The recent events that have brought a dark cloud over State College, PA have affected everybody. If you turn on the news, all you see is news about Penn State. The riots that happened the past couple days are because of the anguish the students have because of the firing of our coach Joe Paterno. I have mixed feelings about the whole situation but I think it is to early to pass judgement when none of us know the whole story. As my teacher told our class yesterday, the whole world is watching us, so lets act as nittany lions and support or school like passed generations have. People do not understand how much this football team means to the student body and its hard to even imagine.

As you look at one of Penn State's biggest rivals the Ohio State Buckeyes and their problems with boosters damaging the program, suddenly that does not seem too bad compared to the child sex abuse cases that have battered our city. Suddenly, our student body needs to realize that this is much bigger then football and its about the safety of our children.

When students are walking along campus, you can't turn the corner without seeing a news broadcaster. This puts a lot of pressure on our students that seems unfair. I do not think this scandal is going away anytime in the near future so we need to act appropriately. As I read in the collegian that their will be more cops and enforcement for students acting inappropriately. I am sure that if students riot before, during, and after that it will reach the media. It is sad that Coach Joe Paterno will not be shaking the hands of the seniors on the team, but I am positive that Coach would not appreciate the riots that are destroying the name of the great Penn State.

In conclusion, Penn State needs to dig deep down in their heart and act appropriately. This scandal is much bigger then this single football game. The student body needs to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Over the next few days, students can change the look of the public. The public is not Penn State and they never will be because we bleed blue and white. As weeks, months, and years go by, we have to restore the Penn State image because this is not who we are. When we graduate, we do not want people looking down upon us at job interviews because of these riots. We want to show them that we are loyal fans and will stick up for our university at its most desperate time. The current student body is making history at Penn State and the whole world is watching. The media needs to understand that the 44,000 students that make this university are not Jerry Sandusky. We need to show that these recent events don't make this university but how we act does. Lets restore our image to what it has been in the past and what it will be in the future.

Matt Ricci
Racism is the belief that all members of a race commit certain actions or express their emotions in one specific way. Stereotyping is a common form of expressing racism. An example of a stereotype is that Mexicans are lazy or African Americans are all criminals. However not all stereotypes are negative, all Asians are smart is an example of this. Racism is a strong way of life. It’s harder in certain locations compared to others because of the environment and culture in which people are accustomed too. Race is the first thing you notice about a person, even if you are not a racist.

Race is a feature that one cannot change or hide. So it is easy for a person to target a group and blame them for their problems. Because we all know it’s easy to blame others for your problems then to blame yourself. Which is one reason for it’s popularity amongst people today. Another reason is that most kids learn this behavior from their parents. The parents are responsible for teaching their children that racism isn’t the answer to their problems. However for racists its quite the opposite, if you were to ask a racist if their parents felt the same way as them on issues of race I’m certain your answer would be yes.

My personal experience with racism is that I am not a racist however some friends of mine are. My parents are not racists but they certainly have their hate for some people who caused problems in their life, be it white people or black people or Asians. This has made my upbringing good, I learned from my parents that race is just a physical feature and has nothing to do with that persons specific actions. Although some African Americans do commit crimes that doesn’t mean that they all do, and there are white people that commit crimes. I’ve learned that certain aspects of a person define that person, not the color of their skin. If a Latino commits a crime he is a criminal, if a white person commits a crime he is also a criminal. As it goes the other way if theirs a hard working Mexican he is a good worker not a lazy worker. What you do defines you.

In my eyes if you’re a racist you are uneducated. Education is a tool of awareness and awareness will free you from unneeded hate. Racism is a big problem today because ultimately any argument between races becomes a race issue even if race has nothing to do with the argument. Racism has been a long-standing problem not only in this country but, anywhere in the world that races come into contact with each other. 10,000 years ago the races of the world didn’t live side by side, they lived in separate parts of the world, which gave them their defining features. Africans have their dark skin because of the sun, White Europeans have their white skin because of their northern location, and Asians have small eyes because of frequent sand storms in their land. Race at the end of the day is a look that everyone has because of where their ancestors lived on Earth, nothing more nothing less.

Matthew Ricci

Is homosexuality more or less acceptable in different races. I believe that race does not really affect a persons beliefs on homosexuality. I feel that it is more about how you are raised and what your family believes in. I have an Aunt that is a lesbian and when I was a young boy, I never really realized it. At family events, my Aunt Lynn would always bring her lady friend and I would've never thought of her being a lesbian. As time went on and I got older, my mom finally informed me about my aunts situation. After this, I wouldn't say I looked at my Aunt differently but it was different. I feel that as my Aunt realized when we were getting older that it made her feel unusual. I love my aunt no matter if she likes man or woman and I am happy this she is who she is and doesn't change for anyone.

