Disney movies have a reputation of being generic happily ever after fairy tale narratives that leave their audiences euphoric. Unfortunately beneath face value, there are underlying implications in these Disney films that encourage morals that are questionable at best, and downright shocking at worst.

Take for instance Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Disney’s first mainstream hit. Snow White is portrayed as a kind, lovable young lady who enjoys singing to her bird companions, yet she lives a tormented life. Trapped in the evil grasp of her jealous stepmother, Snow White spends her days mindlessly on the castle grounds, singing and awaiting the day her prince will rescue her. This routine is interupted by her stepmother’s betrayal, and when she’s forced to flee for her life, she finds herself at the dwarves’ cottage.

There are two major flaws with what this plotline implies. The first is that a person living in a difficult situation should wait to be rescued, instead of trying to help themselves. Courage and strength ought to be much more desirable traits than weakness and helplessness.

The second flaw makes a profound appearance when Snow White arrives at the dwarves’ cottage and begins to immediately clean up the house. What kind of sense (or lack of sense) would tell a person running for their lives just the day before to drop their predicament and scrub floors or dust cobwebs? At this moment, Disney’s sexist women-are-meant-for-housework face shines as bright as Geppetto’s star.

Then again, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was made in 1937. Sadly, it’s not the only victim of Disney’s highly idealized, radical view of true love. In a failed 1990 attempt at improvement, most famously known as The Little Mermaid, Ariel falls in love with a human man at first sight. Desperate, she exchanges her voice for a pair of legs so that she may romance him on land. Purposefully or not, this twist in the storyline suggests that women are valued for their physical qualities, not for their personality or opinions.

So far, there’s been a continuing theme of helplessness, a sexist opinion regarding a woman’s cleaning role, and a sexist opinion of a woman’s true points of value. Of course, no line of offensive content is complete without a crack at racism.

In Aladdin, a quick contrast of the characters provides valuable insight on how Disney characterizes its villains. Interestingly, the hero of the story, Aladdin, is a pale-skinned, boyish-looking character, lovingly referred to as “Al” by the Genie. It is curious how somebody who has supposedly spent his entire life in Arabia can have a countenance so much like an Anglo-Saxon’s and bear an Anglo-Saxon nickname.

Jafar, on the other hand, is the premier villain of the story and Aladdin’s opposite in more ways than one. He wears the traditional Arabic dress, complete with a turban wrapped around his head, yet he is portrayed as the misfit smudge, the evil counterpart that needs to be removed in order to have a happy ending.

Through all the bubbly face value themes of Disney cartoons, there lies darker morals. If not careful, such films will breed children with the entitled mindset of a love-struck princess or with pre-programmed assumptions about a racial hierarchy. Close your eyes and imagine the last time you saw a brat throwing a tantrum at the supermarket, hoping to get their way. Unfortunately for them, their true love isn’t going to come swooping done to save them, and neither will a genie pop up to grant three wishes. Idealism is part of the magic of movies, but when carried over to real life, it becomes something of an illogical nuisance.

By Valerie Garner

A fun little trend called planking has become quite popular among teenagers. To plank, one lies face down, stiff as a wooden board with hands at his or her sides. While posing like this in a random location while, someone may snap a photo of the planker to commemorate the moment.

Some consider these planking photos offensive. Upon examination, it has been discovered that some people relate planking to slavery. During slave trade, hundreds of African American slaves were chained to plank beds, stacked on top of each other and shipped in large cargo ships.

It was a horrendous time in history. However, there are several other things that could be related to slavery, but aren’t discussed. For instance, slaves were shipped in large cargo ships that we still use to this day, but people don’t seem to be too offended by that.

Digging even deeper, it was established that there is no relation between the game and the history. The term planking was not used by slave masters. The people who invented the trend did not intend to mock slavery. It was meant to be a game. Planking is also referred to as The Lying Down Game, according to its originators, Brits Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon.

Sam Weckert, who named the game planking, chose the word because he and his friends were imitating a plank of wood, lying stiff, straight, and lifeless. He insists that there is no deliberate connection between the term and slave trade.

Students shouldn’t have to live their lives walking on eggshells; their purpose is not to offend. Imagine the effect on society as a whole if everyone had to edit themselves constantly because one person might be offended. Nothing would ever be accomplished because no matter what, someone will always be offended.

