Sociology 119 was a very interesting class that gave me a new perspective on life itself. From why people do the things they do to why I look the way I do. Sam Richards insight on each topic expanded my mind. The inner machinations of his mind are an enigma. The way he is so passionate about the class just makes me want to listen. I never thought about why my hair is so kinky, nappy in my perspective. The reasoning makes perfect sense. Although I know that the conversations about the whole scandal and how Penn State reacted to it were not originally planned I felt like those two classes gave me such an insight on how different people can have a completely different take on the world and how their life should be ran. It takes a very interesting person to be able to see both sides of a story and actually understand it. Before I would have never thought about what type of “Black” person I really was. For me every body always told me that I was the “whitest black person I have ever met” , they said that I was a true oreo. Now that I have learned about the different stages that black and brown people can be in and the different reasons why certain people can act the way they do it has truly given me a different perspective of why I act the way I do. Some days I felt like I was learning things that I already knew but he always talked about certain topics in more depth than I ever heard before. This class has actually taught me to not “judge a book by its cover” and to see the differences and similarities that each individual has. When I walk through the street or sit next to someone in a classroom I now ask myself what nationality they are, where they grew up or how their familial and institutional environment has shaped the way they behave. It has broaden my mind so that I try to see each side of a situation before making judgments about it. Even the different ways in which I studied changed the way I view studying. I am one that usually reads the whole book, makes note cards and then studies them for days at a time. This class actually made me just sit and read a book so that I can truly take the information in. Sam Richards taught me that I am so used to being spoon fed information that I am uncomfortable with anything outside of that realm. This class showed me that I can actually just read a book and take in the information that I need for a test. I really enjoyed sociology 119 and truly feel like every person in the world, if not just Penn State, should take this class to open up their minds about the world and people around them.

After last Wednesday when the riots took place I, right away, thought about the stages of grievance and how we have easily transitioned from the stage of denial to anger. I, along with many people that have shared their opinions in passing and hearing them, feel like I definitely started off in a stage of stupor where I refused to even hear that they were talking about firing Joe Paterno. I thought for sure that they would let him coach out his term considering he was planning on retiring after the season ended anyway. When I realized on that Wednesday night that they did the unthinkable and fired Joe Paterno over a phone call I was pretty angry. I did not go down to the riots thinking that I was going to push an light posts over, flip any cars, or burn anything I just came down to see how everybody else was feeling and they all seemed to be in the stage of complete anger. By the next day many people seemed to feel a little ashamed of what they did in their time of anger because they were completely shunned from the Penn state community. I myself was very embarrassed to find out that people were really flipping media vans over and destroying the property we pay for in reaction to their anger. I was actually glad that I did not stoop to that level in my times of anger. After that next day when people seemed to feel somewhat embarrassed for their actions as of Wednesday night it started to sound like many people were just hoping that maybe they would at least let him play his last game. That sounds like a bargain to me. They people seemed to feel like he should have at least been able to finish his year and then seemed to try and bargain with people to at least let him attend his last home game. After Saturdays football game when everybody realized that there would not be any Joe Paterno in sight they seemed to realize that it was true, Joe Paterno would not be coaching the last game of the season. People seemed very upset and depressed as they watched the videos about the seniors who are leaving us and seeing Joe Paterno on the video as well. They seemed to have understood that Joe Paterno would not be stepping onto that field again. They were in the stage of depression. These days people seem to have accepted that Joe Pa will not be returning to football and that Tom Bradley will be taking over. They seem somewhat ok with the whole transition so I feel like we have finally hit the stage of acceptance.

I do not feel like money is the only factor in happiness because you can have a lot of money but be miserable. Money can facilitate happiness but you cannot buy family members, a wife or husband, of loyal social supports. Money helps you along so that you do not have to worry about a day to day struggle as you try to survive. But if you had a ton of money but nobody to share it with I do not think it would be worth much. Money only makes you happy when you can share it with the ones you love. Yes money could buy me new coach shoes, bags dresses. And I would be able to shop at Bailey banks and biddle, Tiffanys, sax fifth avenue and takes trips around the world, but trips around the world are certainly not fun when you are doing them alone. I love going to the Caribbean, Disney world, Disney cruises, Florida, South American, Barbados all with my family, but I would not enjoy having to go to all of those places alone. If I had all the money in the world I could get a numerous amounts of degrees, study with the best, go to every one of the top institutes to find my passion, and yes finding my passion would probably make me somewhat happy but still at the end of the day after I have had a long journey traveling around the world and finding my passion I would like to go home to a family and husband that I could share my experiences with. I feel like just having a whole bunch of money and not doing something meaningful with it would not make someone happy either. I feel like you need to have a passion for something that you are using your money for or a goal that is set that you are trying to achieve to have a certain amount of happiness. Pure money does not make somebody happy. What makes somebody happy is how they spend their money and if they are helping other people in the process of spending their money. Buying clothes and shoes that give you instant gratification does not give you the same type of happiness that buying a building for homeless people, feeding them and making a non-profit organization does. If you bought that building you would be helping people out every day and would be able to see how your money truly changed somebody’s life, instead of just looking at your nice cardigan sweater that you bought that will one day peel. Money might help you establish happiness so that you do not need to be stressed on the day to day basis about how you are going to have a full meal but you need the social support and passion to really facilitate that happiness.

