Thankful

Thanksgiving was this past Thursday, and as cliché as this is, I think the best thing I should do for this entry is talk about what I am thankful for.  Obviously, I am thankful for my family, friends, education, my health, but outside of those things, this semester has taught me that I have way more things to be thankful for.  I am thankful for living in a country where the government has just laws and a fair court system that provides me with certain rights.  I am thankful for the fact that I am not living in a warzone, that I have access to health care, and that I can use the Internet to look at whatever I want.  I am thankful for an education that has taught me life lessons about saving money.  I am thankful for having the experience of traveling to Brazil my first semester in college.  Mostly, though, I am thankful that I live in a country that has afforded me all of these opportunities to have such a bright future.  It really is incredible to think about the endless possibilities we all have living in a country as prosperous as this one.  Even though globalization insists that the U.S. is no longer as prestigious as it once was, I still think it’s the best country in the world to live in.

Friends

It's hard to believe that we have two days of class, Thanksgiving break, and finals until the semester is over.  It's crazy to think that at the beginning of the semester, most of us were strangers, but now I feel like I have really gotten to know every person in PEGS.  This week, I had my interview for PEGS with Dr. Becky Casey.  The interview went great!  She was such an awesome lady to talk to, and I appreciated that she seemed to genuinely care about what I had to say.  I feel like sometimes my goals catch people off guard, but I think she really understood where I was coming from.  Also, I am in the midst of applying to be a Resident Assistant in Fall 2011.  It is a job that I would love to have, so hopefully my personality shines through in the essays I am writing for the application.

I think the thing that impacted me the most this week was listening to Dr. Betty Siegel speak.  The message I took away from her was that every moment can be put to good use.  The time she took to form relationships with people and put a smile on the faces of others really made a difference in the long-run and allowed her to leave a legacy.  I think a big reason as to why she has become so successful is because of the genuine connections she made with others along the way.  Oftentimes, particularly in College, I think people are encouraged to talk to others because they could provide them with a job or an internship.  But Dr. Siegel befriended people at the Waffle House out of genuine sincerity and ultimately, the dedication she showed toward those friendships allowed her to be considered a Waffle House "legend."  Although it is not the most prestigious title, it allowed her to find a home away from home where she knew that she would be in good company.

This Thanksgiving I will be traveling to New York City to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade because my brother will be playing in the only marching band from Georgia in the parade this year.  Here is a picture of them featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Maybe I will stop by the New York Stock Exchange while I am visiting...we will have to see!

Government

After writing two sociology papers this weekend, I am wiped out to say the least.  But I cannot allow for a Sunday night to go by without blogging!  I feel like the theme of this week has been the government: whether we like it or not, it is evident in every aspect of our lives.  The article we read in BUSA 1000 proved to me that the consequences of the government's lack of responsibility in terms of saving for future generations could play out during my lifetime.  Yes, individuals can make a difference by making smart investments and buying within their means, but ultimately, the government's financial issues are much more vast, complex, and in need of reform.  In KSU 1111, we addressed the subject of government as well, but rather than discussing how large and powerful it is, we read an article about the government's increasing decentralization.  The article explained how the government's inefficient policies have forced large businesses and corporations to assume the role of government by taking on corporate social responsibility.  Although companies are becoming more socially conscious, at the end of the day, their main goal is to make a profit, not save the world.  Conversely, such a large government seldom has the means to benefit specific communities or people.  Despite your political beliefs, few can argue that the government's laws are too complicated and inefficient and in great need of reform.  At this point, I think it is a matter of deciding which issues will benefit the most from reform.  

Outside of class, I just finished my application for the King-Casey's Women's Leadership Experience as well as my application for PEGS.  Fingers crossed both go well!

