I think that there is a big difference between not taking the time to help after a tragedy has occurred and believing that you should not have to. I think that it is important to make a distinction because I know many many people (my self often included) who may want to help and make a difference after something terrible has occurred but for whatever the reason may be, don't. And furthermore just because you do not do anything during a time of need somewhere in the world, whether it be in our own country, in Haiti, or anywhere else, it does not mean that you believe we should all just move on. Unfortunately not all of us have the time, money, and other resources to help when help is needed. Especially as college students, sometimes even ten dollars can be a lot to ask for. While I think that it is unfortunate that we cannot always help when we want to, I do not think that means that people who do not help, do not care, and think we should just get on with our lives. For example my roommate has a strong passion for giving back to the world. She wants to spend her life working for non-profit organizations and volunteering to help make a difference in the lives of people everywhere. Since we are graduating soon she has been looking into ways to do what she has decided she is meant to do, and has found it very difficult. Many organization require you to pay thousands of dollars before you can go and volunteer. Or they require you to be skilled in ways that a normal civilian may not be skilled. As a student about to graduate from college, my roommate does not have the funds to pay three thousand dollars and then be able to help children in Africa. This is why she was so excited during the last lecture when the speaker told her all she has to do is buy a plane ticket and get vaccinated and that she can come help out in Haiti. It's that simple. But more often than not, this is not the case. Because its not like you can just hop a flight to Haiti and try to help out. It doesn't work that way. And even when you are presented with the opportunity to help others in need, it does not make you a bad person if you choose to instead take a test for a class. Being a college graduate is something that is important as well and I do not think its even fair to try to compare helping people and gaining an education or working hard at your job. If you can do both then thats great. But if you can't just drop everything and forget about all of your classes, but you still care about the 300,000 people in Haiti who have died and you still care about helping them, then hopefully one day you will, and even if you don't, that doesn't make you a bad person.

What is the end goal really? I think that is a very interesting questions pertaining to both soc119 and life in general. Throughout this semester being in Sam Richard’s class I have actually found myself asking the same thing. What is the point of it all? Were all going to die anyways right? The boy in the video said that he feels the guilty and hypocrisy of it all. While that may be what he is feeling, I personally do not believe that that is what Sam wants us to take from his class. While he is educating us on various subjects, guilt might be a consequence that results from learning the things he has to teach us. But ultimately I do not believe that Sam wants us to feel that way. We may have to experience the feelings of guilt or hypocrisy at first, but I think that if we truly learn and understand what Sam has to say, that we should not feel that way anymore. However I think that this could be hard to obtain. Sam teaches us about all of these things that we do and the way they affect other people. He tells us how we live on the land that has seen the greatest genocide in the world. He tells us how the chocolate we eat has a negative affect on people all over the world. He tells the white people that just be being alive they have an advantage over everyone else out there. These things along with everything else he has to say, could understandably cause feelings of guilt in anyone. Especially someone who had no idea about the things that Sam says before taking his class. But I think that if Sam thought that at the end of the semester everyone in the class left feeling bad about themselves, that he would not be happy at all. In fact I think that he would feel that his power as a teacher had been wasted. I personally feel that I went into Sam’s class more educated than most and probably even more open minded. But even so, nothing could prepare me for the things Sam had to say. At first I may have felt guilty or hypocritical but then I realized that that is not the answer. We need to learn from what Sam has to say, and either alter our behavior or be aware of what is going on around us, and try to make the world a better place. I know that I am more fortunate in several ways than most people in the world. But I try not to feel guilty about it. I try to think that I can take the things Sam has taught us and the things I have learned on my own and be a good open minded person, and really that’s all you can do. So I hope that you don’t end the semester feeling guilty, but rather feeling educated and like you have a new outlook on life that you did not have before.