I feel like when most people talk about who would be affected when the world is predominantly black and brown people they think about how white people will greatly affected and that they are interested to see how they will react once they are the minorities for once. I think many people forget about the fact that because white people are the majority in most areas that black and brown people are also used to seeing mostly white people around them. There are many black and brown people that I think would be affected too. Being an African American that lives in a predominantly white neighborhood, and goes to a predominantly white school, I feel like it would be an interesting change if I was not the minority for once. Although I am a minority in most places that I am it does not seem to affect me that much. I am not one to constantly think of myself as a minority when I am in a room of white people because that is what I grew up with. In fact I feel like when the world is predominantly black and brown people that it will be somewhat odd to me because that is not what I grew up with. People call me an “oreo” because they say I am “white” on the inside but black on the outside. I do not know what makes you “act white” but I guess because I am around white people I pick up their mannerisms, apparently they are different than black mannerisms. I am not one to “code” depending on the racial group I am around. I just act the way I am so sometimes it actually makes me stand out in a crowd of black people and they ask me why I act “white”. So for me I feel like when the world becomes predominantly black and brown people it should be very interesting. It might feel a little awkward for a while because I am used to seeing mostly white people but I’m sure after a while it will just be another day. I do like the thought that by the year 2040 or 2050 maybe black and brown people will maybe be able to step on the same level that white people are on so that white people will have less “white privilege” and there will be more equality. I understand that more equality is a very big jump just because one group will dominate more but I am very hopeful that that will be the case before I die. Many people think that it will really affect everybody but at the same time I feel like by the year 2040 it would have been such a gradual process that people might not really notice that much.

I feel like a lot of the hostile feelings that Native Americans have towards European whites could maybe be somewhat resolved if they just gave the land back. But at this point I do not know how anyone would go about doing so. Sam even showed, in class, how complicated the whole matter is. How would you really know which parts of the land are white Europeans and which parts the Native Americans should have back. Even if somehow the white Europeans “gave the land back” to the Native Americans I really do not think it would erase the years of hatred because of the forced poverty set upon them. Today was very fun. My parents and little brother came up for a tailgate, but because it was so cold and snowing we just had a tailgate part at my house. I ate so much food, but it was delicious. I was refusing to go to the game but I finally decided to go because I knew that my brother wanted to go into the student section with me. It actually turned out not to be so bad until it got pretty cold and we left. I’m somewhat upset that we left because of course as soon as we left Penn State started getting touchdowns and field goals, after 3 quarters of a game that did not have any points! I loved seeing my family and I am had so much fun. I cannot wait for Thanksgiving so that I get to be home and hang out with my family for a whole week. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I find it horrendous and preposterous that we actually celebrate a time where we stole, lied and cheated the Native Americans out of their land. And on top of it we call it Thanksgiving! Like we just asked for their land nicely and they just gave it to us nicely. What a load of bullocks! I understand that giving back what is rightfully someone else’s but it is also so complicated. If the Native Americans were “given their land back” then I feel like all the other minorities would say that they want reparations as well. Then where would we start? We would need to see if African Americans would want to be sent back to Africa with loads of “apology money” and open up the boarder and let all of the immigrants through, along with many other messy apologies and reparations. If there was some way to make everything right I would completely condone that and I definitely feel like some type of apology and helping is needed but who knows how to begin fixing the damage the European whites have caused the Native Americans. Forrest Gump once stated, “ Life is like a box of chocolates, ya never know watcha gonna get.” You really never know what could happen if white Europeans tried to fix all the wrongdoings they have done to every minority group in America.

