Nisa Hardin Public Feed

Nisa and Kara: The Wiz trailer

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Reel Reading · Giknis · C Band on

For our final film project, Kara and I decided to take on a classic, “The Wiz”, and create a horrific rendition of the original plot through a storyboard trailer. To do this, we had to incorporate things that are mainly seen in movies under the horror genre. This meant finding parts of the movie that had a lot of bottom angles, eerie non-diegetic sound and scenes that either foreshadowed or included the main characters encountering danger. This was a challenge considering the original nature of the movie, but knew that there were still sustainable parts that would be effective when put together. The majority of the movie uses high key lighting, colorful setting and upbeat non-diegetic sound. We were able to take the scenes that embodied darkness with the menacing costumes, emphasizing the horror in Dorothy and her friends’ faces while connecting it to the harrowing causes. Camera angles and techniques that are commonly used in horror movies include the birds eye/high angle shot, which makes the subject seem small and vulnerable, Close ups to display the emotion and capture detail, tracking shots during chases, a handheld camera shot and point of view shot to give insight to what the character is experiencing. We found a lot of these techniques in the scenes we chose, even before doing more research on what was commonly used in the genre. Depending on the character, There will be more of one technique used than the other. For main characters such as Dorothy and Evilene, there were many close-up and eye level shots, or establishing shots when they would change setting.

A major thing that we focused on in terms of zoom was the scenes of wear the lion is hanging, scarecrow is being attacked, and Dorothy is in the hurricane. When zoomed in on these scenes, it gives suspense and excites the crowd on what might happen next. This was included with darker lighting to exaggerate the whole idea of it being a horror film since darker lighting represents fear and suspense. The costumes do not change, only because we are directly using scenes from the movie, and it would serve no purpose to have the characters in different costumes otherwise the audience wouldn’t be able to identify the characters. We chose to use the main characters who were featured throughout the scenes to alter what is actually happening. The majority of the scenes are bad things happening to each of the characters and pulling just those images make it look scary when you just highlight the bad parts. The flashbacks are used through long shots that give the audience a feel of the surrounding and sound throughout each of the scenes. Lastly, the title was made with blood dripping off of it to illustrate the fact that it’s a horror movie. We didn’t really want to alter the title, because the scenes that are drawn actually happened. So instead we had blood drip off the letters to give a darker feel.

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Nisa Hardin Capstone

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Capstone · Baird · Wed on
​I had to think of something unique to my passion. Psychology is all about studies and experiments, depicted through articles and documentaries stemmed from someone just like me wanting to know the anthropology fueling the ever-changing human mind. I had to do it to the extent of my understanding, so a documentary or prolonged experiment of my own was out of the question. I wanted to make it more about my own learning experience and had to think of what I could do to create a good balance between gaining a source for learning while also utilizing it to show what I am working towards. I’d been volunteering at a nursing home outside of my neighborhood for about three years, and my mother works there as a recreational manager, so I figured that I could use these accessible factors and make something out of it; and that's how I came up with the idea to simply interview the people that I see regularly. 
         A large fraction of the nursing home did not exercise, and outside of those in healthcare, I wanted to know why they didn’t use the gym provided. Those that were pushed to exercise and care for their health were better off in the long term and began encouraging others to do the same. I found that people tend to follow the common myth that the older adult isn’t required to continue exercising and taking care of their bodies, yet it’s arguably one of the most effective ways to alleviate conditions that follow old age. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Barnett, Anne, Ben Smith, Stephen R. Lord, Mandy Williams, and Adrian Baumand. "Community‐based Group Exercise Improves Balance and Reduces Falls in At‐risk Older People: A Randomised Controlled Trial | Age and Ageing | Oxford Academic." OUP Academic. Oxford University Press, 01 July 2003. Web. 24 Jan. 2018.

 Unlike the other trials, this experiment assesses how the older adult reacts to exercise from a more emotionally based standpoint. This is done by collecting the results from the subgroups within the total number of patients, such as those who exercised at home, in a small group or a larger group. the objective was to determine whether participation in group activities had an effect on a patient's willingness to exercise and take more interest in their overall well-being or not. The results showed a small increase in the participation of a larger group, and a majority of the patients reported having better balance and less joint pain. I can use this to prove that conducting trials such as this can result in something that possibly wasn't expected.

Dustman, Robert E. 
"Aerobic Exercise Training and Improved Neuropsychological Function of Older Individuals." Neurobiology of Aging. Elsevier, 19 Mar. 2003. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.

 This trial gives me an in-depth explanation on the differences between the neuropsychological and physical changes that might occur in the older citizen depending on time, place and length of the trial period. It was aerobic exercise specifically, which I am not positive makes a difference in the overall mental effects, but the trial concluded with the improvement of balance in the arms, legs and backs of older adults, with little to no increase or decrease of the function in the patient's peripheral part of the brain, and more of a change in the central. I can use this in comparison to the other trials that assess this topic from a similar standpoint.


