I absolutely do not think that my Christian God supports the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It frustrates me that Sam tries to say that everyone involved with the war on the United States side of thing is Christian because that is far from true. Yes, the majority of the soldiers might come from a Christian background but I think it is safe to say that many of them are also Jewish. Another thing that bothers me is that so many Americans are against the war, so why are we all being blamed for it. I know that my family and I have never supported it, I truly do not believe war is the way to go about things ever. So the fact that he is saying that it has something to do with my religion is beyond me. I do not even know how he is trying to bring religion into this considering America is the “land of the free”. We are the land of the free because we have FREEDOM OF RELIGION which means that not everyone here has the same religion. People that are hard core Christian may be more likely to support the war because they are more likely to be republican, but I am a democrat and I am Christian and do not believe that my God has anything to do with the war. I also think that soldiers that are over fighting in the war do not necessarily support what they are doing, but do it because that is what they are told and they have to do what they are ordered to do. It is about the politics of the country, not about the religion of the soldiers. I know that one of my best friends is over in Afghanistan right now, and he luckily has not seen things that are extremely bad, but I know that all he wants to do is leave. I also know that the only reason he even joined the army is because he did not get the option to go to college because his family could not afford it. So just because he is over there does not in any way, shape or form mean that he wants to be destroying innocent peoples’ property. He is doing it because it gave him an opportunity to make something of himself. So saying that all of these soldiers are horrible and saying their God is evil is messed up. I think George Bush is probably the biggest dumbass to walk the face of the planet for getting ourselves involved in this greedy mess, and I also think that we should get out of it as soon as possible, but no, my God is not evil and he does not support this war, because if he did he would not be the God that I pray to.

This scandal has taught me plenty of lessons, starting with honesty is the best policy. I know that it might be easier to sweep things under the rug but if you never air out your dirty laundry it is just going to keep building up and eventually you have no clothes to wear. I know that might sound tacky, but they kept hiding everything and numerous people knew about this traumatizing situation and when it came out it not only hurt themselves but it devastated our school. Yes, I feel god awful for the victims; no one should ever have to deal with that type of situation. It is disgusting and they are helpless children who had no control over their situation, so the fact that people just looked the other way is beyond me. I have learned that even though it might be the hardest thing I will ever have to face, I will speak up for myself or others if something that is morally, ethically, and legally in the wrong. It might be something easier said than done, but one person makes a difference and if you do not stick up for them, who will? I would have their suffering on my shoulders and the guilt alone would torture me, so if I have to deal with all of that pain I mine as well stick up for them and make these wrongs noticed which will do some good for the victims. Another lesson I learned is that no matter how sick one individual can be, and how a handful of people can make extremely poor decisions, Penn State is still a great university and no one can take that away from us. The students did no wrong in this situation, and yes they might have overreacted at first, but why is all of the press following all of the negative when they only briefly mention the candle light vigil and how we organized a blue out game in support of the victims. This taught me to not always pay attention to what I hear in the media because they CAN and they WILL skew it however they want just to make the story more interesting for the viewers. Little do they know that they have been destroying careers and families more than they inform the public. I have also learned that you need to inform yourself on all of the information and the real hard facts before you speak on situations because that is how rumors start and when there is that much craze and hype about things those rumors spread like wild fire. I am just as disturbed at this situation as anyone else and am frustrated that this is associated with Penn State’s name, because this is not who we are.

I think that immigrants should have to speak English. I think this because if you are going to live in America you should speak the majority of people are speaking. That might sound self absorbed, and there are plenty of people in America that speak numerous languages but not everyone does, so they should still learn English. If you want to be able to get by in America and live here you should have to adapt to certain customs. Say you were an immigrant and got yourself lost, how would you be able to figure out where you are supposed to go? Also, say you get yourself into a car accident (God forbid) and you are an immigrant who does not speak English and the person you got into and accident with and the cop that is trying to help things only speaks English. How do you expect to get yourself through this situation if you do not even now what they are saying? It is just too difficult and risky to not learn the language that most of the people in the country speak. By not learning the language you are only hurting yourself in this situation. Now even though I think that immigrants should learn English, I am not saying that these people should never be allowed to speak their native language. When immigrants are with their family members and their friends then they should go for it, they should speak their native language together to remind them of their home and keep their family traditions alive. Although, if you are going to live here and work here then you should also be able to speak English because it is not fair to the Americans that they cannot communicate with you. I understand that it is a bit ignorant of most Americans to not care enough about the immigrants to learn their languages, but if we are in our home country and they are the visitors than they should have to speak the language we speak if they want to communicate with us. Also, when I am visiting other countries I do not feel bad when they act like I should speak their language to them because I understand the fact that I am in their home land and I should have to learn their customs. I am not saying that I would not try to communicate with an immigrant that does not speak English, but I just think that it is best for them to learn the native language for themselves in the long run. Some people may disagree and I feel ignorant saying that immigrants should learn English if they want to live here, but it is my honest opinion.

