"Does This Book Make Me Look Fat" is a book edited by Marissa Walsh about 14 people who have endured life changing moments involving body image and self-esteem. Their essays and stories are compiled into this book.
Marissa Walsh discussed in the introduction to the book her feelings about body image. One quote that really stuck out was "It annoys me that I'm not thinking about more important stuff" (1). She is not proud of how many times she thinks about her body, or asks, "Does this make me look fat?" (1). She thinks that it takes a lot of energy to think about your body that constantly, and that it is a waste of time. She wanted people to be able to read this book and instead of asking "Does this make me look fat?", people will soon be asking "Who cares?" (2). I am excited to read the rest because it is so relevant especially being a teenage girl in America where everything is advertised through thin people and thin expectations.
The next chapter called "Circumferentially Challenged" by Daniel Pinkwater is about a man who is content with being his overweight size. He acknowledges that people in a community never say the actual word "fat". They always say "heavy, large, full figured or pleasingly plump," (3). I think this is because fat is such a sensitive word and this could now be seen as one of the worst things to say to someone. Despite all of the misconceptions about being fat, Daniel says that his experiences have been mostly good. One of the examples he used that surprised me was that other men dismiss him as nonthreatening because of his size, and therefore he gets along with them. This also helps with women because they love him due to his lack of the unpleasant male traits. i think it is interesting to rememeber that people who are overweight do get treated differently than someone who is not.
"Mirror, Mirror" by Megan McCafferty was my least favorite chapter in the chunk of chapters I read for today. It was all about this group of blond friends who were trying clothes on, and they were complaining about how fat they were (which they weren't) and one of them was awkwardly trying to warn the others about the terrors of eating disorders. The only part I liked about this was a line that say "The more she worries about her appearance, the less attractive she seems to others," (9). I never thought about this before but it's a good thing to remember. When someone seems so invested in themselves, others will see this as something negative, no matter what they look like on the outside.
The last chapter in this first grouping was called "Alterations" by Eireann Corrigan. She had a history of dealing with anorexia and relapsing years after she had been through lots of therapy and group sessions. She talked about her concerns of finding a wedding dress and what it was like buying one and then fitting into it a year after she bought it. I like hearing about her perspective because it was not a fake testimonial for brides, it was a true, honest, opinion on wedding dress shopping and feeling confident in your own body and how that will translate into feeling confident in your dress.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
AP Test review in classes post 13
Ever since AP Psychology my sophomore year, I have never understood why we are graded on practice tests and reviews in our classes. The AP test is optional. Yes, most people in the curriculum take the test, but that does not mean the grade in the class should be sacrificed just ecause someone won't get a great grade out of 5 on the AP test. When we are still concerned about grades for fourth quarter in a class, we are less concerned with actually studying for the AP test and therefore get WORSE scores on the AP practices and we feel worse about ourselves because we feel unprepared due to the low scores we are receiving.
The mock AP's and practices tests are wonderful for getting our minds and bodies used to the AP feel, but it is not necessary to grade us on these. I am convinced that if teachers were more lenient on grades fourth quarter instead of giving everyone F's for getting an average AP grade on something, that students would actually do better on the AP tests. There is just so much pressure coming from parents, teachers, and the students themselves to do really well on the AP tests. But when you are getting a C+ fourth quarter in the class you are supposedly a master in and know the material, then that is a problem.
Basically, I am trying to put my class grade as high as I can and still work hard separately from class studying for the AP test. I have pretty high hopes!!
The mock AP's and practices tests are wonderful for getting our minds and bodies used to the AP feel, but it is not necessary to grade us on these. I am convinced that if teachers were more lenient on grades fourth quarter instead of giving everyone F's for getting an average AP grade on something, that students would actually do better on the AP tests. There is just so much pressure coming from parents, teachers, and the students themselves to do really well on the AP tests. But when you are getting a C+ fourth quarter in the class you are supposedly a master in and know the material, then that is a problem.
Basically, I am trying to put my class grade as high as I can and still work hard separately from class studying for the AP test. I have pretty high hopes!!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Walk for Israel at Ravinia. post 12
Sunday, April 28th there is a huge event going on at Ravinia.
"Join hundreds of Chicagoland Jewish teens for J-Serve 2013, the Official Day of Jewish Youth Service. This year’s program is Literacy and Advocacy. Hands-on volunteering and a teen-led Israel Advocacy Program will take place in Ravinia Festival’s Dining Pavilion from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m." There is a walk for Israel every year in a lot of cities around Chicago. There used to be a big one downtown, but they changed it to be more local and less of a commotion downtown. I like it better in the suburbs because I feel safer with less people around me and also Ravinia is the coolest venue so I have no problems with having it there.
