I would like everyone to stand up you’ve
been sitting for a while now
turn around shake the person’s hand next
to you stretch reach for the stars twist
make a new friend smile say hello shake
it off get some energy back in that body
all right and now you miss it
so I stated earlier my name is Sid Roth
Zhou and I’m a senior at this high
school I came in halfway through
sophomore year I was in Methuen for 14
years and moved to Canada then came back
here it’s it’s been a ride but when I
first started high school it was a
different experience for me I was the
only one covered from head to toe other
than a couple other people and I was
perceived differently so high school is
a sea of lost kids trying to find
themselves when they’ve been nothing but
lost I originally came to high school to
get good grades and get out my main
focus was you know getting good grades
in order to go in order to go to a good
college and then pursue a good career
and when I looked at myself in the
mirror I obviously looked different but
I thought that if I wouldn’t speak about
myself that if anyone would ask me any
questions I would just you know divert
it and be like yeah you know I just
cover cause like that’s part my religion
I wouldn’t expand on it and I thought
that if I would be quiet if I wouldn’t
speak it would silence others others
judgments of me
however this all changed on a beautiful
day in sophomore year where I saw a
poster for the school slam team and I
was like oh my god the school has poetry
this is amazing and so I joined that
Club and in that Club I’ve grown so much
jeromy’s Janowicz and it’s just been a
welcoming friendly environment and I was
able to blossom and grow and we joined a
competition called alt a bloater than a
bomb and I auditioned I made the team I
wrote my poem I practice it multiple
times throughout the day and then
finally the day of the competition came
and I was extremely nervous like imagine
standing in front of an audience
sharing a poem and being judged because
they actually hold up the whiteboard
saying your scores so obviously I was
going to be nervous I was being judged
so openly but I I was able to come over
the 50 pounds of anxiety and
anticipation and the judges they loved
my poem I actually ended up getting you
know one of the highest scores of that
event and but that’s not what changed me
it’s the fact that the people came came
to me after I did my poem they’re like
you know we loved your poem
it was great they hugged me and I felt
that I could speak and I could be heard
I no longer had to be silent anymore
moreover I learned to be confident and I
learned that confidence is embracing the
chaotic imperfections and flaws and
beauty that you call yourself you and I
realized that I can be Who I am
loudly and I will never let fear silence
me and perhaps I will always be
perceived as the quiet Muslim girl and I
have to always combat that and be like
no you know I’m I have a voice I can
speak I’m not oppressed and not only
that but I have to learn to flow not
with the crowd I have I was born to
stand out I can’t blend in I I cannot i
I just can’t come on guys so I am loud
vibrant colors against dull surroundings
this is pretty dull I guess right right
and I will always be I will always be
perceived different but I’m a voice that
can’t be blocked and I’m a body that
cannot be stopped
regarding this journey I wrote my poem
for this year’s alt-tab competition
which it got a pretty good score and it
was it was riveting it was pretty yeah
rattling as well so I’m going to perform
that poem as well it’s called one body
three struggles look at me I’m a Muslim
woman so now should I kill you assuming
that my liberties consume that I’m
oppressed depressed compress that my
scarf disables me cripples me chokes me
but my faith liberates me down to me in
crowns and gowns I am a queen we’re a
society binds me with words turning into
shackles and chains my wealth so cannot
be tamed
so I struggled to stay saying because I
was told to stay in place and so I did
I was told to hold back and so I did
taught to quiet my thoughts and so I did
and so I did and so I did and so I did
but I’m tired of being told I’m too loud
or too quiet I’m tired of being silent I
cover my hair not my lips open my mind
not my legs I’m not a fetish you can peg
another notch on your patriarchal keg
I’m not an exotic spicy dish for you to
take I’m not present bail by layers for
you to open the treasure be last mine
once you try to find it why must you try
to own me my body’s not your property so
even though I’m covered you can’t cover
me don’t blindfold me you can’t gag me
yet you tried made me think that if I
wouldn’t speak you wouldn’t see wouldn’t
see the Muslim part of me that if I
covered my face you’d say I can’t see
her and I wouldn’t see me either because
you see 80% of the lives we tell are to
each other it’s six inches away from the
mirror so who would I be fell at my
signs define me refine me can find me
align me like parallel lines but these
guys keep getting closer and closer and
closer closing in on me squeezing me
ouch a bigger tree hurts me but I
recover because we are survivors and hot
they try to look down at me when my
faith has raised women so high that
heaven is under her feet so how dare
they look down at us when we are beings
not even of Earth we are more than our