Hampe, Barry. 
“Making Documentary Films and Videos.” Google Books, Henry Holt and Company, 7 Sept. 2002, books.google.com/books?hl=en. 

This was one of the two sources I decided to use as guidance through the filming and editing parts of the project. I like this excerpt because it gives inexpensive and creative ways to create a documentary whether the goal is to have it broadcasted or not. It also provides information on how a documentary differs from other genres of film both historically and design-wise, so going into this aspect of the capstone I at least know a few tips on how I am planning to film the project as opposed to getting the actual equipment without knowing what I plan to do with it. 

Howe, Tracey E.
 "Exercise for Improving Balance in Older People." Wiley. Cochrane Library, 17 Oct. 2007. Web. 24 Jan. 2018. 

This article will be used to help me analyze if there is a certain pattern of the types of exercise elderly citizens prefer to engage in, and how that part of the body relates to their age, by decade, in search of a narrower assessment. Overstimulation or lack thereof from any exercise can take a toll on the older adult's health , which more often than assumed can be associated with illness and falls. I am thinking of including a segment within the documentary that suggests some exercises that are free weight or don't require any other than body weight, being that my audience is the older adult and I have to place myself in their shoes and think of what they'd want out of something similar to what I'm doing.

Lord, Stephen R.
 et al. “The Effect of a 12‐Month Exercise Trial on Balance, Strength, and Falls in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 27 Apr. 2015, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1995.tb07394.x/full. 

Along with a couple other citations, I felt it was necessary to include some trials made surrounding my topic that have different independent/dependent variables so that I am able to compare these results with each other and eventually with my own. This is also conducted by experts within the neuropsychological field, so I figured since my topic falls under this umbrella that I could apply some of the tactics used by the scientists to how I decide to form some of my questions. This experiment in particular was conducted over the course of a year, so the results regarding the motor skills, physiological changes, etc. are solid.

Miles, Toni P., Ann V. Schwartz, Marie Luz Villa, Mila Prill, Joseph A. Kelsey, Jill A. Galinus, Romelia Ramirez Delay, Michael C. Nevitt, Daniel A. Bloch, Robert Marcus, and Jennifer L. Kelsey. 
"SPECIAL POPULATIONS IN GERIATRICS." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.

 I am using this to show that there are differences in the changes of the peripheral cortex and the stimulation of it when it comes to race/background. This study was conducted on mexican-american patients specifically, so these results will cater more towards my research which is presumably more diversified than the general research results that I have explored. There are a number of things that older people of color don't have access to, and that might even be a nearby nursing home, elderly fitness group or personal fitness instructor. This drastically extends the amount of time a patient is expected to become accustomed to and further rely on a exercise/nutritional routine, especially being that the options listed are out of reach. The study was conducted over roughly 3 years, the results of which displayed that mexican-american women actually faced a higher risk of serious falls. It wasn't until the end of this trial that the patients involved were knowledgeable of this fact, and were more willing to take action. I want my documentary to have this type of influence. 

Ratto, Matt. 
“DIY Citizenship: Critical Making and Social Media.” Google Books, M.I.T, 4 Sept. 2014, books.google.com/books?hl=en. 

I am using this source because it reminded me that in creating my documentary, I should take into account the type of visuals and language that I want to use. I need something that can resonate with the elderly residents, but up until I read this article I realize it would be better to avoid assuming I know what it is that amuses or catches the attention of the older audience and better to simply add that into some of my preliminary questions. It also proves that I need to have a solid balance of entertainment, persuasiveness and scientific detail. 

Reuben, David B., 
et al. “Quality of Care for Older Persons at the Dawn of the Third Millennium.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Blackwell Science Inc, 10 July 2003, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2389.2003.51346.x/full.

 I will use this source to make a comparison of how the attention paid to the geriatric community has grown or diminished based over the generations. I didn't know there was much of a change as I didn't really pay attention to the lifestyles of older people up until now, but according to the study there has been a significant decrease of residents in nursing homes, and older adults are staying home with their children. Because of this, there has also been an increase in the interest of older people currently living in nursing homes. I can either include this research directly with a hyperlink or explain it briefly in my documentary.



Romaniuk, M., McAuley, W. J., & Arling, G. 
(1983). An examination of the prevalence of mental disorders among the elderly in the community. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92(4), 458-467.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.92.4.458 

 This excerpt allowed me to see from the perspective of one who not only studies geriatrics, but also the ever changing mental state of America’s older citizen as it rapidly evolves. Despite the recent spike in tensions politically, economically and so on, the study of cognitive and emotional behavior in geriatrics has been conducted long before this year. With the large number of factors that play into how the mind does or doesn’t develop mental illness, to attempt to come to a conclusion for the mental disorders that a majority of older citizens may face is difficult and ongoing. Remedies for the effect mental illness on the older adult include exercise, so I will be able to use this so the inclusion of this topic is seen in my final product. 



