The

rEvolutionaries
(See your Own Beauty)
Is the self esteem of female students at High Tech High affected by beauty
standards more than non-female students?

Zoe Valentin
Monique Mendez, Sophie Kay,
Hannah Coleman
High Tech High
Lisa Griffin, Mona Kiani, Bernardo Quintero
Fall Semester 1
2015

Table of Contents
Personal Narrative Essay : Uncovering Who I Amp.2

Privilege Interview : Passing Down the Misconceptions p.6

Project Proposal : Beauty Standards p.9
Experiment : Beauty Standards Frequency Tables and Graphs p.10
Analysis and Implications of Experiment : Beauty Standards at HTH p.19
Experiment Reflection & Write Up : Beauty Standards Reflection p. 23
Research Process and Source Summaries : Context Research: Beauty Standards
p. 27
Interview Highlights Reflection : The 52 Ways: Kimber Simpkins p.29
Latin American Compare & Contrast Paper : Comparing Education Inequality in
America and Latin America p.31

Zoe Valentin
12.2.15
Period 4 & 5

Uncovering Who I Am
On a cloudy winter day in Lemoore, California I was born in a small Naval hospital. The
date was January 28th, 2000. My dad is in the Navy, which means moving around from place to
place. About 8 months after I was born we moved down to San Diego. I resided there until I was
six, which is when the news broke that my dad got stationed to Yokosuka and we would be
moving to Japan. Upset but understanding, my older sister, brother and I helped our parents pack
things in boxes. We hopped on a plane that summer to Ikego, which was a very small Navy base.
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I spent the next four years of my life there. Whilst living there, we had two new additions to our
family. First a small Shih Tzu we named Suki, which means love in Japanese. Not long after, a
small baby sister. After those four years we moved back to San Diego. We moved from house to
house, and added three more dogs, a turtle, a cat, and two goats to our ever-growing list of pets. I
had a very fun filled and diverse childhood, spending summers in Hawaii to visit family and
Guam and Singapore just to experience more of that side of the world.

Living in these foreign places opened my eyes to different cultures and people. I first
came to the realization of my race and what it meant quite young. When I was in the first grade,
my teacher was teaching us about Martin Luther King Jr. She said that back when he was alive,
and today, people would discriminate others based on the color of their skin. She pointed out all
of the people in my class with a pale complexion, and listed all of the things kids like them
would be able to do back then. She listed all the restrictions that kids with colored skin (the rest
of us) would have. I was confused when I was included in this list. I raised my hand and
remarked that I wasnt black, and therefor shouldnt be put in that group. She said that it didnt
matter, and they would treat me the same as the people who were black, simply because I didnt
have porcelain skin. Even at that age, I felt saddened by the way minorities were treated back
then and, for the first time ever, felt uncomfortable in my skin. Growing up, I continued to get an
onslaught of questions regarding what my ethnicity is. It surprises me that to this day, people still
expect a person to be only one race. Im mixed. Its hard for some people to wrap their heads
around that. I am puerto rican, portuguese and filipino. Im not black by any means. Im half
Hispanic, with handfuls of European and Pina. When people make assumptions about my race, I
am quick to correct them. The ignorant ones completely ignore me, and continue to tell others
what they believe I am. This leaves me bewildered. How is somebody else going to tell me what
race I am? I usually ignore them, as I dont find their comments in any way offensive, but
irritating nonetheless.

Unlike my race, it took less time to figure out the biggest part of myself. I became aware
of my gender in Preschool. I absolutely adored the Toy Story series, and for Halloween I wanted
to be my favorite character from it; Woody. When I told some of my friends that I planned to be
him, they laughed and teased me. They said I couldnt be Woody because he was a boy, and that
I should be Jessie because she is the girl-version. I didnt understand that there was a difference,
and I ended up getting sparkly red cowgirl shoes instead of strong sturdy brown cowboy boots.
When I attended private school, girls had to wear itchy plaid dresses, with tricky zippers in the
back. Boys wore shirts and pants. When we wanted to do cartwheels, we had to wear shorts
underneath those dresses. Boys didnt have to worry about that. I began to see the crippling
disadvantages girls faced over the years. I found it weird that magazines had a page on You are
beautiful just the way you are! splashed across it, and Want weight loss tips? Look here! on
the next. How my parents had to explain why my brother was allowed out in the later hours of
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the day and I was not. I had nightmares when I was nine about men abducting my friends and I
on our way to the community pool. I became the master of wearing headphones and listening
music, but keeping it low enough to be alert of my surroundings. Growing up like this definitely
made a difference in the way I act and how I think, and I would love to help girls empower
themselves if they feel the same as I did.

