This question of whether I would save my mother, significant other, or child is one that is difficult yet I can only see myself picking one answer hands down. It would be difficult to pick because of my significant other or my child. My mother would be cut off first because by the time that I have a child, I will bet that it is safe to say she has reached the level of self-actualization on the hierarchy. Knowing my mom, once she has lived to see us grow up and have kids and fulfill our dreams and careers she says her job here is done. I know that if I chose to save her, she would immediately think of it as being selfish and irresponsible on my part. Therefore, she would be out of the equation first. Next, the real challenge would begin between my child and wife. I know for me to have a child with somebody they would have to be the one and I would have to be in love with them, someone that I could honestly not live without. However, with that being said, a child is an innocent life that we would have decided to bring into this world and it would be irresponsible, careless, and totally inappropriate to have them suffer for a life that they did not choose. I would save my child for this vary reason and also because I am sure my significant other would say the same thing that my mother would have said which is, it is selfish to not save the child. They are the ones that have not had the chance to enjoy this beautiful life that has been provided to us. Because they are a child and so young, they have so many experiences, feelings, and emotions to endure and go through that I could not take that away from them. I know my significant other would say the exact same thing and would in turn make the same decision that I would make. Honestly, it would be the decision I would want her to make because life is a beautiful thing and if you are brought into this world and your time is cut short for whatever reason you miss out on certain aspects of life that shape and mold you into the person you are meant to be. It goes back to way things used to be back in the day and frankly in the past, men would fight and give up their lives for the women and children’s protection. And in this situation it is the same thing, it falls between the significant other or child which for me would be a woman or my child. This is a good question, I can respect either decision because frankly I can not imagine living without the person that I loved and helped me create the being that I would be saving, but the counter argument to that for me is that I would not be able to live without the person that I created with my significant other. Regardless it is a scenario that is unimaginable and you would never really know what you would do until place into it and frankly I hope that nobody has to deal with it in their life.

I like this question a lot because the things that Sam brought up in class actually made you think critically about something that hit home which was raising your kid, something almost all of us want to do. I did not pick the choice that 100 hundred stranger-child abductions were done per year but I had the slightest feeling in my gut that it could be. When it comes to women and children our society is so focused on their protection and safety as they are seen to be “innocent” even though we know that there are exceptions to this but for the most part. Just the way it is seen in the past or in movies when men stay to fight and the women and children are to be saved. I just think about when Elizabeth Smart went missing and that was a huge ordeal over the media over just one child. I thought to myself that every time one goes missing it’s known and people are aware. To begin to answer the question what message I take away from this, is just that yes the world is safe and that not letting your kid walk home from school you are inhibiting them from seeing, enjoying and exposing them to a whole different world but nobody wants that small chance to be their kid. Yes, I will try to provide and situate my family and kids in a safe and pleasant environment where they can roam around freely, play in the streets, and walk to school just like everyone wants to do but the fact is you just never know. Your child’s life is something so precious and dear to you that you must take every precaution to make sure they aren’t scarred for life. I hate to be that guy and bring it up, but I just look at State College and the whole Sandusky situation. Who would’ve ever thought that in place that is arguably the safest in PA, where it’s nickname is Happy Valley for all the joy, fun, and great moments that are made here, this terrible tragedy would have occurred with people’s children? Arguably the safest place you could’ve been in the county, the university property, was in fact the least safest place. Yeah this is a major exception but its stories like this and just the slightest chance that maybe your kid could be abducted is what makes you take that extra measure and precaution. In my comm.110 class, my professor said, yeah terrorists bomb the big cities..but if they really want to scare people they should bomb Norman, Oklahoma, or State College, PA because nobody expects it and if you do it where nobody expects it then that’s when the fear that it could happen anywhere is apparent. I see this fitting with the Sandusky situation, yeah as bad as it sounds but going off the data, people don’t expect abductions to occur around these areas but when they do, in the safest areas known, it really does scare you and make you think. So the message that I take from it ultimately is that, yes I understand that letting my kid walk to and from school could be beneficial to him but I still understand the consequences of taking that chance. Understanding the benefits and consequences is what will lead me to make that decision for my kid.

