Wednesday, November 25, 2009
race, culture, and thanksgiving
Well im having issues with this thanksgiving because of race and culture. Because i live to far, i decided to stay at school. Therefore, im having thanksgiving dinner with my cousin and his wife that reside in atlanta. The issue rises when the decision of what to cook comes about. My cousins wife, who is Vietnamese, wants to cook a whole bunch of rice, and other traditional asian food, while my cousin, who is black, want to have the traditional soul african american food. I obviously, want to eat the soul food, i wish she would seriously consider the fact that me and my best(who is staying with me for the break but attends school in illinois), are african american and don't eat asian food. I feel the only way to resolve this issue is for my cousins wife to make what she wants, but make a small portion of it, since she the only one eating it, while by cousin cook the amazing soul food that is suppose to be eaten on thanksgiving. I think everyone would be satisfied.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
An Explanation Perhaps?
Alright, here's what I'm going to do, first I'm going to go over what Jack said and then move on to Jasmine's post.
So Jack's little incident, while I know I can't justify what was done, I can at least try to explain it. Whether it be well known or not, racism differs regionally. Sometimes in ways you wouldn't expect. The best way I know to describe it is an incident that happened in my US history class.
One day we were talking about the history of the south and one of the northern kids in my class asked "why people in the south were so racist." My teacher was one of those outspoken types, so he gave a blunt, but relatively true answer (in my experience). He said this "It's not that southerners are more racist than the north, there's just more instances where you can see it down here. If anything the north is MORE racist than the south, because they just don't let minorities in up there." I say true in my experience, because I have family who lives in Cincinnati. One of my cousins came down to South Carolina for college at USC and was shocked. He commented that at his high school there were a total of three black people in the entire school and he was not prepared for how integrated the south is now.
This doesn't really explain the incident, but what you have to keep in mind is that trends for racism even tend to differ between countries as well as regions in the United States. People from different countries have just as much trouble accepting people who are different as we do, if not more.
To Jasmine, the fact is that some people are in fact that ignorant. Well perhaps more oblivious than ignorant. I am willing to bet that this girl was not merely pestering you, or even trying to establish stereotypes. While it is pretty terrible, some people have never actually talked to someone of another race, she might have just been curious.
Once again, I'm not trying to justify these people's actions, just to explain where their actions may be coming from.
-Taylor N.
So Jack's little incident, while I know I can't justify what was done, I can at least try to explain it. Whether it be well known or not, racism differs regionally. Sometimes in ways you wouldn't expect. The best way I know to describe it is an incident that happened in my US history class.
One day we were talking about the history of the south and one of the northern kids in my class asked "why people in the south were so racist." My teacher was one of those outspoken types, so he gave a blunt, but relatively true answer (in my experience). He said this "It's not that southerners are more racist than the north, there's just more instances where you can see it down here. If anything the north is MORE racist than the south, because they just don't let minorities in up there." I say true in my experience, because I have family who lives in Cincinnati. One of my cousins came down to South Carolina for college at USC and was shocked. He commented that at his high school there were a total of three black people in the entire school and he was not prepared for how integrated the south is now.
This doesn't really explain the incident, but what you have to keep in mind is that trends for racism even tend to differ between countries as well as regions in the United States. People from different countries have just as much trouble accepting people who are different as we do, if not more.
To Jasmine, the fact is that some people are in fact that ignorant. Well perhaps more oblivious than ignorant. I am willing to bet that this girl was not merely pestering you, or even trying to establish stereotypes. While it is pretty terrible, some people have never actually talked to someone of another race, she might have just been curious.
Once again, I'm not trying to justify these people's actions, just to explain where their actions may be coming from.
-Taylor N.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Racism existing in innuendos
Jack, while reading your blog that brought me back to the talk that we had in class today about the "designated black person". Luckily that hasn't happened to me (i.e. what happened in your blog) because it'd get a tad ugly, but when it comes to living in suburbia and being the "designated black family" it makes everything awkward. After living as a military brat for 13 years of my life, when my parents retired both as Lt. Colonels', we were able to move to a good neighborhood with unnecessarily humongous houses on an acre of basically forest land. I wasn't looking forward to moving out there because its not diverse at all, there was no one there my age! Everyone was old and Caucasian, but my parents wanted to move there because our house will be worth much more when we sell it in the future if need be. Also, my dad is a real show off, part which comes from how he grew up in the projects, so being able to do this well for himself and his family makes him very proud; at times even pompous. So once we were there, the neighbors only knew me because of how good I was in track and their children sort of idolized me. Then after that they would start to talk to me, typical. One family did have a girl that was my age who went to Canyon High School, a predominantly white high school, and she would ask me questions about if its possible for black people to have freckles, why my hair is the way it is, and why do have my music so loud when I come home from school. Honestly. I don't think people can be that ignorant, but I figured by walking away in mid-question I would at least escape another one of her stereotypes of black people; that we are all violent. I feel like being a "designated black person" can be humorous when exploited through comedy, but in real life it's just annoying and shows the stereotypes that some white people have but are too afraid to say, so when they find someone remotely close to them (e.g. a neighbor), then they ask all their questions.
