Part one: Reflections

(While all students wrote answering all questions, some were very personal and not to be shared. Each paragraph indicated a different student, though many students are represented in more than one category.)

What makes you who your are?

I think That my religion has a big hand in who I am but I think that other things like my families strict rules against alcohol and things like that has impacted me and also the foods my family gets (not always healthy but most of the time) and being in school for most of my day (especially julian) has made me more responsible and organized.

There are many things that make me who I am. The way I dress, things I do, and hobbies I have, all effect me and how people think of me. I enjoy playing video games and like to wear t-shirts and jeans. I know that the assumption cold be made that I am a Computer and Tech person.

My outer appearance doesn't really have anything to do with my personality except from the fact that I 'm about 6'' and very skinny. I guess that my inner self has to do a lot about me like habits I have, food, intelligence and just the way I view life in general.

There are many things that make me myself. First, there's the outside. My Japanese and my European sides both take places on me physically. But that isn't the large part of me. My thoughts are effected by everything around me, especially my friends. The age I 'm in also creates a feeling strongly against the republican side, and a bias for the democrats due to the decisions I have thought were wrong ones made by the conservatives.

It's the what I do My hobby. I love to play with cars. And for fun I Like to go to car Dealerships and look at the cars. also I like to go out and shop with is odd because girls do that. And the way that I talk

The things that make me who I am are my thoughts, speech, and ability to gain allies in life. I am able to, for example, change my appearance to fit what someone is looking for - say for, a job.

My personality is one, smart, funny, a little superficial, even forgetful, and also giving. I love sports, joking with my friends, talking on the phone. My thoughts and beliefs make me, I believe that women especially African American are not involved enough in politics and law. The challenges I 've had to go through in life I think are one of the biggest things that make me. The music I like, Hip Hop, and R&B, and sometimes Pop. The things I like and dislike, like my pet peeves, one of them being people who are so full of themselves, another being, when people are smoking, I hate that. Skills or talents, I used to be able to speak German, but I forgot, I can still speak a little, but barely. Family history too, my grandfather was an ambassador of Malawi, Africa, he met many people and enjoyed his work. All these things are what make me, me.

I think that my eyes say the most about me. They change day to day, from emerald green to hazel, orange to jade with golden specks, like my personality and mood. I have two sides to my personality: The one that shows to everyone that doesn't know me (a quiet, shy girl) and then the side that my friends and family see (a crazy, funny, talkative, creative, outspoken person.) I tend not to let my true side show right away because if I talk about everything right away, then I don't learn about the other person, and they know everything about me.

What doesn't make me who I am. Whether it be by the way I dress, or whether it be by the kids I hang out with. I play sports like Lacrosse and many other sports. I speak english, I 'm Catholic, I love food, unless it is green.

Things like being Italian and Mexican and being born in one of the worst parts of San Francisco. I can speak spanish make good burritos and I have a lot of family in Mexico and California. My favorite color is gold. When I have free time I like to go to Berwyn or Chicago because I have a lot friends there.

My name, my actions, and physical characteristics, mostly because that is the most common traits people will recognize. But, my personality and history are also important to me. My drawing hobby and video games are also part of who I am.

I love to play my trumpet and I am proud of my abilities on it. Someday I hope that it will take me to a career that I can enjoy. My family has a big effect on me, sometimes good and sometimes bad. My mom and dad help me get through my problems and so does my brother but usually he is the one who makes them. Finally, of course my church is a great influence on me.  I know that people there will help me and I am glad to know that.

My identity is who I am, and it has many parts: first of all, I am Jewish, so that is my culture/ my family. The holidays and events are part of my heritage/history, so that is important to me. I also really love my family- my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, etc. (I have a really big family). I don't get to see all of them a lot, so it's really special when I do get to see them. I 'm a feminist, and I am a radical/liberal person. I am a strong believer in social justice/action, especially concerning the Darfur situation in Sudan, and the Israel/Palestine situation; my family has gotten a lot of ostracization because of the fact that they believe something different than the mainstream Jewish community.

There are many things that make me who I am-my outer and inner self. Although things like sports also make me who I am. Things such as my religion-Catholic, my heritage-italian, and Irish, and my main language English also contribute to who I am.

