In yesterday’s lecture we viewed the war in another person’s shoes. I agree with Sam when he said that the war is about oil. Being from the Middle East I completely agree with how Sam put the whole lecture into perspective. He even compared it to the coal we have here in Pennsylvania. When people usually think of soldiers, they can only think of the good things they do and what they have done for their country but people haven’t seen the negative side of it at all. Sam showed us a video of the US soldiers destroying someone’s van because they stole pieces of wood. That was a source of livelihood for one of them. Living in a country like Iraq, it is very difficult to get secure jobs and you have to learn to not live in fear. But then he also showed the soldiers helping the Iraqi’s. If the war is really only about oil then I just think that it’s ridiculous. There are other ways to sort the issue at hand. War ruins socio-economic and political relations between the countries. It’s not that I’m saying that I don’t support the soldiers. I support them a 100% but I don’t support the war. Killing innocent people? Really? Yes, some of them who open fire then I agree that to defend yourself you will open fire too but not at the risk of taking innocent lives. Sam didn’t change my view about the war but the way I think about it has definitely changed since I saw it from a different perspective. The media has led us to believe in stereotypes and sometimes we have pre-conceived notions and base our decisions off of that. It was interesting to see how the tables were turned. I didn’t understand how the bibles with the army seals related to this at all? I just didn’t get that part of the lecture. But I can honestly say that this was the best class ever because this lecture really made you think about issues you wouldn’t talk about otherwise. I like how Sam said that we should just assume that we were the Iraqi Muslim’s for the whole class and how it made us feel when someone comes into our country just to take our natural resources back to their country. This shows only greed. What good is coming out of the war? The US soldiers did what they had to do. Why are they still there? By staying there longer they are still at a greater risk of hurting themselves. Right now parts of Iraq need more support than ever because they are losing their families, their homes, their livelihoods because of this war. Those people in Iraq are no more different than us. They shouldn’t have to live in fear for their whole lives.

The most important thing that I have learnt from this whole scandal is the feeling of togetherness, love and unity. Yes, some people are still angry about what happened and how Joe Paterno, in particular, has been treated. We all saw the riot being filmed and shown in the media. I did not see the vigil getting much attention. It’s absolutely appalling how they were taking advantage of the situation and they didn’t even show half of the interviews they took. They only showed interviews that would mention Joe Paterno’s name. There was hardly any coverage on how we felt about the victims. We can’t just forget about what happened and it’s not easy to move on from it. It will take literally YEARS for this whole thing to settle down. Like Sam said in class, we need to grow from it. We need to think about those victims and support them as much as we can. It’s absolutely terrible as to what they had to go through. And they sat in silence because they scared about what would happen. Sexual abuse even takes place within our families and we don’t even know about it because kids feel that if they speak up, their family will be broken. But you can’t just sit in silence and deal with this by yourself. They need to talk to someone, anyone about it. Our main focus should not only be about the abused victims but also other sexually abused victims. It is dreadful how ONE PERSON managed to bring Penn State’s reputation down as a whole. What I don’t understand is how you can blame the whole student body for something they aren’t even responsible. For example, I read in ‘The Collegian’ about someone who said that he or she would never hire a Penn State student. It’s just this one person who felt doing whatever he was doing the right thing to do. I for one am glad that the issue of child abuse or child sexual abuse has been bring to the spotlight. It is an issue often neglected. Overall I feel that the Penn State students are still trying to accept what happened and trying to heal. There are still some people hurting. My support definitely goes out to those kids who have been scarred for life. I have also heard some students being ashamed of being a part of the student body and being a part of Penn State because of this scandal. To those people I would like to ask where is your school pride? If you hate being here then just move. Running away from the situation is not going to help you or anyone else. You can’t just run away from problems. I worked at the game on Saturday and all of the Nebraska visitors told me that they were supporting our school and that they support the issue at hand. Shows like Saturday Night Live and South Park have made fun of the situation. I felt that it was too soon considering this happened last week. We still need to support each other during this time and remember who we are.

