I have to say that i learned that nothing is always as it seems; looking in from the outside people thought that Penn state was great because our public figure, Joe Paterno, seemed flawless. But like everyone he made a mistake and is dearly paying for it, but not as much as those kids are. Also with Sandusky, people thought he was a good Samaritan because he helped children, but he abused that faith and trust and hurt and scarred those children for life. Even with myself, i am a freshman at Penn State and when i came here i did not at all expect this to happen, i know a lot of bad things happened at college, but this by far took the cake, and it wasn't even done by crazy college students. I never expected this to happen, especially considering how small a town state college is, but this goes to show that small towns can be just as dangerous as cities like New York City. This taught me that you cannot know what will happen and that you cannot possibly prepare for every scenario that can happen, but you still must be vigilant, not only as parents but as people of a community, so that things like this won't happen. I have also learned that i was a bit selfish, when i first heard about it i was shocked, but i didn't think it would really affect me, or the entire school, like it did. But then later , after reading an excerpt from the grand jury present, i was appalled, not only at Sandusky for what he did, but for the graduate student who saw this atrocity being done to a little boy and did nothing to stop it. I know that you can never know how you will react in a stressful situation, but i know for a fact that i would have done something to help that boy. For me, i have been around children my entire life and right now i have 2 younger brothers and a lot of younger cousins; if i ever saw them being molested i would go at the guy doing it with a knife. This also shows that everyone is brought up in the same way, but there are somethings that are just a part of the universal moral and ethical code that as human beings we should just know. Overall, =what happened to those children was horrific and hopefully society learns from it, but i did not really learn anything that i did not already know, me being black i have been discriminated against and i know many people who have been molested as children. I am not saying to forget about the children, but the sad thing is that things like this and even worse than this happen every day. So society should remember what happened to these children and try to change things so that no child has to go through what those children went through.

I think that there are many reasons why Americans refuse to do the hard labor that Mexican immigrants do instead. For one thing, Americans are very prideful, since they think of the jobs that Mexican immigrants do as menial and degrading, they do not want to do it themselves. Which is extremely ironic considering how many people who do not like illegal aliens say that Mexicans steal jobs from American citizens as a main argument. Furthermore, a lot of Americans are privileged and feel entitled to certain rights, such as nice working conditions and good pay. But the jobs that illegal immigrants do usually have to deal with hard labor, poor working conditions (like having to work in the sun for hours and bend your back uncomfortably), and have little pay. So even if Americans did want to have these difficult, low wage jobs, they would despise it because the conditions are difficult. The illegal immigrants who do have these kind of jobs do not mind the working in that environment because it is worth it to them to be able to send that money home to their families that desperately need it. I'm not saying that families in the United States are not in need, but our country also has safety net programs to help unemployed people and their families, one such program is welfare. So why Americans do have a need to work for their families also, the condition of the family is nothing compared to the condition of these illegal immigrants family. Another reason Americans do not want these difficult jobs is because of fast food places, grocery stores, and places like that. The reason these places make Americans not want to do the jobs that illegal immigrants do is because they have jobs that are less work, with a nice building to work in, there are shifts so no one has to work for long periods of time, and these jobs pay minimum wage (which is still more than the illegal immigrants make). So why go to a job with less money that makes you do hard manual labor out in the heat, when there is a McDonald's right down the street. The reasons why immigrants do not get these better jobs is because some are illegal, and others who came here legally may not speak English well enough to take orders. Americans also do not like the hard jobs illegal immigrants do is because they are not humble, in the American society today, everything is about getting money and stepping on the little men. This is why many Americans do not understand what it is to do a hard job for others and not for selfish reasons.