Much like my gender, I first became aware of my social class earlier in my life, around
Kindergarten. That Christmas, my sister and I were complaining about the type of Gameboy we
got, and Why did you get us such boy-y colors?. My dads face pulled into a tight frown, and
he sat us down on our couch. He told us to always appreciate the things we receive in life,
because somewhere in the world there is a person who cant afford or doesnt even know about
that item. He told us there are kids out there who wish for food more than anything, and they
would consider receiving more than a handful of rice a Christmas Miracle. I broke down in tears,
and held out my tiny palm to see how much food that might be. I cried harder. Over the years I
have realized how blessed I am in life. Im so grateful for everything my parents have been able
to give me, and I never take it for granted. My family is in no means rich, but we are in the sense
of compassion. We know there are many folks out there who have it way better than us, but there
are also people who have it way worse. We make it a point to serve and give back to this country,
and our community. I completely understand the hardships some people face, and I work with
helping ease the burdens off of their shoulders.

A noticeable trait of mine has impacted my life greatly, as it is physically visible. I was
very young when I realized I was different than others. I must have been two when I
contemplated why I had huge casts on my legs while my sister wobbled around freely. I didnt
understand why I had skin chaff on my upper thighs were the casts rubbed too vigorously while
her rash came from her unnecessary scratching. I was born with Clubfoot. I had surgery to fix it,
and it corrected the position so I can walk with my feet pointed ahead. The surgery left deep scar
tissue, which means it's very hard to walk long distances. It's weary hearing about trips to
Disneyland, or any place I know I'm going to be on my feet for a long time. It got particularly
bad in 6th grade. I was in and out of specialists offices almost everyday. I had braces fitting and
inserts made to help my feet, but it seemed to make the pain worse. I felt tremendous guilt
because I knew all of these things were costing my parents hundreds and thousands of dollars,
but they couldnt bear to see me in pain. I knew they wanted what was best for me. Eventually I
learned to deal with the aches in my feet. I understand that my foot has almost no arch, and I
have very limited mobility in them. Dreams of professionally playing sports like soccer and
dance slowly diminished from my mind. Ive become very self conscience of the way I look.
Certain shoes make my ankles stand out more than I ever want them to. Finding shoes is a
nightmare. I have scars all over my feet, and my ankles are enlarged and mishaped, as a result of

the surgery. Im very grateful for everything though, as I know there are people who have things
like blindness, deafness, diabetes, and other things where they constantly have to think about it.

Growing up, there was never a doubt as to what kind of people I was drawn to. The first
time I felt an attraction to someone, who made my belly swoop and my cheeks burn hot was in
Kindergarten. David Lantz, *sigh*, was sitting by the bookcase. He asked me if I liked comic
books. Obviously I said yes, thinking it would impress him. Like any other boy our age, he
didnt really seem to care about the answer to the question he just asked, and instead was moving
on to the next book. A little offended but mostly endeared, I watched as he started cracking his
knuckles which I thought was the coolest thing ever. He taught me how to crack all of mine, right
next to that bookcase. Now it's a nasty habit I have. And my Kindergarten yearbook has an
impressive doodle of him and I in wedding clothes, drawn in neon pink. Hmm. Anyways, I never
wavered in my heterosexual orientation, and I was quite ignorant in the matter growing up. I
didnt realize there were people who liked others of the same gender until about 6th grade, and it
took about another year to realize there were many other types of sexual orientations on the
spectrum too. Today, I have a much better understanding of what life must be like to people of
the LGBT community. I am now knowledgeable in the struggles they face, and some of the
things I have advantage over as a straight person.

Growing up in a place where they spoke solely Japanese, made me wonder what kind of
languages I was supposed to know. The primary language spoken at my home is English. This is
hard for people to understand when I tell them I am half-puerto rican.They ask me why I dont
speak Spanish at home. My dad grew up in a Spanish/English speaking household. He
understands and knows the language but prefers to speak Spanglish, a mix of both, to his family
members. He didnt speak Spanish to me and my siblings growing up simply because he didnt
think anyone would understand him. My mom on the other hand doesnt speak a completely
different language, but she does come from Hawaii. If you understand the history of Hawaii, you
will know a mix of Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos came to work off of the land. In
order to communicate with each other, they had to speak in broken English, and mixed in words
from all those different languages. It became what is now known as Pidgin. It is the main form of
speech used on the islands, and it distinctly separates tourists from islanders. I spent many
summers in Hawaii growing up, and I picked up on the speech quite easily. I use it to
communicate to my family from there, and I have learned many different phrases from different
languages using it.
Examining my cultural identity, and what makes me me has been an eye-opening
experience. I didnt understand how lucky I am in some aspects of life. Ive definitely taken
some of the simpler things in life for granted. This has inspired me to spark change in our
society. Race is still an issue, gender is still an issue, and not enough people understand the

struggles others face on a day to day basis. All of us arent aware of the privileges we have in
life. I understand how amazing my childhood was, and how it affected me to this day. Since I
come from a very diverse background, and lived in exoctic places, I feel like Ive been exposed
to more cultures and ethnicities than other kids my age. I had an early understanding of what sets
us all apart, and yet I only now realize those things makes us similar in many ways. The diversity
is beautiful, and everyone should embrace who they are. I think that people who are privileged in
the more dominant social structures should be more aware of where they stand on the spectrum,
and be less ignorant about their thinking and actions. I wish the less privileged people will be
inspired to work hard for what they want, as they probably understand how who they are affects
their lives and futures. Its sad that we live in a society where we confine and discriminate others
based on things they cant change about themselves. Ive taken away the knowledge of where I
fall in the spectrum, and how I can push the boundaries within my confinements. Im more aware
of social issues, and how those things can affect others drastically.

