I think this question can go in many directions and could be looked at it many different ways. I don’t think that Sam or Ian, whoever made this statement, meant it to mean that people think tests are more important than helping others or anything of the sort. Yes, many people, myself included, get very stressed and caught up in grades and what the transcripts say. In some sense, this is important. In todays world you cannot get too far without having qualifications that make you “more attractive” than others who are competing for the same position. Sometimes the transcripts do matter, but I think from a larger picture…who you are as a person is much more important. What this video is saying is partly true in a sense, and yes I do think that there probably should be a lot more people helping out in Haiti than there are, but then it just comes back to the problem that was discussed in class – some of the people that are helping are not doing the right thing and are actually making the Haitian economy worse off. Obviously this is not the intention of those who want to help but if one person dropped what they were doing for every individual who was killed, there would be 300 thousand MORE people in Haiti...causing more problems. So maybe 1 helping hand for each death is an extreme but even if 150,000 individuals were sent, it is hard to tell if the economy would thrive or not. I am not at all saying that Haiti does not need help or anything of that sort, they most definitely do, but they need the RIGHT help and sometimes not all individuals are qualified for that and therefore they do continue to just live their own lives and do what they need to do. Another way to look at it then is what about the other countries who are struggling in other ways. If we go all in and help out as much as we can for one country, in a sense we are leaving behind and forgetting about others. Some may say none of it is our responsibility and that Haiti is worse off but in a sense you can never please everyone. Someone will always need help, every economy will always be struggling and someone will let every world issue pass them by and not have a care in the world but their own. In the end I think it comes down to the following, the girl is completely right that if one of my family members died, I would most definitely take time off and do anything I could to help with the situation. However, I also can be placed under the category to just take my test and move on because I may not be the most qualified in skills to be the right kind of help in a place such as Haiti.

I would say that men do feel the need to conform just as much as women do. I think that every single individual feels different pressures whether it is from the media, magazines, friends, etc. I would say that maybe it’s the fact that women dwell over it more and therefore it is not as noticeable in the male population, but I definitely do think that it exists just as much for males as females. Women have magazines like Cosmo that give us tips about what is the most fashionable, how to get the perfect body and how to please a man, etc. But men pretty much have the same exact thing written for them in magazines such as Maxim. Tips are given to them about the right way to weightlift, how to treat a woman, etc. In essence, it is all the same thing. As discussed in my small group discussion, I think that men and women just go about these issues in different ways. For example, some and probably most women dress to impress. They think about the occasion to which they are going and base what they wear off of that. Some of the clothing I would wear at school is completely different than what I would wear at home. Why? Im not really sure ... it just happens that way. But most men on the other hand probably just throw on some jeans and a shirt and go on their merry way. Obviously these statements do not fit ALL men and women, but im sure they can be fitting for most individuals. Another aspect to look at this question is to think about surgeries and enhancements that men and women undergo to make them look and feel “more attractive.” If you really stop and think about it, each gender has the same type of enhancements in order to “conform to society” and what is deemed attractive and acceptable. Women can get breast implants and reductions and men can take male enhancement pills as well. I feel that there are just as many ways to enhance ones body for females as there are for males. In the end I think it all comes back to the same issue. The media plays a huge role in how people view themselves and really, there is no way to completely escape media and society so these trends and the idea of conforming will never go away. In a sense, everyone conforms to some trend in some way and I don’t think it is necessarily a problem until people start taking drastic measures to transform themselves. I think conformity is just a natural thing that happens whether we choose it or not and there is inevitably no way to escape it.

Before watching the video, Sam said that it would be one of the most disturbing videos of the semester. I was obviously very curious to see what he had at hand, and I sat anxiously on the edge of my seat. At first I just saw and heard the girls talking about different characteristics and qualities of themselves and was wondering what was yet to come. When it got to the part with the young children and the dolls, I literally got goosebumps and was quite astonished that what I was seeing was actually true. I have never heard of the experiment that was done and I actually was amazed that they would ask such questions such as, “which one is the nice doll,” and “which one is prettier.” I know it is all part of the experiment but I actually felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing the individual conducting the experiment ask such questions. Maybe it is because I never really think about which race is “prettier?” Who knows. Regardless, I was shocked after viewing this video. I know as a young white girl I would play with Barbie’s and I had a few black Barbie’s as well. I don’t recall ever having any Asian ones, but I don’t think that was due to the fact that I thought they were ugly, bad, or anything of the sort. I know I had more white Barbie’s than black Barbie’s, but I actually remember a black female Barbie being one of my favorite ones to play with. I don’t exactly recall why I loved her, but I know the she was always included in whatever scenarios I came up with. I’m not sure that this says anything about my thoughts and ideas on race as a little girl, and I guess I’ll never really know either, but maybe it does say something about how I viewed individuals of other races.
Seeing the look on the one girls face when she was asked, “which one looks like you” really strikes me. You can tell that she reaches for the white doll first in hopes that she could be and look like that one because it is “prettier.” However, she stops herself and then doesn’t pick up the black doll, but pushes it forward. It is like she truly wants to look like the white one, but she knows she cant and must “choose the correct answer.” That look is just devastating and I think is an extremely important part of the video. Some individuals spoke after this was shown and I enjoyed hearing that a lot of this happens due to Disney and some other influences. However, I am curious to know if any individuals of color remember feeling this way about their skin color as a young child due to their own feelings and not other influences such as Disney princesses and the media.