On immigrants living in the United States, I feel that they are necessary and we should not punish them for wanting to come and make better lives for themselves. What i often hear people say is that they do not like illegal immigrants coming to the United States because they take jobs that Americans need and basically free ride off the American system. But what people fail to realize, is that the immigrants are not taking more jobs, they are just getting jobs that people do not want, like the saying goes, "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Society was content to let those unwanted jobs go to waste, but the second someone wants to utilize that job, people get angry. I personally feel that it is wrong to get mad at these immigrants because although they are making money from the jobs, the amount is barely enough for them to live off of, and if Americans got those jobs they wouldn't stay because the work conditions are bad and the pay is crappy. Another thing that we as Americans should think about is that we were all immigrants, if not in our generation then our ancestors were, and because of this we cannot keep people out of land that was initially their own. Also, America was built on immigration, we are and always will be a nation of misfits, a melting pot of different cultures, ethnicities, races , and religion. Can you imagine what the United States would be like if the Europeans did not bring slaves, and the Asians did not come here to work, and the eastern Europeans did not come here to get away from war. The United states would not be the country that we all know today. I think thats where a lot of civilizations go wrong, they try to keep everything the same and make enemies out of the rest of the world, and eventually they themselves crumble to those they were trying to keep out and oppress. If America is not careful, our status as number one will be taken from us, just like with the Greeks, the Romans, the Aztecs, and even the British. I am not saying that we should let any and everyone in the United States because they could be terrorists, but we do need to get off our high horse and allow immigrants from third world countries to come so that they can benefit our society and theirs. America always try to go overseas and "save" other countries, but why not start in our own backyards, Mexico shares a border with us, and yet we treat them like filth, how neighborly is that. Why not help Mexico utilize its resources so that it can become a 'developed" nation and we can have a strong alliance. All in all, immigration is a good thing, and its the way of the future and if we don't get on the train, we are going to be left behind.

I think that it hanging with people that are of a different race than yours is not being a poser. When I was in middle school I hung out with the Filipinos in my school; they were my friends and we were always together, but I also hung out with other people that were in my classes. I don't consider myself a poser, especially since I didn't even try to be friends with them, one day I met one of them and we became close, and then she introduced me to her Filipino friends and next thing I know I am immersed in their group. I think back then other students thought I was odd for always hanging out with Filipinos, but I'm not a person who cares what people think of me. I may have been called or thought of as a "poser," but I never thought of myself as one because even though I hung out with them a lot, I never once wanted to be Filipino. I never thought of hanging around them as hanging around with the Filipinos, but as hanging out with my friends. I do not regret making friends with another race because before then I had went an all black elementary school and hung out with all the blacks that lived near me and later rode the bus with me to my middle school. I think that it is impossible to label someone as a poser because there is no way you can go into their mind and see their intentions, or non-intentions, about hanging with a group of people of a different race. But even if the person was a poser, why does it matter, sometimes there never seems to be a way to "win," and not be labeled as something: if a black person hangs out with all white people, they call them white-washed, but if they hang out with all black people, they are thought to be closed minded and not liking other races. Poser is such a negative word that has negative connotations, and the way people use it can be seen as sort of racist. When using the word poser, there is an assumption that you are trying to be something your not, by using this it shows that the person who said the other was a poser believes that a persons race defines who they are completely. Would I be a poser if i the people i hung out with all had blonde hair and i didn't. That would be a no because even though race is based on physical traits like hair texture, eyes, and nose length, the color of the skin is what is considered the most important and what people primarily look at. So poser is only used if your talking about race, which shows race is still a big issue today.

In general, I believe that a person's race has a huge affect on a person's personality and on how they view the world. I'm not saying that everyone of a certain race is the same, but that because they see the world through the lens of their race that they do not always think of what it must be like to be different. This does not even have to pertain fully to race but can be about a healthy person not thinking what it would be like to have a debilitating disease. For me, I know that my race makes me, or gives me an excuse to, look at the world in a certain way. I'm black and, not saying I'm racist but, sometimes I find myself getting angry at a person and making generalizations, that I know are wrong, about their race, particularly white people. It's not that I am racist but I feel sometimes that people of different races do not understand what it means to be black; it is not these peoples fault because you cannot imagine being someone different than who you are, and a lot of these people have grown up in these bubbles where they do not have to think about race issues in the United States and in the world. I myself cannot imagine living in a world where race was unimportant because race issues are a part of my every day life and it shapes me as a person. Due to me being black, I do get a little bitter about how blacks are treated, but I have to step back sometimes and try to imagine the world through that person's eyes. People are very into instinct, and some of the things they do are purely instinctual, so i should not beat them up about it by making them feel bad, because a lot of them already make themselves feel guilty. Also, with me being the race that I am, I hold myself and the people of my race to higher standards because i know that if i act a certain way i will be proving the stereotypes about black people to be true. But i realize that i cannot make all blacks act the same because we are not; there are some black people who are ghetto or thugs, but they are not that way because they are black, but because that is who they are and what they choose to be.I think the reason why i hold my race to higher standards is because I do not want to be judged and made into a stereotype, but people will always judge you no matter what, so why care about what they think. Me thinking these generalizations about my own race shows that all races and people are inclined to make generalizations, this does not mean that everyone is racist, but that they are human.

