en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2391601 Comments by pennstate2010 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment144953817 After seeing the video that Sam showed in class, I was truly speechless. I honestly didn’t understand how someone who was barely getting by was literally taking all of his free time to help these immigrants. It was honestly and truly touching. Now, that being said, I think it’s so difficult to say that I would be able to do what that man did. You have to have such a passion and such a big heart to be able to do this every single day for basically the rest of your life. He has dedicated all of his time to this beautiful act he is doing and since it has become such a routine and people are waiting here for him it would be very hard for him to stop at any time in the near future. I live in New York (outside of the city) but I take the train in all of the time. When I am walking on the street I will always see someone that is clearly less fortunate than I am and is asking for a little bit of change. I hate walking by these people because for some of them they didn’t have any choice for their life to turn out the way it did. I always wish that there were things I could do for these people that is more effective than just giving them a nickel. I still cannot get over what this man does for these people. This man is the one thing that these men, or women, look forward to in their day. One man in the video said that it was his first meal in 3 whole days. So imagine what would happen if he didn’t show up one day. These people would be extremely disappointed as well as angry with him. What they don’t realize is that he is in no way obligated to be doing this for any of them. Every Christmas day, my family and I go into the city and for six hours serve a meal for people in need or aren’t fortunate enough to have a special Christmas with their family. I have been doing this for the past 10 years of my life and I couldn’t imagine not doing that. Now I am sure that some of the people who attend this are immigrants and are having a very difficult time surviving in this crazy lifestyle that they are expected to live by. But, this is just one day out of the entire year and after this day, I feel so great that I have helped these people. But, I could not imagine doing this every single day of my life with no break. While that might sounds selfish, I am very aware of the situations that are surrounding me and that are extremely upsetting. I wish I could have the heart that this man does but I don’t believe I could go to this much effort to do this. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:13:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment144953817 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-do-you-think-about-the-telephone-game-and-why-does-information-travel-that-way-119-blog/#IDComment143200702 First off, I thought that Thursdays lecture was extremely entertaining and a great way to show Dr. Jones’s point. He was able to keep all of us engaged the entire time and had us laughing the entire way through. That being said, when were doing the telephone activity, I thought it was interesting to hear the story get completely misinterpreted while being retold to other students. When I used to play this game with my friends when I was younger, the word would always get mixed up, which is what made the game so fun. However, I think the point of this activity was much different. I think that the first girl who got to visually see the story was able to have a better understanding of the story as a whole. Since she was able to visually see the story as well as have the words seep into her brain, she was able to retell it in a much shorter length but not leaving out major details. On a side note, the first girl who went, from my visual knowledge, was an African American student and in my opinion the story probably was more effective for her, especially seeing the vulgar used of the “n” word. Since she saw that word, she was able to remember why that word was used and where the situation was taking place. But, when she retold the story she obviously didn’t repeat the word and didn’t say it with as much disgust as she had read the first time. When I watched the activity go on, certain students thought certain parts of the story were less important than others so they just skipped over it. I thought it was interesting to see how completely butchered the story had ended up when it had gotten to the last person. Now, I know if I were in their shoes I would be very nervous having to retell a story that I heard only 10 seconds ago and was only 1 minute long. So I assume that they were under some kind of pressure to provide a detailed enough story but at the same time make sure they weren’t frustrating anyone else that was listening. I think in the end, the last 2 students didn’t have much of a choice to tell the story besides the way they did because they didn’t have enough information. But for the first couple of students, I think that for some of them, certain parts of the story had more of an impact on them than others, making them emphasize more parts of the story than others would have. I think this a main reason why some of the students left out details that seemed so important when we were first reading them along with Dr. Jones and the first volunteer. While the game seemed fun and exciting to us, Dr. Jones did a great job proving the point that statements and accusations get completely twisted and inaccurate as time goes on based on peoples on interpretations of them. For example, one of the volunteer’s said the word “scuffle” which wasn’t even remotely in the original writing or wouldn’t have accurately described the situation that had been created. While it might have been by accident, it’s interesting to see or hear how things can be changed just due to how people see the situation Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:43:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-do-you-think-about-the-telephone-game-and-why-does-information-travel-that-way-119-blog/#IDComment143200702 