Today in class, Sam asked a black girl to pick some one white in the class if they looked like they were “down with the brown”. The main idea was to pick out a white person and see if they were willing to attend a party where the majority of the attendees are black. I think it was an interesting topic because we were kind of exploring the idea of what makes us feel like others are willing to approach someone of a different race. Sam asked what affected her decision of picking who looked like they were “down with the brown” and the girl couldn’t really answer it. She said it might have been the way they were dressed, the ears pierce or the way they were sitting. I think what she was referring to was the hip-hop style clothing and how comfortable and casual they were sitting when she was walking around picking people. Later on, Sam also decided to pick an Asian and see whom the Asian think are down with a party filled with Asians. I really didn’t know who to pick, because I think everyone looked like they would be OK with a party filled with Asian. There really wasn’t a specific look that I was looking for.

I think there’s a pro and con side when people of the same race hangout with each other. The pro side is to reinforce the pride of your own skin and background, to become closer to your culture and people of the same culture. The similarity between people definitely creates strong friendships and community. However, on the con side, the group might seem exclusive and uninviting to other people of a different race who might be interested in joining and becoming part of. I think if people didn’t always just stick with friends of their own race, then Sam wouldn’t even need to ask the question in class in the first place. If people are willing to hangout with people outside of their comfort zone, we would get to know others and learn more about their culture, then we wouldn’t feel weird going to a party of a different race.

I also think it was interesting because Sam asked a black girl and Asian girl to see which white student looks like they’re down with black or Asian people. Instead of asking a white girl to pick other students of a different race of who would be down with a party full of white people. The question also reminded me of the importance of World in Conversation and that it’s not about the superficial outsides, but the dialogues between people and to create conversation to find what we all have in common.

I think the “Needy Penis Lecture” really pointed out some interesting questions and there definitely is a parallel between the male standard and white standard. Sam and his lovely wife, Laurie, were a great dynamic and brought both male and female points of views to the class. And to answer the first question, yes, I think there definitely is a parallel between the white standard and male standard.

For the male standard, males expect females to act proper, look hot and take good care of them. Females get frowned upon if they swear or hook up with too many people. Also, if females don’t know how to cook or clean, they get teased for not being a good wife material. I think the portrayal of the perfect female when it comes to going out at night in college, males expect female to wear tight outfits that accentuates their curves, heels and nice make up. Sometimes girls spend a lot of time to dress up before going out for a girl’s night out, but also to attract some guys too. However, it’s so much easier for guys to just put on a shirt and jeans and they’re ready to go. The media always portrays women in a certain way that leads to the invisible strings that connect the women into dressing up in a way that falls into the male standard.

Similarly, the white standard holds true in society, in which people dress and act a certain way to fit in the white standard. In high school, Hollister was the brand that everyone wore and if you were a cool kid, you had a Hollister t-shirt. In college, the frat kids also have a specific kind of outfit that they would wear, such as Polo and Sperry. I think there definitely is an invisible string that makes people want to fit in and become a part of the norm. In the professional world, there is also a standard for people to speak and act a certain way that fits in the white standard. Also, the white standard world is a male dominant world. If you look at most executive positions, it is usually a white male. This reminds me of the lecture we had on Thursday when Laura Rosenberger, the director for China and Korea on the national security staff at the White House, was a guest speaker. She commented on whether it is difficult to communicate with some of the senior staff and if she felt that she wasn’t as valued only because she is a female. Her answer was that she feels as long as she knows what she’s talking about, most staff usually respect her and take her opinions and ideas seriously.

I think the “Needy Penis Lecture” really pointed out some interesting questions and there definitely is a parallel between the male standard and white standard. Sam and his lovely wife, Laurie, were a great dynamic and brought both male and female points of views to the class. And to answer the first question, yes, I think there definitely is a parallel between the white standard and male standard.

For the male standard, males expect females to act proper, look hot and take good care of them. Females get frowned upon if they swear or hook up with too many people. Also, if females don’t know how to cook or clean, they get teased for not being a good wife material. I think the portrayal of the perfect female when it comes to going out at night in college, males expect female to wear tight outfits that accentuates their curves, heels and nice make up. Sometimes girls spend a lot of time to dress up before going out for a girl’s night out, but also to attract some guys too. However, it’s so much easier for guys to just put on a shirt and jeans and they’re ready to go. The media always portrays women in a certain way that leads to the invisible strings that connect the women into dressing up in a way that falls into the male standard.