I think that the expectations of the inner city kids dealing and selling drugs is much higher and a more major concern for authorities than it is in the suburbs. Therefore, they go all out in taking the required measures to enforce and protect the school in those areas. Having moved a lot in my childhood, I have been in a lot of different areas and the same situation that she has presented in the question is prevalent in all the spots I have been in. When I lived in an Atlanta suburb that was predominantly white, I noticed that a good amount of kids that interacted with either did, had, or knew someone that sold a wide array of drugs. However, there weren’t police or metal detectors, searches, or even dogs that would search for drugs. It was weird thought for me considering everyone had some sort of hand in it but the authorities were oblivious to it. Talking to the kids who had family that went to school in the inner city in Atlanta, they had plenty of stories of the school getting busted with drugs, students fighting over drugs and the drug trafficking. The deals would go down even in the bathroom, cafeteria, or anywhere possible which is why the high security was needed in the school. I think authorities expect this behavior in the inner city and cater to it rather than in the suburbs when they think everything is peaches in cream when in reality it is also a problem there. Another example where I saw this was at my current location in Lewisburg, PA. A majority of people (including white, black, and Hispanic) in poverty live on the lower north side of downtown and you can always find police patrolling or articles in the newspaper about busts they have made for drugs. However, on the opposite side of town (the upper south side) is where Bucknell University resides. Bucknell is a very prestigious school but the drug scene is very much present. They have a lot of Greek life there, which correlates with the high amount of drug use. However, on the weekends here the police are much like the ones in State College and just monitor to make sure nothing gets out of hand. I can say on a firsthand account, that I have seen all kinds of hard drugs in many of the houses in that area being put to use, sold, or produced and it is a major problem there. Since the demographic of kids that go there are wealthy they can afford the drug expenditure and trafficking is something that has grown in the last couple of years at that school. This is a good discussion question because it is an interesting topic to think about. For the most part, minorities (mainly blacks and Hispanics), live in the areas of poverty which tend to be in inner cities so I think where there is a bigger population of those races authorities tend to expect there to be more of this activity. Since generally, there is not as many whites in these areas they don’t get slapped with the stereotype which is why they aren’t seen as drug traffickers or transporters of drugs.

I also thought that it was quite interesting that the white guy was called out but the Asian was not. I felt bad for the white guy because he was taking the brunt of the hit and “opening pandora’s box” unknowingly. However, I think the white guy was trying to be sincere in his comments and was just having a hard time expressing himself in trying to explain the situation. I think there are more pressing issues when it comes to race that should be handled before some silly video that was clearly made to give some laughs. The intentions were made to be funny and I think we should take it for that. However, there are situations out there that are more important and that should be worried about because they could actually cause harm to Asians or any other race. The videos or conversations out there that talk about mistreating and hurting people from a specific race and actually have bad intent behind them are the ones we should be worried about, not a slap on the wrist video that is just poking fun. I think there are going to be race jokes and funny comments forever and we should be more worried about the people who use the derogatory statements seriously and genuinely mean harm. I have had conversations with people who still use derogatory slurs in vernacular language and it really upsets me. I just think we shouldn’t worry about comedians or people who are just trying to be funny with their intent, especially if they aren’t saying anything derogatory, just being childish in their ignorant actions and ways. The white kid obviously did not mean for his comments to be taken like that and I thought people were being antagonizing towards him for no reason. I also don’t think that he meant that the video was funny because they couldn’t comprehend the question, he just meant that the question didn’t apply to their knowledge and that made their response sound even more jumbled especially when you take their accent into account and the delivery of their response is what generated the amusing response from the audience. I think the reason the Asian wasn’t called out was because the video obviously applied to him and you can’t tell somebody whose race is getting made fun of that they can’t laugh or not be offended. It just doesn’t work like that and honestly if you were going to call out the white guy then you should’ve just turned around and call out the Asian guy too because it was the same thing. I believe how the video affects you comes down to the individual person, especially when it comes to the specific race that is being attacked. Every person has had different experiences and has been brought up in different ways and different things just affect people in different ways. In the end, I thought what the Asian girl said about the video was obviously going after the nerdiest Asians and asking them a question that is at the heart of American culture and that’s the response you get. Whether it’s funny or not comes down to you as a person but all I am saying is if you are going to get upset and riled up over that, then what do you say to a Rush Limbaugh or Don Imus who seriously attacks a race saying derogatory statements with bad intent instead of just fun and games? Or to a George Zimmerman who says “c**n” in reference to Trayvon Martin to the police over the phone? Just my way of thinking about it, there are worse things and those are the ones that should be looked at and focused on.