Zoe Valentin
December 2, 2015
Per. 4/5

Passing Down the Misconceptions

For this project, having the privilege of being able-bodied really interested us. We
realized how much people take it for granted, and we wanted to see able-bodiness from a
different perspective. We knew right away who we would interview; our close friend Morgan
Robinson. Weve known Morgan since 6th grade, and have watched as she took on life with the
challenges of being a Type 1 Diabetic. People around her watched as she embraced her struggles,
all while maintaining a positive attitude. A multitude of family members on her dads side had
inherited Diabetes, passing the gene down to her and her sister. Shes very open to discussing
what her life looks like living with Diabetes, which made her the perfect interview candidate.
Q. How does having diabetes affect your day to day life?
A. For the most part, diabetes doesnt affect my day to day life that much. I have to check my
blood at least 4 times a day which can be kind of bothersome. So mostly it's just paying attention
and taking care of myself everyday, which includes eating healthy and getting exercise.

Q. Do you feel like you are at a disadvantage?

A. No not really. Since I can still eat everything the anyone else can and join in any normal
activities, so I dont feel that I am at that much of a disadvantage.
Q. Do you feel like you are judged for having diabetes?
A. Sometimes, someone will think that Im different for having diabetes, when really it doesnt
affect that much. Also when people are not knowledgeable on it, they will they that I was
overweight or unhealthy when I was little and that was how I got it. Really, that is not true at all,
since I have Type 1 diabetes, which is a lot different that Type 2. What I got it from is mostly
hereditary since some of my family members have it too.
Q. Has anyone made an effort to understand what you might have to go through?
A. Yes, definitely people that I am close to. They understand what I have to do to take care of
myself and how/why I have diabetes.
Q. How has having diabetes changed your perspective on able-bodiness?
A. I have definitely learned more about what it's important to stay healthy and take care of your
body. Since staying healthy is a huge part in managing diabetes, I have learned how to stay ablebodied.
Q. Can you recall the moment you realized you were different than others?
A. Well, since I got diabetes when I was 7 years old, I dont recall it very much. But I dont
consider myself too different from others, as I am able to do all the same things.
Q. Have you ever been self-conscious of it?
A. Yes, I am constantly self-conscious of it. Since I always have my insulin pump showing and
when I am somewhere like at the beach or pool in a bathing suit, my insulin site does show and
people can see it. I constantly get questions and weird looks from people who don't know what it
is. I dont mind then asking questions if they are curious, but when they silently judge, it gets old
having to deal with it all the time.
Q. Are there any common misconceptions about people who have diabetes that you would like to
dispel?
A. I think the biggest misconception with diabetes is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2.
It gets frustrating when someone talks about you like you have type 2, especially being a
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teenager with it. Type 2 is most common is older people, while Type 1 is more common in
younger people.

Reflection
by Zoe Valentin
Interviewing Morgan was such a great experience. It was cool to see a more tentative side
of her, one that we dont see very often. The interview process was quite nice in my opinion, and
it was great to delve into unknown territory; such as the struggles of being a Diabetic. I came
into it with some ideas of what she was going to say. because she is a good friend of mine and we
discussed it before. It was interesting to hear her talk more about the differences between Type 1
and 2, and how those differences affects her. Throughout it, I realized how privileged I am to be
able to go to places like the beach, and not be self-conscious of any devices on me. I definitely
learned more than I thought I would, and it brought awareness to the fact that you should take the
time to become knowledgeable about someone's situation before you judge them. It didnt
surprise me when she said that she doesn't feel like she is at a disadvantage, because that is just
how Morgan is. She doesnt let too many things stand in her way. But I know there might be
others who are Diabetic, who feel differently. It would be interesting to see how a variety of
Diabetics view the disease, and how it affects them daily. Overall, it was nice to have the
opportunity to step into someone's shoes, and see what life is like for them. It gave us some good
insight as to what others have to do when they are not as privileged as you.

Zoe Valentin
Sophie Kay
Hannah Coleman
Monique Mendez
October 15, 3015

Project Proposal: BEAUTY STANDARDS

Essential Question:
Do teenagers at High Tech High feel as if the opposite genders beauty standards affect how
positively they view their attractiveness/appearance?
Justification:
Our topic is beauty standards. This is important to us because we wouldnt want our
friends/family/future daughters to feel pressured to look a certain way because of our society.
Our topic relates to privilege because most times, privileged people are what we stereotypically
label as pretty. We would be interested to see how this goes hand in hand. Beauty standards
have taken over the world. Weve talked about how the beauty standards differ in a variety of
countries; such as complexion, body shape, facial features, etc. Weve explored how society has
changed the way we look at ourselves, and introduced the hottest new fad: plastic surgery. Our
essential question delves into our own culture, right here at school. We want to examine if the
gender you are attracted to affects the way you perceive your appearance. In order to address this
question, we plan to conduct surveys and a social experiment with our very own high school
students. While conducting the surveys, we will ask:
Does the opposite sex dictate the way you view your appearance?
What are the standards of beauty for both genders?
Do you feel like your outer appearance dictates the amount of positive attention
you get?
By collecting this data, it will raise awareness about issues regarding beauty standards in
our society. It will help others become more educated about insecurities and how they can affect
young people. The four of us are very passionate and thoughtful girls, who work well together.
We get along well and have already had so much fun talking about things we already know
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regarding beauty in our society. So far, we all have brought an interesting spin on this topic to the
table, so we have many leads we want to follow and learn more about. All of us seem dedicated
to exploring this cause and will give our all to learning about it.

