I personally do not think that it is right for America to police and invade the world even though we have so many problems at home. There are so many problems around the world including in our own country. Since World War I, America has been involved in foreign issues. World War !, World War II, the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, and the Gulf War. We have been involved in giving aid to so many areas around the world such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The United States of America has been very generous with its foreign aid. Clearly, America has been focusing on other parts of the world in order to help these countries through their struggles. America currently has and has always had problems of their own, so why are we trying to fix foreign problems before our own?

America currently has many problems. We have problems with our education system and our economy to name a few. Our education system needs much improvement. Many schools do not have enough funding. For example, we saw a video in class comparing an inner city Chicago school with a public school right outside the city. The inner city school did not have the same resources as the one in the suburbs. The school in the suburbs far surpassed the inner city school’s programs.

Another issue is the economy. We are in extreme debt. We have spent so much on foreign aid and defense spending that we cannot even support our own country. There is also a very high unemployment rate. Why are we helping people in foreign countries rebuild cities and help feed children around the globe when we can’t feed our own. We have many cities in the middle of the country that need improvement and rebuilding. We should use the money that we spend on foreign aid here in the United States.

We are currently involved in Iraq, which has been said to be a war based of our need and dependence on oil. We claim we want to help rebuild the area, but we seem to really be over their for their natural resources. Instead of spending trillions of dollars trying to extract natural resources that we don’t deserve, we should use that money building this country. We can invest this money that we spend on getting oil on new energy here. This will not only help us get new resources that we can use in the future, instead of relying on oil. It will also provide this country with many job opportunities, which will in turn boost the economy. All in all, we need to focus more on our own country than fixing problems in other countries where we don’t really belong.

First off, I would like to say that this scandal has had a great effect on so many different groups of people. Of course, the victims, the coaches, the athletic director, the university president, the board of trustees, and the students. I am sure there are many other groups affected by the “sex scandal,’ but these are the different groups that come to mind first. This sex scandal has been horrible. The victims. Our school. The families. Those who didn’t do enough. Basically, it has been emotionally draining and is a giant mess. Not everyone knows everything yet, but we all have to deal with what we do know, which is quite unsettling. I have personally tried to separate myself from the situation, as we really do not know everything. I have absorbed everything that I possibly could have regarding the issue, and now I have decided to take a step back, a break, from what has seemed to be the biggest scandal in college history.

Many believe Joe Paterno did enough by reporting what he had heard to the Athletic Director, who subsequently didn’t do enough. Or did he? We really don’t know. What we do know is that Joe Paterno carried out his legal obligation, to report the issue to his superior. But is that enough? Many people think so, probably because of the name. People are obsessed with this man and could never see him do anything wrong. If our coaches name wasn’t Joe Paterno, most people would believe that he should have done more. I, unlike many, have separated myself and have taken a step back. Personally, no ones reputation makes something excused or seem less serious. I don’t care if it was the President of the United States. I hold the same amount of responsibility to every individual.

Apparently Joe Paterno carried his legal obligation. However, the lesson that I have learned even more, is that you have to go above and beyond legal obligation, and carry out moral obligation. He should have made it his personal duty to prevent these children from further being abused. If it were one of his many grandchildren, he would have done so, instead of relying someone “above” him. I know Joe Paterno has been a great person-he helped build Penn State. He donated millions to the school to do research, and even built the library. However, his actions, or lack there of, is unacceptable, More should have done by him, and everyone involved for that matter- bottom line.

I think people need to learn that a person is a person. No name or reputation should be that strong for people to completely disregard their horrible actions, or lack there of. Personally, I think idolizing someone to the point of ignorance is embarrassing, and sick.

This past week has been a very emotional week. Students, faculty, parents, friends, administrators are all confused on how to feel. Personally, many students here are making it too much about Joe Paterno rather than everyone else involved. The issue is about these victims. Anyone who is raped, especially a child, should have people who have information to try their best and help stop it and punish those involved. Regarding our President and our Coach, they had to go. The board of trustees felt that anyone involved should be let go, based on the extremely negative this school was getting. It is unfortunate they had to be fired, because they were both well-respected leaders of our school who donated so much of their time and money. But it had to happen. I think people need to step back and realize that no person’s reputation should be that important, that you forget about the victims and just focus all the attention on that famed individual. There is too much emotional attachment.

I think the media has helped portray Penn State as not such a great school right now. They have only focused on Joe Paterno, rather than Sandusky and the victims, which is for the sole purpose of getting more viewers. People know the Joe Paterno name, but no one knows of Sandusky. Everyone should know that this is the role of media, to spread news, even not all of it is true.

