I became aware that Chi Omega was put on suspension for something related to a racial issue before Onward State and others posted their articles and the picture. I was given very vague information about the situation, only knowing that they were under investigation for being a “racist group.” I initially thought that they had done a terrible transgression that warranted a suspension and investigation. When I came across the picture, I thought it was ludicrous that people were reacting the way they were about it. I thought the signs were a bit offensive, but I took it as pure college and teenage humor, never intended to disrespect anyone. If I had come across the picture on Facebook or Twitter, I probably would have thought nothing of it.
With all that said, there are reasonable people everywhere, so I decided to open my mind up in the situation and see the other side of it. The world is changing, and a lot of things in life are becoming transparent with regards to technology and the internet. People are always out to get each other, and the internet is a great way to do that. In no way am I saying that the people who criticized the sorority are trying to sabotage them, but we need to understand that people are always watching, and sometimes they're not the ones we want to be. I understand why people are upset with the photo. The signs used, I believe, were not meant to offend people of Mexican descent, but many things in life aren’t meant. At the end of the day, people were offended by the photo, and proper measures were necessary to settle the problem. Although I thought that the situation was overblown, people were not happy about the photo, and they made sure that the sorority and everyone else knew that.
I have been lightly following the situation myself, and have come to see that the opinions on the photo are split. I have seen people of hispanic descent put the sorority on full blast, and others of the same descent laugh and brush off the situation. I have seen people of other races take both sides as well. The vast majority of people agree that the signs were aggressive and unnecessary, but some believe that the signs were all in fun and weren’t meant to cause any harm.
I do feel bad for the sorority. It is unfortunate to see innocent people suffer, especially in national spotlight, but I think these girls learned a big lesson. This situation brought to reality that what we post on the internet can really be used against us in bad ways, and it taught all of Penn State to be careful about how and what we share. Unfortunately, the members of Chi Omega Sorority were the teachers.

Personally, I don’t think that the topic of interracial dating is the problem. I don’t think that people don’t engage in relationships because it would be a so called “interracial relationship” but because sometimes people just aren't attracted to different races, for whatever reasons those may be. I think that many people want to follow some sort of norm in life, and to many, one norm is dating a person of the same race. This question raises a lot of questions and is full of assumptions, but all in large I don’t think that the idea of interracial dating is the dilemma, it is just personal choice and interest. If someone wanted to have sex or date someone of a different race, I don’t see why they wouldn’t and shouldn’t.
In recent years, our country has shifted to a more accepting environment when it comes to race. I see interracial couples everyday, and I think nothing bad of them. I believe that people should follow their hearts and date who they want to date, regardless of their race or ethnicity. To some, it may be difficult to engage in an interracial relationship because of family heckling or other outside hinderance’s. I think that this is the true problem associated with interracial dating. When people outside of the relationship have problems with the interracial relationship, that is when bad things happened, and that is when it gets difficult.
I don’t think that anyone is to blame when they choose which races they would date and which ones they wouldn’t. Obviously it is being a little prejudice, but everyone has their opinions and preferences. With that being said, I I don’t think that people should live their lives completely opposed to getting to know other races and ethnicities. People should keep an open mind and reach out to everyone, regardless of their race. People have different preferences on what they find attractive and what not, so I don’t think that people should criticize people for favoring specific races when it comes to dating and relationships. Obviously love and relationships are about a lot more than how attractive the partner is, but in most cases, it becomes inevitable that people want to date people who they find attractive.
Interracial dating has begun to become more widespread and more accepted here in the United States. I think that people are starting to find other races more attractive than once before, probably because it has become more normal to date and have sex with other races. I think some people are still scared to engage in interracial relationships, but I think that the reasons for this are hesitation and fear of going against the norm.

Thursday’s class was one of, if not the most intriguing classes this semester. The lecture caught my attention as soon as it started, and I didn’t take my eyes off the video the entire time. I think that this lecture should have been conducted in person instead of in video because of the powerful and interesting topics involved and taught, but the video still portrayed the ideas very well.
The lecture was very powerful. It showed the troubles that us Americans bring to the Middle East, and how they see us. It is very interesting to think that we see our soldiers treating babies and saving the world, but the Middle Easterner’s see our soldiers as murderers and invaders of their peace. To go further into that thought, we see pictures of young children, as young as 10, holding AK-47s and other powerful and deadly machine guns. We are shown pictures of people holding RPG’s and others holding bombs. We are hardly ever shown the innocent and peaceful Muslims causing no harm, but still receiving harsh punishment and torture.
One of the main purposes of this class is to have us open our eyes and put ourselves in other peoples’ shoes. After envisioning myself as a peaceful Muslim living in the Middle East, it is easy to hate Americans because of their unfair treatment. But, what Sam didn’t discuss, is putting ourselves in American soldiers’ shoes. They experience violence and torture as well. They are fighting for their lives there, against people who don’t want them there. It is very difficult for them to trust anyone, and although some of the violence and torture that they perform is unnecessary and not right, they are still in a place where one step could kill them.
With that said, the video of the American soldiers crushing the taxi drivers car was sad and somber. I understand that they are trying to enforce rules and laws there, but they crushed a car because the men in it stole wood. Ruining a man’s livelihood for a small crime is both unfair and mean, and it is a shame that this is why they view American’s as bad people. However, to get back into the lecture, I feel like the lecture was only one sided. Sam ripped apart the United States and Christianity for what we do there, but we also have a bad view of the Middle East and Muslims for what they do to our soldiers, and for what they have done to our country. It isn’t like we just hate them for no reason, they have intruded on us as well. I do understand that we have intruded their countries for the main reason of oil and we are harming their country, but i feel as though it is a related but different topic.