The thought of white people being the minority one day is hard to grasp. I am not saying I am scared, because honestly I could care less about peoples skin color, but it is just a weird situation to think about. It is weird in several ways, but mainly in the fact that it is something so different than how I live now that I have a hard time picturing it. I do feel that if in America white people are a minority many things will change. For example, it could easily change how people interact with each other. If there are less white people in the country than there are black people it could potentially make white people feel like they are even more elite than they do now, which we do not need to happen because that would be just one more issue to deal with. I know it is pathetic, but I feel that no matter what, since we have been the “desired skin color” for so long that it is never going to die out, when it should, being white is not all it is hyped up to be. Also, I feel like it would not be that black people would be the majority, the majority would be people of mixed races, so the majority of people would still technically have some amount of white blood inside of them. I feel that it is kind of strange to think that we would be the minority, but the only reason that it is so strange is because change itself is scary and not knowing what is going to happen in the future is an unsettling feeling in general. No one enjoys not knowing what is about to happen, and this is a major impact on our society so thinking that it might change is weird. I also am having a very hard time imagining this happening considering I grew up in a town that is predominantly white and by going to Penn State I feel like I am constantly surrounded by white people. Imagining that there will one day be less white people than other races is just hard to picture. I think that it could also be a good thing for our country because maybe if everyone is more of a brown skin tone than white or black then it could get rid of a lot of unnecessary racism which we have been trying to get rid of for years. I know some people might think it is terrible, and other people might think that this happening will be the best thing that has ever happened to our country, but I am going to say that I am not sure how I feel. It is exciting yet unsettling, because I do not know what the outcome will be once the country is less white. I just hope it does not cause any more problems than we already have.

When a person hangs out with a group of people who’s race is not primarily their own it does not make them a poser in any way. People are allowed to hang out with whoever they want to hang out with, their friends is their own decision and who they really hang out with is not them faking who they are in any way. If they are being fake and not being true to themselves, then they are considered a poser, but if they are being themselves and they are genuinely friends with people of another race why would that make them a poser. Say a white boy grows up on the streets of Compton and acts like he is a thug, raps, wears the typical baggy clothes and chains, and is in a gang he would not be a poser because that is where he grew up and how he was raised, that is who he is. Then say you have a white boy who grew up in a very wealthy area where everyone goes to a private school and is very proper. If he were to dress up as if he grew up on the streets of Compton and was claiming that he was too, then that would be a poser because he is not being himself. He would be lying about growing up “on the block”. But if you are just hanging out with people of a different race that does not make you a poser, that just means you are not narrow minded and race does not affect your opinion of people. Those are your friends and you will not judge them for being different, so if people judge you and say you are a poser for doing so, then they are the messed up one. If you hang out with a different race it is probably because of where you grew up or what you are used to, not because you fake who you are. We should not call them a poser and make fun of them, because doing so is what causes the racial divide in our society. If we keep saying that people who hang out with other races are posers then we will never have a united society. Everyone would be constantly separating themselves from others causing even worse of a divide than we do today. I think it is great when people are comfortable around people who are different than them; it shows that people are not so different after all. If people stopped judging other people based on their skin tone so many problems would be solved in the world. We would all have equal opportunities and racism would be gone. So instead of calling people a poser for being friends with other races, you should try broadening your horizons.

