who smoke for recreational use go to these clinics,

209 because of how simple it is to get a card. This brings up the issue of how much of the marijuana that is sold in dispensaries in actually for patients who need it not just for recreational use. The upside to buying marijuana at a clinic is that it is taxed, so it puts money into the community. The downside to some people is that this basically means that marijuana is legal, but the person who is using it would be getting it either way, so why not sell it in a way that helps the community.

It might seem like having a medical marijuana dispensary in your community is like having pot dealers always standing on the corner, but it is nothing like that. I like about half a block away from a medical marijuana dispensary, which I walk by everyday, and although it is open I have only seen someone outside it about once. The front has reflective glass so you don’t see in, and if you didn’t know it was there you would probably walk right past it.

In 2008, there was a case with a man who was supposed to get a liver transplant, but was denied of it because his doctor has prescribed him medical marijuana to ease his nausea. Without the liver transplant he would die, but the medical board denied it because of government law. He had not committed any crimes; he was only taking the medicine which his doctor and the state had legally prescribed him. The medical board decided to look over his case, and said that they would have an answer within 60 days. The mans doctor told them that he was not likely to survive 60 days without the liver transplant, not even a few days. It was argued that unlike alcohol, marijuana does not damage the liver. If he had been drinking, then it would have been understandable why he wasn’t aloud the transplant. Unfortunately, his request for a transplant was denied a second time, and the man died (“Hepatitis C Patient”).

Now this is just unmoral, the man was taking prescribed medicine to treat his symptoms, and within legal regulation of the state, but yet he was turned down. Is obeying the state law and helping to cure a man’s sickness really worth his life? I hardly think so. These laws are something that need to be changed today. Our government does not have the right to set up a system where people are following what they think is the law, and then get stabbed in the back, in this case resulting in that persons life. This man was an extremely sick, law abiding citizen, but because a certain law had not been gone over, or had not had enough time spent on it, he died.

If someone has a life threatening disease, and the treatment that they have been through has left them in a terrible state, where they can’t eat anything, are feeling nauseas all the time, and in a lot pain, it is our duty and our doctors duties to do what we can to make the patient feel better. If that means that they smoke medical marijuana, there is really no problem. In the first place, it makes them feel a lot better, and secondly there is no need to worry about someone in that state of health buying marijuana and then trying to sell it for profit. It does nothing but help the person in a much more natural way, so it is obviously the right thing for them.

Fig. 1. This is bag of medical marijuana, from a local San Francisco dispensary Source: Heart of Hawaii

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Fig. 2. This is a picture of a small child who has been diagnosed with cancer Source: Topnews.us Bibliography California Could legalize Pot in November. CBS News. 25 Mar. 2010. Web Cancer and medical marijuana. 2005. Print.

Chemotherapy side effects. Chemotherapy. Web. Hepatitis C Patient Denied Transplant Based on State and Doctor Approved Medi-Pot Use. Norml. May 1. 2008.

Web. Kampia Rob, ed. The War On Pot: Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $42 Billion Annual Boondoggle. Alternet. Web. Marijuana. American Cancer Society. Nov 1. 2008. Web. Marijuana Use in Supportive Care for Cancer Patients. National cancer institute, 12 Dec. 2000. Web. Pizzo, Stephanie, ed. Medical Marijuana: a sticky situation for Cancer Patients!. 15 Jun. 2009. Web. Pranger, Bonnie, ed. The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana For Cancer Patients. Web. Rowe, Andrea. Medical Marijuana: Cancer Patients Need Those Munchies. Associated Content. Jan 24. 2010. Web

211 Luke Fernald Research in the Community Craig Butz 2 June 2010 Alcoholic Advertising: Joy, Sex, Violence, Crime, and Crashes If you have ever seen an advertisement for an alcoholic beverage, there is a good chance that in this commercial there is an attractive women or a scene of men having a good time while holding a beverage in their hand. To the untrained eye this seems simply like a company showing their product in a funny or memorable commercial. But in reality your mind has now just associated alcohol to having a good time or to beautiful women.

Now whenever you think of alcohol you think of beautiful women. In most alcohol commercials there is a woman used as an object, in some commercials the bottle of alcohol takes the shape of a woman (Deadly Persuasion: The Advertising of Alcohol and Tobacco). Therefore if you like women and your mind associates women with alcohol you like that alcohol brand before you have even tried it. This is just one example of how the advertising of alcohol affects people and plays with their minds.

The advertising of alcohol plays with the minds of adults but most importantly, teenagers. Alcohol advertising should not be outright banned necessarily, but it should be very strictly regulated.

Alcohol is not the best substance to ingest and there is no argument about that. Although alcohol when drunk in moderation (no more than 1 drink for a woman, or 2 for a man) alcohol can help prevent heart disease, but nobody drinks just for this incidental beneficial side-effect (“The Link between Drinking Alcohol and Heart Disease”). But other than this one helpful aspect of alcohol the other things alcohol can cause are arthritis, cancer, fetal alcohol syndrome, heart disease, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, kidney disease, liver disease, malnutrition, nervous disorders, obesity, psychological disturbances, etc. (“Alcohol - It's Effect on Your Body and Health”). Therefore right off the bat, it is a hard decision whether or not to allow advertisement of alcohol just because of its health Fig 1. This ad shows women’s association effects, not even mentioning the crafty advertisements effects. with alcohol. Source: Michelob Beer.

One problem with regulating alcohol advertisements has been the constitution itself. The first amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (“The United States Constitution”). Bans to alcohol advertising have directly violated this amendment.

“Some state rules regulating alcohol advertising are violations of the First Amendment” (“Alcohol Ads, Free Speech, and Constitutional Rights”). Technically the alcohol industry should be able to freely be able to tell people about their product without interference freely saying what they wish to say. This is one reason the alcohol industry has still been able to advertise despite speculation of advertisements causing higher drinking levels, and/or introduction of drinking to minors.

But when using the constitution to support keeping the advertisement of alcohol one must keep in mind that in the days the constitution was written there was no television, internet or radio. Therefore this amendment should be taken with a grain of salt when it comes to advertisements. In the 70’s the Supreme Court ruled that, “the Congressional ban on cigarette advertising is constitutional. The ruling stated that such advertising does not qualify under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech; a sharp distinction was drawn between guarantees of freedom of speech for individuals and the ‘limited extent’ to which broadcast advertising qualifies for such protection” (“History of Tobacco Regulation - The Ban on Advertising”). In other words freedom of speech does not necessarily apply to advertisements.

Speaking of tobacco, an extremely regulated industry and advertising campaign, studies have shown that in countries where, “a complete ad ban is coupled with an intensive public information campaign on smoking, a reduction in tobacco consumption of 6% can be achieved” (“UICC Factsheet: Effects of Tobacco Advertising”). If we could do this with alcohol that would mean millions less people susceptible to the damages of alcohol, and a good amount of those people would be teenagers. Also, “in 2006 there were 17,941 driving fatalities related to

212 alcohol. This was 41 percent of the total 43,000 [alcohol related] fatalities” (“Drunk Driving Facts”). 6% less than the total fatalities of 43,000 are 2580, that means 2580 fewer grieving families could be accomplished if advertisements for alcohol were reconsidered or re-constructed. A separate study showed another result similar to the previous estimate of deaths that could be saved by restriction of advertisement: An effort to estimate the likely effects of several alcohol policies on youth drinking behavior in the U.S. population concluded that a complete ban on alcohol advertising would be the most effective, resulting in 7,609 fewer deaths from harmful drinking and a 16.4% drop in alcohol-related life-years lost. (“Alcohol Advertising and Youth”) These are two pieces of undeniable evidence supporting the restriction or regulation of alcohol advertisements.

Another reason why the alcohol advertisements still stand strong is because the 3 top advertised alcohol labels1 spent a total of 3,057,900,000 in 2008 alone, and occupy 3 spots in the top 100 companies who spent the most money on advertising in 2008. (“Marketer Trees 2009”). That, “is more than the entire federal budget for research on alcoholism and alcohol use” (“Targets of Alcohol Advertising”). That is a fair amount of money that the media industry is receiving to air advertisements. And the stations receiving this amount of money do not want to give it up. And since the media industry controls what people see and hear, any attempts to restrict alcohol advertisements have been difficult.

These ads are not only viewed by Americans over the drinking age, but they are viewed by children and teenagers far under the drinking age. This is easily the most prominent problem with the alcohol industry: [A] study found that, among a group of 2,250 middle-school students in Los Angeles, those who viewed more television programs containing alcohol commercials while in the seventh grade were more likely in the eighth grade to drink beer, wine/liquor, or to drink three or more drinks on at least one occasion during the month prior to the follow-up survey (“Alcohol Advertising and Youth”).

This shows that children who see these advertisements for alcohol do in fact develop drinking habits earlier in life than those who do not see as many advertisements. And not surprisingly so considering the frequency of these ads as well as the money spent on them increases the amount of drinking in teenagers: A national study published in January 2006 concluded that greater exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to an increase in drinking among underage youth. Specifically, for each additional ad a young person saw (above the monthly youth average of 23), he or she drank 1% more.

For each additional dollar per capita spent on alcohol advertising in a local market (above the national average of $6.80 per capita), young people drank 3% more (“Alcohol Advertising and Youth”).

This shows that the larger frequency and the more work the alcohol industry puts into advertising the more an underage drinker drinks. Considering that, “18-20 year Fig 2. This photo shows a young child engulfed in olds are responsible for more than 10 percent of the television where advertisements lurk. Source: Kid drunken driving trips in America” (“Drunk Driving Watching TV Facts”). A small increase of alcohol drinking can change an almost dead teenage drunk driver, into a dead teenage drunk driver, and potentially claim other victims in the destructive path of a vehicle controlled by someone under the influence.

But how can one tell if these advertisements are directed towards minors rather than running into them accidentally.

A study of alcohol advertising in magazines from 1997 to 2001 found that the number of beer and distilled spirits ads tended to increase with a magazine's youth readership. For every 1 million underage readers ages 12-19 in a magazine, researchers found 1.6 times more beer advertisements and 1.3 times more distilled spirits advertisements (“Alcohol Advertising and Youth”).

This shows that the more readers of a given magazine, who are in the drinking “hot seat” (ages 12-19), will see more advertisements for alcohol. And the alcohol industry have no excuse for this advertising considering an ad for a form 1

Anheuser-Busch InBev (Budweiser), SABMiller (MillerCoors), and Diageo (Guiness, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan Rum etc.)

213 of alcohol does not necessarily get a person to drink that product. “A USA Today survey found that teens say ads have a greater influence on their desire to drink in general than on their desire to buy a particular brand of alcohol” (“Alcohol Advertising and Youth”). This shows that an ad for any alcohol product does not increase desire to drink the specific product, but desire to consume alcohol as a whole. But considering, “in the United States, underage drinkers consume 3.6 billion drinks each year”, this is about 19.7 percent of all alcoholic drinks consumed (“Facts about Young Drinkers”), why would the alcohol industry steer off the path of advertising to underage drinkers and lose a significant chunk of their customers? They wouldn’t want too but they would have to considering underage drinkers are under aged.

Underage drinking is taken too lightly with a large emphasis on drunken driving dangers our community leaves out some important facts directly regarding underage drinking.

40 percent of those who started drinking at age 13 or younger developed alcohol dependence later in life.

Ten percent of teens who began drinking after the age of 17 developed dependence (“Teen Drug Use Statistics II”).

This shows that underage drinking takes up a significant percent as a reason for people to develop alcohol dependency and addiction. And alcohol takes the cake as the most deadly drug to teenagers killing “6 ½ times more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined” (“Teen Drug Use Statistics II”). Not only is it the most dangerous drug but, “alcohol often plays a role in the four leading causes of death among 10-24-year olds: car crashes, accidents, murder and suicide” (“Facts about Young Drinkers”). And if advertisements for alcohol were reconsidered lives would be saved.

Right now in the U.S. the laws regarding alcohol advertisements are shaky. The alcohol companies in some places are not allowed to advertise in places where children can be, they are not allowed to advertise to children, they must have proof their advertisement is directed towards adults, etc (State Alcohol Advertising Laws: Current Status and Model Policies). But why doesn’t California have much noticeable attempt to regulate alcohol advertising? It is a mystery, maybe it is because they like being able to tax the liquor so they want more and more people buying up, nobody can really say why they wont, but the facts can say why they should. In just California, “During 2007, an estimated 136 traffic fatalities and 7,300 nonfatal traffic injuries involved an underage drinking driver” and “In 2006, an estimated 20,000 teen pregnancies and 92,100 risky sexual acts by teens involved alcohol” (Underage Drinking in California: The Facts). These are just a few shocking statistics of what alcohol is doing to teenagers in California and all that needs to be done to help it is regulate advertising of alcohol.

To fix this problem we face with alcohol advertisements directly causing underage drinkers to begin drinking and suffer the consequences of drinking, a few steps should be taken. First of all alcohol advertisements should not be banned since alcohol is a major product in most stores and most major alcohol companies require a sort of advertisement to get their name out. Although the advertisements would not be banned specific rules on how to advertise for alcohol would be set in place.

Alcohol advertisements should in no cases show an individual drinking alcohol, or have any characters in the commercial at all to avoid association of the product, simply a label and a product and a few words on why the product is pleasing to a consumer would be the best thing. There should be no television commercials for alcohol before 8:00 at night, being a very common time for adults to watch television while children and younger teens prefer television earlier in the day. And the viewers or listeners of the program must be over 80% adults, leaving a small area in which teenagers can experience alcohol commercials. As far as billboards go there should be no alcohol billboards within a mile of a school. And magazines must have 90% age 21 or older readers to air alcohol commercials. For emphasis in all advertisements there can be no characters of any sort or scenery of any sort, only the product and label plain and simple.

These rules would be the best way to help our community for falling into the advertisements trap and becoming a slave to the product. Changing a couple seconds of what we view on television and what we see on a billboard, in a magazine, etc. can save lives.

214 Works Cited "Alcohol - It's Effect on Your Body and Health." Health Check Systems. Web. 12 May 2010.

"Alcohol Ads, Free Speech, and Constitutional Rights." Alcohol Problems and Solutions. Web. 13 May 2010.

"Alcohol Advertising and Youth." Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. Apr. 2007. Web. 13 May 2010.

Deadly Persuasion: The Advertising of Alcohol and Tobacco. THe Media Education Foundation, 2003. DVD. "Drunk Driving Facts." CalculateMe. Web. 13 May 2010.

"Facts about Young Drinkers." Media Awareness Network. Web. 14 May 2010.

"History of Tobacco Regulation - The Ban on Advertising." DRCNet Online Library of Drug Policy. Web. 13 May 2010.

Kid Watching TV. Photograph. Saida Online Magazine. Web. 13 May 2010.

"The Link Between Drinking Alcohol and Heart Disease." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Ed. Tracy C. Shuman. 1 Oct. 2005. Web. 12 May 2010.

"Marketer Trees 2009." Advertising Age. 2009. Web. 13 May 2010.

Michelob Beer. Advertisement. Vintage Direct. Web. 13 May 2010.

State Alcohol Advertising Laws: Current Status and Model Policies. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, 2003. Print.

"Targets of Alcohol Advertising." Health20-20. Web. 14 May 2010.

"Teen Drug Use Statistics II." Teen Drug Abuse. Web. 14 May 2010.

"UICC Factsheet: Effects of Tobacco Advertising." GLOBALink Tobacco Control, The International Tobacco Control Community. Web. 13 May 2010.

Underage Drinking in California: The Facts. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 2009. Print.

"The United States Constitution." The U.S. Constitution Online. Web. 13 May 2010.

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Christopher Flanagan Craig Butz Research in the Community June 7, 2010 Green Transport These days everyone is trying to get somewhere, typically by car. When people look to buy a car, many think that they should purchase an environmentally friendly car, and rightly so. But what exactly are they looking at? Are they the right specifications? How is this beneficial?

First off, by being eco-friendly and contributing as little as possible to global climate change, you benefit everything and everyone. Seeing as transportation is the focus in this piece of work, everyone knows that getting more miles per gallons means less trips to the pump and more green in your wallet. Not only that, but “vehicles produce large amounts of CO2 and vehicles as a whole account for a third of all the CO2 that is emitted into the atmosphere” (Smith). By driving a car that has low CO2 emissions and most importantly has not used many resources to build, one can automatically reduce the lifetime pollution of your car dramatically.

Of course not all cars can be included here, but two cars will be focused on most of the environmental cars; the radical small car, and the larger visionary, the Prius. However, other cars such as the Mini Cooper, a car that has less mass than most cars while retaining a decent CO2 output and has a modest mpg, and plug-in electric cars are also ‘green’ alternatives.

---------“What Toyota did in the mid-nineties, [with the first production hybrid (the Prius)] was to really stick their necks out, that the hybrid architecture would become important, and therefore starting the hybrid-car revolution.

This raised the bar for everybody else in the car industry in terms of cleaner transportation” (Smith). The reason for the Prius being so popular is because it “is a milestone vehicle and represents a small step to what could be done” (Smith) in the automotive industry to fight global climate change. By buying this new car, people wanted to make a statement about global climate change. However, this was a misconception.

Many people think that buying a hybrid is ‘green’ and ‘environmentally health’, but what many don’t realize is what is put into the car before immediately buying a high efficiency car. When we think about questions such as; what is it made of? How far did it travel? And how much pollution will it continue to produce? all need to be considered. To understand any car, the entire life of the car must be evaluated, starting with the materials used to create it.

When buying an environmentally sound car, people look directly at fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The 2nd generation Prius got a maximum of 65.7 mpg and produced 104g/km of CO2, and it was the lowest CO2 producing car that also saved people money at the pump (Prius & Prejudice). Many were happy to buy this ‘green’ car and save money as well, but few knew about the cars’ other side.

Although the Prius has been advertised as a very environmentally friendly car, “Toyota has not supplied the detailed data to support their claims that the lifetime energy usages of the Prius are outweighed by the fuel consumption” (English). This means that despite the great fuel economy, it would be far ‘greener’ to simply ride a bike or even keep you old car, than buy a new Prius to use for several years.

The main contributor to why the 2nd generation Prius is not an environmental choice; it’s battery. “The nickel that is used to make the batteries comes from a mine in Canada which is a filthy business that creates lots of smoke and acid rain, but not matter, the nickel is then loaded onto an enormous cargo ship sent to Europe, where it is refined; then on to China where it is processed to a kind of foam, and then to Japan where it is put into batteries and put into the car.” Next Jeremy Clarkson, the host of the Top Gear television series, went on to introduce a short study on a BMW M3, powered by a 414 horse power 4 liter V8 engine, and a 2nd generation Prius, powered by the economical 1.5 liter 4cylinder/57 kilowatt hybrid engine. Both cars where to do 10 laps; all the Prius had to do was drive as fast as possible and the M3 just needed to keep up. Of course, you would think that the M3 would use massively more fuel due to the powerful engine, but this test proved otherwise. The Prius averaged 17.2mpg and the BMW M3 averaged 19.4mpg. Jeremy concluded that, “Its how you drive it that matters’” (Top Gear). Not only is it how you drive that greatly influences the car’s lifetime pollution, but also how you dispose of it. Although the nickel-metal hydride battery of the 2nd generation Prius can be recycled, the heavy metal components on the batteries are disposed of in landfills, where they leech chemicals into the soil and cause environmental havoc (Hybrid Battery Toxicity).

One test in England proved the significance of a car’s lifetime pollution in which they used a 2nd generation Prius and compared against the 100HP Fiat Panda which is similar to the size of the Prius. The experiment stated that “26 tons of waste is produced extracting the raw materials for every car that is manufactured, 1.5 tons of solid

216 waste and 74 million cubic litres of polluted air are produced during the building process” (Prius & Prejudice). We also know that the energy used to make a car is proportional to the car’s volume, which means that, “if we take the size of the Toyota Prius as a figure of 100, then the Fiat Panda is a 74 from volume/surface area point of view… So on top of the actual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the Prius relative to the Panda is probably at least 50% more damaging to the environment in the first few years of use when manufacturing and recycling damage are included. For a Prius, the CO2 produced in its manufacture is equivalent to about seven years’ of use on the road,” (Prius & Prejudice). Not only is the 100HP Fiat Panda a better choice in the first seven years, but is about the same size as a Prius and gets 44mpg. The Fiat, is proof that although the size of the car matters, you do not necessarily need to sacrifice size for the environment.

Now that the third generation Prius is in production, we will soon only be able to purchase the new version.

This Prius features a lithium-ion battery that can easily be recycled and is far more efficient than the previous model.

Not only is the battery better, but the car also has been tested further in an air tunnel. All the research put into the newest Prius has resulted in the car being the most drag-efficient production family car on the road, and features an even more fuel efficient engine, getting 72mpg (Prius & Prejudice). Toyota has even included a solar panel that acts as part of the roof and powers the cars electronics such as satellite navigation. However, the 3rd generation Prius is simply not environmentally clean enough to be the cleanest choice for transportation. Although it is much more fuel efficient and only produces a mere 89g/km of CO2, the pollution the car creates over its lifetime is more than that of a smaller, simpler car that has not had a battery travel around the world in a grossly polluting container ship.

“All these electric cars… I don’t think they are right for me,” some may say. But fear not, there are more options. Now take a moment to think… Most people use cars strictly for commuting to and from point A to B, whether it is work, or school and most people drive alone or with one other person and so the Smart ForTwo is the ideal car. If you live in a city, this car is even more ideal, as most city-goers encounter places with no parking, a problem that is greatly diminished by a Smart car’s size. Not only is the Smart ForTwo the most fuel efficient nonhybrid vehicle in the U.S., but it is also the 3rd most fuel-efficient vehicle in the U.S. getting 43mpg, similar to that of a Prius (Smart). Even the car itself is 95% recyclable, which diminishes its lifetime pollution.

This is where a lot of folks will say something about safety but this has been proven to be another. A Smart ForTwo is equipped with front and side airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes, and hydraulic brake assist all to help protect the occupants in case of an emergency stop or a crash (Smart). One recorded story tells about a woman who was driving home from work at 4am at 60mph and hit a stopped car head on. The only injury the driver received was a broken wrist from the way she was holding the steering wheel at the time of the crash. Although her car was ruined, she was unharmed (Karen’s Story).

Another option for ‘green’ cars are combustion engine cars converted to a plug-in electric. Converting a car to a plug-in electric is actually less expensive than purchasing a new one. This way the pollution created the production of the cars is eliminated. Basically a plug-in converted car can be any car and has AC battery packs installed which are (to put it simply,) hooked up to the engine. In these vehicles, the battery solely powers the car, and plugs into a regular outlet. “But what if you are getting ‘dirty energy?’” you might ask. Even if you are getting energy from a dirty coal power plant, your carbon footprint is about 1/3 to 1/2 from the same size conventional vehicle.” So even the most polluting power plant is running two to three times more efficiently than the eternal combustion engine (Smith). That is truly astounding.

Finally, many people can use other means of transport. Not only are buses, but also things such as riding a bike or simply walking. These are all possible options for city-goers who travel alone for short distances with little luggage if any.

Toyota changed the car industry forever with its Toyota Prius, the first production hybrid, which resulted in the production of other environmental cars from other companies. We would not have cars such as the new Nissan Leaf, plug-in electrics, or Chevrolet’s Volt today if it weren’t for the revolutionary Prius. In this way, the Prius is an important and truly wonderful car, it just simply is the not the best means of transport and is not the end all, be all of ‘green transportation’.

A bike would be a fantastic and a health alternatively to other means of transport, but only within practical boundaries. A car on the smaller side, or a car that uses simple and few resources to create and function is the optimal environmental choice. This being said, methods such as walking short distances, using public transport, car pooling and as previously mentioned, biking, should all be utilized to help minimize the unavoidable pollution created through everyday life.

There are many ways to do our part to consume fewer resources and help stop global climate change.

Places that mass produce food like Tyson Industries, and Mc Donald’s should be avoided at all times. Organic food should be on your grocery shopping list with products made with corn being limited. Water heaters should be set from hot to warm, heaters should be on 68*F at most, and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) should replace regular

217 bulbs. All these things make an impact on the environment, even if in a small way. If you cannot afford more extreme changes such as pricey solar panels, make small, easy changes to your home and in time, they will pay you back. With changes like these there is nothing to lose but everything to gain.

I acknowledge the following people for their help in reviewing of this essay; James Koch, Hannah Woolley, Lucius Fernald, Craig Butz, and Naoki O’Bryan.

WORKS CITED English, Andrew. “Toyota Prius – green winner or loser?” Telegraph. October 10, 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/3174258/Toyota-Prius-green-winner-or-loser.html. April 21, 2010.

“Hybrid Battery Toxicity.” hybridCars. April 8, 2006. http://www.hybridcars.com/battery-toxicity.html. March 4, 2010.

“Karen’s Story.” SmartCar USA. No date. http://safeandsmart.com/stories/4. April 22, 2010.

Porter, Richard. “Prius & Prejudice.” EVO 106. (July 2007): 130-136. Print.

“Smart.” SmartCar USA. No date. http://www.smartusa.com/. April 10, 2010.

Top Gear. BBC, 2008. DVD. Smith, Fraser. Personal Interview. May 11, 2010.

“Toyota Prius.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia. No date (recent). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius. March 3, 2010. ‘“Why the Toyota Prius is not a great ‘green’ car.”’ twoseconds.net. CJausburn. February 10, 2009. http://www.twoseconds.net/?p=176 March 3, 2010.

218 Henry Gale Research in the Community Craig Butz May 13, 2010 Baseball Bats The debate about the safety of non-wood baseball bats versus wood baseball bats is a controversial topic that has been going on for decades. After having been put on the back burner of sport controversies, the debate over baseball bat safety was recently brought back into the public eye, at least here in California. On March 11th, 2010, Gunnar Sandberg, a 16 year old pitcher for the Marin Catholic High School baseball team, was seriously injured by a ball batted off a non-wood bat (“Wood Bat Rule Tries to Make Good of a Terrible Situation”).

Gunnar was immediately hospitalized. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury that caused doctors to remove a piece of his skull and ultimately put him into an induced coma. Luckily, since the incident occurred Gunnar has come out of the coma and doctors have predicted a full recovery ("California State Assembly Member ").

Unfortunately, however, unsafe non-wood bats, like the one that caused Gunnar’s injury, are still being used by high school athletes.

Recently there have been other incidents, like Gunnar’s, that have drawn even more concern to the issue of wood vs. non-wood bats. (“High-Tech Metal Bats Are Causing Concern”). Many school administrators and coaches feel that the performance of non-wood bats has gone too far, and has changed the game of baseball in a negative way. Because of recent advancements in non-wood bat technology, those bats have become unsafe for high school baseball, and all high school leagues should switch to wood bats.

Non-wood bats are indisputably more effective, and dangerous, than wood bats. There are several components of the non-wood bat that make it unsafe for high school level baseball. The trampoline effect, the higher bat speed, and the larger sweet spot all make non-wood bats unsafe. Nobody in baseball disputes that these make a non-wood bat more effective ("California State Assembly Member "). Bat manufactures actually advertise that the bats they are selling can be swung faster, have a larger sweet spot, and allow the ball to bounce off the bat better than other competitors (“Baseball Bat Guide’).

The trampoline effect makes non-wood bats unsafe because it causes the bat to compress when the pitched ball makes contact with it. On the contrary, wood bats do not compress when the ball hits them, instead the ball compresses. The compression of the ball causes it to loose about 70% of its energy. Because the ball does not compress when it is hit by a non-wood bat, the ball will loose less energy and will travel faster off the bat. On average for a given swing speed the trampoline effect of a non-wood bat can cause the pitched ball to travel 5 to 7 mph faster than off a wood bat. All this means that the trampoline effect causes the ball to explode off the bat, making the ball travel back at the pitcher and infielders at a higher speed than a wood bat (“Why Aluminum Bats Can Perform Better than Wood Bats”).

Non-wood bats can be swung faster than wood bats because they are on average 10% lighter than wood bats, and are more aerodynamic. This allows players to swing the bat faster and hit the pitched ball with more force. The non-wood bats are lighter because they are built with different materials than wood and are usually hollow. The non-wood bat is more aerodynamic because it has a much lower moment of inertia than a wood bat.

This allows the bat to whip through the air faster resulting in a higher swing speed. Even if a non-wood bat had the same weight as a wood bat, the non-wood bat would be swung faster because of its low moment of inertia.

Both of these factors directly relate to a player’s ability to swing the bat faster with a non-wood bat. Most experts say the non-wood bat’s ability to be swung faster is the main reason non-wood bats are so much more effective than wood bats (“Why Aluminum Bats Can Perform Better than Wood Bats”).

Finally, non-wood bats have a larger sweet spot than wood bats. The larger sweet spot allows players to hit more “well-hit” balls back at the pitcher and infielders. The more hard-hit balls there are, the higher percentage chance a player has of being hit by a ball. Studies show that balls that are “miss-hit” with a nonwood bat can travel much faster than balls that are miss-hit with a wood bat. The player with a non-wood bat has a higher percentage chance of hitting a ball solidly (“Why Aluminum Bats Can Perform Better than Wood Bats”).

In 1998 the non-wood bat had become such a danger to players that the NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) tried to propose restrictions that would prohibit bat companies from making such effective, and dangerous, bats. These restrictions were never made effective, because Easton, one of the leaders in nonwood bat manufacturers, sued the NCAA for restraint of trade and won. As part of the settlement, and instead of the NCAA being able to put its own safety restrictions on the production of non-wood bats, the bat manufactures were allowed to make their own restrictions, which were much more lenient. These new standards for non-wood

219 metal bats were not very significant, because the $150 million bat industry was still able to expand at a rapid pace and stay successful (see "California State Assembly Member ").

Recently the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL), the league Gunnar played in, talked to the North Coast Section (NCS) officials about temporarily making the switch from non-wood bats to wood bats for all of northern California (“Wood Bat Rule Tries to Make Good of a Terrible Situation”). Immediately after Gunnar’s injury the MCAL voluntarily switched from non-wood bats to wood bats to honor Gunnar. The MCAL then tried to propose the same idea to the NCS officials. Their proposal was shot down. The NCS felt that it would be unfair to teams and players if the switch was made halfway through the season. Teams that had been playing with wood bats previously would perform better than those who switched later in the year. Also teams that were to play other teams that didn’t belong to the NCS, and were still using non-wood bats, would be at a total disadvantage. This is completely understandable and, had the topic been brought to the NCS officials before the season began, they most likely would have agreed to the change ("California State Assembly Member” ").

Now, California State Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) is trying to pass legislature that would put a moratorium on the use of all non-wood bats. Huffman, who represents the district where Gunnar lives, says that this ban is just a temporary solution to the problem (“High-tech Metal Bats Are Causing Concern”). Huffman hopes that the ban will allow time for restrictions to be made on the use of non-wood bats ("California State Assembly Member "). Huffman’s bill was approved by the Education Committee just this week, by a 5-1 vote, and will now be considered by the Assembly, where passage appears likely.

The NCAA recently enacted new bat safety rules that prohibit certain new composite barrel bats that, due to the trampoline affect, produce batted balls that are traveling 10-15mph faster than the earlier “Easton” rules allowed. But these new bats are still allowed in high schools. Huffman hopes that something similar to the NCAA’s bat ban will come from his legislation’s temporary ban of all non-wood bats in California (“Bill Would Ban Metal Bats in High School Baseball”).

Some people oppose Huffman’s bill. Players, parents, and coaches who are focused on stats and want recognition from college and professional scouts want to use non-wood bats because they are more effective than wood bats (“Coaches, Trainers Look About Safety of Metal Bats”). A player using a wood bat will have significantly less impressive stats than a player using non-wood bats and might not catch the scout’s attention.

Some schools believe they could not afford the wood bats due to constant breaking. Finally, the bat manufacturers don’t want the ban to happen because they would loose a large chunk of business as a result (“Prep Baseball: Marin Catholic Pitcher in Induced Coma After Being Hit in the Head by Line Drive”).

Moving toward more advanced non-wood bats is definitely not the direction high school baseball needs to be going. The state of North Dakota and New York City have already placed a ban on all non-wood bats. After thinking about and examining Gunnar Sandberg’s and others’ injuries, California needs to be moving in the direction of North Dakota and New York City.

Many people agree with North Dakota and New York City and want to completely ban non-wood bats forever. Baseball purists feel that the non-wood bats ruin the game of baseball, and cannot stand to hear the “ping” noise they make (“Legislators Asked to Restrict Metal Bats in Youth Baseball. Manufacturers Say Little Data Exists on Dangers”). Many elite high school tournaments are played with wood bats. This way, scouts can see the way players hit with the wood bats and can predict what they will be like in professional baseball, where only wood bats are allowed (“Wood Bat Rule Tries to Make Good of a Terrible Situation”). Others feel that there is too much focus on choosing which bats are safer and instead feel the pitchers should wear protective headgear (“Bill Would Ban Metal Bats in High School Baseball”). All of these are valid opinions and make sense.

Coach Steve Glass, an expert on everything baseball and coach of the Bay School baseball team, recently expressed why he liked both wood and non-wood bats. He felt that the non-wood bat was a stats booster that helped him personally, because it allowed him to hit the ball successfully without a perfect swing.

But he also liked using the wood bats, because to him it was a sign that he had made it professionally. Only an elite few—professionals—were required to play with wood bats, and to be one of the elite few for him was an honor.

The league that The Bay School baseball team plays in, the Bay Counties League (BCL), followed the MCAL and also made the switch to wood bats. Being one of the coaches in the BCL, Coach Glass was able to participate in the vote regarding wood bats. Coach Glass voted in favor of the switch along with every other coach that voted. Coach Glass voted in favor of the switch not because of safety reasons, but because he felt it was a good way to honor Gunnar. Coach Glass believes that there is not enough research to prove that nonwood bats are more unsafe than wood bats. After the unanimous vote of the coaches, the BCL was ready to move to the wood bats. A few weeks later, however, the heads of the BCL schools overruled the coaches and

220 voted to allow metal bats as long as they followed the new NCAA restrictions. The heads of schools wanted to follow the organization that had done the most research on the topic and that was the NCAA. The heads of schools did allow the coaches, for just this year, to require the BCL players to use wood bats for the rest of the year, in order to honor Gunnar. Coach Glass believed that the main reason why the heads of schools had voted to use the NCAA guidelines is because many schools were having trouble affording the switch to wood.

Although metal bats may seem initially more expensive wood bats, according to Coach Glass in the long run wood bats, due to constant breaking, turn out to be more expensive.

When asked about which bat he preferred to coach, Coach Glass said that the wood bats took more attention to detail and that in order for his team to succeed he needed to teach all the proper mechanics of a baseball swing. He went on to say that he enjoyed paying close attention to detail and looks forward to having his team play with wood bats the rest of the season.

This spring I have played baseball for the Bay School team. I have used both metal and wood bats this season because of the ban halfway through the season. It is obvious to me that the metal bats hit the ball harder and farther. For me when I get a hit with a metal bat the ball seems to fly off the bat. Now, using wood bats, when I hit the ball, the ball seems to die once it hits the wood bat and it definitely doesn’t go as far or as fast.

However, I don’t see a problem with using wood bats. It makes me feel like I’m a major leaguer and also makes me focus more on the defensive aspect of the game because it’s that much harder to score runs.

Still, many studies have shown that metal bats have become unsafe for high school baseball and recent events indicate that this statement is true. So, because of recent advancements in metal bat technology metal bats have become unsafe for high school baseball and all high school leagues should switch to wood bats.

Works Cited “Baseball Bat Guide.” Baseball Corner. 2009. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Bats In Brown Study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved Apr. 13, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021120065531.htm Harlan, Chris. “High-tech metal bats are causing concern.” Pittsburg Tribune-Review. Trib live, 11 Apr. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Huffman, Jared. "California State Assemblymember Jared Huffman - 6th Assembly District." California Democratic Caucus - Caucus. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.

Mason, Edward. “Legislators asked to restrict metal bats in youth baseball manufacturers say little data exists on dangers.” Eagle Tribune Publishing Company. The Eagle Tribune, 24 Aug. 2006. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Meadows, Bruce. “Wood bat rule tries to make good of a terrible situation.” Novato Advance. Novato Advance, 31 March 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Robinson, Adam. “Coaches, trainers look about safety of metal bats.” The Brewton Standard. brewton standard, 30 March 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Russell A. Daniel. “Why Aluminum Bats Can Perform Better than Wood Bats.” Physics and Acoustics of Baseball & Softball Bats. Kettering University, 18 Oct. 2006. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Russell A. Daniel. “Physics and Acoustics of Baseball & Softball Bats.” Physics and Acoustics of Baseball & Softball Bats. Kettering University, 12 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Sanders, Jim. “Bill would ban metal bats in high school baseball.” The Sacramento Bee. The Sacamento Bee. 26 March 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.Schorn, Daniel. “Do Metal Bats Pose a Greater Risk?” CBS interactive Inc. CBS Interactive Inc, 27 July 2006. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Shwartz, John. “Prep baseball: Marin Catholic pitcher in induced coma after being hit in the head by line drive.”

Monterey County Herald. Monterey County Herald, 16 March 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Wilson, Duff. “Effort to Get Metal to Act Like Wood.” New York Times. NY Times, 17 Oct. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Glass, Steve. Personal Interview. 7 May, 2010.

