I do not think it is wrong to take handouts in to an extent. I feel that if you have no idea what you are doing and you don’t even want to get into that field of work it is wrong but I feel that if you have been working hard and that is your passion it is not wrong. For example, I am going to intern at adult probation this summer, my father works there and I know a lot of the probation officers. Although I will most likely be chosen to be an intern there out of the 40 other people I would not feel bad because I have worked hard to get where I am and I truly care about this internship.
I think people who take out handout when then don’t even know what they are doing is wrong and harmful to the “company” or whatever they were handed. If it’s a small job such as painting a house, I don’t think it is wrong because its painting and I am sure the uncle or father will tell them how to paint.
I think if you work hard and get handed something it is a way for all your hard work to pay off. Not everyone who gets a handout is unqualified for and if they aren’t then they should not receive it because that is unfair. The way I am getting a hand out is that I am working hard and happen to know people and that is how people get around in jobs you pretty much have to know people. Connections with other people are so important.
There may have been at least one or two more qualified than me and that does make me feel bad but then I just think I am a hard worker and I won’t let anyone down. There is not much more that the other people could have other than having a lot of other internships with corrections or with the state in which then I don’t feel bad because they had an internship already let other people have a shot.
The only way taking a handout is wrong is if you have no interest to do it its way out of your league and your just in it for the money. In that case that is just unfair for all the people who have been busting there butts off in school trying to get an intern ship, and the person who got the handout doesn’t even care about it.
It really depends on how the person how gets things handed to them acts. If they are reasonable and ready to learn and take on new things and is excited to do this job or internship then I don’t think its unfair, because if my son or daughter really wanted a job and I was able to somehow make their dreams come true I would defiantly pull some strings for them.

As a girl I am definitely uncomfortable with that subject. I like to think of myself as very open but when it comes to that topic I am as quiet as can be. I believe this came from my family. I lived with two older brothers, not saying they were bad brothers but they would always make fun of my mom saying she’s on that time, or she’s in that mood. I never wanted to be seen in that light. I also got my thing when I was 16 so that is really late for girls, and I would hide it every time. My mom is open about when she has it but I just get annoyed when women talk about it. I see it as women looking for sympathy, and I am a pretty tough girl I want to go into corrections I feel like if girls want to be treated equally then they shouldn’t complain all the time about little things. I understand there are exceptions for this, for instance the women who have horrible pains. They should have a talk with their doctor if they haven’t already. I don’t feel free and sam was right, I have a hard time buying products for myself still. Which, I know I shouldn’t but I just feel very awkward buying stuff like that. Also I would always go to a women cashier and I have a feeling that there are a lot of women who do the same thing I can’t be the only one. I personally always use cover words when I talk about periods. I just don’t think it’s necessary to complain and tell everyone how terrible you feel. For instance my brother’s girl friend would say “oh I can’t come to dinner because I have my period” A: we don’t need to know that and B: how does that stop you from eating? I was raised in a pretty tough house with a dad as a cop and two older brothers, I just hid everything. Also I don’t want to be accused of acting a certain way because I am on my period that would drive me crazy. The girl in class who stood up and said “it gives me a reason to be a bitch for a week” just made me so sick. That’s not how women should act just because there on their period. I hate when girls say that. No one would ever know I was on my period because I am the same person. I may have some emotions but I don’t let them interfere with my life. There is no need for people to be a “bitch” for no reason. I don’t really think periods effect if I’m free or not though. It’s just one thing that I like to keep to myself for my own reasons of not wanting to be a “bitch, or accused of being a bitch.” People don’t like talking about there illnesses does it mean they aren’t free?

