Racism is far from gone.

There is so much more implicit racism than we realize. It's everywhere; everytime someone makes a joke, or even simply references to someone by their "race", it's racism. There really is no such thing as "race". It's made up in our heads to categorize people. Many people think we've come so long and that racism as decreased a lot. I'm not so sure about this - I think it has just changed. Instead of being violent, it is now jokes and humor. But it is still hurtful because it is still categorizing people. I think that because we see people of certain "races" making the jokes (like the Chapelle show we watched) we accept it as okay. But the truth is, it is not okay. It is the same as segregation because the psychological effect is the same. Just like the study we watched with the six year olds and their dolls. They still feel that there are certain "races" that are better than others and that are preferable. This more than anything shows the effects of the implicit racism. Children of such a young age feeling this way is so indicative of how this is affecting them and why it needs to stop. I hope some day that everyone will be viewed as exactly the same as one another, no matter what their skin color is.

Class.

I really hadn't though of how people tend to stay in the same class as their parents until we discussed it in class. It's so true! Also the monopoly game really shows how difficult it is to move out of the class you grew up in. Right now, I'm in the same class that my parents grew up in. However, my grandparents all grew up in very poor conditions. The grandparents that grew up in America would probably have fallen in the lower class. My grandmother who grew up in Europe grew up in poverty because of World War II. My grandfather from Europe was probably lower class as well. To think of what they came from and what they all made with themselves in their adult lives is unbelievable. They all went from bad conditions to living in the middle-class. Now, because of their hard work, I live in a upper middle-class home. But my parents have told me how hard their parents worked. It is also visable in their actions. They are much more appreciative of what they have and much less wasteful. My grandparents do not take too much food and then not finish it. They do not over-indulge. They do not splurge just because they want to. They are so grateful for what they have because they know what it is like to be without so much. I think part of the reason it's so difficult to change class is because people from different classes have different ideals and values. I feel grateful to have been taught to be thankful for everything I have because it could all disappear one day. If I'm very lucky, I will move into the upper-class. However, most likely, I will remain in the middle-class.

What American Dream?

There were many stories in the film we've been watching in class, but the one that affected me most was definitely Tammy's story. It was devastating! She'd grown up in a completely different world than the one we (those of us in the Stevenson bubble) are used to. She had twenty-one siblings! And now she lives in a trailer with her children in the middle of nowhere. Her life has not changed since she was a child - it's a cycle and it seems that she'll never be able to get out. Like Sal said, most of us would love to get the chance to talk to her and "fix" her, but where would we start? I thought about this quite a lot and couldn't come up with an answer. Tammy is willing to work: she walks ten miles to her job everyday! So she has the will. She has no car or means of transportation. She literally lives in the middle of a field. That way of living will be ingrained into her children as well. One of her sons wants to go to college and move up in society, but even then she was calling him "preppy" and saying that "he thinks he's better than [them]". All that does is make her son feel bad about wanting to improve his lifestyle. Her other son seemed more than happy to sit in front of the television all day and do nothing. So there's really nowhere to start with improvements. She literally can't get a job to raise her above poverty level. She has no opportunities. She is trying her very best and is barely keeping her head above water. What does this say about America? A parent can't provide for their family and is forced to live in the conditions Tammy and her family live in - it's sickening! People in the suburbs (like Stevenson) are worried about getting the latest gadgets and Tammy's worried about what she can afford for the next meal. The extremities in America really make it a two-class system! The rich are getting richer and the poor and getting poorer and the middle-class is virtually non-existent. But as much as this bothers people, if you honestly stop to think about it, what can we do?

America the not-so-helpful

Before reading those articles about jails and watching that "30 Days" episode, I had no idea how little jail really does. In fact, I really think it really is a waste of time because most of the inmates will be back multiple times in their life. Doesn't this send a message? Doesn't this tell us that we're doing something wrong? We lock people up for years, treating them almost like animals, and let them go, expecting them to be able to adapt to a completely different world and without any help. Since around half of the inmates in federal prisons are in for drug-related issues, jails need to be more than just a place they stay and eat and sleep. Drug addiction is a serious problem - people cannot help themselves and shouldn't be expected to! Locking them up does absolutely nothing. Even for those prisoners who are in for violent crimes should be helped. There should be some way to help them learn about what they did wrong, why it was wrong, what they can do to improve their lives and what's going on in the world when they get out. Being released from jail after thirty years cannot be easy - it's a completely different world! And with no help, the convicts will just fall right back into their old habits. It's such a corrupt system and it is so sad that the United States is doing nothing to help the people who need it most.

