en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2424619 Comments by Flipflop133 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144356627 So before today’s lecture, I must say I was always very quick to judge illegal immigration. For as long as I can remember, I have viewed illegal immigration as a negative thing. I guess I have grown up with the mentality that those people “don’t belong here.” Do I think that it is fair that there are people who are here illegally when others have gone through the legal process? No, but after the lecture Sam gave today, my views regarding illegal immigration have definitely changed a bit. Most people that are illegal immigrants really did not make the ultimate decision to do so. There were a few people who raised their hands today in class that said they were illegal immigrants or related to someone who was an illegal immigrant. When Sam asked them, how they or their family members got here, their answer was “I don’t know.” And look at Eric’s story that was shared in class today. He admitted how him and his mother came over from Mexico to this country illegally. Although it happened when he was at a very young age, he said he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He ultimately did not make the choice to come over to this country. Instead, his family made the decision for him because of the amount of opportunities America had to offer. One of the things that I learned today is that not everyone who is an illegal immigrant made the choice to do so on their own. In addition, I guess I never really realized how hard that illegal immigrants work once they get into this country. Sam talked about illegal immigrants who are landscapers who work for maybe $2 an hour if most. I’ve seen how hard landscapers work, in the hot sun for endless hours. These people come over here to work to support their family, and most citizens who have a higher paying job certainly don’t do as much work as they do. And now that I think more about it, in high school I worked at a local restaurant and most of the employees who worked in the kitchen were illegal immigrants and they worked harder than anyone else in that whole entire restaurant. Plus, they did all the dirty work including dishes. And despite the over time shifts and extra hours they worked, the sad thing is that they probably got paid the least out of all of the workers. I think one thing that many people do not realize is how lucky we are to live in this country. All of these illegal immigrants come over to the United States because they come in search of a better life, looking for more opportunities, no matter how much the workload is. I can say now that I do feel a bit more educated about not only illegal immigrants but also immigrants in general. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:36:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/how-has-your-opinion-changed-on-illegal-immigration-119-blog/#IDComment144356627 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment142359157 Today in class we talked about the idea of affirmative action and nepotism. Nepotism was defined as the practice of which people of power give positions in jobs or organizations to their friends and family members instead of other, well-qualified individuals. And although most people do not like to admit it, or may not even realize, most people have been directly prioritized because of nepotism or they know somebody who has. And as unfair as the concept of nepotism seems and while I hate to admit it, I do not think that I would try to not benefit from nepotism given the situation presented. If the opportunity is there, of course I am going to take it. A few weeks ago, Sam talked about how success nowadays is not measured by how hard an individual works, but instead about who you know. I speak for myself when I say that I am here in college and yeah while I am working hard, I am also looking to be very successful in terms of a job once I graduate, and if that means getting a job based off of who I know, then I will definitely take it. I am an education major here at Penn State and as a result, I am looking to spend this summer working with kids in some way or another to gain experience whether it be as a camp counselor or just a volunteer at a day care. Well needless to say, over spring break my dad talked to one of his clients who happens to be an elementary school teacher in the next town over. He told her I was interested in working with kids, and being a teacher in the school she knows some people, and I now have my name in the system for the job. The same thing happened to my friend who is a nursing major. Her next-door neighbor at home is a nurse at a pediatrician’s office, and when my friend inquired about possibly interning there for the summer her neighbor talked to some people and “hooked her up” with the internship. Again, it is all about connections, however it took me a while though to reach this conclusion. I always thought hard work is what brought people a good job and successful life. But now especially in college, I see nepotism present and I see most people using it to their advantage. And to be perfectly honest, I do not really see nepotism as being a bad thing. I know certainly for me, if I know someone who tells me they have some sort of connection for getting me a job once I graduate, then I am definitely taking them up on that offer! Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:27:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/do-you-think-you-would-actively-try-to-not-benefit-from-nepotism-if-the-situation-presented-itself-119-blog/#IDComment142359157 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment140525585 Last Thursday in class, Sam and Laurie presented a lecture called, “The Needy Penis.” One of the topics that was discussed was the difference between men and women in going out attire and in reality, the truth of it is there is a HUGE difference between the ways girls and guys dress on the weekends. Guys can easily hop out of the shower, throw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt or polo, sneakers and be ready in twenty minutes. Their outfit is simple, but completely acceptable. Girls on the other hand feel the need to go all out. On weekends, you see girls stumbling along downtown right here in State College in their high heels, short skirts, short dresses, revealing tops, face full of make-up, etc. I mean I’m not