Break Free - A Reflection
BreakFree began with identifying all the stereotypes in our lives and how they affect us. Whether the stereotype belongs to a certain race, gender, or religion, we looked how it changed our interactions with others even if it is not intentional. WE then went to the whiteboard and wrote down every single slur and stereotype we knew about being black, white, Asian, and Mexican. We started off learning about whistling vivaldi and how one man's listening of a classical tune changed people's perception of him. This was extremely powerful for me because something that I think everyone needs to see is the stereotype or word right in front of them and confront it. People tend to shy away from these subjects so getting them to talk about it is extremely important. One thing was definite: BreakFree had begun.
The project concluded of
1.Personal Piece
2.Group Video Project
3.Exhibition
We had to create a piece of writing called a "That Card" in which we explained a time we were discriminated against because of how society perceives us. The goal was to prove that we were more than that. We are more that what society portrays us to be. (The art isn't present because I'd like to keep my piece anonymous.)
I wrote my "That Card" on the white stereotypes in society. Using an example from when I was a child and was discriminated against because of the color of my skin.
Personal Piece - TED TALK
The personal journey for me was all about white privilege and how whites are treated positively and negatively compared to other races. I chose to perform a TED talk about white privilege and the recent Break Free moment I had. At first I was very unhappy with my first drafts not sure where I was going with my TED talk.
I became frustrated and had a lot of anxiety about it because of the fear of offending people with my words. It wasn't until a long conversation with my teacher after school that I truly realised what privilege is, and why it is so important to talk about it in society. The reason why white privilege isn't talked about enough is because it makes people feel very uncomfortable admitting that they have an advantage over someone else.
The personal journey for me was all about white privilege and how whites are treated positively and negatively compared to other races. I chose to perform a TED talk about white privilege and the recent Break Free moment I had. At first I was very unhappy with my first drafts not sure where I was going with my TED talk.
I became frustrated and had a lot of anxiety about it because of the fear of offending people with my words. It wasn't until a long conversation with my teacher after school that I truly realised what privilege is, and why it is so important to talk about it in society. The reason why white privilege isn't talked about enough is because it makes people feel very uncomfortable admitting that they have an advantage over someone else.
2. Group Video Project
The second part of Break Free was to make a group video project about social issues. We chose to make a video about Islamophobia, which is the irrational fear of Muslims. WE chose to do this topic because of the social stigma about Muslims and the discrimination that they face that has become part of their every day lives. This kind of discrimination should never be the norm in America, no matter the religion.
We started off with creating a project proposal lining out what we aimed to accomplish and giving a timeline as to when and where we were to film and edit. The project proposal covered everything from filming schedules to facts and statistics about Islam that we could use in our videos.
Project Presentation
Something that I have learned while at High Tech High International is how to give and receive critique. As with any major project we gave critique based off each group's project ideas.
We then presented our idea to the class in order to get feedback on our video. This was extremely helpful because having many people critique your video and tell you what they liked and didn't like helped us focus on what we needed to work on. It also gave us a chance to see what the other groups are doing and compare to see how our idea was different and similar to the other groups.
We then presented our idea to the class in order to get feedback on our video. This was extremely helpful because having many people critique your video and tell you what they liked and didn't like helped us focus on what we needed to work on. It also gave us a chance to see what the other groups are doing and compare to see how our idea was different and similar to the other groups.
Story Board
Creating the storyboard for our project was one of my favorite parts of this project because it was the first time we got to see our video coming to life. I already knew that our video would be special in that just like white privilege, people do not like to talk about Islamophobia.
Scene 1 - Interviews with kids around HTHI asking: "What is Islamophobia"
Scene 2 - News clips showing discrimination against Muslims.
Scene 3 - Interview with Taha Hasane the leader of prayer at the ICSD. Asking: "What is Islam?
Scene 4 - Interview with two Muslim boys asking about their experiences with discrimination.