The topic of immigration in the United States is very unique. We portray ourselves as the land of the free and continue to boast about the plethora of opportunities that exist here, but is that really the truth? Throughout the years, we have implemented laws and policies that have in turn taken away from America’s most prominent mission statements.
The immigration topic in America is very ironic. If we go back to the early years in America’s existence, we notice that America was the land for immigration. Without allowing immigration in America, we would never exist. We would never be the “salad bowl” as some people like to call us, referring to our many ethnic and racial backgrounds. As time has passed, America has grown into the great country that it is, but a lot of hypocrisy has arisen. We have regulated immigration, allowing very few new foreigners to enter our country and engage in a life of opportunity and hope. These immigration laws have contradicted our claims of freedom and opportunity, as we are virtually eliminating the freedom aspect, while simultaneously eliminating opportunities for the potential immigrants.
The regulations on immigration, however, are not fully ludicrous. America has grown close to its limits, and we cannot keep bringing in new people. Some immigrants who enter our country have little knowledge of American culture, and some fail to speak english. This problem hinders the opportunities that are offered to them, which in turn makes a lot of competition for the jobs that many of these immigrants work. Regulating immigrants is important, as it helps lessens the problems that may arise. Immigration is a very tricky topic because no regulation would invite many unskilled immigrants to live in America, but too strict of a policy spoils the American dream and contradicts what the United States stands for.
There is no “perfect” solution to immigration. Some people think that we should ban all immigration, while others think we should let anyone and everyone come join us in the American life. However, I believe that we need a balance of both to be both fair and reasonable. Offering green cards and other beneficial programs to these immigrants is a good idea, but many times it takes a while to pass through, sometimes up to ten years. Because of this delay, many people opt to risk their lives and enter America illegally. Finding the right system will both make it easier for approved immigrants to enter America, while also eliminating illegal entrance. I believe that offering a challenging exam that evaluates immigrants’ knowledge and skills would be a good idea, as it makes sure that the immigrants are sane and determined, as well as useful and beneficial to our country. As the world grows, so will the immigration dilemma. Finding the right solution is very essential for the future of immigration, as well as our country.

I am a firm believer of the cliche phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” However, throughout the years, it became evident that it is very tough to avoid judging someone after looking at their appearance. I feel like your appearance says something about who you are, but it should not be used to determine how you feel and think about the person. There are great people everywhere, and no one should be deterred from meeting them just because of how they look. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the world does judge at first sight, whether good or bad, and prejudice is still abundant.
I usually don’t allow my initial judgements to effect my networking and communication with people. I like meeting new and diverse people, as that is a lot of what life is about. I learn new things, and obtain new perspectives and ideas after meeting new people. However, I do sometimes fall to prejudgement, and this is how I would judge the people in the video.
The first two people are both men of color who look like they would be friends with each other. They both have trendy t shirts on, and are both wearing headphones. I think they choice of music would probably be rap and hip hop, and they probably hang out with other friends of color who have the same interests. The second man looks a little meaner, but that may just be his facial expression at the time.
The third person is a pretty blonde girl who looks as innocent as an angel. She looks like she comes from a wealthy background, and she looks determined and ambitious. She is impressively dressed and she struts a pretty smile, which lets you like her a little more.
The fourth person is a young white male who looks shy but friendly. He is wearing an Aeropostale shirt, which I think means he is a middle class, normal guy. He does not have a very informative facial expression on, so it is tough to tell what kind of personality he might have.
The fifth person is a big and tall male who appears to be of African American descent. I think he may come from a wealthy family because he is matching his hat and his shirt, and he appears to have diamond ear rings. He has a mean look on his face, but I think he would be a nice and personable kind of guy.
The sixth person is another tall man of color. He has a semi-afro and some facial hair, which leads me to think that he may have come from a predominately black area, maybe even lower-class. He had a mean look on his face, but I think getting to know him would be awesome.
The last person is a white lady. She is older than the rest, but she looks very friendly and nice. She looks smart and interesting to get to know.
I know that many of these judgements are incorrect and some may be mean, but it is what I thought about these people just by looking at them. Everyone is interesting in their own ways, and the only way to learn about these intriguing ideas is by getting to know them.