I completely agree with the fact that some of the things Sam said may have made others (including myself) feel uncomfortable and I think the only reason for this is because of the fact that these words were coming from a male. I think it is somewhat different to hear a male say these things as opposed to a female, because as he was discussing, males do not know what it is like to experience a menstrual cycle. Obviously males are aware of the fact that this natural process happens to women about once a month, but they will never be able to relate directly with it. There is nothing that men experience where one could say, “oh well women getting their period is like men getting lalalala.” No. I can’t speak for every female out there, but I am not at all ashamed of the fact that I get my period and even if I were, there is not much that I could do about it. You cannot just stop it when you please. Therefore, there is nothing to be ashamed of. There’s a reason women experience this. It comes with a lot of other side effects and every female is different, but they are all part of the body and part of life...and that’s beautiful and shouldn’t be seen as disgusting, gross or uncomforting.
As for the part in the video when she states that the word bleeding maybe isn’t the right word and could be seen as somewhat disrespectful…I agree with that to an extent. I don’t necessarily feel disrespected by the fact that he refers to it as bleeding, but I think that it is much more than just bleeding. At least for me, a whole another set of emotions and feelings comes over me when I am menstruating and “bleeding” does not sum it up. Yes that is what physically is happening, but emotionally there is much more than that. I do not necessarily think that males should be completely informed on what is happening in our bodies but I do think that the process should be respected by males and seen as a natural part of life rather than “ew your bleeding – that’s nasty.” Although men will never ever know what it’s like, I don’t want to make it sound like it is such a horrible thing and oh my gosh you will never know what us females have to go through and all that jazz. That is not what I am trying to portray at all. I just think that more males should accept it as a part of life and I think this would help if society did not put such a bad connotation on things and shun certain topics from being talked about in public. Its beautiful, its life and I think it is nothing for a woman to be ashamed or embarrassed to speak of.

I cannot believe that in today’s generation such a thing would happen. Well, I guess I CAN believe it do to some of the extreme measures people will take to fight against something that they do not agree with. But is this extreme really necessary? Or did the school board take it way overboard? In my opinion – the school board crossed the line. I know states have different laws regarding gay marriage and rights for LGBT individuals, but this is prom! A high school dance! It is outward discrimination to tell McMillen that she cannot bring a female date to her school dance. What makes it even worse is that the result of the incident had to affect everyone else attending the school. I think the school board made a poor decision by cancelling the entire prom and if they were going to stand firm in making the rule that the students must bring a date of another gender, they should have dealt with McMillen on a personal level. Most likely a compromise could have been made where McMillen could bring the date of her choice but maybe would have to agree not to show a level of intimacy in public that could be found offensive to other students. I’m sure that if I were attending this school and were placed in this situation as a student, I would definitely choose the option of having the students bring the date they so choose, but agree to comply to some set of rules. I am sure that even if a student does not agree with gay couples, rights, etc. they would much rather have the couple attend the event with them rather than have it shut down completely. I think the school board was way too quick in making this decision to completely cancel prom and put themselves in a position to not only deal with the consequences from the McMillen’s, but also from the students who no longer have a prom to attend. If you really stop and think about it, what was the worse thing that McMillen and her date could have done? So they show up as a same sex couple and one wears a tux, big deal. I don’t see anything positive that came out of this incident and it just makes me stop and think about where McMillen was supposed to go in this incident. Should LGBT students be forced to attend a separate school so that they can attend events in which they are able to bring a date of the same sex? I certainly hope it never comes to this, but with incidents such as this it might just be in the near future. It is really sad to think that someone cannot express him or herself without being bashed and shut down.

