Can you guess my race?

In class this week we discussed race. The activity we did online where we had to place people into different races based on a small picture was eye opening. We hardly placed any of the people into their correct classification. My one friend, who is black (far right), gets mistaken on what race she is often. People will ask her if she's part Asian, Filipino, or even Caucasian. She told me the other black kids at her school don't accept her as one of them because A) she hangs out with more white kids and B) they think she is only half black. One time she was at the gas station and the cashier asked her what race she is. Her response: "I'm black". The cashier was shocked and asks her: "Are you sure?" Of course she's SURE. Her only response to that man was: "What the hell??" She couldn't believe that someone would be so ignorant to not even believe her when she tells them the truth of her race. There are many different degrees of black. There is coffee bean black which is the darkest of all, mostly native Africans, and there is all the way to mocha black which is so light it's more of a milky chocolate. She said that on her dad's side of the family there are people that have even lighter skin tones than she does, and they're still considered black. Her one uncle is actually albino so his skin appears white in pigment even though he is really black. Same goes for Caucasian and Asian. For white people the spectrum can go from olive-like dark skin all the way to pasty ghost white while Asians can be anything from Korean to Chinese to Japanese and still be simply classified as Asian. I can tell how frustrated my friend gets when people question her race, in fact I even get mad for her. To me, since I know her well, I can CLEARLY tell she is 100% black. She even invited me over for Kwanzaa this year so I can get the full African experience with her and her family. For me, even though I am not largely Native American, people tell me all the time, "No you're not". Truthfully, I am Native American but others just have a hard time believing it because physically I don't look the part. Sorry, just because it's in my blood doesn't mean it's in my skin too...

Monopoly Class

This week in class we played monopoly based on social class with regulated rules. For my groups case, the richer only became richer and the poor became poorer while everyone seemed to remain in their original social class. This just goes to prove how hard it is to move between social classes in society. Typically if you start out with money, if you're born into it, it is easier to become successful and harder to lose big. Those who play smart, take risks, and have some luck are those who tend to move up in social class. Same goes for real life. This game was a perfect example to show the structure of the economic ladder and just how difficult it is to move out of poverty or out of wealth. For some people this may be a huge let down while for others it is more of a safety blanket. But there are those cases in which people move down in social class, but that is mostly due to poor decisions with a bit of bad luck too. Also, those people who started off with more property were able to gain more from rent and also able to afford more land. This just goes to show how big companies survive at a higher rate as opposed to privately owned ones. There are mass branches of target and its great success while it beats out those smaller businesses trying to become a part of the business world. However there are those few cases where these small stores do survive, yet not as often as the chain ones. Basically we should not look down on those in poverty because most likely it is not their fault, we should rather try to help them.

Social Class

When we were watching the video this week in class it was hard to believe that some of those people were being serious. The crude remarks the "high class" ranked ladies and gentlemen made were unreal. By saying because of their lifestyle and money they are automatically smarter, better looking, nicer, and have more friends was the most pompous and ridiculous statement I've ever heard. Personally by watching the video and the "old money" upper class people's lives it seemed boring, stuck up, and there was no room for error. If you were not born into that life style, you don't belong there. Same goes for if a person was born rich but was then kicked out of their house for any reason and forced to live with low income, they wouldn't be able to fit into a poverty stricken class because that's just not their life style. I don't like how it is unrealistic to move between class levels just because of who your family is or what you represent. Class is something that society puts in too high of esteem. It shouldn't matter how much money you have or where you're from, people are people. We should make friends based on the person, not their class. Anyone who is willing to be a friend to another should be able to be friends with that person, and not resist because their "class" told them to or not to be. I don't feel the reality of class is as apparent in our area as if someone from the city were to visit the suburbs around here because it would be harder for them to fit in and feel equal. Overall, I do not approve of social class because it is just a refined version of the ancient caste system, which did not last.

