en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2445506 Comments by shm5079 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment231950829 Personally, I do not think that it is a good idea to get rid of State Patty’s day because first of all, I can not even imagine what it would be like to try to control a school of thousands and thousands of students to not take part in a drinking event that is simply sociable and enjoyable with friends, having to cancel plan they have made with friends or family that had plans to come up and visit, and I think it is just going to be too much of a hassle to try to organize something like that. To be honest, although something like the candle light vigil was successful of getting tens of thousands of students to gather within a short time period, it was during a time of crisis and it was for a good cause and making a statement that we care about the kids but I don’t think that not participating in State Patty’s Day events has much to prove because we are still partying and drinking every weekend and Football games are known as drinking events and I don’t think getting rid of State Patty’s Day is going to do much for the school. However, if there were some people that wanted to make this happen, the best thing would be to start making Facebook events or putting it in the newspaper or stall stories constantly to remind people what it is about and it is better to do it sooner because then there is time given to take into every contradicting factor into thought and then people can just come up with defensive reasons and something to plan so that it can happen accordingly. I am just frustrated how this is something that some people are even considering because State Patty’s Day has been a Penn State tradition amongst students for years before this whole Sandusky scandal even happened and I do not understand why these two events have to relate to one another when it has nothing to do with each other. Penn State is a school that we take so much pride in when it comes to students being united and the fact that students were able to plan a traditional event like this to happen shows the power that Penn State students have and I do not think this whole scandal is anything to stop State Patty’s Day. Instead of focusing on “not drinking” for a day we should focus on how we should emphasize things such as THON and canning on things that actually reflect children and what the school does for kids and to show that we do care because it has to do with the scandal. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 03:06:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment231950829 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/03/voices-from-the-classroom-66/#IDComment217089172 Growing up as an Asian-American I have witnessed and seen in many Asian-American communities and businesses that a lot of Mexicans are starting to work for Asians because they work for very cheap and they are very fast and diligent with their work. My dad for a personal example, has a couple Mexican workers and regardless of whether they are illegal immigrants or not, they are the best workers that he has come across and believes that if their skills and experience in the area of his business is beneficial for him, then why should it matter whether they are illegal or not? That is the government’s problem more than it is a problem for our family because it is better for us that my dad has good workers. When Americans are raised we are raised to go to school to get a good education in order to get a decent job and we are able to afford education because a majority of us can afford it and we rarely grow up seeing people working in the roughest and poorest conditions so we are raised to not expect our future to go that way that we end up looking down on careers like that. However, Mexicans on the other hand know that it is not easy to find a decent job so they expect to get jobs that Americans don’t want because to begin with, they can’t even speak English so if they can’t speak the language of the country they want to work in, how can they expect to get well-paying jobs? If they don’t even have citizenship, they should also be thankful that they are able to get paid to live in a country millions around the world can only to live in. I feel like Americans are so spoiled these days and just expect to make a lot of money in the easiest way possible hence why so many of them have their parents providing spending money in college while they use that money on drugs and alcohol instead of getting jobs around campus such as cleaning and serving food in dining halls because so many of them think they are too good to have jobs like that and it is so disappointing to see that our generation is changing to get to that limit because back in our parents’ generation they worked hard for everything because they barely got enough education so they had to train themselves to get any job that would pay them even the smallest amount to provide for their families but they don’t want that upon their children so those children are the ones that are spoiled because their parents got rich by the time they had them but for others that grew up seeing their parents struggle for their money are able to understand better what it takes to make money and the value of a dollar and it is those people that understand what the Mexicans go through. Sat, 5 Nov 2011 01:41:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/03/voices-from-the-classroom-66/#IDComment217089172 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-53/#IDComment213693823 If immigration came to a halt, I feel like it would be good and bad for this country. It would be good because we wouldn't have to worry about overpopulation but at the same time there would be a huge problem when it comes to employment. Me being Asian, I know what it feels like to come from an immigrated family and what it's like struggling to adjust to the American culture and finding places to work at even if it means working insane shifts or doing dirty work because that's what it