voices we have rights and we have
choices we can be silent or make noises
we are women I am a woman don’t use a
term like an insult use like a ISM a
Pakistani American Muslim woman and
you’re me I’m of you on the run from
prison of labels expectations
limitations standards and construct
constructor for us without asking what’s
in it for us
so don’t label me acrimony like a victim
the only bombs I drop on my words watch
the echoes see them heard I extend peace
and love never pay dinner hurt so get a
good look at me I mean really don’t
build walls before you build bridges I’m
a refugee from the judgmental society at
the after me
trying to arrest me I see a target on my
body but I’m bulletproof
[Music]
thank you so this was my journey and I
live in a world where words hurt more
than sticks and stones and looks cut
sharper than razors on skin so we must
understand to stand up against the
negativity that words bring and all the
hatred that you know is around that
surrounds us and whether it be external
or internal so my journey for this rise
and against this rise it was a struggle
and as I had said earlier I needed to
learn that even if I didn’t speak I
would still be perceived as different
and I also live in a society where when
an act of aggression happens the entire
Muslim community holds their breath
hoping that it’s that the person who’s
committed the crime isn’t a Muslim
imagine you hear something on the news
and all of a sudden we hold our breath
and it’s like I really hope that
person’s not associated to Islam or
Muslim in any shape or form because
again if that person is then it’s a hit
on our and it’s a hit on our religion
and we are we’re not a religion of
violence um Islam actually the word
comes from Salaam Salaam which means
peace we greet each other with assalamu
alaykum which means peace and blessings
be upon you so tell me how can a
religion that is fundamentally based on
peace I condemn or support any actions
of violence or aggression it’s not it
just can’t happen we we extend peace
weeks and love weeks then care and
respect all the good positivity in life
we have nothing to do with hate or
aggression so as a Muslim coming to this
high school or wherever I go I stand I
stand for not only myself but I stand
for the banner of Islam I have to
remember that I carry the burden of the
entire way that people will perceive
Islam so when I do something I have to
think three times four times five times
because not only are people going to
look at those actions those thoughts
coming from me but they’re going to
attach it to Islam and perceive it from
that perception so I stand for the
banner of my religion that is of love
that is being torn down by hatred around
us that is torn down by Islamophobic
that is torn down
by you know supporters of a certain
someone and so no matter how hard it
gets I will never I will never give up
this burden and I will overcome every
assumption every every stereotype in
every prejudice that comes against me
that dares to cross my path we all bleed
red we all cry over tests we all are
equal we all feel the same emotions and
in order to extend the fact that we all
feel these same emotions I wrote my book
wildflowers which is a compilation about
300 poems in some art and when people
read my book they were like oh you know
I feel the exact same way I feel like
you’re writing about my life and then
they’re surprised to know that I’m
Muslim because they perceive us as
different they perceive me as different
they think that I don’t belong here and
this is actually my country if you ask
me to go back to my country I’m just
going to go back to the hospital because
this is also my country so I just I
wanted to share my passion through the
poetry and it has touched a lot of
people which is very very you know it’s
exciting to hear and that the fact that
people think it’s relatable and the
process for this book was obviously not
easy nor as life easy so the same way I
/ / came obstacles and stripes and
tribulations in my life I believe that
anyone can the power of our mind is
astounding if anyone has taken any form
of psychology they’ve realized even in
the TED talks we heard earlier if you
believe you can use something there’s
nothing there’s absolutely nothing that
can stop you like Zack had said earlier
the only person the only thing in your
way is you
you must want success you must want to
overcome whatever you are going through
in your life in order to actually commit
overcome it if you think half-heartedly
you know this is a problem I’m just
going to like sweep it under the rug I
can’t do this no you can do it there’s
nothing that you cannot do and once you
once you adopt this mentality the fact
that you can do anything then and only
then will you be able to overcome
anything and there will be nothing that
will stop you and so the world is at
your fingers fingertips if you like
reach out lift your feet and breathe you
only need to take the first step
so I’ll leave you with the phrase and I
often say this to my friends when
they’re going through a difficult time I
say to them who can do it you can do it
I would like you to I would like for you
to repeat this with me as well who can
do it
no no you guys can do it so who can do
it I can do it come on louder who can do
it yes you can all right thank you
[Applause]
