Anthology of Diversity Essays
Written by members of ENGL115-006: English Composition I
Fall Semester 2006
All essays are copyrighted by the individual authors.
title
Rayma Adames
**
The Diversity in My Own
Country
Ekua Baiden
Africa is a continent which is known for its numerous rich cultures that differ from one ethnic group or tribe to the other. Ghana is small country in the Western part of Africa but because of its various rich cultural diversities, it is known all around Africa and other parts of the world. It has about 60 ethnic groups that differ from each other and about 52 major languages and hundreds of dialects being spoken. English is the official language spoken by most people.
It is a country with many diverse cultural groups and yet it has a lot of similarities within them. The similarities are emphasized on communal values such as the family, respect for the elderly, honoring traditional rulers, and the importance of dignity and proper social conduct. Individual conduct is seen as having impact on an entire family, social group and the community; therefore, everyone is expected to be respectful, dignified and observant in public settings and in most aspect of life. Naming ceremonies, puberty initiations, marriage and death are all marked by family ceremonies. The country has the highest percentage of Christians in West Africa. It also has believers from the Muslim religion. The belief in traditional animist religion is still common. Customs are often passed on through the extended family. The customary leaders or chiefs are given historical authority over tribes, family matters, and land usage. Relationships within traditional society are based on family membership, inherited status, and ancestral beliefs.
Though there are several tribes that come together to form the country, the Akan tribe, the Ga tribe, the Ewe tribe and the Dogomba tribe are the main known groups in the country. Each tribe has some similarities they share with each other but the few differences they have makes each one unique. The Akan tribe is the largest amongst all the tribes. It consists of the Ashanti and the Fante, the main groups within the Akan tribe.
The Ashanti people of the Akan, from which nearly half of the Ghanaian population is descended, comprise the largest tribe in the country. They speak the Twi language and it is also one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. In this tribe, the uncle from the mothers side is highly respected because he is regarded to be the steward over his sisters children and all other property they own. The matrilineal clan system of the Akan continues to be economically and politically important. It is a tribe who continues to recognize their kings as the most respected leader in the country. Celebration of the Ashanti kings lives on in the tradition of the Golden Stool. The Ashantis are noted for their expertise in several forms of craft work, particularly their weaving, wood carving, ceramics, fertility dolls, and kente cloth. Traditional kente cloth is woven in complex patterns of bright, narrow strips. Of these crafts, only pottery-making is primarily a female activity; the others are restricted to male specialist. Attendance at funerals is normally expected from everyone in the community and expenditure on funerals is a substantial part of the household budget. Most of the people of the Ashanti tribe are Christians but there are some few people who still believe in the traditional religion. It celebrates the Adae festival (the purifying of the Ashantis ancestral stools) which is held on every 40th day. On this day, the chief is carried out in beautiful Kente cloth with gold bracelets and sits in decorated palanquins, shaded by traditional umbrellas and supported by drummers and warriors discharging ancient muskets.
The Fante tribe shares similar cultural activities with the Ashanti tribe. They are also known for their several forms of craft but they are best known to be fishermen since they live by the coast. The other difference between them and the Ashantis is the type of festival they celebrate. During the festival, the chief sprinkles mashed yam and eggs into the Lagoon, after which permission is given to fishermen to open the fishing season. There is also a sacrifice of a cow to the 77 gods of the tribe.
The Ga tribe inhabits the Accra plains. They speak the Ga language and they practice the patrilineal system of living. In this tribe, the father takes full responsibilities as seen in most cultures. The wife is brought into closer proximity with her husband and his paternal family. Her male children assure her of more direct access to wealth accumulated in the marriage with her husband. The Ga people are mostly fishermen but they are well noted for the designing of coffins. For this group of people, funeral are times of mourning and celebration since they believe that when their loved ones die, they move on into another life. They therefore honor their dead with brightly colored coffins that celebrate the life they lived. The coffins are designed to represent an aspect of the dead persons life. The Ga people celebrate the homowo festival. During the festival, there is a procession of chiefs through the streets with all twins in the area dressed purposely for the occasion. All this is done amidst the sprinkling of festive food kpokpoi (milled corn mixed with palm oil) to the gods and ancestors of the land. This festival takes place during the month of August.
The Ewe tribe occupies the southeastern part of Ghana. They speak the Ewe language and they are essentially a patrilineal society. The tribe thrives on farming, livestock, and weaving but the local variations in economic activities have led to craft specialization. They also weave kente cloth, often comprised of geometrical patterns and symbolic designs that have been handed down through the ages. Dance and drumming is an integral part of this community life and an important necessity in the pursuit of the collective destiny. Everybody is expected to participate. Non participation amounts to self excommunication from the society and carries with it severe consequences. The most severe penalty for non participation is to be denied a proper burial. Receiving a good burial is extremely important to this tribe. In contrast to other societies of the country, the community is the only insurance towards receiving the proper burial. The Ewe tribe celebrates the Hogbetsotso festival which symbolizes their migration from the tyrannical ruler in older day Togo land to their present homeland in Ghana. During the ceremony, there is a re-enactment of this migration. It involves walking backwards done by the women and children and it is held in the month of November. The main religion of the Ewes is organized around a creator deity called Mawu (the supreme God) and over 600 other deities.
The Dagomba tribe is a group of people found in the northern part of Ghana and they speak the dagbani language. They occupy a land which is very dry and functions badly in most plant growth. Because of this reason, they are mostly hunters who hunt on horse backs. The only crop they are able to produce is yam, a crop plant used for preparing most food dishes the country has. Unlike the other tribes, woman in this community are not highly recognized. They are only supposed to be house wives and take care of the house after marriage. The religion in this area is mostly Muslim and this enables them to practice polygamy. Chiefs are also highly respected in this community. Instead of wearing the kente cloth like the chiefs in other tribes, they wear a smoke (like a dress) with smoke trousers. The festival celebrated within the tribe is linked with the birth of Mohammed, the prophet of Allah. The two-day festival has gradually taken a traditional rather than an Islamic tone, with pageantry and horse riding. The chief wears the most colorful smoke and rides on a white horse through the whole town to mark the beginning of a near year of harvest Allah has blessed them with.
One thing I am proud of is that, during major occasions in the country, each tribe and religion is equally recognized. Each religion is recognized by having prayers done by a Christian religious leader, a Muslim religious and a traditional leader. Though the country has experienced several conflicts between the various ethnic groups or tribes, it has remained one of the peaceful and developing countries in West Africa and Africa as a whole.
Age: A Culture Barrier
Kensey Bermingham
When my parents were young, the saying of the day was, "Don't trust anyone over thirty." The hippies of the 60's thought they were invincible and certainly smarter than their elders. They built a strong youth culture that trampled on the values of their parents. Now they are old, and they see things in an entirely different way - they won't trust anyone under thirty! The generation gap continues. Acceptable customs and practices today may have been seen as appalling or taboo in society's past.
There are many causes for the cultural generation gap. In general, it seems that common interests and hobbies decrease as difference in age increases. Senses of humor, responsibility levels, physical abilities, and a multitude of other differences between the young and the old set up barriers. This entire essay is written by taking two groups and stereotyping them to fit a certain model. These barriers are not usually hateful or discriminatory, but may cause a failure to communicate or inhibit the attempt to understand one another. Some may attribute these barriers to maturity levels, as young people may see the aged as boring and too serious while the aged may see young people as ignorant and irresponsible. Wisdom, the greatest age barrier can be used to aid both parties.
I believe wisdom is the greatest barrier between the young and the old to overcome. Through each experience encountered in life, knowledge is gained. Each mistake made and in each failure, one learns how to go about that situation a little better. Suppose Billy is out to buy his first dog. As he gets to the pet store, he immediately presses his face up tight to the glass with his hands canopying his eyes. As seven of the eight dogs look up at him and quickly go back to sleep, a miniature pincer sprints from one side of the kennel to the other, back and forth for minutes. As Billy chooses to hold him, he quickly squirms away to run free again. He was the only dog who showed interest. He seemed fun and rambunctious. So Billy bought him. When he gets to the house three pairs of shoes are immediately torn up and the couches are soon lined with mouse traps. Sleeping is now done with earplugs since the dog will not stop barking as he lays in the cage downstairs. Billy quickly decides that dogs don't need to show an interest for him to buy them anymore. Upon Billy's next dog purchase, he will be slow to buy the ADHD dog on speed. The older we get, the more knowledge we have. This can create barriers between the young and the old.
A common stereotype that kids and teenagers often receive is that they can not learn from other peoples' mistakes. They need to experience things for themselves. Youth, as a whole, are innocent. They have not had heartache to recover from. Without the knowledge of consequences, we can very seldom think of reasons why not to take a chance. I know that I have listened to people's advice on their mistakes and thought, "They are just stupid and don't know how to handle that situation." We are cocky, without inhibitions to hold us back. So people who have been through situations, usually older people, often try to direct our decisions. This is where a barrier can easily be formed.
The aged assume the superior position, becoming professors with the ability to talk and lecture for hours until they finally figure out that a great majority of people have to learn things on their own. No one likes to have their lives controlled as if they were in a video game guided by a controller. A frustration can be developed and decisions may be made with the sole purpose to show that their lives are in their own hands, and they can do what they want. On the other side of things, the aged probably don't enjoy having their advice ignored or even worse, thrown back in their faces.
Barriers are strengthened when the advice given by our elders is ignored. Once we get past the point that this essay is going to be out of pure speculation and observation from a completely biased standpoint, I can guess that the aged are often offended by having their wise opinions blown off. They have lived through most situations that the youth are going through. They have developed a concept of society and methods of how to best deal with people. Through many thoughts, and eventual trial and error, they have learned what works in life and what doesn't. The aged are wise, they have been through a lot, and their opinions should be taken and held highly, but because of the barriers, this often does not happen.
People don't give advice to or take advice from just anyone. They have to care about the person's life or have a relationship with the person. Suppose a patient comes in to see his doctor. After giving a list of symptoms and showing the doctor his problems, the doctor said he had the perfect solution. He wrote up a prescription, advised the patient on how he should act, explained the illness, and then told him his prognosis. The patient thought about if for a while and then told the doctor that he could probably knock the illness out with a couple of aspirin a day. The doctor quickly responded, "I didn't need to go through ten years of schooling to prescribe aspirin. My prescription is the only thing that will help." The patient told him about his back up plan of extra strength Tylenol which yielded a quick response from the doctor. "You have a bacterial infection. Antibiotics are the only thing that will help. Don't come to me for advice if you don't want any."
Pride can be seen as the cornerstone of any barrier. People don't like to take advice. They would rather figure it out on their own. When success strikes them, they will be able to talk of their success and how they accomplished it without any help. Most don't want to have to accredit their accomplishments to the help or direction of someone else. At the same time, most people love to give their opinion, to tell someone how to run their life. Knowledge along with many other issues build barriers between the young and the aged. Young people often feel the need to experience things for them selves as they try to establish an independent identity. Taking wisdom and advice from an elder who has been through the situation before may be a hard task to fulfill. When a person's advise is disregarded, frustration may develop. Understanding from both ends is the key to overcoming barriers.
