Room for Growth

I might be generalizing a bit here, but I think it is safe to say most girls spent their childhood watching all the Disney princess movies, singing along to the catchy songs and imagining a life as her favorite princess. This is a wholesome and normal stage in girls I think, like the way boys have toy lightsaber duels and play pirate in the backyard. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the girls who spent their childhood playing football with their brothers or loved to play video games, I’m just assuming that most girls enjoyed playing princess like how most boys would choose a nerf war over a tea party. Logically, then, these Disney princesses play a significant role in shaping the self-expectations and ideal image in many girls; this fact is evident in how Disney princesses evolved to better combat the feminine issues of the time. Let’s start at the very beginning- the first Disney princess, Snow White, debuted in 1937. American girls awed at this traditional male-her...

Genetically modified organisms or GMOs are becoming more and more prevalent in the ever-forward society. Almost all corn, beans, tomatoes, and other vegetables bought in stores are genetically modified in some ways. Why is it so prevalent? Fresh produce is called “fresh” for a reason- the shelf life is limited and goes bad relatively quickly. Genetic Engineering replaces these “weak” genes with more advantageous genes of other species; for example, many tomatoes are now engineered with certain fish genes that are more resilient to freezing. By eliminating the natural weaknesses of vegetables, not only do they last longer on shelves but increase output due to their resilience to natural threats (diseases, pests, insecticides, pesticides, etc). These applications of science seem like solutions to many of the problems in the world like world hunger and poverty. In addition, the consumption of GMOs has not been linked to any causes of fatalities, illness, or disability. If this is ...

A French artist, “JR,” installed a giant cutout of an infant peering over the U.S.-Mexico border wall shortly after President Trump’s announcement to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This instalment is an example of guerrilla art, or art displayed publicly without permits from the government usually for political purposes. JR’s piece captures the true purpose of DACA- fulfilling a child’s curiosity by providing the opportunities for children illegal immigrants to have a better life in the United States. What used to be a dull, prohibiting eyesore was transformed into a powerful, more attractive POI. This specific guerrilla artwork was legally approved to be installed on the Mexican side for a month, but many others are done illegally. Many argue that for this reason, guerrilla art violates the public space and opinion. Although some guerrilla artists take it to the extreme such as naked Donald Trump statues, most others are an appropriat...