Andreas+M-+Maureen+Dowd

Are Men Necessary? (1/3) Maureen Dowd is obviously a woman whose views on the sexes have shaped her journalism career as well as the way she views the world. Dowd has not only won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for her provocative insights on sexuality in the White House, but is also a columnist for the New York Times. Dowd’s views are a direct reflection of her upbringing, as well as the nature of the world that she was exposed to in her past. In the 1960’s, Dowd was caught in the power struggle between men and women. While most women were still vulnerable, victimizing themselves through their overt femininity and adherence to basic female stereotypes, Dowd viewed the world differently. She grew into a powerful woman who gained insight and a keen intellect on the general state of the everyday woman. In everyday media, Dowd could spot various female characters who were demonized or degraded in the most subtle of ways in order to idolize male characters, such as in James Brooks’ movie //Spanglish//, where actress Tea Leoni is made out to be a “jangly, yakking, overachieving, overexercised, unfaithful, shallow she-monster” (45). She developed theories on how women preferred the “escapist fare,” watching movies and television shows which allowed them to lose themselves in non-existent fantasy worlds filled with “beautiful, driven cop and lawyer babes with puny personal lives” who could “kick male butt” (60). Even beyond her views, Dowd tried to shape the journalism world by, for instance, urging men to not be leery of high-achieving woman in her //Times// column. The first third of //Are Men Necessary// provided clear insight into Dowd’s personalized views. She always blurs the line between what is acceptable and what has been accepted over time, making both men and women seem both “good” and “bad.” She is a fascinating woman, her views always being justified with examples from my own life. Dowd makes a good with her bit on escapism, as most women I know watch these shows in some attempt to numb some drab part of their lives. Dowd is also able to inject humor into her writing, at one point exploring the office setting in which she works for at the //New York// Times and how it becoming “feminized.” She even goes as far as to say that the Olympics, at one point a masculine, grueling test of competitiveness, are turning into menial soap operas.

Are Men Necessary? (2/3)

Dowd’s keenness has become gradually more honed by the time one reaches the middle third of the book. By now, she is fully steeped in her notions and ideals, struggling to prove to us what it is that unites, and at the same time, divides, men and woman. She is almost prophetic in the way she pumps out statistics and bewildering facts, bits of seemingly useless information that help place both genders in the light of accusation. Dowd’s range of topics also increases by the middle third of the book as well – she starts covering homosexuality, for instance. Once again, Dowd blurs what is reality and what is perception, confronting the situation of what “makes” a man and what being “gay” makes him. Is a man gay just because he is wearing fitted jeans and sandals, and is sporting a shoulder bag? When referencing a //Times// story, she talks about a study that was conducted where both gay and straight men were asked to respond to different “smells” that were released before them. When she describes the reasons behind the study as well as its results, she only brings up more questions, such as: what is a gay man to a woman, and how do most women view homosexual men as opposed to those who are heterosexual? Even beyond her own speculation, Dowd also backs up what she says more than ever. When speaking of the female orgasm, she quotes Dr. Elizabeth Lloyd, who wrote //The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution//. She relates Lloyd’s own work to the idea that natural selection has favored the male in terms of the male orgasm, since it is the male that delivers sperm. On top of that, Dowd seems more enlightened than those around her, being wary and cautious while at the same time absorbing the information she needs to organize her world. When she heads up to //Cosmopolitan// magazine during her freelancing journalist phase, she is asked to select topics to write about ranging from “I Had an Affair With My Best Friend’s Father” to “My Fling With My Gynecologist/Psychiatrist/Dentist.” Dowd chooses “Turning 30.” Dowd is not on the same plateau as most other women of her age, making her a visionary to the journalism world as well a key player in the ongoing battle of the sexes.

