Youth Empowered By Brower

San Francisco, Wednesday, October 24-

At the press conference for the Brower Youth Award 2007 recipients, there were only a few other people in the attendance. But right away I recognized Lesley Nagy from Your Green Life, the 90-second eco-news segment on Your TV20. That was probably the closest I’d ever been to a celebrity…that is, until I saw Q’Orianka Kilcher, the star of the movie The New World opposite big names like Colin Farrell and Christian Bale. One of the five recipients of the environmental award, she didn’t try to stand out or get special treatment. In fact, the one recipient that did stand out to me was a non-celebrity from the Bay Area. Twenty-one year old Rachel Barge, a student at University of California, Berkeley, crafted and passed The Green Initiative Fund, a fee of $5 per student per semester to go towards campus sustainability projects. What struck me about her was the simplicity and practicality of her program. As a member of the Environmental Club at my high school, I hoped that attending the press conference would inspire some ideas I could apply to my own life and school. Rachel’s ideas did just that, so when we started the personal interviews, I went right for her. After talking to her, I realized how easy she made being green sound.

Next I talked to Jon Warnow, a techie responsible for the creation of Step it Up 2007, a website that coordinated over 1,400 rallies across the country for a National Day of Climate Action. The interview was going well, until my relative newbie-ity took hold of the interview. Or, should I say, took hold of the mic. I engaged in a mic-holding war with the interviewee, as I asked my question and held the mic up to Jon, he suddenly took hold of it like a fat kid takes hold of a cupcake. In my timidity, I surrendered the mic and let him hold it through all of his responses, only to be admonished later by my nameless superiors.

Last, I interviewed Erica Fernandez, a southern Californian who stood up against a 36-inch pipeline that was to be routed through low-income neighborhoods, schools, and businesses in Oxnard and Malibu with a testimonial at the California State Lands Commission. While interviewing her, I found myself asking a lot of questions about how she dealt with adults in positions of power who were the determining factor in whether her project could move forward.

Now, when I’ve tried to call the attention of adults to issues that are important to me, even if it’s as simple as getting my parents to understand recycling and organic waste at home, I’ve encountered a lot of setbacks. Because we are the generation that has been confronted face-to-face with global warming and other environmental crises, previous generations seem lacking in their passion for conservation. Or maybe they’re not lacking, but rather, we are brimming with activism and a call for change. If I gained one thing from attending the event, it’s reassurance that there are other young people out there who are passionate about the environment.

~Caitlin Grey

50 Cent vs. George Bush

In the midst of his lowest approval ratings ever and attempting to be the first president ever to serve an entire term as a “lame duck”, George Bush doesn’t even get any let up from a fellow Cancer. Recently, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson took a shot at good ‘ole George, saying, “Bush has a talent: He has less compassion than the average human.”

This is just what we need: Bush vs. 50. Just in time to take our minds off of Paris Hilton and pay attention to something else that does not matter. Bush is currently sitting at his lowest approval rating ever, and 50…well, nobody likes 50. He holds the Guinness World Record for most beefs started - and he’s serving up his latest dish of beef with President Bush with a side dish of top rapper Lil Wayne.

Lil Wayne, whom you might know from anyone’s latest single and/or remix, is also unanimously known as the current most influential rapper in the game. He’s also been called a “musical ho” by 50. Curtis claimed Wayne jumps on anyone’s song as long as that person pays him, just as a ho sleeps with anyone who pays them.

Although the 50-Lil Wayne war of words is another story altogether, there is a lesson in it: don’t start wars that you cannot finish. 50 has nowhere near the rapport with hip-hop fans that Wayne has, and he has nowhere near the power that G-Dub has either. Or does he?

I think 50 has a lot more in common with George than just a July 6^th birthday. They were both named after a person they’re attempting to follow in the footsteps of, they’re both disliked and feared, and to top the list, 50 Cent’s newest album - which he is promising will be a “bomb” - drops on September 11^th.

Damn, that’s eerie.

 

Dru Harshaw, Oakland, California

Cartoons & Politics

How do you make politics interesting? The same way you make anything interesting…in cartoon format! A cartoon in the form of Mr. Clean sold cleaning products to millions of housewives. Cartoons allegedly also made cigarettes more appealing to young people thanks to Joe Camel (R.I.P. Joe). And cartoons introduced me to the three branches of government…thank you, Schoolhouse Rock!

Now it’s 2007, and the game has not changed one bit. Nobody gets the message - unless it’s entertaining, that is - and what’s more entertaining than cartoons?

This past week I had the honor of watching The Simpson’s Movie as well as youtube after youtube video of political jokes followed by serious points. I even relived my childhood by sitting through that captivating Schoolhouse Rock video again. But to the lonely bill on Capitol Hill’s dismay, I think I’ve found a new favorite political cartoon. Only this one doesn’t just take <em>me</em> back to my younger days, it takes my mom back too.

The website challengeofthesuperduperfriends.com combines the Super Friends cartoon that my mother used to watch in the 70s with the politicians of today. George Bush is the evil Petroman, who is supported by his gang of goons. Senator Barack Obama is Captain United, leader of the good guys, who works for the betterment of mankind along with his own colleagues. Each character has his or her own identity, complete with story lines that match real life issues and weaknesses. For example, Hillary “Reform Girl” Clinton’s weaknesses are tobacco and cigars - oh, and she also avoids interns at all cost. As 9 Lives, Condoleezza Rice must live with the fact that she inspires nothing but mistrust between her and her comrades.

