I think it's tough to say exactly what the motives of the family and passer-bys were for not stopping the white kid. Best bet, the only thing I can come up with is that the man had his young kids with him and didn't want to cause a scene with them there. I think that it also depends on where that park is located. Honestly, if I see a kid trying to unchain a bike in my neighborhood, I'd most likely think nothing of it. I live in a basically all white community with little crime. If I saw a group of black kid unchain a bike I probably wouldn't say anything either. There's just such a small amount of crime going on in my neighborhood and town that no one really suspects it. Now, if the park from the video was in a town that maybe had a recent outbreak of crime, or a recent string of thefts, you could get people who read the paper and see that a black person was the suspect, and therefore are on the lookout for a certain type of person to be stealing. Now, I'm 99% sure that's not the case, but sometimes there are reasons for things like that. I think that it's obvious racism occurs. The video is blatant proof of it. Everyone know that there are stereotypes and everyone is aware of what most of them are. A black kid stealing a bike is almost too stereotypical to actually happen. I mean, people are going to think differently about that situation just because they were raised in a certain area or a certain way. There's no justifying or explaining exactly why people do this, but there's really nothing we can do about it. The only way to overcome or prove stereotypes wrong is to get educated. Put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable and learn from them. It's my personal experience that stereotypes are very rarely correct. You find out a lot whenever you leave home, and it's really a shame that I thought and believed some of the things that I did. It was a wake up call whenever I got to college, and I'm sure I'll learn even more when I get older. So no, I can't explain exactly why the family of the pastor walked right past and ignored the white kid, but I'm not so sure that he would have stopped the black kid either. That's the thing, you actually don't know whether or not the people who stopped the black kid would have stopped the white kid. It's all pure speculation because we don't know the values and standards that these people hold. I'm aware that Sam said there is statistical proof and studies and whatever, but the bottom line is, we just don't know whether each passer-by would have reacted the same way with the boy of the other race.

I obviously don't really feel any real effects of discrimination or lack of catering-to. I go to a barber shop that buzzes my head, so I don't really know how much of a problem this really is amongst women of minorities. I personally think that State College is a great place for people of minority. There are tons of restaurants and places for people of middle-eastern or asian descent to go, and I see a lot of exchange students from tons of other countries, so obviously we're doing something right. I'm sure somewhere in State College there is someone who knows how to cut a black girl's hair. Opening a salon just for black people though wouldn't work. There wouldn't be enough business for it to stay open. I've gotten a few bad haircuts, but I never assume that it's because the barber doesn't know how to cut white people's hair. Sometimes you just get a bad haircut. I'm sure if you call around to a couple of different places and try more than one salon, you'll find someone who can handle cutting your hair. Making a blanket statement that State College has no one or no where for black women to get their hair cut is in my mind, false. I happen to think that State College is just fine how it is. Again, I'm white and male so I'm pretty easy to cater to, but I do have friends of minority and I never really hear them complain about things like this. I'm sure people have their own experiences though, and opinions or ideas are formed for a reason, but my guess is that this young lady has not tried every salon in State College, and if she has then I'll gladly admit that I'm wrong. It's not like minorities aren't a big part of State College. There are people of all nationalities here, and business clearly target those minorities. I think things like restaurants are really the only thing that could survive, because people of all races CAN eat there. People of all races CANNOT all get their hair cut at a salon for blacks. It's not a matter of no one wanting to cater to blacks, it's the fact that no one wants to open that business because it won't survive in this town. Something that specific just can't possibly make it, and that's why no one wants to try to open a place like that. I eat from Uncle Chen's, and Pita Cabana all the time. I wouldn't ever go to the all-black barber shop to get my hair cut, however. It's just not possible to stay open, and I'm sure when a black barber is looking at places to open up a shop, he/she won't look at State College as their best option. They're opening a business to make money, bottom line. They're going to put their barber shop wherever they feel they can make the most money, and while they may get some customers here in State College, they would get more somewhere else.

I personally think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to do something like he said. By putting a picture of yourself on your resume would give the employer a good chance to see the prospective employee. It's half of the reason for an in person interview anyway. An employer wants someone who will represent the company well, and there's no denying that companies pick their employers somewhat based on what they look like. It's the reason I don't go to in interview with a beard and my hair messed up. I show up in a suit and carry a briefcase. It's just the way society works. If a company doesn't like the way you look, be it in a professional or personal matter, they can choose to not hire you. I don't think it would be all that different if resume's and applications had a picture attached to them. If I'm hiring somebody and interviewing them, I'm going to form an opinion about them and most likely their appearance will have a decent impact on that. I want someone that I can get along with in the office, and someone that will represent the company well outside of the office. Companies check facebook and twitter now anyway, and they see what each applicant looks like, what crowds they hang out with, the types of places they go to. We practically give the employer full access to judge us anyway, so I don't think a headshot attached to my resume will make that much of a difference. I know it's unfair, but if a company chooses not to hire me, I don't assume that they didn't like the way I look. Now, if I was a different race maybe I would be more wary of discrimination, but as of right now, I give every company that I apply to the benefit of the doubt that they will make their decision based purely on what would be best for their company. If I ever own my own company, I'll want to make sure that everyone who works for me and is responsible for making me money is who's best for the company's success. CEO's and management are in their positions for a reason. They know exactly what it takes to succeed in that company, and if they see it in a prospective employee, I would hope that they could recognize it. Again, I point back to companies going on Facebook to see candidates, and the fact that no one finds that very unfair. Attaching a picture of yourself to a resume most likely wouldn't have any more of a negative affect than the company looking at your Facebook page. I'm also white, so I haven't had to deal with discrimination. If i was of another race, who knows.