Regarding the rioting that went on, the small amount of students who flipped vans and tore down lamp posts should be ashamed and embarrassed. That is not Penn State. However, the media made it seem everyone was causing the riot, when most people were just standing outside with their fellow Penn Staters to reflect and take in what was going on from the whole situation. People riot around the world. There are always a couple people who take it overboard. This carries on to my next point.

In class, Sam was discussing the media, and its effect on society. All in all, the media ultimately does not represent everyone in their true form. Within the past week the media has blown up this whole situation. The media helped influence people to believe Penn State is a bad place; however, they only captured a small glimpse of what Penn State was. The 99% of us here are good students and are a part of a bigger PSU community.

This has taught me a lesson. Many of us, not including myself, think that Muslims aren’t good people based on the media. The acts of few terrorists do not represent the entire religion, or society. Many people do not like this group because they think they are all bad, mostly based on the media. Everyone needs to take a step back, remove emotion, and critically think about everything before they come to conclusions.

I have had many encounters with other groups of individuals where they are talking in a different language. In some cases I am comfortable, and in other cases I am uncomfortable. I don’t think I could have a generalized response for this question because it is very situational. For example, growing up, I was learning how to speak Spanish. I took Spanish classes since the 7th grade and I was always looking for practice. My housekeeper, Luz, was from Colombia and spoke English but knew Spanish better. Occasionally I would hear her talking Spanish, which I liked. I tried to practice my Spanish with her and at that time I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. I probably didn’t feel uncomfortable because I was intrigued and I also wanted to improve my own Spanish speaking skills. It was a very enjoyable time conversing with her because it wasn’t in English. I found speaking in Spanish fun, new, and exciting.

However, this past summer I traveled to Israel and had a very different experience. This was my first time to Israel, as I went on a trip called “Birthright.” I went on this 10 day trip with about 40 other Penn State Jewish students through the Jewish on-campus organization called Hillel. For half the trip, we had 8 Israeli soldiers join us to tour the beautiful and extremely fun country of Israel. The thing that was sometimes uncomfortable was that the Israeli soldiers would speak Hebrew to each other in front of us. We all felt uncomfortable because we literally had no idea what they were all saying. It was especially uncomfortable when they looked at us and laughed as they were speaking this language none of us understood. In response, all the Penn State students started talking in Spanish to each other. Once we started speaking Spanish, although not fluent, we could understand each other without the Israeli soldiers knowing what we were talking about. Once we started speaking Spanish, the Israeli soldiers became confused and were very curious about what we were saying just like how we were curious what they were saying in Hebrew. As a result, they knew how we felt. They had no idea what we were saying, and we had no idea what they were saying, so we all made a deal to just speak English.

Overall, I think listening to new languages is a very fun, interesting, and educational experience. Hearing a new language, or trying to learn a new language is key to understanding a culture or a person you have never encountered before. My experiences with languages, from speaking Spanish to listening to Hebrew, have been interesting, and I hope to encounter similar experiences in the near future when I study abroad in Rome this coming spring.

Recently, immigration has been a hot topic in the United States. It is an interesting issue – one that some claim to have affected our economy, employment, and culture. It seems to me that there are two sides of the spectrum. There are those who are open to immigration, and there are others who absolutely hate it and would go to any means to prevent immigration from happening. There are so many different arguments people make, so many different viewpoints, but I would like to discuss why I am open to legal/illegal immigrations living in the U.S.

First off, most of us here in the United States are immigrants, or are descendents from immigrants. Most of us do not trace our roots back to the indigenous of this land. Why are people here against immigration when either we, or our ancestors, did the exact same thing? To me, it is hypocritical. Why should we have one rule for ourselves and then another rule for others? If our ancestors did not come over and immigrate to the United States, we would not even be having this conversation.

Another issue with immigration is that people claim that these immigrants steal “our” jobs. Honestly, if someone does not like that their job is being given to someone else who is willing to work longer hours for less pay, maybe that person should look into a new industry, or maybe they should realize that they need to prove to these companies why there are worth not firing. Getting a job is one thing, but keeping it and performing well is just as important. In addition, our economy needs every type of worker, whether it is CEO to fast food worker. If we were given the opportunity to live and work in the United States, so should others.

I also think that many people pair immigration, with Mexicans too often. There are many more people who immigrate to the United States besides Mexicans. When people argue about immigration, they really only talk about border issues, but border issues regarding only our border with Mexico, not even the one with Canada. All in all, we should not just think ‘Immigration-Mexico.’ It should be looked at from a much more global, much less ignorant viewpoint.

I do understand the issues. I do understand why people are now against immigration, but I do not think it is fair to be hypocritical. Like I said before, if it were not for our ancestors, our grandfathers, or even our father, we would not be sitting here today. This would not even be a discussion or a question in our mind. We all need to take a step back, put things into perspective, and stop making hasty generalizations.