221 Jose Godinez Research in the Community—B Block Craig Butz 14 May 2010 Equality for All and All for Equality Equality. One thing everyone can agree on is that everyone deserves equality no matter what. Students should have an equal opportunity to go to college; education equity is something everyone should strive for. Jonathan Kozol is a teacher who has been searching for the answer as to why the achievement gap is caused and how it can be closed, once said, “Why not at least, give the children in [America] something so spectacular, so wonderful and special in their public schools that maybe hundreds of them, maybe thousands, might be able to somehow soar up above the hopelessness, the clouds of smoke and sense of degradation all around them?” (Kozol 41). Why not give every student in America a chance to better themselves? Before something can be done one must look at what the roots of the problem and then try to see how it can be closed. One needs to make a journey similar to Jonathan Kozol’s search for the roots of the achievement gap and stop them. There are stereotypes that have built up in teacher’s minds about their students, such that they expect a White student to do better in school rather than a student of Color; this has greatly added to the large achievement gap in Marin county public schools and public schools around the nation.

Every child deserves an equal opportunity of going to college. The achievement gap is demonstrated through students’ GPAs, standardized test scores, drop out rates, and college completion rates. It is most evident in African American and Hispanic students. The gap between the high academic performance of white students and the low academic performance of their African American and Latino counterparts is what is referred to as the Achievement Gap (“Achievement Gap”). In general, the gap widens in Elementary school, then lessened in middle school, but widened again in high school (“Black-White Achievement Gap Persists in Schools Here”). Marin County shows one of the largest achievement gaps in California. Sergei, a senior at San Rafael High School, Marin’s most underperforming high school, commented on what he has seen through his education in the San Rafael School district: “At our school everyone knows the white kids are the ones getting good grades. It is rare to see a Hispanic who gets good grades” (Hanukovich). This problem is not only evident in data, but students at these schools are also very aware of the predominance of inequality.

If white students are the ones getting the better grades, they are then most likely to go to college, while Hispanics and Blacks who tend to do worse in school will not go to college or even graduate.

The achievement gap is a big problem in Marin County public schools. At San Rafael 37% of the students are white while 49% of the student body is Hispanic. Of 100 white students at San Rafael 65 will graduate and 36 will be college ready. Out of 100 Hispanic students, 51 will graduate, but only eleven of them will graduate college ready (UCLA Institute for Democracy). It is surprising to see this large difference in the amount of students who will graduate and be college ready. One would expect for all students at a highly regarded public high school to graduate and be college ready, but because this achievement gap persists, this has been unattainable. In the AP classes at San Rafael there is a low percentage of Hispanic students who are in them. Sergei takes several AP classes and has noticed that the largest amount of Hispanic students in one of his AP classes is three. The class sizes vary from ten to twenty students (Hanukovich). Since there the majority of students at San Rafael are Hispanic, it is astounding to only find two or three students in AP classes. There are many other Hispanic students at the school that are smart enough to take AP classes, but because of prejudice, they are treated differently; if a white student were in the same situation as a Hispanic, but maybe not as smart, they would have priority of getting into the AP classes.

Sergei emigrated from Russia in elementary school. He lived in the low income area of San Rafael called “The Canal” and was placed in Sheltered English for English language learners. From a young age he noticed he was treated differently from his Latino and African American peers. In the interview he said, “[the teachers] assumed since I was white I could handle the advanced classes, but since I lived among the Latino people, I met people who were just as smart as me… but didn’t get the same opportunities as me because the teachers had lower expectations because of who they were, what they were, or their race” (Hanukovich). As Sergei explained students can be discriminated against because of their race and are not given equal access to educational opportunity. The people in Marin have realized that the achievement gap plays a large role at San Rafael High School. They are trying to raise funds to invest in a child’s early education because for every $1 spent in their early childhood, $17 will be saved in the future because it wont be used on educational remediation or juvenile justice system (Eller). The achievement gap is a persistent problem in Marin and something needs to be done.

The achievement gap stretches far beyond just Marin; it is an occurring problem around the United States. On his search to find out more on the achievement gap, Jonathan Kozol set off to North Lawndale, a city largely populated

by African Americans. He visited a small preschool with twenty three students. As he sat in to observe the class, he thought to himself that if the statistics are right about the neighborhood he was in, one of the twenty three students should graduate college, while twelve of the boys would eventually spend time in prison. Not too far away from that

222 neighborhood, still in North Lawndale is another neighborhood where the majority of the population is white. The statistics there and in North Lawndale differ completely (Kozol 45). The differences between these two schools are astounding and there should not be such a large gap between how well one school on one side of town does and how badly another school on the other end of town is doing; more specifically the white school is doing better than the black school. In a larger picture, the nation’s statistics also show a significant difference in the amount of students who will make it to college. Out of one hundred white kindergarteners, thirty will graduate college with a bachelor’s degree. Out of one hundred black kindergarteners, only sixteen will graduate and get their bachelor’s degree (“Achievement Gap”).

The fact that there is such a difference in the two national averages should indicate that something needs to be done to level them.

“What do Americans believe about equality?” asks Kozol in Savage Inequalities (41). It seems like Americans have lost their sense in fairness, allowing the achievement gap to widen. The reason the achievement gap persists is because teachers and schools are not holding their students to higher standards. In Saint Louis, at one of the black schools, the students are taught 2nd grade material when they are in 5th grade. Then not too far away in a white neighborhood the students at that school are learning the age appropriate material (Kozol 60). If America believed in fairness and equality then it would not allow such atrocities to happen. If in white neighborhood, public schools are teaching grade level material or even more advanced material and because of this they receive more funding, it is completely unfair (Kozol 55). Schools who do better on standardized tests and have higher graduation rates receive greater funding. It is not a surprise to find out that the white students are learning the grade level material when they have more money than the black school.

The drop out rates in high school is another way of measuring the achievement gap. The students who drop-out tend to live a life in poverty, and families in poverty tend to have more children drop-out, so the cycle continues (“Achievement Gap”). If this cycle isn’t stopped it will continue never ending and the U.S. will fill itself of many lowincome citizens. The achievement gap might also be causing subtle unintentional racism between students of color and white students (“Mind the Gap”). Although they might not mean to act racist, the separation in classes can cause lots of prejudiced thoughts. Consciously or subconsciously, there are preliminary assumptions made between students, assumptions such as: I’m going to go with the white student because they probably do better than the Hispanic or black student in school. Thoughts like these are roots of racism. If the achievement gap continues to widen, more problems will be caused and they will increase in numbers and severity.

Stereotypes that have previously been built up in the mind of a teacher play a large role in the achievement gap.

“I think from the first day when the teacher looks at the class, right away the teacher makes the assumption that the white kids will get better grades. The problem is that the Hispanic student is expected to do worse” says Sergei as he explains why he thinks the achievement gap is created (Hanukovich). He said this because when he emigrated from Russia he was expected to do better than those who had emigrated from Africa, Mexico or other places from Latin America, etc. Even though he came to America much in the same way the others did, poor and non-English speaking, he was always seen as full of potential while the others were not. They assumed this because of the color of his skin, and not the background he had come from. This idea that intentionally or unintentionally teachers judge their students by what they look like and who they are, and not by what they can achieve is troubling. If a student has made it to an AP class it is because the school, judging off his GPA and other factors, has determined him to be capable of taking the class; because the school determined him capable of taking the class, teachers should try to be more aware so that they do not give the impression that they assume that the white student will do better than the student of color. Similarly, Quinn, an African-American student who was placed into an upper level class where the majority of the students were white, felt like the teacher had higher expectations of her white students than her black students. The few black students who were in the class sat together on one end of the room while the rest of the class, the white students, sat on the other end. He said, “It seemed like the teacher, she stayed on the other side of the room, away from us. The teacher focused on the larger group of whites and left us in the dust” (Solomon). Students who feel neglected choose to fall behind, it makes a lot of sense, because if they don’t feel like their teacher cares about them, they will not go and meet with them if they have any questions on the material. The student’s moral drops, he feels like he is all on his own and begins to fall behind. When both a student of color and white student are falling behind, the white student will receive more help. It seems as though the teacher assumes that the student of color is just not trying so they find it useless to help them out (Hanukovich).

Another component adding on to the widening of the achievement gap is that the schools don’t hold their students to high standards. Sergei thought that “the schools accept failure” (Hanukovich). The schools are too lenient on their students, so the students are accustomed to meeting their teachers low expectations, even though they have much more potential. For example, when a student is falling behind, instead of helping them, they put them in remedial classes to help them catch up. In reality this is just causing more problems than it is solving. The students, who are placed in the remedial classes, tend to stay there and don’t learn anything (Solomon).

223 Students come from all different types of families. People live different life styles, because of these lifestyles the educational gap has been created and keeps on widening. Hispanic families usually live similar life styles and have similar traditions and values (Hanukovich). All Latin American countries have similar traditions and values. But because they have recently left their country, they aren’t as aware of the opportunity their children have of going to college.

White students tend to have more access, they have internet and their parents teach them to read and write in English at a young age. White children usually are surrounded by people they know who have been to college, and it is only understandable that this culture or tradition rubs off on them and they have more of an urge to go to college. All these different advantages are not in the lives of recently immigrated Hispanics. Because Hispanic families have recently emigrated, they have to live a difficult life because they work harder jobs, so they ask a lot from their children, unlike most American families, who don’t have as many problems regarding money (Hanukovich). Money plays a large role in Marin. Child care is very expensive, so children of less wealthy parents do not tend to go to a proper childcare center, so they don’t get a proper education from the start (Eller). It is ridiculous that the achievement gap is caused because of economical situations.

Currently Marin has many programs that are dedicated to helping students go to college. These programs don’t just limit themselves to Marin; there are programs all over the country dedicated to helping students. Sergei said that at San Rafael has a number of programs to help students get on the right track to go to college. They try to get more students of color into their programs because they are the ones with the largest drop out rates and the least able to go to college, because they don’t know what they need to do to get there (Hanukovich). One program nationwide, determined to close the achievement gap is the Advanced Via Individual Determination program, also known as AVID. It helps students from 4th grade all the way through the end of high school. It targets the 1st generation and low income students, they receive instruction and tutorials teaching their students various things. The things they offer are time management classes, course organization instruction, strategies to enhance academic learning and tutoring by a college student (“AVID program on agenda for crane meeting”). “The programs can be found if students look for them; it’s all a matter of caring about bettering yourself” (Hanukovich). There are programs determined to close the achievement gap and when taken advantage of, they can be extremely useful.

The achievement gap has received attention from higher authorities. President Obama called for a broad reevaluation of President George W. Bush’s No Child left behind policy. Obama saw that Bush’s policy was not fixing the achievement gap rather it was just lowering the standards of the high schools. No Chlid Left Behind has students take the CAHSEE, which is pass or fail test. If a student fails it, then they cannot graduate, regardless whether they had good grades or not (Dillon). This was causing lots of students who had recently immigrated into America, but did not know the history of California or some grammatical rules they needed to know to pass the test, to not pass. Obama is proposing to change the tests so that they are no longer a pass or fail test, rather it is an additional factor to see whether you can graduate. Other things that would be taken into account are things such as how well a student did in school, and their academic growth. The new proposal would judge the schools on whether they are doing something to help close the achievement gap. The responsibility would be put onto teachers, if their students are not doing well on the variety of tests, the teachers are going to be the ones evaluated. The rough estimate of 100,000 public schools would be split up into groups, the 5000 highest performing schools would be rewarded, the 10,000 lowest performing schools and the ones with the highest achievement gaps would receive government help, and the rest would be classified in the middle and would have the task to figure out the problems they have on their own. The students in the schools would not be allowed to graduate until they are college ready, the reform is expected to kick in around 2020 (Dillon). Obama’s goal is to help close the achievement gap, while keeping the students standards high.

There are many factors that come into play when you want to fix the achievement gap, to fix the achievement gap one must know that early childhood education is essential, every student should be treated the same, and schools need to crack down on its students. The ideal school for closing the achievement gap is that it needs to have a committed principal who reaches out to the students and parents, there also need to be engaged teachers with high expectations and with flexible schedules that allows for longer days to teach extra courses and tutor students falling behind. The teachers working at the school would have to be some of the best teachers in the nation (“Mind the Gap”).

It is difficult to have all these characteristics be true in a school; nevertheless something needs to be done.

“Quality early education experiences make all the difference in closing the achievement gap, whether at home, in childcare, or in pre-school programs,” It is proven it is more likely for students who receive early childhood education to stay in school, have successful marriages, contribute to society, and live better lives (Eller). The government should spend more money on the early childhood education because in the long run it is helping the society and it helps close the achievement gap.

It is reoccurring in schools that all the students have different expectations to live up to, they are not expected the same from. Students in lower level classes are expected much less than those who are in the upper level classes.

When asked—what do your teachers expect from you?—the students respond “depends on the level you’re in”

224 (Solomon). Every student should be held to high standards, this is essential for closing the achievement gap. If every student is held to high standards, the students will be obligated to push themselves, thus slowly the achievement gap will begin to diminish.

The most important thing that schools need to do is that they “just need to crack down and say this is our problem and this is how we should fix it” (Hanukovich). Schools need to look at the problem straight in the eye and do something about it. The schools should take steps, because step by step the problem will become less. All students will have pressure of doing well in school, and the numbers actually doing well will increase. To motivate the students, in the midst of all their hard work, the schools should bring in alumni who for example went to San Rafael High School. The alumni should be Hispanic students who grew up in the same neighborhoods as the students there, and lived similar lives as them, but were able to make it to college. This way, the students will be motivated to do better in school, and the school should maintain the pressure on their students to do well in school. It will help close the achievement gap.

The achievement gap is an ongoing problem in the public schools of America. Marin County is one of the richest counties in the nation, but the achievement gap continues to persist in its public schools. The problem is that consciously or unconsciously, stereotypes have built up in teacher’s minds about their students; students are not pushed to their limit and are “left in the dust.” There are things that schools and the state can do and has begun to do, which can and will help close the achievement gap. Raising awareness of the achievement gap and doing something about closing it is the best way to help this seemingly never-ending problem.

Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the following people for reading and editing my paper: Sally Matsuishi, Zuleika Godinez, Emily Ward, Marisa Wong, Avi Stricker, and Craig Butz.

Works Cited "Achievement Gap." Research Center. Research Center, 10 Sept. 2004. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.edweek.org/rc/issues/achievement-gap/>.

"AVID program on agenda for Crane meeting." Sun 12 Apr. 2010. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

"Black-white achievement gap persists in schools here." St. Louis Post-Dispatch 26 Jan. 2009. General OneFile.

Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

Dillon, Sam. "Obama Calls for Major Change in Education Law." The New York Times 14 Mar. 2010, Education sec. The New York Times, 13 Mar. 1010. Web. 14 Apr. 1010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/education/14child.html?scp=2&sq=achievement%20gap&st=cse>.

Eller, Margy. "Marin Voice: Closing the Achievement Gap." Marin Independent Journal. Marin Independent Journal, 11 Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14862836?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-www.marinij.com Hanukovich, Sergei. "Interview with Sergei." Personal interview. 18 Apr. 2010.

Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools. New York: Crown Pub., 1991. Print.

"Mind the gap." San Francisco Chronicle 16 Nov. 2007: B10. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

Solomon, Nancy. "Racial Achievement Gap Still Plagues Schools." National Public Radio. National Public Radio, 31 Oct. 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114298676>.

“UCLA Institute for Democracy.” Education & Access. Educational Opportunity Report. 2009.

225 James Koch Research in the Community A-Block Craig Butz May 14, 2010 Strokes: A Leading Cause of Death, Disability and Controversy Strokes are the third leading cause of death in most first world countries. Almost 800,000 people in the U.S. alone suffer what doctors call a cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, each year, (Nogueria, Part 1, 649). As the average age of the population continues to increase, new stroke treatments are vital to saving people’s brain cells, and their lives. When a patient arrives at the hospital, a physician must immediately make the difficult choice of how to treat a stroke, or whether or not to treat it at all.

To understand the different forms of treatment, one must first understand the different kinds of strokes as well as the causes of the strokes. The type of stroke and symptoms are key factors in determining the treatment.

Rapid diagnosis and treatment is critical to limit brain damage. When considering possible treatment options, the physician also has to evaluate the short and long term affects as well as the form of treatment. How to or whether to treat a stroke is a controversial subject.

The two major types of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic, are treated in two completely different ways.

Ischemic strokes are more common, but the forms of treatment are less developed. In an ischemic stroke, blood flow to the brain is blocked, causing a lack of oxygen, which in turn kills brain cells. Eighty-seven percent of all cases are an ischemic stroke, (Lockhart); meaning that ischemic strokes are seven times more likely to occur than a hemorrhagic stroke. An ischemic stroke can be lacunar, small vessel, or non-lacunar, large vessel. A lacunar, or small vessel stroke, is when the blood is blocked in a small arterial in the more distal branches of the brain (NSA).

Sixteen percent of all ischemic strokes are lacunar, while the other 84% of ischemic strokes are non-lacunar or large vessel, (Lockhart). Non-lacunar or large vessel strokes occur when there is a clot in a major artery.

A hemorrhagic stroke is uncontrolled bleeding in the brain. Only 13% of strokes are hemorrhagic, (Lockhart). The only form of treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke is surgery, a process that has been practiced and perfected, unlike the treatment of an ischemic stroke. This paper is focused on ischemic strokes since the treatment is a more current and controversial subject.

The cause of the stroke directly relates to the type of treatment used. The leading cause of strokes is an embolism to the brain of cardiac or aortic origin, (Wedro). In other words a small chunk of the brain or heart flows into an artery and clogs it. Embolisms, which account for 30% of all ischemic strokes, cause non-lacunar ischemic strokes. (Lockhart). One of the major conditions that can cause this embolism to chunk is atrial fibrillation, when the atriums of the heart beat irregularly. Cardiac tumors can also cause pieces of the brain to chunk off and clog arteries.

Another frequent cause of an embolism is Bacterial Endocarditis, which is a bacterial infection that attacks the heart’s inner lining or the valves of the heart. Bacterial Endocarditis causes parts of the heart to chunk off and once again clog an artery in the brain. Cerebral ischemia due to perfusion failure or artery to artery embolisms can also cause a stroke, (Lockhart). Cerebral ischemia is the cause of 17% of ischemic strokes, mostly non-lacunar. The major causes of cerebral ischemia are vasculitis, in situ thrombosis and a severe carotid intracranial artery stenosis.

Vasculitis is the inflammation of an artery which causes the space inside the artery to become smaller, thus clotting the blood together. Carotid intracranial artery stenosis is the narrowing of the artery on the inside causing blood to pool together and clot. A lacunar stroke is caused by microatheroma, an abnormal build up of lipids in the arterial wall, hypertension or high blood pressure which causes pressure on the arteries, which in turn puts so much pressure on the arteries that they either clot or burst. Other causes include artery to artery embolism, or narrowing of the arteries, (Wedro). The remaining 37% of strokes are cryptogenic, (Lockhart, which means that the origins of the stroke are unknown.

Knowing the stroke risk factors provides an early warning system that a stroke may be occurring, potentially reducing wasted time before seeking treatment. High blood pressure or a sedentary lifestyle can increase the chance of having a stroke anywhere between 1.2 times and 2.7 times. High cholesterol, especially over twohundred sixty mg can increase the likelihood by 1.6 times. Smoking doubles the chance of having a stroke, as does Hypertension. Diabetes can increase one’s chances of having a stroke by 2.1 times. A transient ischemic attack, “TIA”, is a mini stroke which increases the chance of someone having a stroke by 1.2 times. A TIA mocks the symptoms of a normal stroke except the clot clears up relatively quickly by itself. A TIA is an emergency because it means likelihood of actual stroke occurring soon after is very high, (Wedro). Increasing age is another common risk factor for a stroke. Atrial fibrillation is by far the most dangerous risk factor. Someone with Atrial fibrillation increase is five times more likely to have a stroke, (Lockhart).

Once you know someone has one of listed risk factors above, one should be vigilant for the symptoms because it is important to recognize the stroke as soon as possible as certain treatment options can only be used a

226 few hours after the stroke begins. The reason these symptoms occur is that the lack of oxygen flow to the brain causes the brain tissue to die, causing loss of functions. The five major symptoms of strokes according to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes are sudden numbness or weakness in face, arm or leg, specifically on one side of body. A side affect of this weakness in face muscles can cause uncontrollable drooling. Another major symptom is for someone to be in a sudden state of confusion; they will have trouble speaking and understanding things. A third major symptom is sudden trouble walking. When this occurs, the person will have a difficult time balancing, and will constantly feel dizzy. The fourth major symptom is trouble seeing out of one or both eyes. This means the stroke is occurring in the front of the brain since the front of the brain controls vision. The fifth and final major symptom is a severe sudden headache without cause. Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke Scale suggests a simple three step test to determine if someone might be having a stroke. First, instruct the person to raise their arms, smile and then speak a simple sentence. If unable to perform the tasks, one should be taken to the hospital immediately.

At the hospital, the doctor will use one of the following methods to diagnose the stroke. The most common method is to use a Computerized Tomography scan. Doctors also might use a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan.

The advantage to using a MRI scan is that it is more detailed then the CT scan. The problem with the MRI scan being detailed is that it takes longer, and time is incredibly important. Also, people with metal in their body such as hip replacements or pace makers can not have an MRI, once again making the CT scan a more favorable form to use when diagnosing a stroke (Wedro).

Strokes are the number three killer in most first world countries, and the number one cause of disability. A stroke may cause loss of certain motor skills or forms of paralysis. Often, this loss of motor skills or paralysis occurs on one side of the body, (RBH). This is because if there is a stroke on one side of the brain it tends only to affect the opposite side of the body. Lack of feeling or awareness on one side of the body may also occur. Difficulty swallowing is also a common result, which leads to chest infections such as pneumonia, and may result in dehydration and/or constipation (RBH). Speaking, written and calculation problems may occur (RBH). This usually occurs when stroke occurs in left hemisphere, (RBH). Trouble recognizing or operating everyday objects, such as driving a car, using a toaster, or telling time," problems in interpreting what the eyes see, even where vision is not affected,” may also occur, (RBH). Other problems such as trouble with comprehension and mental process, memory, paying attention, difficulty with excretion, fatigue, psychological problems, low self esteem, mood swings, loss of appetite, insomnia, changes in cognitive functioning, expressing feelings in physical manners that are not true emotionally such as crying when you are happy or laughing when you are sad, extreme pains that do not respond to pain killers and depression. Depression is extremely common following a stroke. Also, 7-20% of people who survive a stroke develop epilepsy, (RBH). Epilepsy is a medical disorder in the brain that can result in sudden loss of consciousness. Many of these debilitating, lasting effects can be lessened or even prevented by the usage of treatment. This plays a major role in the decision to use or not to use invasive therapy.

The ability to know the severity of a stroke after recovery helps show the doctors the treatment’s effectiveness. To measure the severity of a stroke, several stroke measuring devices have been created. There is the Barthel index, which is rarely used. The Barthel index measures how well one is able to able to perform ordinary functions. It grades on one-hundred scale, with one hundred equaling the ability to perform all everyday tasks. There is also the modified Rankin Scale or mRS. This scale measures on a 90 day endpoint, meaning the end of the test occurs 90 days after the stroke. It measures zero for return to normal life, one is for no significant disability but there are symptoms. Two equals slight disability, and able to do things with out assistance. Three equals moderate disability with the ability to do things at a moderate level of assistance, and can’t walk without assistance. A four means they are unable to do most things. Five equals unable to perform any functions or even respond to anything and six means death. The mRS is one of the more common scales used to measure the severity of a stroke.

Glasgow Outcome Scale is another scale used, though it is more often used for SAH, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. SAH is cerebral bleeding in the Subarachnoid portion of the brain. The Glasgow Scale is used to measure the recovery from a stroke. A one equals good recovery, a two is slight disability, three is severe disability and four is survival in an unresponsive state.

Another common measurement scale is the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (“NIHSS”), which is a measure of neurological deficit. It tracks recovery, while quantifying 11 different categories. A 30 or above is usually a fatal stroke, above twenty is very severe, ten to twenty is only severe and less than eight is mild. Posterior strokes get the highest scores, because they cause the most harm to testable functions.

The most common scale is the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction or TIMI scale, which measures the effectiveness of a device or drug at reperfusion. Perfusion is to permeate something, so in this case the TIMI scale is testing the ability of the product to allow the blood to flow back in the brain. A zero means that there was no perfusion of blood. A one means perfusion past the clot, but no filling of the distant branches of the brain. A two means perfusion with slow or incomplete distal branch filling and a three is full perfusion with filling of all distant

227 branches. TICI is basically the same scoring system as TIMI exactly except TICI was supposed to be created as a tool only for neurologists. The difference is the “C” stands for cranial in the TICI score (Lockhart).

Until 1996, there were no forms of treatment for an Ischemic stroke. With the introduction of recombinantTissue Plasminogen Activator, “r-TPA” in 1996, so too was introduced the debate of whether or not to use this new form of treatment. r-TPA, is a thrombolytic, or clot busting agent. This means that it dissolves the clot by working as a catalyst that activates plasminogen, which occurs naturally on the clot, and turns it into plasmin. The activated plasmin then cuts open the clot. Thus r-TPA is effective at removing clots. The removing of the clot allows the oxygenated blood to flow back into the brain, saving valuable brain cells and sometimes lives. The problem, as the clinical trial shows, is that r-TPA increases the bleeding. In fact the likelihood of symptomatic ICH, or bleeding in undamaged parts of the brain, causing more damage, increases ten times when r-TPA is used. Also asymptomatic ICH, or bleeding in damaged parts which does not cause more of the brain to die, almost doubles (Lockhart).

Despite these drawbacks, both the American Heart Association, and the American Stroke Association recommend the use of r-TPA. The earlier r-TPA is used the more effective it is. Also r-TPA can only be introduced within three hours of the stroke. r-TPA is especially effective in treating ischemic strokes, particularly lacunar strokes (Wedro).

Again treating a stroke can prevent some of the debilitating effects of a stroke. In fact, in a recent case study it was shown that the usage of r-TPA improves overall life quality of a stroke by 13%.

Mechanical devices are used to remove clots in the bigger clots or non-lacunar strokes because they are more effective at dissolving and removing larger clots that r-TPA cannot remove. The two most common devices are the Penumbra System and the MERCI Retriever. The Penumbra System works by thrombosis debulking aspiration. This means the Penumbra System is used to dissolve and suck the clot away, (Nogueria, Part 1, 655). A physician inserts the device, which is a long catheter, into the patients groin area. From there, the device is navigated through the body until it reaches the clot. Once it reaches the clot it beings to debulk and aspirate. The Penumbra System begins breaking down the clot little by little breaking up the clot and sucking it away, (Lockhart). A Clinical Trial expert, Mr. Mario Aceves describes the advantages the Penumbra System provides, specifically why the Penumbra System is the best choice for physicians to use when treating a stroke, “[The Penumbra System] uses what we call continuous aspiration, meaning constant suction so that small pieces of clot do not break off and travel further up into the brain. [Also the Penumbra System allows for] multiple attempts to remove the clot which can be made over and over again using the same catheter and separator. Penumbra can remove the clot from a proximal position. This basically means that doctors can see where the Penumbra System is located relative to the artery walls and clot. In comparison, the MERCI retriever needs to be deployed on the distal (far) end of the clot. This is risky because some clots are located in a terminating artery, and when traveling through a clot, most doctors cannot see where the clot ends, and where the artery wall begins. [A doctor is] more likely to break through the artery wall on accident when navigating the MERCI device through the clot,” (Aceves).

The Penumbra system, which boasts an 80% success rate in opening the blood vessel, has been proven to be one of the most effective products on the market for treating a non-lacunar stroke (Aceves).

An older, less efficient, yet more tested mechanical device is the MERCI retriever. The MERCI retriever was approved in 2004 for the use of treating acute ischemic strokes. As describe in a recent article the MERCI retriever is “…a flexible nitnol wire with coil loops that in conjunction with a microcatheter and an 8F or 9F balloon guided catheter,” (Nogueria, Part 1, 653). Mr. Aceves’ opinion on the advantages and drawbacks of the MERCI retriever are that some doctors claim MERCI works better on larger diameter, and longer clots, also MERCI clot retrieval theoretically has a shorter procedural time. The disadvantages are if you fail to retrieve the clot during the first pass, you will need to redeploy MERCI, making your operating time longer. You also have to go distal to the clot in order to deploy; possible puncture of artery wall may occur. When dragging a clot out of the patient, small pieces can possibly break off and flow into other arteries causing another stroke (Aceves). The MERCI retriever has treated and estimated total of over 9,000 people, (Nogueria, Part 1, 653).

The debate of whether or not treating the stroke is in the patient’s best interest began with introduction of the first form of treatment, r-TPA, in 1996. The advantages of using a device or a drug to clear up a stroke is that treatment has a positive affect on the long term, but may increase bleeding, thus increasing the short term symptoms.

This influences a doctor’s decision immensely. The devices also take time and precision to use. Precious hours of training must be spent so that the doctor is qualified to use this device. Some devices are also particularly difficult to use. Certain medical journals claim that, “Despite higher rates of re-canalization, the mechanical thrombectomy studies have demonstrated substantially lower rates of good outcomes compared with IV and/or intra-arterial throbolytic trials,” (Nogueria, Part 2, 859). All of this goes into the physicians’ mind when they are determining whether or not to treat the stroke.

228 With the increase in the average age of the population, it is critical for physicians to utilize the new available forms of treatment as to save brain cells and lives. Treatments can only be used within a certain amount time after the stroke so it is important for people to get to the hospital as soon as possible to get the stroke. When treatment is used, a patient’s chance of recovery and survival is increased. In a recent clinical trial, it was shown rTPA increases the chance of survival by 4%. That means that in the U.S. alone, if everyone who had a stroke had been given r-TPA, nearly five thousand people could have survived, not to mention the chance of saving brain cells and preventing further damage. Mechanical devices are also important because many of the people who have Ischemic strokes have “large clots with fibrous textures [kind of like peanut butter], or hard clots that have calcium and cholesterol deposits tend to be resistant to r-TPA. Thus, intra-arterial mechanical intervention is probably the best course of treatment…. [i]f not removed people will die,” (Aceves). Of these different forms of treatment, “the Penumbra System seems to be the most effective. Our studies consistently show that our device works over 80% of the time. Thus, with my bias aside, one could argue that the Penumbra System is the best way to treat stroke,” (Aceves). Despite these benefits, doctors still don’t use treatment. This is because many Neurologists still don’t think it is wise to use invasive therapy because of the potential damage that could be caused, and Neurologists are key consultants when someone at the hospital has a stroke. Since Neurologists don’t believe in invasive therapy they convince the doctors not to use a form of invasive therapy. Also, a large amount of training is required for doctors to be able to use a mechanical device. The doctor might feel out of practice, and it is dangerous because if the doctor makes a mistake, they might break open the artery and blood could spill into the brain causing more damage, (Aceves). Despite the stigma surrounding stroke treatment, it is critical for them to be treated as to save everyday functions and lives.

I would like to acknowledge Luke Pickrell, Lucius Fernald, Imani Pardue-Bishop, Craig Butz, Richard Koch, and Lynn Rothman for giving me feed back on my paper.

Works Cited Aceves, Mario. “Stroke Questions.” James Koch. 23 Apr. 2010. Email.

Clarke, James. “Stroke Head Injury and Neurological Rehabilitation.” Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2010.

Lockhart, John “Stroke Info” Penumbra, Alameda California. 12 April. 2010.

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229 Sophia Lemmo Research in the Community Craig Butz 14 May 2010 Transforming the Special Education Department within the SFUSD As the rate of diagnosed autism in children skyrockets and becomes a more prevalent concern it is essential to re-evaluate the public schools’ special education department. The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have reported that autism is present in one in every ten children (Jacob).

Students with autism have distinctive sensory profiles and it can be challenging to adapt intervention methods to best support their unique characteristics. Moderately to severely autistic students need to be equipped with the correct tools in order to best face the broad and harsh realities of society post graduation. Preparing these kids to take on demanding jobs is not always beneficial, but goals need to be set that target the student’s exact needs. Yet, in a time where budget concerns are sweeping the nation, how can the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) afford to further improve their system? Along with re-evaluating the current funding methods, the SFUSD's SpecialEd Department should deemphasize the established teaching models and concentrate on turning mainstreaming upside down by combining Special Day Classes and the federally mandated Inclusion Model in a meaningful way while integrating the DIR (Development Individual differences Relationships) system to better support moderately to severely autistic students.

Despite the rise of autism in the United States many people are still confused on what being autistic entails.

Of course there is no simple way to sum up what autism is. Each individual is completely different and varies in their symptoms. But let us try to grasp a more solid definition of what being moderately to severely autistic means.

People who fall into this category are often socially awkward and are developmentally behind in many aspects.

Below is the list of criteria as outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 299.00: • impairments in social interactions • impairments in communication • Restricted repetitive and stereotypical patterns of behavior, interests, and activities • Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas: o Social interaction o Language as used in social communication o Symbolic or imaginative play Each student with autism has a completely different sensory profile, which means they employ or react to their senses very differently. Three primary internal automatic senses are most often impacted by autism. These are the vestibular sense (movement), touch, and proprioception- the ability to figure out where ones body is positioned in space. A student is either hypo-responsive, signifying they need more input to get a message, or hyper responsive; it only takes a little bit of the sensations for them to be overwhelmed and resort to a fight or flight response (Greenspan and Wieder). As Greenspan and Wieder, two specialists in the field of autism, have written in their book “The Child with Special Needs”, a child who is moderately to severely developmentally effected is possibly over or under sensitive to sound, visual stimuli, movement, auditory processing, cognitive and emotional processing, and visual spatial processing (30-36).

Today, in the SFUSD, students who meet one of eight criteria qualify for special-ed services. The intervention program depends on their level of impairment. If the child simply has a learning disability they go to “typical” classes and may meet with a learning specialist. If they are high functioning, not a threat to the classroom learning environment, and can keep up academically, they are mainstreamed and may meet with any number of developmental therapists. Lower functioning students can either also go into an inclusion or be placed in a special day program depending on their individual profile (California Department of Education.). Finding the least restrictive environment that a student can handle is crucial unless the inclusion program is implemented poorly (“IDEA”). One must take into account the ideal inclusion program v. the reality of it. A teacher at Marina Middle School informed me of the Teacch system that is currently being implemented in the SFUSD. Fundamentally, it tailors the environment through visual cues in attempt to create a more individually adapted experience. Yet, it could be more integrated with other strategies, wide-spread, and modified to be more effective. Although this is definitely not the worst way to set up the special-ed system there could definitely be some changes enforced.

Although traditional special education models can appear to be successful, more often than not they leave students with more severe social impairments feeling isolated and neglect to incorporate the student’s sensory profile. Inclusion is an established educational model that has been receiving al lot of attention in recent years. Full Inclusion or mainstreaming involves educating students who have disabilities in the same classroom setting as “typically” developing students. Services and other support for the given disability are ideally handled while he/she

230 attends “typical” classes” (Janney et. al. 2). In theory, Inclusion could be a wonderful way of offering more advanced academics and a “typical” social environment to prepare the students for society. Giving students the opportunity to have the “normal” relationships that come along with mainstreaming is valuable unless the student is far from ready to handle it or the program is set up inadequately. For some students who are more severely impaired socially, full inclusion should not be considered unless it has dramatically changed. These students are not ready to keep up academically and assets to afford fully trained teachers to take on this extra challenge are lacking. At the Marina Middle School one special-ed student involved in a mainstream program was unfortunately teased by the other students in his classes. His mom needed to find him a new school. Although this particular case is sad, it is not unusual. Many public schools do not have the resources to prepare the regular-ed students for integrating lower functioning autistic peers. If the SFUSD could provide a better tailored, disciplined program that addressed these deficits, inclusion would be a much better option than it currently is. After elementary school the social scene can become more harsh and difficult for the mainstreamed socially impaired students to take on (McNear). Dr. Kalmanson mentioned how inclusion could be horrible for these autistic students. The only times when she saw the inclusion model as being the best option was for students who are academically capable and close enough socially that they could make friends.

As well as leaving many moderately to severely socially impaired students detached, the inclusion program can deliver a shocking transition from a manageable home life. Joining a regular-ed class is a recipe for a sensory overload. Since the classroom has not been adapted to fit their needs, it can be like placing a fish out of water. Then factor in all the switches from class to class that happens throughout the day. Temple Grandin, a woman with high functioning autism, discussed how it is important for children with special needs to be forced to try some new experiences in her book. Yet, there is a fine line between having them do just enough to benefit from it and setting off a temper tantrum. A child can not be expected to learn if all of their senses are on fire. They will not be able to process what is happening and can then make no meaning of their surroundings. As Grandin puts it, “A good teacher has good instincts and knows how much a child has to be pushed to get progress” (92).

However, it is important to not disregard all inclusion programs. Integrating inclusion programs into the US public school systems was the result of a long fought battle. IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) mandated students receive the least restrictive educational environment possible in 1990. Mainstreaming students with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and students with much milder cases of autism is essential. There is no question that they are equipped with the social skills and tools to keep up in school. Deciding if inclusion is valuable for a student is really a case by case situation (“IDEA”).

On the other side of the spectrum there are Special Day classes. Ideally these classes can offer a well adapted environment for moderately to severely autistic students. Yet, these can separate the students and prevent them from integrating into society. The Inclusion Model was formed as a reaction against the Special Day Model.

The Special Day Model can be taken too far and become unjust if it is does not address its’ isolating effects. If special-ed classes were set up in order to focus on the student’s sensory profile and to support the individuals, they could go far in better educating moderately to severely autistic individuals (Greenspan and Wieder). However, in many districts, including the SFUSD, too much energy is put into pushing academics on the students. Time and resources would be more beneficially spent if they went towards molding a less restrictive environment that suited the individual’s relationship deficits and exploited their explicit strengths on a pathway to a meaningful life skill for ultimate employment. Temple Grandin also addresses this issue in her book. She mentioned how due to the “No Child Left Behind” policy, schools have begun pushing academics on children without putting much thought into their needs and the teaching methods (45). As an issue of Palestra, a magazine that discuses special teaching models, puts it “Effectively teaching students who have severe, profound and multiple disabilities can be quite challenging.

