en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/6234190 Comments by ecs5239 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/18/voices-from-the-classroom-304/#IDComment624932011 I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on Thursday and I found it very interesting when the girl chose people she believed to be “down with the brown”. It got me thinking and I don’t believe you can really tell who is “down with the brown” based solely on appearance. Of course, that was the only way to do it in class but sometimes you could never tell a dude was into black girls unless you talked to him. The majority of the men the girl picked out looked “ghetto”. The one had a chain around his neck and his just general appearance leaned towards what a black person would wear. I found it surprising the girl chose the one guy who looked very “artsy.” He wore a hat and glasses and had that kind of unique look. However, she was dead right that he was “down with the brown” for he said he has shared saliva with a black girl and would definitely do it again. I am sure there were many men in class that are “down with the brown” but no one would know by looking at them. You never really know. Maybe some of the “hicks” in class like black women. We can only find out by asking them. I was thinking more about this topic and I am curious what a typical white girl who is “down with the brown” would look like. Would she kind of have that “ghetto” look to her? I would love to see a black male walk around the room and pick out white girls who are attracted to black men. I also found it interesting that one of the guys the girl picked out said that he grew up with lots of black people and he has a lot of black friends. I started to think about myself and my relationships with people of color. I have a couple (two) black friends and one of them is a very good friend of mine. However, if I were to go to a party with all black people I would probably feel out of place. I think that might change after this summer though. I am working a new job and a lot of the people there are black. I think that being around them more often and more than just one of them will make me more comfortable around black people. I am not saying by any means that I am uncomfortable around black people now, but if I were to be the only white girl at a party I would feel out of place. I have a feeling that is going to change. I also want to comment on the fact that I think it is different for a black person to go to a party of all whites. This weekend is a perfect example. My roommates and I had a party and my black friend came and I knew he wasn’t uncomfortable at all. I don’t know why it is so different for white people but I hope that can change because it is not right. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:12:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/18/voices-from-the-classroom-304/#IDComment624932011 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/09/voices-from-the-classroom-297/#IDComment619856298 I’m not sure if I understood the question or not, but what I am going to talk about is how women see men and what they find attractive. I think that heterosexual men find women to be attractive if they are feminine and heterosexual women find men to be attractive if they are masculine. That may sound obvious, but almost everything we do to make ourselves seem more attractive to the opposite sex either makes men more masculine or women more feminine. I watched the documentary, The Science of Sex Appeal and they really went into this topic of masculinity/feminity. Women like men with big muscles, facial hair, who are tall, have a deep voice, know how to fix cars, who are strong and brave, etc. These are all masculine factors. Let me clarify that most women have these preferences but not all. Who would marry the short, high pitched, skinny man if that were the case? Everyone has their own preferences but the majority of women like masculine men. And also, maybe the short, skinny man does not have physical characteristics that make him masculine but he has hidden ones that do. For example, some women may think that skateboarding is really sexy and masculine while others may disagree. Who we are attracted to is a very personal thing and literally everyone has different preferences. But overall, a sexy man is a masculine man. When it comes to sex, every woman likes something different, but in general, women like “a man” in bed. This means he is strong and confident and knows what he is doing. But also, in a perfect world, the man would know exactly how to please the woman. That is something I think some men lack; they don’t know that the female body is so different from the man’s and they think if they get pleasure, the woman does too. After “The Needy Penis” lecture, we know that is not true. Females do not need to have intercourse to have an orgasm and I believe not enough men know that. I may be wrong, and maybe as we grow up, more men will know. However, some men are very self-centered and their only goal is to have pleasure themselves. I think this goes along with the idea of the sex being in a hook-up or sex in a relationship. Men in a relationship are more likely to care about the woman having an orgasm more than men in a random one night stand. The men in a relationship care about their partner, where that is not always the case in a one night stand. I have a question for women that I will probably never know the answer to. Why do women still have random one night stand hook-ups when they are not a satisfying as having sex with your partner in a relationship? Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:56:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/09/voices-from-the-classroom-297/#IDComment619856298 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614110452 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current poular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:39:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614110452 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614110070 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current popular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:39:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614110070 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614108231 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current popular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:35:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614108231 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614107696 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current poular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:34:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614107696 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614107017 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current poular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:33:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614107017 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614106447 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current poular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:32:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614106447 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614106342 Empathize. If I were to send a message of change to the American people, it would be to empathize more often. I really enjoyed Sam’s lecture on empathy and it got me thinking. Empathy is defined as identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives, according to the free dictionary online, but Sam made it clear that it is more than that. It is stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing life their way. If more American’s (and people all over the world) were to empathize more, the world would be a much better place. If we could all live each day taking time to step into other people’s shoes, the world would be much more peaceful. This is a very broad theme but I believe it is an important message that everyone should hear every day. At first I thought the best way to portray this message of change would be to use something such as a billboard. Millions of people see billboards every day. If a message about empathy were to be placed on a billboard all over America, it could cause some people to think, and hopefully, they would change their ways. However, a billboard is advertisement and some people do not listen to or pay attention to advertisement. And then I thought more about it, and I think music would be the best venue to portray this message. I’m sure there are some songs about empathy already produced but what America needs is a new, popular song that would appeal to the majority of the population. Music nowadays has lyrics such as “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” or “It's like you're my mirror. My mirror staring back at me.” These are stupid, pointless songs, in my opinion. We need an artist to step up and create a catchy song with meaningful lyrics, not just some crap about breakups. It might be a hard task, to create a song about empathy that appeals to a wide population, but I believe it can be done. Some people really like the popular, mainstream songs that don’t really have any lessons or purpose. An artist or band needs to step up and create a song that is similar to current poular songs but has strong lyrics to make the world a better place. If America takes the lead and pleads to be more empathetic, maybe we can show the world how beneficial it is and the world will change for the better. I know that one song will not be enough to get the message across but it is a good start. Next time you are offended, get mad, are hurt, etc by someone else, first step into their shoes and you may be grateful you did. Mon, 8 Apr 2013 01:31:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment614106342 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-283/#IDComment608615392 I believe it is our duty to help others, not just ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, there are many Americans that need help from the government, particularly the Native Americans. But pretend that America is your family. Are you only going to help your family? I grew up in a household were I learned that we should do everything we can to help others, not just people we are related to. There are many, many third world countries that struggle every single day and live in conditions we can’t even think of. Like Sam said, America is the richest country in the world. Wouldn’t it be wrong to not help those poorer than us? I don’t know much about the balance between how much we give our own country and how much foreign aid we give, but regardless, it is important to help others as well as ourselves. But being self-centered is not the way to go. We should try to help both those that are struggling within our own country and those outside of it. Have you ever thought that maybe the Native Americans don’t want help from the government? They obviously don’t like Americans (and have every right not to since we took all their land away), so maybe they don’t want anything to do with us and won’t take any help. I believe that what they would like is to have their land back, and we’re not going to do that so what else can we do? Maybe the Native Americans chose to