With all the things in this world that want to make you not believe in humanity, a lot of things in this class really show you what kind of good people can do in the world. As far as the first video, I cannot imagine even giving an act of kindness like that. Me and my buddy have a good relationship with one of the lunch ladies in the dining commons. We see her everyday, and it's really a pleasant part of our day to talk to her and what have you. But put in the position and giving her one of my kidneys? I would like to think that I would have the courage in my heart to give a kidney up, but that's even a little unnerving to think about. I applaud this man for just that, his courage. This isn't something fake that he did to get recognition from people, this was his kidney. The love and commitment that his actions must have taken is unimaginable. It's easy to give a kidney to your dad, uncle, or spouse. This guy probably goes to the grocery store once a week, and still has the kind of relationship with this woman to save her life. This is an outstanding man, and an outstanding story.

I honestly feel like they really do need to do it legally. If we need a passport to go to other countries, vacation there, live there, etc. that they should as well. The problem I have isn't that they want to come here and work and make a better life, it's that all of this is happening without regulation. The government is doing it's best (we think) to regulate immigration. It's not that I don't want Mexicans, Cubans, or whoever in this country, because it's not about race for me. But where does it stop? How many people are we going to let in before we say enough's enough? I just think on that day we're not going to be prepared to stop the influx at that point. It's easy to debate about this topic sitting in State College and not having to fight to keep my family alive. There's no doubt in my mind I would do whatever I had to in order to get into this country. But, at the same time, I have to follow all the rules in the world in order to keep my freedom in this country, so I don't think that it should be any different for anyone else, although that's probably a really narrow-minded way to look at this topic.

I really do not understand why this is such a big deal. South Park, Family Guy, The Simpsons, they all make fun of pretty much every topic. Religion, celebrities, republicans, democrats, it's all fair game. I know Family Guy and South Park especially make fun of christianity. In South Park, Jesus was part of "Imagination Land" for crying out loud. And priests brought little boys as pets to satan's halloween party. If you think that they didn't get backlash from Christians for that then you're crazy. It's just that when a Muslim group makes a threatening comment that people jump to the violent Muslim stereotype. The fact that this group is actually this upset about it is pathetic, but do we really think that people are going to get hurt over a South Park episode? Tom Cruise hasn't come out and threatened the people from South Park, neither has Kanye West. In this politically correct age it's these comedy shows that really have had free reign so far. I was actually surprised that they decided to censor it after the threat. These guys have done some pretty (debatably) offensive stuff over the years, but one threat from a radical group I guess would shake my boots a little too. It's just a shame that people cannot partake in the comedic side of things like that anymore. Half, if not more, of comedy is making fun of someone. Sometimes that's someone who nobody likes, sometimes it's someone who everyone likes. Either way, most of the time the people poking fun really have no issue with the topic, they're just making entertainment. Unfortunately now I suspect that more South Park episodes will come into question because now people know they can challenge the leaders over at Comedy Central. I'm definitely more liberal on the subject, so I don't think that there should be so much censorship on t.v. I think movies and shows shouldn't have to be edited so much for content, whether it be language, violence, etc. But I guess when it comes down to it it's not worth having social upheaval just because someone has to take something so seriously. Maybe all of this is just because we're still relatively young. I would hope that my views don't radically change when I get out into the "real world," but maybe that change is inevitable. I know both my parents hate South Park, as do a large majority I would imagine. I think that our generation is going to have a completely different outlook on things when we hit our thirties and forties. Hopefully by then we won't have something as harmless as this come back to bite us by then. Maybe that's too much to ask.

