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		<title>gdp's Comments</title>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<link>https://www.intensedebate.com/users/6187351</link>
		<description>Comments by jmm6269</description>
<item>
<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/18/voices-from-the-classroom-304/#IDComment624005332</link>
<description>For me personally, I do not mind going to a white party! I love white parties! White parties are such a relief from black parties. I grew up in a town where it was predominately white. All of the house parties I went to for a while were all white parties. They just drank and had fun together, danced stuff like that. Then my senior year I started going to parties the next town over where there was more black people, not much more but more than my town. At their parties everybody drank and was smoking weed. We dance, but it&amp;rsquo;s not the kind of dancing that white people do at their parties. At our parties it is twerking, and white people have some twerking and jumping around dancing. Black people judge you for your dancing meanwhile white people do not care and just keep on dancing. We never really dressed up for either parties in high school. We just came in wearing whatever we wanted whether it being a party dress, or just a sweatshirt and jeans.  Coming to college, parties are completely different. I remember for my first house party, I wanted to wear my jeans and sweatshirt, and my friends looked at me like I was crazy. I thought it was ridiculous that I had to dress up for a black house party. I mean who was going to be there? After a while I started to get used to it. Then I went to my first black frat party and we got all done up. I am talking about hours of getting ready. The girls would go into class with their hair wrapped up in the style they needed it for the party. Heels that hurt your feet, and they were required to complete your outfit. The party was twerking the whole time, with bitches hating on people&amp;rsquo;s outfits, hair, or dancing. At black parties, you have to be the top and that is all they are worried about, who is the best.   At white parties, it is completely different. No one is worried about anybody else. All they care about is &amp;ldquo;getting fucked up&amp;rdquo;. If I am at a party, that is all I am worried about to. I am just trying to have a good time. I do not know if it is because I am black, but they are very welcoming. They are having a good time so they will do everything in their power to make sure you are having a good time too.   Another thing that is different between black and white parties, black people will charge you at the door to get into parties. Some times it is for liquor, but often times there will not be any liquor in the vicinity. White people will give you liquor for free, and I have never had to pay at a white party whether I was drinking or not.   </description>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:36:57 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/18/voices-from-the-classroom-304/#IDComment624005332</guid>
</item><item>
<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/09/voices-from-the-classroom-298/#IDComment616945457</link>
<description>I think one reason to why women don&amp;rsquo;t tell their partner when they have an orgasm is that it just depends on the woman and the relationship they have with their partner. Women who are not comfortable with their sexuality will most likely be passive in the bedroom, which I think is absolutely ridiculous if you are already choosing to have sex with someone. We want our partner to feel like the &amp;ldquo;Top Dog&amp;rdquo; because in today&amp;rsquo;s society men need to be the best at everything, even if a good orgasm or any orgasm at all is at our expense.   Some women just will not feel comfortable enough with their partner and this is where many fake orgasms come in to play. Telling someone how to do something sexually pleasing can be really awkward if the people are not comfortable. Sometimes your partner will not get it right on the first try. With this, more correction is called for. Also, with experimenting in the bedroom, everyone should be prepared for bloopers because it happens to almost everyone at least once.   I think women SHOULD be able to tell men whether or not they orgasm, or they should just stop having sex. What is the point of still having sex? For me, I love to please my man but if I am not getting something in return best believe we are not doing it no more. If I do not get mine before he does, best believe he is not getting a nut off from me. He got a hand with 5 fingers that can help him out. Women need to speak up and be open with their man. Orgasms are amazing as long as your man is doing it right, EXPERIENCE IT!  One factor on the male side to this is that a lot of men do not know how to give women orgasms. If men are inexperienced sometimes women do not want to take the time out to teach their guy. We feel men should already know what they are doing, although there are times where we take control too. Again, that is only in the women who are comfortable with their sexualities. It might cause an awkward moment if you have to guide your man to your g-spot. For some, sex is already an awkward situation. If men do not know how to give girls orgasms it is time to watch more porn! Just simply stroking is NOT going to give a girl an orgasm, there is more to it. You guys are not all experts; everyone can improve their sex game in some way.  Men may be embarrassed to ask if the girl had an orgasm because the point of sex is for both people to orgasm, if the women does not then the men are not doing their job right. Time for a new man, PRONTO!  Another reason why men do not ask women whether or not they had an orgasm is because most of them do not care. Like we said in class sex is a male centered thing. A lot of men think that as long as they got theirs, then it was a great round. It is something that is very sacred to some people, and some men just do not care.   </description>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:31:34 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/04/09/voices-from-the-classroom-298/#IDComment616945457</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/16/voices-from-the-classroom-273/#IDComment612426654</link>