As I stated before, I do not believe that race affects a persons beliefs on homosexuality. I believe that there is as many white gay people then there is black gay people. I our generations get older, I feel that all races will be more accepting then our older generations. In todays world, gays and lesbians are much more common then they were before. I believe this is a good thing because people need to realize how common this is and how it is not going away. If you have a very religious and old school family, you are most likely not going to be as accepting as others. My family is very religious but my grand-pop never treated my aunt any differently because he loved her for who she was.

I have mostly white friends so it is hard to talk for the black or asian community. Most of my friends are very homophobic and do not accept gays. I am sure that most of my guy friends do accept lesbians though. This is because guys feel that lesbians are “hot” but that gay men are “homo.”

In conclusion, race is not a factor in accepting gays and lesbians. It is what your family believes in and how they treat the situation. As time goes by, I think that more families will be accepting whether they are black, white, or yellow. Families need to start preparing their children for gays and lesbians because they are going to be in our society whether you like it or not. Our future generation need to understand that being gay or lesbian is nothing to be ashamed of. There are no race factors but rather your families atmosphere in which you are brought into. I feel that a lot of acceptance is a cultural thing and you are not masculine if you accept gays but that is unfair and needs to stops. America is very diverse and we need to be more accepting of others because thats how life should be.

Matthew Ricci
World In Conversation BLOG

After watching the videos on the bike thieves, I thought that it was a very interesting study. When the white teenager was trying to steal the bike most people that were walking by ignored the situation. This was very appealing because I feel that if I was in that situation and walking by the white teenager, trying to snap the chain, I wouldn’t of called the cops or park security. It was insane how many people walked by the white kid doing the theft, without any thought. The reason I would have had this reaction is because I grew up in the city of Philadelphia and have seen plenty of bike thefts and I usually turn the other way. It is really none of my business. After watching the black kid trying to steal the bike, the scenario changed immediately. Everyone that was walking by stopped and looked at the boy. Multiple people opened their phones and immediately called the cops. I noticed many bystanders were white people, so once they saw this black teenager, they immediately were alarmed. An interesting thought I had on the subject, what if the study was done in a black community? I wonder what would happen then. Would the black people call the cops on the white kid instead of the black kid? Also, the scenario with the pretty girl was very comical. Most women that walked by tried to ignore the girl. When the men drove by they immediately went over and tried to help the girl out. I feel that most men helped out because she was attractive. I am sure many of the people that helped out knew they were doing something wrong, but instead decided to help out. If I was walking by and saw a young girl trying to get her bike unlocked, I would definitely walk over and help. Also, I would try to get her number, while I was talking to her. This study shows us that most people are racist. When we watched the videos in class most people were laughing. But people need to realize that racism is in our everyday lives. It does not matter were you live because you see it everywhere. I feel that most people that were walking by chose to ignore the situation and keep walking but once a different race got in the picture, the situation was different. I feel that if the study was done is State College the results would’ve been the same. In closing, this study was a real eye opener for me. It shows different takes on race and how it affects people’s judgments. As I stated before, I would like to see the same study done in a black community to see how different the results would be. It was also out of the ordinary to see the people’s reaction after seeing the video cameras. They all seemed pretty stunned by their own reactions and probably wish they ‘d done something about it.