Drugs and Deviance

We did an activity in class this week that dealt with drug descriptions and matching the level of legality for each. We did not know the names of each drug and we weren't supposed to try and figure that out. Simply we had to categorize the drugs as legal over the counter, legal prescription, illegal misdemeanor, or illegal felony. It was interesting to see how some of the legal drugs we categorized as illegal and vise versa. Based on the descriptions my group put heroine in the legal prescription category, while we put nicotine in the misdemeanor category. We had several debates about weather certain drugs should be legal or not based on the severity of effects. For the warnings on nearly every single one there was a "possibility of death". This just goes to show that any drug, no matter how common, can be dangerous if you abuse it. If a person were walking around on the streets with a bottle of aspirin then people wouldn't think anything of it, even if their plan was to go pop 10 at a time around the next corner. But if someone were shooting up heroine on the streets, not only would people think something of it, but everyone would know as cops would be on this person. Reason being? This is an act of deviance and not only out of the norm, but illegal. People residing behind prison bars are there because of one reason: they participated in illegal deviance. It is crazy to hear cases of someone selling marijuana being in prison for longer than someone murdering their spouse. That just doesn't seem right, but because of the War on Drugs in America the amount of people in prison caught with possession of drugs has sky rocketed. In my opinion, if you intentionally end another person's life, then you don't deserve to continue living yours after minimal punishment. No, we shouldn't physically end murderers lives by means of death sentence, but we should technically end them by keeping them locked up until their death. Their only option then is to live their lives, yet in the worst conditions possible. We shouldn't sympathize with killers, but rather give them a taste of their own medicine, torture.

Age 18: Adult?

This week in class we discussed milestones in our lives. In third grade we had to do a "milestone" project. Back then the most important milestones in my life consisted of being born, taking my first steps, saying my first words, my first day of school, and learning how to ride a bike. Now as we looked at the time-line of life in a much broader view I realize there are so many more milestones that would be important to me now. I have already passed several like getting my license and starting high school, but there are still huge ones to look forward to in my future like going to college, getting married, and having kids. Milestones are something to look back on, to live in the moment of, and to dream of in years to come. One milestone that people find important is the age of 18, the start of one's adulthood. At this age we are able to buy lottery tickets, cigarettes, porn, have no curfew, join the military, and are legally considered an "adult". But in reality these are just benefits of the age that the government has set for us, it doesn't automatically mean we are considered an adult the moment the clock strikes 12:01 on our 18th birthday. My sister started living in her own apartment out in California at age 18, she has a part time job, goes to school, has a dog, all of the things that adults might have too. Yet, my parents still support her financially and pay for her apartment, without them she'd be lucky to be able to share an apartment with 4 other kids. She might think of herself as an adult because she's living independent and not even remotely in the same state as our parents, but really she's not an adult. Now at age 20 she still has the same job, goes to school, and takes care of her dog, but she still has no steady job and is just a year away from graduating college. An adult would know what to do after their senior year, but she will just have to see what the future holds for her much like young adults all over the nation.

Aikido

Today in class we learned about aikido. Aikido is described as a Japanese martial art that combines martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. People practice it to know how to get out of bad situations without necessary fighting. It is more of a defensive act rather than an attack in order to use the energy of your opponent against themselves. I feel like this is a good skill to have because it will teach people in today's society to be less violent and more focused on the inner goal. It's a more positive way to solve problems rather than fighting. Yes, if someone attacks you you will be forced to twist them into uncomfortable positions, but only for your own benefit. Schools should teach this in opposition to fighting, or at least advertise it. If everyone was aikido knowledgeable then the world would be more peaceful and focused on their own actions. We wouldn't follow instinct but more thought based actions. Aikido seems like a revolution that we should all become involved in, especially in the sense of self defense.

