I have to say that as a graduating senior, this is one of the classes at Penn State that I will have enjoyed the most. I have heard a lot of things about this class, from other people prior to taking it. I have heard it is the greatest class, I have heard that it is a must take, and I have even heard that it will change ones live. Unlike many other courses, where you fall asleep because of someone lecturing, I can honestly say I have never fallen asleep once. From day one, I knew it would be different from even when Sam introduced his famous F Bomb’s. Honestly, the things done and the conversations that have occurred in this class, I have never experienced any where else. Two of the most emotional lectures are the suicide lecture and Boston Tragedy lecture. There were other lecturers were I was just enlightened and entertained like the Needy Penis lecturer –knowing these statistics. I will always remember Sam say, “We have a cool class today”. He said this every class.
I also think it is amazing that we did something like a group project for Haiti. After, this I feel that I am more empathetic. I feel sorry for people in Haiti, the Bostonian victims, people in Iran who experience attacks everyday. I feel this class has helped to realize that there is so much more out there. And I think I know, but I really do not. From the clicker questions (which amazed me by some of the answer that I thought I knew), to the guest lecturers to guess Skypers. This class has taught me a lot. I have always thought that I was very much an open minded person, but U feel that there is so much more I have to learn about myself. I remember back in high school the summer before I came to Penn State. I was jogging through a reservation and there was an important event going on. As I was making my way through the path, the cop approaches me and says, “What are you doing here”. Not like a question but like a commanding statement. I move closer and he places his hand on the gun. He says you can’t jog here so I turn around. I don’t think the cop was racist, but all I am saying taking this class has made me analyze events that have happened in my past and ask What if? Like if I were white, would I have been treated differently? Would he have ignored me or still placed his hand on the gun. I think I was wrong because I stepped forward before stepping back. Most importantly, this class taught me about life. I will tell any Penn State that this class is a must take.

I will answer from the guy’s perspective. I and my friends talk about this at the dinner table most of the time and we share our stories about our sexual encounters in the past and present. Now, I do not remember any of them talking about asking the female how they felt. They usually just talk about how they met the girl, and how it lead to the sexual encounter, and how bad (attractive) the girl is. But thinking about it, they have never mentioned anything about it being good or bad.
One of my friends (I won’t mention his name) is a known player who sleeps with lots of girls here in college. He described his stories like adventures and always makes it seem more dramatic. Anyway, he told a story of how one time he was in a little on time fling with this girl. They met through class, and eventually became close. She was having problems with her boyfriend, and decided to give this guy (my friend a test spin). Long story short, they hooked up but he climaxed way too quickly. As he was telling us the story, I could tell he was embarrassed for 2 reasons. One was that after, his performance, the girl stop talking to him and 2 is that he felt ashamed. This whole long story was mean to serve as an example as to why men don’t ask females about orgasms after sex. I think for men, it has to deal with they are very sensitive when it comes to performance in the bed room. They have this idea about being the man and tearing “shit up” lol.
Personally, I have never done a one night stand and never achieved to. I don’t really drink that much and have been always a relationship guy. I did catch a lot of heat. But even when in a relationship with my ex-gf, we never discussed well was that good? Did she feel an orgasm. If I were to ever do a one night stand, I don’t think I will ask how the sex was. That just seems awkward. Having performance evaluated right in front of you is nerve wrecking. Honestly, I think it something u will most likely see out of a porn movie. – “You can do that to me any time”.
Like what was said in lecture, women are about the emotional connection. And a good amount of men are just about the “hit it quit it mentally. So, if there are into a one night stand thing, it is highly unlikely, that he will ask how was it – because he is not likely to care how she felt in the end. If it is a relationship, then that is a different story.

