Xiu Xiu starts off as an innocent schoolgirl, ready to do her duty for China. She excitedly receives her uniform and proudly ties a red scarf around her neck. Xiu Xiu isn’t naive, she knows what men hint to her and it repulses her. When Xiu Xiu is ordered to go to Tibet to herd, Lao Jin, an experienced herder, takes on an almost paternal air with her. Xiu Xiu is a sharp-tongued thing, but we forgive her because she’s young and still has dreams.

But eventually, Xiu Xiu wants to return to Chengdu, to her family. A peddler tells her that almost all the pretty girls have gone home. So begins Xiu Xiu’s descent from innocence to selling herself for a ticket to Chengdu. Throughout it all though, somehow, she manages to preserve a pureness about her, a childish aura that helps her cling to her hopes.

Set in practically the most picturesque spots of China, the film’s scenery, music, and superb actors appeal to our hearts and smoothly propel the story to its tragic end. Only those who have been a part of the Cultural Revolution can ever fully understand the emotional changes it wrought in its citizens, but "Xiu Xiu: The Sent-down Girl" gives those of us who only know the Cultural Revolution through study, a taste that I imagine to be pretty close to the real thing.

In elementary school, all my friends were girls of course. Guys never entered my head and if they did, it would most probably have been in a negative light. I barely talked to guys, so when I had to one day, I stuttered and stammered my way through one brief sentence. Needless to say, I tried to avoid getting into a conversation with them for quite a while. I grew out of that embarrassing habit by sixth or seventh grade. I could converse with them normally, but I didn’t have close guy friends. Although, in eighth grade, I did have my first boyfriend. It was fun to be attached, a new experience.

After that, I just wanted to know guys as friends; less obligations. Now, I have several good male friends. Sometimes, I think hanging out with guys is more fun. There aren’t secrets going around in a group, no distinct alliances, and no petty quarrels springing up out of nowhere. One thing I can give credit to the guys, they’re more direct and much easier to understand. Sometimes, even I can’t figure out what’s going on with my own gender.

I think it’s wonderful to have guy friends and totally possible. Of course, there might be that problem of attraction and stuff like that, but I don’t think that’s such a big deal. I mean, if both sides really “just wanted to be friends,” the friendship would happen on its own. Sometimes, being friends first is the best thing for a relationship; I bet Harry and Sally end up getting married.

I like talking to my guy friends because I can just be really weird and not feminine at all and it doesn’t bother them. In fact, we just joke around with each other a lot. Plus, there’s that bonus of getting to talk to them about other guys and getting the male perspective on everything. I guess what I’m really comparing male friends to is a boyfriend. I’m not saying that having a boyfriend is a drag, for some people, it’s the thing they’ve been waiting for their whole lives. With a guy I have a crush on, I get really nervous because I want to present the best side of myself; understandable. But it’s always a relief to have around those guys with whom I can just be a total goof.

I guess what I wanted to say was that males and females add different aspects to a friendship. Good friends from both sides balance each other out, and I’m lucky enough to have both male and female friends that make my life a quirky and entertaining little journey.

The Fisher family may not have direct control of the Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC), but the Fisher family primarily supplied the money used to buy MRC. Where do they get their money? From their nation-wide chain of Gap stores! Therefore, buying Gap products puts money into the pockets of the family that bought MRC-a logging company. What else are they going to buy with their profits?

I say that it IS the Fisher family’s money; they can do whatever they want with it. However, as the founders of Gap, Baby Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, the Fisher family should be aware that what they do with their money affects Gap’s public image. People have the right to know what their money is eventually going to end up supporting.

Gap has always donated money to youth organizations and other activities that benefit the community. That’s a wonderful thing to do, but now they’re turning around and destroying the one community that must last an eternity: THE EARTH. I used to think that Gap was earth-friendly; they work hard on their public image. Even though MRC says it is there for the long-term and wants to practice "good stewardship to the land," ho believable is that? So far, their actions do not fit their seemingly sincere words. Every company wants to maximize profit. I believe that THAT is MRC’s real goal. MRC needs to be a profitable business for its investors, primarily for the Fisher family.

Apparently, unrest stems from the fact that MRC uses Garlon, an herbicide, to kill trees such as Tan Oaks and other hardwoods deemed "useless" by logging companies. Companies need the land to grow the more valuable Redwoods and Douglas Fir. Garlon is sprayed until the hillsides of Mendocino turn brown as trees die.