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-do-you-think-about-the-telephone-game-and-why-does-information-travel-that-way-119-blog/#IDComment143200589 First off, I thought that Thursdays lecture was extremely entertaining and a great way to show Dr. Jones’s point. He was able to keep all of us engaged the entire time and had us laughing the entire way through. That being said, when were doing the telephone activity, I thought it was interesting to hear the story get completely misinterpreted while being retold to other students. When I used to play this game with my friends when I was younger, the word would always get mixed up, which is what made the game so fun. However, I think the point of this activity was much different. I think that the first girl who got to visually see the story was able to have a better understanding of the story as a whole. Since she was able to visually see the story as well as have the words seep into her brain, she was able to retell it in a much shorter length but not leaving out major details. On a side note, the first girl who went, from my visual knowledge, was an African American student and in my opinion the story probably was more effective for her, especially seeing the vulgar used of the “n” word. Since she saw that word, she was able to remember why that word was used and where the situation was taking place. But, when she retold the story she obviously didn’t repeat the word and didn’t say it with as much disgust as she had read the first time. When I watched the activity go on, certain students thought certain parts of the story were less important than others so they just skipped over it. I thought it was interesting to see how completely butchered the story had ended up when it had gotten to the last person. Now, I know if I were in their shoes I would be very nervous having to retell a story that I heard only 10 seconds ago and was only 1 minute long. So I assume that they were under some kind of pressure to provide a detailed enough story but at the same time make sure they weren’t frustrating anyone else that was listening. I think in the end, the last 2 students didn’t have much of a choice to tell the story besides the way they did because they didn’t have enough information. But for the first couple of students, I think that for some of them, certain parts of the story had more of an impact on them than others, making them emphasize more parts of the story than others would have. I think this a main reason why some of the students left out details that seemed so important when we were first reading them along with Dr. Jones and the first volunteer. While the game seemed fun and exciting to us, Dr. Jones did a great job proving the point that statements and accusations get completely twisted and inaccurate as time goes on based on peoples on interpretations of them. For example, one of the volunteer’s said the word “scuffle” which wasn’t even remotely in the original writing or wouldn’t have accurately described the situation that had been created. While it might have been by accident, it’s interesting to see or hear how things can be changed just due to how people see the situation Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:42:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-do-you-think-about-the-telephone-game-and-why-does-information-travel-that-way-119-blog/#IDComment143200589 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment138982733 I think that in a lot of situations, us women aren’t realizing the full extent that we are doing this. I know that in high school as well, when we had a homecoming dance my friends and I would always get dressed together and do our hair and makeup. When we would get to the dance, the guys were wearing jeans and a regular shirt, MAYBE a button down if we were lucky. But it was clear that most of them were wearing the same outfit they had worn to school. Sometimes they even wore sports jerseys to the dances. Having been to parties at college, it’s pretty much the same thing. You see guys wear jeans, sneakers, and maybe a button down but that’s pretty unlikely. You see them wearing a t-shirt and what would be considered casual. You wouldn’t be caught seeing a girl going to a party wearing sweatpants or a sweatshirt, no makeup, and their hair wet as if they had just come out of the shower. While in the back of our minds we think, “why don’t guys get ready like us” we never are vocal about it because it’s just the way we have been adjusted to society and it’s sort of become natural to dress this way. I think that as sad as it sounds, it’s a way for us girls to feel better about ourselves and have the chance to look in the mirror and be happy with what we see. It’s very difficult for us girls to accept who we are on the outside, so it’s become pretty much a necessity to “act the part” of what is to be a “beautiful girl” by wearing the attire. It allows us to feel empowered and a sense of control because I know from personal experience that when I try to look good or presentable during the day, or at night, I will be noticed more, whereas if I wear sweatpants to class I look lazy and unapproachable. It has become a way of living and it isn’t really thought about anymore. When I dress up, and I’m sure other girls feel this way as well, that I have more of a chance to have guys approach me because when I try to look good, I feel good which sends out a wave of confidence. Guys are automatically more confident with themselves with girls, and I know that is a very general statement but I think that can be easily agreed with. They are able to walk out in sweatpants and a sweatshirt and still have a confidence that is admirable. For most girls, though, it’s hard to obtain that confidence while wearing something you could sleep in. We use this as a way to feel good about ourselves and for that little bit of time we feel a sense of power and beauty that is usually lacking. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 01:28:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment138982733 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/would-you-point-out-the-people-of-your-own-race-who-make-racial-slurs-or-prejudice-comments-119-blog/#IDComment137629946 I think at first when i read this, i said i would absolutely tell someone that it was completely inappropriate and uncalled for and rude. I would tell them that in no way would it get them anywhere in life at all. Then i really thought about it and i realized that there have been many times in my life where i have just sat back and listened to people be rude jerks about people that are different from them. I while it is easier said than done, i think people have a hard time standing up for what is right. There have been times, though, when i am with my friends and they are saying some rude comments thinking it is ok but it's obviously not. i think one thing that i definitely don't appreciate or i don't take a stand for is any gay comments. there is something about it that just really aggravates me and i absolutely hate it! when people say that's so gay or what a faggot it makes me so livid inside that i literally say to people no offense but you sound really stupid when you say that. I think that i need to start taking this outlook and using it in other situations besides situations involving homophobic comments. It is very important for people to stand up the people that are ignorant in this world and make comments that just make them seem completely uneducated and makes them sound like they have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. if we let these people continue living their lives without being punished or called out at for saying these kinds of comments, it won't ever stop. as i said before, i think it is easier said than done to tell someone that it is hurtful but i think that it is really important that we take a stand and try and get the awareness out that this isn't a way for people to start living in a happy and comfortable environment. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:58:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/would-you-point-out-the-people-of-your-own-race-who-make-racial-slurs-or-prejudice-comments-119-blog/#IDComment137629946 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135973734 After reading this question, it’s one that I can actually think about from personal experience compared to the other ones where I just have to guess what I would feel in that situation. When I think of the diversity at Penn State it isn’t the first thing that I notice when I’m here. One thing that really caught my attention was the religion aspect. Since I am Jewish, I wanted to find other Jews around campus to surround myself with people of the same background as myself, which was completely close minded. That being said, this is why I picked the wrong sorority at first because I assumed I wanted one kind of group but in reality I wanted a different. While I know this isn’t necessarily the typical definition of “race” I thought this would be a good example of how people aren’t necessarily looking past what they see in themselves. But once I started taking this class, I was able to open my eyes and truly see the wide array of people that are walking the streets on the Penn State Campus daily. While the statistics in class clearly showed the drastic amount of White students over students of color, it doesn’t seem that noticeable to me. I think this is true because, in my opinion, I look past the people that typically look like myself. I don’t mean for that to come across as ignorant but I think it’s true. I think that people are generally looking at people that look different to what they see in the mirror. Now, that isn’t a bad thing! It’s just an observation. So when I am walking on campus, I don’t notice how many White students there are compared to students of color because in my eyes, I pay closer attention to the students of color. I know that realistically, in a school with over 44,000 students I don’t see them all on a daily basis, in fact I won’t see ¾ of them EVER! So, based on the students that I do happen to pass by daily, it’s interesting to see the different races that can be seen. I wasn’t really aware of the many different races within a school let alone the world before this class. I didn’t realize how many different categories of Asian there were or different parts of Africa had ancestors. It’s a very eye opening experience and I think that from now on I will start to pay closer attention to the people that are walking by me daily, not judging them, but just try and put myself in their position Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:57:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135973734 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/#IDComment134358821 When i have to think about this situation, I don't think about necessarily guilt because I wasn't personally responsible for this. Rather than feeling guilt, I feel disappointment and disgust. Whenever I hear stories or see pictures from slavery it makes me sick to my stomach. I hate seeing the things that can be stopped by people. People know that there are situations like this going on in the world and we seem to turn a blind eye and fail to acknowledge it. It's really hard to watch these videos, especially the chocolate video, and just have to sit there. But it’s hard to say that I feel guilty because I don’t have a personal connection to this. While that sounds a little inhumane and insensitive it’s hard for me to feel guilty about what has happened in the past. I don’t think that is necessarily a justified word for this kind of situation. I really do believe that disappointment and disgust are good words for someone to explain this. I do feel disgusted when I watch these videos or I hear about the horrible stories that are going on in the world but not necessarily guilty. While writing this, it sounds bad hearing me say that but I’m not quite sure how else I am supposed to express myself. I think that thinks like unfair and unjust are more appropriate words to explain what this situation brings to the world. These kinds of life styles cannot go ignored and cannot be looked at as if it had never happened. People need to start speaking up if they know that something is going on or that something is politically, immorally, or unethically unacceptable. People that have the ability to use their voice should use it and that feeling of guilt that some people have could have a chance of going away. That being said, people need to talk about these problems in the world and not ignore or pretend that they haven’t happened. It’s not something that can just be shoved under the rug. The more people talk and express what is going on with the cruelty in the world, the greater the chance that this situation can be “solved”. Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:18:08 +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/#IDComment134358821 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment130723316 I think this is a really interesting question that was brought up. When I think about it, I guess you could say that it is a little selfish but I never really thought about it before this. While you see the celebrities in the news like “octomom” or Angelina Jolie, they have so much fame and publicity so it makes it okay to have this many children. Angelina Jolie has so much money and help and support, she is able to get her children through school, clothe them, feed them, and have them live normal lives. The problem isn’t famous people. The problem is the people that are living in poverty. I think that the idea of having a big family, one where you can support each other and have company it seems so magical. What these people don’t realize is the struggle they are going to give their children for the rest of their lives. I can’t say that I can relate to this idea because I was fortunate enough to grow up in a stable household and my parents managed my brother and my lives very well. But I don’t think that it’s necessarily selfish. I don’t think their intention is to have kids and hope to live the best life possible. I think that the idea is they are more careless and irresponsible. They aren’t thinking of the potential hazards they are creating for their kid’s futures. It obviously depends on how you were raised, so if you look at the video we watched in class of Tammy she said that when she grew up she had 21 brother and sisters. Now, for her, she saw that she was able to “survive” as a kid she figures her kids can survive as well. Since she sees that her kids are still striving and still believe that they can achieve success, she thinks she can still live out the life with more children. Now, I’m not saying that people that live in poverty shouldn’t have any kids at all, because they would end up feeling extremely lonely and have no one else to succeed for besides themselves. I think that the ones that live in poverty have to think of the long-term situations and what their life could look like in the future. They have to imagine the worst possible scenario possible, like they would be living homeless for the rest of their lives. If this were to happen, what would a parent do if they had 10 children? It would be a very hard life for them. So all in all, I do think it is selfish. I think that the idea of having so many kids, because you’re able to isn’t fair. It’s not fair to use the ability of having children and not consider the outcome of it. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:04:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment130723316 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-does-the-statement-in-the-video-from-class-make-you-feel-119-blog/#IDComment128811785 Honestly and truly, after watching that video, I was sick to my stomach. I was one of the people who wouldn’t dare eat one of the pieces of chocolate. Now, that being said, what was running through my mind was, “I’m never eating it again.” Now that being said, I am a HUGE chocolate addict and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I know that sounds extremely dramatic, but it’s true. But at that moment, after hearing him say that we’re eating his flesh, I honestly couldn’t do it. It’s easier said than done to not use anything that is made my slaves. We don’t actually realize everything that we use in our daily lives that is made by such hardworking people and made by them with no say. You could see the pain that these kids had in their eyes, knowing that those years of their lives were gone and could never be taken back. I never knew that slavery was truly still going on. I’m not saying that I’m oblivious or ignorant to the things around me, but how often is this mentioned to people? People try and ignore the things that seem too important for us to handle. Once someone knows about this information, it’s hard to turn away from it as if nothing happened, which is exactly how I feel. I watched that video and I did feel guilt. I’m not sure how people didn’t feel it after watching it. As Americans, sometimes we are too focused on our own country and forget about the countries that are barely making ends meat. We forget that while we are trying to come back from a recession, these countries haven’t even had the opportunity to face one; they started in one. As Americans, and I’ll speak for myself, it’s much easier to worry about our own problems rather than other countries’ problems. For what we believe now, there isn’t slavery in the United States, which could be completely false. But, after seeing that video, we know slavery isn’t gone. We now know that there are still kids working 15-hour days. What are they working for? They’re working for someone else and making food for someone else. Nothing is for them. It’s hard to believe that so many of the products that we use are made from slaves, that they’re made from people who literally put their sweat and tears into it. Once more people become aware of this problem or realize the extreme harm being done, hopefully it can change. Hopefully people will stop trying to avoid this problem and face reality. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:01:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-does-the-statement-in-the-video-from-class-make-you-feel-119-blog/#IDComment128811785 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/do-we-have-a-responsibility-to-fix-inequality-119-blog/#IDComment127411859 I think when it comes to inequality we do have a responsibility to try and fix the unfairness the world has created for it. There was a video last week that I responded to that asked if we think race can stop being an issue in the future. I think this has somewhat of a similar question behind it when I think about it. When I think about all of the different inequalities that the world has, it’s actually insane. It’s hard for someone, like myself, to fix something as big as inequality. Now, I know most people would say that and would say if you can’t start somewhere how are you supposed to start at all? But I think in so many different areas of life there will always be the unfortunate conflict of unfairness. We have so many different opportunities that life gives us to make others not feel the blatant inequalities that we face. There have been many different types of discrimination that we have faced over the years, and unfortunately a lot of it still exists today. Whether it is the different school districts, the amount of money one person gets at a job over another, or even something Sam said in class. When he said if it were polled, the race that most people wouldn’t want to be in office would be Asian. When I heard that, I thought about how that might be true but at the same time it’s crazy to think that over the years we still manage to show discrimination towards people that are different than us. While I think that it is our responsibility to try and get rid of the unnecessary hate and judgments we have towards each other, I think that it’s important to realize that we do have a voice. I know it sounds like I am contradicting myself from the first part of my response, but I think that as a whole we have too much knowledge to refrain from saying anything. We are such a huge class, that even us alone have the ability to express the facts and information we have learned in class to our loved ones, t our friends, and to random people on the street. It’s not an area where we can just sit back and watch what happens. Without the people who do have a voice, we won’t ever be able to see a more united world, let alone country. We have to prove to other people that the judgments that are going on in the world need to be stopped and with patience and time this can be done. Now, I don’t think that it can all just go away so quickly, but I think with our knowledge we do have the power to make a difference. Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:37:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/do-we-have-a-responsibility-to-fix-inequality-119-blog/#IDComment127411859 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment125978855 Ok so yesterday in our discussion class, we were talking about race the entire time. We were talking about what is acceptable in talking about race and what isn’t acceptable. There is someone in my discussion group who is half Middle Eastern and said he used to be called a terrorist in school and at first he took it lightly and didn’t have a problem with it. But then, he started to get really agitated with the comments and he was getting very hurt. Now, for me, I haven’t really experienced discrimination that much in my life besides hearing Jewish jokes. So when I heard this I was thinking about the little jokes that I make to my friends about other people that are “different” from me. I could actually be offending them more than I really know. But that is just a side story. In regards to this question, which we actually discussed in discussion, I personally think we need to let time take its course. As hard as that is to say, I think that with time, more people will begin to realize that race isn’t important at all in defining your character or your personality or who you are on the inside. If you think about what the United States was like a little more than 50 years ago, people were completely intolerable of someone of a different race and didn’t care for their opinions. But, with time, we came up with different laws and acts to ensure people had more equal rights. Our grandparents were the ones living during those times so their views might not be as understanding as ours are. While we wouldn’t call them racist, they might not be as accepting as the openness we have today. I think that it’s a generation thing. Since we have this knowledge about acceptance and understand, our kids and their kids, etc…will start to understand that there isn’t a difference. Think of recycling or gay rights. Those weren’t really issues during our grandparent’s time but for us, they are very dominant in our daily lives. Gays are fighting for equality and people are encouraging others to recycle and keep the Earth clean. So with our persistence and word of mouth, we encourage others to have hope and be involved in the important topics. So, I think that with our persistence and just word of mouth, we have the ability to make the people around us more knowledgeable and more accepting of the fact that skin color isn’t a real issue. We’ve just for some reason made it one. I don’t believe that you should be looked at differently because you ancestors lived either closer or further away from the equator. So, in the end, I think it is possible to get the majority of the race issue to be diminished in the future, but unfortunately there will always be people who aren’t understanding and have certain opinions that will cause a controversy. But I do believe that we can change the outlook on this issue and it can definitely become less of a problem in the years to come. I’m not saying it will change over night or even in 10 years but with time, I think it can absolutely happen. Fri, 4 Feb 2011 20:00:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment125978855 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/21/body-image-issues-119-blog/#IDComment124381623 