live the way they do. No one really knows unless we ask. That could be the very first step. Ask the Native Americans what they would like from us, and then if we can provide that, then we should do so. I hope that this has already happened, but I am not that well informed on the subject. I think that government officials should meet with the chiefs of the tribes to discuss what can and should be done. On the other hand, giving aid to countries that desperately need it is an act of kindness and we should not end this. America is a developed country and the richest in the world. Shouldn’t we do the right thing and share our wealth? The way in which this is done (taxes, etc.) is a whole other topic to discuss but overall, doesn’t it make sense to help those who are not as fortunate as us? Many people will argue against giving foreign aid and say that our country needs more help than others. I strongly disagree. I think some people in our country could benefit from some type of aid but we should not just focus on that. Other countries are in such desperate need that we should continue to help them no matter what. Mon, 1 Apr 2013 03:39:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-283/#IDComment608615392 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/21/voices-from-the-classroom-274/#IDComment603260402 Nepotism is a topic that I can relate to. I received a job in the hospital this summer because of my mother. She and my father work in the hospital and my mother particularly, knows my (future) boss on a personal and professional level. My mom got me the job. I went in to meet with my supervisor and to shadow an ambulatory technician to see what my job will be like. I perfected my resume and I practiced for an interview. However, I did not need to do either of those things because after shadowing, my supervisor told me I received the job. I was expecting her to ask my questions and read my resume before making a decision, but the fact that I am my mother’s daughter, got me the job. Don’t get me wrong, I am very pleased to have this job but I wish I could have received it without the help of my mother. On the other hand, the hospital wasn’t really looking for more technicians so there is a good chance I wouldn’t have gotten the job if it weren’t for my mom. The interesting thing about this is that when I was filing out my application online, it asked if I had any relatives who worked at the hospital. I obviously put down my mother and father. They then called me to get more details about my parents such as their name and position. My parents do not work in the same department that I will be working in. However, the hospital took these measures to “avoid nepotism” (it even said that on the application), but it wasn’t avoided at all. So how do I feel about all this? First of all, it made me feel pretty crappy about myself. I don’t want to take handouts. I would like to earn a job by myself and not just because I am related to someone. I want to feel proud of the job I acquire. However, I am not going to turn the job down. It is a really great opportunity and I’m very, very excited to start working. In addition, if I were not qualified for the job, I would not have gotten it. So at least I know I am qualified. I’m just lucky that I know the right people too. My mom has always told me, it’s all about who you know, and I am starting to believe that now. If it weren’t for my mom, I would not have this job, so for that, I am thankful. It doesn’t feel great taking a handout, but in the long run, I am very happy I got this position and I would never turn it down. Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:06:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/21/voices-from-the-classroom-274/#IDComment603260402 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/12/voices-from-the-classroom-269/#IDComment598033251 When Sam asked the women in the classroom to raise their hand if they are “bleeding” I did not raise my hand because I was not on my period. However, if I were on my period, I probably would not have raised my hand. First of all, my brother sits next to me in class and I know he gets really uncomfortable talking about periods (I don’t know why but he freaks out at me if I mention something about it). So it would have been uncomfortable for him if I raised my hand. It is also just kind of embarrassing. Menstruating is not something people openly talk about, unless it is a group of just women. That is very interesting to me. I have no problem telling my girl friends that I am on my period but I wouldn’t mention it to my guy friends. I think the main reason is that guys get uncomfortable when you bring it up. I can see where Sam is coming from when he says that women aren’t free. That is sad. Society has made it so that women have to censor what they say. Freedom of speech? I don’t think so. But it is not just women who aren’t free. Men aren’t either, maybe not for the same reasons as women but I believe that no one is truly free. Men don’t generally talk about crying. Most men don’t even cry. Crying is a natural thing just as menstruating is. Why is it that men are embarrassed to cry? Not every man, but I would say the majority of men do not cry, especially not in public. Women don’t cry in public either but if a woman did, it would not be that big of a deal. I guess it may be because crying is looked at as a feminine thing to do and most men try to be as masculine as possible. In addition, if a man cries in private, he is not going to talk about it. Women can be overheard talking about how they were sobbing at the end of a movie, but if a man said that, he might be looked at funny. Neither men nor