en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2397345 Comments by ned5031 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144337055 After today’s lecture my perspective about illegal immigrants has changed. Growing up the idea of illegal immigrants has always been looked at as a negative thing. People were constantly saying terrible things about Mexicans and how they are making the United States a worse country. My own grandparents would say negative things under their breath. Professor Richards brought up valid point in today’s lecture. My eyes were opened to the positive effects of immigration. In other classes throughout my college career I have been exposed to other side effects of immigration but today highlighted the facts even more. You cannot choose where you are born. It is sad to think of the horrible struggles that each immigrant had to face to make their way to Ellis Island. The boats are packed and some women stood for weeks on end holding their children in terrible weather conditions. Some of these people wouldn’t even be accepted into the United States and would have to return to their homeland. American was the land of opportunity. Why should they be turned down entrance if they only want to make their life better off? If we were born in a different country, I’m sure many of us would choose to immigrate to America. I think it was also interesting how our T.A, Eric, shared his immigration story with the class today. It is always interesting to hear a personal story. My own classmate went through a difficult struggle to find his way into the United States and now he is a Penn State student and my T.A. I also like how Professor Richards talked about how hard working most illegal immigrants are. This is usually very true. They have all faced struggles to make it into American so they are going to work their way to the top. I worked with an illegal immigrant from Mexico when I worked at a restuarant throughout high school. He was the hardest workingman I have ever met but was let go because he could not produce a green card. It was interesting to learn that many business owners struggle because they cannot find cheap enough labor. It’s hard not to thing that maybe illegal immigrants are not that bad. They help produce cheap labor that most Americans would not otherwise do. Business owners are then able to produce their goods at a cheaper price and will have higher profits. The video shown in the beginning of the class highlighted how many presidents have tried to find a solution to illegal immigration but no solution has been made. Maybe we should start looking at ways to make it easier for hard working individuals to enter America, instead oft building barriers to force them out. Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:05:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144337055 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142631552 After today’s lecture, my perspective on Native Americans has changed drastically. Professor Richards did a great job of emphasizing the brutality that the Natives faced. They were completely removed from their land and slaughtered to death. Today, we never truly bring up how terrible the Natives were treated. Americans are the first to talk about the heinous acts of the Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. But if look at what was done to the Native Americans, are we really that much different? Innocent individuals were murdered in both cases. Yes, in Germany millions of individuals were murdered solely based on their religion, but the Natives were removed from their indigenous land. What gives anyone the right to treat human beings this way? We need to examine the way we treat people. There has been plenty of blood, on and off American soil that should have never been shed. One other astonishing fact is how reserved and calm the Native Americans are today. Thousands of their family members had been massacred and they simply let it go. I understand the idea of wanting to get rid of the past, but it is astonishing how they simply go on with their lives knowing so much evil in their past. I never knew how poor these Native tribes actually were until we watched the video about the tribe in South Dakota. The statistics that Professor Richards posted was also unbelievable. The fact that the average life expectancy is 52 for women and 48 for men is mind-boggling. The increase in suicide rates is also astonishing. It only seems fair that we somehow reach out to these Natives after all the heartache and disturbance that was caused in the past. The United States is the first to help out any underprivileged child in America and set up funds to help overseas, but we never look at the poverty-stricken tribes across our own ground. Why is their so much more violence toward Native Americans? I think it is important to realize this. There are hundreds of tribes across the U.S. and we should embrace their culture, just as we embrace other cultures. I have always been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band and have listened to “Don’t Drink the Water” multiple times. But, I never thought twice about the lyrics. The song is truly moving and I love the way the PowerPoint was matched to the lyrics. The pictures added even more emphasis to the already uplifting words. I love when you finally realize where a band is coming from and what their songs mean. Dave Matthews does a great job of highlighting the horrible acts that were created to the Native Americans. Overall, I was very intrigued by Tuesdays lecture. