In class, Sam showed a video of how some American soldiers were treating civilians in Iraq. It was extremely sad and disheartening to watch that video and changed some of my views on the war that is going on. The video showed a group of American soldiers that ran over a civilian’s car with a big tank because he was stealing wood because he was cold. They completely destroyed his car only to find out after that he was a taxi driver and that car was his livelihood. It also showed a couple of American soldiers that bumped the truck of a civilian and completely drove him off the road. They then laughed. It is such a shame to know that this is going on in Iraq. I was completely unaware of this. It is sickening to think that the American soldiers that we admire and respect so much here in the United States are over in Iraq doing horrible acts such as these. I know that it is not every soldier that is behaving in these ways but it is so horrible to know that some of our soldiers are doing these things. These civilians have done nothing wrong and our American soldiers are in Iraq taking their oil and treating them in these awful ways. The video showed me that the images we see of our soldiers in Iraq are not the whole story. We are told to admire these brave men and be truly grateful for their services and, although I still admire and respect them because there are so many who are worthy of our admiration and respect, some of the soldiers are acting horrible to the innocent civilians. It is very interesting that these videos are never the ones that American civilians see. In some ways this could be a good thing. If Americans were to see videos of soldiers acting in this way, we may lose some of the respect and support we have for them and that wouldn’t be fair to those American soldiers who are performing their duties with honor and respect. The actions of the American soldiers who are treating the Iraqi civilians poorly should not represent the actions of all the American soldiers, however, we should all be aware of the fact that this is going on over there. Overall, I hope this war ends soon. Sam brought it to our attention that this isn’t a war on terrorism, but in fact us invading Iraq and taking their oil. I feel that there is no longer anything good that can come out of this situation and I hope that the end is in sight. I will always respect the American soldiers for their duties, but viewing this video really opened my eyes and changed the way I feel about this situation.

One of the videos was asking about what everyone has learned from the recent Jerry Sandusky case. This is a very interesting question and many things immediately come to mind. I really haven’t taken much time out of my day to consider what I have truly learned from this sad situation. For starters, this case didn’t come out for many, many years and when it finally did, it exploded. It became so huge and consumed the minds of not only students at Penn State, but also those at colleges around the world. The media had a field day with all the happenings on campus and the case was discussed in almost every class on campus for the following week. One day, everything was business as usual and then next day it seemed as though our school was falling apart. If was extremely difficult to process everything that was going on especially with the rest of the world giving constant opinions about the matter. Things have died down now to the point where you can actually turn on the news and hear about something other than the Jerry Sandusky case or Joe Paterno’s termination. Now I can finally take a second to sort through how I am feeling and reflect on everything I’ve learned. The main thing I have learned is that in times of tragedy, there is nothing better and more comforting than an entire community coming together to help each other through. These past few weeks I have learned that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my school because of a couple of men’s actions or lack there of. It has been so amazing to see how everyone is coming together to defend our school towards those who look down on us. I initially was embarrassed to go to Penn State, specifically after the riot. However, after seeing how we have been able to come together and move forward, I have learned just how proud I am to be a student at Penn State. Another think I’ve learned was how much the media can skew a story. The media has been so focused on the bad, spending days discussing and showing footage of the riots. I do agree that student were way out of line with some of their actions that night, but we have also done so many positive things. For example, the candlelight vigil on Friday night and how students behaved at the football game on Saturday displayed Penn State and the students who attend in a very positive light. These positive events get so much less media attention and that can be very disappointing. I have learned from this entire not to let the media affect how I feel about the situation or my school. I am still very proud to go here and I am very proud of how students here have come together to overcome this.

