en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3589374 Comments by coley22 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment234700305 Personally, I think it would be nearly impossible to get everyone in agreement to sacrifice State Patty’s day. There are way too many people here that are concerned with partying and getting drunk to get everyone to agree not to participate. When Sam first brought the idea up, I thought it was absurd. My initial thought was “Why do we have to sacrifice something we enjoy when we did absolutely nothing?” Then Sam put the idea in a different view. It’s not that sacrificing it will make us look good, it’s that participating will make us look bad. Even though what happened was by no means any student’s fault, the nation has a negative view on us right now. Having State Patty’s day will probably make people think even worse of us. Being an Elementary Ed. major, I really have to watch what I do on State Patty’s day. Even the slightest tarnish on my record could affect whether or not I’m able to teach when I graduate. After Sam bringing up the point that the media will be all over us on State Patty’s, I got really nervous. Even a glimpse of my face on a camera that day could ruin my future. Whether we “cancel” State Patty’s or not, the media will still be here, in which case I guarantee it’ll be a lose-lose situation. If we all go out and party and celebrate the day like usual, we look like a school full of a bunch of drunk fucks. If we don’t go out and party, there will of course be those kids who do it anyways and probably make a fool of themselves making the rest of us look bad. Just like the riots, even though it was a mere 3,000 of the 44,000 of us, the entire school was looked down upon because of how the media portrayed it. The same thing will happen on State Patty’s if we were to cancel it. People are going to go out and party anyways and then the world once again, looks down upon us due to a small portion of our students. It’s a shame that after all the awareness raising we’ve done after this situation that we still do not have the nation’s approval and have to consider canceling something we enjoy. As a school, we raised $500,000 towards Child Abuse awareness in Pennsylvania and the media hasn’t mentioned it once. For years we have been the largest student run philanthropy and during this whole situation, that wasn’t noted once. The fact is we’re and easy target, and since we are such a rival for people, we’re easy to hate. Even if we were to cancel State Patty’s, I still doubt we would have the nation’s approval. Their standards are set at a bar that’s going to take a lot more than canceling State Patty’s to reach. Thu, 8 Dec 2011 16:13:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment234700305 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-88/#IDComment232170629 The lecture on affirmative action definitely changed how I viewed it. Before hearing the lecture on Affirmative Action, I would have said it definitely should still be active. At this time, I thought it mostly benefited minorities such as blacks and browns. Also, I am slightly bothered by affirmative action because up until this point, I thought it was mostly my hard work and effort that got me into all the schools I got into. Now finding out that someone like me is the main benefiter from affirmative action, I question why I really got into the colleges that I was accepted to. If affirmative action were to continue being in use even though I think it serves no purpose, I think its’ beneficiaries should be adjusted and changed. White people are the majority, and I think that affirmative action should be more geared towards minorities. Affirmative action being in use now does not really serve a purpose considering it is not helping minorities. Although I know minorities have just as much potential to go places in life as everyone else, the people admitting students always have some sort of preference, not matter how much the student earned their way to be there. Affirmative action should be in use to make schools more diverse. A school like Penn State that has a majority of white people, should use affirmative action to be more diverse and have different cultures and ethnicities on the campus. To me, I would love to have more diversity so that I can interact and learn about different types of people and races. Also, I think it would make Penn State look better as a whole and more well-rounded. But all of this is my opinion if and only if affirmative action had to stay in effect. If it did not have to stay active, I think it should definitely go. It is interesting because I think most people before going into this lecture probably thought it benefitted minority groups, just like I had thought. After learning that it benefits white women, and essentially any white male they are connected with, I do not think it should be active. If it was originally created to help minorities, what is the point of it being active today? I am even a white woman myself, and I do not see the point in having affirmative action in use today. I think it is pointless because white people are the majority population. Looking at Penn State, there are plenty of white people, so why does affirmative action benefit us? It should be benefiting people that are less in numbers at schools and businesses. Its’ effectiveness does not exist if it is only benefiting the majority group. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 15:15:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-88/#IDComment232170629 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment228377597 If Jerry Sandusky was black or latino, unfortunately I think there would be very different reactions across the board even though there should not be. First of all, I think more action would have been taken when the incidents happened. In my opinion, they would have been more swift with handling it back then. I think it would have been taken to the police and he would have been fired immediately. The situation would have been taken much more seriously. Also, I think it would have been more in the media then. After talking to my parents about it, they said they never remembered hearing anything about Sandusky in the media when it had first come out. If he was black or latino, I feel as though it would have been broadcasted much more. It would have been more known back when it was going on. Also, I think people would be angrier