When I heard Sam initially mentioned sacrificing State Patty's day here in State College i had two thoughts that i can imagine many others sharing as well. One, is that in an ideal world that would be the best possible scenario for the reputation of Penn State University and would show the self control of the student body after all of the negative publicity after the firing of Paterno and Spanier. the second being canceling state patty's day would never be successful. although the acts of Sandusky and those involved in the entire scandal have nothing to do with us as the students, in the bigger picture we are still associated by being from penn state. we have been partying for way longer that all of this scandal has been going on and we've never needed excuses to party hard or make a specific day to get extra drunk. so maybe it would not be the worst thing if we canceled state patty's day for this year because it has such a big impact on the state college community and would look very bad for us. The media is just waiting for this opportunity the students are giving them to once again tarnish our good name. we all know what goes on during State Patty's day up here. The entire reason we even created the holiday was solely because the students thought we were getting gipped by not being at school for the actual holiday. if we were able to come together and some how not partake in all the mayhem that is known as State Patty's day it would be phenomenal and shut up the media and all of those who doubt penn state. the problem then becomes all the people who come into state college for the well renown holiday created by penn state. everyone comes here that weekend and it is the biggest shit show around town. each year the number of arrests, public intoxications, hospitalizations, disturbances and whatever else has increased exponentially. we would have to get the message out to all those that think they are visiting to just get hammered and create problems and vandalize our town to go home because we dont need them to hurt our reputation. we would need to shut down the town more or less completely. all the bars would need to be closed, and basically to not have a state patty's day the students would not be allowed outside. even though the threats by the burrow and police have only escalated, state patty's day is still becoming larger and larger. i dont think that the student effort to stop state patty's day will be successful but i do agree that it is in the best intrest of the university student body that we dont have it. this one event the media will blow out of proportion again and make us look terrible. we can't let the acts of the few tarnish our good name. canceling state patty's day although sounds good on paper probably wont work out the way we'd like it to.

Over the past week, the events that have unfolded before us in happy valley have been extremely unfortunate and disgraceful. Never would i have thought such a revered individual or select few of individuals would be put in the situation that has been laid before us. it horrifies me to think that there are sick people out there like Sandusky. And it greatly disappoints me to think that our own president and other power holding officials knew about some and or any of the facts and continued to keep things under wraps. Now we are on a sinking ship with many questions still unanswered and many people still yet to be tossed overboard. it horrifies me that their could have been things done to prevent the further abuse of children by Sandusky and that their were those that knew about what he was doing and still did nothing to come forward. there is nothing else we can do now but sit back and watch as the judicial process takes its course. we can only pray that justice is served for the children and victims of Sandusky and that our constitution and prosecutors do a complete and thorough investigation. i hope that all guilty parties are found and rightfully and appropriately punished.
it is also extremely unfortunate and upsetting that the acts of one individual or several individuals have spoken for the entire Penn State community and describes the identity of over 40,000 students not to mention faculty, staff, and alumni. all of the negative attention and mixed emotion from this tragic occurrence has brought terrible PR to penn state. the way ESPN and the media portrayed and spun the events surrounding jerry Sandusky around Joe Paterno who was only following procedure in reporting to higher officials. The way the media scapegoated Paterno expediting the firing and negative energy surrounding paterno. I also found it very disturbing that the Board of trustees did not even have the decency to fire him in person and sent him an envelope with a phone number to call receiving the news via telephone. all of the uneducated people out their who throw their two cents in on facebook and twitter especially piss me off because they dont know anything they are talking about and are bashing on JoePa and not having their facts straight. if you have an opinion thats fair and well, but that does not mean you need to shove it down everyones' throat especially when you lack the essencial information to formulate a legitimate position on the topic. you should at least read the full Grand Jury report and get your facts straight before you start pointing the finger at Paterno and other individuals.
lastly another thing that is very upsetting is that this has put a damper on THON which is FOR THE KIDS and the actions of Sandusky have tarnished the respectable penn state name. all of these horrible occurrences have made big sponsors pull and people are most likely to think differently about penn state before donating to canners and towards the four diamond foundation.

I do not feel uncomfortable when i hear others speaking a foreign language around me because i know what it is like to be in the other persons shoes. it is understandable that many international students and foreign speaking students are more comfortable and accustom to their first language or language of origin. think of it this way: if you come across the world all alone by yourself to better your education in the states. you rarely see any family and you find some other students around you that have a similar senario. other international and foreign speaking students find comfort and a sense of relief in speaking the language they know best because it reminds them of home. it does not necessarily mean that they do not speak english, but if you were in there position you can see why they would like to speak the language they are more content with around their friends that are also native speakers. On the other hand, it is understandable to feel out of the loop and slightly ostracized if you are the only non speaker of the language those around you are speaking. it is only human nature to wonder what they are talking about and try to figure out from their body language and facial expressions what in the world is going on in their conversation. i do not necessarily become uncomfortable around those that speak a foreign language around me because if my friends speak that language as their first language why would you not converse in that language. i can understand why some people get nervous when they are alone or in a small group of people that are out of the loop with the foreign speakers in the vicinity. that is only because it is only natural that we think they are talking about us when in fact they most likely are not. it is just the conscience hearing background noise which is unfamiliar to us and can trick you in to thinking they are talking about you.
i have also been in the other position when sometimes you need to say some things which are more private and it is not for people around you to hear or you feel it is personal and only meant for the person you would like to tell to know and not strangers around you. for instance on a crowded bus sitting next to a stranger, you get a call from lets say your mom or dad that is personal. you decide to speak in another language of choice lets say apart from english because it is a private conversation you would not like others to hear. now maybe from an outsider perspective you would not quite understand but if you could speak another language and were in their position you would have a better understanding of why they are speaking an unfamiliar language to you. in the end we should not be judgmental of others who speak in different languages around us. we have to respect their culture and understand how others feel when coming to a foreign country.