women are free to do whatever they please. We live in America, the land of the free. But it is pretty obvious we are far from free. There are so many social rules that everyone follows but were not that aware of them. For example, clothes. Why do we have to wear clothes? Yes they keep us warm in the winter but what about the summer months? When it is super hot out, why can’t everyone walk around naked? These are the social standards (and laws) that keep us from being free. Sun, 17 Mar 2013 23:39:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/12/voices-from-the-classroom-269/#IDComment598033251 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/01/voices-from-the-classroom-263/#IDComment591834672 After Sam’s lecture telling us “what happens after you die” I am a less afraid to die than I was before. I never really thought that much about death until one day it really dawned on me that I did not know what would happen when we died. What if that’s it? We just die and we’re gone. That idea makes me very, very afraid. I am 19 years old and I want to live a long, wonderful life. I love my life as it is and I’m excited for the future. But when my time on earth is done, I hope there is still more. An afterlife is a nice thought. It would be awesome to die and then our soul goes to heaven and we are completely at peace. That’s how I envision heaven, the most peaceful place where you literally have no worries and everyone loves everyone. I was talking to my Mom about what Sam told us and she told me a very interesting story. Her good friend was very sick and had an experience like the subjects in the studies Sam talked about. She “came back to life.” After that event, she told my Mom she is no longer afraid to die and she is excited for her death. That really blew my mind. Sam told us that people report various things when they die, such as a feeling of extreme comfort. I thought that was pretty cool but the fact that my mother’s friend told her that she looks forward to her death is so incredible. I guess it hits closer to home because my mom knows this woman well. I am Catholic and have been my whole life. As I listen to Sam lecture, sometimes I question my faith. I think that’s okay and I don’t think God will mind. Everyone has to question it at one time or another. I remember that one day when I thought to myself, what if there is no heaven. I remember not wanting to think about it because it troubled me so much. My personal beliefs as of right now, are that there is a heaven and everyone goes to that heaven. I do not believe in hell. I believe God accepts everyone into heaven. I would have to say that I am still partially afraid to die. I don’t like thinking about death, probably because it is an unknown. No one will ever truly know what happens after you die and that is kind of scary to me. I really, really hope that we all go to heaven. I am afraid of death to some extent, but not to the extent were I am afraid to do things. I have been skydiving, I love riding on motorcycles and going very fast, I really like activities to get your adrenaline up. I don’t really think about death at that time. The time I’m afraid to die is when I sit and think about it. I have so much more life to live and I don’t want it to end now. Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:09:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/01/voices-from-the-classroom-263/#IDComment591834672 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/14/voices-from-the-classroom-246/#IDComment573641852 When Sam said that Americans are the “elite” of the world, the first thing that popped into my head was that I want to travel. I want to go to the places that are very far from the elite and see what life is like for them. I know that I am extremely blessed and lucky to live in a well-off family. My parents are paying for my entire college education and I try to thank them for that as often as I can. The fact that I will not have any loans when I graduate makes me one of the most fortunate people. I look at my friends and classmates who have to pay for their education and all I can do is be thankful. But then there are people in other countries that can’t even afford a high school education. In the Haiti video we watched for our quiz, a lot of the children could not go to school because they couldn’t afford it. I don’t remember the exact amount it cost to go to school but I’m pretty sure some people in the US would buy a dress for that amount. It is so sad. Americans really are the elite. In order for someone to truly be thankful however, I think they must actually see what the less fortunate live like. It’s kind of similar to what Sam said in class when he took the poll of who thinks America is the greatest county. I choose disagree and turned to my friend and said, “How can I agree when I haven’t been to all the countries in the world?” And that’s exactly what Sam said. So that is why I want to travel. I want to go to Africa and the Middle East and South America. I want to experience life in third world countries. I want to spend the money I have on traveling the world and creating memories that shape me as a person. I know it will be very hard for me to live like some of the poorest people in the world but I think the experience is crucial to realizing how fortunate we all are. I know that Americans are wealthy but I didn’t know we were the wealthiest in the world. That is an eye opener. I have been to Italy and some other countries that seemed pretty wealthy but I have never been to a poor country (or at least seen the poor part of the country). I want to see that. Yes, I would love to stay in an extravagant hotel in Spain but I would also like to sleep on a dirt floor in a hut in Tanzania. I think that traveling the world will make me a better person and hopefully be a very humbling experience. Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:34:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/14/voices-from-the-classroom-246/#IDComment573641852 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/07/voices-from-the-classroom-240/#IDComment567473633 If I knew my child was going to be gay, I would tell them so. I do not believe that being homosexual is a choice. I believe it is biological. So why not tell my son? Some say you should let him find out by himself but by telling him right off the bat will make it easier for him. Being gay can be a very, very big struggle for some men. They doubt the fact that they are attracted to other men. By letting someone know that he is gay, you can help him with accepting it. There are stories of young boys committing suicide because they struggled with their sexuality. If everyone were accepting of everyone – gay, straight, bi, whatever – life would be much easier for all. That is not the case now days however. But it is getting better. I personally do not have a problem with gay men or women. If I knew my son or daughter was going to be gay, I would never abort the child. It can be extremely difficult growing up as a gay man or woman, I know that. But by knowing my child is gay, I can help with the struggle and find resources to help as well. The fact that some people would abort their child if he were gay because his life would be too hard is absurd. It may be hard, but like I said, you are his parent and you can be there to help him. Many of the people that struggle with their homosexuality are afraid to tell their parents. If you, as their parent, accept that they are gay, that can be one very big burden lifted off your child’s chest. And knowing right from the when the child is born can help too. You can get the child appropriate toys and such. If my child were gay, I would tell him that he is different and different is not a bad thing. I believe being different is the biggest compliment you can receive. No one wants to be boring. However, if people realized that homosexuality is a difference just like blonde hair is different than brown hair, the world would be a better place. I think that America is coming very far in terms of accepting gay people. However, other countries…not so much. Religion is the main reason why people do not accept gays. It will take a lot more work to convince people of strict religions otherwise. Hopefully, by the time we are able to (or if we are able to) determine what the “gay” gene is, the world will be more accepting of homosexual people and it will not be a big deal like it is today. Sat, 9 Feb 2013 23:04:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/07/voices-from-the-classroom-240/#IDComment567473633 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-236/#IDComment560232257 I am a white 19 year old girl. I struggle with self image and confidence. I am sure that that is a major internal struggle for almost every girl out there. I know that it is not uncommon to have low confidence in your teenage years. I can say that my confidence has risen tremendously since high school but I definitely still have some insecurities. My body is not perfect, my hair is not perfect, my skin is not perfect. I know I am not perfect and I try to tell myself that is ok but I’m still self conscious in a revealing dress. This insecurity is probably one of the most common struggles of women. The reason for all the insecurities is the media. Women are constantly comparing themselves to others. I probably compare myself to other people every day. I hate that. I wish that I didn’t compare myself to others but I do. And the media is where it all started. We grow up in a world where being stick thin with long, shiny hair and flawless skin is defined as beautiful. Victoria’s Secret models can be considered the sexiest women in the world and the do not have an inch of fat on them. Since so many girls face this struggle, it is not really an internal, private matter, but a public one. Like Sam said in class, to those of you who cut, look around, there are tons of you. That’s not private then. You all come from the same sociological or demographic background. In addition, even the most skinny, beautiful girl still has insecurities, that’s the thing. Some girls are more insecure than others, that is for sure. It can all go back to your demographic group, not you as a person. For example, black women can be seen as having more confidence than white women. This could stem from various reasons including being raised by a single mother or living in an area where you are forced to be confident. White women are probably the most insecure. I’m not sure why, but it is more common to see a timid, insecure white girl than black or Hispanic girl. I am not saying that blacks and Hispanics don’t struggle with confidence because, like I said before, it is such a common struggle and almost every girl, in some stage in her life, will feel insecure. Cutting and self injurious behavior is a common result of insecurity. There are obviously other reasons for injuring yourself but struggling with your self image is one of them. Others do not take it that far and can deal with it. Regardless, if the media were to portray women of all shapes and sizes as beautiful, then the high numbers of insecure girls would decrease dramatically. It is something we all go through and hopefully one day, our children will grow up believing they are beautiful no matter what size she is. Fri, 1 Feb 2013 