I think the “American Dream” still exists, but it now exists in many shapes and forms. Just as most things from different eras, certain terms have to be updated to fit around the changing face of the American people during modern times. I think today the “American dream” can even be decided on a personal level. Back in “the day”, the “American dream” was to have a wife and two kids and a dog and life in a suburban house. Now, today, some people just don’t want that. So many people come to this country to accomplish what they think is our collective dream, something that may have changed in definition. Some people might think of themselves as living their dream if they live in an apartment and have a high ranking job. Some women may think of their dream as being a stay-at-home mom, others cringe at the thought of having “mother” as their only job. It depends on the person. I do believe, however, that people of color are more concerned with obtaining that “American dream” stereotype than white people are today. Today, living in that suburban household is normal for white people. In today’s society, conforming to the norm isn’t always what’s best for us. I think that’s what makes it harder for some of them to understand why illegal immigrants do what they do. All they have heard that in America, the dream is to start out at a small job and eventually make enough money to live with your family in a suburban household. Now, that isn’t the goal for many wealthy Americans. I think that can be confusing on both ends. I don’t think Affirmative Action takes any of this away, either. If it allows more people of color to live the “American Dream” lifestyle, then so be it. They are more gracious to have it anyway, as it’s what they’ve dreamed of their whole life. Rich white people have grown up in American Dream households and want something different, which is understandable yet also understandably frustrating for people of color. I think soon, the “American Dream” will have been totally redefined to be something else, what I can’t say. But I don’t think that people of color will be completely left out of it. As we learned in class, there will always be less people of color in the upper wealth percentage because of the extra leg up white people have gained, but there will be more people than ever before as the country begins to become more and more diverse. Whether or not that’s a bad thing is yet to be known. Also what will be interesting to see is the change in illegal immigration, because as far as I know the reason they come here now is for the coveted “American Dream.”

I’m not sure what “speaking out” is classified as in this situation. If you mean just coming forward as a victim, anonymous to the public, I don’t think it would be so difficult to do so after this scandal broke. Anonymous hotlines were set up, and police were informed about the situation. I think any victim who was unsure about being hurt themselves or someone they loved being hurt because of them speaking out, it wouldn’t be so difficult now because of the resources. However, I am not a victim of child abuse so it’s hard for me to make an assumption about the level of comfort someone would have speaking out about Sandusky. I am sure that there are many people who will never admit to being abused, and it is understandable because of the trauma that they obviously went through. At this point in the trial, also, so many people have come forward that it would be hard for me to see any other situation other than Sandusky being thrown in jail. But I’m not a law student, so I don’t know too much about that either. The thing that can be so frustrating about this situation is that a lot of it deals with things that the majority population doesn’t know about or is uncomfortable speaking about—the law and child abuse. I think as this situation moves along we will be better educated on the matter, and maybe more victims would step forward, too.

The other part of speaking out would be the first victim to reveal themselves, or speak anonymously to the media. I think this will happen after the trial is completed, doing it before that could complicate things. I think this would be a very difficult thing to go through for a victim, especially if they are choosing to reveal their face and name. I think all of the interviews that will happen after the trial will be fascinating. Because of the circumstances, we aren’t really allowed yet to hear from their own mouths what really happened, from the children to the football employees involved. But I think in order for that to happen a person would have to be in a right state of mind to speak out about it. I think out of anyone, we’ll see those who were angered by the situation. Those who are embarrassed and traumatized would obviously still be under bad conditions to release themselves to the public. Those who are angry, have a lot to say I’m sure. Either way, I’m sure someone will have the courage to speak out, because so many of the other victims have also gained the courage to do that. They will help themselves and others by getting the closure of having their attacker put in jail.

I think it’s easy to argue either way. On one hand, many people might not have known about the riots if it wasn’t for social media. They also might not have thought it would be a good idea to riot if not for the opinions of their friends through social media. It’s amazing to think about the impact social media has had on the entire situation. I have been reading my twitter feed constantly all week, getting instant updates on various press conferences and events happening all around the area. I think everything would be a lot different if we didn’t have that tool. There wouldn’t have been as much of an instant reaction to Paterno’s firing, I don’t think. Facebook allowed everyone to post pictures and show friends exactly what was going on. If I wasn’t there, I could have easily followed everything through Facebook. Youtube lets us see what went on during the riot after it happened, something that normally would be reserved for the news channels. This is why the media is so competitive to report things first, because in the world of social media being first is really, really important. Whoever gets their report on twitter, or even just on TV, is the reliable source. I think this is why some reports have been partially misleading, but I can’t say I want to blame them for that. It’s a real risk for reporters…take a longer time to confirm a lead and have your story break last, or be the first to report and be wrong. I think that’s part of the risk of the job though…exciting for me, as a journalism major.