Last class opened my eyes, I feel like it really got me thinking a lot. I was relieved that he said that it’s mostly a good experience. I almost felt sorry for the people in the room who were being so skeptic, it’s like you find something out that is positive about something that we fear what is so bad about hearing positive coming out of it. People need to have more hope/more positive looks on life and death because they both.. Happen. I thought it was really interesting hearing these things and having something concrete to back it up. Right when I got home I told my mom about this and she listened to everything I had to say and she said that is so weird you brought that up because in the ICU (my mom’s a nurse) the people that passed away would have an unaccounted for weightless in the person who passed away, and all the nurse would say it was there spirit leaving their body. I loved that there is a positive way to look at death. I was really thinking about death after a family friend passed away and it scared me, I feared it for myself and my family. But now after that class I feel like its going to happen either way and if I believe that this is going to happen when my love ones die and when I die it makes me feel so much better. I cannot stand the people who are like we are just going to die and be eaten by the bugs and nothing happens. Its just like you have no belief and are so negative.. tell me how you can have a positive thought about that. Having heard this I feel so much more understanding and happy. Although I must add, the girl in the front row who said “ how do you all feel knowing I get the same treatment and you worked so hard for your gods” that’s not the exact quote but that’s around what she said. I TOTALLY think she missed the point of what Sam was trying to make. He wanted to have everyone have more of an open mind on different religions and how we can all be accepted in the same place of happiness. Which I love! I thought it was so cool that he was able to pull in different religions having this experience because there is no way only one religion is right and is going to heaven and another one is completely wrong, it should just matter on how you treat people and what you have done in your life. It blew my mind that people who came back from death after suicide felt pain, although it made me kind of sad it makes sense because its seen as bad and a waste of life. In the end I thought that was really cool that he brought that up and it made me happy to think that’s what I should be look forward to not be afraid of.

What I walked away with in class today was really very unsure, but I was absolutely thinking a lot more about what I have been taught and what I believe. My family is Roman Catholic, very strictly in their religion and I have been raised going to church every Sunday going to Sunday classes and never really paying attention just knowing that they were right. I was once a person who believed just in the creation theory that it just happened that way, but really when I look at the evidence and how much the evolutionary effect makes sense I start to question myself. I believe in god, and I believe in the evolutionary part that people from more UV ray have darker colored skin and people from low UV ray areas have lighter skin. I understand why people’s hair are different and their noses are different it just makes more sense than saying it’s just how it is. This class made me understand that I can believe in god and also believe in the evolutionary theory. And I agree that people should be taking a closer look at their religions and make sure it’s one that fits you. I am still on the search for a religion that I 100% agree with. My church still has women wear stuff over their heads have long dresses no pants, and no piercings. I understand the reasoning for this but I just know if that is how I want to fallow. As for the monkey talk and monkey video, I definitely disagree that we came from monkeys. In my mind it just not make sense there are still monkeys in the world.. does that mean that they just stop evolving? And since they are so close to use in DNA, why is it that there isn’t half monkey half humans around? I get that we evolved in to smarter human beings but I’m not convinced it’s by moneys. I did enjoy the class it really did make me think and I feel like I have a better outlook on what I want to believe. I am glad that I am taking interest in this and not just fallowing someone’s footsteps who may think they are right religiously. I know that the idea of me believing this is going to go against everything my parents believe. But when I am home this spring break I am going to ask them how they believe people came about, and what they think about some of these theory’s. When you have hard evidence hit you in the face it makes you wonder. I also agree that the more educated people would stay away from the creationist theory. This class did help me think and did stir up some thoughts. Like Sam said you’re not going to like what you hear sometimes but it does make you think. I believe a lot of people were re thinking about there views on religion and evolution.