Girls Vs Boys

This week in class we discussed the differences between girls and boys. How the media affects them and how their culture affects who they become when they grow up. Girls are ultimately represented by the color pink and boys with the color blue. But I say, what if a baby boy had his first crib in a pink room? How would that truly affect who he is in later years. Just because he has a pink room as a baby doesnt mean he will be gay or love pink things, that is just people's preconceived thoughts. If a girl grows up in a blue room it doesnt mean she will be a boy or necessarily act like one. Yes, growing up with only a mom or only a dad is difficult and tends to skew the actions of kids, but a girl that has only a dad wont automatically be a "dike". I feel like the media has a big affect on people because they are telling parents how kids SHOULD be. Girls should like pink and boys should like blue. Girls should like make-up, shopping, and singing. Boys should like sports, eating, and fighting. These are all considered sex related norms. But in today's society people are more accepting of boys and girls breaking the norms. Girls can play sports where as boys can sing in choir. Overall I have learned just how apparent the media pushes girls and boys in opposite directions to satisfy how society should be.

Homeschooling

This week in class we discussed the topic of homeschooling. For me it's weird to think that some teenagers don't get the full life experience. Missing out on high school is literally like missing out on a part of life. High school is said to be "the best years of your life" but when you don't go you miss out. Sure home-schooled kids will still get a good education but maybe they will miss part of the curriculum, they won't be able to put on their college applications that they graduated from a prestigious high school like ours for example. I can't imagine not having a social life and no friends from school. It would be really hard to go into the real world or college after being home-schooled. My friend told me that someone she knows is home-schooled and the only social interaction they get on a regular basis is from going to church. Sure church is a social gathering but it is more conserved and not a place to goof off with like you can sometimes at school. Basically I would hate my life if I were home-schooled and I would be so out of the norm it would be hard to adapt later in life.

Nature Vs. Nurture

The nature vs nurture idea prevails in our society. In psychology we learned about how different behavioral sciences could either be described as nature or nurture. Nature is something that you are born with, it is natural, you don't have to think about it. Nurture on the other hand is something that we learn how to do, that is taught to us based on our society, and that we eventually won't have to think about. Society tends to affect mostly only nurture because nature we can't control, it's part of our genes, our family, and our biological making. When we are nurtured into something it may be something well practiced like playing a sport, an instrument, or even social skills. No one is just born a basketball star, a mini Beethoven, or a great public speaker, all of those things take talent. Yes, some people may be said to be "naturally talented" but that doesn't mean that it is natural to dribble a ball or strum a guitar. Some families for instance may all be good at one thing, but that is because it's in their genes, but even so this still takes nurture. In reality, the idea of being naturally talented is trash because talent is essentially just something we work hard at and eventually become skilled in.

Tuesdays With Morrie-Work

I think that Mitch puts work too high up in his list of priorities. Yes, work is an important part of survival in life because working leads to money, but it shouldn't be everything. In America people are too focused on work to slow down and smell the roses. We try to do so much that life just slips away and we miss out on the things that are actually worth living for, like love, family, and hobbies. Mitch put work above all else before he started to realize that Jenine and Morrie were people that were more important to him than any report could ever be. It is not true for my parents, I think that with my dads job going from March to October every year he is able to spend the entire months of the winter focused on just our family and my mom doesn't even work. I feel that the "workaholic" syndrome does start in high school with those students who are so concerned with grades and homework that they have no time for a social life or trying out hobbies that make themselves happy. We can all succeed in something different and that doesn't have to be in the working world. Success is based on whatever makes you feel happy personally and that should be all that matters.

Language

Language is one of the things we looked at during class. We talked about how language reflects certain cultures. My friend's older brother had a softball team so my friends and I wanted to be the managers. Each of the back of our shirts reflected something from our personal culture. My one friend just put "manager" because it was her brother's team and she doesn't really have a culture besides American that she associates closely with. Another friend put "Mur" because it is part of her last name and her last name connects to her family's Polish/Italian heritage. The last one put "la jefe" which means "the boss" in Spanish because she is part Mexican. On my shirt I put Keezheekoni which means "burning fire" in Native American language because I am part Cherokee. Not only did our names reflect our cultures but also our personalities. The manager is obedient to her elders, Mur is proud of her family name, the boss thinks very highly of herself (in the nicest sense possible), and I am simply a burning fire. Overall this is just one example that shows how language is reflective of culture. We may speak the same language as people in England, but the way we use it is different because of our surroundings and the people that influence us.

