Portfolio

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Let Caster Run!

(An op-ed written for a  journalism 468 assignment at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism)

One of the most important new faces in sports today calls herself a female when in fact she is a person with an intersex condition, which means she has both male and female reproductive organs.

Caster Semanya is an 18-year-old South African runner who broke the world record for the 800-meter run in August 2009. Video of Semanya shows she is muscular, flat chested, and has a deep voice.

It was no surprise when the International Association of Athletics Federations [IAAF] came knocking on Semanya’s door to “test her gender,” since she appeared to others as ambiguous.

In the IAAF’s arsenal were a handful of professionals ready to poke and prod –

gynecologists, psychologists, and even gender experts, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The media was shocked when tests reported Semanya was intersexed. They used the derogatory term “hermaphrodite” when referring to her.

There was fear Semanya would be stripped of her title since it has happened to other athletes before.

In 1986, Maria Jose Martinez Patino of Spain was stripped of her first place finish at the World University Games in Japan for hurdling. Patino had male (XY) chromosomes. The resulting scrutiny—despite the fact she was reinstated by the IAAF in 1989—destroyed her personal and professional life.

In response to the controversy, Semanya’s handlers insisted she appear on the cover of South African magazine “You Magazine” wearing makeup and a dress. The tabloidish headline reads “Wow, Look at Caster Now!”

So can Semanya still claim her title and compete as a female runner despite the fate of athletes like Patino?

Semanya should still be allowed to be compete as a female athlete. She should not be stripped of her medals she earned because she was raised as a girl; the IAAF historically has not stripped most intersex athletes of their medals.

In fact, the IAAF violated its confidentiality agreement; previously the organization let runners in similar situations keep their titles. In the early 1990’s the IAAF pledged to no longer test an athlete’s gender unless they suspected the athlete was a “male imposter,” according to an Emory University School of Medicine report.

Semanya was not a “male imposter.”

Semanya’s parents raised her as a girl. Her coached trained her like a girl. She acted like a girl. Because she appeared rugged and played soccer with the boys she was categorized as tomboyish or masculine and defended herself against charges she was male.

Therefore, IAAF precedent seems unclear. Other female athletes discovered to have ambiguous sexual reproductive organs were not stripped of their titles. According to the New York Times, in 1992 the IAAF urged the end of all gender tests. Eight “female” athletes who were genetically male competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, according to SportsScientists.com.

Others were discovered to have intersex conditions after they died, like 1932 track and field gold medalist runner Stella Walsh of Poland, according to an MSNBC article. She was allowed to keep her medals.

South Africa even said it would ignore the gender tests of its runners.

“If there are other Casters out there, we will also let them run,” Phiwe-Mlangeni Tsholetane, an athletics chief in South Africa, told the The Sun.

It seems the blame lies with the IAAF for being culturally insensitive, politically insensitive and intrusive.

Investigations into the biological sex of athletes are private matters between athletes, their coaches and the IAAF.  Semanya’s private investigation results were leaked to the media, which then published a firestorm of stories on the subject.

Even South African president Jacob Zuma called the investigation inappropriate.

“Anonymity is usually given during an I.A.A.F. investigation,” he said. “It is one thing to seek to ascertain whether or not an athlete has an unfair advantage over others but it is another to publicly humiliate an honest, professional and competent athlete.”

However, those with a legitimate interest in the competitive sport might be compelled to think Semanya is a threat. Competitors might think it is unfair for a person with three times the normal level of testosterone to compete with women.

However, if Semanya were to continue to compete as a female, she could take regulated hormones to physically appear more female, as to compete more fairly with her teammates. If the IAAFF were truly innovative, it would create a league for intersex athletes to compete.

In the world of athletics though, biological sex and gender should not be the subject of such scrutiny. As traumatic as the incident has been for Semanya, her family, and South Africa, it is a teaching tool for the media and athletics organizations about how to discuss and report on biological sex and gender identity.

Feeling the Crunch: Tuition to rise in the next school year

University of Spoiled Children? Not anymore. Today, many USC students don’t live up to the stereotype.

The financial burden placed on students to attend USC means that many work campus jobs , don’t buy textbooks, pay for meal plans and even pay their own rent to make ends meet.

And their peers  at other universities are probably doing the same.

In a recent article the College Board reported a 6 percent increase in tuition nationally. Last year USC’s tuition rose 5.35 percent to $37,693.

USC students are among those with debt, the university giving out unsubsidized and subsidized loans to students.

