#LikeAGirl

As many people around the nation sat down to watch the Patriots and the Seahawks battle it out on the field this past Sunday night, I was sitting down to not only watch the game, but to pay more attention to the commercials. I prefer college football over NFL professional football, so I didn't care too much about the outcome of the game. However, the next day, people are constantly talking about the hilarious commercials they saw during the Super Bowl, so therefore to be involved in those types of conversations, I have to watch the game. Companies are getting very creative when it comes to making their commercials that will air during the Super Bowl game. There were some really funny ones that had my stomached hurting from laughing, there were some that had me reaching for the box of tissues, and there were some that had me smiling from ear to ear. Not because they were funny, but because they were speaking out on behalf of all the low self esteemed girls in this world. If you haven't yet seen this commercial, take a look. 

Always came out with a commercial that exposes the bad image girls have. You know the "Dumb Blonde" image or the "I'm just a girl" image. They asked several people of both genders to act out what is looks like to run like a girl. To throw like a girl. To fight like a girl. They all had the same responses of lazy and not trying. Or of weak and helpless. Then they asked a couple of young girls to do the same thing. They're reactions were completely different.  

It is said in this commercial that girl's confidence plummets during puberty, which is a true statement. Because of this image girls have gotten over the years of being helpless and weak is shaping girls into that stereotype. Girls are afraid to be strong and independent because they are told at a young age that girls can't do anything on their own and that girls aren't as good as boys when it comes to physical activity. This commercial has shown America the stereotypical image of what a girl should be that has been set into place by society and by the media. This Public Service Announcement has shown the world how we can change this kind of discrimination against girls. And that is by getting rid of the stereotypes and giving girls the credit they deserve.  

Young ladies should not have to live in fear of not being accepted by society just because they don't match what the media is telling them they must be. Let young girls be who they want to be. Girls we can break this bad reputation by not caring what others think and be yourself. Society needs to know that they can do what they want as long as they let you do you. 

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Treasured Memories

When loved ones die, it's hard to let them go. You know the cliché saying of "When you love something you have to set it free." Well that's harder than it looks, and I know from experience. People find different ways to hold on to them for as long as possible. From carrying around pictures of them to wearing their wedding ring. Recently I've come across a very ingenious way of keeping those that have passed on close to your hearts and it's just two simple words. Treasured Memories. 

Last Christmas my grandmother received a gift that she will cherish forever. It was a teddy bear made out of one of my grandfather's old shirts. My grandfather pasted a couple of years ago from cancer and my grandmother is still staying strong. However, I did see her shed a tear or two when she tore off the paper of the box that contained a beautiful blue teddy bear.  

The women who is responsible for this wonderful masterpiece and creative idea is Mrs. Marjorie Rock. She is located in the small eastern Iowa town of Jesup Iowa, and is always welcoming new costumers. She is the sweetest little lady and she knows how to talk. If you get her going on a topic, there's no stopping her. Mrs. Rock was once a home economics teacher at the local high school. Once she retired she decided to continue her love for sewing by creating this little business of Treasured Memories.  

She makes all different sizes and it doesn’t take that much material either. Depending on the size of the bear, it's no more than thirty dollars for one bear. Last summer I had her make a medium sized bear out of one of my grandpa's old quilts for only twenty dollars. It took her no more than three weeks to make; she would've been done sooner but she made four bears total, one for each of my sisters and I. She did such a great job and it's a great way to remember the ones I have lost. 

Each bear comes with a bow, a tag with her contact information, and a nice hand written letter explaining the significance of the bear. It's amazing how she can take something as simple as a quilt or a t-shirt and turn it into something that will be cherished and loved forever. If you wish to contact Mrs. Rock, feel free to email me and I can get you her contact information. 

Word Count: 417 

Show Choir is Indeed a Sport

It bothers me when people say show choir is not a sport, because it is. Yes I understand that it's not a very physical sport compared to some, such as football or soccer. But it takes a lot of work to put a show together. At most, we have three months off, otherwise we're practicing every week for a couple of hours. It takes a lot of stamina to get through a whole show and perform it well. If you don't believe me, take a look at Cedar Rapid's Kennedy High School's Varsity show choir Happiness Inc. in their prime back in 2012. Most of the people who say show choir is not a sport, haven't seen nor performed in a show choir. You shouldn't judge something you have no experience with. 

In a soccer tournament, the players probably play four or five times for around and hour to an hour and a half, depending on how well their team does. In a show choir competition, a singer would perform for about twenty minutes then be done, unless they make finals which adds another twenty minutes to that. I understand that a sport like soccer has more physical activity. However not every sport requires the players to do intensive physical activity for long periods of time. Take cricket for example. That is definitely not as active as show choir but it's still considered a sport to many people around the world. 