This week has been one of the most difficult for Happy Valley. The negativity we have received from the rest of the world and the media has absolutely crushed some of our spirits and some of our futures. I feel that they would not be as negative about this situation if they knew what exactly we are going through as students, alumni, staff and faculty members. They should be in our shoes and experience this first hand. If such an event happened to them I’m pretty sure they would not like the rest of the world to judge them based off of nothing. Our school has gained a bad reputation because of this incident. It will take years for this whole situation to blow over. I don’t think people should point fingers at the institution because this is so much bigger than Penn State. Our main focus should be on those kids who were sexually abused. All I would like to say to all non-Penn Staters and Penn Staters is that don't make judgments or come to a consensus based off of what you "Google" because not all sources of information are credible. Ignorance is not bliss! We know as much as you do. No-one even knows the whole story right now. It’s still piecing together bit by bit. I will pray for those children and for their families for what they had to go through. It’s absolutely terrible as to what happened to them. The current string of events has made a huge impact on us all and the issue is deep seated. It's not about what we're going to do about it. It's about how we are going to walk through this time. This is a difficult period that we are going through. At this time we are all going through a whole melting pot of emotions and some of us don’t know what or how to feel about this whole situation that has come upon us. We need to support our classmates, friends and families and the abused victims with the current issue at hand and help them through this time. Penn State is known for having the most pride. We need to unite and show the world that no matter how big the hurdle is, we can jump over it. No matter how harsh the times are, we can pull through it. I don’t care about what the rest of the world has to say about this anymore. I was in denial and angry about this ever happening and now I am learning to accept it. You all may have heard the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me.”

Hang in there Penn Staters. We will get through this together. We are and we always will be Penn State.

This week has been one of the most difficult for Happy Valley. The negativity we have received from the rest of the world and the media has absolutely crushed some of our spirits and some of our futures. I feel that they would not be as negative about this situation if they knew what exactly we are going through as students, alumni, staff and faculty members. They should be in our shoes and experience this first hand. If such an event happened to them Im pretty sure they would not like the rest of the world to judge them based off of nothing. Our school has gained a bad reputation because of this incident. It will take years for this whole situation to blow over. I dont think people should point fingers at the institution because this is so much bigger than Penn State. Our main focus should be on those kids who were sexually abused. All I would like to say to all non-Penn Staters and Penn Staters is that don't make judgments or come to a consensus based off of what you "Google" because not all sources of information are credible. Ignorance is not bliss! We know as much as you do. No-one even knows the whole story right now. Its still piecing together bit by bit. I will pray for those children and for their families for what they had to go through. Its absolutely terrible as to what happened to them. The current string of events has made a huge impact on us all and the issue is deep seated. It's not about what we're going to do about it. It's about how we are going to walk through this time. This is a difficult period that we are going through. At this time we are all going through a whole melting pot of emotions and some of us dont know what or how to feel about this whole situation that has come upon us. We need to support our classmates, friends and families and the abused victims with the current issue at hand and help them through this time. Penn State is known for having the most pride. We need to unite and show the world that no matter how big the hurdle is, we can jump over it. No matter how harsh the times are, we can pull through it. I dont care about what the rest of the world has to say about this anymore. I was in denial and angry about this ever happening and now I am learning to accept it. You all may have heard the saying Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me.

This week has been one of the most difficult for Happy Valley. The negativity we have received from the rest of the world and the media has absolutely crushed some of our spirits and some of our futures. I feel that they would not be as negative about this situation if they knew what exactly we are going through as students, alumni, staff and faculty members. They should be in our shoes and experience this first hand. If such an event happened to them I’m pretty sure they would not like the rest of the world to judge them based off of nothing. Our school has gained a bad reputation because of this incident. It will take years for this whole situation to blow over. I don’t think people should point fingers at the institution because this is so much bigger than Penn State. Our main focus should be on those kids who were sexually abused. All I would like to say to all non-Penn Staters and Penn Staters is that don't make judgments or come to a consensus based off of what you "Google" because not all sources of information are credible. Ignorance is not bliss! We know as much as you do. No-one even knows the whole story right now. It’s still piecing together bit by bit. I will pray for those children and for their families for what they had to go through. It’s absolutely terrible as to what happened to them. The current string of events has made a huge impact on us all and the issue is deep seated. It's not about what we're going to do about it. It's about how we are going to walk through this time. This is a difficult period that we are going through. At this time we are all going through a whole melting pot of emotions and some of us don’t know what or how to feel about this whole situation that has come upon us. We need to support our classmates, friends and families and the abused victims with the current issue at hand and help them through this time. Penn State is known for having the most pride. We need to unite and show the world that no matter how big the hurdle is, we can jump over it. No matter how harsh the times are, we can pull through it. I don’t care about what the rest of the world has to say about this anymore. I was in denial and angry about this ever happening and now I am learning to accept it. You all may have heard the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me.”
Hang in there Penn Staters. We will get through this together. We are and we always will be Penn State.

