Two times a week for an hour and fifteen minutes, I come and I listen to Sam speak. For the longest time, it felt like every word out of his mouth was the same thing over and over. I began to hate the class. But listening to Tuesday’s lecture, something hit me. Through listening to his lecture on Christian invaders, and reading Laurie’s book, I finally began to understand, even if it was only the tiniest of bits. I realized that the reason I wasn’t getting anything out of Sam’s lectures had nothing to do with him, but it was because of myself and my own ethnocentric ways of thinking. I hate change, but who doesn’t. I didn’t want to change my way of thinking, but I realized that to understand other parts of the world, I am required to do that. There is a lot out there that I don’t understand nor will I ever, but I am recognizing that. According to Laurie, that is one of the first steps we need to take to make peace. I’ve always been considered the nicest one out of my group of friends. If someone was upset, it was always me that they asked to go talk to them. I know I am a good person, but listening to this lecture knowing that I too was a Christian, did not make me feel the greatest. I guess I began to touch on this so-called white guilt. If it weren’t for this class, I would never have really taken the time to “think outside the box.” I would never have looked at the war between the U.S. and Afghanistan in a different perspective. I would never have known that U.S. politicians could be so cruel. I almost felt embarrassed to be an American for the first time in my life. I guess “embarrassed” isn’t the best word to describe what I felt, but it was the sort of feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud to be an American, but I wish that what the Arabic people see over in Afghanistan was not the representation of the U.S and same goes for them. I love reading gossip magazines, and I guess this is a little different, but I get sucked into these magazines and believe everything I read. The media has such an impact on people. Whether it be celebrities, or war updates, we will believe what we see. But are people picking only the worst parts to show us to get higher entertainment ratings? All I know is that I need to be a better chooser as to what to believe. I need to stop being so gullible all the time, and I need to start making changes in my life to make my first steps towards peace. Taking the time to see someone else’s perspective is one way I am making changes.

What does it mean to be a woman? It’s getting your period once a month. Living with back cramps because your boobs are so heavy. It’s going out and trying to impress both guys and girls. It’s the pressure to constantly look your best, because you never know who you’ll run into and the stuff they’ll gossip about behind your back. Being a woman is having to deal with pregnancies. It’s having to live with a stereotype that women are the ones that are supposed to stay at home and be the homemaker. It’s the constant pressure to be thin. It’s living with insecurities.
I can honestly say that most of the above are what I go through on a daily basis. I live with the constant fear that I’m not skinny enough or that I’m not pretty enough. But what is enough? You see girls constantly undergoing plastic surgery to reconstruct their faces to reach the idea of what they find beautiful. But what is beautiful exactly? I think we each have our own perception of beauty, and that’s what makes it hard on girls and women. We want to be able to meet your expectations of beauty, but when will we ever know that we have met them?
Growing up, I had big boobs in sixth grade, sixth grade! It was nice at first because they some what took away from the appearance of my face that was covered in acne. But now, I’m twenty years old, and I want guys to look at me, and not my boobs! I want you to like me for me, and not my body. Along with having big boobs, there have been countless times my mom and I have gotten into arguments of clothes I wear or bathing suits I own. I have never been able to wear the Victoria’s Secret or cute Roxy bikinis because simply, my boobs just didn’t fit. My bathing suits had to come from the “women’s” section of the mall where all the bikini designs were lifeless, boring, or old looking. I’ve had the same issues with dresses for my high school dances. It was a nightmare!
In addition to big boobs, I like to saw that I have a tri-fecta: big hips, big butt, and big thighs. I wish that everything I ate didn’t immediately go to these places! I feel like guys can eat just about anything and not gain one single pound. But leaning away from body image, isn’t being a woman more than this? Hell yes.
More and more women today are beginning to break stereotypes left and right by going out and finding jobs, supporting their families, and doing what they gotta do in life. Even after going through all the hell mother nature puts us through, I can truly say I am proud to be a woman.