But that was just my neighborhood, and many more are like that in my county in San Antonio. Maybe if things weren't so economically and ethnically separated through suburban neighborhoods in this urban nation, there wouldn't be this nuisance.
Jasmine Kent
But that was just my neighborhood, and many more are like that in my county in San Antonio. Maybe if things weren't so economically and ethnically separated through suburban neighborhoods in this urban nation, there wouldn't be this nuisance.
Jasmine Kent
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Collegiate Controversy
Taylor, I completely understand your issues with our budgets. The Aerospace program isn't exactly swimming in funds as it once was. HOWEVER, I feel that come of Georgia Tech's fine students are, from my experience, getting more out of their funds, no matter the size, than others.
The other day I was waiting in line to speak with one of my professors after class, as several other students were, to talk about the recent test, grades and the like. In line in front of me stood one of the mixed race students in our section who asked the same question as the rest of us, "What can I do about my grade to raise it before the end of the semester?" Many of the other students were told about the last few extra credit options, asked if they had tried to do anything about it in the past, and some the professor talked to for several minutes holding up the line. This was agitating enough because, lets face it, this is Tech we have things to do and work that needs to get done. Anyways, this kid in front of me asks his question the professor, who, without missing a beat, simply redirected the student to the TA who is also of mixed race. I turned the student in line behind me to see if she witnessed the same situation that I just did, no such luck.
This got my blood boiling a little bit. I am a huge advocate of equal treatment and all around fairness no matter what the circumstances. This professor seriously upset me by simply throwing this student aside for no reason at all. There was nothing different about what this student had done towards the professor in contrast to the "white kids" before him. So WHY THEN was he dismissed and not given the chance to speak directly with the professor as the other kids had?
My turn to ask a question. I proceeded to stare the professor directly in the face, ask my question, and wait for the response that I was sure was coming. As I predicted, the professor began to answer my question and engage in conversation. This infuriated me to say the least. I walked away after saying, "I prefer talking with the TA," cutting the professor off mid-sentence. I went and stood with the student who was previously dismissed to the TA and had my question satisfyingly and accurately answered.
Now, why in this modern, supposedly equal society did this even happen? Why can't everyone be treated the same way? keeping things constant keeps things moving smoothly and without question. If you've witnessed anything like this or disagree with my reaction, please voice your opinion.
Jack
The other day I was waiting in line to speak with one of my professors after class, as several other students were, to talk about the recent test, grades and the like. In line in front of me stood one of the mixed race students in our section who asked the same question as the rest of us, "What can I do about my grade to raise it before the end of the semester?" Many of the other students were told about the last few extra credit options, asked if they had tried to do anything about it in the past, and some the professor talked to for several minutes holding up the line. This was agitating enough because, lets face it, this is Tech we have things to do and work that needs to get done. Anyways, this kid in front of me asks his question the professor, who, without missing a beat, simply redirected the student to the TA who is also of mixed race. I turned the student in line behind me to see if she witnessed the same situation that I just did, no such luck.
This got my blood boiling a little bit. I am a huge advocate of equal treatment and all around fairness no matter what the circumstances. This professor seriously upset me by simply throwing this student aside for no reason at all. There was nothing different about what this student had done towards the professor in contrast to the "white kids" before him. So WHY THEN was he dismissed and not given the chance to speak directly with the professor as the other kids had?
My turn to ask a question. I proceeded to stare the professor directly in the face, ask my question, and wait for the response that I was sure was coming. As I predicted, the professor began to answer my question and engage in conversation. This infuriated me to say the least. I walked away after saying, "I prefer talking with the TA," cutting the professor off mid-sentence. I went and stood with the student who was previously dismissed to the TA and had my question satisfyingly and accurately answered.
Now, why in this modern, supposedly equal society did this even happen? Why can't everyone be treated the same way? keeping things constant keeps things moving smoothly and without question. If you've witnessed anything like this or disagree with my reaction, please voice your opinion.
Jack
Torture through Tuition
I in fact, read the same Technique that Jasmine did. Another major article in that particular edition also had to do with the budget cuts, but hit home a little closer for me. The article I read was about the Academic Common Market, which I am a student involved in.
The academic common market is a program Georgia Tech is involved in that allows students from other states that don't have particular majors that Georgia Tech has (Polymer and Fiber Engineering and Nuclear Engineering), to pay in state tuition. This of course for me, is a fantastic deal. The catch however, is that I have to keep above a 3.0 or I suddenly pay about 10-20 thousand more a year.
