As far as my parents, or more like my parent, goes I would say overall they are very open to anything I would do. I would say though purely based on how my parents are though they would be more open to me dating interracially. My parents are currently divorced. My mom is white and my dad is puerto rican. They have both dated outside their race many times as they were doing when they made me. I feel like because of this they would easily be open to me dating interracially. As for me though, I've never been attracted to anyone other than white girls with the occasional spanish girl so really neither of these things would be something I would do. My family in a whole is really open to interracial relationships. There are the occasional racist relatives such as my grandmother's sister but even that is not much of a factor in my families lives. As for the gay option I would say my family is just as open about that. I have gay friends they have gay friends so it seems like that would be fine. As far as the transgender and other stuff, I really wouldn't know because that stuff never comes up. I just know for sure that if I started dating a girl of any race it wouldn't even make an impact. I don't really how I can talk over 400 words about this topic and this is the last blog so I can't really say my heart is in it anymore. There is one thing I have learned from ranting on this blog and that is that ranting on this blog does nothing for me. I end up just talking about topics in a highly opinionated manor and really I may not know anything about the subject so what is that really doing for me. It just gets me talking nonsense at some points which almost fuels my inaccuracy of information so I don't really know. That's my piece though, I kind of ended up ranting about why I hate ranting on these things. It's part of the reason I didn't do some blogs. Some topics I just didn't have feelings about so I wasn't just going to make up random things and ideas.

The question of who to save is obviously a tough one and we all hope to never have to make it. There's many arguments to make as far as rationales, like my mother would tell me to save one of the other two or my significant other would tell me to save the child. There also comes in to question the fact that two of the three had already had a chance to live life for much longer than the baby has, but couldn't that also mean that logically the baby doesn't really know what life is yet so they can't miss out on what they don't know. While on that cynical train of thought, if you saved your significant other you could have another seemingly similar child while still having the person you love and have been with for some time. These though are just all possible ways to think about it and not all actually how I think. These ideas may have all flown through my mind but that in no way means I considered them much. The truth of the matter is while in class I chose the child, but since then I have really been thinking about it and at the point in my life that I am at right now I don't know if that would really be the case. I chose baby because that is what "social norms" in a way taught me what I should do. It is the socially acceptable decision. If you were to chose one of the other two you may be subject to judgment and disapproval . If you save your significant other she may never speak to you again because you saved her and not the child, even though at the time you thought you were doing the right thing. Looking back at my decision I think I would have chose my significant other, because at this point I feel that that is the most important person to me. I can't just say I'll pick the child because I assume that I will feel strongly toward them, I would like to think that I would pick them but how can I really know. I don't live my life on assumptions and guessing, especially when it comes to the hard decisions in life. So for now, that is my decision, I pick my significant other. Who knows though, there is a very good chance that will change when I have a child of my own, but until then I won't know and I am in no rush to find out.

This question is always a kind of tricky one. I mean I think there is a good chance that if it was a black person shooting a white kid that shooter would go to jail but I also would like to have a little faith in our society and say that he wouldn't be treated that different. Before hearing about this case, if I would have heard of the circumstances of it I would have probably said, "Wow that's crazy I bet that guy is going to rot in jail" not "They should investigate that more and not arrest him even if they know he shot him." So I guess my perspective of our system has changed a bit. This kind of also reminds of the idea of media coverage and child abductions. Well, it reminds me of a lot of things but this most strongly. If a white child goes missing and a black child goes missing, they both get local coverage. Which of these however is likely to get national coverage? It's the white child a big majority of the time. A CNN anchor, TJ Holmes, actually brought this up while talking about a missing black child and said, "why are the missing children receiving national coverage overwhelmingly white?" It's sad really and people get very uncomfortable when asked to talk about it because they see it happening but don't know how to address and that helps nothing. Through this example and the shooting case it just gives you a good show to our society's "priorities" I guess you could say. If asked about, I would just say, "It seems that's how our society is right now and it would be difficult to change it, but if you have an idea of how to then I'm on board." The fact of the matter those is, our society won't be changing any time soon and any process to do so would take a very long time if it actually ever worked. I'd love to see some kind of global movement that actually stuck around and promoted this kind of change. Every time that you see some cause though it gets popular really quick, especially within social media channels, and then it dies off. People enjoy that, just jumping on the bandwagon when you see a cause that "speaks to you". It makes them feel better and like their helping even though they forget about it a few weeks later. That cause did go anywhere, it seems the interest just did. It's sad but true you can see it all the time on Facebook. Our society is staying this way for awhile so buckle up and hold on for dear life, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Sorry had to end in something light hearted, more for me than anything.

