en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2409992 Comments by Suprbean http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145272267 Another answer that really took me by surprise was that Iraqis really need is electricity. I would have never thought the answer to that question would have been electricity. I was thinking to myself, he apparently had electricity so he must be in a better part. I pictured Iraq to be a dry, desert land but in fact it was storming outside when we chatted with Bosum. To me, Bosum was very laid back and very nice. He spoke very good English and he was easy to understand. After chatting with Bosum, I feel different in a good way about Iraqis. They are not all dangerous individuals and there are only a very few that are. So chances that I come across one in a store are pretty slim. Maybe next time I see an Iraqi, I will think they are just like me and not try to judge them based on what the media portrays them as. (3/3) Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:21:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145272267 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145272226 This showed me that even though he is an Iraqi man, he is just like us and similar to us in many ways. Also, I thought it was really interesting that he was thankful that we got rid of Saddam Hussein. I’m glad to hear that something positive has come out of all the innocent killings. I thought the question about how he felt about the September 11th attacks was a very good question to ask because I was wondering the same thing sitting in class. And I was surprised by his answer just a little. He was terrified just like the rest of America. He tried to assure us that the terrorists are just a small number and that when we think of Iraqis we shouldn’t think terrorists. This was the first time I have ever really listened to an Iraqi talk about the war and their feelings about the attacks so I found this question and answer session really enlightening and wish we could do more of them. (2/3) Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:21:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145272226 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145272196 I really enjoyed being able to chat with Basum in class yesterday. When I first saw his picture on the screen, I didn’t realize it was him to be honest. He look almost Mexican and far different than what I had imagined him to look like in my mind. To me, he looked like he could have been a resident of the United States or Mexico. In my mind, I pictured him to have some sort of headwrap on and loose, baggy clothes. In the picture, he was very well put together and far from what I had pictured. One of the first responses that stood out to me was when he answered what young people do on the weekends. He said they go out, which is just like us and that he worries about his son going out at night. Like most parents here in the United States, he worries too. (1/3) Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:21:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145272196 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment143266346 I think a good example of nepotism would be applying for college. In the applications, they always seem to ask if you have relatives that attended the school. If you say yes, then I feel like you are more likely to be accepted than someone who did not have relatives attend the same school. For me, I applied to Virginia Tech, a school that my brother, 2 cousins, and an uncle went to, and put that down on the application. I was accepted and I think it had a lot to do with the relative connections to the university. I really think it would be hard for someone to not use their connections to help them and benefit them. Because in the end, we all want to succeed and get ahead so we will do what it takes. (3/3) Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:02:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment143266346 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment143266220 I would find it very hard to not take advantage of nepotism if a situation came about. I am already thinking about my future and who I know that could help me get a job. My dad worked as a police officer for many years and has a number of connections with the field of work I’d like to go into. I will no doubt take advantage of his resources and the people he knows when it comes times for me to look at jobs. Otherwise, I think it would be really difficult searching for jobs and not knowing people. If you know someone who can put in a good word for you, then you can feel more confident going into an interview that the person knows about you. (2/3) Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:02:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment143266220 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment143266109 I think this is a really good question and made me think about an answer. Nepotism is a type of favoritism towards family or relatives regardless of their worthiness. Because most everyone in class raised their hand saying that they have benefited from nepotism, I think it would be really hard to stop yourself from taking advantage of it if the situation presented itself. We all are trying to succeed and get ahead so we are going to do what it takes and if that means we take advantage of an opportunity in the form of nepotism, I think we are going to continue to do so. When an opportunity comes along, most of us are not going to stop and think that it is because of nepotism that this opportunity arose and we should try and stay away from it even if it means we don’t get what were searching for. While there are many people who want to succeed without the help of others, most of us want to take an easy road to get to where were going. A lot of jobs and internships get offered to people with connections. You need to network so you can know various people in the field that you are interested in so that when the time comes to look for a job, you have an upper hand in an interview. (1/3) Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:01:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment143266109 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment140572383 And to think that we are killing an innocent person just to get our hands on something that isn’t rightfully ours stuck out to me. For every 1 big name that we are after, it is alright to kill 29 innocent people, children. I was shocked at the number when Sam said it. I don’t think killing any innocent person is acceptable and it is hard to think that that is what we are doing just to get our hands on something that isn’t even ours. I think this was a great lecture and it really captivated us as a class and made us seriously think about what is going on. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 21:28:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment140572383 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment140572289 After each video just about, Sam emphasized the word “woah”. And I think there is no better word after watching some of the videos. I myself kept saying woah and it really started making me think. The video about the Jihad stuck out the most to me. It was very scary to watch almost and to see the motive behind these people is world domination and they will do whatever it is to reach that. Every time the word “Jihad” came across the screen really made me stop and say woah again. Also, Sam talked about how the war is about oil. When he first gave the example about the Chinese taking our coal and how the coal was our resource from our country and they have no right to take it from us, I was thinking where is he going with this. But then when the word “oil” came on the screen I suddenly realized we are doing exactly what the Chinese were doing. I really got to thinking that the war over oil is really nonsense because it is not our resource and it does not belong to us. Just like the Chinese taking our coal, we are taking their oil which doesn’t belong to us. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 21:28:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment140572289 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment140572236 I have to say that, when Sam first told us about the “Christian Invaders” lecture I didn’t know what he might talk about. As a Christian, I thought maybe he was going to attack my religion or try and convince me that what I believe in wrong. However, I was really captured by this lecture. Right away, Sam made us put ourselves in the shoes of a Muslim and for the entire lecture that was our point of view. I’ll be honest and say that I had a tough time at first doing so. When the clicker questions were asked, I had to keep reminding myself that I am a Muslim right now and how would I react to some of the questions. Aside from that, I think this was Sam’s best lecture and it was very captivating. The numerous videos were what really stood out to me. I think each one had a huge impact on our thinking. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 21:28:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment140572236 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139132108 While it is not against the law to speak a language other than English, American often feel that if you are going to live here, then English must be your primary language. I tend to agree with this thought most times. In New Jersey where I live, all the gas attendants are foreign and do not speak much English. They really only seem to understand the amount of money and type of gas. I often think they should speak more English if I ever had a problem they would not be able to understand what I am saying a vice versa. However, I do understand that they are trying to learn the English language and I appreciate the fact that they are learning how to be a part of the American culture while still maintaining their native cultures. (4/4) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 15:21:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139132108 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139132014 Also, I think it may depend on different situations that we hear the other languages being spoken. In my situation where I was alone and minding my own business, I felt uncomfortable because of the laughter and thinking maybe they said something about me. On the other hand, when we are just walking around campus and hear the different languages then we may feel less uncomfortable because we are not in a position where we should feel self conscience that we might be a subject of conversation. I think the various languages that people speak show the diversity we have here at Penn State and anywhere really in the United States. (3/4) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 15:20:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139132014 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139131966 At first, I was a little curious what the language was because it sounded so different from other languages I’ve heard before. I continued studying and became a little uncomfortable when they began laughing. I thought are they laughing at me or did they say something about me that I obviously couldn’t understand. I glanced over and noticed they were working on some homework together and realized they must have been joking amongst themselves and I didn’t need to feel self conscience. I think we all feel a little uncomfortable because it is not what we are used to hearing when we are around others. (2/4) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 15:20:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139131966 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139131908 I think this is a really good question because we are surrounded by people who speak different languages. Because English is our main language in the United States, we expect to hear others speak it and when we don’t, we may feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, when I hear people speaking another language I immediately wonder what they are saying. If I am alone, I may feel uncomfortable because I don’t if they are saying something about me, good or bad, and I can’t understand them to know. I think we always feel a little bit of self consciousness in any situation if we are alone and even with a group of friends, so when we hear people near us speak another language we begin to wonder are they talking about us. The other day I was in the HUB just sitting in a chair and a group of three guys sat down near me. They began talking amongst themselves and I noticed it was clearly not English that they were speaking. (1/4) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 15:19:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139131908 