The age barrier has no benefit to either age group. As young people, the mature and smart way to go about things would be to seek out the advice of our elders to better our decisions. We need to get past our issues of pride to see that advice doesn't hurt our identity. As character and identity are made up by our decisions, a well informed decision can only enhance our identity. At the same time, people who have gained wisdom through experience should realize how to advise. When advice is given in a condescending way or as an order, it is much less likely to be embraced. As wisdom is given in a caring manner without demanding a certain action, the advice isn't hidden by the way it is given. As advice is taken, one feels important for the service he or she has been able to offer. This age barrier built up through wisdom can be torn down to benefit both parties.
What If It Was Different
This Time...
Dyne Bissereth
"Did you tell them ... did you tell them that ... that I'm W-H-I-T-E?" Many of us might have asked or thought about that question. We might have been in those situations where our color was important in that sense that we were even afraid of its reflection or even more the influence on other people. Guess Who is a funny and amazing movie that talks about a guy named Simon (the Caucasian boyfriend) whose girlfriend and future wife, Theresa, is black, and its actually time for him to meet the parents, but is he ready? The father knows about the guy intellectually but not physically because waiting for a Denzel Washington or better yet a Collin Powel, he instead sees a Caucasian guy coming into his life and his family.
That situation is not only present in movies. Lots of people may be able to find themselves through that movie, understand what they went through and why, share their pains and how they suffered. A good friend of mine had the same experience, and it went really deep. Society, family and all kinds of differences were against them, but their love at last changed it all to what we can call the perfect union, the perfect match.
Erika, the friend of mine, was a beautiful black girl who left her house at the age of fifteen because of her parents' difficulties. She went to live with her cousin, where she started that strange and ugly life, learning how to survive and not how to live. She had an old man watching over her, because she was so young. She needed someone to give her money. Love she never found, but many guys she knew. She stopped that ugly lifestyle for a while and went back to school, to study business management. After graduation, she couldn't find a job, she went back to that life, that poison that she could not escape from. One night on a club with some friends, she was introduced to a guy called Ben, that handsome white guy Ben, who later would play an important role in her life.
Benwas born in England; he came to Haiti at the age of twelve with his mom. He went to one of the best schools in the country and was always in those social and respectable parties with his mom. He studied computer science and was a volleyball coach at some high school. At the age of 20 Ben met that black, wonderful and gracious girl named Erika. They went out for while, but it did not last. He knew about her life from some friends. As a protocol guy, he met a respectable and family girl and married her. Divorce after two years, he came in contact with Erika at another party. Friendship took place which sent them to that point where their love or better yet their care for each other could no longer hide behind the friendship.
When no objection came between the two of them being united in front of God, society and family were became angry and against that union, which in their eyes was an act of sin. First of all, from the society, their union was kind of weird. If we go back to that movie presented at the very beginning, even the taxi driver saw the problem of the girl not telling her parents that her fiance was white and not black, when he asked the famous question. It is exactly the same for my friend Erika and her husband Ben. She especially had to be strong against the critics, the burdens and the pain of feeling like a fool, a thief and even more a marginal girl for something that she did not do. The conservative society in which she was living, viewed that act as unusual, and it would take them lots of time to get used to it. While waiting for that time to come, the punishment for those people like Erika and Ben is a sensation of guilt.
Second of all, it seems like feeling bad was not enough. They had to endure the family's opinions and points of view. The father, Mr. Percy, of Theresa, the fiance in the movie Guess who, was hoping for a Denzel Washington, but instead received a Mel Gibson type. Right after this shock revelation, the guy's life, Simon, started to be difficult and turned upside down. Erika does relate to that situation. After the engagement, she started to receive anonymous emails saying that she was not worth Ben, she was a B She would never have his baby; she should be careful, because she might not make it through marriage. All these messages, these hurtful words, were not enough to make her give up to what she searched for so long, what she wanted to fight for, what could forever change her life and make her forget about her devastated past. Even her family was shocked, but its surprise was not one of deep disappointment but one of real unexpected news. The little girl that left her house at the age of fifteen, that went through so much, that messed up half of her life, that was not cherished by her family, that same girl whose life was not clear, braved all the obstacles to get to the point where she will have a better life.
Adding to those difficulties, Erika and Ben were also two different people with two different backgrounds and lifestyles. She was not that quiet girl that he married once, she was not someone who would keep quiet if something was hurting her, she was not even close to the type of girlfriend or even more the wife someone would dream of and she was not a good example of a lifetime companion. What about Ben? He was that type of guy that everyone would have expected better for, he was the example of the right road, the charming prince whose Cinderella was not expected to be Erika. They were not raised the same, they had different opinion about life, they did not have the same faith, their parents were extremely different, and yet they managed to conquer it all by the name of love.
Having each other throughout this stage of life, that period of crisis, their love makes them perfect and stronger, because they are one in that fight for it. Their love of each other also preserves their union. Besides the fact that they are different physical they were also different mentally, but these details do not stop them from being who they are and believing in each other. The life that on one hand Erika was waiting and hoping for, Ben in the other side was searching for, for a complete and perfect relationship that could repair the one that died, while growing.
After two years of marriage, like the final touch on a painting sculpture, a little boy, Moses, came into their lives, like a rainbow, like a smile in someones face when tears want to fall down. That little angel of God made their life complete, He fulfilled their joy. He had plans for them, plans of happiness. And as all good stories end all nice and well, their love for each other grows and they keep on living happily ever after.
Socio-Economic
Diversity
Hadassah Consuegra
Coming from a middle class family, I thought that I was well off and did not need anything more than what I already had. This whole thought completely changed when I started at a new school. I was not used to being around kids who had it all and if they did not have it they would find a way to get it. I was very intimidated by them and felt almost beneath them because I did not have expensive clothes, a BMW (or any car for that matter), or many of their other expensive accessories.
I eventually became friends with them, but I was definitely in over my head for what their definition of friendship really was. When they would invite me, they would want to go to these fancy restaurants, follow it up with a movie, and then end the night with ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. I could not afford to go. I worked everyday after school for my money; their parents handed them credit cards.
On one occasion, a few of my friends and I went to the mall to get dresses for our upcoming Christmas banquet. I wanted to go into the shops that I could somewhat afford, they wanted to go into shops that their fathers could afford to buy out. One girl wanted a $450 dress, but it was not nice enough. I was so sick to my stomach just imagining spending that much money on a material item. It was a very eye opening experience to the world of the wealthy. I realized that I was content with not being able to afford their clothes or their world. For them, one dress was not enough, they wanted Gucci heels, Chanel sunglasses, a $1500 Chloe purse, and many other accessories to top off their outfits.
These girls had a way of viewing the world that was completely different from my own and the way that I had been raised to think. The differences of income and wealth caused many problems at our little high school. It added to the division between cliques and the tension between the wealthy and poor of our school. It was not only that one group had more money than the other, but their interests were different from one another. The upper-class kids would talk about their weekend getaways, their shopping sprees, or the new car they were getting. The lower-class kids would talk about their weekend hanging out at home, their basketball games at the community center, and their Saturday night at home watching TV. They shared very little in common and would of course dwell only on their differences and not their similarities. Because of the different activities that the groups participated in, it built even more tension between the groups from different social statuses. Unfortunately, how people view money in correspondence to their adequacy, does not grow out of them or disappear when they graduate from high school, it continues to affect them. In both our historical and modern world, we are surrounded by economic diversity that leads to harmful stereotypes and creates walls that need to be torn down.
Throughout history economic diversity can be seen. It begins to show up when kings and emperors elevated themselves to higher levels than their subjects. This can be seen in the way that King Tut, even after death, had many riches of gold, statues, etc. Historians tell of the kings who build lavish palaces of gold that are enormous estates. Eventually this practice of valuing the rich developed into ranks of power and wealth. These ranks were made into caste systems which would decide who was more important by what they did, how much they made, and even who they were born to.
It may have begun with kings and their levels of importance, but it did not stop there. Society still continues to influence how we view others. We are a society that thrives on money. Everyone wants money and truly believes that it is the path to happiness. Posters are hung and billboards are put up displaying rich people with their wealthy cars and clothes having fun, hoping that maybe those passing by will want to be just like them. We envy those with more and in turn get more. Stores and brands like Abercrombie and Fitch, Nordstroms, Gucci, BMW, and many others have become a way of showing your status in society. Money plus all the expensive things, equals happiness, popularity, and higher status. That is the equation that fuels us.
Today in the modern world, economic diversity is still something we see all around us. Driving around town you see the different classes of poor, middle-class, and rich represented. Not only are these classes evidence to this diversity, but the places in which they live. You can see the more run down parts of town referred to as the ghetto, where lower-class people generally live. Continuing on you can see the apartments, town houses, and suburbs that are normally associated with a middle-class lifestyle. Finally, as you make your way up the money ladder, you come upon the gated communities, mansions, and estates, where the upper-class choose to call their home. These divisions, even the gates, set up barriers between the already barricaded societies. The students get out of school for the day, trying to escape from the stereotypes, only to walk into the stereotypical world of classifying where we live and what we call home.
The entertainment world has always been an industry that thrives on making money and getting viewers to spend money on what they have to sell. Movies, shows, even the actors in them display walls between what is cool and what is not. A popular television show, The OC, displays the lives of rich kids who have it all and want it all. They influence those that watch the show to think the same as them. They portray ideas that suggest things like rich kids have more fun, they can get away with more things, people from worse neighborhoods are not as good as them or do not belong with them, and just the fact that money can buy them everything, including happiness. Many upper-class people may be like this, but shows do not always portray the rich that give back the community or those who are kind and generous. The poor are portrayed as being less smart, gang members, troublemakers, or worse things than that. They do not show the lower-class people who still give back to their community even when they dont have a lot or those that go on to higher education. These shows, advertisements, movies, actors, and stores all influence those that see them. We are an easily influenced society and one in which succumbs to the pressure put on us. Entertainment is all around us, but how we view them can sway our views of others. Because we see stuck up rich or horrible poor people, we begin to think that all people that are rich or poor or like that.
We are building up walls between people by letting them influence how we think. These walls that form between classes affect how we interact with or view one another. In doing this we miss out on the full enjoyment of life and of the presence of many people that could potentially be great people and friends. We need to break down these walls. Instead of classifying someone as being rich, therefore being stuck up, we need to first get to know them. Before judging a poor person as being a trouble maker or before we go and treat them less than how we would want, step back and think. Being open-minded to the differences between how one is brought up as compared to another can also help in understanding how a person is the way they are. End the judgments and just realize that we are all human beings and that what we have does not make any one of us better or less than the other. Money is just a material item that should have no importance as to our basis of judgment on a person. We should instead look at a person by who they truly are, not what they have or where they come from. By doing all of these things we are helping in breaking down those walls that separate one from the other.
title
Reena Dollente
**
Defined by Differences
Mark Einselen
Unfortunately, not everyone has had the positive life-changing experience of being a minority. I am part of a very small minority here at Andrews University. I am not a Seventh-day Adventist.