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:46:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142631552 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140575075 The “Christian Invaders” lecture was a very powerful class. Professor Richards was extremely passionate about the subject and was inspirational. It is apparent that Richards spoke from his heart and has a lot of knowledge on the subject matter. The lecture was organized and prevailing. The videos shown opened my eyes to the horrid issues going on in the Middle East and how corrupt the government can be. Americans are only exposed to certain aspects of the war through what is shown through the media. Americans choose to hear what they want to hear, whether it is the truth or just some stretch of the imagination. I thought that doing the experiment of putting the entire class in the shoes of Muslims in the Middle East was interesting. By looking at the other side of the spectrum, your perception changes 180 degrees. I would definitely look at the American government differently. The video that had the biggest impact on me was the one, which showed the American soldiers destroying the cab car of the Afghans who stole the wood. This showed the true colors of many soldiers. It was unnecessary and extremely crude. It was depressing that our Army would act in this manner. The most disturbing aspect of the video was the laughter of the soldiers in the background. It was like they had no regard for human life. These were civilian Afghans simply trying to get wood to keep warm and the soldiers are destroying their livelihood. It was unnecessary. If I were a middle class Middle Easterner I would feel much hatred toward the American soldiers. You can’t help but question the true intentions of the American army when you see acts like this. Although no one was killed, people’s lives were changed drastically. This civilian was a cab driver and now has no means of income. Many of the other videos shown also had a deep impact on me. All the videos of American politicians like Sarah Palin and John McCain highlight how corrupt our government is and how these “high-up” politicians are making ridiculous assumptions and observations. They are exposing Americans to corrupt believes. It is sad because these are the people who are running our country. It is interesting how everything is referred to Christian ideals and the belief in God. The United States is a melting pot of culture and religion. The United States government and media like to act like everything is okay and that we are doing their best to protect the American people. But when you dig deeper into the issue it seems to be more about money and taking innocent peoples natural resources. Who can we believe, and more importantly who should we believe? Wed, 6 Apr 2011 21:42:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140575075 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140514601 The “Christian Invaders” lecture was a very powerful class. Professor Richards was extremely passionate about the subject and was inspirational. It is apparent that Richards spoke from his heart and has a lot of knowledge on the subject matter. The lecture was organized and prevailing. The videos shown opened my eyes to the horrid issues going on in the Middle East and how corrupt the government can be. Americans are only exposed to certain aspects of the war through what is shown through the media. Americans choose to hear what they want to hear, whether it is the truth or just some stretch of the imagination. I thought that doing the experiment of putting the entire class in the shoes of Muslims in the Middle East was interesting. By looking at the other side of the spectrum, your perception changes 180 degrees. I would definitely look at the American government differently. The video that had the biggest impact on me was the one, which showed the American soldiers destroying the cab car of the Afghans who stole the wood. This showed the true colors of many soldiers. It was unnecessary and extremely crude. It was depressing that our Army would act in this manner. The most disturbing aspect of the video was the laughter of the soldiers in the background. It was like they had no regard for human life. These were civilian Afghans simply trying to get wood to keep warm and the soldiers are destroying their livelihood. It was unnecessary. If I were a middle class Middle Easterner I would feel much hatred toward the American soldiers. You can’t help but question the true intentions of the American army when you see acts like this. Although no one was killed, people’s lives were changed drastically. This civilian was a cab driver and now has no means of income. Many of the other videos shown also had a deep impact on me. All the videos of American politicians like Sarah Palin and John McCain highlight how corrupt our government is and how these “high-up” politicians are making ridiculous assumptions and observations. They are exposing Americans to corrupt believes. It is sad because these are the people who are running our country. It is interesting how everything is referred to Christian ideals and the belief in God. The United States is a melting pot of culture and religion. The United States government and media like to act like everything is okay and that we are doing their best to protect the American people. But when you dig deeper into the issue it seems to be more about money and taking innocent peoples natural resources. Who can we believe, and more importantly who should we believe? Wed, 6 Apr 2011 16:41:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140514601 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140509082 The “Christian Invaders” lecture was a very powerful class. Professor Richards was extremely passionate about the subject and was inspirational. It is apparent that Richards spoke from his heart and has a lot of knowledge on the subject matter. The lecture was organized and prevailing. The videos shown opened my eyes to the horrid issues going on in the Middle East and how corrupt the government can be. Americans are only exposed to certain aspects of the war through what is shown through the media. Americans choose to hear what they want to hear, whether it is the truth or just some stretch of the imagination. I thought that doing the experiment of putting the entire class in the shoes of Muslims in the Middle East was interesting. By looking at the other side of the spectrum, your perception changes 180 degrees. I would definitely look at the American government differently. The video that had the biggest impact on me was the one, which showed the American soldiers destroying the cab