it does not make me uncomfortable to think in the future that white people will no longer be the majority. I've been in Europe and around the Middle East a little and i have seen what some of these place are like to be when in the minority. it will be very interesting and different to see what type of multicultural experiences will unfold over the next decade or so. How our new generations will come into a United States which is truly a melting pot of all different cultures. there is no dispute that White people are the majority. And from what Sam has taught in class how we have higher average incomes, more frequently hired, and in other spectrums of life are presented with more benefits than lets say african americans, asians, hispanics and native americans. it is very probable that the structure of society with shift in a direction of more acceptance of different nationalities and varying cultures. We will definitely see more of a variation in the business world. there will be more people of different races in positions of power that will change the expected hiring behaviors which we have see trending in the United States in the past few decades. buying behaviors along with criteria for the living generation will change. it will be interesting to see what tendencies will remain the same and what behaviors will change. it is hard to really predict the future on many of these qualities as sam mentioned in class because we dont know which way everyone will go and we dont know how everyone will respond to adversity. i for one am not afraid to be a minority in the future. I embrace cultural differences and like to learn about why and how we are different. People are always afraid of change and that change is never for the better. but i believe a world in which white people are the minority will somewhat humble the white culture and we will see things from the cultural perspectives of african americans, asians, hispanics, and even the LGBT community. although we say we understand what social differences these cultures under go on a daly basis i think when tables are turned it will be an even bigger of a cultural shock than some of us expected. There are many other changes that will probably come to a shock to many "majority" whites, but to be a minority does not scare me. which ever way that society goes i will be ready for the cultural differences it bares with it. i already live in a pretty cultured area of a suburb right outside of Philly and i went to a high school with about 60/40 white/other population. Seeing a growing hispanic community and even african american community outside of the area does not worry me. i just know it is part of a cultural change which was going to happen eventually. if you have a negative attitude to everything and dont embrace the change of the american culture you are probably going to be i for a rude awakening when you wake up in the next 30 years and see a growing presence of minorities and less white culture.

i dont think that girls are trying so much to sacrifice their comfort, but just enjoy dressing and dolling up for just almost any occasion. i personally like a girl better when we are hanging out watching a movie in sweats and jeans and does not need an inch of make up and 5 inch heals complaining about the walking the entire night about how i should be caring her to the front door or up the stairs. i think that girls love to dress up and look "slutty" for attention and it just so happen that over time what is socially acceptable and appropriate to wear out has become more and more revealing. i look around sometimes in class and wonder why some girls get so dressed up to go to a class room where i would much rather be comfortable in a nice pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. seeing girls walk around in their stilettos looks so painful and 9/10 of every girl you talk to will even tell you how painful it is to walk in heels yet they all still do it. it does not quite make sense to me. if girls really did not want to wear heels or did not always want to look hot then they would just change the social norms and all girls would just stop wearing heels out and start another trend (maybe flats?) but who knows. for guys on the other hand, its not that we think we can get away with anything we want or wear, its just that guys are not as judgmental of one another and what is perceived appropriate for a guy to wear out and what is appropriate for girls to wear out is just different. yes their could be just another double standard here, but i think it is one that can be changed. from a guy's perspective i would not say i wear whatever i want and dont give two shits about what anyone thinks.. when i go out i want to look good but that does not mean i need to be uncomfortable. as i mentioned earlier, a girl who is cool and dresses up for special occasions is nice, but there is a balance. i like a girl just as much if not more if she is comfortable in wearing whatever she wants hanging out in her sweats and a white t. i think society today has become so much of a fashion show, its just girls trying to impress one another. guys are not (if ever) recognizing designer brands of their clothing and accessories, so why dont girls just wise up and level the playing field? go out in a some nice jeans in the winter with a fresh t and hoodie. do it

