By 
By: DYLAN LUCAS
Staff Writer
I’ve spent my entire life answering the question “Are you Jordan’s sister?” and my first meeting at the Preface wasn’t any different.
Before my sister graduated from IUSB in 2016, she was the editor of the paper, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard the question again at the start of the semester.
I look like my sister, talk like my sister, and tried my hardest growing up to act like my sister. The comedian Hasan Minjah has a joke about how younger siblings steal their older sibling’s personality, and I am a big enough person to admit that, in my case, it’s completely true. I may get my wavy hair from my mom and my big eyes from my dad, but I stole my music taste, and the majority of my personality from my sister.
If Jordan got her ears pierced at age nine, then I wanted to too.
If Jordan dyed her hair purple, then I wanted a purple streak in mine.
If Jordan listened to Panic! At the Disco, then I needed their CD.
If Jordan was a writer, then I had to be one.
In my defense, I did try a little not to be an exact copy of my sister when I started college. When I first applied to IUSB I intended to study English and ended up switching my major to mass communication about two days before my orientation. Even then, my sister focused on journalism and I’m focusing on public relations.
I did follow in her footsteps when I decided to intern at the Preface. In high school I’d watch the movies she’d review in her column, and now I’ve tried my own hand at bringing a touch of pop culture to the paper. After all, I did steal my love for television shows from her.
In addition to becoming a writer like my sister, I’ve also been interested in photography since I was in middle school. This particular hobby she only partially influenced. When she asked for a camera for Christmas our parents got me one too, and in high school I was given the opportunity to take photography classes. I started with film and dark room photography and moved on to digital. I ended up taking three years of photography and creative writing classes in high school.
Now as a college student I minor in film studies, a field of study that, yes, my sister introduced me to. I’m able to apply elements of both subjects that held my interest throughout high school. I get to discuss the impact of camera angles and narrative conventions in the same classes.
To most people, it probably sounds like I haven’t grown out of being my sister’s annoying, little shadow. One of the reasons I enjoy both writing and photography is because it allows me to continue to find my own voice and point of view. Ironically, the Preface, the same platform that helped get my sister’s voice heard, has helped me continue to develop my own.