Are Men Necessary? (Last 1/3)

Dowd is finalizing her views and preparing her readers for the question she’s been raising throughout the entire book: are men really necessary? More than anything, Dowd seems to take on feminist views in the final third of the book, making her a more powerful and domineering figure and causing her words to have a little more impact. She brings up politics, assuring the reader she is covering and mapping out the different genders’ personas in all the different spheres of the world. She speaks of how women in the White House are set on seeking out weaker, more puny men such as politicians Clarence Thomas and Bob Packwood, two men who were sought out by feminists and victimized for their strangeness and dysfunctional behavior. Dowd views on various subjects are also more controversial as well, such as when she uncovers a study that tried to prove lesbian relationships eventually lost all their sexual excitement because it was only men who could provide a sense of “adventure” in the bedroom. Unfortunately, while Dowd is still witty and provocative, she bogs the book too much in the end by completely fixating her arguments on past political occurrences. The paragraph before the book’s final line, “Or are men necessary?” is preceded by Dowd’s contemplation over Hilary Clinton’s strategies for winning office. Overall, a very weak finish to an otherwise wonderful book book by Dowd.

My Double Truck (Should music be listened to while doing homework?):

Listening to music while doing homework – does it or does it not help? While this growing trend is certainly popular amongst students this day and age, there are those who oppose it and see it as something that isn’t all that beneficial to the learning experience. No matter who you talk to, there seem to be reasons for doing it, as well as reasons for completely avoiding it all together. While some students can certainly “zone-out” to their favorite song or tune, some see it is a horrible distraction. Senior Zach Kuperstein says, “I can only listen to music when it’s low and kind of in the background. If things get too loud, I tend to focus on the song and not on what I’m doing.” While it makes sense, there are others who actually enjoy blasting their favorite bands while they attempt to overcome difficult math problems and scientific conundrums. Junior Brooke Harunk says, “Music is just so awesome. The louder it gets, the better, even when it’s time to bust out the books!” While both Zach and Brooke see music as something that can be enjoyed when studying for a test or reading a book for English, Senior Holly Boland says, “I simply listen to music when I’m doing homework. It drives me insane!” Much like any debate, there are two heated sides to the argument. Whatever the case, something is gained whether someone chooses to listen to music or not when doing homework. The question here is what exactly is being gained?

Just what are the effects of listening to music while doing homework? Just what makes it so constructive, and at the same time, distracting? “It’s like having someone to talk to,” says Senior Andrew Doerr, who provides just one out of many positive reasons for wanting to listen to music, “The words envelope me.” Others provide positive feedback, such as Junior Tim Vogel, “I love music a lot, so I can positively associate it with just about anything I do.” Between both Andrew and Tim, music time and homework time can definitely be interrelated. What about those who see it as something that should be avoided? Just what do they think? When asking Senior Rachel Peterson, her response was, “I feel as though the music is trying its best to distract me. Like the band or artist is actually there.” Though others might see this as a little strange, it seems a lot about personal preference. Music continues has always defined popular culture, and seeing its effect on the homework sphere is both discomforting but also fascinating.

When it comes to music, I can listen to it at just about anytime, blocking out the world around me and allowing myself to take in the music to a great degree. When my mind is fixated on what’s playing, I don’t have to worry about anything else because I know that as long as I’m listening, those “other” things aren’t there. Listening to music while doing homework throws this way of thinking and acting off completely. By introducing different variables into the basic formula of just “listening to music,” things get very, very interesting. To sum it up, things do get distracting, but there are times when the music does contribute to a greater, more positive plain. There are a lot of things to consider when the music starts to get into my ears. Does the music flow well? Is it abrasive? How loud is it? What is it saying? What sounds are being produced? All of it needs to coincide with just what I’m doing. In fact, it’s all about establishing some relationship between what I’m listening to and what homework I’m doing. I can’t be with two people if they are bickering, and with the music/homework combination, to me, that same idea applies. Is this how other people see it? I’m not really sure. When I apply my reasoning to whether or not music should be listened to while doing homework, it makes sense to think about things the way I do.