I have always felt that foreign languages are really interesting and I get quite fascinated by all the different kinds of languages and the different dialects. Language is a powerful tool. I personally don’t feel uncomfortable when people speak in a different language in front of me. If at all, it fascinates me. I know five languages myself and whenever I just would like to talk to my friends and family members in either of those languages it’s only because what I’m saying is only meant for them to hear. I don’t want everyone to know what I’m saying. I do know what some people mean when they say that they feel uncomfortable around people speaking in a different language. I know I have been in a place where everyone is talking in Arabic (a language that I know to a certain extent) and I feel uncomfortable only because I don’t know if they’re talking about me or something else. I just feel left out and isolated. But it doesn’t bother me too much because I can still pick up two or three words and kind of figure it out. Whenever I travel to a different country I usually speak in my mother tongue because I feel more comfortable talking to my family in that language. Even now whenever my parents or my sister call me I will talk to them in a language other than English because I am talking to them about personal things that I don’t want people around me to hear about. My suitemates do the same thing to me. One of them talks to their friends in Italian or Spanish and one of them talks to their friends in German or Russian. I don’t understand why people should feel that uncomfortable around people who speak different languages? I’m proud to know the five languages and I am willing to learn more. That comment that Sam showed us in class about this person living in Switzerland and getting along with everyone by just speaking in English and then commenting on the fact that Mexicans should learn English. I felt that is was just an extremely biased opinion. If others can make an effort to learn another language then why can’t you? I do realize that people don’t like to be kept out of the loop and they would like to be involved in the conversation. But it depends on the situation. If you’re with a group of friends and some of them don’t know Hindi and you speak to the other half in Hindi. Then that’s just being plain rude and I get why they would be uncomfortable. But if you’re only with your family and no-one else then I don’t think people should get that uncomfortable about being around them.

In my opinion racism is defined as someone who acts superior to you and has pre-conceived notions based on the physical features like color of skin or social status or even culture. Stereotyping is also a form of racism. I strongly believe that everyone is racist in their own way. It doesn’t always have to be intentional. Sometimes racism also happens within communities. Some people have certain beliefs about a certain race or group of people. For example, Asians are good at math and inventing things, white people can’t dance or black people are good at basketball. I feel that all these pre-conceived notions and stereotyping has been promoted by the media. Some people who are racist expose their kids to that kind of environment and then eventually they also think that they should also think of people of a particular race that way. But when they grow up they understand what they have been exposed to in their younger years and decide for themselves if they would like to continue with that belief or not. Sam showed us this disturbing video of children choosing the good and the bad doll. It shows that these kids have grown up in that kind of environment in their own home. My parents have taught me to be accepting of all religions and all cultures and coming from such a multicultural place… I don’t really have any pre-conceived notions of any race or culture. Whenever I’m curious about these things I would much rather just go ahead and ask someone about it. I personally don’t like bottling up all these emotions and I don’t have the right to judge people based on what they look like on the outside.

My family and I have been discriminated on grounds of race before. Someone once told my mom that she has to let someone white ahead of her in line because she is clearly of a more superior race. I was shocked to see that even happen. Infact something very similar happened to me this summer. I went to Yosemite National Park with my family and we took a bus to Mariposa Woods. There was only one bus left to go back at the end of the day and since my mom has asthma I didn’t want her to walk all the way back to the car. While we in line for the bus I heard this other white family next to us saying that “we shouldn’t let these brown people ahead of us… they don’t deserve to use the bus… they should be walking instead”. And at this point I am so used to being racially discriminated so I just didn’t care. I can’t help it if people can’t embrace the world, the way it is. So anyway, when the doors of the bus opened I just wanted to make sure that my mom had a place to sit but that other family pushed my mom to one side and hit my sister and me and said that we shouldn’t get on the bus because it’s not meant for people like us. That really ticked me off and I got onto the bus first, made sure that that family didn’t get on the bus until I knew my mom and my sister were safe from them. And I told that woman who pushed my mom and hit my sister to grow up. And honestly I was so close to screaming obscenities but that’s not how I was raised. I will not stoop to their level.

People like those should learn to be more tolerant. I don’t care if people have something to say about my race. I’m used to it. I just look the other way. I can’t help it if they’re ignorant. Once they have that mind-set of a particular race. It’s hard to change them.

People who hang out in mixed crowds are NOT posers! That just shows that they like to mingle with other races and would like to know more about it. They don’t care about what other people think of them. I come from a place where it’s very multiracial and multicultural. So I have no problem in mingling with other races and in fact I love being with people outside of my race because I learn something new about their race and their culture every day. I think it’s really cool that most people are open to other races. I personally don’t keep race in mind when I meet new people and befriend someone. I have absolutely no right to judge someone based on what they look like on the outside. It’s the kind of person they are on the inside that really matters. And honestly, no-one else has the right to judge me either. It’s my life and I’m the one who’s in control of it. When I first came to Penn State I do know that some of the students thought that I’m a poser when I hung out with white and black people. I found it to be extremely offensive. First they had as problem with me hanging out with my friends from the same racial background as me and then they had a problem when I started hanging out with people from different racial backgrounds. I mean what it is that they really expect from me?? Yes I do agree I only hung out with people from my own racial background for a white but it wasn’t intentional. It’s just sort of this connection you feel with them. You automatically feel at ease when you’re with them because the both of us are going through the same thing. Once I was all settled in, I started moving out of race and befriending people from other races. If that was something I didn’t want to do at all, then why would I be attending Penn State at all? Maybe I as well ought to have stayed home and not travelled all the way here. I have had people asking me back home about why I always hang out with white and black people. Or why I don’t talk to more brown people? I don’t understand why it should bother them? I’m not forcing them to believe the same ideals as I do. It shouldn’t matter who I’m friends with. Why should I only be limited to brown friends? In fact I feel proud to say that I have friends from different racial background and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Some people are curious as to why I prefer being in a mixed crowd and I’m not hesitant to tell them why. Just don’t be too quick to judge someone just because you don’t prefer being in a mixed crowd. I’m brown and I’m proud of my heritage but me not being around my own race does not mean that I’m a poser nor am I ditching my own race. I have always felt that there is unity in diversity and it takes all kinds of people to make this world.