I was completely amazed at Tammy’s story. I though that it was selfless how she walked ten miles to work everyday and back just to make enough money to support her children. She showed that she was willing to make life better for her children regardless of hers. When Sam asked, how many people would walk that much that day, I wasn’t surprised that only like 2 or 3 people raised there hands. I was about to raise my hand, but then didn’t bother because of other reasons. When people say they wouldn’t ever walk that many miles, I don’t think they necessarily mean that they never would do it, but since they have never been in the situation; it just seems so impossible to even think about. For example, someone may say they would never eat an insect or a mouse. But if there were stranded in the jungle for days, they might just reconsider. In conclusion, I do think everyone in the class would walk 10 miles for a minimum wage job if they had to.
The question being asked is would I feel different or more sympathetic if Tammy were Native American. After careful thought, I would have to say that I would feel no different. I am very aware of our lectures that discussed white guilt and the fact that Native Americans had a lot of opportunities snatched away from them. As a result, many of them are in very tough situation now. However, in Tammy’s case if she were Native I would not feel more sympathetic; in fact, I will feel the same. This is because I tend to look at the situation from an equal view. When I look at Tammy, I see a very hard-working mother making sacrifice. I know she is white, but I don’t say “that hard working white woman”. So, if I were to all of a sudden say that because she is - I think it will detract from the fact that she is a hard working woman and place more emphasis on her race.
In conclusion, her ethnicity would not let be more or less contrite. I see Tammy as a woman in an unfortunate situation trying to make things better. I think that it is good to consider hypothetical questions, but I think that is where a lot of the problems these days lie. It is good, but people tend to sympathize with their own culture too much while being neglectful of others. I think that sometimes like this case for example, people are quick to not really empathize with Tammy because she is white. I felt that even after the clicker question, ( the fact that in the United States by number most poor people are white), there still seems to be an uneasiness.

I think that the lecture of guilt today is very connected to this question. Today we talked about the idea that Native Americans had their lands stolen from them. To this very day many of the new generations still suffer. If I could send a message to America: it would be two. One of which is to increase our cultural awareness and lack of empathy. As a nation, I think we need to be more aware and tolerant of other cultures. I don not think that we are extremely xenophobic, but I think that certain individuals by and large have a uneasiness for other cultures. Also, this is evident in some of our desire to learn foreign languages. Many schools in Europe, teach children to speak at least 3 languages from a young age, but in America that is not the case. I also have ran into many Americans who do not know much of what is going on in the world.
Lack of empathy is another message i would like to address. Because of lack of empathy, we lack unity. For example, there are too many division amongst us to say we are united as a country. There is too much division amongst class, too much division amongst wealth (1% vs. 99%). I believe that is why these class issues even exist. There is too much importance on individualism and less on unity. There is too much “I” and not enough “we”. Finally, I believe all this lack of unity is due to lack of exposure and education. I believe in the whole circle cycle which means that better education leads to more money which leads to an increase in productivity. As Americans, we also struggle with idea that the poor do not matter that much. Like Sam said, there is a lack of empathy. Not only do the poor, need recognition but they need better education. In my opinion, education just transcends the idea of being able to work. The medium I would send these messages through would most likely be the internet or online. The reason why it would be online is because I feel that it is the most effective way to communicate. These days everything is on the internet. Facebook and Twitter are easy ways of sending messages. Another effective way to do it would be through television ads. Because while the internet is the way people communicate these days, I still feel most people watch television. Through the television, we can send messages about equality. I believe that word of mouth can be good, but it is not enough. It is often said that words are very powerful which is true, but I think other factors can influence that .Like if words came from someone non credible or even hated they would have no impact.

This question is very good because I there is no right or wrong answer. I can only answer based on what I hear. Back when I was in high school we had a similar debate. There was a bit of polarization in the class room for people who supported affirmative action and people who did not. Some kids believed that they may not get into schools because someone non deserving took their spot. My teacher explained that there was a point and time in the past where certain people were not even being considered into a work force a university because of their race. He says know, when its time to make up for that, its easy to see this as wrong. Anyway, I believe the point is that certain things are necessary and I can see it being good if done the right way. This topic actually ties into the past lectures where people determinism has caused people to miss out on opportunities in the past. So, in the end I do think that affirmative action is justified, but it can be wrong and is wrong many times.
To answer the question, in the scenario of someone getting a job that is more qualified over another person, that is blatantly wrong. But I do think that if they are equally skilled, and the employer seeks to diversify the workforce then it is not wrong. I can say that I have heard of many times where someone who was lesser qualified, getting the job over more qualified people. And it doesn’t end up pretty. I think the employer is actually decreasing their own success and hurting their company. The idea behind a job is to hire someone who can get the job done regardless of other stuff. If productivity is of highest importance and that it what is stated in the company’s mission statement, then I do believe that it is unethical to choose a less skilled person. One thing, I would like to throw out there is degree. What I mean is that it becomes a very difficult to judge when two people only differ very, very slightly. I mean that the difference is so subtle that you can barely see it. I think then it can be a little bit tricky. But if the difference between qualifications is so great then absolutely, there is no excuse for affirmative action.
I think that this also times I wonder that if it were reversed and I were a non minority; I think I would be upset. Like it has been said a lot in this class, it is easy to only see things from your own perspective. All having been said, I still empathize with people who do not believe affirmative action is right. I think that things in the future may continue to get better and the success of companies should be based on what the person can bring to the table, less on their race.