going to lie; I have been in the situation where I have gone out here on the weekends at Penn State and have worn a short skirt with heels or a tight dress. Do I necessarily want to do that? No, not at all. Personally, I would rather put on jeans and a nice looking shirt, and be comfortable. And as far as heels go, they absolutely kill my feet, but I wear them anyway. Why? Because when all of my friends want to go out and want to dress up, I feel obligated to. I would rather not be the one out of the group who looks sloppy. And to be completely honest, I probably go through about three different outfits before I decide on which one to wear for the night because I want to look presentable. As much of a difference as there is in going out attire between girls and boys, there is just as much of a difference between high school and college. At high school parties, it would be perfectly normal to wear whatever you wore to school that day. You didn’t have to dress up to sit in a basement and hang with friends. Yet when you think about it in college, you go to frats a lot of the times, you are in the basement, and every single girl is dressed up. It would be almost completely unacceptable for a girl to show up to a frat in something like sweats. I told my discussion group today how my best friend, who goes to a different school, was out one night and afterwards once she was back in her dorm realized she forgot something so her and her friend went back to the frat they were at in their sweatpants. She told me how every single guy came up to her and was like “Are you serious? Are you really here in sweats right now?” She thought it was hilarious, but now that I think about it it’s really true. Women have this certain standard in society that when they are out they need to look nice whether it is because what their friends are doing or because they want to impress someone. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 17:35:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment140525585 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment140492103 Last Thursday in class, Sam and Laurie presented a lecture called, “The Needy Penis.” One of the topics that was discussed was the difference between men and women in going out attire and in reality, the truth of it is there is a HUGE difference between the ways girls and guys dress on the weekends. Guys can easily hop out of the shower, throw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt or polo, sneakers and be ready in twenty minutes. Their outfit is simple, but completely acceptable. Girls on the other hand feel the need to go all out. On weekends, you see girls stumbling along downtown right here in State College in their high heels, short skirts, short dresses, revealing tops, face full of make-up, etc. I mean I’m not going to lie; I have been in the situation where I have gone out here on the weekends at Penn State and have worn a short skirt with heels or a tight dress. Do I necessarily want to do that? No, not at all. Personally, I would rather put on jeans and a nice looking shirt, and be comfortable. And as far as heels go, they absolutely kill my feet, but I wear them anyway. Why? Because when all of my friends want to go out and want to dress up, I feel obligated to. I would rather not be the one out of the group who looks sloppy. And to be completely honest, I probably go through about three different outfits before I decide on which one to wear for the night because I want to look presentable. As much of a difference as there is in going out attire between girls and boys, there is just as much of a difference between high school and college. At high school parties, it would be perfectly normal to wear whatever you wore to school that day. You didn’t have to dress up to sit in a basement and hang with friends. Yet when you think about it in college, you go to frats a lot of the times, you are in the basement, and every single girl is dressed up. It would be almost completely unacceptable for a girl to show up to a frat in something like sweats. I told my discussion group today how my best friend, who goes to a different school, was out one night and afterwards once she was back in her dorm realized she forgot something so her and her friend went back to the frat they were at in their sweatpants. She told me how every single guy came up to her and was like “Are you serious? Are you really here in sweats right now?” She thought it was hilarious, but now that I think about it it’s really true. Women have this certain standard in society that when they are out they need to look nice whether it is because what their friends are doing or because they want to impress someone. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 14:51:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment140492103 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment138707162 I am very glad that this question has been asked. I think that every person has been in a situation at least once in their life where they have been surrounded by people who are speaking a different language. On a campus as big and as diverse as Penn State, it is pretty much normal to see and hear two or more people engaged in dialogue of different language. Now in situations like these, many people may feel uncomfortable. However, most people probably would never admit to it. I must say though, I myself have found myself in a few situations where people have been speaking a different language and I have in fact felt uncomfortable. The best example I can give for this takes place at home whenever I go to get a manicure or pedicure. At the nail salon I go to, most of the employees are Korean, but they can speak English extremely well. However they also speak Korean, and as anyone can guess English and Korean are nothing alike. I can recall that whenever I am actually getting my toes or nails painted, the employees are always there speaking Korean to one another. Now like I said, the salon I go to they can also speak English, but they choose to speak Korean. When they start speaking in Korean, not going to lie it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. It does not make me feel uncomfortable because I cannot understand it, but instead it makes me feel uncomfortable because I feel as if they are talking about me negatively in their different language. Ultimately though, I think it depends on the situation if someone feels comfortable or not around people speaking in a different language. In the nail salon situation, yes I did feel uncomfortable. However, other situations I have not. For example, in my extended family my uncle is Hispanic and he and my cousins can speak fluent Spanish. When we’re at their house for holidays and their side of the family is there, all they do is talk in Spanish, which never seems to bother me. It does not make me feel uncomfortable by any means. Maybe it is because I know them on a more personal level than the ladies at the nail salon, but them speaking in a different language has no effect on me. I know it is just a way that they can communicate with each other. And in my uncle’s case, Spanish was his first language so it is a lot easier for him to speak. Overall, I think being comfortable or not you are when people are speaking a different language greatly depends on the situation you are in. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:31:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment138707162 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment136900189 There have been numerous times so far this semester where Sam has talked about very, very, very powerful topics. I am sure I am not the only one who has felt uncomfortable or simply blown away by some of the things that Sam discusses. And if you were to take some of the conversation topics anywhere outside of our 100 Thomas classroom, many and most people would be utterly disturbed. There have been a lot of times this semester where Sam has prepared for a very intense and often debatable topic by showing some sort of comedy video. I think the main reason that Sam decides to show clips of comedians before having a serious discussion about race is to simply lighten the mood in the classroom. Think about it, he said today that there are 720 people enrolled in our course. I am almost willing to bet that it would be very unreasonable to even find maybe 10 of those 720 that can honestly say they feel comfortable talking about race. By showing a comedy video, it is easy to get the class to sit back, laugh, and relax. Additionally, it is almost as if comedians can say something without being considered out of place or racist. They are able to successfully talk about a serious issue while being funny at the same time. Comedy is a great way to talk about a sensitive issue because it is presented in a way that people can handle. In class, we have watched videos of Comedians Dave Chappell and Chris Rock which both of the topics they have talked about have both led into a more serious subject matter. Even today for example, we watched a quick comedian act of Chris Rock who talked about the idea of same-sex marriage. Again like race, this is a topic that is often debated about and may be awkward for many people to talk about. However, Chris Rock managed to present the issue through comedy, which took a more sensitive approach, yet still got the point across. It is easy to see when Sam plays these types of videos in class, that they are not only entertaining to watch but people are also sitting there laughing. People of all different skin colors and people from all different cultures can sit there together and laugh about it. It can be tough to break the ice on topics about race and race relations. It certainly is not easy to do in our class either, and I think that is why Sam decides to use comedy as an approach. Today, there are comedians of all different cultures and races and they are all able to get an audience laughing and relaxed, even when talking about an intense issue. And after all, laughter surely is the best medicine. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:30:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment136900189 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135374248 I have to be honest when I say I never really knew much about what white privilege was before taking this class. I did not really think that people would be considered privileged based on their skin color. I always had the mentality that people accomplished what they did because of how hard they worked, or didn’t work. However, after sitting through many of Sam’s lectures I now have a completely better understanding of it. Before the first exam, Sam put a few videos online for us to take a look at. One of the videos we had to watch was of speaker Tim Wise, who talked about the idea of white privilege. He talked about how a long time ago there was really no such thing as a white race. For example, he said that Europeans never referred to themselves as being white. It is funny because I feel like now today a lot of Europeans do consider themselves to be white. In the video, he talks about how there was very little difference between African indentured servants and white indentured servants. However, the elite of the Virginia colony somehow convinced the white indentured servants that they were superior and their skin color was more important. And it seems ever since then, whites have been seen as the superior race. Even thinking back to the one class about people applying for jobs, I can see white privilege present. The people with the more “white” sounding names were more likely to get hired. The same goes for the whites that were arrested and served jail time. They were still more likely to get hired for the job then someone of a different skin color. Although most companies and employers would never admit to this, it does happen. Another perfect example takes place in an airport. It is extremely rare to see white people ever get stopped by security for an extra screening or an additional search. Most of the time, the people being stopped are of a different race. Although I did not know it before, because of this class I am able to see white privilege happening more and more. There are so many incidences and cases where skin color determines an outcome. Personally, I cannot say that I have ever had an experience where my white skin has privileged me. But, I have to say it is pretty sad that people still think of their skin color as a privilege. Whether it is in terms of applying for a job or just in an every day situation, every person should be treated exactly the same. It does not matter what color someone’s skin is. People do not choose their skin color and therefore, we should not let their skin color choose what privileges they have or do not have. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:21:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135374248 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/do-you-think-his-lighter-skin-gets-him-ahead-in-society-119-blog/#IDComment132771090 Well, to be honest I cannot say personally that I think his lighter skin gets him ahead in society or not. However, I am going to have to say that in most cases I truly believe individuals with lighter skin benefit more from the lighter skin color and ultimately get ahead in society because of it. Although he has African American roots, when it comes down to it his skin color is rather light and would definitely seem to benefit him in certain situations. This is especially the case in work situations and for job interviews. In one class a few weeks ago, Sam talked about how if you are white, then you are more likely to get hired for a job than a black person. It does not matter if the applicants came from the same exact backgrounds, with exactly the same exact qualifications. But how could they choose one applicant over another if the past experiences and resumes of the applicants are identical? As nice as it would be to say you couldn’t easily choose one over another, the truth of the matter is that it happens. The person with the lighter skin is more likely to pull ahead and receive that phone call back. Another example comes from purchasing homes and receiving mortgages for a house. Blacks and other minorities are twice as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage loan. Every time the person with the lighter skin interviewed for the same job as a black person, they were more likely to be hired for the job. When it comes down to it, it seems that the lighter someone’s skin is, the easier it becomes for him or her to identify more closely with white people. It really is a shame that this is how our society comes off as. The one article in Shadowboxing with Race, was about a young girl who was both Latino and Black. The girl’s skin was a little darker than others around her. To her white grandparents, she was viewed more negatively because of her darker skin. To her other grandparents, she was viewed as beautiful because she had that part of her with lighter skin then they had. Even if a person has lighter skin or not, it really should not make a difference. According to the statistics shown in class, we all share 99.9% of the same genes. We are not all that different from one another, and it is about time that people start realizing that. Over the years, our society has come a long way with discrimination and race. Things have certainly gotten a lot better than they were before, but unfortunately we still have a long way to go. Sun, 6 Mar 2011 03:17:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/do-you-think-his-lighter-skin-gets-him-ahead-in-society-119-blog/#IDComment132771090 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130098774 I have to say I completely agree that when we see a person that is from another country we view them as a completely different in a variety of aspects. I think part of the problem is too often we assume things. We assume that because people may come from a different country that they do not know how to live in this country. We assume that based on their looks if they do not look like the “typical American” then they are completely different then us. The one video shown in class, even though it was an experiment, showed how Muslims are sometimes discriminated in terms of business because by looks it appears they are not from this country. Even though someone may come from another country or wear a certain piece of clothing, it does not mean that they are any different then us. But the problem is, that most people do not realize that, and in some cases they don’t want to accept that others are nearly the same as us. And it all comes down to the lack of knowledge. People do not know enough about each other’s cultures and lifestyles. I’ll admit myself that I am guilty of it too. I cannot honestly say that I know much about cultures that are different from mine. For example, in class on Tuesday Sam brought up five Muslim students to speak to our class. Automatically, I assumed that the one girl, Sally, was an international student. By first glance, I was at fault for assuming. Just because she was wearing a hijab, does not mean she is not a true American. To my surprise, she was born and raised in Pittsburgh and she is just as much an American as I am. Another one of the students said that they are just as similar as us: they check facebook, they go to classes, and they hang out with friends. But the problem is that in the past is that I, like many other students, have not been educated enough about different cultures that people come from. Because of the lack of knowledge, I feel like people are afraid to step outside their comfort zone and interact with someone who may be different then them. The one person that spoke said that coming to Penn State as a Muslim student provided a more accepting atmosphere, and I couldn’t agree more. When I came here in the fall, I met people of all different cultures and all different religions. And I have to say I was very curious to learn about what their traditions are and where they come from, because I honestly had no idea. As people learn more and more about different cultures, I feel like people stop assuming and it becomes easier to accept others as being the same. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:36:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130098774 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128389659 The other day on one of the slides, Sam asked the class what their opinion was on achieving success. The three options included success being based merely off of hard work, success being based off of the people you know, or the combination of the two together. Automatically, I choose as success being based off of hard work. After all, that was the mentality I have been taught for after all these years. I was always told, "It's not how many hours you put in that count, it’s what you put into the hours," and “It’s hard work that pays off in end.” And sure there’s always the people who say, “Nope, it’s all about who you know,” but that was never how I thought of it. After years of playing sports, I was always given the impression that by working hard I could earn a starting spot, and that was exactly what I did. To me, my hard work made me successful. Even