Versus

Word Count: 269

Tiffany Maynard

Filmmaking

“Eye” of the Universe

Norms: Individual Vs. Society-Versus

Each Half of Me

All my life I have been able to reap the benefits of being both Taiwanese and White. However, I also have to experience the stereotypes of both races. My parents both view my education in a different light. My mom is the parent that demands good grades and perfect behavior, while my dad is relaxed and thinks that I should get things done at my own pace. Living this way for 17 years has opened my mind and I know what stereotypes can do to individuals and our society.

Asians are typically stereotyped as the smart individuals who don’t have a social life. Well to prove that wrong I can say that my mom’s side of the family holds way more parties then my dad’ side and their Chinese! I enjoy being Chinese because, not only do we have delicious dishes to gobble up but I can experience a culture that’s so different from the United States diverse one. I love listening to the stories my mom tell’s me about her childhood because, it’s completely different from my own. People out of the loop don’t know how people with different cultures think and they make up outrageous stereotypes about Asians that only exist because they don’t understand the culture.

I also enjoy my white part of me because; it allows me to connect with the country I live in. If I had a choice to change my race I would want to be the way I am now because I love having two halves of me that are completely different from each other but very interesting all the same.

Stereotyping Picture

Fired Up

Word Count: 330

Tiffany Maynard

Filmmaking

“Eye” of the Universe

Norms: Individual Vs. Society- Fired Up

Tiffany Maynard, 17

My Fast Metabolism

Everyday of my life has been a new experience one day to the next was never the same especially when I became a teenager. I have always been small and skinny but I never had what we call a “weight issue” and never really cared what other people thought about me. I remember when I was younger my cousins would say “Tiffany when you grow you should become a model since you’ll be able to eat everything and not gain a pound” but, I would always laugh their comments off because I knew I was much to short to reach 5’7 in this life time.

High school has been an experience for me because of all the stereotypes that go around. When people see me they sometimes ask “Hey Tiffany do you like to eat?” and I reply with of course I just have a really fast metabolism that burns up all my food before it turns into fat and to prove my point if I have a snack I eat it right in front of them. That is the truth! To me eating is an absolute enjoyment my friends who have known me for a few years have witnessed my huge intake of food and sometimes joke about me eating so much but staying stick thin. The stereotypes about girls who are skinny say that we don’t like eating and starve ourselves but for me that’s completely not the case. Even today I don’t have an issue with my weight, yeah I would love to gain few pounds to fit in that perfect dress because I personally think it would look more attractive and healthy but, I believe you just have to appreciate what you have. It always astonishes me that so many girls would go so far as to starve themselves just to look pretty. I really hope they can wake up and see that they’re missing out on the most enjoyable thing in life, eating delicious food.

No Laughing Matter by Chris Schmader

In this short story Chris Schamader sees two different types of people in his group of friends, He notices that his friend Abe who is very religious doesn't let his peers interfere with his orals and that he doesn't appreciate Jeff and Pete's behavior. While Chris laughs at his friends outrageous behavior and tells himself that he would never do something like that, Abe just shakes his head and looks unhappy that his friends are immature and understands that laughing only boots their ego. This shows how two moral beliefs affect different people in many ways.

At War with Ourselves by John Nikkah

In this story I found out that boys are just like girls they have feelings and are able to express themselves without a problem. The story starts off with he stereotype that boys cant relate to the world like girls. However, Nikkah digs deeper into the stories that he uncovers and realizes that these boys stories help him understand his life better. He even states that all we as a society have to do is listen our boys are willing to speak out.

My Brown Eyes

In this story the narrator Alexander Amador explains his his life of being born and raised in the "hood". He appreciates the things they have done for him because he feels that they have his back and that they are the only people he can trust. His dreams in life is to let his mom live in a nice home and so he can be someone who would influence people to make the right decisions. He know awaits for his dream to come true so he can believe in miracles.

Red by Amy Goldwasser

In this article is shows hoe girls are opening up to the world and breaking out of the "norm". Each teenage girl has her own story to tell and every single one of them are different. Some talk about their individual issues such as cutting suicide attempts and peer pressure while others talk about themselves and what they want to be seen as. The norm differ here due to the girls writing about their life rather then shopping and listening to music.

Curve by Alison Smith

This short story was about a girl who felt abnormal because she was always so skinny. Her friends outcasted her whenever they discussed about their weight problems because they were jealous of her weight. They believed she was just complaining about her "beauty" which made her feel left out and disliked. From her point of view she thinks the girl with more body mass are healthier then herself since she's only skin and bones. However towards the end of the story she reveals that her favorite part of her body are her hips because they are the only things that stick out instead of looking as straight as a ruler.

This is my brainstorming.