This piece is of special importance to me because I had some experience talking and meeting people in prison when I went with my church. I was a lot younger at the time, so it was kind of scary going to see people in prison that I knew had done some bad things. But, at the same time, it was one hundred percent an eye opening experience. I completely relate to everything this man said. I'm not saying that all prisoners, especially lifers, have the same experience, but it definitely seems that they can have some pretty similar ones. The guy I talked to was in for armed robbery and attempted murder. I didn't ask him what his sentence was but it's safe to assume that he wasn't getting out any time soon. Had I met this man at church, or at a baseball game, or anywhere else other than a prison I would have thought he was the nicest man in the world. He talked about his wife, his kids, what he used to do to relax on the weekends. It was hard for me to imagine a man in prison having a family, and doing all the things that my own dad does. But at the same time it was hard for me to imagine THIS man in prison, or doing any other the horrible things he was in there for. It got me thinking, even though what he did was wrong, maybe he was doing those bad things out of desperation for this family. Maybe all of the stereotypes we give prisoners are just excuses because we ourselves have never been in the position that they have. The struggle every human being undergoes while trying to lead a good life but also make a good life cannot be judged by those of us on the outside. One horrible decision or act of desperation from these men has locked them away forever. We all make bad decisions in everyday life. Whose to say that one of our bad decisions someday won't land us in jail? Does that make us bad people? I don't think so. I think there are bad people on the street and good people in jail. That being said there are also bad people in jail and good people on the street. It's not that our justice system is flawed, it's just human nature that's at fault. People innately do bad things, whether by accident or on purpose. Not that it's an excuse to hold up a convenience store or steal a car, but just because someone does something wrong doesn't make them a bad person. One bad deed may not define a man, but unfortunately it can condemn him.

I agree with this. For men it's not about looking like you just dropped out of an abercrombie magazine. It's more about your level of masculinity. Out-drinking everyone, going to the gym, and even the music you listen to or the clothes you wear can win you girl. Whether that's right or wrong isn't the point that's being discussed, but I think the point that comes out of it is the fact that, regardless of the methods, men still conform just as much, if not more than women. The reason I say that is because guys also have to have a good personality too. Let's be honest, if a girl looks good it doesn't really matter how annoying she is or what her interests are. She could like the worst music and have the shortest temper, but guys will still put up with her. If a guy comes off like a dick then there's no way girls are going to be attracted to him. That's why everyone spits out all those overused lines from romantic movies. That's conforming too, and guys do it all the time. Regardless of how much conforming each sex does, I don't think it's such a bad thing. When taken in moderation it can actually make people strive to be better, more functional people in society. Notice I said moderation.

Of course men conform to society. It may not be as much to look like other men as it is to impress women. I have never actually desired another quality of a male celebrity or model, however there is thought that goes into what I wear to class or wear out on a weekend. I think a big part of that too is why men work out. Sure, it's good to stay in shape and stay healthy, but come on, a lot of that is to impress women. What I found interesting in class was when a lot of the women were saying things that had to do with prominent women in society. Whether it was an actress or just a abercrombie model, that's what girls want to look like. I felt as if they weren't exactly trying to impress men but just trying to become the person that all men want. For men, at least in my opinion, they're more trying to impress a certain girl, or at least a certain group of girls, not the entire population of women. Don't take that out of context, of course everyone would want to be the best looking person in the world, I'm just saying that's the vibe that I got from class.

I understand the logic behind learning chinese in school, and I do not want to come off as saying that everyone should learn english because america speaks it, but when it comes to the global economy I don't really see the point in saying it is a necessity. Sure, maybe China is rising fast and will soon overtake us on the global scale, but I think english is still the dominant language in the world. For decades now other countries have been scrambling to learn english for whatever reason, whether its so they can trade with us or to ease the language barrier, whatever. The point I'm trying to make is that this is what the global economy is now. China learns english, and if we want to give them due diligence and learn their language that's fine. But where else are you going to use it? Chinese people can learn english and use it in business, travel, etc. Where else are these kids going to use the chinese language? I'm not belittling the language or saying its useless, but if you're not a business major that's going to be traveling to china then there really isn't any reason you are going to ever need it. I know a kid that took a year of chinese at my high school and he said it was miserable. To require that of every high school or college student just in case they might need it seems to me like a serious waste of time for both the students and teaching institutions. If a college of business at a university wants to require that their students take chinese to graduate I don't see a problem in that. But what about Japanese? What about other leading economies? I'm sure this is coming off as incredibly short sighted, but I think an objective look would show that requiring a language just because it's used in the business world is ridiculous. We're already trying to learn how to be good business leaders in the real world. Learning a whole new language just because someone thinks it is necessary to function doesn't seem right. Until China far and away surpasses us as the dominant country on this planet I think we will all do just fine staying the course. It's nothing out of disrespect, it's nothing about race. But knowing an extra language take a hell of a lot of time to conquer and there are plenty of other things we could be using our resources for. However if I was required to learn Mandarin to graduate from Smeal I sure wouldn't argue, so I guess it's up to the people smarter than me to make important decisions like that.