Scene 5 - Interview with the public asking about their experiences with discrimination
Scene 6 - showing public the interview of the Muslim teens. Asking for reaction based off their responses.
Scene 7 - Final Interview with Muslim teens, talking about how since 9/11 being discriminated against has been the norm.
Scene 1 - Interviews with kids around HTHI asking: "What is Islamophobia"
Scene 2 - News clips showing discrimination against Muslims.
Scene 3 - Interview with Taha Hasane the leader of prayer at the ICSD. Asking: "What is Islam?
Scene 4 - Interview with two Muslim boys asking about their experiences with discrimination.
Scene 5 - Interview with the public asking about their experiences with discrimination
Scene 6 - showing public the interview of the Muslim teens. Asking for reaction based off their responses.
Scene 7 - Final Interview with Muslim teens, talking about how since 9/11 being discriminated against has been the norm.
Final Product
After meeting with Taha Hassane the leader of prayer at the Islamic Center of San Diego, we gathered some valuable information about Islam. In addition we also interviewed two Muslim teens about their experience of being in public and how people treat them because of their religion.
We then proceeded to interview members of the public on their view of Islam, and what they thought of the Muslim teen's response. After interviewing we then went and edited the video. The editing took about a week long and was one of the most stressful times of the project due to our footage being lost for about and hour. The video we made demonstrates the public's view on discrimination on Islam and how everyone should be treated equally.
We then proceeded to interview members of the public on their view of Islam, and what they thought of the Muslim teen's response. After interviewing we then went and edited the video. The editing took about a week long and was one of the most stressful times of the project due to our footage being lost for about and hour. The video we made demonstrates the public's view on discrimination on Islam and how everyone should be treated equally.
Exhibition
Our main exhibition was held in Queen Bee's in North Park, a local music venue. There we were able to present our spoken word pieces and art piece with plenty of room and space to not feel cramped and congested. The stages were also used to perform music pieces including the rockestra a large band made up of the two classes. Each song had to do with breaking free from stereotypes and accepting each other for who we are.
The exhibition at Queen Bee's was the best exhibition I have ever had during my time in the High Tech system. Queen Bee's provided an amazing atmosphere to display what we had poured our heart and soul into the past few months.
The exhibition at Queen Bee's was the best exhibition I have ever had during my time in the High Tech system. Queen Bee's provided an amazing atmosphere to display what we had poured our heart and soul into the past few months.
Reflection
To me Break Free means that "Ah-Ha!" moment that you have once you see the effects of stereotypes on society. Not just see them, but understand how they effect people. Something that still troubles me is writing out my emotions and explaining how I feel to someone. This was especially difficult when I had to explain my personal Break Free moment to the attendees of our exhibition. Although I'm very glad I did a TED talk on this subject because it is very good practice for the future when I'll have to write and speak in front in other people. I overcame this challenge by practicing and relaxing more and trying not to stress myself out about our project. This applies to my every day life as I tend to get anxiety about little things. So learning to calm myself down and "go with the flow" worked very well for myself this project.
I've learned all about Islam and feel confident to correct people if they step out of line. After Break Free I feel more educated in terms of social stereotyping and discrimination. I'm glad I have these skills now because of the current political situation where there is a lot of hate towards Muslims and Immigrants.
I think that this semester was truly a breakthrough for Break Free in terms that it became larger and there was more passion for it. After Break Free I wasn't left with a bad taste in my mouth like most projects, I felt a sense of hope that through more projects like this we can make the world a better place.
I've learned all about Islam and feel confident to correct people if they step out of line. After Break Free I feel more educated in terms of social stereotyping and discrimination. I'm glad I have these skills now because of the current political situation where there is a lot of hate towards Muslims and Immigrants.
I think that this semester was truly a breakthrough for Break Free in terms that it became larger and there was more passion for it. After Break Free I wasn't left with a bad taste in my mouth like most projects, I felt a sense of hope that through more projects like this we can make the world a better place.