Essay 3 Rough Draft

Can Beauty Be Honest?

Do you see yourself as beautiful? Most women do not. In 2004, Dove conducted a survey and only two percent of women claimed that they were beautiful. Thinking that you are beautiful is a way of being honest with yourself. Real beauty is not wearing the newest Sephora lipstick, or dying your hair every two weeks to keep up with the seasons. Beauty is being perfectly okay with the way that you naturally look. In the Ted talks videos, Cameron Russell is honest with us by saying that most of the models beauty is constructed. Aimee Mullins proudly shows us her different legs that are constructed to fit her body. According to my viewpoint on the videos, I can strongly say that beauty is honest.

First of all, models are constructed by their designers to appeal to be more beautiful, however they are still honest about it in the long run. In the video, Cameron Russel talks very much about honesty. She repeatedly says that she is being honest, and not just telling us the answers that we want to hear. Russel says, “"I am insecure." And I'm insecure because I have to think about what I look like every day.” When talking, Russel states that models are made to appear more beautiful than usual. They are photoshopped and positioned to become more appealing. However, Russel being honest about all of her modeling pictures and insecurities is what makes her beauty honest.

Additionally, Aimee Mullins was true to herself when it came to her prosthetic legs. She was not ashamed of what people thought of her, or of what she looked like. In her Ted talk, Mullins said, “I thought, "Well, that's amazing, because I don't feel disabled." And it really opened my eyes to this conversation that could be explored, about beauty. What does a beautiful woman have to look like? What is a sexy body? And interestingly, from an identity standpoint, what does it mean to have a disability?” This is saying that she finds her different legs beautiful, and that she does not try to hide them. She is honest to her viewers and to herself. That is what makes Aimee Mullins’ beauty honest.

Finally, Denis Dutton is the last speaker to speak about beauty. On Ted talks, Dutton has a strong viewpoint on beauty through nature. Dutton says, “Beauty is nature's way of acting at a distance, so to speak.” This exemplifies that nature cannot choose its own beauty. Nature makes their own beauty with what they are given. This plays a part in natural beauty. Natural beauty is the most honest way to view beauty.

To put it all together, beauty can be honest. Through the different Ted talks, we have seen different forms of beauty and whether or not they were honest. Cameron Russel, Aimee Mullins, and Denis Dutton all have firm viewpoints on beauty. Russel is honest with her insecurits, Mullins is honest with her prosthetic legs, and Dutton says that nature has honest beauty.

Works Cited

"The Natural Beauty of Women." How to Be a Natural Beauty. Dove, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.

"My 12 Pairs of Legs." Aimee Mullins:. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.

"Looks Aren't Everything. Believe Me, I'm a Model." Cameron Russell:. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.

"Transcript of "A Darwinian Theory of Beauty"" Denis Dutton: A Darwinian Theory of Beauty. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.

Can Honesty be Beautiful?

Is honesty beautiful?

            Honesty and beauty are two characteristics that many people seek to find in another person. But have you ever asked yourself, “Can honesty be beautiful?” After listening to Victoria’s Secret Angel, Cameron Russel, talk about beauty, the answer has become clear to me. Honesty can definitely be beautiful.

            Honesty is an aspect that is difficult to find in a person. The amount of truthful people now a day’s seems to be decreasing. When honesty is found in a person, it is beautiful. Beauty is defined as a combination of qualities that pleases the senses. When honesty is found, it pleases the persons feeling of love and appreciation. This is an example of how honesty is beauty.

            In the video, Cameron Russel talks very much about honesty. She repeatedly says that she is being honest, and not just telling us the answers that we want to hear. When talking, Russel states that models are made to appear more beautiful that usual. They are photoshopped and positioned to become more appealing. However, Russel being honest about all of her modeling pictures and insecurities is what makes her truly beautiful.

            Beauty is not only physical appearance, but also the personality and characteristics of a person. Honesty is a characteristic that helps define inner beauty, and Cameron Russel did a stellar job with helping me realize this.

Revision Essay 1

Identity is defined as the set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group. While reading “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua and “Black Power” by James McBride, I thought a lot about what identity was and what it meant to me. Anzaldua says that your language is the most important part of your identity because it helps distinguish who you really are. I agree with Anzaldua; however I believe that another important part of identity is the activities that you partake in.

From something as straight forward as your social security number, to what kind of clothes you wear, identity is distinguished in many different ways. Identity is one of the most important aspects in life, and helps us figure out who we really are. To me, cheerleading is a huge part of my identity.

            Identity is language. In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” Anzaldua talks a lot about language being part of her identity. As this is true for all of us, cheerleading has it’s own language.  Language can be anything from English or Spanish, to slang or hip. If someone were to go up to you and yell the name of a crazy stunt such as, “hit a scorp lib double down”, chances are you would be confused. To me, this makes perfect sense. Cheerleading has a type of language that only other cheerleaders can understand. This is one reason why cheerleading is something that identifies me.

            Identity is dignity. In “Black Power” McBride reflected back on many scenarios that involved his mom being teased for being white. His mother showed dignity when she ignored the comments and went on with her life. Dignity can be defined as the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect. Dignity also plays a part in a person’s identity. With personal experience of being a cheerleader all of my life, I can honestly say that there are rude people out there who will say anything to make you feel belittled. Through all the “cheerleading isn’t a sport” and “all you need to do is smile and yell” comments from other classmates, I was able to keep my head held high. This shows that I have dignity in what I do. I have never been ashamed of being a cheerleader and I never will be. Taking pride in who you are and what you do is a step to taking pride in your true identity.

            Identity is activity. Being included in a specific activity can help define who you are. Some activities make you seem more athletic, while others make you seem smarter. For instance, if someone said they were on the chess team, one would automatically think that they were smart and sophisticated. For me, all the cheerleaders I know are peppy and always happy. Activity helps portray our personality, which helps define our overall identity.