takes to support a family. However, that can only last so long because people are becoming more educated as it is a law for everyone to get a proper education and because people are more educated, people are more qualified to have decent jobs and it's gonna be a lot more competitive. There are so many jobs in America that those born in America will not take because they don't think they are good enough for them. After citizens of the United States go through formal schooling and get degrees from college, jobs with minimum wage won't catch their interest. There are some people who look down on immigrants and want them out of our country but they don't realize what they do for us by doing all that dirty work that we don't have to deal with. all of our business that need many workers for cheap would lose their business.People don't realize that these are the people that we need to keep our economy and businesses to keep on growing. I believe that there is a cycle of people and not everyone can be on the same boat and the same SES people need rich people to give to the poor just as how we need immigrants to work for those that have been here for a while. I can never imagine immigration coming to a halt because people will do whatever it takes to come here and if there are very intelligent people from other countries that can benefit our country from studying here and they can provide back to our country if we provide the education, it is a fair trade and that is how our country developed so much because of the diverse cultures that were able to teach other everything. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:15:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-53/#IDComment213693823 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210732184 I have never heard of anyone being called a poser because they hang out with people that are of different race than they are. When I hear the word “poser”, I think of someone that is copying someone else or is trying to be like them. I think our generation has come to realize that it’s not about race but it’s about personality and just because you find someone of a different race that has a similar personality as you do, that doesn’t make them a poser. I am an asian in an all white sorority and I have made a handful of best friends in it and none of them would ever think of calling me a poser because I got into this sorority because I had a lot of similarities with these girls before I even met them. It had nothing to do with trying to be like them and thinking, “oh just because they’re white I have to start acting white”. I know that races have a stereotype of what their personalities are going to be like but that doesn’t mean it relates to everyone and is always different per individual. I think people who hang out with people of a different race is actually more open to change and has a personality that is easier to get along with because they are used to meshing two cultures together that form a personality. I know many people who don’t step a single foot outside of their comfort zone of friends of their own race and they spend the rest of their lives only seeing the world from a single perspective from the same kind of people that come from a similar culture and it is harder for them to meet and get along with people because they have never been exposed to certain things before. Many of these things can relate to manners, common courtesy, ways of showing respect, etc. and it is difficult to be in this small cultural bubble of only people that are just like you and then suddenly trying to understand or blend in with another culture. To think that anyone could have even thought of a question of asking whether or not people hanging out with people from a different race is a poser blows my mind because I don’t think that’s someone that would have ever crossed my mind. This just shows that some people think that it is not normal of people of different cultures to be friends because something about it has to be a little off. And I admit there are some times when I personally catch myself wondering why there would be that random black guy or random white guy that is around a huge group of Asians and it is something that I have to work on as well. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:29:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210732184 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207528791 It is really interesting to see how they could be two separate people but sharing one body. Seeing that they are only 16 years old, I cannot imagine the type of insecurities and the rollercoaster of emotions that they must be facing as teenagers as they are walking around the halls of high school being stared at by student peers. No offense to those girls and the family, but I wouldn’t know what I would do if I found out my child was born that way. I think so many concerns would be going through my mind like would they have a hard time making friends, would they have a difficult social life, would they be able to grow up the right way, is there anything I can do to make them feel normal and accepted by society, which school and town is it best for them to grow up in, will I even be able to see them date, get married, and are they able to become pregnant and give birth? Which brings up my next point of interest, when they were saying how they want to date and such, a boy would be dating two people in one body, yet they are saying how they are such different people so what happens if a boy ends up liking only one of them and not the other’s personality or both of them don’t agree on one guy but they both have to be living with and getting married to one person? I don’t understand how they are planning on making that work and because I think it is one of their biggest areas of concern, that during the interview they were saying “We’re only 16, we don’t have to worry about that right now.” Another thing that I found interesting was how they were helping each other get ready in the bathroom and I was wondering who had control over the arms and legs. Do they each control the arm and leg of each side or do they both somehow have control over all body parts. Seeing them drive a car made me really nervous because what if one of them isn’t paying attention to the road and how do they both agree on the accelerator and the brake when driving? I can’t believe that they were even allowed to get a license under such a condition. Regardless of all these obstacles that they have to face on a daily basis, it was encouraging to see that they were normal girls and remained a positive attitude as they were proudly expressing themselves on public television instead of hiding in embarrassment of the way they are. It is a reminder to be grateful for what I have. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:56:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207528791 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment204628031 This is a question that I feel like not only men, but women think about as well. I never realized until Sam mentioned in the lecture how women have this way of psychologically convincing ourselves that we are not that cold in the middle of winter as we’re walking around in skirts, dresses, and heels going from party to party. How we are able to do it? I have no idea and I actually realized myself walking around last night, that I didn’t mind being cold walking around being dressed a certain way than I would have been if I was walking around in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Being in a male-centered world, it does really affect the way that women dress and present themselves. Being in a sorority and living on a floor of girls, we don’t sit around wearing make up because we are not trying to impress one another. But if it’s to simply go out for dinner, we have to put on the slightest touch of make up being concerned about who we are going to run into when we are outside of our comfort realm. However, even if we are going out to dinner with a bunch of girls, we try to look good to even impress ourselves. Girls are so much harsher when it comes to judging one another that it seems as though sometimes we are out to make a statement to impress other girls or even say that we are “better” than one another regardless of whether there are boys around or not. Girls dress a certain way to feel good about the way they look to either boost up ego or confidence, that’s a personal issue. But when boys start noticing them, it is different how girls react. There are some girls that feed off of that attention and compliments boys give them and want to be laid or touched certain ways without feeling disrespected. Other girls on the other hand just merely want to look good as eye candy and don’t want boys to touch them when I see it as an unnecessary tease. I think when girls dress a certain way, it makes a statement and if they don’t want to be taken advantage of or be thought about a certain way, then girls need to be more careful and put more thought into the way they dress and present themselves in the public because you can’t control what others think of you by first judgment or impression so that is the individual’s responsibility. I find it very foolish and annoying for girls to be annoyed or bothered by the way certain boys think about them when it’s clearly their own fault and so I have no sympathy. Sat, 8 Oct 2011 03:19:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment204628031 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-26/#IDComment201482368 There are so many stereotypes that come with one person when you identify someone as a certain race. Although many people don’t like the word stereotype and get upset when people stereotype them, they also have to realize that stereotypes didn’t come from nowhere and that they exist for a reason, even if those reasons don’t apply to our generation today. History has a huge part with this and imagine immigrating to the United States with millions of other people from so many different countries… you’re bound to group people that are alike together and those that look alike are most likely from the similar area who share similar cultures who believe the same things and have the same living ethics. Being an Asian-American my entire life had its difficulties because of the stereotypes that came with being Asian such as being good at math, being studious, having strict parents, always pursuing good grades, being socially awkward, having a strong Asian scent, not being athletic, being a bad driver, not speaking English fluently, etc and the list can continue. I believe that I am already American because I was born in America unlike some of my Asian friends who were born in Korea or China and had to immigrate here with their families. I was born in Pennsylvania, attended a white school my entire life, however, because I got along with Asian friends a lot more easily in elementary school, I used to be grouped with the Asians all the time. However, when I reached middle school, I branched out to different groups of friends and trying out for cheerleading changed my perspective by being the only Asian cheerleader on my squad and since then, I always felt like I was more closely related to white people than my people of my own race. Some stereotypes that I don’t believe about Asians are how they are good students. I, for an example, am horrible at math and would much rather choose English than Math any day. I also have so many friends who don’t even graduate high school, or if they do, they go to a community college where they hang out with plenty of white and black people that weren’t such good students during their high school years as well. I believe that today there are many more exceptions to stereotypes because there are less racial barriers within schools and communities that we are a part of which makes it a lot easier to be accepting to different cultures because we have been exposed to them at such a young age. But that depends where you grew up as well. Because I grew up in such a diverse town, I don’t hold stereotypes against people because I am a personal example that goes against it. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:44:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-26/#IDComment201482368 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197807862 Haiti is a country that has been through so many devastating events from natural disasters to richer countries that aren’t making their best effort to reach out and help those in need. When I think about Haiti I imagine thousands of homes destroyed, millions homeless, jobless, starving, and on the street without opportunities such as education and jobs that can keep their economy going. At the involvement fair earlier this semester, I went up to the table that had the information for Project Haiti which is an organization of students who get together and go to Haiti every spring break and do community service there by hanging out with the kids, providing donations of supplies such as sanitary or school needs, building schools or homes, etc. of that manner. I am so excited to be a part of this group and experience my own time in Haiti, a place I have only read and heard about in the news. To experience their poverty and be a part of a group who feel so passionate and compassionate towards these people, it is rewarding to see that there are more groups out there like it. In the video, a woman is shown who is very poor and goes around collecting very cheap materials to hand make items of her own and selling them to make money. People have to do whatever it takes to support a family and especially themselves. Watching this woman’s ability was first inspiring to see that she probably taught herself and it also make me feel bad to think that there are so many talented people out there that don’t get noticed and if they get a chance to show their talents, it could change their lives forever. I don’t understand how people can get by living day to day with such struggle. This class has opened my eyes to so many issues that I feel like I have been so blinded by because of my small college social bubble that makes me not aware of the issues that millions of people are facing around the world and am focusing on such irrelevant and miniscule problems that I should take for granted. This world is full of so many issues and Haiti is just one country out of many whose voice needs to be heard and those who are wealthy and can provide help should start helping. I just hope that by looking at this video the hundreds of students were somewhat affect and impacted by how fortunate we are and took a second to realize that there are so many bigger problems out there than what we stress over. We need to start focusing more on the bigger picture rather than being blinded. Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:32:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197807862 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-9/#IDComment194307358 I think the reason why the SAT scores increase with the increase of income is because if you think about the families that have high incomes, that is most likely because they are well educated, live in the best neighborhoods, which means that they will probably be attending the schools that provide top education. The quality of education that the children receive in schools are crucial with the way that they score on placement tests because you want to get the teachers that provide the best study skills, the most accurate lessons, and those that are raised in an environment that is very poor that come from a very unmotivated and unsafe background, it is harder for them to take their education seriously as their top priority because there are so many other things that they have to worrying about such as providing financial or emotional support for their family which may be a lot to handle for a young adult. Another thing that comes with wealth is that those who are more financially well off than other students are able to afford private tutors or attend SAT classes or academies that can provide the tutors or teachers that specialize in helping students learn the best tactics or ways to excel in those placement tests. I come from a wealthier family than a lot of my other friends so I was able to attend SAT classes and have private tutors for a couple years before I took my SATs which required thousands of extra dollars but helped me boost my SAT score by hundreds of points. Financial struggle wasn’t that much of an issue in my family so if I ever felt like I needed extra help in academics in any subject, my dad was never hesitant in providing that extra support for me. My other friends would always talk about how they had to quit their tutors or quit going to SAT classes because it was hard for their parents to afford it. Because of that, they were less motivated to study on their own because they were so used to having someone else watching over their exams and teaching them how to fix their mistakes. But because they stopped all of that, it was hard to study on their own, and after checking their answers to see what they got wrong, they now have to go through that extra effort to figure out their mistakes. My dad has also taught me that education is very important in being successful and because of that, it motivated me to do better in school and realize that if I don’t do well on my SATs, then I won’t make it to a decent college, and if I don’t get the proper education then I won’t be able to get a job and afford my own living. But if I were to come from a family where affording college was almost impossible, then it wouldn’t motivate me to do well on my SATs or even take them because they cost extra. I think SAT scores and income goes hand in hand because there is a huge difference for those that are educated and those that aren’t. Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:38:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-9/#IDComment194307358 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/08/voices-from-the-classroom-6/#IDComment191764483 I always knew that President Obama was mixed race but of course the first impression I got when I first saw him was “Wow, he’s not white.” Because he’s not 100% black and has such a multicultural family, I really respect him as our president, regardless of everything people are complaining about him. It frustrates me to see how the country is blaming the president for its debt when the citizens of the country take just as much responsibility for that as well and it frustrates me even more that they depend one figure to fix the problems of the entire country, and when that is not met upon people’s expectations, they tend to point fingers at issues that aren’t even relevant. For an example, I know that our country is at a really bad state right now but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely the president’s fault, and on top of that, it’s definitely not because he’s black that he’s doing a “poor job” like others may think. His race personally doesn’t affect my opinion of him because I think that he is a great speaker, and me being a Christian, I think that he is a wise and intelligent man doing the best he could. Although people might blame him for stupid decision making by saying “It’s because he’s black” little do they realize how much they are contradicting themselves because he is such a highly educated man. It upsets me to see that the president of the UNITED States has to worry about his race when he’s supposed to be the icon and the symbol of a country that is supposed to be set different from the other countries around the world by accepting all races and backgrounds of people to live in unison. The fact that he is mixed should actually be a benefit and if anything, I think that’s what the ideal president of the United States SHOULD be so that it is easier for him to be less bias. I don’t understand why everyone calls him black when he is equally white AND black… just because of his skin color? I guess the fact that I’m not either white nor black plays a huge part as to why it doesn’t affect my opinion of him because I think that if I was black, that I would be supporting him and defending him in every way possible, and if I was white, that I would doubt his power and his abilities as a president compared to a white president. Being neither races makes me see things from a very unbiased point of view and it’s helping me feel like “I should stay out of this and not take sides” kind of an attitude. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 03:15:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/08/voices-from-the-classroom-6/#IDComment191764483 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189198288 I was born into a Christian family and have been raised as a Presbyterian Christian my whole life. However, I came across a point in my life when I felt like I was being brainwashed by all these Christian teachings and began to doubt everything that was being taught to me every Sunday. The concept of a god like God to exist blew my mind and I could not grasp how someone could be infinite, the beginning the end, the Creator of all things, the Master of every creature, the Planner of our lives, etc. How could an almighty God, a man named Jesus, and the Holy Spirit be the same being? How could an entire body of an ocean split in half by the command of a man who was simply a follower of God? How can the earth be flooded and an ark be built to be big enough to fit pairs of every animal kind? If God hates sin then why did he create it? If God controls our lives then why does he let us disobey? These were all questions that would constantly run through my mind when I was immature in my faith. But the more I studied the bible, the more I brought these questions to my pastor, the more I was eager to learn more about Him and grow a relationship things with Him, things started to make sense. I believe that Christianity is not a religion, but rather, a relationship with God – where prayer is essential and understanding that Jesus has died for our sins and understanding grace and mercy in order to fall in love with a God who’s love cannot even be compared to ours. I am a Christian today because I was able to develop a true relationship with God over the years as I struggled in my faith and my doubts and questions has only brought me closer to Him because it showed me how following Him really is the Only Way. I believe that Jesus is my Savior because I was able to physically feel my change of heart as I repented one night in prayer. A physical feeling, a burning sensation in your chest like that, is something that can only be possible by the Holy Spirit moving within me. I have had so many personal experiences with God that it is now IMPOSSIBLE to turn away from Him. I have had one night when I spent preaching the gospel to myself over and over again during times when I felt lost and I saw spiritual shadows on the walls of the room I was in. My friends have personally saved someone being possessed by the devil through prayer. Spiritual battle is something that I have physically felt and cannot deny. I believe what I believe because it is REAL to me and I don’t know how else to explain it. Christianity is a religion that many people doubt without giving it a chance. It is a religion people MAKE UP in their heads thinking they know what it is. Not only until they are PROPERLY educated do they realize that their whole idea of Christianity and God has been wrong this whole time. This is why I cannot stand how people can live in ignorance and do not actually know what they are talking about. My religion is very valuable to me and it really affects the way I live. Sat, 3 Sep 2011 01:30:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189198288 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135957440 After reading what M. had to say, and although it’s not what he has asked for, I can’t help but to feel pity, sympathy, empathy, etc. for him. I know what it felt like being 14 years old just wanting to please everyone around me, being so easily influenced by others, and wanting to rebel against my parents to live life my way because I thought I knew more than I actually did. There