<description>Well since it&amp;rsquo;s Friday afternoon and there are still no blogs, I guess I will just answer this question because I think it is similar to what we talked about this week in class.  I am torn between yes and no. With the amount of poverty in America that we have, I feel as though we should stop giving aid to outside countries and give it to more people in America who need it. For instance, I am an education major, and our pay is ridiculous. Why do we get so little for our career? We are the back-bone for everyone. Without us, Barack Obama would not be where he is today, rappers would not be able to make metaphors without knowing meaning to any of their lyrics, and none of us would be sitting in SOC 119 taking this class, and Sam would be out of a job. Why is our pay so little when we are some of the most important people in the country? We are the most under-rated people in America, and we deserve more in our pay checks. Alike many of the other people in my profession, I do not do it for the paychecks, I do it for the love of the children.  Also, I think it is amazing that we have people such as Tammy and her father, barely able to take care of their families. I do believe that you need to work for everything you have, but minimum wage is absolutely too low for anybody to make a living off of. Not everyone has the same opportunities, but they are still human and have needs. The money that we give to other countries, we can put into our economy and raise minimum wage for those people who cannot get jobs above that rate because of the amount of education they have.  On the other side, I think that we should continue to give to outside countries. The only reason being, if we help out other countries in their time of need, they may be able to help us in our time. For example, with this whole issue with North Korea, if we had helped a country maybe they could either negotiate with North Korea, or fight with us if the time comes.  We need to form allies, and if giving them money for their country is what is going to form that alliance I think we should do it. The only problem with this is that if we are not their number one source of aid ( as in we are not giving enough) who is to say they would turn on us? You never know, this whole situation is unpredictable.     I guess either way it is a selfish reason for why or why not I think we should stop giving aid or keep giving aid. At the end of the day, it is every country for himself, and every woman or man for themselves. </description>
<pubDate>Fri, 5 Apr 2013 19:34:05 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/16/voices-from-the-classroom-273/#IDComment612426654</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment608562135</link>
<description>If I could send out message, I would not be able to generalize just one message. I would have to send a message out to each community in America.  First off to the black community or as Sam would say, the &amp;ldquo;Black Team&amp;rdquo;, everything that happens to us may be unfair, but its been happening for years, and people just have to accept that its reality. The fact that we get judged for the color of our skin is never going to change in our lifetime. As much as we bitch, moan, and complain, we live in a time when racism has been drilled into people&amp;rsquo;s heads, and there&amp;rsquo;s no turning back from it. The fact that we do not have the job security that white people do, only means we have to work harder. Us working harder to enhance our resumes is only helping ourselves, not pushing us back. It&amp;rsquo;s fucked up, but we are benefiting in a way by bulking up ourselves.   To the white community, or &amp;ldquo;White Team&amp;rdquo;, we know that it was not you all personally that did the fucked up shit to us, but&amp;hellip;. At the same time there are some people who were raised the way that people back then were raised, which causes some people to generalize and dislike all white people. These people commit the same acts of those of the past, and this is what is causing other races to still hate them. Everyone should have an open mind until given a reason to close it.   Now to the Hispanic team. I have a friend who just recently moved from California, and she feels like a big problem is people crossing the border. We understand that you are trying to better yourself, but in some cases you are taking the jobs of other people who have citizenship here. If they take our jobs, what are we to do? There is nothing wrong with people coming to America to better themselves, but do it the right way. We understand the citizenship test is hard, but you got to do what you got to do.    Last but not least, the Native Americans.  A long time ago yes the white people did take your land. We apologize for them. But just like I said for the black people it is reality, and we CAN NOT change the past. Honestly, I did not know that it was still a problem until we spoke about it in class. You all were did wrong, but you have to get over it. There is no point  inbeing mad at the past because you can not erase history. It is what it is and it is here to stay.   Final message to all races is to let go of the past, but always remember it. We are the future, now lets make history.   </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 1 Apr 2013 01:50:32 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/28/voices-from-the-classroom-287/#IDComment608562135</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/21/voices-from-the-classroom-276/#IDComment603394152</link>