car of the Afghans who stole the wood. This showed the true colors of many soldiers. It was unnecessary and extremely crude. It was depressing that our Army would act in this manner. The most disturbing aspect of the video was the laughter of the soldiers in the background. It was like they had no regard for human life. These were civilian Afghans simply trying to get wood to keep warm and the soldiers are destroying their livelihood. It was unnecessary. If I were a middle class Middle Easterner I would feel much hatred toward the American soldiers. You can’t help but question the true intentions of the American army when you see acts like this. Although no one was killed, people’s lives were changed drastically. This civilian was a cab driver and now has no means of income. Many of the other videos shown also had a deep impact on me. All the videos of American politicians like Sarah Palin and John McCain highlight how corrupt our government is and how these “high-up” politicians are making ridiculous assumptions and observations. They are exposing Americans to corrupt believes. It is sad because these are the people who are running our country. It is interesting how everything is referred to Christian ideals and the belief in God. The United States is a melting pot of culture and religion. The United States government and media like to act like everything is okay and that we are doing their best to protect the American people. But when you dig deeper into the issue it seems to be more about money and taking innocent peoples natural resources. Who can we believe, and more importantly who should we believe? Wed, 6 Apr 2011 16:14:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140509082 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/would-you-be-willing-to-learn-a-new-language-for-a-job-119-blog/#IDComment138709588 Knowing different languages can be extremely beneficial in many different situations. You become a more well rounded individual and can experience the culture of other countries. I would absolutely learn a different language for a job opportunity. In today’s time, with the economic set back, I think people have had to adapt and any opportunity you are given, you should appreciate and take advantage of. I am only fluent in English, but have taken Spanish throughout most of my education. I can understand the Spanish language to some degree, but would not consider myself fluent by any stretch of the imagination. Being fluent in a second language is a great characteristic to have. Many employers look for individuals who can speak a dialect other than English. It is also encouraged to write the different languages you speak at the bottom of your resume and also on some job applications. Being bilingual can help benefit your career greatly. A lot of government careers search for certain individuals who are familiar with other languages. Because you are communicating with people all over the world, you need people who can translate and make sense of other languages. Two of my roommates, both Cuban, can speak Spanish. I am envious of this trait because they can communicate in two different languages. They both speak to certain family members only in Spanish. When they were applying to jobs, there bilingual background may have advanced them in the work force. They are exposed to a different culture and when they travel to certain areas of the world, they have the potential to communicate with other Spanish-speaking natives. Learning a language at a young age is much easier than learning it as you grow older. When you are constantly exposed to Spanish speaking individuals, it is also much easy to pick up on the language. It may be beneficial for parents to start teaching their children English as well as another language as they grow up. It can only help in the long run. If I were asked to learn a language for a job or career opportunity, I would absolutely do it. It would most likely be very difficult, but it is worth the hard work. Today as the world becomes even more global, companies are constantly sending individuals overseas to expand their businesses. If being fluent in another language would help benefit not only the company, but also myself, I would definitely pursue that language. It is important for Americans to continue expanding their knowledge and opening up to different opportunities. We should want to know more about what other countries and cultures experience. By learning their language we are opening ourselves up to even more opportunities to become more cultural. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:45:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/would-you-be-willing-to-learn-a-new-language-for-a-job-119-blog/#IDComment138709588 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137553888 Humor is an easy way to confront a sensitive subject. By lightening the mood and adding laughter into the equation, many people feel that they can open up about a topic. Everyone walks on thin ice when talking about race and comedians use satire to poke fun at the situation. Why are we all so scared to confront race? I think by making fun of how people act, we all realize how ridiculous certain things are. Chris Rock is known for his racism and prejudice stand up skits. He is simply stating the truth but by doing it on an open stage with an audience he relieves tension and the audience connects with Rock. When it comes to race, we are all terrified to tell exactly how we feel. Political correctness is always in the back of our minds. Rock lets go of all of the socially acceptable ways to respond and tells it exactly how it is. He uses extreme language and examples from everyday life to tell both the black and white sides of race and prejudice. Because as Americans we all inherently agree with what Rock is saying, but we are all too scared to say it. We are too scared to ask questions. We are too scared to confront people of the opposite race. We are too scared to dig even deeper into the problem and figure out the true reason why race is so sensitive. Humor is used in other outlets to express touchy subjects. Religion and