In earlier years HBCUs were a good way to ensure that a group’s culture and integrity remained intact. Historically Black Universities existed with the sole purpose of instilling purpose and will in a despondent youth with little positive history and few mentors. Today I woke up with my boyfriend Carl. I got up and put on my robe and then went to brush my teeth at the same time that Carl was brushing his teeth! Ironic? I think not, sir! Then I brushed my face for exactly 2 minutes. The reason that I know that it was two minutes is because it is set to two minutes! Carl always says that it seems so much longer but I do not care. Actually, right now we are arguing over whether it truly is set to two minutes and it is not! So you may be wondering, how does this pertain to Historically Black Colleges? Well my boyfriend and I are black! And his brother is at a Historically Black University! His brother is actually his twin! This means that they were born on the same day, within minutes of each other. Guess which one is older. I wish you could tell me because in fact, I do not know! They look too much alike for me to tell. The funny thing is I am older than both of them. That is right! I am dating a younger man! So back to talking about Historically Black Universities. You thought I forgot about the assignment topic didn’t you? During the end of my freshman year I actually visited a Historically Black University and it was very interesting. Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and visiting an all-black university came to be somewhat of a shock. When I went to visit my friend at Bowie State University I found it very interesting that they are the only types of colleges that do not allow people of the other sex in the dorms. I had to stay in the room all week! I went crazy and ended up leaving early because I could not stand it. I find that many historically Black Colleges, such as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, hold very strict rules that prevent much of the fun many college students enjoy. I mean, is not it bad enough that we already have to go to class five days a week but to take away our fun just takes the cake. So in conclusion I do not feel like historically black universities set you up for real world experiences because in the real world most business are diversified to an extent. In business settings you have to deal with people of different races and backgrounds at some point and know how to feel comfortable collaborating with them, HBCUs do not provide this experience.

I found this article, “Five Scientific Reasons Your Idea of Happiness is Wrong”, to be very enlightening. Everybody says that money cannot buy you happiness but nobody tells you what exactly can. Nobody can tell you how to achieve happiness because I feel like the process to happiness is different for many people. It is all subjective. We all feel that moment of fleeting happiness, love, and excitement but I do not know how we could feel that all the time. Personally although have an ongoing, continuous state of happiness sounds amazing it just does not make sense when you think about the biological factors and mechanisms needed to do that. Your body would be constantly pumping adrenaline, oxytocin, dopamine and many other neurotransmitters and chemicals that are released when you feel pleasure and happiness. This is just impossible, you would die within days! In the movie pursuit of happiness Will Smith talks about the mind-blowing question that he constantly asks himself, “Why is it that in the American Declaration of Independence they knew to write people have the right to the pursuit of happiness and not the actual state of happiness?” This article does a great job of explaining the reasons for that. The pursuit to happiness is the actual state of being happy! Planning that trip and anticipating that first kiss is when you are the happiest! You are even happier in this state of mind than the actual experience that you have been constantly thinking about and waiting for! Being in a nation where “the pursuit of happiness” means the pursuit to the next best thing automatically sets us up to never truly be happy. We are in a world of constant technology updates, the next best thing, new products coming out every two seconds. How are we supposed to feel happy all the time when we are always looking for the instant gratification? My feeling on the whole process is live in the moment! We are so future-oriented that we do not take the time to step back to smell the roses! I understand that this is easier said than done though because even when you experience something amazing like love you are still looking for the next experience to come out of the whole relationship. I have definitely succumbed to the thought of the next experience right after experiencing one that I had anticipated forever. Before my boyfriend and I started going out I just kept waiting until the moment when we would be together. I knew that it would happen but I just wanted it to happen now, there is that want of instant gratification. After we started going out and a few months went by then I was just waiting until he would say “I love you”, again there is that want for instant gratification. Now that I am aware of these wants for things to happen right then and there I try to tell myself to step back and smell the roses right in front of your face! It is just like the Counting Crows sing, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.

I feel like men’s “dress up” is just much different from girls. Through history, in our society woman were always seen to wear heals, skirts or dresses. We have just started to form shorter and smaller versions of the dress trends back then. Even fifty years ago men just wore pants and flat shoes and women were attracted to that. It is not to say that these days girls probably wear heels they cannot walk in and short skirts that show their “not so private anymore-spots” to attract guys but men wear what they wear for the same exact reason. Men wear clothes that society deems masculine because women are attracted to masculine guys. The argument seems to be if girls shape their ideas about what is attractive to wear by what men feel attractive, like short shirts, skirts, dresses, heels, but I feel like it is the same with men. What women feel is attractive just seems to be more comfortable for men to wear. Personally I like when my boyfriend wears nice pastel color button, collared shirts with the sleeves rolled up and nice colored jeans. In terms of shoes I like boat shoes, nikes, and shoes like that, i.e. flat shoes instead of tight, toe pinching heels. So in terms of what I, myself feel attracted to I just feel like men have the luck of being able to wear comfortable clothes while they attract different women. I would like to go out on a Friday night and wear nikes, jeans and a colored shirt and attract every guy in the club, but that is just not how I can attract the type of people I am attracted to. I like to wear dresses that show off my body and put on makeup to look and feel attractive. If guys did not like that sort of “dolling up” then I guess I probably would not feel the need to wear what I wear because the comfortable look would be more attractive in guy’s eyes. Basically what I am trying to say is, while I am a woman that wears tight dresses and heels at times to look nice and have my boyfriend feel like he can’t take his hands off me, I wear what is deemed attractive for girls and men wear what is deemed attractive for them. They are just fortunate enough that what they wear is attractive and comfortable at the same time. Knowing that I have a boyfriend and, in his own words “can attract him no matter what I wear or don’t wear” I still like to wear dresses and heels and put makeup every once in a while to see my boyfriend’s face light up. When he puts a nice, clean button shirt and his nikes on my face lights up too, he is just wearing what I like him to wear.