Zoe Valentin
Monique Mendez
Hannah Coleman
Sophie Kay

Beauty Standards Frequency Tables and

Graphs
We surveyed students at High Tech High in order to answer the question Is the self esteem of
female students at High Tech High affected by beauty standards more than non-female
students? We had a group of 107 students in total fill out 10 question surveys. We had a nearly
equal amount of the genders with 51 of the students in our sample size identifying as female and
56 identifying as non-female.

Question: Do you feel like the opposite sex dictates the expectations you set for your
appearance?
Yes

No

Female

Total
51

28

28/51=55%

23
23/51=45%

28/50=56%
23/57=40%
Non-female

56
22

22/56=40%

34
34/56=60%

22/50=44%
34/57=60%
Total

50

57

107

Circle Graphs:

10

Question: Do you feel like youre expected to put work into your looks (i.e. applying makeup,
styling hair, dressing up, etc.) by the opposite gender?
Yes

No

Female

Total
51

35

35/51=69%

16
16/51=31%

35/58=60%
16/49=33%
Non-female

56
23

23/56=41%

33
33/56=59%

22/58=40%
33/49=67%
Total

58

49

107

Circle Graphs:

11

Question: Do you feel as though you put effort into your looks for your own enjoyment or for
the approval of others?
Yourself

Others

Female

Total
51

39

39/51=80% 12
12/51=20%

39/82=48%
12/25=48%
Non-female

56
43

43/56=77% 13
13/56=23%

12

Total

43/82=52%

13/25=52%

82

25

107

Circle Graphs:

Question: If you could, would you change something about your features (i.e. eye color, nose
shape, pigmentation of your skin, hair color, etc.)?
Yes

No

Female

Total
51

42
42/51=82%

9
9/51=18%

13

42/68=62%

9/39=23%

Non-female

Total

56
26
26/56=46%

30
30/56=54%

26/68=38%

30/39=77%

68

39

107

Circle Graphs:

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Question: If you answered yes to number 6, would the change in your appearance be for
yourself or the approval of others?
Yourself

Others

Total

Female

42
39
39/42=93%

3/42=7%

3/6=50%
39/62=63%
Non-female

Total

26
23
23/26=88%

3
3/26=12%

23/62=37%

3/6=50%

62

68

Circle Graphs:

15

*Question: Have you ever received a negative comment about the way you look?
Yes

No

Total

16

Female

51
40

40/51=78%

11
11/51=22%

40/72=55%
11/35=32%
Non-female

56
32

32/56=57%

24
24/56=43%

32/72=45%
24/35=68%
Total

72

35

107

Circle Graphs:

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Question: At High Tech High, do you feel

pressure to look a certain way?
Yes

No

Female

51
11
11/51=22%

40
40/51=78%

11/21=52%

40/86=47%

Non-female

Total

Total

56
10
10/56=18%

46
46/56=82%

10/21=48%

46/86=53%

21

86

107

Circle Graphs:

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*
Zoe Valentin
Monique Mendez
Hannah Coleman
Sophie Kay

Analysis and Implications

Beauty Standards at HTH
We surveyed students at High Tech High in order to answer the question Is the self esteem of
female students at High Tech High affected by beauty standards more than non-female
students? We surveyed a group of 107 students in total, with 51 of them being girls and the
other 56 being boys.
1) What is the probability that you feel expected to put work into your looks given
that you are a female?
P(expected to put work | female) = 35/51 = 69%
2) What is the probability that you put effort into your looks for the approval of
others given that you are non-female?
P(effort for approval of others | non-female) = 13/56 = 23%
3) What is the probability that you are a female at HTH and want to change
something about your features?
P(female and wants to change feature) = 42/107 = 39%
4) What is the probability you are a non-female and said you would change your
features for others given that you are a non-female?

