True Beauty is from Within

Have you ever seen a group of friends that look like they all look alike? Every person in the group is wearing their baseball caps turned to the side and a blank white tee that screams out colorless. I am talking about fashion conformity people! It may seem like your not doing it but everyone conforms to some sort of style at least once before. Fashion conformity creates a gateway for people to help them “fit in” in society and help them feel better about themselves.

The truth is that conformity is very powerful.  I admit, even I was ex-fashion conformer. Back in middle school, I was a huge hip-hop fanatic. Watching those rappers and singers on television were the highlights of my day. Most of their music videos were about how wealthy and popular they were. They always had luxurious cars and beautiful women with them. They became my idols in no time, so I then started dressing like them. Now as I looked back at my old clothes in my wardrobe, I ask myself, “What in the world was I thinking?!?” It’s interesting to see how important “fitting in” meant to me as I was growing up.

Looking back at the styles in the 1960’s, I couldn’t helped to noticed how conservative and classy college students dressed back then. Compared to the style nowadays, I’m curious to know why was there such a big transformation. Typical college girls these days would wear shirts that showed the most skin, and pants that could be as short as their undergarments. College students today seem to be more open and eager for attention. Especially girls, they seem like they want to be able to express their “sexiness” and have the power to “turn heads”. Movies, celebrities, and magazines all have impact on society today on how people should look in order to be beautiful and be noticed.

This is when conformity comes in and change people’s mind about how they should have this specific appearance. However this is not true, beauty comes from the inside and people should not have to change to be beautiful!

Word Count: 354

Beauty is from Within

Have you ever seen a group of friends that look like they all look alike. Every person in that group has a basketball cap turned to the back and everyone is wearing a blank white t-shirt that screams out colorless. I am talking about fashion conformity! It may seem like your not doing it but everyone conforms to some sort of style at least once before. Fashion conformity is this very common “disease” that spreads from person to person. Seeing the “cool” kids wearing something may cause you to say, “Hey, the way they dress attracts everyone, maybe I should dress the same way.”

The truth is that conformity is everywhere and at anytime.  I admit, even I was ex-fashion conformer. Back in middle school, I was a huge hip-hop fanatic. Watching those rappers and singers on television were the highlights of my day. Most of their music videos were about how wealthy and popular they were, they always had luxurious cars and beautiful women with them. At that time they were the coolest people to me, and I even made them my idols. I then started dressing like them, I wore baggy jeans that sweep the floor every time I walk, and tall tee’s that were so enormous it looked like I was wearing a dress. Now as I looked back at my old clothes in my wardrobe, I ask myself, “What in the world was I thinking?!?” It’s interesting to see how important “fitting in” meant to me as I was growing up.

Looking back at the styles in the 1960’s, I couldn’t helped to noticed how conservative and classy college students dressed back then. Compared to the style nowadays, I’m curious to know why was there such a big transformation. Typical college girls these days would wear shirts that showed the most skin, and pants that could be as short as their undergarments. College students today seem to be more open and are more eager for attention. Especially girls, they want to be able to express their “sexiness” and have the power to “turn heads” everywhere they go. Movies, celebrities, and magazines, they all have a huge impact on society today on how people should look in order to be beautiful and be to notice. This is when conformity comes in and change people’s mind about how they should have this specific appearance. However this is not true, beauty should come from inside and you should not have to change your appearance to feel happy!

Word count:  424

The Time Traveler

I am not going to lie. I’m not the type of person that opens up a book and read for fun. I’m actually the active type that plays outside until sunset. However, when a good book catches my eye, I take the time to sit down and explore it. To me, reading is a way to connect with my inner child. I remembered when I was young I loved playing outside by myself. Well, it wasn’t because I didn’t have any friends, but because I was having fun in my own little world! I would read novels and imagine myself to be the main character.  I’ll then run outside to reenact everything and I might have even spiced it up with some of my own imagination. Reading nowadays reminds me of how much of a kid I still am. It also reminded of how weird I was as I was growing up, but most importantly it reminded me of how much I miss being a kid. Those carefree days where you could do anything you wanted without any criticism or judgment. I miss being a child so bad, especially knowing that college is going to be over soon. You could say that reading is my time machine to my childhood. 

Word Count: 210 

It's My Life

My name is Jonathan Wan but I am also known as J. Wan, Jonny, Juanito, or just Jon. I am currently a junior at UMBC and a biochemistry major (Not sure if I made the right choice). I am originally from Baltimore but I recently moved to Howard County, Maryland. I am 100% Chinese but since I live in a Korean populated area and since most of my friends are Korean, I have adapted into their lifestyle. I love eating Korean food but I still love Chinese food the most. Family is extremely important to me. It’s my family that keeps me motivated in life so I love them to death! I believe people should live their lives to the fullest because we only got one life to live! I try to be as optimistic as I can everyday. Even if I’m having a bad day, I brush everything off my shoulders and say to myself “Tomorrow is a new day!”
word count: 161