I understand a lot more of what has happened with the Boston marathon bombings than I did with the World Trade Center attacks. I was in fifth grade when the World Trade Center was attacked. I remember walking into my classroom and seeing the news on the television. I remember being confused and thinking that the building being shown on the TV was a local building. I didn’t realize that a plane had crashed into the building and that it had taken place in New York City. We were sent home early from school, and my grandfather was waiting for my siblings and me. I remember running up to my parents’ bedroom and turning on the TV, so I could watch the news. I don’t remember how much of the news I actually understood though. I assume that the concept of “terrorism” was not something I understood.

Flash forward to present day, terrorism is something I am fully aware of and see way too often. I found out about the Boston Marathon bombings while I was working at The Daily Collegian. The news was on, and on the way home I checked Twitter to get more information. The news was on when I got back to my apartment too. Over the next few days I was able to keep tabs through social media on the aftermath of the bombings and the developments that were occurring. I think social media has really changed the way we get our news. For example, when the second suspect was captured, the news on the TV would not disclose where the suspect was hiding, but everyone on Twitter already knew he was hiding on a boat in someone’s backyard. A lot more images were shown on the internet than the TV, and in depth stories about the bombings and the aftermath were distributed more frequently than daily newspapers. I heard rumors about conspiracy theories, but I tried to listen to the mainstream news to wait to see who they named as suspects.

I wasn’t sure if the attacks had been internal or foreign, but I figured that if the attacks were internal they would be by someone who had a history with terrorism or was initially from another country. I remember one of the newspapers the following day having a large headline that said, “Terror returns.” Walking past the newspaper stand and seeing that message brought me back to September 11, 2001. It placed these two events next to each other and made me compare them on the same level. This was the first time that I really looked at these two events on the same playing field. So much has happened as a result of the 9/11 attacks, and so much is still going on today because of that day. Considering the results of those attacks, I wondered if the Boston Marathon bombings would have the same aftermath, years of war and more lives lost. Considering we now know who is responsible, I don’t think the results of this attack will be as elaborate as the results of 9/11, which is a good thing. It’s events like these that happen so quickly but change so many lives, and it’s really unfortunate.

I found this lecture quite interesting. In class we learned why most women don’t have an orgasm during sex, but I think there are probably numerous reasons why women do not tell their partner that they didn’t climax. I think the main reason is that women do not want to make the man feel bad. It is probably a blow to the man’s ego if he can’t satisfy the woman. Also, she probably doesn’t want to hurt the man’s feelings.

I think sometimes the woman just wants the sex to be over with. I know that sounds bad, but if you are having sex with someone and you know there’s no way you are going to have an orgasm, it is easier to fake it than to continue on and on and have the man keep trying unsuccessfully. If you fake it and let the man finish, the unsatisfying sex will end sooner.

It is definitely uncomfortable to communicate that you are unsatisfied. However, I think it also has to do with what type of relationship you are in. I have a boyfriend and have no problem telling him exactly what is going on. If it were just a hook up though, I would be less likely to speak up and tell the guy what I want. After a man climaxes, the sex is done, so if a woman isn’t finished yet, the man has to do extra work to get her to finish. If I were having a one night stand, I would feel bad speaking up and saying that I am not finished and that we should continue.

I think this all relates back to what Sam said in class, that this is a male driven world. When the man finishes, the sex is finished. Sex is focused around the male orgasm. That is the way it’s shown in the media, so both men and women have become accustomed to mirroring this way of viewing sex.

I think what I learned from this lecture is that communication is key. If you don’t communicate with your partner, someone will probably be unsatisfied, and it will most likely be the woman. I think it’s better to put it all out in the open and have a discussion about it than to push it under the rug. As with other parts of a relationship, good communication is key for a healthy sexual relationship.

When we watched the video in class about Tammy and her family, I felt really bad for them. I just feel like once you get into that type of situation, it’s really difficult to get out of it. It’s really unfortunate that Tammy grew up with so many siblings and was not well off and then raised her family in the same conditions. Her children will probably have children soon and continue the cycle. Even though Tammy’s son is now taking classes, I think it will be very difficult for him to get ahead in this world with his background and appearance, which is sad but probably true.

When Sam asked the white people in the class if they would have the same amount of sympathy for a poor person of another race, I answered honestly and said no. I know that is bad, but I feel like my subconscious is more inclined to help white people. I think that’s because I want to help people like myself because those are the people I’ve grown up with and are more comfortable with. I feel like I come back to this point a lot. This class is helping me realize I don’t have to feel uncomfortable with other races, but I think it’s taking my subconscious a little longer to change this opinion.