Consider the following:

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/is-planking-connected-to-the-slave-trade/2011/07/08/gIQAz1aj3H_blog.html
• http://iamplanking.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=58
• http://www.techopedia.com/definition/25757/planking

Every year, students within Leander’s International Baccalaureate program gather together to raise money for a specific and global charity. IB’s class of 2012 is selling cupcakes as part of this year’s fundraiser for the LifeStraw, and these treats are not only for a good cause, they’re also unbelievably delicious.

The LifeStraw is an ingenious device that filters the water sucked through it, removing %99.999 of waterborne bacteria and parasites. 

“One-seventh of the world’s population doesn’t have water, and that’s unacceptable,” said Ashley McGowan, IB senior and the primary organizer of the charity.

Distributing LifeStraws to those that lack access to clean water is a temporary fix to this problem. As a more permanent water source is established, those waiting can still have fresh water without having to walk miles to get it. One LifeStraw provides enough water to last one person for a year and is more environmentally friendly than traditional methods, which involve burning wood.

“It may not seem to make a big difference, but to those benefiting it means the world,” said McGowan.

Every Friday throughout the lunch period, IB students are manning their cupcake booth. The menu includes the typical cupcakes, made of cake, frosting, and a colorful wrapper. These are sold for $1. However, for $3 students can purchase “gourmet” cupcakes.

The gourmet items come in a variety of flavors, including Cookies n’ Cream, Fudgy Mint, and even Dr. Pepper. Each of these cupcakes has a sweet surprise in the center, is masterfully decorated, and comes wrapped with a brightly colored straw to represent a donation to the cause.

For every three cupcakes purchased, one LifeStraw is bought, and with the help of dedicated bakers as well as hungry students, the charity has already earned approximately $1,200. Way to eat, Leander!

The sales will continue into February and make an appearance at the upcoming Dodgeball Tournament on Feb. 16^th.

Every down of every play, right in the center of the field, ready to snap the ball is the senior Brian Lanning.

At first sight, Lanning might not be the biggest or the strongest on the offensive line, but he most definitely has the heart of an outstanding football player and an amazing person, size was not a problem.

“I just wanted to play football!” Lanning said.

Brian remembers the beginning of his football passion starting at a very young age.

“My dad and I were playing baseball at the LCP fields, and there was a uniform fitting for the LCP youth football league. They let me try on their uniforms, and I remember thinking, I want to do this!” he said

Since then, Lanning has played football for the freshman and JV teams at LHS.

“I played center, and a little bit of linebacker for my sophomore year. I worked so hard and my junior year I was pulled to varsity, but I never played.”

This year Lanning was placed on varsity as the starting center. This surprised him considering his size and weight weren’t as big as the rest of the offensive line.

“He was out-weighed by 100 pounds more than once,” said Lanning’s position coach, John Contrucci, “but it didn’t matter; he also had about 25 pancakes.” (when one player lays another player on his back)

Lanning has played in every game this year, but to him it’s not all about playing.

“I love the atmosphere; it’s empowering, and I’ll never get friends like the ones I have made in football again,” Lanning said.

In Brian’s free time he is usually hanging out with friends and family whether  it’s watching a Disney Pixar movie or just “Bro time,” he said.

Alcatraz is a brand new series that first aired on January 16 on Fox. When Rebecca Madsen (Sara Jones) is assigned to a homicide case, she is in for the shock of her life.  Years after Alcatraz, a famous island prison located in the San Francisco Bay shut down, one of the inmates that disappeared suddenly comes back in the present. Rebecca wants to know the answers into why has he come back, but government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neil) tries to stop her from finding out the truth.

With the help of Dr. Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia), Rebecca explores the history of Alcatraz, government cover-ups, and her own family history only to discover that there are other inmates that are beginning to reappear, and they all want revenge. Rebecca soon realizes that Hauser has been waiting for the inmates to reappear for the last fifty years as she tries to keep the country safe from the criminals of the past.

The series is executive produced by J.J Abrams, who produced the new Star Trek movie. Alcatraz has been voted by journalists as one of the most exiting series in 2012. New episodes air on Wednesday at 9:00.