Creativity

Things are certainly getting more intense as the end of first semester is now in sight.  The due dates for all of the major projects, papers, and exams are coming up, so my "to-do list" is currently running very long.  Still, knowing that I am so close to finishing with a successful first semester is motivation enough to do quality work and keep my grades up.  By working on all of these assignments this week, I have realized that they are designed to challenge us creatively.  The PSA and the Global Village Project for KSU 1111 are both open-ended in their directions and allow us to think for ourselves and formulate our own ideas.  Even though both of the projects are time-consuming, I appreciate the fact that we really get to design the project.  Also, deciding what exactly we are going to say and do during the 30 minutes we are allotted at the President's cabinet meeting involves working together and deciding on the best ideas to make our meeting as meaningful as possible.  For me, the projects that allow for the most creative freedom are my favorite because they feel less like a chore and more like something meaningful I can learn from.  I know that all of my professors are working together to make sure that we take something away from each of our projects, so as I continue on into next semester, I will have to adjust to less personalized classes.  None the less, I am in the midst of reapplying for the PEGS program, so hopefully everything goes well.

Brazil

It has been five days since I have returned to Brazil and I can without question say that I miss it a lot more than I thought it would, partly because it is an incredible country and partly because I now have to return back to the real world.  None the less, I learned way more from the trip than I anticipated.  Here are some of my observations:

1. Advertising- As strange as this may seems, the political ads were really fascinating for me because they are so different from the political posters and signs we see in the U.S.  In the U.S., you never see the actual candidate's face, always just the their last name in bold print, what office they are running for, and sometimes a creative slogan or graphic.  In Brazil, you always see the person's face along side their name and number.  I think this speaks to how important being personal and having a face to face connection with someone is in Brazil.  Also, there is a larger percentage of people in Brazil who do not watch/own a television, so they rely more on street ads rather than TV ads to decide who to vote for.

2. Culture- Music and art seem to be a lot more prevalent in Brazilian culture.  Music was everywhere: Going to capoeira lessons, the Pracatum School, the concert, the school in the rural community.  They choose instruments that reflect the ones their ancestors used and play music that originated in various places.  I admire how open they are towards incorporating various ethnicities and religions into their culture.

3. Food- Food says more about a country than most people give it credit for.  Many of the foods that are native to the country like coconut were a part of every meal.  I still find it strange that a country that finds so much pride in  their traditional dishes has taken such a strong liking for an American fast-food chain like McDonalds.  Every time we went, there was a line, and the food was not cheap either.

4. Art- I think every facet of Salvador has art incorporated into it in some way; even the side walks have patterns on them.  Businesses use art to advertise their products, buildings are painted bright colors, the architecture is a mix of Portugese and African designs.  The art serves as an excellent example as to how the cultures all blend together in Brazil.

Homelessness

This week has gone pretty well, and no surprise, has been very busy.  I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Atlanta Children's Shelter, which is a shelter that provides free daycare for single mothers who are currently homeless.  After a few hours of working or looking for a job, the women pick up their kids and go to whatever homeless shelter they are staying at for the night.  The statistics that shocked me were that 20% of the women and children there were fleeing spousal abuse, and 60% had a history with domestic violence.  Unfortunately, this organization is the only one of its kind in Atlanta, so hundreds of other families are waiting for this kind of care.  As someone who is interested in non-profits, I was really impressed with how things were run.  The staff worked tirelessly to make sure that these families would not stay homeless for long.   I also slept out on the quad both nights for Homelessness Awareness Week.  It proved to be a really good experience.  After just two nights, I was ready to go back and return to my normal life.  I could not imagine doing that week after week, never having a place to call your own.  The most important thing I took away from this experience is that being homeless, even if it is just for a temporary amount of time, can leave you with emotional scars that impact you for the rest of your life.  I could not stop thinking about the children I saw at the shelter days before, and wonder if they had slept out on the street.

On a lighter note, I definitely enjoyed myself at the Etiquette Luncheon.  It taught me that good etiquette is something that is learned and takes practice.  I am glad I had this experience early in my college career, rather than later.  I will remember that meetings or interviews while eating are about building relationships, not the food.  I thought the war documentary we watched in class did an excellent job of demonstrating how the government has always had the same attitude toward war: when our freedoms are being threatened, action is necessary.

