I think it’s a very cool concept that these people have basically created their own new town. Today in class we saw pictures of completely destroyed capital buildings, schools, etc all with the people buried under them. I guess not all areas in Haiti are like that. It’s still bad, but my thinking is that because there was a golf course there, there is not real rubble that has to be moved. Sounds like a great spot for a tent community!

I always assumed that if there was a natural disaster, like Hurricane Katrina, in the United States, that our government would just fix it up, of course with the help of volunteers, community members and organizations. Then they would be back on their feet and that would be that. I just assumed that if there was a natural disaster in another country, one of less wealth, that it wouldn’t be that easy. As we talked about in class with Ian, there are people and organizations that go down there to help those who have lost their homes, similar to what happens here. I however, was pretty surprised by this video to see that the people of Haiti themselves, have taken the initiative to start up the economic sector in their tent communities on their own. I think it’s a wise move. It not only keeps the citizens busy, but it also allows them to somewhat return to a life that must at least somewhat resemble their life before the earthquake.

I was very surprised with the amount of business that the woman who does the hair and nail treatments get. If the people only have the amount of money on them before the earthquake, how are these 18 year old girls able to convince their parents to pay for pedicures every two weeks? That’s a crazy amount even if you have tons of money laying around. I’m a girly girl and like to be pampered myself, but I probably get a pedicure twice a year. Not twice a month. That’s crazy! But at the same time, I suppose it’s a different culture, and that’s just what they are used to. I just thought it was something interesting to think about.

Wow! A cell phone charging business? how creative! I think my favorite part of this whole tent community, is that the one guy uses his generator for showing comedies and movies. I could totally respect that. I feel like it would create a great little community, in a hard time. People use sources of media for escapism all the time. Why not in a time like this? Especially since there aren’t many sources for this kind of entertainment, I’m sure many people gather together in the tiny area and enjoy the entertainment together. Even though there is more competition than before, I’m sure they are closer with their neighbors now, compared to even before the earthquake.

I think that learning Chinese in American schools is a great step forward. I honestly think it’s a shame that other languages are on the downward spiral, in general, but at least one language is on the upswing.

In my high school, we had Spanish, Latin and German available for students to take. Upon arriving to Wall High School, students were asked which language they would like to take, and were required to complete at least two years of the language. I think it is a wise thing to let the students choose which language they want to learn, because if they are forced into one, they will certainly be miserable.

I personally had chosen Spanish, because I had to start taking it in 7t grade. My first year of high school, I had a horribly, easy teacher, and got A’s with flying colors, but, I never really learned anything. From then on I was miserable, and even though I received A+ grades, I was far behind the other students. This was extremely frustrating, and made me turn a blind eye to the subject, and be nothing but resentful. I had the option to take another language, and decided to take French for a year. I was never happier to get a fresh start, and take a path that I personally had chosen. It’s interesting that we have Latin in the group of languages to choose from, because it is considered a dead language. I suppose the students who decide to take the Latin route, want to do well on their SAT’s. After reading the article provided by Sam on the race relation website, I wonder if Chinese may be a better offer to students.

I thought it was very interesting that many of the schools that are offering Chinese are the mid-west schools. It makes sense that the schools in the Midwest, actually any of the schools in the country that do offer Chinese as a language to learn do. China has like the country with the largest population! Their economy is growing all the time, and has many businesses, which flow into the United States. Anyone with the chance to learn Chinese, and is in the business field, would be wise to learn it as well.

It is not surprising that Spanish has remained constant. I was surprised by statistics that 88% of elementary schools and 93% of middle schools and high schools offer Spanish language programs. I know my middle school and high school offered Spanish, and it was not until I graduated that our elementary schools started the program, but that’s a huge statistic of the United States. I’m impressed!

I think it’s great that wise, Chinese speaking natives are wiling to come to the United States to teach in schools. It’s great that the United States does not have to pay for all of the teachers since the Chinese government does, but does anyone else think $13,000 is subsidies is a little on the low side? I think they certainly deserve more than that!