Sociological Norms

After discussing the sociological norms in class I realized that my friends and I are sometimes sociologically inappropriate. Whatever the type of taboo it might be, we tend to break them all. We will tell each other if the other looks bad, discuss going to the bathroom, and even subjects more unimaginable. It's not because we are gross people, it's just because we feel very comfortable around each other. But we also all know that if there were guys around or someone we just met, we wouldn't want to scare them with our comfort level with each other. Taboos may be looked down upon and thought of as wrong, but in my opinion it really depends on who is judging you. My friends and I don't judge each other so we feel like saying or doing nearly anything is acceptable, where as if we were around our teachers and they were listening in on a discussion they would be disgusted. Sure, we follow the norms to an extent and mores as well, but the thing that sets us apart from most is our taboo-like behavior. I'm not ashamed of it and know who I can use it around now that I know some of the things I may do or say would be considered a taboo for many people.

p.s. I still don't understand how the people in India don't get in accidents...is it because they are not as crazy of drivers as Americans?

The Bronx Tale, Groups

Groups
What are all the groups that Collogero belongs to? (Think in terms of the circles exercise we did in class.) Would you put him in Sonny’s crew, or would you put him and Sonny in their own group? What is Collogero’s Master Status? Why do you think so? Do you think his master status changes throughout the movie?

Collogero belongs to several groups. At the beginning he is solely a member of his family, his friends, and Sonny's crew to an extent. When he grows older he is still a member of his family, his friends, more to Sonny's crew, a student at the high school, a gambler, and more defined as an Italian living in the Bronx of New York. I would put him in Sonny's crew because although he wasn't their age he still participated in the gambling activity and went to the bar and helped out in the fights. However after Sonny died it was as if he was completely separated from them. I would say Collogero's master status was "Italian". It defines how he was raised, where he grew up, the way he dressed, and the people he hung around with. I think he is too young to be considered a mobster and although he is always part of his family and a son, his family too is a subcategory of the master status Italian. At first he may be mainly a son but as he grows up the Italian in him seems to shine more brightly. Almost every other group that he belongs to falls under Italian too, and when Collogero finds himself in the black neighborhood all he appears as is an Italian. The groups were a large part of the movie and clearly defined throughout.

Service Project

Thinking about the service project sparked my plans for other volunteer opportunites I take part in outside of the required hours. In the past years I have participated in the Brain Tumor Walk, the Breast Cancer walk, and the Diabetes walk. All three have huge significance to me: one of my best friend's mom's died of a brain tumor, my mom had breast cancer, and my dad's best friend has diabetes alon with several of my relatives. I participate in these walks because I want to help research get that much closer to helping those people with loved ones in trouble. That is why I also attend the spirit walk at our school every year because when the whole community comes together it really makes a difference. The past two years I have also been a part of relay for life. This upcoming relay for life walk I will once again be a captain and do my best to get as many people as possible contributing to the cause. I know my friends will help because they have seen first hand how hard it is to deal with cancer in a family. Also, in June, my friends and I are planning on participating in the breast cancer 3-day because we will be 18 and are finally allowed to. I'm looking forward to that a lot not only because it is helping a cause but also because an experience like that will make me stronger as a person. These are just the plans I have now, who knows what else will come about that I want to be a part of. I really do enjoy this kind of volunteer work and will do it without having to be asked to.

Survival

The whole even with the members of the plane that crashed reminds me very much of a book we had to read of the summer for English. The book is called Life of Pi and it deals with a boy who gets stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with 4 animals: an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena, and a tiger. At first no one interacts with one another but eventually the hyena gets aggressive. He attacks the poor zebra (who just so happened to have a broken leg) and literally eats the zebra alive. I guess he picked the zebra because it was hurt, weak, and was going to die first anyway. Next the orangutan got in a fight with the hyena and in the end the hyena won and was feeling all high and mighty. Finally the tiger came out of hiding and demolished the hyena. He ended up enjoying his meal of hyena for dinner. Throughout the whole rest of the time the boy had to find food for him and tiger. They caught fish, turtles, and used the emergency food aboard the lifeboat. You could say this relates to the plane crash incident because in both cases the mode of transportation crashes and leaves the passengers stranded. Also in both cases the "survivors" are forced to eat those that were previously traveling with them. Yes, animals may not have the same morals as humans, but they still killed to survive. This was just interesting to me because it shows how humans and animals have the same intentions when it comes to life.