Young, Deborah Rohm, Lawrence J. Appel, SunHa Jee, and Edgar R. Miller.
 "The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and T'ai Chi on Blood Pressure in Older People: Results of a Randomized Trial." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2018. 

I am using this trial to explore how a type of exercise can be more for the mind than the body, such as tai chi. It forces you to practice patience and balance, and become more aware and at peace with yourself and the world around you. I think I will pitch the idea of meditative exercise towards the mentally disabled or ill older citizens, considering that they're far less likely to be involved in group activities or outside of a fairly isolated area anway. Though I would say that it panders to a smaller audience (at least in America), I would emphasize that it can be learned and mastered just as any other exercise would be, just less traditional and requiring more patience and determination.

A modern day feminist film review

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Intersectional Feminism · Menasion · e1 Band on

A modern day feminist film review

In this socially developing day and age, we find more reasons to dissect the beliefs , cultures and practices that surround us in everyday life, especially in technology. People are more aware than ever of the subliminal messages used in advertising, movies, songs, etc. that embed themselves in our subconscious and shape our perspective and how we interpret situations. A product of these detections is the Mako Mori and Bechdel Tests, where we are forced to look in from, for some, a relatively unfamiliar perspective. Both of these inventions are the result of something, that something being most closely related to the misogyny and toxic masculinity constantly portrayed in the media. More often than not, in American media a woman’s most frequent roles include being obedient, submissive, and important only if they are talking about a man. The Mako Mori method tests the inclusivity of well developed female characters that don’t contribute to a man’s story. The bechdel test follows a similar dynamic, asking whether a work of fiction has at least two women can share dialogue that doesn’t involve the topic of men.

If the question is why these tests must exist, you’ll find that it’s much easier to recover a time you watched a movie that involved men, whose main purpose wasn’t to get a woman’s attention or please them, but in fact the women just happen to be a factor in their story. Take the movie 50/50, for instance. Adam, a middle aged man who prided himself in his health has his life turned around when malignant tumors are found in his spine, docking his mortality rate by 50%. Along with his family, he tries to keep good spirits, even though everyone around him is prepared for the worst. He falls for his therapist, one of the three women represented in the entire movie. Aside from talking about Adam’s doctor, who is notably also male, his therapist and mother don’t discuss anything that isn’t regarding the main character or the supporting male roles. Enough information is given to conclude that this movie doesn’t pass either the mako mori or bechdel test, and it can’t be blamed on the plot of the movie, the year it came out, the actors, etc. It’s a combination of the choices made by the director, audience, and culture of hollywood movies in general. Image result for synopsis of 50/50

The reclamation test

Based on how women are represented and depicted in a majority of these movies, I have decided to test how relevant a female character becomes or how her character diminishes when a male character is eliminated, regardless of if they’re main characters or not. It’s important that this criteria is met, because it shows the audience that a woman’s role doesn’t always have to be temporary or niche. There’s often little diversity in the role of a woman, she only displays a limited number of emotions and concerns, which frequently reflects the actions in the role of a man. To show that a female character can develop freely, without any other permission than the progression of the plot itself, sends a more positive and encouraging message to viewers furthermore changing the way in which they’re influenced by movies.

Lady bloodfight

This movie is about an American woman, Jane, who travels to Hong Kong to fulfill her destiny of becoming a champion in the fight of the “Kumite”, an underground, full-contact martial arts competition for women. The movie focuses on another integral relationship regarding her trainer Shu, who is also a woman. Shu and her rival Wai both compete for the throne by training students like Jane to battle on their behalf.The judges of the competition worry themselves only with the monetary reward the popularity will bring, and therefore allow the fights to be limitless, brutal, and often fatal. Nearing the end of the story, we come to find that Shu and Wei were at each other’s necks for so long because Wei blamed Shu for the death of her brother, which was ruled as a suicide that nobody could wrap their heads around. Image result for lady bloodfightJane further investigates, and finds that one of the corrupt judges not only had to do with Wei’s brother’s death, but also the death of her own father, who traveled to Hong Kong many years before to battle in the same competition. Jane brings the man to public confession at the end of the final battle, ending the long-time contention between Shu and Wei and bringing honor to her father. Despite the main character’s motives being in the likeness of men, this information wasn’t relevant until the end of the movie. Up until then, the women trained and fought because they felt it was in their hearts to do so, to teach and learn internal peace and contentedness. Jane’s father, Wei’s brother, and the evil judge had relevance throughout the movie, sure, but they weren’t permanent or centerpieces for less than half of it. The only character that was physically seen was the evil judge, and even then his presence was quickly dismissed. The movie passes the reclamation test with flying colors because of this, because each female character was strong enough on their own, and for a change the male characters were only relevant because of the female’s role.