I have two reactions to the graphs of wealth distribution in the United States. First, I am surprised at the amount of disparity. I did not know that the inequality was that large. Secondly, I am grateful to be enlightened of this inequality. I found it interesting that we actually, desire a system that is has an equal distribution. We actually want a distribution in which each quintile of the nation’s bracket controls 20% of the total wealth. Sam defined it as a socialist country. It happened that this country happened to be Sweden. I think that we as Americans actually have to learn more. The fact that we want to have a system of equal wealth distribution but are in a distribution completely opposite is surprising. Also it is bad that we want an equal distribution but are so far from achieving it.
Back in October and November of 2012 during election time, I often heard of the 2% or (1%) that held most of the nation’s wealth. However, now I am cognizant of the fact that now top 20% of the USA controls 80% of the wealth. Now, most importantly, I believe I have learned to empathize with other countries especially third world countries. This is because now I know that even the poorest of Americans are considered wealthy in other parts of the world. This means that that people in countries such as Haiti are much poorer. So if we thought that impoverished Americans have it bad; there are people who have it much worse. I think that these graphs have shed light that unawareness exists even amongst educated college students like myself. I think that one very great solution to improving this gap is to bring more aware to the idea of unequal distributions of wealth. It is important for everyone to know their own countries wealth distribution.
Sam also tied in the idea that we think we are free but in actually the fact that we are in this system but think that we are actually free proves other wise. I find it hard to see how that ties in but nevertheless that is an important concept to consider as well.
So to wrap this up, I still have many ideas in my head that are still unanswered. First, is that I still do not have a mastered understanding of the isms. These include socialist, communism, and capitalism. I still feel that I need to better understand all those ideas. Secondly, I wonder that despite the wealth that we desire (socialist) what effects will it have on the prosperity on this nation as whole. What will be the political, social, economic effects? I also wonder whether or not it will also effect race relations not now but way into the future. These are the few things that I am curious about.

The lecture the Thursday before end of break was interesting. I was excited in hearing about what would happen after we die. Honestly, what Sam had said was not too surprising. As someone who thinks about this a lot, I have searched Youtube videos in the past and heard accounts of many people who have had a coming back from death experience. What I found was that the people in the videos have said similar things to what Sam said. I have always wondered about what life would be like when one dies. As someone who has grown up in religion, I have always believed that there were two seperate places to go : a heaven and a hell. Heaven was the place where people who were good would go and hell is where the bad people would go. Coming to college (especially being in this class), has made me skeptical of the idea of heaven and hell. I began to consider the idea that maybe everyone may end up in the same place. Another idea that I considered was that maybe after we died nothing would happen. I also found reincarnation interesting as well. Despite thinking of these other ideas, I am still sticking strong to the idea of different places for good and the bad.
To answer the question, after the lecture on Thursday: I am I afraid of dying. I would have to say that I am not afraid to die. There are two reasons. The first is that I growing up, I was always scared of dying. Now that I am older, I feel as if I have outgrown this phobia of death. I have learned to embrace it because it is now something that I see as not only natural but also necessary. Secondly, the way Sam described death as a warm feeling with bright lights and encounters with friends and family is a very pleasing thought. If death is what was described in the lecture, I am not afraid. Now there are certain aspects, that still have me quite worried. For example, watching over your life and how many good works and bad works you have committed can be scary.
Last night my friend and I actually were at a restaurant for dinner. We were talking about life and death and good versus bad. It was an interesting conversation because we both had different view points. I said that often times, good people may be good for no reason and miss out on fun in life because of their morals. My friend had answered that life may be a test, and in the after life (where it is more important) is where we truly live. We both concluded the conversation on the idea that it best to live life according to how you want to live.

Honestly, I would need more concrete evidence than just the news source and the media just saying that God does not exist. First off, I have learned through this class ( and even before then) that the media tends to distort things. News sources are not reliable therefore, I don’t think that that would be compelling enough for me to just toss my beliefs to the wayside.
I grew up in a Christian household since I was born. I went to catholic school all throughout my life: elementary and high school. I pretty much had no autonomy as to whether or not I would be able to choose to believe in God or not . It was almost forced on me. That being said, I felt that it has helped me. It has given me a blue print from which I can base my actions on. I have a way of living my life which is based on what I believe in. I am in no way “perfect person” but I do realize that I at least try to be as good as possible. So if this revelation were to happen about no God, I still think that I would do the same things anyway. I know that I will not just completely turn face or do things that are evil because that is not who I am by nature. However, my faith is what has held me most in my life through many different times, so I do not know how I will be able to cope when challenges await me. A lot of questions that I ask in life had religious answers. For example I remember asking my mom why is the sky blue”? when I was younger. She said that God made it that way. I think that if God suddenly did not exist I would be confused. I wouldn’t know where to base my source of faith or understanding. So in conclusion my behaviors would not change ( I’d still be good), but I would be confused. In class, we talked about creationism and it was interesting to see that most people believe that God continues to guide the development of human beings. I believe that we are created, and God guides us but we also have free will. Sometimes the idea is little bit puzzling since I often ask how can we be guided if we have free will. Despite this, religion is something I was born into I feel that I am a part of it. Finally, I think that one should base their faith on what “they” believe in not what outside sources claim. So if someone is told that God doesn’t exist, they should consider what they feel and act accordingly. They should choose to live according to how they want to live, not by something that is advertised in the media.