Like Sam says, it’s easy to say that this video game is “sick and disgusting.” The video game industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Men and women of all ages are spending millions of dollars each year on new video games and spending countless hours actually playing these games. What could they possibly see in them?

It’s really hard to believe that someone would find the assimilation of a rape scene as entertainment, and even more, something that they want to play over and over again. Sometimes rape is seen in movies, but it is hardly ever celebrated. People do not ever cheer for the horrible person raping the innocent victim. I would assume that that is not the case when people decide to play these rape video games.

I have two younger brothers and would actually be repulsed if I ever found out that they were playing these games. These violent- rape games would no doubt have some kind of impact on the person playing them. This is not an appropriate way for young people who have minds to be molded, to spend their time.

I think that the Japanese government should take some action. There should be some sort of censorship on these video games. Because of the internet, they are becoming available to people of all ages. There should be some sort of rating system for these games, and a limit to the violence that is allowed at all. Yes, there is the “freedom of speech” and “if people don’t want to look at it, they shouldn’t play it” and “nobody is making you play this game” bull shit, but you know what, there should be some sort of moral obligation. Don’t people think that there might be a better way to spend their time? Like Sam said, how many of the people that play this game, take a break to sit down for dinner with their family? Probably eating the dinner that their mother just cooked them, and they think it’s okay to play that game?

I would agree with others that this argument could be brought over to the shoot-em-up games. I feel like a hypocrite because I have played games like Grand Theft Auto, and yes, I know they are violent, but I also at times have thought they were entertaining, for the little amount of time I spent playing them. All I know is, is that I wouldn’t want my actions, as well as those of my friends and family to be influenced by these bad violence and rape games. There has to be a better way to spend our time! Perhaps we need some censorship to lead us in the right direction.

I thought the video we watched in class, about recreation of the study where children picked which dolls they wanted was kind very interesting. I know as a little girl, my friends and I loved playing with dolls. I had two American Girl Dolls, one was Molly, and the other one was the create-your-own doll. The create-your-own-doll was a really fun way to pick and chose whatever you want your dolls to look like. Most people, when creating their own dolls, made it look exactly like themselves. I remember seeing in the magazines, little girls with their look a like dolls, in matching outfits. I thought that was kind of lame. Instead, me, being brunette, and no glasses, chose to get a doll that had blonde hair and I got gold glasses for her to wear. It is not that I thought blondes were better looking people and because I could not look like them I wanted a doll that could. It was more about the adventure of creating a doll to be whatever I wanted!

Another part of me thinks that maybe the media had a lot to do with the way I picked my doll. Around the time I decided to get one, was when Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were all the rage. They had their television shows on, videos on their “adventure” series, with tons of books, and merchandise everywhere. Part of me thinks that I wanted a doll to look like them, but necessarily that I wanted to look like them.

So I wonder what was going on in the minds of those little kids when they chose the dolls the way they did. I can’t figure out if maybe it was because they picked the doll they wanted to be like? Or maybe because they have watched television shows where the characters are predominately white, they wanted a doll to look just like their favorite character? It is really crazy, and one can not avoid the comment the one little girl makes, which makes me think that maybe it is telling sign. The one little girl picks the white doll to be the “good doll” and the black doll to be the “bad doll.” It was really heartbreaking to hear her say then that she looked most like the bad doll. At such a young age can she really understand what she is saying? What does that actually mean to her? Does she really think that being black is bad? It is really hard to think about.

I really would like to also point out something called the Hawthorne effect, where people act differently because they know they are being observed.. I wonder if they had just put the children in the room by themselves, and let them wonder around and decide for themselves, what they wanted to play with, if the results were different. Maybe the black kids chose the white dolls more because the person observing them was white, and they wanted to pick a doll that looked like her. I’m not sure, but it is something to think about.