"The Saints and the Roughnecks"

The article we read for class, "The Saints and the Roughnecks" was a really good read because it is so very true. The kids that everyone views as good students that come from good families are almost always forgiven their crimes. However, those teens that come from poverty are seen as delinquents from the start and if they are accused of something, they're immediately thought of as guilty. This is so very true and it's prevalent at Stevenson. Many students at Stevenson are involved in breaking the laws almost every weekend. On the rare occasion a student is caught, the most common story is that they get off with almost no punishment. I've heard of students being in several DUI's and having no consequences, because "they have a really good lawyer". I cannot believe this happens. My cousin attended a much poorer high school around here where crime was also common. However, she told me that they were always being arrested and expelled from school. How is it that the kids from the upper middle class get away with the same crimes committed by those from low-income families? It truly is society's view of them because all I hear is how lucky I am to attend such a great high school and how everyone will grow up to be successful and lead such wonderful lives. But the truth is, when students get away with everything at such a young age, all it teaches them is that no matter what they do, there will never be any punishments or repercussions for those actions. They will expect the same bailing out in their adult lives which is just unrealistic. As for the "roughnecks", all they will hear their entire lives is how they are delinquents and untrustworthy and expected to be failures. Therefore, most of them grow up fulfilling these predictions. It is an ongoing circle for the two classes and succeeds in separating them further and further and giving America much more of a two class society.

Proud citizens

This past Election Day, I participated as an Election Judge at my local polling place. I found out about volunteering through my government class over the summer. Since I couldn't vote, I wanted to get involved somehow and this seemed the perfect way. It was a super long day (15 hours!) but well worth it. I learned how the process works so next election, I'll be prepared. It was very thrilling and patriotic to see the amount of people who turned up to be apart of their country. We opened at six in the morning and by five-thirty, there were about 50 people waiting outside to vote before they went to work. Throughout the day there were many elderly people, but there also a lot of young people, more than I expected. It seemed that they understood the importance of this election and decided to take part. It was so nice to see them there, looking excited to vote. Because it was such a long day, my colleagues and I had fun guessing which people were voting for which candidate (under our breaths of course). The proud looks on the voters' faces as they left were so inspiring and I cannot wait until I can participate myself.

Skinny doesn't mean healthy

During class we discussed Dove's attempt to advertise with average-sized women. I simply love this. I think that America's view of beauty is so corrupted because of all of these ads and rail-thin models everywhere. How skinny you are means nothing - all that truly matters is that you're healthy. Everywhere we look, we see tall, thin women with mile-long legs, and large breasts. Because of that, many young girls aspire to look like them, when their look is just unrealistic. Each person is made different for a reason and should be proud of their own look. Sure, my thighs might never be what I call skinny, but I'm proud of my body. I eat healthily and try to work out when I can. I think that Dove showing the world how women really look, before their hair and make-up is done is such a great idea and so inspiring. Men should accept us no matter what we look like and love us in spite of our flaws, or perhaps due to them. No one is picture perfect and the sooner America realizes this, the better off we all are.

Diplomatic is the new macho!

I find the whole "men should be masculine" thing so interesting because it is so true - and I've never really thought of it before. Everywhere we look we see buff men fighting, and girls swooning over them. I'd also never thought of Disney men being ultra-macho, but they are! John Smith is the definition of a man, with his gun, fighting the Native Americans. Eric is dashing, sailing across the sea; Ariel falls for him based on looks alone. Going along with that, the women are always tiny, beautiful, helpless women that need to be swept off their feet. This is ultra offensive to us feminists out there - why do we have to be attracted to buff guys? Why can't we do anything on our own? Hell, why can't we be the ones sweeping the guys off their feet? I myself will admit that I much prefer my boyfriends to have a little muscle on them, and to not wear all of their emotions on their sleeves (not emotionless, but, hey, when a guy cries? Yeah...not attractive). But the fact that I think this way shows how I've been trained to do so. It's almost as if I can't decide who I'm attracted to, society's chosen for me. There's nothing wrong with saying that you're mad and talking it out instead of fighting. In fact, when a guy shows that much maturity, I'm more likely to swoon over them than Mr. Macho over there who's hyped up on throwing punches to solve his problems.

Not so independent after all.