Imagination and creativity are essential” (Stopka et. al.). Sitting at desks can test the student’s patience and focus driving them to their breaking point. Activities that target motor needs are important as well The SFUSD special education program could be improved by focusing more on meeting in the middle. By meshing both established models, one can set up the ideal situation for a moderately to severely autistic students.

Both Inclusion and Special Day classes contain aspects that a student with social deficits can benefit from. Inclusion is important so that the child can be integrated into society and can have regular social interactions. Special day classes can be more easily molded to fit a child’s learning needs or sensory profile. Currently the SFUSD lets a handful of special ed students spend half their day in the special day classes and attend half of their classes with everyone else (Zecca). Yet, is it right to ask those with autism who have trouble with transitions to leave the comfort of a more adapted environment and enter one that is less sensitive to sensory input and have to learn there? Dr. Barbra Kalmanson started Oak Hill School, which is specialized for students with special needs and aims to meaningfully incorporate inclusion. During the school day the students attend classes in a special day class environment, but after school neurologically-typical students from around the area come to the school for

231 recreational activities. The developmentally-affected students and the “typical” students are integrated into the same environment to do fun lively activities such as drama, hiking, biking, yoga, or making music videos (Kalmanson).

This allows for the students to stay in the comfort of their customized environment, while still being challenged and incorporated into society. This method of inclusion is the most meaningful and beneficial. The SFUSD could offer after school activities such as these.

Realistically it could be hard to get regular-ed students to participate in after school programs with the special-ed department. The school could make it count for community service or look for siblings/family of the special-ed students to participate. Every student is very busy trying to balance school, social life, family life, sports, etc and it may be hard to recruit students to participate in integrated recreational activities. Currently the regular-ed students are not made aware of the conditions of the special-ed programs. If more awareness was spread, and the teachers who were going to lead the after school programs went out to personally ask students to join, enough students could be gathered. The teacher would need to meet with the neurologically-typical students in advance to prepare them. The Oak Hill School’s staff targets the family of the special-ed students to participate (Kalmanson).

These after school programs are valuable teaching moments for everyone involved.

It is imperative to not only modify the way the system is structured, but the teaching methods that are followed within the classroom. The incorporation or influence of the DIR model ensures active learning and takes into account the students sensory profile. The D stands for “development”- what developmental stage is the student at? The “I” represents “individual differences” – it is important to remember each student has unique needs. As Greenspan and Wieder make clear, it is key to understand the individuals “sensory profile, processing capacities, and motor planning and sequencing abilities” (34). The last letter, “R” stands for “relationship”. For students with issues concerning communication and relatedness it can be very valuable for them to focus on interacting with others. Relationships can also provide context and let professionals see how the children with autism act when they are making connections with other peers. The DIR model is best known to be used for early childhood intervention, but the principles can be applied to any school setting. In the DIR model there are six milestones that are set out as goals for the children (Greenspan and Wieder): o Shared attention and regulation o Intimacy and engagement o Purposeful two-way communication o Complex communication o Emotional ideas o Emotional thinking Each milestone targets key aspects of a child’s developmental profile and works to ready them for society.

In order for the DIR model to be successful, crucial features need to be made explicitly clear. The model is intended to teach these students by captivating their attention in interesting and creative ways. Play is stressed. If one can incorporate a lesson on history or a lesson on turn taking by way of a game, the student will be more likely to benefit from it then through the lecture model. Another term for this is “project based learning” (Grandin 41). Dr. Kalmanson explains how in one of the classes at her school they used video games to create a meaningful academic experience. Video game loving students helped to construct their own video games that depicted famous wars in history. By using the interests of the individual children a teacher can devise a more significant lesson plan (Kalmanson). Temple Grandin is living proof of how important it is to nurture an autistic child’s interests. “Interests and talents can turn into careers,” she writes (Grandin 34). It also can not be stressed enough how important “floor time” is. In floor time it is all about “going for the gleam in the eye” (Greenspan and Wieder). This means mobilizing affect by following the child’s lead and looking for emotional cues. It aims for the family to become a major figure in the child’s early developmental therapy process. Lastly it encourages families and institutions to start intervention programs while the child is still young and their brain is malleable.

Goal-making is an easy way to keep track of a child’s progress and set a concrete path to build a curriculum around. Goals should not necessarily be academically driven; the goal should target the student’s exact needs and not that of the districts. Goals should focus on monitoring behavior that will eventually lead to a smooth incorporation into society and in the long run finding a career in life. For example, at Marina Middle School some of a student’s goals were to stop eating markers and crayons, work on brushing teeth, while at the same time learn to write their name more precisely. Often, however, school policies such as “No Child Left Behind” get in the way of setting appropriate goals. Harry, a student in a special day class at Lowell, has been forced to read books far beyond his level such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” because those were the only book the school would approve (McNear).

Temple Grandin teaches that the overall goal of teaching children with autism is “not to turn them into clones of their typical peers” (Grandin 25). A more valuable view point is that the overall aim of goals is to prepare students to be “functional in the world and use their talents to the best of their ability” (Grandin 25). Goals do not need to be

232 to complex, in fact, it is important to make them accomplishable in order for the student to feel like they are making progress and encourages them to continue to make an effort (Olegtree, Billy et al.). Overall, goals are devices that assist in accomplishing and keeping track of positive change. IEP (individual educational plan) meetings with parents are essential. There, goals and the student’s progress at school can be discussed with the parent so everybody is on-board with the students (Olegrtee et al.).

Once these alterations have been instigated the special education department can make huge strives towards committing to an individualized program that readies student for post graduation life. The ultimate goal that the teachers and classes should be reaching towards is preparing these students for careers. By following the DIR model and meshing inclusion and special day classes the special education program will better prepare the students to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives.

Funding, however, is a huge issue. Now that the ground work is set realistic funding actions to better support the autistic students need to be addressed. In order to set up an effective special-ed department, California first and foremost needs to re-address Prop 13. Although one may be quick to overlook this as a factor preventing the special-ed department from flourishing, it happens to be the policy that constricts the SFUSD the most. In 1978 Prop 13 was enacted. It stated that a citizen’s property tax could not exceed 1% value. Limits were also laid down that restrict the annual increase value. Before this bill was established, schools received 47% of their funding from property tax revenues, which also paid for a variety of public services (Hamm 13). One can only imagine the devastating impact Prop 13 had on California’s public services. The only reason this bill was so favorable at the time was due to the extreme anger surrounding the costly property taxes (Lochhead). George Akerlof, a Nobel laureate economist at UC Berkeley said “There is no question it ought to be repealed because it has been disastrous for California.” Is it any coincidence that before this bill was passed that California public schools were listed among the top of the nation and now have dropped down to the 48th best (Lochhead)?

Along with overturning Prop 13, other methods should be sought in order to gain additional funds. The idea of cutting back on the transportation budget or even implicating a small charge for bus rides has been visited by some Board of Education members to help balance out a $113 million hole (Aldax). Creating more direct routes and cutting down on the amount of routes or buses could in its self free up a lot of money over time. If there was a way to charge a small sum of money, a huge difference could be made.

In the book “The Way I See It” Grandin writes “Valuable time that could be spent in meaningful instruction that helps the child is wasted while the school and parent butt heads for not just months, but in many cases, years” (28). Obviously needless legislation can drain the school’s budget in ways that do not directly benefit the students. If Inclusion and Special Day classes met student’s needs more effectively, perhaps court cases would be better avoided. Educating parents regarding how to best communicate with their child’s teachers might also decrease these court cases. However, safeguarding the parent’s right to sue is still important. Landmark improvements, such as racial integration and providing the least restrictive environment possible, have been accomplished through parent legal actions (“IDEA”).

Special Day Classes v. Inclusion is a dispute with long roots. The increase in diagnosis of autism is only putting more pressure on the debate (Jacob). In cases where the students have moderate to severe autistic social deficits it is important to pay attention to both programs and find a meeting point between them. Introducing the DIR model is universally helpful and comes along with an array of positive effects. Yet, funding is a pressing concern that has been constricting the public schools for much too long. It is time to overturn past policies in order to obtain the money to make useful adaptations to the SFUSD. I would like to acknowledge Veronica Stamats, Brent Messino, Jessica Rios Lopez, Craig Butz, Cassie Britton, and Connor Mattoon for looking over my paper.

Bibliography Aldax, Mike. “SFUSD mulls charging for bus service.” San Francisco Examiner 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2010.

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Greenspan, Stanley I., Serena Wieder, and Robin Simons. The Child with Special Needs: Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1998. Print.

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233 Web. 5 May 2010.

Jacob, Ellen. "Shocking Statistics on the Prevalence of Autism and Ways to Show Your Support." San Francisco Examiner. 19 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2010.

Janney, Rachel E., Martha E. Snell, Mary K. Beers, and Maria Raynes. "Integrating Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities into General Education Classes." Exceptional Children 61.5 (1995). Questia. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

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Lochhead, Carolyn. "Prop. 13 Remains Controversial after a Quarter of a Century." San Francisco Chronicle. 16 Aug. 2003. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

McNear, Mary. Personal interview. 9 May 2010.

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Stopka, Christine, Ann Goodman, and Claudia Siders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Activity Ideas for Students with Severe/ Profound/ Multiple Disabilities.â&#x20AC;? Palaestra. Palaestera, 1997. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

234 Connor Mattoon May, 14, 2010 Research in the Community Craig Butz NBA Now Or Later?

It’s 1996, in New York City, Madison Square Garden and David Stern approaches the podium and announces that the thirteenth pick of the NBA draft goes to Kobe Bryant. At the time, Mr. Bryant was a senior at Lower Marion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. When drafted, Kobe was only eighteen years old ("Kobe Bryant”). Kobe made headlines around the country with his decision to enter the NBA straight out of high school.

He would not be the only one to make such a bold move in the years to follow. He would be joined by the likes of Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, and Monta Ellis, to name a few. It may surprise some that the NBA has been drafting players out of high school since 1962. Reggie Harding was the first high school kid to be drafted to the NBA. In reading his athletic bio, it is easy to see how unprepared he was for his experience in the NBA (“Struggles to Return to the N.B.A.”). Described in the New York Times, Harding had serious personal problems. He was addicted to drugs; he was belligerent and threatening to general managers, coaches and women. In 1972 at 30 years old he was shot to death in his car (HoopsHype). These dramatically different life experiences bring into question whether the rule in place today is protecting athletes from following Reggie’s path, or is it promoting the same behavior? Is the lure of superstar status in the NBA greater than the value of a college education? Will the drafting of high school players produce Kobe Bryant’s or Reggie Harding’s? An inquiry into the success rate of players drafted from high school points towards a clear answer to these questions. If an athlete has the opportunity to play in the NBA that opportunity should just be part of a successful life. Many players just out of high school are not equipped to have as magnificent of a career as Kobe Bryant. If the rule was established to protect players from Reggie Harding’s fate, the rule is not working. Although high school players may feel they are ready for their NBA lives, four years of college can drastically change a player’s life after the game, and ultimately help them become better people.

Before 2010, there were no age or academic restrictions on a individual to play in the NBA. Currently, there are strict regulations on age for entry into the NBA. It appears four groups are affected by the rule: players, coaches, schools and the NBA itself. Currently, a player must be 19 years old, one year removed from high school, to play in the NBA. (NBA Age Limit - Hoopedia.) The current rules of the NBA are in place to give players a opportunity of some education unlike Reggie Harding. The rule states that a player must be 19 years old and one year out of college. (“The Board Role”) Overall the NBA prefers players who have completed one year of college versus no college at all. It makes sense to let individuals mature and come to understand the importance of an education, their commitment to their school and its fans. However, is one year truly enough to develop a athlete with the necessary maturity and skill to compete in the NBA. Roughly 94 players have been drafted out of high school since 1962. ("NBA Draft Numbers Game.") Of those 94, only a few of them have achieved superstar status and life success. Three players to be drafted out of high school who are achieving the ultimate success in sport and in life are Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Dwight Howard. Kobe Bryant continues to be one of the most well known names in sports. His current career includes four NBA championships, three NBA All Star MVP awards and 12 NBA All Star participations to date. Mr. Bryant earns approximately 30 million dollars a year, including endorsements. (“JockBio: Kobe Bryant”) Dwight Howard has led the Orlando Magic to three division titles and one conference title. He has also one a gold metal in the 2008 Olympics. Christianity is of major importants to Dwight Howard, he has said that he wanted to “Raise the name of god within the league and throughout the world”. In 2009 the Jefferson Awards for Public Service honored Dwight Howard for his charitable work. (“Dwight Howard”) Lebron Raymone James, also know as “King James”, changed the face of basketball at age eighteen. He was one of the first young players to sign a 90million dollar shoe contract with Nike, before he began his professional career. His basketball achievements are extreme, and his career has encompassed merchandising and branding of his name. ("JockBio: LeBron James”) It is these players super stardom and celebrity that draws young high school athletes into the NBA, but few will have this experience. Kobe, Lebron and Dwight are not only exceptions to the rule but their stardom is what seduces high school athletes into the NBA. Unlike the superstars listed above, there are many players whos success will never be acknowledged.

These are the ones we know very little about who had short careers with the NBA and spent more time on the bench than in the spotlight. Some of such players are Shawn Kemp, Leon Smith and Ousmane Cisse. Their struggle is hard to accept in a arena that is full of potential.

Shawn Kemp began his NBA career in 1989. He was drafted from Concord High School in Elkhart, Indiana. His career began not with hoop dreams, but rather theft. He stole a teammate’s necklace and pawned it for money. His personal life was not much better. He allegedly fathered seven illegitimate children which indicates that he was not responsible with his relationships and therefore not responsible in his basketball career. Shawn

235 Kemp was arrested for drug possession in 2005, and again in 2006. He made several attempts to renew his career once with the Dallas Mavericks and once with the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, he never secured a position with a NBA team. ("Shawn Kemp”) If Shawn had attended college, he would received guidance on his academic interests and help with his academic struggles, lead him into personal responsibility.

Leon Smith was selected as the final pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 1999 by the Dallas Mavericks. His story reflects a lack of adaptability and respect for authority. He would never achieve personal success. After being drafted, he moved form Chicago to Dallas with all of his personal possessions in one bag.

With money forwarded to him by the Mavericks he bought two beds, a television, and some stereo equipment. This action, while it seems typically normal, was very unusual for Smith, who grew up in a children’s home surrounded by lots of people. The isolation and uncertainty of his new situation proved to be detrimental. He continued to struggle with communication between his coach and his teammates. He was disruptive around the team. Friends from Chicago constantly called wanting money. After the breakup with his girlfriend, Leon Smith attempted suicide. He would continue to struggle, but would never find the support he needed in the NBA (“Struggles”). A college experience would have offered Leon Smith the opportunity to work with a athletic coach. In this environment, he would have learned to trust and embrace authority.

The Denver Nuggets signed Ousmane Cissse in 2001. He was a graduate of Montgomery Catholic High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Although in high school he won two state championships and he broke several high school Athletic Association records, his career in the NBA would not be nearly as glorious. Cisse played a limited number of games for the Nuggets, was injured and then released. He found a job out of the NBA playing for the Harlem Globe Trotters. He returned to the NBA and played for the Orlando Magic, but was released after just one game, and went to USBL (development league). He also went to another development league and played there until 2005. After that Cisse began a international career in Israel. He finished his career in 2008 in Israel having spent a brief time in the NBA not fulfilling his dream. One of the most important features of a athletic college experience is the ability to develop greater skills and understanding of the game. If Cisse had had a college experience, he may have been better prepared for the physical demands and skills presented to him in the NBA ("NBA Development League: Ousmane Cisse.").

Before the age limit was in place, the desire for fame and fortune drove a players, decisions to play in the NBA. Leon Smith is quoted in a New York Times article as saying, “I wanted to be on TV, “’ he said”’ “That’s all I wanted to be. I wanted to get out of the projects. That’s it.” (“Struggles”). Lebron James was offered 14.5 million dollars out of high school to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s hard to imagine how this amount of money wouldn’t motivate anyone’s decision. In contrast, Dwight Howard’s motivation was not for money or fame, but to promote the name of God through exposure within the league. Allowing players out of high school into the NBA is still controversial. Many believe that by drafting players from high school has diluted the level of college competition. It is also a widely held belief that players out of high school, while they may dominate at that level, are not up to playing at a professional level of competition, physically or emotionally. If students don’t have a college opportunity, their experience both academically and personally is limited. Without this experience, they are less likely to be able to handle the stress of an NBA lifestyle. They are also less likely to develop skills for a career outside of basketball without college. A basketball player at Harvard University said his college basketball career was his favorite time in his life, but he was concerned about the rule because he felt it does a disservice to the athletes. He felt that college athletes can use college as a way to achieve something better (“Educational Chief”).

The NBA requires its players to complete one year of a college education. It is the desire of the NBA with the age restriction rule to “restore balance between sports and education (“Board Role”). The NBA rule has a direct effect on colleges and how they implement their athletic programs. Colleges rely heavily on their sports programs to raise money for their schools. These athletic funds go to scholarships and other academic interests. If a college is fortunate enough to have a successful NCAA team, this team can help propel a college into financial success. For example, Duke University has enjoyed many success on the court, and it hasn’t done poorly off the court, either.

The university is an incredible fundraising machine. Duke has raised enough money from private donors to pay for 11 basketball scholarships, a team scholarship, and a scholarship for the team manager each year (“Men’s Basketball. Duke Blue Devils”). Without continued participation by athletes, colleges will not be able to encourage a strong fan base, school spirit and ultimately financial support.

Similarly, college coaches want to meet the goal of having kids get a education. Dennis Hartzell, former head coach of Columbia University, spoke with me directly regarding his philosophy on this issue. While he was coaching at Columbia, there was no age restriction limit, but going from high school to the NBA was not an idea that any aspiring athlete would consider. His considered opinion is that athletes not be drafted out of high school because they will not be prepared for their lives ahead. Coach Hartzell suggested that even players who could make it to the NBA out of high school might not have any skills to support them in a life after the NBA. Coach Hartzell

236 expressed that there are very few players who would be able to make a successful transition into the NBA straight out of high school. In his opinion, by staying in college, athletes will get an education, refine their athletic skills, learn to be coached, and learn how to play on a high caliber team. These are not only good basketball skills, they are also good life skills.

Arguably the best in NBA was Michael Jordan. In high school Michael was a dominate member of his team. He had the opportunity to attend a basketball camp where he met legendary University of North Carolina (UNC) coach Dean Smith. In an athletic scholarship, UNC is where Michael would hone his skills on and off the court (“Men’s Basketball. Carolina Tar Heels”). Michael would develop a passion and understanding for the game.

His physical agility and acrobatic leaping made him a legend at UNC. In 1982 during the National Championship game, Jordan threw up a buzzer beater which would seal a win for the Tar Heels and launch him into stardom.

Michael Jordan graduated from the UNC with a degree in Cultural Geography. When he joined the NBA he quickly emerged as a league star with his incredible high scoring games, and crowd pleasing moves. He clearly was up to the physically demands of his NBA career, performing aerial slam dunk moves that would wow all the audiences. Michael Jordan was one of the best defensive players in all of basketball. He had a complete knowledge of the game with all its intricacies. There is no way Michael Jordan could have won six NBA Finals MVP awards if he was in any way disrespectful to his coaches or his teammates. Michael Jordan’s experience in college prepared him and leads him to a unmatched career and life success (“Michael Jordan.”). Michael Jordan is the ultimate example of the type of long term success a player can have if they commit themselves to graduating college.

Michael Jordan has used his college degree to catapult himself into one of the worlds most international business men. Without the physical emotional and academic guidance throughout his college experience he would not have the tremendous life success that he does.

After reviewing research, comments from players and getting the perspective of a former college coach, it is my opinion that the rule continues to be the problem. The NBA de-established the rule to encourage athletes to pursue at least one year of college, with the understanding that an education will create a well versed individual.

However the rule currently doesn’t achieve this goal. How is it possible to achieve four years of maturity and academic knowledge in one year of college? College benefits students by assisting them in becoming successful in life. It guides students to learn, and progress in an area of study, and in personal growth. College assists students in managing not only different types of learning, but different types of experiences. Building character, knowledge and skill in whatever area a student chooses to focus on, is a experience that will mold their entire life. If a player jumps from senior prom to the pros, they will no be able to navigate the sophisticated, complex, and glamorous world of the NBA. Acknowledgements: Alison Mattoon, Henry Gale, Rya Fishman, Paul Gabriel.

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238 Brent Messino Research in the Community Craig Butz 5 May 2010 Cost of teen driving More and more teens are driving today than ever before, and this high increase in drivers is also bringing higher costs both in dollars and in lives. The cost of lessons for a teenager to learn to drive, and for the insurance that comes with that is significantly higher than that of adults, and with new technology there are more threats than ever before to takes a drivers attention from the road. With higher death rates and higher costs parents are also changing the way they keep track of their kids with new GPS systems so that they can monitor their child even when they cannot be in the car with them. There are many risks and benefits in allowing a teenager to driver on their own, but in the end driving helps with teaching lessons about many parts of growing up, and therefore the benefits are worth the risk.

The dollar cost of allowing a teenager to drive is staggering with the total cost of almost one thousands dollars. There are many costs that factor into the enormous bill and one of the major factors is the cost of insurance.

Rather than having a universal cost for all clients insurance companies change a persons cost according to how much of a liability they might be. Insuring teenagers is significantly more costly than insuring any other age group.

This is because lack of experience and easier distractibility cause teenagers to get into more accidents than adults.

Gender plays a crucial role in both the dollar and life cost of driving. Many different researchers, such as Tom Vanderbilt, have found that men are more likely than women to get into fatal accidents across all age groups.

In a study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, men die at the rate of 1.3 deaths per 100 million miles; for women the rate is .73. Men die at the rate of 14.51 deaths per 100 million trips, while for women it is 6.55. And crucially, men face. 70 deaths per 100 million minutes, while for women the rate is .36” (Traffic). These numbers do not prove however the question of whether men or women are better drivers because, while men are involved in more fatal accidents women get into non-fatal accidents at a higher rate than men do.

One explanation for the higher rate of men being in fatal accidents is the mix of testosterone and alcohol, and how these cause men to make bad decisions. Men on average are more likely to drink than women and drink more when they do. Male motorcyclists are more likely than female motorcyclists to not wear helmets after they have been drinking, and similarly men have been found to be les likely to wear a seatbelt while driving (Vanderbilt).

Men also drive more aggressively than women, and are more likely to try to prove they are the better driver. In all age groups men are more likely to try to “prove” they are better driver by driving faster and more aggressively.

Many teens involved in crashes say that “speed is like a drug” and that when they reach the high speeds they just want to go faster (Teens Driving Distracted, Fast). The fact that male drivers, often want to go faster and faster and to show off to their friends, is a contributing factor to why so many more men die in car accidents compared to women.

While surveys and studies show that men are more likely to get into fatal accidents, there is still the argument that men are also the more common drivers. Men drive more often than women and drive farther distances. Therefore while this does not totally negate the fact that men are dangerous drivers, it does show that men increase their risk because of how much more they do drive.

In the case of insurance male drivers also pay higher rates. The lack of experience in teenage drivers makes them more of a liability than the majority of people 25 and up, but gender also plays a role in the cost of insurance.

Male drivers on average pay an extra 15 dollars more per month and 180 dollars annually added to the common cost of around 1400 dollars for teens (what is the average cost of car insurance…). Charging men more than women has brought out many debates and court cases on the matter of sexism in the insurance industry, but because of statistics of the higher liability of male drivers, no required changes have been made to the insurance industry as of yet.

While gender plays a major role in how much the cost is to insure a teenager grades have also begun to make an impact on the total cost of insurance. Insurance companies all offer different rates with different benefits for choosing their company, but one thing that all auto insurance companies have begun to support is giving a discount to teen drivers with better grades. The common GPA that companies begin to give discounts out at is 3.0 or a B average. Statistics have shown that students who get better grades are often more careful drivers, and with all the competition in the insurance market companies are finding any way they can make their company seem like the best choice.

The high accident and casualty rate is not only costing the families of the teenagers but it also has a high cost in dollars to both the family and society. Jeffrey Runge, who is the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety

239 Administration, and is a doctor himself said, “We're talking 1,400 injuries a day, 15 deaths a day, it’s not only the personal cost. There's a huge economic cost. Every brain injury, we believe, costs society about a million dollars” (CBS News). This also does not include the property damage that can occur in an accident. These high costs both emotionally and economically have lead to many changes in allowing teenagers to drive.

The government has made many changes to the restriction put on teen drivers due to the high rate of accidents that have come with allowing teenagers to drive. When they are allowed to drive and with whom is one of the many restrictions teen drivers face. Teenagers under the age of eighteen are not allowed to have another minor in the car with the exception of school transportation. This law was put into place in California to help reduce the number of distraction that can take the drivers attention away from the road. Teenagers under the age of eighteen are also not allowed to drive between the hours of eleven pm and five am. These kinds of restrictions are common in many states and have helped to reduce the number of accidents that occur with teen driving.

Drivers encounter many different distractions that can take their attention from the road, with teens being the most susceptible to these distractions. Steven J Malman writes “Not only are they more easily distracted than their adult counterparts, but also they are more likely to text or use a cell phone while driving” (Chicago car accident attorney’s blog).

Talking or texting while driving is a major problem and one of the highest contributors to teenagers getting into accidents while driving. Texting has been found to be one of the main causes of the majority of accidents involving teen drivers. In an anonymous survey “Ninety percent of all teens said their friends drive while using a mobile phone, either to talk or send text messages. “An equal number say their friends speed” said a news article published by CBS (CBS). This high percentage of distraction matched with a lack of skill of new teenage drivers has lead to many deaths nationwide involving teen drivers.

Studies have shown that drivers who text while driving are 23% more likely to get into an accident, and that texting while driving is 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving intoxicated (Edgar Snyder). Talking on a cell phone is an increased the risk of accidents but statistics shows that texting while driving has a 400% increased the time of taking the drivers eyes off the road.

Another common distraction that all drivers face is the presence of other people in the car both moving and talking to the driver or others. While seasoned drivers have experience in both driving with passengers and driving in general they are less likely to be distracted by passengers and know to never take their eyes off the road. Also the most common passenger in a teenager’s car is a friend, and friends will always try to socialize and interact with each other, but a driver who is not able to keep his attention on driving rather than socializing is more prone to be in an accidents. Even passengers moving around in the back seat can be seen in a rear view mirror can pull an inexperienced drivers attention. Eventually a driver must learn to deal with these distractions if he/she ever plans on driving others, but the amount of exposure to these kinds of distractions should be in smaller doses and after enough practice that a driver can be safe even when dealing with these distractions.

Cell phones have brought on huge changes in all aspects of life, and while many of these changes have been beneficial, the changes it has brought to driving have helped to cause thousands of deaths. In an anonymous survey 56% of teenager 16-17 years of age admitted to making and answering calls while driving, and 21% of deaths of teenage driver is a result of talking on a cell phone (Edgar Snyder). Due to this high number of casualties that have been linked to cell phone use while driving, many states have put into effect laws that prohibit cell phone use while driving. In California for example, it is illegal for a person to hold a cell phone while driving, but hands free devices are still permitted. Other states do not even allow hands free devices and are far stricter about enforcing these laws.

A huge problem that is associated with many accidents affecting all age groups is drugs and alcohol. Even with many drugs being illegal and alcohol being illegal to anyone under the age of 21, teenagers are still getting hold of these substances. While the number of alcohol related accidents for teens is lower than that of the 21+ age group, the numbers are more significant because nobody that age should have access to alcohol.

Parents are also taking action to help reduce the risk of their child getting into an accident by using technology to monitor where their teens are going. GPS tracking has become popular for parents to use to monitor their children when the parent cannot be there to supervise. GPS systems are becoming more and more advanced, and now parents are able to set virtual limits as to where their child may go. If the car, with the GPS inside, go beyond these limits the parents are immediately notified, and then “parents can remotely flash the car's light or honk the horn, until the teen slows down” (Technology Lets Parents Track Kids' Every Move). One of the major problems with GPS tracking is that the signal can be blocked; therefore it is as simple as parking a car in a parking garage that can stop a parent from being able to look out for their kids. These shortcomings of GPS are slowly being remedied by the use of cell phone signals. Using cell phone signals gives parents a larger field of view in which to monitor their children, and common obstacles that block GPS signals are rendered useless. Buying a GPS unit is becoming more common, but another solution parents are finding is that cell phones themselves can also have a GPS system installed, and that a parent can track their child through a cell phone itself. Cell phone signals are not perfect, but

240 they do give better results than that of GPS signals and are a step up in the technological evolution of car monitoring.

While many people believe that being able to track a teenager’s driving habits is a great idea, some researchers believe that it is the wrong action to be taking. Psychiatrists have said that the idea of monitoring a child may be tempting, but it can backfire. “"When kids feel crowded, they tend to do things that they otherwise would not do," Shlozman says.”They take even greater risks because they have a desire to prove their independence and their individuality. There is something they need to get away with"” (Technology Lets Parents Track Kids' Every Move). If parents do not let their children learn to be an individual and experience things alone it is holding the child back. Doctor Steve Shlozman stated that “That's the moment of growth — and you lose that if you monitor them,” Shlozman says, "They won't grow up; they'll get stuck developmentally" (Technology Lets Parents Track Kids' Every Move). As kids are becoming adults they must learn to do things on their own, and having parents watching over their child every step of the way takes away part of the learning experience for the child. Another major problem with the idea of tracking a teenager is that many teens are quick to learn the game their parents are playing and fight against it. It is simple for a teenager to “accidentally” leave their phone in at home or at a friend’s house, or to simply take ride in a friend’s car. While many parents and experts say that tracking a child remotely is a good idea and allows parents to help stop their child from making major mistakes in their life others say that it can have problematic affects on the child’s growth and maturity.

There are also many benefits that parents have found in allowing their children to drive. Many parents put up with the high cost of insurance not just for the enjoyment of the teenager, but also because this way the teenager can drive himself places and the parent does not need to be responsible for driving their child around anymore.

Often parents have to wake up early to get their child ready for school and to drive them there on time, but when the children can drive themselves to school there is no need for a parent to be burdened with having to wake up earlier and get their child to school on time.

Allowing a teenager to drive comes with many benefits and drawbacks, but overall it helps teach teenagers what it means to be on their own, and while there are many risks involved, it teaches many important lessons that are important in many situations.

Works Cited Dakks, Brian. "Teen Driving Death Rate Soaring." Online posting. CBS News. CBS Inc., 21 Oct. 2006. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

Garcia, Jennifer. “What is the average cost of car insurance for a single Adult?” Online posting. eSSORTMENT. PageWise, Web. 14 May 2010.

Malman, Steven J. "Chicago, Illinois Cell Phone Accident: Teen Was Looking at Phone When She Hit State Police Trooper on Dan Ryan Expressway." Online posting. Malman Law. 1 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 May 2010.

Quain, John R. "Using Cellphone Signals to Track Cars When GPS Cannot." Web log post. New York Times. New York Times, 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. Smith, Tovia. "Technology Lets Parent Track Kids' Every Move." Online posting. NPR. PBS, 29 Aug. 2006. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

Vanderbilt, Tom. Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says about Us). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. Print.

Snydar, Edgar.

241 Zander Nethercutt Research in the Community A Block Craig Butz May 3, 2010 Face Down: A Tale of Addiction Facebook is a popular social-networking site that was created in 2005 by a Harvard student named Mark Zukckerberg. The site was originally opened to be an exclusive network for students attending Harvard, however, after the site’s early success, Zuckerberg decided to branch it out to be a social networking for site for all college students. This was the main appeal for high-school students because they thought that it was cool to be a part of something that was supposed to be only for college students. Since then, the number of users on the site has grown exponentially. It now has over 400,000 active visitors to the site, almost half of whom visit daily. Facebook has allowed teens to create a different world for themselves where they can be away from their parents, and create a new identity for themselves that allows them to seem different than they are. The site can either have a positive or negative effect on the user depending on how they decide to spend their time on it. Although Facebook can be a useful tool to get in contact with people regarding schoolwork and social gatherings, as well as reducing the amount of time it takes to communicate effectively, when abused, it can cause a noticeable decrease in academic performance, which can lead to the deterioration of domestic relationships, finally forcing the user into isolation from face to face communication and severely hampering their communication abilities in the real world.

Time spent on Facebook is one of the main factors that causes it to have a negative on the life of a teen.

The site claims that it is trying “to reduce the amount of time it takes to communicate effectively” (Murphy). This is true. The site makes it incredibly easy to keep up to date with everything from the parties that your friends are attending to updating you on the status of Steve Poizner’s campaign to become Governor of California. However, the site also provides an almost limitless supply of time-wasting applications. Farmville, for instance, is a game where users create their own farm, and try to grow crops on it. Other games, such as Café World, have users create their own Café and try to make money and gain customers. A player of Café World had this to say: “…the reason I think it is so addicting is because the game purposely taunts you with rewards for each level” (Ward). She would go on to say that it gives you an incentive to complete tasks on the game, but the second that you complete one of those incentives, suddenly there is something new that you feel like you need to get on the game (Ward). Like Facebook itself, these games are structured to have no end to them, therefore keeping the user playing them as long as possible. The game takes up a huge amount of time that could be used for other more productive things, such as getting homework done, having a face to face conversation with someone, or enjoying a constructive outside activity.

The way that Facebook structures its site is one of the main reasons that it becomes an addiction. There is just no end to the amount of things that can keep the user on the site. The site isn’t structured so that a user can go on, look at a few things, and then end it there. It is created so that the user has to take in a constant stream of information, sometimes keeping them on the site for hours. The reason that they structure the site like this is most likely because the more time the user spends on the site the more likely they are to click on an advertisement, thereby making the site money. Although this may be good from a business perspective, it is not good for the user.

Without restrictions on the time spent on Facebook, a user is bound to spend hours upon hours doing things that would be considered unproductive. People spend so much time on the site that it becomes an addiction. The first thing that many teens do when they get home is to check their Facebook to see what their friends are doing, and to roam around aimlessly on the site until they decide to start their homework. One girl who was interviewed about it said, “You sit there like, ‘I’m just gonna check what’s new.’ Then you just keep clicking” (“Secret Life of Teens”).

Once logged in, the site pulls the user into it, giving them an array of ways to waste time. The site is so good at being able to keep the user’s attention, that one girl said, “[Facebook is] like an addiction. You look up one moment and it’s day and you look up another moment and its night” (Some Teens Backing Away from Facebook). Sadly, most teens don’t view it as an addiction. One teen even says that she pressured her dad to sign up for an international plan on his phone so that she could check her Facebook while her family was in Africa. Although this may seem ridiculous, for many teens Facebook has actually become a “lifestyle” (Secret Life of Teens). In the end, all of this time spent on Facebook just means a lack of time spent on what really matters. However, with so much exposure to Facebook and other social networking sites, Facebook is starting to become just that: what matters.

The time spent on Facebook amounts to many things, one of which is a decrease in academic performance.

If a teen is spending more time doing something that isn’t school-related, and less time doing things that are schoolrelated, their academic performance is going to suffer. Facebook does provide things like the chat feature, which allows users to get into contact with friends quickly and easily regarding assignments, but these features are readily abused. However, there are many teens that use the site well and are better off because of it. The students who are

242 noticing that Facebook is affecting their grades just need to start regulating their use of the site so that it doesn’t affect their grades as much. However, this regulation is a difficult thing to master, and many teens have a hard time drawing the line between what is too much time on Facebook, and a healthy amount of time spent on the site. In a study done Aryn Karpinski of Ohio State University and Adam Duberstein of Ohio Dominican University, they found that “…Facebook users had GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5 compared to non-users who had GPAs between 3.5 and 4.0” (“Study finds Facebook use affects grades”). They also found that “…Facebook users averaged five hours a week of studying compared to non-users who studied eleven to fifteen hours a week” (“Study finds Facebook use affects grades”). These findings are based on a small study, but at the same time the findings are interesting and show a different side of Facebook. It’s difficult to draw the line when it comes to Facebook and its effect on grades, and according to Mike Murphy, a senior executive at Facebook, over 95% of college attendees are Facebook users, so the people that are getting better grades by not using Facebook would probably not be having any sort of social life anyway (Murphy). What he doesn’t acknowledge here is that not only is college a place to build relationships, it is also a place to learn relationship skills. Teens often go into college with no previous experience, and come out as strong and confident adults. Plus, the way that people build relationships in college isn’t by talking on Facebook, it’s by talking face to face, and although many would argue that sacrificing 0.5 points off your GPA is a necessary step to build relationships in college, Facebook isn’t the way to do so. Time spent on Facebook only causes people to spend less time building relationships, and more time pretending to have a social life.

Some teens on Facebook are beginning to notice the amount of time they spend on Facebook and how it’s affecting their lives, and many of them are very disturbed by it. Even parents are able to tell when their kids are spending time on the site and when they are doing homework. A mom noticed that her daughter was spending so much time online that she couldn’t get her work done. “Karen says Rae could not get her homework done because she was always online” (“Teens are Wired…and, Yes, It’s OK”). Teens are even able to diagnose their own addiction. “High-School sophomore Neeka Salmasi told ‘GMA’ she found her grades slipping because she was spending so much time on Facebook” (Some teens backing away from Facebook”). Some teens even have their friends change their passwords so that they are not tempted to use the site and abuse it. When Facebook created the site, they didn’t envision it becoming so addictive that teens had to get their friends involved in order to stay off of it. It just doesn’t make sense. Not only is time being spent on Facebook, but it is also being spent on the teens trying to get themselves off of the site.