While USC has not determined next year’s tuition, the amount will increase; at what students estimate is similar to past years, around 5 percent. Students at private universities nationally accrue on average a debt of $23,800.

Vice President of Academic Planning and Budget, Elizabeth Garrett said the Board of Trustees determines the tuition for the university on an annual basis. She said the university has “not yet set tuition rates” for next year, but in past years tuition has increased by at least 5 percent.

A Chart from a letter USC Financial Aid sent to the Senate Finance Committee

Students think because of the economy not only will tuition increase but the university will lose money.

“The value of endowments will shrink,” said USC student Joshua Sy, “It might be harder for USC to fund its operations, and they can’t get a whole lot of students because they are not doing so well either.”

But university officials said that the tuition increase is not linked to the economy.

“USC funds financial aid out of tuition dollars, not out of endowment,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Katharine Harrington. “This is different from many universities and means that our financial aid dollars are not impacted by changes in financial markets. In the current economic environment this is a very good thing for USC and for our students.” While USC’s tuition has increased in the last ten years, so has its financial aid offers.

And students are wary of tuition increasing.

“I don’t see the reason for increasing tuition,” said business major Andy Yan.

Others say it is expected.

“USC just has a habit of ripping students off so it was pretty expected and I wasn’t really shocked or anything,” said Rahat Sud, an international student, and junior studying business at USC.

Financial aid is not offered to international students, and therefore Sud’s parents pay the full tuition. Students who are offered financial aid typically get grants, work study, and loans.

“If [students] are on full ride, they don’t have to care about anything,”Sud said.“ If they are on financial aid they probably planned a few things over the four years. But if the tuition goes up, that whole plan goes topsy turvy, then they have to manage the expenses differently and create a whole new budget, and the parents have to go through a whole new planning process.”

Students though think the university will accommodate their financial need by increasing the financial aid package to match rising tuition.

Students said there is a different mentality between those who can and can’t afford tuition.

“Really wealthy students that I know, they are not really worrying about anything,” said Brandon Crossley, “ But the people who are kind of on the edge…like more middle class, those friends of mine are definitely worrying about how they are spending their money, being more fiscally conservative.”

All pictures  taken by Karen Marcus.

Some students think USC as removed from the economic crisis.

“USC is in a little bubble,” Sy said. “So I feel like people here haven’t realized that we’re in this economic crisis yet. They’ll still go on the weekender and they’ll still buy $400 ties for fun…they’ll still go on holidays and spend stuff… 99% of the people at USC are well off enough; they are well off enough to stay in school, even in an economic crisis.”

Students agreed and noted that while they have had to cut back, they haven’t had to drop out.

“They’re here so it’s worked out for them,” said student Alan Chen.

But USC students have found the tuition increase a reason to cut back and change their lifestyle.

Students at USC are taking a variety of precautions to save money: cutting back on meals, going out less, putting in extra hours at a work study job, not buying books, and for cinema majors— not making senior thesis films.

“I’ve seen a lot of my friends not make thesis films because of the financial situation,” Nguyen said.

Video taken by Karen Marcus.

Students like Yan pay their own rent. Some students also choose housing based on affordability, others even trying to become residential advisers—like freshman Alan Chen—to save money. Residential Advisers save tuition dollars by getting a free meal plan and housing.

Students are also changing their social plans.

“It seems more acceptable to stay in and not spend money,” Nguyen said.

Recent USC grads are even feeling the crunch. Nguyen said he was one of the few of his peers who didn’t take time off between undergraduate and graduate school and hasn’t felt the pinch yet.

“Dealing with your loans becomes a reality after graduating,” he said. Recent graduates face the reality of monthly loan payments.

“I think that probably people that go straight from undergrad to grad, they probably don’t think about the loans that accrue because they are not really faced with that in any real way,” he said.

And it’s not just at USC that students are feeling the crunch of tuition.

Many students have friends at public and private universities feeling the crunch, students at public universities though paying a significantly lower amount.

“I think my friend who goes to UCLA says he pays 10 grand a year with loans and grants,” Crossley said.

But no matter what students at public and private universities pay—both are feeling the pain from the recession, which is bound to get worse before it gets better.

“The economy is so bad right now,”  Sud said. “People are losing their jobs left, right and center…it gets even worse when the tuition goes up. So I guess everything coupled together is a really bad situation for an American citizen now, [and] a USC student.”

Video taken by Karen Marcus.

Flash Project!

Check out a FLASH PROJECT. created in Journalism 309.

The Great Drinking Debate: 18 or 21?

A cup of beer found on campus Saturday night after a day of tailgating and football.