<description>Most affirmative action programs are required by federal government regulations or court decisions. Other programs are voluntary efforts. One of the most important applications of affirmative action has been in higher education, such as colleges. In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities could take race into account when admitting students, as long as they did not use a strict quota system that set aside a certain number of slots to minority candidates. Since then, many institutions of higher learning have adjusted their admissions policies to guarantee diversity on their campuses. Universities must be open to all races in order to provide diverse, well-trained graduates for the military, business, and many other American institutions. Not all forms of affirmative action in college admissions are acceptable. Federal programs who classify people by race are unconstitutional even though the purpose of affirmative action is to expand opportunities for minorities, but with the progression of whites along the way, is it really that unconstitutional?  Everyone should be treated equal, and have an equal opportunity on every aspect of society, whether it be employment, admission to schools, or other such areas. Affirmative action is attempting to make things equal, but does not quite get the job done. Although I used to think that Affirmative Action should be removed from our society, after listening to Tuesday&amp;rsquo;s class, I think it is still important to have. The fact that we will never be equal to white people really bothers me, and therefore I now think that Affirmative Action should NOT be removed. It may be &amp;ldquo;unfair&amp;rdquo; to white people, but it is only fair to everyone else in today&amp;rsquo;s society. The fact that white people progress as minorities progress, should not bother them.  Affirmative Action has done good things for many people who would not have that opportunity. It is really a protective barrier for people. Although I have never benefited from Affirmative Action I know a few people who it has benefited from it. Everything I have earned I have worked HARD to earn. I have not earned anything just simply because of the color of my skin. However, I do think that for those people who cannot achieve greatness without it, it should still be apart of our society for.  When we were talking about the names in class, people just have to accept that its reality. We cannot change the racism that has been associated with names, and we will never be able to. It is not right, but there is nothing we can do to change it. It is what it is. Society will never change it&amp;rsquo;s view on this. It is sad to say that no matter how hard black people or minorities may work, we will never be equal.   </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/21/voices-from-the-classroom-276/#IDComment603394152</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/12/voices-from-the-classroom-269/#IDComment598156852</link>
<description>If guys are scared or grossed out, it sounds like they are immature. Guys should not be surprised by when it comes up in a relationship, grow up already seriously. We all have had sex education in our life learning about both genders, so you would think men would be more comfortable as we get older. I mean the body is a pretty nasty concept, and women are not the only victims to that.  I don&amp;#039;t know why girls are so embarrassed about periods because guys know that healthy girls and women have them. If I was on my period when Sam asked that question, I would have gladly raised my hand the first time he asked. It is apart of being a woman, and all women get it. Why should I be embarrassed? It actually made me feel like I was becoming a women when I first got my period. The actual process we have to go through during our period didn&amp;rsquo;t make me happy, but reaching that milestone in my life was something I was proud of. Some men are totally fine with period sex and I have a lot of respect for that. Men are basically making their women more comfortable with their periods by accepting it, and still doing the things they do when their women is not on their period. Refusing period sex is deal breaker for me. A penis isn&amp;rsquo;t exactly a the greatest thing to look at, so it seems hypocritical for a man to shun a bloodied vagina. My body and its various functions are no more or less wonderful or awkward than a man&amp;rsquo;s. It&amp;#039;s not really that big of a deal. Once a month, blood comes out of my vagina. This is totally normal. That blood is part of a process that is responsible for babies that eventually grow up to be you and me. Women don&amp;rsquo;t talk to men for a number of reasons, being because periods are gross. There&amp;#039;s nothing nice about them; they are painful, messy and can make you very moody. Talking to them about somebody who couldn&amp;#039;t possibly understand (men) is embarrassing to some women. Also, there&amp;#039;s a lot of men who are disgusted by them too, so maybe women are afraid of that too. They don&amp;rsquo;t want to be looked at as disgusting or judged over something they can&amp;rsquo;t control. I&amp;#039;m pretty sure guys are just grossed out by the fact that we can bleed THAT much, out of our vagina&amp;#039;s, for a week on average. Also, they don&amp;#039;t have blood coming out of their dicks. So that kind of makes it understandable. Some women are brought up that you don&amp;rsquo;t talk about bodily functions also in teenage years boys are not very nice about women&amp;rsquo;s periods you get teased about them and what the pads/tampons you need to buy.  