While this question raises a lot of different thoughts in my head, I’m still confused as to how I would really feel about this. Obviously, right now, it’s very hard for people to accept who they are on the outside due to the serious impact on the media. I know personally that I have a hard time accepting who I am because I am so focused on what the “ideal” image is in society. Talk, skinny, but not TOO skinny, boobs, nice butt, etc…Girls our age and especially younger are having such a hard time realizing that these images are either deceiving or irrational. Some of these models aren’t at all realistic and have been sculpted to look “perfect”. But what really is “perfect”? Everyone has his or her own definition of what it really means. Now, when it comes to this question and asking if you knew you’re body looked the way it did because of genetics, I’m not sure if that would change people’s views or not. If this had been scientifically proven to be correct, than maybe the media wouldn’t bother portraying what is ideally beautiful. But, some people know that they have blonde hair because of their mother’s genes. Some people know that they have big feet because their dad does. Obviously, I could keep going with this. But, my point is that people do know where some of their traits come from and why they do but we still find something wrong with ourselves. Most people in the world are always looking for a way to make be better than what they are. So, I guess I would say that I don’t think it would change anything. People always see someone else and say, “I want that” or “I want to be that” and never truly look at what beauty they have within their own bodies. I am guilty of doing this as well, never appreciating what I was given or what my body has decided to do. I think society has developed such a concrete image that is going to take a lot of work to break free off. It’s going to be extremely difficult for people to accept who they are on the outside if they haven’t accepted themselves on the inside first. So, in the end, I don’t believe that knowing your body looks the way it does completely because of heredity would make things easier. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:23:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/21/body-image-issues-119-blog/#IDComment124381623 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/what-do-you-want-to-know-blog-1/#IDComment122386026 When I first read about this class on angel, I had NO idea what to expect. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to get out of it or what I was going to find acceptable or inappropriate. I went on this website last semester to check out what everyone was saying and all of the different videos when I came across the 10 minute video that basically summarized the class. I was honestly amazed with it. I emailed it to my parents and my brother (who goes to Michigan) to prove how much more amazing Penn State is! Anyway, I walked into the first class and was extremely overwhelmed. The class size was very intimidating, considering I have never been part of a 700-person lecture class. I felt terrified to sit in the chair because I knew no one in the class, I knew nothing about the full extent of the course, and I didn’t know if I needed any materials. That being said, you don’t need to know anyone at all in this class. I haven’t taken my phone out once during the class either, which for me is a big deal. I am truly fascinated by everything Sam has to say. I have never heard someone speak so truthfully about everything that is occurring in our daily lives that just get treated as no big deal. So many of the problems that we are facing in our lives are just being thrown under the bus and being completely ignored, which is totally unacceptable. But, when first being in Soc 119, listening to Sam was truly eye opening. I only wish that all of my friends were taking this class so they could be aware of the things that we see in our daily lives. For me, the thing that really got me thinking was last class when he called up about 15 different students. Watching the get placed into different racial profiles was so mindboggling because I never in my life imagined someone being gutsy enough to have that as a class “project”. Instead, it wasn’t gutsy; it was magical. Truly magical. I was able to see all of these different students that on a normal day I would categorize as extremely similar and having the same ethnic background. I was SO wrong. Being able to hear all of them say what their heritage was amazing. This class had already begun to open my eyes in new ways I never imagined, and it has only been 4 classes. Now I know it’s very early to already say “I won’t judge people” but I am going to try and not just assume anything. It’s not fair for me to walk into a room and automatically give characteristics to a person having not even met them. I am so excited, petrified, nervous and thought provoked all from this class. I am extremely excited to see what is about to come next and what new eye-opener Sam will show us. When it comes to questions about the class, I guess something that I am curious about is why are stereotypes okay? None of us felt necessarily guilty for having assumed the ethnic background of the students at the front of the class, or when we did the first clicker lesson. When those slides from the first clicker lesson were being shown about the group with the highest suicide rate, or the group in most poverty, a lot of us got it wrong. I was wondering how that is okay? For us to have grown up with these judgments that are completely inaccurate? Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:35:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/what-do-you-want-to-know-blog-1/#IDComment122386026 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cs%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment120937248 soc 119 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:32:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cs%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment120937248