been sitting for a while now
turn around shake the person’s hand next
to you stretch reach for the stars twist
make a new friend smile say hello shake
it off get some energy back in that body
all right and now you miss it
so I stated earlier my name is Sid Roth
Zhou and I’m a senior at this high
school I came in halfway through
sophomore year I was in Methuen for 14
years and moved to Canada then came back
here it’s it’s been a ride but when I
first started high school it was a
different experience for me I was the
only one covered from head to toe other
than a couple other people and I was
perceived differently so high school is
a sea of lost kids trying to find
themselves when they’ve been nothing but
lost I originally came to high school to
get good grades and get out my main
focus was you know getting good grades
in order to go in order to go to a good
college and then pursue a good career
and when I looked at myself in the
mirror I obviously looked different but
I thought that if I wouldn’t speak about
myself that if anyone would ask me any
questions I would just you know divert
it and be like yeah you know I just
cover cause like that’s part my religion
I wouldn’t expand on it and I thought
that if I would be quiet if I wouldn’t
speak it would silence others others
judgments of me
however this all changed on a beautiful
day in sophomore year where I saw a
poster for the school slam team and I
was like oh my god the school has poetry
this is amazing and so I joined that
Club and in that Club I’ve grown so much
jeromy’s Janowicz and it’s just been a
welcoming friendly environment and I was
able to blossom and grow and we joined a
competition called alt a bloater than a
bomb and I auditioned I made the team I
wrote my poem I practice it multiple
times throughout the day and then
finally the day of the competition came
and I was extremely nervous like imagine
standing in front of an audience
sharing a poem and being judged because
they actually hold up the whiteboard
saying your scores so obviously I was
going to be nervous I was being judged
so openly but I I was able to come over
the 50 pounds of anxiety and
anticipation and the judges they loved
my poem I actually ended up getting you
know one of the highest scores of that
event and but that’s not what changed me
it’s the fact that the people came came
to me after I did my poem they’re like
you know we loved your poem
it was great they hugged me and I felt
that I could speak and I could be heard
I no longer had to be silent anymore
moreover I learned to be confident and I
learned that confidence is embracing the
chaotic imperfections and flaws and
beauty that you call yourself you and I
realized that I can be Who I am
loudly and I will never let fear silence
me and perhaps I will always be
perceived as the quiet Muslim girl and I
have to always combat that and be like
no you know I’m I have a voice I can
speak I’m not oppressed and not only
that but I have to learn to flow not
with the crowd I have I was born to
stand out I can’t blend in I I cannot i
I just can’t come on guys so I am loud
vibrant colors against dull surroundings
this is pretty dull I guess right right
and I will always be I will always be
perceived different but I’m a voice that
can’t be blocked and I’m a body that
cannot be stopped
regarding this journey I wrote my poem
for this year’s alt-tab competition
which it got a pretty good score and it
was it was riveting it was pretty yeah
rattling as well so I’m going to perform
that poem as well it’s called one body
three struggles look at me I’m a Muslim
woman so now should I kill you assuming
that my liberties consume that I’m
oppressed depressed compress that my
scarf disables me cripples me chokes me
but my faith liberates me down to me in
crowns and gowns I am a queen we’re a
society binds me with words turning into
shackles and chains my wealth so cannot
be tamed
so I struggled to stay saying because I
was told to stay in place and so I did
I was told to hold back and so I did
taught to quiet my thoughts and so I did
and so I did and so I did and so I did
but I’m tired of being told I’m too loud
or too quiet I’m tired of being silent I
cover my hair not my lips open my mind
not my legs I’m not a fetish you can peg
another notch on your patriarchal keg
I’m not an exotic spicy dish for you to
take I’m not present bail by layers for
you to open the treasure be last mine
once you try to find it why must you try
to own me my body’s not your property so
even though I’m covered you can’t cover
me don’t blindfold me you can’t gag me
yet you tried made me think that if I
wouldn’t speak you wouldn’t see wouldn’t
see the Muslim part of me that if I
covered my face you’d say I can’t see
her and I wouldn’t see me either because
you see 80% of the lives we tell are to
each other it’s six inches away from the
mirror so who would I be fell at my
signs define me refine me can find me
align me like parallel lines but these
guys keep getting closer and closer and
closer closing in on me squeezing me
ouch a bigger tree hurts me but I
recover because we are survivors and hot
they try to look down at me when my
faith has raised women so high that
heaven is under her feet so how dare
they look down at us when we are beings
not even of Earth we are more than our
voices we have rights and we have