Carlinhos Brown

I think I will spend most of this blog talking about Carlinhos Brown because I finished my Executive Summary about him a couple of hours ago, and I am overwhelmingly impressed with him.  First, his music is really enjoyable and I completely understand why he is so popular.  Second, Brown's percussive skills are incredible.  The fact that he is mainly self-taught seems crazy to me.  His talent is purely natural, and he is so good that he landed a job a a radio station and began producing when he was still a teenager.  Third, what is more awesome than any of this is the fact that he has created numerous activities for people in Salvador, the same city he grew up in.  He understands on a personal level what the people of the favelas are experiencing and works to solve their problems.  He recognizes the need for jobs, so one of his schools teaches children percussion, sewing, and fashion.  Most people with his status just donate money to a cause without actually getting involved.  I find this very irresponsible considering their voice can influence thousands of people.  Brown, on the other hand, has been a huge advocate for getting people out of the slums and creating a bigger middle class.  He genuinely loves his city and wants it to be known for the productive people, not the poverty.  I love this quote of his because I think he describes himself perfectly:

"People ask me if I smile when I rise in the morning.  My mouth hurts with smiling so much because I have got music.  It is a good way of living, making music.  It's a gift from God.  I've got it on loan."

For me, this quote sums up the impact he has had on the community of Salvador.  He takes his musical talents and makes the world a better place; what more could he do?

Last week, I did not do much outside of school except homework and go to another hockey game (which we lost...badly). I have big plans for this week, however I will save that for the next blog.

Time

This week was the most stressful thus far, with back to back essays and quizzes.  Still, things improved a lot over the weekend.  I went to the hockey game, climbed Kennesaw Mountain, and went to college night at the High Museum.  Those events definitely made up for the craziness of classes, and I am ready to start a new week.

As busy as this week was, it was very apropriate that time management was at the forefront of the discussion in KSU 1111.  For me, that class solidified the idea that working ahead and planning out the semester before hand will make my life significantly less chaotic.  I loved one of the quotes in the book that said how time is always passing, regardless of whether or not we use it effectively of waste it.  It was also somewhat ironic that I saw Salvador Dali's work featured at the High considering one of his most famous painting emphasizes time and its lack of structure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Memory  In Business, Tuesday's topic pertained to public speaking, specifically about how to plan for it.  From that discussion, I took away that the best thing I can do for myself when public speaking is being prepared.  By applying time management and taking your time to formulate exactly what you want to say, you will feel more confident and be more knowledgeable.  However, if you wait until the night before, your speech will not be nearly as effective. 

In Sociology, we did not talk about anything relating to time management, but I enjoyed the discussion on social stratification.  In the U.S., we do not have a strict caste system or defined class structure.  Instead, several factors like class position, status, and power affect how we view others.

Food?

Although this past week has gone very well, I am much more concerned about all of the assignments I have due for the week ahead.  None the less, I went to Volunteer KSU which proved to be an informative experience.  Being so close to Atlanta, there are many non-profits in the area who work with anything from animal cruelty to women’s health.  It is refreshing and inspiring to see so many people who are genuinely passionate about what they are doing for the community, and I am looking forward to volunteering for a cause that I care about.

The one word that I heard consistently used every day in at least one of my classes was food.  Usually, when people talk about food, I start to get hungry, but this week’s discussion made me lose my appetite.  This week’s discussion in KSU 1111 focused on the world’s growing demand for resources and how innovative technology such as genetically modified crops can aid this problem.  Currently, farmers and businesses are profiting from their ability to grow crops faster and with better quality.  The problem with GM foods lies in the fact that the long term effects on the environment, human health, and business are still unclear. We watched “Food Inc.” in Sociology, which expands on the idea that the long term implications of the things manufacturers are doing now to satisfy demand are costing us our health.  Much of what we eat has been so chemically modified that our dinners have become science experiments.  For example, chickens that are given hormones that cause rapid gain weight may be what are causing girls to reach puberty increasingly early.  The sad part is that many food manufacturers are not using genetically modified crops or hormones to provide the consumer with more nutritious food.  Rather, most of this science is being used to get a leg up on the competition.  In BUSA 1000, the reading material covered the advantages and disadvantages of different types of businesses and how they compete in the market.  In businesses run by the few like sole proprietorships, the people in charge are liable for their gains as well as their losses.  Essentially, they can sell whatever they want (within the law) regardless of how healthy or ethical it is because they are the ones who are responsible for their business.  But in huge corporations like McDonalds where thousands of stockholders are involved, you would expect a higher standard to be applied.  One would assume that with so many people eating their food and investing their money into their business, people would hold them accountable for providing better quality food.  It does not seem right that a place that sells such unhealthy food is recognized as being one of the most successful corporations in the world.  At the end of the day, fast food sells. 