I also think that the riot would have been bigger without social media. Word of mouth is still a very popular tool, and without the distractions of cell phone cameras, etc. I think there would have been more violence among students. I think the surge in cell phone photo taking is good for some photojournalists, because they used to have their cameras seized after events like this, because they could have potentially captured something committing a crime. Now all the police have to do is go on the internet. I think people are too busy on updating their status or getting the video of the guy climbing the street lamp to even consider tearing down the street lamp themselves. I think this is a positive effect, because of the decrease in violence, even though of course violence did occur. Either way, social media has revolutionized the way we life, and the way that we viewed this event. Even though what happened wouldn’t have changed regardless of the social media, but the way we consume information definitely has. Time will tell whether or not this is a good thing.

As much as they don’t want to admit it, the Occupy Wall street movements and the Tea Party have striking similarities. Of course, they are different in some ways, if they were completely the same they wouldn’t be two different groups. They both want the same thing—reform in government policies to make it easier for the “working man” to actually work. They protest in the same way, from grassroots movements, against the same greedy government. Besides the obviously physical differences, I don’t see what is so different about their politics concerning the current economic state of America. Of course, the kinds of people that participate in each movement are very different, which is what keeps them separate. They have a real distain for each other, and it’s confusing to me why this happens. I think most of it however has to do with opinions on social movements. I don’t think any of that should even be discussed though, aren’t these strictly economic movements? What does the morality of abortion and gay marriage have to do with the unfair system our government has created economically? I think discussing these things is a real roadblock for the Occupy/Tea Party movements. I was just today reading about how the Young Americans for Freedom—a cleverly disguised name for the student tea party movement, was PROTESTING Occupy Penn State. I personally do not support either movement, and I don’t understand that at all. It seems as though these two groups see each other and think that they’re causing more harm than good, which simply shouldn’t be true in their minds. It’s a shame, because it seems as though this movement would have a greater impact if they were able to bond together and form a large group of all shapes and sizes. This would also be nice to see in our own congress, but that’s another argument. Just even specifically at Penn State, I think if the occupy movement was a larger group, it would create a greater impact, instead of the current situation, which is just being stared at while sitting around playing bongos in the hub. Maybe they could take a hint from the “Young Americans for Freedom” and change their name to something more vague, I think both the Tea Party and Occupy whatever have been so stereotyped to a certain group of people, which is partially the media’s fault and partially their own fault. I don’t even see myself fitting in with either group. I think if they would both take two steps back and look at each other for what they can agree with, they could create a movement that creates a real statement and maybe would make our government think about what they are doing with the economy.

I just don’t see how it would make sense to “give back” the land to the Native Americans. First of all, where are all of us supposed to live? Are we supposed to go back where we “came from”? Because the way it works is that Europe and wherever else the US Population came from repopulated themselves after they left. The Native American population is so small that it wouldn’t make sense to give them back such large areas of land. As harsh as this sounds, I don’t believe the land belongs to them anymore. We were able to overpower them and conquer their land, and in those days that was how you claimed land. Now in order to claim land, you have to purchase it. Obviously the Native Americans are not in the position where they would be able to purchase all of the land that they previously owned, So I don’t think it would be fair to kick people off their land that has been in their family for generations. I don’t think it’s right to blame people today for what their ancestors did so long ago. Of course what happened was cruel and wrong, and the settlers took advantage of the Native Americans being so behind technologically, and they should have treated them better.
I have no opposition to helping them as a people through the government, because I just believe that everyone in this country that is poor should receive a little help so they will be able to bring themselves up from poverty. However, and again I know this sounds harsh, it seems as though many Native Americans are unwilling to bring themselves out of poverty because they are too stuck to their beliefs and views of their tribe. I obviously wouldn’t ever say that they should abandon their traditions, but it seems that they are very resistant to modern American culture. I’m not saying this is true for everyone, but I’m sure it is for some. And they have adopted some American culture, because it’s almost impossible not to. I used to live in North Carolina, and would often go to Cherokee, most commonly known now for its casino but also home to a large tribe of Native Americans. When you travel to the reservation, it’s almost like going back in time. These people are expecting to make a great profit off others observing their traditions, and I just don’t think it’s going to work. Even though I lived so close to the reservation, I barely knew anyone that was of Native American decent because they only lived IN the reservation. In this melting pot of America, how are we supposed to learn about Native Americans like we have with so many cultures if they are still so resistant to putting themselves in our modern society? So know, I don’t think we should give the land back, I think they should earn it back.