as a freshman here at Penn State, I know that I am here because I worked hard and succeeded. I worked hard for four years in high school by taking challenging courses, studied hard to get good grades, worked to get decent SAT scores, participated in extracurricular activities, and with all that I was able to attend Penn State. All these reasons and experiences I had made me part of the 71% of high school graduates who believed that success was mostly a result of hard work. However, even though I’m still in my first year and I’ve only been here since August, I can see how knowing people will have an influence on success. My one friend who is a junior here just picked up an internship unexpectedly at the beginning of the semester. He had no plans of doing it initially, and I asked him how he got it, and because his father is a Penn State alumni, he knew people with businesses in the area. It’s almost funny how much of an influence those connections can be. Because when it comes down to it, internships will look good on resumes, and a strong resume will bring job opportunities, which ultimately brings success. I guess as people become more educated and realize they want success in their life, they will do anything they can to try to find a way to get there, even if it means simply knowing someone. I think you realize as you get older, and as you become closer to the “real world” you witness these types of experiences and ways that people get by that success becomes more realistic when people can pull some strings for you. It’s easier for me to say even now, I am becoming that typical college kid who is starting to incorporate both hard work and connections into success. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:40:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128389659 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/interpret-the-lupe-fiasco-lyrics-119-blog/#IDComment126836273 One of my closest friends is a huge Lupe Fiasco fan and when this song was first released a week ago, he immediately sent it to me. I listened it to only once on that first day, but even after that one time I could tell right away that there was meaning and significance behind the song. This song is part of a new album that Lupe plans to release in a few weeks and coincidently the album itself is all about anarchy, which says a lot about this particular song in general. If you listen to it, the song itself mentions politics, religion, and society itself. Now as mentioned in the video, the specific song, “Words I Never Said” has a strong line, “I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence.” And the more I thought about this specific line, the more I realized how true it was. There are so many events that take place in our society and our life today – whether it is a happy moment or a tragedy - where moments pass by and people keep quiet. Through all the things that happen in life, think about how many people do not say a word about it. They keep quiet about what they may know or how they may feel. Take World War II for example. Many people argued that the only people who were worse than the Nazis during this era were the ones who stood by and did nothing to stop them. All the Germans who knew about the Nazis but said absolutely nothing are at just as much fault. In this case, I think that Lupe Fiasco is saying that people who are quiet are sometimes, if not always, worse than the actual ones who are doing it because they are letting it go unnoticed. The next few lines of the song incorporate fear, which is one of the biggest problems with our society today. People are so afraid of what others may say or how they will react that instead they feel like it is better to do nothing and just ignore things instead. As a result, many people are afraid to cross over to the other side and go out of their element. The main chorus of the song is, “As I drown in my regrets, I can’t take back the words I never said.” Again, this seems applicable to life today. If something tragic happens and someone knows something, but chooses not say anything, then they’re hiding from the truth and potentially hurting others. What many people do not realize is how important it is to speak up and speak out because truthfully in any given situation it can really make a difference. Wed, 9 Feb 2011 04:13:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/interpret-the-lupe-fiasco-lyrics-119-blog/#IDComment126836273 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/do-you-describe-yourself-differently-in-other-countries/#IDComment125571446 In response to this question, I have to admit that I have been guilty of doing the same exact thing. When people travel outside of the United States and a native asks them what they are or where they are from, I feel like it is natural for most people to respond with, “I’m American” or “I’m from the United States.” However, when the question is asked anywhere in the United States, the question has a completely different context and meaning. Around campus or even back at home, many times when someone asks me what I am, I often find myself respond, “Well I am a lot of things, I guess you can say I am kind of just a mix.” And then I proceed to say I am Polish, Irish, Scottish, Italian, Austrian, and Ukrainian. And when someone asks me more specifically where I am from, I just say New Jersey. I feel like it would just be unordinary to answer, “Well I’m American” to someone who lives in the same country. I have only been out of the country once before, and it was not for very long at all. Although I did not travel halfway across the world to somewhere like Italy or Australia, I still traveled outside of United States boundary. Two summers ago, I went abroad on a cruise with my whole extended family. I remember being in a thrift store on one of the islands, and the native first asked me if I needed any help, and then the next question immediately after was, “Well where are you from?” It was almost natural for me to respond, “I’m from the United States.” And now that I think about it, saying something like “I’m from the United States,” is such a broad way to put it, but that is just the way it was. I mean to get technical, I’m from the East Cost, in the Northeast region, I live in New Jersey, and I am a Jersey Girl. But, it is so much easier to simply say, “I’m American.” From my own experience, I feel like it is easier to go more into depth about what heritage