The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, January 8, 2010 · 12 Teen advises Sharpies and others to stand out By Shailee Koranne GRADE 8, EMILY CARR P.S. disease has spread through the teenage world. I call it mainstream `I-itis.' A You know, where you dress, walk, talk, and act like everybody else. My school prides itself in being self-expressive, so why does everybody look exactly the same? Everyone has the same jeans, the same hair, the same shoes and the same sweaters. I love the way some of these clothes look on some people, but on others, it just looks like a fraud. `If you stand out, you're fashionable...,' literally. Neon colours are suddenly a fad. To be honest, everyone looks like a highlighter. If anyone is trying to step up to the plate and really be who they are, I can't see them through those bright colours. My eyes hurt. People might say, "Why are you accusing me of being a poser? I am a skater." Those people know for sure that dressing like a Sharpie is what they like doing. Those people are assured that is who they are, and I'm not going to mess with that. If that's who you are, then that's cool. But then there are those who aren't who they dress to be. These are the people who will constantly be checking to make sure that they look like a skater. These are the people whose personalities aren't self-chosen, but carbon- copied. These people limit themselves to one option for everything. That choice is -- what everyone else is doing. It's extremely difficult at times to tell people apart. It's like someone has placed two pieces of paper in front of you -- one original, one photocopied. How in the world are you supposed to tell the difference? Look closely. One piece of paper has strong, bold ink all over it. This one is the original. The other one has faded words, not as bold. That's because when the machine copied the original, it couldn't quite make the copy as perfect. Meaning, the copy can't pull off being the original. It isn't as put together. It's either not trying hard enough or trying way too much. When you're not trying hard enough, people might be able to see right through you. When you're trying way too much, it's a little noticeable. It's a `teenager see, teenager do' world. Haven't we evolved? Can't we make our own choices? I am one of the few people I know who loves dressing brightly for myself. I don't put on a show. I am the same person whether on the stage, or behind the curtains. Are you?