I think most of what happens in sports in terms of race has to do with what some other people touched on earlier on the board. I think socio-economic factors play into what different children learn to do when they're younger. If I'm growing up in the inner city and have little to no money, I can go to the basketball courts and play without having to pay for anything. Most parks have hoops, and usually at least one person brings a ball. Rather than go sell drugs or get caught up in crime, I think a lot of inner city youth, which in my mind is mostly african americans, will go play basketball instead. Meanwhile, sports like baseball, hockey and lacrosse require you to have your own equipment and that costs money, which rich white people can afford. Playing off of just stereotypes, you can safely assume that whites will play "rich kid" country club type sports, while hispanics and african americans are going to learn to play sports that don't require you to buy equipment other than maybe shoes, like football, basketball, etc. Obviously there are always exceptions, and I think it's awesome when we have stories like Jeremy Lin or Tiger Woods who "break the mold" of what race should succeed in what sport. Sports are a huge business in America, and guys like Lin can bring in huge capital. I'm sure the Knicks have made a large profit off of selling Lin jerseys, and ticket sales have definitely risen. It's something that any sports fan loves to watch, either the Cinderella story succeeds and becomes legendary, or fizzles and becomes a forgotten one hit wonder.

Shows like SportsCenter eat up people like Lin, or even Tim Tebow because they create an argument. Tebow is a devout Christian and he isn't the normal pro athlete. He doesn't ride around in his Bentley, wearing his Gucci suit and posing in rap videos. Instead, he stays relatively humble, low profile other than charity work, and people LOVE talking about him. Guys like Terrell Owens come around every year, but when someone breaks the mold of what we expect, it captivates the country. Hopefully this leads to more Asians and Whites and Blacks trying sports that they normally wouldn't. Eventually I'm sure we'll see more and more kids try to be the next Jeremy Lin, or Tim Tebow, or Tiger Woods. Role models like that can be a huge influence on what kids try when they're growing up. I know that my favorite athlete was Jason Williams growing up, and therefore I wanted to be an NBA point guard. A white guy that played with the style of a streetballer was so fascinating, and I loved it. I emulated him and tried to be like him. Hopefully other kids around the world will do the same with these "mold breakers".

I think that Will makes a pretty valid point in where he says that he considers himself black because of his skin complexion. I personally don't consider myself middle eastern because I look caucasian even though 25% of me is technically Syrian. If Will was half black, half white, i would look at him like he's crazy if he told me that he considered himself white. A lot of what we take into consideration when deciding on what race each person should be considered is their physical appearance. In all seriousness and in no way shape or form am I trying to be racist, but African Americans have different characteristics than Caucasians in some ways. As Sam touched on, wide noses, kinky hair, etc. Will clearly has pretty dark skin, and while he may not be "Super Duper Black" like he says his dad is, I would consider Will clearly African American. He brings up a good argument. If you clearly look black, should you consider yourself black, white, or mixed? I personally believe that you should consider yourself whatever you physically appear as, like Will said. I wouldn't consider it an insult if someone walked up to me and said that I'm white, just like I would assume wouldn't consider it out of line for me to say that he's black. He has a much darker complexion than a "white person" to most of our standards, and therefore should not be ashamed or surprised if people look at him and say that he's black.

It's a shame that people of mixed races have to worry about what people say or think about them, and don't necessarily feel like they can identify with one race or the other. It would be a lot easier if people of mixed races felt like they could be comfortable identifying as mixed, but it's still tough for them even today and they are forced to say either "I'm Black" or "I'm White". It really doesn't matter to me personally, but I know that a lot of people of mixed races identify as white because it's just easier for them. It's a shame. I wouldn't want to ignore a part of my history and heritage just because society says that the other part is more acceptable. It just sucks, and I wish people could be more understanding, especially of mixed races.