"At noon, we will join thousands of Chicagoans for Israel Solidarity Day, the Walk with Israel and special performances from Matisyahu and The Maccabeats!" The cool part about this is that it is not only advocating for Israel through walking and money, but embracing Israeli music and music in hebrew. We fully immerse ourselves into this day including our clothing (we all get free t-shirts) and the food we eat (falafel, hummus, etc) and much much more.
The Teen J-Serve Project is co-sponsored by JUF, BBYO, CFJE, JSC, JSU, NCSY, NFTY, Shorashim, USY and Young Judaea. I am super pumped about all of this because I am a chapter president in USY for my synagogue and I am excited to be around people who feel the same way about being a Jewish teenager as well as an Israel advocate. The only thing I am nervous about is the safety at the walk of Israel. It is the one day of the year when I feel kind of uncomfortable being in a huge group of Jewish people, even if we are doing something for a great cause. I feel like to the rest of the community it is just a big target, but hopefully I am being paranoid and nothing will ever happen during the Walk for Israel.
I hope this is a successful day, it is one a lot of people look forward to every year and is very family and community oriented. I'm really thankful for living in a place where Israel and Israeli culture is recognized, even if just for one day!
"Join hundreds of Chicagoland Jewish teens for J-Serve 2013, the Official Day of Jewish Youth Service. This year’s program is Literacy and Advocacy. Hands-on volunteering and a teen-led Israel Advocacy Program will take place in Ravinia Festival’s Dining Pavilion from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m." There is a walk for Israel every year in a lot of cities around Chicago. There used to be a big one downtown, but they changed it to be more local and less of a commotion downtown. I like it better in the suburbs because I feel safer with less people around me and also Ravinia is the coolest venue so I have no problems with having it there.
"At noon, we will join thousands of Chicagoans for Israel Solidarity Day, the Walk with Israel and special performances from Matisyahu and The Maccabeats!" The cool part about this is that it is not only advocating for Israel through walking and money, but embracing Israeli music and music in hebrew. We fully immerse ourselves into this day including our clothing (we all get free t-shirts) and the food we eat (falafel, hummus, etc) and much much more.
The Teen J-Serve Project is co-sponsored by JUF, BBYO, CFJE, JSC, JSU, NCSY, NFTY, Shorashim, USY and Young Judaea. I am super pumped about all of this because I am a chapter president in USY for my synagogue and I am excited to be around people who feel the same way about being a Jewish teenager as well as an Israel advocate. The only thing I am nervous about is the safety at the walk of Israel. It is the one day of the year when I feel kind of uncomfortable being in a huge group of Jewish people, even if we are doing something for a great cause. I feel like to the rest of the community it is just a big target, but hopefully I am being paranoid and nothing will ever happen during the Walk for Israel.
I hope this is a successful day, it is one a lot of people look forward to every year and is very family and community oriented. I'm really thankful for living in a place where Israel and Israeli culture is recognized, even if just for one day!
Graduation do's and don'ts post 11
I thought a lot about this blogpost. Mostly because the only thing really running through the news right now is the bombing at the Boston Marathon. I think it's important to let the authorities deal with that and we can all hope and pray that the people in Boston who were affected are getting the proper assistance and medical help that they need.
So I've been thinking about graduation a lot. Especially the ceremony.
http://southbury.patch.com/articles/the-dos-and-donts-of-graduations-and-commencements
This is something that some people hate and some people love. For students, every move has been extremely well-rehearsed and waiting for your name is boring every time you hear it go through the list. A fun thing I found on the website above is that to keep things interesting try "Counting how many peoples' names the Superintendent mispronounces, or which parent makes the most embarrassing noise when their child is called."
Parents have an interesting role too. They get to celebrate the success of their parenting skills for the past 18 years. They have fed us, clothed us, and made us do our homework. And they are allowed to clap extra loud for their children but not to boo the children "who got into better colleges" than their own kids.
Teachers, the article says, are supposed to let their students go. As hard as that is, new students will come again next year and fill the void. Teachers are instructed not to hand out a last minute writing assignment or stick in one last lecture, because those will be generally "frowned upon". I think this is funny because it is true that students have checked out of school, but that does not mean the last few days of classes need to be all fun and games. They can be deep and getting to know what people want to do in life instead of just signing yearbooks and being cliquey in classes.
All in all though, graduation will be fun for anyone attending, or even graduating. It is a time in someone's life where they are at a crossroads and need to start thinking on their own two feet. I love the concept of it all: happiness, friendship, memories. There's nothing better than another graduating class passing on that Ravinia stage.
So I've been thinking about graduation a lot. Especially the ceremony.
http://southbury.patch.com/articles/the-dos-and-donts-of-graduations-and-commencements
This is something that some people hate and some people love. For students, every move has been extremely well-rehearsed and waiting for your name is boring every time you hear it go through the list. A fun thing I found on the website above is that to keep things interesting try "Counting how many peoples' names the Superintendent mispronounces, or which parent makes the most embarrassing noise when their child is called."