Often, conflicts in the household lives of teenagers can stem from bad grades and other negative occurrences in the lives of teenagers. Studies have shown that Facebook does indeed affect the grades of teens because it distracts them from their schoolwork, and by extension, causes arguments and stress in families. Kids come home with bad grades and they have to tell their parents, often putting the parents in the kind of situation where they are left wondering why their child received the grades. It is difficult for parents to figure out that it might be because of something like Facebook, mainly because kids are spending so much time on computers doing homework. If a parent sees their kid on the computer, they have no way to know whether it is Facebook that is causing their eyes to be glued to the screen, or a five-page Holocaust essay. Plus, when parents try to see what their kids are doing on the computer, many kids call it an invasion of privacy, causing tension levels to rise. One 16-yearold went so far as to file a complaint at a local courthouse when his mother hacked into his Facebook to see what he was doing. After “…reading he had driven home at ninety-five miles per hour…” (“Facebook Spat”) that night on his Facebook page, she decided to shut down his Facebook, causing this “lawsuit.” The teen even created another Facebook less than a week after the deactivation of his old one, showing his mother how much it meant to him.

Many parents have the same issue as this mom when it comes to how much privacy they should give their teenagers online. It is the line between allowing them to roam freely online with no parental regulation, and being able to see everything that goes on in their online lives. However, for most teens, the appeal of Facebook is that it is a place without parental supervision. Parents don’t know what is happening on the site, therefore making it a great place for teens to go and just be themselves. The teens have their own world, free of parental supervision, and once parents breach the gates that guard Facebook by creating their own accounts, the site loses its popularity.

Many parents feel that intruding through forced means is too drastic, so they create their own Facebook to monitor what goes on their kids’ Facebook pages. Many parents feel that because they are unable to connect with their kids and understand what is going on in their lives on a more personal level, they can do it if they just log on to Facebook. However, although the parents may be very excited to get into the world of social-networking, oftentimes the kids are less than thrilled to have their parents watching everything they say and do on the site. Many teens impose strict regulations on their parents’ use of the site, and how they can interact with them. A young girl named Tess Lippincott from Washington D.C. felt the pain that so many teenagers feel when their parents breach the Facebook rules that the kids set up for their parents. “Her mother, Jennifer Lippincott…knew the rule about not posting on the wall; she’s also forbidden from friending her kids’ friends. She understood the rules and agreed to

243 them. But she just ‘couldn’t resist’ and posted her favorite ‘IM/e-mail comment: umamaluvsu’ on Tess’s wall” (“It’s our Facebook”). Tess immediately took down the comment, but she worried to no end that her friends would see it and make fun of her for it. Sadly, Tess felt like she needed to push her parents out of her life in order to seem cool amongst her friends. Other kids are fine with their parents being on the site, but they say that they still have trouble understanding the complicated world of Facebook. Oftentimes, teens say, parents will find a comment under a picture that they don’t like, and take drastic measures to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. This is an odd occurrence on Facebook, because most teens will tell you that bad language is “…just part of the Internet culture” (It’s our Facebook). However, like teens, the more the parents use the site the more acquainted they will become with it, and their Facebook skills will eventually reach the levels of those who have been using the site for some time. Although kids may not want to have their parents on the site with them because of their inexperience, the only way that parents are ever going to learn how to use the site is to spend time on it.

Along with causing stress between parents and kids, Facebook has opened up the online world to the bullying and harassing of teens that goes on in the real world. Cyber-bullying is the targeting of certain people or students through mediums such as Facebook. It frequently goes undetected by officials because it isn’t something that goes on in the hallways of a school. Sadly, this phenomenon is occurring more and more, and it is destroying the lives of teens across the country. A young Irish girl named Phoebe Prince, having recently immigrated to the United States, experienced unrelenting torment after having a relationship with a popular boy at her new high-school (“Teens Charged with Bullying in Suicide”). Investigators found that “…some of the bullying occurred on Facebook…” (“Teens Charged with Bullying in Suicide”). Without Facebook, the bullying might have stopped at the end of the school day, but with the help of it, the bullies were able to reach her at any time during the day and harass her. There have been numerous cases of cyber-bullying reported country-wide, causing unrest in communities and schools. Officials monitoring social-networking sites have found “…pictures of female high school students with derogatory and sexually explicit captions beneath them” (“City targets cyberbullying of students”). Many of these students that have been victimized say that they are not the only ones. Investigators say that “Nearly 10 percent of the 900 students at Charlestown High [School in Boston] have been victimized…Students say that they have been taunted and laughed at by classmates” (“City targets cyberbullying of students”). This type of bullying is exactly the same as regular bullying except for a few fundamental differences. When it happens at school, the school officials can take steps to prevent it from happening again. However, when it occurs on a place like Facebook, anyone can contribute to it by simply adding a comment or clicking the like button. Facebook is a medium that is often far out of the reach of the school officials, leaving it as an easy place for bullies to prey on unsuspecting victims. One girl who was victimized describes her experience. “‘…[I] broke down and started crying…[and I] didn’t come to school the next day…[I] sat in bed all day long’” (“City targets cyberbullying of students”). Although these cases of bullying more often occur with female victims, a small number of male victims were discovered as well. The comments that are put up are hateful and cruel, and are causing teens to become scared and lonely, and feel depressed about themselves. Overall, this just causes teens to want to seal themselves off from the world to get away from the endless taunting that occurs on Facebook.

In order to minimize their potential to be bullied on Facebook, users must set their privacy setting to the most private that they can be; however over the years these settings have been updated, causing the user to have their profile become less and less private. Recently, Facebook updated its privacy settings, causing a stir among critics and users alike. “…many viewed the changes as a sneaky attempt to push members to expose more information about themselves—partly because its default settings had lots of data, like your photo, city, gender, and other information about your family and relationships, set up to be shared with everyone on the internet” (“Google’s Orwell Moment”). This information is confidential and should not be shared with anyone on the site that users do not want to see it. However, most Facebook users will tell you that they have never once glanced at their privacy settings, leaving all of the changes that Facebook recently made intact. However, in today’s world of technology, when kids look at Facebook, they don’t see it as a place where all of their information can be shared with anyone.

That’s why when they learn that their information is being revealed to more people than just their friends, it comes as a shock. Technology has allowed this information to become more like public records, where anyone can access at any time. Kids don’t realize what they are giving out, or how much it can affect them, until something happens that causes them to realize what they are doing. It’s not all the fault of the kids; Facebook’s recent privacy update causes you to have to go even further than before to maximize your privacy on the site. The reason for this change is because Facebook can make even more money if users allow their information to be given out on the site. In a recent article on Cnet, a writer for the site talks about the changes that Facebook recently made and how the “pesky private profiles” are the only threat to Facebook bringing in even more revenue from ads and other things that they are selling on the site. For Facebook, it seems as if it isn’t necessarily about putting the user first, and rather about bringing in more revenue by sacrificing the privacy of the user.

244 Ultimately, Facebook keeps the user from having real communications with the outside world by allowing people to retreat “…behind a digital veil…” (“Does Facebook replace time or enhance it?”). The modern world is run by technology, and Facebook is just another way for people to contact each other. For better or worse, Facebook is changing the way that people communicate, by allowing them the ease of typing messages instead of actually talking on the phone or face to face. Users say that the site helps them to reconnect with people that they haven’t seen it twenty years, but at the same time it just doesn’t feel as if the relationship has the same legitimacy that it did when it was on a more personal level. One man talks about his relationship with his friend Jenny through technology. He says, “After 24 years, our friendship in now relegated to the online world, filtered through Facebook. Call it Facebook recluse syndrome—and Jenny is far from the site’s only social hermit” (“Does Facebook replace time or enhance it?”). People are being social, but at the same time they are talking through a website. Users say, “It makes you feel like you are a part of something, even if you are neglecting people in the flesh” (“Does Facebook replace time or enhance it?”). Teens are misusing their time on the site and are losing important time with people who really matter, just because they are unable to step away from Facebook. When left unregulated, a few minutes on the site can turn into hours, and a way to stay connected can turn into an addiction.

Although there are other ways for teens to misuse time in terms of technology, only Facebook continues to provide new ways for teens to stay on the site and abuse their time. The same doesn’t apply to things like cell phones or many other things. Even videogames have endings. But Facebook throws new distractions at the user as long as they stay logged in, from having advertisements pop up about Mafia games, showing updates on what users on the site are doing and introducing you to their recently uploaded photo albums, and showing what events your friends are attending and allowing you to RSVP. Facebook created a site with no end, causing teens alike to become absorbed and eventually addicted.

Although Facebook is built to maximize the user’s ability to be social, it actually does the opposite by drawing teens and other age groups into the site and causing them to have a need to use the site. The effects of this addiction can range from mild, with the occasional talks with parents, to severe, with huge fights, and plummeting test scores. Overall, the site has the capacity to be a useful tool for teens, but its misuse causes it to become a detriment to the life of the American teenager.

I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Rina Castillo, and Robin C.J. for editing my paper.

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246 Imani P. Bishop Research in the Community A Block Craig Butz 14 May 2010 Sufficient Funding +San Francisco Schools=Well Prepared Students: A study of funding differences and the current budget cut and its effects on student education in San Francisco schools.

Charles R. Drew College Preparatory Academy, serving children from pre-kindergarten to 3rd grade in the Bay View Hunters Point Community and Claire Lilienthal Alternative School, serving children from kindergarten to 2nd grade at the Madison Campus, in the Marina District, are two very different San Francisco public schools. While Claire Lilienthal is representative of public schools that are better funded due to location, parent participation, and good economic status, Charles R. Drew, is the exact opposite - the lack of a wealthy neighborhood, minimal parental help, and poor economic status. Although Charles R. Drew does have enrichment programs and activities like Spanish class, music, physical education (P.E.), Brazilian dance, choir, poetry class, and a cooking class, other poorer schools do not. Also, with the present budget cuts in San Francisco, schools like Charles R. Drew are more prone to losing out on the benefits of enrichment programs and other educational possibilities. All students deserve to have the same academic opportunities but to make that possible all schools need to receive equal funding for better equipped teachers, better programs and better materials. However, this is unlikely due to the current economic crisis resulting in the cuts of teachers and programs, increasing class sizes, and much more.

To first understand why there is a difference in the educational opportunities; one must first understand how the schools in San Francisco are funded, both public and private and how the SFUSD budget is decided. Private and independent schools are funded through student tuition and receive large donations; in short, they receive a lot more money than public schools. Private schools can afford to provide up-to-date technology and supplies, extra curricular programs, trips, quality teachers and staff, and better equipped facilities.

Public schools are government funded, receiving money from taxes and money provided by the Board of Education. The budget for San Francisco schools is decided by Board of Education reviewing a proposal from each school district in California; depending on that proposal, the Board decides whether or not to approve it. The proposal consists of feedback from the schools, district departments, the unions, and the community (SFUSD Budget Updates 2010). Public schools in San Francisco, like Charles R. Drew and Claire Lilienthal, receive money from the property taxes of the citizens; the higher the taxes, the more money received from revenues. Claire Lilienthal, being in the Marina district, a neighborhood that serves the middle to high class citizens of San Francisco, receives more money in tax revenues from the government property taxes than Charles Drew. This is because the Bay View Community serves the middle to lower class citizens; the school receives less tax revenues. Lilienthal with this extra bit of money, they can, for example, afford to have extra teachers and specialists for children with differences and disabilities unlike Charles Drew because they cannot afford this luxury hence affecting the education difference of the students.

Other than the money received by property taxes, California schools receive other federal funds known as the Unrestricted and Restricted Funds. Some of the money public schools obtain is dependent on daily student attendance which is apart of the Unrestricted Fund. The Unrestricted General Fund (UGF) revenues are funds that the district can “decide how to spend on the core operations of schools and centralized support services” (Budget Presentation for Community Meetings March 2010). The money is for day-to-day operations of schools and is not designated for specific projects and the UGF is also responsible for the funding of the teachers, principals, and other schools staff. This year UGF spent $236,941 on salaries of staff, $31,593 on services and operations, $6,803 on school books and supplies, $94,543 on employee benefits and $59,219 used for other outgo. The sources of the UGF revenues include the Rainy day Fund, which was established in 2003, that supplied, during the 2009-2010 school year, $24,600. The local fund, which provided $34,425 this year, $59,485 came from Tier III State, the state supplied $24,095, and Federal SFSF gave $34,318, $539 from federal revenues, and from the district revenue $241,487 (Budget Presentation for Community Meetings March 2010).

The Restricted Fund (RF) is “money that is limited in use by regularity compliance or statuary rules”(Budget Presentation for Community Meetings March 2010) meaning that it is only used for certain things at certain times. There is a state and federal RF in addition to a local RF; examples of state and federal RFs are programs like the Student Nutrition Programs or Special Education, and grant money from Title One. Local RFs include the School Modernization Program, Public Education Enrichment Funds, and revenues from the Parcel tax.

Money provided for the federal Restricted Funds is a total of $72, 396,514, for the state $80,765,528 and for local RFs $54,017,363.

247 Shockingly, the differences in funding, academic access and services and the achievement gap between public schools in communities are not as prominent as the differences existing between states. Every state spends a certain amount of money on students for public education; however, the money spent on each student varies from state to state depending upon economic conditions. The national average amount spent on students in the U.S. is approximately $8,973, yet California only spends $7,081 (roughly $1,900 less than average) (“School Money: Do you ever wonder where money for school comes from and where it goes?”). Carlos Garcia, the superintendent of SFUSD, states in his 2010 deficit plan for budget cuts, “California currently ranks 47th in the nation in spending per pupil; after this year it will be close to last” (Budget Presentation for Community Meetings March 2010). California has fallen behind when it comes to funding students, New Jersey spends about $14,308 per pupil and New York spends $13, 896. This directly affects the students’ ability to learn and their learning environment. When the states are able to provide an adequate amount of money, the students will have better educational opportunities. The lack of adequate funding for students and schools is one of the main causes in the achievement gaps and disparities.

The current funding deficiency in schools is caused by the present budget cuts and economic crises; SFUSD will most likely face a two-year budget shortfall through 2011-2012 of $113 million (Budget Presentation for Community Meetings March 2010) through the Unrestricted General Fund. The district is responding to the budget cuts by removing money from other programs, eliminating people and jobs in schools, and creating a two year action plan (“The Superintendent’s Budget Deficit Action Plan Summary for Parents”). Jobs remained unfilled unless extremely necessary and early retirement is offered to cut down on lay-offs of teachers and other faculty. For example, next year there will be fewer counselors and nurses at school sites. SFUSD is also attempting to get grants from the government to restore some of the funds cut for programs that need the money the most. Until then, the district will have to reduce funding for summer school by eliminating about $4.6million and use fewer school buses to bring in a total of $2.5 million. Additionally, over the next couple of years, the wages and salaries of SFUSD staff will be frozen and the state funding, which was previously allocated for teacher training, will be used to fill the district budget gap (‘The Superintendent’s Budget Deficit Action Plan Summary for Parents”). The point of the teacher training is to instruct and remind educators how to conduct the classrooms and how to deal with different classroom, student, and parent situations; if the teacher training is eventually cut because of the budget cuts, teachers will not know how to handle the classroom, impending on the students’ education.

Due to the budget cuts, teachers will be laid off and as a result of these layoffs, class sizes will increase. If the teachers are being laid off, “depends in part on how many teachers retire/resign” (‘The Superintendent’s Budget Deficit Action Plan Summary for Parents”). Mrs. Tamitrice Rice-Mitchell, the principal of Charles Drew, acknowledges that the loss of teachers has the biggest impact on her school. “Our biggest effects are the teacher cuts. We are ‘hard to fill’ schools; which means in many of our schools (in Bay View), our staff has the least amount of seniority. Therefore, in times of personnel cuts, the last one hired is the first one fired. Unfortunately, our cuts will be felt directly in the classrooms. It will affect the students who need the most” (Rice-Mitchell). What is happening to the classes in the public schools is very unfortunate and can have a large impact on the teachers who are now out of a job and on the students and their learning. Most people believe that large class sizes can be detrimental to a student’s learning, which is somewhat true. However, if these large class sizes are conducted by competent instructors (meaning that they can control the class and educate the students properly), then the student’s learning should be, if not the same, better than what it was originally when there was a smaller class. Therefore, if the schools are cutting teachers they must be sure that the teachers that remain are well paid, experienced teachers that excel at their jobs as an educator, so that students will not be greatly affected by the class size increase.

Not only are the teachers being cut but so are the other extracurricular activities that schools usually offer like music or art classes. Many educators believe that only the core classes (math, science, language arts, and social studies) are really important, and that it is only right to be concerned about maintaining them. Similarly, others believe that music and art are not significant classes, are costly, and better to cut them to obtain additional funds.

Yet, preserving these extra programs is beneficial to students, which can eventually be beneficial to the schools. It has been proven that music lessons are advantageous to elementary and high school students in math and reading, “[students] who participate in music have higher level reading skills compared to others.” Art classes can help develop leadership qualities within students, “Students who study music and art tend to do better on standardized tests…schools with strong music programs have higher attendance rate than other schools” that don’t have music or art classes,(“State of the Arts: Should Music and Art Classes Be Brushed Aside?”). If the attendance rates at schools improved because of the extra programs, then so would the funding due to the UGF because that particular funding is fairly dependent upon student attendance. Therefore, if student attendance improved so would the funding from UGF. With the budget cuts, economic crises, and the negative affects on students, when would the “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB) come into play? The purpose of the NCLB is to help perfect the performance of the U.S.

248 elementary and secondary schools by, “boosting the standards of accountability for states’ school districts and schools.” (“State of the Arts: Should Music and Art Classes Be Brushed Aside?”). A sub-part to NCLB is Title One, which is a program that provides schools with large percentages of impoverished students the adequate amount of funding to meet state academic standards. Yet, according to the article, “Racial and Economic Inequalities Harm Public Education,” so far all NCLB and Title One have done in California is spend millions of dollars to find the answer to a question already answered: which schools with students in poverty have low academic performing rankings (Campbell). NCLB and Title One need to find out how to improve those rankings; meaning, the government needs to find ways in which they can better fund these schools so that students can meet the necessary academic requirements.

The U.S. Constitution has an obligation to educate the children of America. Citizens are taught to assume that no actual responsibilities exist in the areas of the constitution, and the courts (Liu). In the U.S. Constitution Amendment 14 states, “No state shall make or enforce any law which abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the U.S., nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This amendment necessitates the national government to protect the full membership, efficient involvement, and the same decorum of all citizens in the United States community. This law includes a legislative duty to guarantee that all children have ample educational opportunity for equal citizenship (Liu). In the Brown vs. Board of Education, the Supreme Court stated that educational “opportunity where the state has undertaken to provide it, it is a right which must be made available on equal terms” (qtd.in Liu). Equal education is a right, implicating that every school has equally nice facilities, and competent instructors and administrators. Every school should have appropriate supplies, technology, possessing an adequate curriculum and teaching more than how to take a standardized test. To get to this point, all schools must first get the proper amount of money.

The inequality of resources in schools affects some groups of students more than others. Compared to middle class kids who are fundamentally meeting all the required aspects of academics, over 50% of the lower class children of color are being failed (Campbell). Being failed not only from their teachers on account of their grades, but by the government who is failing to fill academic needs and then eventually scrutinizes and blames the student, their parents (and their background) for the scholastic gap. In 2005, it has been found that there are “11.5 million poor children living below the official poverty line - 39.8% of African American, 32.2% Latino, 17.1 Asian, 38.8 Native American, 12.5 of Caucasian; these children attend under funded, poverty stricken schools” (Campbell).

These type statistics should be considered unacceptable in our society. If these statistics continue, there will be a gap in our society where one group of people are well educated and successful while the other group is not. Starting now, we need to begin bridging this gap and creating equal opportunities for all children to have a good education.

A famous sociologist named W.E.B. Dubois (1868-1963) said “a fair start which will equip them [students] to judge what the world is and what its greater minds have thought to be”(qtd.in Campbell). Lastly, the education differences signify faults and inequalities in schools, thus inequalities in society (Campbell).

There are many goals and solutions that the need to be set by the government in order to improve and refine the San Francisco schools, so that all children in California can meet the required academic standards. The government, if they have not already, need to make restoring the economy their top priority so that the funding can be fixed; once the funding is the way that it is supposed to be, the distribution methods of funds needs to be altered so that public schools can be equally funded. Propositions have been established in California to help students achieve the acquired goal, for example Prop A of 2006 was made to provide students with healthy and safe facilities, which is still a developing process. There is also Prop H of 2003 which provides funds for the athletic programs, P.E, libraries, and music and art; however, the funds from Prop H are also being cut. Because the money continues to be cut from these schools thus weakening them, the schools that lack money need to ask for more parent participation so that they can raise the money on their own until everything is the way that it’s supposed to be. One thing that both Claire Lilienthal and Charles R. Drew have in common is that they have fundraisers to gain their own money for the school and students. For example, both schools have events called the May Fair, where students, family, alumni, and people from the neighborhood come together for a carnival, Claire Lilienthal earning any where from $5,000-10,000 and Charles Drew $2,000-5,000. The event is held in the schoolyard every May and is full of game and food booths and maybe a dunk tank or two. The carnival is run by volunteer parents and faculty. Claire Lilienthal also has each grade participate in designing two quilts every year and auction them off, bringing in a total of $15,000-20,000 a year in addition to money gained from the Mayfair, regular school funding and other fundraisers. These types of fundraisers can be beneficial to the students, faculty, and the school’s curriculum.

Until government is funding sufficient and the current recession passes, both the parents and the neighboring school community need to start doing what they can to bring in money in order for the children of San Francisco to be successful. The communities of San Francisco must, “first and foremost have more of a spirit of

249 community. We have to return to our essence of a people that just simply cared and look at our talents and resources and be willing to share them with our future generation,” (Rice-Mitchell). When the funding is truly and fully restored, the schools should be given independence when deciding when and how their money will be used. All schools should be equally funded, so that every student has equal access, services, and have equal educational opportunities.

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge all the people who edited my paper, Luke Pickrell, Robin CJ, Craig Butz, my grandmother.

Works Cited Campbell, Duane. "Racial and Economic Inequities Harm Public Education." Opposing Viewpoints: Education. Ed. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Kenyon, Daphne A. The Property Tax-School Funding Dilemma (Policy Focus Report). 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA: December 2007. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Web. April 13, 2010.

Liu, Goodwin. "Education, equality, and national citizenship." Yale Law Journal 116.2 (2006): 330+ General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Posamentier, Alfred S. "Class Size: What Size Is Right?" New York Times. 1 June 2004: 18. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Reich, Robert B. "Schools Serving the Poor Need Increased Federal Funding." Opposing Viewpoints: Education.

Ed. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 13 Apr. 2010 San Francisco Unified School District. Budget Presentation. March 2010. 13 Apr. 2010. Print “SFUSD Budget Updates 2010.” San Francisco Unified School District. 2007. Web. 22 May 2010.

San Francisco Unified School District. School Money: Do you ever wonder where money for schools comes from and where it goes? Winter 2010. 13 Apr. 2010. Print.

"State of the arts: should music and art classes be brushed aside?" Current Events, A Weekly Reader Publication. 27 Apr. 2009: 7+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

250 Chase Patterson Research in the Community Craig Butz 14 May 2010 Thrash Metal in the Bay Area Introduction Bay Area Thrash Metal refers to a movement during the 1980s where thrash metal bands formed in (or associated with) the San Francisco Bay Area surged in popularity locally and internationally. Using a heavy metal framework, bands like Exodus, Possessed, Testament, and Metallica expanded the genre by incorporating thrash elements, influencing metal acts for decades to come. The combination of listenability and boldness allowed these bands to seep partially into the mainstream, with Metallica at its forefront. There were other metal scenes developing in South Florida and Europe during this time, but their popularity and accessibility were limited. Thus, out of all its contemporaries, The Bay Area Thrash Metal scene of the 1980s is the most influential due to its prominence and success.

Bands Formed in San Francisco in 1980, Exodus was the first band of the scene. Their demos and first release, Bonded by Blood, laid the foundation for the musical elements used by their successors and helped breathe life into the European Thrash scene that would develop four years later (“Exodus”). Though their debut album was met with great acclaim, the band faded into obscurity after guitarist Kirk Hammett left to join Metallica two years later (Exodus). Nevertheless, Exodus’s raw and unrelenting musical style is largely responsible for the creation of international metal acts like Bolt Thrower and consequently Sweden’s Amon Amarth, whose latest record debuted at 50 on the American Billboard 200. (“Bolt Thrower”, “Amon Amarth”). The band has now been cited as “a crucial piece of the thrash metal puzzle” (“Exodus”), paying homage to their generally downplayed efforts.

Metallica, formed in 1982, “brought new complexity and depth to thrash metal” (“Metallica”). They reinvented and expanded the simplistic genre of heavy metal with their long, progressive, and complex tracks on the 1984 release Ride the Lightning (“Ride the Lightning”). Touring internationally for nearly two years, the band quickly gained the respect and attention of the masses, eventually selling 100 million records worldwide (“Metallica”). At this time, no European or American thrash metal bands had earned a reputation quite as great as Metallica’s. Their ingenuity helped spawn European metal acts like Kreator, who gave rise to the European thrash metal scene in the late 1980s (“Kreator”). Metallica’s music still proves to be relevant to today’s musicians, cited by many metal and non-metal bands as an influence (“Metallica#Legacy_and_Influence”). The Bay Area thrashers near single-handedly ensured the genre’s future and continuation, making them one of the most influential metal bands of all time.

In 1982, Los Angeles’s Slayer was born2. The quartet became notorious for their violent lyrics and harsh, hectic sound. Music critic Steve Huey describes the band’s work as “twisted genius” and “effectively chilling” (“Slayer”). Fast, atonal Songs like “Raining Blood” and “Angel of Death” not only became signature of what was to become death metal, but has also encouraged future metal musicians to push their limits in terms of speed and technical ability ("Interview With Paul Mazurkiewicz of Cannibal Corpse"). When they released the album Show No Mercy in 1983, no other metal band in the world could compete with their harsh sound. Some go as far as to say Reign in Blood “almost single-handedly inspired the entire death metal genre” (“Slayer”). But even the grotesque Slayer found they could not match the sheer brutality of Possessed, a thrash metal band formed in San Francisco a year later. Widely credited as the founders of death metal, Possessed’s particularly savage songwriting soon set them apart from their fellow thrashers (“Possessed”). Debatably the titleholders of the “first true death metal album” (“Possessed”), the bands use of brutal imagery and growled vocals caused death metal giants like Cannibal Corpse to follow in their footsteps (“Cannibal Corpse”). Though Possessed’s career was short-lived, the group forever left a lasting impression on metal music as a whole.

Los Angeles’s Megadeth* entered the spotlight in 1983 after guitarist Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica. Having written most of his previous band’s material, Dave Mustaine’s Megadeth became known for its faster tempos and exceptional musicianship, reaching a level of fame comparable to its precursor (“Megadeth”).

While Metallica and other bands flip-flopped or disbanded during the 1990s, Megadeth continued to pioneer thrash metal and inspire younger musicians (“Megadeth”). Admired for not compromising their sound, the thrash metal quartet has become a perennial presence in the metal world. Similar to Megadeth, San Francisco’s Testament also survived the test of time. Marred by bad luck and an inconsistent lineup, Testament never gained as much *Considered to be a part of the scene because of their extensive networking with Bay Area Thrash Metal bands. *Considered to be a part of the scene because of their extensive networking with Bay Area Thrash Metal bands.

251 mainstream popularity as their peers, but has remained active and garnered a reputation in the metal underground (“Testament”). Allmusic’s Eduardo Rivadavia describes the Bay Area thrashers as “the biggest thrash metal band to never reach the platinum plateau” (“Testament”).

Albums Though countless demos and records came out of the Bay Area Thrash Metal Scene in the 1980s, a select few are considered the most significant. Exodus’s Bonded by Blood, released in 1985, popularized the solo-trade off method that has become commonplace in almost every genre of metal (“Bonded by Blood”). Later that year, Possessed’s debut album, Seven Churches, established death metal with growling style vocals and frenzied guitar work. Exemplary of its influence, several songs on New York death metal band Suffocation’s 1991 release Effigy of the Forgotten (one of the most influential death metal albums to date) bear resemblance to the title track of Seven Churches (“Effigy of the Forgotten”). Furthermore, the album has been featured as “Album of the Week” on the metal website DeathMetal.Org, reinforcing its claim to fame (Death Metal).

In 1986, Metallica released their finest work, Master of Puppets. Considered one of the greatest metal albums of all time, it has been “hailed as a masterpiece by critics far outside heavy metal's core audience” (“Master of Puppets”). The band was able to popularize the use of chromatic scales, a trend used today that is largely responsible for the dissonance associated with metal music (“Metallica”, “Master of Puppets”). Every track on the album is also greater than five minutes long, an aspect that was alien to the genre at the time, but is now prevalent in a majority of serious metal music (“Master of Puppets”). Over 6 million copies of the album have been sold in the United States alone, with many bands inside and outside of the genre of metal citing the album has some sort of an influence (“Master of Puppets”, “Gold and Platinum” 1). It is by far the most commercially successful, and arguably the most influential album to come out of the Bay Area thrash Metal movement.

Similar to Master of Puppets, Slayer’s 1986 release Reign in Blood was described by Kerrang! Magazine as “the heaviest album of all time” (Kerrang! Magazine) and is regarded as an “undisputed classic” by allmusic’s Steve Huey (“Slayer”). Peaking at 94 on The Billboard 200, Reign in Blood offered Slayer some mainstream exposure (“Reign in Blood – Slayer”). It reached 47 on the UK album charts the same year, and was certified gold in the United States just seven years later (“Reign in Blood Chart”, “Gold and Platinum” 2). The album quickly became known for its intensity, speed, originality, and timelessness, as bands like England’s Evile continue to mimic Slayer’s trademark sound (“Reign in Blood”, “Enter the Grave”). Just 4 years after their release, Master of Puppets’ and Reign in Blood’s combined efforts were reflected in Death’s album, Human, in which the Florida death metal band appears to have combined Metallica’s progressive qualities and Slayer’s technical aggression (“Death”).

Proving to be a substantial year in the scene’s history, Megadeth’s 1986 Peace Sells …But Who’s Buying revealed the melancholy, observant side of thrash metal music. Dave Mustaine’s complicated guitar work and political themes paint a morbid worldview surrounded by paranoia and conspiracy, presumably providing lyrical inspiration for death metal bands like New York’s Immolation and Maryland’s Dying Fetus (“Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying?”, “Immolation”, “Dying Fetus”). Allmusic’s Steve Huey describes Peace Sells as Megadeth’s “strongest effort” and “a classic of early thrash” (“Peace Sells … But who’s Buying?”). Though it may have not received as much attention as Reign in Blood or Master of Puppets, the album is a noteworthy relic of Bay Area Thrash Metal.

Legacy Thrash metal has spawned a variety of rich genres, namely death metal. Death metal is subgenre of metal characterized by its growling vocals, grim themes, blast beats, difficult, sweep-picked solos, heavy guitar distortion, and technical guitar and drum work. Musicians generally tune their instruments to the key of B, C, or D in order to produce a lower frequency sound. These musical styles are almost entirely rooted in thrash metal, with Slayer and Possessed being largely responsible for death metal’s lyrical themes and techniques, as well as its unconventional guitar work (“Slayer”, “Possessed”, “Reign in Blood”, “Seven Churches”). Possessed is often considered one of the first death metal bands, despite lacking some of the aforementioned qualities. The band is credited with being the first implementers of growling-style vocals, found on their debut album Seven Churches. (“Seven Churches”). Their unorthodox guitar riffing is also entirely unique from their contemporaries, in and outside of the Bay Area. They were one of the first bands to incorporate shifting time signatures, rapid tremolo picking, and breakneck speed drumming (“Possessed”, Seven Churches”). Possessed is even recognized for creating the name “death metal”, seeing as it is the title of the last track on Seven Churches (“Seven Churches”, Peel and Modrian). Death metal bands from around the world, like Cannibal Corpse, Pestilence, Amon Amarth, Death, and Morbid Angel all cite Possessed as a major influence (“Seven Gates of Horror”, “Pestilence Interview”).

Though Possessed’s role is the most evident, Slayer had a significant impact on death metal as well. The death metal movement of the 1990s also “drew upon Slayer and particularly Reign in Blood for its inspiration” (“Slayer”). Drummer Dave Lombardo’s speed and aggression with the double bass drum inspired Morbid Angel’s

252 Pete Sandoval (“Morbid Angel Interview”) and Cannibal Corpse’s Paul Mazurkiewicz ("Interview With Paul Mazurkiewicz of Cannibal Corpse") to expand upon the drumming technique. In addition, guitarist Kerry King’s arrhythmic guitar riffing appears to have made an impact on his successors. Slayer also upped the ante in terms of speed, with Reign in Blood clocking in at an average of 220 beats per minute, with most death metal bands today exceeding that tempo. (“Andrew Haug Speaks with Dave Lombardo from Slayer”). Both Slayer’s and Possessed’s inventiveness led to the desire and development of a more savage and brutal form of music, and death metal was the result.

Future Many thrash metal bands that were formed during the Bay Area Thrash Metal movement of the 1980s are still active today. Because of their persistence, thrash metal has recently been revitalized. (“Thrash was no flash in the pan”). By adopting some musical styles from the genres of metal they spawned, like down-tuning, Metallica, Kreator, Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, and the recently reunited Exodus are developing a new and younger fan base as they continue to release material (“Thrash was no flash in the pan”, “Exodus”). A resurgence of popularity has also occurred due to the efforts of new thrash bands like America’s Municipal Waste, England’s Evile, and Ireland’s Gama Bomb (“Thrash is back”). Overall, it seems like thrash metal is here to stay.

Acknowledgments I would like to thank Craig Butz, Jose Godinez, Marisa Wong, and Emily Ward for helping me revise my paper.

• • •

• • • •

Glossary Blast beat - an intense drumming technique requiring double bass drums, where the musician kicks the bass drums and plays snare drum rapidly and repeatedly in succession, with more skilled drummers incorporating other pieces of the drum kit.

Chromatic Scale – A 12 pitch musical scale, each note separated by a semitone. Very dissonant.

Death Metal – subgenre of metal characterized by its growling vocals, grim themes, blast beats, difficult, sweep-picked solos, and technical drum work. Heavy guitar distortion. Guitar tuning is dropped down to B, C, or D. (Lower frequency sound). Prominent bands include Death, Suffocation, and Decapitated. Musical styles rooted in thrash metal and early black metal.

Growling-style vocals – Harsh vocalizations produced via the diaphragm. Guttural in sound.

Sweep Picking – “is a technique used on the guitar in which a 'sweeping' motion of the pick is combined with a matching fret hand technique in order to produce a specific series of notes which are fast and fluid in sound” (“Sweep Picking”).

Thrash Metal – subgenre of metal characterized, its fast tempo, tremolo picking, political and grisly themes, aggressiveness, simple double bass drumming styles, and shouted vocals. Generally played in standard E or Eb (E flat), shouting vocals. Prominent bands include Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth.

Tremolo Picking – “describes the musical technique of picking on a guitar or other string instrument in which a single note is played repeatedly in quick succession” (“Tremolo Picking”).

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254 Luke Pickrell Research in the Community – A Block Craig Butz March 27, 2010 The Death Penalty in California How Societal Biases Affect Who Receives a Death Sentence Capital punishment, commonly known as the death penalty, is the most highly debated and arguably the most controversial form of punishment that the United States criminal justice system uses. For years, people have argued about the ethics of the death penalty, bringing up the idea that “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,” and questioning whether or not killing the perpetrator of the crime really solves anything. While the battle over the ethics of the death penalty rages on, it has been only recently, even within the last 30 or so years, that the application and distribution of the death penalty has been brought into question. Here in California, as in any other state where the use of the death penalty is legal (“State by State”), we must all be asking ourselves what it is that determines who receives the death penalty. The truth is that despite its continued use, the death penalty in California is filled with the very same prejudices and biases that have plagued our society for centuries, including racial discrimination, the stereotyping of women, and unequal treatment of the poor. In the end, when it comes to the distribution of the death penalty, these societal biases have a significant impact on who in California lives and dies.

There are three prominent biases in our society that affect who in California ultimately receives a death sentence as opposed to another punishment, like life in prison without parole, which is an option in the California legal system (“State by State”). Those three biases are discrimination based on race (mostly towards, but not limited to, African-Americans), stereotyping of women (which makes it harder for a woman to receive a death sentence), and unequal treatment of poor people facing the possibility of a death penalty sentence. However, before it’s possible to fully understand how the biases in our society ultimately affect the application of the death penalty, a brief understanding of the history of the death penalty in California is necessary.

Overview of the Death Penalty in California On February 14, 1872, the death penalty was first introduced into the California legal system, giving a California judge the power to sentence a defendant to death for a crime that was deemed serious enough in a court of law. Twenty one years later, on March 3, 1893, California’s first state conducted execution was carried out at San Quentin State Prison, by means of hanging.

San Quentin is the oldest prison in California, having opened in July of 1852, and still serves today as the only prison in California for male offenders on death row (“History”). Central California’s Women’s Facility, located in the small town of Chowchilla, California, serves as California’s prison for female offenders on death row (“History”).