So you’ve filled out your ballot, turned in a lotto ticket. Now there’s one more rite of passage to take part in: your first legal alcoholic drink.

According to U.S law though, you can’t do this yet. In the U.S. the drinking age is 21 not 18. And for decades adults and teens have griped about the law, and how other countries can manage with a lower drinking age.

College students in particular are in the limbo between 18 and 21.

But they feel they can manage. “We have other ways of getting alcohol being under 18,” said USC sophomore Cara Wong.

College students have access to alcohol on campus via their peers, student organizations, fraternities, tailgating, and other ways.

“It wouldn’t make too much of a difference because nowadays you can get a fake ID,” said Zachary Schwartz, a USC junior, who said he sees many students using fake IDs.

A small group of university presidents though wants to change the law. They say it should be changed so students can safely consume alcohol.

This initiative to lower the drinking age—the Amethyst initiative, was founded by university presidents June 2008 with the intent of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

USC Student Owen Cain gives his opinion on why he thinks the drinking age shouldn’t be changed.

It was signed by the presidents of 100 American colleges–including Dartmouth, Tufts, Occidental and Ohio State.

But it wasn’t signed by University of Southern California (USC) President Stephen Sample.

“It’s just a group of people saying we should talk about this,” said director of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Center, Paula Swinford.“Looking at the 100 presidents that did sign, they tended to be smaller, liberal arts schools and not research institutions,” she said.

Swinford said USC is discussing the issue though among its professional organizations.

The university has not signed the Amethyst initiative, but many students favor a lower drinking age.

“On college campuses it’s already treated as if everyone is drinking,” said USC freshman Corianda Dimes. “Why not just recognize that? Promote healthier and more responsible decisions about drinking rather than just trying to say you shouldn’t be doing it.”

A beer bottle left on campus the day of a football game. Underage drinking is more likely to occur before football games during tailgating when alcohol is freely flowing on campus.

Other students though disagree with Dimes and think it’s not in student’s best interest to lower the drinking age.

“I think that if we had a perfect society, then at 18 when you are legally an adult you should be able to drink,” Zachary Schwartz said, “But I think people have proved that their maturity level is at 18. With all the accidents we’ve had and people drinking and driving…lowering it to 18 would only just increase bad habits and overall not be a good thing.”

Swinford agrees.

“Your brain isn’t really developed enough,” Swinford said. “It makes it developmentally understandable to go to war and shoot a gun; you don’t want that same unformed brain behind the wheel of a car with alcohol in it…The idea of an intoxicated 18 year old behind the wheel of a car is just too scary a picture.”

DUI’s are a primary reason the law hasn’t been changed. Swinford said there is good reason for that.

She said federal funding of roads and the drinking age are linked.

If the state of California reduces the drinking age to 18, California would “lose all funding for repairing highways and roads.” She said all 50 states lowered their drinking age because of this promise.

Several underclassmen used the argument that because they can legally go to war they should be able to drink. Swinford said young adults typically use this argument.

Swinford describes the ten years between 15 and 25 as ambiguous for adults.

“There’s this ten year—the big mud puddle—between the ages of 15 and 25 where there are things that you can do that are adult and there are things you can’t do are adult, “ she said. “The American culture is very ambivalent about growing up. We don’t do a very good job of letting go of youth. We don’t manage those transitions very well as a culture.”

Swinford said adults really don’t fully develop their frontal lobes and rational reasoning until 25.

Swinford thinks other cultures can deal better with a younger drinking age than the U.S can because of the cultural and developmental differences.

“Many other cultures are much more homogenous than the American culture,” she said. “You look at places like Italy or France or China and you say…it’s a much more homogenous culture.”

Yet there are some students who think cultural differences shouldn’t stop students from legally drinking.

Students under 21 can easily acquire alcohol on a college campus: whether from peers, social organizations, tailgating, or even obtaining a fake ID.

USC operates a bar on campus for students over the age of 21 to consume alcohol.

 

The idea that once the alcohol is widely available it will no longer be desirable is a theory students buy into.

“Once you turn 21, the whole glamour of it goes away,” said USC junior Amy Shayne. “Once you have to start paying for it yourself, people aren’t going to want to buy it as much….If you are able to buy it at 18, if you are able to easily access it, you are not going to want it as much, and its not going to be that big of a deal.”

This idea is a good one in theory, Swinford said. But her experiences as a residential director in 1979 in Illinois make her think otherwise. She was working at a university in 1979 when the drinking age was changed from 18 to 21. Swinford claims that despite the Amethyst Initiative attempting to “normalize” alcohol, it won’t stop binge drinking.