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P(would change feature for others and non-female) = 3/107 = 3%

5) What is the probability that you are a female at HTH and feel like the opposite
sex dictates the expectations you set for your appearance?
P(feels opposite sex dicates expectations | female) = 28/51 = 55%
6) What is the probability that you are a female at HTH and have received a
negative comment about the way you look?
P(received negative comment | female) = 40/51 = 78%

7) What is the probability a student at High Tech high feels pressured to look a
certain way or is non-female?
P(Feels pressured to look a certain way or non-female) = 67/107 = 63%
8) What is the probability a female student at High Tech High feels pressured to look
a certain way?
P(Feels pressured to look a certain way | female) = 11/51 = 22%

Our groups essential question was whether or not the self esteem of female students at
High Tech High was affected by the beauty standards more than non-female students. We were
able to give out a survey to over 100 students in the school and ask them questions regarding
beauty standards. We wanted to keep our questions strictly related to the school to see how kids
our age, too, were affected. One question we had on our survey was, If you could, would you
change something about your features (i.e. eye color, nose shape, pigmentation of your skin, hair
color, etc)?. Already with having this question answered, we learned from our data that 62% out
of 51 females said Yes, they would change their features. We did predict that females would
say that the opposite sex does dictate their appearance more so than non-females. Reflecting
back on our data, that turned out to be correct because of the above evidence applied.
From our survey we were able to get a lot of answers to our wonderings about the
differences between how females and males are affected by beauty standards. We surveyed High
Tech students with questions that had to do with the pressure students feel to have a good
looking people who identify as female and 56 people who identified as non-female. Repeatedly,
female students answered that they do feel pressure on their appearance much more than nonfemale students. 60% of the people who answered they feel pressure to put effort into their looks
were female. Out of the 51 females we surveyed, 69% said they do feel pressure to put work into
their looks. This means that the majority of females feel like they need to do things to their
appearance in order to be accepted, while the majority of non-females, (59% answered no), feel
they do not. One of the most hard hitting piece of data we collected was that 82% of females said
they would change something about their appearance if they could, while only 46% of non-

20

females answered that they would. This shows that female students at High Tech High are
overwhelmingly more insecure about their appearance. Out of the females who said they would
change something about their appearance, 93% answered that the change would be for
themselves instead of for the approval of others. This implicates that the insecurities of female
High Tech High students may be more of an internal struggle instead of influenced by social
interactions.
Our prediction was that more females would say that the opposite sex dictates their
appearance than non-females was conclusive. We found that it was conclusive because 28 out of
51 females agreed that the opposite sex dictates the expectations they set for their appearance
compared to the 22 out of 56 non-females who also agreed that the opposite sex dicates the
expectations they set for their appearance. Another reason this is conclusive is that in on one of
our questions, 69% of the females answered that they feel that they are expected to put work into
their looks by the opposite gender, while 41% of the non-females answered that they felt they
were expected to put work into their looks by the opposite gender. One pattern we found in our
data was that many non-females kept answering that the opposite gender does not influence their
appearance. An example is that 60% of the non-females said that they did not feel that the
opposite gender affects the expectations they have for their appearance. Another example was
that 77% of the non-females said that they put effort into their looks for themselves instead of for
others. One thing we would change would be surveying high school, middle school, and
elementary school students. By doing this we would be able to see if theres an age where kids
start letting other peoples judgements affect their appearances. We could also see how younger
kids ideas of what beauty standards are compared to what older kids ideas are. Another thing we
would change would be to take out our question asking what people's sexual preference is. We
would change this because the question ended up being confusing for the people we surveyed
and many people didnt take the question seriously or were confused about what it was asking.
Lastly, we would change how much we stressed for people to take our survey seriously. Since we
didnt tell many people how important these surveys were going to be for our project, many
people answered jokingly or just didnt care.
Throughout this entire experiment, we can say that female students at High Tech High
feel more affected by beauty standards than non-females. Our compiled data was consistent with
our predictions towards our essential question. We feel as though it was answered quite clearly.
From the probabilities weve calculated and the suggested conclusions we made, we were able to
have a more inside look on the privilege of non-females regarding beauty standards. Females all
over the world are irrefutably pressured by society to fit specific standards in order to be
beautiful. That being said, we understand that non-females have beauty standards as well, but
as our data indicates, does not feel the confines as prominently as females. Beauty Obsession
as experts call it, is on the rise. Media plays a large role in the younger generations daily lives,
which makes them more susceptible to low-self esteem regarding beauty ideals. This fact was
proven when large amounts of Kylie Jenner was scrawled underneath our question What do
you think the beauty standards for your gender are in our society?. Not only do females have to
experience this extreme pressure from social media, but they are also subject to greater
21

harassment: each other. Due to the overwhelming strain to look a certain way, aggressive
bullying between females because of issues such as physical attributes as well as social status are
on the rise. Weve learned throughout this project what a serious topic this is. Our experiment
allowed us to expand our views on this issue, and relate it to something we pertain to. Overall,
weve made significant finds about our school, females and non-females, as well as our society,
and the way beauty standards affect all three.