Although I felt slightly bad for Sam at first after hearing this question posed so bluntly by that student, I do understand why he asked it. I am a senior in my last semester at Penn State and I signed up for this class because I wanted to take one last class that would really be eye opening and interesting. I have friends who have taken Sam’s class in previous semesters and they told me that it fit into both of my criteria so I signed up and was excited to see what the class was all about. The first few weeks I was really blown away by how open Sam was. I thought the way he used the students in the class to participate in activities that may be uncomfortable was actually a great teaching technique, especially considering it is hard to get through to your students when there are 700 of them. But as the class continue into the semester I found myself questioning several of the different ideas Sam was putting forth to us. For example the idea that none of us deserve what we have if it was given to us. I believe that if my father and mother work hard to make a living and they choose to spend their money to give me an education and clothing and food to eat and what not, that that is their choice, and it does not mean that I do not deserve it. So naturally it unnerved me to hear Sam preach this idea to the class when previously, I had really agreed with and even been enlightened by several of the things he had to say. I also sensed that I was not the only one who felt this way about this specific idea he tried to teach us about. All of the other students around me seemed to be annoyed at this mentality and confused that someone who seemed to be so intelligent could say something that they did not agree with at all with such seriousness. But like Sam says something that may seem wrong may not seem wrong to someone else, so I tried not to be offended by it and I assume that my peers did the same. So as we got even further into the semester, while I still found the things he had to say interesting, I was finding that I was not agreeing with all of them completely. I know that you do not and are not expected to agree with everything that anyone says. But at the same time, I think that some of the class may feel better about the things Sam says if he would clarify further, which he often does and tries very hard to do. I also think that he sometimes gets himself into trouble with the class when he tries to explain things that are taken the wrong way. For example when he was talking about periods I totally got what he was saying and agreed with him, but he was just presenting his argument in the wrong way. But overall, to answer the question posed I don’t think anything has really changed my opinion just because I really do agree with about 99% of the things that Sam says, but I do think that his class has made a difference because it extremely interesting and I have certainly learned new things.

For almost as long as I can remember my father has always said to me “It is so important that you learn to speak Spanish because I’m telling you by the time you’re in the working world, we will be the minority, and it would be really beneficial to know how to speak the language of one of the more dominant races.” To his delight I did take Spanish in high school and into college, but I never really took what he had to say seriously. But now after almost four years at Penn State, I have been learning more and more about the fact that what my father has been saying all along is actually true. So how do I feel about it? To be honest I don’t really feel one way or another. Maybe its easy for me to say because I am a white woman so I have never had to feel what its like to be in the minority (although I am Jewish and we make up an extremely small percentage of the world, but that’s another story). I also think I don’t really feel positively or negatively about it because even if white people do become the minority race, I do not think we would ever truly be treated like it. I am not saying that I think white people deserve to be treated better than any other race and that’s why nothing will change, but I just think it will take a lot more than numbers to change an institution that has been in place for so long. But on the bright side, I do think that with our numbers increasing and the numbers of individuals in various racial and minority groups increasing, that the opportunities they have available to them will increase. And furthermore, if there are more of them, maybe just maybe, it will help eliminate some of the racism and/or discrimination that exist today. The only thing that has me concerned is the fact that the article mentioned that birth rates of white non-Hispanic children are dropping due to the recession and economic climate in general, but that the minority birth rates are rapidly increasing. This worries me because that means children are potentially being born into families that cannot properly care for them. This is not only an awful thing in general that children may not receive the care they need and deserve, but it could also perpetuate the stereotypes that could otherwise have maybe been eliminated due to the increase of the minority populations. All of these thoughts I have on the subject just serve as a reminder that no matter how far we have come as a nation when it comes to racism and stereotypes, that there will always be another obstacle in the way, even when we are making progress.

I think that he poses a very interesting question and also a question that I was asking myself at the exact same time when Sam had us do the texting in class as well as when I am out in the world encountering different types of people. Why is it okay for black people to criticize white people and not the other way around? On the surface I think the answer is basically something to the effect of the fact that we have persecuted black people throughout history not only all over the world but in our own country, so therefore its almost a taboo to say anything about them. Its like It also has a lot to do with the political correctness that we talk about in class. White people feel like they cannot say certain things because its wrong or offensive. Sometimes I think that this feeling of being politically correct can be good because sometimes people would otherwise say offensive things. But I also think that it can be bad because it prevents people from opening up to each other because god forbid you accidentally offend a black person or any person of color in general really. This is why I think that people react more harshly when white people say things about black people than when black people say things about white people. But even though this is why I think people act like this I do NOT think that it is okay. I actually think that it is extremely hypocritical of any group of people to not want white people or any people at all to criticize them, but then they criticize others. It’s like the golden rule: Do unto others as you want done to you. How can reprimand white people for saying rude things about black people if black people say rude things about white people? Regardless of what happened in the past, on an individual level this is never okay. It is like when black people say the N word and then get mad when white people say it. I understand that it is different when they say it, but at the same time it’s the exact same thing where you’re asking people not to call you something but then you say it yourself. It is like when girls call other girls sluts but then don’t want boys to call them sluts. I think that if we ever want words like slut or the N word to seize from being used we have to stop saying them all together. And this goes with just saying negative things in general about people of the other race. If white people don’t say things about black people and black people don’t say things about white people and the same with all other races and groups, then everything would be equal and no one would be offended. Clearly this will never happen so if that’s too much ask, then I think that we cannot allow one group to say offensive things about others but then its okay if they say bad things themselves.