at the other people involved if he was of a different race. People would be have so much more anger to the people who knew about it and did not take it to the police. I also think the race of the man would be the main subject during the case. I think how the case is being handled would be very different. Authorities would take action more quickly. However the verdict comes out, I think it would be different for a black or latino man. We live in a racist society unfortunately and the treatment that certain people get is very different than the treatment that other people get. The media would focus more on his race than his actions. I think they would question him more than they are now. The media has not done much to diminish Sandusky’s name, and I think that if he were black or latino, they would do much more. Additionally, I think people would look at Penn State University differently as a whole if he was a different race. Although I think it would be different, it absolutely should not be. What he did was still wrong, no matter what color he was. Black, white, yellow, purple, green, or whatever, no human being should ever do that, and those doing it should all be treated with the same punishment. Either way, it should not be about race at all. It should be about the terrible crime committed and the victims that have suffered through all of this. We should not be concerned with how different things would be if he was a different race, we should be concerned with getting justice for those involved in this situation. Either way it was an awful thing that happened and everything should be the same if he were black or latino. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:32:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment228377597 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment220647691 I think it is extremely unfortunate that a few thousand people that chose to riot this week made it look bad for the other 40,000 students that go here. Personally, I don’t think people really even knew what they were rioting about. I have a lot of friends that go to other colleges, and I know they are looking down on us right now. I think it’s horrible because in my opinion, most people have always looked up for us. The choice of a few thousand students shouldn’t reflect the rest of us and how we are viewing the situation. Sure people rioted for Joe Pa the other night, but the majority of us weren’t. I also think the riot was very spur of the moment, and people did it without thinking. It’s a huge shame that these recent events are altering the image of one of the best universities in the country. Students that chose to riot a few nights ago have a huge effect on how the country is looking at us right now. Today Governor Corbett had a press conference at the Nittany Lion Inn and one thing he asked was for students to behave this weekend because “The eyes of the nation are on the students right now”. Everyone is probably expecting us to do crazy things this weekend, because of what has happened this week. I hate the way some students handled the situation. Instead of rioting and damaging our town, we should be coming together as a university and showing the world what we’re really all about. Also, I don’t think the media being everywhere helps our situation very much either. For the past six days, I have seen numerous news crews. It’s almost as if every move of ours is being watched. It’s impossible to go anywhere right now without asking to be interviewed. The media also has had a huge role in making us look like our priorities aren’t straight. It seems as if the media has only been mentioning how Joe Paterno, the greatest college football coach, has been fired. By the media putting this everywhere, I think it makes it look like that’s all we’re thinking about. But, that’s not all we’re concerned with. If that’s all we were worried about, students wouldn’t be holding a candle light vigil tonight. How come that isn’t being displayed on the news anywhere? Although it isn’t all due to them, the media has definitely taken part in making us look bad this past week. Since we are such a big rivalry for so many different schools, I think this opened up an opportunity to hate us even more. It is extremely unfortunate that it has come to this because if people knew what we’re really all about, they would understand. I think it is so important that at a time when everything around us is falling apart, we need to stand together. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:40:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment220647691 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-60/#IDComment216529633 Personally, I think it would depend on the time and the economy when I’m hiring. If it were a time like this where we are in a recession and the unemployment is high, I probably would not hire illegal immigrants. I would want to give the jobs to people in our country who have no jobs and are struggling. I would feel guilty giving the job to someone illegal over someone who is a rightful citizen of this country and struggling. At a time like this I understand that people in our own country need jobs before people who are living here illegally. I think that it is at times like these that people complain about illegal immigrants because our unemployment rate is so high. But, on the other hand, if our economy was well off and are unemployment rate was lower, I would more than likely hire an illegal immigrant before hiring a legal citizen. First of all, immigrants work for a lot cheaper than citizens here do. And if the unemployment rate is low, no one is going to want these labor jobs in an industry such as agriculture. Also, in my opinion and experience, immigrants work a lot harder and faster than most people here do. Like Sam said in class, immigrants are hungry, whether it is for money or for a better life, they are going to do what it takes to feed themselves at night. Also, most of them tend to work for a few months and then go back to their families with the money they made, so it’s not like most of them are here for that long. If we were in a position where we did not have any jobs or money here, most of us would go to other countries and try to find work, and hope to be hired despite being illegal. If it were us in their position, I feel that we would see how important it is for their lives. Also, in an industry like agriculture, I feel as though immigrants are more likely able to withstand extreme weather conditions. I think someone from another country looking for money is more likely to be out in the sun all day picking crops than a citizen here. As Americans we have too much pride and never want to do the dirty work. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing, money. Everything is a competition to get money and in times like these where things are extremely competitive, we get extremely territorial over our work and our jobs. So when it comes down to it, if times were good and people in our own country weren’t struggling, I would definitely hire an illegal immigrant. Thu, 3 Nov 2011 23:52:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-60/#IDComment216529633 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment213534386 Personally, I do not believe that someone who hangs out with people of different races is a poser. In fact, I am not a fan of the word poser when used in any way. Why does someone have to be labeled as a poser when they are probably just doing what they want to do? It seems to me that it’s very hard to do what you want to do with all the labels that get thrown out there. There are a number of factors that come into play when people chose who to hang out with, and “posing” probably is not always one of them. Mostly, I think people hang out with who they are comfortable with. Personally, I chose to hang out with people that I can be myself around have fun. Certain people probably do not feel comfortable around other races. People also choose who to be around simply by preference. Some people prefer to be around certain races, and prefer not to be around other races. Someone exhibiting their preferences is not a poser. Just like some people prefer to wear certain clothes. I also think how you were brought up plays a huge role in who you tend to surround yourself around. Obviously, if someone grew up in the middle of North Philadelphia, they would more than likely be used to being around blacks, and probably continue that habit throughout life. Some white kids grow up in all black neighborhoods. When they grow up, they are probably more drawn to blacks than whites, this does not make them a poser at all. It is how they have grown up and what they have known. Me, I was brought up in a predominantly white community. Most of my friends are white. That is all I was around from when I was a baby. Not that I don’t want to be around other races, or not like other races, it’s just what I am used to. Just because you hang around whites, asians, blacks, or anyone else, does not mean you are “posing as them”. I think people who classify hanging out with other races as “posing” add to the segregation and racism in this world. Why does it even have to be pointed out that you are hanging out with a different race? Why can’t it just be considered hanging out with friends? I also think people hang out with different races to experience other cultures. Someone like me, who again is white, I would love to hang out with different races and explore their cultures so that I can broaden my horizons and learn about other people in the world. By no means is this “posing” Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:52:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment213534386 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-50/#IDComment210304101 Personally I would say I am probably in stage five for white people. Where I grew up, there was not much diversity at all. I went to a high school where there was probably three or four black people out of the 550 of us. Even neighboring schools were majority white kids. Before coming to Penn State, I probably would have considered myself at stage two. I felt bad being white and I did not feel that all the privileges I got because I was white were fair. For a while when I first got here I was also very cautious about what I said and what kind of words I was using because I was afraid I would offend people and I wasn’t sure what was appropriate and what wasn’t. I did not have a lot of interaction with colored people so I never really got to understand how they felt about the issue of race and race relations. Although Penn State isn’t very diverse, it is way more diverse than how I grew up. Coming here opened up my eyes to so many different races. Back at home, I would probably say my parents and other family are in stages one or two. They still live where I’ve always lived, and there is very little diversity. It is rare for them to see anyone other than white people out and about, but of course there are some here and some there. I don’t think my parents have anything agains other races, in fact I think they like just about anyone, but because they don’t encounter them often, I think they forget there are other kinds of people in the world. I think most of my friends would also be in stage four or five. Since we are all at college and all having different experiences with different types of people, I think we all went through a lot of the stages quickly. Before college, I also think they were probably the same as me, not really aware of race or other people because white people was all we ever knew. For a while I would sickened by white people and just annoyed at what they had done in the past. Now, I realize more and more that what they did has nothing to do with me and I’m not like that one bit. For a while I found myself looking to be accepted by people of color. I wanted to be cool and fit in with them. I guess I still do that sometimes today, but definitely not as much. I have fun and enjoying being around anyone and everyone. I am very sociable and I can find it easy to get along with just about anyone. I’m just proud to be me. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:07:23 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-50/#IDComment210304101 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-18/#IDComment201487199 My initial reaction to the video was to laugh. Until it all set in, I realized this is actually a huge issue that people deal with today and everyday of their lives. But also, I kind of predicted what was going to happen as the video went on. I knew that there would be a large difference in reactions when it came to the black boy vs. the white boy vs. the girl. It saddens me to see we are still a world with so much racism. I think it has become something that we are so used to. When some of the people were confronted, they acted like they had no idea what was going on. The truth is, we all know it is happening all around us, but no one wants to admit it. When the people were approached on the bike trail about why or why not they did not call for help, some of them denied that it was because of race, even though it probably was. In my opinion, racism has become so common that I often think people do not realize they are doing it. Some people are born and raised to hate or dislike other races, and that is all they have ever known. I wish that people would not have done what we all expected them to do in the video. Things like this video are embarrassing. We have come such a long way and yet we are still so far behind. I was also even bothered by the fact that the female in the video got special attention. No one should get any less or any more attention based on their skin color or sexual orientation. Although I did find it quite humorous when the man left his wife behind to go help the younger female. I think all of the thoughts these people on the bike path had that day were unconscious. We have grown so used to thinking certain things of other races, and treated other sexes different ways, that for some people it almost comes naturally. If the entire world would just watch this video, maybe they would see what we saw, and possibly try to change the way they act. In some ways I have hope for the future, and hope that we will get away from racist behaviors, but in other ways I have no hope for us and I just believe things will be the same. The video shows that there is racism everywhere, whether we like to believe it or not. This video was definitely and eye-opener and hopefully it will make people think a little bit more before they react to certain situations. People need to put themselves in other people’s shoes and think how it would look to them. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:02:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-18/#IDComment201487199 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197131121 When we were first introduced to the Haiti project, I was extremely confused about what it would all be about. I remember sitting in class thinking, “How the hell can I help people in Haiti?” After watching a few of these videos, I am bothered by the struggles they have and the obstacles they face that we take for granted. Being a girly girl, I was immediately drawn to Euclid, who makes “Boho” chic clothing designs, and Anaes Blaise, who makes original designer totes. I first watched the video on Euclid. The first thing I noticed was how disorganized her boutique was. In the background you could see that there were just t-shirts put in random shelves. You can just tell that she can’t afford the appropriate materials and things she needs that a boutique here in the United States would have. Her artwork was beautiful and it’s such a shame that she doesn’t have the money to have the branch out much. I think if her clothing was brought to the right places in the United States that it would appeal to certain people, especially ones that value work done by hand. It’s also interesting to see the differences in the clothing they wear. Her clothes had animals on it, and she explained that business people, government people, and people that work in the banks usually buy her clothing. It is so much different than what professionals here would wear. She also talked about her struggle to find someone to train. I think it would be interesting to maybe find someone for her. If some way an internship or course could be set up for students to go down there and help her get her business on its feet. The second video I watched was Anaes’. I think to help Anaes sell her bags, she needs someone to give her tips on what is popular, and what most people like. I also thought it was interesting that Sam said in the video that $40 might seem like a lot to spend on a bag. To me, $40 on a hand-made bag is not bad at all. In fact I would think it would even sell for more. It’s amazing to me that a designer name, factory made purse in the United States can sell for more than six times the pice of a beautifully hand-made purse. I like Sam’s idea of trying to sell the bags here at Penn State. If Sam were to open that up to us, I would definitely want to buy a bag. They’re so one of a kind and it’s something that no one else will have. I think we have so many students here with good hearts that will look at that video and want to help. I would love to help them in any way that I can. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:11:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197131121 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-11/#IDComment193927614 Personally, there are a lot of different reasons I came to Penn State. Some of which were listed in the question, and some of which weren’t. Growing up I wasn’t given the choice of going to college or not. Throughout school, I was always academically excelled and my parents just assumed that I was going to college. I was never asked or anything. Neither of my parents went to college, and they both struggled to get where they are today. They had to climb their way up the ladders. I think they wanted me to go to college so badly because they didn’t want to see me have to go through what they did. I grew up with the idea of college, and always being reminded of how everything I did was going to effect me getting into college. I never once thought I wasn’t going to college, and I think this is because my parents instilled this idea in me when I was young. So college itself, was a decision my parents made. The decision to come to Penn State, wasn’t them at all. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t work my butt off during high school. When all my friends were slacking off senior year, I kept working until graduation day because I was so worried about whether or not I would get in. My determination and hard work is what got me here. But all of my hard work and determination were all fueled by decisions I made in the past. I chose to do my homework and study for my tests in high school. In my opinion, if I didn’t make those decisions, I wouldn’t be here. I also think my decision to come to Penn State was geared by the fact that not a single family member of mine has gone to college, not my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, no one. I was so excited to be a first because it is such a huge accomplishment. So I pushed myself to get into good colleges to make my family proud. I knew that they would be proud even if I went somewhere else, but I also knew it would be so much bigger if I went to Penn State. I also came here because I needed change. I went to a relatively small high school with a graduating class of 500. Maybe it’s not small to most people, but I was surrounded by high schools with classes of 1,000, so it was small for me. Also, we only had one middle school unlike most districts in my area, so I spent seven years with these people so basically, I knew everyone. I was sick of that. I wanted more opportunities and I wanted to get to know more people. I would say going to a school with 40,000 has given me that chance to know more people. So basically what I’m getting at is that coming here was not only my decision, but it was also because of my parents and how I was raised. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:18:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-11/#IDComment193927614 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/how-do-you-feel-about-interracial-dating/#IDComment191265974 Personally, I am 100% fine with dating outside of my race. I would have no problem at all dating a man of color or any other race. First I’m going to get all mushy gushy and say that a persons skin color or race does not matter, what counts is what’s inside, and your emotions towards that person. Granted I do believe a certain level of physical attraction is what starts a relationship, but there is nothing wrong with being physically attracted to people outside of your race. To be honest, a lot of the time I find myself to be more attracted to African American boys rather than boys of my own race, which is white. I think interracial dating can give different outlooks on life. When you give yourself the chance to get to know someone of a different race, you learn about new cultures and different types of people. Confining yourself to staying in your race doesn’t give you the opportunity to branch out as much. In my opinion, I think different races have different preferences in their significant others. In my experience, I haven’t found many white guys attracted to curvy girls. I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not the skinniest girl. I’ve got curves, I have hips, I have a butt, and I have learned to be very proud of it all. Maybe it’s because of where I came from, but usually I find colored boys to be more attracted to these features, although I know this isn’t true of all of them. I think my acceptance towards other races has a lot to do with how I was raised and the values my parents instilled in me growing up. My family never had anything against other races. They were always very accepting. I think seeing this as I grew up made me grow to be a person who is accepting of all different types of people. I know they would be fine with me dating outside of our race. I think today as a society we have become a lot more accepting than we used to be. For example, I think it would take my grandparents a little while to warm up to me being in an interracial relationship. I have no doubt that they would eventually accept it, but at first I know they would question my decision. In my opinion, I wish people were more accepting of this concept. I don’t understand why certain people make such a big deal over it. If you have a problem with it, then don’t partake in it. Other people’s relationships have no effect on your life whatsoever, so why is everyone else worried about it? Interracial relationships show how far we have come to accepting everyone, and how much farther we can go. Thumbs up on interracial dating! Fri, 9 Sep 2011 00:09:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/how-do-you-feel-about-interracial-dating/#IDComment191265974 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/30/why-your-religion/#IDComment188811937 Trying to answer the question “Why your religion?” is tough to respond to because I have never questioned this about myself. I was born into a Roman Catholic family. I was baptized as a baby, started school in a Catholic church, and attended CCD and mass regularly. It was really all I ever knew until I learned about other religions in school and outside of my home. For a while, I don’t think I really had a choice of which religion I wanted to follow, my parents had made that decision the day I was born. Through middle school and half of high school, I followed the Catholic religion because that was all I was taught. I felt it was only right to do what my parents wanted me to do. As I got older and had a bit more freedom in my house, I started making my own decisions. I decided that I liked what I grew up on, and what I grew up believing. I was content with the Roman Catholic beliefs. But what I did decide to change was how closely I followed the religion. For myself I decided that I didn’t think it was necessary to attend church every week or to say prayers before every meal. I don’t think it needs to be practiced every second of every day. In fact, I hardly practice it at all anymore. Partly because since getting to college I don’t know what to believe anymore. There are so many different people, cultures, and religions mixed in at Penn State that it makes you stop and think about yourself and why you believe what you believe, or why you don’t believe something else. Today, I wouldn’t even consider myself having a religion, I consider myself curious. I want to explore other religions and see what other people believe, because personally I don’t think any one person is right about who exists up there, what exists up there, or if anything exists at all. I want to broaden my horizons and be open to what other people think. I don’t want to sit be able to say that one group is right and one group is wrong, because I truly don’t think anyone knows. Growing up I had parents around to force me to go to church. But now that I’m on my own, I don’t have to follow what they want me to do. So I choose not to label myself with a religion anymore because I don’t even know what I am. I think my views on religion will always be changing because I’m just going to keep learning more and more about what other people think. I don’t think I’ll ever follow just one religion because I think there are too many different beliefs out there that contradict each other. Thu, 1 Sep 2011 21:20:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/30/why-your-religion/#IDComment188811937