Our past few discussions in class about nature and nurture have really taught me a lot. For instance, I had no idea that we needed other people that much - that humans have no natural language or instinct to communicate with eath other. If we were to be on our own from birth, we'd be very primitive and animalistic. I found this most interesting because so many people (especially young people) strive for independence. No one wants to be dependent on others or sheltered their whole lives when that is exactly what humans need when they're born. We need loving parents to coddle us and shower us with love and teach us how to interact with others and act in society. It's difficult to think of everyone being like large animals, but if we didn't interact with others or get nurtured as babies, that is exactly how we would be.

"Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

I really enjoyed the movie, Tuesdays with Morrie. The things Morrie said and the advice he gave Mitch really made me think about my own life and the way I live. I think that in the movie, Mitch represents American culture and its fast-paced ways and how it can really make one's life fly by. Morrie was there to try and help Mitch slow down and appreciate every moment of life. This is something I already try to do when I think about it, probably due to my religious upbringing. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. I've grown up in this fast-paced world my entire life and am therefore programed to just go. Get up in the morning, go to school, get home, do homework, go to bed, and it starts all over again the next day. It's very easy to get caught up in. But Mitch's situation, with his girlfriend getting tired of waiting for him, is enough of a lesson for most to learn from because no one wants that to happen to them. Sometimes it's difficult enough for me to believe that my next birthday will be my 18th and that I've already applied to colleges and will be on my own in just a short year. Most of the time I still feel like a little child, who still needs her parents. The Ferris Bueller quote in my title is very true. I think that after listening to Morrie, I will try even harder to stop once in a while and just appreciate what a wonderful life I have and those in it instead of just zooming through it.

Come together...right now.

This past Thursday I went to the Allstate Arena to see Weezer and Angels & Airwaves play. It was such an incredible concert - totally worth the exhaustion I felt on Friday. But besides screaming out the lyrics as the bands sang them, I looked around at the crowd I saw. The variety of people at concerts is always interesting, but it was especially so at this one. I saw ages ranging from around eight years old up to about fifty - talk about surprise! Eight year olds out until midnight on a Thursday night?! Granted, they were mostly there because their parents were fans, but still. I doubt my parents would've done that with me ten years ago. There was also that group there (that are always there) that you'd honestly be afraid to talk to, they're so...eccentric. But there they are, and the parents with their kids, and me with my friends all doing the same thing. We're all standing up, jumping around, having the time of our lives to this music that brings us together. For that short period of time, we were all feeling the same awe that can only come from seeing our favorite bands live. It seems that people don't really question what you do when you're at a concert, being moved by the music coming from the stage. It's a nice feeling, and I really enjoy it. I think it's a great way to let loose and just go where the music takes you and to feel that connection with everyone else there.

What is that person doing?!

All this past week, we've been talking about gestures and different cultural norms. It was clear to see who was more open-minded than others in class, based on their reactions to what other countries did. Many people said things along the lines of, "that's weird!" and some even dismissed it as dumb. This really got me thinking about the people in our class and their reactions. I will admit, some things that other countries do are strange to me, but when I stop to think about it, I see where they're coming from and why it makes sense to them. Such as Indians eating only with their right hand. To Americans, eating with your hands is barbaric enough, but Indians use them as resouces. It's not dumb, it's just different, and I can understand that. I like learning about different cultures and what they do and why - it's why I took sociology in the first place. I suppose I expected other students to be less critical of different cultures also. The Japanese way of using the bathroom, while immediately baffling, makes perfect sense. It is very hygiene-conscious and clean, which is how their culture is and why they have people living to very old ages. So it is nice to learn about what they do and how it benefits them, because maybe the United States would be better off if we took after some other cultures.

The Real Juno

Teenage pregnancy has always been one of the most controversial topics around. For the most part, it is looked down upon - mainly because the parents are (usually) not married. The parents are viewed as irresponsible teens who made bad decisions. However, the amount that they're scorned definitely depends on their situation. For instance, Sarah Palin's daughter has been raising eyebrows all across the country and people's view of her actions reflect their opinion of Sarah herself. Many people's opinion is that because Sarah is in the public eye and is a politician, her children should be perfect, because they're a reflection on her. This is totally unfair to me - and I'm saying this as a huge Obama supporter. What Bristol is going through has happened to thousands of American teenagers. A huge disadvantage to Bristol is that, at the moment, the entire country seems to be watching her every move. Getting an abortion is out of the question because her mother needs the support of the conservatives in the country.
Being rich would certainly be an advantage to teen pregnancy. In order to take care of children, money is needed; babies require food, diapers, and clothing to be purchased. For families that are already struggling to make ends meet, an extra mouth to feed can be devastating. But, for a family with excess change, adding a member to the family can be no problem at all.
It all depends on the situation a person is in. Here in the suburbs, teen pregnancy is something to gossip about, but in the inner city projects, it is much more normal to have several children by age 20. However, for Bristol Palin, it must be worse than anything; she has the eyes of the entire country focused on her. And worst of all, many people's opinions about her mother are influenced by her actions. I'm sure she never thought that her actions with her boyfriend could affect who is elected for President of the United States.