This question is easy to ask after the fact. Can anyone in the classroom honestly say that they will never touch a piece of chocolate again throughout their entire lives? Probably not. Obviously learning about this is very disturbing. No one feels right about eating food that came from the exploits of someone else, but at the same time, no one is going to take anything permanent from this. You can tell yourself over and over again that you’ll change, but you’re not going to.
My problem with this question is the hypocrisy behind it. You ate the first piece already. Even if you didn’t know any better beforehand, you still did it. And nothing afterwards can change that. You can’t pass judgment on someone else. Listen to Sam, he doesn’t just talk to hear his own voice. “Do not eat the second piece unless you plan to abstain for the rest of your life.” Ten years from now, I want to come back and ask her if she’s had chocolate since that one soc 119 class in college. I can answer that for you right now, she’s eaten it.
I’m not saying that I ate the second piece of chocolate. I’m also not trying to justify the actions of those who did. I’m just saying that it is not right to pass judgment on either. We are very fortunate people, and it is hard to see life outside of what we are used to. How can we compare our lives to the slave world in foreign countries from a classroom in Penn State comprised mainly of upper middle class adults?
I will admit that the video examining the lives of this slave labor was very disturbing. I would by lying if I said that it didn’t affect me and truly make me think not only about my fortunes but the lives of those who will never live the way we do. I didn’t want to eat the second piece. I felt extreme guilt. But how many times has Sam Richards told us about “white guilt.” Is this because of chocolate and slave labor, or because we are ashamed of ourselves and we feel the need to compensate by saying we’re going to say no to chocolate?
This question is hard. There is no easy answer and there is no way to ignore the repercussions of the choices we make. I can only hope that I take the lessons from this classroom and apply it to real life. Yes, I will have chocolate again, but I will be more conscious of others. This taught me to appreciate more of what I have been given and has made me aware of things that I would not have known beforehand. If anything, this is an eye-opening experience and I hope if nothing else, everyone in the room will at least think before they act—whether it is eating a piece of candy or just simply acknowledging where it might have come from.

After reading this article, I feel quite shocked. I’ve always been used to whites being the majority, and to hear that starting this year they could be considered a minority is kind of mind-boggling. I have only known what it felt like to be a minority a few times in my life. Once being when I student taught in the heart of Philadelphia. I’m not saying that being a minority means that you are inferior, or that you are any worse off, but being a minority can’t help but give you that sort of feeling. I think that it will be really strange to think that our country really is starting to become equalized. We’ve always grown up with this idea of white supremacy, and maybe history is in the making as that is put to an end. So if the ‘majority’ race is about to reach fifty/fifty, does that mean that a ‘majority’ race and a ‘minority’ race will even still technically exist? Maybe America really is starting to be the melting pot in which we were labeled as many years ago.
A census is taken every ten years in America. I think that how majority races and how minority races are measured goes back to a this, because this is how our findings are analyzed. With the census underway this year, I know that there are many issues with people not knowing how to identify what race they are. I believe that with all of the different ethnicities and cultures that America supports today, I think that it is nearly impossible not to have some sort of other race in you. People may be white, but how do they identify themselves? White? Caucasian? How accurate can these readings be about all the different races? So what I’m thinking is that is the white race really decreasing, or is the way people identify themselves just changing? If you had a white father and a Hispanic mother, would you identify yourself as white, or Hispanic? There are so many questions to consider. I’m not trying to deny the fact that the ‘minority’ populations are growing; rather I’m just trying to justify it by wondering just how accurate the findings could be. Also, if the white population has decreased by about 7% in ten years, isn’t it possible to increase that much in the same amount of time? I think our demographics are always going to be changing, and although the white race may become the ‘minority’ race, will they really stay the ‘minority’? I know I may sound bitter, but I’m just trying to play devil’s advocate. If the white race does become the minority, are people of the African American race going to now treat the whites how they were treated many many years ago? There are so many possibilities to come from the white race becoming minorities.

Every time I watch this video, my heart begins to sink. I would have never guessed that African American, dark skinned children would prefer to play with a doll with white skin as opposed to dark skin. I feel so disturbed, and upset by this because beauty should be something learned as a child. The question of what is considered “beautiful” only gets more and more complex as you get older. I want those children to realize that they are just as beautiful as white skinned people. I want so badly for them to understand that your skin color does not define who you are, but you and your inner beauty define who you are. I know this is a high expectation for a six year old, but beauty is something I struggle with, even as a white skinned girl. I can remember growing up wanting so much to look like Barbie; the long skinny legs, the big boobs, the hottest boyfriend, I wanted so much to be like her. The sad part is, is that that doll that I idolized gave me false facts of what is beautiful. Not everyone is going to grow up looking like Barbie, and now that I’m twenty years old, Barbie is the last girl I want to look like. Feeling good about one’s self comes from feeling good in your own skin. I was shocked to find out that people of dark skin will even go as far as bleaching their skin to try to look like a white skinned person. I know this is kinda hypocritical of me beings that I am a girl that likes to go tanning, but never in my wildest dreams ever thought that they made such a thing to bleach skin. The stress put on teens to be the prettiest is so immense, that some girls tend to go to drastic extremes for the price of beauty. I think the biggest issue with this topic is that there is no true definition for beauty, because each and every person has their own definition for the word. Americans pay thousands upon thousands of dollars to make themselves look good. Whether it is braces, or glasses, or contacts, or seeing a dermatologist. I feel like there is always going to be a time when we wish we looked like someone else. When will we finally begin to accept ourselves for who we are and what we look like? Being an elementary education major, I am highly in favor of making sure children learn what beauty is when they are younger so as they grow older, they can grow more comfortable in their own skin, which is the complete opposite of what is going on in society today.