My short answer to this question is….no. But here’s the long answer: why would someone hanging out with a lot of people of a different race make them a poser? As someone who has a lot of friends that are a different race than me, I can say that I wouldn’t ever want to identify as black or any other race…because I am white. I honestly would be pretty offended if someone accused me of wanting to “be black”. Not because I think being black is bad, but because it insinuates that I’m only friends with my friends in order to appear as being something I’m not. That’s not fair to them, and it’s not fair to myself. For some people, maybe it’s just simply about enjoying the cultural variety of having friends from different backgrounds. Or maybe it just doesn’t matter. I don’t think it’s fair to criticize someone for being friends with a diverse group of people, because it’s not a bad thing! I think it’s better to associate yourself with a lot of different types of people, because you can teach each other a lot of things that you might not have known without having a close relationship with someone of a different culture.

I think a lot of it depends on your location, too. Some people just so happen to live in an area where race is uneven and they might be part of a very small minority. Would you ever call a black person that lived in a predominantly white community a “poser” for hanging out with white people? Who else are they supposed to be friends with? I don’t think it would be right for someone to alienate themselves from different races just to avoid looking like someone they’re not. Of course, it’s not healthy to only have friends of different races either. It’s important to at least have a few friends that are in the same culture as you that you can associate with every once in a while. I guess maybe I just personally don’t understand why anyone would ever purposely want to try to be a different race than their own. Maybe that’s because I’m white and I still don’t really understand what it’s like to be in a minority. But I don’t think that would apply for choosing friends. Maybe if someone wanted a certain job they would dress more “white”, because more white people get hired. But in those situations, they don’t ask you about who you are friends with. I just don’t think anyone who would purposely be friends with black people to “look black”, and if they did they wouldn’t be that great of a friend, would they?

Being conjoined, it seems as though these twins have a lot predetermined for them in their lives. But according to the video, it seems as though they are developing at an above average rate, evidenced in their ability to drive and clap their hands. It’s interesting to me that when asked about their future careers, they talk about their aspirations as “we” want to do this or that. They are very much aware that if they were to be able to go to some higher education system they would have to study the same thing because it would be impossible for them to not have all of the same classes. Fortunately for them, because they are twins, as I’ve studied in many classes a lot of their interests are statistically probable to be the same. It’s interesting about what each twin talks about being their own and what is theirs together. They didn’t discuss their biological differences in the clip, but they discuss having children and firmly state that BOTH of them will have children. It wasn’t made clear whether or not they had separate reproductive systems or not, and I’m not a doctor, but I am guessing it would be VERY difficult for them to have their own biological children. I do wonder if they would consider dating two different people or one person, if a person would even have to be able to choose between them. They do have two different brains though, so it would be possible for someone to prefer one twin over another. The famous Bunker twins, the basis for the term “Siamese Twins”, were each married to individual women and fathered multiple children each, but because they are male it may be a different situation, and of course the organs and body systems that conjoined twins share are always different. It seems though that these girls and their family are very realistic about what they will be able to do in the future, even with what others would consider being a disability. In terms of being hired, I do wonder where these girls are today and what they have been able to do in terms of employment. One of their teachers brought up the interesting point—would they be hired as two different people? Obviously a company couldn’t hire one without the other being there. Also, would they be paid in two salaries? I could see a company being hesitant in paying them a double salary seeing as, technically, they only have one body to care for. This is something that they would have struggles with their whole life, something that was predetermined for them as conjoined twins. So even though it seems as though there isn’t too much freedom in their lives, and there really isn’t, these girls have managed to cope with it and work together to live the best life they can.

This can be a touchy subject, because a lot of people think that when you say that women who dress the way they do to parties here “ask for it”, they think you mean that they are asking to be sexually assaulted. But in reality, no one asks for that. But they do ask for what they do receive—attention. Attention can be both positive and negative, though. And it is the unwanted attention that a lot of people get in trouble with. And some girls at parties don’t know how to get rid of it or aren’t able to because they are so drunk. Unfortunately the way that the Penn State culture has turned, the less clothes you wear out the more attention you receive from the opposite sex. It’s frustrating for me personally, because I feel like I put so much time and effort into what I wear but guys can walk into any party with jeans and a t-shirt and get the equal amount of attention that they give to other girls. But that’s just the way it is. The reality is that a girl dressed in jeans and a t-shirt is going to get less attention than a girl in a short shirt and high heels at a party. It does not even always matter about the physical attractiveness of the girl either, which is strange. There is an established dress code for girls going to parties and anyone who doesn’t follow it isn’t going to get much male attention. But again, no one is “asking for it”, If “it” means being sexually assaulted. But they are asking for “it” meaning potentially unwanted attention.