“That’s a very lofty goal in theory,” she said of the Amethyst initiative normalizing alcohol consumption. “But I can tell you being part of a campus culture at 18, there was kegs everywhere and there wasn’t really any learning about anything….it changes the ages on the argument [but] it doesn’t really change the argument.”

Swinford did credit USC though for having a fairly strong alcohol education program that keeps students informed. She said most students were well educated also to the dangers of DUI’s, opting to use designated drivers.

“To the student’s credit, whether they are legal or not, I think they have gotten the drunk driver thing,” Swinford said.

When it came to USC students, she didn’t think most of them would be affected by a law change at this point, and students agreed with her.

“I don’t think it would affect USC students that much,” said freshman Marcos Diaz, “because at USC if you want alcohol you’ll get it.”

She said she’s heard a few students talk about it and “it sounds like the 1960’s: we’re able to go to war, we’re able to vote, so why can’t we drink?”

She said most students though are “corporate”—focused on obtaining their degrees and getting ahead.

“It doesn’t surprise me that there not enough hubbub about the Amethyst initiative,” Swinford said. “There’s homework to do and papers to write.”

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Youth and the election

 

A Saturday Night Live skit of Sarah Palin, a celebrity video endorsing Barack Obama and a YouTube video of McCain saying “Bomb Iran” are some of the things generating youth interest in the presidential election. Now that the presidential primaries are over, Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, John McCain is the Republican nominee, and young people are still interested in the election. Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, and social issues are convincing youth to get interested in the election.

During the presidential primaries more youth were interested in the election than any other presidential primary.

As many as 25 percent of college students turned out to vote in the presidential primaries this past spring. Will the numbers be as high in the presidential election?

According to former member of the California State Assembly, Dario Frommer. during a presidential primary symposium, around 25 percent of college students and 16-17 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds voted in the primary elections.

Frommer said during the primaries that, “in places like New Hampshire and the very early states [is] we’ve seen turnout among young people at the rate of 45 percent.” He claims this was higher than the general election rate in 2004, and centered on Obama.

Bret VandenBos student and president of USC Students for Obama said he saw “record turnout” amongst Democrats during the primaries. USC Students for Obama and other USC candidate-based organizations sought out voters. At a recent debate watching party on campus, Students for Obama had a table outside selling shirts for $15.

But whether students are still interested is the question. Frommer said the number of voters often “tails off” once students go home for the summer because the race then only has two candidates.

He was optimistic and said he “sees every indication who is already involved in the process will continue to be involved in the process in November.”

“I think the youth are the ones who are the most involved in getting out the vote and, so naturally they would participate in all parts of the political process,” said USC student Katherine Hernandez, a McCain supporter.

A recent poll conducted by USA Today, Gallup and MTV claims Obama has a 2-1 lead over McCain, with 61 percent of youth interested in voting for him, 24 percent of youth voters are still undecided on a candidate, and only 32 percent are interested in voting for John McCain. Some say Barack Obama is the reason there is an increase in youth voters because of his charisma.

“[He] really sort of talks in a way that younger people listen to,” said

Jackson DeMos, Web Editor for the Annenberg School for Communication’s Website. “He seems to be more in touch with a lot of the pop culture, sports and things that a lot of younger people are interested.”

“Barack is the one on the top of the ticket,” VandenBos said. “People understand that if you want to implement a change agenda, you need someone who knows the ways of Washington and how those can be worked to implement the change you are talking about.”

That” change agenda” includes the incorporation of many new ideas, which youth say appeal to them because they include such ideas as “getting out of Iraq,” said USC student Katherine Hernandez.

So does this mean adding Sarah Palin to the campaign as McCain’s running mate gives the youth another candidate to idealize? Palin, since being introduced to the public, has been barraged with coverage about her political, personal and professional life, making her a target, yet giving her “star power” at the same time.

She’s kind of made the tabloids, made national news very quickly,” Jackson said, “I think the students and younger people will be interested in watching her because of that.”

Those who support McCain, like Hernandez, think Palin brings a unique set of qualities to the campaign trail. Hernandez thinks Palin appeals to younger and older conservatives because she has “moral values” the public hasn’t seen McCain express.

“Sarah Palin brings in all the little things that he doesn’t have,” Hernandez said, “She’s a mom, she goes to church, she has all those nice social issues stances that conservatives like, that McCain doesn’t take a strong stance on.”

Palin’s youth also plays a factor.