If Tammy were Native American, I think I would feel just as bad. When we watched the video about the Native Americans in class, it made me sad, and I felt bad for them. This is how I felt when I watched the video about Tammy. I think the difference though was that I felt more of a connection to Tammy because she was white. The Native Americans seemed almost foreign to me, which I realize is ironic since they’re the least foreign people in this country. Their history and lives are just so different than mine.

The everyday lives of the Native Americans and Tammy seemed very similar though. I would feel bad for anyone living in those conditions, not just white people or Native Americans because of their unfortunate history in this country. I think the only difference it would make if Tammy were Native American is that I would not be as shocked by her living conditions. I think seeing the Native Americans in those horrible conditions was terrible, but I kind of already knew some of them lived like that. Seeing Tammy in those terrible conditions though was shocking. I didn’t realize people so close by lived such different lives than my own. I think that created a lot of the feelings I had toward the video. It’s unfortunate that people in our own country are living like this, regardless of race.

I wasn’t really sure what to think while I was sitting in class on Tuesday. I was trying to figure out why Jasiri X was there and what he was trying to tell us. I could tell that other white people in the class were uncomfortable. I think I was more uncomfortable with the way Jasiri X was presenting his information as opposed to the information itself. The way he was talking is something that I am not used to, so it was a little hard for me to understand him. Sometimes when he was rapping I wasn’t sure what he was saying or if I really fit into that culture enough to appreciate his rapping.
When we watched his music videos, I felt like I couldn’t really relate to the people in the videos, and I also felt somewhat guilty. The Occupy movement is something I didn’t get into or learn about. I don’t really have strong feelings about the Occupy movement, probably because I’m not in the real world yet. I think the idea of sitting on Wall Street for a long time sounds ineffective, but maybe there’s more to it that I’m just not aware of. The video made me feel guilty because I felt like white people and wealthy people were being made to seem like the bad guys.
What I’ve learned from Sam though is that I shouldn’t feel guilty. I think Jasiri X was trying to make us aware. He spreads awareness through his music videos and his songs. That’s how he’s able to reach people and get his message out there.
Jasiri X seemed to be aware that the messages of his music were different than those of other rappers today. While other rappers are objectifying women and bragging about their money and success, Jasiri X raps about injustice and uses music as a way to spread his message. He didn’t care that big record labels wouldn’t sign him because his songs didn’t fit into their mainstream criteria. He said he wanted to go out on his own and use his recourses to put himself out there. I like his drive and determination.
I feel like I can relate to these characteristics, but I use my drive and determination in other ways. I like to think that I could change the world if I wanted to, but obviously it takes a lot of work and good ways of getting your message out there. I am really interested in communications and like to look at the increasing ways that people can connect with one another. I hope that in the future I can use my passions for communications and helping people in order to make a difference. While Jasiri X may have intimidated me at first with his rapping and music videos, I can appreciate what he does and respect him for it.

I’ve never really thought much about people getting better jobs because of their race or nationality. I have considered the fact that men are continually paid more than women, but I’ve kind of disregarded it. I feel like women have just recently (as in the past 100 years) gained more and more power, so it is just a matter of time before we catch up.

As far as race being a factor in people getting jobs, I thought the studies Sam showed us were really interesting. It sounds pretty crazy that employers accepted the “white” names on resumes more than the other names. I can understand why that might be though. I feel like people stick with what they’re familiar with, so the white employers would go for the “white” names over the names they’re not really familiar with. Maybe the black employers chose “white” names too because they work with a lot of white people in their offices and therefore associate the “white” names with the kind of people who work in the office. I really don’t know what their reasons were, but I think this was really interesting and just goes to show that even though we all assume we would never be biased in our decisions, we usually are without even realizing it.

I do not think it is fair that white people get jobs because they are white. I know there are other qualities that white people get hired for having, but being white is probably one of the qualities that helps them get the job, even if it’s not the main reason. I do not agree with this, but I can see why it happens. I think it has to do with familiarity. People like to stick with people they are familiar with and feel comfortable with. I think this makes sense, but it probably isn’t the only reason that more white people are getting hired.

I’ve never really thought much about people getting jobs through friends or family. I feel like it happens but not often enough to make a huge impact on the workforce. I could be wrong though. I feel like that is all part of the working world though. We are always told to network and building connections with people in order to help us get jobs later on. I feel like it’s all part of a big game, and if you know how to play the game you’ll get ahead. It might not always be fair, but life isn’t fair. I don’t think we should harp on this issue too much because obvious the working world can’t be good for everyone. There have to be people who are more successful than others in order for the system to work. It’s not fair that people who are less qualified get positions over those who are more qualified, but once again, life can’t be fair for everyone. It just wouldn’t work. I don’t think it’s right that these people get jobs over the more qualified people, but since it happens, I’ve come to accept it and realize that I need to network in order to get ahead in the working world.