Even though Garlon has not been proved to be toxic and carcinogenic, it is still a chemical used to kill living organisms. It runs off into the water and no matter how small the amount, everything eventually adds up. Today, all aspects of daily life are moving toward a synthetic world. We want the easiest solution, and we want it fast. But we sacrifice the earth’s natural resources in this drive for a "modern" society. The mark of a modern and sophisticated society is not how fair it can use technology to exploit the very planet its life depends on, but its conscientiousness and awareness of its existence in a much bigger web of life. It is y firm belief that there is a consequence for every action.

I am not an earth-lover fanatic; I do not believe that this incident alone will lead tot he destruction of the world. However, I am a proponent of keeping everything that interacts with the environment as natural and pure as possible. There is no need to keep on dumping chemicals, as harmless as they SEEM to be, into the earth when there are alternatives. MRC says that they are investigating alternatives. If MRC is truly committed to the environment, they should wait for these alternatives instead of plowing ahead with their present logging procedures. But of course, they must sacrifice part of their mission for the profit.

My goal in boycotting Gap is not to shut down the company. That is practically impossible because Gap is a nationwide corporation. Their business continues because many are either ignorant of Gap’s actions, or they just don’t care. I choose to stand up and take responsibility for the consequences of my actions. My conscience is free of any thought that I have even contributed one iota of my time ore resources to the further destruction of the environment. Many argue that all companies are tied together and that they destroy some part of the earth anyway. There’s no need to tear up our natural resources for the sake of profit. It is true I will never know that the company of every product I use is doing right by the environment. I acknowledge that I don’t know, but if I am presented with the facts, and I determine that they are not a result of rumors, then I will take care not to support that company. I’m not saying that we should totally stay away from the environment. We do need to use earth’s resources, but we must use them with the ever-present reminder that we must respect nature and realize that these resources do not last forever.

We are not as independent as we like to think. All life is interconnected in some way. Intelligent use of the earth and always trying to maximize safe alternative methods that do not further deplete primary resources is my goal. Stopping the dumping of chemicals into the earth is my goal. Preserving the earth in all its pristine beauty for the future is my goal. If saving the Mendocino Redwood Forest for these reasons is not good enough, then think of the people who live in that area, think of your family, think of those who will still live here when you are gone, and save the forest for them.

According to a website, "Extoxnet," Garlon, the trade name for triclopyr, does not have very many reproductive, teratogenic (ability to produce birth defects), mutagenic, or carcinogenic effects. It is slightly toxic to mallard ducks, but almost non-toxic to fish. They say that triclopyr is rapidly neutralized and degraded by soil microorganisms.

Extoxnet is run by Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and University of California at Davis. They are supported and funded by the USDA/ Extension Service/ National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.

According to another study, Garlon 4 (a form of Garlon) is highly toxic to salmonids of the Pacific Northwest. One of two main products produced when Garlon degrades, pyridinol metabolite is as toxic as Garlon 4 to juvenile salmonoids, and pyridine is more toxic to young pink salmon.

I’m not a scientist, so I can’t really say now significant these studies are. But there are criticisms of herbicide studies. According to an article regarding the use of Garlon in Mendocino County, Greg Krouse of Neighbors Against Herbicides, said that "studies were either done by Dow Chemical, which he does not trust, or by research financed by Dow…claims research has been inadequate or poorly done." Krouse also said that "they (the herbicide manufacturers) can do these little minute regulatory things-do three or four basic studies to get minimally registered-at which point it becomes physically impossible to get them (the pesticides) out." According to him, if data is falsified, it is difficult to prove the data is false, which is what happened with Agent Orange and Roundup.

Remember how I said companies always want to maximize profit? Well, to maximize the growth of Redwoods and Douglas Fir, companies must get rid of hardwoods such as Tan Oaks. A company can either cut and chip oaks or use herbicides to kill them to make room for conifers. Companies don’t always just cut and chip oaks because it’s not economical. When chip prices drop, companies turn to herbicides.

So, what to do now? There’s lots of information out there on the web; I couldn’t even begin to compile everything into an article. I’ve just given a little bit of what’s out there. Visit MRC’s website and read the community’s letters to them, then visit the other websites I’ve posted up here and decide for yourself if Gap is still worth supporting.