Although I may agree with her to a certain extent, I think that that is a very bold statement to make, and further more, I think that by saying something like “white people are the only ones who throw theme parties and they are often making fun of African American people when they do” is actually stereotyping. I am not sure if there is a substantial difference in the type of people who throw theme parties, but I think they do because it mixes things up and makes a night that would be like any other night, fun and different and memorable. I do not think that it has anything to do with race at all. However having said that, the exception would be when white people throw parties that are “ghetto” themed. Although I do not think that they throw these parties with the intentions of being offensive or discriminatory in any way, I can understand why a black person would be potentially hurt by it. Even though I think that “Ghetto” has really become more of a fashion category when it comes to these theme parties and nothing to do with the true definition of what constitutes a “ghetto”, people still often have black people in mind when they throw these parties, so I can see how they may be controversial. In our recitation today we actually discussed a theme party that was thrown in February by students at the University of San Diego (UCSD) called the “Compton cookout”. In the face book description of the party they told people to dress “ghetto” and really gave it a negative connotation, ultimately making fun of the types of people they consider “ghetto”. Not only was this done at a school that is 98% white, but also a school that is made up of students who are all mostly upper class individuals. I think that these two facts alone made the situation that much more controversial. This is an example of a themed party that could be consider racist or focused on issues of race. However, I think that it is extremely unfair to make a generalization like the one the girl in the video made. I actually wonder where she came up with that idea? Because besides a ghetto themed party I cannot think of one other theme that involves ethnic or racial themes at all. Furthermore I wonder why she felt that these parties are thrown mostly by white people? The only thing I can think of is that Greek Life does throw several themed parties a year and they make up a big percentage of the Penn State community so maybe it seems like that’s what everyone does? These are just guesses, but again even if this were her rationalization for that statement I think that it was somewhat ignorant to say, because really you have no idea.

Although I always find Sam Richard’s class to be extremely interesting, for some reason the discussions as well as the presentations in class this past Thursday really stuck out to me and was really one of my favorites so far. We watched a video which showed a Muslim girl going into a store and when she wet to purchase an item the sales clerk told her that she needed to get out of the store and out of the country because she was basically a terrorist. In reality both the girl and the man behind the counter were working for CBS doing a behind the scenes story on discrimination. I thought that this video was extremely interesting and the results were even more so. When I first heard the news man explain what they were going to do I assumed that their efforts would be futile because no one in their right minds would defend some jerk who was discriminating against a Muslim girl. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that at least 6 people agreed with the man that he had every right to choose who he would and would not serve. Although this disgusted me I was also glad to see that there were at least several others who not only told the man he was wrong, but said that they would not continue to shop at the store. Those people helped keep my faith in humanity in tact because I would like to think that we are not all awful. Now in regards to the question in the video, one boy in class did say that although he did not feel that the man was right, he was still unsure if he would say anything because it “wasn’t his place”. Although I can technically understand where he’s coming from knowing what it feels like to be in awkward situations when its really not your place to say something, I think that this mentality is detrimental when it comes to issues of discrimination and I think that it is SO important that we stand up for what is right. It may feel uncomfortable because you may have been raised to not stick your nose in other people’s business, but when it comes to act of discrimination I think that it is everyone’s business. America is supposed to be the land of the free where people can be who they are and practice their own religions and have their own beliefs and no one should be persecuted because of that. And as a result of this fact I think that if you ever witness anyone discriminating and hurting others in any way, or specifically in this case based on their religion and what they look like, I not only think it is the right thing to do, but I think it is your DUTY to do something.

I think that that is a very important question to address. As a women studies minor I am constantly discussing or reading about sexuality in my classes, so the topic of sexual orientation or preference is not something new to me. Although I consider myself a straight woman, I agree with Sam that everyone could go “both ways”. I have always thought this specifically when it comes to women. Girls and women have much closer relationships with each other than men do with other men. Girls kiss and hug each other and say I love you to each other. They will walk around half naked in front of each other like its nothing because their relationships are almost on another level than the relationships between men. This fact alone has always led me to believe that girls and women are all inherently bisexual even if they know it or not. But what really makes me believe this is the fact that women look at each other and say things like “oh she has such great legs,” “I want her stomach,” “I wish my boobs looked like that.” Etc. By looking at each other and comparing our bodies we are basically admitting that we find their bodies appealing. This final thought is what truly cemented my beliefs that all girls are at least subconsciously bisexual. I do not think it’s a choice I just think it is the way we are due to socialization and biology.
I had never really felt that way about men but after hearing what Sam had to say I am open to the idea that it might be the same with them too. I had always thought that if a guy said he was bisexual that it was really only a matter of time before he came out of the closet and admitted that he was actually gay. I felt this way because men don’t have the same types of relationships was women do with each other. They don’t kiss each other or talk about how much they love each other or cuddle and watch TV and all of the other intimate things girls do. This always led me to believe that they were either gay or straight. But after hearing what Sam had to say I think that this is all a result of societal expectations, and maybe all men are bisexual subconsciously too.
But to get back to the original question asked in the video I do not understand why people think that people who are bisexual are confused about their sexual orientation. Maybe people are just scared by others who actually know what they want. Being bisexual really just means that you are attracted to both men and women, it is that simple.