Similarly, the white standard holds true in society, in which people dress and act a certain way to fit in the white standard. In high school, Hollister was the brand that everyone wore and if you were a cool kid, you had a Hollister t-shirt. In college, the frat kids also have a specific kind of outfit that they would wear, such as Polo and Sperry. I think there definitely is an invisible string that makes people want to fit in and become a part of the norm. In the professional world, there is also a standard for people to speak and act a certain way that fits in the white standard. Also, the white standard world is a male dominant world. If you look at most executive positions, it is usually a white male. This reminds me of the lecture we had on Thursday when Laura Rosenberger, the director for China and Korea on the national security staff at the White House, was a guest speaker. She commented on whether it is difficult to communicate with some of the senior staff and if she felt that she wasn’t as valued only because she is a female. Her answer was that she feels as long as she knows what she’s talking about, most staff usually respect her and take her opinions and ideas seriously.

If I could send any message to the American people in any art form, I would definitely send a message that would encourage everyone to stay informed on both domestic and international news. Even though it’s difficult to stay on top of what goes on in the country let alone the world, I think it’s important for everyone to be exposed to all the issues that occur.

As a student majoring in communications, my courses often require the class to read the newspaper daily and professors usually include quiz questions in regard to the news. However, some majors do not necessarily need students to stay informed. It really upsets me sometimes when I find out that some of the students don’t know what’s going around the world and could even careless about the news.

I really believe that if people would spend at least an hour reading the news and expand their knowledge on what goes around the world, it would help improve different social issues around the country and the world. Most of the issues are caused of ignorance and the lack of knowledge people have on different topics. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an expert in the news and every policy or social issue that goes on the world, but at least I try my best to know what’s going on. If people are willing to spend hours idly scrolling down through facebook and twitter, why can’t they use that time for reading or watching the news instead?

The art form that I would use would be a social media champagne that will help create buzz. I think I would try to send the message by using pop culture inspired typography that would summarize the news that has happened today and post them on facebook or any other popular social media. Typography is colorful and full of images that may catch the attention of younger readers. The more they read about the news daily, the more they’ll get into the habit to spend a few minutes of reading the paper.

The effort of typography may also lead to catchy slogans that would start to be used widely by the younger generation. It’s so easy to create buzz and a catch phrase because of how fast and widespread information get on the Internet. So I don’t see why it’s difficult to encourage people to read more about the newspaper with a cool profile picture design that everyone can change into. We can also ask celebrities to make public supporting announcements to encourage their fans to read more about the news. I would definitely try to make the art effort cool and hip so the message catches everyone’s attention.

If I were given the opportunity, I would take a “handout”. I think if a person was given an opportunity, there really isn’t a reason to not take it. In class, Sam asked if anyone has ever benefited in a job opportunity because of their family member and one of the students raised his hands. The student was given an internship opportunity because of his uncle and so he took the job. If I were in the same situation, I would have also accepted the offer. Especially when everyone emphasizes on networking and connections in the job market, I think it’s okay to take advantage of your resources.

Even though it may be unfair to those who may have less resources, but it really all comes down to who’s more capable of the job. If the student who got the job because of his uncle didn’t do a great job, the intern would have a reputation as the student who only the job because of his uncle and would handicap him from networking between other colleagues and will eventually prevent him from accelerating or benefiting from the company. Yet, if the student did a great job, then the student obviously took advantage of the opportunity and earned his spot. On the other hand, if a student did not get the internship because someone else’s uncle got their nieces or nephews the job instead, the student may look into other companies and get accepted and still do a great job and with a great reputation as a hard-working student, he would be able to connect with other colleagues and earn their respect and references. In the end, even if someone had an advantage but failed to prove their abilities, then they would probably get weeded out by the system.

Sam also mentioned students getting into college because of the “legacy” of their parents and how maybe a student got into an Ivy League school because his father was an alumnus and donates millions of dollars to the school. I think if the student qualifies as a candidate for the college, then why not. And if the student clearly doesn’t fit in the student body profile, then once he gets into college, he’s either going to be miserable or can’t catch up and eventually drop out of the college. This reminds me of my high school. One kid got into UPenn because his dad is a legacy, and whenever people mentioned who got in UPenn, people would always say… yea yea this person got in, this person did too and oh yea him.. he got in because his dad is a legacy. However, the student definitely looks like he’s having a great time at UPenn and proving that he’s more than qualified for his spot at the school. And I think that’s fair enough.

