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Alfonso Gomez
Mrs. Wickware
CAA Plus 2
16 May 2016
If Not Now, When?
If you are going through hell, keep going Winston Churchill.
This simple quote has guided me, pushed me, and taught me through my four years of
high school and made me persevere into the human being I am today. My journey through high
school would not be complete without joining and becoming a member of the Clayton Arts
Academy. Because of joining the academy, my artistic interests have broadened my horizon
when I joined photography for three years and enhanced my artistic abilities as a photographer
and using the various elements of art, as well as finding my passion for social sciences and
adjusting to leadership roles in various projects, and my eagerness for making a change by
sharing peoples stories developed my awareness for bullying in our community.
My artistic growth has changed and branched out tremendously throughout my three
years in the Arts Academy by participating and learning in all-academy projects. The project I
was assigned for my senior year was the all-academy spring project of Slam Poetry. As a group,
we were asked to create five original poems and pick from a list of topics/themes and present
them to a live audience in a seeding tournament where we were placed in ranks and then in an
elimination tournament. In order to do this, my group first needed to know the basics of slam
poetry in general and how they are performed. On the first day, we introduced ourselves and our
specialty. We also watched Ted Talk videos on slam poetry and spoken-word poetry. We learned
a lot of material based on the videos like the purpose of slam poetry, why people made the poems

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they made and what it meant to them, and how they performed it. Our special guests that
presented their slam poems and the workshops we did also helped us greatly. I had my group and
myself write lists of things they knew to be true in order to help them create a poem. In the end,
everyone contributed to most poems and we incorporated everyone's work into the poems. Due
to the massive time constraint, there was a pressure to get things done quickly but efficiently as
possible. Because of the pressure, requirements were changed for the seeding tournament to
make things easier. We were allowed to have note cards if we did not have some poems
memorized and we only had to perform two poems. We learned minimal choreography for the
seeding tournament due to the fact that memorization and finalizing our poems were more
important. We were quite nervous in the beginning but after performing we were ranked in fourth
place! My group surprised me everyday with their creativity and boldness and willingness to
contribute and really stepped it up when we needed them to. In the elimination tournament, we
went up in ranks and eventually came to second place! I was very proud of my group and how
far we got into the tournament. We definitely surprised ourselves in how far we came. My fellow
senior, Jordan Ben-Shmuel, finished us off by completing our powerpoint slideshow to present
at the end of the project.
My group communicated very well, we were all happy with the decisions we made based
on the poems we created, we were very focused and determined in learning choreography and
memorizing our poems along with projecting and being professional. We all got along very well
with each other and definitely bonded over the course of the project.We also made sure to follow
a strict schedule of deadlines for everyone and always checked on group members and their
progress. We did run into a few issues. One member could not make it to school when we needed
them but I gave them all the information they needed in order to do their part. We also had one of

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our members become suddenly ill a few days before the elimination tournament but she was able
to come back with her lines memorized. The only thing I would change is having my group
practice our last poem more thoroughly. Because of this project, I have definitely learned to
become more organized and handle group issues more efficiently as well as become a greater
leader to my group as a senior. I could not have done it without help from my fellow senior
leader, Jordan. Together, we were able to communicate very well with our group and help
motivate and push them to be greater as a whole to create amazing poem. By succeeding in
second place, this demonstrates how well my group did and the amount of effort we put into
creating our poems. This project was very impactful to me as a student in the Arts Academy
because being a senior in this project, I really had to step up to the plate and become a leader for
my group. I wanted my group to like me and be able to talk to me about any issue they might
have had. I wanted my group to feel safe and also have fun with what they were doing. I
definitely grew from this project and was able to take charge and answer any questions my group
had. Leadership is very important to me as well as being organized in this project; I strived to
persevere in those areas and make sure my group could be the best they could be as poets. By
reflecting on this project, I have educated myself in collaborative problem-solving,
communication, and critical thinking. Academically, I utilized these same learning skills outside
of the academy and in my other classes over my high school career.
My academic growth has increased in skills and knowledge throughout my four years in
high school and in the arts academy as well as outside of the academy. The overall course of U.S.
History my junior year in high school was my objective. Because I wasn't in the Arts Academy
my freshmen year, I was behind in my social studies courses. I simultaneously took U.S. History
and U.S. Government that year. Simultaneously having both of these courses was a great