From 1967 to 1992 there were no state conducted executions in California for a number of reasons, the primary one being that in February of 1972, the California Supreme Court came to the decision that the death penalty was a form of cruel and unusual punishment (something that the California State Constitution still bans to this day), and disallowed its use (Pierce and Radelet). Surprisingly, despite the fact that it had been deemed a form of cruel and unusual punishment, many residents of California were not happy with the State Supreme Court decision to disallow the death penalty, and they expressed their displeasure by passing Proposition 17 in

255 November of 1972. Proposition 17 changed the California State Constitution to specifically allow for the use of the death penalty, despite a continued ban on the use of cruel and unusual punishment (Pierce and Radelet). Although the use of the death penalty was officially reintroduced in 1977, there were no state conducted executions for another 15 years, until Robert Alton Harris, a white man who was found guilty of murdering two teenage boys, was put to death in a gas chamber at San Quentin Prison in 1992 (“History”). Three years after Harris’s execution, the use of a gas chamber to carry out state executions in California was stopped after a federal court declared it to be a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Following the court’s ruling, San Quentin’s gas chamber (the only one in California) was remodeled to suit the purposes of the newest form of execution, lethal injection, which was first used in February of 1996 (“History”).

To date, California has far more people on death row than any other state in the country, with a total of 690 inmates comprising 15 women and 675 men. Following California for the state with the most inmates on death row is Florida, with 403 total inmates, and Texas, with 342 total inmates (“Race of Death Row”) However, since 1976, both Florida and Texas have executed far more people on death row (69 and 456 respectively) than California, which despite its immense death row population, has executed only 13 people since 1976 (“State by State”).

Furthermore, according to Michael Goldstein, a death penalty appeals lawyer who works both privately and for the State of California, “in the last few years the death penalty charging rates and sentencing rates [in California] have significantly declined.”

Racial Discrimination For centuries, racial discrimination has been a defining element of human culture. While we as a society are by no means free of the urge that makes us treat people differently depending on their race, one could argue that racial discrimination, especially towards African-Americans, has decreased over the decades. Unfortunately, the racial biases that still do exist in society are also present in the United States legal system, and now have an influence on which defendants ultimately receive a death sentence when being charged for a capital crime. When talking about how race affects the death penalty, William B. Moffitt, a criminal defense attorney and former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said that “the notion of race is so powerful in our society, and it lies at such a deep-seated level, that we don’t even notice it.

And until you can wipe that slate clean, race is going to play an indelible role in who lives and who dies” (“Cases”). Even here in California, one of the most diverse states in the country, racial minorities, specifically African-Americans, are not safe from these racial biases that determine who receives a death penalty sentence.

In California, as well as every other state in the country, the Sixth Amendment gives any defendant in a court of law the right to be tried by a jury of their peers (“Cases”). By definition, a jury of one's peers consists of “...an impartial group of citizens from the legal jurisdiction where [the defendant] lives” (“Nolo’s”). That group of citizens is generally very diverse, usually consisting of people of different race, gender, and nationality. While laws in the United States prohibit any lawyer or prosecutor from intentionally removing or excluding possible members of a jury based solely on race, a member of a jury can be removed if he or she express any biases that might affect his or her decision making, or if he or she is in any way related to the person on trial (“Nolo’s”). Because of racial biases, many defendants, the majority of them AfricanAmerican, are not given a jury of their own peers when being prosecuted for a capital crime, which increases their chances of ultimately receiving a death sentence. In 2003, a study of the

256 Philadelphia jury selection process for capital crimes revealed that prosecutors often use peremptory challenges to remove up to 51% of African-Americans from a jury, while using peremptory challenges to remove only 26% of non African-American people from juries, leading to juries on which African-Americans are underrepresented (Gaglioti). In California, recent information from a locally based study revealed that “when five or more white males sit on a jury, there is a 70% likelihood of a death penalty sentence outcome. When four or fewer white men sit on a jury, there is a 30% likelihood of a death penalty sentence outcome” (“Cases”).

These sobering statistics became a reality for Jay Shawn Johnson during the legal case of Johnson vs. California in 2005, when, after having been found guilty of killing his girlfriend’s 19 month old daughter, Mr. Johnson, an African-American man, appealed his death penalty sentence to the United States Supreme Court, arguing that the prosecutors in his case had removed three potential African-American jurors from the jury by using peremptory challenges.

Indeed, out of the twelve men who sat on the jury when Johnson was being tried for the murder, only three of them were African-American, and the rest were white. Johnson’s argument was that California “made it difficult to reveal discrimination during jury selection.” In 2005, the Supreme Court listened to Johnson’s appeal and ruled in his favor by a count of eight votes to one, stating that “California’s standards for reviewing the case were not in line with federal law” (“Cases”).

Denying African-Americans the right to be tried by a jury of their peers is not the only example of racial discrimination seen in the death penalty. Perhaps the most obvious form of racial discrimination in the distribution of the death penalty is the fact that the race of both the victim and the defendant seem to play a huge role in a court’s decision as to who receives a death sentence. Across the United States, racial biases in the death penalty system makes it easier for an African-American to receive a death sentence, and more unlikely for a white person to receive a death sentence. In fact, over twenty national studies done by different organizations associated with the death penalty, like Amnesty International, have revealed that “black defendants who kill white men are nearly four times more likely to be sentenced to death than white defendants who kill black men” (Liptak). Additionally, in 2003, the United States Department of Justice released their finding from a recent study which found that United States attorneys are twice as likely to fight for a death sentence for an African-American man who kills a white man, than they are for an African-American man who kills another African-American man (Swarns). This fact suggests that the life of a white person is worth more than that of an African-American. Here in California, the statistics relating race to the distribution of the death penalty are just as grim. In Los Angeles County, CA, there have been 43 total death penalty sentences against an AfricanAmerican defendant for killing a white person, and a total 2 death penalty sentences against a white person for killing an African-American person (Cooper).

Because of the racial biases in the death penalty that come from general society, more and more people of color (especially African-Americans) are receiving a death penalty sentence.

Nationally, 41.6% of the nearly 3,277 people on death row are African-American, the highest percentage for any minority, and second only to Caucasians, who make up approximately 46% of all people currently on death row (“Racial Bias”). In California, the pattern is no different. Out of the 690 people on California death row, 36% are African-American, despite the fact that only 6.7% of California’s total population is African-American (“Race of Death Row”). When it comes to reducing racism and other forms of racial discrimination, we as a society have made significant progress, but racial biases in our society still do exist. These very same racial biases have an unwelcome influence on the most permanent form of criminal punishment both here in

257 California, and in the rest of the United States. When it comes to the distribution of the death penalty, we all must realize that the race of the defendant, as well as the race of the victim, has a major impact on who will ultimately receive a death penalty sentence. However, racial discrimination is not the only societal bias that influences who in California receives a death penalty sentence.

The Stereotyping of Women One of the most glaring trends that can be seen in the death penalty system in the United States is how few women make up the death row population. Out of the nearly 3,277 people currently on death row (“Racial Bias”) across the country, only 53 (1.6%) of them are women (“Women”). In California, women are also vastly outnumbered on death row; out of the 690 inmates currently on California death row awaiting execution, only fifteen of them are women (“Women”). It is also very rare for a woman to actually receive a death sentence. In fact, across the nation, statistics show that for every fifty women who are tried in a court of law for a capital crime, only one of those women will actually receive a death sentence (“Women”). So why is it so difficult for women to receive a death sentence, even after committing a crime that would more than merit one? An example of this is Susan Ebanks, a white woman from California who in 1996 was found guilty of viciously murdering all four of her children (“Women”), and yet still received “only” a life sentence for her actions. The answer to this question is relatively simple.

The death penalty, even here in California, reflects part of yet another societal bias, the stereotyping of women.

It used to be that women had almost no rights. Women were not the equals of men, and they were seen as “dainty” and “soft”. The man was the leader of the house, and the woman would stay at home and care for the kids during the day. While most of these ideas have changed, and women’s rights have significantly increased since women were allowed to vote for the first time in 1920 (“The Fight”), discrimination towards women still exists in our society today. The death penalty system in California is full of these societal biases against women, and that is why women are so infrequently given a death sentence. Women are generally judged differently than men in the eyes of a jury, and according to Michael Goldstein, this is because “even if a woman has done some violent and terrible things, there is still a tendency to not see [her] as a wildly dangerous, inhuman monster that men can be seen as.” Political analyst and author Earl Hutchinson made a similar point, as he also noted that female criminals aren’t deemed as threatening as their male counterparts. As Hutchinson explains, “prosecutors regard women as less violent, less threatening and more emotionally unstable than men. If [a woman] kills and maims, they supposedly do it out of blind love or loyalty for a man.” Granted, women account for only 10% of all murder arrests in the nation (“Women”), so one could make the argument that women are generally less violence prone than men, but that doesn’t mean they should be treated any differently when they actually have committed a serious crime.

Allowing this “favoritism” of women to continue perpetuates an underlying idea that women are gentler, less threatening, and less capable than men, undermining what women and women rights activists everywhere have fought for, for several centuries. No matter what the consequences are, treating women differently because of these biases is still discrimination towards women, and according to Earl Hutchinson, even many feminist groups believe that if someone is truly guilty, then no matter what their sex is, that person deserves a death sentence.

Giving a woman life without parole instead of a death penalty, based on basic societal biases against women, is pure and simple discrimination, something that should never be accepted or

258 allowed, especially in this day and age. Discrimination towards women in the capital punishment system is another symptom of a deeper pattern of discrimination towards women in society.

Inadequate Legal Representation for the Poor In California, as well as almost any society in the world, the majority of people who commit crimes worthy of capital punishment come from less than ideal economic backgrounds.

Michael Goldstein, the death penalty appeals lawyer, put it simply when he stated that through his work he had noticed that “people who are on death row or facing the possibility of a death sentence are poor.” Because so many people who are facing the possibility of a death sentence are poor, they cannot afford to hire a private attorney, and instead must rely on a state appointed lawyer to represent them in court. In fact, nearly 90% of all people charged with a capital crime in the United States cannot afford to hire a private attorney to represent them in a court of law (Swarns).

Now, the fact that so many people facing a death sentence rely on state appointed lawyers would not represent any kind of problem if there was no noticeable difference in the quality of representation that a state appointed lawyer gives versus that which a private lawyer gives. But unfortunately, that is not the case. Michael Goldstein explained that here in California, many state appointed lawyers are “overburdened” with case loads, which ultimately has an effect on how well those lawyers are able to represent a defendant in court. Besides being overworked, many state appointed lawyers across the country aren’t given adequate funding by the state to conduct a proper defense or work overtime on a case, and some state appointed lawyers even lack the “basic training” that all lawyers are supposed to receive (Swarns). Even if a state appointed layer was diligent in his or her work, and fought tooth and nail for the client he or she represents (and some of them do), how can a lawyer who lacks basic and fundamental training hope to effectively represent a defendant in a capital defense system that, according to Christian Swarns “is now a highly specialized field requiring practitioners to successfully negotiate minefield upon minefield of exacting and arcane death penalty laws”?

Even some of the judges who hand down death sentences have noticed that many defendants involved in capital punishment cases aren’t receiving the kind of legal representation that they should. In 2005, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens explained that during his time as a member of the Supreme Court, he had noticed that “a significant number of defendants in capital cases have not been provided with fully competent legal representation at trial” (Alfano). Having served on the Supreme Court for forty years, and being the fourth longest serving judge ever on the Supreme Court (Alfano), one would think that Justice Stevens would know a thing or two about death penalty cases.

In the society that we live in today, the amount of money and resources a person has can determine anything from what car they drive, to how much influence and power they have over others. However, the amount of money that someone possesses should not determine the quality of legal representation that he or she receives when their life is at stake. Unfortunately, because the majority of free, state appointed lawyers aren’t always able to provide adequate legal representation in a court of law, many of the people facing a death sentence, the majority of them poor, don’t get as fair of a trial as they should. This bias of inadequate representation for the poor leads to more and more poor people who receive a death sentence, whether or not they are actually guilty.

Conclusion

259 When it comes to the distribution of the death penalty in California, biases that are present in our society, including racial discrimination, the stereotyping of women, and unequal treatment of the poor, have an impact on who in California ultimately receives a death sentence.

It’s hard to believe that despite everything that we as a society have accomplished over the years, like ending slavery, fighting to allow women to vote, and creating soup kitchens and shelters for the poor, that now, in the 21st century, some men and women are more likely to be placed on death row based on the color of their skin, the sex they identify as, and/or the amount of money and resources they have at their disposal. But that’s the sad truth, and before we can address it, we must first accept it.

Acknowledgments I would like to thank Wayne Pickrell, Linda Chrisman, Michael Goldstein, and Craig Butz for contributing their ideas and editing my paper.

Works Cited Alfano, Sean. “Justice Stevens Pans Death Penalty.” CBS News. CBS News, 7 Aug. 2005. Web. 30 Mar. 2010.

“Cases of Race.” Independent Lens. PBS, 27 Feb. 2007. Web. 23 Mar. 2010.

Cooper, Clair. “Death Penalty and Race: Scales of Justice May Weigh Heavily on Blacks.” The Sacramento Bee. The Sacramento Bee News, 6 Jul. 2008. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.

“The Fight for Women's Suffrage.” History. The History Channel, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 5 May 2010.

Gaglioti, Frank. “US Justice Department Figures Reveal Racial Bias in Federal Death Sentences.” World Socialist Web Site. International Committee of the Fourth International, 16 Sept. 2006. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.

Goldstein, Michael. Personal Interview. 8 Apr. 2010.

“History of Capital Punishment in California.” California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. CA.GOV, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Hutchinson, Earl Ofari. “Quirky Gender Bias in the Death Penalty.” The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 6 Mar. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.

Liptak, Adam. “New Look at Death Sentences and Race.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Apr. 2008. Web. 30 Mar. 2010 “Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.” Nolo Legal Solutions. Nolo Press, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 8 May. 2010.

Pierce, Glenn L., Michael L. Radelet. “The Impact of Legally Inappropriate Factors on Death Sentencing for California Homicides.” Santa Clara Law Review. V. 47 (Oct. 2005).Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

“Race of Death Row Inmates Executed Since 1976.” Death Penalty Information Center. Death Penalty Information Center, 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Mar. 2010.

“Racial Bias.” Equal Justice Initiative. Equal Justice Initiative, 7 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2010.

“State by State Database.” Death Penalty Information Center. Death Penalty Information Center, 1 Jul. 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2010.

Swarns, Christina. “The Uneven Scales of Capital Justice.” The American Prospect. The American Prospect Magazine, 18 Jun. 2004. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.

“Women and the Death Penalty.” Death Penalty Information Center. The Death Penalty Information Center, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 24 Mar. 2010.

260 Leah Podolin Research in the Community May 6, 2010 Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking has recently become the number one crime world wide (Crisis Aid). Victims of sex trafficking range from men and women, to teenagers to children. All ages and sexes are targets of pimps and traffickers. Sex trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, can come in many forms: pornography, strip clubs, live sex shows, mail-ordered brides, sex tourism, and prostitution (Captive daughters). Although sex trafficking can come in many ways, all are equally ghastly. It can seem hard to believe that such a terrible form of slavery still exists all the way into the 21st century. However, the truth is, the sex trade is all around us and always present. The business is so underground and hidden that many people go through their day-to-day life with no awareness of the suffering going on in their own community. You may ask how sex trafficking has become such a fast growing industry when it so clearly violates the rights of thousands. The answer is simple. Although sex trafficking in the U.S. is one of the most destructive industries, due to a triangle of availability of supply, constant demand, and criminal networks that create immense profits, sex trafficking has become one of the most successful illegal industries in the world.

In order to understand the full weight of the success of the sex trade, it is essential to be aware of the size of U.S. trafficking. An estimated 1 million women are trafficked into the sex industry every year world wide (Farr, 3).

According to latest research of the U.S. Department of State, 1 million children are also exploited by the sex trade annually. (Polaris Project). The United States is among the top three destination countries for sex trafficking, along with Australia and Japan. The number of prostitutes in the United States rose rapidly throughout the 1990’s. Of the 50,000 persons trafficked into the Unites States each year; over half of them are sex slaves. Traditionally, Latin Americans and Southeast Asians were the main supply of foreign prostitution in the U.S., but since the 1990’s there has been an increase in supply from eastern European countries and the former Soviet Union. The numbers of sex slaves continue to increase steadily all around the world, especially in the U.S. (Farr, 6).

Another part of sex trafficking that must be comprehended in order to understand its destructive affect on its victims is the living and working conditions the prostitutes endure. Police raids, interviews with trafficking victims, and undercover investigations have given us a first hand look at authentic living conditions of a prostitute.

The living conditions of prostitutes can depend on where their work takes place. Woman who offer their sexual services in ‘so called’ spas or restaurants often live in one room apartments near by. The apartments are usually shared between 5 to 10 prostitutes, sometimes even more. A New York police officer described the apartments of prostitutes as “unspeakable” and “often infested with cockroaches”. Sex slaves who are held captive in ‘pillow houses’ are thought to have the worst living situations. Pillow houses are described as nothing more than “dark, claustrophobic rooms, with cloth dividers between beds”. Brothels too, are known for their squalor. One FBI agent, after raiding a brothel in Miami, described it as “filthy”. His spoke of the smashed and boarded up windows, the disgusting mattresses lying on the floor, and included details about the used condoms left everywhere (Sex Trafficking, Farr). Some women are even held in cages for the viewing pleasure of the customers, and in extreme cases, some woman are even chained (About Human Trafficking). Although the living conditions vary, being forced to live inhumanly and in unsanitary places seams to be a universal similarity of all sex slaves’ living conditions.

Not only are the living condition of a prostitute inhumane, but the working conditions are atrocious as well.

The working conditions of females sold into the sex trade show why they are labeled as sex slaves. Prostitutes are generally expected to work extremely long hours with almost no breaks or days off. In one U.S. case, Thai trafficked women were expected to work 20-hour days with only one day off a week. In another case, Japanese slaves were interviewed, and confessed to being forced to work 7 days a week, even when they were ill, or menstruating (Farr, 36). With the long hours comes a heavy client load. It is not uncommon for women to have to please 40 clients a night. Many of the sex slaves express the humiliation they feel while serving such men. However, in fear of being beaten by their traffickers, girls often have no choice but to comply with what the client wants, no matter how degrading it may be.

This kind of constant work puts many of the victims at risk for getting S.T.D.s. The prostitution industry has become a major contributor of the AIDS epidemic. Prostitutes often suffer from many other physical health issues too. These include bodily injuries, head injuries, sterility, menstrual problems, hepatitis, malaria, forced abortions and many other S.T.D’s. The affect of this sexual trauma also produces mental problems. Many prostitutes suffer psychologically from fear, shame, grief, self-hatred, hatred of men, suicide, post dramatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety (Administration for Children and Families).

261 Clearly sex trafficking is an extremely brutal form of slavery, and this raises the question of how such an industry could be so successful within the U.S. As stated previously, the sex trafficking business is a triangle of activity (Zuniga 2).

The first and most significant point of the sex trafficking triangle is the demand. The demand is the thousands of men who are willing to pay for sex. Who are all these ‘johns’ who are willing to buy a night with young girls and women? These johns are anyone; from doctors to teachers, from C.E.O.s to judges, from store clerks to movie stars. They are rich; they are poor, and they are of all races (Captive daughters). Johns are men who want complete control over the sex they get. Whether it is because they want emotionless sex or they have fetishes they are too embarrassed to ask their significant other for, there is an abundance of ‘johns’ who are willing to buy sex from strangers. These johns often deny that what they are doing is wrong. They frequently convince themselves that the prostitutes enjoy it, and want it. Because johns are so secretive about their prostitution purchases, it is hard to get a good estimate on how many there are. According to Captive Daughters a “conservative guess” would be 50% of all men living in the U.S are “johns” who have at some point paid for sexual services (Captive Daughters).

The next point of the sex trafficking triangle is the supply. The supply is only created to meet the demand.

The supply includes all the domestic prostitutes, and the women who have been trafficked across borders into the U.S. for forced prostitution labor. Most of the women trafficked are of young age, limited education, woman with lack of family support (runaways, orphans and homeless), lack of work opportunity, or women who have a history of sexual abuse(Human trafficking intro and within United States).

In order to have a sufficient supply to meet the demand, traffickers have found many devious ways to lure victims into sex trade. Within the United States, women are often forced into prostitution by being kidnapped or forced by violence (Richard Poulen). But it’s the women of poor undeveloped countries that are at the most risk of being trafficked (Administration for Children and Families). Women from these countries often have a assumed responsibility to help support husbands and family. Husbands, boyfriends and even families from third world countries will often sell women and daughters into the sex trade in order to put food on the table. Another common tactic used to traffic foreign women into the U.S. is by providing women with false hope of opportunities for a better future. Around the world women’s un-employment rates are almost always higher then those of men and recruiters know this. Recruiters from the U.S. often travel to rural areas of third world countries where work is scarce and women are seen as second rate citizens and invite the women to America. The women are often promised lucrative jobs as waitresses, models, hostesses or nannies. (Farr 9). The traffickers choose to recruit from small villages in unstable countries not only because the woman are usually uneducated and vulnerable, but also because there is a higher chance that they are virgins, which would mean they are ultimately worth more (Kathryn Farr).

To a sex business, keeping the supply is almost as important as finding the supply. Once new supply is transferred into sex slavery, proprietors of the slaves have many strategies to keep their victims vulnerable and dependent to make sure they do not escape. There are two common methods used to sustain vulnerability of both foreign and domestic prostitutes. One of the method is to addict the prostitutes to drugs such as crack. This keeps the women reliant on getting money so they can continue to tend to their addiction. The other common tactic used for both the U.S. prostitutes and the foreign prostitutes is physical violence. Proprietors force the women to endure starvation, rape, gang rape, beatings, and even threats of violence against the women’s families. (Administration for

262 Children and Families). Not only can traffickers create vulnerably in prostitutes from overseas through violence, but because the prostitutes are now in foreign surroundings, this creates a new window of susceptibilities traffickers can take advantage of. Anyone who has been taken to an entirely different part of the world, who lacks familiarity with the language and the new surroundings, is bound to feel social separation. These women face complete cultural isolation (Captive Daughters). Traffickers often confine sex slaves to working and living in the same place to prevent interaction with the outside world, and therefore minimize their ability to familiarize themselves with the culture. Their visas, passports, and ID papers are locked away from them. Traffickers often tell the woman that if they try to contact authorities they will be imprisoned for immigration violations. Because the traffickers often know these women come from strong religiously conservative backgrounds, they threaten to expose their circumstances to their families. Although these techniques have shown to keep the sex slaves dependent, there is one technique that is known to be the most successful. This technique is called debt bondage (Human trafficking intro and within United States).

Debt bondage is an illegal practice in which traffickers will tell their victims that they, the victims, owe money (often relating to the victims living expenses and transport into the country) and that they must pledge their personal services to repay the debt (Administration for Children and Families). Most victims were told their flight costs are supplied, and have no understanding of the economic conditions they are entering until after their journey.

Even after they are told that they are in debt, they often hear very little of how much debt they have left throughout their time working and are not notified when they have paid it off. The women trafficked to the United States usually have the highest debt rates, along with women trafficked to Japan and Canada. In a sample of 171 women trafficked to the United States, 95% acquired debts of at least $35,000. In a few cases the women had been informed of their debt before hand, but were miss led to think it was about 1,800 dollars instead of its true value of the thirty thousands dollars. In another study, Nigerian woman trafficked to the western states had debt as high as $50,000.

Not only are these debts outrageously high, many recruiters also demand interest. In an extreme case, researchers found woman being trafficked from Asia had accumulated debts as high as 300,000 dollars. Not only do the women have to hand over usually 60 percent of their salary to pay off debt, their living expenses are also being factored in.

The cost of the women’s’ rents (which are usually outrageously expensive and for inhumane conditions), food, and guard protection (who are known to rape and abuse the women) who protect them from consumer and police harassment are also all deducted from their pay. One German sex slave made an average $300 dollars a day, but after all her expenses had been deducted, was only given about $12 for saving. Women are also charged large amounts as a form of punishment. For example one Thai prostitute was fined $ 4,300 for giving her parents the brothel number. In some brothels, girls are even fined for gaining weight. Girls can be fined an average of $75 per each pound gained. The debt bondage system is the most effective methods in keeping the sex slaves dependant by not allowing the sex slaves to ever acquire enough money to be financially stable (Farr 27).

As outlined above, the supply and demand for the sex trafficking industry are copious; however both are dependent on the means of distribution. The distribution factor of sex trafficking is what meets the supply with the demand, and is the critical component that allows the system to function. Sex trafficking is an international industry notable for its complexity of networks that stretch across the globe. Phil Williams, and expert on transnational crimes, suggests that the networks be understood as a series of connected nodes. (Farr 59). The nodes of the sex trafficking industry can represent anything from the entire brothel, to the individual people who take part in the buying and selling of a woman. The essential components of these networks are, in fact, not the nodes, but the numerous links that connect them. There are two different kinds of links in the networks. Although both types of links symbolize a form of distribution, they represent different types of distribution. Link type one represents distribution by traffickers: people who are professionally involved in sex trafficking. Link type two represents those who contribute to the success of sex trafficking through abusing the rights of their legitimate positions.

Type one traffickers include small mafias, cliques and even individuals who operate under criminal status as professional sex traffickers. These include everything from “personal entrepreneurs”, ‘mom and pop’ operations, to sophisticated, organized rings” (Farr 57.) Multiple sources were asked to list and describe the different roles played by traffickers in the industry of sex trade. Although there were a few variations on the terminology used, and some roles listed were specific to certain countries, for the most part there was an overall agreement on the different roles of traffickers. The first role played in the sex trafficking process is the recruiter. The recruiter is the individual who finds the women, often uses deception and/or force to lure the women back, and then usually sells immediately.

Many find it surprising that the job of being a recruiter is not confined to only men. There are many female recruiters who traffic women and children as well. Sometimes the recruiter is actually a victim themselves. Many victims are offered a discount on their debt bondage if they go to their home town and promote the fake job to entice in more girls. The next role that comes into play is called the broker. The broker is considered the middle man. The

263 broker will buy a woman from the recruiter, and then try to sell her to the employer. The next role that comes into play is the contractor. The contractor is the one who arranges and organizes all the overseas transactions. Next comes the transporter, who does just what their name says, and transports the girls. They accompany her on the trip (by plane, train, car and sometimes even foot) to the destination country. When the girl is finally in the country and has been owned by a few brokers she is sold to the employer. The employer is the proprietor that owns a place of business where the victims services can be bought, such as a bar, massage parlor or brothel. The employer is the one who provides the trafficked woman with a place to live, notifies her of the rules of the business, and is the first to mention her debt. Last in this category are the enforcers. The enforcers give protection to the place of business, and to a lesser extent, the prostitutes. They make sure all customers pay, see to it that the girls behave by the house rules, and protect the business against police raids. (Humans Right Watch).The enforcers are known to often ‘take their turn’ with the girls, which is usually taken through brutal rape (Administration for Children and Families). Each of these criminal roles is a contributing factor to the distribution of the sex trade being so successful.

Link type two represents the distribution being done, helped or allowed through the misuse of power and job rights. There are two known roles in this category. The first role is called the employment/ travel agent. The travel agent is responsible for organizing the trip the recruit’s are taken on and creating the supposed reason for the trip (job opportunities ect.) This role is played by someone who is legitimately a travel agent and who can arrange the trip. The next known role in this category is called the Document Forger. This role is usually played by an immigration official. The document forger is someone who has a job that allows them to illegally obtain or easily forge documents, such a visas, identification papers, and passports. Another of the main factors that contribute to this category is the corrupt governments. Even in the U.S. there have been several cases of police taking bribes to ‘look the other way’. In 1998, in Rhode Island, a raid into an Asian health care spa where six women were enslaved led to the finding of a police officer who was extorting money from the spa in exchange for protection. Later the Global Survival Network staff posed as a potential business partner to an up-coming successful pimp. While speaking, the man revealed that he “collaborated very closely with the police” (Farr 77). This aspect of distribution, along with the components of distribution described earlier, is what brings together the demand with the supply and completes the triangle necessary for successful sex trafficking.

You may ask, what is motivating these traffickers to actively distribute at such intense levels? Why are these people so willing to break the law, and risk their freedom and jobs to make sure the flow of the sex trafficking triangle continues? These questions can be answered in one word, profits. People are willing to take any role in assisting the flow the sex trade triangle, as long as they receive a share of what the triangle produces as a whole, excessive amounts of money. The total market value of sex trafficking is estimates at 32 billion dollars. The sex trafficking industry generates about seven billion dollars each year (Edwards, 1). As of now, sex trade is the most lucrative illegal crime in the U.S. This is thought to be so because unlike drugs, the same human body can be used over and over again, which makes it a more profitable commodity (s.t.o.p. sex trafficking project).

These profits are what motivate the recruiters to find the supply and meet them with the demand. In other words, these profits are the entire purpose of the sex trade activity triangle and the victims of sex trafficking are raped beaten, abused and exploited every day so these profits can be made.

Ending the problem of sex trafficking is no easy task. Sex trafficking is a highly establish industry, and there are several changes that need to be made in order to even start knocking it down. The numerous changes need to be made can be categorized into two groups; immediate actions, and long-term changes.

Immediate actions start with giving help and support to the trafficked women. Recently the United States congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. This act acknowledges trafficked prostitutes as victims of the crime, not perpetrators. It recognizes that emphasis should be put on persecuting the trafficker, not the trafficked victim (crises aid). Other actions attempting to end sex trade have been taken by the government recently. Senate Bill 677 (SB 677): Seizure of property in human Trafficking Case: a bill passed in 2009 that allows the court to seize any property used for the transaction of sex trade, and Assembly Bill 17 (AB17): The human trafficking penalties act: a bill that was also passed in 2009 to increase the finical penalties of convicted human traffickers are both examples of recent action being taken by the government to minimize trafficking (Captive Daughters). In order to help the trafficked women directly, more organizations need to dedicate themselves to providing assistance legally, medically, in finding new residency, and in providing job training services. Another immediate act that may help reduce the growth of sex trafficking is more rescues. Rescues often come in the form of police, or organization raids into brothels, or any business place where sexual services are bought. With the new law of holding the proprietors and traffickers responsible, the prostitutes now benefit from the raids. The simplest immediate action that must be taken to help minimize sex trade is awareness. Raising awareness, educating oneself and educating others about sex trade is one way everyone can act against this horrendous crime.

264 Although many of changes needed to the end sex trafficking are obvious, many are changes that cannot be accomplished in a short amount of time. One change that needs to occur is social reform. The publicity about seeing woman as objects is a large influence on the demand for sex trafficking. Anti sex trafficking messages should be imbedded within T.V shows, Billboards, and in all other forms of media.

Even if all previous measures stated were taken, there would still be sex trafficking due to the constant demand. Decreasing the demand, because demand is the single most important component of the success of sex trafficking, is the only thing that can put an end to sex trafficking. If the demand ceased to exist, there would be no need for supply. Without supply, recruiters would have nothing to distribute thus causing the whole industry to collapse. How to end a demand that has been present for hundreds of years is a question often debated. Norma Hotaling, a U.S. citizen, has discovered and created one remarkable solution. She started the John School, as part of her San Francisco based SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation) Project Inc. About 6,000 men have enrolled in this school since it opened in 1995. The men who attend The John School hear stories from victims, learn the harm and dangers of sex trafficking and observe their own reasons for needing to buy sex. “Most of all, the johns learn they don’t have the ability to create and hold relationships that have meaning or are fulfilling, so they turn to prostitution” (Hotaling). This school has been exported to 30 different cities and continues to be a inspiration to other organizations.

Although the triangle of supply, demand and distribution of sex trafficking seams to be an unbreakable cycle, together through both awareness and action the world can help end the suffering of current sex slaves and help prevent the suffering of future sex slaves.

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265 Julia Reichard Research in the Community: B Block Craig Butz 12 May 2010 Creating the Ripple The increasing impact of documentaries on social change The Documentary, as we know it today, has become a powerful tool for effecting social change. Its beginnings, as a travelogue or educational media, have allowed the documentary to become a credible method for informing the public about issues that concern them. Documentary film has become a vehicle of change, forcing people to think about both their perspective and pre-formulated convictions. Despite the Documentary’s possibility for more widespread appeal, as it fights for a place in cinemas and home theatres, sustainable long-term methods of creating social change because of these films have yet to arise. The persuasive nature of documentaries causes people to re-evaluate their perceptions and lifestyle choices in the short term; however, to make documentaries a more affective form of social change media, long-term engagement practices, possibly including discussion forums or community collaboration, should be explored.

Documentaries, which are intended to produce social commentary, inevitably affect peoples thinking, even if only temporarily. The question of how documentaries can better affect peoples thinking for the better can only be addressed if we establish that they do indeed create social change. The transformation of the opinions of a large group of people can be accomplished several ways, but many agree that documentaries are quickly becoming the best media tool for the job. One journal article, which compared several successful documentaries, explains, “The enormous role of documentaries is obvious; they reach a far wider audience than an article in a specialized journal or a book with hundreds of footnotes.” (Laquer 1) As our world quickly becomes one connected by the internet, with much of western society perpetually attached to their computer, the reach of visual media increases. The Documentary is of course one of the most notoriously political forms of media, and allows people direct access to information to which they may not otherwise be privy.

How the Documentary has Developed The Documentary originated from scientific documentation, and has evolved because of the burgeoning popularity of informative television. The first documentaries were used simply to record scientific events, and helped researches more effectively review their evidence. “The earliest forms of documentary films were created by Gheorghe Marinescu [a scientific researcher] in the late 19th century, as he documented science in his neurology clinic in Bucharest between 1898 and 1901.” (Jorgensen 1) In 1926, when John Grierson, the notable Scottish documentrian, coined the term Documentary, travelogue and instructional films had also become part of the new subcategory. This style of Observational Documentary persisted until the popularization of the more winning Cinema Verite.

With the beginning of the Romantic Era in film came Cinema Verite, which is more similar to the modern documentary. Cinema Verite emphasized the camera angle, as was the style of the 1960’s, while conveying a strong point of view. This was the beginning of the active use of persuasion in documentaries. In the creation of Cinema Verite, the director uses angle and shadow to portray his emotions or point of view. “the mode of Cinema Verite was invented as a way to achieve greater honesty in documentary.” says one book on the subject of the history of Documentary Film. (“Cinema Verite” 1) Cinema Verite allowed the director to indirectly influence the viewer’s opinion and emotion by using artistic lighting or a different camera approach.

During the rest of the 20th century, the Documentary flourished, playing an important part in the development of the counter culture of the 1960’s by presenting political propaganda in a visually appealing manner alongside fact. This style evolved from the British movement called The Documentary Film Movement, which was the merging of the ideas of propaganda film and ‘actuality film’. This movement allowed directors more flexibility in creating their work, giving them more artistic liberty around how they conveyed information.

A clear example of the propaganda films of the time is Vietnam! Vietnam! directed by John Ford and completed in 1971. The film, however, was never released because as American policy toward the war changed, the film became obsolete. However, the film highlighted the importance of the war and the braveness of the troops.

(Spiegleman 1) Films of this sort were clearly created for persuasion, and used specific strategies to influence their viewers. Although propaganda films are not generally considered documentaries because of their tendency to bend truth, they often employ many of the same artistic tactics.

From this period evolved the modern documentary, with visible influences from Cinema Verite and the political documentaries of the 60’s. The documentary of today uses both the startling angles from Cinema Verite and the dramatic impact of the Propaganda Film. Modern documentaries have developed from the methods created by their predecessors in order to make the film more successful.

266 The Art of Persuasion The director of a persuasive documentary inevitably has the intent of convincing the viewer that his or her opinion is the correct one by using techniques specific to the genre. In order to convince the audience of the director’s point, they employ specific tactics. A British newspaper article published in 2000 says, "Other factual producers and directors have learnt from drama. They exploit every tool they can to grip their audience, whether it be in the choice of music, special effects, or visual style. Above all they have recognized that they are telling stories." (Clark 1) The end goal of the director is to persuade that this information is relevant to life, and that their point of view is the right one.

In order to do this, they use techniques designed to make a documentary more effective. The Expository mode is used mostly in scientific films, or documentaries not tinted by personal opinion. It is used to state facts without bias. (Mode 1) Another tactic used by Documentarians to best appeal to the viewer’s emotion is called the “Personal Voice”. (Personal Voice 1) This of course allows the audience member to more readily experience the emotions that the director is trying to produce in them. Because these tactics are part of what make a documentary most effective, naturally they are something to consider when speculating about how making a documentary have a more enduring impact.

Popular documentaries today appeal to the viewer’s emotions, relying on the power of ethos to emphasize their point. As documentaries have evolved, so have their influence on society, their presence in the film community, and their prevalence as tool to create social change.

Examples of the Modern Documentary There are of course concrete examples of how documentaries have changed a political situation. An article about Passabe, the creative child of Lynn Lee and James Leong, which is about the political conflicts in Timor, Indonesia, explains its lasting effects on the countries independence. The film explores the results of the massacre of the residents of several villages. Despite the film being a Docu-Drama, a genre often looked down upon by traditionalists because of its tendency to exploit startling facts, it helped publicize the occurrences and inform the international community. People around the globe rallied together to speed up Timor’s road to freedom from Indonesia. (Tay 3) Other more high profile examples of documentaries that have drastically increased global awareness about a certain subject include An Inconvenient Truth and SuperSize Me. An Inconvenient Truth, probably the most famous, although lacking in visual creativity, has definitely created the largest ripples. When the issue of Global Warming first became known, many were skeptical. Although the film was created after the problem surfaced, the comprehensive presentation of facts and statistics, backed by Ale Gore, truly shocked people into action. The film has had such widespread success that, as one website entitled Climate Crisis states, “Five countries - England, Scotland, Czech Republic, New Zealand, and Germany - and the Canadian province of British Columbia incorporated An Inconvenient Truth into their secondary schools' curricula” (The Impact 1) This is a clear indicator of the unprecedented power of visually appealing, social change media.