Whenever I think of Hawaii I think of amazing beaches, volcanoes, palm trees, pina coladas, scuba diving, surfing, etc. I have seen the images of Hawaii in pictures from friends who have gone there on vacation, in films about surfing and images in magazines. I honestly had never thought, actually even knew, that there were native Hawaiians who had been kicked off their land when the foreign explorers came.

I was very surprised to read that the native Hawaiians “earn less money, live shorter lives, get sent to prison more often and are more likely to end up homeless than other ethnicities” according to Cylde Namuo, CEO of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. I think I was so surprised to read this is because when I think of Hawaii, I automatically think of the United States. These people are Americans too, so I just assumed that they were treated the same as anyone else. It is very interesting to see another group kicked off their land, and treated poorly. In classes we avoid talking about the Native American’s getting pushed away from their homes, and now I find out that it is the same for the Hawaiian people, and this is just in the United States! Where else could this being going on? Why can’t people be respective towards others, stop being greedy and let others live on the land that belongs to them? I think part of why we never talk about it is because it is the generations are somewhat “removed.” This happened in the late 19th century. Yes, I feel a little bad about it, but am I supposed to be responsible for how these people lived when I was born over 100 years later? It’s a strange idea.

I think it’s really great though that President Obama, who was born in Hawaii is standing up for those people and trying to get them back on their feet. Especially after the passing of the Health Care reform bill, it will be interesting to see if he can get these bills passed for these people as well. The statistic that native Hawaiians make up about 20% of the entire population is staggering. Yet, so are the statistics about how much it will cost to get these people, somewhat on their feet.

What I don’t understand is why the Native Hawaiians do not earn federal recognition now? Is it because they do not want to be part of the United States? Is it a similar feeling that the native Americans feel? That foreigners came, stole their homeland and have put them in a bad situation? I was not aware that this was an issue until after reading this article. I have always wanted to go to Hawaii on vacation, to really get to see the white, perfect beaches, find a coconut and see volcanoes in person. I think eventually I will take a trip there, and I hope that these issues stay in my mind, but like anything else, people in America are ignorant sometimes. Although, now I know that this is an issues and I will keep my eyes open for more information on the bill by Obama to come.

I have to agree with the beginning few seconds of the interview. Natalie Randolph says in a press conference (which we don’t see) that being a woman has nothing to do with being a football coach, and I have to agree. Yes, it’s unorthodox to most teams, but if she can make her team win a game, then who cares if she is female or male? I also like the comment that the interviewer says, which is “you’re making history.” Like I said, being a woman shouldn’t have anything to do with being a coach or not, but it is great that she is the first to do so.

It is really interesting that the students were well accepting of the new coach. I feel that high school kids are not exceptionally open to new things, ideas, etc, so I was very excited to hear that they welcomed her warmly. It is also really nice to hear that they went and asked her question about what was happening, instead of just rebelling because they were unhappy.

I loved seeing the pictures of Natalie Randolph playing with her tackle team, The Divas. It was very surprising to see her so dolled up, and looking feminine, and then in her pictures looking like a tough athlete! I think it’s totally endearing that her father didn’t want her to play, and then we see pictures of them so happy together with her in her football uniform. Nothing makes me happier than to see a parent support their children with whatever they do.

On another note, listening to Natalie Randolph’s story reminds me of a story that is close to my heart. My cousin, Colleen, played basketball throughout high school, and even received a full scholarship to play basketball at the University of Maine, a Division 1 school. She was a year above me, at the same high school, very popular and always busy. We were friendly in high school, but didn’t hang out that much. Now that she has graduated, she is back to our neighborhood in New Jersey. This past winter she even returned to our high school and became the coach for the freshman basketball team as well as coached many of the varsity games. It’s great because now that she is back, we’ve become very close. She is an inspiration to me for going to a school so far away to peruse her dreams as a basketball star. This past winter she even traveled to Germany to try out for a professional team in Europe. I think there should be more women like her as well as Natalie Randolph. It shouldn’t matter the gender of a coach, just that they are experienced, willing and ready to help out their team no matter what.