Some people see periods as a very private thing. Periods are completely natural and not to be feared by guys. Why make a big deal out of it?       </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:33:19 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/03/12/voices-from-the-classroom-269/#IDComment598156852</guid>
</item><item>
<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/28/voices-from-the-classroom-261/#IDComment591929815</link>
<description>One way to answer this question is it all started in the days of slavery. Back in the slavery days, the man divided the blacks into two parts: Lighter skin black people and Darker skin black people. The light person was closer to white, the only thing acceptable for the white man, so they got to work inside. While the light skinned slave worked inside of the plantation doing things such as: cooking for the master, cleaning the master&amp;#039;s dirty clothes, and teaching the owner&amp;#039;s wife how to cook cornbread. Meanwhile, the darker skinned slave worked outside in the field doing things such as: picking cotton, hanging laundry, and helped grow the crops. The darker person was treated like nothing while the lighter one was treated better and worshiped secretly by the master. Sometimes the lighter skinned females became became his secret mistress. Another way to answer this question would be to think about the Brown Paper Bag Test. The phrase &amp;ldquo;brown paper bag test&amp;rdquo; which was used by black people during the twentieth and twenty-first century was first used in certain African-American sororities and fraternities who would not let anyone into the group whose skin tone was darker than a paper bag. The reason for this method of the &amp;quot;paper bag&amp;quot; is because the color of the paper bag is considered to be the &amp;quot;center&amp;quot; symbol of blackness that distinguishes &amp;ldquo;light skin&amp;rdquo; from &amp;ldquo;dark skin&amp;rdquo; on a range between black and white.  Light skin people are also known to be &amp;ldquo;prettier&amp;rdquo; because you can see their features better.  The darker the skin, the harder it is to see the features of someone. Scars, stretch marks, acne, and every other imperfection of one&amp;rsquo;s skin can have is more visible than it is on a person with a darker skin complexion. Being a light skinned female I have to deal with all of the above plus whatever else society says isn&amp;rsquo;t considered beautiful. There are many physical conditions society places on us that we as people have either let them define or is currently defining them right now.  We live in a world were the white person has been portrayed to be superior in many ways, and because the light skinned black girl has &amp;quot;fair skin almost like a white person, which many people may prefer. I think we all, at times look at another person and wish we had something like them. There are many examples of this. For instance if you are thin, you wish you could gain some weight. If you are flat chested, you wished you had bigger boobs. If your booty is flat, you would probably wish for it to be rounder. Maybe if you are heavy, you wish you were thin, I know people who are top heavy, and really wish their boobs were a little smaller. Race is really no different.  If you are lighter you want to be darker, and if you are darker, you want to be lighter.   </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:16:54 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/28/voices-from-the-classroom-261/#IDComment591929815</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/20/voices-from-the-classroom-253/#IDComment578696090</link>
<description>Categorizing people by race is something I am not good at I have learned since taking this class. This week when we they had to put people in the groups of where we thought they would have come from, I would have failed. For example, I have lived in Japan for most of my life, but I still cannot seem to tell Asians apart. I know this is bad to say, but they all look alike to me.  They say the same about black people though. Personally, I cannot tell where an African is from just by looking at them. Many of my friends who are African, can easily tell people apart, although it may be because of how they are dressed or how they act. Either way, they have a better judgment than I do. I tend to group people of mixed ethnicities by what they appear strongest in physically. By this I mean if someone were to ask me to categorize a person who was mixed with black and white, I would go off of his or her skin tone. If they had a darker skin tone I would call them black, and if they had a lighter skin toning, depending on how light, I would most likely call them white. With the girl who was mixed with Native American and Asian or something close to that, I never would have been able to guess her ethnicity. Although at first glance I may judge people off their looks, once I get to know someone I can easily categorize them, but then there would be no point in categorizing.  