Social Awareness Project

Table of Contents

Overview of Project ………………………………………………………….    3

Reading Response to the Song Try by ……………………………………….    4

Response to Dead Girls are Skinnier …………………………………………    5

The Poem “Lost” by Isabel/ how I    …………………………………………    6-7

The Song Try by Colbie Caillat ……………………………………………...     8-9

Artwork by Kimberly Passage ……………………………………………….     10 

Work Cited Page ……………………………………………………………..    11

 

Overview of my Project

In the project you are about to read, you will find a diversity of things. Form song lyrics to responses to works of art, they are all centered around one topic, the social issues that we witness in our world today. I focused on one main idea that then branches out into many smaller ideas. From the artwork by Kimberly Passage that portrays bullying, to my poem that speaks about teen suicide. I contain a work cited page that gives credit to the artwork and the song that is in my project. 

                         Reading Response to the Song Try by Colbie Caillat

Try is an emotional song about the struggle teens; girls in general, go through to fit into society. The songwriter, Colbie Caillat, portrays the message that you can be yourself and you don’t have to change for anyone or anything. One of the lines in the song is, “Put your make-up on. Get your nails done. Curl your hair. Run the extra mile, keep it slim. So they like you.” Many teens, especially in high school, would do anything to “fit in” with the popular crowed. Even in MS.51 there are these problems of girls, and some boys, changing who they really are so people would like them. This is and can be the cause of suicide in young adults and teens. Because these girls can’t seem to fit in no matter how hard they Try.

The message I feel that the singer/songwriter is projecting to us is like I said in the first paragraph, you can be yourself and you don’t have to change for anyone. Another inspirational line in the song is, “You don’t have to try so hard. You don’t have to give it all away.” This powerful line is saying that people don’t have to try so hard to be someone that they are not. When they do try hard, they end up giving away their true self. Another meaningful line is, “Wait a second why should you care, what they think of you. When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you? Do you like you?” This is a true statement in many ways. You shouldn’t care what others think of you. Such as how you dress or what you like to do for fun. You and others have to like you for who You are.

This song had and still has given me a lot of emotions. In my younger years, elementary and 6^th grade, I tried so hard to fit in. I did fit in after some time, but I soon discovered that I wasn’t happy like I thought I would be, I wasn’t myself. So I went to find true friends that would only accept me for me. The song wasn’t the only thing that sparked me emotions; the video that came along with it also did too. When it starts, they’re various women of all ages in tons of make-up to make them look “pretty”, but they don’t look happy. As the video progresses, they each start taking off all of their make-up and happiness starts to show on their faces. One woman even takes off a wig to show her bald head. It is sad that they have to hide who they really are. Maybe one day, the world will accept our differences, that make us each unique.

               Response to Dead Girls Are Skinnier by Kimberly Passage

The artwork, Dead Girls Are Skinnier by Kimberly Passage, portrays our generation in society. You can see in the artwork, that there is one overweight girl walking through the doorway by an extremely skinny girl that is skin on bones that calls her fat. Around those two, are words in big bold letters, DEAD GIRLS ARE SKINNIER. On one side, in smaller letters, tells very helpful facts such as; “destroy what destroys you” and “no one is ever alone… there is always help.” But, on the other side, they’re mean and destructive words such as; “Monster” and “go kill yourself”. They’re more helpful words then hurtful ones, but yet, some teens go for the hurtful ones. Why is that? Maybe it is because you need twice as many helpful words to cover the harmful. This piece really speaks to me because I have had a friend that has gone through problems like these, I know how difficult it s to break past the voices. When people call you fat and monster, it doesn’t bother you at first. But then, their voices get to you and you start to believe them. Fortunately for my friend, she had the right kind of help getting through it, family and friends. This is a over growing problem all around the world. Especially in high school, where “appearance” matters. People constantly change who they are for other people to be able to fit in. One day, teens will see that people have to accept who they are and deal with it.   

Lost Girl

This is a story of a lost girl, all alone.

Where she is forsaken and forlorn.

She now sits in the bathroom stall,

with her lunch and back against the wall.

She persists, keeps trying on.

But there is no friend to motivate her on.

With lack of love in her sight,

she may not be able to keep her light.

Everyday she keeps fighting, going on.

But her light keeps dimming on and on.

She can only take so much,

before she decides it is finally enough.

When she decides to take the sorrow away,

oh just to be happy for all her days.

To the pills, there she went.

And in that stall, her life was spent.

As she breathed her final breath goodbye,

her eyes closed for the very last time.

This is where her story now ends.

No life, no love, or any friends.

So keep those you love and hate close to you.

Or they might turn into that Lost girl, too.

 

How I Wrote My Poem

I got my creativity from the book “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. The book inspired me to portray Hanna’s story, but with a spin. It took a lot of class time and home time to come up with all the rhymes and story plot for this poem. I first created a story line (no rhymes) about my main character, the lost girl. Then finally, I found simple but meaningful line for my poem.

"Try"

Put your make up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim
So they like you. Do they like you?

Get your sexy on
Don't be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong
So they like you. Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try
You don't have to try

Get your shopping on,
At the mall,
Max your credit cards
You don't have to choose,
Buy it all
So they like you. Do they like you?

Wait a second,
Why should you care, what they think of you
When you're all alone, by yourself
Do you like you? Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try

You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try
You don't have to try

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try, try, try, try
You don't have to try
You don't have to try

Take your make up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don't you like you?
Cause I like you

                                                            Song by COLBIE CAILLAT

Work Cited Page

Artwork by Kimberly Passage:

http://www.fayobserver.com/life/teen-art-speaks-volumes-at-cape-fear-high-school/article_6c10e52b-a0ef-5650-b231-55685e57fab1.html?mode=image&photo=1

Song “Try” by Colbie Caillat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoZLPSw8U8