6 Opinion

My eyes are up here: On the new Huckleberry Finn

Thats womyn with a y if you please...
BY MAGGIE HENNESSEY
Staff Writer

The Pioneer Log, January 28, 2011

BY JUSTIN GOODLOW
Staff Writer

Having been raised by feminist parents, I can safely say that there is a lot more to feminism than getting the vote or not wearing a bra (or the four-foot plaster vagina in the corner of the Womyns Center). If a part of feminism is about deciding how you want other people to treat you, then it seems simple enough that a woman can also choose what other people call her. After all my years as a feminist, it still shocks me when people express confusion and even mild anger at a feminist womans choice to label herself as a womyn rather than woman. The meaning of the term man may have been gender neutral in Chaucers day, but in modern usage the term man/men is decidedly partial. Hence, by association, the terms woman/women are associated with male society. Due to the discrimination women faced in the 1970s, both at home and in the workplace, it is not surprising that a burgeoning feminist community might have needed a little space from the patriarchy. As women of all ages, races and classes began to realize their hitherto ignored oppression, they began to organize events to spread awareness about issues pertinent to gender. The words womyn or wimmin is a term used to set women apart from men. By taking the initiative to rename themselves in a way that gives them their own power, women are ultimately freer and assertive in their own femininity on their own terms. That is not to say that the word woman is bad or that men are all evil, but the words dont reflect the fiercely independent nature of the feminist movement. Words may only be words, but when someone identifies themselves as a womyn, they are not only making a political statement, they are also identifying with the larger idea of womens rights. Sifting through the etymologies of female identifiers may be complex at times, but identifying as or choosing to become a feminist is simple. To be a feminist you dont have to be an angry woman, a lesbian, hate the man or even have a lifetime membership to Bitch magazine. If you think women and men should receive the same treatment without exception, then you are a feminist.

A new edition of the monumental classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, will be released on Feb. 1, 2011. This edition will include a controversial edit: the 219 times the word nigger appears will be replaced with the less offensive term slave. This change was brought about by the proposal of an English professor, Alan Gribben, who was hesitant to pronounce nigger when teaching his students the controversial work. He stated that he desired the change not for scholars, but for young people and general readers. The replacement was also done in part out of Mr. Gribbens worry that the classic is falling off numerous scholastic reading lists because of the marginalizing nature of the word. The edit was done to make the work more accessible to readers and teachers who may be sensitive to or uncomfortable with the term . Although I can sympathize with the discomfort that Mr. Gribben and many other white educators deal with when having to discuss the term so tabooed by Caucasian American guilt, I simply believe that the discomfort that readers and teachers may feel when discussing the book is as much essential to the

work itself as its more apparent aspects. Mark Twains choice in verbal aesthetics, despite causing discomfort, is necessary for the meaning of the story as well as the integral reality of the time in which the work was conceived. For comparison, lets say that the penis on Michelangelos David, which some people are very likely squeamish about, was completely removed. From an aesthetic standpoint, the depiction of a naked man would look odd and incomplete, right? It is through the existence of the penis on David that we can more accurately analyze the values held in Renaissance art, such as pride held in the human body. In the same way, the word nigger is indicative of the period in which the work was engendered, and without it, the truth of ILLUSTRATION BY AMY ROSENHEIM the work is obscured. Submitting to ones feelings when dealing with a work of art is hurtful to the works truth. In general, discomfort is largely part of our education. In education, shouldnt the pursuit of knowledge be done despite how we feel about the reality of certain things so we can accurately reach the truth behind them? For The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be taught in its entirety and for students to know the real meaning behind the work, the word nigger must be included.

Sustainability is sexy: The impact of canvassing

BY RACHEL YOUNG
Staff Writer

In the summer of 2008, I fell prey to the canvassing recruiters of Grassroots Canvassing Incorporated (GCI). As a result, I spent three months going door-to-door asking people two of the three questions typically found the most offensive: money and politics. Though the job was primarily dull, humiliating and mentally unrewarding, it provided me with an insight into the fundraising structure of non-profits. GCI is a canvassing contract organization that non-profit organizations hire to coordinate door-to-door and street fundraisers. GCI sets up offices all over the country and each office brings in about $3 million or more to the organization that hires them. Over the summer, I knocked on approximately 1,600 doors and raised about $6,000, over half of which was my salary for the summer. Canvassers are offered an incentive-based pay structure that rewards each person for bringing in large sums of money at the end

of their shift. If a canvasser makes over their quota for the week, they receive 30 percent of the additional profits in addition to their hourly paycheck. In contrast, if a canvasser does not make their quota for the week, their employment is terminated. If a canvasser does not raise any money two days in a row, they are fired immediately. GCI employs thousands of people to canvass for a variety of campaigns all year long. There are two stereotypical canvassers at GCI. The first type are bright liberal college students conned into applying because of the change and hope pitches and advertisements. The enthusiastic college students or the competitive college students tend to stay on for the entire summer and fight through the door slamming and the rain. The second type are the middle-aged men and women trying to make a difference or at a loss in the job search. The turn around rate of a typical canvasser is between one day and two weeks. With the exception of a core staff of twenty, the majority of canvassers flow in and out. We never knew who could be in the office from

one day to the next. For those who remained on staff, the potential benefits made the job a numbers game. Getting through neighborhoods efficiently and judging the people living in a house before knocking on the door were the traits of a skilled canvasser. By the end of the summer I knew that a pineapple doorknocker, an American flag and lawn ornaments meant conservative household. Since the success of Howard Deans online fundraising campaign there has been a dramatic shift in grassroots money raising methods. The majority of people who contribute to non-profits or campaigns make their contributions online so that the funds can go directly to the campaign of their choice. The ease of online contributions has left a dwindling public tolerance for canvassers. Large contributions at the door are rare. The issue for the offices are that if too many canvassers do not bring in enough money the office ends up losing money for the campaign rather than making money, in which case the offices get closed down, as mine did in Minneapolis.

However, once a man at the door asked, Why should I pay to keep you out knocking on doors and disturbing me at my home? I responded that canvassers play an important role in interacting with people and working to convince those on the fence or undecided to vote for the Democrats. Though I did manage to convince a woman Obama was not a Musselman and calmed a stout conservative women from yelling at me through her screen door about the coming apocalypse, I spent the majority of my time finding the people who were willing to donate, not informing independents of the facts or talking to mad hatters. I do not think my summer spent working for the Democratic campaign contributed to Obamas success in November. Nor do I think that pocketing 60 percent of the money that I fundraised increased the potential for Obama to fly across the country and televise campaign advertisements. As a college student needing to pay rent and buy textbooks, cooperate canvassing made a difference in my wallet only.

Opinions from the hallway

BY ELANA WEBB

JohnMark Uwagbae (14)

Sara Poliskin (11)

Karl Berger (12)

Adriana Jamieson (13)

Magaly Coronado (13)

What do you think of Four Loko?

Spencer Bryne-Seres (13)

If you want to have that much fun, you should just find something else.

Its no different than Sparks, so I have nothing against it.

I dont condone underage drinking.

I think its the most efficient and fun drink out there.

Its probably the worst thing for you and its not even that fun.

Four Loko is a symptom of our ephemeral need for self loathing escape from reality. It is fantastic.