This video was asking if we ate the second piece of chocolate and if so, how did it make us feel. In class on Tuesday, Sam gave each of us a little piece of tin foil. Inside this tin foil were two pieces of chocolate. We were told to eat the first piece of chocolate and I thought nothing about it and proceeded to eat the first chocolate chip. He then showed us a 10 minute video about how those chocolate chips ended up in our hands. This video showed a group of slaves who are forced to work in the cocoa plantation for no pay. If these boys tried to ever run away from the plantation they would be beaten. Some of the boys showed the marks they have from being whipped in the back. This terrible treatment was sickening to watch and at some points I had to look away. I had no idea that this was going on and felt so sorry for the many individuals that have to go through this. They were taken from their homes with no idea that they were on their way to becoming slaves. It is such a terrible and sad situation and I feel horrible that I had no idea.
After viewing this video, Sam then said to eat the second piece of chocolate. He said that you shouldn’t refuse to eat the second piece unless you fully intend to never eat chocolate again for the rest of your life. I ate the second piece of chocolate. As heartbreaking as that video was, I know that I will eat chocolate again in the future. I believe that the main focus of this issue of slaves harvesting our chocolate should be on improving the conditions for the harvesters, not refusing to eat chocolate from then on. Sam also mentioned that there is a brand of chocolate called Fair Trade that does not come from the harvest of the slave workers. From now on I will try to stick to the Fair Trade brand of chocolate but this doesn’t mean that these slave workers are going to be treated better. I think more awareness needs to be raised about how these individuals are being treated. If more people knew about what is going on, we could be closer to making a change for these individuals.
Overall, I felt what Sam did in class was a great way to make us all aware of what really goes on under the radar. This just shows that something needs to be done not only for the cocoa industry but also for everything. This goes on all over the world and it is truly terrible. Hopefully more individuals will become aware of this and work towards making a change.

I found the video asking if immigrants should have to speak English when they come over to America to be a very interesting and thought provoking question. Individuals who immigrate over to America probably know very little English if any at all and are probably fluent in their native language. This can obviously create some language barriers when it comes to communicating with English only speakers. In my opinion, I do not think that immigrants who come over to America not speaking English should have to use English all the time. I think it would be best if they learned at least some English, specifically enough to communicate fairly well. Inside their homes and when communicating with others who speak their native language I feel they should be free to speak whichever language they would like. However, outside of the home it would be very beneficial on their part to learn some English and be able to use it in conversations. My grandfather came over from Italy when he was 19 years old. He only spoke Italian and knew absolutely no English. In order to get a job, a house, and do daily chores such as grocery shop, he needed to learn English. My grandmother’s parents (my great-grandparents) came over from Italy before she was born so she grew up speaking both Italian and English fluently. To this day, my grandparents speak Italian to each other (especially when they don’t want me or my sisters hearing what they are saying) and English at all other times. I feel this is the best way. Learning the language of the country you are living in only makes it easier to live in your surroundings and communicate with those around you. However, I’m sure most immigrants would be hesitant to completely give up their native language and I feel they should still be free to speak it whenever and wherever they want. If they are speaking with those who also speak their native language then I see no problem in not speaking English outside the house. However if the person they are speaking with only speaks English, I feel the immigrant should also have to know how to communicate with that person as well. Overall, I do not feel immigrants should be forced to speak English when they come over to America. I do, however, feel that it would be in their best interest to learn English in order to communicate with those around them. They should be free to speak their native language whenever they want but should know how to speak English for when it is beneficial for both them and the English speaker. I believe immigrants should learn to speak at least some English but should not have to completely give up their native language.

After reading the Arizona article regarding clubs denying access to certain people, I was very interested but also somewhat shocked. People join clubs for so many reasons: to make friends, to feel apart of something, to gain an opportunity to do something they’ve never done before, because they are interested in the cause or activity, etc. I believe that an individual being denied access into a club simply based on race, gender, religion, or other beliefs is a form of discrimination and is wrong. I feel that when it comes to a religion group, such as Catholic, individuals who do not associate with that religion probably would not have any interest in joining that club. However, if they want to join that religion club for some reason, I feel they have every right to do so. I think that having clubs be diverse, with people of all races, genders, and religions, makes it very interesting and gives everyone different perspectives on things. Here at Penn State, I don’t think that this policy of denying certain students would work and if it did I don’t think it would be very effective and improving the quality of the clubs. There is so much diversity on this campus and I think that this diversity makes the clubs interesting and worthwhile. Also, at Penn State everyone stresses the importance of getting involved and being apart of something. I believe this statement loses its value if clubs are denying certain individual’s access based on race, gender, religion, or beliefs. One of Penn State’s major benefits is that it offers its students all kinds of opportunities. There are so many ways to get involved and I feel that denying certain students these opportunities is wrong. In my high school, most of the students were white Christians. In all of our clubs, everyone for the most part had the same experiences, beliefs, and life perspectives. This was mainly because we had all grown up in more or less the same way. Being here at Penn State, everyone comes from different areas with different lifestyles, beliefs, and attitudes. I feel like this diversity adds so much to clubs because most individuals don’t get this diversity until they get to Penn State. Denying certain individuals from entering a club, is in my opinion discrimination and takes away an opportunity to open students eyes to different perspectives. Overall, I feel like denying student’s access to a club would be a mistake here at Penn State and at university all over the world. Every club should allow student an equal opportunity to join and experience everything that that club has to offer. I believe implementing this rule here at Penn State would take away from a large part of Penn State’s appeal.