I was really fascinated by the history lesson Sam gave us about Haiti. I really had no idea that they used to be such a powerhouse. I just assumed they were always a poor nation. I had never really thought about how countries could go from rich to poor or vice versa, but I guess that’s what happens over time. It makes me wonder if there are other countries that used to be on top but are now on the bottom for certain reasons.

I think the Haiti project we are doing in class is really neat because it actually benefits people in Haiti. It’s not like we’re sending money to some random person or organization in another country where we have no idea what they are going to do with it. I liked seeing the pictures that Sam posted in class of the people cooking the food and distributing it because we got to see what the money raised actually goes to. I kind of wish Sam had talked more about the history of Haiti and the project at the beginning of the semester, so we would have had a better understanding of how beneficial our efforts for this project really are going to be. I’m now really excited to do this project.

I think Haiti’s history is really unfortunate. Now that countries won’t trade with them, they are in poverty and are looked down upon by the rest of the world. I think it’s great that certain organizations and projects, like our SOC119 Haiti projects, are helping the people of Haiti. I think individual groups and charities aiding people in a country are really great. I prefer that over a government in one country helping a government in another country. I think that charity work should be left to the people of a country, not the government of that country, and I mean that specifically with people helping people outside their own country, not within their own country. The government should focus on its own issues within its own country. I think if we worry too much about other countries and their well being, we won’t be able to help our own people. If our government gives resources to a poor country, we have fewer resources for ourselves. I know in comparison to the rest of the world our poor people are not as poor as people in other countries, but they are still in need. There are people who die every day in the United States for a variety of reasons, and this number could be lessened if more aid went to these people.

I wish there were enough resources for the United States to give enough to other countries in need and enough to the people in our own country. However, since there are not enough resources for everyone, I think our government needs to focus internally and figure out our issues before trying to save the rest of the world.

The fear of death has definitely affected me throughout my life. I think about ways to die all the time when I’m in stressful situations that could go terribly wrong, like riding in a car, plane or subway or walking on an empty street at night. I usually think about the worst possible outcomes in these situations and pray they won’t happen. I even have a folder on my computer’s desktop titled “If I Die Young,” which has pictures of myself that I really like. I created this folder because when I see pictures of missing people on the news or pictures of people in the paper who have passed away, I always wonder where they got the pictures. Some of them are oddly cropped and just not good. I decided to create a folder of good pictures of myself in case something were to happen to me and my family would need to find pictures of me to use at my funeral or something. I know it’s probably vain to care about how you look even after you die, but I want people to remember me a certain way. It’s also kind of morbid for me to think about what pictures will be used, and I usually don’t like thinking about it.

I think my biggest fear about dying is that I won’t have time to finish everything I want to accomplish in my life before I die. I’m almost done with my college education, and I want to put it to good use. I also think about how much money my parents have spent on me and how much of a waste it would be for them if I died after twenty years. I also want to make sure I’ve accomplished everything God has asked of me. At this point in my life, I do not think I have lived my life as well as I should have in order to get into Heaven. I haven’t helped enough people or made enough people’s lives better. I fear that if I were to die tomorrow I wouldn’t have done enough.

My second biggest fear about dying is the grief my family would have. My mom and dad are such big worriers and always warning me about everything. Losing one of their kids would be such a tragedy, and I wouldn’t want to see my family go through that.

I realize we all have to die eventually, but I generally try not to think about my life ending because there’s just so much going on in the moment that it’s not easy to concentrate on something you think is so far off and inevitable. I like that Sam challenged us to think about this because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have sat down and considered all the different options that could occur after we die.

I think this is a really interesting question. I am Catholic and believe that God truly does exist. I think finding out that God does not exist would literally be a life changing moment. My values have been based on the lessons I have learned from my religion. I think these values would stay with me, but I would feel a vacancy in my life. Religion is a way for people to come together and have something to focus their life around. Without a God there could be no religion.

I think I would be in denial if I were told there was no God. I don’t know how someone would prove that God doesn’t exist, but for the sake of the argument, I would not want to accept it, even if it was proven to be true. I don’t think I would blame the Church for not knowing the truth. If we’ve read the Bible and been told over hundreds of years that God and His son do exist than it’s not really any one person’s fault for not knowing.

