en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3534728 Comments by jb317 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-87/#IDComment231837455 I think it is very interesting the way you talked about the reality check about how you dressed. I forgot all about that lecture that we discussed all of the things like that. I cannot believe how much that really made me think. You always just assume that you dress a certain way, or act a certain way, because you think you are making those decisions for yourself. However, it turns out that may not be the case at all. There is a very good chance that I choose to dress the way I do because guys would want me to dress like that. It really makes you question how you view the world and why people are doing the things they are doing. One thing SOC has particularly helped me be conscious of is that people may assume that I am assuming things about them – even if I’m not. Fri, 2 Dec 2011 21:35:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-87/#IDComment231837455 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment231828231 I think that State Patty’s day is going to be very interesting this year. I do agree with Sam that something must be done in order to make a statement towards those who will be watching. At the same time I do not think as a school we will be able to accomplish this. I do think it is an interesting theory and something that should be further discussed. If there were a way to show the student body how awful it is going to look if we do continue State Patty’s day I do think that some people would listen. There would have to be some type of event, run by students, to show other students how awful they are going to make our school look to be if we continue to the tradition. A large issue that we will have to deal with it is the visitors however. Everyone knows that State Patty’s day is a holiday where mostly visitors have been responsible for giving us our bad rep. The amount of people who come to stay with students is a very large number, and therefore, we would no only have to control the student body, but those who will try to persuade us to continue the holiday even if we don’t to. Other people will not understand why we would want to give up the holiday when it is something that people look forward to all year. However, they do not go here, and therefore, they will not be there to deal with the aftermath of State Pattys and all the bad press it is going to bring right back to our school. I will be abroad next semester, and therefore, I am very curious to see how the whole scandal takes off next semester and everything that is going to unfold within the next few months. One thing that will be very interesting is hearing about all the news being abroad. I think being in the middle of the scandal was crazy and hearing about the news was absolutely insane, however, I think hearing about it form far away will be very different and show me just how much of a big deal it is to the rest of the world. I just hope as a school we can take a stand and do something that will make people turn their heads – or not turn their heads. It is important that we do the unexpected. Show people that they cannot assume the worst in us, and when they do, that we will prove them wrong. I just really hope that as a school we can come together and make the right decision. I am just afraid that students will not realize the repercussions of our actions until its long to long to do anything. Fri, 2 Dec 2011 21:08:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment231828231 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment225771573 I like the way that you say this is a university at the end of the day. I think that is the most important thing we can remember at the end of the day is how we are all students and life will go on. Out lives will not stop – even though last week many of them did- and we must go on as though things have not changed. It is a school after all, and a school is a place for learning and while this has been a large life lesson for us, we cannot forget about our work and why we are here. When we graduate our diplomas will mean something and we should work for them so that we know they hold the value we would want them to. Hopefully with a new president and the new investigations underway we will be able to once again focus on our studies and getting this university back to what it used to be. One really important thing we have learned is that time heals all. Although it may take longer than we would have wanted, eventually, all will be well and we will be viewed as we once were. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:34:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment225771573 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment225751087 I think there would have been a difference if Sandusky were black or Latino. I think there are multiple ways in which this could have differently affected the situation. I think in our society we picture more crime with people who are minorities. I think the fact that Sandusky was a white male in the community made the crime that much worse. People respected him and saw him as an upstanding townsperson. I think that if he were of a different race people would have said that they ‘saw it coming’, or that people never really respected him in the first place. One thing we talked about in class was the crime rate and the expectancy for people of different races to be pulled over. I think that this would translate to this situation. I do think in some ways the situation might have almost been better if people had suspected him to do something like this. The fact that people found him so unsuspecting of such crimes made the reaction to the allegations much more visceral. Obviously it is not fair that the race of Sandusky would have made the problem different, however, it s truth that we live in. We live in a world where people discriminate by race. As much as people would like to believe that the race of a person no longer has any affect on their opinion of them, I do not believe this is true. There is a difference in the way people view the crimes. I also think, while it might be a stretch to say it, that people would have been less focused on everyone else that was involved in the case. One thing that has happened around campus, is that the focus has been taken off Sandusky, and placed on officials and Joe Paterno. I think that lots of the focus would have been taken off them and it would have been more about Sandusky and what he did wrong. Overall, there would have been major differences in the case. While no one has really said that Sandusky is innocent, more than one person has said that ‘he deserves his day in court’ and previous players have sent him money so that he gets a fair shot in court. I think that if he weren’t white, these reactions may have changed. It is clear that race influences all situations and has a very large say in what the citizens think. It would be interesting if there were an experiment to find out how people would have reacted if the situation were different. This class has taught me a lot about race relations and the different ways people react to situations depending on the people and their races. I think that after almost an entire semester of taking this class it is safe to say that people would have expected these allegations much more is Sandusky were a black or Latino man. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:41:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment225751087 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-72/#IDComment220581879 I feel like this is an interesting post because you are saying what most people do not feel they can say. I do think it is a rather bold statement because people are afraid that if they say anything on Sandusky’s side then they will be associated with him and what he is doing. However, it is true that we live in America and that in our court system you are innocent until proven guilty and therefore you should have that right. I think it is just a part of our society that we are afraid to side with anyone who could be guilty of such a heinous crime. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:25:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-72/#IDComment220581879 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment220575202 There is a definite change in the way people all over the world view Penn State students. People all over the world have been watching Penn State students and the scandal that is surrounding our school. It is quite disturbing to see how some people have been reacting to the whole situation, and bothersome to be completely honest. One thing that bothers me is the way that people are acting as though our diploma is now worthless. This truly bothers me because they are acting like in some way the level of education we are receiving has dropped, when in fact that is not the case at all. I think that as a student body, it is hard for people to understand where we are coming from, and they will never know. One thing that bothers me is the attitude that people have when they see our support for Joe Paterno. Our support for Joe Paterno should not be translated to a lack of support for the victims and that is what everyone sees. No one will stop for a minute and realize that things would have been much better if they would have let him step down, and if they had done it during the day. They set themselves up for a riot, and that is what the world saw. I have an issue with people who will not take the time to understand where the students are coming from, but then again, could anyone really? I think as students it is important that we hold our heads up high for the world to see, because they may judge us, but in the end we know that we are in the right. One of my professors mentioned that it is okay for us to mourn together, but when the outside is watching; show them we still have a strong front. I just hope eventually people start to do more research and learn the causes that we are really supporting and stop seeing us as a bunch of people who are blind to the real cause. Eventually we can all just pray that this blows over and the integrity of out institution is not in question. First and foremost we must pray for the victims and make sure that they are not left behind in this case. They deserve the most attention and we should not take any of that away from them, however, we need to make sure the facts are presented correctly. I just hope that the facts will be straightened out and people will once again restore their faith in the university as a whole. I want people to realize how we feel about our university and take the time to listen to our stories. However, it is hard to actually explain how you feel and articulate your feelings without making people feel that you are being insensitive to the situation. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:05:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment220575202 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment216535272 I completely agree with your reaction to the question. It is that immediate part of you that wants to say that it absolutely doesn’t bother you when people are speaking in another language, however, the longer you think about it, the more your response changes. It is not that I do not respect an individual’s right to speak another language, however, sometimes it can make you feel a little strange when you do not know what people are saying. One example that comes to mind is when you are in a nail salon and you truly have no clue what all the people are saying while they are painting your nails and you can’t help your own egocentrism and think that they are speaking about you. Therefore, once and a while I can see where there may be an issue when you hear people speaking out of your native tongue. It is feeling like you do not belong, and lets be honest, everyone wants to belong. Fri, 4 Nov 2011 00:03:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment216535272 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-60/#IDComment216067370 I think I would hire an illegal immigrant. There are a few reasons that I feel this way. The first reason is that as a child my dad always hired illegal workers to work at our house and help with building and yard-work. As a kid I never really realized that the workers he was picking up at the train station were living in America illegally. But now, in retrospect, there is no reason when I get older that I won’t hire people who need work to help out at my house. Also, as I got older, my dad explained to me that you pay them whatever the going rate is and give them a hot meal for lunch. That made me feels better about the situation because you know they are making practically nothing and cannot get real jobs since they do not have papers. Another reason that I would hire an illegal immigrant was from a first hand experience. I worked in a café while I was in high school and the cook who worked in the back was from Ecuador. She and her husband were living in New York while their kids were living back home and they would send all the money they made (minus what they needed to survive). I became very close with Irma over the years that I worked at the café and could not imagine what she was going through. There was no work where she was from and she needed to come here so that she could give her kids the life she wanted to give them. I just cannot imagine how hard it must be for her to never get to see her children. She literally gave up everything for them so she can give them a life that here we would consider below average. If people like Irma need jobs to help their families then I think we should give them to them. I do realize that there need to be regulations and it is much more complicated than I am making it sounds, however, I hope that eventually we