Some people say that the father&amp;rsquo;s race is the one in which determines the race of the child. I do not believe in that at all. Race is an inherited characteristic that comes from both parents. Neither parent is more or less important in deciding it. Bi-racial would just mean two parents from different races, so it would require characteristics from both the father and mother. There also is no such thing as &amp;ldquo;race&amp;rdquo;. I think this term should definitely be changed.  You are who you want to be.  What does it matter what anyone else thinks? I think as much as we want to be able to choose our ethnicity, this is something that society ultimately does for us.  It doesn&amp;#039;t matter what box you check on a form.  I think it all comes down to the way people see you.  Obviously everybody wants to feel like they are part of a group, but I foresee that eventually they will either do away with those check boxes completely or they will add one that says &amp;quot;biracial.&amp;quot;  I also think that when you are two ethnicities it is important to feel proud of both of your heritages.  </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:05:12 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/20/voices-from-the-classroom-253/#IDComment578696090</guid>
</item><item>
<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/14/voices-from-the-classroom-246/#IDComment573715134</link>
<description>  I never thought to think of myself as &amp;ldquo;rich&amp;rdquo;, but after the lecture I can see where that comes from. I think the fact that America is a &amp;ldquo;rich&amp;rdquo; country, we are less united as a nation. We have three different levels of &amp;ldquo;classes&amp;rdquo; and pretty much stick to our class. Other nations, stick together as a nation and there is not a significant difference in classes like there is here in America. I think if there was not such a big difference in classes, America would be a lot better off. We would still have crime, but I think it would lessen if money was not a big factor in America. Me considering myself &amp;ldquo;rich&amp;rdquo;, I walk through the world a whole lot differently than I would if I were poor. Referring back to the video we watched for the first quiz, I could not live off a dollar a day. Alike the people in New York, I think I would need at least $50 dollars a day sitting back and thinking about it. Getting back and forth to class, food I may buy on campus, food at home, supplies I use in class, the phone I use raising the phone bill every second, and these are only some of the things that cost money throughout the day. I don&amp;rsquo;t ever have to penny pinch, and this is something that people do daily if they ever get money.  I do not have to worry about when my next meal will be, or other important things in life that many people in other countries have to worry about.  I think without money, everyone would be a completely different person. Money in a way &amp;ldquo;defines&amp;rdquo; you. Without money, I don&amp;rsquo;t think I would have some of the qualities that I have used throughout my life. Responsibility is one key one. I have to make sure to always pay my bills on time, and things like that. I also have to make sure that I always have money in my account and not overdraft. I am responsible enough to keep my savings at a set amount, and use it at times when I desperately need it.  Another key quality I would not have if I were not &amp;ldquo;rich&amp;rdquo; would be that I would not be able to manage my money. I have had a bank account for as long as I can remember, and I know many people in poor countries have not been able to have the same luxury. This has helped me throughout my life, and if I did not have the money to practice with this is a skill I would probably never have attained.   Having money also gives you a power trip. We have power over the other countries in a way just because we are the richest.   </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:18:44 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/14/voices-from-the-classroom-246/#IDComment573715134</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/07/voices-from-the-classroom-241/#IDComment568338736</link>
<description>Why will men befriend lesbian women but not gay men? I think men don&amp;rsquo;t befriend a gay man because of the way society completely separates it from all that is normal. It is not socially accepted to do it, so most men have fears of it. Back in the day, the AIDS virus was only believed to be passed on through gay men. So if you were a male and had AIDS you were gay. No man wanted to be seen as gay or having the virus. Stereotyping could also factor into men befriending a gay man because believe that it will lead others to believe that they are gay as well. The way that males were raised could be why they don&amp;rsquo;t want to befriend a gay man because they were taught that it was wrong. The reason why men will befriend a lesbian is because some men find it attractive when two females interact with each other. What some men fail to realize is that just because another man is gay doesn&amp;rsquo;t mean that they will hit on them or find them attractive. It is more likely that a man will want to be involved sexually with a lesbian couple than with a male. Men can also relate more to a lesbian woman because they both like women and with a gay guy they don&amp;rsquo;t have common interests.  