19:55:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-236/#IDComment560232257 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/23/voices-from-the-classroom-230/#IDComment554093464 Giving a scholarship to a person solely because he is black is racist and simply unfair. Like when Sam was talking in class yesterday…differences are differences. They are not good or bad. In the race-specific scholarship case however, they are stating that being black will give you more money towards your education, and therefore being black is better. The definition of racism according to dictionary.com is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. Race specific scholarships are actually a perfect example of racism. Most people think that racism is putting the minority race down, but it can be the other way around. Whites are at a disadvantage and are not treated equally in this circumstance. Yes, the white race is more dominant (in terms of population) and it would not really make sense for a university to give a scholarship to a person because he or she is white. But if universities can’t provide scholarships for everyone, then they should not provide them for anyone. It is unfair and it is giving blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. an advantage over whites. Some may argue that blacks deserve the money because they come from poorer households. But there are many white students that come from poorer households as well and what do they get? Nothing. I have a good friend who is black and he lives in a wealthy suburban household. He received a scholarship because he is of African American race. Shouldn’t universities give money to the people that really need it regardless of their race? Another aspect of this topic could be that one of the reasons universities give out these scholarships, is so that they have a more diverse student body. But that is bribery. Giving more money to people of different skin colors to make the university “look better” is inappropriate and wrong. If race specific scholarships were removed, the university may be less diverse, so some argue that these scholarships are important. Well universities should find another way to attract a diverse population. I’m not saying I know another way, but bribing students to attend is wrong. People of color are being rewarded simply because they are of color. What are white people being rewarded for? If you look back at history, whites have had a superior role to those of color and have dominated for a long time. But times are changing. Why can’t we all be equal? Giving money towards one’s education to a person simply because he or she is of color is not an act of fairness. Either stop giving out there scholarships, or change it in some way to make everyone treated equal. Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:16:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/23/voices-from-the-classroom-230/#IDComment554093464 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/16/voices-from-the-classroom-227/#IDComment546035153 To me, race does not mean much when it comes to a person. The first thing that pops in my head when I hear the word race is skin color. That has a lot to do with it. Blacks, Whites, Asians, Hispanics…we all have different skin colors. I think race can be used to classify humans. Everyone has a race and falls into the category of that race. Race is a classification system, so one might think all black people are the same. Well most of us know that is incorrect. All race really is, is what you look like. There are so many black people that act “white”. And there are many white people that act “black”. But how do you classify someone as acting like a different race. That must mean that most people of a specific race act the same way. I think it could all stem from going back a couple decades or centuries. Back in the “olden days” people of each race only associated themselves with those of the same race. All Asians lived in Asia, all Africans lived in Africa. Once people started to migrate was when race became a big topic. When a white boy starts hanging out with black boys, people used to think that was strange. I’d like to say that that way of thinking has changed. There are definitely still racist people out there but we have made huge improvements. Personally, I do not care what color of skin you have. I am a white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes and I probably have all European descent. One of my best friends is black. However, I have to mention that my friend is not a “typical” black person. He is not “ghetto” in any way whatsoever. He acts like all the rest of my friends. I don’t care that he has black skin. Now, I don’t really think that I would hang out with “ghetto” black people. My lifestyle is just different from theirs. But that doesn’t mean I will think of them any differently. It’s just like I won’t really hang out with sorority girls because I do not enjoy the same things they enjoy. Race can be a label and I believe no one should be labeled. I kind of contradicted myself in the previous statement about sorority girls. Most “sorority girls” act in the same way, but there are some girls in sorority’s that don’t act like the rest of them. And now that I think about it, I have a couple friends in sororities. To be simple, I don’t care where you’re from or what color your skin is or what sorority you are in. My friends are my friends because I like them and I like hanging out with them. Race, to me, is the color of your skin and that’s it. Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:25:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/16/voices-from-the-classroom-227/#IDComment546035153