Andreas M - Satirical Onion Piece

Swim Team and Shaving Heads

Swim team is once again forcing its members to shave their heads, a longtime tradition that has been celebrated by all Wellesley swimmers ever since the team’s origins. According to varsity swimmer Swimsmorr Lapps, “It gets the guys pumped. They love feeling the wind blowing against their bare heads. Except we don’t really get that because we’re swimming, and you don’t really feel wind underwater. I get it’s the water then. Yeah, the water.” Sophomore Ben Gilbert comments, “It’s being able to see the scalps. It’s like a fashion statement, this huge release of testosterone for the guys. They crave it, they crave the look.” One freshmen swimmer says, “I do it because if I don’t, I’ll get beaten. The guys give me huge wedgies and they really hurt.” Fashion statement? Wind? Wedgies? It seems like the shaving of heads for competitive sports is more of a mental change than a physical one. Other sports have caught on to the trend, including wrestling team, girl’s hockey, and even chess club. Looking beyond sports, clubs like Spanish club and even ADL have resorted to shaving their heads to get “amped” and “rocking” about their activities. One anonymous senior says, “Shaving my head for GSA bake sales earned me some funny looks from people, but I’m so much more enthusiastic about what I do now. It’s great.” Speaking of “enthusiasm,” according to recent Enthusiasm Polls, O.S.E. (Overall Student Enthusiasm) has increased well over 86%. “Yeah, the students are a lot more enthusiastic,” says Wellesley High School Principal Steve Kehoe. “About 86% more than last week. That’s a lot.” Mr. Kehoe made that comment with a huge smile on his face. A wonderful smile that is all thanks to competitively shaven heads at Wellesley High School.

Bradford Opinion Piece (w/ CSPA Critique Sheet)

While its design and presentation are fairly straightforward yet effective, the Bradford suffers in the categories of variety and overall spread of coverage. Most of the time, the Bradford simply goes over obvious events that are affecting the school either in the present or the future, such as class changes, new teachers, shows, sports coverage, etc. It seems that when we run out of events to talk about in the school, we do not expand and try to cover events that are occurring in the world outside of Wellesley High. This is where the Bradford is lacking, since both variety and coverage are dependent on the range of events that we cover. Though Wellesley High and the outside world are not directly connected (as in the events of one are not dependent on the other), some of its students are surely interested in foreign affairs and even what is occurring in our own evolving country, and because of that, such things should be talked about in the Bradford. This absence of coverage and variety does not come from the editors and their lack of interest, but more so the fact that writers and editors in the Bradford feel it is most important to just cover our school/town. The Bradford highlights what is important in these two categories, but there are other pressing events outside of Wellesley that need to be discussed. The nation’s outlook on various issues (immigration, for instance) comes to mind immediately. The Bradford can still cover subjects such as this one while still retaining its Wellesley High-oriented nature. In terms of presentation, I would personally love to see the Bradford presented in a magazine-type medium. This type of presentation is being done in some high school in California (an example of one issue was brought in this year), and it was amazing to look at. Most students, I feel, are simply turned off by the cumbersome newspaper format, and that’s even before they get a chance to read anything contained within. If we presented the Bradford as a magazine, not only would the physical appeal increase, but students would also have more fun flipping through pages and showing others the information they’ve gained. There is also very little input from people outside of the Bradford. Worse than that, there is no published interaction between the school’s normal students and “Bradfordians.” Even though we are writing for the students of our school, there are times when it feels as though they don’t really matter. Recently we tried to include an editorial about Dumbledore from Harry Potter being a gay character. This editorial was originally meant to be written by an outsider of the Bradford, but was instead written by one of our own editors. While our editors are certainly interesting people whose opinions should be published from time to time, it is important that we capture the opinions of people outside the Bradford as well. The newspaper could also benefit from more letters to the editor. Maybe we could have people argue or comment on the arts reviews that are provided, or, even better, we could have people voice their own views on the paper’s editorials.