Before Tuesday’s class, I was never aware of the terrible hardships that Native Americans go through today. It is very unfortunate and unfair that these Native Americans are forced to live in the condition that they live in. They were unjustly forced off their homeland by the early American settlers, and they basically had to start their lives from scratch again. Their world as they knew it was taken away from them, and they were left with nothing but unsettled land and broken hearts.
It is very unfortunate and sad that this situation is continuously brushed under the rug by media and the United States as a a whole. This situation needs to be addressed and the Native Americans need to receive aid. Everyone believes that the proceeds from the casinos and other profiting businesses located on reservations goes directly to the Native Americans, but that is far from the truth. The poverty rate on these reservations is terribly high, and life is far from good. The Native Americans live under the standard poverty level in the United States, yet little aid has been given.
It is very interesting yet scary to think that this situation and problem could one day turn into a problem of all Americans. It is plausible that America can get taken over, and we too, like the Native Americans, will have to move into poverty and unfamiliar lands with nothing and no support. As we think further into it, it starts to seem like America deserves it. For years we have treated other cultures and peoples like they are inferior to us, and someday this will come back to get us. We have forced many others to live in poverty and treated them unfairly, and I believe karma will one day use its forces against the United States.
Opening my eyes and putting myself in Native Americans shoes has changed my outlook on many things recently. The United States has treated many people very poorly, and it is disgusting that we continue to do it. These people need our help, and we continue to neglect them and continue with our daily lives. The suicide and poverty rates on Native American reservations is extremely high, and their quality of life is extremely poor. This problem is prevalent throughout the entire United States, and little is being done to help those in need. When we someday find ourselves stuck in that situation, many of us will be helpless and hopeless. We then would have to be extreme hypocrites and beg for their help. The people we tore apart would then be our only hope of surviving, and it would be up to them to choose our fate.

I was very surprised when I heard the suicide statistics regarding soldiers. For every one soldier killed overseas, twenty seven soldiers commit suicide. This statistic is extremely sad and unfortunate. Many people think that once soldiers come home safely, they are going to be completely fine, but this statistic shows the opposite. Post traumatic stress disorder affects many of these soldiers, and it is a very terrible problem. Many people that “support the troops” are just not against them. The disorder that these soldiers grow into is a serious problem, and there is not enough awareness for there to be a positive cure. These soldiers protect and build our country, and they are not getting enough praise and respect for it. By supporting the troops, people should be reaching out, not just hanging up a sign. It is essential that these soldiers receive proper psychological care and support, but unfortunately there is too little awareness of this situation for there to be a substantial positive difference. The troops that fight for our country see things that many cannot even imagine, and their future is permanently altered for the worse. The PTSD that they have to deal with is many times too much to handle. Supporting our troops should mean more than what many people interpret it as. People should be offering endless support, both when the soldiers are overseas and when they come home to their families. The suicide statistic can be decreased with proper support and care for all soldiers, both current and former. Supporting the troops needs to be more than it is now. The stress and nightmares that the soldiers experience is far too much, but with our support, we can help them cope and heal. Also, the hate that is sometimes portrayed from the public is both disgraceful and unappreciative. These soldiers put their lives on the line for our freedom, and to insult them for that reason is ludicrous and wrong. It is our duty and responsibility to welcome the soldiers back home, listen to their stories, and help them get through the tough times that they will face in the future. Before I heard these statistics, I thought that the United States was doing a good job with supporting the troops. I still think that we are doing a good job, but more is needed to slow down the suicide rate. I feel that more personal relations is essential to their healing. While care packages are great and offer many valuable and important supplies, they are not enough. These soldiers need love and care to overcome their mental state. I have come to realize that supporting the troops has to be more than throwing a couple pennies in a can. Personal relations and continued respect and support are the keys to keeping these soldiers healthy and happy.