I believe that the next generation is definitely going to be different, in mostly good ways, but maybe some bad ways. The main things I see changing in the next generations is acceptance of homosexuality, and technologic advancement. These are a couple of things that are just starting to come into the light and be noticed. I feel that the growth in understanding homosexuality instead of judging it will become stronger.
There is a growth in knowledge about homosexuality and there is more sensitivity around the subject then there was years ago. Things with homosexuality are already starting to become more “okay”. There are more programs out there to help people who are having troubles with their sexuality. People have such a hard time dealing with this problem growing up and I believe people now grow up learning more about homosexuality and being educated in the problems their children problems.
Homosexuality now is still not accepted by a good amount of the population, but I do feel that people’s opinions are starting to change more and more as the years go by. We are beginning less judgmental about their life style, because who really cares how other people live their life and who they fall in love with. I know that I will teach my children that it is okay if you’re gay or someone you know is gay. It would change my opinion about them and it should change their opinions about other people.I just think there are going to be more parents who are more understanding to the fact that there kids may be gay. I know that even in the next generations there is going to be people who will never accept homosexuality.
Technology is a great thing and all the new phones are coming up with the coolest things, but I feel that socially we are not advancing and I think the next generation will have a lot of technology but it will feed into the social interactions. I feel that even today we are staring to fall behind in social reactions. Technology is definitely helping our learning experiences.
With cell phones we just end up texting people and I feel like the next generations are just going to even worse when it comes to talking to people. There are some good things about technology advancing but I do think that socially the next generation will start to see some decline in social interactions. Generations have been going through a lot of different technology advancements. People would call people on the phone instead of texting the person.
In the end I think the next generation is going to be just as good as this generation maybe even better. There may be some setbacks but what generation didn’t have a setback. I hope our intelligence and opinions are more open and caring of other people’s feelings.

A male not wanting to be friends with another male who is gay, but can be friends with someone who is a lesbian is kind of weird to me. I do understand that maybe they would get courtesy stigma which means if you are associated with someone who is stigmatized that it will rub onto you. I also can understand if a male does not want to hang out with a male homosexual because he feels like he cannot connect to them, on a friend bases. Males are usually talking about what girls are hot and that may be weird if the guy says oh man that guy is hot. I can see how that could make some males uncomfortable.
I do find it kind of strange that males are ok with being friends with women who are gay, but I can see a commonality between them. They will both be talking about girls they think are hot and what they look for in a girl. Although lesbians are considered homosexual guys can find that to be sexually attractive where they would not feel the same way for someone who is male.
I really think should think about how they word things to homosexuals. I don’t understand how someone can not want to be friends with someone without ever getting to know the person. It also makes me wonder if they are not comfortable in their own sexuality. In class we discussed how males that were homophobic were more likely to get turned on by two homosexuals having intercourse. This was very shocking to hear because I never thought that would turn out that way.
One of my older brothers was hit on by a male and he did not really care, he was kind of flattered. The problem with that was that people who start to think he was gay, people in my family would accuse him of being gay when really he just liked getting the compliment. I feel like people need to calm down with the thought of homosexuality and stop making it out to be a big deal. If someone is gay how is that going to affect you and your life?
When we talk about abortion of the gay child I felt sick that there were actually people who would abort the kid because of it being gay. It is not a disease it is not something that is going to make that child not be able to live his or her life. People have mentally challenged kids and still do not abort the child. I just don’t understand people’s opinions on that. I can see that there life will be hard but not to the point where they should not live it. I know it’s tough for people who are gay and they have been through a lot but as I have heard it gets better, and throughout time I feel like it will get better in the fact that homosexuality will not be so stigmatized.

I think that using the things talk about in class would really help me talk to someone and give them advice to stop doing something to them. For example people who cut themselves or are bulimic, I would apply what Sam brought up in class about how they think they are doing it because it’s a self act and it’s personal to them but really they are doing it for other reasons.
I would let them know that there are other ways to copping with these things in a healthier manner and it will fix the problem by making them understand that they need to take care of themselves.
If I had a friend and I found out that they were bulimic and they were throwing up after every meal to stay a certain weight, id first ask them why? Then I would explain to them that they are not doing this for themselves, they are doing it for the people in society who think they are fat or it’s how they apply themselves in life. I would tell them that they are giving in to everyone else’s opinions on you. Or I would tell them that they are trying way too hard to be something that is not healthy.
Although people think they are doing this for them, thinking they are fat is totally false, they are falling into a trap. They are should not listen to what other people think or what other people like. People call people fat and don’t realize that I can really hurt someone’s feelings and maybe even be the reason they may take their life or make themselves throw up just to please them.
Also if I had a friend who was about to commit suicide I would ask them why? And is it worth it? These questions will stir up all kinds of emotions but when it come down to it the person is going to realize that it’s not him, it society it’s how he thinks he is viewed that could be stressing him out.
These personal troubles are all cause by something you just really need to make that person think what could have led them to this decision and how can they break it down and realize it’s not their fault and they actually have a pretty good life that they are just throwing away because they think they do not fit into society or they let people down, when really that shouldn’t matter.
The main thing I learned was to be understanding to the people but after you explain to them why they are doing these terrible things to themselves. Explain to them that this is not a person choice this is not what someone just wakes up in the morning and is like, wow I really want to throw up this morning to make myself skinny for myself.