were many mistakes that I made at that age that I regret and even the smallest lies I would tell my dad, I know have hurt him deeper than I will ever understand because I know he never planned to raise me to turn out that way. I cannot imagine what his mother must have felt, I cannot imagine what kind of guilt he had to go through by not only hurting his own family, and hurting another family, but literally taking another family member away forever. The image of him sobbing to himself in the hallway of the house the crime was taking place is probably a similar image many of the lifers have personally gone through themselves. It is stories like these that really make me wonder what is fair, what is justice, and what is too far? It really encourages me to know that there is still hope for people that have made mistakes in their life before and it really makes me well aware how I should never judge someone based off one action because you never know what caused them to do something and what influenced them to do it. It is so relieving to know that he was able to grow out of an immature stage and accept what he has done and the consequences for it. It amazes me how he was able to learn integrity, honesty, and kindness in a prison where people who went against such things are paying their consequences for there. The irony is just unbelievable. I really hope that all these letters from the lifers are able to reach out to young teenagers who are capable of committing similar crimes. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:02:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135957440 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132542390 I think it’s really interesting how the people of Helsenki have a disadvantage of going through a seasonal depression just because of the fact that they don’t get enough sunlight. It’s funny because my friends and I were recently talking about how much of a better mood we were getting in once the weather started to become warmer. A few weeks ago when the weather hit in the high 50s, my friends and I all texted each other how it was such a great day to be alive and wishing each other to have a great day. We were joking around wondering if we even had seasonal depression because we realized how much of a drastic change there was in our emotions as we stepped foot outside and walked around campus. However, I wonder why it is that we think of happiness as something bright and depression as something dark. Why we consider people who wear black and dark clothing to be “emo” or constantly depressed people. I think it is interesting how society shaped our opinions of colors to bring out a certain emotion. But at the same time I believe that it is psychological that those colors bring out certain emotions. It’s unfortunate how the society has to create ways to help themselves get away from the depressed state such as going out of their way to go the mall go be in bright lights, swimming in freezing lakes, or even purchasing light stands that will help them in their professional or even personal settings at work or at home. If it is hard for me to go through a season of a “long” winter at Penn State I cannot imagine being a civilian at Helsenki knowing that the sunlight is so limited. Because of their condition, I cannot imagine what it is like to choose careers. For an example, if you are a construction worker, the hours you can work outside is so limited because it is so dangerous to work in the dark. So living in a society like that, I feel as though the community might even be more united because they might be emotionally on the same level and the bonds may grow closer amongst individuals who can give each other comfort. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 04:30:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132542390 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/fear/#IDComment130765335 It’s funny because my friend and I were just recently talking about how our generation today is so focused on this whole ideology on how we should live everyday like it’s our last and taking advantage of our young years. Not saying that there’s anything wrong with that, but it comes to a point where if you were to really sit down and think about how short life is and how our decisions today have such a huge impact on the rest of our life, you slowly start to become overwhelmed by all these fears that were buried under our unconscious thoughts. The fears that this lifer listed isn’t something that is only relevant to him but rather a group of fears that many of us simply as humans can all share just being the same type of living individuals. All these “what if”s and “if only”s are all rooted and traced over from our fears. Another thing that I noticed while reading his list of fears were that as you slowly conquer one fear, it is almost a ripple affect of how many more fears you can conquer after that. I completely agree with him when he says that fear could work in either good or bad ways depending on what you make it into your life. People may look at having fears as a sign of weakness. But it requires strength for people to realize that they have a fear, and another whole level of strength to get over the fear and make progress in growing as a person. If one person were to bury themselves under their fears for their whole life, what have they accomplished? What did they get out of letting everything control them and letting everything be superior to them? I feel as though having fears and acknowledging them is another way of sensing control over one’s own life because it is up to you how fearful that fear is and how long it’s going to remain as your fear. It is eye-opening, humbling, and encouraging seeing that someone who may be in jail for the rest of their life for murdering someone, an act that may seem so fearless, is so fearful for so many things. It shows that no matter how inhumane one’s actions may be, that the core of every individual has some sort of a living soul that is sensitive to another’s. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:53:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/fear/#IDComment130765335 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment129037004 Growing up, I have always heard the term polygamy but have never come across the term polyandry. Before I watched this video I was expecting it to be a typical video about showing a woman with multiple husbands and whatnot, but I would have never imagined the three of them to be brothers. It was easy to accept the fact that this was acceptable in their culture, but I did not expect the woman near the end of the video to say that she believes that everyone else should live like they do. Although I am envious of how they can find comfort and happiness without having much to eat or drink and barely connected to the outside world other than theirs, I do not see how they would rather choose to live that way instead of saying that they hope to live like others. It is so interesting how they take pride in the way they live and very respectable as well. I am very curious to see how the future generations that are more educated would think about their traditions and how they will change their culture if the prediction of cultural change is true. Even more so, I’m more curious as to what they could possibly be taught in school that would make them change their ways of thinking. It was encouraging to hear how happy they were with their current tradition because it proves my opinion on happiness. I believe that the society that we live in think that being in their shoes would be miserable and we feel so sorry for them. To a certain extent, I do also. But at the same time, I’m more sorry for ourselves. I feel that because our culture is so consumed with wanting more and never being satisfied and being so blinded by money and riches, we have so many more invisible strings that control what makes us happy and makes us satisfied and what defines success. I agree with Professor Richards when he said that perhaps America has less freedom than the other countries in the world. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:27:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment129037004 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/09/4092/#IDComment127472071 After reading “Remember”, I immediately had tears dripping down my face. I am a huge fan of shows such as “The First 48” or “I (Almost) Got Away With It” which are shows about different homicide cases personally narrated by the murderer himself or just a documentary about trying to solve the case. When I watch shows like that I always get so frustrated why guns are even legal to own in our country and just thinking how much more safe it would be without them and how innocent lives won’t be easily taken away in a matter of seconds. I will watch the screen disgusted when it would show the person who created the murder and just try to fathom what in the world would cause them to take another person’s life. But after Professor Richards talked about his friend who killed a guy who sexually assaulted his ex-girlfriend and is now serving the rest of his life in prison, I cannot help but feel a sense of sympathy for them. Not because I think what they did should be given a second chance, but because I know that if the person just had the chance to think about what he or she were about to do, they wouldn’t have committed the crime at all. After reading this poem, I felt so sorry for him because his drunken self took control of his sanity and caused him to do something that was going to regret for the rest of his life. It is just so depressing to see how a man who probably had so many dreams as a child growing up, who wanted to do so much more with his life, who probably had a bucket list of things to do before he grew old, had everything taken away over night. I, being a Presbyterian, am so blessed and encouraged to see that a man who will probably be never forgiven by society or may not ever forgive himself, found comfort in God that gives him hope, love, and warmth that he may never feel from anyone else. I know that this might sound crazy, but in a sense I wish everyone else were given the chance to find love with God like that, even if it means to throw them in jail for the rest of their lives because at least they now found meaning of their life. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:22:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/09/4092/#IDComment127472071 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment126064773 At first I was very confused as to what the point of this video was because it was hard to understand what the narrator was saying but as the video went on, it was easier to catch on to what it was trying to portray. This video made me feel so bad for the people that were being used for the experiment because it made me think about those who deal with situations like that everyday – trying to keep updated with the rest of the society. If it was any of us in that video, we would probably do the same exact thing doing what everyone else is doing to prevent from feeling like the odd ball out. This experiment is just an example of everyday things that we deal with such as fashion trends, the way we talk, the type of music we listen to, how we associate with others, etc. It’s funny because my friend from down south visited this past weekend and was absolutely shocked about how majority of the girls around our campus were dressed the same way. During the day, all she saw were girls walking around in brown UGGs or Hunter rain boots and black long North Face jackets, then during the night girls all going out in tall black heel boots. She asked why everyone dressed like that and I honestly had nothing to say but, “I don’t know, it’s just what we all like to wear.” But the more I think about it, it’s so much easier for us to buy something many people have than it is to buy something nobody else has. So many of us like to blend in and seem “normal” because you can use the excuse that everyone else is just like you, but it takes courage to step out of a comfort zone and do something only you would do because you are more likely to be judged by it. This is definitely a clear example of one of the many invisible strings that we have in our lives that we don’t even know about. Just like how we were talking about suicide earlier last week, if someone were to fail out of college and wanting to commit suicide, it only makes sense that she wants to commit suicide because the society makes her feel that way. The society is the one that gives the image of college-fail outs to look like failures of life. But if you were to disregard society and its reputation of people like that, you can look at dropping out of college as a great opportunity to do other things with life. This video makes people realize how much of an impact others have in your life even though you may think you are the only one in control of your own life. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 03:43:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment126064773 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/americans-gone-wild/#IDComment124534435 Whenever I come across articles like this, it makes me so frustrated thinking about our country and the way we deal with weapons and their misuse. I understand that many people keep such weapons in their home as a defense mechanism, but there are plenty of other things we can use when facing with robbery, etc. with other equipment such as bats, poles, etc. It is just so unfortunate hearing about instances when a person was either "accidentally" shot or the person holding the weapon "never meant to" kill a person. I am not trying to sympathize to the murderers nor saying that they deserve a second chance after committing what they did, but I think that if guns were illegal to own in this country that there will definitely be lower chances of the murders caused by them. I recently started watching a show called "The First 48" which is about homicides and the police trying to solve the case as quickly as possible. In one of the cases, a man admitted that he did shoot the person but he said it was in response as a self-defense because it was dark outside when someone else approached him and only saw the shadow of the attacker's arm in the air. The man could not tell if the attacker had a gun in his hand in the dark or not so he grabbed a gun out of his pocket and shot him in self-defense before he thought he was going to get shot. If owning armed weapons like that were banned from this country, a murder like that would not have happened and could have easily ended up with a fist fight or something less severe than an instant kill. I completely agree with Professor Richards in a sense that as a five year old boy, it only makes sense that he would have been curious about a weapon like that and bring it to school without being aware the actual dangers that it can do. My younger brother would always want toy guns at that age but how are they supposed to know what is real or what is a toy? The ones who should be taking the blame are the parents or those that are responsible for letting something like that happen. I know plenty of families that go hunting together and I know that they always lock up their weapons that are dangerous like that just incase they have other guests that may be over their house and to prevent easy access to it. Although I can see how suspending the child can be disciplinary to the kid, I think that adults should present themselves as being responsible with it. An issue like this can be argued from two different sides endlessly which is why it frustrates me to see how our government deals with crucial issues such as this that doesn't seem too benefiting to our society. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:39:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/americans-gone-wild/#IDComment124534435 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/15/what-does-it-mean-to-be-free/#IDComment122919773 Defining what freedom is a topic that can be viewed in so many different ways. But if I were to choose one of the two choices up top, I believe that freedom is the opportunity to wake up in the morning and decide what to wear, what to eat, who to see, and where to go. I mean, we are called the "land of the free" for a reason, right? When I try to think about political freedom, I always compare America to countries such as China or more specifically, North Korea. North Koreans do not have the right to choose how much they want to eat, who they want to see, and where they want to go. It was statistically proven that North Korean prisoners were being fed more than average citizens (as if it's enough), they risk their life by trying to cross borders and find a better life outside the world they're captured in, and are banned from television or other sorts of media that show that there are other kinds of people out there. Then I think about the more personal freedom, such as what the former prisoner has described in the blog. The emotional and sensational freedom about being able to experience and feel the little pleasures in life by capturing and being able to adore the beauties of it. And from today's class on suicide, I strongly believe that those that want to commit suicide are the ones that are trying to DESPERATELY FIND that sort of freedom so they want to end their life because they have already tried and failed at finding the freedom they wanted in this world. So many people believe that leaving this world will take them somewhere that will give them the freedom that they're searching for or maybe just simply an escape from the freedom that they're not getting. Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:52:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/15/what-does-it-mean-to-be-free/#IDComment122919773 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cm%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122464048 soc001 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:35:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cm%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122464048