Image result for lady bloodfight

 


Zero Tolerance for the Zero-tolerance policies

Posted by Nisa Hardin in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on
For my last essay, I wanted to show what I'd been working towards and improving with my creative thinking and writing. I was also really interested in my topic, so conducting research was informative and fairly enjoyable. I feel as if I did well on this essay and displayed how I have been working on my writing skills throughout the year. There is still much for me to learn but so far a lot has been conquered. 

Nisa Hardin


Advanced essay no. 4


Zero tolerance for the “zero-tolerance policies”


Other than major budget cuts, underfunding and suffering from government ignorance, a majority of inner-city schools across the U.S deal with the growing issue that follows zero-tolerance policies. Ever since a surge in violence and theft within schools before the 1980’s, schools across the nation have made it their top priority to completely divest acts of violence, truancy and general misbehaviour. The differences between then and now, though, are almost too drastic to be comparable. The first and most outstanding thing would have to be the “War on drugs” that Reagan created, which pushed drugs to inner city black and hispanic communities to incarcerate their population as a tactic to suppress the civil rights movement; in turn causing the impressionable public to demonize and alienate the black community and its culture. With significantly diminished property values and quality of life due to open-air drug markets, drug-related murders and numerous home invasion robberies, many communities residing within the inner city were figuratively and in some cases literally left for dead. Too add to the damage, Zero-tolerance policies were created and implemented within the majority of U.S schools.

To this day, research has not been able to report improvements subsequent to the placement of these regulations. Often what happens is that students are penalized to the fullest extent for things that one would think only called for a slap on the hand, but because this isn’t the case many student careers are often thrown away, regardless of the state of their records; more specifically those affected are mainly minorities and students with disabilities. Statistics show that 40% of students expelled from U.S schools each year are black, 70% of school related arrests are black and latino, 25% of minorities are incarcerated within a couple years after they’re 18. Jose Gallego shared his story in an interview about school-to-prison pipelines, illustrating the slippery slope that often follows the penalties of violating zero-tolerance policies: “I’m a highschool dropout. I was supposed to graduate in 2008, but I missed a few days of school because my parents were going through a hard time. They kicked me out of school. So, then I started selling CD’s downtown. I was arrested for selling CD’s, i was locked up, and I got out with a whole different perspective. I had never been in juvenile detention before. I didn’t know what to do. I started selling drugs. Now I am lost. I’ve got a little brother and little sister, they don’t look up to me anymore. I’m a two time convicted felon. It is hard for me to get a job.”

My middle school experience somewhat reflected the zero-tolerance policies unto its students, but fortunately I wasn’t heavily impacted by the consequences that followed the petty and excessive amount of rules that if not followed could jeopardize a student’s access to education. For example though, one of the rules that I will never understand to this day is uniform. To emphasize how seriously staff took wearing the navy blue polo and khaki pants, I’d compare it to the dress codes at SLA. Students are allowed to wear nearly whatever they please so long as it doesn’t reveal entirely too much or suggest something negative or offensive to others. Even when there are incidents where a student may violate these rules, the most they are asked to do is refrain from wearing that item of clothing in the future. At my middle school, Teachers would patrol the halls at exactly 8:40 each morning to examine the uniforms of each student. Wearing any shade of blue other than navy, gym clothes on a non-gym day, or head wear that wasn’t khaki or navy blue were grounds for an unopposable early dismissal or in some cases immediate suspension. The average number of students pulled out of class and taken to the office a day were three or four, and that was just in my grade group.

This, in contrast to the extremely strict zero-tolerance policies in other districts, is virtually nothing. The school-to-prison pipeline is really a classroom-to-prison pipeline. A student’s trajectory to a criminalized life often begins with an unfair curriculum that disrespects children’s lives and that does not center on things that matter. Nearly two decades of a "zero tolerance" mentality has contributed dramatically to a spike in exclusionary discipline that involves racial disparities, and if you ask me all of it seems just a bit too strategic.




Bibliography…


Giroux, Henry. "Racial Injustice and Disposable Youth in the Age of Zero Tolerance."International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. Taylor and Francis Online, 25 Nov. 2010. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.


Norm Stamper / AlterNet. "5 Surprising Consequences of the War on Drugs." Alternet. N.p., 06 Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.


Buggs, Innis. "Innis Buggs." Politic365. N.p., 15 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.


Fuentes, Annette. "Preview of Article:." Rethinking Schools Online. Rethinking Schools, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.



Change and identity podcast

Posted by Nisa Hardin in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on
https://www.soundtrap.com/play/CcEPyIm1SD6c6MnAC-u0PA/change-and-identity-podcast/
My goals for this assignment were to uncover something about my mother's life that I could carry with me throughout my own and utilize it to my best ability. I also wanted to emphasize or better clarify how much something minor can have greater long-term impacts on the mind. What went well was the interview itself, mainly because it wasn't initially difficult to talk to my mom but also because of her willingness to open up so easily being the circumstance it was in. I was able to tell that she seemed pretty happy that I wanted to know about her life, and that resulted in a lot of useful content. My struggles were editing and shortening the podcast. I used WeVideo and forgetting I could only publish my work if it was under the time limit, I ended up having to record what I had using another app. The trimming was quite tedious. Overall, I learned new podcasting skills, some interesting aspects of my mother's past and what to look for in a good story. 