I think this realization would also cause me to question the purpose of life. What would I be living for? If there was no afterlife, people could just focus on the current moment. People would probably act more selfishly too. We should want to do good for others, but the reality is that some people only do good for others because they think they’re supposed to. If they didn’t feel guilty for not doing good for others, I think people would care less about others’ wellbeing. I often struggle to see the bigger picture, to think about how I can benefit other people through my life. If I just focus on my personal happiness, that’s not enough. I need to do more. Sam always mentions that we are all going to die, so we need to worry less. To an extent, I currently agree with this, but I think if I found out God didn’t exist I might agree with this more. I would probably be more carefree and invested in the now.

I admit that I take a lot for granted. Both my parents are teachers and have had steady careers since before my siblings and I were born. They haven’t done the best job spending their money and are currently in debt, but in doing so we’ve gone on great vacations and live in a nice house.

Sam said we don’t feel rich because we compare ourselves to those around us. However, in order for Sam to say we are rich he is comparing us to other people in the world. I think whichever way you look at it it’s all about comparisons.

I think having money shapes my perspective of the world. I don’t have to worry about living day to day. I can focus on my schoolwork and have fun. I think I realize how fortunate I am, but I don’t take the time to truly appreciate it. I don’t thank God or even my parents enough for giving me the life I have.

I think part of the reason I take my wealth for granted is because I compare myself to the people around me, like Sam said in class. At school I am surrounded by middleclass people like myself. We can pretty much all afford to live comfortably, go out to eat, go to bars multiple nights a week and shop at downtown boutiques. Some of my friends at school have jobs, but my parents have always told me to focus on school, since I’ll have to work the rest of my life.

I also think that having money has spoiled me. Growing up my parents would pretty much buy my siblings and me whatever we wanted. We would go on family vacations every year, but they were mostly funded by my aunt. My aunt is a vice president at Capital One, so she takes her family and my family on vacations in different countries each year. She took us to London for the Olympics this past summer. Going on fun vacations each year makes me feel like I have more money than I actually do. It makes me feel like I have more money than the average middleclass family. My grandparents paid for my college education, so I don’t have to worry about loans either. I honestly don’t even know the cost of tuition at Penn State. Not having to worry about money has caused me to not live within my means.

I am very concerned about how I’m going to survive on my own after college. When I graduate I will have to make my own money and live on a budget. I am not used to that, and it scares me. Ever since I started dating, my mom has reminded me of the importance of marrying rich. I know that with a journalism degree I will never make a lot of money, so I am definitely trying to marry someone who can provide for me. I want to be able to continue living the way I do.

If I had to pay for my own education I would probably work harder and appreciate the value of a dollar. Instead, I compare myself to other people and strive to have the best material things out of all my friends. Knowing I can have material objects is a concrete part of my life. Having something concrete like that makes me feel more secure about myself. It’s something I can control and feel confident about.

I really think perspective is everything. Everyone has different perspectives on different aspects of life. I think this is just one example of how people’s perspectives can shape their lives, for better or for worse.

While I definitely could not see myself joining the military, I applaud the men and women who serve our country. The people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our country are doing more than serving themselves; they’re serving the greater good. I realize I am more selfish than them in that I plan to work to benefit myself and my family.

My first reason for not wanting to join the military is fear. I fear that I will be killed in a car crash every time I get in the car, so there is no way I would feel confident in myself if I was living in fear while having to do my job. I would constantly be worried about my safety and would not be able to concentrate on my work and perform to the best of my ability.

My second reason for not wanting to join the military is that I am just not attracted to that line of work. I see myself working in an office with a fun atmosphere either for a university or for a public relations firm. I don’t think I could work in a super strict environment like the military. I know there are military members who work in offices, but they deal with military things. I can’t really relate to the military and what they do because I don’t really understand everything they do. I want to work for Penn State because I know a lot about this University, and I would feel confident doing public relations for the University or working on projects related to the University’s purpose.

My third reason for not wanting to join the military is that I would not want to be away from my loved ones. My high school boyfriend went to the Naval Academy, so I was in a long distance relationship for the first two years of college. Dating someone in the military though creates an even harder long distance relationship. The lack of communication and rare visitations with loved ones are what would bother me the most if I were in the military. My break up with my boyfriend was mostly a result of both of those things. I like spending time with my family and my friends at school. I also like being able to go out at night and sleep in during the mornings. Both of these things are not options in the military.

I think there are other people who are more qualified, physically and mentally, for the military, and I am going to leave it up to them to protect our country. I am aware of my own weaknesses and realize that my involvement in the military would be a burden for not only for myself but the military as well. We all have our place in this world, and mine is not in the military. I love my country, and I will serve it by doing other things for the people in this country.