The way you view the world changes as you grow older. Over the years there have been many hate crimes against so many races. Hate crimes based on just the way you look. Most of them were against people of color. White people thought that they were the superior race and could get away with anything. Racial discrimination has become a big deal in the 21st century. I remember as a kid that my parents would very subtly tell me that people would make judgments based on the color of my skin. I didnt believe them for the longest time. And then 9/11 happened. Thats when security checks, especially in airports, got very stringent. Im an Indian residing in the Middle East and that didnt help my case at all. Every time I travel to the United States, security pulls me and my family aside for additional screening. They open our suitcases, rummage through our stuff, are nasty and do pat downs in public. Coming from a conservative family, we think thats pretty offensive. Sometimes I wish I was white just so that people wont judge me based on my skin color. That really ticks me off. Why do we even need to discriminate on grounds of race? I dont get what good comes out of it. It only leads to more hate crimes and everyone would just stick to their own racial group. Im proud of who I am. I dont need to change the way I look or pretend to be someone Im not just to be accepted by society. I believe that the media has led to racial stereotypes just is what a lot of people are exposed to and that has led to discrimination in its own small way as well. Some people actually make an effort to learn about someone elses race which is nice. Some of my best friends on campus are white. They all made an effort to get to know who I am. They didnt judge me based on the color of my skin. They dont care about me being brown and being an international student. They respect me for who I am and I respect them for who they are. But there is a political correctness factor. They are at Stage 2 where they dont know what would or would not be offensive to a particular racial group. They respect all races, cultures and religions. They just dont want to say something that would be offensive to someone else. I understand that some people are curious about different races and we wouldnt mind telling you about it. Just dont judge a book by its cover. Some people let their race govern them and try to stay with the same racial group but to what extent are you willing to let it run your life?

Most women want to “dress to impress” but at what cost? The cost of getting sexually harassed or being raped? Is it worth it to go through all that pain just to look hot? I never understood as to why women between the ages of 18 to 27 need to wear very skimpy clothing. I understand that they want to look like they’re hottest thing in the party but that’s inviting trouble. It’s like women know that they are probably going to get hit on by a couple of guys at the party but they feel offended when some guy is very straightforward with them. They feel that they are easy going and would be up for any kind of “fun”. During Halloween, most girls go all out, look for the sluttiest dress around, wear the highest of heels and they go through all that trouble just so that they achieve that “hot” image. It’s only natural that guys will be more attracted to some girl who is exposing herself as opposed to a girl who is dressed decently. After going through all that trouble to achieve the “Barbie doll” look they expect to be treated respectfully. I do agree that girls want to look pretty in their “little black dress” and wear high heels and put on lots of make-up but there is a certain limit you can go to. Most of my friends disagree by saying that women have to express themselves by the way they dress. I completely disagree with that because anyone can take advantage of you if you have a little piece of cloth just about covering your bare essentials. Infact this year there was a “SlutWalk” protest which initiated in Canada. Participants involved in this movement were protesting against excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman’s appearance. This rally began when a police officer said that women should dress appropriately instead of dressing like “sluts” in order to stop inviting trouble to themselves. This turned into an international campaign. I’m not against the fact that girls shouldn’t be wearing skimpy clothing but my point is that they are allowed to dress any way they like but don’t go overboard with it. I do agree with what the policeman said as well. Yes it was something that was offensive to women but in one way or another, his comment did make sense. Women should be more careful about what they’re wearing. This is not only happening at parties but also in the work place. You can’t put the blame entirely on women.. it’s also the men. Men should also realize just because a girl is in skimpy clothing doesn’t mean that she wants to be intimate with you. Most guys just assume that that’s what she wants but in actuality it isn’t. I’m a girl and I like to look pretty when I go out but not at the cost of being disrespected by other guys and I don’t care if they don’t pay any attention to me at a party just because I’ll come to a party in my jeans and converse. I’m there to have a good time and no-one can take that away from me.