A “poser” is usually defined as someone who pretends to be someone they are not. Throughout my life, my friends and I have grown up playing sports and hanging out with friends from different races. Never did we think we were “posers,” per say, but I guess that is because everyone was predominantly white and we were never the only white kids. Depending on the circumstance I could see where someone could be called a “poser” or not a “poser.”

Someone being a “poser” is someone from one race trying to integrate themselves into a group of a different race, for the sole purpose of doing so, or to prove a point. For example, if a white guy tries to be friends with a group of black guys for the sole purpose of making a point, or trying to be one of them, that could be considered “posing.” If the only reason the white guy is friends with the black guy is so he can say “I hangout with all black guys,” or “look at me, I am one of them” then that is definitely “posing.”

On the other hand, there have definitely been times where a white guy is a friend with a group of black guys, just because that is how it worked out. They must have had a common interest and are friends not because of their race, but because they genuinely had a connection.

In elementary school, I remember having a specific group of friends where not everyone was the same race. Everyone was white except for this one guy named Akito. Akito was from Japan. I do not think he was hanging out with three white guys because he wanted to be white. I think he hangout with us because we had similar interests. At the time, we all enjoyed playing video games, watching movies, and playing sports. I also think that because he was from Japan, he did not have much of a choice. There were not many Japanese students in my elementary school, so what other options did he have? I also think this brings up a point that people who call other people “posers” do not really know the background story. What if they all had something in common? What if there was really no one else in the same race for the “poser” to hangout with?

Instead of calling people “posers,” I think it is more important for everyone to be comfortable with race and let people be friends with people they want to be friends with. If a white guy decides to be friends with a group of black people, so be it. Maybe he wants to experience how they act, or maybe they have something in common. We must stop judging people and we must stop coming to conclusions when we do not even know what is really going on.

I think racial labels are unnecessary, but are used because it is a part of history. Ever since the start of society, people differentiated themselves and had to come up with reasons why everyone looked or even acted differently. I recall learning in class how white Europeans were one of the first groups to make racial differentiations. They did this in order to prove to the world that they were “better for a reason.” After reading “Shadowboxing with Race,” I also learned that people in one group usually try to have negative feelings on another group, in order to promote the group they’re in. I do think society has come a long way, but I think it is also time to try to separate ourselves from the past. Racial labels have always been used in the past, and being the progressive world we are in today, we should try to move away from it. People most likely find it necessary today because we are used to using these labels, when they do not really matter.

I do find myself using racial labels often. I think I use them in most contexts not in a negative manner, but just as an easier way to describe people. I know in a perfect world we would not use race as a descriptive factor, but because of history, and the way society has developed, we have learned to use racial labels. For example, if I am with a group of friends and we are talking about someone who isn’t white (I’m white), we usually refer to their race as an easier way of describing their physical characteristics. I do not see such a problem with using racial labels to describe physical characteristics, but I do see it as ignorant to use those labels as ways to stereotype. Using racial labels to help explain stereotypes is what I see as the largest problem. For example, there are stereotypes that Asians are bad drivers, and Black people are lazy. If we used racial labels to enforce these stereotypes, that is what I think is really horrible, because everyone is different. Not all Asians are bad drivers, and not all Black people are lazy. The only time I find myself using racial labels is only to help describe to someone what someone else looks like.

On that note, we really cannot say that we all look alike. We clearly don’t. I don’t see the problem with describing someone personal characteristics based on their race, because race is something someone is born with. If I was standing next to one of my black friends, they would differentiate us by saying one of us is white and the other is black, not one is 5 foot 9 and the other is 5 foot 11. Neither I or my friend would have a problem with that or be offended, because that is what we actually look like. We’re not being called black or white based on the way we act. The thing we need to improve upon is being more comfortable and open talking about race. I think a lot of the racial problems in this country occur because we aren’t comfortable and we don’t know what is “politically correct.”

First off, I don’t think the question is a completely fair one. For the past three years that I have been going out in college, I have indeed seen girls dress in these tight short skirts and high heels, while guys dress up in nice jeans and a tee shirt. I’m a guy and I know many other guys that care about looking good, so we don’t really wear anything we want. If a guy was going out to a place where a girl is wearing a skirt, a guy would most likely not show up in sweatpants, but they’d show up in jeans and a nice shirt. So, I think it’s unfair to say guys don’t worry about looking good.

Also, I think girls that wear short skirts and sacrifice their comfort are insecure. Why do something that is so uncomfortable? These girls feel they have to wear reveling clothes to get attention from everyone else. If something is so uncomfortable, why wear it? I’m always amazed by the girls who can go out in the middle of winter in their short, revealing skirts. Do they not feel the cold or snow? Is it really worth looking like this, being uncomfortable, and freezing just to look a certain way? I don’t think so. I think this has a lot to do with society’s perception of girls. In the media, we always see girls portrayed in a promiscuous manner. The Jersey Shore is a great example. The girls on the show go out to clubs. They always wear short skirts, high heels, and sometimes don’t even wear underwear-not such a great example. On the other hand, the guys on the show wear nice jeans, cool tee shirts, and maybe a hat. This is a perfect example, of how reality television sets an example for and influences college-aged students in society.