I really didn't know much about the Adventist faith before I looked into attending Andrews. From the research I conducted, I learned that there are a wide variety of opinions about Adventists. A lot of articles I read regarding Adventists, for the most part, largely discussed doctrine. I became familiar with Adventist beliefs. Most articles I read didnt say a lot about Adventists viewpoint of other denominations, yet I got the impression that a good portion of them were trying to show their similarities to other denominations instead of emphasizing their peculiarities.
I grew up in a United Methodist home, and my world was mostly filled with Christians. Most everyone went to church on Sunday. My family is a good Christian family. My parents have a strong faith. But the Christian belief wasn't forced upon me; it was my own faith, too. I was involved in my church growing up. I was even hired to work in the church office when I was in high school. Although the church was fairly large, I knew almost everyone. I was active in the large youth group, too.
This made going to Andrews a very interesting experience for me. Before I even moved into the dorm, my family and I attended the United Methodist Church in Berrien Springs. It was small and most of the members were elderly. Although this was much different than I was used to, all of the people there made a huge effort to make me feel welcome. They were quite successful.
Later that day, when I met my roommate, Eric, I was quick to introduce myself as not being a Seventh-day Adventist. I didn't want to play a game of pretending just to fit in. I was different and I knew it, there was no reason to hide it, either.
I'm okay with you not being Adventist; Eric said. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then he continued, I've had a lot of experience with a quite a few different religions: Buddhists, Muslims, Satanists....
I got the impression that he was equating my faith with these other religions. I should have known that that conversation was just a preview of the widespread Adventist opinion: If youre not with us, you're against us. This was just an introduction into the typical Adventist view of people who aren't part of their church. Just in the first week, I was going to learn plenty more about Adventists.
Before orientation was even over, I had already grown tired of the vegetarian cafeteria. I don't think the fake meat is even worthy of the title. It makes me think of "processed packing foam made out of soy." I am not only a meat eater, but my family raises goats and chickens for meat. The vegetarian diet is completely foreign to me. I got quite a few gifts of canned meat upon my graduation from high school; many of my extended family members wanted to make sure I ate well while away at college. When I brought it to college, I planned to be able to fix it in the dorm kitchen. It turns out that the student hand book says that nobody can fix meat in the kitchen. Then I also found the one line paragraph that says students are not allowed to serve or sell meat or caffeinated products.
I knew before I came to Andrews that Adventists didn't drink products with caffeine and were vegetarian, but I didn't realize that every student is restricted to conform to Adventist lifestyle rules. Andrews gave me the impression that everyone had to follow their regulations, no matter what faith background one has.
I had always believed that my faith was the genuine and right one. I have several Hindu and Muslim friends who I respect, and I believe in freedom of religion. If they want to believe what they do, that's their choice. They know what I believe and they've chosen not to agree. Although I don't think that all steeples point to heaven, I do think it's important that every decision regarding faith is a personal one and should not be forced upon anyone. Sometimes at Andrews I feel as if Adventism is forced upon everyone. Nothing is open on Saturday, weekly chapel and dorm worship are required, caffeinated products are not available, and, as stated before, the cafeteria never serves meat.
I think one of the negative effects these rules have had is that some Adventist followers just go through the motions of being Adventist. I know a couple Adventists who don't attend church on Saturday (or any other day), yet they wear a suit on Saturday for lunch at the cafeteria just to look as if they had attended church. The language they use behind the dorm room doors isn't appropriate for anyone, let alone a Christian. They attend hall worship and Bible study, explain Adventist theology, and then go back to living their normal lives.
I often suspect that because most of them were raised in an Adventist home, attended an Adventist school, and now go to an Adventist college, they've only ever heard one-sided theological discussions. They aren't encouraged to really think about their beliefs. They just think that they're right, and that if they go to Church on Saturday, they're meeting all of the requirements of being a good Adventist. A change in heart and life hasn't taken place for them. Of course, this isn't standard across the board, but it is the perception I've gotten about many Adventists.
I shouldn't complain, though, because that description could so easily describe so many Christians of all denominations. When I came to Andrews, I knew that I would be in the minority in a denominational aspect, but I didn't realize by how much. I didn't meet another non-Adventist student until after six weeks at Andrews. Not because there aren't any others, although there aren't too many, but because doctrinal variety isn't promoted, nor encouraged, at Andrews. I read some of the college's recent promotional material for perspective students, and one of the positive things the literature had to say about the university was that it was religiously diverse. I guess that means that everyone here has heard of someone who might not be Adventist. Statistically, the university is not religiously diverse by any interpretation of the word.
How has this affected me? There's no way to live as a very small minority and not be affected in some way. There are, of course, both positive and negative aspects. One of the first things that comes to my mind now when I think of Adventists is about how exclusive a lot of them seem. Some of them think that being defined as an Adventist is better than being categorized as a Christian, as I was told by one of my professors. Personally, I view myself as a Christian, and I prefer to not be called a United Methodist. Although being part of a community of believers is an integral facet of Christian living, a denomination shouldn't define your personal life. Christianity itself is a personal relationship with God, not an identity with a specific type of church. I hadnt given this much thought before coming to Andrews.
I have, though, definitely been positively influenced by coming to Andrews. After attending a chapel or hall worship that I might disagree with, I find myself with a hunger for God's Word more than ever. Sometimes I find it easier to read my Bible than study for my classes. This was something I wasn't used to experiencing. If I had never been challenged to dig into God's Word, I would be less certain of the Biblical reasons I believe the things I do.
If I had never had the experience of being a minority, I would most certainly have a different view of other minorities. I have often wondered why there are different ethnic churches, but after being a minority, I can now relate to the importance of attending a church where you fit-in in more ways than just theologically.
For these reasons, I think that it is important for everyone to have the experience of being a minority. It can change your life; its changed mine. My own experience with being a minority here at Andrews University has both helped me better define myself and my beliefs and also helped me understand other people. My upbringing had a large role in shaping who I am, but my encounter here at Andrews with being a minority has effected me. My beliefs havent morphed. My faith hasnt changed. My experience at Andrews hasnt discouraged me; it has defined me.
Teenagers become
Adults When?
Korrine Hallam
There has to be some point in time when teenagers consider themselves an adult. Many people view that point in time to be different. Some people have their own experiences, but could they relate to the majority of teenagers? There are so many responsibilities that come into play as you adventure into the adult world. But are they the only factor that defines an adult? I was able to see what other people had to say and find out for myself why or how a teenager officially becomes an adult.
I first thought of some questions that I, a teenager, have in this particular situation. What makes you become an adult? Do you wake up one day and decide you have what it takes? Maybe its the responsibilities that you now have to take on, on your own. We can see that college age students are on the boarder of becoming an adult, but when do they take on the title?
During high school years your parents start to give you more responsibilities to take on. You start to feel like you might have your own life away from home. You get your drivers license and now you can go almost anywhere you want. These are some signs that tell you that your adulthood is starting to develop. Even though it is not fully developed, you get hints of what it would be like out in the world by yourself without your parents around. Wasnt it weird the first time you took the car without one of your parents in it? That is when I felt the most like an adult; they were giving me the responsibility of that car, and trusted me with it.
Through your high school years you get glimpses of what the freedom will feel like, but you dont have full control yet. If you are still under your parents roof, you still have to abide by their rules. Now every house and family is different, but the typical teenager is not free till they move out. But is free the best for you? Ever since I was younger I would look at high school seniors and even view them as adults; but as I became one, I felt just as a kid as I always was. I did not feel prepared to go to college and be on my own. Even now as a college freshman I am not ready to be an adult and hold the responsibilities that come with it. I know from experience that teenagers are scared of adulthood, what comes with it and who they will become. I think that once you go to college you will acquire more of a picture.
Now college doesnt make you an adult yet either, but as one of my interviewers said, Its the change in thinking that happens, a shift toward responsibility, a settling of their identity, and firm decisions on morals. What goes on during college helps them to lay down their future and the road they want to take. You do have more responsibilities and your professors do expect you of many things, but you still look for help. Maybe you are like me and need your parents help for finances, a car, and maybe even some spending money? If I still ask them and expect them to help me in those areas, then I still have to live under there expectations, Im not figuring it out on my own; so adulthood has not been reached fully yet. Now a lot of people could make it will out relying on their parents and maybe could make it out there on their own, but I dont think that they have fully taken on the responsibilities of adulthood, and your adulthood lives are filled with responsibilities.
The biggest responsibility and the most received answer that I got was getting married. You become officially on your own, well with your partner, and you have to decide things based on what you think, want, need. Youre faced with payments of rent, purchasing house furnishings, a car payment etc. Many things come into play that you never have dealt with before, or even imagined before. You have to consider where the money is coming from that pays the monthly bills, and where the food that feeds your stomach will come from. Then comes the day when you and your spouse are expecting a child, you now have to take on the responsibilities of raising a human being and provide for him or her till they get married.
Maybe when you become married you become an adult, does it happen all in one day, or does it gradually come as you get older? Maybe you are not officially an adult till you carry the responsibilities of one? Most of the people I interviewed agreed that there is no official age when you become an adult, it is more of a way of acting and taking the responsibilities that no one can do but yourself. Another said, It is a gradual process each step taking you farther away from youth and a little closer to adulthood. Sometimes we even have to let go of out dreams, hopes, and expectations. It is helpful to do that because then we dont focus on what we want our lives to end up as, instead take one step at a time. If you strive and strive and dont go anywhere, then are you actually moving?
We all have to look into what we are doing and see if it is helping us to reach adulthood. Do we achieve things that benefit us and our future? The only way to become an adult is to go out there and achieve it for yourself not for others or for your parents, but for the person striving to live. You need to grow into what God wants you to be. So, when do you consider yourself an adult, or are you? Maybe you need to look at yourself and find out. Take your time, It is a gradual process.
title
Rusheda Hill
**
America, New Zealand,
and Korea
Hye-Jin Jeon
Experiencing diversity of culture and language can be fun, exciting and sometimes scary. Going to New Zealand and America was the biggest change I ever experienced. Experiences I had in New Zealand and America were really fun and exciting because I was living in places where they speak a totally different language and have cultures different from Korea. The English we used in New Zealand was different from American English, because it was the mixture between British English and American English. I sometimes struggled to learn language and to fit in with people and cultures, but sometimes I was easily accepted. These experiences I had helped me to grow to be a better person.
When I was in Korea, I used Korean for my native language, and ever since I was young, that was the only language I used in normal life. However, since English is the national language that we should know, I learned some basic English in school, and that was all I knew when I decided to go to New Zealand.