Double standards: Who's to blame?, Nisa Hardin

Posted by Nisa Hardin in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on
Intro: ​For this essay, I wanted to attempt to connect my personal experiences with my work, but it was more difficult than I thought, because I was trying to better my descriptive writing skills at the same time. I ultimately decided to go in a different direction, making my essay something I'm truly passionate about and could see myself providing genuine thought towards, and in the end I was able to create something that encouraged analysis of the deeper meaning in my topic. 

Essay: Addressing the issue of double standards in this era will incessantly be something that impacts us all, but we rarely focus on the real problem at hand, and that’s who is being affected most and why. Some factors in particular such as race, religion, or the place one grows up in can play a role in how much a person experiences the many forms of double standards. The idea of undressing the topic and confronting it’s issues is, in this era, abnormal and almost taboo, which is ironic because the concept of double standards contributes greatly to what we are taught and what we teach, and before you know it it's become the norm. Blue is masculine, Pink is feminine, ballet is for girls, martial arts are for boys, and so on; until the invisible rules placed on certain religions, races, and genders cloud the judgement of whose who use double standards to perceive others. Phrases like “Boys will be boys”, “That isn't ladylike”, or “Man up!”, are all products of the enforcement we put on double standards, so much that we fail to realize that it has been ingrained in our minds from birth, clinging to us throughout the years, and obliviously passed down to the next generation.  

The deal with double standards is that it isn’t being dealt with. This could possibly be because in a way we know that trying to equalize justices between race, sex, economic status etc. would be too difficult an abstraction for the world to comprehend, and uncovering the ugly truth behind that system would do more damage than good. Double standards live everywhere, but it’s rules adjust depending on where it’s centered. In America, for example, there are a number of groups that face pretty particular double standards. These issues are often written about, and the variety of writers’ articles about the double standards they face displays much of the cause and effect. Barbara Walters, who at the time was just starting out as a young journalist, was well aware of her limits as a woman in the world of politics and became known for speaking out on things that were to be considered “bold” for women to discuss. In an interview, she states, “If I said to a politician, ‘Yes, but you didn’t answer my question,’ it sounded terrible, If a man said it, it didn’t sound terrible.” What Walters faced as a female in a predominantly male line of work was an experience similar to many other women before her, and presumably women today.  

Situations such as male vs female are not always so black and white, however.  Double standards can be narrowed down to something as particular as pregnancy and motherhood, according to a mother of one in North Dakota. Known as Gabrielle Pfeiffer, she describes her knowledge of double standards and how they haven’t really changed since they were created, only modified to fit today’s insatiable society. In one of her popular articles, Pfeiffer points out a well-known double standard: “As mothers, we see it the most. There was a time where most families stayed together, the father worked outside of the home, and the mom stayed at home as a homemaker. The dad would take their sons hunting and fishing, and moms would teach their daughters how to cook and clean. Back then it was the norm, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right way.” With the example she used, Pfeiffer was able to demonstrate how people have decided to deal with double standards decade by decade as a whole from her perspective. Women get the reputation of being bad mothers if they don’t fit the outdated double standard, and although some might not find it bothersome, those who attempt combat against the backlash of it don’t have many to fend for them.

In some way, shape and form double standards affect the mind and sense of belonging; in other words it can take a great toll on one’s identity. While the concept of double standards pairs well with stereotyping, an equally abstract idea that we are well acquainted with, it’s a reflection of what we are responsible for creating.



Citation:

Capretto, Lisa. "The Sexism A Young Barbara Walters Faced When She ‘Asked The Tough Questions’." Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 04 Aug. 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.


Bahadur, Nina. "5 Things Women Are Judged More Harshly For Than Men." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2017.


Harrison, David. "America's Shameful Double Standard." PravdaReport. Pravda in English, 07 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.Harrison, David. "America's Shameful Double Standard." PravdaReport. Pravda in English, 07 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.


Advanced essay #2

Posted by Nisa Hardin in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on


As I wrote this essay, I was thinking of the ways my story affected how I write in general. My goals for this essay were to display my earliest experience with literacy and how that solidified how I would go about writing throughout my life. Up until quite recently I thought what I’d experienced was unusual or out of the ordinary, when really this was only the case because of my elementary education system. I'm proud of being able to voice my opinion and use my memory to help better myself as a writer. What I can improve on is my descriptive writing. Broadening my vocabulary and being able to phrase my ideas will create better writing pieces.                                             


---


I smiled, sprinkling the last bit of glitter on my paper. Beckoning my friend over, I asked her opinion on it. A girl with black braids skips to where we were sitting and crouches, locking her eyes on me. 


 “Why do you talk like that?” 
I sat still, unsure of how to answer such a question. Nobody ever asked me why I speak. Why wouldn’t I speak? 