On another note, when men get dressed up for work, they put a lot of thought into their outfit. While wearing business professional attire, men have to wear a matching suite, matching belt and shoes, a collared shirt, and ties. So, while girls feel they have to get dressed up to go out, even though they don’t, men do have to get dressed up because it is a common practice in the business world. This is another reason why its not fair to say guys don’t care about what they wear.

Not every guy thinks a girl that dresses in short skirts and high heels are that great. I know many guys that think a girl who dresses nice, but not like a prostitute, are more attractive. This is because we assume that these girls have confidence, and don’t need to show off every part of their body.

The United States has been a country that has always been involved with international affairs. Since we became a superpower we have been involved in two world wars, and have given aid to many countries around the world. After taking the class Econ 333, or international economics, I learned some general trends in the United State’s aid efforts. Not until this group Haiti project, had I known about how exactly the United States gives their aid. After reading the article about how the United States sent Haiti the peanut butter in order to help citizens, and its negative effect on Haiti’s peanut industry, I realized the aid we were sending to Haiti was not appropriate and was ineffective.

After watching the videos about the entrepreneurs in Haiti, it really inspired me think of ways how aid could be better distributed. Watching the many types of businesses try to grow, from the roasted peanuts to the handbags businesses, was very informative to show that Haitians want to work and want to help their struggling economy.

I think the aid we are providing now isn’t as helpful or productive as it could be. From what I have learned and heard, the United States aid involves something that I call “direct aid.” Example of direct aid include, money to governments, or already assembled products being shipped to Haiti. Many times the money given to the governments of these third world countries end up in the wrong hands. Many governments are corrupt, so instead of giving the money to local businesses and citizens who actually need the aid, the government takes the money and keeps it. Due to this unfair distribution, I think that the United States should make the effort to contact individuals businesses and business owners to deliver the money directly, rather than relying on governments that could be corrupt. If the United States gave the money directly, the money will be much more effective. Local business owners would have the money and would do what they wanted to do with the money. I think the government should stop telling these businesses how to spend the aid, because no one knows the businesses like the business owners themselves.

I think it is important to stay away from “direct aid,” and to lean toward helping countries, like Haiti, build their own economy. The United States should help Haiti learn how to build infrastructure and educate its citizens so they won’t have to be dependent on aid in the future.

Many think these third world countries have a long way to go, but so does the United States. I don’t think our aid is as helpful as it could be, and it needs to be changed.

I remember when the earthquake happened almost two years ago. I knew how catastrophic the event was, how it wiped out so many people, businesses, homes, and government offices. Before the natural disaster happened, I was somewhat unaware of the poverty and unrest occurring in Haiti. When I signed up for SOC 119, I thought I was just going to learn about race and ethnicity. Never did I think I would be able to have the hands on experience of getting involved with a current issue. I think the Haiti Group Project sounds like a great way to give back, while also learning about the world as a whole.

This past Spring I took International Economics or ECON 333. It was one of the best classes I have taken here at Penn State. A lot of the course involved foreign aid and subsidies. I have learned that the aid we are giving to Haiti, and other third world countries, is not logical. In Haiti’s case, we have given money, peanut butter and shoes, for example. Although this aid might look great on paper, it doesn’t help the problem. It’s skipping a major step. I look at it like cheating on an assignment. Although you might get a good grade, it wasn’t your work, so you didn’t learn how to get there. The aid we have been giving them might fix some of the problems in Haiti in the short-run, but I think we need to focus more on the long run.

I think we should be spending our money in Haiti on education, and infrastructure, rather than giving Haitians the products and aid they need directly. If we spend our money in the right places then Haiti will be able to continue more on their own. For example, if we help out the businesses shown in the videos, those businesses will be more productive. They will have the machines, transportation, funding for employees, and the marketing plans to become successful businesses and ultimately help the economy there. I think sending peanut butter and shoes to Haiti might be a great thought, but it puts the local companies out of business. Instead of giving Haitians the direct product, we need to give them the resources to improve upon their own products. If we spend money on education, Haitians will have the knowledge to help improve their country, and successfully run these businesses. Community projects ran by HPCD, ERNERSA, Hospital Project, Christian Partners Church, and the Cite Soleil School, computer lab, and church, are doing a great job of giving the country the resources they need to get a jumpstart on improving their country. With better-allocated resources, Haiti will soon see an improvement. It might be the harder route, but it will certainly give Haitians the hope they need to survive.