When I first went to the school in New Zealand, I didn't know how to say things in English, so I had to use body language whenever I wanted to say something to my friends and teachers. So I had a hard time following in classes since I didn't know and understand English very well.
As the time went on, I adapted to life in New Zealand and I started to understand the lectures in classes. It was because people there were really open to new people that they easily accepted me. They also helped me with English patiently even though it took a long time to understand what my friends and teachers were saying. So I was able to improve my English very much by spending time with my friends.
After staying in New Zealand for two and a half years, I went to America for the next half of my high school life. Since there was some British English mixed in the English I learned from New Zealand, I had to fix it and try to talk like Americans. I still have a hard time figuring out how to spell some words like, color and colour, center and centre, and the way we say water, which was spelled the same but pronounced differently in New Zealand. However, other than that, it was not too hard to read and write.
I had a hard time fitting into the American life, because people were not that open to me when I first came to America. Also, I was trying to make friends and study at the same time, which was really hard for me. As the time went on, I eventually made many friends, and did well in the classes, but at first, I felt like a stranger.
Schools I attended in New Zealand and America were very different from Korea. School in Korea is really hard because there is so much competition for the good universities. Students there had to go to a sort of night school in addition to regular school to do better than other people in their classes. We all had to take the same classes in high school without choice, so I struggled to do as much as other people were doing.
In contrast to Korea, in New Zealand and America, we could choose what we wanted to take, and there was more free time for students to enjoy what we really liked and what we were really good at in high school. In Korea, there was a PE class where one does not do much exercise, but in New Zealand and America, there were many different sports that we could learn and try, and I enjoyed it very much.
For me, mathematics was the easiest subject I took in New Zealand because math in Korea is really hard. I did well in art, PE, and technology classes where we had to make things, but I didn't really do well in other classes, like history and English which requires lots of reading and writing. Also, the English I learned in Korea was American English, so I had a hard time learning how to say words properly, and how to spell the words which are spelled differently than I learned.
In comparison to school in New Zealand, the school in America was much harder than New Zealand. In New Zealand, since teachers knew that I did not understand much in classes, they were really easy on me. Also, the classes were not that hard compared to America. Also, in America, there were so many things to do since I transferred from a different school, and I had to take all the classes that were required to graduate the school in just 2 years. I also had to apply for the college and take all the tests for the university which all happened in a year.
That was why I really wanted to go back to New Zealand because I missed my friends and school so much. There was more freedom in New Zealand, and I got so much stress in school in America. However, since I knew that I could not go back, I worked really hard, asking for help from my friends and teachers in school to follow what others were doing and to get good grades in classes.
Because I did not give up study and struggled hard to fit in America, I was able to come to Andrews University and meet all these new people who became really good friends to me. If I decided to go back to Korea when I was having a hard time, I would not be able to meet new people and learn English. These positive memories I had in New Zealand and America as a international student, made me the person who I am, adopting new cultures quickly without much problem. Experiencing diverse cultures in different countries is the most precious memory I ever had, and I would never be able to forget it.
title
Lena Jones
**
Revelations of Culture
Philip Kalmar
Diversity is all around us, a literal swirl of customs, ideas, values, food preferences, and traditions. Some times we can be staring at diversity in its face, represented in the people we interact with all around us, and yet we do not even take a moments notice to learn something about a new culture. Imagine walking past a man giving out free money and not even stopping to take some? This analogy can be used in many of our lives today; we can be offered a wealth of ideas about diversity and never stop to cash in, so to speak. Diversity, on the campus of Berrien Springs, is represented in so many people of different backgrounds and for some people, they never take the time to learn something new and it leads to misunderstanding and stereotyping of others. I am ashamed to say that this was me, in regards to knowing about the diversity of the Korean culture.
Being in the company of Koreans was a lesson for me in itself. Learning to ask questions and come to realize the reasons of the differences that I observed was the real gem, however. Learning how Koreans, and I speak of the students that come from Korea to study at Andrews University, think and what the value has certainly proven me to be an inadequate judge of cultural diversity, for any culture. The things I have learned I value beyond my little past experience, because it has helped change my pattern of thinking and learn to appreciate so much in different people.
Coming from a middle-class family in a small town with less diversity than I wish would have been, I was never really exposed to diversity among different cultures. This transitioned into my later teen years, and although like all people, I did learn what different cultures thought and did, but I never actually went out of my way to discover why. This was just an acceptance of how different culture groups behaved, talked, and ate. Sadly, I did not make it a priority to learn the vast wealth of ideas behind what I was seeing. Literally, I was ignorant of what I saw before my eyes, and I judged and made determinations based on the little I knew. It was a pathetic display of ignorance that was inexcusable in a world that is tense with war and anger between cultural groups, not realizing the fundamental core of ourselves all being human. In gratitude and debt to some of them, my Korean friends here at Andrews taught me how blind I really was.
Believing the Koreans to be a generic form of the Asian populace, I never really bothered to look at what they valued and thought, making my own decisions about this culture. One of these values was the respect of the elderly. I was unsure of how the Korean culture treated its elderly, but I was sure that it was much like the American culture I observed all the time. Korean elderly were naturally put into retirement homes, I reasoned. I was sure I was right, I mean did not every one do this around me when I was growing up? So what happens? My first experience with a large group of Korean people gathering together, and I observe that the elderly are in attendance, and the younger people all bowed to the older ones. Not something I was accustomed to doing, I hastily did the same to an elderly lady greeting me at the door, lest I looked the fool. I learned that the Korean culture places a great deal of respect on the elderly. Instead of being a hindrance they are taken to all the social events, like going to worship in church, and are treated kindly, with respect, and are made to feel comfortable wherever they are. They are not placed in retirement homes, as the family is expected to care for them in their own homes. Not only this, but the elderly are subject to polite and respectful language, never the slang used by the younger generations. In addition to be at home with their children and grandchildren, the elderly would give family and financial advice which is taken with consideration. Having the elderly people around made me learn that this diversity that I did not retain in my culture, in reality has many benefits. Wisely, having the parents at home saves money for the children, and they can help with raising the grandchildren and educating them when the parents are stressed. Including the elderly in social events provides a closer knit bond between young and old, and ideas and values are passed along. There is much less misunderstanding between generations, and it is a support to all. This was one aspect of diversity that I learned, and the Koreans showed the significance of it.
Food being the most popular aspect of life is also a big role in diversity. Misunderstanding why people ate differently than I was a setback in my life personally and the Koreans were one way of showing me this. I was sure that the Koreans I encountered on campus ate mostly the food prepared in the cafeteria; I never suspected that food still played an important role in their culture. The Koreans I met still retained the habit of eating some of their traditional foods everyday. One even told me that he would not think of not eating traditional food everyday. It was expected of him, and having some rice and a spiced cabbage preparation called kimchi was a normal thing in life. Not understanding the diversity of their foods also was an unfortunate thing. I learned that eating the traditional food had the benefit of connecting generations of Koreans, retaining family histories and tradition, as well as health benefits. Although in due respect to the cafeteria food service, eating North American food is generally considered to be more "fast food", and somewhat detrimental to health. By retaining the cultural foods, the diet ensured that foods eaten were more fresh, grown, and healthy for the body. It has kept the weight under control, and little cholesterol with lots of fiber in their diet, and fresh and healthy produce. Not understanding another aspect of diversity in the Korean culture had put my understanding of food in a lower position than it could have been, and there would have benefits for me if I would have known about some of these things.
One final thing I was to observe was that the Korean culture encouraged marriage in their culture, as opposed to them marrying anyone from another culture. Although thinking this was essentially a very narrow minded thing, I was to discover that it was not actually so. Some Korean friends pointed out to me that this was not exactly the case for every Korean, far from it. However, marrying into their own culture provided the continuation of their culture. It brought families closer together because they were of the same background. No cultural separations existed and the families were more likely to say together, and help each other.
The gulf of diversity between their lives and mine opened a bridge of understanding that was a great help to me. I see it as a benefit that I have learned the differences in diversity, and it has opened my experiences and the way I live life in a new light. Diversity is not something I could ever judge and make conclusions based upon only what I knew. This made me realize the peril such a view of cultures puts us as humans in. Not understanding what others value, think, and live by is a wall that never should have been built, but continues to stand even today.
Academic Diversity in
Education
David Logan
Though much effort and thought has been given to the subject of diversity in education, there still is much work to be done in this area, and much to be gained if this work is well done.
By referring to educational diversity I am not referring to the often addressed topics of diversity as it refers to standard stereotypes, such as ethnic, racial or gender diversity in educational institutions. These topics have been discussed and examined. Instead I am referring to diversity of opinion, the ability to hold ones own ideas and not be penalized for showing creativity in the creation or exercise of these ideas. Educational institutions should be places where openness is practiced and divergent opinions are not only allowed but are also encouraged, at least within the limits of academic integrity. The purpose of being open to others ideas and perspectives is not to encourage our students or our peers to be lazy, but to challenge them to think for themselves and then give them the freedom to actually do it rather then simply talk about it.
I would not be surprised if many students have run into situations in which they were asked a subjective, or opinion question, and they were subsequently penalized during grading because it did not match the teachers own opinion on the subject. To a greater or lesser degree this probably happens on almost every area of study, as personal judgment is a factor anywhere there exists ambiguity as to what exactly the correct answer is, which would encompass all areas of study. If this is the case then I think it is the teacher's responsibility to keep an open mind when they receive answers that differ from their opinion or traditional thought.
There are understandably many perspectives on this issue. Some could well argue along the lines of the saying, Dont re-invent the wheel, that the whole purpose of education is to drill into students the information that has been discovered over years of study, saving them much needless repetition. Indeed, one of the functions of education is to teach students previously discovered information so that they wont have to redo work that has already been done, and so that they will not repeat historical mistakes. We are in danger however of not only learning the truths that our ancestors discovered, but also their mistakes. Many tremendous blunders have been made when challenges to standing thought were not allowed; some comical in retrospect, such as when Aristotle stated that a spider had eight legs, and nobody bothered for hundreds of years to challenge his statement, even though a spider obviously has only six legs. I dare say that the person who invented the wheel very likely was an innovator who dared to think differently then everyone else. The problem perhaps lies not in teaching students how previous generations have made their wheels, but in teaching that a particular method of making the wheel is the correct and only method, that all others are false, and that a better wheel cant possibly be made. That is a subjective judgment, and stifles creativity as it inherently disallows for the possibility of valid opposing viewpoints. In reality there are many ways to make a wheel, all suited to different applications. This seems like common sense, yet I have found in my own personal experience that many teachers do much the same thing. A few teachers teach the student that their method of making the wheel is the one and only perfect method. Thankfully these teachers are few and far between. Far more common is discrimination against opposing ideas by default, neglecting to inform the student of alternative methods of thinking about the subjects that they are being taught. This later example is the most common, the simple neglect to present more then a narrow view of the material, fed in bite-sized pieces so that the student never truly gets the big picture.