Monique Mendez
22

Sophie Kay
Hannah Coleman
Zoe Valentin

Beauty Standards Reflection

Privilege is something that plays a big part in all of our lives; and it has the power to
control it in both positive and negative ways. Privilege can come in many forms, a sufficient
amount of some that most people overlook on a daily basis. A few of the social structures that
can affect the privilege in your life can be race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, etc.
Having privilege means to have an advantage, opportunity, or right that is not shared by
everyone. It goes hand in hand with probability. The probability of something happening can be
affected by the amount of privilege that one has.
Probability is the chance of a possible event occurring. You can use it to calculate the
likliness of something happening. Numbers between 0 and 1 are used to measure it. 1 indicates
100% probability and 0 represents no chance of the event occurring (0% probability). You can
represent probability through fractions and percentages, correlating to the decimals between 0
and 1. There is two forms of probability; experimental probability and theoretical probability.
Experimental probability is when you do an experiment to find the probability of an event
occurring, using a sample size to represent your probable group. Theoretical probability is the
probability of your favored event if you kept increasing your sample size larger and larger,
therefore getting a more accurate answer. While calculating probability, sometimes you need to
find calculations for more than one related events. When finding the probability for these events,
you need to determine whether they are independent or dependent events. For example, if you
were to find the probability for picking a king out of a deck of 52 cards, then the probability for
picking an ace, your probability for picking an ace would depend on if you replaced the first card
or not. If you did replace the first king, then picking the second card would be an independent
event to picking the first card because nothing has changed. However, if you were to put the first
card aside, the probability of the second pick would be different because you changed your
sample size to 51 therefore changing the chances of drawing an ace. That means that the second
pick would depend on the first, making the two picks dependent events. When trying to find the
probability of multiple factors within a probability scenario, its called compound events. This is
when you are trying to find the probability that both event A and event B will happen. For
example, you have a class of 20 students and which 10 of them are females and 5 of them have
blue eyes, and you want to find the probability of randomly calling on a female student with blue
eyes, that is a compound event. In that scenario, to find the compound probability, you would
add both probabilities together. If you were to find the probability of randomly calling on a
student that was female or had blue eyes, you would add the probability of choosing a female
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and choosing a blue eye student together, and then subtract the amount of students that had both
blue eyes and were female.
We have found that both privilege and probability affect one another. Since probability is
based on the likeliness of an event happening, someone who has more privilege is more likely to
get the outcome they want. Therefore, the more privileged a person is in a certain area, the higher
their probability will be of getting positive outcomes throughout life. This also means that if a
person has more privilege, they are also more likely to have more opportunities. During this
project, we watched several videos about the Angry Eye experiments. These videos helped show
us how unfair it is to discriminate someone on a lack of privilege they cant control. It also
showed us not to take our own privileges for granted, to be grateful for the privileges we have.
We also tried an experiment in class called Driving While Black or Brown: A Mathematics
Project About Racial Profiling. It showed us the difference of what unbiased and biased
discretionary traffic stops would look like based on an in class experiment we did and real data
from outside studies. The experiment showed us how often police use racial bias in their
workplace. From this we have seen how theres a possibility that more people use racial profiling
in their workplaces too. This showed us again to not discriminate someone based on something
they cant alter. Both of these experiments helped illustrate to us how important it is to not let
facets of our identities dictate the opportunities we have to succeed. Overall, privilege affects the
probability of outcomes a person is likely to have.
Zoes Reflection:
Examining my cultural identity, and the privilege I have in my own life has been an eyeopening experience. Ive definitely taken some of the simpler things in life for granted. Ive also
had opportunities that others around me might not have had because of my social class, sexual
orientation, and able-bodiness. I have noticed that these traits have helped me throughout life in a
variety of ways, such as being able to walk, talk, and act with more freedom than those who are
not privileged in those social structures. These experiences relieved me of burdens that those
people face on a daily basis. While I can express my liking towards a person I am attracted to
with little to no judgement, those in the LGBT community might not be as lucky. I can easily
walk to the nearest water fountain, but those who are handicapped have to find other ways to do
the same thing. On the other hand, I also realized I lack privilege in certain social structures as
well. For example, my gender. There are many disadvantages to being a female, such as the pay
compared to males, and our very own experiment; the beauty standards we have and the
consequential effects on our self-esteem. Although I register the non-privilege in my life, I dont
let it control the things I want to accomplish. I am determined to not let things I cant change
about myself define who I am going to be and what I am going to do. Im going to accomplish
everything I want regardless (and even despite) of those privileged structures. This mentality has
inspired me to spark change in our society. Race is still an issue, gender is still an issue, and not
enough people understand or aware of the struggles others face on a day to day basis. I think that
people who are privileged in the more dominant social structures should be more aware of where
they stand on the spectrum, and help those who struggle with those factors of privilege. Its sad
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that we live in a society where we confine and discriminate others based on things they cant
change about themselves. If we all take the time to understand a person, and look into what
makes them them, we will all be heaps more empathetic towards situations and open-minded
towards ideas and people; consequently making the world a better place in the process.
Hannahs Reflection:
Through this project, I have learned that I can use the privileges I have to help others who
dont share those same privileges. One privilege I have that not everyone does is that Im white.
This allows me to not have to worry about being discriminated about because of my race. From
this project, I have learned that I can use this privilege as a positive thing to stand up for others
who are racially discriminated against. In the past my non-privilege of being female has hurt me
because people have not allowed me to do things because of the fact that Im female. In the
future it could possibly affect me more because theres always a chance that a boss will
discriminate based on someone being a female. This project has also shown me that you can use
your privilege to help people, even for the smallest of things. For example, when I was in
elementary school, I tripped and my friend helped walk me to a bench because I couldnt put
pressure on the foot. Another thing this project has taught me is to not take the privileges I have
for granted. There are always going to be people who have more or less, whether they have more
money or are simply a male, but you have to learn to not forget all the things you do have and
use those privileges to help others. Ive seen how some people have educated others through
videos and studies about how to change peoples ideas about privilege and I hope that through
this project we have been able to do the same thing. I also really hope that as I get older, I can
educate people about helping and standing up for others as I become more passionate about
different topics, like we have been trying to do in this project.
Moniques Reflection:
Privilege to me always will mean having the upper hand to have the ability to do
something or task. It is just how Ive always viewed it. I think my privilege would be the fact
that I am from a financially stable and well-rounded family. I think I tend to take that for granted
at times and theres day where I seem to just open my eyes and cherish my loved ones and
everything I have. Theyre always there for me and help me through everything. Without my
family, my parents, I dont know what Id be doing now. My non-privilege would probably be
being a female and of color. Though, others consider my ethnicity, which is Mexican-American,
a minority I believe its not as its a growing population. What really hurts is the racial jokes and
slurs said that are more than offensive towards me. Being a girl already, I am told that I am
incapable of accomplishing many academic things and therefore I strive for my best as possible.
Secondly, being a female of color to top it off, others tend to think that my academic background
may not be as rich when compared to another child not of color. If I had to sacrifice my
privileges to make the world a little more just, then so be it. I think people need to start being
more open-minded and stop discriminating in certain ways, one way or another.

