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Beauty from the inside out Tips for feeling beautiful all the time
By: Ashley Quamme. Edited by: Brooke Crossen. The constant bullying drove her off the edge, spiral- and high school, these can be the hardest moments to overing into the most extreme decision she has ever made: Nadia come and see the beauty. Bullying will end, and the reality Ilse from Georgia, would get plastic surwill shine through. Positive and natural gery, and only at the age of 14. alternatives provide a healthier process to Dumbo and Elephant Ears. gaining self-esteem and confidence. These were Nadia’s nicknames since the Daily affirmations! These continufirst grade. These negative comments ous, short and to-the-point sayings are from classmates were the only aspects easy to remember and will bring positive of her physical state that she focused on. changes. Some examples include “I am At the age of 10, she asked her mother beautiful, I am beautiful just as I am” and if she could get an otoplasty: a surgery “I am proud of my beautiful body.” These to pin her ears back. With the need for will help strengthen self-development in a financial aid, Nadia’s mother searched positive manner. for an answer and found The Little Go to yoga! Senior Christiana McBabyface Foundation. This non-profit Clurg enjoys attending hot yoga classes at organization provides the financial aid the Dragon Fly in Fitchburg. “When I’m for teens who desire to have plastic surdone, it makes me feel refreshed and regery due to bullying. She met with her laxed,” she said. She added it makes her doctor, Thomas Romo, who suggested a feel better about herself. Unfortunately, reduction rhinoplasty (reduction of the these classes can be expensive, but Mcnose) and a mentoplasty (reduction of Clurg said, “It’s worth it, and you can althe chin/jaw line). Miranda Mellen finds her inner beauty. ways do [yoga] at home.”. Nadia’s mother hopes that counGo dancing! Express yourself through Photo by Carissa Goodwick. seling will be the last step in the process art! Get your hair and nails done! Excel after the surgery. Why not before? Why couldn’t there have in a sport or academics! Better yet, get a massage right here been other procedures than plastic surgery for Nadia to over- in town! come bullying? Jeanne Snow, a self-employed masseuse in the Or She was simply not looking for one. egon area (Cutting Edge Salon) has given massages to many Nadia told Dr. Gupta that it (the bullying) will nev- different clients. “I believe massage helps promote a positive er stop, that it’ll just keep going and get worse and worse. energy. Through massage, an individual develops more acute She did not have the resources or a positive support system body awareness, and in turn, a more positive self image.” to bring her to the knowledge that her uniqueness makes her A massage, daily affirmations and doing what you beautiful, and what really makes someone beautiful is who love and enjoy is a healthier and less expensive alternative to they are inside. having a positive body image than plastic surgery. Beauty is from within, but, especially during middle
The “morally straight” take on sexuality By: Darian Gransee and Zack Petrie Homosexual scouts and leaders have been with the Boy Scouts of America (B.S.A.) organization since before OHS students were born, but now with the emergence of openly gay members, it’s created as much controversy as the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. With the reaffirmed policy on gay members, society is faced with an issue that has been on the tip of the tongue for decades. Should openly gay members remain in the B.S.A.? The argument can be traced back to the B.S.A. v. Dale case in June of 2000. The Supreme Court ruled that homosexuals could be barred from the organization under the fact that it is a private organization, and therefore has the right to dismiss and regulate those among them. This policy has also been applied to atheists and agnostics. However, homosexual leaders have been part of the group for decades. “Homosexuals were involved in scouting when I was a boy, but they were not open about their sexual orientation,” said a current leader of the B.S.A. He goes on to explain the concern among families is that “they want scouts to reinforce the values they are teaching their boys at home, and those family values conflict with the values of the gay lifestyle.” However, the issue isn’t only just amongst family bonds alone. Another strong influence in the decision is sup-
port from religion-based organizations. “Many organizations that sponsor scout troops are churches, and a change in scout policy on homosexual membership would mean these churches would no longer support scouting since it conflicts with their religious beliefs,” said the troop leader. “On the other hand, some churches would support a change in policy as being more socially just. Bottom line: this is a complex issue that reflects many current issues in our society.” The current ban is still under ruling and may see change sometime this year. If the policy is overturned, it is still up to the individual troops to decide who they accept. But society has a growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community. “I believe any ruling that brings attention to equity issues is important,” said guidance counselor Joan Karls. “Society is becoming more tolerant and accepting, which will obviously benefit the LGBTQ community.” The complexity of the issue won’t be resolved in this one decision. If the ban is overturned, it will be one step closer for the LGBTQ community’s long-awaited equality. The issue has a spectrum of variants and will be debated for as long we exist.