This question posed by a student in our sociology 119 class is really crazy to think about! I know we go over and over again all the race relations issues, and have even gone over some of the history of where slaves came from, but I never sat down to think about what slave owners from back in the day would say if they turned on the television today. This is a very cool concept to think about, I think, because it is a way to see how far we have come. Yes, there are still issues today, and you know what, there probably always will be, but I think people who have achieved greatness should we celebrated.

Take for instance, like the guy who proposed the question, would think if we turned on MTV. I think the former slave owners would be astound to see how successful the black people have become. Today the MTV music videos, as well as VH1, and the top billboard charts, are represented by many black people. I recently watched the MTV VMA’s and there were performances by Beyonce, Jay-Z and Alisha Keys, just to name a few. Beyonce Knowles recently won I think 6 Grammys in the past awards show. It seems that Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z run the music industry this year, as being named the highest paid couple of 2010. (I like celebrity gossip incase you haven’t noticed).

I think if slave owners were to take a look at how far black people have come from where they had been years ago, they should also take a look at sports. Many famous athletes are ones that are black. These fantastic athletes compete for national titles years after year, ranging from sports in basketball, to baseball, football, etc. They compete against the best players, from all races, and it is seen year after year.

Another aspect to look at, is in government. During the time of slaves, slave owners were white, and they owned black people as pieces of property. Now, black people hold positions in government, and help to create laws that are part of our government, and laws that we have to live by as a nation. Slave owners would be very surprised to see that they are actually told what to do by people they believe can be owned as property. Of course, I must mention, that they would never think that we would have a black (at least half black) man as president of the United States.

It is very interesting to think about because people, like Abraham Lincoln were murdered for trying to free the slaves. What would those same people, who wanted slavery to remain say about all the successful black people in our country today?

This article is very interesting. After reading the first half of the article, all I could think about was KARMA. It is absolutely karma that the Native Americans who were kicked off their land many years ago, were placed right on top of a multi-million dollar oil field.

It’s hard to decide if I think that putting the oil rigs on the reservations is a good idea. It does seem like a positive thing, since the tribe members did not have many jobs available in 2000. And now with the oil industry moving in, jobs are plentiful, and anyone who wants to work can work. It seems like not such a good idea because the tribe members, who were poor for so long have all this new found money, and it doesn’t seem like they know exactly what to do with it. For example, the revenue that casinos have been bringing in each year have jumped from $4.5 million to $7.2 million. The article also says that people who until recently been living in poverty, have been driving around new cars. I don’t blame the people on the tribe for wanted to spend their new money, money that they probably feel they were cheated out of many years ago, I just hope that they learn to invest it, save it, and use it for the better of their family, so they never have to live in poverty again.

Like I said, I’m not sure if this is a good idea or a bad idea. It’s clear that the oil industries are just exploiting the native Americans again. Yes, they are getting tons of money for the oil from the land they were forced to move onto, but what about their health? It said in the article, that they are extracted over 4 million barrels of oil from under a reservoir. Yes, new technology is capable of doing it, but what if some freak thing happened, and the entire oil bubble underneath contaminates the water? That would cause devastation not only for the people but also for the environment.

One woman also said that her home is lit up from the lights and the oil flares from other oil drills, so now she wants one on her land. Not only is the damage in the environment possibly water contaminating, it is also light pollution too. In addition to the environmental issues, this oil drilling also has negative health effects on the people as well. This is taking place right outside peoples’ homes, not some remote location in Alaska. According to the second article, there are over 600 toxic chemicals that are released and transferred in the petroleum refining industry, releasing 75% into the air, 24% in the water and 1% in the land. That is definitely not something I would want to be living around, breathing in, drinking in, or living on. Definitely something to think about.