It is ridiculous how much crap is out there to be bought. I am not a hard core women's rights activist by any means, personally I think they go too far sometimes with all that they do. But I cannot imagine walking through a store and seeing this kind of thing actually on the shelves. It obviously would never be seen in America, god knows there's so much censorship in this country we do not have to worry about that. But the fact that any culture would find this acceptable is preposterous. Racist, sexist, and prejudice things run rampant in the news, in comedy, even in sports. But how could this occur in a child's game? Making a joke out of something as serious as this cannot be taken without reply from the people of Japan or people from somewhere. Some things in this world make you trust in humanity, and some things make you doubt what the hell people are thinking. I understand people have to make money but you would think they could find a different way to make their quick buck. I don't feel any other way about the people who made this game then to call them cowards.

I think a lot of people got turned off by the bleeding thing, whether they know it or not. I sit in class with a couple of friends and to a man they were all appalled at the comment Sam made. I can understand where everyone is coming from when they get mad at the stuff he says, especially women. But at the same time I feel like people take a lot of the stuff he says the wrong way. The thing that I always remember when he makes one of his "Sam" comments from out of left field is that he really is just trying to get us to think. Whether or not he is being honest about not trying to force his beliefs on us is irrelevant. The fact is the points he brings up and the stories he tells us make every person in that room think a little differently about things than we have before. If the classes are getting more provocative it is because he knows he can challenge us with heavier topics. I'm sure that a class on race relations is far from the easiest thing he could be teaching. But with all the travel and experience he's the right man for the job. I haven't regretted going to one class this semester because of the challenges and ideas he throws out there. There are times when he will make a comment or two that makes you kind of chuckle out of ridiculousness, but taking the good with the bad I think he brings good to the table. I've never really had a teacher or professor that has been as brash, flamboyant, but also as open minded. I think I would enjoy the class a heck of a lot more if we did not get graded, because of the vague test questions, but nonetheless it is one of my favorite classes. Hopefully the classes do not get dull in the last month but for me personally, there hasn't been a dull moment as long as Sam has a room full of kids and a topic to discuss. Unfortunately I know I am in the minority of people who feel this way, judging by the people that get up and leave after some of the comments the man makes. I truly think if people opened their minds a little more to not necessarily the comments he makes, but the ideas behind it, that what he says would be a little better received. Maybe I'm just too open-minded, and maybe I'm not thinking well enough with the mainstream, but I don't see what all the fuss is about because he brings up bleeding or homosexual comments.

I found the video a little disturbing, as I am sure most people in the class did. However, I think there are a few underlying issues that lended themselves toward some of the black kids picking the white doll. The fact is, however unfair, that most models seem to be white. Along the same lines, most dolls are white. If a kid is playing with dolls that are ninety percent white, which doll do you think they are going to pick when asked to choose? Those kids were too young to determine race or anything close to it. Obviously when the girl asked which one was the bad doll and they pointed to the black one was the critical point in the video, but again, I think "bad" was a loaded word. The child did not mean "bad" as in will be more likely to be in jail, or commit a crime. It simply meant the one they would be less likely to play with. I understand the nature of the study and the findings, I just feel like the girl directing the study loaded her questions to make the responses ones that would shock people. There is obviously a certain level of shock to the choices the kids made, and I am not arguing with that. I just think the study could have been less of a shock.