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137053953 They see marriage as being the same race or between and man and a woman. Because our society is becoming more and more open to new things, we see more people crossing the race border and dating people of other races. I don’t think there should be anything wrong with it and people can’t help who they are attracted to and love. We may be uncomfortable at first because for some it is not what they are used to seeing or what they think of when they think of acceptable partners. However, it is becoming more common to be in an interracial relationship so we just have to accept it and not be judgmental about whom people are attracted to. (3/3) Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:12:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137053953 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137053885 If we can be so accepting of others where we feel comfortable to be involved in a relationship with them then we can be accepting and less judgmental of others. In some places, we may not be used to seeing people of different races being in a relationship. I know in my hometown, marriages were pretty much kept within the same race. So for me, sometimes I may look twice if I see a couple of different races. But I don’t think that it is wrong or unacceptable. My brother’s best friend is black and a while ago he was dating a white girl. At first, we were a little confused but when the two of them came over to our house one day we saw that they were happy and the color of their skin was not a factor in their relationship. I think that there are still people in our society that have a problem with interracial relationships just there are people who don’t accept the gay and lesbian couples. (2/3) Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:11:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137053885 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137053842 I think that interracial relationships are fine and acceptable. Like Sam mentioned in class, there number of interracial families is growing rapidly. This shows us that it is becoming more acceptable and people are starting to date outside their race and color lines. I don’t understand why anyone should be limited to whom they can date and marry. If you are attracted to someone outside your race and have a lot in common then why shouldn’t you be able to date them? When it comes to dating and marriage, I think your partner’s race is a little bit irrelevant. The only thing that matters really is that there is an attraction and love between the two. Dating someone from another race can actually help you earn about other races and cultures. You get to open your mind be a part of different aspects of someone’s life that you would never been able to experience if you limited yourself to just dating someone who is so much like you. I think that being involved in a mixed relationship and being accepting of it will be a big step in the fight to ending racism. (1/3) Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:11:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137053842 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393206 I try to not think of someone of another race as lesser than me. I think that we all have equal chances at things and it is how we approach each situation and what we do to advance ourselves. I would hope one day when looking for a career that an employer would select me for a job because of my qualifications and skills, not because I am white. Sadly though, I think the whiteness will give me an upper hand. I do feel bad for others who are not given equal opportunities but our race and color of our skin is something that we cannot change. And because of this, I do not feel guilty about being white. (4/4) Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:58:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393206 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393165 I think the only way a white person can change the idea of white privilege would be to giving everyone an equal opportunity at something and disregarding someone’s race when looking at qualifications. I find it sad that some people have a hard time finding jobs or places to live because someone thinks that the color of their skin makes them a bad person or not right for a job position. We cannot change the color of our skin or our race, so we just need to accept who we are and who others are for who they are on the inside and not their physical features. (3/4) Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:58:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393165 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393096 While I do not know if the family got the apartment or not, I hope they did, I would hate to think that I got an apartment over them only for the reason of me being white. Before talking about the privileges whites receive, I was in the pre-awakening stage and never gave much thought into it was I was getting certain things in life. Now, I believe I am starting to realize that, yes my white skin is giving me more opportunities and advantages in life. I am starting to enter the awakening stage. However, I still don’t feel guilty about the fact that I am white. It is something that I myself cannot control. But I do feel that those who are over looking people for certain opportunities based on their race and skin color is wrong. (2/4) Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:58:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393096 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393012 I think this is a great question and it really made me think about an answer. Because I am white, this question is relevant to me. Up until Sam started to talk about the privileges that white people have over other races, I never really thought about my white skin getting me further in life and giving me more opportunities. I do not feel guilty being white because I cannot change that and it was what I was born into. I think it is wrong for someone to be given something based solely on the color of their skin. When I was filling out my apartment application, it never occurred to me that I was more likely to get it over the young black family that was also filling out an application. (1/4) Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:58:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135393012