Con: Fashion Show Needs Changes

“Could it be, could it be? Phew…I made it as a model for fashion show.” Sixty times this statement was repeated, no more and no less. This is because out of a class of 185 seniors, only 60 girls were chosen as a model for Presentation’s Spring Fashion Show. Selection for the fashion show is seen as an honor because models exemplify our school’s motto of “Not Words But Deeds,” but this process is often met with much contention.

A Presentation senior was given a 60% chance at being chosen this year as a model, as 99 girls applied. While this may seem low, in the past years it was even worse, when only 40 girls were chosen instead of 60. However, due to new runway configurations the committee was allowed to select 20 more girls. While this larger number is an improvement, what about those 39 girls who were not chosen? Were these students not deserving enough?

To answer this question, one must first explore the selection process that the Presentation Fashion Show Participant Selection Committee must go through (listed to the right/left).

Fair enough. Let’s start with the last point about how models can’t have been suspended or been on academic probation during the previous year. Really, are students who have been on academic probation or served a suspension during any of their four years at Presentation really a good choice to represent our school’s motto in the yearly fashion show? To create a fairer selection process based on school values, the last line should be changed to read, “models and hostesses must not have been on academic probation nor served a suspension throughout their four years at Presentation.”

The second criteria states that models must demonstrate ethical decision making. But how does the selection committee determine such a thing, especially as much of this ethical decision making is unknown to them? A selected student could have a secret party life that is undisclosed to members of the administration, including the selection committee. How can the selection committee effectively determine that a student makes ethical decisions when not in school?

Finally, let’s tackle the first criteria about students that are actively engaged at Pres and who reflect the school motto. Most people would agree that this is a better way to choose models than something superficial such as looks alone.

But at a school like Pres where pretty much everyone is very involved, what does “actively engaged” really mean? Given that 30-50% of the models are chosen by the selection committee, according to event director Ms. Spencer, knowing what “actively engaged” would help seniors understand their chances.

This year all five members of ASB and nine out of ten members of Core Team were selected as models for the fashion show. These students alone compile the 30% chosen by the selection committee. Clearly, these students are excellent examples of leadership at Pres and deserve to be chosen, but if holding an ASB or CT role automatically entitles a student to a model spot, then that should be communicated to the seniors.

Perhaps the selection committee could explain in writing how they weight a senior’s involvement at Pres–does a club officer position hold more weight than club membership? Does a starring role in the play mean more than a tech crew position? How much does a student’s GPA count for? Providing more clarity would help seniors understand why some students get chosen over others.

Adding to the seniors’ confusion is that once the first round of models are chosen, “the rest of the models will be randomly drawn from the remaining qualified applicants until all model positions are filled,” according to Ms. Miller’s letter to parents.

Several students have questioned the randomness of that second round, but Spencer stated that the “date of the drawing was publicized and all students were invited to attend the actual drawing selection, which took place in the center, however no students showed up.” The fact that the event was done publicly should assuage the fears of those who questioned the fairness of the random drawing, but shouldn’t the fact that no students showed up for the drawing clearly demonstrate that the event was not publicized enough? Many of the students I talked to were confused as to whether applicants were allowed to attend or not.

In the future, the second selection of models should be more heavily publicized, possibly through a class wide email, stating the date and time of the drawing. Although the public drawing of names may cause distress to applicants, it is a way to confirm the validity of the second round of selection. By more heavily publicizing the event, it will cause the process to not seem so secretive.

Better yet, maybe the random drawing shouldn’t happen at all. Aren’t there at least 60 qualified applicants at Pres that the selection committee could find? Although some may argue that this is unfair, it would guarantee that all students chosen truly met the criteria. Aren’t these students who work hard in all aspects of their life including academics, extracurriculars and Pres activities, the best role models for Presentation’s motto?

Another  alternative would be to double the number of girls accepted, and then have half appear in the lunch show and half in the dinner show. While some might argue that the dinner show has more prestige, as long as students were randomly assigned to each show, it shouldn’t be an issue and would ensure that everyone who wanted to participate could do so.