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Sophies Reflection:
Over the past couple months since we began this project, I have felt myself growing more
self aware about my place in the world and how it has treated me. Being a white, blonde haired,
blue eyed female, I have grown up in a world centered around media filled with people who look
like me. Therefore not once in my life have I felt out of place or underrepresented because of my
skin color. I have had so many people internationally accepted as successful or beautiful to look
up to, so Ive never felt like that was out of reach for myself. Other who were born with certain
traits they could easily feel alienated in a world that is mainly represented by white faces. Even
more terrifying is that the color of your skin can dictate violent acts against you. Not once have I
been randomly selected at the airport, been harassed or injured by law enforcement, or stopped
at immigration checkpoints. I been able to fly through my life unscathed by disgusting racial
prejudice. I had no clue that people in my life have not had this privilege. While Ive never been
unfairly treated or judged because of my race, an area where I am part of an oppressed group is
my gender. With most successful people being men and women being paid severely less, there is
already a preconceived notion that as a girl you will never gain as much caliber as your male
counterparts. Females also have to worry about their safety and well being much more than
males do, which limits many opportunities as well as causes emotional damage. Although all the
privilege given to me is unfair, equality isnt a lost cause. Because of my race I have somewhat
of an immunity of being shamed because of my color, and sometimes a message can be more
powerful when it is coming from an outside party. I dont have a first person connection to racial
oppression, so standing up when someone is being mistreated could have an impact on changing
opinions about how wrong it is. Being an ally to an oppressed group can strengthen the cause by
bringing people together and showing that even outside forces wont stand for it, therefore
eliminating the chance of someone getting away with hurting another human.

Zoe Valentin
10.29.15
PM

Context Research: Beauty Standards

For my background research, I read the article Global Beauty Ideals by Brianna
Wessel-Estes. She writes for The Examiner, and it was uploaded in May of 2011. Throughout
this article, she talks about the global beauty standards and how it affects different generations of
girls in different countries. She draws attention to the fact that our culture and ourselves

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emphasis an unrealistic ideal of beauty. She compares each country, and gives a bit of a
background for why they might think the way they do. She also points how dominate Western
Ideals of beauty are in other countries.
1. Girls in the Western Hemisphere seem to be affected by the beauty
standards of their country at much younger ages, According to Newsweekreared on reality TV and celebrity makeovers, 43 percent of American 6- to
9-year-olds are already using lipstick or lip gloss; 38 percent use hairstyling
products; and 12 percent use other cosmetics. (Paragraph 3). This passage
suggests that media portrayal of women, and how they should look, act, and dress,
etc, deeply impact girls at younger ages than expected. Society receives one idea
of this issue, but another might be true. I feel like beauty standards is a problem
that is tamped down, and isnt analyzed for what it really is. This is important to
realize because awareness needs to be raised with it. It was interesting to see the
data collected on this topic, and its almost heartbreaking to look at. It makes you
wonder about the other statistics.
2. In parts of Asia, it is more beautiful to have rounder eyes,
Plastic surgery in general has skyrocketed in Asia over the past few years,
but in Korea in particular, researchers estimate that 1 in 10 adults has been
nipped and tucked, and even children are getting their eyelids done. The
surgery, essentially an eye lift, creates a fold in the eyelid and gives the look
of bigger, more Western eyes. (Paragraph 6). American beauty ideals have
dominated much of the worlds different countries and cultures. Since America is
big on media and makes a large portion of the television shows and movies out
there, the standards affect those outside our nation. This paragraph shocked me
because I didnt know that EYE surgery was a thing, let alone a common one in
Asia. It makes me sad to realize that something as normal as eyes have to have a
certain look. This makes me wonder how Asian models and actresses look. Do
they have a more Western appearance than the average Asian?
3. According to the article, African cultures and beauty standards
differ immensely from our own, In parts of western Africa women are
considered most attractive when they're overweight and sporting stretch
marks. In Mauritania, parents send their daughters, who are often married
at a young age, to camps where they are fed up to 16,000 calories a day.
(Paragraph 4). It was so weird to read about this in the article. It was important to
realize that some standards arent often ones that are similar to our own. Its
interesting to see and hear about what others might find beautiful, even if it
clashes with what is popular in your culture. This also makes me wonder about
the advertisements placed in West Africa, if there are any. How does this affect the
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way young African girls view themselves? Do those views differ then ones in
Western culture?