Show choir auditions are help in April. Then you have the months of May and June off. Most directors have choreography camps during the months of July and August. Once school starts at the end of August early September, practices start to be once a week. Come October, practices are scheduled for twice a week. These twice a week practices are constant until January hits, then we practice even more. January through March is classified as show choir season. We have competitions almost every Saturday, as early as five o'clock in the morning to as late as one o'clock in the morning the next day. So it can be said that these show choir competitions are literally all day events. About a month or two after the last competition, we have something that's called the "Going Out Concert" which is one last performance of our show before the seniors leave and the year is officially over. So needless to say, if you're involved in show choir, it's pretty much your life. 

Singers have to learn to breath from the diaphragm to get a good breath support for each note. Your diaphragm is a muscle. It takes a lot of energy to breath from the diaphragm, not to mention on top of the dancing. If a performer is truly going full out and is committing himself or herself to the performance, they should walk off the stage out of breath and sweating through their clothing. During practice, our director will make us do crunches, pushups, sit ups, etc. He will also make us run the length of the school, then perform our show directly after that. Not only does it take a huge amount of stamina, it also takes a lot of mental ability too because you have to be constantly thinking about ten different things at once. You have to think about your breathing, the dance moves, your vowel shape, the note you have to sing and when to sing it, etc. Most people think we just get up there and sing a simple song and dance a simple dance. People shouldn't judge something that they don't know much about. Keep that in mind the next time you see a show choir perform. 

Word Count: 614

Advertisement Corrupting Our Youth

When most people watch TV, they usually either skip the commercials or get up and do something such as go to the bathroom, get food, or sometimes both. For those of you who do indeed watch the commercials that play in between your favorite show, you may or may not notice some very interesting details. The commercials directly targeted towards kids are very gender specific and are subconsciously telling our kids how to act and what's socially acceptable for boys and girls to play with.  

Here is a commercial advertising Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures. This commercial is obviously aimed towards the male gender because it promotes fighting, power, violence, competition, etc. Advertisement companies want to appeal to boys' violent and commanding side of their personality. But what they don't realize is that by targeting young boys like that is harming their social life. They're being taught that they have to be commanding to get what they want and to be destructive. This type of ad is discouraging boys to be nurturing and sensitive. Commercials such as this one have been subconsciously telling boys that they have to be tough and being soft is for sissy. This is why they grow up to be men that don't show their sensitive side because they're afraid they will be called "gay" by another man that was reared very similarly. Boys are taught at a young age to never show they're weaknesses, and this is why we have the men we have today.  

Boys are not alone in this fight against gender roles. Here is a commercial for Bratz's Magic Hair Salon. Notice how there are only girls in this commercial and no boys. This is classified as a girl toy because it involves a doll, which is not "manly" according to society. This commercial is just as corrupted as the commercial targeted towards boys. This ad is promoting beauty, popularity, self-image, perfection, etc. Teenage girls have a hard time with their self-esteem and this is a perfect example as to why this is the case. They're taught at a young age that they must be pretty because of the campaigns behind the dolls they played with as kids. Through these commercials, girls are not encouraged to be creative and intelligent. There's also the fact that many games and toys that are classified as "girly" all have to do with housework and taking care of the family. This kind of corruption is telling the female youth that their place in at home, and not in the work force. Girls deserve more than that.  

These commercials for toys and games are not all bad. Many advertisements targeted towards boys are encouraging building, imagination, constructive play, etc. Nowadays you see many companies offering little boys toys they can build themselves, which teaches them building and algorithm. For the toys aimed at grabbing little girls' attention, they encourage imagination. They want little girls to imagine themselves as grownups and going to the mall or hanging out with friends at the beach. They get the imagination through role playing with dolls.  

It's amazing that what you let your kid watch can affect them so much later on in life. I'm not saying you shouldn't let you child play with these toys or be exposed to the commercials. Just let them know that they have a choice and there's no pressure to choose a certain one. They are the ones who ultimately choose which toy to play with. If it's not the one classified within their gender role, just let them know that's it's ok to like something different. 

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My Review of "The View"

Everyday at ten o'clock on ABC, the feminist ladies of The View discuss hot topics of today's society. The View features Rosie O'Donnell, Nicolle Wallace, Rosie Perez, and the very popular Whoopi Goldberg. These ladies are of all ages, backgrounds, shapes and sizes, sexual orientations, etc. The topics they discuss range from current events of today's world to fashion tips for all generations. They also discuss topics that many people don't want to talk about, such as the problem of women being harassed or teenage girls' self-esteem issues. Many people, particularly men, refuse to watch this specific talk show because it's considered feminine and girly. Which is true in some aspects but not entirely true in others. If you've never seen the show, click here to view one of their hot topics. 

Seeing as these women are all different in what they believe in and what they look like, you get all sorts of views on the topics they discuss. Whoopi leans towards the older generation and is not toothpick thin. Rosie O. is not toothpick thin either, but she is also gay. Nicolle is very conservative and has very strong views that relate directly to that. Rosie P. gives more of an ethnic vibe to the show because she is Puerto Rican. These ladies have views and opinions about everything, and that's what makes this show so popular, especially among women. Not only because they talk about all the hot gossip and new trends, but also all the different styles they bring to the table. 