There are many reasons why I chose to go to Penn state. I actually applied early and was basically set on Drexel, although in the back of my mind since I was little I wanted to go to Penn State. I fought off the idea of going to Penn state because as a kid it seemed like my family looked down on Penn state because both my dad and sister went to the University of Penn and were constantly hearing that when they said Penn everyone automatically though Penn state. By February I decided that I really did want to go to penn state because I just loved the atmosphere and the thousands of big time fans that grew up as a “Penn state”. I loved that all the stores had penn state gear when I was little. I finally applied late to Penn State in February and a week after the school got my application I was called by someone with the last name Abdul that is all I remember. I was so happy when they said that I could go directly to Penn State main campus at University Park that I was set on going there, especially because my best friend was already planning on going. A lot of my friends also go to Penn State so that was another factor that led me to my decision to go here. I came from a high school that was very big on attending all the football games, dressing up and cheering for the football games so Penn State football also brought me here. It is very silly to say but I could not help but also really like the fact that Penn State’s colors are white and blue and that is my favorite color combination, I know that that is ridiculous to be a factor but I could not help it, especially when I knew that I would be wearing the colors and buying a lot of franchised stuff over the years and I cannot where ugly colors for four years of my life, like brown and yellow or something! It was the best choice I made because I am currently living with my best friend in a house and actually ended up going out with the best boyfriend in the world because of Penn state. He is was a hometown friend a year younger and decided to come here on a scholarship, he says a factor of his decision was because I was going here but that is still in debate lol. So all in all I am very glad that I chose to be a “Penn Stater” to experience the football games, late nights, new friends, and the most interesting classes, including the crazy sociology 119 class!

I always find it very interesting to see other parts of the world and see the differences in the buildings, social behaviors, and culture in general. The life of Figaro Louis seems to be so different compared to the life of an average American here. We seem to take transportation, structurally sound buildings and somewhat safe streets for granted. Here we just hop into our car or truck to get the supplies we need for our business or have them shipped to us. I cannot fathom how big bakers here would work if they needed to go so far just to get the supplies they needed to make certain pastries and then worry about how they would store it all if they only had one refrigerator. At my house we have two refrigerators and we still complain about how we do not have enough room when we cook Thanksgiving meals, and that is only for a couple days of storage. In terms of transportation it seems like most people do not have any other mode of transportation besides walking on their feet, even for long distances. It makes me think about how lazy we really are in terms of always driving everywhere and thinking walking a mile in order to get something is a ridiculous notion. We have “nine to fives” Figaro seems like she has a twenty hour day every day of week, when she bakes and works at her business, takes her kids to school and picks them up, and then works more after she gets them. I also find it very remarkable that she is making her own money while she helps four other people, and their families, by employing them to work for her. This is really what helping the community is all about. It is awesome to see that instead of outsourcing and looking for cheaper ways to do business like we do she is putting money and wealth into her community while helping others. I also find it is so endearing that even after she has a long and hard day and gets robbed on the street she seems so hopeful, probably because she takes pride in what she does and how she is helping her country. Sonia Joseph is also an inspiring person.

The lunch boxes and bags that Sonia Joseph make sits amazing, and they are all on that archaic-looking sewing machine! She does not make bags just for her nuclear family, it seems like she is making bags in order to support her children, grandkids, nephews, nieces, basically everybody that is related to her! Although Haiti has their hardships in terms of economic issues, electricity, and safety it seems like everybody takes great pride in their community and makes sure that they are giving back in every way that they can, even when they do not have enough money for themselves to get by. Hardships can “knock people off of their feet” and throw them into a slump but seeing them being helped and personally working their way out of it is inspiring!