I think my fear for death makes me want to live life to its fullest. As cliché as it sounds, I really believe in the whole “waking up every morning and thinking that I’m going to live today like it’s my last day!” idea. The world we live in is so fast pace now that it’s difficult to just enjoy the moment. We often find ourselves annoyed at this and that and sometimes we forget to just tae a step back and just live in the moment.
The thought of death always reminds me how short life is and how easy it is to have it taken away from me. Sometimes I do wonder what if going to college is really what I want to do with four years of my life.
During our section, we circled around the discussion of death too and thoughts were just piling up in my mind because it reminds me of what I really want to do in life and what really makes me happy. I have been struggling with my plans for the summer because I’m really unsure of what I really want in life anymore. After our discussion, one of the students made a comment about how the entire time during discussion, she was just trying to figure out what she really wants and what are the actions that she takes in life that really is just for herself. The comment really hit home and summed up what I’ve been trying to figure out during our discussion.
If we’re all going to die anyway, why do we do the things we do? Why do some people work their butts off everyday just to make an extra buck? Why do students spend so much money just to go to college and earn a degree that’s just imprinted on a paper? The time and money spent on the things that we spend on could be spent on something that really makes us happy and content.
If I were given the opportunity to do what I really love, I would open my own animal shelter that provides care and love to all the animals and find homes for all of them. I would also run a little yoga retreat wellness resort next to a mountain or beach where people can soak in all the goodness of feeling alive.
Yet, the only way to make these dreams come true, I have to have the fund and power to do so. In order to have the fund and power, I need money… so in the end, I’m sent back to square one and have to earn a college degree and a job that pays the bill and maybe I’ll have the chance to fulfill my dream... So I guess what I’m trying to say is… the fear for death just reminds me to try my best to live in the moment because anything can happen at anytime.

In class, Sam really focused on whitening cream cosmetic products in Asia. Sam made it sound like Asians use whitening cream just to look like white people; I disagree.
I think there’s a different aesthetic and beauty standard in each culture. During the good ol’ days (In China and Taiwan at least… ) farmers and other lower labor focused workers are always out in the sun working. On the other hand, men who are born in a more well off family would go to school and get educated and get jobs that are more governmental and advisory oriented, while women would either also attend school or just stay at home and take care of the chores. So it is a common belief that we want to look white to show that we’re from an upper class family, but that’s just one of those beliefs from our great grandparent’s days. Now, some people still like to stay white and have flawless skin that is as soft as a baby’s butt and others enjoy hanging out outdoors and show off their sun kissed skin.
And when Asians say we’re keeping our skin white, we don’t mean white people white, we mean it in our own aesthetic view white. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people wanting to have flawless skin with no embellishment or dark spots. And by simply using the whiten creams, the product clears our skin. It really is just a beauty product, like any other product that reduces wrinkles or moisturizes skin.
I really don’t see any “race” issue with Asians using whitening skin. It especially troubled me when Sam had a slide of a whitening beauty product and directly translated the name of the product into “white power” Sure enough that’s what the words mean if you translate it from word to word, but we don’t use the term to show that “oh this whitening cream shows white power because we want to look like white people” The term is just a commercial/advertising term to show that the product really works and is super strong at whitening your skin, like a” POW WOW this product really works!” (And again… not whitening our skin to a white person’s skin but simply a different type of white in our beauty standard.)
I think race will always be a touchy subject because people always relate everything to race. I think the subject of whitening cream was misleading and did not translate well, especially when Sam also showed the transformation video of Michael Jackson. Each culture has its own non-verbal standard/saying that if one were not brought up in the culture would not understand. And I think the view in beauty is one of them.

I think if I woke up one day and every single news outlet was broadcasting that God does not exist, I would just go on about with my life. I was brought up Roman Catholic, but I don’t think I really understood what it actually meant until high school.

Growing up, I attended Sunday mass with my parents and, like a typical kid, would always make up excuses to skip CCD. I was baptized when I was a baby and confirmed in middle school. In high school, I never really put too much thought into my religion and viewed it more like a routine. The first time I really started to value my relationship with God and my religion was when my theater teacher of two years passed away from a car accident and I really needed some comfort and guidance.

I especially became closer to my religion when I first got to college because it was a huge transition and I really valued a little me time whether it’s in church or just praying by myself.

I think for me, it’s more of the thought of having something to hold on to and having the idea that everything is planned and will eventually work out is what I value the most in my religion. I think it’s important for people to have something that is out of their grasp but can still be mentally held on and lean on to. I understand that atheists don’t believe in God and that he has created the world and everything, I think it’s quite lonely to not have some higher power or spirit out there to put off the pressure and weight from our everyday lives.