The View is considered a very feministic kind of show and it's irritating to know that not only men, but some women as well, judge the show by what they hear on the streets. If you haven't seen the show, don't judge it. Every episode brings news topics that need to be discussed whether society is ready to talk about them or not. They bring up topics that most shows would refrain from even mentioning because they don't want to offend anyone. The hosts of The View talk about real issues in today's world, and not the simple celebrity gossip.  

These women are not afraid to be who they are. These women are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in and state their own opinion. These women are not afraid of being shut down by men for having a different view on the matter. Personally, I look up to these women because they are speaking out for all those ladies in society that feel as if they do not have a voice.  

All men are welcomes to watch this show. Just because a human of the male species likes to listen to different ladies' opinion on issues in the world is not a bad thing. It just makes them culturally diverse. Women's culture is similar but also different from men's. Feminism is not a bad word but many people, both male and female alike, believe it is. I am inspired by these four ladies who get to call this their job.  

Word Count: 512

Trivia Crack

Fads and trends fade in and out of style very quickly in today's society, especially trends involving the youth. One new trend that has been taking the high school and even the work force by storm is a little brain game called Trivia Crack. Kids are addicted to this game hands down. Anyone with a mobile device with internet has this new game that tests your knowledge about the world. However, is this game a good or bad trend? Is it hurting or helping the youth of today? These are the questions that need to be addressed when considering which trends fade or stick around.
The game Trivia Crack is a mobile app that asks you a series of questions based on the categories of Art, Entertainment, Sports, History, Science, and Geography. These questions can rage from "Who was the first king of Rome, according the Roman traditions?" to "What was the address Dori was looking for in the movie Finding Nemo?" Some are more challenging than others but there's a spinner that determines the category so you never know what you're going to get. Thankfully it's multiple choice so you have a one in four chance of getting the right answer if you guess. It's not just about answering questions however, you can challenge someone to a game and the ultimate goal of the game is to win characters by answering the questions correctly. You can also steal characters you still need from people you play if you win.
If you live under a rock you may not know what I'm talking about, here's a picture to help you because I guarantee you've seen it before. Many people take this game very seriously and get pretty intense when it comes to characters and who they play. I've even seen teachers spend the whole class period helping a kid win in Trivia Crack instead of teaching. On the other hand, I've also seen teachers threaten to take phones away for the whole day if the kids refuse to put away that addictive game during class. It's very distracting to kids during school and many schools have thought about banning that game all together.
Addictive as it may be, it also has a lot of learning opportunities as well. Kids are getting involved in different aspects of the world and learning about different cultures. Kids are also learning little facts they might not have ever learned in a classroom. Whoever invented this game was a genius because they found a way for kids to have fun while still learning about things going on in the world. Plus a little competition reinforces the learning because every kid wants to come out on top.
Word Count: 451

Boys Are Not Everything

Every high school girl knows someone who's obsessed with boys; whether it be themselves or their best friends. Teenage girls' lives revolve around their social media, friends, and boys; all these elements intertwine in some way that makes up their dramatic lives. All of this could eventually lead to an obsession that is very unhealthy for a teenage girl.
Teenage girls naturally want to feel loved and like they belong somewhere. This is why girls are constantly on the prowl for a boyfriend. They want to feel as if they're wanted. They see all these cute celebrity couples in magazines and on TV and want to be them. They want what they have. All this talk of cute relationships can lead some ladies into an obsession. They want it so desperately that they will do anything in their power to get it. If that means lying to their friends and family, then so be it. This kind of obsession can blind a girl from what she truly wants. It can also prevent her from knowing right from wrong and interfere with her better judgment. She becomes so wrapped up in boy world that she forgets what's going on around her. Most girls go through a phase similar to this one. If you don't come out of this phase, then it's become an obsession.
If you or a friend is guilty of being a little boy crazed, here are some signs. Constantly talking about boys, you can't seem to concentrate on anything besides boys or what boy likes you, you go out of your way to see a boy, or even if you blow your friends off for something remotely related to a guy. There are many more signs, but these are just a list of the most prominent ones you'll see.
If you know of someone with these symptoms, try to confront them because they probably have no idea they have a problem. If this is you and someone's trying to help you change your ways, let them. Don't shut them out, saying they don't know what they're talking about. All they're trying to do is help because that's what friends are for. Being boy crazy is a serious problem and should be addressed as soon as possible. The longer you're under a boy's spell, the more at risk of getting hurt you are. Plus boys will come and go, but beat friends will be there for you through everything no matter what. For more signs, follow this link.
There are multiple ways to get over a boy crazy obsession. Try hanging out with only your girl friends for awhile. It's ok if some of those close friends are boys, but don't focus all your attention on boys that you would want to date someday. Delete all those all texts from previous boys that you were obsessed with. Try to rid yourself of everything boyfriend related. If you can't part with some old pictures or stuffed animals from an old boyfriend, put them away. Don't throw out everything because some things are great keep sakes to remind you of those good old times, once your done with the whole obsession thing of course.
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