This is a good question because there are pros and cons to having to deal with racial issues. I am Puerto Rican so I have gone through racial issues and especially at an early age because that’s when kids are learning and they don’t really know any better other than to question the norm. To start out with the cons, the first one that comes to mind is just the simple fact that you have to go through racial issues at all. You have to go through trouble for a reason that you couldn’t even control because we couldn’t choose our skin color or ethnicity. Another con, is when you’re young, you are still developing your personality and identity so the fact that you are dealing with issues about your race can affect your confidence in your self or shake your pride in your race. With that being said, there are some pros with dealing with racial issues at an earlier age. Overcoming adversity at a young age makes you a stronger person overall and if you are exposed to racial issues at a young age then that prepares you for when you go through them later in life. Sam gave the stats in class about employers and them hiring people comparing white to nonwhite. These issues are ones that you can prepare yourself for and learn how to attack them in life. Another pro is that just as it can hurt your confidence and shy you away from your race and culture, it can also give you more pride in being who you are. I personally like challenges and having to overcome adversity. So dealing with racial issues at a younger age I feel like put me on the underdog status that people didn’t expect me to excel as well just because of my race. However, the way I attack life everyday is that I want to go places where people don’t expect my race to go. I try and be the exception and prove those people who instigate the racial issues wrong. People are always afraid of what is different and that is no different here in this scenario. My elementary school in Florida was pretty mixed so I didn’t deal with sticking out as much as I did in my middle and high school here in PA. There was only a few black people and even less Hispanic kids. I have pretty much been going through racial issues my whole childhood, however it is not something that I have allowed to bring me down. Another way that I looked at it is that the racial issues that I went through weren’t as bad as somebody else probably had them. This was a simple question but one that was very good. There are many pros and cons when you relatable to races and how it affects people and what not but ultimately I believe it comes down to the person how to handle them and how it affects them. I also think that the amount of racial issues somebody encounters depends predominantly where they grow up and are brought up and what the demographic of that area is.

First and foremost, I do understand why State College caters to mostly white people which is due to the fact that that is what race is predominantly here. It wouldn’t make much sense, especially in the shape that the economy is in right now even though that has gotten a little bit better recently, to have businesses that aren’t geared towards the demographic of the area that it is in. They would most likely go out of business just for the reason that there isn’t enough of the specific race population that they are aiming and trying to cater for here. Let’s face it, central PA isn’t too diverse and only the little of diversity that there is comes from the university here in State College. I went to Altoona last year in which does not cater towards the students at all. When I compare the two, I find evident exactly what the girl is proposing through her respective question. The Hispanic population in Altoona is big and there are no restaurants, barber shops, or even places to buy ethnic food like a grocery store. Whenever I needed to get my haircut, I would go over to my friends’ dorm where my Dominican friends lived and they would cut my hair and also give me a shape up. The few times when I have gone to get my hair cut not by them, I have asked them at the barber shop to give me a “shape-up” and all I have gotten is confused faces/looks or responses. I do think that Altoona proposes a good question, that if Penn State defers prospective students to branch campuses where they are expected to spend half of their college years (sometimes even all 4 years), what about their catering to the diversity of students? Should it be as big of a deal at those campuses as it is here to cater to the students even if “it’s not main campus” or whatever? I think State College and the university do a good job of catering to minorities even though there can be improvement especially with increasing acceptance of students here and greater diversity coming in. I know when it comes to restaurants, there is plenty of options for Asians, Hispanics, and Black & Brown people. Panda Express in the hub along with Hunan Wok, Uncle Chens, cater towards the Asians while Chipotle, Qdoba, Taco Bell, and Rey Aztecas cater towards Hispanics. As far as people getting their hair done, I have heard and know of students knowing how to cut hair mainly for the guys though who prefer to get their hair cut and shaped up. However, for the girls who want locks or weaves for their hair I am not really sure where you could go which is an example of the city not catering to the needs. That is why I say there can be improvement in the catering of needs for minorities here at school.

