en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2398064 Comments by shannonlicata http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144952043 This lecture did open my eyes a little more to the positive sides of immigration, but then again even if it may be a good thing to some extent, our country shouldn’t let it get out of hand. I don’t think it’s particularly fair that undocumented people can come here and while the government simply looks the other way unless the amount of labor needed in this country is already met. I’m trying to look at this from both ends, but I still don’t have a solid answer as to whether I believe illegal immigration is completely acceptable or not. The way I see it, if I was to try to move to Mexico or Canada or anywhere to simply find work, I wouldn’t expect to be let in just like that. Though these illegal immigrants migrate to the U.S. to better the lives of their families, they can’t just expect to get in here for nothing. I can understand that money has a lot to do with it, but if you thought about it in the back of your head that you could possibly get caught in this country without a green card, the consequences could be terrible and therefore the illegal trip here wouldn’t end up being worth it anyway. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:04:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144952043 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144951939 I know that many people find illegal immigration appalling. The problem is, many American’s want to fight against it, but no one is ready to take on the work that immigrants are willing to do. Many people believe that eliminating immigration would help our country but in the long run, it would hurt us more than anything else. On a different note, if Americans were offered more money to do these harsh jobs, I’m sure many people would jump on the opportunity. The problem is, if they can hire people willing to do these jobs for less, why would they want to pay Americans more for their labor? Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:04:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144951939 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144951839 I would want to strive for the best life I could make for my family, even if it meant working hours upon hours under the hot sun for a seemingly low wage. If working long hours meant more money, I would definitely leave my home country to seek out a better living. Without immigration, there wouldn’t be enough laborers for crops. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:03:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144951839 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144949244 I have always had mixed feelings on illegal immigration. Mainly since the beginning of the semester, I have started thinking more about illegal immigration and how it can affect yet help our country all at the same time. Before hand, I used to think that illegal immigration was taking jobs away from Americans. I came to find out that Americans who are used to living off of certain wages and in certain jobs aren’t actually willing to do the grueling jobs that many illegal immigrants do. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:51:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144949244 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908999 I feel bad that I didn’t know about these occurrences before hand and I truly wish that more of us could be knowledgeable on the topic. How can our government truly let these people lives their lives this way? 124 out of a 1000 Native Americans are the victims of a violent crime, 80% unemployment rate, and an outrageous suicide rate. It’s devastating and I can’t believe I was so ignorant to all of this beforehand. I hope eventually a great amount of people will become knowledgeable about what is going on in our country and try to make a change for the sake of these people who never did anything wrong to us in the first place. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:38:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908999 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908933 . I thought that only people in third world countries were living the way that Natives are living here today in this country. I think the problem is, is that no one really talks about it and instead many of us are just ignorant to how things really are when it comes to the lives of native Americans. It’s sad that we are supposed to be one nation under God and instead it seems to me like there are two completely different nations split in half. The funny thing about it all is that we were the ones that pushed these people out of their own land in the first place! Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:38:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908933 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908699 Until college, I never truly thought much about Native Americans or their way of life today. I have been on reservations before a couple of times but I never realized the poverty level that they were in. Actually, it wasn’t until this class that I found out how they are truly being treated by the American government and how it seems strange that they are living in this very country and live at a lower standard than most of us could imagine. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:37:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908699 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908629 First of all, I thought it was very strange that I had never heard this song before. I have been listening to Dave Matthews for years now and I have never come across this until class. I thought that this song was a little bone chilling yet very true all at once. It helped to see the lyrics right in front of me so that I could connect the images, the lyrics, and the music all together. Honestly, I’ve never heard a song like this one before. The main part of the song that caught my attention the most was the lyric that stated that there isn’t enough room for the two of us so you must leave or you will die. It is sad to think that Native Americans literally were fought off of their own land yet we as Americans today sit here and refuse to acknowledge the fact that what our people did to the native Americans was disgraceful. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:37:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142908629 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141057762 The fact that there are people, our American people, in another part of the world invading societies and forcing them to give up a precious resource that they are sitting on just makes me sick in a way. We rely on another country for something that we need, yet these people are portrayed by our society as all bad and terrorists. When Sam told us to pretend that we were Iraqi civilians, it truly made me see how I would feel if I was to be in their situation. I never realized it prior to this lecture, and for this I would definitely put this lecture at the top of my list of favorites for the semester. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 18:30:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141057762 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141057724 I wouldn’t necessarily say that this was the best lecture of the semester. I understood the importance of this one and I could see why Sam wanted to address it but I ended up leaving the class feeling embarrassed of our country. I could understand why other countries would have an issue with us. I was hoping that this class would enlighten and entertain me. For example, I loved the sex lecture with Sam’s wife, and the lecture on cocoa slaves on the ivory- coast. The sex lecture was just amusing while the cocoa slavery lecture really opened my eyes as to what is truly going on in parts of the world that you don’t normally think about. I think that certain lectures in this class truly make me see things in a different light and though this particular lecture did help open my eyes, I still feel helpless in the matter. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 18:30:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141057724 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141057330 I definitely enjoyed this lecture and I made a point to bring some of my friends along since Sam emphasized how important it was going to be. I thought it was interesting and it definitely made me see the other side of things that we as Americans don’t really think about. It upset me more than anything though because it made me think even worse of Americans than I already did in the first place. I know that we are a greedy country but I didn’t realize just how greedy we actually are. It’s kind of embarrassing to say that we are having issues with a particular society based on resources that they are sitting on. We as Americans want their oil and we will do anything to get it. The way the media presents the issue makes it seem that since those from the middle- east are mostly considered “terrorists” I think that the government believes that it’s ok to go in and take whatever they want. Even though we have been getting oil from them for decades, does this make it right? Just because many Americans have it in their heads that all Iraqis are terrorists seems extreme, but then again the media doesn’t help change our already influenced opinions on them. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 18:28:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141057330 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139190825 After this class, I even realized there was a lot I didn’t know about my body as well as the male body. I am so happy that this topic was finally brought to attention because a lot of people are definitely too uncomfortable talking about it. I am glad that Sam and his wife decided to address it even though it may have been awkward for those uncomfortable with the sex all together. I hope that other lectures will be like this one because I definitely feel like I gained a lot out of it and it was very informative. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:26:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139190825 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139190053 It’s hard to go into much detail on this topic because, as I said earlier, I don’t really want to expose my personal life. What I will say is that I feel like other girls in the class might have felt a little more uncomfortable with this topic than I was because I’m very comfortable with sex and I’m able to talk about it. It was kind of strange because I have never had a lecture that has gone into such great detail about sex. At first I wasn’t really sure what to expect but once they got going with the topic I noticed it really started to spark a lot of people’s interest. The whole walk home after class I wasn’t thinking about how uncomfortable it made me, but I was thinking about how I just realized many different things about sexual encounters that I have never thought of before. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:22:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139190053 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139189942 The lecture on Thursday was one of the most enlightening classes of the semester for me. I’m not going to go into too much detail on my personal life but for me, this lecture really made me see sex in a whole different way. First of all, the main point that really captured my attention was when Sam’s wife said that women truly don’t understand that men have a point of no return. As a woman, I’ve never really gone into much thought about this. I always figured that if women can say no and completely flip the switch then men should be able to do the same. On a different note, nothing that was said really made me feel uncomfortable. Honestly it made me think more about my own life and situations I’ve encountered and I definitely believe that after this class I will think about sex differently. Though I found this class interesting, I did disagree with some of the statistics as well as assumptions made about women. Sometimes, I definitely believe that women want sex just as bad as men and I don’t necessarily feel that women merely just think they want to have sex just because men want to. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:21:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139189942 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139189115 I could see how this class could have been a little awkward for people who have never had sex before. After this class, I even realized there was A LOT I didn’t know about my own body as well as the “needy penis.” I think that more classes should have a discussion like this one. I am so happy that this topic was finally brought to attention because a lot of people are definitely too uncomfortable talking about it. I am glad that Sam and his wife decided to address it even though it may have been awkward for those uncomfortable with the sex all together. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:16:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139189115 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137358886 For the most part I have been used to men with the same skin color as me mainly because they are who I have been hanging out with my whole life. Even here at college I don’t hang out with too many guys of different races. Sometimes I think that maybe it’s not because I’m not necessarily attracted to black men, but maybe it’s because they intimidate me. I guess I always automatically assume that they wouldn’t be interested in me anyways so I, more or less, disregard the thought of being attracted to them. Now that I have become more used to the diversity aspect of Penn State, I don’t feel like black men make me feel intimidated like they used to. I suppose the more I think about it, I could give dating a black guy a chance if I find someone who has similar interests as I do. I never truly shut out the thought of it in the first place, I just assumed that since they probably wouldn’t be interested in me, in wouldn’t be worth the effort. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:46:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137358886 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137358870 Second of all, my father is a very hard headed Italian man and I grew up believing that dating someone who looked the same as me was the only way to go. Even though neither of my parents ever directly told me not to date someone of a different race, it was quite apparent to me. I’ve been wondering since group discussion on Wednesday what my parents would actually say to me if I brought home a black man. I can’t see them hating me for it, but they would probably try to talk me out of it. I guess in the long run it shouldn’t really matter what my parents think about my relationship choices anyway. On the other hand as I stated earlier, I’m not really attracted to black guys in general but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:46:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137358870 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137358775 To start off, I actually am not sure if I would ever date a black guy. Not that it has anything to do with the fact that they’re a different color than me, but it’s mainly just because I’m not attracted to most black men, yet, I’m not really sure why. Of course there are those few exceptions; for the most part I only date white males. Though I’m definitely contradicting myself when I say this, I think this is partially because I probably feel more comfortable with someone who has the same skin color as I do. When I was growing up, I was only exposed to those with the same skin color as me so it seemed more comfortable than if I was to date a black guy. I feel like if I was to have been surrounded by those of different races, my opinions about dating outside my white comfort zone would be different. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:45:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137358775 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135888070 I realize that white privilege can sometimes be apparent, but guilt is another story. The only time I feel somewhat guilty about my race is when I’m speaking to friends of mine of different races and they point out the fact that they will be less likely to succeed than me. Though I don’t know if this is necessarily true because I haven’t experienced it first hand, I feel like they sometimes feel envious at the possibility of my whiteness getting me a step ahead of them. For this reason only, it makes me feel guilty but other than that, I have a hard time truly feeling guilty for being born white. If I was to feel guilt, I would therefore have to put feelings of others ahead of my own which therefore would put me a step behind when it comes to a professional mind set. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:03:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135888070 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135887982 Now that I’m about to become a part of the professional world, I’m beginning to think about the kind of job I will have, why I’ll get it, and how I’ll get it. I’m starting to think that if I do receive a good job, I’m going to wonder whether or not it was for the right reasons. I once had a conversation with one of my black friends about how she thinks that she will be less likely to get paid the same as me even if we were to work at the same place and have the same job. I disregarded this argument at first and I didn’t believe that this was how the professional world sometimes worked. Now, whenever I am about to apply for a job in my profession I’m going to be thinking in the back of my mind about my skin color possibly playing a factor in my success. This truly upsets me because even though I haven’t encountered a situation where there was blatant proof of white privilege, I’m sure that I will notice it at some point in my life. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:03:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135887982