“What do you mean?” I replied.


My classmates were silent, I could tell they were listening even though they weren’t watching me. The girl in front of me folded her arms across her chest, waiting for an answer I didn’t have. I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about. She rolled her eyes and replied, 


“You talk like a white girl!”


I didn’t know how to reply. I didn’t even know what it meant to ‘Talk like a white girl’. Did they speak differently? I thought about all my white friends. I thought long and hard, attempting to isolate something about them that I didn’t have because I wasn’t white. I became nervous and felt the pits of my arms start to prickle. The girl stood, giggling, but unmoving. What more could she want to ask? 


“Is your mom white?”


This time, I didn’t hesitate to answer. I felt my face contort itself into an annoyed grimace. 


“That wasn’t a very smart question to ask,” I barked. She looked around and realized our classmates with their full attention on the both of us. 


“You aren’t grown! I’m six, your’e only five. You are just a baby.”


I heard laughing. I turned my seat away from her and proceeded to do my work, knowing she would leave if I let her think she “won.” I was right. She spun on her heel and skipped across the room, her pink barrettes clacking against each other. 


I thought about that girl for the rest of the day. 
We both had the same skin colour. We both SOUNDED like normal little girls, as far as I was concerned. It was only then, though, did I realize I would always be different from the other brown girls. 


At first, I didn’t really let what my peers said get to me, they weren’t my friends anyway. Come to think of it, I don’t particularly remember taking an interest into having friends until I was 8 or 9. This was coincidentally around the same time I started to pay attention to the speaking patterns and behavior of the kids who I never really did connect with. I felt as if I was trying to crack some code to becoming “normal”, so I could quit worrying about if I sounded “too white” when I said something. In Everything's in a Name, Annie Yang admits her feelings of self-doubt and her feelings towards her ethnicity as a child, stating “After six years in Iowa and New Jersey I had decided that my success in emulating my white peers would involve complete assimilation, including the adoption of an American name.” (Yang, 11)


I was in a class for “gifted students”. I and about 6 other children were given extra work during an extra class, and we eventually gained the nickname “brainiacs”-- as if I didn't have enough kids teasing me about talking white. I eventually ceased raising my hand or engaging in class activities in fear of being judged. It was only then when I stopped to listen to what my classmates had to say on a daily did I realize just what it meant to “act white”. It seemed like every single one of my peers had subconsciously created a rule that stopped them from doing things white kids could do because they weren't white, even if it included enjoying to learn. 


For so long they had wanted me as a partner in every project and suddenly became my “best friend” whenever the teacher looked away from us during a test but refused to accept me as one of “the normal kids”. These type of situations made me think about Annie Yang and her school experience, especially when she says, “I yearned for membership into the next level: the Asian kids with the American names. They were the ones lucky enough to hang out with the white kids on the jungle gym while Soo Young, Min Jung, and Yin Yin played Korean jacks on a bench by the fence.” (Yang, 12) There was always something that was going to hold me back from ever being exactly like my elementary school peers; Though what mattered (and coincidentally what took me so long to realize) was how much I decided to let such circumstances affect me. Despite it all, I remembered what it meant to create thoughts that couldn't be compared to anyone else's. 




Advanced essay Nisa Hardin

Posted by Nisa Hardin in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on

What do you want to be when you get older?” I don’t know. “How about hobbies that you enjoy?” Hobbies? “You look like you’re going to be a doctor. Or maybe a lawyer?” All eyes were on me. My feet were shifted towards the other side of the room, ready to run. My mother peers at me out of the side of her eye awaiting my response, along with the rest of my family. Their eyes are fixed on me, necks stretched outward and heads tilted to the side to exaggerate their anticipation, half smiles on their faces. I can feel my stomach fill with butterflies, but in this situation, replacing the butterflies with matches would be more of an appropriate fit. My body sparks a fire and spreads quickly. My heart beats in my ears and my underarms burn. I was running out of time. I hated to have to think on my feet, especially when I couldn’t come up with an answer that would prove satisfactory.

“I guess I want to be a nurse.”

The room is brought back to life and everyone quickly returns back to their own conversations. I bolt to the bathroom to catch my breath, replaying that moment over and over in my head.

Why hadn’t I told my family what my true interests and passions were? Why didn’t I mention my journals, my poems, my books full of short stories and notes full of ideas? How I saw it: If I had told them flat out that I wanted to be a writer, I could already hear the sympathetic “reality checks” and looks of concern. Enjoying writing and wanting to take it up as a profession simply isn’t seen as legitimate, at least in my case. I started to feel like I didn’t belong with my classmates. All throughout elementary school I’d sit for hours trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with me. All of my peers wanted to be architects or veterinarians or just something that was generally praised upon. By 8th grade I’d concluded that I was going to have to find another passion to throw my energy into, because writing was just something you had to do when the teacher said so. Of course I loved assignments that required me to write, but they weren’t ever really as fulfilling as I wanted them to be. I was following a list of instructions to get me an A, and then that list was thrown away and the essay was thrown away and nothing was ever looked at again. I was gaining nothing. So, I took it upon myself to start writing whatever I wanted.

