This Blog

So today I was scrolling through all my posts and I realized that my blog goes all the way back through my high school career.... a sort of diary. I suddenly feel enormously grateful for all the posts (no matter how seemingly frivolous they may seem) that are here. I can look back on 9th grade and see how much I've changed.

On a side note, today is Halloween! I'm going out with my friends to Trick-or-Treat :) And don't worry (because I know you were!!!), the next "Most Intense Year Ever" post will be on its way very, very soon!

One Geek,

Grant

Stereotypes

On the first day of school I was walking around with The Hunger Games, the first book in the trilogy of the same name, and one student came up to me and asked “Why are you reading that? Isn’t that ‘Chick Lit’?” Chick Lit is basically the book equivalent of a Chick Flick. But before judgments can be made, let me give you some background. For those of you who do not know what The Hunger Games is about: it is not another Twilight. No sparkly vampires or lustful werewolves are present in the dystopian country of Panem. This book pits 24 randomly selected children against each other in a harsh battle to the death. Does this sound like a “Chick Lit” story to you? Me neither. This question caught me off guard. Why am I reading it? I didn’t know I was constricted to reading only certain books.

But more importantly, where am I going with this? I want to talk about stereotypes: judgments that are derived from observation and expectation. This offhanded remark led me to question why such things even matter? Who cares if a boy wants to read “Chick Lit” or a girl wants to play football? It all comes down to one thing: stereotypes. Gender stereotypes define what “normal” boy and girl activities are. For example, the “traditional” male often depicted on TV is shown as a star athlete whose main goal in life is to chase women. Similarly, the “traditional” girl is depicted as an airhead who cannot live without a caring man to take care of her. In the rare occasion any character strays for the “norm” they are often outcasts and misfits. So why is there such a large emphasis placed on gender stereotypes? Can anyone say for certain?

Let’s take me for example. Males in musical theater were often thought of as effeminate and possibly even gay. Well, I’m in musical theater. And I took it even one step further: I was apart of the dance department last year. TWO activities classified as “feminine”. I must be gay, right? Not so fast. This isn’t my coming out story, and yes, I do in fact like girls. Everyone, me included, has had the thought run through their head, “Is that person gay?” or “That kid is really weird.” Why is it? Why is it that first thing that comes to our minds are rushed judgments? It is because we see someone who strays from the “norm” and does not fit into the tight stereotypes assigned to them by society.

And gender stereotypes are not the only ones present here at West High. We stereotype people using the classes they take, the sports they play, the clubs they are apart of and the friends they have. Would it be fair to say that all football players are idiot meatheads whose sole purpose in life is to womanize cheerleaders? Of course not because that is not even close to reality. Can I say, without backlash, that those of you taking 4 or 5 AP classes are video game nerds and have no life apart from your computer and homework? Probably not.

It is hard at the beginning of the school year to not form judgments but I believe it is essential to do just that. Walking into situations with an open mind will help you achieve your goals faster. Has stereotyping someone ever helped you? Probably not. In fact, it has probably hurt you a lot more in the long run than it has helped.

My purpose right now is not to criticize teenagers. I just want everyone to be aware how detrimental it can be for some when they are consistently judged for doing things they love. Do not write off peers for their quirks, but embrace your similarities. Think of everyone as a potential new best friend. Everyone you have previously written off has more to them than meets the eye! Why call someone weird, when you are, in their eyes, just as weird.

Taken from my "Oratory Presentation" in AP English Language and Composition

Most Intense Year Ever..... In a Good Way (PART 1)

HEY EVERYONE.

I'm back again. And this time I am here to tell you about my unexpectedly difficult junior year. So far it has been filled with rehearsals (as always!), books, departures, balloons, vacations, dancing and more!

This is sure to be quite an eclectic post, but stay with me!

My Schedule

So this year I have had so much homework every night. But I'm not complaining. It keeps me busy. And when I say busy. I mean busy. I spend every night doing homework until I go to bed. Now, that doesn't mean I study all day, every day. I take breaks! But when I finish my homework, I go to sleep!

Also, basically every single day I have SOMETHING after school. Monday- Boy Scouts. Tuesday- Musical Theater Class. Wednesday- TYC (Youth Council). Thursday- Rehearsal. Friday- NOTHING (thank goodness!). I'm not complaining, though. You know I love staying busy!

My Classes

Let me give you a breakdown of each class and my thoughts on them so far:

AP English Language and Composition- This is the best English class I have ever taken. My teacher rocks. The material rocks. My classmates rock. It's rockin', if you ask me. But as always, it's always the class that you love that gives you the most homework! Although I have never had so much work in an English class before, I believe that I will learn so much more than ever before. Isn't that how it works? Hardwork = Knowledge?

Physics- I. Love. Physics. It is math + science + the world. That equation just makes me smile. It is every subject I love squished together into a wonderful explosion of vectors.

Play Prod- I think you've heard about this class before! My drama class is fantastic as always. I have a blast, and right now we are working on an ORIGINAL PLAY! We are working on the premiere of a new play, so stay tuned for that!

AP Calculus AB- This class is the typical math class I love. I am one of those kids people think is weird because they love math. I just do. Don't question. We have the most amazing teacher right now. He is so passionate about the subject that you can help but want to learn with him around. I know that sounds cheesy and all.... but it's true! So far every class has been a dream, doesn't that sound too good to be true? Well, it is. My teacher got offered a new job to train teachers at the school district and he accepted the offer. We get a new teacher in two days and nobody knows who it will be..... I'll let you know how that goes.

French 3- AHHH! This is a class I don't talk about too often. This year is my favorite year in French so far. I mean, they have all been good, but I have so many friends in this class because everyone who has stayed with the language for three-four years is in this class. The combination of friends and my fun teacher make me think that this year in French will be a year to remember!

Journalism- I am loving being Assistant Editor-in-Chief! It is so different than being a writer and now I understand the stress the editors felt last year. I have to keep track of grades, edit and post articles, crop pictures, change the website. Despite the hard work, I love it. The staff is great this year.

Overall, as you can see, my classes this year are GREAT! I couldn't ask for a more perfect schedule! I'll be back soon with another post about my extracurriculars! This year is looking to be an exciting one and I can't wait to share it with you!

One Geek,

Grant