"I Am" - Video Blog

I Am

I am curious and intuitive


I wonder how that defines me 


I hear myself humming 


I see my angles and my demons 


I want to embrace happiness and accept defeat 


I am curious and intuitive 



I pretend that the little things don't matter 


I feel a sense of serenity when I close my eyes. It's there that 


I touch the cool calm clouds


I worry that if I fall I won't break the surface


I cry because I can 


I am curious and intuitive 



I understand that I think about things too much


I say forget it


I dream about the places i'll go, the people i'll meet 


I try to just put it all out there 


I hope one day it'll all make sense


I am curious and intuitive

For me, the most important element of my poem is the repetition of “I am curious and intuitive.” I think it speaks to the audience about who I am and how I view myself. As a “curious” person, I’m always looking for answers and for what’s “right”…and I guess that’s where the intuition steps in. I think my friends who know me pretty well would all say that I am fairly relaxed on the outside. So when I say “I pretend that the little things don’t matter” that’s how my friends see me, but inside I’m very sensitive and vulnerable. But I guess everyone is, right?

If I were to give up this characteristic I think I would loose one of the only things that I know how to emotionally define myself with. Sure, I can say I’m an athlete, sister, friend, artist, but that’s just surface stuff. For example, my passion for art comes from my curiosity for humanity and nature. I would be loosing a lot of “me” if I lost my curiosity and my intuition. 

Venus Boys Response

I believe the reason why people feel like they've never heard of "drag kings" before is because the media fears what people think. They assume that people will be uncomfortable, and won't be able to relate to the situations that transgendered people have to deal with everyday. However, through watching Venus Boyz, it was evident that these people who have struggled so long to find themselves and decide who they really are and who they want to be, are finally happy. They have settled in a community where they are respected and loved. I hold a lot of respect for these people who see gender as undefined. It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to stand up against what the rest of the world thinks.

Reviving Ophelia - "pressure to be someone you are not"

In the world we live in today, media controls everything. It defines what is "in," and what we're supposed to look like, dress like and act. In Mary Pipher's, Reviving Ophelia, she tells the stories of the struggles of adolescent girls and their journey through therapy. The pressure to be someone you are not is a constant issue that faces everyone - no matter what age or gender. 

Pipher writes, "Girls stop thinking, 'who am I'? 'What do i want'? and start thinking, 'What must i do to please others?" (22).  While i do agree with this statement, I don't think it just applies to girls. I think boys - maybe not all boys, but some feel the same way too. They are just as pressured to conform to what others want as girls are. 

white privilege

13, 21, 26, 34, 48 
48. I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household. 


I live in Bethesda, Maryland, in what I can assume is a predominantly white community. Most of my neighbors currently attend or attended a private school. To be honest and somewhat cliche, i have never thought about the diversity make-up of where I live before, and maybe it's because it was never drawn to my attention until now. Like most people who live in the same type of neighborhoods that I do, I feel like we subconsciously take for granted the ability to move into "popular", or more sought after neighborhoods (close to work and school) and not be harassed, judged, or discriminated against. 

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action helps to provide 'access to opportunity' for people who have been descriminated against on account of their race, religion, sex, or national origin. The concept itself brings attention to discrimination because it focuses on the number of minorities, rather than addressing who might actually be qualified for the position. However, like West says, "The elimination of affirmative action would only justify racial discrimination." For example, let's say a store owner is in charge of hiring one new worker that will work at the cashier - there are three people applying for the job, a white woman, a black man, and a white man. Regardless of who the store owner chooses, there will be some conflict with affirmative action. If one of the men were chosen, the woman might feel that she was discriminated against because she was not the same gender as they were - or how about if the black man was picked, this might suggest that the owner only hired him because he knew he needed a more diverse staff, but mostly because he didn't want to look 'racist.' I personally believe that Cornel West's statement is incredibly accurate, but leaves us as a society made up of very different people struggling with the question of whether affirmative action is actually effective and fair.

Creative Collaboration - Visual Essay

1. By definition, “creative collaboration” is the sense of being productive, creative, thoughtful, understanding, open and strategic as a group. My group was assigned the cafeteria as our space for our visual essay. Our goal was simple. We all knew what we wanted to achieve through our thesis: to show whether or not an early intervention proves to be beneficial in the war against segregation and the human tendencies as kids grow up. From the moment we wrote down our first thoughts and ideas, to watching the finished product, we, as a group worked as a team. We all came up with ideas of where and how to take the pictures, and what potential thesis could be, which in the end, resulted in a project based purely on at least one idea from each member of the group. We split up the project to fit our strengths. I felt like all of the members of the group monitored their “flow,” or rather, submerged their ego well. Like most group projects, after many disagreements you just want it to be based on your ideas, and your work. However, we realized for this project we all had contribute and work together because we had different perspectives that would just make our final product better.  While our group was great at saying what we thought, being enthusiastic, knowing our strengths and being empathetic, we struggled with mostly with equally dividing up the tasks. However, all in all we had a very productive, focused, and determined group.

2. My main strategy for being a leader was to listen to everyone’s opinions and build off of them. One part of the project where I saw myself as a leader was in the making of the video. One of my strengths is designing and editing things, so I knew that I would be able to enjoy and stay focused on this part of the project. Bakari helped out with taking the photos, and Rachel did a great job writing the intention statement. I think that by having people assigned to do tasks based on their strengths, the whole process becomes very efficient and simply more enjoyable.

3. My greatest challenges in being part of this group were remembering to “realize that you don’t completely control the outcome.” For me, group projects tend to get stressful, because of deadlines, disagreement, miscommunication and the concept of a “shared vision.”  Although I know I struggle with group projects, I am very happy with the outcome of our video and intention statement, and thought we worked very well together as a group.

            

Manhood in a Bottle - "Hip-Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes"

For me, the statement, "Manhood in a Bottle" is an indirect way of expressing how male musicians in the hip-hop business are trapped inside of a stereotype. Rap culture was born in the South Bronx ghettos, where people could express their emotions and anger through music and dance - which further formed gangs, and exploited violence. In this 'rap culture,' male rappers feel as if they need to uphold a certain standard, act tough, and call women "bitches and hoes" in order to get this point across. It is their way of showing their power and dominance in the culture. They just want to be successful, like everybody else - they all have dreams, ideals, and aspirations. Who doesn't? 

But do rappers themselves really believe that by degrading women in their lyrics in order to create a 'masculine shield' is gaining any respect by others outside of their community? The rest of the country - or the world for that matter? 

“We live in a society where manhood is all about conquering and violence…. And what we don’t realize is that ultimately that kind of manhood ultimately kills you.” - Kevin Powell