If any girl is uncomfortable with getting attention at a party when they’re dressed in that certain way, then maybe they should reconsider their wardrobe. I think it is important for women to be aware of their surroundings though. As we learned in the lecture the other day, men can take the smallest hint and run with it. This can be potentially dangerous when a girl’s outfit is conveying that they could possibly be willing to partake in some kind of sexual activity. And of course, when alcohol is added to the mix things get even more dangerous. I do not think this means that people need to wear turtlenecks and skirts to their ankles at parties, but if people expect to be treated respectfully as a woman while wearing a skirt where your butt is almost peeking out and they’ve drank so much they can barely stand up, it is just not going to happen. I don’t think anybody in the world would treat someone like that with too much respect.

I don’t believe it is race that absolutely determines drug use- I think it’s socioeconomic status. I think race is almost a coincidence; it just so happens that a lot of people who abuse drugs in poor areas of the country are black. I think where you live has everything to do with illicit drug use. The way that our society has progressed over the years has led to drugs being more popular and available in these poorer areas. Of course, the rich have their own drugs, but for some reason they aren’t seen as “illicit” as other types of drugs used by the poor. I wonder why this is, when someone who is poor and of a minority race is seen doing drugs they are seen as a “crackhead” and a “deadbeat”, but someone who is rich and white is seen as “classy” and “having a good time”. Again, this is not assumed 100% of the time but overall that’s how people see it. I think there is also a difference between WHY these different groups of people use them, because even I personally wonder why someone who is struggling to get by would even use drugs to begin with. That’s not really a question I could answer because I have no experience with it, but I can guarantee it is different from the rich white person’s reason for snorting a line off a $100 bill.

Where I grew up, I didn’t have any opportunities to buy or sell drugs because that wasn’t the type of place where it was easily available. Could I have found some if I actively sought it, probably. But the reality of it is that people didn’t openly use drugs in my suburban neighborhood where most of us were white. If I lived in a different neighborhood where there was more poverty, the chance that I would encounter drugs on the street in which I lived would be much higher. I have read countless number of stories, mostly from celebrities, where they claim to have sold drugs when they were younger living in the inner cities, because it was a quick way to get money and it was in demand. I could never imagine with my upbringing resorting to selling drugs at a young age just to get by. But that’s just because of my sheltered upbringing. But again, I don’t think any of this has to do with race. White people can be poor too, and black people can be raised in a wealthy neighborhood. Sure it doesn’t happen as often as the opposite situation, but it still exists. And not everyone who is poor does drugs, either. But it’s just the way the statistics go, and hopefully something can be done about that as our society progresses on.

I am interested in starting this project mainly because I don’t know what it is about. I think many people, myself included, are aware of the poverty in other countries but do not fully understand the extent of it. We all know about the earthquake and the devastation it caused, but how much do we know about their life before that and the lasting effects that are still seen today? I think this project will really open our eyes and answer that question. It seems as though there is so much more to learn and understand about these people, and I am excited to have the opportunity to do so. I think it will be interesting to look at their situation from a Sociological perspective and the fact that there are specific examples of people make it even more informative and educational. What a great resource to have firsthand experience from our instructor for this project! Hopefully it will go both ways and I will be able to help them while becoming more educated.

It was certainly eye opening to see the videos of the Haitian entrepreneurs. What interested me the most when I watched some of the videos was the simplicity of the products being made by the Haitians—none of them were necessities, they were all more crafty products. Every product featured was something the person was very passionate about and put a lot of hard work into. It kind of reminds me of small businesses here in America, where people make and sell products that incorporate something that they know and love, such as the picture frames or the clothing shown in the videos. I think it makes it easier to understand as a sheltered American, to compare and contrast the things that make us different and similar. The people featured in the video had dreams and ambitions just like any American businessperson does when they first start out. However, Haitians do not have access to some of the privileges we get, such as loans or even the resources to manufacture quality products. This is why I understand their need for donations from foreign countries, because these basic necessities are simply not available where they are living. Hopefully we will be able to assist them with this for the project. As I stated before, this is going to be a very informative process. I learned things just from watching the few videos I watched, so I am excited to get more in depth. I am not a business major, but it will be interesting to see the business process in progress in another setting different from America. Overall, I am excited about raising awareness for this cause and I hope I can educate others while I am also educating myself about Haiti.