Posts by estherh

estherh

Oct 28, 2014

Undergraduate / UVA-Work of literature that has inspired me-Fast Food Nation [3]

Hi! So I need some help with this essay...I'm not sure if I'm answering the prompt completely/correctly...and I would like some help on the conclusion. I'm also about 10 words over the limit. Thanks!

College of Arts and Sciences - What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?

Imagine hot, golden french fries that are crunchy on the outside and wonderfully fake potato-y and squishy on the inside. Now fade out to a sizzling hamburger patty falling effortlessly in slow-motion and being caught by a sesame-studded bun- these images are just samples of how the fast food industry hooks Americans onto their food. How did this happen?

Starting from a very young age, kids are bombarded with fast food commercials, more than any other advertisement. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser opened my eyes to the negative influence that advertisements have on what children eat.The book conjures up disgust towards the fast food industry because with toys and friendly mascots, these companies lead children to consume unhealthy products.

Before reading Fast Food Nation, it never occurred to me how intentional fast food advertisements were because, like many others, I had fallen into the trap. The lure of warm and fatty foods blinded me to why I was drawn to the food in the first place, which was mainly because of the images from catchy commercials.

Fast Food Nation exposed to me the world we live in now, a world where advertisements are unavoidable and businesses prey on children for money. As someone who aspires to be a teacher, I may not have much say in the politics of business and advertising; however, I believe that through educating youth about the persuasive nature of advertisements, the kids will be able to guard themselves from the corrupt world. I am therefore inspired to fight to protect children by starting with the children themselves.

estherh

Oct 25, 2014

Undergraduate / "Oh, you got that grade cause you're Asian" - Challenging a belief or idea [7]

Newest edit Hey! So I edited my essay one more time...if anyone could take a look at it that would be great! Thank youu

"Oh, you got that grade cause you're Asian. Hey, do you know so-and-so? He's Asian. Don't you have some kind of Asian connection? You should date him. You guys would be the ultimate Asian couple." As an eighth grader moving to a new school, I wasn't used to being stereotyped because of my race. My old school was generally accepting and did not emphasize differences in race, so it never crossed my mind that some schools were not like this. The assumptions that my peers frequently blurted at me because of my race baffled me. My parents had instilled in me that hard work led to success, so the idea that I had gotten an A on my test because I was Asian perplexed me. I was pretty familiar to a couple B's and C's on tests and quizzes when I slacked off. My close friend from my old school, who was Caucasian, almost always got better grades than me as well, so I knew that being Asian did not mean anything in regards to intelligence.

I let the comments slide for a while because I wanted to be liked, and I didn't want to seem like the crazy Asian girl who can't take a "joke." Truth be told, on the inside I felt like I was worth as much as people of other races. If they did well on an assignment, they were considered smart, and if I got the same grade, it was because I was Asian.

After a couple months, I was done. I was done with having my hard work discredited due to my race, and I was done with the little stereotypical side comments. Even more confusing was the other Asians who had been going to school with these people for years, and laughed along with their jokes.

The day I finally snapped was when the same friend who first introduced me to Asian racial stereotypes started going on about how a new Asian guy was at our school and how I should "totally date him." I looked at her and retorted, "Do you know every single white guy that comes to school? Do you think that you're only allowed to find guys of the same race attractive?" My voice quivered with a mixture of anger, fear of starting conflict, and a budding, new-found confidence. She said nothing back, and we silently went our separate ways to class.

That day, I saw a slight change in both my friend and myself. From then on, my friend no longer commented on Asian stereotypes to me or anyone else,, for which I was grateful. I felt empowered by knowing that I didn't have to stay silent or laugh along with the jokes when I didn't feel they were right, and that I had helped at least one person see that stereotyping can be hurtful. Additionally, my perspective on racial stereotypes changed as well. Before I challenged my friend, the comments my peers flung towards me hit me very personally . However, I realized through my friend that many people are nearsighted to the effects of what they are saying can have. I now have no problem confronting people who make remarks about racial stereotypes, but I keep in mind that they simply might not know how much their racial categorization can sting. Through the whole experience, I came out as an independent, but also more understanding person who is no longer afraid to speak for herself.

estherh

Oct 22, 2014

Undergraduate / "Oh, you got that grade cause you're Asian" - Challenging a belief or idea [7]

Thank you so much! I definitely need to add more to the conclusion and change the passive voice...it's a bad habit :P

estherh

Oct 21, 2014

Undergraduate / 'I hate trade-offs': why Barnard? [2]

I like your essay! However, the beginning "first and foremost, I would require more than 250 words," sounds a bit strange and disconnected from the rest of the essay. You could try to re-word it to convey that you could write so much more about Barnard than is allowed.

estherh

Oct 21, 2014

Undergraduate / "Oh, you got that grade cause you're Asian" - Challenging a belief or idea [7]

thank you!

estherh

Oct 21, 2014

Undergraduate / Life in Pictures and Shapes - Common App Essay [2]

You might want to add how seeing in shapes/lines has shaped you because it's not very clear.

estherh

Oct 21, 2014

Undergraduate / "Oh, you got that grade cause you're Asian" - Challenging a belief or idea [7]

Any help/edits/comments are welcome! Thank you!
Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

"Oh, you got that grade cause you're Asian. Hey, do you know so-and-so? He's Asian. Don't you have some kind of Asian connection? You should date him. You would be the ultimate Asian couple." As an eighth grader moving to a new school, I was not used to being stereotyped because of my race. At my old school, I had grown up with everyone there and nobody had ever said anything to me like that before. I was taken by surprise and felt a little angry, especially because the speaker of those comments was my new, and almost only, friend of the time. The idea that I had gotten an A on my test because I was Asian baffled me. My parents had instilled in me that hard work led to success, and I was pretty familiar to a couple C's and many B's on tests and quizzes when I slacked off. My close friend from my old school, who was Caucasian, almost always got better grades than me as well, so I knew that being Asian didn't mean anything.

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