A gay man and a straight man probably would not have much to talk about or find the same interest in places to go or things to do. Straight men might think that if they start hanging out with gay men they fear that they themselves will become gay. Men might also think that their masculinity would be threatened, changed, or corrupted. Straight men might actually be jealous of gay men because if they go somewhere girls are more likely to pay more attention to the gay man because they have more in common. Also straight men might be jealous because women are more likely to open up to the gay guy more easily, whereas a straight man has to work harder for the woman to open up. Masculinity symbolizes physical strength. If men are gay, they are often seen to be &amp;ldquo;soft&amp;rdquo;. Men are also very competitive throughout many different aspects of life. Gay men are often not seen as &amp;ldquo;competition&amp;rdquo; to straight men. The way society treats gay men I think that in a way they are seen as like &amp;ldquo;women&amp;rdquo; who are considered inferior at times. With this negative outlook, heterosexuals begin to place a stereotype on gays and lesbians that is bad for the LGBT society. I think for all heterosexuals to find comfort in their sexuality, they should be comfortable with homosexuality.  </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 04:18:08 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/02/07/voices-from-the-classroom-241/#IDComment568338736</guid>
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<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-237/#IDComment560114989</link>
<description>This question is a little confusing, but I&amp;rsquo;m just going to go with what I think he&amp;rsquo;s asking. I think it is more important to actually talk to people to figure out what his or her ethnicity is. Every person is not a race expert, so they would not be able to correctly guess someone&amp;rsquo;s race right off the back. I would not say that I judge people that I don&amp;rsquo;t know by their race, but I do categorize people if that makes sense. Like if I was in a room full of white people, in my head I wouldn&amp;rsquo;t think that there is a room full of Germans, Irish, and Italians. I would most likely just categorize them all as white. I do this with black people as well.  Coming to college, I soon realized that many people are sensitive to that. All my friends were either things like Nigerian, Ghanaian, Jamaican, or many other things like that. Off the back, I thought they were &amp;ldquo;black&amp;rdquo;, but I soon realized I was wrong. Although we have similar skin tones, I would have never guessed that their culture would be so different than mine. We both live in the U.S. and were considered &amp;ldquo;black&amp;rdquo; in our society, but our cultures are still so different. I felt so na&amp;iuml;ve to the fact that I really didn&amp;rsquo;t know the difference in people who I and others considered similar to me all of my life. After my first year of college, I found it key to always ask people of their heritage, rather than just assume.  One of my best friends is someone who I know gets wrongly categorized all the time. She is half black and half white, but is extremely light skinned. Also, in high school she had blonde hair. Everyone always just assumes she&amp;rsquo;s white (I have to admit when I first met her I thought she was white too). She is another example of someone who I had to talk to in order to know what ethnicity she was. She comes to visit me, and people always ask me about the &amp;ldquo;white&amp;rdquo; girl with me. They always called her a &amp;ldquo;whooty&amp;rdquo;. Yeah, we had never heard of it either until people pointed us in the direction of this song:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdRnbuwZ7I0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdRnbuwZ7I0&lt;/a&gt; (Yeah it&amp;rsquo;s stupid. Our faces were like -_- the whole time watching it).  Anyways, knowing how it makes her feel, it angers me too. I always come to her defense and let them know that she is not just a &amp;ldquo;white&amp;rdquo; girl.  Even with me, people often assume my ethnicity. I have been asked if I was mixed so many times. Not all light skinned people are mixed. It is possible to have two black parents and not be mixed. My father is light skinned as well, and my mother is dark skinned.   I know I am part Cape Verdean but after hearing about the DNA ancestry testing, I probably should take one to figure out what exactly I am.   So to wrap it all up, I think it very important to find out someone&amp;rsquo;s ethnicity rather than to just assume their race.      </description>
<pubDate>Fri, 1 Feb 2013 16:33:37 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-237/#IDComment560114989</guid>
</item><item>
<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/23/voices-from-the-classroom-230/#IDComment555778120</link>