I completely agree that women sacrifice a lot of comfort, whereas men don't when going out or even during the day. There are man factors that contribute to this disparity between men and women. This isn't to say that all men and women fit these norms, but the majority do, and every woman has dressed uncomfortably to impress a cute guy at least once in their life. Although I believe that its not completely the woman's fault in how she dresses, but I do believe that women still have a choice, and that they choose to do that. I myself don't wear short skirts, but I wear heels and I love wearing them because I think they are really cute and I like how they look. But taking this into account, I wonder if I like heels because I like them, or if i'm programmed to like heels that can be really uncomfortable. Women should be more thoughtful on how they dress, I don't mind heels if they are really cute and not extremely painful, but everything else isn't really necessary. Short skirts do not make you look more cute, it just makes you look like a slut, and may attract attention that you do not want. Women in general should not try to look good for a guy, but for themselves; where most girls go wrong is that they tie their looks and how slutty they look with their self-esteem. You should not need anyone's attention to make you feel happy and you should look good for yourself. Also, guys make fun of girls that dress that way and say dress however makes you comfortable, but the girls who dress provocatively (or painfully, however you look at it) are the one's that they go out with, the one's that basically look slutty. So guys also need to look over what they do. But another reason for the disparity is also from the fact that there is nothing that correlates with dressing as uncomfortably for women in the men's world. Even when guys choose to dress nicely, they do not have to wear heels or dresses in the cold or spend hours on make-up and hair. But I guess it kind of evens out when guys usually pay for the dates and girls pay in their time and cost of the outfit. So, I believe that women do have a choice in what they wear, but we as women also live in a male dominated world and are pressured to dress the way we do in order to be "in". Also, women should be smart and choose not to go with the norm because in the end things are only the way they are because we allow it to be this way.

The best way for the United States to aid foreign countries is to allow them to help themselves. Some countries go through horrible disasters where they need assistance for countries similar to the United States, but aid should be done in such a way that it creates the foundation for the country to be able to sustain itself in the future. Sadly, the United States rarely takes this approach, instead going for the sending money and supplies that sometimes does not even get to the people in need, and cripples the foreign country's economy and its ability to take care of its citizens without foreign help. A perfect example is the project that we are working on in class about helping Haitian entrepreneurs so that they can in turn help Haiti the country. The United States tried to help Haiti by sending supplies and money after the earthquake, but it has had little to no affect. This is because the United States is essentially crippling the country of Haiti, but this was not a recent phenomenon, it took place over years of the United States "aiding" the country. When the United States started selling american rice in Haiti for cheaper than the local farmers did, this started a sort of chain reaction that led to Haiti being in the position that it is in today. The United States should learn from its past mistakes on helping foreign countries and create new, better thought out plans on quintessentially helping these countries learn how to help themselves. Also, the United States needs to stop trying to be Superman and save the world, most of the countries the United States tries to help do not even want the help or like americans. Not only that, but a large part of the United States assistance is through use of weaponry that scare the local peoples and by trying to change these people's entire way of life and making them into democracies like the United States and through trying. That is a sure fire way to make all foreigners hate America and breed terrorism. Not saying that we should not help people at all, but we need to not try to help people in a negative way or a way that cripples the society. The United States can stop this continuous cycle by creating aid programs that try to stimulate the foreign country's economy and teach the people useful skills so that they can in turn use the knowledge they learned to create jobs for others in their country. Foreign aid is never meant to be permanent or to give countries a way to piggyback off the United States, it is to temporarily aid countries in need and help them be able to take care of themselves.