But there are issues with encouraging academic diversity as well. As the old saying goes, one should know the rules before breaking them. What the rules are is where the problem crops up. Does the teachers opinion count as truth, especially if that teacher is highly educated, well respected within their field and most importantly, a smart, intelligent individual? That is a difficult question, and one for which there is no easy, across the board answer. Does the majority decide what truth is? Eventually for practicalitys sake conventions must be created and followed, but who decides what is truth? These are hard questions.
When it comes right down to it, the bottom line is that if the goal of our students is to get through college only so that they can get a degree so they can get a get a decent job, then we have failed in their education, and if teachers think that their only job is to insure that their students know enough about a particular field to be able to knowledgeably regurgitate well structured information about their field in respectable company, then they also are sorely misled. The real purpose of higher education should be to teach students how to think. This is not necessarily a question of what we teach or learn, but a question of why. Are we learning because we must, or because we want to? Learning is not a spectator sport, and it should not become one.
Tradition has purpose, innovation has purpose. What can you do to enable yourself and others to exercise creativity to the fullest extent? There is little to be lost and everything to be gained if we choose to open our minds to the good in other peoples ideas, and carefully foster an environment where true innovation can take place.
Color Blind
Miracle Lopez
Now and then I run into people who see race as a boundary, something that makes others completely different from themselves. Growing up, this kind of mind set was foreign to me, but as I grew older, I began to be aware of these differences.
I was born in the Philippines, a country off the coast of Asia. My family and I moved here to Berrien Springs when I was three years old. Berrien Springs, being where the campus of Andrews University is located, has always, in my memory, been full of diversity. I went to Ruth Murdoch Elementary School where I was surrounded by people of many ethnic backgrounds. Being different was normal to me.
In my eyes, kids were kids, people were people. I didnt see race as a barrier at all. My brother and I were two out of four Filipinos in the whole school. That being the case, I never had the opportunity to group with just Filipinos. In elementary school all the kids seemed to mix well. My closest friends were all from different ethnic backgrounds. Ashley was Korean, Deirdre was South African, Nichole was half Indonesian and half Japanese, Tebuho was African American, and Danny was Caucasian. Color didnt matter to me. It was the fact that my friends were loyal and fun to hang out with was my main concern. We would all play on the playground together, not thinking twice about any sort of racial conflict.
When I got to high school, I was met with some different views. I went to Andrews Academy, a school of much diversity. For the most part everyone mixed pretty well, but there were a small few who had some issues with certain types of people.
The lunch room was filled with the usual laughing, talking, hustle and bustle that you would find in any cafeteria setting. The louder ones always seemed to sit on the outside ring of tables, shyer ones in the middle of the room, and the freshman along the right wall. I remember one day at lunch when a girl across the table from me said a comment like,
Oh my goodness, why are those Black people so loud?
I gave her the strangest look. I had never really thought about it like that. I was used to people being loud and that was normal. It was a bit shocking to hear someone comment about it as if it were a negative thing.
Seeing she was serious I said, Dont worry too much about it, theyre just having fun and theyre cool like that.
She shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. Soon the comment was forgotten and we settled into our own conversation.
There was another instance when one of my friends was confused as to why I hung out with the people I did. She didnt understand that I didnt care what their color was. Color was nothing to me. The person was what mattered and they could have been purple for all I cared. She and I became really good friends and as the years progressed she began to change her mind set about things and the way she viewed other people. Once in a while she would make some offhand comment about a person, because of race, and I would give her a look that said she wasnt to say those kinds of things to me and she would quickly apologize. There were times when I would notice she was just being polite, but as time went on I could see a genuine change in her attitude. Im glad I had the opportunity to share the way I viewed people with someone.
I never really saw myself as different from anyone else. I was aware of the fact that there was cultural groupings, but that didnt bother me. I would go from group to group and make friends with everyone. I still remember the first time I realized that I was different
One Sabbath afternoon, Cindy invited me and another friend, Janelle, to go to a South African Potluck. I love food, so I agreed to go. When we got there, there were many people milling about talking. It was a while later before the eating began. Some people would walk by us, smile and continue doing what they were doing. We soon found a seat on one of the couches in the room.
A few minutes later Janelle leaned over and whispered, Im one of the only four Black people in this room.
I raised an eyebrow at her and shook my head. Cindy laughed a little at the comment then shrugged it off. I began to gaze around the room. I noticed that most of the South Africans where white and there were the few darker ones. Then it came back to me, the only Asian in the room. I was beginning to notice that I was getting sideways glances from people, polite smiles, which to me looked, as if to say, What are you doing here? I began to be self-conscious.
Janelle leaned over again and said, Well, at least Im Jamaican so I look African.
That did not help to ease the feeling of not belonging I was feeling at that moment. It was then that I realized I was different.
College brought about another kind of experience. The views that I observed and experienced were much different from the views I have grown up with.
One evening one of my Asian guy friends and I were talking. We were talking about school, our likes, our dislikes, and then we came upon the topic of people. I was in the process of getting him to confess who he had a crush on when he asked me about mine.
Come on, if you tell me, Ill tell you, he said.
Fine, Ill tell you, but you cant tell anyone.
He promised and I told him and even pointed the guy out for him to see. His eyebrows shot up and he gave me a strange look.
What?I asked.
You like a Black guy? he whispered.
Yeah, so whats wrong with that? I was slightly confused as to why that would be a problem.
Oh nothing, I mean, wow, thats crazy! Where Im from, we just dont do that.
Why not? I mean, hes a really nice guy and he has pretty eyes, I said smiling.
No, its not that, its just that in the part of California where Im from all the African American guys are gangster and they just have a reputation there. Here, its so different. The people here are so nice and its just weird. Its cool, but weird.
I shook my head and said, I guess its different for me, because Ive always been exposed to the different colors and backgrounds. My taste in guys doesnt depend on their race or nationality, but their overall personality. See, for example, my first boyfriend was from Brazil, my second was half American, half Ecuadorian.
He looked at me again with that same shocked look. Whats up with you and South American dudes?
I laughed, Im telling you, I dont care where theyre from, just so long as I like them is all.
He shook his head again and sighed. Youre different, thats for sure.
I love meeting new people. I enjoy going out and making new friends. When I first came to Andrews University, it wasnt much of a shock to me. I am used to the diversity and the surroundings. I made friends with many different people, people of African American decent, British, Swiss, Hispanic, Caucasian, Korean and so much more. Oh how I love diversity!
There are times when we look around and see people as different from us. Sometimes we tend to steer away from them because of these differences. I am now more aware of the differences that surround me, but in the end I see that people are people, regardless of their color or race. I believe that we are all precious in the site of God our creator. Even though my view has been broadened, I still look through my eyes as a child.
title
Jose Lopez
**
Diversity or Monotony:
That is the Question
Savanna Maniscalco
Diversity is all around, especially here in the United States. Known as the melting pot, the United States is identified for its broad range of cultural diversity. People from all over the world have left their homes and moved to the U.S. In this type of environment, tolerance is imperative. There are so many different peoples with different backgrounds and beliefs that in order to get along, people must be accepting of the unique attributes of one another. If this does not happen, then conflict and anger between people begins to emerge and battles pursue. The movie Chocolat expands on this basic idea and brings to light the extremes of what occurs when people are intolerant of one another and also how they are affected when they are not allowed to be themselves. It helps prove that diversity should not be shunned, but welcomed. Diversity is what makes the world around us unique and full of life; without it, the world would be a dull and monotonous place.
The movie Chocolat portrays the idea that intolerance of diversity creates a negative environment in which no one can fully be themselves. The movie begins in a little village in France. A sense of dullness is all encompassing in the first scenes. This is due to the fact that everyone in the town was supposed to act in a certain way according to the overbearing Comte. This created a sense of uniformity among the people and not surprisingly, the townspeople were miserable. This lack of diversity places a feeling of monotony throughout the village. These set ways affected many of those living in the town. They were unable to be themselves, resulting in them not being able to have their own opinions or, in some cases, their own personalities.
Without diversity, the world would be a boring place in which no one could truly and fully be themselves. Growing up in California, where there is quite a diverse group of people, it is impossible to imagine a world without variation between human beings. It is just a fact of life there. This necessity of toleration towards others became even more pronounced in my mind when I came to Andrews University where there are people from all over the world. I have learned that the acceptance of others differences is the most important thing to keep peace and harmony among everyone. I personally have come to this realization through the way I was raised and in what environments I have lived in. Without it, the universe would be full of anger and impatience among its inhabitants.
This fact is expanded upon in the movie Chocolat as it takes a drastic turning point when a woman, Vianne, and her daughter move into town. Vianne sells Mayan chocolate and is different from what people were expected to be in the little village. First of all, she did not go to church, and secondly, her daughter was an illegitimate child. As soon as the Comte, who wanted everyone and everything to do, and be, what he felt was right, found out, he did all he possibly could in order to run them out of town. He also approached the situation of the River Rats in the same manor. The Comte decided that he was going to make the town boycott immorality. All that this endeavor succeeded at was creating even more problems and upheavals in the village then what was already in existence. It proves the fact that when differences are not accepted among one another, conflict occurs.
A prime example of what happens when others do not tolerate diversity is found in the experiment Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes. It is amazing when peoples differences are pointed out in a negative light how quickly they can turn on one another. The experiment Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes shows this fact when the teacher of a third grade class decided to divide the group of students into those children with blue eyes and those with brown eyes. The first day, she placed the blue eyes above the brown. Those with blue eyes pointed out all the negative aspects of the kids with brown eyes and teased them unmercifully. On the second day, she reversed the situation. Now, even though the brown eyes knew what it felt like to be on the bottom and treated badly, they treated the blue eyed kids just as mean as they had been treated only a day earlier. What proves the point that acceptance creates harmony, is how the children acted towards one another after they realized that their eye colors made no difference. They immediately just went back to being happy and accepting of one another as if it had never happened.
There is a huge difference in a society based on how people are either accepting of one another or not. The movie Chocolat shows this drastic difference between the scenes in the beginning of the film and those at end. The beginning of the movie portrays a dull and monotonous environment. No one has any emotions, and if they do, it is feelings of deep suffering. However, by the end the end of the movie, there is a drastic difference, people were happy and alive. This occurred when Vianne brought to life the fact that the idea of diversity is a wonderful thing that should not be shunned, but shared with others. Once these people were allowed to be themselves, they were able to accept others and happiness abounded.
Diversity is all around. Everyone is different in their own unique ways. No two people are exactly alike. Once this fact becomes realized and accepted, then all can live in harmony with one another. One can view diversity like a stain glass window. Without light shinning through it, it is grey and dull. As soon as our differences are brought into the light, all the colors can shine brightly and mix together to make a beautiful and harmonic picture. Through the acceptance of one anothers differences, an environment which would otherwise be dull, or full of strife, is healthy and alive, no matter ones background or belief system. All that is needed is a little toleration.
title
Robert McLean
**
Sticker Discrimination
Eric Mitchell
Racial diversity has always been an important part of my life. Ever since I was young, I have had numerous friends from different racial and cultural backgrounds. I have found that this kind of diversity allows me to see the world through the eyes of someone else, causing me to examine my own life differently. I believe that it is through having experiences with racial diversity that we can finally put an end to racial discrimination and stereotypes. I have been lucky enough to have many diverse experiences in my life, but one in particular showed me what it really is like to be discriminated against.