Growing up, I always had a bucket list of places that I would travel to for vacation. These places included Paris, London, and Tokyo. I can honestly say that I have never considered Iran. The reason why I have never considered Iran is not only because of the stigma or the spurious stereotypes that exist, but more of because I have never heard of it as a publicized tourist destination .I do not think that I have ever heard of it being mentioned in the same breath as Rome, or New York City and places of those prestige. I think it may have do with the fact that it is seen as “dangerous” due to allegation of weapons. This having been said since it never has been advertised, so I have never even though about it.
In the beginning of the lecture on Thursday, Sam showed us a YouTube video illustrating how night life is in Iran. I was amazed out how beautiful the city was. Most importantly, the people looked like normal happy college aged (or older) kids. I was amazed out how joyful they were in dressing up. Honestly, I never would have expected this. When juxtaposed to our culture and night life, the photos proved that many Iranian people may life similarly to many Americans. In this society, when something bad happens, it is publicized that it overshadows anything that is good. I feel that the important thing to do when things like this happen is to expose oneself, by doing your own research asking a friend of that culture. In this day and age, things like Facebook and Skype are good for that. Also I believe that immersion is the best way to really ascertain the validity of what is portrayed in the news. But like one of the online video materials said, one can never know the truth if one doesn’t travel and expose myself.
I know that traveling is easier said than done though, because it costs time and money which are two very important things in the world. There are many people who would travel but cannot because they cannot afford it. I think that is where listening and reading plays and important part. Through reading I have learned that Iranians are not Arabs, but are Persians. This is an example of how much I thought I knew but really did not. After Skyping with man from Iran in class, I have been enlightened to some degree. But, I still do not know if that reason is compelling enough to go there, despite how dangerous it is said to be. Also, not to sound ignorant but being a black guy ( American) I don’t know how well I will be accepted based on what is portrayed in the media. So in conclusion, I would love to go to Iran and expose myself; however, I doubt that I will actually do it.

I have always thought about joining the military. My goal at one point was to join the Air National Guard out in New Jersey and serve the part time 2 days a month. I used to picture myself in the uniform being part of a great organization. I think that by doing so, one may develop a strong sense of patriotism. The guest lecturers on Thursday reminded me of some very patriotic people who served a good cause. I think that that is offers great benefits. Examples include tuition, GI Bill, and even living stipends I do not believe one should join the military just to “ do something with themselves” or just for benefits. These days there is still too much deployment and too much suicide that is rampant to just commit to something important for the wrong cause.
So while I do believe that the military has great benefits and provides great opportunities, I am also aware of the downsides. One of which is the suicide rate. I remember that some time in 2012, the military suicide rate was almost one per day. I think that is a scary statistic and something that one should consider before joining. Although I do not know anyone personally that was in the military, I have spoken to people about it. The advice they offered was golden with the fact that it is a great thing to join, but it is not for everyone. Another key thing that turned me off was the idea of deployment, I do not think that I would have been ready as I have plans to continue schooling after I graduate from Penn State. I think that one also should be aware of the realties. Sometimes being in the military is not what it is in the movies. Some times you will not even see action; other times you will be right at the front line of action. You may have a boring job or a job that you do not like; or you may have a job that is so stressful. This also brings me back to the whole idea of “empathy” which was talked about in lecture on Thursday. The three soldiers discussed empathy on the field toward people that are considered enemies. I believe that I could be empathetic because I am an emotional person.
At the end of the day, one’s experience in the military can be different depending on where they are placed. I know that if I did something like computer related work or office work I would be bored but safe. If I were put in the in a battle filed, I would have to start feeling emotional and empathetic.
Either way, I am happy that I did not end up committing so far, but I do know that there is always time to change my mind. I don’t think that the risk of deployment, disillusionment, and possible unhappiness with my job are worth it for the experience.