The comic is very well thought through and is supported by a very entertaining trailer - it keeps you waiting for the next clip in the series. The cartoon is one of many advertisements made by Viral Medium, a company that has done work for Excedrin and Goodyear, producing digitally animated combinations of 2D and 3D work that catches a viewer’s eye.

To think, all we have to do is animate real life things and then maybe people will pay attention. Not just kids, but ALL people. After all, I saw both The Simpsons Movie and Ratatouille in a theater full of adults. I am a grown person, fully aware of the problems of today’s world, and I admit: I watched Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, and the only part of the movie I remember is the animation of the stranded polar bear desperately floating on a depleting iceberg as the camera zoomed out.

And yeah, it touched me.

 

Dru Harshaw, Oakland, California

Mom, Where Does Information Come From?

One of my favorite movies is “Lord of War” with Nicholas Cage. There is a scene in the movie where his character has an epiphany about guns, and says: “Everyday I wake up and there is a news story with a picture of a gun in the paper, I think to myself, ‘Someone has to sell these guns…’”

Everyday I wake up and look at the paper and see pictures among pictures of anything you can name. And in the bottom right corner is a credit to the Associated Press. Who <em>is</em> the Associated Press?

Located in Manhattan on East 33^rd Street, AP is a press conglomerate that works with many media outlets in producing stories nationally and worldwide. The acknowledgement of this media umbrella sent me on a bloodhound search for more ways people have tunnel vision due to media sources…OH! The internet.

For most of my friends my house is the internet hub. They come over, we crack jokes, eat something, and then before they leave they ask if they can check their MySpace. I respect that. Communications is a jones you have to keep up with or else - people won’t be your friend in real life because you didn’t add them as a friend on MySpace.

But the disturbing thought is when people only know about the handful of websites that have been popularized: MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and Google to name a few.

Think outside of the box! Matter of fact, stop getting your information from a box! Everything you learn from is square: newspapers, books, computer screens, TVs, magazines, flyers, billboards, etc. And even more ironic than getting your information from a four sided item is that all of that information is secondary.

So this is my plea: the next time you want to learn something, take the road less traveled. Well, that’s any actual road nowadays.

 

Dru Harshaw, Oakland, California

What’s Up, Detroit!

The C-Span-myspace.com Bus Tour is headed to Motown.

The bus campaign looks to rock the NAACP: Power Beyond Measure Conference being held July 7 through 12 in Detroit, Michigan. This year’s conference deals with issues such as the images of Black men in American media and the power Black America holds with respect to the upcoming presidential elections. Included as part of the media aspect is a funeral for the “N-word” with hip-hop icons Kurtis Blow and Eric B serving as pallbearers. It’s sure to be a strong, visual performance.

On top of that, the political activism portion of the program will boast appearances from CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and CBS News anchor Russ Mitchell, respectively. The political segment will also feature U.S. Representatives Shelia Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) and U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Illinois). I don’t think they exactly have the star appeal of Eric B and Kurtis Blow, and holding them in comparison isn’t saying much.

This brings me to a problem the “Vote or Die” campaign couldn’t deal with during the 2004 elections - the youth vote. I’m not asking for a reenactment where stars tell us to hit voter booths like we hit Foot Locker when Jordan’s are being released. Truth about it - I can’t speak for my entire generation as far as what would make “us” vote, but I see a common trend where if we see immediate results, we will apply ourselves. This holds true for our obsession with myspace.com, our addiction to fast food, and our need to get the newest clothes.

Yes, these are frivolous time investments as opposed to voting for the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, but we don’t see those changes immediately. Maybe if the vote count was a bulletin on myspace.com, and when I left the voters booth, I could check my mobile myspace and actually see that I had made a difference, I might change my opinion.

But until that day, I’ll be too busy changing how the black male is depicted in media by posing for my new profile pic and electing new faces to my “Top Eight.”

 

Dru Harshaw, Oakland, California

Elections 2008

Coming around the first turn of the mass opinion derby…and a horse named “We Don’t Care” has breezed into the lead…

The 2008 race for the White House has been the biggest media-based campaign since Nixon went against Kennedy. In that race, Nixon lost to the better looking Kennedy thanks to their live television debate. Even though many political commentators said Nixon’s arguments were more valid, the more aesthetically pleasing Kennedy won.

With this sort of evidence, the current race is ON! Which candidate will make themselves look and sound the best on mass media? Or better yet…which candidate will make others look worse?

I’ve been doing some internet research, and the most entertaining and edifying thing I’ve found on these 2008 elections is youtube.com itself. It is the platform of the future! A way politicians (or rather, members of their parties) can make and broadcast anything from campaign support to campaign smut from the safety of their home.

Yes, youtube.com, along with Myspace pages, will determine our next President! Many media critics will tell you the candidates have found a path to reach young people and other American citizens who don’t particularly care about elections. But I say I’d rather delete my junk email and watch gymnast blooper video reels!

 

Dru Harshaw, Oakland, California