Disney Song of the Week!

Now, I won't even pretend like I was that one person in the theatre that wasn't crying when this  beautiful moment between Miguel and Coco lulled the audience into tears. The heartwarming, full circle experience of this song certainly pulled at my emotions, and I mean who isn't a sucker for cute old ladies and the power of music? So you have been warned -- the viewing of this video will cause severe heartwarming and emotion. Enjoy!

Remember me

Each time you hear a sad guitar

Know that I'm with you

The only way that I can be

Until you're in my arms again

Remember me"

Disney World -- Where Dreams Really Do Come True

Link: The Magic of Disney: Dad of Five finds a Kidney Donor 

Most enter the gates of Disney Theme Parks in hopes to see the newest attractions, greet their favorite characters, and take in the magical pixie dust floating through the air, but for the Leibowitz family their hopes were much higher. Robert Leibowitz, dad of five, ventured to Disney World in hopes its magic would find him a new kidney -- and it did just that! After walking around the Park with a shirt advertising his need for a kidney donor, pictures of him in the shirt went viral, and he found a donor!

There is nothing like a feel good story like this, happening at the most magical place on Earth! Hope this brightens your day a bit, as it did mine. At Disney, dreams far and wide, really do come true!

The Gender Spectrum

Society loves to categorize. By labeling and grouping things within our society, we feel more organized -- thus societal norms are created. However
we tend to make things black and white that, in reality, have a lot of gray area. For instance, society's approach to gender.

What is gender dysphoria?

A hot topic splashed across the media these days revolves around transgenders. From the TLC show I am Jazz to the story of Caitlyn Jenner, the
transgender community is gaining a lot of public attention. So much of what we soak in through this media, however, are personalized stories and
propaganda, and we lose sight of the elementary level understanding of what condition these people are actually struggling with. Gender dysphoria
is a condition in which a person feels a disconnect between the gender they were biologically assigned at birth and the gender they inwardly connect
with.

Just so there is no confusion, gender dysphoria is not just a theory of sorts. There is proven scientific evidence that this disconnect is a real
phenomenon. Those who seek surgical gender changes do, in fact, have different mental structures than those who do no not feel conflicted between
their biological gender and their self identification. Those wrestling with gender dysphoria have a brain structure that is in between that of a typical
male or female. This can be traced all the way back to fetal development. Physical genitalia is not developed until months after the organization of the
sexual structures in the brain, and because these two develop independently of one another, it is possible for there to be some disconnect.

Debunking the black and white label

The raw science explained above goes to show just how much of gender definitions is left up to society. Though we cannot overlook the obvious
factor biology plays in gender identity, it is most definitely not the be all end all. In fact, I would argue, that society plays an even more substantial
part in gender identity by labeling things as "masculine" or "feminine.” It is understandable that it is in our human nature to categorize things to
make sense out of our environment, but by creating these norms we suppress individuality and social acceptance. As, described previously, gender
is not black and white, it exists as a spectrum and I cannot help but wonder whether or not as many transgenders would still pursue surgical gender
reassignment if our society was move open and accepting. Imagine a world where it wasn't considered strange for a male to love pink and have long
hair and for a female to play football and love video games. Imagine a world with much less discrimination and violence and much more happiness
and feelings of self belonging.

Is there a solution?

Okay so this utopia described above is fine and dandy, but lets get realistic. There are many proposed ways that try and best deal with gender dysphoria,
but which way is best? Does seeking medical help to reassign the biological counterpart of gender help? The answer is somewhat unknown. However,
it is important that if one is looking into such surgeries that they do not commit to one prematurely. There has been some debate regarding whether or
not medical action should be taken when it is a child that is experiencing gender dysphoria. The clear answer here is to wait. The mind of a child is far
too malleable to jump to such costly and permanent action, and more often than not this gender dysphoria is just a phase they grow out of. Beyond this
conclusion, not much else is tried and true. But epidemics like this do call for society to stop being so narrow-minded with our stereotypes. The issue
really does call into question just how much society problematizes gender identity and roles. It is important that we become more aware of the negative
effects that result from our labeling and stereotyping.

Disney Song of the Week!

Introducing: Disney Song of the Week! The sound of Disney is one of the most magical parts of the Disney identity. To kick it off, I figured what would be more suiting that my absolute favorite song from my absolute favorite soundtrack --The Circle of Life. How can this choral infused classic set to the rising sun and parade of animals not speak to you? It surely has spoken to me. The lyrics of this song are words that will stick with me throughout the rest of my life. 

"It's the circle of life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope 

Through faith and love

Till we find our place 

On the path unwinding

In the circle 

The circle of life"

  

The Princess Craze

Like most young girls, the princess craze hit me hard growing up. The wave of outfits, movies, toys, and sing along cds flooded my household,
and -- like most little girls -- I latched onto the iconic Disney brand immediately. I would watch and rewatch Disney movies, sing along to
their soundtracks in the car, and debut my new princess gowns at the local supermarket. When I sang or dressed up, not only did I look and
sound like a Disney princess -- I became one. Upon slipping on my newest Disney princess dress, I would ascend down my spiral staircase with
one hand on the banister and the other gently gliding through the air. The sporadic daily movements of my young, hyper self disappeared, and a
new sense of poise and grace flowed through each step I took upon my descent. On my princess outings, I would be be so pleased when others
would note that they were in the presence of royalty. I would give princess waves to oncoming shoppers down the aisles of Walmart and be ever
so pleased when the lady behind the cash register would comment on how beautifully my gown flowed.

As you may have guessed, I grew out of the desire to parade around in princess dresses, however, the girly-girl in me still remains very present
in my personality today. Growing up with the magic of Disney has left a warm place in my heart for the mystical characters, beautiful
soundtracks, and enticing storylines they produce. As I approach 20 years old, I still keep up with all the new Disney movies while still
cherishing the classics. By working at an elementary school over summer breaks, I have been kept up to date with all the hip, new Disney
happenings, while enriching the Disney repertoire of our next generation with the classics. Almost every morning over the summer I find a
reason to play the Lion King soundtrack for the kids, and, at this point, most of the kids know the songs by heart. The kids know that I firmly
believe that soundtrack is the best soundtrack known to man. Period. They no longer debate me on this.

As I grow older, I don’t want to miss out on the childlike fun Disney has to offer, but I realize I want to expand upon my present
understanding regarding the topic. Coming to college, I want to channel the love I have for Disney with the passion I have towards women
empowerment and the curiosity I have in today’s gender roles. I want to wrestle with the pros and cons of the Disney princess stereotype,
and uncover how the common princess craze in young girls affects them later on in life. I want to see how growing up Disney may have
affected my life, and learn how to one day raise a daughter to love princesses and the Disney brand while still feeling empowered.

After minimal class readings, I already know that I am somewhat ignorant to the effects Disney has on young girls, and I am left
wanting to discover the reason why it may have such a profound influence in young female adolescents. I also want to explore the
other side of the gender coin and see what sort of things influence young boys during their developmental prime. Over the years, it
has become more and more obvious that Disney is trying to redefine what is means to be a “Disney princess”, and I would be interested
in understanding history behind this. How does this push start? Why did their focus change? What are they now trying to rebrand the
“Disney princess” as? And, most importantly, what effects will it have on young girls?