Links to:

A Personal Account About Herbicides
Mendocino Redwood Company
Herbicides in Chico Parks
Krouse Article
Extoxnet

I had the dress, the hair, and the accessories. But I’ve also had those things at other dances, and I didn’t have half as much fun at those as I did at this one.

Prom actually started off in a rush between my hair appointment and getting home so I could prepare the rest of myself. Time wouldn’t have been so tight if I hadn’t seen Star Wars, but who would pass up watching Episode 1? So, everything was a whirlwind of nervousness and anticipation before my doorbell rang.

We met everyone else at the restaurant and there were a whole bunch of introductions where I smiled and nodded most of the time. Attaching names to faces is not my forte. Dinner was great, and then we had to go to the Fairmont Hotel for the dance. Guess how we got there!! We took a cable car from the restaurant straight up to the Fairmont! A whole row of prom-goers, all dressed up in their fancy clothes, sitting right on the edge, and others hanging off of the sides. I’m sure it was an interesting sight for the tourists.

At the prom, again I met a whole bunch of people and, of course, took pictures, then danced. The DJ was funny. He had a sidekick who danced to every single song by himself. (I don’t know about the slow songs though) It was hilarious. The music was so much better than regular dance music, although there was still quite a lot of songs with a heavy bass. In addition to Latin music, there was swing. Yay! And my date could really truly dance swing! Yay again! Swinging with him was the best part of the whole prom. After the dance, we went to Mel’s Diner. I struggled to keep my eyes open, my date can attest to that because he was teasing me the whole time. I don’t think I went to sleep that night until three or four in the morning.

In almost all of those magazines for teens and other prom guides, they say they can help you plan your perfect prom. When I thought about how much fun I had, I tried to pinpoint exactly what it was that made the whole night a time I wanted to remember. And, this probably sounds sort of dumb, but I realized that it didn’t matter if I had the dress, the hair, and whatever else those magazines told me I had to have, it was first and foremost, my date, then, the people we hung out with. I only knew my date (obviously) and several others, but everyone I met was friendly and easy to talk to. We talked and laughed and joked with each other. The people made prom a memorable night.

So, to those out there who run around looking for the perfect dress and stressing how everything’s going to come out, just remember that at any party, what determines if you’re going to leave with a huge smile on your face or a grimace, boils down to the people with whom you hang out.

Perhaps you’re in Pleasantville which seems pleasant enough on the surface, but this whole movie reveals controversies embedded deep within society.

It all seems pretty good when your mother cooks a pile of pancakes for you and your parents are home every night, and everything’s predictable. But what if something tipped the balance and your world overturned? What would you do then?

I thought this would just be a quaint little movie about a brother and sister stuck in an old TV sitcom. Walking out of the theater though, I realize that the movie conveyed a lot more than the adventures of two teens.

Obviously, the main part of the movie is the addition of color to the characters. Those that turn into color are those that feel emotions- they are no longer one-dimensional characters. They possess feelings and they follow these feelings and emotions. That is what adds color, perhaps that is also what makes us individuals.

"Enlightenment" causes this change. Those that thirst for knowledge and question formerly accepted beliefs change themselves. Books fill with words; and the library, a collection of human thought, once again has a purpose. Those unwilling to accept this change reveal human ugliness- much as a cornered animal turns and attacks. These people are filled with such hatred and envy for those that are different, and they commit acts of bigotry and "racism." Here, reminisces of our history pop up: book burnings, restrictions of certain music, and discrimination against "coloreds."

At first, this change is a result of sex. Sexual feelings are one of the most primal emotions that animals possess. In the movie, having sex is this release of internal emotions and a realization that there is something more than just the mere existence of the human being. Therefore, sex is used to convey this change and enlightenment.

The only problem I can see with this film, is the frame story. I still don’t understand why the "handyman" gave the boy the special remote control that causes the whole movie. The only thing I can surmise is that eventually, everything must change. Those that are unable to and accept innovative ideas will not survive. Even the handyman realizes this at the end. At first, he is irate that this sitcom he knows so much about is changing- the characters are growing and he can’t stop it. By the end though, I believe he realizes the need and benefits of change.

Reality does not exist in this movie. Does it make any sense that teenagers can go into a TV? Of course not. But don’t bring judgments and predispositions to this film. An open mind is all you need. The only thing I can say is this: watch the movie and see what happens to you.

