75075 w w w.wildcattales.com @PSHSpub Volume 69 X T , o n a l P Issue 8 School Marc h g i h 19 rH o i n , 20 Se 15 o n Pla
THIRD ANNUAL OPERATION BEAUTIFUL
O
By Emily Perez
peration Beautiful, a day that focuses on the traits that make people beautiful on the inside, will take place on March 20. This will be the third year the event, put together by Student Congress, has taken place on campus. Junior Haley Plenger has close ties to the day, given that her sister Monica Plenger was one of the students who helped start the first Operation Beautiful in 2013. “Operation Beautiful is a day where we focus on all of the characteristics and traits that people have that aren’t material or physical,” Plenger said. “It started a couple of years ago, when we urged people to go without makeup for a day.” In the first few years of Operation Beautiful, emphasis was put on girls going a day without makeup to show their support for the concept of inner beauty. After the first year, this emphasis sparked some controversy in people who felt that girls who did wear makeup would be judged for doing so. “I think the main reason people don’t like the idea is because they’re seeing it as just, ‘Go without makeup because makeup is a bad thing,’” Plenger said. “However, that’s not what we’re saying. Going without makeup is an extra step you can take. We’re just saying, ‘Let’s take a day to focus on what’s on the inside.’” Since social media is one of the largest ways the project is promoted, Plenger said this has played a large role in some of the backlash Operation Beautiful has received. “A lot of the time events like these are spread through social media,” Plenger said. “So it can be hard to get the whole meaning behind it across in 140 characters. I think that when people don’t know what it’s about, the no makeup thing makes them shut down immediately. I think if they tried to understand what it’s really about, then they wouldn’t be as against it.” Senior Chairman of Student Services Hannah Milby and other members of STUCO are working to reiterate the message they have been trying to convey since Operation Beautiful began. “We are making a video this year to
the day gets represented the way they truly want it to be. “I want people to embrace who they are and know that they are unique and special,” Milby said. “I hope they realize that the opinion of others does not define them.” Other schools in the district were invited to participate in the day last year, and Student Congress has opened up the invitation again this year. “What we’re doing this year is encouraging other schools in the district to participate and buy T-shirts from us if they want,” Plenger said.
“
Photo by Sonam Benakatti; Model: Suraiya Ali
clarify the meaning behind Operation Beautiful,” Milby said. “We interviewed several students to hear what they have to say about the day.” Junior Erica Pappas is one of the students who had mixed feelings towards Operation Beautiful in the past. “I think it’s a great concept,” Pappas said. “But to me it almost shames girls for wearing makeup. I think it should be geared more towards individualism and beauty regardless of makeup.” Pappas feels that guiding girls away from wearing makeup on the day can create the
wrong idea about why they wear makeup in the first place. “People also need to realize that girls don’t dress up or do their makeup for anyone but themselves,” Pappas said. In relation to STUCO members focusing less on the no makeup part of the day, Pappas feels it could help decrease the controversy. “I think it’s a great idea to focus more on the things that make everyone unique,” Pappas said. According to Milby, the students in charge of the event are trying to make sure
RECENT ADMISSIONS DISPUTED AT UT AUSTIN
Photo by Sonam Benakatti
Controversy has been ongoing over the alleged admittance of under qualified students of families with connections in high places at The University of Texas. The issue originally arose after a member of the board, Regent Wallace Hall Jr., looked into undocumented forgivable loans. Recently, the controversy came up again because the president of the university, Bill Powers, overruled the admissions office to admit more of these students. English teacher Mandy Arnold, who attended UT Austin for two years, believes this problem has stemmed from increased
By Suhina Chopra
competition in higher education. “I’m sure that it has some bearing on UT,” Arnold said. “I’m sure that competition is affecting every university, private and public. I think the University of Texas system is one of the wealthiest in the entire nation, so money could have played a role too. There are donors out there, and every university wants to make their donors happy. That’s part of playing the game too, in a university, whether that’s public or private.”
Continued on p. 2
Let’s take a day to focus on what’s on the inside.
”
The push for other schools to participate in Operation Beautiful has been successful and has even sparked some new ideas in celebrating positive personality traits. “Plano West is doing a whole week focusing on mental health awareness,” Plenger said. “So each day has a different theme and they’re doing dress up days for each. It’s all spy themed and leads up to Operation Beautiful as the final day.” Plenger wishes that with Operation Beautiful, people can refocus their attention to the characteristics that make everyone an individual. “I hope they take away that they’re more than what is on the outside,” Plenger said. “Today’s world is largely based on first impressions, but there are so many cool characteristics that each person has. I’d love for everyone to at least find one thing that they love about themselves that isn’t physical.”
Online Learn about Trek, an annual event for Mormon teens to experience pioneer traditions.
www.wildcattales.com