Media is really a tricky subject. I guess for the most part I used to let it influence me a little but that was awhile ago. I now know better and form my own opinions based on whatever research I can. Sometimes the research can be hard to do if the information is not out there for the everyday person, so in part you have to look to the news, which I always do with a very open mind. For now though, my most trusted news sources are The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Gizmodo. Whether that's a show of how biased and controlled or news is today I am not sure, but if I've learned anything from the events of last semester, it is that the media will show what they want to in order to almost steer you to think a certain way. All those events of last semester really backed up thoughts I had about the media.
When I look at videos that we saw in class toward the end, they were kind of shocking more in just the way of what was happening in them. I was also shocked cause it was something I had never seen before. Those aren't videos you would see if you weren't looking for them. Sitting watching the news or anything else you wouldn't expect to see Americans in even a slightly bad light. That would be determined "unpatriotic" and just an impossibility to happen. Even though they don't really impact my feelings of our people as a whole they still are something I would want to see covered. Information is power! I love to be informed about anything and everything. It just gives you a better idea of what's going on around you and you have a right to that. I feel as a people we would be much better off if we were given unbiased information about things like this. I don't like reading at all so when I read I want it to be about something that is going to make me better for reading it. I won't read fiction. If I want something fiction I'll watch TV. I'm reading a book about the brain right now because it gives me a better idea of how we operate. If there was a news source I feel like I could really trust I would probably read the news sources more and be better off for it, but we don't have that. So all in all the media is good if taken with a grain of salt but in where we are right now, I can't take it as much more than that. I'll continue to try and find my own information as hard as that may be.

The question of race...can't say I really think about it too often. That has changed a little bit now with this class. The class kind of forced me to revisit some things and think them over again. I have a primarily Irish mother who is also some part German. My Father is Puerto-Rican and that's about all I've ever gotten out of him. He may be more things too, but I'm not sure. He gave me a last name that seems French (Beauchamps), so I don't know if that makes me French but that's beside the point.
For the sake of this writing I am an Irish and Puerto-Rican man. I use to make fun of myself a little, saying that I got drunk and stole things. I guess that was me playing to a stereo type that I have heard of both of my races. My parents have been divorced since I was about one which left me to grow up with my mother and grandmother. Growing up in this very white environment made me feel like I was in fact white and I still kind of think that today. Most people don't even believe I'm Puerto-Rican until I show them my dark skinned dad. I have pretty light skin; the most I can do is get a pretty nice tan in the summer. I'll admit that when a salsa or merengue song comes on my hips start to move, but I have not divulged far enough into my Spanish heritage to feel Spanish. I recently filled out a job application where I put that I was White and Spanish, but that's about it.
Referencing back to something we talked about it class, I always use to say I was White for job applications and Spanish for college applications. This was something we talked about with how race influences how these things are selected. I used that idea too when applying here. On my application I put just Spanish and I didn't know if that would hurt me or help me but it's what I did.
So I guess what I'm getting at is I think race is more about something you feel and less about just what you are in a sense. Like a lot of things it partly comes down to how you're raised. Maybe if I would have spent more time with my Aunts and went with them on their annual trip to Puerto-Rico to visit family I would feel more Spanish. I might even feel it more if I knew some Spanish, but I don't so until I learn I won't know. I guess this leaves me with the desire to further explore that side of my heritage and see where it leads me.

Let me start off by saying that I am usually perceived as white, but am in fact half Irish and half Puerto Rican with a little German on the Irish side. I'm just going to talk a little about some personal experience. My mom is a great example of I guess what you would call a frequent interracial dater. Obviously she was married to my dad who is the Puerto Rican side of my heritage. I commented to her one day about never dating white guys and she just said "that's not true, I've dated white guys, I just date good guys that I find regardless of race." That's how I learned about interracial relationships being a pretty "white" kid in a primarily white neighborhood. That's how I feel too though, in a way I feel you're genetically predisposed to like certain people. I can never say the reasons I initially like someone. I just feel drawn toward certain people and if I find appealing things about them later that I like I stick around. That initial thing that draws me to get to know a person though I can't explain. I have only ever dated white girls and when I think about dating other races the only other one that I think would be a good possibility is a Spanish girl. So again, it seems somehow that I'm wired in that way. I really feel if you want to date another race in this day and age you are going to do it, at least in most cases, regardless of what society may or may not think. I have two example of this and they both have to deal with parents.
My mom right now is dating a black guy and everyone in my immediate family could care less. He's just a great guy. My aunt usually dates black guys and her mother is pretty racist. Even though she says some things against certain people and probably disproves of a lot of her boyfriends, that won't stop her. She has always said she will date who she wants. So from my experience it seems that people will date whoever they want. Racist people I don't think really affect dating. My close friend's parents are racist against Spanish and don't want her to date them. We dated for a little bit and her parents loved me because they thought I was white. When they found out I was have Spanish it was too late they already liked me. Her next boyfriend wasn't so lucky though because he was more visibly Spanish. This just goes to show that I don't even think racist people are really that racist they just have to think you're the same as them when they first meet you. I'm so off topic. Let's end with a great quote from Stevie Wonder, "I've gone white-girl crazy, she's gone black-boy hazy. We're each other's baby, we're in love." It's all about the love.