It is actually somewhat odd to hear that it is predominantly white people who host themed parties. In my opinion themed parties are hosted by people of all races and really have nothing to do with making fun of anyone. I view them as a way to add on a different touch to a party or see how creative people can get. I do not think I have ever attended a themed party thats purpose was solely to discriminate or make fun of black people, yet alone any race. Yes, I will agree that sometimes people may dress as someone who may look “ghetto” or they will dress as someone trying to portray a certain character but I do not see it as a way of discrimination. Maybe some people of that race do, but as a white individual I personally do not take offense to people coming to parties dressed as white trash or something of the sort. In my eyes, this is the same concept. If I were to try and pinpoint a group that themed parties usually “mock,” I would honestly have to say that it is all races and backgrounds. Tennis hoes and golf pros, would you be my friend if I dressed like this, business hoes and CEO’s, Jersey Shore parties, highlighter parties, etc. None of these parties relate to racial stereotypes or discriminate against a specific race. To be completely honest I think they poke fun at more white individuals more than anyone. I think it is unfair to say that white people host most of these parties because if you look at a more general themed party such as State Patty’s day, many people are partaking in the activity. This can be seen as one big themed party because in reality everyone is taking on the Irish theme and wearing green. That does not mean that everyone celebrating is discriminating against individuals of Irish descent, it is just a common way for the Penn State campus to come together and celebrate the day.
I have not heard of any instances where a party was themed solely around a race but maybe the girl in the video has, and I would be very willing to hear the story or experience she had in which triggered her to ask this question. I would not take part in a party of such and definitely would have a different opinion about this issue if I did hear of such a thing happening. In the end, I do not think anyone attends or hosts theme parties in order to make fun of racial stereotypes. I think they are just a way to have some creativity and fun and add a little flare.

I think this issue is rather complex and there are many different ways to go when considering it. While I was sitting in class listening to Sam’s lecture, I did feel like I should take some of the blame. I indirectly did take land away from Native Americans and today many of them are suffering. When Sam shows statistics in class it is always the Native Americans who are the poorest and the Native Americans who have the highest rate of unemployment, etc. The majority of them never really got on their feet in order to live a better life. The genocide that occurred on their land knocked them down, and it knocked them down hard. I do feel partly to blame for this, because if it wasn’t me, then every other individual could say it wasn’t him or her either. And soon everyone is saying it wasn’t them – then who was it?

I do not think that we need to sit and sulk and say how could such a thing happen, but I do think that educating others and making them aware of such a thing is something important to do. It is hard to say exactly what we can do to make up for this problem because clearly we cannot just knock down every mall, home, building, school, etc. that we have built and “give their land back.” I think making people aware of the fact that this happened is a good thing to do but when I attempt to think of the next step to take, I am not sure where to go. Because I don’t know where to turn next, I start right back into the mindset that yes I did have something to do with this genocide, but I played a very, very small role and I do not need to feel extreme blame for it. I tell myself that accepting the fact that people of my ancestry did this at one point is enough, and that I do not need to look farther. But how could this be the case? I am tangled between two sides and still do not know what is correct or where to lead myself on this issue. Should I feel guilt? Is accepting the fact that such a terrible thing happened enough? I do not know. And to be completely honest, I probably never will know. Sam says we shouldn’t feel guilty about it, then what should we feel? I am slightly confused and think that either way I look at the situation, something is wrong with that mindset. I tried to relate to this whole situation today when Sam did the demonstration of people getting pushed off the table. I tried to put myself in their shoes, and I can imagine how this would have felt...I just don’t know which direction to lead myself knowing of this disastrous genocide.

Although I do not necessarily believe it is right, I do agree that society seems to be more accepting of lesbian couples. I personally would like to believe that I see both lesbians and gay men as equal and think that all same sex couples should have the same rights. However, to answer the question as to why this may be, I think it all comes back to the personalities of women versus men from day one.

Obviously all men and women are different, but from the beginning many perceive women to be the ones who share stories and become friends on a more “intimate” level I guess you could say. It is common for straight women to hug when they say hello and goodbye to one another, often times they lay in bed together and watch movies or have a girls night, etc. It is not rare for female friends to say I love you to one another. However if a straight man makes a comment to another man such as “I love you” or something, many will through in the “no homo” line afterward. I think this is a clear example that most of society is more accepting of two women rather than two men. Men feel the need to through in the “no homo” so that others do not view them as gay. Likewise, men usually shake hands when they meet one another so this type of view is set up for many to believe that men should not have any level of intimacy with one another, even as friends. Similarly if you see five guys lying in a bed together you think something completely different of it than you would if you saw five females together. I think it is all an instinct that we have our minds set to think.

