en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3638689 Comments by bmrruiz12 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment231972775 The world revolves around money. Without it there would be no economy, class system, and even problems or happiness. Personally I do not think money creates happiness but it definitely helps with many things. Without money society would not function. No one would ever work or do anything because there would be no incentive to. This would cause many problems in society. I could see why some people believe that money does in fact cause happiness. From the outside families with a lot of money could look absolutely perfect. They have clothes, cars, a nice house, and anything they could imagine. They don’t have any concerns about the future for colleges, vacations, cars, health problems, or accidents. They are able to participate in any sports team, or any extra curricular activity they want. From the outside they could look very happy but sometimes it is very fake. From the outside celebrities look like they have everything but in fact they probably do not. So many children and teens look up to celebrities and all they want is to be like them. They have personal trainers, and so much money to be able to buy anything they want. They have people that do their hair, and makeup every single day. They have people who shop for them and dress them every single day. It gives a wrong perception of the lives they live to fans and other people because it makes them look perfect and happy when in fact they probably most of them are not. You could have all the money in the world and still be so unhappy because material things do not get you very far. I’m not going to lie to myself because money does help in so many situations. I think money helps to a certain extent. So many perfectly happy families’ lives are turned upside down by the loss of a job and a loss of an income. It causes stress and pressure on parents to get a new job, and sometimes it can get so bad that it often time causes huge arguments between family members. The most common problem that a loss of a job or income causes is divorce between parents. It is a sad reality but money does make things so much easier. If a family has an argument you can buy your loved ones material goods, and as much as they may appreciate it, it does not change the fact of what actually happened. Families that have money and are having issues could instead take a relaxing vacation all together which would help make amends between loved ones. Money does not cause happiness but it definitely helps in tough situations. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 04:19:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment231972775 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment227306154 I think everything that is happening now at Penn State, and has occurred with this scandal would be very different if Jerry Sandusky were a man of color, or Latino. Before this scandal occurred Sandusky was viewed as an all-American white male, who was a great football coach, a caring and trustworthy person, and someone who so many people would look up to. With the way that things and people are in America I believe it would make a huge difference if Sandusky were black, or Latino. No matter how hard people try to make themselves believe that they are not racist, the majority of white Americans are a little bit racist due to stereotypes that exist in our society. It is a sad reality but if Sandusky were black or Latino, it would not have come to such a surprise to society that these allegations against him about the shocking sexual abuse he did to young boys. People never would have thought that a perfectly white normal Penn State football coach that so many team members, children, and parents looked up to could ever commit such a crime. In class we talked about at thing called “white power”. Not only do white people feel superior to other races they are also treated differently. “White power” has become something that is instinctive rather than having to even think about it. The majority of white people grew up in a society that embraced stereotypes, and sometimes took them seriously. It is not white Americans faults for believing these stereotypes that society has created for us, because without thinking if you were to be asked a question of who in history has committed more sexual crimes, almost everyone would say a black male, a person of color, or a Latino, over a white person. People may argue that black Americans have created these stereotypes on themselves by acting obnoxious and getting into trouble, but if people were to carefully look into the facts, white Americans cause just as much problems as any other race, but they are not stereotyped or believed to in American society. I believe this scandal would have been completely different if Sandusky were a man of color or Latino, not because people of those races commit more sexual crimes than any other race but because in history he may not have been such a model for so many to look up to because as sad as it is to believe many people still in this day are very racist. I still believe regardless of any race, class, sexuality, gender, this crime that Sandusky has allegedly committed is beyond unethical, and absolutely disturbing, and he should pay full penalty for the actions he has done upon these victims. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:40:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment227306154 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-74/#IDComment220606370 After the news was released about Jerry Sandusky last weekend I did could not gather thoughts or words to express how I felt. I was so confused and all I wanted was answers. I was gathering all of my news through ESPN, news stations, and especially through social media such as Twitter and Facebook. I did not know exactly all of the details until I thoroughly read the grand jury report on the case. It consisted of twenty- three pages detailing exactly what happened with each of Sandusky’s victims. The report is gruesome and extremely hard to read. After reading the entire report did I believe Joe Paterno was in any way liable for what happened. As the news began to circulate around the country Penn State was being viewed in an extremely negative way, especially because almost the entire school was in support of Joe Paterno. When I watched the press conference releasing the information that Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier were being fired as the head football coach and president of the University I definitely went through the stages of grief. My first reaction after hearing this news I was in complete denial. I was speechless and did not know what to make of this news. I could not believe someone like Joe Paterno that I had looked up to me entire life as a model figure could be faced with these