By middle school I had gone through one and a half journals that I had used to write stories. Whenever I had the free time, I was writing. I would grab my belongings right before lunch began, head for the gym and up the back stairwell. Dropping my bag below me, I’d blow the dust off my throne and try to get as comfortable as I could on a cold concrete flight of stairs. I would write about anything, really. It all depended on the type of mood I was in. If I had been out of focus all day, I’d find myself writing fairytales or fictional stories with myself as the main character. If I was feeling overwhelmed, I’d write a story that contained anger or even mystery, something that would keep me engaged with my own thoughts. The real reason I kept and still keep my writing to myself is because of the demand that would come out of publicizing everything I wrote.

It was my 8th grade graduation. I sat in the front of the stage and stared off into space as they called out awards for my classmates. A tight ball formed in the pit of my stomach. I had won a couple awards for theatre, but that was expected—they gave those out to everyone. What I did not expect was to hear my name called again. I turned to my english teacher standing at the microphone, smiling. She waved for me to occupy the spot next to her. My dress slid across the floor behind me, and I prayed for it not to get caught in my high heels and cause a complete disaster.

“This girl has written her way into my heart. She creates one of the greatest pieces I’ve seen in the 8th grade class!”

She looks down at me. I search the audience, locking eyes with my mother. She doesn’t look proud. She doesn’t look disappointed, either. I couldn’t read her expression.

“I’m proud to give her this award, but also sad to let her go. I’ll miss her constructed responses.”

The crowd clapped, my mother smiled, my peers praised me.

In moments like that, all the attention and positive feedback would have me thinking of ways to put myself out there and get someone to read and publish my writing. I still struggled with doubt, and had so much to learn. Even now I’m trying my hardest to be confident about the poems and papers I write. What I want to do, I don’t have a solid idea on just yet. But I’m hoping that it never requires me to stop doing what I love.

Una Casa Para Lydia - Fatoumata, Nisa

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on

Una casa para Lydia lyyydia.png


Lydia es 15 años.Ella no es muy atlética y le gusta sentarse y mirar tv y netflix. Su profesión está cantando. Para un espacio de trabajo cómodo, ella prefiere tener una oficina en el hogar también relajarse en. Es dueña de perros grandes que les encanta jugar, así que un gran patio o área de juego designado sería algo conveniente para sus necesidades. Lydia también quiere una casa grande, pero no quiere hacer mucho movimiento que sería una tarea para ir del punto al punto B. Ella prefiere tener su habitación lo más cercano a la planta baja como sea posible para evitar la pérdida de la respiración después de tomar tantas escaleras. Puesto que ella ama tanto la televisión, un cine en casa parece ser la única solución. Eso, junto con aire acondicionado, baños múltiples para cada uno su madre, padre, hermana y yo y para el hogar en una bonita zona suburbana.


Todo esta cuatro historia casa necesita es alguien para reclamar su propio. Todos los baños bellamente renovados y elegantes han sido diseñados para darle un look moderno victoriana. Hay cuatro dormitorios cada sorprendentemente hechos a mano y pintado con colores claros para dar una mejor vibra. A instalado recientemente de cine en casa con sonido envolvente excepcional y paredes pruebas de sonido proporcionan la comodidad de un teatro real, sólo tú haces las reglas. Allí se encuentra un espacio de tamaño mediano con todas de la oficina de suministros necesarios para ser productivos, con una vista impresionante, especialmente cuando la luz llega directamente a la habitación. Otra característica útil es la cantidad de tierra que nos estamos negociando. Nunca habrá un acuerdo como este otra vez, que una casa tan linda y un montón de hierba verde para acres. Normalmente es una buena característica para los animales o niños que disfrutan a ONU alrededor y jugar sin límites. Finalmente, las habitaciones son personalizadas así que no se parece, pero comparte los beneficios de uno al otro. Hay un balcón exterior donde sería cuarto de Lydia, y tendrá una visión del mundo a su alrededor. Para rematar todo apagado y dos lamborghinis en garajes derribó con el más fino terciopelo.

untitled.pngthe-master-bedroom-has-a-huge-fireplace-with-the-tv-above-it.jpgtumblr_mg859viHwR1r0vr70o1_500.jpg


First three bedrooms (in order) Mom & Dad, Lydia, Rubytumblr_m4arxwHD1S1rs9ze5o1_500.jpgtumblr_lim5h5cRUX1qcfl10.jpgPicture-94.png

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Bathrooms (in order) Lydia, Ruby, Mom, Dad