I do not think that my race shapes how I view the world in many ways. Yes, my race does affect how I look at the world in certain aspects, for example never once did I have to think about going through any hardships because of the color of my skin. Although I think what really shapes peoples opinion of the world is where they come from. I am fortunate enough to be what our culture seems to think is the “superior” race and because of this I never really had to experience any hassles while out shopping, or any discrimination just because of how I look. So I guess that because of being white, I view the world as more of a nicer place to live as opposed to having to deal with people giving me a hard time every day. I also feel that I find myself questioning things less than people who are not being treated equally. But other than that what has shaped me is where I am from. I grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut in Fairfield County which is the white-bread capital of the country. Walking around my neighborhood I see big house after big house all very similar to each other filled with white families who are all Catholic. Seeing a Jewish person was outlandish let alone a black family. I was very sheltered and was never really exposed to other races. It is sad because I really do not have anything against other races, I just do not know anything about them, which is why I feel more comfortable around people like me. I think that if I grew up in an inner city school I would be more comfortable around multiracial people, not because of my race, but because I would be used to being around them. I also think that how you are grown up shapes how people view the world. I know that my family is a very open minded liberal family. My parents would never even think about making a racist comment and if I said one I would never hear the end of it. Which is why I am open to other races, I just am rarely around them. Certain families you are born and raised into terrible situations like parents being in the K.K.K. Those children do not have much of a choice on how they view the world; they are told how to think. They are white, and I am white, but we are raised completely differently which is a major factor in how we view the world. So does my race really affect how I view the world? Sort of, but in my opinion it is only a minor factor.

Personally, there are two reactions that I have to this question. Sometimes when I am getting dressed up to go out at night when I am trying on shoes that match my outfit, I bitch and moan about how I just wish that I could wear sneakers and it be acceptable. I complain that guys have it so much easier and that I wish I could dress like them and not care. It would be amazing to just throw on jeans and a t-shirt and that be considered a “put together” look, life would be easier and a lot cheaper. Although, the other half of me actually enjoys going out and getting all dressed up looking good and coordinating my outfit and shoes with nice jewelry and my makeup. Yes, it does get tiring and at times frustrating when I feel like nothing looks good and nothing is comfortable on me but, when I stay in and schlep around in my sweats for more than a day I feel disgusting and feel like I need to shower. I actually enjoy doing my makeup and wearing a cute outfit because it feels refreshing and makes me feel more confident about myself. The thing that annoys me the most is during the winter when girls are still expected to wear these heels that are 5 inches high and short skirts and tank tops. Yes, I enjoy getting dressed up, but when it is ten degrees outside we should not be expected to be half naked. People should change their standards and be fine with us wearing jeans and a cute top, and to be honest I feel like guys would not care if we did wear jeans. The people who set these standards are actually females because girls are constantly competing for male’s attention and it is absolutely absurd. Most people say that they dress for themselves, but let’s be honest; we dress because we want people to think a certain way about ourselves. And typically it is to look better than the next girl because in a sick and twisted way everyone wants to be the best looking out of their group of friends. When I go out at night I want to be looked at as a girl who is put together and stylish I don’t want people to think I am a slob and do not know how to dress myself. It is sad that guys do not have the same standards, but they do not need to try because chivalry is dead and girls are now throwing themselves at the guys instead of vice versa. It is pathetic, but I have just learned to accept the fact that women are expected to dress a certain way.

My thought on the public’s reaction to each of the bike thieves was that I was completely shocked. I know that people have the stereotype that black males are more likely to be criminals and all of that nonsense, but when the white male and female were actually saying that the bike was not theirs and people still ignored it, that was a bit absurd. How can people be told that these white people are stealing the bikes and just keep moving on with their days and then as soon as it is a different race they whip out their cell phones to call the police within seconds. It is not fair. And the fact that the female had two guys actually help her steal the bike is just embarrassing. Women try to be equal and then they play up their weak, helpless role to their advantage. How do you expect to be treated the same when they are asking to have special privileges. It is embarrassing to all of us females because it makes me feel like I only get certain things because of my sexuality and not because I earned it. I know for a fact that I would have gotten help if I walked by any of the three people stealing the bikes. That is not because I was horrified by how the people were stealing, but if they all admitted that the bike was not theirs I would’ve called the cops. That is because during the summers I spend my time in a predominately white beach town, Cape May, NJ where my mode of transportation is all on bike. It is very common for people’s bikes to be stolen, and trust me, it is the biggest pain in the ass to get done with a long night at work and realize that your bike is no longer there and you have to walk two miles to get home. Although, because most of the people who live there are white, that also means that most of the people who steal bikes there are white too. So if I saw someone going at a bike chain no matter what race they were I would probably say something to them because I know how much it sucks for your bike to be stolen. I am really ashamed by the people who kept walking when the white guy said it “was not exactly his bike, yet” because they should have stood up and gotten involved, but I guess we will never know if those same exact people would’ve done the same thing if it was a black male and vice versa because they were all different people which does make this a hard experiment to judge.