allegations. As I was sitting in my dorm room my entire floor went into uproar after this news was released. I began to feel anger towards the board of trustees for doing this. I was also angry at the fact that Joe Pa had to put up with this entire scandal and its results, when I truly believed he did not deserve this. In my head I began to bargain and reason as to why this happened, and what I, part of the student body, could do to try and make it better. After the news of the firing of Joe Paterno I went to the riot to see what all of the commotion was. At first the riot was a peaceful gathering in reaction to Joe Paterno being fired. I thought it was a good way for the student body to come together. But as the night continued the riot turned violent. Students began to knock over light posts and flipped over a news van. As I was in the midst of all this all I could think of how this was just going to make everything so much worse. The media was having a field day with this news of the rioters going insane. I felt embarrassed and disgraced by my fellow peers, and knew this is not how Joe Paterno would want the students to react to this news. The next morning the campus felt completely different, everyone was depressed after hearing the news. It felt like we would never be able to come up from this. In the future I believe and hope for this all to blow over, and people will be able to accept it and move on from this tragedy. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:41:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-74/#IDComment220606370 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217089095 I definitely do not feel uncomfortable when other people speak a different language around me because my family and I speak Spanish and English. My dad emigrated from Colombia to America when he was 20 years old, and then moved to Puerto Rico for work. I grew up in Puerto Rico until I was 5 years old, so my sister’s first languages and mine were Spanish. When we moved to Georgia when I was five years old I barely knew any English. Instead of having nap time like the rest of my kindergarten class I had to leave and go to a private tutor and learn English. It was very easy for me to pick it up, especially since I was so young. I do not understand why people are offended or annoyed or uncomfortable when they hear people speaking a different language around them. The United States is formed of immigrants from all over the world. The United States has no real language because so many people came to the United States from so many different countries and spoke a lot of different languages. As years have passed and the U.S. has flourished and grown into a powerful country, many generations of immigrants have assimilated to the American culture. So when people are judging others who are speaking a different language they are being hypocritical because their grandparents or great grandparents had to immigrate here from their original country and definitely spoke a different language other than English when they first moved here. I do sort of understand why some people may feel uncomfortable when they hear other people around them speaking a different language because they might think they are talking about them. An example that I can definitely think of this would be at a nail place because most of the people working there are of Asian descent and understand and speak their language much easier. It is just natural for them to speak that language. S when customers come in they may sometimes feel like they are being talked about. I know from experience I have actually felt that way before, and now that I look back on it I feel very hypocritical. Another time that people may have felt that way is at restaurants, or when they travel to parts of the country that are prominently a different ethnicity. My friend told me one time when she used to live in Miami, all of her neighbors and kids she went to school were from Cuba, but since she grew up around them she was completely used to it. But when she moved from Miami to Chicago, it was completely different and she didn’t understand why until she realized it is because of where she was located Sat, 5 Nov 2011 01:41:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217089095 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/26/living-in-the-world-of-spanglish/#IDComment212774901 This article is very interesting to me in particular because as I would say, “I am fluent in Spanglish”. I was born in Puerto Rico, which is prominently Spanish speaking, but almost everyone speaks English as well. My first language was Spanish and I knew absolutely no English when I moved from Puerto Rico to the United States when I was five years old. I picked up English very quickly when I entered kindergarten but I still preferred to speak Spanish. My parents and my sister would speak Spanish to me at home, so it was much easier for me. By the time I was about eight years old all of that changed. As I started making friends I realized how much easier it was for me to speak English. I began only speaking English outside of the house and with my sister, but would occasionally speak Spanish with my parents when we were at home. As I grew older my Spanish speaking began to fade more and more. Even when we were at home my parents would speak to me in Spanish and I would respond in only English. I could still fully understand Spanish but it was just easier for me to think and speak in English. There would be times that family members would come visit us, or we would go on vacation to Puerto Rico or Colombia and I would be forced to speak Spanish to them. It was easy for me, because I still heard it all the time in my house. I agree with the article when David Morse, the CEO of New American Dimensions says, "When they enter the school system they are Spanish dominant or bilingual, but by the time they graduate from high school, they are bilingual and their preferred language is English”. That rings very true to me, because that is exactly what happened to me. I can still fully understand, speak, write, and read Spanish, but my preferred language is English. It comes more naturally to me now. My friends make fun of me all the time because when they are over at our house they’ll only understand half of the conversation. They’ll hear my parents speaking in Spanish to me and me responding in English. My parents can fully understand and speak English, but they are opposite of me and prefer to speak Spanish whenever possible. When I do speak Spanish (usually when I’m with my extended family members, or in Puerto Rico) I always speak Spanglish. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing it, until after I’ve said something in English. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:32:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/26/living-in-the-world-of-spanglish/#IDComment212774901 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-50/#IDComment210765566 The stages of race are very interesting to me because I never thought of viewing race through stages. If I had to choose which stage I am in I would say I am probably in stage two. I encounter race and realize the difference between us and them. Us being me, a white girl, and them being black people. When we first began learning about the racial identity stages I was very confused. I didn’t understand how the stages went about identifying people and the way that they viewed other races. But after the last class, and the way that Sam split it up with one side being how white people are in the stages, and how colored or brown people are in the stages, it definitely helped me a lot to understand these identities. The first day that Sam brought up racial identity stages I thought I was maybe a stage one, someone who does not see race at all. Throughout the day I don’t stop and think about how people of other races would see something, rather than how I see it due to just their race. I never think of things like that, so that is why I thought I would be a stage one. But after learning about the stages, I am definitely a stage two because I do encounter race. Whether it be just in class, or on in line at the commons, I do notice different races. I think most of my friends and the people I hang out with are probably all stage two as well. As far as I know. We all think the same, and have the same personalities, even though I’ve never actually asked how they feel on different races, I’m pretty sure they all think the same as me. The same goes with my family. My parents are very cultured, and have a very open mind. So I thinkt hey have passed that down to me, and have helped me to evolve as a person. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 02:27:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-50/#IDComment210765566 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-44/#IDComment207637259 To be honest I don’t feel white guilt everyday of my life, as I probably should. Everyday I see forms of racism towards people whether it be someone saying a black, Indian, Asian, etc comment towards someone. Sometimes it just doesn’t faze me at all. During daily conversation almost every single day someone will make a comment and I am just so used to it that I don’t do anything about it. But later I will sometimes look back on it and be like wow that was really mean. That person didn’t do anything, it’s not their fault their Asian or Indian and won’t stop talking their language on the bus and I’m annoyed because either I don’t understand or I’m just tired. I judge them basely because of their race rather than people. I know this is bad and I’m not racist but without thinking it just comes naturally for me to judge someone based on his or her race. This one time my best guy friend who is white asked a black girl to a school dance. They were really good friends, and they weren’t even dating. But when his parents found out that he was going to be going to a dance with a black girl they immediately said he could not go, or to ask someone else. My friend’s parents had never even met the girl. Instead they instantly judged her by her skin color, something that she obviously could not control. When my friend and his parents were having this conversation I was over at his house. But rather than sticking up for her (because she was my friend too) I just sat there quietly and let his parents say how they felt. I felt remorse that I should have stuck up for her and my friend. Immediately my friend’s parents suggested my friend and I go to the dance together. I said that I already had a date, and how strange that would be because I view him as my brother. Secretly I felt privileged to be his white friend and be able to possibly go to the dance with him, although I didn’t even want to go. I know it was wrong to feel this way, and when I looked back on it I felt very bad for my friend and his potential date. My friend ended up going behind his parents back and taking her anyway because he felt it was wrong for them to feel this way towards a girl they didn’t even know, and I agreed one hundred percent with him. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:27:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-44/#IDComment207637259 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-9/#IDComment193766719 I completely agree with the fact that SAT scores rise in correlation with higher incomes. The reason being the more money you have the more likely you are to live in a better town, which may cost more taxes but in return children will get a better education. Starting from a very young age if children begin their education in grade school at a very competitive and good school they are more likely to get better grades in high school, get a higher SAT score, and get into a better college. It is just a pattern of life. Another reason why SAT scores may be higher with an increased income is because families are able to pay for SAT prep courses for their children in high school. I actually never took the SAT because I am from Chicago and the SAT is not required for most Universities in the Midwest, the only test I was required to take was the ACT, and the SAT is just optional. I found it very strange when I came to Penn State and everyone only talked about taking the SAT and not the ACT, because for me it was opposite. But I know from my own experience when ACT prep courses which helped me immensely. When I took the ACT before the prep course, and when I took it after the prep course, I had a drastic increase in my score. I think it is very unfortunate for those people who do not have enough money to put their child through a prep course for either the SAT or ACT, because it does in fact work and help increase the average score. Some people may try and argue and say that these type of courses don’t work, and I’m sure that may be true for some people, but I know from my very own experience that it helped me greatly. Another factor that may play into the fact that a higher income increases your SAT score is that middle and upper class families have higher expectations for their children. Most parents with a higher income have also had a good education and attended college, giving great pressure to their children to do the same as them. When I was growing up I received considerable pressure from my parents to follow in their footsteps and be an honor student and attend a very good college. It always seemed a little tougher for me because my older sister was a “prize” child and was involved in everything she could, and was very smart so as I as growing up it seemed like I was compared to her greatly. I don’t think this is a bad thing though because in the long run it helped me to become a very good student. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:35:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-9/#IDComment193766719