Although there has been much contention over the fashion show model selection process in the past, let us hope that next year many of the issues will be resolved, furthering improving the process to dissuade more issues to pop up in the future.

How to Survive the Month of March

Right about this time of year, Presentation students find themselves facing one of the most stressful months. Without a break to sustain them until Easter, these students face increasing loads of homework, as well as the ever-infamous research papers. And as college acceptances start leaking out, seniors are under added pressure. Extracurricular activities are in full swing, and social lives fly out the window. But don’t worry, because these helpful tips will help you to survive March.

1. Purchase a lavender pillow. With all the stress of this time of year, you will find it hard to relax and get some sleep. Heat up your lavender pillow, and watch yourself helplessly sail off to dreamland.

2. Eat some chocolate. You may have some left over from Valentine’s Day, and you want to make sure it’s gone before the Easter Bunny shows up. Regardless of what some rumors suggest, chocolate is healthy—for your heart and soul!

3. Compliment yourself. Who doesn’t need a little extra encouragement from time to time? You’ll need the support when you study for that midterm. Just don’t go overboard.

4. Watch T.V. When choosing a show, make sure it is as mindless and entertaining as possible. Old reruns of your favorite shows are a great choice.

5. Reign in the computer addiction. Have your friend change your Facebook password for you so you won’t be tempted to procrastinate. Instead of going on MyLifeIsAverage.com, make your life average by getting a decent amount of sleep!

6. Reward yourself for not procrastinating on your work. Cookies are an excellent reward.

7. Have a bake sale. Baking is a tasty way to relieve stress. You can even give the money earned to mission drive.

8. Find new hobbies. If you have something fun to do in your free time, it will be more relaxing.

9. Have a party with your friends. Choose any theme you want. You don’t need a special occasion—everyone loves to celebrate!

Trend Report: February

For those who are looking forward to the new music of the year more than the toys, you are in luck. Several well-known artists have rung in the New Year with new albums. Nashville-based pop artist Ke$ha recently released her debut album Animal after her single “Tik Tok” topped the charts in five countries. Lady Gaga has also graced the music charts with her hit “Bad Romance,” the leading single from her newly released album The Fame Monster. With her second album out and raking in the Grammy nominations, Lady Gaga is continuing to climb the ladder of music industry success since she first stepped into the scene in 2005.

But let’s not forget about the Indie scene, which is home to popular groups like Vampire Weekend. The band members all met at Colombia University and began putting together their Congolese-style jams into a full-length album, debuting in 2008. The newest installment from the group, Contra, was released January 11 in the United States.

In terms of the fashion avenue, keep your eyes peeled for the latest spring trends that are going to be creeping into local retailers in the coming weeks. A popular trend in the fashion magazines is the shirt dress. This comfortable piece combines a button down T-shirt with the length of a short dress, providing both girly appeal and tomboy edginess. The shirt dress fits all shapes well, and Michelle Obama has even been seen sporting one recently while on vacation. Check out stores like The Limited and Ralph Lauren, who are already launching spring lines.

Not quite ready to start bringing out all your warm weather clothes again? Not to worry, because many stores are still in post-holiday sales, where plenty of winter clothes will not only be available but will be on sale! Macy’s, Kenneth Cole, French Connection, and Michael Kors are great places to go to find classy coats and jackets that are appropriate for a California girl’s idea of winter.

With the variety of new appliances, music, and fashion news to keep up with, it might come as a relief to know that one new trend might also ease some of the back pain that is so common among Pres due to lugging around backpacks jammed full of books. It is called the “Nook”, a compact digital book made by Barnes & Noble that allows owners to download books straight onto the device. The Nook is built with an E Ink display screen designed to protect the reader from the damaging effects of staring at a computer screen.

So what is the niftiest feature of this little gadget? Users can download novels, magazines, and newspapers at the Barnes & Noble online store or through AT&T cellular networks. As many as 700,000 selections are available, all of which can be shared with friends with the Nook’s “Lend Me” feature. Friends do not even have to be fellow Nook owners, as the Lend Me feature allows titles to be sent to iPhones, iPod Touches, BlackBerries or computers.

There are plenty of new items out this year, so keep your eyes peeled for these new trends!