I believe this story is a huge empowerment to women everywhere. I feel like in today’s society we are forced to fit these gendered “molds” that are set as soon as we are born, and play a very large role in the person that we become. When we don’t necessarily “fit” those molds, it’s considered “history making” such as when a woman becomes a high school football coach. Growing up with an older brother, I was immediately thrown into the sports scene and I loved running around and getting messy. Being a girl, my parents naturally enrolled me into dance class and gymnastics, but for some reason I found a passion for soccer more than those other activities. I guess I’m falling into the stereotype trap as well by saying dance and gymnastics are “girl” sports, but I say that because I feel like females easily outnumber males in those areas. Watching Natalie’s story really gave me hope and inspiration. Upon seeing Natalie in her interview, the first impression I made about her was that she was sweet, shy, and someone that is kinda unsure of herself. The more I heard about her story, and how she went and created her own “mold”, the more and more I began to like her and respect her. Just like me, she seems like the girl that likes to get dressed up, likes to do girly things, yet she also likes to be physical and aggressive in competition. I’m sure a lot of people walk by me on the street never even imagining that I would play water polo, one of the most physical sports out there in my opinion. I feel like gender should not have to play a role in what you like to do or what your interests are. Growing up, you might be considered a tomboy, but the more you discover who you really are, I believe the more beautiful of a person you become. Natalie’s story has proven to women everywhere that it is okay to go against the grain. You don’t need to have a loud voice for your voice to be heard. If you are passionate about something, you can do it, no matter if society says you can’t. Through Natalie’s story I have also learned that she need not listen to the people that would put her down and listen more to the people that are going to support her decisions. I’m sure many parents and students were outraged learning that they were going to have a female coach, how could they respect her? Through time, she has shown us that women can be respected just as much as men in different situations. The whole idea of “anything you can do, I can do better” should no longer exist.

When I think back to my senior year, I think of Friday night football games, hanging out with friends, going to the movies, going to high school dances, and especially prom. To hear that a high school has cancelled prom for their students, it kinda upsets me. Prom is something almost every girl looks forward to as soon as she starts high school. It’s a tradition. It shouldn’t matter who you go with; girlfriend, boyfriend, friends, exes, what have you; each student should be given the same privileges and opportunities to enjoy their senior year. If I were told that prom was cancelled, I would be extremely disappointed and angry. There should not be anything that says same-sex dates are not allowed. What if two girls wanted to go just as friends, or if a group of guys wanted to go together? Those two girls and those guys could be straight, yet they wouldn’t be allowed to enter their own prom? There is so much out there beyond the double doors of your high school. You’re going to run into so many different types of people. I feel like when I came to college, I had been living in a bubble all my life. By preventing the students to experience issues like same-sex dating, it’s only going to keep them in their bubbles longer. I feel like they need the opportunity to realize that there is more to life and bigger issues in today’s society than the fact that your boyfriend just broke up with you and is now dating your best friend. It’s important for the students to open their eyes and be hit with a touch of reality. I am disgusted that our nation’s society has still resorted to doing something like this. When we grow up, and experience elementary school, and middle school, we are taught to accept everyone for their differences. Of course people tend to stick with people similar to them and their personalities, but high school is where those lessons are really tested. I think that by allowing the students to go about their everyday lives, and go on with prom and having same-sex dates, I think the student would learn a lot more through experience. I feel like the school board has given the students the wrong idea of acceptance. By excluding gays and lesbians, it’s like telling the students that it is okay to make fun of that minority group, and to scrutinize them. The school board is treating same-sex dating as if it were a contagious disease that is going to affect all of their students. Well I have one thing to say to this school board: So what if it does? Will that really change the person that they are?