I, personally, am straight, so I feel kind of strange commenting on people being bi-sexual. Not that I think anything is wrong with it, but I don’t want to put words or ideas in someone’s mouth, because who am I to say why they are really confused? I can though, I suppose, say why I think one would be. I have never been confused that I like men, but I know people who have been confused.
The girl in the video asks why people think they’re confused about their sexuality, because if your bi-sexual, than there shouldn’t be confusion, you like both guys and girls. I think the confusion starts when a person first thinks that they might be gay. Some people might be 100% sure right off the bat, but there are other people who are not sure. I say that they are confused because they probably have been told their whole life, or assumed by others that they were straight. Once they figure out they start having these feelings for people of the same sex, they are probably a little unsure what to do, how to react, or if they should act on it. Others, like I said are sure of themselves, and there’s no question.
Like I said, I have a few friends that are gay, and it wasn’t as easy as saying, I’m gay! And that was it. One of my guy friends thought he was gay for a while, but wasn’t 100% sure if he was just into men, or maybe still liked women as well. It wasn’t until he had sex with a girl, that he knew he was definitely not sexually attracted or interested in them anymore. From then on, he was comfortable knowing that he should be with men.
I think people are confused about their sexuality at times because they have been told, or brought up that you are to be straight. Not that people say being gay is bad, just that it is assumed when you’re born your going to be straight. Like people said in our class, nobody keeps telling you that it’s okay if you’re gay, continuously as you grow up. It most of the time is something that is talked about if it comes up for a reason.
I don’t think that it is a bad thing to be confused on one’s sexuality. I know I’m confused on many things in my own life, from what to do after college, to where to live etc. I should feel lucky that I know that I like men, and not have to go on unsure of one more thing in my life. It takes a lot of courage to explore and take chances and find out what the right path for you in life is. If that means testing the waters and exploring different ideas, and people, then go for it!

This guy just seems to be another person in the media, who says the wrong thing. Can people not think before they talk? What is interesting to note is that it wasn’t just a quick slip of the tongue, you know like mentioning an inappropriate curse word or something. Instead, this guy representing thousands of people, decides to go off an a whole spiel about an entire “community” of people, and to offend them so greatly all at once!

I can see the effect of using a metaphor when giving a speech, heck, I took CAS here at Penn State, but I think its always a bad idea to compare people to animals, especially if it’s about a negative aspect of those people. I’m sure the person who writes his speeches got a nice slap on the wrist after that one.

I can see how talking about welfare is an important aspect on politics, but does he even know anyone on welfare? I don’t, and I have caught myself before thinking something negative about it, because of stereotypes. But at the same time, I know it’s a stereotype, such as some people on welfare keep having kids to get more money each month. But you know what; we don’t know every single person who is on welfare. It would be extremely unfair to lump everyone together and say they are all on welfare for the same reasons. We have no idea what these people have done in their lives to end up there. Maybe some people are lazy, and just want to take what they can get, but at the same time, maybe other people just caught a bad break and can’t get out of the rut they are in.

I think that this applies to what we talked about in class on Tuesday. For example, Sam was saying that we can make choices. So you have an obstacle in your way, well make a decision to change that. You are your own person and can make something else happen. That is true, indeed for everyone, yet sometimes you need a little help. I can think of a million times where I had called my mom to ask for help. Whether it was financially, physically or emotionally, I have called on her for help. These people who are on welfare, for whatever reason, need some help too, and like Sam said, most of these people on welfare are kids. What have they done to be called animals?

I think this politician, should do more than just apologize by way of word. Not that I would want to see him after he said those things about me, but perhaps he should go around and talk to different people on welfare. Listen to their stories, and learn that not everyone who is on welfare is an animal. Perhaps they just caught a bad break, or are stuck in a rut and need a little help. Maybe that would hope his eyes, and shut his mouth.