There's obviously a lot of history between whites and blacks in America, and there obviously is going to be animosity, but other than skin color and kinky hair, there's nothing different between us. African Americans may feel as though they are being targeted by whites, but in reality, most of us don't have anything against you. I know on twitter that a lot of african americans feel that they are being targeted and discriminated against, but personally I haven't seen or been a part of any adverse action against african americans and therefore feel bad about the way that they feel. I just wish we could erase history, and I know it's not possible, but there's not many differences between us other than physical characteristics.

The events of the past four months have taught me a lot not only about the school I go to, but about life in general. First off, I have learned that State College, Pennsylvania is not just any normal town. Everyone in State College rallies around each other and feed off of each others reactions. For the most part, we think as a whole. It truly is almost remarkable how everyone in State College believes the same thing, and will defend it no matter what. We think as one. I feel so proud of our community for sticking together through arguable the worst 3 months in the history of the University, and it just goes to show that not everyone has to be different. When an entire community can gather in front of Old Main and mourn for victims or celebrate the life of a legend, it becomes very clear how different State College really is from the rest of the world.

At the same time, I learned a lot about life and just how fragile it is. The actions of one man have ruined the lives of countless others. The many victims will forever be changed, 3 high ranking officials lost their jobs, 2 of them charged of crimes, and the rapid downfall of a legend. I don't hesitate to say that Jerry Sandusky completely ruined the lives of 50+ people, which extends to the families of the victims. It goes to show just how much of an impact one bad decision can have. Joe Paterno lived 99% of his life as an honorable man, made one poor decision, and will forever be associated. Never will I take an accusation lightly. I'll always be sure to do everything in my power to fulfill my moral obligations. The responsibilities of each of us as human beings are important. We each have the ability to impact numerous lives on a daily basis. These past 3 months have taught me that each of us need to make the most of our time here, because it can be taken away in no time.

It has been a crazy 3 months, and a time that will most likely go down as the worst 3 months in the history of the University. It has also been one of the most emotionally trying times of the lives of many, but all in all I can say that I'm truly proud to be a student at Penn State. I am not Jerry Sandusky. I am a student who will from now until the day I die make sure that I fulfill my obligations as a human being when confronted with any sort of information about wrongdoing. I've gained a perspective about how the lives of so many can be affected by the actions of one, two or even three people. Choose your actions wisely, because one wrong decision can change you forever.

Before the class the other day on immigration, I never really thought about it very much. I didn't know what Alaska State Troopers was before the kid said that, but I agree with the young lady after him that said it's said that we only know about Native Americans from things like that. I also think Sam's point about using them as mascots and almost kind of like caricatures is a hot topic. I could see it going either way to be honest. Yes, it's chastising them in a way, but you don't see Steel workers mad that the Pittsburgh Steelers are named what they are. I can understand no longer wanting Chief Illiniwek to prance around, or wanting the Cleveland Indians to tone down the cartoonish features of Chief Wahoo. But forcing a team to change names because it's offensive? I find that a little too much. I know Indiana University of Pa used to be the Indians but have since changed their name to the Crimson Hawks because of this issue. Yes, I'm sure Native Americans are sensitive to what we do given the history of our interactions, but not all Americans hate Native Americans. Do you think I honestly believe that all Native Americans are drunks and run casinos? No. But to be honest, sterotypes arise FOR A REASON. No one just walks out into the street and says, "You know what, I think I'm going to start the sterotype that all redheaded girls like asain guys." It just doesn't happen that way. It's a shame that a lot of Native Americans have alcohol issues and are forced into lives like the ones we saw in that video in class, but to be honest, I find it hard to believe that they have no way out. It is what it is. And no, I wouldn't want someone to come take my house and say "It's mine now" but I also wouldn't sit on my ass and turn into an alcoholic if that happened. I would find another place to live if I wasn't able to take my house back. That's what happened to the Native Americans, and however tragic it is, you have to survive. Period. So no, I don't necessarily have any problems with immigration. If someone from Mexico does a job better or cheaper than you, then it's fair game for the business to hire them. Losing your homeland is rough, but to be honest, I'm not going to sit back and act like I have the right to keep Mexicans out of America. I got lucky. I was born to a family that lived in America. If i was living in the slums of Mexico I probably would be pissed if I wasn't allowed to go to America for a better opportunity. Who are you to tell me I can't? Because you work on Wall Street, I can't come in and do labor for a guy in Texas? It's a competitive job market, and the only way to make our lives better is to continue increasing competition. Apple didn't stop at the Ipod Nano because they needed to keep ahead of the competition. There will forever be people competing for jobs, and the necessary skills will forever continue to rise. If you're really worried about an Asian coming in and taking your job, then study harder. Plain and simple. I have no sympathy for the guy who says "I don't want them coming into MY country and taking MY job." Newsflash, you didn't establish the United States of America. By the luck of the draw, you were born here. You were given an opportunity. Good for you, but get off your high horse, cause there's other people who are more than willing to work harder than you. Just wait till they get across the border, you'll see.