I do not often see individuals from one race hanging out with people primarily of a different race. Normally, you see groups of all Asians, blacks, whites, etc. I am white and I have primarily all white friends. However, I think it is refreshing to see individuals of one race hanging out with individuals of a different race. I grew up in a predominately white school, where there were probably 3 students of color total. Before coming to Penn State, I never really had any interactions with people of color. I thought that, for the most part, students of color were very different from me. At that stage in my life, I rarely ever thought about other races. Being at college, and specifically in this soc 119 class, I have become aware and surrounded by students of other races. Although I haven’t seen too many interracial friend groups, when I do I find it very refreshing. It is nice to see that through all the racism and inequality people of different colors can still get along. Being around individuals of all different races has taught me that we are not very different at all. In our small discussion groups, I get to hear the opinions and beliefs of student of different races. I find that I agree with almost everything these other students are saying. For the most part, we have the same goals, attitudes, and beliefs about many of life’s biggest issues. Because of this, it is interesting why more people do not have friends of a different race. We are all very similar to one another and someone of a different race could be more like you than someone of your own race. However, people like to stick to what is comfortable for them. Since I am white and have been surrounded by mostly white people my whole life, it is only natural that I am more comfortable being around white people today. This is the same for people of all races. We stick to what is familiar and comfortable, assuming that these people are more like us than those of other races. I would very much like to see myself and others branch out from our own race, making friends of all races. I do not view individuals who already do this as “posers.” I think these people are more advanced when it comes to race relations and this should set an example to everyone else. Throughout history, we have made many strides towards equality between different races. I feel that it is only necessary for individuals from different races to recognize their similarities and learn that they can get along. This will allow us to make further strides towards equality between the races.

I found the happiness article to be very eye opening. I have never really thought about happiness the way they described it and now after reading the article I look at happiness and how to be happy in a whole new way. The article talked about how over time, the definitions of “happiness” have changed. People have become so caught up in trying to find what exactly will lead a person to happiness. But, as the article discusses later, in order to be happy people need to stop doing things with the expectation that they will be happy in the end. This is just setting yourself up to be disappointed. The article also talked about how you can’t be happy for very long because your mind is always looking towards new goals. I believe this to be true from my own experience. After completing a difficult task I feel very happy for a short period of time. Then, another task comes up and my mind instantly moves from being happy to working towards the next goal. It’s like an endless cycle. The article stresses the importance of living in the moment and not being caught up in the past. Everyone has to make decisions all the time and rather than accepting these decisions and making the best of them, people feel anxiety over “What if I chose differently? Would I be happier?” It is impossible to be happy if you are constantly stressing over the “what if’s.” This article encourages people to stop looking for a way to be happy and just live in the moment and experience happiness as it comes. I also found it really amusing how the last line in the article was “Stop reading articles about how to be happy.”
Overall, I feel happiness is somewhat of a choice. Life can be very stressful and difficult at times. When times are tough, it is important to remember to take a minute to remember the good things in your life: all the people who love you and all the hard work you put in to get to where you are today. Forcing yourself to focus on the good in life rather than the bad will make you a happier person. As Sam always says, we are all going to die. Why spend your whole life focusing on what went wrong and what your life would be like if you made a different decision. You cannot change the past, so it is important to accept your life the way it is and try to focus on all the good things you have. In the end, all that matters are the people you’ve formed relationships with and focusing on that will ultimately make you a happier person. I think I have really benefitted from reading this article.

I have no problem with gay people and I believe they should be able to do everything that straight people can do. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone else, what is the problem? When it comes to my future children I like to believe that I’d feel the same way. There is no way for me to know for certain how I would feel because I am not in that situation yet. However, I do know that I want my future children to be happy no matter what that means for them. They should be able to make their own decisions about whom they want to be with and I, as their mother, should support whatever it is they decide. I would never want my children to feel like they had to hide the fact that they are gay because they think that I would not approve. I would want them to know that I will support them no matter what and that they can be open about it with me and I will accept it. Because I believe that being gay is not a choice, the way that I raise my kids will have no influence on whether they are gay or not. Because of this I have no choice but to accept them for who they are and support whatever they do.
Although I would have no problem with my children being gay, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the world will feel the same way. Being openly gay at any time in your life, especially high school can be brutal. I currently have a gay cousin and it is so sickening to hear what people will openly say to his face. They call him awful names, embarrass him, and so much more. My cousin is so strong and secure with who he is that he tries not to let it get to him. But I know that it still must hurt him from time to time. If it were me, I don’t know if I’d be able to handle it. When it comes to my future kids, it would be hard to accept that they are gay because no mother would ever want her kid to have to go through the abuse that most gay kids go through. High school is hard enough for kids who aren’t gay so I can’t imagine how much harder it is for those who are gay.
Overall, I want my children to be happy with who they are and to know I accept them no matter what. I would never want them to be ashamed of themselves or think that I am ashamed of them. Although they would face many hardships along the way simply because they are gay, I wouldn’t want them to be anything but accepting of themselves.