I agree with what Sam said however, I think the girls response was good and frankly the truth. Yeah in a perfect world we would want to attack the root of the problem and try and move away from the discrimination. I am very aware of discrimination but I was still surprised when I heard the number that Sam presented in class that 50% of people wont get a call back from their app based solely on their race. We have made giant strides in society as far as racism and discrimination based on race but that statistic right there proves that there has to be even more reform made. The fact of the matter is, that as much as we would want people to learn to be more open minded and less discriminative when it comes to race, that its going to be hard to change that. Black people and minorities in general are going to have to work harder to make up for those 5 points and even then white people still may get the chance over them based on the job. Its something that nobody wants to talk about or attack but it is apparent and as much as Id love to change it, in this life I have come to accept it already being Puerto Rican and having had to go through it. I have tremendous pride in my race and have gotten used to being in the underdog role and that in turn I believe has made me stronger and been enough motivation to work harder to try and make that resume the best and strong as possible. That has me come to the question that Sam asked the girl about how she felt about the five points. Honestly, I wouldnt want those five points because when it comes to applying to a job or whatever, I want them to want me because of me. I dont want it to be unfair or those five points be the reason I get the job over somebody else. All because my skin is a different color or have a different race? Something I couldnt control? Thats lame in my book and coming from a competitor

I think some sports are dominated by some racial groups and others by other racial groups were a couple of reasons. First, I see hockey being on the same level as lacrosse in the sense that it is mainly dominated by white people. A reason for this is that I dont see these sports being popular or set up in many schools in many areas. The places where these sports are organized are in heavily funded school districts in the suburbs or rural areas, both places where not many black people reside. So right off the bat, the number of black people playing in the sports is minimized and then if you take into account that white people have a higher average salary you can see that with all the equipment and facility fees it can be very costly to play these sports. A reason why you see basketball being mainly dominated by African Americans is frankly because its cheaper and as the numbers suggest from class, the average salary for blacks and African Americans is much lower that the whites and many other racial groups. All you need is a round object and a hole to fit it in, instead of protective gear, sticks, odd balls, etc. However, if you look around the world, you can tell that the sports that are least costly are the ones dominated by the minorities instead of white people. I see this being because the less you need for a sport the easier it is to play. You can see this with both basketball and soccer which are arguably the most popular sports in the world. How many stories have you heard of NBA players coming from Africa and making a name for themselves over here even though they didnt have 75% of what the players over here have. Names that come to mind that explain this are Dikembe Mutombo and Serge Ibaka, both prolific basketball players that started out playing with nothing over in Africa. Same goes for soccer, all you need is a round object and an area to be defined as a goal. But when it comes to lacrosse, hockey, golf, tennis, the majority of these players are white people. There are always exceptions (ie. Tiger Woods, Williams sisters) but for the most part its white people dominating. I also think some sports are dominated by some races just because of the culture they are brought in. For the most part, black people arent brought up to be good golf or tennis players partly because I dont think they find any interest in them. Many of the role models in basketball and football are black and the kids want to idolize them because they relate to them by being the same color. How many black kids do you know or current athletes that have said they were inspired by Michael Jordan? They see how he dominated the sport and is black and want to be like him, there is nothing wrong with that, it is just the way it is. Black people dont usually say, hey I want to be like Sydney Crosby, it is not because he is white, its just that it is not their cup of tea so to speak. They want to be like someone who is them, and I know I am talking about black people right now but I believe this runs true across the board. I am Hispanic and I want to idolize Hispanic players in sports. However, the greatness of some players resonates with everyone. For example, my favorite player is Dwyane Wade and I like to idolize him even though im Hispanic. I just think it comes down to the situation and many of times its just the way the cookie crumbles that people want to be like people of their same race. As for the question proposed in class about white black people run faster and jump higher, I think it has to do with a biological make in their genes which gives them an ability to have an extra tendon (from what I have heard haha) that gives them that ability. Why they have it I have no idea but the reason they have those abilities greater than the other races is because of biological differences.