politics have caused a great amount of controversy over the past years. Entertainers like Stephen Colbert and John Stewart use jokes and comedy to bring knowledge about politics and government to the American people. Although they are not as obscene as Chris Rock, they are promoting the same views. They jab at the President, but not in a disrespectful way. Other media outlets like Fox and CNN are so serious and partisan that the media is not exposed to the actual truth. Politics and race sometimes have that same negative connotation. No one wants to talk about it. Celebrities are constantly getting in trouble for vocalizing their opinions about race. Kanye West caused controversy by announcing “George Bush does not like black people”. Similarly radio personality Don Imus was fired after referring to the Rutgers female basketball team as a bunch of “nappy headed hoes”. As long as we are scared to talk about this topic and approach race, politics, and religion in an open manner, comedy and humor will most likely still be used to address race issues. Stand up comedy can be a good way to open up the eyes of the American public and to vocalize the more serious issues at hand. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:26:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137553888 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135340723 Although, I am not guilty for being white, there have been times when I feel guilty for have been given the privileges that people of other races may not have. Growing up I never thought that I am where I am today due to white supremacy or white privilege. I was taught to work hard and make good choices and then I could be successful if I was determined. Until recently, mostly after taking Soc 119, am I more open to the idea of white privilege. Professor Richards highlighted the importance of free will but also the fact that there is a sense of determinism in every situation. It is possible that my white skin has gotten me more job interviews and other privileges that people of color may not have experienced. Overall, I don’t think that anyone should feel guilty because of his or her skin color, but it is hard to forget some of the horrible actions that have been taken by white human beings. The holocaust was the most aggressive and disturbing manslaughter that ever took place in the history of the world. The fact that white Nazis in Germany committed this massacre makes the white race look extremely corrupt and somewhat disgusting. It is hard to not feel some type of guilt for the millions and millions of innocent individuals murdered during this time period. Similarly, the act of slavery makes the white race look corrupt and superior to any other race in the world. White men enslaved millions of black individuals solely because they had black skin. My ancestors most likely were involved with slavery in some way. In conclusion, I do feel guilt for the way that some Caucasian individuals have acted in the past, but I myself do not feel guilt for being a white human being. We do not choose the color of skin we will have. This fact alone makes the idea of racism and prejudice absolutely ridiculous. Stereotypes do not define an entire race so it is absurd that so much racism still exists in the world today. Hopefully, in the future we will see racism reduce in the United States. I was raised to be a good human being. My parents are both white and they enforced a strong work ethic in all three of their children. There is no reason to feel guilt for being a white female. In a way I feel like this would be degrading to my ancestors and family. I understand that white people have been negative toward other races throughout America, but as always, not every person has these feelings and actions. I don’t think any individual should feel guilt for the color of their skin. If anything we should embrace who we are and where we came from. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:30:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135340723 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment132108182 Living in America we sometimes forget about how fortunate we are to come from such an amazing place. There are amble opportunities everywhere you turn and for the most part our government is stabilized. Although racism and prejudice still exists, the United State treats every citizen fairly equal and provides us with our basic rights. So when asked if I feel guilt about knowing the disadvantages of freed slaves, I have to stop and think. America was not what it once was. Not too long ago we enslaved thousands of black people based solely on the color of their skin. Today, most people think slavery is a heinous act and don’t understand how it became such a familiarity. But actually millions of individuals live as slaves today throughout the world. Knowing how privileged I am and my vast land of opportunities, I do feel guilt for freed slaves. As a white woman, I never felt a real sense of racism or prejudice in life and though I have made good choices and worked to where I have come, I most certainly have never been a victim of slavery. Knowing how difficult it is for a person to establish a secure life after working as a slave makes me feel extremely sad. I would not say that I feel too much guilt, because I have not personally owned any slaves or even condoned the horrible institution. But it is possible that my own ancestors have. It is terrible to even imagine the difficulty-freed slaves must have in stabilizing their life. They have absolutely no self worth and therefore are forced to start from the ground up. They probably lack an education and other basic skills that most people are taught throughout their lifetime. In today’s world, it is terribly difficult to get anywhere is life with no money. You can’t purchase your basic necessity items that most of us take for granted. Not only are freed slaves worse off from an economic standpoint, but they also are usually looked down upon and face racism and discrimination on a daily basis. We have learned that there is most always going to be latent or institutionalized