<description>I think race specific scholarships are racist to a certain extent. Whether it&amp;rsquo;s based on a minority scholarship or a white-based scholarship, both are red flags. You shouldn&amp;#039;t have to fit a certain race description just to apply or receive a scholarship. There are scholarships and scholarship programs only for Caucasians, Hispanics, African-Americans and others. Personally, I would rather be honored in a way for just simply my academics rather than for the way I look.  &amp;ldquo;White&amp;rdquo; scholarships are frowned upon in today&amp;rsquo;s society and yet there is an argument on both sides. One argument that can be made is that there are scholarships out there that are based on how tall you are, how short you are, how weird you can be, and even the &amp;ldquo;only left handed&amp;rdquo; scholarships. These wacky scholarships pinpoint a unique type of person that many people do not qualify for. On the other hand, these scholarships give some non-academically gifted students an opportunity to get some money with other special qualities they may possess. So, in a way, these scholarships are a lot like these &amp;ldquo;racist&amp;rdquo; scholarships because they actually require a trait or lifestyle that is not shared by everyone. But, the purpose of a scholarship is to help fund college education and help many different races go to college. Saying that only minority-based scholarships are racist is ridiculous. The whole point of minority-funded scholarships is to send low-income minority kids to school. There are only a few dozen of these types of scholarships out there and they are mostly funded and administered by private minority organizations. Many sororities and fraternities and other minority clubs offer scholarships, just like similar white organizations. &amp;ldquo;Most scholarships aren&amp;#039;t fair. There are always those that are better off than others. Lets take a essay contest for example. Those with a better education will write a stronger essay than those with a poorer education. These two did not have the same education which I consider to be unfair when you compare the two essays.&amp;rdquo; This was said by a scholarship winner and in a way some can agree or not. I disagree because judging from the quality of the education system you come from does not reflect the amount of effort you put into your craft of schoolwork or knowledge outside of school. Some may say race should be of no importance when it comes down to being selected for a job or scholarship, nor should it give benefits. Many find it hypocritical of those who are against discrimination, yet they jump on the bandwagon with the race, ethnicity, and nationality based scholarships. Colleges typically believe that a diverse student body is valuable to the education process. If a college believes that enrolling students from certain communities will enhance their overall education, I think they should be allowed to offer those scholarships.   </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 02:41:57 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2013/01/23/voices-from-the-classroom-230/#IDComment555778120</guid>
</item><item>
<title>World In Conversation : Voices From The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/12/01/voices-from-the-classroom-215/#IDComment549531094</link>
<description>The video I&amp;rsquo;m responding to is the question of the empowerment women feel on telling their partners how to give them an orgasm. I think one key factor is that it just depends on the woman and the relationship they have with their partner. Women who are not comfortable with their sexuality will most likely be passive in the bedroom. We want our partner to feel like the &amp;ldquo;Top Dog&amp;rdquo; because in today&amp;rsquo;s society men need to be the best at everything, even if a good orgasm is our expense.  Some women just will not feel comfortable enough with their partner and this is where many fake orgasms come in to play. Telling someone how to do something sexually pleasing can be really awkward if the people are not comfortable. Sometimes your partner will not get it right on the first try. With this, more correction is called for. Also, with experimenting in the bedroom, everyone should be prepared for bloopers because it happens to almost everyone at least once.  Another key factor to this is that a lot of men do not know how to give women orgasms. If men are inexperienced sometimes women do not want to take the time out to teach their guy. We feel men should already know what they are doing, although there are times where we take control too. Again, that is only in the women who are comfortable with their sexualities. It might cause an awkward moment if you have to guide your man to your g-spot. For some, sex is already an awkward situation.  Women who may feel inferior to their partner are more likely to NOT guide their partners. If a man in controlling in a relationship, women will most likely be passive during sex. I think if the person isn&amp;rsquo;t doing it right, it is okay for them to be given a little guidance. Men do it all the time so why can&amp;rsquo;t women? If you are not feeling anything each time you have sex, what is the point of having sex? Just for men&amp;rsquo;s benefit? Women will do anything to please their man, but I think equal amounts of orgasms will make any relationship better.  I think it is a must for you and your partner to be open about what sexually pleases you. With no orgasms, what is the point? If you are comfortable enough to have sex with someone, you should be comfortable enough to tell them how to give you an orgasm. You do not have to have a whole conversation with them when they are pleasing you. A simple &amp;ldquo;Right there!&amp;rdquo; or &amp;ldquo;Oh shit!&amp;rdquo; Will do the trick. Moaning also works as a great sign for letting your partner know that what they are doing is helping you reach your sexual peek.  Each experience may be different, so if we are open with our partners, we both will be satisfied.   </description>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:38:03 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/12/01/voices-from-the-classroom-215/#IDComment549531094</guid>
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