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Recording studio for Lydia


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Central Air


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Backyard


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Home Theatre


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Office space


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Front of home, pool



Disenado por: Fatoumata y Nisa

The other face of Reconstruction

Posted by Nisa Hardin in African American History - Jonas - A on

​My visual is mainly to show the trials of reconstruction during that time. It should have been all about equality, freedom, and the great changes that were promised to be brought; It did, but compared  to the amount of bad occurrences that broke out in the same time period, it was nothing. I wrote EQUALITY in a slightly scattered form and surrounded it with the drowning mass of cons that largely impacted the reconstruction era and caused the progress of equality to take that huge blow. Soon, you are unable to see and notice the word as it is nearly covered by larger, more eye-catching happenings, and soon the boring, hardly noticeable thing isn’t very interesting or meaningful. Equality may be more present in today’s society, but it still has not reached the peak of its true definition. Discrimination, Prejudice, violence and racism still stand today in all parts of the world, no matter what law or rule had been passed.

 The thing that is very commonly misunderstood is that people can easily read something written by the government Ordering them to follow by the certain rules and regulations that may follow, but it does not mean that they will abide by these words. That’s exactly why--They are just words on a sheet of paper. Of course there is no avoiding the fact that in this time certain people are targeted and watched over more carefully than others by the government to make sure that they are following these rules as strictly as said, but the act can not last very long before we all go back to the way we were.

 It is quite simple to do something someone tells you to do, but it is close to impossible for words on paper to change the way a person thinks and feels deep on the inside. Sadly the only way we will take something seriously is if there is a threat behind it. That is an example of a way we have repeated history in a sense: Allowing the bad to always, in the end, outweigh the good.

LINK TO RESEARCH & FLYER:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uMI9I8TVzbJtUdweUoNeVUVExzetPs0qXtpPvdWNs3E/edit

Spanish Benchmark- Nisa

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on

Script- Nisa

Music- Gabrielle Aplin- Panic cord


!Hóla! Te presento a los seres queridos en mi vida. ¡Disfrutar!


Yo: Me llamo Nisa. Tengo Catorce anos. Me gusta cocinar, surfear la red, cantar, platicar con  amigos, y escribir. No me gusta nada estudiar y correr. Asisto a Science Leadership Academy.

El: él es isaiah. Tiene Catorce anos. somos amigos por tres meses ahora. él a gusta trabajar duro, y llegar cosas hecho, pero todavía broma y me da risa alrededor un poco.


Ella: Sizzlin (sí ella real nombre es sizzlin) , mi mejor amiga. ella es de Nepal. ella es muy guapa, comíca, y súper loca. Nos gusta a risa. ella le encanta ir de compras y Uno Dirección, sólo gusta mi. ella es gusta mi hermana.


Ellas: Ella es Alex Y Jasmine, mi primos. Alex tiene diecisiete años , y Jasmine tiene dieciséis años . A vecses nosotros conducir nuestro madres loco.

 


Nosotros: Estos son mi amigas, Deja, la alta una, Israh, mi sudanese bae, Jamie, la rubia, y Fatoumata, la divertida una.  ellos también asisto a science leadership academy. Nos encanta a broma alrededor. es gusta yo tengo mi familia en escuela


Fin: Eso es todo! Gracias por tu attencion. Hasta la vista!


Nisa: Do You.

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Technology- Freshmen - Hull - y1 on
I created this slide the way I did because It shows that you can pretty much do anything you desire, no matter what people say. its only going to affect you in the end, not them. I also chose this because the font is the first thing you would see. Its big, bold but simple- something that would catch your eye. It then leads to the pictures, and the background, which is in good contrast with everything. The pictures tell a few things about me, what and who I like, and it is pretty self explanatory when it comes to how the slide is original. I didn't make a slide with anything too overbearing, just something original but with depth. The pictures are also not too small, as that causes you to forget what the slide was supposed to be about, because you are too engaged in what's happening the sides and bottom and middle.. and stray from the topic. The pictures also do not interfere with one another. They are all coloured and hold meaning, and they all correlate with the concept.
Untitled presentation (2)

Soy Tia

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on
InstaSize_2014_10 _ 57527
InstaSize_2014_10 _ 57527
!Hóla! Mi nombre es Tia Roberts. Soy de Filadelfia. Tengo Quince años, a partir de Octubre 17th. Soy SÚPER bonita. Soy también un poco cómica, si me permite decirlo. Puedo cantar, pero yo acto gusta yo no puedo. Me encanta es correr y practicar deportes., pero a veces yo puedo ser perezosa. Mi favorito cosas que hacer es ir de compras, y comer, y pasar un rato con amigos.

Home Network, Hardin

Posted by Nisa Hardin in Technology- Freshmen - Hull - y1 on
My local area network is Verizon Fios. All the devices on my internet connection are four cellphones, three televisions, and four computers. What i learned bout networks Was that there is more processing that goes into circulating the entire network than we believe. The OMG moment I had was finding out the amount of money spent a year on the cable and wifi. What I believe others should know about their ISP is the amount of money that their parents are sending for something that doesnt seem like it takes much to function and get access to. 
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