racism. Meaning even though people don’t think they are, they will have negative feeling toward a group. Freed slaves sometimes fit that category. How can you expect a slave to get hired for a job, when they lack education and have absolutely no self-wealth? It must be a constant uphill struggle. When I think about this I do feel guilt and hope that other citizens do as well. But along with sympathizing for these freed slaves it is important that we do something to help. We have acknowledged that this is a problem and as “good” Americans we should want to help. Thu, 3 Mar 2011 14:35:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment132108182 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/do-you-think-his-lighter-skin-gets-him-ahead-in-society-119-blog/#IDComment130089675 The question posed is very valid. This individual is of African American decent, but does have a lighter skin tone. It is hard to say whether or not his lighter skin tone has got him ahead in society. Most of the time, you can’t pin point what exactly makes a person who they are. Whether it is their race, personality, work ethic, so on and so forth. But recently I have had a different opinion on the subject. Growing up in a mostly white neighborhood with white friends and family, I never really thought that the fact that I was white would give me more opportunities in America, than an individual who is not Caucasian. It was never really brought to my attention until I enrolled in Soc 119 this semester. I then really began to think twice about the idea of racial discrimination and affirmative action. The story Professor Richards told about how him and his brother received multiple painting jobs throughout the year and was trusted by all his employers, really opened my eyes. I never thought that someone just as equally qualified for the job wouldn’t be trusted and therefore hired because of the color of their skin. This actually made me think about my own parents as well. To be honest, not that my parents are racists in any way, but I believe that if they had two options to hire a painter and one was black and one was white, they would probably employ the white individual. So when looking back at the question, do I think his lighter skin gets him ahead in society? Yes. I have had multiple job interviews throughout my life and an even larger number since entering college. When I walk out of my interview I usually analyze how I answered the questions, did I look presentable, and did I portray all my positive qualities. I never thought that I would receive the job because I was white. The idea of the color of my skin seems like a ridiculous qualification for a job. But the fact is, it does matter. When looking at the other spectrum, when an individual of a different race, religion, or cultural goes into interview with a white American male, they must feel extremely different insecurities than I would. The man who posed this question may have been given different opportunities throughout his life, because he was lighter than the black person sitting next to him. A lot of the times, these things are implicit, meaning you don’t realize when you are being treated “better” because of your skin color. It is important that we confront these issues. Americans need to start being more aware that racial discrimination does still exist, very much so. Hopefully in years to come, we may start to see a change. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:44:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/do-you-think-his-lighter-skin-gets-him-ahead-in-society-119-blog/#IDComment130089675 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-do-you-feel-about-the-way-people-live-in-america-compared-to-other-places-around-the-world-119-blog/#IDComment128994967 Growing up in America, I was never really exposed to how people in other countries live. Sure you have an idea of the difference in lifestyle, but not at the level we should. Throughout my education, I was taught a little bit about social and cultural life of other countries in classes like social studies and history, but I was not aware how severe poverty is in other countries. Until this past year, at an age 21, I had never even been out of the country. I traveled to Mexico on a Thanksgiving cruise and this was first time I was exposed on first hand to the severe poverty of other countries. I witness children at the age of eight, returning from school and immediately getting put to work. It was truly eye opening and I realized how blessed I am to live in the United States. Just seeing the drastic difference in living conditions, makes you appreciate the life you lead. The worst part is, that Mexico is not even the poorest country. In most Sub Saharan African countries an enormous percentage of the population live under the poverty line. It is hard to pin point one emotion when comparing how people in America live verses other countries. America is so competitive and fast pace and everyone is trying to “keep up with the Jones.” Everyone measures their wealth on the size of their home and the number of Mercedes in the driveway. This aspect of the American life upsets me greatly. Money is the main determinant of success and it is incredibly hard for most Americans to live up to what the media portrays as successful. Most rich Americans will never donate a dime to charities or other less fortunate people. Other countries are generally more content. They choose to live life to the fullest and focus less on the idea of being extremely wealthy and put a greater emphasis on family and friends. It is not necessary to have three cars, two computers per person, and diamonds piled upon diamonds. I do not believe that your belongings make you the person you are. Similarly, Americans tend to be very greedy. We do everything is excess. Whether it is our calories intake, or alcohol consumption, we over indulge. It seems like we are never satisfied. America uses by far the most green house gases of any country and tends to not focus on the importance of the environment. Overall, I believe I am somewhat angry at the way that most Americans live. It is an amazing country with amble opportunities, but we need to look at the bigger picture. We should look at the rest of the world for inspiration to be positive and help whenever possible. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:20:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-do-you-feel-about-the-way-people-live-in-america-compared-to-other-places-around-the-world-119-blog/#IDComment128994967 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127191105 After Tuesday’s discussion on determinism verses free-will, I was very intrigued. I thought Professor Richards did an excellent job of explaining both sides. In the beginning of class, I selected leaning toward free-will when asked where I stand. By the end I was completely in the middle. Growing up I lived in a white suburban family, middle class, with one brother and one sister, and two parents. Both my parent’s graduated from college and my older brother graduated from Lehigh University in 2007. My whole life I never really thought of attending college as a choice. No matter what, I was going. So when the end of junior year rolled around I filled out multiple applications, attend SAT prep courses (paid for by my parents), and worked hard to maintain a decent GPA. After Tuesday’s class, I looked deeper into why I am a student of Penn State University and to be honest I think it is the result of both determinism and free-will. If I hadn’t been born in a household where education was also first and work came second, who know where I would be? Similarly, I never had to worry about paying for college. Sure I am going to have some student loans to pay off after graduation, but the majority has been taken care of by my parents. In a sense I think the reason I am a college student is due largely to determinism. My school district was extremely beneficial in helping in any means necessary to make me the best candidate for college. Most of my friends were going to attend college and if I didn’t, I would most definitely be looked down upon. If I grew up in a different area, this could very well not be the case. Today, I feel so much more appreciative for my upbringing and the opportunities I have been provided with. Looking at the other side, a lot of the reason I believe I got accepted to Penn State University has to do with free-will. There are plenty of universities with lower standards and higher acceptance rates. Because I worked hard throughout high school and made the decisions to study and prepare for tests and exams, I was able to maintain a high GPA. I also chose to pursue extracurricular activities and played multiple sports and was a part of many clubs and organizations. Positive decisions that I have made throughout the years prior to college, have helped shape my future. So in conclusion, after looking at both sides of the spectrum I completely believe that a combination of free-will and determinism has made me who I am today. They are both important in determining someone’s future and I believe it is important to realize the benefits of both. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:57:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127191105 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/if-you-could-how-would-you-rename-and-re-classify-people-119-blog/#IDComment125466380 There are millions of ways to classify people throughout the world. Where they are from, how they look, the color of their skin, who they hang out with, their occupation, so on and so forth. I think in general there is only way to classify the world and that is to call everyone humans. As Professor Richards points out we are constantly wrongly categorizing people throughout the world. Some people call all black people African Americans while their ancestry is nowhere close to the coast of Africa. Similarly, we tend to lump all people with “Asian” looking eyes into the category of Asian. Some individuals live nowhere close to the Asian continent some even originating from South America. So looking back at the question of how would I rename and classify people, I say we don’t and simply refer to one another as humans. No matter what setting you are in, you are being scrutinized and classified. In school if you play video games and board games you are a white nerd. Similarly, if you wear baggy jeans and a backward straight brim hat, you’re a” wigger”. If you are a good basketball player, you are most likely black. And finally if you are good at math your probably an Asian. These are stereotypes that we use to classify people by the color of their skin. When you apply to college, you have to list your ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, and more. Instead of just filling out the application based on your performance and skills, you are being “judged” by your race. It may or may not be true that people of a different race have a better chance of getting into a college or obtaining a certain job, but why? In the end, the only way that there will be no prejudice and racism is if we completely disregard race. We should look at people based on their personality and achievements and stray away from comparing and classifying based solely on physical characteristics. For thousands of years, race has been a huge issue, long before slavery sparked the beginning of the Civil War. But, people are always going to look and act differently. There are no two people who are exactly the same, even identical twins. So why continue to point out that a person is black or Asian. In the end it makes no difference at all. Yes, Barack Obama is the first “black” president. But, the fact that this is one of the reasons many individuals chose not to vote for this candidate in the election is ridiculous. Hopefully, in the future every human being will just be human. Whether they are a carpenter, a construction worker, an accountant, a basketball player, or even the president of the United States. In the end we are just human beings. Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:13:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/if-you-could-how-would-you-rename-and-re-classify-people-119-blog/#IDComment125466380 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/why-do-we-associate-with-people-of-the-same-race-and-ethnicity-as-ourselves-119-blog/#IDComment123946282 It is common to see many people of the same race and ethnicity traveling together on campus. You constantly notice groups of black people walking to class and Asians flocking to find seats next to one another in class. I think there are many reasons why people choose to associate with their own “race” and “ethnicity.” People, especially young students, like to be surrounded by people they are comfortable with. Some individuals like to stick with what they know and don’t enjoy branching out to learn about other cultures and races. Also, in many instances there is a potential language barrier and students who speak the same language like to hang out with one another. I think that it is important that we do start to interact more often with people of different backgrounds. There are billions of people in the world all with a different story to tell. I believe you should want to be a well-rounded individual and step out of the box. Just by introducing yourself to someone of a different color or religion, you could potentially meet a lifelong friend. Growing up, I lived in a small white suburban neighborhood in South Jersey. There were not many blacks or Jews in our school district so for the most part I associated with white Roman Catholic individuals. It wasn’t that I chose to not include people of different races and ethnicities from my life, it was just that very few were present in my town. I think that children who grow up in urban areas where diversity is heavily present are exposed to a large mix of people and therefore find it easier to “befriend” someone who is different. When I first came to Penn State, diversity was very present. I was given a roommate who was from South Korea and spoke very little English. It was hard to find common interests and our schedules were not in sync. Also, because English was her second language, there was a strong language barrier. I tried to hang out and be a friend to her, but in the end once the semester ended, we went our separate ways. In some cases, I think individuals do try to associate with people of different race and ethnicity, but it can be difficult if little or no commonalities exist. Overall, I think the question of why we “hang” with people of the same race is valid. People are going to associate with people who they can easily hold a conversation with and have many of the same values and morals. But, it is also important to go out and have a conversation with someone with a completely different background. Not only could you learn something about yourself, but you could also teach someone something they were never aware of. Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:48:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/why-do-we-associate-with-people-of-the-same-race-and-ethnicity-as-ourselves-119-blog/#IDComment123946282 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/why-dont-we-know/#IDComment122399858 I think the question posed in this video is very valid and extremely interesting. My sophomore year I took Media and Democracy, Comm 110, with Professor Elvasky and was first introduced to how truly naïve and uninformed young Americans are about society, the media, and democracy. Growing up in a world of unlimited technology and entertainment our attention spans are so partial that we can only stay focused for a short period of time. This contributes to our lack of knowledge of what is going on throughout our society and the rest of the world. For most teenager’s sitcoms and gossip websites are more intriguing then the local news, which is usually filled with negative stories hosted by monotone adults. College students need to be stimulated and entertained in order to have any opinion on the topic being introduced. We choose what websites we want to visit and what television stations we receive our daily news from. Most new stories are going to be biased and young adults must go out and challenge these issues. It is important to be exposed to all areas of our democracy and to want to make a change for the better. If not, who knows what America will become in the future. Similarly, I think a lot of the reason Americans don’t react to issues like immigration is because if we are not interested in the issue we tune it out. We don’t understand all the aspects of problems with immigration and since it doesn’t directly affect most young adults, who cares? I think it is imperative that we at least research the topic and be somewhat aware of how we are approaching the situation. Lana also brings up the idea of sweatshops like Nike and how some of us are aware that our clothing is created by underpaid, underage children, but we still purchase and wear them. Just walking around our classroom I would guess that at least 70% of the students own a pair of Nike sneakers. I think a lot of the time we just don’t think about where our products come from. We simply want to wear a good quality item that we like. Some Americans do choose to not purchase these items, which is a noble stance. But when you look at the big picture, how much are you really contributing in the whole scheme of things. On the other hand, if we continue to say, “Well what can one person do anyway?” nothing will get accomplished. Overall, I believe there are many answers to the question posed in this video. Some of us don’t want to know. Some of us know what is going on, but make no change. It is sometimes easier to tune it out. And finally, in the end, the media can choose what they want to display to the nation. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:11:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/why-dont-we-know/#IDComment122399858 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cd%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122144881 SOC 119 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:04:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cd%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122144881