When Sam showed the bike video in class, I must say that, although it was very interesting, I was not very shocked. Individuals are judged solely based on looks/skin color all the time. Most people, myself included, like to believe this isn’t true but in fact it is and this video was proof of it. The white guy and the black guy were dressed in very similar outfits: baggy pants, t-shirt, and backwards hat. The first to perform the experiment was the white guy. He attempted to saw off the bike chain to steal the bike. Although he was approached and questioned by some individuals, most of them continued on their way without bothering to stop the “innocent” white man from stealing a bike. Then comes the black guy doing the exact same thing as the white guy. In this instance, mostly everyone stops and questions him. Some people even stick a camera in his face to get his picture or call the police. None of this was done when the white guy was stealing the bike. White men are looked at as more innocent than black men. This could be because people sometimes have the preconceived notion that all white men grow up in nice areas, attend top-notch schools, and become successful and harmless citizens. Some people also believe that all black men grow up in rough areas and get caught up in a lifestyle of crime. So, as white men are seen as innocent, upstanding citizens, black men are seen as dangerous threats to society.
After both men experimentally attempt to steal a bike, an attractive white woman is brought in. This woman has three advantages: she’s white, she’s attractive, and she’s a woman. This girl was as innocent looking as they come. Most people simply ignored it probably thinking that a white woman would never possibly steal a bike. To the man who did stop and question her, she told him she was stealing the bike. He them proceeded to help her! When it comes to getting away with a crime, white has the advantage over black and female has the advantage over male. I am very curious as to what would happen if they brought a black female into the mix. How would she compare to the white male in terms of getting stopped for stealing the bike?
Individuals are judged and discriminated against based on appearance/skin color all the time. Whether it’s in the workforce, school, or everyday life, certain people have unfair advantages over others due to stereotypes. These predetermined judgments about people specifically based on their skin color wrongly affects our society all the time. Although it would be great to see this change, today’s society has a long way to go.

After reading the Haiti Project information on the world in conversation website, I learned just how much Haiti needs our help. Haiti was already a poor and struggling country, and after the devastating earthquake in 2010 their struggles grew far worse. Thousands of people died in the earthquake and over a million people of Haiti were left homeless. Through all this devastation, the people of Haiti have not given up. They work day in and day out to improve their lifestyle, not only for themselves but also for their families. Our focus in this project is to partner with a Haitian entrepreneur, learn about what it is they do, and find a way to assist them. After learning about this project, I am so excited to get started. I feel that in so many classes you simply learn about the issues that you are fortunate enough not to have to face. I am so excited to actually do something about these issues to benefit someone else’s lifestyle. I am also very happy that it is a group project. In a group, students are able to bounce ideas off one another and look at issues and solutions in different ways. Together as a group, I feel we will have many more ideas and resources that will enable us to take full advantage of this project and the opportunities it presents.
I watched the video on Clorene Blaise, a clothing manufacturer. She works in a very hot and confined area along with her 8 employees. She wishes to expand her business by updated their technology as well as moving into a bigger factory. As far as her technology goes, she uses a silk screening method of printing designs onto her clothing (which she makes from scratch). I think she could really benefit from having a more up to date method of printing designs, which is maybe one way we can assist her. Another way we can help is by figuring out a way to provide her with a huge amount of fabric at a cheaper price than what she normally has to pay. We could get the fabric here in the United States and ship it out to her.
Another video was about Figaro Louis, a pastry chef. She works with 4 others in one room with very limited resources and tools, making pastries from scratch. I was thinking a good way to help her would be to supply her with up to date baking tools and utensils. Figaro spends a lot of time getting her supplies and ingredients because she has to take public transportation to the store and can only retrieve limited amounts of what she needs. A great way to help with this would be to provide her with a way of getting a large amount of ingredients to be sent to her. After learning more about this Haiti project, I am very excited to get started.