I am shocked to see how talented these entrepreneurs are from Haiti. I feel as if it should not have shocked me as much as it did. Obviously there will be talented people all around the world, but whenever I think of Haiti the only thing that comes to my mind is tragedy and poverty I never think about how creative the people living there are. What really impresses me is how these people want to continue working the way they are working because they enjoy it. Obviously they would love to have better conditions, but the fact that they do not have all of the latest technology and lowest costing materials and keep going is inspiring. Because I know that most people in the USA if they had to work in those living conditions would quit very quickly (at least I know that I would). I do not think it is fair in any way that they do not have materials like we do in the US. These entrepreneurs are paying so much more than we would be for materials to make these absolutely gorgeous bags and shoes, and spending even more time hand making them then it does for our machines to make thousands of bags and shoes. What is even more messed up on top of that is that not only do they have to take more time for each bag to be made and they spend more money than we would have to, but they do not make nearly the same amount of money as we would. They say that a bag would be $25-$40 but who in Haiti has that kind of money to spend on a cute bag? Not many that is for sure, hell most college kids in America would not spend $40 on a bag. Also when they hand make the sandals they are literally using one mannequin to base the sizes off of and their materials are not safe to use. If our class did one thing to help the entrepreneurs out, then I think that we should get materials shipped to them in bulk. When I say materials I mean the different cloths and such, but I also mean machinery. We should get them a few good machines that way it will be much easier for them to make, therefore they will be able to make more in the same amount of time. That way they will pay less amount of money for the materials, make it faster, and they can still charge a good price (maybe a little less) so more people will be willing to buy them! It will take time and effort, but I think that if we really put our minds together we can help these struggling entrepreneurs in Haiti.

I think that it is ridiculous that SAT scores rise when income rises, but it also makes perfect sense. It makes sense because people who live in low income families go to schools in low income neighborhoods and their school districts do not have as many opportunities as wealthy school districts. I am from a predominantly white high school in a fortunate area in Connecticut and we had a class that was related to a city school an hour away that was very poor and predominantly black. When we went to their school the kids were saying that for the most part they skip school because there is no need to go. They said that they were not going anywhere after high school because they could not afford college, so they saw no need to graduate high school. The kids are accepting the fact that they have nothing to look forward to in their future, so they do not try to do well on their SATs. Also, because the kids from lower income families do not feel the need to graduate high school they do not take school seriously. If they never show up to class, and do not pay attention when they are in class, then they will not have as much knowledge as the kids who try hard. Usually the kids who are motivated in high school are the ones who know that they need higher education to succeed.
Another factor that contributes to SAT score increase that has to do with money is paying for tutors. I know that when I was going through the whole SAT/ ACT process that my parents hired a tutor from the Princeton Review which cost them about $250 per hour for 30 hours. During the 30 private tutoring sessions I learned tricks on how to beat the system and get the answers in a faster time and got used to taking what would be on the SATs. I was at an advantage to those who had not gone through any tutoring, or even those who had SAT classes because I had a one on one session that was all focused on my issues. That also cost my parents just under $8,000 which is a ridiculous amount of money. If I did not go through all of the tutoring then I would have done substantially worse on the SATs than I did. So those who live in a low income family obviously do not have as many opportunities to learn the tricks of the SATs before taking them which leads them to do a lot worse on the actual test. If they are told their whole life that they cannot go to college because they cannot afford it, why should they try to do well on a test that is not going to do anything for them in the long run? It is a vicious cycle, but unfortunately it exists.