Silence

Some people may think of silence in a negative way. Silence is awkward. Silence is shady. Silence isn't right! I don't feel that way. I think that silence is an important part of defining relationships, and that's coming from a person who loves to talk. Imagine, sitting in a silent class"working" on something your teacher assigned and your brain just needs a break. When you look up you see your friend across the way and although you can't talk you send messages back and forth via facial expression or hand motions. For me, I find this funny and entertaining and it also reassures me how comfortable I am with my friends that I could have a good time with them without a single word. Or another example, in a romantic relationship silence is key. Of course you always want to have good conversation with your partner and be able to spend quality time together but this can also be spent in silence. Staring into eachother's eyes or just holding one another is a solid connection and it doesn't require speaking. Basically, I feel silence isn't meant to be awkward or creepy but more of a way to draw people closer to eachother through actions rather than words.

Who Am I?

Hey! My name is Amber and I am a senior at a large high school in the northern suburbs of Chicago. At school I play for the volleyball team and I really like the high level of competition and spirit we have at our school. I'm also involved in several clubs including NHS, FBLA, and Project Dance, just to name a few. I like all of these clubs for different reasons. NHS is a good way to help stay motivated to keep my grades up and also volunteer in the community. FLBA (future business leaders of America) is fun because we get to go on trips and interact with new people from chapters all over the country. As for project dance, it is the committee for a huge fundraiser we have at our school that supports a local funding center. The part I like most about my school is the amount of people and diversity. This school is so big that I could go an entire school year and meet a new person every day, and I love meeting new people! I guess you could say thats why I have friends from all over. I even have friends from rival schools in surrounding towns, some of whom are my best friends. Mostly I meet people through volleyball because I also play for a club team which travels all over the US for competitions. This year my team qualified for nationals where we were able to compete in Miami this past July. That was definitely one of the highlights of my high school career. I'm looking forward to the rest of my senior year because so far I am really enjoying my classes and I have to start applying to college soon! As soon as I turn 18 in March I am planning at working at a retail store in the mall because they recruited me so I'm excited. The only job I had in the past was being a hostess at a restaurant for one day, it's a long story but just know that I wasn't fired and I didn't quit. I don't quit at and I won't, at anything. My family and I are originally from Wisconsin but we moved because of my dad's job when I was 3. Along with my mom and my dad I have an older sister who goes to college in California to study photography. I'm proud of my mom for being strong and who is recovering from breast cancer and I'm proud of my dad for coming from making himself out of a nobody into something big in this city. My pets include my dogs, Misty and Nello, and my birds (I don't enjoy their company) Bertrum and Walker. But my dad likes the birds so we keep them around. One of my life goals is to eventually visit all 7 continents and also be able to use my Spanish skills in a Spanish speaking country. This summer I had a lot of volleyball for my club team, I played beach volleyball a lot, went to a few concerts, and really enjoyed myself. Next summer I hope to take a road trip with my best friends before we all go off to college! I also really want to go camping at the sand dunes because I love camping, I love the dunes, and I'm ready for an adventure. I guess you could say I'm my father's daughter in every way. We have the same sense of humor, the same drive for sports, and the same thirst for entertaining others. I wish I were closer with my sister but with her so far away and our personalities so contrasting its difficult. I honestly like any type of music and know the words to every song. Not because I obsessively listen to memorize but just because I have a really good memory. I hope you enjoy my page but I have no idea what I'm doing with this so...sorry its not that impressive, technology is my weakness!