Idiosyncrasies

This week, I have struggled to find the common thread that links all of the Learning Community classes mostly because the focus has temporarily veered away from Brazil. None the less, all of the lessons were informative, and I think I have managed to come up with an idea that brings them all together.


Earlier this week, I stumbled upon a Barbara Kingsolver quote from The Poisonwood Bible that says, “In Kilanga, people knew nothing of the things they might have had- A Frigidaire? A washer-dryer combination? Really, they’d sooner imagine a tree that could pull up its feet and go bake bread. It didn’t occur to them to feel sorry for themselves.” Agree or disagree, I love this quote because it raises the question of whether or not westernizing the rest of the world is truly what the rest of the world wants. In Sociology, we discussed Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. Weber believed that humans are constantly shifting from a traditional to a rational society, always looking for a more practical and efficient way to do something. Consequently, the more rationalizing that occurs the more alienated you feel from your own way of life. For example, buying food from a fast-food place is much simpler than making it on your own, but it is also far less personal and rewarding to eat. Today, with the help of technology, we are forcing our rationalizing ways onto other countries without recognizing their appreciation for a more traditional way of life. Perhaps by avoiding the temptations of rationalizing every element of life, they are living better because they fully value everything they have.

In Business, we indirectly expanded on this idea by reading about different types of businesses such as corporations, partnerships, and franchises. Sole proprietorships require much involvement and the owner does not feel alienated from his job because he or she is involved is every business decision. Conversely, in large corporations, workers are extremely alienated from their jobs because there are so many different jobs to be done and people doing them.

This week in KSU 1111 we learned about how people learn and comprehend things various ways, whether you are an auditory learner or a visual learner or an introvert or an extrovert. The main idea I drew from this experience is that we all do things differently, so there is no sense in making people change their ways just for the sake of conformity. In other words, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Better yet, improve it.

Overall, every culture has a different way of getting things done. Sometimes interventions like new technology are helpful, but other times it is best to simply leave everything alone and respect the traditions of others.

Helping Others

Looking back, this week has gone very well, and I feel like I am starting to develop a routine in order to get everything accomplished for the week.  One thing I have noticed is that because essentially everyday of class is planned out and printed on the syllabus, I know exactly what to expect each class and how to best prepare myself for it.  This has definitely been a help for me. Outside of the Learning Community, I am running for a spot on the Resident’s Hall board, so I am looking forward to the elections this Tuesday.

The common thread I picked up on this week pertains to helping others. In KSU 1111, we took a slight break from the Seven Revolutions to discuss how we were to complete five hours of service by brainstorming different ways in which we could help our community. The main idea behind the brainstorming was to keep it simple. There are so many things that charities and organizations need to be done that require only your time and commitment. In BUSA 1000, we read a chapter in the book dealing with ethics. Although good ethics are something that should be considered normalcy at all businesses, oftentimes they are disregarded just for the sake of getting ahead. In a sense, maintaining distinct ethical and moral guidelines in a business is like doing a good deed. Businesses can create healthy, fair competition when their ethics are in check, and can compete based on who has the better good or service, rather than who is better at making shady business deals. In SOCI 2201, Karl Marx was one of the many theorists we read about. Marx recognized the conflicts between economic classes during the industrial revolution in London. He pointed out that repetitive labor like working in a factory prevents workers from finding any joy or satisfaction from building something. Ideally, he wanted workers to overthrow the factory owners, and then for a new social order to be established in which workers would be equal. Even though this may be drastic, I think all Marx wanted was for people to treat others with respect and to have lower-class factory workers not be regarded as second class citizens. A modern day difference in economic class is evident in many developing countries particularly in Brazil where Favelas run alongside wealthy neighborhoods. As a result, people such as Carlinhos Brown have dedicated their time to charities that attempt to close the gap between the wealthy and the destitute.