What things that make you who you are, can you change?

you can change the school you go to, your clothes, who you live with, and your neighborhood

I could change my clothes and the way I act.

I can change at any instant, but I usually don't want to. I can be influenced by anything, but I mostly influence myself.

I would change The way that I walk and talk. The reason is that people talk about me so that makes me mad.

My reputation, what/how people think of me.

I think I could change eventually, the music I listen too, but not anytime soon. My hobbies as well. Also being a little superficial is something I could change. Being forgetful is something I could defiantly change.

Some things about me that can change are my habits, which do affect the person I am.

I used to lie but my family and I helped me stop.

You can't really change any thing about you because then it wouldn't be you. It's like pretending to be a different person. I think the only way you change your personality is by maturing.

Which things can you not change?

the food you like, your personality, the kind of people you like, your imagination.

My feelings and myself.

I don't think my outer appearance can change enough to change the person I am.

I can't change anyone, but I can influence them. I can't, in fact, change anything, but I can still influence it, but some things more than other. My body I have the most influence over, but it is truly my body's decision to do it. I can influence a friend to think one way or another, but I can't force him. I guess it depends what is classified as me, my mind, my body, both?

Nothing because I love the way I walk and that way I talk. Every thing that I do I just could not go with my day. When I take that I was I will be like everyone else in the nation

My personality is something I wouldn't really be able to change, maybe I could but it would sure take a while. My family history is something I defiantly wouldn't be able to change, because what happens, happens, and that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

My personality can only be dimmed not changed.

One thing that can't be change is my religion and my heritage.

Philosophically speaking, it's impossible to change who you are because the instant the change is made it becomes part of who you are. For instance, if your favorite color is blue, that is part of who you are. If your favorite color changes to green, you say, “My favorite color is green,” not “My favorite color was blue but now it is green.” You define yourself by the now, not the then. However, I personally feel that the base building blocks of who I am are unchanging. They can be added to, but not changed.

You cannot change your family or your heritage. No matter what your family and your heritage will remain the same. This isn't a problem for me because I love both my family and my heritage.

I can not change the fact my parents love me and that my church is there to help me.

You can't change the way you act around people while still being yourself. It's like being in a room filled with monsters and you have a mask on. You don't fit in but you try being something your not.

Do you ever make a conscious effort to change any of those things? When and why? How easy/hard is it?

most of the time the things that change are things you have no control over but sometimes I do make conscious decisions to change clothes, foods I eat, how much sleep I get and most of these are hard to do because I have gotten into a habit.

No, I don't try to change myself because I think I am fine just how I am.

I try and influence things that I find wrong with my friends. I have yet to do something on such a scale of the world, but I have started in my small group of friends. I assume it is very hard to change anything, especially the big ones, considering a very few handful of people have the guts (and wits) to change the world.

No because I am who I am so sat on what It is that I do And any time that I try I try to change I get sidetracked and say I am The way I am and I quit trying.

Yes, sometimes I do, sometimes its hard though because I 'm so used to it so it comes naturally. I don't really know when though, usually anytime I remember it's something I should start changing.

Its pretty hard to change a habit. Most people don't. The only way I would change my habits is if they aren't getting me anywhere in life.

I try to make a conscious effort to quiet what I believe in when I 'm around someone who I shouldn't be telling my ideas to, like my mom's friends.

people waste all their time to be accepted, when all they need to do is just make friends with people who accept them for who they are.

No I have never tried to change anything. I don't think I will try and change something. It would take a long time and it would be very hard. Besides I like the way I am.

Yes, I have tried to get over some bad behaviors I used, and I usually succeed. I 'll try to change whenever the need it necessary in order for me to be less annoying in public. When I do try to change, I make it easy by reminding myself with physical things like notes or something.

Frankly I am happy who I am. I am happy with my family,my heritage, my qualities, and my character. Occasionally I will make minor adjustments on my character,nothing major, so it's not very hard.

I do try to get along with my brother.  I want to change that because I want us to get along later in life. It is very hard though because he is not always willing to try that.

I could not change the grades I get because personally I try my hardest and I believe that if you completely dedicate yourself to getting good grades you would never have enough time to enjoy life and be with people you care about. and then before you know it your childhood would be gone and then you would regret not having lived it to its fullest.