On a day to do basis I never really stop to think about how language affects my life. Every day I communicate with other people all around me and I am lucky that they are able to understand me and communicate with me as well. I have the slightest minute idea what its like to be in a place where people do not understand me, being that I have traveled to foreign countries in which there have been people who do not speak my language and do not understand me and therefore are unable to communicate with me. But overall this idea is very unfamiliar to me. So when I read Sam’s blog post about this woman who past away and was the last person to speak the Bo tribal language, it really blew my mind. First it blew my mind thinking about the fact that for some period of time she was the only one who spoke her language. I’m sure she learned how to speak other languages to compensate for the fact that no one spoke her own, but it makes me so sad thinking about the fact that there could ever be a person in that situation. This is hard to fathom in general, let alone being an American where everyone around you speaks your language, as well as other people not native to America. Secondly, what it really got me thinking about besides the fact that this woman had to live for a period of time knowing she could never really converse with anyone in her native tongue again, is the fact that along with this language, most likely a whole entire sub-culture has died. Although I am not personally familiar with the Bo tribal language and their culture, I think it is not to hard too assume that if their language is dead, so is most of their cultures and beliefs. While you could argue that a language is just a language, like Sam has in class, pointing out that words only have meaning because we give them meaning, I still think they are important because they are all created by different people at different times and have different culture backgrounds. It also makes me wonder how many people out there are in the same or similar predicament, where they are one of if not the only one left who speaks their language. I also wonder if there is really anything you could do to prevent the death of your language if you were in that situation? Would teaching others how to speak it potentially save it? Or even if that would work and you could teach people how to speak your language would it even be worth it? Because even if someone speaks your language, it does not mean that they will understand the cultural background of how that language came to be. Ultimately although we cannot save the Bo Tribal language I think it is important the we are aware of situations like these so that we can document the language and cultures that they come from while they still exist.

I have always been a movie buff who tries to keep up with the film industry, so I had heard about and been excited to see Cameron's Avatar for a while before it came out, hearing about the special effects and the amount of time he put into the film. So going into it I did not put much thought into the plot. I was later grateful for the fact that I was more excited to see a visually impressive film rather than a film with a unique story. Although I loved the movie for its beautiful depictions of the Navi and of Pandora itself, I was unimpressed by the story, agreeing with Brook’s that it reminded me of Pocahontas along with several other movies.

But although the movie did make me reminiscent of my younger years obsession with Walt Disney films, I never thought about the fact that it was dealing with a “white messiah” and I think it’s interesting that this is a reoccurring theme in several films. Maybe this is a result of the fact that we are in general a very ethnocentric country and we like feeling good about ourselves. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence. Really it’s funny that we come out looking like the heroes in these films, when we are the ones destroying the land to begin with. Either way, I can easily see how Native Americans (who many people say gave inspiration to the creation of the Navi people on Pandora) would be insulted by Avatar. Avatar, which is now the highest grossing film of all time and is clearly making a serious impression on people all over the world, does display the natives as “damsels in distress” waiting for the white mans help. However, I do agree that Cameron just used this as a way to guide his film, and that the real take away from the film were the visual affects of Pandora.

Looking back at all these films that display the “white messiah” I couldn’t help but wonder why there are never any films that show the United States as the ones in distress being helped by other nations. Maybe its because we’ve never really been in that situation? Or maybe it’s because we would never want to imagine being in that situation? I personally think that would be a very interesting film to see, and would need a very brave writer and director to create because I could see a film like that getting some serious backlash. Furthermore, I wonder why films like Avatar are only criticized by the people who are always being portrayed as those in distress, and never by American’s who are always being displayed as the ones causing destruction? Have we just accepted the idea that sometimes were good and sometimes were bad? I certainly hope not because nothing good can come of a mentality like that.