I also think lesbians are more accepted because as always, the media has an effect on it. There are people such as Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell who are lesbians and they are confident in themselves and what they do. I think this gives lesbians more of a support system and someone to stand behind and look up to. I’m not saying there are no gay males being portrayed in the media but I think having people such as Ellen who is well known and loved by many makes others appear as more accepting to lesbians.

Also, I think it comes down to sexual reasons. In general I would say straight men are accepting of lesbians because some find two women doing sexual things to be attractive. However, most straight men probably don’t find two males attractive. I think women are probably more willing to accept both gay males and females and therefore in the end lesbians seem to be the more accepted of the two.

Before reading this article and watching the video, the thought of languages completely disappearing never really crossed my mind. In fact, I somewhat did not even know such a thing existed. I did know that languages have built upon each other over time and that many started with basic symbols for sounds. Eventually we came to what is today’s alphabet and we now use these letters to make words and those words to make sentences and to create a language. However the idea that one day there might be only one person remaining who can speak the English language that I know seems way to far-fetched and abstract to my mind. But regardless, it is a reality that other languages in which many people (including myself) are completely unaware of are vanishing. The article states that about half of the worlds 7,000 languages are currently in danger of disappearing. This is huge. Although the language aspect is a big deal, what boggles my mind even more is the thought that the cultures of these people are most likely disappearing as well. When I stop and think about the situation I wonder how such a thing could happen. I feel as though cultures and languages get passed down from generation to generation naturally, but I guess this is not the case. In the article they speak of Johnny and his experiences with his tribe. It says that Johnny has tried to teach the children and other individuals of the tribe, but when it all comes down to it, nobody wants to come around and work at it. This results in Johnny not even having one person to talk to that speaks this same language. And as I said before, even deeper than just the language aspect is the fact that the culture, traditions and stories of this tribe are most likely being lost too. This goes to show that language and other parts of culture are not naturally passed down. For many, it is something that needs to be learned and worked on.

Looking from a bigger picture, I can agree and say that I think part of the reason why languages are being lost is due to globalization. Quite honestly, just as quickly as I said that English diminishing is far-fetched, I can say that with todays technology and forms of communication, it may not be all that foreign of a possibility. Each year more and more communication is done through ways that are not face-to-face. People call, text, email, web chat, whatever it may be but each year less and less physical interactions are made between people. Over time, maybe it wouldn’t be so odd to see many of the “popular” languages starting to diminish. Just as easily as I think it couldn’t happen, it most definitely can. I don’t necessarily believe that globalization is a bad thing and that we need to end this in order to save languages, but I do think that younger generations should start stepping up to the plate in order to keep many of the dying cultures and languages alive.

I actually watched this video earlier in the week but decided not to post an immediate response. Surprisingly, this idea of banning women from wearing burqas stuck in my head for a few days. I thought about what this would mean to be a woman in France hearing of this news. Of course many questions ran through my mind. What would be something that I wear daily that might be controversial to some? Is there anything I wear that can be associated with my religion? Can French lawmakers really impose a law for someone being TOO covered?

I contemplated some of these questions that I had, but I obviously did not come up with any definite answers. Regardless, they were interesting things to think about. In fact, it all seems somewhat unreal to me when I stop and think of the government telling me one day that I cannot wear a hat, or maybe a scarf, or any item that I see as “normal” in my culture. I mean really, isn’t it just clothing? I think it is hard for me to get a grasp around this issue because I am so accustomed to always seeing actresses, celebrities, etc. wearing not enough clothes. Then it is brought to my attention that women in France may no longer be able to wear a simple piece of clothing over their heads. Something is wrong with this picture! It is so strange and fascinating just how different cultures are, and how people perceive different situations.

I personally do not see the reasoning behind why French officials would see the need to ban burqas. The video states that less than two thousand women in the country actually wear this face-covering veil. Compared to the whole population, this really is a small, small number and I really do not think this could create a large problem. Yes I agree that the numbers could rise, but even if they did I do not see these burqas to be harming anyone or anything. In order for me to best understand this situation, I related it to me wearing a cross necklace around my neck. To me, I associate the cross with my religion and beliefs and if it is simply around my neck and I do not see how it could be harming anyone. It is simply a way for me to express myself. Similarly, these Muslim women are wearing veils as a part of their beliefs, culture, religion, and are harming no one. To my knowledge they are not forcing others to act like them, they are not wearing these burqas as a symbol against anything; they are simply acting on their culture. I see absolutely no harm in this and do not think French officials have any right to ban these articles. I would hate to have a situation like this placed upon me and therefore I support and agree with the women who do not want to abide by this ban.