The announcement definitely would not affect the way I live or the way I see things. It would definitely create a huge conflict within the church and community, but I really think as long as we all believe in what we chose to believe in, who cares about what other people think? If others call the ones who believe in God as foolish, then let them be, because I feel like the only way to actually stop hatred within different religion or the ones with no religion is to accept whatever everyone believes in. As long as we all keep it within the community within our beliefs, it really shouldn’t bother anyone.

I think for me, believing that there is a God is what keeps me humble and grateful and want to do the best that I can in everything. I think having a religion is also a good mental support, especially when it comes to losing the loved and cared ones. To know that they are at another world and that I will see them some day is comforting and something that is personal.

When the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles visited our class, I just wanted to give every one of them a big hug. I think they are all warriors fighting for a war that shouldn’t even exist in the first place.

During class, the song “Same Love” by Macklemore just kept on replaying in my head. The first few lines of the lyrics goes: “When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay, ‘Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight. I told my mom tears rushing down my face, She’s like “Ben you've loved girls since before pre-k,” Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn’t she? Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.” I feel like sometimes kids go through a phase when they question their sexuality because of the stereotypes of homosexual that are being portrayed in the media. The typical stereotypes on homosexuals, especially gays, are pretty boys who like fashion, can draw and sing. I have a cousin and uncle whom are gays. One went to an art school and the other would always teach me how to sketch horses when I was young and became a doctor. Although they do obtain some of the stereotypical characteristics of homosexuals, it shouldn’t be our job to generalize the characteristics and teach little boys that if you like to draw and dress nicely, then you must be gay.

The next few lines of the song goes: “The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision. And you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” This definitely relates to one of the singers from the group, when he shared his story about being sent to a correction institution by his parents. I think this is when I personally face a dilemma with my own religion, because I definitely don’t agree with the church not recognizing homosexuals.

The last part of the song goes:” A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are. And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all, but it’s a damn good place to start.” This reminded me of their campaign – It Gets Better and how one of the participants made a video, but took his own life a few days later. This really saddens me, because I just don’t understand how can some people show so much hatred and bullying towards a person just because a person has a different sexuality preference?

To answer the question, I wouldn’t straight up tell my child that they are gay because what if I’m wrong? What if I create confusion for my perfectly happy child? Instead, I would create an environment for my child where they grow up with positive perception on homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexual or transgender and make them realize that we are all equal and all the same. I would make sure that my child understands that a conversation on their sexuality isn’t something to be ashamed or should avoid. I want my child to proudly tell me who they’re bringing to prom or on a date, whether gay or straight. I believe we are all human beings who are given equal chances to make this world a better place.

In my section class, we had a really interesting discussion in regard to the topic of suicide and how the supposedly very personal trouble can also be viewed as a public issue. And our section quickly found connections between violence, the media, video games and other family factors that may affect a person’s behavior. We found the strings that Sam talked about that connects the between those who suffer from similar personal troubles.
One of my personal troubles that really bother me sometimes is the insecurity I feel when I’m walking around by myself. When someone looks at me or laughs when they pass me, I think it’s because I’m wearing a really ugly outfit or that I have something dirty on my shirt. I’m in general a pretty insecure person, but I don’t usually show it. I think its because I’m self-conscious when it comes to how people judge me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my own company and need to have friends around me all the time to feel confident, but I think it’s the -not knowing what others are thinking when they look at me- that scares me and makes me want to just blend in the background and not be noticed.
It took me a while to come up with some strings that might tie my situation to others who may be suffering from a similar insecure feeling. Then I remembered the social website that I’ve been using since high school: Tumblr. Tumblr is a blogging website, in which consists of different users that vary from fashion, music, art and another special phenomenon where Tumblr users express their inner most insecurities or worries. And I guess in a way, the more reblogs a post about being insecure gets, the more insecure bloggers there are on Tumblr. Another common thing that some Tumblr users are self-proclaimed socially awkward people and like to call themselves “Unicorns” because they feel like they just don’t fit in the society. In a way, blogging is an escape from the real world, and a medium for some to express themselves or even find others that they can relate to. And I think each bloggers may think that their inner insecurities are personal troubles, but Tumblr has in fact created a virtual word for them to share and talk about their troubles and link them together.
I used to spend hours on Tumblr in high school after class just for the sake of having a blog and also found reblogging pictures or quotes that express my feelings an easy way to get all the thoughts out of my head. And while I thought it was just my personal trouble, I didn’t realize that it could also be views as a public issue. And in the end, I think the common connections I have between all the other users who may feel the same insecurity as I do are just still trying to figure out who we really are and what makes who we are.