Zoe Valentin
12.3.15
PM Class

The 52 Ways: Kimber Simpkins

Kimber Simpkins is one of the most humble
and genuine ladies I have ever met. Upon
hearing about her, my group and I were
under the impression that she was a very
strong and vibrant being with an evident
compassion to help others discover the
beauty that they have. We were not lead
astray. Kimber is a breath of fresh air - in all

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aspects. From being a lawyer with a critical mindset towards her body to inspiring many with her
yoga practices, her story truly warms the heart. She now strives to help others embrace their
bodies. She is the author of a book, and one in the making called 52 Ways to Love Your Body,
and continues to spread her message.
When describing the workshops she teaches to help others, she states I found that the part of a
womans body that she really dislikes the most is very individual and very personal.. This
sentence really resonated with me because it is exactly what my group is discovering right now.
In our PSA about beauty standards, we ask teenage girls to talk about what they dont like about
their appearance. We were surprised to see the wide range of responses, from foreheads to the
complexion of their skin. We had not realized that our question could open the door to such an
array of insecurities. It had shown just how deeply rooted our societys beauty standards are in
the minds of young girls.
When prompted on her advice to other girls our age regarding beauty and the pressures
surrounding it, she says Being engaged and critical around media- looking at media really
carefully and seeing what the message is - what they're trying to make you feel, is really
helpful.. This struck me because it ties into what were trying to get across amazingly. Kimber
summed up how important it is for young girls to be aware of the intention that the media has
when portraying beauty.
We asked Kimber if she sees any men in her workshops. To our shock, she says
that now more than ever men are coming to her with their own insecurities. The pressures
around beauty standards for men are increasing over time. The diet and cosmetic industry has
saturated the market in terms of women hating their bodies. So whos the next audience to try to
increase your profits from? What if you can make 97% of men to hate their bodies too? I hadnt
realized how much of a risk men are to the confinements of our society now. My group has been
mostly focused on the effects that beauty has on the female population, and it was really
interesting to take it on from a different perspective.
Looking back at our conducted interview, I can say that my group has learned a lot. Not only did
we hear from a very educated and humble mentor, we discovered things we would not have by
researching the topic alone. It was very inspiring to hear Kimbers journey, and we now strive individually and as a group - to continue spreading this important message, and bring awareness
to this very serious and evident topic.

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Zoe Valentin
12.2.15
AM Class

Comparing Education Inequality in America

and Latin America
When I first heard of this assignment, I immediately thought of the education gap in Latin
America. I grew up hearing about this issue on the news, and I really wanted to delve into this
topic to fully understand what is going on in that area, and the affects it must have on the
children and economy.
I kicked off the assignment by reading an article about the education gap in America. In
order to compare, I needed to educate myself on what is going on in my own homeland. Some of
the statistics that they had thoroughly shocked me, but in the back of my mind, I wasnt too
surprised. After reading the Latin America article, the contrast was evident between the two
places. Both articles I read about addressed dropout rates. I learned that approximately 22.2
million children and adolescents in Latin America are not in school or at risk of dropping out of
school each year. In America, it seems that dropout rates are more focused and dependant on
race. While 89% of adults in America have a high school education, the highest percentage goes
to Chile, with 69%. According to the article, Latin American kids score very poorly in math and
science, critical skills in todays job market. In America, only 1/4 high school students actually

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graduate college-ready in the 4 core subjects of English, Reading, Math and Science. So
although we have higher graduation rate, we are sending our students off ill-prepared. Another
thing I learned throughout both articles is that spending on education per student is very different
in the two places. While Latin America countries spend about $3.00 a student in high school, the
US spends about $12.00. In Latin America, they spend about $9.00 on students in college, while
America spends about $30.00. This has a direct impact on economic growth. Both articles agreed
that teacher quality is one of the most significant factors related to student achievement. In
America, 14% of new teachers resign by the end of their first year, 33% leave within their first 3
years, and almost 50% leave by their 5th year. In Latin America, the countries have little or no
selectivity when it comes to the teaching profession, and 1/3 of the teachers barely passed high
school, and 70% of teachers failed the National Teacher Examination.
Learning all of this really opened my eyes to the effects that education inequality causes
in places like Latin America. It also made me realize how many problems we have here in the
United States, but the difference between the two lands are very evident.

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