I think these questions and comments bring up very good points. Why don’t we ever say anything? All my life, I have been told to stand up for what I believe in. On the other hand, I have learned that to avoid drama, sometimes it is just easier to keep my mouth shut. I am someone that fears confrontation. But clearly, with the right of freedom of speech, most Americans are not. However, when the topic comes down to races, and how cruelly some were, and for surely still are treated today, many people’s voices fall silent. I know that it isn’t because we don’t have an opinion, but I think we fear about saying the right thing. Especially when it comes to whites talking about other races. Questions that would run through my mind are, what if I don’t have enough support to make some of the claims I make? What will they think? Am I just in saying some things? I also fear that I, being a young white girl, would say something completely wrong and have people yell at me that I’m just a spoiled little white girl that has never had to work for anything in my life. Yes, most of that is true, but I acknowledge that. I idolize all other races and to see where their “people” first started from in our society. Our society has definitely come a long way in diversity. Yes, some populations still consist of the white suburbia’s, and you still know the hose where the only Asian family in your neighborhood lives, but I believe that overall, it takes baby steps to reach equality, and that is just what we are doing. In America, we were all raised differently. Some people are more stubborn than others when it comes to recognizing and understanding other races, and accepting them, it is sometimes harder than others. I truly wish this wasn’t the case, but equality is something that Americans need to become a team and fight for. I’ve been told that the worse thing you could do is call a white person a racist. If I were ever called this, I think the next thing that would come out of my mouth would be out of frustration. I would feel like I’m trying to accept their races, but their not accepting of mine. The fight for equality will require us to stand up for other races, and be educated about other races to support our arguments to fight for equality. Each person deserves equal rights in America. I believe that it is extremely important that we as a society continue our efforts to learn about other races. We are all Americans, and after all, we are considered the “melting pot” nation.

I was raised a catholic girl. My whole family is catholic, but sometimes I really question my religion, and what it stands for, especially on issues such as gay marriages. Although Catholics are against gay marriages, it states in the bible that a marriage was intended for a man and woman, my family raised me letting me it’s okay to love who you love. All members of my family are straight, but I do have a couple homosexual cousins. It doesn’t bother me when my cousins bring their boyfriends to our family reunions, because I have been exposed to it for so many years. We live in a society that when you’re little and growing up, every princess finds her prince. It’s not a princess looking for another princess, or a prince looking for another prince. So when I say that I have been “exposed” to homosexuality, I mean that I have been able to interact and get to know my cousins and their partners. I believe that homosexuals are a minority in our society, very similar to people of other races besides white. I believe that with more openness, understanding, homosexuals can be accepted into our society. As far as gay marriages go, I agree with them. I bet that’s a shock to find out beings that I am Catholic. When I think of marriage, I think of marrying the person you love. Someone that respects you, and makes you a better person; someone that completes you. I know that all my parents really want for me is to be happy. They want me to marry someone that will make me feel alive and put that sparkle in my eye. So if I find all that, what if they have only one characteristic that I’m not looking for but they have every other quality I’m looking for. I’m sure you would all marry that person anyway, regardless of them meeting one characteristic you look for in a partner. Gender is only one characteristic. It is only one thing that describes us. Gender does not make us who we are. I think a marriage should be all about love, regardless of gender. Therefore, I agree with gay marriages. Are you not going to allow blacks to marry whites? Skin color is only one characteristic. What if it was your own child that loved someone of the same sex? Would you shun them and disown them from your family? You’d still want them to be happy right? Because again, I know that’s the only thing my parents find extremely important in my future. It disgusts me that there is still so much exclusion, and segregation in our society still to this day. Can’t we all just learn to give each other respect?

I think she brings up a very good point. There are several instances in today’s society that we provide reasons for our actions based on colors of skin. Ultimately, it usually comes down to two different colors of skin- black and white. But does everything really have to be black and white? What about the browns, the yellows, the purples, etc.? I’ve been told that the worst thing you can do is call a white person a racist, so if for some instance a person becomes at a disadvantage in a situation, and that person happens to be black, people tend to use the reasoning that the person is at a disadvantage simply because they are black. Speaking from someone of the white race, this becomes a hard situation because a lot of times, the white person will not know what to say to defend themselves. White tends to be the dominant skin color in today’s society, and I really do believe that it has to do with the history of slavery, and the civil rights movement. During those two times in our country’s history, we saw the black race struggle against the white race. I believe that this separation of races, or distinguishing of sides has originated from these two movements because of how much emphasis was placed on colors of skin. Looking back on our history, it really does seem that the two most conflicting races are blacks and whites, but more recent, the war occurring today makes me think about how our country may be affected in the future with races as we begin to see the middle easterners struggle for acceptance in America. People have begun to use the Middle Easterners and Arabs as scapegoats. The “whites” or Americans are beginning to place blame on countries such as Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. When we cannot seek peace between the human race, rather than taking the blame and accepting that we are a white supremacist society, we look to accuse others. When a plane crashes or a building falls, we as Americans, whether we will admit it or not, immediately assume that it was because of terrorists or radical Islamic from the Middle East. The same when someone is shot and killed in the city, or a store is robbed, it’s always a black man right? Or isn’t it. Our generation has seen first hand the struggle between America and the Middle East, and now we may have a similar view of the Middle Eastern people as we do of the black culture. Being black is no longer a race it’s a trend. We judge the race of someone by the way they dress or the way they speak. Whether it’s a fitted cap or a turban, is the white way the right way?