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learning experience for me, mostly because U.S. History was my non-academy class and I was
the only Arts Academy student in that class as well. Throughout the year I already had some
material memorized when learning both courses that year. I fell in love with my U.S. History
class, especially the project we were assigned the second semester. The decade project was to
evaluate a relative from a decade (I picked the 70's) and to interview them on that decade and
type a very meticulous paper on it. We first had to interview them with specific questions and
record them in some form, specifically questions on the political, social, and personal aspect of
their lives. This was the first assignment we needed to turn in. There was also a presentation on
the final paper in class that was required of us.I first picked the decade and the relative I wanted
to talk to. I later called my grandmother and interviewed her over the phone about her life. I
asked her many questions and recorded them as we talked over the phone. I then had to review
the many guidelines and requirements for the paper. My procrastination got the best of me and I
typed my paper the day before it was due. My fault, I know. I realized that recording my
interview onto a piece of paper while simultaneously listening over the phone was not the best
strategy to use. When asking questions to my own grandmother about the 1970's, I got some very
interesting responses in return. I had to ask her about the politics, culture, and environment at the
time and I learned some very interesting facts about her life in that decade. I definitely learned
my lesson about procrastinating about such an important project. The presentation was nothing to
worry about. I had to discuss my paper in a nutshell and talk about something significant in the
decade I chose.
In general, I learned so much about my grandmother's past, including the traumatic
events in her life, moving from Mexico to the U.S., the history of Southern California, etc. Being
in the this class not only taught be academically about U.S. History, but it also taught me socially

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by making new friends outside the academy. Having taken U.S. Government at the same time
was an advantage because I was able to utilize both subjects in each class when I learned
something new. I also learned some amazing facts about my grandmother and her family and
where they lived at the time. As a result of taking this course, I got an A in the class for the whole
year and passed the decade project and final at the end of the year. I also got an A in U.S.
Government and passed the course. Taking this course outside the academy was very impactful
as an Arts Academy student because I had the chance of having an amazing teacher who taught
me so much about something he was very passionate about. Through all the activities done in
class, I was able to talk to new people and create other friendships. The decade project
specifically made me realize how important history can be, especially in your own family and
how starting one conversation, even with a random stranger, may be memorable and exciting.
My growth as an agent of change has helped shape my personal societal mission in which
I shared peoples stories and developed my awareness for bullying in our community. The goal
and objective of my project was to creatively capture photos and display them in my community,
raise awareness about bullying in my community, create questionnaires, gather data, report my
findings, research programs, non-profit organizations, websites, and other outlets to uniform
myself, my art, and others. I needed to go to classes around my school and ask students,
including staff, to take a questionnaire on bullying, write on a note card, a word, phrase, or story
of a random act of kindness and cruelty and collect them and portray them creatively on a word
board. I also wanted to take photos of people in black and white, holding a white sheet of paper
with a word or phrase someone has said to them that was kind and also one that was rude with a
red X on the rude word/phrase. I wanted to present this on presentation day along with my word
board. On the day of presentation, I wanted to do an activity with the audience. Throughout my

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project duration, I mostly asked permission from many teachers around campus to present a
speech to their classes about my project and ask students to write on note cards anonymously of
an event in time when they witnessed someone being bullied or themselves being bullied.
Thankfully, I received more than enough note cards for my project. While I did this, I also asked
permission from fellow classmates of mine to take a photo of them to use and display in my
project. Doing this was quite a challenge because I wanted to use the same setting and
background so all the photos had unity in them. Because I used the studio in the photo room and
a camera from the photo room, all photos had to be taken during third period and there were
times when the cameras and the studio were being used which was frustrating. I also could not
take photos of everyone that I wished to because they were busy. In the end, I was not able to
create a questionnaire due to timing and having to make my physical display by a certain day. I
had to present my display to the community in the Arts Expo during Open House. Creating my
display was very stressful but I was very pleased in the end and glad the community got to see
and interact with my project.
The note cards went very well and I was very pleased with the feedback I received in
return. There were a few note cards that were very general and generic and did not have a very
powerful message at all. Luckily, I had more than enough note cards to use. Editing my photos
was very tedious work but I was able to edit all my photos and print them in time for the Arts
Expo. I was able to take enough photos of people to use in my project. I wish I had more time to
make a questionnaire and create a better physical display for my project. I am glad I worked on
my website often and blogged even more often of my project process. I am glad I took visual
evidence, created a submission box for people to create more note cards at the Arts Expo, and
asked people if they would like their own picture taken. I also created a template and had people