            Cheerleading helped define who I am in many positive ways. The special cheer language, taking pride in what I do, and still being actively involved in cheerleading today have all aided in defining who I am as a person. For example, every Wednesday night I voluntarily coach the 3^rd grade town cheer squad. Since I can no longer cheer, I put my heart and soul into coaching them and hope they grow to love cheerleading as much as I do.

            In conclusion, identity is very important. As I have talked about earlier, identity comes in many forms. For Anzaldua it was language, for McBride it was dignity, and to me it is activity, which would be cheerleading. As one can realize from above, identity is not only how we act, but it is also our unconscious behaviors, such as our language. Being able to understand your identity and how important it is can be complicated, but once you realize who you truly are, it’s the best feeling ever.

Problem Solution

I live in a small town named Whippany. In this town there are 8 schools, 2 post offices, and many pizzerias. However, there are no places for kids to hang out.  On the weekends, teenagers are finding themselves in all sorts of trouble simply because there is nothing for them to do in this town. Because there is nothing for them to do, they are getting into trouble, resorting to hanging out in parking lots, and wasting money.

            First of all, teenagers in Whippany are getting into trouble with their cars. Since there is no where to go, teenagers are racing down main roads, constantly making donuts in parking lots, and peeling out of unwanted parking lots. All of these actions get the cops attention, and the teenagers end up getting motion vehicle tickets. The teenagers do not seem to think that this is a big deal, but the parents are fed up and with the fees and insurance issues. The teenagers do not understand the consequences and danger of these activities, and continue to do them anyway.

            These problems might not seem like a big deal at first, but once you get more and more violations, they begin to add up. In order to help prevent these violations, the officials can set up more strict punishments afterwards. They could raise the fine price, increase community service, and even possibly incorporate probation hours. The average speeding ticket has a fine between $52 and $202. They could raise the fine to a minimum of $200. If they do this, teenagers might take their actions more seriously.

            Additional to getting into trouble, teenagers have also resorted to hanging out in parking lots. In our town there is a CVS, 711, and Quick Chek. Any day, any hour, you will see at least 4 teenagers hanging out at them. On the weekends, there could be up to 20 people hanging out in these parking lots. Their cars take up all the spaces, they get rowdy, and the workers get annoyed with their loitering. They hang out here for hours on end, and when asked to leave they return 20 minutes later. This is causing a problem and scaring away business for the stores.

            Solutions to this issue could simply be to not allow loitering. Another solution could be “15 minute parking only” signs in the parking lot. These teenagers take up most of the parking spaces, and this is not fair to those who actually want to go into these stores. Limiting their times in the parking spots could benefit the shoppers and the workers at these places.

            Lastly, teenagers with nowhere to hang out waste more money than they think. From gas to fast food, they are always throwing money away. With nowhere to go, teenagers aimlessly drive around for hours. They either drive miles down the highway, or to a fast food restaurant. Even though this food is cheaper, they buy more of it when they are bored just to sit there and eat it. They do not realize how much money they are wasting on things that they do not necessarily need.

            A final solution to these problems could be building a town center or another place for teenagers to hangout. They are still young, and cannot afford to be wasting their money this early in their lives. Having a place to go could save them on gas money, and it also could prevent them from eating just because the

Description Essay

Applebee’s Bar and Grill

            “Hello, how are you folks doing tonight? My name is Kayla and I’ll be taking care of you. Can I get you started off with a drink such as a Heineken or Strawberry Lemonade?” “Would you like to try one of our appetizers such as crunchy onion rings or mouth-watering chili cheese nachos?” “If you need anything else, just let me know.”
            Most of you know Applebee’s as a family outing for dinner, or half priced appetizers after 10 pm, but to me, it’s much more. Applebee’s is my place of business. It’s where I earn my money to pay off my tuition, where I made friendships and relationships that will hopefully last a lifetime, and where I have put my hard work and time into for the past year. Applebee’s may not be my favorite place to be, but it is where I spend most of my time.

            40 hours a week. Some people say I’m crazy to be a full-time student and work as much as I do. I’d say I’m pretty crazy too. 5 pm is the start of my shift. Dressed in black from head to toe, my uniform is as dark as the night sky.  With my long, thick, hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, I strut over to my first table. Whether there are four ladies out for Wine Wednesdays or a group of teenagers for Half Priced Appetizers, maintaining an ear-to-ear smile is what gets the job done. Keeping a smile throughout the night is important because it helps the guest feel welcomed. The better the guest feels, the better they will feel about tipping you. In the restaurant business, tips are all servers make.

            As I walk through the kitchen I inhale all the different foods being made. There are the spicy boneless wings being tossed in a hot sauce. Next to them is a Cedary Salmon topped with a creamy artichoke spread. By the grill is 4 steaks cooking, all with different colored toothpicks based on how the guest would like it cooked. And lastly, the crowd favorite: the Quesadilla Burger. A burger topped with mexi-ranch dressing, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and sandwiched between two soft tortilla quesadillas.

            Walking back into the dining room I hear the car-side to go specialist on the phone with another guest. “Will you be needing plastic silverware with your meal this evening?”  I hear the bartender asking to see ID for the underage looking young man with a 5 o’clock shadow sitting at the bar. The hosts are at the front asking the incoming guests if they would like a table or a booth. As I watch them seat table 4, I go to check on my table.

            “Can I interest you folks in any desserts tonight? Salted caramel drizzled pretzel bites? A hot fudge triple chocolate meltdown? No? Well here is the check for whenever you are ready. There is absolutely no rush and be sure to check out the survey inside to let the mangers know how you liked the service here tonight.”