One of the reasons I decided to take SOC 119, apart from the rave review of students that are obsessed with Sam was to be apart of the student project. friends of mine who told me about their project last year told me how initially they were confused as well, but after really getting into the discussions and finding a deeper meaning to the small tasks it was an amazing experience.
i believe that Project Haiti will be a life changing experience for many students and will help to take away some of the social barriers surrounding Haitian culture and African subculture. I thoroughly enjoy learning about new projects and seeing how they develop and mold the participants in the project. im sure at first there are some that are skeptical of community driven projects such as these, but to me there is nothing more fulfilling than to help those in need.
The Haiti Entrepreneur Initiative project is representative of the transitioning norms of society and how entrepreneurship is undoubtedly one of the largest fields of business to jump into. I believe that the organization involved, Haitian Partners for Christian Development, is doing something that many under developed and hurting economies need in a time like this: a group of people who care and want to make a difference for society. the Haitian partners for christian development or more notable “Haitian Partners for the Creation of Jobs and Investment in the Long-term Sustenance of Haitian Entrepreneurs.”sums up the type of attitude the organization has and its goal in helping the development of job creation and jump starting the economy in these areas of Africa.
after clicking a couple links on the world in conversation page i was able to get a better understand of what this entrepreneurial project was all about. i was glad to know we will be working with authentic native Haitian people and entrepreneurs who are out to help the community and not just make a public statement. they are not only trying to do the right thing, but also create businesses that can thrive and expand in the growing economy of Haiti's distraught population. Many of the problems that entrepreneurs are facing is capital funding for their ideas, which have validity and credibility. For many of the Haitian people, these dreams they have of creating new businesses are their tickets to freedom and they can smell the fresh air at the end of the tunnel. what a lot of the Haitian entrepreneurs need a a little extra push to get them off and running and difficult and unstable economy. on that note i am excited to work with my discussion group to see what others have to say about the project and look forward to working with everyone on it!

i believe that free will and determinism both have a significant impact in our lives. As Sam touched on in class, there are many things that contribute to the development and cultivation of what comes to be our lives. There are many people who believe that free-will is a more dominant factor in shaping our lives because people think they are in control of a majority of the choices in their lives. where as on the other hand determinism has a predetermined destiny laid before you and there is not much that can lead you astray from you destiny. i think that god gave us the ability to have free-will and the ability to make our own decisions. if we didn't have the ability to make choices for ourselves we would probably all lead the same nostalgic infuriating life style waiting for something to happen, when nothing will. we wouldn't have such discrepancies in opinion regarding one's choices if free-will did not exist. i do not think that Hitler was destine to kill 6 million jews and that his name was etched in stone in the book of destiny to do that. i believe that he made a series of choices and decisions based on his own free-will which put him in the position he was at that point in history. but once again there is always more than 1 factor which comes into an equation.
Determinism, conversely states that decisions are made for us and our destinies have already be predetermined. I believe that there are many things that are uncontrollable, but to say that you cannot change your socio-economic stature due solely on the basis of determinism hindering your opportunity for advancement. many people lived different lives over seas and immigrated to America, the land of opportunity because this was a place where determinism didn't play such a large role as it did in the eastern hemisphere.
people came over with only the money in their pockets and made a name for themselves through their determination and hard work. Although there are things in life we cannot control. we should be able to make an impact with the issues and opportunities we can control. you cannot let determinism write your life off for you, because then you will be no different than every other sheep in the herd. you need to make your ideals known and rock the boat a little bit if you will if you want to get notices.
it reminds me of the story of the two mice who fell into cream, one mouse quickly drowned after falling into the cream, while the other treaded in the milk so long that he churned the cream into butter and walked out. you decide which mouse you want to be...

I identify our President Barak Obama as a multiracial citizen because he is half white and half black. I think that the image of our President has been dramatized to make him appeal more to a particular race or culture. President Obama, what people often forget had a white mother and this image of our president being raised by a white woman is often faded. There are many people who associate Obama with blacks particularly because of his skin color, but this does not alter the fact that he is in fact biracial. And no, his race does not effect the way that i view our president. The color of someone's skin, let alone our president should have no baring on the way we view our leader. i think President obama is a great man, and he definitely has charisma and the ability to lead a country, but that does not mean i agree with everything decision and implementation he has made over the course of his presidency thus far. To ignore or overlook the fact that Obama is african american is ignorant, but to look at his color solely is foolish. You must be open to opinion and to new ideas. Change as they say is not always a bad thing. i was eager to see what President Obama was going to do in office and from his actions thus far i am not very impressed. i feel some of the promises he made and opinions he held while campaigning have changed and he has not been truthful. some of his logic is faulty regarding the solutions to our health care and debt ceiling issues. with every term we learn new things about our society and how we react to scenarios that arise. weather or not President Obama is black or white should not matter about the decision making and responsibility that rests on his shoulders as the commander and chief of our great nation. if president Obama was unfit to run this country, he would have been out of office a long time ago. Saying he is capable of fulfilling the position is different then praising his ever move. i will say that many of the decisions our President have made have been controversial, but in doing so that does not mean it is attributed to his race. Obama came into office at a very pivotal point in history. Taking over the bush administration would not have been any easier or under less scrutiny whether it was McCain or some other third party candidate. Our president is always under the spot light. we dissect every move he makes. it is not easy for anyone to make decisions that will have an impact around the entire world. Obama has taken much criticism, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.