you are or specifically where you are from with someone who lives in the same country as you. When asked the same question in a different country, it is easier to just give a general answer because it is easy to assume that the person will not know where you are from regardless of specifics. Although it depends on the situation and the context, people will explain their origin and heritage differently when they are in different parts of the world. We reform our answers based on the society we find ourselves in, and I have to agree that I have described myself differently to people in other countries. Thu, 3 Feb 2011 03:38:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/do-you-describe-yourself-differently-in-other-countries/#IDComment125571446 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/how-do-you-classify-yourself-119-blog/#IDComment124013941 In today’s society, there are numerous classifications that people can associate with. Because there are so many different ways to classify someone, it is almost impossible to limit a person to just one classification. Classifications may be made based on one’s gender, religion, hobbies, or job. It is easy to categorize someone as a jock or prep based on the clothes they wear, the people they hang out with, and the type of music they listen to. Some of the classifications we are given as humans are often unable to be changed, while others can be controlled by us and may depend on who you are surrounded by or what media you are exposed to daily. As for myself, I feel that I can classify with many different people and in many different ways. First and foremost, I can classify my sex as being female. This classification was ultimately uncontrollable and was determined by my biology. I was born and raised in a rather large town in central New Jersey. And just because I am from New Jersey does not mean I classify as one of those characters on that hit television show. To be honest with you, most of New Jersey does not even classify as that. I suppose that classification is both controllable and uncontrollable. My family decided to live in New Jersey so that is where I say I am from. But if I was raised in a place like California, I may be more classified as a completely different person. In terms of religion, I classify myself as being Catholic. My parents raised me up to be Catholic and sent me to CCD class for years. As a Catholic, I was baptized in a church, made my communion in second grade, and confirmed in eighth grade. This was all determined and decided by my family. In high school, some people may have classified me as a jock because I played sports all year round. Occupation wise, it is hard to say what I classify as. Sure, I have a part-time job back in my hometown but I would say I do not classify as that occupation, nor do I plan to classify as that for the rest of my life. If I would have to choose an occupation now, I guess the closest thing that comes to that is being a student, and more specifically a Penn State student. Society definitely plays a role in who I am as a student. As a typical teenager, it was pretty normal to continue on to college after high school. Someone may point at me and easily find out that I may like sports, I am from New Jersey, I am Catholic, and it may be easy for them to jump to conclusions about me but personally on the inside, I feel like I am just myself. Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:36:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/how-do-you-classify-yourself-119-blog/#IDComment124013941 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122655087 Personally, I thought that the exercise Sam did in class the other day really changed my perspective on the way that people view each other and the idea of race in general. I guess you never really realize the way the people perceive others until you actually see it being done in front of you. Two students categorized a group of people into ethnic groups in front of seven hundred people. I feel that both the two girls with the 4.0 GPA and the fifteen or so people who got up in front of the room deserve a lot of credit. The two girls with the 4.0 especially deserve a lot of credit because they tried to accomplish something that there was no right answer for. They took on a task that to me seemed absolutely impossible. How can you categorize someone by simply his or her skin color? It surely is not easy. Take myself for example. My skin may be light colored and I do have blonde hair and blue eyes but what do I classify as? The typical stereotyping would just label me as being white, but I am so much more than that. In fact, I am a mix myself. My heritage consists of many different cultures. I can tell you right now that I am Irish, Scottish, Italian, Ukrainian, Austrian, and Polish. Myself, like many other people come from not one background but many different backgrounds. Yet, people still seem to “classify” people into a single group such as being white or black just based off what their skin may look like. Many people do not realize how alike people are and how much we may have in common to one another. After learning that Native Americans and Chinese people share same of the same blood, I was able to see the similarities between the two girls in the front of the class. When Sam showed the two pictures in class today, one of an Italian man and one of a black man, I found it extremely hard to notice the differences between the two. The exercises and lectures have really made me realize how little I know about race. To many people, race can be a very touchy subject to discuss. However, people need to realize that there is so much more to someone’s skin color. While we are all unique in many ways, we all come from our own ancestry and just because two people may have the same skin color does not mean that they are from the same country by any means. After learning so much simply from one exercise and a couple of lectures, I am eager to see what the rest of the semester has is store. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:06:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122655087 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9ck%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121728748 Soc 119... Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:30:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9ck%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121728748