I want to start out by saying that I am all for interracial dating. I think that people should go off of what makes them happy and frankly I do not believe that because somebody has a different skin color that should inhibit them from interacting with them. I understand that not all people were raised the same way but I am confused at how shallow someone can be for not dating someone because of their skin color. My parents are fine with whatever I do because they preach to me that they want me to be happy. However, I still feel like if they were against me dating somebody not of my race or ethnicity I would do it anyways if it came down to it. We are being brought up in a generation drastically different of what it used to be and I would let them know that. If they still weren’t ok, I would just tell them I love them and I hope to see them at the wedding and if not then take care. It is something that I feel strongly about and think is important for us as a society to get over the hump with. Another reason I am pro-interracial dating because I believe it opens up the pool to people you are exposed to and gives you more opportunity to find that special person that you are most compatible with. Also, interracial dating promotes diversity and variety. In class, when Sam put all those people from different races and backgrounds together (the Lebanese/Puerto Rican girl standing out right now) I thought that was a beautiful thing and it was because of interracial dating. I know for me personally, I am all about bringing different people together and exposing them to the differences of each other. Therefore, I find interracial dating to be awesome and a beautiful thing. However, I do understand that it has cause problems coming from both society and parents/grandparents. The fact that some people may not find it as acceptable as same race dating I feel is because the way they were brought up and taught which falls on their parents. The chain continues because their parents got it from the grandparents who got it most likely from what was acceptable in society at the time when they were growing up. When kids are brought up in that kind of environment it’s hard for them to break away from these views out of fear of disownment or of being an outcast. Nobody wants their family to not accept them and this in turn has created this “problem” that we have seen evident in society. I do believe there has been quite a movement and changing of the guard in reference to this scenario and have come a long way. Many people face challenges every day only because they are interracial and with that being said I acknowledge that tere is still work to be done but I think that society is on the right track.

I think Americans learning Spanish to accommodate Spanish speakers is a great idea however not something that should be mandatory. Also, I think Americans should want to learn Spanish for their own good, not just to accommodate Spanish speakers. Granted it would help with that situation but they should do it with their own benefit. Learning Spanish has a lot of benefits, given that it is a romantic language, it helps you learn and interpret many other languages. It also gives you a marketability by being bilingual which in todays culture can be extremely helpful in finding employment or networking with people which it many occasions means extra dollar bills. I am a bilingual speaker fluent in Spanish and English with English being my first language. I am Puerto Rican, 2nd generation, both my parents were born and raised there and in turn taught me Spanish in a joint effort with English while I was growing up. I am grateful for that because now that opens up more doors for me when looking for employment. I am a nursing major and a male, being bilingual will help me get a job in places like California and Florida, places where I would like my career to take place at also where a high population of Hispanics resides. My point with this is that because I speak Spanish in addition to English I will be more eligible or qualified to get a job over somebody else who is in the same boat with me while also maybe getting a couple of extra dollars on my paycheck. In addition to that, learning Spanish opens you up to another whole demographic. Its not that learning Spanish would be ok because there are ton of Spanish speaking people coming to America or being raised but its that and the fact that Spanish is the worlds second universal language. For those main reasons is why I believe Americans should learn Spanish and it includes reasons in addition to not just to accommodate Spanish speakers. I think the reason Sam proposed this question is to also spark us to be more ambitious in the sense that we have to keep up with the people that are immigrating to our country. The fact that there are more people coming to America that are Spanish speaking means that the demand for more bilinguals is going to keep increasing. I dont think you should have to learn it but I think that after a while, definitely a couple decades, itll be something you will need to do because if not youll never get a job. This is something that we have to begin to open our eyes too because like it or not it is going to become an issue in the coming years.