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rate my project and give me some general feedback about it. I tried my best to talk to community
members and inform them of not only my project, but also the social justice issue I was trying to
raise awareness of. While creating this project, I have learned that as an artist, there are many
possibilities of creating art in many forms and I have more capabilities than I make myself think.
As an artist, I have surprised myself in the amount of work I am capable of doing and achieving
through this project. As a student, I have definitely grown from my mistakes and learned about
peoples personal lives and their stories. My passion for this project has definitely helped me
become an agent of change and a social activist. I feel very strongly about my project and the
social justice issue I studied. Learning about this social justice issue really pushed my passion
forward in wanting to create positive change in my school and in my community as a whole.
Stepping back and looking at the art I created with the help of other people was very emotional
and further represented my passion for this project and why I wanted to raise awareness on
bullying. I was able to meet most of my goals and objectives. I was not able to create
questionnaires and record data from them. I believe that my project did produce the intended
impact because I was able to discuss, with adults, my project and hear amazing stories of their
own and how they enjoyed my project. By writing the note cards, I hoped that people were able
to share their secrets and release tension they had in a safe environment. To continue being the
change I want to see in the world, I want to inform people of the drastic consequences bullying
might have on others and try my best to stop it when I see it happening. I will encourage others
to do the same, but also share their personal stories with no judgement.
As a photographer, I have achieved knowledge and skill of the elements of principles of
art and successfully completed projects and other assignments that reflect the use of analysis and
conceptualization across content areas. Academically, I have met my college entrance

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requirements, verbal skills, demonstrated strong writing elements, and participated in
extracurricular activities and clubs to promote listening and speaking skills. Above all else, my
personal societal mission has formed me to be a positive citizen, respect cultures, lifestyles, and
ideas, strengthened my character, and prepare me for life outside of high school. While
researching more about bullying, I came across a Ted Talk video entitled, From Schoolyard
Bullying to Genocide. Barbara Coloroso said, Bullying is not a conflict. Conflict is normal,
natural, and necessary. Bullying is none of that. Bullying is a hostile, willful, conscious act
intended for harm where you get pleasure from somebody else's pain. It's arrogance in action;
utter contempt for another human being. In her speech, she discussed the three main ingredients
for a genocide: unquestionable obedience to authority, routinization of cruelty, and
dehumanization. All of these factors may be forming in our homes, schools, and communities.
My passion for anti-bullying would not be so fervid without experiencing bullying in my life.
The constant questions I would receive in elementary school of Are you gay? was quite
unsettling to me. Elementary school. I had no idea what that even meant. If you are curious to
know my story, here is the preface: I believe in second chances. I believe that everything happens
for a reason. I am a fool for faith. I believe in God. It has influenced my life greatly and I am
happy to say that it has. It is a part of who I am. I believe in loving thy neighbor; loving thy
enemy. I believe in the golden rule. I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated,
judgement-free. I believe in striving for change in which people have equal and just rights. I do
not believe in constrictions, boundaries, or repressing others abilities. I do not believe in
abandoning mankind. I wish I believed that people have the best intentions. I wish I believed that
my parents still loved each other. I used to believe that religion is in complete and total control of
my life and there is no way to adjust it, only to follow what it says. I used to believe that society

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needs me to be perfect and I need to conform to it with labels. I believe in creativity in all its
forms. I believe that music has the power to heal. I believe art should not be neglected in an
adolescents life for fear of unoriginality and conformity. I believe anyone has the ability to
create art. I wish I believed that our world was not dying physically and creatively and
morally. The most amazing thing I believe in this universe is how one act of kindness can do so
much more. The endless possibilities help me experience a sense of purpose. If not now, when?
If not me, who?