I guess the biggest thing I have learned in all of this is not to judge situations. You can't always follow the news or what you see on TV and form opinions based on that. Well, you can but it wouldn't be a very informed opinion. Being in State College and then talking to be that aren't here and listening to what they think about what's going on here stunned me a little. This was because information that was getting out to them vs. what I actually see happening was very different, as to say they saw very little of the situation and most of it was highlights of bad things that happen. It reminds me of a rally or protest that I once saw on youtube at another college. The students were linking arms and then all of a sudden they were sprayed in the face with mace. Watching that video you would think " they were just peacefully protesting why did this happen?" Then, a little while later I found that a longer video of the same event was posted. It turned out that the people had blocked in the police officers and wouldn't let them leave. This goes to show that film out of context of the entire situation may look bad or make you feel a certain way, but when given a look at the entire thing you views may change completely. I think that is a good life lesson and that just is know the facts.
Another thing I have learned isn't really a lesson, more of just an observation. The anger that some people have astounds me. When people say such harsh words about people, whether they be factually based or just a possibly wrong opinion, I am shocked. Well, I guess shocked may be a little be dramatic. Living in this society, it's hard to actually be shocked about things that people say. It's hard to even reference a situation where I would even consider saying so and so should die in some elaborate way. I just have no reason to waste my time feeling that way. It's not doing me any good. I suppose a situation though may be someone who has done something bad that directly effects me.
I also in part learned how to deal with death. We all lost a big part of the school we love and that I have been going to for now almost 4 years. Dealing with death is all about who you have to get through it with. This could be close family or a spouse, but in this case it was the State College community, whether it be students, alumni or townies. We have one of the closest and supportive communities and when we come together it is always in a big way.

State Patty's Day...the big topic of conversation at this time of the year and not just at Penn State campuses. Let me first say that I enjoy an excuse to drink all day. If someone says "come to this bar tour" of course I'm going to go and carelessly spend my money because I'm in college and won't be here forever. That being said, State Patty's Day always seemed like a cool idea and I tried it out the first year. The holiday has changed drastically since then though and what it is now an overwhelming amount of "out of towners" and excessively long bar lines. I say out of towners in reference to people that don't go to Penn State University Park and this current time. I say to each their own and am fully content hiding at a small apartment party drinking with friends until the holiday is over. I will say I do sometimes "bitch" about the holiday saying something like "there are more out of towners here then actually students and they come here, trash our town and leave." I mean that to some extent but I look at the facts and we're to blame too. I say it because the day after I usually go walk around downtown and it looks like the town just threw a big apartment party and the hosts are too hung over to clean it up. So it's not a holiday I love but I do enjoy the idea of it, kind of like what Sam said. We, as a campus, came together in such a big way that we created a lasting holiday and that's pretty cool to think about.
There's how I feel about it, now to the issue of actually having it this year. It's going to happen, there's no stopping it. It's grown so big it could almost have itself. I wish there was a way we could pause it for one year and this year is set up perfectly to do that. There are many reasons to pause it this year and the big overlying reason is that we're still under national watch and have gotten a lot of bad press. We do not need more bad press and that is all the news reporters are looking for, any excuse to tear us down some more. Take the example of the news van flipping over, I must have seen that 100 times on all different channels. I want to know where the coverage of the candle light vigil that was 50 feet from the vans got hidden. This vigil also largely outnumbered the attendance at the "rally". This is a show that the news is way more likely to broadcast the bad over and over again before they show the good. Why is this year so perfect to postpone the holiday? We have a perfectly good and culturally accepted binge drinking holiday open up to us. The actual St. Patty's Day falls on a Saturday this year and isn't during spring break! It's like we're being given a gift to take a break and instead drink on the day that would make our Irish ancestors proud.