My middle school teacher taught us a lesson we would never forget. Her lesson plan consisted of giving each student a blue or green sticker, and then showing preference to one colored group throughout the day. We, the students, of course, didn't know then that it was her intention, so we spent most of the day frustrated and confused.
When I arrived at class that day, my teacher gave me a blue sticker, and told me to put it on. I remember wondering what was the purpose of the whole thing, but before the day was over I would have the answer. After my teacher had finished distributing the stickers, she told the class that all the students with green stickers could leave and go to recess. The instruction struck a wave of confusion into the classroom, as everyone was wondering what was going on. When the group with green stickers ran outside for recess, I remember asking my friend, What is going on? This isn't fair! My friend just shrugged and told me to ask the teacher.
"Mrs. Fuchs, why does everyone with green stickers get to go to recess and we don't?" I asked.
"Because they have green stickers, that's why," exclaimed my teacher.
"But that's not fair, I told my teacher.
"Of course it's fair, they have green stickers and you don't," she replied.
My anger started to raise after this conversation with my teacher. I just didn't understand what was happening, and I ended up complaining the rest of the class period. When the class period ended the green students returned from recess and we continued on with the regular school routine.
It was around 11:30 that the bell rang for lunch. All students quickly ran to the lunch room so they wouldn't be at the end of the line. I was lucky enough to be in the front of the line, but I got nervous when I saw my teacher coming up to me with all the green stickers. My teacher then told all the students with green stickers to cut in front of the line in front of the blue sticker students. As all the students with green stickers cut in front of me, I became very upset and angry. I didn't understand why the green sticker students were better than the blue sticker students. It just didn't seem fair to me. Although it didn't occur to me at the time, I was experiencing sticker discrimination.
After lunch had finished my teacher came in again and told us to switch stickers with someone that had a different color than us. This made me feel much better, because this meant that I would now be getting the privileges. As the students finished their sticker transfer, my teacher began to talk.
Now, students I want everyone with blue stickers to go outside for recess, while all the students with green stickers clean up, instructed the teacher.
I felt much better after that instruction and started to make fun of everyone with blue stickers, asking them how it felt to be blue now. I quickly ran outside with rest of the blue students to enjoy my recess.
Unfortunately, the enjoyment of the recess ended before it ever got started. Because only half of the class was outside, we couldn't really do anything. We didn't have enough students to play basketball, football or even tag. We ended up just sitting around talking.
"What do you think our teacher has been trying to do today?" I asked my friends.
"I think she's being lazy and only wants to teach half of the class at a time," my friend Ryan replied.
"Maybe she just likes causing a conflict, because she's crazy." my friend Daniel replied.
"No guys, I think there is a point to the whole thing," I replied
After we finished talking, my teacher called us to come in from recess.
When we were all back in the class room, my teacher finally spilled the beans, and told us the reasons of the stickers. She said that she had been trying to show us what it's like to be discriminated against. During this time we had been reading the book, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, by Mildred Taylor (1976). My teacher said that she wanted us to experience racial discrimination so that we could better understand the book.
This interesting experience has provided me with a very important lesson in diversity. It showed me what it's like to be racially discriminated against, and also what it's like to be in a racially segregated society. During that day, my teacher clearly demonstrated racial discrimination to my class, and that's something I will never forget.
Welcome Others:
Maintain a Balance
Katelin Mitchell
When you grow up surrounded by a culture that has been influenced from its very beginning by another nationality, you tend to not realize it. This is how it was for me growing up in Southern California. Considering that California was previously Mexican territory, the Latin influence is perfectly explainable. I grew up hearing people speaking Spanish, eating Mexican food, and saying words like tortilla, and quesadilla as frequently as bird or sky. This blending of cultures helped me to not discriminate against Hispanics. When I was young, we were all a part of the same culture. But as time progressed, I found that my ideas about culture blending would change.
I am definitely not saying that I became racist, no not at all. I was exposed to more cultures as soon as I entered high school. The school hosted an exchange student program that brought students from Korea, Vietnam, and China. I had never met anyone who was so different. I learned to be more patient through knowing these students, and by the time graduation rolled around, we were all very good friends. They had mastered English, and adapted to our culture, while we learned more about what it was like to grow up somewhere else.
America was founded with such diversity in mind. The land is no stranger to immigration, for that's exactly how it was started. The pilgrims were just that, immigrants hoping to find a land where they could have a better life. When they created our country, they planned for it to be open to all who wanted to have a better life. And that's exactly what it has been, a land of opportunity, a place where anyone can come to start over. This has resulted in one of the largest cultural mixes ever. But in the southwestern states there is a distinct change in the ratio of actual American citizens to the number of immigrants. Due to the close proximity to Mexico, and the relative ease of crossing the border, many people have come into California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, hoping to be able to start a new life there. This has resulted in the previously mentioned blended culture that these states experience, which is great. But at what point is it no longer a blended culture?
Southern Californians know that the Mexican culture is a strong influence. How can they not? The ethnic distribution shows that this is the largest percentage of the population, and it is still growing. Spanish is spoken just as frequently, if not more so, than English, and the current mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, is the first Latino to hold that position. People who are bilingual in Spanish and English are the ones who are hired first, because of the ever increasing number of citizens that speak very little English. I am most definitely not trying to say that immigration is a bad thing. It is essential to create the epitome of a true American society. However, when those who have come into another country are so great in number, it offsets the balance that should be maintained. Take the example I gave in regards to being hired based on your ability to speak both languages. This is potentially unfair to people who may be more knowledgeable in a field, but because they are unable to speak that second language, are denied a job. Yes there are plenty of jobs out there, but that is just one of the many potential situations that can come from such a large movement of people from one country to another.
While the increase in immigration can potentially help the job market, often it ends up hurting the economy. Immigrants who are unable to speak English and by American standards, have had very little schooling, are forced to find and work difficult jobs for minimum wage. Not all immigrants end up in this situation. Those who are able to raise enough money, and speak English, before coming over are able to make a decent living for themselves. But as I said before, most are forced to work minimum wage jobs. In Southern California, practically every single fast food restaurant is owned, operated, and maintained by Hispanics, even the Chinese take-out places.
According to a demographic study done by Stanford University's Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE), the percentage of the population in California that are American Indian, Asian, Black, and White are decreasing, while the percentage of the population that is Latino is steadily increasing. There has always been a large percentage of Hispanics in California, but as of the census in the year 2000 they were shown to be the majority. California alone is home to 31% of the entire US Hispanic population. As I said before, growing up I didn't really notice that there was such an influence, race meant nothing to me. If everyone had such views in adulthood that most have in childhood, views that embrace all people and strive to be as one, there would be no need for country borders, no need for immigration. But as we all know, this most definitely is not the case. People do, for many reasons, feel the need to immigrate. Either they are trying to improve their economic status, or just start a new life over in a better land. And America is often seen as this land of prosperity. Our "free country" motto followed by the lines of "with liberty and justice for all", makes America seem like the ideal place to live.
You can come here, believe what you want, start a new life, and everything will be just wonderful, right? Maybe not. Considering that America is the only first world country to share a border with a third world country, it's only natural that they would want to come here. However, the majority of immigrants from Mexico to the US, whether they are legal or not, have a high poverty rate. This in turn lowers the economy of the country to which they move. America works hard to offset this shift, but the sheer number of immigrants is difficult to overcome. I believe that immigration should be allowed in order to preserve America as we know it, but I also believe that it should not be as easy or inexpensive as it currently is. The people who are hoping to immigrate should be able to have the ability to support themselves in their new lives, and they should be able to show the government proof of this. This way our country's economic level is not affected as much, and the rate of unemployment will be much less. Many immigrants, as I mentioned before, come here without security of work, and end up working whenever and wherever they can, just to stay alive.
In order to truly embrace diversity we need to welcome other people into our culture, but at the same time, we shouldn't let everyone that wishes to come be immediately accepted. This sounds harsh, but sometimes in order to avoid what could become a problem, you have to draw very strict lines. It's not that they're not good enough, it's just that balance must be maintained. If you want liberty and justice for all, then that's respecting the lives of every single American citizen, immigrant or not. Everyone has the right to their own life, their own opinion, and to maintain their own customs and traditions without having to constantly worry about offending someone. You can't force ideas on another person, or tell them that in order to be diverse they need to accept everything you say. Diversity, true diversity, is maintaining who you are, while accepting who other people are and not forcing anyone to change who they are.
Food Diversity
Nik Moushon
Diversity--a variety of something such as opinion, color, or style. When people think of diversity they probably think of big cities, like New York, or a big college with all the different types of people. But when thinking of diversity have you ever thought of food? It doesnt really matter where you go to get or eat food you will always have diversity. From a Taco Bell to an Italian restaurant, theres still diversity. But in my home is where I get the greatest diversity with my food.
My dad is the chef in the family. Even though his main profession is being an Attorney, he still acts as though he would rather be a chef instead. If hes not too tired after work he is always cooking dinner during the week and on weekends he cooks every meal he can. With many years of experience under his belt he is always trying to cook us something new. Whether its a new American dish or a dish from another country he is always making us try out new dishes. The reason my dad is always making and trying new dishes is because the ingredients are different in everything, no two dishes are identical. One dish he likes to cook because he can diversify what he does with it every time he cooks it is fajitas.
Fajitas are one dish that my dad really likes to make. The fajitas is a Mexican/Texan dish that was made from marinated, grilled skirt steak, and any other type of food they could use and all wrapped in a wheat tortilla. The variety of condiments that a person could put into a fajita all depended on what they had around them. I have seen people use everything from the traditional olives, onions, etc. to people using pineapple in their fajitas. My dad does not only make Mexican food but other foreign food as well.
Another type of dishes that my dad likes to cook is Italian food. One dish that he cooks quite often is Fettuccine Alfredo. Fettuccine Alfredo is made from homemade fettuccine egg noodles mixed with creamy butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper. This dish is not always the same wherever you go. In northern Italy, for example, people might use a spaghetti noodle instead or make a rich and creamy sauce instead of a rustic and tradition sauce like people in southern Italy would use. In America it became the staple of American-Italian restaurants all over the country. But still, the dish it self is always different from place to place and from chef to chef. Italian cuisine is not the only European food my dad likes to cook.