-I could not change the music I like because the music I listen to is a direct reflection of my personality (not who I try to be but my actual personality) and I can hardly change that.

The main thing that I can not change is my heritage because this is a trait from the past which therefore makes it impossible to change.

Yes, I do make a conscious effort to change things, like biting my finger nails because it is embarrassing.

Are you different around certain people? Are you still the same you inside if you act differently?

I act differently around my brother than I do around my friends. At times I even act differently according to the place I am in. Most of the time I still have the same feelings inside though.

Yes, I am different around other people but I am the same on the inside.

Sometimes, I usually forget when I do try to change and it is extremely hard.

I am different around different people. Some people I have more trust with, whereas the people I barely know, I barely show myself.

yes I put on a front in front of people. but when I am with my family I am a different person. No It's like I become a total different person and I change all over.

Yes, I am different around different people. However I feel different inside. I feel like I 'm not me at all.

I guess sometimes but I still think I , and other people, are still the same people inside and they cant run from that because it will always eventually catch up with them.

Yes, I can act multiple ways in front of people. I think it depends on the persons age.

Sometimes I cant help acting differently around people just because you don't feel good enough or you just don't feel comfortable around other people.

Camp is my second home, the place I would spend my life at if I could. It's sort of set up like a Kibbutz, and everyone there are just the sweetest, best people. About half of my closest friends come from camp. Everyone there will listen to what I have to say, and most of the time they'll agree, as it's a pretty liberal camp. I can also be myself around my friends here. Usually I can be myself around my family, but sometimes they make it hard to do so, by cutting me off, or not listening to me.

Sometimes when I am around kids I really know, I am myself, but whenever I am making a new friend, I just try to be “cool”. That is the scheme that I usually follow. You are still inside the same, but is a quick reaction when you meet someone new. When I am not myself for a while, I feel in my heart that it is wrong.

Generally, I act the same with everyone, unless my immediate safety or embarrassment depended on it. No matter how I change my external behavior, I 'm always weird and energetic inside. I don't believe anything can change that.

I am different around other people depending who they are. If I have known them and trust them I am more like myself. If I don't trust people as much, I am not as normal as I can be. However, I am still the same inside.

I try to be less controlling with my brother so our relationship will remain strong. It is hard because I 'm only controlling with people I fell comfortable around, and that defiantly includes my brother.

I never change who I am unless it is like what I like or sometimes who I like. Sometimes other people change who they are and they are not as nice. I change what I like a lot.  I always add stuff to my lists of likes.

I don't like bigots or jerks. I am no different on the outside to them, besides the fact that I won't pay much attention to them. But in the inside I know that I should try to avoid these people.

I try to change my habits sometimes. For instance I know I should study hard, so I study hard to get good grades on my tests. It could be hard sometimes, but you still have to keep on going. That's why they call it endurance.

Sometimes I want to make my self better at those things which is really hard to do but other times I feel like dropping those things because it's hard to keep. Sometimes its not really conscious but things change.

I can never change the impact that things have on me good or bad. They always stick with me no matter what I do. Also can't change some of my views toward things no matter how hard I try.

I act differently around my friends then I do with my family.

Do you know someone with whom you can always ‘be yourself'?

I can always be the same around my sister. She understands me and always loves me no matter what.

I can be myself (whatever that is) around a small number of my friends. However, there is a religion called Unitarian Universalists, where I feel that when I am with them, I can be whoever whenever (whatever).

yes with the people that I love my grandparents. And that is must likely because I That is where I fill the must safe at home with them.

Yes, I have many friends in whom I could just be myself.

Yes, I can be myself with my family, and friends. I don't need to change who I am when I 'm around them because I know who I am and they do so I don't need to change myself

No. It's impossible to fully “be yourself” with someone because you will always come into some sort of conflict.

There is one person in my life where I can always be myself by; that is my mom. I could be myself by my mom because she is herself, and I have known her for all of my life.

My friends and family because I don't have to do anything for them to like me.

I can be myself when I am around myself, but otherwise I try to adapt to other peoples personalities.

With my friends and family I can be myself. I don't have to go to long measures to impress them, I can just be myself.

Yes, my family and church.

Yes I do but I may not completely be myself with that person. Maybe it's because deep down a real complicated person.