Watching these videos and reading about these entrepreneurs amazed me, this is a part of Haiti that isn't shown on television. These people are actually trying to make a better life for themselves, not asking for handouts that in essence cripple their society. Looking at these people made me wonder if I could show the same perseverance and determination that they have to have to own a business in a place like Haiti, it takes very strong people to do such a thing. I believe that this is something that we Americans have gotten away from, we are more concerned with money and status that we do not realize how truly blessed we are. Sam had the right idea about forcing us to watch those videos and read about these entrepreneurs because now i want to help these entrepreneurs, notice i mean to actually help them instead of hindering them. One thing that really astounded me in the videos of the entrepreneurs was the lady who made evening wear and shoes. Clothing doesn't seem that hard to do because i have watched shows like Project Runway that make it look so easy. But one thing i don't think i have ever seen is someone make shoes, that is simply incredible. But even with all these very inspiring people i have learned about in Haiti, i still have no clue how to help them. I think a reason why other countries, the United States in particular, send things to Haiti instead of actually helping is because it would actually take some thought on how to help without hindering. We Americans are good for getting our easy fix, whether it be fast food, or simply throwing money at problems. This is all fine and dandy, except when we are talking about something that has the ability to change millions of lives. So this time we cannot do an easy fix because the situation is way to complicated and it took years of dependence on the give-aways of other countries for Haiti to become this way, its going to take even more time to allow Haitian citizens to build up their own economy. Helping the Haitian entrepreneurs is a great way to start because by helping them we are essentially helping helping all of Haiti because the entrepreneurs are going to in turn help the Haitian economy, create more jobs in the community, and help build a strong foundation for their own communities. All in all I am really excited about this project because I feel that we as a whole are affecting people's lives in a monumental way and that we are contributing to something that can hopefully be built upon and make an even greater impact than we imagined.

I am not really surprised about the fact that SAT scores rise with income. One reason is because the SAT is not a normal test, it does not test you on the facts and information you know, but rather on if you know how to take the SAT. If your family has a higher income they can afford to pay for you to take SAT prep classes and buy you the prep books. Families with low income on the other hand cannot afford these luxuries. But its not all about income, it also has a lot to do with socio-economic status. if your parents went to college, as their child you are most likely to go to college as well because you are taught or told that you have to. The same thing applies to the SAT, if your parents didn't take it then they do not realize its importance and so don't stress their children to study and be prepared for it. Not to say that all parents who didn't take the SAT don't understand it, but they can't tell their children about what they don't know. whereas if your parent took the SAT or went to college they know to tell you to study from the SAT and not from school textbooks or anything like that because they are basically useless. Another reason why SAT scores rise with income is because not everyone tests the same way. People have to be taught to think and test a certain way to pass the SAT, if you were not taught how to think like the SAT in your school because your school was in a low income neighborhood, then you are at a disadvantage on the SAT and will not do as better as kids from a school in a higher income neighborhood. Not to say that it all has to do with factors beyond our control because some students from low income families work their butts off and study to do good on the SAT while others will not and its they are at fault. But it also makes you wonder that if they were born to a different, more wealthy family than were, if they would still be lazy or have this mindset that they can't do any better than what their parents did. Many things in life can be accomplished with the right mindset, some people are born with it (like some people are born to succeed academically), while others learn it, and then still others will never learn it. Very few people are driven and passionate enough to come out of their situations and make their own destiny, whether it be for good or for bad.

There are many aspects to people in general which makes it extremely hard to classify yourself as any one thing. When asked what I am I classify myself as black, but now that i am writing about it, I wonder why I do that; i wonder why I feel the need to let people know I am black when its plain to see what I am. In today's society its normal to identify as a certain race, but as Sam was explaining its very difficult to put people in just one racial category, so why do we categorize ourselves at all. I categorize myself because I'm used to it and I think that if I don't that people would think I was ashamed to be black, which I am not. But I also kinda hate identifying myself as black because there are so many stereotypes that people put on blacks as a whole, as if every black person is the same. But I also classify myself as christian because I am an avid believer in Jesus Christ and proudly tell people my religion. But being christian is also controversial because there are so many denominations and people that identify themselves as christian, but really know nothing about it. That is why some people laugh at Christianity because there are so many people who only take the parts of the bible that they like and use that to justify their crimes. Did I choose to be placed in these categories, yes and no. For the fact that my race is considered black, I did not really choose it, its just something that I have always been and known. Its kind of like trying to remember the time when you stopped being a child and started being your own person, it was so long ago and your mind was that of a child's that you cannot remember the exact moment when you started to really notice the world around you and think about the part that you would play in it. I think the time I realized I was black was when I started middle school and noticed that there were not just black people but many other races that I had not really understood existed. So in the sense of me being black, I did not choose it, I grew up knowing(though I don't know where I learned it), and now it has become a part of who I am. Not to say I am racist, but I am proud to come from such strong ancestors that I can make proud today. As for being a Christian, in a way I did not choose to follow that religion because I grew up going to church and being told that God was the only god and that he gave his only begotten son to save us. But one day God became not only someone that I heard about in church, but my Father, who I could talk to and know was always there for me and who asks so for so little in return for all the things he has done for me. This category I strongly believe that I chose because when I came to know God for myself, he became who I was and what I wanted to be like. This is why I believe that people can choose how you identify yourself, but only if you allow them to.