Similarly, many suggest that Super Size Me alone was enough to force McDonalds to quickly kick the “Super Size Option” off its menu. Despite denials from McDonalds Public Relations Representative at the time, the onslaught of bad press after the film could have further motivated the company to give off the appearance of offering healthier food. (Sullivan 1) Adam Spurlock, director and test subject in the film, forced McDonalds to reevaluate its food. Before the film debuted, the corporation began its “Be Active” campaign aimed specifically at adults. (Sullivan 1) The mere idea that a rookie documentarian could force a mega-corporation to change its outlook about its product is astounding. These films both created extensive change, becoming clear examples of the perpetually underestimated influence of the documentary.

If we evaluate the considerable impact that documentaries have had on the world as a whole, and accept the postulate that they do create change, then we must concern ourselves with how to make them as effective as possible. As we observe these changes, and see that they have in fact bettered our world, it is impossible not to see the value of Documentary film and its influences.

Documentaries in Community The Bay Area has become the perfect community for Documentarians to produce their work. Its liberal atmosphere combined with the creative capacities of its residents allows directors to successful present their perspective in film. Due to the diversity in the Bay Area, as well as its liberal reputation, it has become a nursing ground for young documentarians. A local programmer for the Mill Valley Film Festival, Janis Plotikin says, "The Bay Area is a very good place to be a documentarian because of the cooperative nature of the community."

(Vietnam 1) Because of the innovative culture in the Bay Area, it has become the foreground for redefining the possibilities of documentaries.

267 As documentary film evolves in communities, such as the Bay Area, it becomes increasingly important to question whether they are being used in the most effective manner possible. Documentaries, coupled with long-term action could create the lasting change many directors seek. As the understanding that documentaries have the capacity affect political landscapes becomes more widespread, we must re-evaluate the way in which we watch them.

Redefining How We Watch In 2009, 217.1 million Americans went to the movie theatre. (Motion Picture Association of America 6) This astounding number gives context to the rising impact of film. One article states broadly, “Film can affect your tastes and preferences, your desires, your ethical and political views …. films can highlight important issues in a world where visual media has become a predominant source of knowledge and information." (Take Part 1) The striking amount of people that go to a movie regularly makes one wonder whether, with marketing that is more effective and new strategies for engaging the audience, documentaries would be able to have more long-term impact. The increasing power and popularity of visual media could allow for the general reform of how we watch informational film, because as documentaries appear more in theatres, they have a greater impact on the public.

Despite their increased popularity since the 1990’s (Laqueur 1) documentaries have yet to become an integral part of the global change making process, and still lack some of the necessary viewing structure that allow noticeable and permanent results. One article, on the subject of documentaries and improving their impact says bluntly, “It is obviously inefficient, not to say impossible, to develop a new, activist audience around just an hour of television, which would , in any case, immediately drift apart on a sea of commercial drivel." (Daressa 1) The length of the film and the interest level of the audience is something to consider when attempting to make documentaries more commercially appealing. If one assumes that the end goal of the director is to influence their viewers into seeing the subject matter from a specific perspective, then one must consider general interest level.

In order to make a documentary more effective, practices, and structures should be added around regular viewing.

These practices could include a variety of activities that allow discussion and build a platform for enduring change.

Often, documentaries are associated with a specific organization, or have websites where inspired viewers can make donations to benefit whatever the cause. This however is not necessarily as influential as it could be if specific changes were made. When there is little connection from the movie to every day life, the viewer quickly disengages and returns to their regular activities, only more informed about that specific topic. To avoid this eventual disengagement, the film could include more viewer interaction. The most engaging documentaries are often those with the most personal perspective, whether it includes narrative or multiple interviews. Considering the individual perspective would benefit Documentarians, allowing them to create a bond with the viewer.

Making it Real To further strengthen the connection between the film and the audience, specific steps could be implemented before and after viewing the documentary. Documentarians could create opportunities for viewers to become more involved before watching the film. This could include associating the film with a particular organization, which could then inform viewers about the global impact of the documentary’s subject matter. One article published by California Newsreel says that "Funders should support social change media project only if they are designed as part of coherent, long term strategies for community building centered in the work of existing organizations.” (Deressa 1) The beginning of the documentary could suggest that before viewing the film, the viewer visit a particular website associated with the topic, or a related organization. Providing a better context for the viewer would make the information in the film more accessible and possibly more relevant to the individual’s life.

To ensure that the audience remains actively interested in the subject matter after finishing the film, the director of the documentary should suggest ways for the viewer to become involved with the film’s cause. This could include a variety of beneficial actions. The audience should have a way to connect with other viewers, whether it is an online forum or a regular discussion group. When in communication with other like-minded social activists, the discussion should pertain to specific question or goals. Well-defined steps should also be offered, possibly presented on the films website, including ways to take local or global action. Whether these steps are sharing the film with one’s friends, donating to the cause, or advocating serious changes within one’s specific community, they should be made plainly available for all those who watch the documentary.

Currently, some of the more high-profile documentaries have designed websites that offer several of these steps. However, the sites are not advertised through out the film and are not designed to sustain long-term action.

For example, although the documentary Food Inc. has a beautiful website that suggests a course of action, the steps lack supportive information and are only actionable if the viewer already knows a considerable amount of the food industry. (Hungry for Change) This, and other sites, could be made more effective by adopting the collaborative format of Wikipedia or other sites that allow users to contribute content. If the website not only presents the films

268 audience with a clear path forward but also allows them to make suggestions to fellow viewers and discuss their own progress, then the Documentary would become linked with a group of motivated activists. The actions of this community could culminate in the actualization of the documentarians end goal; the popularization of the films subject matter, the creation of new solutions, and the implementation of beneficial actions in various national and international communities.

Documentaries have risen to a position of some prominence in the last decade, becoming a way for creative thinkers to voice their opinions and share information with the masses. As documentaries gain popularity, their directors should investigate new methods for helping their films create long lasting social change, focusing on ideas that allow people to form communities and design their own plan of action. If documentarians explore creative tactics for engaging their audiences, then documentaries will become one of the most powerful tools for stimulating social activism on an international level.

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“U.S./Canada Attendance.” MPAA.org. 2010. Web. April 13, 2010.

269 Jessica Rios-Lopez Craig Butz Research in the Community May 3, 2010 The Signs of a Liar: Wouldn’t it be Easier if we all had Noses like Pinocchio?

You’re interrogating a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband. As you ask her a question, she gently rubs her nose with her left hand, and looks to the right of you. As she confirms where she was on the night of the murder, she shrugs her shoulders for two short seconds, and quickly crosses her legs, which are facing the door. She starts shaking them again while straightening the creases in her skirt. When asked how she felt when she found her dead husband, she expresses sorrow but for one third of a second, and a smile creeps upon her face, which then disappear as fast as it came. These are all signs of a liar. Many people believe that they can learn this body language so as to not get caught, but the truth is that they are innate gestures that indicate that a person is lying without the person being able to control them. Although body language is what many people depend on to decode someone’s motives, these signs might be read incorrectly because the person you are talking to might be a stranger, might have something else going through his or her mind or, might have a personality disorder. Body language can be very useful in deciphering whether a person is lying or not, but cannot be controlled due to the subtle motions that the body automatically makes when performing the lie. Many experts on lying agree that the main body gestures the body produces when lying are: • pupil dilation • the direction in which the eyes of the liar are looking • the amount of times the nose is touched, • the pitch of the liars voice • smiling (excessive or fake) • the direction in which his/her hands are facing • if the liar has his/her arms crossed • what his hands are covering or close to (eyes mouth and ears) • direction in which the feet are facing • shifting from foot to foot • crossing of the legs at either the knees or the ankles (How to.)

These gestures show that a person is lying, but most of them are controllable meaning that it is easy for liars to be deceitful. However, there are some innate gestures that the body produces without being conscious of it. It is a shared thought amongst lying experts such as Paul Ekman, Patti Wood, and Kevin Hogan, that the closer the body part is to the brain; the easier it is to hide true feelings. For example, talking and smiling are both things that are easily controlled. Pupils on the other hand, are not controllable. In an article in the BBC, it explains that “the reason people's pupils dilate is adrenaline which is released when you are excited or afraid” ("BBC - H2g2 - Body Language." ) which means that they will dilate because of the thrill and the feel of accomplishment liars get after performing the lie. Another helpful clue in detecting a deceitful person is by observing if he/she performs the Nose Touch which is also known as the Pinocchio Effect. Scientists have found that “When you lie, chemicals known as catecholamines are released, causing tissue inside the nose to swell. Increase blood pressure inflates the nose and causes the nerve endings in the nose to tingle” which results in the liar touching his/her nose in order to quickly satisfy the itch, (Pease). Just like dilation of the pupils, this is irrepressible because it is caused by the feelings you get when lying, and cannot be altered. It is physically impossible to expand or contract the pupils by choice.

Following the face, the hands are the body part that are least capable of controlling. These gesture change as the liar grows older such as a child covering his ears which eventually is shown as an adult when she plays with her hair. These gestures are still done unconsciously without the liar being able to realize what their gestures symbolize. The three main signals that are performed, are known as the Three Wise Monkeys and include hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil. The latter is when the hand subconsciously covers the mouth so as to stop the words that are being said. This is very common with little kids as they quickly cover their mouth with both hands after saying the lie. Teenagers and adults both gradually cover their mouths as well but do it in a sly way so as to not let the other person know he or she was deceived. Hear no evil is the attempt that is made to cover the ears so as to not hear him/herself listen to the words that are coming out of his/her mouth. This action is usually done when the liar responds with something untruthful, and can be seen in little kids when they cover both their ears so as to not hear what a friend or parent is telling them. See no evil which is also known as the Eye Rub “is the brains attempt to block out the deceit, doubt, or distasteful thing that it sees, or to avoid having to look at the face of the person who is

270 being lied to” (Pease). The fact that humans perform these hand motions since we are little kids proves that this motion is innate and is not learned, synthesizes that it is an automatic reaction that the body makes.

Just as the eyes try to block out what it sees, feet and legs do the same by pointing them in direction in which the person is focusing their attention. In many studies, it has been noted that “Liars will often turn sideways or at an angle so that they are not facing the listener directly. It may even seem as if they are looking for an escape route” (How to Tell). Being the farthest away from the brain, we are less conscious of the movement of our feet and legs, this shows that they are harder to control. It also shows the direction in which the person’s attention is attached to. This can be found in the case of an alumnus at his high school reunion talking to another alumnus about how great it is to see him again. At the same time, pointing his feet at the nearest exit and switching his feet around. This symbolizes that he is thinking about an escape route. Being the feet, this motion is not easy to control because it is done unconsciously and is usually never noticed by the liar.

All of these specified motions are some of the ones that are made unconsciously, but at the same time should be read in context. It is crucial to learn the normal body language of the person because some people when nervous will engage in body language that suggests that he or she is lying, while in real life, the potential liar could be nervous or tired. (Detective). For example, while conducting an interview, Allan and Barbara Pease, authors of “The Definitive Book of Body Language”, noticed that their interviewee would cover his mouth while thinking of an answer, and then would return to his open position. At the end of the interview, they asked him why he had used the mouth cover, to which they state “As he thought about the negative answer and of how the interviewer might react to it, he covered his mouth. When he thought of the positive answer, however, his hand dropped away from his mouth and he resumed an open position” (Allan and Barbara Pease). Therefore, before starting to analyze and mash together any pieces of evidence that could prove that the person is lying, it is important to know the person well enough to be able to produce an accurate statement. This last part is very important because these people could be compulsive liars, pathological liars, or could suffer from autism. A compulsive liar is someone who lies out of habit, and expands or shrinks the truth about various aspects of their life. A pathological liar is someone who lies constantly to get their way, and is viewed as manipulative, cunning, and self centered due to the fact they don’t care who their lie affects. This means that it might be hard to determine whether a person is lying because he or she might be a compulsive or pathological liar, and in the case of pathological liars, they believe what they are saying and thus won’t show any signs of being deceitful.

Autism is a developmental disability “that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others” (Autism Society). While talking to Karen Wolfe, a social coach at Kidspace, a pediatric therapy clinic for children of various disorders, she said that most people have white matter in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This white matter has been suggested to have something to do with lying.

While pathological liars have 26% more white matter and a slightly different brain compared to others, people with autism have a lower amount of this white matter. Along with the fact that autistics aren’t very good liars, it is an inclination towards the suggestion that white matter is a key essential for the ability to lie (Wolfe). Like the autistic that has no treatment because of the problem being caused in the brain, it is found that if the white matter really does produce the ability to lie more, then it is impossible to resolve the condition of a pathological liar because the source of their condition is found in the brain as well (How is Pathological).

However, in Compulsive liars and people without disorders, it is easier to notice if he or she is lying due to a small reaction that a body makes to a lie which is known as micro expressions. Micro expressions are “genuine displays of emotion that last only a fraction of a second” (Nonverbal Signs of Lying). The seven main emotions shown are that of being sad, angry, surprised, fearful, disgusted, contempt, and happy and are the only emotions that can be shown for a split second. Out of all of gestures and clues that can discover a liar, micro expressions are the most reliable of all.

Body language is a common tool that is used to figure out a liar, but not all can be reliable. The potential liar could have something else on his or nervous and tired. However, there are some gestures that are done subconsciously when performing the lie; with the most trustworthy one being micro expressions. Everyone lies in their daily lives and it is a great skill to detect these lies through body language.

I would like to thank Craig Butz, Leah Podolin, Jose Godinez, Chase Patterson and Rachel Cohen-Sidley for editing my paper and for contributing their ideas.

271 Bibliography "BBC - H2g2 - Body Language." BBC - Homepage. 14 Feb. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A427277>.

Decoste, Monte. INTERVIEW. 29 April 2010.

"How to Tell If Someone Is Lying: Interpreting Body Language and Nonverbal Cues That Signal a Lie." Psychology. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_tell_if_someone_is_lying> "How to Read People: Detecting Lies." LifeTraining - Online: The Source for Personal Development and Excellence Training. Jaeckel LLC. 2007. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://www.lifetrainingonline.com/blog/how-to-detect-lies.htm>.

"Lying Eyes: The Power of Knowing Body Language | Socyberty." Socyberty | Society on the Web. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. <http://socyberty.com/languages/lying-eyes-the-power-of-knowing-bodylanguage/>.

McKeon, Catherine. “About Autism.” Autism Society. Web. 12 Feb. 2010 http://www.autismsociety.org/site/PageServer/aboutautism/ Pease, Allan, and Barbara Pease. The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York: Bantam, 2006. Print.

272 Eugene Rivera Research In the community Craig Butz 5/03/10 Marijuana, how it works and how it affects user’s lives Marijuana has grown in popularity over the last few years and is now the 3rd most popular drug in American after tobacco and alcohol. (Mind altering weed) Government and parents think that this is a problem and have increased awareness on the harms of the drug. I am sure most of you have seen these commercials, but the problem with them is the report completely wrong facts and tries to use fear rather than solid facts. If you look at the real affects that the drug has on your body and mind it seems almost harmless compared to alcohol and harder drugs.

The biggest impact marijuana has on users lives especially teenagers is getting caught and the how society views you. A lot of high school students who experiment with the drug usually don’t suffer academically and non frequent use dose not hinder you athletic ability’s that much. For most teenage users marijuana starts to affect their lives negatively because there parents are against it and that creates a rift in their relationship. Also getting caught by the police or your school can have traumatic affects on lives. The drug itself has its own risks but society’s attitude towards marijuana use is really what has the biggest affect on teenagers. (Telling teens the truth) From an interview I had with a family friend who used drugs in high school, I learned how society and the law affected his life way more than marijuana. My interviewee started experimenting with drugs going into high school and when his parents caught him he said their relationship changed forever “when my parents first found out about my drug use their first reaction was how could my son be a druggy, I tried to explain to them how it was something I enjoyed doing on the weekends and how it did not affect my school work. But they did not listen. After more incidents with harder drugs and the school getting involved, I was sent to a rehab where I spent 6 months of my high school life”( David ). From this interview it was made clear to me how the society’s view on marijuana and the consequences of using far out way the negative affects of the drugs it’s self. More teenagers’ lives are affected negatively this way than the possible negative affects the drug can have on your health.

People smoke marijuana for the high feeling, but what actually happens inside your body when you smoke this drug. When you inhale the smoke from burning marijuana, the smoke is very hot and burns and can kills bronchiole cells in the back of your throat. The smoke then enters your lungs and small air sacs called alveoli absorbed the smoke. The THC then enters your blood stream and is sent up to your brain with in seconds of inhaling. (How marijuana works) When the THC enters the brain it “can mimic or block actions of neurotransmitters and interfere with normal functions” (how marijuana works).

Neurotransmitters are chemicals in your brain that fill in the gaps between neurons and allow them to communicate. THC mimics a neurotransmitter chemical called anandamide; anandamide activates cannabinoids receptors which are responsible for functions like Short-term memory, Coordination, Learning and Problem

273 solving. When the THC mimics this chemical it disrupts and distorts these functions (how marijuana works).

This is why people report loss of coordination and trouble concentration while under the influence of marijuana.

The affects on your health by marijuana are varied a lot and all affects are not the same for all people.

Research on the affects on marijuana on your body is very varied and a lot of research contradicts itself. No one has every died directly from the drug and for someone to actually die from smoking would require a ridicules amount of marijuana “Thus, this 160-pound person would require all the THC in over 450 joints to reach a lethal dose. At least 50% of THC, however, is lost to sidestream smoke. Therefore, a lethal dose would actually require smoking 900 joints” (Understanding marijuana). Even though you can not die directly from marijuana it can potentially have negative affects on your health. One of the biggest impacts frequent marijuana use has on your body is in the immune system. Marijuana has the chance to severely damage your immune system and make you more susceptible to other deadly diseases. This happens because marijuana kill certain helpful cells “ Marijuana kills helpful cells like macrophages and T-cells , which are responsible for fighting of germs in the body” ( mind altering weed). With these cells dead your body will have a lot harder time fighting of diseases like AIDS. This is why marijuana is considered a harmful drug; while it doesn’t cause direct death it can potentially have fatal impact on your health.

One of the main concerns for users is cancer, mainly lung cancer. Most people think of cigarette smokers when thinking about lung cancer but marijuana can have the same affect on your respiratory system.

It’s hard to compare these two drugs risks of cancer since most marijuana smokers also use tobacco. There are also some variables that change the risk factors, people who use tobacco and get cancer usually smoke a couple of cigarettes a day over a long period of time. While marijuana smokers usually do not smoke as often, but they hold in the smoke longer and breath it deeply. But one thing has been made clear by researchers and that is the more you use marijuana the higher chance you have of getting Cancer. Marijuana is also though to induce mental illness’s, studies of people who have mental disorders who smoke marijuana show that marijuana does not directly cause mental illnesses but can aggravate a pre existing condition.( mind altering weed) When first trying marijuana most people usually do not feel the affects, it could take multiple times before they actually feel it. Out of everyone who tries marijuana only a fraction of people become regular users. The main chemical in marijuana is called THC and this is what goes into your brain and give you the “high” feeling, the more THC you ingest the higher you will be. There are over 400 chemicals in marijuana and around 60 of them are called cannabinoids, THC fits into the cannabinoids category (how marijuana works).

Every one reacts differently to marijuana and there are many variables that can affect your reaction. Some of these variables are the form of marijuana that you ingest, the paraphernalia that you use, and the potency of the marijuana you use. All of these variables can affect your experience while under the drug. (Understanding marijuana) Some new studies have show that your state of mind and location before smoking can relate to the affects you feel “all reports emphasize that attitudes and surroundings contribute to the subjective experience of the drug.

Individuals who expect to have a pleasant time and arrange for cozy, safe, relaxed surroundings frequently report positive effects from the drug. In contrast, those who anticipate a fearful experience and use the drug in an uncomfortable setting can report panic and suspiciousness” (Understanding marijuana). This is really interesting because it’s so unlike the other variables that determine your response to smoking marijuana. While it is still true that marijuana affects everyone differently scientist have been able to categorize some common affects.

There is a wide range of responses users can have after smoking marijuana. A common response is feeling happy and relaxed. You can also feel it physically with a dry mouth known as “cotton mouth”, being thirsty and hunger know as “munchies”. (Mind altering weed). Being under the influence can also improve certain aspects of life “Thoughts Focus on the present increased. Forgetfulness increases. Sexuality Orgasms appear enhanced Responsiveness appears enhanced. Spirituality Openness to experience increases Sense of the divine increases.

Sleep Improves at lowdoses Shows impairment at high doses” (understanding marijuana). Most people agree that smoking marijuana increases how much fun you will have doing other things. For instance some people enjoying smoking marijuana before going on a hike or going to an amusement park, because of how much more fun they will have while there high .

Other than a life enhancer, marijuana is seen by some people as a “psychoactive booster of consciousness” (The higher self). An interview with a man named Blake who is a member of a meditation group called The World Mind Society. He talks about how marijuana and other are used in native cultures “In native cultures, psychoactive substances are also used to gain what are considered spiritual powers, psychic enhancements, altered and deepened perceptions of truth, greater inner strength, energy, mental alertness and flexibility. Perhaps even more importantly, these substances are used to gain spiritual realization and refinement. They are even used as an aid to unify ones self with Nature and God” (The Higher self). Blake goes on to talk about how most users of the drug do not experience

274 this because they do not realize the potential of the plant and they do not use their mind to take advantage of the full potential of marijuana. He goes on to talk about how you access these enhancements to you body and mind while using marijuana, he makes his main point that you must make your intentions clear before smoking “, and one should definitely be clear about the effects they desire from its intake. These effects, which can also be personal goals, include an enhanced state of clarity, greater psychic perception and higher personal vibration for instance, and these aspects should be consistently focused upon with the mind, during a smoke session” ( The higher life) . This puts marijuana into a whole new perspective and shows that it is not only used as a recreational drug. These people believe that marijuana can help boost your mind and body if used the right way.

The knowledge that things you do in your life are usually better when your high, is the reason why a lot of marijuana users start to use the drug more frequently and incorporate that into there daily lives. With high usage of marijuana some users have reported that they longer enjoy life or certain aspects of it, with out the influence of marijuana. When the user start to think about the drug constantly and your body starts to crave the drug, this is what some scientist call marijuana addiction. Rehabilitation clinics recognize this addiction and have seen numbers of admission for marijuana addiction increase over the past years (marijuana addiction). When you step back and look at all the information on marijuana it is pretty varied but there does seem to be two main perspectives on the drug by users and reporters. The main prospective is that marijuana is a harmful and addictive drug that will ruin your life, some users realize this after using the drug and decide they want out and claim they cannot stop sing the drug because they are addicted. A second perspective on marijuana is that it is a relatively safe drug that is perfectly acceptable for recreational use. This perspective is less common and is mainly seen by users who do not see themselves as addicts just as people who enjoy using a natural life enhancer. This split perspective on the drug is an topic that is gaining a lot of interest in America especially in states that are trying to pass laws to legalize the drug (California). But I feel like there will always be controversy over this topic no matter if it is legalized or not.

Work cited Bonsor, Kevin. “ how marijuana works”. How stuff works. 2007. Web. May 13 2010.

David Alnhorn, personal interview. May 10 2010.

Earleywine, Mitch. Understanding marijuana a new look at scientific evidence. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002. Questia.

Web. 14 Apr. 2010 Marijuana addiction”. Marijuana-addiction.net. Sponsored by Recover now. 2001-2005. Web. May 15 2010 Perkel, Marc “Marijuana Telling Teenagers the Truth about Smoking Pot”. 2008 . Web. May 25 2010 Sanna, E.J. Mind altering weed. Broomall, Pennsylvania: Mason crests publishers, 2008. Questia. Web. 04/14/10 Webb, Matthew. “The higher Self.” erowid.org. Jul 1989.Web. may 15 2010.

275 Avi Stricker Research in the community- B Block Craig Butz 14 May 2010 Sports and Stadiums: The Truth Behind Wild Spending on Sports Stadiums Spectator sports have existed in our culture for over two thousand years, dating back to the first Olympics in ancient Greece where athletes played in small stadiums and fans were obsessed with the competitors and competition in general. Now, sports teams are building huge, multimillion dollar stadiums, and many people wonder if they are worth the hefty price. The social benefits of sports teams on their surrounding communities far outweigh the negative economic effects that are often inherent in constructing new stadiums. Sports teams and stadiums have two major influences on a community: economic and social. Although sports teams may convince communities to spend millions of dollars on stadiums and often ring up large debts that are difficult or impossible to repay, the social value of sports in a city outweighs the money spent and should be the ultimate factor in deciding to build a new stadium.

Estimating the economic impact of a stadium on a city is very difficult, and economists have attempted to come up with several methods that attempt to measure as accurately as possible the economic impact of sports on cities. Economist Robert Baade, a professor at Lake Forest University, created a method to measure sports and their “economic benefits to a metropolitan area [using] direct expenditures, indirect expenditures and ‘psychological’ benefits” (Baade 5). He argues that when all three of these values are strong within a city, then the final result of constructing a stadium will be positive. Subsequently, he also argues that if any one of these values has a negative impact on the city, then the result of building a sports stadium will be negative. It must be noted, however, that Baade only studies the economic effect of building sports teams on a city; he never addresses the social effect. The “psychological benefits” that Baade introduces will be discussed later in the paper.

The first way to measure the economic activity of a sports team, according to Baade and many other economists, is to measuring direct expenditures. According to Pay Dirt: The Business of Professional Sports Teams direct expenditures are defined as money spent by the team on goods in the city. These expenditures also refer to money spent by fans on goods purchased in the city (not including game tickets) and money spent by players on purchases of goods and services in the city. All of these different factors together create direct expenditures. Direct expenditures also include money spent by the management and owners on local businesses and the money spent by the team on employees, players and owners. Direct expenditures are an important contribution to the financial impact of a sports team because they account for money spent by players and fans which directly shows money spent around the area of the ballpark.

Baade’s second economic factor is indirect expenditures. According to Baade, indirect expenditures are a result of direct expenditures leading to a “multiplier effect on the economy” (Baade 2). Indirect expenditures are more difficult to calculate and understand than direct expenditures and can best be explained with an example. After a fan or player goes to a game and spends money at a restaurant in the area, the money that is spent at the restaurant is then given to employees who spend that money elsewhere in the city, resulting in the stimulation of more spending. The multiplier is a result of direct expenditures, and an example of this is if a fan were to spend one dollar on the Giants organization, that dollar could stimulate spending of two dollars, so the multiplier is two. When the multiplier is higher, then there are more economic benefits compared to when the multiplier is lower. It is nearly impossible to measure the multiplier effect accurately, but the estimated multiplier for sports, mainly baseball, is lower then expected. “The estimated multiplier of baseball is two or less” (Baade 7). This is a rough estimate made by many economists and it is nearly impossible to predict the multiplier because one would need to track all expenditures related to the sports team. Because the multiplier may be low, some economists believe that a sports team’s economic impact is not that great. However, one cannot forget that as long as the multiplier is greater than one, money is being made. Direct expenditures and indirect expenditures affect every sports team including teams from the Bay Area.

In 2000, the San Francisco Giants left Candlestick Park where they had played for forty years and moved to Pac Bell Park (now AT&T Park). The presence of the Giants in a new stadium made a huge economic impact on the city of San Francisco, specifically Mission Bay. Unlike new stadiums constructed in other U.S. cities, the Giants new stadium has actually proved to be an economic benefit to the city of San Francisco. Although Candlestick’s ballpark capacity was three thousand more then the new ball park, “tickets bought for the Giants increased from 1.5 million to 3.1 million” [in the Giants first season at AT&T Park] (Baer). By simply changing stadiums, the Giants increased their ticket sales by over 200%. The increase in tickets figures into the fact that the Giants built a new beautiful ballpark in a prime location. In their old stadium, Candlestick Park, the team was isolated from the rest of the community in Hunters Point and twenty minutes walking distance to the closest restaurant. At the new stadium

276 with more fans attending games, the indirect expenditures in and around the stadium in Mission Bay increased. “At the new park, people can come and after [the game] go to Amici’s or McDonalds or other restaurants in the area.

You couldn’t do that at Candlestick” [because of its isolation] (Baer). Thus the new ballpark allows for a higher amount of indirect expenditures because people who go to games will spend money in the surrounding area.

In 1994, a study on the impact of a new stadium for the San Francisco Giants was done by Economic Research Associates (ERA). ERA examined the Giants from 1992-1994 and predicted income for the Giants after building a new stadium. ERA determined that AT&T Park would “give San Francisco an advantage over other cities competing for tourist and convention dollars” (ERA 2). This allows for more money for the city because these tourists would be spending money in San Francisco instead of their home city. In 1993, the San Francisco Giants produced $93 million in economic contributions with $49.7 million coming from direct expenditures and $43.3 million coming from indirect expenditures (ERA 1). The new Giants stadium at AT&T Park generates around $125 million in economic activity (The Ballpark We Want) with “around $68 million from direct expenditures and $57 million from indirect expenditures” (Baer), which funds services and strengthens the economy. This is an important $32 million annual increase and proves that the new ballpark has benefited the economy.

AT&T Park also created new jobs which in turn benefited the economy. The new ballpark created 6,455 jobs, however; some of these jobs are part-time or temporary and pay minimum wages. Roger G. Noll argues in his book Sports, Jobs and Taxes that “an ‘obsolete’ structure with a new facility should not be interpreted as jobs gained but rather as jobs not lost” (Noll 94). This shows that although these ‘new jobs’ are being created, they are just ‘old jobs’ in a different place. On the other hand if a team does in fact leave a city instead of building or updating their existing stadium, then all of these jobs (for ushers and concession workers, etc) will be lost, which in turn will hurt the local economy.

Shortly after moving to AT&T Park, restaurants and other commercial businesses opened near the ballpark.

Economists argue against this, claiming that there are other factors that contribute to teams moving to an area.

Factors include “tax environment and the existence of a skilled labor force” (Baade 6). This might be true in some cases, but it is not coincidental that once the Giants moved to the Mission Bay area, other businesses started to open in the area. In 2002, Safeway opened in the Mission Bay area (San Francisco Business Times). Baade would argue that Safeway opened because of other factors besides the ballpark but when Safeway moved the report describing their move said: “the store will be the retail anchor in a residential project that Catellus Development is building along King Street near Pacific Bell Park” (San Francisco Business Times). This shows that the store used the park as a way to attract people to shop at the store. Other businesses have moved to the area in recent years as well. These include restaurants like Amici’s Pizzeria and McDonald’s as well as other chains such as Supercuts. All of these restaurants and chains opened in the area shortly after the Giants moved to Mission Bay, so the Giants’ presence in the area likely contributed to other businesses opening in Mission Bay. Mission Bay is turning into the up-and-coming area of San Francisco as a result of the placement of AT&T Park. In the early 2000s, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency decided to “start a $4 billion project on 6,000 housing units, a 500-room hotel and a new public school library, police, fire stations and school” (SFRA). Kelly Kahn, the project manager of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency’s project at Mission Bay described the effect of the Giants on the project, saying “the ballpark created a sense of place in Mission Bay, thereby helping to jump-start the market for private residential development…. the ballpark opening really helped put Mission Bay on the map and created interest” (Kahn). The ballpark strongly impacted the building of these condos because it made Mission Bay an attractive place to live and as a result of that helped housing development. On the other hand, poor stadium placement, like Candlestick Park will not lead to metropolitan development. The bottom line is that before the Giants moved to Mission Bay, the area was a rarely visited part of town and after the Giants moved to the area, it became a hotspot in the city of San Francisco.

Once the Giants moved and built a new stadium, city infrastructure changed for the better, improving lives of the local residents of Mission Bay as well as fans commuting from around the Bay Area. In early 1998, after the Giants announced they were moving to a ballpark in Mission Bay, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI) decided to make a line extending to Caltrain which cost $51.8 million for the city to expand (“SF Gate”). This system was supposed to link to the N Judah and E Embarcadero (which does not currently exist) and now links to the N Judah and T Third Street lines. Today, the line is heavily traveled and has become a convenient way to go to the ballgame compared to the previous lack of public transportation at Candlestick Park. Without the park, these lines may have not been built, creating a need for Mission Bay. The line is also a vital transportation link for parts of the city to downtown. At the old park, the only way to get to the stadium was by car or taking one bus which would require a thirty minute walk. Now, the ballpark is served by the two light rails as well as bus routes (10-Harrison and 30- Stockton), and Caltrain (“SFMTA”). Caltrain allows people who do not live in San Francisco to come up to the city, which benefits the local economy because these people spend their money in the city of San

277 Francisco instead of their home cities. This is called import substitution, which occurs when citizens spend money outside of their area on other goods which leads to the most economic gain for the city where the money is being spent. Mission Bay would likely remain a predominately unvisited part of town had the Giants not moved to the area.

The Giants create new money for San Francisco. According to Larry Baer, President of the Giants, “AT&T Park was the first privately built baseball park on the West Coast” (Baer). This means that the Giants did not take a lot of public money to build the stadium. “The San Francisco Giants only needed $15 million [in tax abatement] to build the stadium which is less then 5%” (Baer). The Giants even paid for their own land for the stadium to be built on. The total construction cost for AT&T Park was $357 million (Baer). Since the Giants organization only needed a little portion from the city for their stadium, and since the ballpark generates around $125 million annually, the investment was good for the city of San Francisco. It must be noted, however, that in many cities, public funds account for the majority of the money required to construct a stadium.

Many economists think that this type of positive effect is the exception rather than the rule. Baade states this clearly: “At the end of the day, there is no factual basis for the conventional argument that professional sports stadiums and teams have a significant impact on a region's economic growth” (Baade 2). Baade conducted searches on sixty cities that had a new sports team since 1987 to see if the team or its new stadium had a major impact on the area. In only one of the sixty instances the new stadium had a positive impact on the city it was located in (Indianapolis) and in all other cases there was no significant economic impact from a sports team or its new stadium (Baade 16). This rule is seen with the Dallas Cowboys and Cowboys Stadium where the “city of Arlington had to pay $325 million in taxpayer dollars for the new stadium” (ESPN). It is likely that the city of Dallas will not get the money back that they put into the stadium. On the contrary, AT&T Park was privately funded and required little money in tax abatement to complete the stadium. This means that the Giants only needed to pay off a substandard amount compared to places such as Dallas. Although some cities will see no return on their investment, the city of San Francisco will receive return and even more money will be generated for the city.

Even if the economic impact of a sports stadium on a city may be minimal, the social impact of a sports team is enormous. When economists look to see if a community is affected by sports stadiums, they do not look at the more important social impact. Larry Baer argues emphatically that the social impact is more important then the economic effect. As previously mentioned in the economic impact example, even though the new stadium holds less people than Candlestick, fan support increased by [over] 200% showing that “when the San Francisco Giants built the new ballpark, Giants fans found a new sense of life” (Geuss). The Giants’ move significantly impacted the city as well as the Giants organization, and their fans were ecstatic because of the new stadium.

Sports bond the people of the city together. Ben Burrows explains: “Sports have and most likely always will be the common bond that all Americans share. In a country so diverse in almost every way, sports are our common bond. The American society can always lean on sports in their time of need. Professional sports may not win elections, clean our streets, or even lower gas prices. What they do is unite the most diverse country in the world.

Diversity does not matter when you are staring down a batter or reading a defense. Race and religion don't matter when you are on the ropes in the tenth round. Culture and ethnicity don't matter when you are down by 2 in overtime. All that matters is that teams and fans have to come together when it matters, regardless of diversity. Sports don't just make a large impact on the American society. They are essential for such a diverse environment to succeed.” (Burrows).

Sports represent an important bond that keeps us together as a society, and many people benefit from an appreciation of sports to succeed socially. Although some say that there is too much time and money spent on sports in our society, it is difficult to measure the social impact of sports with a dollar value. The fact that a whole nation can overcome their differences and bond over a game makes the psychological impact of sports impossible to ignore.

The San Francisco Giants are a baseball team that gives back to the community. They run programs that benefit communities in need. For every ticket sold, twenty five cents goes to after-school sports programs leading to $750,000 a year for these organizations. Since the Giants moved to AT&T park, they have produced $7.5 million for after-school organizations (Baer). The Giants also run the Junior Giants organization, which serves 16,000 kids around San Francisco (“SF giants”). These kids all come from low income neighborhoods and benefit from the social opportunity to play baseball. Instead of wandering the streets, these children play baseball.

People often question why a city government invests in a sports stadium, when other more ‘vital’ businesses need money. A sports team can do something special that most businesses cannot do. The Giants have a huge influence on the Bay Area and if they decide to sponsor a charitable organization, the entire fan base would be

278 notified through television or newsletters about the charitable organizations’ cause. Even though charitable organizations are not gaining direct money from the government, people who can donate to the organizations are made aware of them. Also, by investing in the sports team, the city government can impact more then just the one organization. The Giants can sponsor multiple organizations which will eventually bring income to these organizations.

Sports teams have impacted cities they are in and once they leave the result can be extremely detrimental.

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers both went through the same process when they left the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively, in 1957. When the two teams left New York, the people of New York were extremely unhappy. While the Dodgers were in Brooklyn they sold out most of their games, but their small park limited profits from ticket sales (Stout 236-237). After the Dodgers’ last game at Ebbets field in Brooklyn, the fan reaction was like a funeral. “There were people crying in the streets, no one could believe it. The Dodgers had gone, the franchise was over” (Stout 238). The social impact of the Dodgers in Brooklyn was huge and people could not bear to see their team leave; it was as if a family member had died. The Dodgers then moved to Los Angeles where they were greeted with huge crowds and an increase in “attendance, profits and world championships” (Stout 241). Stout later said that “Brooklyn’s loss was L.A’s gain.” This shows that the huge loss of the Dodgers to Brooklyn eventually turned into a social benefit for Los Angeles.

