Many believe that beauty is focused on a person’s image: their physical appearance, the way they present themselves, the way they speak, the way they dress, and other subjects surrounding only the surface. However, that is only one way of viewing beauty, and it actually goes much deeper. With the help of fellow staff members and students in the school, the aspects of beauty have been inspected and observed to show the community that beauty is much more than we think.

While skimming through all of the 208 submissions to this grand question, many of the responses were repetitive. Some people answered that they believed beauty was about looks, others mentioned that it was more about personality. Some spoke of a person’s kindness and attitude towards the world, and some said they weren’t really sure.

These thoughts and opinions were to be expected and are something most could relate to, but it was these student and teacher responses that were particularly eye-catching.

“Beauty is something inside of everyone, some people are just good at showing it. It shows how everyone has been through something and we either show beauty inside or out,” senior Tayler Edblom shared.

This student’s response is interesting, since they say that beauty is shown through people’s personal experiences. Some people are better at showing their scars than others, but beauty is still shown by all.

Following this is one of our teacher responses, in which they discuss that they believe beauty is about someone’s character.

“Conventional beauty is great and all, but beauty is about how you make others feel. It is how you treat others, the good that you do, and the ways in which you make the most that you can out of all of life’s messy situations,” Spanish teacher Jennifer Pinto (Ms. Pinto) responded.

Hearing this from a teacher is very empowering, for it shows that they notice the qualities of one’s character and appreciate their efforts in life.

Subsequently, two more student responses from the senior class discuss their thoughts and draw away from the idea of beauty in people and emphasize more on their surrounding environment.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start. Beauty is so subjective that I feel like it can’t have a meaning,” senior Sage Macht replied. “Beauty can encompass so many things, like people, places, objects, events, etc. The only definition I can think of is “something that you think is beautiful”, but then what would you describe as beautiful? I suppose you could say that beauty is what’s attractive to you.”

“Everything. Everything is beautiful. It’s not just looks, it’s the way someone talks to you, it’s the change in pitch when you talk to someone, the smile it causes. Getting to walk outside, seeing a pretty mushroom. You live in your own beauty, you create that,” Emily Valentin said.

Both Macht and Valentin make wonderful points on the subject surrounding beauty. Macht’s expression of intrigue about the description of beauty supposedly being attraction and Valentin’s statement that people create their own world of beauty and flourish in that creation are both very eye opening.

Lastly, a short, but gripping statement from a junior student who says how most of us would probably answer this question.

“Hard to describe. It doesn’t have a definition. You just know it’s beautiful,” Zoe Sehein said.

Though this is quite a simple response, it feels so natural and easy to relate to. It makes you ponder on whether or not beauty could ever be categorized into one thing, proving that beauty is so much more than skin deep.

So what really is beauty? Well, based on the viewpoints of both students and teachers alike, it’s anything and everything. Everyone sees beauty differently based on their liking and that’s what makes it so compelling. To put it into simple terms, beauty is whatever makes you smile. Whether it’s a person, an object, a place, or even a memory, if it makes you happy, then it is beautiful.