It was very interesting to see that no one in Thursday’s lecture wanted to stand up and say that they were rich. Throughout the semester, there were very few times that no one wanted to stand up and talk. When Sam asked the class for a very wealthy student, no one proceeded to stand up. Money and income in America is a sensitive topic when it comes to yearly earnings and personal salaries. Whether rich or poor, people are always hesitant to share their personal wealth status. It is understandable why those who are very well off chose not to share their status, but it was interesting how in a class of 700 people, the only person that talked was one who’s uncle was very rich. I feel as though half of this reason is because some students may have wanted to share, but they saw no other willing participants and felt awkward to be the only one who wanted to tell people that they were rolling deep. Society in America quickly attacks the ones who flaunt what they have. In this case, whichever student stood up to talk was guaranteed to receive unwarranted criticism and scolding. Putting myself in a very rich kids shoes, I believe I would have done the same thing and kept quiet. Portraying yourself as rich, whether cocky and flashy or not at all, dampers the view that others have on you. It is unfortunate, because being rich is the reason that many of us attend college in the first place. I think that most of society has the view that rich people are very full of themselves and always want to show off their money, and that is why, one, many rich people keep to themselves on this topic, and, two, when anyone rich does speak out, they usually automatically get a bad rep. In this class, we have been talking about the misfortunes of poor countries such as Haiti. I feel as though this has posed a sensitive aura in the class, and if a person were to stand up and explain to us how rich her or she was, it would bring a very uncomfortable feel to the classroom. After reading some blog posts, I came across an intriguing question from one of my fellow students. How come when Sam asks the class for participants that are rich, he has no volunteers, but when he asks who is poor, a collection of students voluntarily raise their hands to participate in the talk? Is it that poor people are more comfortable to talk about their financial status, or is it that these poor people know that the reaction they get would be different from the reaction that rich people would get, whether for better or for worse. I think this is an essential question in finding the true answer to this blog topic, and bring us one step closer to accepting and forgetting our differences.

Thursday’s exercise was very intriguing to me. The guessing game carried a strong lesson, and it was great to see it in action. The game consisted of 12-14 participants of Asian ancestry, and 2 guessers, a student of asian descent and a student with a 4.0 GPA. The 2 students were asked to guess the origin of ancestry of the Asian participants. The guessers both guessed correctly around 3 times. While watching the game, I became very interested. I myself would have struggled significantly in this game, mainly because I have never really learned about the Asian descent. I never really noticed it, but it is very interesting to see that how often people mix up peoples ‘race.’ It is very unfortunate that this is the case, but most people aren't educated enough in this sense. With the lack of education comes assumption, and people are left guessing, hence the guessing game. This game also reinforces the common cliche, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Although I don’t really know how it feels in a broad sense, it was interesting to see how some students were being identified as a country other than theirs. I’m not sure if I would be offended or just understanding of the misconception if I were in their position, but it was interesting to see the reactions. The guessing game shows that facial features are the initial and most basic features responsible for pre-judging and guessing ethnicities and ancestry. The game also brings up many questions. I wonder if the Asian students would have done better than the 4.0 GPA student or the unexperienced Asian guesser. If it were Europeans instead of Asians, how would it have turned out? Would the percentage of correct guesses increase or decrease? Would the europeans be insulted by incorrect guesses or would they take it as well as the Asians did? This exercise can be conducted with any racial group, and I believe the results would be similar in all studies. People are left to guess ethnicity and race, and it is a shame that we don’t know each others origins. The guessing game also informed me that its not just China, Japan, and Korea that are addressed to as Asian. Before this class, I was very close minded on ethnic and racial groups, and what they consisted of. I am now aware that there are many different groups, and in many different places. This game has made me keep an open mind with respect to where different racial groups are and how many different countries are addressed the same way. The guessing game was a great exercise that entailed many lessons and many eye-opening scenarios.

Skypeing with Pedrum was an amazing experience. It was completely different than what I thought it would be like, and I really enjoyed it. He seemed like a really cool guy and completely down to earth. I learned a lot in only the few minutes that we talked to him. I realized that people in the Middle East are just like us, and the media wrongfully portrays them all as terrible people. As I sat in class I was real surprised to find that they look at us as normal people, but we have a completely different image in our heads.
Because we only had a couple minutes to talk to Pedrum, a lot the questions that I had didn’t get asked. Has he ever been to the United States? I wonder what his image is on America and if it is accurate. I’m sure if i visited Iran my preliminary image on it would be completely wrong. I’m also curious to know if religion is a big factor in his life, and how influential is it to his everyday routine. I would like to know how his life was growing up, did he have parents, siblings, etc. It would be very interesting to see the differences in wealth here in America and wealth in Iran, and how it is addressed. What is the schooling system like in Iran and the Middle East? Does everyone go to college or just the wealthier people? I know many people from the Middle East attend college in the United States, but what is the deciding factor in whether they do or don’t. I would also like to know about Pedrum’s personal life. He seems like a cool, outgoing guy. What is the social life there like? I have been to Europe but never the Middle East so I am not sure what they have there. I thought it was cool when he said he watches American television shows, but I would like to know what music he listens to also. Also, what is the government like there? How do the politics work, and does the government have a large controlling stake on the country? Are the countries there democracies or do they have one controlling person who basically runs the country?
I hope that we can Skype with Pedrum or another Middle Eastern again. I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. I think reaching out to these people is a great experience. It is both informational and fun to meet new people, especially when they live halfway across the world and live a life that you’ve never experienced or seen before. Thursday’s class was very intriguing and fun and I think we should do it more often.