Matthew Ricci

First hearing about the Haiti Group Blog responses, I was a little upset. I really liked responding to certain questions that caught my attention. Since Professor Richards made everyone write about this certain subject, I had to view the archives and found some very interesting stuff. My first video I watched was about the sandals and evening wear. I thought how they made the sandals were very remarkable; the way they use their talents is very intriguing. When Sam Richards talks about the limited supplies they have you never really think about it until you watch the videos. It’s unbelievable how they can’t afford a manikin. Furthermore, they talk about making the process faster and the cost of it in American dollars would be around $500.00, which isn’t to expensive for us Americans but for people in Haiti, their too expensive.
Another video that I viewed was about the community project ERNESA. This caught my eye because I liked how they don’t order their parts “pre-prepared”, this keeps more jobs for the Haiti people which is what this project is all about. They buy raw materials so they can train employees to learn how these streetlights are put together and used. It is very interesting how the bank did not grant a loan for their raw materials. I look at it from my perspective, if a bank did not grant me the loans to go to school, what would I do. The video about the roasted nuts was astonishing. It was very interesting to see the whole process to make and sell them. The idea of having to walk two hours every two or three days just to grab the materials is different. Usually us Americans, would just hop in our car and go get something, but the people in Haiti have to use their own two feet. I wonder how they get their plastic cups and tin foil? Also, how expensive that would be? It was very cool to see the basket that she carries her cups, full of roasted peanuts through the streets of Haiti. It’s exciting to see what people do to earn an honest living.
In conclusion, these videos were a life changing experience. Not only do these people live in poverty but also the living conditions look horrible. I never realized how good I got it until I watched these clips. As I get older, I would like to take a trip over to Haiti to learn more about these projects and what I could do to help. As a future educator, I would like to maybe some day, some how, make a difference in somebody’s life over their. I feel like that experience would teach me how to be humble and to realize what it is like over there. I am happy that Sam Richards made us look at these videos because they changed my overall opinion about Haiti. It made me look at the big picture and to not sweat the small stuff.

When President Obama was on the ballet for the 2008 Presidential campaign, I did not vote for him. Personally, his race did affect my decision. I didn't like the idea of having an African American President, for the first time in our countries history. Now I realize that race has nothing to do with the person that is inside. I did consider Barack Obama being an African American and now by learning in Soc 119, I realize that a person race has nothing to do with it. It is interesting because when Professor Richards puts up pictures on his slide show and asks the class “what race do you think this person is?” I rarely get the right answer. The reason for this is because I tend to look on the outside rather then the inside. If you look at President Obama, he looks like an African American, but he is actually half white and half black. Now, if President Obama got the looks of a white man, I think I would've voted for him. I thought a lot of people in America that did not vote for Obama, did it because he is black but if he looked white on the outside, I feel many people would've changed there decision. I know that this is not right but that is how America is. We tend to judge a persons skin color rather then anything else on the person. Sam Richards really shows that race should not be a factor in any decision. As a person, I am going to try and work on my opinions of people because it is not right. In class, I tend to sit in the “black section” as Professor Richards said jokingly. I would not feel right if people their judged me because I am white.
In conclusion, race is a huge factor in America, I wish that everyone could just be one, instead of black,white,yellow, or orange. As a future educator, I am going to have to deal with certain races. I am not going to be able to judge certain students because of their race. It is sad when you see certain educators in the news because of race related issues. Once I begin teaching, I have to concentrate with judging people on the inside. Just by being in this class helps me with these issues. I have a different understanding for other races then ever before. If we ever have another African American President on the ballet, I will not hold anything against him. I will forever look at the persons views on how to fix this beautiful country rather then his race. I will always try to help others, who have difficulty dealing with race related issues because I feel that it's my job to do so.

In closing, I do not care when I see a black man and a white woman walking down the street holding hands. I am not going to sit there and stare at them. I feel that your opinion has to do a lot with your parents that raise you, on how you feel about interracial relations. I think it is not right to judge but when it comes to family it is different for me. Family is everything to me and I want my son or daughter to date whites. If you disagree with me I understand but I can only be ME.

Even though I know that my parents would accept her but it’s because I have a strong opinion on my race and I like to date white woman. Do not get me wrong, I am not a racist. I have friends that are black and some of my black friends are my closest ones. I never talked to any of my black friends about this but I wonder how they would look at me after knowing how I feel on interracial relationships. I would hope that my peers would accept me for who I am. As I get older, I wonder what I’ll do if I have a daughter who brings home somebody of a different race. It’s a question that I don’t think I can answer right now because I am too young. Maybe when I get older, I’ll have a different take on interracial relationships.

I feel that dating outside of your race is a difficult thing to swallow. I am a white male that has only dated white woman for the first 21 years of my life. If I brought home a Black girl I feel that my parents would not treat her differently at all. They would be happy that I found someone that I enjoy being with. If I was a girl and I brought home a black male I feel my parents would respect him but it is different than bringing home a black girl. Why? It’s a very hard question to answer, I feel if I had a daughter and she brought home a black male, I wouldn’t accept it. I feel that whites should date whites, blacks should date blacks, and Hispanics should date Hispanics. I do not have anything against other races dating each other, but when it is in my family, I feel you should stick with your race. I don’t think in the future that I will ever bring home another girl that isn’t white. It’s just not in my blood.