Parents have an interesting role too. They get to celebrate the success of their parenting skills for the past 18 years. They have fed us, clothed us, and made us do our homework. And they are allowed to clap extra loud for their children but not to boo the children "who got into better colleges" than their own kids.
Teachers, the article says, are supposed to let their students go. As hard as that is, new students will come again next year and fill the void. Teachers are instructed not to hand out a last minute writing assignment or stick in one last lecture, because those will be generally "frowned upon". I think this is funny because it is true that students have checked out of school, but that does not mean the last few days of classes need to be all fun and games. They can be deep and getting to know what people want to do in life instead of just signing yearbooks and being cliquey in classes.
All in all though, graduation will be fun for anyone attending, or even graduating. It is a time in someone's life where they are at a crossroads and need to start thinking on their own two feet. I love the concept of it all: happiness, friendship, memories. There's nothing better than another graduating class passing on that Ravinia stage.
Friday, April 5, 2013
IAT test and "I sit where I want" post 10
We start off this week by watching a student documentary called "I Sit Where I Want". I was not really moved by the film, but I think it showed a lot of cool points about racism, teenagers, and willingness to change the familiar. I think the film showed that white kids are pretty stuck between a place where they feel like they are inferior because of how society treats them, and then also in between a place where if they do something how will their friends respond or think of them differently?
Then, we read an article titled, "If I was a Poor Black Boy". This article had much more meaning for me because I really agree with what the author had to say about inner city children basically making their own success in life, and how being black and poor is no excuse really nowadays for failure/crime, etc. I have never gone to an inner city school, and I was born white, so I can't really argue this so much, but I can say that it is a hopeful approach to give children the means necessary to levelthe educational playing field out a little more. The student's drive is sometimes what is necessarily the factor to take them far in life.
After taking the Racial IAT, I still don't have a lot of new viewpoints about bias. I did have some hidden bias, because my data suggested that I had a "Strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American" people. I think that some of the reasons behind my test was that I get confused very easily on the tests where things are mixed up from the previous givens. I know this is not the best answer, but I honestly believe that my brain holds onto things that it has learned first. In the FAQ, it explained that I have a strong preference because it reflects the strength of the implicit preference, meaning how fast I responded to the European Americans versus African Americans.
Even after reading the page on the website my mind is still not changed about the results I got. I do believe that stereotypes are a distorted truth about a group or a person, and that stereotypes are based on images in mass media or reputations passed on by close ones aound us. I think that many of us have positive and negative stereotypes,but we also have negative and positive thoughts about anything in the world, not just people. I do believe that hidden biases dictate actual behavior because they reveal themselves under stress, distraction, competition or relaxation. I find it hard to believe that in some classrooms with white and black students, the black students are receiving different educations. How can this be? Also, I think that prejudice is such a sad thing but very apparent in our society. They are made by ignorance and there are a lot of ignorant people out there.
Overall, this has been a pretty exciting topic because it is very relatable. Not like, hazing in college, where none of us high schoolers have ever experienced hazing in college. I like being able to share real experiences in class and not just a story we heard from a stranger.
Then, we read an article titled, "If I was a Poor Black Boy". This article had much more meaning for me because I really agree with what the author had to say about inner city children basically making their own success in life, and how being black and poor is no excuse really nowadays for failure/crime, etc. I have never gone to an inner city school, and I was born white, so I can't really argue this so much, but I can say that it is a hopeful approach to give children the means necessary to levelthe educational playing field out a little more. The student's drive is sometimes what is necessarily the factor to take them far in life.
After taking the Racial IAT, I still don't have a lot of new viewpoints about bias. I did have some hidden bias, because my data suggested that I had a "Strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American" people. I think that some of the reasons behind my test was that I get confused very easily on the tests where things are mixed up from the previous givens. I know this is not the best answer, but I honestly believe that my brain holds onto things that it has learned first. In the FAQ, it explained that I have a strong preference because it reflects the strength of the implicit preference, meaning how fast I responded to the European Americans versus African Americans.
Even after reading the page on the website my mind is still not changed about the results I got. I do believe that stereotypes are a distorted truth about a group or a person, and that stereotypes are based on images in mass media or reputations passed on by close ones aound us. I think that many of us have positive and negative stereotypes,but we also have negative and positive thoughts about anything in the world, not just people. I do believe that hidden biases dictate actual behavior because they reveal themselves under stress, distraction, competition or relaxation. I find it hard to believe that in some classrooms with white and black students, the black students are receiving different educations. How can this be? Also, I think that prejudice is such a sad thing but very apparent in our society. They are made by ignorance and there are a lot of ignorant people out there.
Overall, this has been a pretty exciting topic because it is very relatable. Not like, hazing in college, where none of us high schoolers have ever experienced hazing in college. I like being able to share real experiences in class and not just a story we heard from a stranger.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)