I personally do not think that atheism is a bad thing. If it came down to my daughter or son getting married to one I do think it would bother me a little because the way I was raised was religion helped keep the family together and although I used to hate getting up early to go to church it was almost like a bond. I do not have anything against people of different religions or anything like that but I do feel like it’s a healthy way to live being able to believe in something. I think that church brought my family closer and it was a time to be with each other, just like having dinner at night with the family. I know that when I lose my parents that will be one memory that will stick out, was dragging all the kids out of the house, having conversations/debates in the car and being together and I will cherish that forever. I just feel like those are important things and I would want my son or daughter to have that same connection with their family. I also would like them to have a belief in something. I would also have to meet the person who was marrying into my family before I make any harsh feelings towards them. If they are someone who just bashes god and is nasty then of course I would not like them to be in my family even if I had no control over it I would make sure not to see that person, but if the person is sweet and will find other ways to bond and let their children decide for themselves if they want to be religious or not. I know that if my daughter or son loved the person that I would have to try and see what they see and let them be happy, because I am not in control of their lives at that point they will have to make these decisions on their own. I will try and point out some good points that religion is a bug part of a family structure. I will only voice my opinion once and if they do not want to be religious then that is their decision. I have a big mouth and I like to voice my opinion especially if it is something that is going to bother me. In the end I do not really care who my children marry as long as they make them happy and can get along with the family. I would not be as harsh as my parents were with me that is for sure. When it comes down to it all, I want from my future in-laws to have respect towards the family.

I think that it was very interesting how Sam is so comfortable with just going out and saying whatever he wants. I thought it was cool that he could just pick out and random person and be like “yo you are not all white”. This topic made me very interested in my own background and how I could be more than just white/Irish. I am glad that people don’t get offended when Sam calls people out because he is trying to make a point that we are all somehow connected whether we like it or not.
I feel like if Sam came up to me and asked me if I was at all bi racial I would probably say no because I am pretty sure I know my background pretty well, but hearing him say he is 1.5 African made me change my view. If I do a test maybe I could have some kind of different race in my blood. I would be really interested to find that out about me because I have some people in my family who are very stubborn and wouldn’t believe we were bi racial. Some people are just not open to find out or just don’t want to know if they are, which I can’t understand.
When putting people on the spot Sam is really good about it. He makes you comfortable to talk in front of 750 people which is really hard to do. The girl did not seem offended and was ok about talking about it. I could not really see the girl up close but from far away she seemed white to me. But that was the point Sam was trying to make. Although the girl looked white she also looked like she had some other race in her. She said she has been told this before and maybe he helped her realize that maybe she should check her background to see what she really is so when someone asks she will be prepared to answer. He made me realize that it’s pretty important to know what you are and where you came from.
I really do think that it is interesting that some genes pop out more in other people even if it is a small amount. There are sometimes when I see someone white and wonder if they have some other race connected to them, I usually ask once I get to know them. Some people can get offended when I ask them if they are a specific race. So now I would just ask what your background is.
In the end we are all somehow connected and I think that’s pretty interesting. Even though we are somehow related there is still some racism and hate between other races, hopefully one day people can understand that they are being racist to someone who is in one way or another connected to them.