Obama and Palin are the two youngest in the race, both under 50. Students like Sarah Moore thought Joe Biden brought” disinterest” to the election, while Sarah Palin, only 44, brought “definite interest.”
But this doesn’t necessarily make Palin likable.

“I think that she generates more interest in the election, but that people will vote against her,” Moore said.

Palin is a threat to many. Hernandez even said Palin “turns off moderate youth who are still trying to make up their mind for the election.”

VandenBos said what Sarah Palin has “antagonized people into caring about Republicans again.”

Then there’s McCain. In recent months, he has distanced himself from Obama.

“In all honesty I don’t really think McCain appeals to that many youth voters,” Hernandez said. “
He appeals more to the middle aged voter, the one who values experience over ideals.”

VandenBos said one of the reasons McCain’s campaign has not been generating youth interest is he ran his campaign this summer by responding to Obama instead of going on the offensive. Because of this, according to Dan Schnur, the Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC, the Democrats overlooked McCain until McCain chose Palin Schnur said, “People [began to] remember why they hated Republicans.”

Schnur, who was the Communications Director for Senator John McCain in 2000, said McCain has a lot to prove to young voters.

“McCain has to show people number one, he’s not to old,” Schnur said, “ You do that in this context by being more calm and more controlled, and less emotional than in the past.”

By November, many believe youth voters will contribute to the overall number of voters because of their concern with the socioeconomic issues.

“It’s a big election, the economy is a huge story right now and really affecting everybody, I think a lot of people are looking at politics including younger people,” Jackson said.

A clever way the news media has brought the young voters in is through debates and comedy. Students are watching presidential and vice-presidential debates because they care about healthcare, the economy, and paying for school.

Some think though that more students are interested in “the images of the candidates” than the issues being discussed in the debate,” according to Moore. The number of people who tune in for a game, an awards show, or even American Idol watched the first debate, which had ratings of 52 million, and students like VandenBos expecting record turnout for the second candidate debates.

Video segments from a spring symposium held about the presidential primaries, and a fall debate-watching party for the Vice Presidential debates, in the Annenberg School for Communication.

Students are mobilizing their efforts by working with student political organizations, attending debate parties, and using the classroom to engage in discussion about the election.

Hundreds of students filled the Annenberg School for Communication lobby to watch Biden and Palin debate—students being very vocal in their opinions of the candidates.

“It’s the best drama on television,” VandenBos said about the debates. It’s not Dick Cheney and John Edwards, its Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, and that’s interesting.”

The debates not only showed the serious issues of the campaign, but gave comedians’ material for late night sketches.

Everyone has taken a stab at the campaign: from Jay Leno and David Letterman to Saturday Night Live.

“I think with Palin [there is] probably more youth interest especially with the Saturday Night Live stuff going on lately.”

Some think Saturday Night Live revealed that the media has had a critical bias against Hillary Clinton and now is showing a negative view of Palin.

Tina Fey’s similarity to Palin in dress, hairstyle and voice, make her impressions some of the most watched clips on the internet.

I think that that youth are a little bit more in tune with YouTube and internet,” Jackson said,” and a lot of younger students are passing along information to each other…a get out the vote type campaign. It would be really interesting to see what happens on Election Day. “

Sarah Silverman’s “viral video” encourages Jewish youth in Florida to get their grandparents to vote for Obama.

The effect of the “viral video” is drawing more youth than a rally, debate, speech or opinion-editorial could, used to praise and make fun of all three candidates.

“I think the Sarah Palin element with the kind of mockery of her also generates interest,” Moore said.

Some think the campaigns have to be careful though with how much they let comedy dictate the election.

These campaigns have to mindful of just how much they play into the scripts that other actors, literally, and comedy actors may have in shaping public understanding of these debates,” said Tom Hollihan, an Annenberg School for Communication professor and author of the book, “Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age”

Hernandez noted though that if youth did not show a significant presence in the election that McCain could win.

Ballot woes plagued primary election voters. Will it happen again in the general election? Charlie Carnow, a member of USC College Democrats, explains why he think students didn’t turnout in greater numbers for the primary.

“The older folks, but also the 30+ middle age folks, who may not have had time to vote in the primaries or who may not have cared will definitely make sure they can vote in the election,” Hernandez said.

VandenBos looks forward to November and said, “I just think this is a very exciting election for young people because …it’s the first time since 1968 where we’ve really had enough opportunity to truly implement a change agenda. “

“Everyone’s running as an agent of change [McCain or Obama],” said USC student Steven Kapp, “I think this is a message that appeals to young and old voters alike.”