According to the August issue of Seventeen, there are five different types of style: the all-American girl, anti-fashion girl, glamour girl, earthy girl, and trendy girl. Can we really put ourselves into one of these categories? "I like to wear what is comfortable for me, and also what most people are wearing," explains Christine Fong. "In magazines, they tell you to wear flares or something, but I don’t really like flares, so I don’t wear them." Alex Fong (unrelated to Christine) grins and says, "I don’t follow the fashion trends, I just like to wear an old t-shirt and jeans that aren’t too tight." Many people claim that they don’t follow what other people wear or what the magazines say. "I wear what looks nice to me," says Laureen Hom, "some people say I dress preppy or like a skater." So we DO place ourselves in categories. Several groups that were named were jocks, who wear Adidas, Nike, and sports clothing; the "popular group" which wears a preppy/trendy style including flares; the Fobs wear clothes similar to the popular group, but "sluttier" and from labels such as Bebe and Wet Seal; and then there are the skaters who wear grunge and retro clothing. Oh yes, and the people who were mentioned, wearing a little bit of everything.

Teen magazines often report about what the stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz are sporting. In turn, we choose to follow the latest craze. For instance, there’s a beauty page in Seventeen which features a majority of what the stars are wearing such as ringlets for long hair, bobs for short, smoky eyes, and flowers for decoration. We are also told to get the stuff worn on the runways by models; for example, Kate Moss’s shoes, but who would really wear canvas karate shoes from Chinatown anyway?

What do adults think of the teen style? "Those guys who wear huge baggy pants look ridiculous," scoffs Gerard Esponda (52). "They look like they’re about to trip over themselves. And what’s the point of wearing a hat backwards? You see them squinting all the time even though they’re wearing a hat." Matthew (20) comments, "I think the girls wear too little sometimes, they wear tank tops when it’s foggy outside. Also, they don’t need to wear big puffy jackets." "Prices are too high, a simple t-shirt can cost $32!" laments Carol Ng (47).

Although we may be influenced by magazines, public figures, and popularity, what we choose to wear boils down to our own satisfaction and comfort. I suppose we could also say that our tastes in clothing are shaped by society and those we admire, and that’s why most of us like to read up on fashion catalogs. Perhaps the styles in stores may follow the latest trends, but if those trends aren’t to our liking, then we don’t buy it.

It’s just another regular night at the Letterman Fencer’s Club. Excuse me, did I just say something about a FENCING club? That’s right. The swashbuckling pirates and fearless musketeers have handed down the art of dueling in the form of fencing. Considered by many as physical chess, it is a sport the public often overlooks.

Fencing isn’t just about "swordfighting." I have heard it described as an intricate dance between two people, or a psychological struggle. It uses no blind slashing and attacking; it is a battle of wits, a mental challenge. Of course, when I say this, I don’t mean that one doesn’t need muscle or speed, but that one can not survive with brute force alone. Tricks must be used in order to defeat the opponent. These consist of feints (a false attack; making the opponent think you are going to hit them in a certain area, but at the last minute, hit in another), body feints (quick whole-body movements to freak out the other person), and whatever else comes to mind and is legal. Speed, distance, and the right timing are other elements of a successful fencer.

When most people hear the word "fencing," they think of the musketeers and battles to the death. There are actually three weapons for fencing. The musketeers would have used what is called the epee (pronounced epay with a short "e"). This blade is stiffer and heavier than the other two blades: saber and foil. The blade is grooved to "let the blood drain away." The whole body of the fencer is a target, even down to his shoelaces. The "Duel of Honor" is simulated by epee fencing and it is very much like a duel to the first blood.

Pirates, on the other hand, would have used the saber. This is the lightest modern fencing weapon. The target is everything from the waist up, including the arms and mask. Most people use a slashing and cutting motion to land a hit. I think this is the most entertaining to watch.

Foil, the weapon I am currently using, was used at first only for practice in epee. This weapon is used to simulate a duel to the death. Only the fencer’s front and back torso are a target because of the vital organs in the area. Both foil and saber use the right-of-way, which means that if both fencers hit at around the same time, it will determine who will get the touch (point).

This sport is one of the safest modern sports (although I have heard stories). Even though there are no swashbuckling pirates today, one can feel very much like the knight who saves the damsel in distress, or one of the three musketeers outwitting the enemy, or even the masked legend, Zorro.