Aspects of Me

There are many different groups in my life that help define who I am: family, friends, the Catholic Church, Greeks and Germans. The most important is family. I am a middle child, a daughter and a sister. My family is very close - we try to eat dinner together as much as possible and are always talking to each other. My older sister is my best friend, and I am a role-model for my younger brother. Within my friends, I am the advice-giver and the shoulder to cry on. I really am there for my friends and they all know that they can call me whenever they need to and I will be there for them. In the Catholic Church, I am a worshipper, a disciple. Being catholic plays a huge role in my life; I rarely go a few hours without thinking of my religion. When I have decisions to make, I think about my religion. It is a constant presence in my life. Lastly, my heritage-groups. Being half Greek, half German has shaped my life greatly. Both sides of my family are very heritage-oriented and have made sure that I know where I come from. I can understand some of both languages, and I eat ethnic food all the time. Even my name is from my heritages: Kassandra is Greek and Hauptmann is (very obviously) German.
Needless to say, all of these groups that I am a part of have helped make me into who I am today in their own unique ways. And I wouldn't have it anyway else.

simply without a home

The definition of homeless is 'without a home'. I think that people confuse this greatly with other things. Being homeless does not mean that a person is dirt-poor, or that there is substance abuse, it simply means they don't have a home. Lake County is a fairly wealthy county, therefore, people forget that there are those without homes or assume there are none. There are close to 500 homeless people in Lake County. No one likes to think of this because being homeless is closely associated with having many other problems. This is simply not true; many homeless people have jobs and families, they just cannot afford the expense or they fell upon hard times, maybe they had a tough divorce. No one knows each person's specific case and therefore should not be so quick to judge a homeless person as a bum, or a criminal. It could happen to anyone and we'd do best to remember that.

Unreachable? Not so much...

There's no doubt that our generation is the generation of technology. People are attached to their technological devices; parents can't seem to attend their kids' soccer games without having their cell phone and pager on their belts. Teenagers are constantly seen texting away or chatting on their cell phones. It seems to have become a part of our culture. Is this a good thing? Is it harmful? I think it is a bit of a shame. If it's not a cell phone, it's the computer; most people check their myspace and facebook daily, if not multiple times a day. Are we so preoccupied with socializing through technology?
The term "unreachable" is very appealing to me. Who wants to have their phone ringing all day? What's wrong with going outside with your family on a hot summer day? On the weekends, I'll sometimes go an entire day with my cell phone in my room, my computer off while I play baseball or soccer with my family. I don't understand why young people today are like this, but I don't think it's very good. Especially with the obesity rates constantly climbing, these internet activities are harmful because they have people sitting at their computer all day.
This technology definitely makes people less personable and less sociable face-to-face. Texting and facebook means no discussions in person and people are worse at conversing than ever. It makes me think of the recent movie Wall-E which showed a possible, very negative, outcome of all the technology in the world. No one talks to each other at all face-to-face, everything is electronic. No one even has to walk - there are moving chairs. Everyone is so lazy and has gotten so fat that their bones are almost non-existent. Now, I don't believe that this will actually happen, but I do believe that if things are abused and we keep becoming more and more dependent on technology, it is a slight possibility. Kind of a scary thought. Perhaps a little scare is all some people need to put down their cell phones and pagers and get off the computer and actually spend a little time with their families.

Who am I?

My name is Kassie. I'm a senior this year and looking forward to college next year, where I plan to double major in psychology and Spanish. I have two siblings: an older sister and a younger brother. During high school, I have participated in both cross country and track as well as FMP. One of my vices is music; I am constantly listening to some music, no matter what I'm doing. I am a huge White Sox fan and watch every game. The biggest influences in my life are the music I listen to and my older sister. My sister is my best friend and we talk about everything together; her responsibility and kindness are very admirable. The silence activity from the first day proved that, to most, silence is awkward. I think this is because of our society today - we always have background noise or distractions or entertainment. Most people cannot stand any silence and talk just to make noise and are not the best of listeners because of it. Silence does not bother me, in fact, I actually enjoy it. However, in a classroom with a bunch of silence-haters, it does make it more awkward.