One of my dads French dishes that he likes to make is Steak au poivre (pepper steak). Steak au poivre is made by coating a strip steak with loosely cracked peppercorn and then cooked. The peppercorn forms a crust on one side of the meat that provides an almost counter taste to the high-quality of the meat. The crust is made by basting one side of the steak with soft butter then placing the steak into a pan of cracked peppercorn. The steak is then cooked in a skillet so that the outside of the steak is cooked while leaving the inside rare to medium well. Common sauces that go with this dish include cognac, brandy, red wine, sherry, or meat stock, which shows that the French people really like their choice of wines as well as great a steak. My dad does not just stick with foods from Europe and across the border, he also ventures into cooking the difficult Asian cuisine.
My dad also likes the challenge of cooking Asian dishes as well as European and Mexican dishes. The one Asian dish that he cooks the most is egg rolls. Egg rolls are a very simple Chinese dish to make. They are made from unraised dough, wrapped around various meat, seafood and/or vegetable mixtures, and then usually deep fried. Since they are so easy to make, unlike a lot of Chinese dishes, they have become a very popular dish, especially among my family. But it is not the most popular dish of the family as well as anyone that has tried my dads specialty.
But my dads, as well as the whole immediate and extended family, favorite dish is his homemade pizza. Pizza is one of the most diverse foods that Ive ever seen. It originated in Italy and consisted of simple toppings of mushrooms and anchovies and has evolved to toppings that include everything and anything people want on it. Pizza is made from dough that can either be made by using a technique called tossed or you can use a dough mixer. Then you have to let the dough sit in the refrigerator and rise for about 30-45 minutes. After that you can roll it out and fit it into a pizza pan and put your tomato sauce on and any and every topping you can think of. Then put it in the oven until its done. Then pull it out and enjoy one of the most diversified foods Ive ever seen.
I hope that I got my point across, if not here it is: food is just as diverse as anything that is on this planet today. Its not just diverse in that its from different countries but that every dish uses a different type of food. And the reason for that is because people used whatever type of food and ingredients that had around them and made some of the most famous dish out there. If it were not for the diversity of food everyone would be eating McDonalds all day every day.
It's Hard to be American
Ruben Munoz
I know Americans arent perceived very well in other countries. Everyone seems to have some in grown hatred for them. What is it? Is it what we eat, how we talk? What do we do, or moreover what is it that we dont do?
My family is Chilean, and as most South Americans can do, we speak Spanish. My parents have always wanted their children to be culturally aware so naturally we would muster up money and travel to a variety of places ranging from as far south as Chile in South America all the way to Europe and Asian Minor, including every place in between. In every one of these places, we have always been told that if we spoke our Spanish language and not speak in our English tongue we could fit in better and ultimately be treated better since we do not resemble the typical blond hair, blue-eyed American child.
This has always proven to be true. For example, my family and some friends traveled to Greece and Turkey, but more specifically we stayed in a hotel within the city Thessalonica. As most boys are naturally curious, we were of no exception. We decided to explore the city and being in a foreign country their road system is not squared away, as things are here in the States. Lo and behold, we got lost within 20 minutes.
We tried asking for directions, but whenever we spoke to anyone they guessed that we were Americans and either shooed us away or ignored our pleas completely. Finally we flagged down a cab driver, and I started to speak to him in Spanish. In very broken English he asked us if we knew Spanish, and in broken sounding English we replied yes. He then asked us where we were from; we were not going to waste this golden opportunity, so we told him we were from Spain, visiting to see the European soccer finals which were going on. He put a huge grin on his face and told us that he was watching those games through the television. Finally after what seemed like 15 minutes of zipping in and out of traffic through alleyways, and buzzing by bikers and pedestrians we made it to the hotel. Being so relieved we gave him too much money and told him not to worry about it.
This experience made me remember the hostility towards Americans. As Americans we should do everything in out power to prevent this image from growing any bigger than it already is.
Men and Women in Sports
Glenda Palma
I've always believed that men and women were given the same rights and were able to do the same things, but sometimes people think different and don't always believe that. Women always have been treated different when it comes to sports. It doesn't matter which country you are in you will always see that difference.
When I was twelve years old I went to a catholic school, it wasn't too bad. When it comes to sport, at that time, men and women could chose from the same sports, it didn't stayed that way for to long. In the second year that I was there they elected another principal. Apparently she was the kind of person who didn't like women playing soccer, so she prohibited. No longer was soccer a sport for women in that school. There were a lot of women who really liked this game, so they gather up in a very large group, first they went to talk, politely, with the principal. They tried to explain to her that it was a sport that many women liked to play, and that we just were trying to have fun, and it's not like if we were going to make a career out of it. All the talking did nothing to her; she still remained with her decision, even when they were begging her not to take away from us that sport. Next thing we now women were outside her office with flyers, to see if that would change her mind, maybe if she would see how determined women were she would probably change her mind, but nothing happened. Me and my friends were wondering why she wouldn't let us played that sport, one of the answers that I got was that simply she thought that soccer was a game only made for men and that it was a tough game. Personally I didn't like that response, it shows how some people have the idea that women can't be as good as men in sports, and how they think that what the proper behavior of a women should be, but they don't realize that they are lowering the self esteem and self confidence of every girl by setting some boundaries on what they can do.
We can see this kind of thinking in different places and sports. Man and women have always been differentiated by their strength and their intelligence, some people might say that man are stronger and more intelligent than women, of course that by nature men are always going to be physically stronger than women but that doesn't mean that women can't be as strong as them. And when it comes to intelligence, all human beings have the same capacity to be smart. We can see sports in which women can be as strong, or as fast as men, it all depends on the physical training of an individual, and anyone can achieve anything if they are permitted. In the country that I was raised there aren't many women teams in any kind of sports. I think that this is probably because there is not much interest in part of the authorities to support women sports, and when sometimes they did wanted to formed any kind of team for women they wouldn't make the effort of letting people now, and people who wanted to be part of a team wouldn't be able to find out and at the end the team wouldn't have the amount of players needed to be created. Another reason that there were not much women teams on any kind of sport is because sometime people would simply say there is no money to support the team, and if they did who would be interested in watching the games. People are not interested too much on watching women sports because they believe that they are not able to deliver the kind of emotion and excitement that men sports do. In general people in my country are not into women sports. Although in other countries men and women are able to play the same sports, there is always different set of rules for men and women in the different kinds of sports that is understandable because in reality men are always going to be stronger by nature than women.
All of these experiences made me realize the different ways that people think about men and women. Some might think that women are weak and that they are not able to accomplish as much as men, and are not able to do the same things, that type of idea is what people in superior position might have and therefore might try to make everybody think the same way. There are another type of people who might think the other way and might try to encourage some kind of developments in different sports, for men and women; and if there were much more people who thought that way there wouldn't be these kind of unfairness made to women.
Views of a Young
American
Jessica Ramirez
As a child growing up in America it never occurred to me that anyone would dislike me strictly on the basis of my being American. The older I have gotten I have realized that many peoples view Americans as domineering and demanding. Unfortunately I have found many Americans to be just like that.
When I was about fourteen years old I had the opportunity to go to Europe for a few weeks. My Aunt is an Equal Employment Manager for the United States Army and at the time she was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. After saving up enough money a group of friends and family decided to go over and visit. I have always loved the thought of traveling and something about Europe is special; it has such and extensive history. We used my Aunts home as a sort of central location as we had short trips into France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Luxemburg, and Italy. While in we had two experiences that brought to my attention a dislike for Americans.
While we were in Italy we decided to spend a day in Venice. The Mediterranean Ocean was a murky bluish green and Venice was even more enchanting. It was almost like stepping back in time. Buildings that were several hundred years old are almost considered new there. Our senses were overloaded with the exotic sights, smells, and flavors. We stopped at a stand that had water cascading over a tiered stand filled with chunks of fresh coconut. We also indulged in gelato, a delicious concoction of frozen cream and sugar with a variety of flavors ranging from popular desserts to fruits. A lot like ice cream but so much better. As we were walking through the streets and over the bridges and under the arches we found ourselves in a completely deserted area. As we were looking around to figure out where we were we saw a wall with writing on it. Being naturally curious we stepped over to see if we could read what it said. As it was in Italian we werent able read everything, but we could pick out that it was not saying nice things about Americans. We left that section and made it a point to stay out of the end of Venice.
While we were traveling we did not spend a lot of time during the day eating; if we ate at all it was grabbing some gelato or fruit from a vender. One night in Italy we decided to go out for some real Italian pizza. The air was warm and infused with earthy smells. After a short search we located a nice little restaurant just down the street from the villa we were staying in. When we asked for a table they told us that there were none available. We could plainly see several empty tables so we were naturally very confused. My uncle started talking to the waiter in Spanish, in hopes of better understanding the situation, and the mans attitude changed instantly. He apologized profusely and led us upstairs to another dining room. My uncle explained to me that when the man found out we were Mexican Americans he was more than happy to seat us. We had excellent service and the dinner was delicious.
These two experiences showed me how some people view Americans. Unfortunately I learned that there are a lot of valid reasons for Americans to be disliked. I think a lot of what is disliked about America is not necessarily the people but the reputation we have earned. America has proclaimed itself the guardian of the world; it feels a need to make everywhere like America. When some people find things to be different then what they are accustomed to they often find the different thing to be some how inferior.
Many Americans have a reputation of being pushy and demanding. In America people are frequently trying to find a way to do things better or faster. We want things done instantly and get irritated when we have to wait for things. I have seen tons of people get irritated that their fast food is not made faster; I am just as bad about waiting for things as the next person so I know it is true. The problems come when Americans are guests in another country and expect things to be just like they are in the states. Usually people who have been exposed to different cultures are fine with the changes. Regrettably many people have only known one way of doing things and they can act out as a result of change.
However I dont feel that this tendency to dislike change is exclusive to Americans. Even here on campus I have heard students from other countries say Well this isnt how we do things where Im from Humans are creatures of habit and when that is disturbed we dont always react in a good way. I think what needs to be kept in mind is a respect for other people and cultures.
A World of Sports
Ruben Rivera
One day, when I was around ten years of age, I came into my house after a long day of playing. I went to the basement to see what was on TV, but unfortunately my dad had beat me to the television and was watching the Indiana pacers. The Indiana pacers were the professional basketball team from Indiana, where we were living at the time. I had played basketball a few times before, but never really got into it. I had nothing else to do, so I watched the game. I was suddenly hooked, and was cheering right along with my dad for our team, and from that day on, I followed the sport very closely. At one point, I couldve probably told you the names all the starting five players on every team. I also started playing it a lot more, and found out I wasnt too bad at it. After awhile I decided that for my career, I wanted to become a professional basket ball player.
Sports have always had a major impact on people all over the world. It is a way to get exercise, be competitive without having to resort to violence, and have fun all at the same time. Many people see sports differently. Some see it as a way to pass a Sunday afternoon with friends, and having a good time, while others see it as a way of showing others that your team is better than theirs, and are very close to their team.
There are many sports around the world, but there are a select few that have managed to grow into national, even world sports, loved and watched by millions of die hard fans. Some of these sports are popular mostly within a continent, like soccer is in South America, or within a country like football is in the United States.
