Although short people and tall people may go to the same school, have the same job, and like the same things, the way those things are done are very different depending on how tall they are.
Sports– Being tall in sports is a lot different than being short in sports. Short people playing basketball? I personally find it extremely difficult and frustrating to try to get a rebound in a basketball game playing against lots of tall people. Now, I know Isaiah Thomas is short and is good but I’m taking someone tall like Kristaps Porzingis over him any day of the week in a one-on-one game. Football is easier if you are tall, along with volleyball, as you can hit the ball over the net with more ease. The only sport that short people have an advantage in is being a horse racing jockey and that’s barely a sport.
Conversing– When it comes to having conversations, whether that be with your friends or teachers, being short or tall comes with unique experiences for tall and short people. For people like me (the short people of the world) having friends who are taller constantly leaves you with an aching neck, having to look up at them whenever you try to talk with them, and being looked over since you are too short for people to see you (yes, I’m talking to you, Jonnie Voyta). For all of the tall people who have short friends, looking down on them is also a usual thing, leaving them too with neck aches. Actually it seems that everyone ends up with neck aches no matter if you are tall or short. But for the tall people, they go through conversations with power, looking down on others while they get to be looked up upon. This is the case for sophomore Kobe Frimpong who has a few short friends and likes looking down on them sometimes. “I find myself looking down on people a lot,” Frimpong said. “It isn’t a bad thing though since in a way it makes me feel powerful over some of my friends like Ben Bloch.” Tall people can also always be spotted in a crowd, which could be bad when unconsiously doing things they wouldn’t want people seeing.
Jokes– It’s a known thing that tall people and short people constantly have jokes told about them and that’s just part of being tall or short. For all the tall people out there who have been called giraffe, the BFG, Skyscraper, etc, sorry because I can’t relate. Although it may seem that the names would get old, they just simply don’t. Short people receive the jokes in a similar way but different names. Sophomore Ben Bloch recalls being called bite sized, dwarf, and mini me dozens of times and knows it isn’t going to stop, it’s just a part of who he is and what his size brings for him. “I have short jokes said all the time abou me,” Bloch said. “I don’t care though I embrace it since it’s a part of who I am.”
Everyday life– Need something on the top shelf? Well, that might be a problem considering you’re 5’1. Although it may seem otherwise, being short actually does come with a lot of good things like being to fit into small spaces for whatever reason or being nimble when for when you have to be nimble. And as you can imagine being short has disadvantages, not being able to reach things or go on roller coasters. Now getting stuff of the top shelf, that’s no problem for someone who is tall like junior Dede Beck but it might be for someone who is shorter.
Beck says that she feels weird when she is taller than a guy. “It’s weird being taller than guys I am friends with since I am a girl and usually girls are shorter than guys,” Beck said
Danny Rothenberg
News Editor