choices we can be silent or make noises
we are women I am a woman don’t use a
term like an insult use like a ISM a
Pakistani American Muslim woman and
you’re me I’m of you on the run from
prison of labels expectations
limitations standards and construct
constructor for us without asking what’s
in it for us
so don’t label me acrimony like a victim
the only bombs I drop on my words watch
the echoes see them heard I extend peace
and love never pay dinner hurt so get a
good look at me I mean really don’t
build walls before you build bridges I’m
a refugee from the judgmental society at
the after me
trying to arrest me I see a target on my
body but I’m bulletproof
[Music]
thank you so this was my journey and I
live in a world where words hurt more
than sticks and stones and looks cut
sharper than razors on skin so we must
understand to stand up against the
negativity that words bring and all the
hatred that you know is around that
surrounds us and whether it be external
or internal so my journey for this rise
and against this rise it was a struggle
and as I had said earlier I needed to
learn that even if I didn’t speak I
would still be perceived as different
and I also live in a society where when
an act of aggression happens the entire
Muslim community holds their breath
hoping that it’s that the person who’s
committed the crime isn’t a Muslim
imagine you hear something on the news
and all of a sudden we hold our breath
and it’s like I really hope that
person’s not associated to Islam or
Muslim in any shape or form because
again if that person is then it’s a hit
on our and it’s a hit on our religion
and we are we’re not a religion of
violence um Islam actually the word
comes from Salaam Salaam which means
peace we greet each other with assalamu
alaykum which means peace and blessings
be upon you so tell me how can a
religion that is fundamentally based on
peace I condemn or support any actions
of violence or aggression it’s not it
just can’t happen we we extend peace
weeks and love weeks then care and
respect all the good positivity in life
we have nothing to do with hate or
aggression so as a Muslim coming to this
high school or wherever I go I stand I
stand for not only myself but I stand
for the banner of Islam I have to
remember that I carry the burden of the
entire way that people will perceive
Islam so when I do something I have to
think three times four times five times
because not only are people going to
look at those actions those thoughts
coming from me but they’re going to
attach it to Islam and perceive it from
that perception so I stand for the
banner of my religion that is of love
that is being torn down by hatred around
us that is torn down by Islamophobic
that is torn down
by you know supporters of a certain
someone and so no matter how hard it
gets I will never I will never give up
this burden and I will overcome every
assumption every every stereotype in
every prejudice that comes against me
that dares to cross my path we all bleed
red we all cry over tests we all are
equal we all feel the same emotions and
in order to extend the fact that we all
feel these same emotions I wrote my book
wildflowers which is a compilation about
300 poems in some art and when people
read my book they were like oh you know
I feel the exact same way I feel like
you’re writing about my life and then
they’re surprised to know that I’m
Muslim because they perceive us as
different they perceive me as different
they think that I don’t belong here and
this is actually my country if you ask
me to go back to my country I’m just
going to go back to the hospital because
this is also my country so I just I
wanted to share my passion through the
poetry and it has touched a lot of
people which is very very you know it’s
exciting to hear and that the fact that
people think it’s relatable and the
process for this book was obviously not
easy nor as life easy so the same way I
/ / came obstacles and stripes and
tribulations in my life I believe that
anyone can the power of our mind is
astounding if anyone has taken any form
of psychology they’ve realized even in
the TED talks we heard earlier if you
believe you can use something there’s
nothing there’s absolutely nothing that
can stop you like Zack had said earlier
the only person the only thing in your
way is you
you must want success you must want to
overcome whatever you are going through
in your life in order to actually commit
overcome it if you think half-heartedly
you know this is a problem I’m just
going to like sweep it under the rug I
can’t do this no you can do it there’s
nothing that you cannot do and once you
once you adopt this mentality the fact
that you can do anything then and only
then will you be able to overcome
anything and there will be nothing that
will stop you and so the world is at
your fingers fingertips if you like
reach out lift your feet and breathe you
only need to take the first step
so I’ll leave you with the phrase and I
often say this to my friends when
they’re going through a difficult time I
say to them who can do it you can do it
I would like you to I would like for you
to repeat this with me as well who can
do it
no no you guys can do it so who can do
it I can do it come on louder who can do
it yes you can all right thank you
[Applause]
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