can simplify the problem. I do acknowledge that there are many problems with hiring people who live here illegally, but when you hear their stories and take the time to realize how helpless they are, you cannot help but feel sympathy for them. I do not propose that we take jobs away from Americans – I’m just saying that we need to realize that they are not intentionally stealing our jobs. They do not have mal-intent, so I believe that we should be a bit more understanding because they are clearly desperate to do whatever they can to support their families and themselves. Thu, 3 Nov 2011 01:54:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-60/#IDComment216067370 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213961674 I think that it is too broad to ask if we should “give back what we have taken”. It is much more complicated than that and you could never really get into the logistics of it. I think that in general it sounds like it might be the right thing to do, but in the long run, it seems very improbable. Like Sam surveyed in class today, we have come too far to really give back what we had originally taken. No one is alive, or even knows someone who was alive when the initial taking of the land happened. Also, I understand how Native Americans think that we stole the land from them – however; no one who currently calls this country home was responsible for taking the land, just like no one who is currently Native American technically had their land taken from them. Therefore, it is an extremely complex argument. I do think that it would be different if this were longer ago, however, it isn’t anymore so to me it kind of seems as though the argument is moot. The example where the girl stole the guys chair in class is rather through provoking. I cannot believe how strange it seems that we literally stole the land from others while they were actually living there. I think that the cartoon that Sam showed during class was very poignant and helped me to realize the irony in what we are doing by not letting immigrants in. At the same time, I do understand that we are now very developed and there does need to be a certain form of control, however, it is just ironic when you look at it from the perspective of the native people. I cannot imagine how horrible it would be to have your home stripped from you. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:17:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213961674 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-50/#IDComment210560771 I liked your post because it made me think about the fact that you said many people you know will not be able to have the kinds of conversations that you have had the ability to have. I never really thought about the fact that some people will just never have the chance to have the same amount of exposure as one would get, for example, by taking Sam’s class. Another thing that I was thinking about while reading your post was whether or not one would be able to teach their friends or parent’s back home a bit more about race, and if they would be able to progress through the stages without ever having the dialogue on their own. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:03:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-50/#IDComment210560771 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210352792 I do not think that if someone from one race hangouts with people who are predominantly another race it makes them a poser. There are absolutely some people who would fit this mold, but I think some people honestly are just innocently wanting to hangout without an ulterior motive. I do think that when it comes to mixed races hanging out that there is a stigma that people can have another purpose (whether it be acceptance or something else) however, I don’t think its fair to put everyone into this category. I thought it was interesting when we talked about the stage five of whiteness where the person is looking so hard for acceptance for another race. I never really thought about the fact that some people have such a need for acceptance. I guess you could say that people who are in stage five would be considered posers by some people. Something that I would be interested in knowing is what people who consider others posers are thinking. I don’t understand the underlying thought process. I must admit one thing I found very interesting in class was the whole theory about how some black people during the civil rights movement were wondering why their were white people marching and protesting with them. I guess I never thought about that and how those thoughts could come about, but when I actually think about it, it does make sense that some people would feel like this. Sometimes the racial differences and hate run so deep that you forget what you were initially fighting for. I thought it was a very different perspective when Chenjerai taught our class and spoke about how he went through his whole black powere phase and was a bit angry towards white people. I would think that people who were at this stage would think that if a white person were hanging out with them that they were being a ‘poser’. Poser is a strong word however. I think more than someone would be considered a poser, they would be considered someone who wanted acceptance too badly and would do anything to get it. Although, back to my original point, I do think there are some people who honestly do not think about who they are hanging out with and just hangout with they people who they are most comfortable around. There were some people in our class who said that they went to schools that were predominantly of another race, so I would see them coming to college and hanging out with people they were used to hanging around, and it wasn’t because they were trying to be something they were not – that’s just who they are. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:03:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210352792 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207173834 never really thought about the decision aspect and how they can really never make their own decisions. They will always have to compromise no matter what. Even if once and a while they do have the same thoughts, there will be a million things that they will disagree on and will always have the meet in the middle because they don’t have the luxury of doing whatever they want. Also, being together all of the time would probably cause them to argue and disagree more than most people would. I think about my siblings and best friends and how often we argue just because of how much time we spend together. I can’t imagine never getting a break from someone no matter how hard you tried. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:40:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207173834 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207169474 I cannot believe that two girls can live like that. It is absolutely fascinating. As ignorant as it may sounds, I had no idea that anyone actually lived like that – I would assume that doctors would either have separated them at birth, or the lack of being able to separate them would cause them to die. The whole idea of two people living in one body is truly insane. I don’t know how they could even decide how to get along. I also don’t understand how they can get through one day. Every task seems like it would be enormously challenging. The fact that they can function in society is ridiculous. The challenges that they must face on a day to day basis – not only physically but emotionally – is overwhelming to think about. I cannot imagine what my reaction would be if I saw two people who shared the same body. The whole idea of sharing one body is incredible. I would love to learn more about the physical possibility of living in a world and sharing one body. I do not understand how basic functions would work. They seem to be a medical miracle. I cannot even begin to think of how difficult it must have been for them to socialize in our world. People are not as accepting as they should be in our day in age, therefore, when people see things that are particularly different m we have seen that many people do not know how to adjust. In the video it seemed as though they were very comfortable in their school, however, you never know – it could have just been an act. People are incredibly cruel and it seems inevitable that these girls would have to suffer through so much ridicule by their classmates. They must be incredibly strong spirited. Thinking about their struggles is very humbling. Sometimes I think I am having a rough day, or things aren’t going the way that I want them to, but then you hear a story like this, and everything changes. I would like to watch a longer documentary about them and all of the things that they have had to go through. I would also like to see a deeper look into their parent’s situations and medical choices that they have had to make and what life is like for them. Also, after reading one article in another soc class that I am taking where the parents had to decide a serious medical decision for their child at a young age, I wonder, as awful as it may be, what decision the parents were faced with at birth. Also, I wonder if they could tell through a sonogram that the babies were going to be attached and if they would have suggested that the parents didn’t go through with the birth. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:30:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207169474 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204147829 I think it is interesting that you think that girls do not need to dress that way to get your attention. While there is definitely something to be said for a girl who does not dress in the typical Friday night outfit, there is a clear advantage to dressing that way. I think that there are guys out there who are not interested in girls who dress like everyone else but at the same time I do believe that many guys really tend to care about the way that people present themselves. Also, not to generalize, but it seems to be that girls who wear less clothing are more open to having sex. Therefore, guys would obviously want to be with girls who would be more willing to give it up. Fri, 7 Oct 2011 01:16:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204147829 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204145488 I genuinely do not think its fair that guys get to wear whatever they want and girls have to wear these uncomfortable clothes so that they can look appealing to guys. I do think that girls have done this to themselves and that they could stick out if they wanted to and not wear things that are ‘scandalous’ or that make them an object for men, however, they would be stared at. It is a catch-22 that we are all stuck in. There are those people who will wear whatever they want, not caring what guys think about them, but at the same time, these girls will never get the kind of attention that girls who wear short skirts and six inch heels get. Although, on the entire other side, while girls have to wear uncomfortable shoes, guys cannot do anything to improve the appearance that God gave them. Girls can go tanning without being made fun of, can wear make up to hide any imperfections, dye their hair and various other things to improve what they were given. Guys, for the most part, have to work with what they were given. Granted they can go to the gym to tone or they can style their hair in different ways, but other than that they are stuck. Therefore, I believe that both sides aren’t exactly ideal, but we all make do. It is a strange place that we have come to where girls need to practically be naked to be desired by guys, but I’m sure, just as quickly this trend will fade out and something else will be desirable to men. There is still a place for conservative people in this world to get boys. It just takes a more secure guy to go up to girls that are dressed less like a ‘slut’ and more like they want to be talked to. It also takes a guy who is more intellectual and looking for something more than a ‘one night stand’, which in college, is not likely. I do think that this ‘slutty’ standard is something that only really takes place in college. Although in general we all wear less clothes, however there is no other time like ‘the college years’ where dressing half-naked is necessary to get guys to pay attention to you. We are stuck in this place where we all believe we need to do more and more (or technically less and less) in order to catch people’s attention. Although I do believe that the initial attraction has a lot to do with what your apperance is, I can still say that we live in a place where once the initial attraction is over then we can build a relationship on personalities. Fri, 7 Oct 2011 01:08:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204145488 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-26/#IDComment201067329 I thought that it was very clever of you to bring up the Jewish stereotype. I hadn’t thought about it while I was thinking about stereotypes, but it is a very overused stereotype that is used constantly. I also disagree with this stereotype. I’m sure somewhere along the way there were people like this, just as there are people who have done something to start every stereotype. I do completely disagree with that stereotype however. Also, I believe it comes off very rude. Some stereotypes have an extremely offensive connotation, the Jewish one is just rude and silly in my opinion. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:02:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-26/#IDComment201067329 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment200534617 My views on foreign aid have not changed. While I do believe that it is strange that we do not give more money than some of the other economies, I do think that we give a good amount. We have many problems happening in our own country that I think more of our money should be focused there. I completely understand that we have a duty to help other people in order to help the world become a better place, but I strongly feel that we will not be able to help people to our full ability if we are not strong ourselves. Also, it makes sense to me that we would need to get something back for giving. Our country is not in a place to be making donations. Our government is like a business and we need to be making money to support ourselves. Foreign aid is extremely important because we are fortunate enough to live in a country where we have the resources to help others. One thing that Sam said that kind of bothered me was about how little we actually give to other countries. I think that giving people military support in countries that cannot protect themselves is very important. The US military is something that we can be very proud of and is something that we work very hard at, therefore, how can we say that we don’t give enough to other countries. One girl said that she knew one of her friends who was in South Africa and was helping to build wells and bring water to the people in those countries. Yes while we may not give them enough monetary support, that does not mean that the help that we give them is insignificant. We help them in the ways that we can which is very important and in the long run it is worth it. It is unfair of us to look at the per capita amount that we spend in other countries, when sometimes it is not about money. While Switzerland may be giving more actual money than we are, it shouldn’t discredit the help that we are giving. I think if you talked to anyone who is in the armed forces and told them how startling our lack of foreign aid is, they would be very hurt and upset. We are undermining our military by saying that we do not do enough. Something that we really need to look at is the larger picture. While we may not give as much as we could, we do give which is extremely important. I hope that we could look more at how much we do and help rather than how much more we could be doing. I just didn’t like the way that Sam made it seem that what we were doing nothing to help others. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:38:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment200534617 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196457173 I think that you brought up a very interesting point that I completely neglected, which was how they haven’t had any schooling or proper teaching in the business field. It makes what they do that much more impressive, and makes me think about how much more they could do if they had been given the opportunity to go to school. I think being able to give these people lessons and advice is such an excellent idea. There are so many business majors and just intelligent people at this school who would be willing to help. Having an outlet to help someone and being able to use the skills that you acquired at Penn State would just be unreal. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:35:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196457173 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196454767 I think it is very interesting how structured our blog is this week because usually it is very open ended, however, once I saw how many videos there were to respond to I was much happier. The first video that I watched was about the woman who crocheted the handbags. I really liked the bags, but more importantly, I think it is so fantastic what she is doing for herself. It is so nice to see people trying to make it on their own and really do something for themselves rather than feel sorry for themselves. One thing that truly upsets me is how little she sells the bags for. I do understand that I have a biased view because in America prices are ridiculously inflated, however, it is so hard to watch all the work that this woman puts into everyone of her little creations and how little money she gets for it. It seems that more and more in developing countries we are just hearing about how we should be donating money, and where to give money and how to give money, but it would be so nice to send some bags down there that people here have made, or supplies to help this woman out. To individually help people takes the meaning just one step further. Obviously Haiti needs our donations, but someone like Aneese may not see any of that money, so to help people who want to help themselves seems like something more people would want to be involved in. The second project I read about was the Christian Partners Hospital Project. This is so inspirational because this project is truly burning both ends of the stick. Not only are they getting hospital gowns and meals, but they are creating jobs – something we all know even the US could use more of. When you think about the number of people that go hungry every day it is truly heartbreaking. To see all these opportunities out in front of us like this is so eye opening. I cannot wait to discuss this more and class and really see what we are going to do with this. Meeting people who go to Haiti and take the problem in their own hands is beyond inspirational. For the past two years there have been multiple organized trips to Haiti to build homes and really help out the civilians. I haven’t think to go because I had always been someone who wants to help out those in our own city before I move on to other parts of the world, but seeing the videos and looking through the pictures, its hard to justify my decision of not going. I find myself accidentally taking for granted health care and meals and clothing – and then I see something like this and everything changes. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:30:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196454767 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-15/#IDComment194105845 I think this was a very interesting response because you displayed how the class actually changed your viewpoint. I do have to agree with you on one point, which is that I believe strongly in free will. Before this class I did realize that it is not all about free will because some people are just dealt a better hand than others. For instance, some of my friends at home are only going to college for the experience, because their dad’s have already told them that they will one day take over their company. Therefore, I do realize that it is not all about free will and what you want in this life because some people just do not have the ability to make that happen. However, I do believe that, in some cases, if you want something bad enough, and you work hard enough at it, that you will be able to overcome impossible circumstances to achieve it. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:01:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-15/#IDComment194105845