Bias

Overall, this week went very well and after a much needed weekend, I feel ready to start yet another Monday. As each of my classes delves deeper into the root of what we are actually studying, I have been able to make even more connections to the real world. Outside of class, I have been making too many trips to Waffle House and not enough to the gym.


One common theme I have observed from all of my classes this week is biases that exist within cultures. In KSU 1111, we explicitly discussed bias and how we are all innately biased, whether we realize it or not. For example, I think that a woman should not be discriminated against just for being a woman. However, that idea is biased because I live in a country where women are generally given the same opportunities as men, and I have grown up seeing strong, independent women in the work force. In other countries like Afghanistan, the bias tends to lean the other way, and many members of society are raised to believe that women deserve no respect. I think this is where culture and norms begins to affect our biases, which is what we are discussing in Sociology. Members of the Taliban believe that women’s rights are a “western concept,” whereas I, along with many other people, would contend that freedom is something all women across the globe are entitled to. To say that women’s rights are a cultural belief rather than a God given right seems absolutely illogical. For some, however, it is the norm.

In BUSA 1000, we discussed a much lighter concept: the do’s and do not’s in Brazil. We read about cultural norms ranging from how to dress properly to how to approach business meetings. Although no aspect of Brazil’s culture seemed too strange, I am looking at their lifestyle from a biased American perspective. I see their ideas as perfectly reasonable and something anyone can adjust to. On the other hand, if I were a member of a culture that required me to be extremely modest like many in the Middle East, I would be appalled at the idea of women walking around wearing clothes that showed their ankles. To me, I see nothing wrong with it, but to others, everything about it is wrong.

The topic of this blog has been one-hundred percent inspired by this article:  http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007238-1,00.html    I think about these women every day, and am continuously in awe of their courage to live in a society that views them as worthless. Even though a large portion of our time is spent focused on Brazil and its relevance in the world, the topics we discuss are meant to be applicable to every facet of society. As I learned in KSU 1111 when we talked about the issue of population growth, Muslim countries are the fastest growing countries in the world, so this topic will only become more relevant in the years to come.

Until next time…

The Beginning

Finally, the week that I believed would never come to an end is over, and I can start to breathe again. My experience thus far has been incredible, and looking back, I do not know what I was ever nervous about to begin with. The Learning Community and the people within it have given me something to fall back on when I am worried about how I going to possibly finish all my homework; knowing that 20 or so other people have the exact same classes and concerns that I do is reassuring.


So far, I think the classes I am taking will be extremely beneficial for the Brazil trip. I love going from class to class, being able to see how business and sociology affect one another and how the future of the globe is affected as well. I had no idea that Brazil is on its way to becoming one of the most powerful countries in the world. Globalization, especially with the outsourcing of jobs to other countries, is something I now take into greater consideration when thinking of the economy, unemployment, and how this country can bounce back from the recession. Because so many jobs are being given to overseas employers for less pay, the United States will inevitably face more unemployment problems. So as American businesses profit from the cheap labor of other countries, American workers lose out on jobs. The long term effects for this compromise could be devastating for the country. It is scary to think that the U.S. could be drastically worse off in 15 years, but it is also exciting to think that other countries will be experiencing huge rewards for the innovative initiatives they are taking today. I have learned all of this information from combining KSU 1111, BUSA 1000, and SOCI 2201, which is something very few people can say about their college classes.

Outside of class, I have been busy managing my life away from my parents and living on campus. I am definitely happy about my choice to live here, especially when there are others in the PEGS program living so close by. Also, the places to play ultimate Frisbee are basically unlimited which is great.

Until next time…