The San Francisco 49ers are considering leaving San Francisco in the coming years. Senator Diane Feinstein tried to pass a law to prevent the San Francisco 49ers from leaving the city and keeping the name ‘San Francisco 49ers’. In a transcript of a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Feinstein said: “So it seems to me that we ought to look at legislation which would prohibit the taking of a city’s name outside of its jurisdiction without the approval of that city” (Feinstein). If a team had no benefit to a city, why would a United States Senator attempt to prevent them from maintaining a name – why would anyone care? Feinstein implies that the title ‘San Francisco’ is more then just words; it represents a fan base and a culture that needs to be kept intact. Later during the hearing Feinstein said: “when a team just announces that it may pull out and go to another community, it causes great consternation” (Feinstein). Fans need their teams. The San Francisco 49ers have a huge social impact on the City of San Francisco and the City of San Francisco needs to build a stadium or try extremely hard to keep their teams in San Francisco.

One possibility for the 49ers could be to follow the Giants in building a new ballpark in downtown San Francisco. They could even find space in Mission Bay and build the ballpark there. If the 49ers were in an area like Mission Bay, or even played in AT&T Park with the Giants, they would generate more for the local economy compared to Candlestick Park. In Oakland, the Oakland Raiders and the Oakland Athletics share a ballpark and this has proved effective and could be a possibility for the 49ers and Giants. Although this has worked in Oakland, the Athletics are looking for a new stadium showing that if the 49ers and Giants shared AT&T Park, the 49ers would probably want to leave. AT&T has a capacity of around 42,000 people and the average for a football stadium is closer to 70,000. The 49ers would provide more for the local surroundings, but would lose revenue because of this, so AT&T would only be a temporary option. The solution is for the 49ers to build a new stadium in downtown San Francisco to attract more money for the team as well as the city.

Building sports stadiums eventually benefits the entire community. Sports teams and their stadiums can do more for a city then most other businesses because they can reach out to the community, creating economic gain and social benefits. These benefits occasionally go unnoticed even if they are important to the community. Cities spend millions of dollars on sports stadiums and some citizens believe that this money is going to waste. However, because of the often overlooked and important social effects, the millions of dollars spent on sports stadiums are worth the investment and people should make it a priority to build new stadiums for sports teams when needed.

I would like to acknowledge the following people: Craig Butz, for editing my first draft.

Caitlin Dekker, Henry Gale, Julia Reichard, and Jackie Van Der Hout for peer editing.

Raphael Stricker and David Miller, for editing my paper.

279 Works Cited "AT&T Park Service." San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, Muni, Sustainable Streets).

SFMTA, 3 May 2000. Web. 24 Apr. 2010.

Baade, Robert Allen. Stadiums, Professional Sports, and Economic Development: Assessing the Reality. Detroit, Mich.: Heartland Institute, 1994. Print.

Baer, Larry. Personal interview. 3 Apr, 2010.

"Ballparks of Baseball-Candlestick Park-San Francisco Giants." Ballparks of Baseball-The Fields of Major League Baseball. Ballparks of Baseball, 10 Apr. 2001. Web. 4 April 2010.

Burrows, Ben. "The Impact Professional Sports Have on American Society." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules.

N.P. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.

Epstein, Edward. "Embarcadero Line On Track Tomorrow." SFGate. 9 Jan. 1998. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

Giuliacci, Paul. "Junior Giants Baseball | SFGiants.com: Community." The Official Site of Major League Baseball | MLB.com. MLB.com, 2001. Web. 05 May 2010.

Kahn, Kelly. Personal Interview. 6 May 2010.

Leal, Susan. The Ballpark We Want, To Fund The Services We Need. San Francisco: San Francisco For a Downtown Ballpark, 1996. Print.

Mosley, Matt. "Jones Building a Legacy with $1.3 Billion Cowboys Stadium -ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. ESPN.com, 15 Sept. 2008. Web. 2 May 2010.

Noll, Roger G., and Andrew S. Zimbalist. Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: the Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1997. Print.

Quirk, James P, and Rodney D. Fort. Pay Dirt: the Business of Professional Team Sports. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UP, 1992. Print.

"Safeway Signs at Mission Bay - San Francisco Business Times." Business News | Bizjournals. 20 Dec. 2001. Web. 02 Apr. 2010.

Spickard, Steve. San Francisco Giants Economic Impact Study. Rep. no. 11701. San Francisco: Economic Research Associates, 1993. Print.

Stout, Glenn. The Dodgers: 120 Years of Dodgers Baseball. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

United States Senator Diane Feinstein. Senator Feinstein Announces Plans to Explore Legislative Options to Keep the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco. Press Releases. 14 Nov. 2006. Web. 30 Apr. 2010.

Zimbalist, Andrew. "The Economics of Sports Teams and Their Communities." Journal of Economic Perspectives.

By John Siegfried. 3rd ed. Vol. 14. New York: American Economic Association, 2000. 95+. Print.

280 Amara Taylor Research in the Community – A Block Craig Butz May 14, 2010 Pets: They’re good for you… or are they?

Animals have been living alongside us for ages. We are the descendants of a common ancestor, and have developed alongside one another throughout the eons. Humans eventually turned into the dominant species and domesticated animals across the globe. Domesticated animals were originally used for farming and other work, until they were brought into the house for more familial purposes. In the modern world, many animals are trained to help humans for health reasons, and in more recent years, it has been found that animals have the ability to lighten the heart and help cope with hardships. The benefits of owning a pet, such as the undying love and attention one receives, add to and improve one’s overall quality of life.

Pets give humans a sense of comfort that cannot be provided by other humans, as well as decrease heart pressure. According to Linda Hines, president of the Delta Society, a organization dedicated to introducing people to therapy animals, “people need the gentle contact of an affectionate animal. People who have lonely lives, who are shut-ins or live in nursing homes, who are recovering from injury or tragedy, need that touch more than the average person. Animal-assisted therapy lightens the mood of the person. It takes them away from their troubles for a few minutes” (Neal). Animals are furry friends for the lonely. Additionally, pets can lessen heart pressure. Studies have shown that “stroking a dog or cat can alleviate stress and lower blood pressure” (Neal). When a person’s blood pressure is lowered, they are less likely to get heart disease, and therefore more likely to have a longer lifespan.

Pet therapy actually helps patients in hospitals recover. Anxiety levels, heart pressure, blood pressure, and levels of a hormone the body makes under stress drops when a patient is visited by a dog and a volunteer. When only visited by a volunteer, some levels dropped slightly, while others rose. However, when not visited at all, they usually rose (Schiff). People everywhere have been trying to prove that “pet therapy is a credible addition to patient care, not just a nicety” (Schiff).

Pets relieve one of the biggest health issues: cardiovascular disease, or heart disease which is a large category that includes heart attacks. Heart attacks are the main cause of death in the Unites States today, and “stress and anxiety are considered contributory factors to cardiovascular disease” (Barker and Dawson). If by having an animal around, the risk goes down, surely animals help prevent heart attacks. And, as an added bonus, dogs improve illness recovery rates. Stacy Baker, an author for MainStreet, says that “it turns out having a dog may not only help you survive longer sickness, but also heal faster” (Baker). An additional benefit is that pet owners visit the doctor less. Baker says “owners are said to make fewer visits on average to their family physician… probably because they’re less stressed and engage in more physical activity” (Baker). People mainly visit the doctor because they feel unwell. By being in the presence of an animal, they will feel better, and want to visit the doctor less.

For people who tend to get unmotivated, pets are great incentives to get up and active. A person who owns a pet will have more motivation to get out of bed than someone who lives alone. They need to feed the pet, take care of them, and make sure that the pet is happy. On the other side of the spectrum, someone who doesn’t have a pet won’t want to get out of bed and will are likely to sleep in. Dotti Carter is a woman in a retirement home. She says that her dog gives her a reason to get out of bed. She claims “when you get up with the aches and pains and this thing loves you to death, you forget all about your aches and pains” (Neal). Additionally, dogs give their owners reason to move about more, whether it be as simple as playing with a toy, or taking them for a walk. According to Stacy Baker in her article for Mainstreet, dog owners “tend to walk faster, harder and longer, and are less likely to be obese. An extra mile walk morning and night gets you nearly half of the surgeon general’s recommended 10,000 daily steps” People who have pets have more of an incentive to do healthy things, like taking walks and playing with their pets. Jennifer Emmert, head of Animal Assisted Therapy and the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says “people who are facing life crises and who might be susceptible to depression can really find an additional motivation in having their own pets because there’s still a requirement for care and it can help them come out of the isolation and the personal solitude of depression to care for someone else. Pet owners who tend to gain weight or things like that, if you have a dog that has to go outside, it can give you a little more motivation to exercise.” She also states that there’s a social aspect to having a pet. People are more likely to approach someone with a pet than someone without.

For seniors, owning a dog means living better. When an elderly person owns a dog, it encourages them to move more and engage in more healthy habits, usually with the mindset that they want to outlive their pet. Research shows that seniors with pets “live longer and better than those living alone. Similar studies show that pet owners are as much as four time less likely to get age-related depression, likely because even simple acts like petting a dog release brain chemicals that naturally combat the condition” (Baker).

281 In relationships, dogs are a great way to maintain a balance between the two parties and ensure that they will not be forced to break up. Stacy Bakers says that “studies show twosomes with dogs report less tension in their marriages, as well as better conflict resolution with their partners” (Baker). When a person comes home after a long day at work, what they want is love from their partner. Unfortunately, if their spouse has had an equally hard day at work, they will not get the love they seek. Pets provide unconditional love for their owners no matter the situation.

And, during a session of the blame game, there’s always the option to “blame the dog,” although this is not necessarily the best option for the dog.

Unfortunately, owning a dog isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Krista Mifflin writes that “the reality of dogs is so much more than playful puppies and snuggles at night” (Mifflin). She claims that it’s her job to introduce prospective owners to the downsides of pet ownership, which include pouring both time and money into the new family friend. She also mentions that dog smell, which is a given, considering that we all know the “wet dog” smell, and that they need a lot of energy to keep entertained (Mifflin). There is also the legal aspect to owning a pet.

Many problems, like going to court, can come from dog ownership. According to Mifflin, there is a long list of downsides to owning a dog. At the top of the list is the risk of being sued if the dog destroys someone’s property. There are also fines for if a dog escapes and is picked up by animal control. And if the dog barks a lot, there are charges for disturbing the peace. And, of course, there’s the most risky: if the dog bites someone, the owner is the one held responsible (Mifflin). She finishes off her article by saying that “anything your dogs does… you are liable” (Mifflin). Jenna Stregowski estimates that the yearly cost of dog ownership is about $2000, after the initial fees and necessary purchases (Stregowski).

Over the years, animals have been introduced into our lives as pets. We care for them and, as a result, they care for us just as much. They help patients in hospitals recover, and are a realistic addition to care in hospitals.

Because people have pets around, they are in a better physical condition and go to the hospital less. Owners also do physical activities more, whether it be walking the dog or running to the store to get them some food. They also improve relationships between couples. There are, of course, some downsides, but nothing in life is without a downside. Overall, pets are one of the best things humans can do to relieve the everyday stresses that bombard our lives.

I’d like to thank Hannah Woolley, James Koch, Chris Flanagan, and Taylor Forman for reviewing my paper. I would also like to thank Craig Butz for giving me support. And thanks to Jennifer Emmert for letting me interview her, as well as everyone else at the SPCA for working with me when I volunteered.

Works cited Baker, Stacy. “7 Ways Pets Lower Stress and Save You Money.” Mainstreet. 11 May 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Barker, Sandra B. and Kathryn S. Dawson. “The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Anxiety Ratings of Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients.” Psychiatric Services 49 (1998): 797-801. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.

Emmert, Jennifer. Personal Interview. 7 May 2010.

Mifflin, Krista. “The Inconvenience of Dogs.” About, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2010 Neal, Rome. “Puppy Love.” CBS News. 9 Jan. 2003. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.

Schiff, Jaclyn. “A Sick Man’s Best Friend.” CBS News. 16 Nov. 2005. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

Stregowski, Jenna. “The Cost of Dog Ownership.” About, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2010.

282 Jackie Van Der Hout Butz Research in the Community B-Block Craig Butz 7 June 2010 The Gentrification of the Mission District The vibrant Latino culture of the Mission is in peril of disappearing because of gentrification. Affluent business men and women seeking affordable housing, accessibility to downtown San Francisco, as well as a diverse population and social scene, have moved into the Mission. This has resulted in increasing rent and displacement of the Mission’s lower income Latino community. June Lee Gin, who wrote her dissertation for the University of Michigan on the topic of gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area, notes that several non-profit organizations in the Mission have joined together to create MAC (the Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition), in order “to influence the city planning process” (Gin 13) and “make the city’s planning and development process more accountable, democratic, and responsive to communities” (Gin 14), but recently have not made many strides toward achieving their goals. Part of the reason for the lack of recent success is that the population in the Mission does not wield sufficient political power to initiate large scale change, and as a result the city government has not acted aggressively to preserve the Mission as the treasure that it is. However, the increase of another population in the Mission provides a unique opportunity to organize and preserve some of the Mission’s traditional culture. These are low-income artists, musicians, students and other young people (sometimes jointly referred to as “hipsters”) looking for affordable housing within the city who can be found in the Mission District. The traditional Latino population and the newly arrived group of people have certain overlapping goals such as sustaining affordable housing and preserving space in the Mission for non-profits and cultural and artistic life. If the two sectors were to combine their resources and energy, together they could lobby for the preservation of the unique and rich culture of the Mission district of San Francisco, as well as the prevention of the further rising of rent costs and displacement of Latino families and businesses. These two communities could build a unifying solution which incorporates art, one of the most prevalent features of both the Latino and the young urban communities, as well as the community values of preserving affordable housing and community non-profits. In addition, to make the likelihood of slowing the negative effects of gentrification as feasible as possible, a unifying solution should attempt to appeal to the population which is itself gentrifying the Mission, pointing out how the Mission’s unique culture is its essence and should be preserved for the benefit of all its residents.

The rich culture of the Mission is a melting pot of art, music and food with a uniquely San Franciscan accent. Murals line the walls of buildings and can be seen on almost every block. Businesses and non-profits such as La Palma, Galeria de la Raza, Precita Eyes, and the Brava Theatre are all community establishments, owned by Latino families who live in the Mission, which have historically served the Mission’s Latino base. Gin observes that “The Mission District of San Francisco is a place of significance as the home of Latino culture and community, as well as artists, non-profit organizations, and other activities that thrived in a vibrant urban space” (Gin 38). One of the most exciting and interesting traditions of the community in the Mission is Carnaval, the annual parade in San Francisco started in approximately 1979, which can be described as a mini Marti Gras (“San Francisco Carnaval”).

It showcases the creativity and vibrancy of the traditional Mission community, as well as the dance and music of the diverse Latino cultures currently residing in the Mission. Carnival also showcases the extraordinary organizational skills that people in the Mission have, which are used to create the eccentric festival.

Latino culture in the Mission has been disappearing because of gentrification and the displacement of lower income community members, and it will continue to dwindle in the coming years if action is not taken. When young urban professionals, artists and others move into the Mission or open new stores, whether it is because of the proximity to downtown San Francisco or the cheaper rent, they displace non-profit and other institutions that have contributed to many aspects of the culture of the Mission. These are the establishments that make the Mission stand out from other neighborhoods in San Francisco and enrich the lives of the Latino population. Richard Gonzales, a reporter from National Public Radio (NPR) who did a piece on gentrification in San Francisco, believes that the main cause of the gentrification within the city is the short supply of housing in within the city. This is because there are a lot of people who want to live in the city, as well as people who move here because they are offered well paying jobs, often within the technology and internet industry. Those people who move here often have higher incomes than people who already live here, and end up displacing them. (Gonzales).

The Mission district’s stores and organizations include people, non-profits and shops that have consciously made the decision to make less money in their businesses, enterprises or professions because it will contribute more to the community. One would think that the new influx of wealthier people in the Mission would benefit the local economy and boost the income of local Latino-owned businesses. However, as this new set of people begins to move into the Mission, a new market is available, one which attracts new businesses, and those new businesses are

283 the ones who reap the benefits of the professionals who have moved into the Mission. The historical beacons of the Mission community are then forced to compete with for-profit enterprises, which cater to the new community of people that are now living in the Mission, who can simply afford to pay more rent because their income is often higher than that of those who run non-profits. As a result, these Latino businesses are forced to vacate the Mission because they can no longer afford to pay the increasing rent.

The Mission is losing its heart and soul, its Latino artists, musicians and non-profit organizers and organizations to people who can probably afford to live elsewhere but have decided to move into the Mission and who do not necessarily enhance the Mission’s history, culture or diversity. The for-profit motive is one of the reasons this is occurring. As Rebecca Solnit, author of the book Hollow City, puts it, “Gentrification is transforming the city by driving out the poor and working class, including those who have chosen to give their lives over to unlucrative pursuits such as art, activism, social experimentation, [and] social service” (13). The landlords, developers and real estate agents want to make as much money as they can, and do not keep in mind the negative effects that follow their actions. The developers value wealth over culture because for them, success is synonymous with wealth. As a San Francisco architect said, “It’s pure greed- everyone wants to develop as much as they can and make as much money as possible. It’s crazy”. quoted in (Solnit 9). The community mechanism in place to counter the force of money over community values needs to be improved upon. As of now, stores and homes are leased to those who have the most money, regardless of the negative impact on the culture and community in the Mission.

One of the ways in which the for-profit motive transformed the Mission was with the dot com explosion of the 1990s. Gentrification is not a new phenomenon for the Mission district; it has in fact been going on for the past 20+ years. When the dot com boom exploded in the 1990s in Silicon Valley, the “technology industry received 35% of the total venture capital dollars invested in the entire world… over $20 million a day. This tremendous influx… increased the incomes of those who were temporarily fortunate enough to participate in new Internet start-up companies” (Gin 33). This brought new jobs into the San Francisco Bay Area, which has always been an area with a high housing demand, and the demand only increased further after the dot-com boom. Thus, the dot com boom drove prices of commercial and residential real estate up in the Mission, driving out the Mission’s traditional residents and businesses.

There are numerous reasons the Mission has become a hotspot for development. San Francisco is a densely populated city. Housing in San Francisco is the fourth most expensive of any city in the United States (“America’s Most Expensive Cities 2009”). People love San Francisco and want to live in the city, but may not be able to afford to pay the rent or buy a house. The Mission district offers cheaper housing than most other neighborhoods in the city, without being seen as a dangerous neighborhood, such as the Tenderloin. There is also a dense population in the City of San Francisco, causing a competitive housing market with a high demand but a lower supply. Gin describes the Mission as an “Ideal residential location for the global economy work force- situated along public transportation lines, close to freeways, and minutes from downtown San Francisco” (Gin 11). The Mission has also been more susceptible to gentrification compared to other lower income neighborhoods in San Francisco because of the high percentage of renters compared to home owners. The Mission has been especially susceptible to gentrification because, as described by Gin, “Neighborhoods with more renters are more vulnerable to gentrification, since renters can be more easily evicted from their homes” (Gin 177). The Mission’s diversity, energy and vitality attracts newcomers to the Mission in the first place. As observed by Gin, “Ironically, the businesses that serve ethnic communities and attract Anglos because of their ‘character’ are being forced out by rising rents” (Gin 44).

The unique combination of affordability, accessibility and attractiveness (due to the Mission’s relative safety and its diversity) makes the Mission an extremely popular place to live.

The confluence of new residents, incoming business men and women, landlords seeking profits from them, as well as politicians and city planners and market pressures in the city, as Solnit observes, are all responsible for the gentrification in the Mission. An attempt to lay the blame for this change on only one sector of the population, such as artists, is an inaccurate oversimplification. As described by Solnit, “Many analysts of gentrification blame it on artists, and this argument has become commonplace. For decades, poor white kids--college students, musicians, artists, writers-- have been moving into the Mission, which some poor whites never left, but many of the artists and radicals who were raised there or arrived as adults are Latinos (blaming gentrification on artists often presumes that all artists are white)” (Solnit 61).

Blame for gentrification is often placed on artists, but Mr. Gonzales believes that artists, who are usually also lower income and, in the case of the Mission District, relate themselves with the Latino community, are often unjustly blamed. When artists are living in a neighborhood together, it makes it seem like an attractive place to live for other people who might be more affluent. For this reason, artists are often blamed for gentrification, although they did not mean for it to happen. After new people come to the neighborhood, many of the artists also have to leave because they themselves can no longer afford the rent (Gonzales” (61). Solnit rejects this analysis, noting that

284 many of the artists are Latinos, and artists have always lived in the Mission. (61). Struggling artists have always lived in the Mission, but recently have made it a more accessible place for the urban professionals to live. Artists often open up new neighborhoods to gentrification by making it a place of interest for others (“Artists Reflect Role in Gentrification”). Solnit claims that “It’s art as a lifestyle rather than a discipline that contributes to changing neighborhoods” (Solnit 61). This means that people who have other jobs that pay more than being an artist, but want to live like them in neighborhoods such as the Mission district, are really those to blame for gentrification, not the artists themselves. Indeed many other groups and forces have resulted in gentrification, and each change itself generates more changes. Entrepreneurs are “coming in at a hectic pace, and they in turn generate new boutiques, restaurants and bars that displace earlier businesses, particularly nonprofits, and the new industry’s workers have been outbidding for rentals and buying houses out from under tenants at a breakneck pace” (Solnit 14). The same is true with market forces. Once they start, they are essentially unstoppable, and caused by everyone who partakes in the American capitalist lifestyle.

The “demand for high-end housing creates incentives for landlords to vacate their properties for more lucrative occupancy, the increased high-end demand for housing created pressure in existing communities… Where landlords were prohibited from raising rents or evicting tenants without ‘just cause’, as in San Francisco, they found legal channels for removing rental units from the housing market” (Gin 35-36). Landlords would find loopholes in the laws or even ignore them altogether if it meant that they could charge a higher rent to a new tenant. This has resulted in skyrocketing increases in housing prices in the Mission. Indeed, from 1990 to 2000, the median house prices in SF rose from $294,800 to $430,000, and the median rents from $653 to $1,002 (U.S. Census, 1990 and 2000). This is an increase in house price of 72.9% and an increase in rent of 41.5%. By mid-2007 median house prices were up to an astounding $835,000, nearly doubling in seven years. (“Mission Real Estate Overview”).

All of these factors have snowballed into an astonishing change in the Mission and show no signs of stopping.

San Francisco politicians and city planners, as well as problems with the planning process, also hold responsibility for the gentrification of the Mission. Both politicians and city planners have not played a strong enough role on holding the line against gentrification in the Mission. San Francisco has had a “Pro-development mayor who seem[s] to support the ongoing trend of gentrification, either through explicit policies or through clear directives to city planning staff to promote a friendly environment for developers” (Gin 11). The city planning process is also not easily accessible to city residents, especially those who are not well educated in the highly technical planning process. The planning process is meant for a discussion of technical aspects of city planning, rather than political questions such as whether gentrification should be slowed down. “The highly technical nature of city planning, the scientific nature of information that planners use, the reliance on market-based cost benefit analysis date, and the emphasis on objectivity within the field of city planning and land use discourages citizen activism by presenting planning issues as the domain of experts, beyond the realm of politics (Gin 29). City planners make it difficult for residents of the Mission to speak out against development by using strategic vocabulary and wording and, therefore, depoliticizing what would otherwise be a political issue. The city planners also make it seem as if what they are doing needs special training and, therefore, making it inaccessible to many people. Their clever usage of jargon keeps the people from interfering with their plans.

During Mr. Gonzales’ research, he spoke to some people on the other side of the issue, including landlords and newcomers to the neighborhood. What the landlords and others who could benefit from the newcomers were essentially saying was that it would be crazy for them to not raise their rents. The newcomers themselves did not feel like they were pushing people out of the neighborhood. On the contrary, they believed that they were raising the living standards in what many said was “a run down neighborhood” (Gonzales).

Gentrification is not all bad, of course, and many people may argue that it improves the overall health and safety of a neighborhood (“Healthy Effects of Gentrification”). The people who move into these neighborhoods often make them cleaner and reduce violence, introduce new healthy food options to the community and build new bike paths and parks. These positive effects that come from the gentrification can be added to the Mission community, while at the same time preserving the positive culture of those who lived in the neighborhood prior to the new arrivals. Those who are moving into the Mission can work with the people who have been living there before to balance out their effects. They can collaborate and make sure that the positive resulting outcomes can be had without the negative effects that come with gentrification, such as displacement of people who can no longer afford the rising rents and the dilution of the culture. As journalist Adam Sternbergh wrote, “Gentrification— especially when coupled with intelligent urban policy—can serve as a reprieve, even if it arrives in the form of guiltwracked hipsters and yoga studios” (“What’s Wrong with Gentrification?”).

As gentrification has increased in the Mission, community members have organized against it. The community members in the Mission district were relatively successful in the 90’s in forming organizations and fighting against development. Five non-profit organizations in the Mission-- the Mission Economic Development

285 Association, St. Peter’s Housing Committee, Mission Agenda, People Organized to Defend Economic and Environmental Rights, and the Mission Housing Development Corporation-- joined together to create MAC, to create policy reform and attract media coverage through pressure brought by the community. Around 1998, the movement began “to target the political structure” (Gin 15). MAC got residents to turn up “at hearings to oppose development projects” (Gin 16). In 2000, protests, sit-ins and rallies were organized against further development.

Although the movements have been rather effective in the past, the actions being taken by these organizations have recently started to decrease. New and improved efforts, using creative solutions and community building, must occur in order to preserve the culture and affordability of the Mission district. These efforts must include coalition building between Latino and young, urban communities in order to increase the feasibility of success. The coalition would ideally include the traditional Mission population and the emerging population of artists and professionals.

The residents of the Mission community appreciate art and culture, and should work together to lobby for it. Latino residents and the new community members also both value the fact that the Mission has affordable rental units and reasonable housing prices, as well as valuing the general positive ambiance in the Mission. These groups should work together to ensure that the Mission keeps a lid on its rising housing costs. Economic prosperity within the Latino community of the Mission district would also improve future prospects. Mr. Gonzales believes that the way of stopping gentrification “is to improve the lives and improve the incomes of the long term residents of the Mission so that they can afford to stick around”. Mr. Gonzales believes that as long as the majority of the Latino population in the Mission is renters, they will be in danger of being evicted. If a substantial group of Latinos can afford to be owners of their own property, then the Latino community will be around for much longer (Gonzales).

Setting up of art classes which merge different styles may enhance the new and older residents’ ability to understand each other’s cultures. Classes could feature artists from both communities, and indeed be taught by a duo of community members. The process of working together would increase trust and underscore mutual concerns. If the classes were in an art center which solicited members of a board of directors from all residents of the Mission, this would increase the ability of residents to work together.

The very popular Carnaval, which is both an artist and important community event, can be used to showcase the traditional culture of the Mission, but used to also integrate the newly arrived members of the community into the Mission. Art, which plays a large role in both communities, is a good gateway for this type of cooperation. A large scale art project could be started, one which involves members from both communities. As part of these artistic enterprises, individuals from different communities and backgrounds would get to really understand and value each other. Valuing individuals from different communities may serve as a key way to value each other’s cultures. This may have wider ramifications; by understanding a Latino neighbor, a new resident may really understand the value of the traditional Latino neighborhood that the Mission once was, and help work to preserve it. The community groups could also explain that keeping rates moderate y could bring a proposal to the landlords to not raise the rent an unreasonable amount, and explain that this would prevent unnecessary evictions, create continuity in tenants and increase community.

Another proposed solution that could, perhaps, prevent unnecessary evictions and rising costs of rent could be an agreement with landlords to not raise the rent beyond a reasonable amount. A landlords-tenants’ union could be created, and bi-monthly meetings could be scheduled to moderate the prices. The likelihood of achieving such a goal is increased with a broad community coalition working together. Although market pressures make it hard for an individual to not raise his rent if all the other landlords are doing it, if the groups work together and combine their efforts they could be more successful. The community groups could also explain that keeping rates moderate could help prevent unnecessary evictions, create continuity in tenants and increase community.

City planners, however, also need to take preventative action in the future to prevent the displacement of more people in the Mission or in other neighborhoods of the city. Laws that prevent unnecessary development could also be passed by the city of San Francisco, helping people to continue to live where they do, as well as passing laws to keep the rents, and any rent increases, reasonable. Stricter laws on evictions also need to be passed.

Another important thing is to raise awareness among people who come to live in, or simply visit, the Mission. It is vital that they learn to be respectful of the culture and that they become aware of what effects their actions have on the community. Maybe in that way people will support local stores that were already in the neighborhood, and try to merge their culture with the existing one rather than replacing it. This coalition of Latinos and the newer community should reach out to the individuals and businesses moving into the Mission and gentrifying it. To the extent that they can encourage the newcomers to themselves value the Mission’s unique culture and affordability, their efforts to preserve culture and affordability will be more likely to be successful.

Both the historic Latino residents and the new community members both value the fact that the Mission has rental units and reasonable housing prices, as well as the general positive ambiance in the Mission. This is an

286 important bread and butter issue to both groups in the Mission. The creation of a non-profit or community group focusing on preserving affordable housing in the Mission would help with the goal of making the Mission more affordable, while, at the same time, increasing communication between groups. In order to engage landlords and new residents of the Mission, the group could set up forums to discuss competing issues, and present solutions about how all the groups can live in the Mission. Panels could include people with different interests, and seek proposals from everyone. Solutions which include mixed use areas, such as some gentrified businesses, some traditional businesses, some higher priced residences and some more affordable one, could be suggested. The more that the different community members live together and interact, the more they will increase their mutual understanding of each other, and thus learn to appreciate and value the need for a truly diverse Mission. They could suggest that they have mutual interests, and set up block committees to help beautify the neighborhood, with gardens and art. They could explain to the landlords that they, just like the landlords, value a safe, clean and beautiful environment. The creation of a broad community coalition working together may have an impact where individuals or groups working alone may not.

These same groups and coalitions should lobby the city structure, including the mayor and city planning commission, to assist in maintaining the culture of the Mission. They should lobby city planners to take preventative action in the future to prevent the displacement of more people in new cities or in other neighborhoods of the city. A variety of structural changes to the planning process could be sought, such as: requirements that city planners go out into the community and seek feedback from residents; requirements that planners consider the impact of planning and building on residents including the economic impact on lower income residents; and requirements that planners hold hearings in the neighborhoods impacted by important projects. Incentives could be given by the city to the planners, such as tax breaks, if they were to work with the community members to achieve their goals of what will be most useful for them (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Healthy Effects of Gentrificationâ&#x20AC;?). This way, the community members are providing input into the planning process and are involved in the redevelopment of their neighborhoods. This allows them to better protect their own interests. According to Mr. Gonzales, local leaders and people with power and sway within the Latino community in the Mission district have to put pressure on developers, city planners and government officials to pay attention to the issue. Local leaders have to insist that when there is new housing, it needs to be made available to a spectrum of people with different incomes. Developers want to build market-rate housing in order to make as much profit as possible, but when they do this many people who live in the Mission can no longer afford to live there.

This coalition of Latinos and the newer community should reach out to the individuals and businesses moving into the Mission and gentrifying it. To the extent that they can encourage the newcomers to themselves value the Missionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique culture and affordability, their efforts to preserve culture and affordability will increase.

No one willingly comes into a low-income neighborhood with the final goal of displacing people, and if these new residents are treated as valued members of the community; if they are welcomed and educated about ways to minimize the detrimental affects some changes would have in the Mission, they might turn out to be valued members of the community who care about all their neighbors and they may work to contain some of the negative affects of gentrification on the Mission. The program could aim to raise awareness about protecting the culture and people of the Mission through art, for example, which could serve as a gateway between both communities. This educational process can be enhanced by local publicity or campaigns around some important event or landmark in the Mission. Perhaps a campaign to preserve a traditional landmark would result in the preservation of the landmark, as well as the education of the population as to the importance of traditional culture and its preservation, and thus serve as a cautionary tale in the rush towards gentrification.

Awareness of the gentrification and displacement should be spread through media coverage that will lead to a new respect for the culture and an effort on behalf of both communities to preserve that culture. The awareness could also make it so local stores that were there beforehand are also supported by the new community members.

This could also lead to further integration, such as participation in community events (like Carnaval) by the newly arrived members of the community. If they do this, instead of trying to replace the culture which already exists in the Mission with their own culture, the two communities could blend their cultures together. For example, a large scale art project could be started, one which involves members from both communities. Community members could work together to increase media coverage of the Mission. This media coverage could also further the goal of economic support for struggling local business and nonprofits. Working together on media coverage for this and other community events, could also lead to further integration and mutual understanding. Newspapers and other forms of media may find it newsworthy that divergent cultures, long considered antithetical, have learned to work together for the common good. Overall, attention from the media toward the pressing issue of the gentrification and development of the Mission should be developed to bring the present predicament to the attention of the public.

287 As mentioned previously, few people intentionally come into a low-income neighborhood with the final goal of displacing people. Many, if informed about the detrimental effects of their decisions, will try to be sensitive to the issue of gentrification of the Mission. Solutions could be developed from the community of artists who recently moved into the Mission, together with the Latino community’s artists, to create a bonding program that could benefit the community and prevent the further displacement of families and locally owned Latino businesses, especially non-profits. The program could aim to raise awareness about protecting the culture and people of the Mission through art, and could serve as a bridge between both communities.

In sum, there are numerous ways in which the communities that now reside in the Mission can work together to showcase the Mission’s traditional culture and community, permit its lower income Latino residents to continue to live and work in the Mission, while at the same time, welcome its new neighbors.

I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Jody Lewitter, Sophia Lemmo, Julia Reichard and Marc Van Der Hout for editing my paper and giving me feedback.

Works Cited “Census 1980.” U.S. Census Bureau. 19 Mar. 1998. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

“Census 1990.” U.S. Census Bureau. 19 Mar. 1998. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

“Census 2000.” U.S. Census Bureau. 19 Mar. 2002. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

Forbes Staff. “America’s Most Expensive Cities 2009.” Yahoo Real Estate. 15 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

Gin, June Lee. “We’re Here and We’re Not Leaving: Framing, Political History, and Community Response to Gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area.” Diss. U of Michigan, 2007. Print.

Gonzales, Richard. Personal Interview. 19 May 2010.

“Healthy Effects of Gentrification” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 Nov.2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.

“San Francisco Carnaval.” Carnaval San Francisco 2010. 1 May 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2010.

Santanachote, Perry. “Artists Reflect Role in Gentrification.” CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in Collaboration with the New York Times 22 Feb. 2010. Web. Solnit, Rebecca, and Susan Schwartzenberg. Hollow City: The Siege of San Francisco and the Crisis of American Urbanism. NY, New York: Powell’s Books, 2005.Print.

Sternbergh, Adam. “What’s Wrong with Gentrification?” New York Magazine. 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

Further Reading “Artists Reflect Role in Gentrification.” CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in Collaboration with the New York Times 22 Feb. 2010. Web. Roberts, Sam. Eskenazi, Joe. “Google and SF Gentrification: Stephen Elliot Needs to Read a Book” SF Weekly 22 Oct. 2007.

Web. “No Longer Majority Black, Harlem is in Transition.” New York Times 5 Jan. 2010. Web. Powell, Micheal. “A Contrarian’s Lament in a Blitz of Gentrification.” New York Times 18 Feb. 2010. Web. “San Francisco Gentrification.” All Things Considered. Host Richard Gonzalez. Natl. Public Radio. Npr.org. Web. 2 Apr. 2010. Santanachote, Perry.

288 Emily Ward Craig Butz Research in the Community – B Block 14 May 2010 Nurturing to Eat Parents’ Influences on Their Children’s Behavior The role of a parent is to teach his or her child how to interact and survive in our fast-paced society. This involves teaching their children how to socialize, to learn, to dress, and to eat. A parent should be able to nurture their children in a loving way so that they may have the support to survive and thrive when they grow (Noonan), yet we still struggle with eating and food behaviors derived from our parents. Young children select a candy bar over an apple or a juice box over a bottle of water; these small decisions are linked directly to the influence of a parent.

More significant behaviors as well, such as eating disorders or obesity can be attributed to parents. As the parent’s influence is further investigated, “more and more research is showing links between parents’ behaviors about eating and how children react to food and eating” (Texas Children’s 10). Since they have the most responsibility for their children’s eating behavior, parents should demonstrate healthy eating habits paired with a stable home environment to enable the best outcome possible.

Eating disorders are considered the most serious form of eating behavior in society. Causes of eating disorders can come from peer pressure, trauma, loss of feeling in control, and often from parental influence. An eating disorder is “any of several psychological disorders (as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behaviors” (“Eating Disorder”). Often eating disorders are mistakenly thought of as exclusively anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but they include a far larger range of problems. Essentially, an eating disorder is the extreme loss or gain of control of food intake. Unfortunately, these disorders affect at least 10 percent of all adolescent girls -some as young as 6 years old-, and boys now represent 30 percent of younger children with eating disorders (Borba 498, 499). As these numbers grow, it is important to identify and fix the contributors.

Direct influences on over-controlling eating disorders are often from parents. The importance of achievement, especially on young girls, begins to aggrandize as they get older. As children (specifically young girls) grow older, “perfectionism and overachievement escalate with the push to excel and get high grades” (Borba 507).

This idea of perfectionism crosses over to body image and eating. Because of this, when a girl feels that her mother or father does not approve of her eating, she will try to perfect that too. For instance, say a mother and her daughter are eating dinner and as the young daughter reaches for another bread roll, she notices her mothers surprised glance at her third roll. The mother may not say or mean anything by the gesture, but situations like these are roots of distorted body images (Texas Children’s 11). Mothers who prefer thinner children, whether they communicate that desire to their children or not, tend to have a higher chance at producing children with eating disorders (Bendedikt).