The love for a game usually starts at a very young age. For some, its because their parents really like a certain team, and they get their children to like the same team. It can be because the team is from their town, and so because the team represents their town, they want it to be known that their team is the best. It can also be because they excel in a certain sport and follow it closely to learn more about it.
Sports for many of these young fans can mean many different things, and a lot depends on witch country they are from. For example, children growing in the United States are encouraged to play sports, but once they reach a certain age, unless they really excel in their sport, and even if they do, they are encouraged to do other things with their lives, because they cant just depend on sports, and there are many other ways to make a good living in a country such as the U.S.
Now for many third world children, sports are really the way to make it in life. If you can make it as a professional, then you dont ever have to worry about anything. Most of these children live very poor lives, and because of corrupt politics, or bad decision making by the government of the country, you cant really even depend on school to make it. Some college graduates in these third world countries arent much better off than the poor farmers that never get the opportunity to go to school. But sports are always going to be around. People love the competition and the entertainment they get from watching their team. Even in the poorest countries people will scrap what little money they have so they can go watch their teams compete.
I have a cousin who lives in the Dominican Republic. His name is Miguel, he is about twenty years of age and lives and breathes baseball. He has played all his life and is still playing. About a year ago, he was chosen to be part of a kind of training league for potential professional baseball players. He only has a few years left before he looses his opportunity to make it. He and his dad spend weekends meeting with people and showing off his talents so people can see what he has, but so far he hasnt had much luck. People keep telling him that he only needs a little more training. So hopefully if hes lucky, he might get signed onto a team in a year or two. If not, then he will probably live just like his parents. His dad is a doctor, but in Dominican Republic, even doctors dont get paid that much.
My cousin and I are very much alike in that when we were growing up, we both wanted to become professional athletes. I wanted to excel in basketball, and he in baseball. At one point I realized that maybe I didnt quite have all that was required of me to be a professional basketball player. First of all I wasnt tall enough. At five feet ten inches, it would be extremely difficult to make it in the national basketball association, where the average height is around six feet six inches. Neither was I given the chance to play for a team where scouts would come to see me play. People like teachers and my parents convinced me that there were other ways to make it, and still be well off. They also told me that sports arent everything. My cousin in the other hand doesnt have the luxury of having alternatives that can be just as rewarding. The way he sees it, if he doesnt make it, he would be letting a lot of people down, who are counting on him to make it. He sees this chance as the only way he can help get his present family out of poverty, and keep his future family out of poverty, and never have to worry about essential needs.
There are a select few players that can make it even bigger than in just their native country. For example if you are really good at a major sport that is played in the united states like baseball, then it is likely they will find you, and sign you onto a team. This is the ultimate dream of any young person trying to make it in the world of sports. When these hometown heroes come back to their native countries, there is everything from fireworks at their arrival, to free access anywhere they want to stay. And they are treated like royalty, sometimes even better than the president of the country.
Then there are the fans, the ones that make it all possible. Without the fans there would be no professional athlete, well at least no paid athlete. Fans are just as diverse as the different sports, for example, just from observation, it seems as if soccer fans are so close and devoted to their teams, that fights very often break out between fans of opposing teams. For calmer sports like golf, there isnt much that goes on at all, besides clapping. Fans can get so riled up about their team that they go to extreme lengths to show their devotion, from painting themselves all over for a game, to traveling great distances and paying great expenses to follow their team on the road. And the players love the devotion they see from the fans. Its what many people dream of, to be admired by so many people for something you can give to them.
Sports have had such a large role to play in this world for a long time, in the largest most developed countries as well as in the smallest most remote villages. And as long as there are humans on this earth there will always be sports to be played, all kinds of sports, and people to play these sports. They will be played all over the world, and People will always want to watch and have that team they can call their own and to cheer on to victory.
Picky Eaters Can
Survive--I Did
Bernelda Thomas
There are those who have the knack, the talent, and the love for traveling and making the best of bad travel experiences. As a result they gain a rich background, appreciation for cultural differences, enjoy doing new activities, and relish in having knowledge the normal person would not. As a novice traveler, cultural differences can be a shock. The average traveler would have to face language whether it is foreign, different usage, and or an accent different styles of clothing, activities, and most definitely different types of foods. Everyone needs food to survive, so what happens to those picky eaters that love to travel or more importantly, what happens on their first foreign travel experience? How can they be better prepared for it?
Food varies just as cultural differences do. For example, chicken can be prepared in many ways; it can differ in form shape, size, and color. Some cultures may cook their chicken in thick sauces; others may use thin gravy or hot curry and lots of pepper. Chicken is common to almost everyone, but a person accustomed to thin gravy on his chicken may get the shock of his life when he realizes that curry chicken is hot the chicken was prepared according to a cultural background he may not be familiar with. His ability to eat the rest of the meal would depend on his preferences and whether he enjoys new foods.
Picky eaters, who do not travel much, can end up having terrible eating experiences in foreign countries. I must admit, I am the pickiest eater in all my extended family. They have learned to ignore my requests that would require them to add more labor to their cooking so, I had to learn three things: to cook for myself, to eat whatever I am given if I want to survive, and to eat bread and butter. Those are my three most important survival skills that helped me survive while I was in England and Germany.
Though I am picky, I love to eat. My mother used to say I am greedy but I beg to differ I simply adored food. But recently I have experienced different encounters with food that cautioned my love for it.
In the summer of 05, my family decided to go to England and Europe for a month. When we arrived, my great uncles family had planned a Sunday dinner at an Indian restaurant. To be honest, I never thought the food could have a big deviation from what I was accustomed. I was in for a surprise. As I stood in the buffet line, my nose was greeted with the weirdest smells. When I got my plate and laid eyes on the feast that awaited me, I suddenly wanted to flee. Not one thing, not even the foods name on the labels, was familiar to me; everything was foreign. Utterly confused by what I was seeing, I summoned a chef. I inquired as to what certain things were. He simply added to my confusion by naming all the foods available in his language. I quickly stopped him and asked for the English names of the foods to which some of his responses were chicken, lamb, and goat. The rest, from my understanding, were still repeated in his language. I simply gave up I was holding up the line and my stomach began arguing with me.
One would think that I cautiously parceled out the smallest portion of a serving possible. I wish I did; instead I served myself as I would have normally done in my house. I took what I thought was chicken ( the lamb, goat, and chicken were all buried in a thick red or pink/orange sauce) some rice, a flat bread baked almost as thin as a potato chip, and other unidentifiable foods that I thought looked interesting. When I finished selecting what I wanted to eat, I sat at a table with my cousins and ordered a Sprite - the only thing familiar to me in the entire restaurant. After the drinks arrived, we dug into our full plates of food. First I tasted the rice, it was tasteless. Second was the flat bread; it was dry and was also tasteless. Choking and gagging, I quietly thanked God for the Sprite and took a big gulp. Third, was a brown mound that lay on my plate. I was not hesitant to try it; now looking back, I should have been. It did smell a little weird, but never-the-less I dug in. Common sense again failed to tell me to take a sample and not a full fork, but I learned my lesson. Almost instantly after placing that fork in my mouth I regretted it. I had the strongest desire to spit out everything. It was so bitter! I absolutely had no idea what was in it. Obviously, the chefs seasonings were very strong. I sat there with my face contorting in all different manners. All I could think was, Why is everyone eating this stuff? Am I the only one dying here? I tried so hard to swallow, but I could not. My eyes started watering, my nose was beginning to run, and I started shaking my feet furiously! I was trying everything possible not to spray out all that was in my mouth over my cousins. After about 25 seconds, that could have possibly determined if I was going to be taken out of the restaurant in a body bag, I was able to swallow it. It was then I realized my cousins were laughing at me. I was furious, but I refused to let that emotion show on my face; I probably could not anyway, I was too disgusted by what I had just swallowed.
Recuperation took longer than expected. The taste did not budge from my mouth it just lingered teasing and reminding me of my stupidity. I tried everything possible to get rid of it: drank my whole glass of sprite, ate the tasteless rice, and even shoved the rest of that dry bread down my throat (another choking experience), but the taste was still in my mouth. I felt nauseated by the time I was finished. The only thing that made me feel a little better was another big glass of Sprite. Never before had I been so grateful for Sprite.
I wish I could say that I learned my lesson in England, but my three day trip to Germany proved otherwise. We started our journey in the early morning hours and arrived at our friends flat in Germany after 11 a.m. There on his table was a joyous breakfast. We all settled around the table, prayed, and started passing dishes around. There were all sorts of pastries, bread, cheese, and fruits. I love cheese so the first thing I took was bread and cheese. Then I got my ingredients together to make myself a cup of tea. After that were the sour green grapes which no one else bothered with. It was when I was about to settle down and start eating I noticed my mother and aunt taking pieces of this lovely brown loaf they called rye bread. I was so enticed. It had the perfect shape, the perfect texture, the perfect color, and the perfect size I just could not resist. So my already full plate gained two new additions. My mother simply watched me, shook her head and then proceeded with eating what was on her plate.
Everything was going well: the pastries were delicious, my tea was just right, and the cheese was glorious. The only thing left untouched on my plate was the rye bread and grapes. I took up the rye bread and could barely wait to taste it. I took one bite and was immediately disgusted. I thought it was sweet and soft well, yes it was soft, but nothing close to sweet. I was barely able to say in shock Me faders! Wahs dis? My brother sat there and laughed at me. The rye bread was so sour, bitter, and almost tasted like vinegar to me. I definitely was not happy. I signaled to my mother to take all that was left on my plate. Afterwards, I was quite content to eat and enjoy my sour green grapes.
I could go on and on about my different experiences with food - like the time my mouth almost caught on fire from eating a true Trinidadian Chicken Roti, or the instance where I went to France and ate goat cheese in a sandwich and a meal prepared by Africans - but I will stop here. By now, you are probably wondering How did she survive a month between England and Europe? Well, it was on this trip my third survival skill came into play I ate bread and butter almost every day. I also ate fast food and pastries regularly. I am not suggesting that you go to foreign places and do the same, for you may have a different temperament than I. What you aught to remember is that you should always be cautious and moderate when trying out new things. Food in foreign countries may seem familiar to you, but there is an 80% chance that it does not taste like things to which you are accustomed. Another thing to learn is to have an open mind. Be prepared for the best and/or worst experience. If the experience is bad like mine do not let it hinder you from trying new things. Be adventurous, it can only increase your knowledge of different types of food in the world. I was not able to reason like this after spending only two weeks in between England and Europe. Thinking that everyone was definitely out to kill me by offering new foods, I quickly set up a wall of defense. It was at that point that my love for food was greatly cautioned. Now I deeply regret it. I am currently mentally unable to try new food and have missed out on lots of experiences (or so I've heard) in the past.
Remember, when you are traveling to countries with different cultural back grounds, these three things: be cautious and moderate when trying new foods, have an open and accepting mind towards it, and never stop yourself from engaging in a new experience. Once these three things are acknowledged, your travel experiences will be well spent.