Some say that it is not what is on the outside that counts, but what is on the inside. West is going one step further by launching its first Operation Beautiful, a campaign to celebrate inner beauty and raise self-image of girls.

“One of the main goals of Operation Beautiful is to encourage girls to feel comfortable in their own skin,” Student Council president senior Riley Barnes said. “It’s an amazing campaign with a really important message.”

Operation Beautiful’s mission is to promote non-physical characteristics and self-confidence by having a makeup-free day.

“So many females hide behind their makeup and feel like they can’t go anywhere without it on for fear of being judged,” Student Council historian junior Jamie Eriksson said. “I think it’s important for girls to embrace their true selves and realize that they are just as beautiful without the mascara, foundation or other makeup they feel the need to wear.”

The campaign helps girls be brave enough to step out without makeup by ensuring that they will not be the only ones going makeup-free.

“Operation Beautiful is awesome because you’re not doing it alone,” Eriksson said. “It makes it less intimidating knowing that other girls are embracing their true selves also and that even the guys are supporting the event. It shows how together, we can be confident in who we truly are.”

Operation Beautiful takes place Friday, March 21. T-shirts for the event were sold last month, and Student Congress encourages supporters to wear either the t-shirt or the color green.

“Girls should come to school without their hair or makeup done, and all boys should come with smiles and supportive attitudes,” Student Council secretary senior Natalie Gordon said.

The campaign was initiated last year by Plano Senior and experienced success. This year, Barnes met with officers from Plano Senior and Plano East to discuss making Operation Beautiful a district-wide event.

“We all decided Operation Beautiful would be the perfect event to unify all of Plano Independent School District (PISD),” Barnes said. “In Student Congress we talked it over as a class and all came to the same conclusion that it was a great idea.”

Student Congress has been working the past few weeks to spread the word and prepare for the event.

“We decided that it’d be really beneficial to put together a poster and a video in order to get the word out,” Eriksson said. “As someone who’s acquainted with using Photoshop, I took the responsibility of putting together a poster.”

The organizers hope that the video and posters will not only get students involved, but the whole community.

“I want everyone to just relax and chill out for a day, stop thinking about what everyone else is thinking, and just enjoy a day of fresh-faced beauty,” Gordon said.

Student Congress’ goals include making a lasting impact on girls’ self-image and turning Operation Beautiful into an annual event.

“Hopefully girls will be able to feel more comfortable with who they are and be more confident, even if it’s just by a little bit, in their inner beauty,” Eriksson said. “I’m hoping that people will realize that not everyone is perfect and embrace those flaws because it’s what makes us unique and special. We have to learn to be true to ourselves because that’s what is going to matter in the end.”