As a teacher and leader, parents are important role models to their children, especially parents of the same gender.

When a child observes his or her parent dieting, they will assume this behavior is normal and try to follow suit (Texas Children’s 12). A child striving for perfection does not understand what his or her ideal body is and will continually try to modify his or her diet, resulting in an eating disorder.

Eating disorders usually start in the teenage years when a teen experiences weight gain from puberty, and along with hormones and other factors, they become vulnerable and self deprecating. This is the stage in which they often start judging their body and “the older child’s body satisfaction is learned in part from the parent’s view of his or her own body weight and dieting practices” (Texas Children’s 12). A parent who draws attention to his or her own body and lack of satisfaction with it is encouraging his or her child to be unhappy as well. In fact, “a mother’s active dieting can also encourage her children to [restrain] their eating behaviors and ignore internal cues for hunger and fullness”, a behavior associated with eating disorders (Texas Children’s 12). These influences from parents can result in a lack of eating, or anorexia nervosa, where the victim will over-control eating, and eat insufficient amounts of food.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that usually begins with a loss of control (e.g. binge eating), and the result of an attempt to regain control or compensate for the lack of control (Noonan). For example, “Peggy” has been trying to lose weight for a long time. When she sees a cookie, the cookie’s restriction creates an unbearable temptation, so Peggy gives in and eats it (Texas Children’s 4). After devouring it, she is consumed in guilt and feels she needs to compensate for her binge. Peggy may do this by over-exercising, ceasing to eat for a long period of time, forcing herself to throw-up the food, or other methods of compensation. Bulimia nervosa usually links to different, more direct influences of a child’s eating habits than anorexia. An influence could be parents who are “overly restricting foods can cause children to sneak foods or to overeat when they are offered treats” (Texas Children’s 36). Children can feel the need to rebel, and will eat what their parents tell them not to, or will eat more,

289 simply to rebel against their parents. These children will still value their body image and when they overeat, they feel that they must compensate for it (bulimia).

Invasive parenting can also be the root of eating disorders. Children who have parents who are overly involved in their children’s lives often use eating disorders as their way of “shutting down” and pushing parents away (Noonan). The parent who monitors their child too closely or leaves the child with no privacy will induce anxiety on their child. The child will then take out their anxiety by not eating. Although this is unhealthy, it is necessary for the child to release their stress, and often their only way is by over-controlling food (Marano 47).

Indirect influences of extreme-control eating disorders are often related to other things in a child’s life that causes them to feel out of control. Polly Carr-Anaya, a case of anorexia much like others, developed anorexia nervosa as a delayed result of an event at home. At age 8, her parents split in a nasty divorce. She ended up living full-time with her mother, and limiting her time with her father. She said that this really hurt her as a young child, but did not think that it would have an affect when she was older. She was also the “top kid” amongst her two other siblings, and always got the best grades, while excelling in sports. She was able to maintain her achievements in her sheltered home environment, but when she went to college, being away from home and peer pressure caused her feelings from her parents divorce to resurface. Divorce, family fighting, bullying, and other contributors can cause a child to feel out of control (Carr-Anaya). However, when it comes to food and how much they eat, a child can have as much control as he or she wants. Along with the pressure of society, a child will fulfill this need through an eating disorder, causing extreme weight loss. Other disorders, such as overeating, cause the opposite effect.

In this day and age, “childhood obesity now impacts nearly one in six of [US] children, and has more than tripled since 1970” (Borba 520). And what is the root of this problem? Parents. Oftentimes parents do not even notice that their children are overweight. In fact, “a study of more than eleven hundred families found that 89 percent of parents of overweight five-to six-year-olds and 63 percent of ten- to twelve-year-olds were unaware that their child was overweight” (Borba 521). There are typical parental behaviors that create an environment for a child to become overweight, and these behaviors, both conscious and unconscious, can be prevented.

Obesity is usually caused by the family. When we are asked to think of the “typical American obese family” we think of an overweight family crowding around a bucket of fried foods, or a burger, or other types of fast foods. Fast food is palatably pleasing, convenient, cheap, and abundant. In our fast-paced society, it is understandable that eating at a fast food restaurant is appealing. Yet one cheeseburger from McDonald’s has the same amount of fat as a tablespoon of butter (“Nutrition Facts”). Eating that much fat at every dinner is detrimental to a child’s health as well as a huge contributor to the number on the scale. Obesity is a serious subject, and preventing it should be attempted at all costs. Being morbidly obese, defined as having a body mass index of greater than or equal to 45, at twenty years of age results in a loss of life expectancy of up to 22 years (Texas Children’s 181). With many American children struggling with body fat, parents are among the majority of those to blame.

To start with, children, especially very young children (under 8), do not have that much choice in what they put into their mouth. Instead, the parent has full control of what they eat (Winget 167). The “parents decide what to buy, and parents, therefore, determine what children eat”, yet many parents do their best to please their child’s sugar-filled demands rather than their health needs (American Academy 53). Children do not know the difference between good food and bad, but at an early stage a child starts to develop his or her tastes. Overweight young children are fed unhealthy food and have little or no restriction over what they eat. When a parent leaves out a bag of chips, a young child will indulge themselves in the junk food, and want more. Often these children do not have healthy options available such as an apple or whole wheat bread, and develop a greater liking for junk food (American Academy 50). Parents have complete control over the food available for their children to eat. They also take on the responsibility to get their children to eat, however a parent is “…in charge of deciding what to offer, and [the] child is in charge of deciding whether to eat it or not” (American Academy 38). A child will often skip meals, but it should not be prevented at the cost of their health. Parents go to the grocery store, choose the sugary cookie or fried chips to bring home, and are the enablers to eat those foods. By the time their children have the option at school or at a friend’s house to choose what they eat, they will select the bad foods that they have had at home, and continue with an unhealthy diet (American Academy 59).

Possible consequences to an obese child’s health are type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease/failure, depression, and more (Texas Children’s 183). Obesity is a serious disease and parents should focus on preventing it.

In the long run, a parent who saves their child from obesity is adding precious years onto their child’s life.

Not all eating behaviors derived from parents are serious; some are not even noticeable. Yet even in small, insignificant eating behaviors, parents are still the main contributors. “Children are like sponges-they soak up every habit [their parent passes] along, including how you eat” (Texas Children’s 149). These smaller behaviors come from both conscious and unconscious influences from the parents. Conscious eating habits are small, but influence the way a child eats. Children will develop their “own tastes and preferences, their moods, and – most important –

290 what they learn from people around them in subtle and not-so-subtle ways determine what and how much they eat”.

This means that the most important role of the parent is to help their child develop correctly (Texas Children’s 1).

The subtle influences can be both positive and negative, but are often lasting.

A parent who consciously influences a child passes a way of thinking towards food that will continue through their children, and through future generations. Cuisine, for example, is often shared with parents and children. It is true that children have their own unique palette, but it is also true that children acquire tastes according to what they are fed. For example, a child raised to enjoy spicy foods will enjoy spices whereas a child who is used to bland foods will find spicy foods very displeasing. These are eating behaviors that are neither positive nor negative, but are linked to a child’s ability to try new foods, which comes in handy later in their life (Winget 171).

Children who like what their parents eat like the foods for two reasons: one, because they see their parents enjoying the flavored foods, and two, because their parents do not allow another food option for their children to have. The former is interesting because it relates back to the idea that children associate food tastes to memories and emotions that they experienced while eating that food. Usually, when a young child sees their parent eat a food, they are in a positive environment and will want what their parent is eating. It is recommended that “if you want your child to try something new, subtly introduce the food and show them how much you as a parent enjoy the food” (American Academy 44). On top of that, children look up to their parents for behavior to follow. Parents who feed their children foods with less-bland flavors are consciously influencing their children to acquire tastes similar their own.

Because of this, their children will have similar tastes, whereas parents who allow their children to eat what they want tend to have children who prefer bland, white foods and who have a limited palate.

Parents often push eating healthy foods. Comments like “clearing the plate” or “one more bite of vegetables” influence the way children eat. The direct and most obvious way that these children will eat is that the child will indeed eat the extra bite of vegetables, or clear the whole plate – whether or not he or she wants to. In the long run, this can backfire. When a child indicates that “she’s had enough, she knows what she’s talking about” (Winget 38). When a child feels forced to eat more than they want to, often it is because they are full. It is not up to a parent to decide whether or not a child is finished eating because “children are born with the ability to regulate their food intake according to the energy they use” (American Academy 39). Forcing food on a child will create a negative thought linked with the forced, and often more healthy, food on the plate making the food taste worse to the child.

Pushing foods often leads to using junk foods as rewards. If a child is being reluctant to have a vegetable, a parent will often offer a dessert or sugary food as a reward. This creates the idea that eating a vegetable is something that is unpleasant, and deserves a reward for doing something displeasing, “[parents who] offer the child dessert if the youngster can manage to ‘get through’ eating the green stuff… [are] discouraging eating those vegetables” (Texas Children’s 10). Parents should avoid using food as a reward or punishment, and promote the idea that it is a fuel used to keep going (Texas Children’s 4). “Research by Amy Galloway and colleagues indicates that a ‘tell’ rather than ‘do’ philosophy may actually have exactly the opposite effect from the one desired” (Texas Children’s 4). Food should not be used as a negative or positive tool, rather an action that is regarded as a way of life. Eating should be seen as neutral, that way children will enjoy all types of foods rather than only a few.

Parents also struggle with the need to be overprotective of their children. They are often so preoccupied with feeding their kids that they use almost any means available to get their child to eat. This enables young children to have full control of what they eat. “Parents’ fears and concessions have produced habits in toddlers that make it so they will eat only white foods… or children who take no food other than milk, or parents who collapse in tears at every mealtime while their toddler rules the family from her booster seat” (American Academy 1). Children who get too much control of their food will become more adamant about eating only foods they like. Often the chosen foods are unhealthy, white foods that are high in fat and calories and contribute to their body weight (American Academy 3).

Most of children’s eating behaviors however, come from unconscious influences from their parents. These influences range from the way that a parent eats to the home environment that a parent creates for their child (Clark).

Parents do not intend to provide the unconscious influences, and usually, these influences matter the most in development.

In order for a child to develop a healthy diet and eating habit, it is better for a parent to “show” not “tell” (Texas Children’s 11). This means that if a parent wants their child to eat a certain way, they should eat that way as well. “Grabbing an apple as the ‘original fast food’ shows the value of fruits and vegetables better than lecturing about the need to eat them” (Texas Children’s 10). The best way for a child to learn is by watching and following a parent. This not only takes away the pressure of eating a specific way, but it also makes the child more likely to keep the behavior (Texas Children’s 10). The unconscious behaviors start with what the child watches when his or her parents eat. If their parents are fast, hasty eaters, the child will become a fast and hasty eater. If the parent eats salads

291 by lightly stabbing it, the child will follow suit. The way parents eat is one example through which they unconsciously influence their children. They also influence their children in their food choices. Parents are also observed when they select an apple to snack on, or when they turn down a cookie. Studies show that a parent who selects unhealthy options will almost always have a child who selects the same option (Texas Children’s 10).

Essentially, if a parent wants their child to eat well, the best way to do that is to show them how. This goes back to the “show” not “tell” idea. The child will follow the actions that the parent takes.

Food is also used as an emotionally-connected object. Often we link foods that remind us of good memories to food that tastes good, whether we realize it or not. For instance, if a child cries, and in a desperate attempt for their loved ones to be happy and stop crying, parents offer their child ice cream, or a cookie as a comfort.

Even at this early age, linking sugary food to comfort can have bad consequences (American Academy 38). Many obese people blame their weight on eating food for comfort, and the link between food and comfort is connected to their childhood. “Food turns into a measure of how much our children love us and obey us, rather than a source of energy and nutrients. Food becomes emotionally charged, and mealtimes are a source of anxiety and tension rather than opportunities to relax, interact, and enjoy one another” (American Academy 1). Parents should link healthy foods to good memories by doing things like having family dinner, where children will be able to engage in conversation, bond, relax and enjoy the healthy dish placed in front of them. A meal eaten separately allows the child to pick what food they will eat. They will associate their execution of independence by choosing an unhealthy dish, which will contribute to the food’s appeal.

As previously stated, children often learn their eating behaviors from the way that their parents eat (Texas Children’s 149). Parents who are overweight are far more likely to have children that are overweight. Studies show that one of the best ways to predict whether a child will be overweight is to look at their mother’s weight; this is less because of genetics and more because their mother sets up an unhealthy way of eating for her child (Texas Children’s 95). Parents who choose to eat unhealthy foods set an example for their children to follow. By showing that eating bad foods, eating too much, and executing no self control is okay, than children will think that it is okay for them as well (Texas Children’s 10). It is necessary for parents to set a healthy example for their children so that their children will not end up in the trap of excess body fat.

It is a tall order to produce a child with a healthy eating behavior. Parents need to strive to keep a stable home environment, and to be healthy eating role models. “From the beginning, the emphasis [from a parent] of [healthy eating] should be put on changes in lifestyle rather than changes in weight” (Texas Children’s 180). They should eat healthy themselves, and provide the proper food at home in order to create an environment that encourages the best eating behavior possible for their children. They should limit emotional connections with food, and try to ensure that eating healthy foods is always in a positive environment. If all of the former are followed, parents are destined to have happy, healthy children with good eating behaviors that will last them through their own children.

Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Craig Butz, Karen Lang, Avi Stricker, Jackie Van Der Hout, Caity Dekker and Henry Gale for contributing to and editing my paper.

292 Works Cited American Academy of Pediatrics. Guide to Your Child's Nutrition: Making Peace at the Table and Building Healthy Eating Habits for Life. Ed. William H. Dietz, MD, PhD, FAAP, Lorraine Stern, MD, FAAP. New York: Villard Books, 1999. Print.

Bendedikt, Rachel, Anthony Love, and Eleanor H. Wertheim. "Eating Attitudes and Weight Loss Attempts in Female Adolescents and Their Mothers". Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 27, No. 1, 1998. 43-57.

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Borba, Michelle EdD. The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.

Carr-Anaya, Polly. Telephone Interview. 24 Apr. 2010.

Clark, H. R., E. Goyder, P. Bissell, L. Blank, J. Peters. "How do parents' child-feeding behaviours influence child weight? Implications for childhood obesity policy". Journal of Public Health. Oxford University Press. Apr 18 2007. Web. Apr 8 2010.

"Eating Disorder." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 2010. Web. 3 May 2010.

Marano, Hara Estroff. A Nation Of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting. New York: Broadway Books, 2008. Print.

Noonan, Lynn PhD. Personal Interview. 7 May 2010.

“Nutrition Facts”. McDonalds. McDonalds. 2010. Web. May 2010.

Texas Children's Hospital. The Family Guide to Fighting Fat: A Parent's Guide to Handling Obesity and Eating Issues. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2007. Print.

Winget, Larry. Your Kids Are Your Own Fault: A Guide for Raising Responsible, Productive Adults. New York, NY: Gotham Books, 2010. Print.

293 Marisa Wong Instructor: Craig Butz Research in the Community Due Date: 14 May 2010 Mission Multitasking: Impossible The other day President Obama’s adviser, Valerie Jarrett, twisted her ankle while texting and walking (“OMG”). People can only wonder, “What if she had been driving?” Every person in the new generation and the old generation should be asking why it is we try to do more than one thing at a time, in other words why do we all try to multitask. Multitasking is not limited to large, complex issues of doing homework for different subjects at the same time or driving while trying to text but also includes simplicities such as listening to music while driving or doing homework. Multitasking, even this kind of simple multitasking, is dangerous and less efficient than monotasking.

Brain researcher Marc Diamond, explains how the human brains switch tasks and which parts of the brain is involved. It isn’t possible to actually do more than one thing at a time; what people don’t know is that “multitasking” is really just switching in between tasks while still trying to be productive. A good example of this for a teen would be doing homework while instant messaging with a friend, for adults it would be more like driving while talking on the phone. When switching tasks, ones brain must remember the first task while also starting to work on the second task. The brain has multiple connections that are involved when switching tasks. Part of the brain that is involved with prioritizing and task switch balancing is the frontal lobe which is right under ones forehead.

Bob Brown, a writer for the “SF Gate”, acclaimed in his article that multitasking while driving has the same effect as drunk driving who states in his article about multitasking that talking on ones cell phone while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. Marc doesn’t agree with Bob Brown when he states that drunk driving is caused by the consumption of alcohol; that specifically slows ones reflexes and impairs judgment. Multitasking by talking on the phone while driving doesn’t directly slow down ones reflexes and/or impairs the drivers’ judgment; instead it just distracts the driver from focusing solely on the road. Neurologist Earl Miller stated that people who drive whilst talking on the phone miss a lot in terms of visual periphery (areas around the edges of your sight); although Miller also maintains that drunk driving and talking upon ones cell phone while driving can give the same result: the possibility of an accident.

Neuroscientist Marcel Just discovered a reoccurrence in the human brain which he calls “brain automaticity”. “Brain automaticity” is when something becomes such a big part of ones daily life for so long that it becomes first nature so that it is possible for your brain to do multiple tasks at once. “Brain automaticity” allows simple multitasking to take place such as listening to music, talking to someone in the passenger seat or talking on the phone with someone while still driving between the lanes safely (“Multitasking in the Car: Just Like Drunken Driving”). Although it is not the talking or listening that is automized it is the ability to continue to drive between the lanes. The danger in that kind of situation begins when people do not pay attention to the road, which can cause them to miss unexpected changes such as a pedestrian or jay walker or a run-away dog.

David Meyer a professor at the University of Michigan, somewhat agrees with Just, mentions that although one can become better at multitasking but it will still constantly affect ones performance in a bad way(“Multitasking Teens may be muddling their brains”). Neurologist Earl Miller agrees by adding that “people can’t multitask very well, and when people say they can, they’re deluding themselves” and that there is an inability to focus on one task whilst doing another task. This process has been noted as some kind of interference between the two tasks (“Think you’re multitasking? Think again”).

Researcher David Strayer has found that for some people it is possible to multitask and not have it affect one’s performance, although it is a select few that have this multitasking ability. Strayer has named this select group of people as “supertaskers” because of their super multitasking abilities; in his study he notes that kids who were not “supertaskers” saw their performance percentage go down by twenty to thirty percent compared to the “supertaskers” who were completely unimpaired. David Strayer calls these kids that can multitask “rare but intriguing individuals with extraordinary multitasking abilities” (New York Times).

It seems as though many adults are aware of this multitasking issue. As it so happens writer David Progue investigated phone applications that stop people from texting or receiving phone calls when traveling more than five to ten miles an hour. This application helps to remind people that texting or talking on the phone while driving is dangerous. Many people do these things absentmindedly; however if you try to send a text message and then your phone does not allow it then instantaneously one would think “why is my phone not working right”? that makes people realize that instead of looking at the road they’re trying to bypass the application on their phone. These applications make people think twice about what is really needing to be accomplished at the moment; which is more important driving or sending a text message whilst driving a vehicle risking ones life or another passengers.

294 Although Marc Diamond said that this was the case because it is possible to work on problems without actually thinking about the task directly; while it seems like you forget about what you were doing your brain is still constantly working on said problem. The brain is subconsciously working as if the first task were on the backburner of you’re brain; though this works only for problem with creative solutions such as math (Diamond). This happens because all while you are thinking about the second task your brain is still thinking about the problem before and that gives people the illusion that multitasking is efficient.

It is apparent that adults are not the only ones aware of this multitasking problem. Teens on the other hand do not have as much impulse control as adults. Teens impulse control is not fully developed therefore teens tend to give in to distraction; Zach, a student from David Meyers’ study shown in a featured article written by Jon Hamilton, claims “everybody does get distracted by it. But most people learn to get used to that distraction and when to say ‘no, I’ve got work, and I’m not going to give into this” (“Multitasking Teens may be muddling their Brains”).

In contradiction to his statement Jon Hamilton uses his research to proclaim that “saying no to distractions depends, in part, on being able to control your impulses—something that’s not fully developed in a teenager’s brain.

When using a computer teens are easily distracted by the options that a computer screen allows. As Alex, a student from David Meyers’ study shown in a featured article written by Jon Hamilton says “you’re teaching yourself to give 10 percent to each little icon. And then click away when there’s a moment’s pause”. Multitasking has become second nature, otherwise known as a bad habit, to teens in their haste to accomplish more, Alex claims that “even for me[him] right now—and I haven’t been exposed to it that long—it’s already natural to multitask in these ways” (“Multitasking Teens may be Muddling their Brains”). Meyer thinks that though teens are becoming better at multitasking it is still less efficient because when you multitask your brain must remember each task while thinking about the other task(s) you are trying to complete. Meyer has noticed that when people switch tasks then the brain begins to lose neuropath ways that one has created for the first task. Then when one returns to the first task they have to re-do the think process just to get back to where they were before or to access the thought that they had before switching task although sometimes when one will go back to the first task they will instantly know what it is that they want to write or they suddenly have a conclusion for the math problem they were doing.

Though it appears that multitasking is more efficient, in reality you have to do twice the thinking just to arrive at the same answer. Many parents of teen, such as Barbara Donesky (Alex’s mom), are concerned that their children are losing out on other skills while still amazed that their kids can multitask so well. Many parents want the future generation to do both and because there is no balance between focusing on certain things all at once scientists say that parents have a reason to be concerned. With today’s new technology it is almost justified that people’s attention can be “dragged” to another thereby multitasking. A good example is when one is on the computer and suddenly “your computer announces: ‘you’ve got mail!’” you would immediately go check you’re email ignoring the work you were just doing and then who knows you could then realize you forgot something and rush to do that leaving what you were doing, before you got the email, in the dust.

At The Bay School of San Francisco each student and teacher is issued a PC laptop computer. Students at The Bay School of San Francisco learn in different ways, the teachers generally integrate multiple ways to learn the same material such as labs, activities, projects, or lectures. Although for many students, during lectures or activities similar to lectures, it is easy to be distracted by your own computer or someone else’s computer. I have been in both situations before, and it impairs my learning the material and the result of not paying attention in class was not particularly good. Zach and Alex are a good example of how easy it is to get distracted, “Zach switches between email, iTunes, Facebook, a computer word puzzle game and messaging his buddy online”(“Multitasking Teens may be Muddling their Brains”). Zach is a good example of students that multitask; though he is a good student he spends most of his time chatting with friends playing games, “hanging out” on social networking sites and all the while listening to music. Although Zach says in his defense that “if he has only one thing, he drifts off a little bit, but if there’s something else going on in the background that he can just sort of block it out”(“Multitasking Teens may be Muddling their Brains”).

Many students are distracted more on computer screens in comparison to notebooks because when you are on a computer screen it is full of options and hard to have impulse control for teens because they’re brain is not fully developed yet. Some good does come out of multitasking, at least according to a few studies, it keeps people alert and on their toes as to what can go wrong (“Think you’re multitasking? Think again?”). Although multitasking can help people to stay alert, it can have dangerous affects on ones ability to pay attention to one task at a time.

Multitasking can be efficient and helpful in small doses. Scientists who worked with Zach agree with him that in small doses multitasking is good. Scientists say that “studies show it’s pretty easy for us to keep music in the background when we focus on something else”.

Everyday people keep forgetting how dangerous certain uses of multitasking can be. It is true that multitasking with little things for teens that only affect their grade mark is not a danger to anyone but themselves.

295 Adults on the other hand have much more to lose. Even if it seems fun for the kids to talk to dad in the car with the hands free kits all the same time how distracting is it for mom when everyone’s talking? Not only does mom have to think about driving safely she also has to think about the noise control as well as listening to dad talk. The same goes for dad if he is at work and suddenly something comes up and he has to go and he still hasn’t told mom what he called for he tries to talk all while getting whatever that just came up done. The new technology that is constantly becoming more and more available and more “efficient” is not helping this unsolved problem.

There are a number of cell phone companies and brand names. Unfortunately the cell phone selling business, like any other business, is a competitive industry! For businesses it is hard to keep business with the same old ideas. For the purpose of wanting to sell more cell phones and make more money these companies are adding more features that allow people to run more than one application at a time. Cell phone advertisements on television have shown that newer cell phones are more innovative and are able to show ones twitter, facebook and text messaging screens all at the same time. However this is dangerous because first of all people tend to use their phone and walk at the same time. What happens when these people are driving and trying to correspond with these accounts; they will be easily distracted and unable to pay attention to the road.

Multitasking today is a real problem for both the old and the new generation. Adults don’t realize that they are teaching their kids that driving while on the phone with dad is okay. Parents it’s important to show and explain to you’re kids how to be responsible for their school work and driving safely. That is how teens today know that driving with music or on the phone or having conversations with the passenger is easy, and not dangerous, whereas it is quite the opposite. Teens are young and more impressionable than an adult because their brains are not as fully developed, and therefore even though parents have had endless years of experience driving the average teen does not. Teens are the next generation; they are the future so they should be learning safe ways to live in life, and to be efficient in working on things. Parents, help you’re kids be safe and not multitask because it is impossible. Kids, remind you’re parents and yourself that being safe while driving and don’t forget why it is you go to school; to learn so be efficient with you’re homework so you can have fun later in life!

Bibliography Brown, Bob. "Supertaskers: select few who can drive safely while chatting on a cellphone." SF Gate. San Francisco Chronicle, 3/30/2010. Web. 4/13/2010 Diamond, Marc. Personal Interview. April 23, 2010.

Freedman H David. "Why interruption, distraction, and multitasking are not such awful things after all."Inc1 Feb. 2007: Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 19 Mar. 2010.

Hamilton, Jon. "Multitasking In The Car: Just Like Drunken Driving." National Public Radio. NPR, 10/16/2008.

Web. 4/13/2010 Hamilton, Jon. "Multitasking Teens May Be Muddling Their Brains." National Public Radio. NPR, 10/9/2008. Web. 4/13/2010 Hamilton, Jon. "Think You're Multitasking? Think Again." National Public Radio. NPR, 10/2/2008. Web. 4/13/2010 "OMG OW! Texting Your Way To The ER." CBSNEWS. Chicago, 7/30/2008. Web. 4/13/2010.

Progue, David. “Your phone is locked. Just Drive.” New York Times. State of the Art, 4/28/2010. Web. 5/3/2010 "Study: Multitaskers Bad at Multitasking." CBSNEWS. Washington, 8/25/2009. Web. 4/13/2010.

Richtel, Matt. "Only a Few Can Multitask." New York Times. BITS, 3/30/2010. Web. 4/13/2010.

"The Teen Media Juggling Act: The Implications of Media Multitasking among American Youth" 12/12/2006 Victoria Rideout, M.A. <http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/entmedia121206transcript.pd>

296 Hannah Woolley Research in the Community A Block 26 April 2010 Craig Butz Advertising’s Effect on Children Every year, children everywhere are exposed to hundreds of thousands of advertisements. Whether they’re online, in between cartoon shows, or plastered on the side of a building, advertisements are an undeniable part of childhood in America. Tried and true methods as well as new media are being used to market products to kids, influencing their thoughts and actions. Though not as diabolical as some parents may assume, studies and experiences have shown that advertisements have both immediate and long term effects on kids. Laws and restrictions on content are continuing to be passed.

Monitoring content income in varied forms of media – TV, print, as well as the increasingly prominent internet – is the best measure that parents can take to insure appropriate and wholesome content comes in contact with their children.

A question that is no doubt on the minds of parents and curious learners alike is; why target kids in the first place?

One can call up the memory of telling a younger kid that the word “gullible” was written on the ceiling. Having heard this for the first time, the child immediately checks the ceiling for verification. In other words, children are impressionable and therefore easily persuaded. Almost everyone can remember seeing that ad for a certain toy on TV and thinking, “I have to have it!” This very reaction is what marketers strive for in their work; and not just in kids, the “I have to have it” reaction has no age minimum or limit. When this reaction is achieved, kids will be relentless in pestering and nagging parents into buying that product. Restaurants also try to get in on the instantaneous obsession factor, by using other incentives to get kids’ attention. An article from the Media Awareness network describes the specifics; “Restaurants offer…playgrounds, contests, clubs, games,…free toys and other merchandise related to movies, TV shows and even sports leagues” (“Special Issues”).

With babies being able to recognize brand logos as young as six months, brand loyalty is another reaction that marketers are hopeful for (“How Marketers”, Barber). By associating hominess and fond memories with their name, kids can develop a sense of loyalty for a brand or product at a young age and will continue to buy from the same name as they go through their lives (Barber). Brand loyalty is also cultivated through the internet, by the use of interactive games and websites centered on a certain product or brand (“How Marketers”). “Host selling” is another method used to get kid’s attention and interest them in a product; a character in a children’s program will be closely associated with, or heavily endorse, a certain product. This is association is extreme to the point where it often becomes difficult for the child viewer to tell the difference between the commercial and the program. Host selling is also sometimes extended to a website (“Children’s Educational”). With the internet becoming an increasingly constant part of the lives of today’s youth, including the role of social networking, an entirely new access point to kids has been opened up to marketers. This concept will be explained in further detail later on.

Some brands – in order to appeal to a younger demographic – have installed kid’s programs or kid’s versions of their products, and as a result the minimum age of those exposed to certain ads and content is lowered. Sports Illustrated and National Geographic for example, have kid’s versions of their magazines where adult products and services – such as air travel and cars – are advertised. Mature content such as R rated movies, Mature rated video games, even beer, is also marketed to kids. Ads for such movies and video games will air during times when the audience well under the minimum age requirement will be watching (“How Marketers”). Beer ads are also targeted to under age boys. Says author of Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole, Benjamin Barber; “…they are selling boyish and cartoonish masculine identity rather than beer per se, the brewers run puerile ads featuring hot girls, talking frogs, and collegiate geeks clearly directed at celebrating and sending up young men. Their target audience is underage in more ways than one” (Barber 174). In general, the fashion industry takes a shocking amount of liberties when it comes to using sex and promiscuity in their ads, mostly in the print department. “Campaigns like Diesel and Abercrombie [see Figures 1 and 2]…in the print magazines, it seems just to be the wild wild West” says Mr. Steve Simpson, creative director for Goodby Silverstein and Partners, an advertising firm.

Fig.1. This promiscuous Diesel ad sports the catch phrase “Be Stupid.” Source: The Inspiration Room.

297

Fig. 2. An ad for Abercrombie & Fitch was confiscated by officials from a store window due to customer complaints about the inappropriate content of the image. Source: Fox News.com When the finished ad initially reaches its audience, the individual interpretations of those ads vary between age groups. However, certain similarities are also constant throughout those interpretations. Children as young as six months can recognize brands: the number that they can recognize reaching the hundreds by adolescence (“Special Issues…”).

Research has also shown that 5-8 year olds can identify the intended message of ads (Bijmolt). Older children, tweens and young teens, are able to recognize sexual implications where younger children are sometimes oblivious to them. One boy, when asked what the Levi’s jeans advertisement depicting a shirtless man was saying, said “Wear Levi’s and women will come to you” (Buckingham 41). A noticeable trait throughout the study was that when a group of kids between 9 and 17 years of age were shown an ad depicting a naked women, a Yves Saint Laurent ad for “Opium” perfume [see Figure 3], there was “a complex blend of fascination and disgust” in their reactions (Buckingham, Opium). Most were concerned with the amount of nudity rather than any sexist implications, and that the younger kids should not be viewing the ad at such an age.

Fig. 3. A Yves Saint Laurent ad for “Opium” perfume depicting supermodel Sophie Dahl in nothing but jewelry and heels, was shown to a group of children as part of a research study on their reactions. Source: smh.com.au.

Though young children and teens interpret ads in different ways, the specific effects, both long and short term, come from varied sources and manifest themselves in different ways. When the 9-17 year olds mentioned earlier were shown ads depicting women in various states of undress, the girls were more accustomed to images of nearly-naked women; “you can’t get away from it, can you? It’s everywhere”, said one 12 year old girl (Buckingham 41). It’s common knowledge that young girls develop unrealistic body images due to such portrayals in the media, including advertisements. The fashion industry notoriously, promotes exceptionally high standards of beauty in the form of often-underweight models. These can lead to eating disorders and low self-esteem in – as stated earlier – young and impressionable girls (Simpson). Child obesity rates are also up, some say it’s due to impressions, such as progressively bigger food portions, given by junk and fast food advertisements. In general, children are sensitive to the subconscious messages that are the basis of many kids’ ads; Television commercials for toys and games will almost always depict healthy happy children using their product: often times cheerily enjoying the moment with their smiling parents. Kids are easily manipulated into the mindset that they are worse off without the product or that they will be better when they have the product (“Special Issues”).

Though some hold the opinion that advertising is evil, invasive, and corrupting children’s minds, as creative director Mr. Steve Simpson put it; “it isn’t as sinister as people think…” (Simpson). Much of what goes into the ad is the ultimate decision of the client’s. The advertising agency itself is in charge of the inventive process – called the planning stage – which includes adapting to a changing media landscape, as well as research and consumer insight. A “creative brief” is then presented by the creative teams to the clients, who then judge the pitch based on what they want (Simpson). Market research can take many forms: statistics from websites that kids are visiting, to volunteer focus groups (“How Marketers”). One of the

298 most well known ad campaigns to come out of Goodby Silverstein and Partners, and as a result of a volunteer focus group, is the “got milk?” campaign. Mr. Simpson explained how in previous years the “milk association” had merely preached the health benefits and ended up projecting a lecturing tone. To generate some fresh ideas for a marketing campaign, Goodby Silverstein & Partners gave a focus group one requirement; you cannot drink milk for a week. At the end of the week, stories were shared of when the group members really wanted some milk; this was usually when there were fresh brownies or cookies. In other words, only when one didn’t have milk did it become really important. From there, humorous ads about not having any milk when it was needed, e.g. a huge plate of cookies, were published, always followed by the familiar slogan: “got milk?” The success was due largely in part to the light-hearted aspect of the ads, and “because [the tone was] more playful, people were willing to accept it” (Simpson). Easy going humor coupled with a sense of familiarity in an ad give it the ability to capture the attention of all age groups, though some companies take that humor and extend it to often times inappropriate levels for a younger audience.

With all of these complaints and controversy over sex, junk food, and other not-so-wholesome content in advertising, parents and organizations have been taking action. As stated earlier, Canadian health officials have been pushing for bans on fast food ads targeted at children under the age of 13 (“Ban junk food”). Most of the countries in the European Union have put severe restrictions on advertisements directed at kids; some common themes among those limitations are bans on showing kids in dangerous situations, telling kids to persuade their parents to buy the product, depicting the child as better off with the product and worse off without it, and other restrictions on exploiting child naiveté. The United Kingdom even went so far as to dictate what the ads should say; “Children in advertisements should be reasonably well mannered and well behaved” (“Regulation on Advertising”). Free thinking American parents might not take too kindly to their kids being told how to act by the government through the television, but promoting a demeanor of good behavior is much more favorable than your child being told to wear a certain deodorant because hot chicks will come and throw themselves at you.

As far as parents are concerned, the first step in minimizing kids’ exposure starts in the home with monitoring content.

“Network television is always the most conservative about their standards” says Mr. Simpson. The FCC – Federal Communications Commission – regulates the amount of commercial programming allowed during kids’ shows directed at children 12 and under: 10.5 minutes per show on weekdays and 12 minutes per show on weekends. This also applies to all forms of digital video. They also express that web addresses shown during those programs cannot be to sites that are purely commercially driven, or even having a link to a “store” page for that site. The FCC also keeps ‘host selling’ in check by mandating substantial separation between character-endorsed-products and the character’s program on websites (“Children’s Educational”). While exposure to television can be monitored, images on a billboard, on the side of a bus, or even in a magazine are hard to ignore.

Today’s youth also has a form of media that the previous generation had never even heard of growing up: social media and the internet. “The internet is unregulated”, as opposed to broadcasters who have codes and restrictions to abide by. Because of this lack of restrictions, marketers are able to take personal information as market research from sites that kids visit, and are then able to more specifically target age and interest groups (“How Marketers”). While social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are more suited for a young adult user, twelve year olds to start using them. Sites like these are reliant on selling the advertising space in the margins of the web page for their income. This method as progressed to the point where “it is now a channel of media” and “it’s unclear how Facebook is going to make money without it” (Simpson).

There are kid-oriented community gaming/socializing sites such as Webkinz (which makes its money through the selling of collectable plush toys that have a corresponding customizable online profile) and Club Penguin (a Disney site where kids take their penguin personas through games and interactions with each other, paying for use as they go) that offer safe, and ad free environments for entertainment. Another change in the advertising game as a result of the internet is the instantaneous consumer feed back that marketers are able to receive. Mr. Simpson talks about how marketers “get feed back really directly…[there’s] so many ways for the consumer to respond, they all have websites, email addresses of the chief marketing officer always available. Often brands have social media in which people can respond.… If you offend people you’ll hear about it…Parents are vigilant and they should be” (Simpson). With internet activity sometimes being difficult to monitor by the parent, easy methods of giving feed back to marketers, or even the company itself, provide a window of opportunity for parents to have a say in what they’re children are subjected to.

Childhood is short. Those early years of development are crucial to the way we see and think about the world. The media is a constant part of those early years, and by extension, advertising. Ads directed at kids can have an instantaneous effect on them, which can often last for years, whether it’s body image or their view of sexuality. More and more adult content is being geared to appeal to kids. Television, print, and more recently and importantly, the internet are all medium that are being used by marketers to access children. With young children having optimum persuasion power over many of their parent’s consumer choices, it’s no wonder they’re the target of so much marketing. In order to be sure that the negative effects of advertising do not taint a child’s early years, supervision of the content of print, television, and websites that their children are exposed to is necessary.

299 I would like to acknowledge Imani Pardou-Bishop, James Koch, Lucius Fernald, and Craig Butz for editing and critiquing my paper.

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