What this article was about, is that they are removing this luxury due to budget cuts! The title simply said they are getting rid of it, so I was very scared for a minute until I read into the article and discovered I would still be allowed to participate in the plan for the four years I had originally planned to. However, I'm not sure if I am allowed to keep this program if I drop below a 3.0 at any point.
Yet another repercussion of these budget cuts is that the PTFE major, which is already suffering in terms of student base, will see a decline in students when the ACM is removed. We'll see how this affects the major in the future I suppose.
So the thing I would like to say is that everyone is feeling the pain here, especially through the form of increased tuition.
-Taylor N.
The academic common market is a program Georgia Tech is involved in that allows students from other states that don't have particular majors that Georgia Tech has (Polymer and Fiber Engineering and Nuclear Engineering), to pay in state tuition. This of course for me, is a fantastic deal. The catch however, is that I have to keep above a 3.0 or I suddenly pay about 10-20 thousand more a year.
What this article was about, is that they are removing this luxury due to budget cuts! The title simply said they are getting rid of it, so I was very scared for a minute until I read into the article and discovered I would still be allowed to participate in the plan for the four years I had originally planned to. However, I'm not sure if I am allowed to keep this program if I drop below a 3.0 at any point.
Yet another repercussion of these budget cuts is that the PTFE major, which is already suffering in terms of student base, will see a decline in students when the ACM is removed. We'll see how this affects the major in the future I suppose.
So the thing I would like to say is that everyone is feeling the pain here, especially through the form of increased tuition.
-Taylor N.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Oh Georgia Tech
One topic I would like to bring up about Georgia itself is the 8% budget cuts, up from the previously settled 6%. I hate how this has affected me personally. I was promised a 75% track scholarship up until I came here last March for my official visit when I was told about the tragic budget cuts. Now, the only privileges I receive as an athlete are the athletic gear, the AA dining hall, and priority registration. That sounds good to the average student, but compared to the one on one tutoring, group tutoring, and free school (out of state tuition) is a big hole in what I was counting on getting.
On a bigger scale, this budget cut has caused the reduction of Tech's workforce. In the Technique, they cut many jobs in the administration and financial department using the process of seniority to make the cuts. Even though they try not to lay off the students on work-study, try is all that they can do. Layoffs even occurred in the presidential and provost departments. When it comes to budget cuts, I always wonder what their priorities come down to when they decide to cut in the appropriate sections. I know in athletics they keep the money in the most popular and predominately money making sports; football and basketball. Yet they have so many home events while as track, where they are cutting the most, have two home meets out of our indoor and outdoor meets spanning more than 6 months. I wonder what they decide to do when cutting budgets on campus. They seemed to have prioritized the new addition to the student center that taylor was blogging about, but I think they must have made some decisions on the fly about that. As taylor was saying, they had the fence blocking off all of the green space, making me think that they were going to take maximize their building space, then they uncover it and its just grass with two benches, yet still blocked. Are they thinking about using it or are they making extra green space or are they still splitting the fence? What have they decided to not build or to tear down with the implementation of this new building? All questions that are beyond my knowledge.
On an even larger scale, when budget cuts happen its partially because of the unemployment in the state. The unemployed can't contribute to the state's budget and when it comes to the area around Georgia Tech, like downtown, Little Five, and the Underground, its unsafe because of the drug dealers, thefts, and beggars who make up our unemployed body. With Atlanta as sprawled out as it is, the people making money are paying for their area on the outskirts of the city while the inner city rots.
The recession we're, steadily heading towards a deep depression, takes me back to our novel Suburban Nation. Maybe they would appreciate my statement when I say that the addictive sprawling situation, causing the deterioration of the inner city, the sub-prime loans so that anyone can "afford" to live in the suburbs, causing the national housing failure, leading to the recession with multiple budget cuts sprinkling down even to a nominal being like me, is unsustainable for humans.
And if you think that it doesn't affect you, think twice.
Jasmine Kent
On a bigger scale, this budget cut has caused the reduction of Tech's workforce. In the Technique, they cut many jobs in the administration and financial department using the process of seniority to make the cuts. Even though they try not to lay off the students on work-study, try is all that they can do. Layoffs even occurred in the presidential and provost departments. When it comes to budget cuts, I always wonder what their priorities come down to when they decide to cut in the appropriate sections. I know in athletics they keep the money in the most popular and predominately money making sports; football and basketball. Yet they have so many home events while as track, where they are cutting the most, have two home meets out of our indoor and outdoor meets spanning more than 6 months. I wonder what they decide to do when cutting budgets on campus. They seemed to have prioritized the new addition to the student center that taylor was blogging about, but I think they must have made some decisions on the fly about that. As taylor was saying, they had the fence blocking off all of the green space, making me think that they were going to take maximize their building space, then they uncover it and its just grass with two benches, yet still blocked. Are they thinking about using it or are they making extra green space or are they still splitting the fence? What have they decided to not build or to tear down with the implementation of this new building? All questions that are beyond my knowledge.
On an even larger scale, when budget cuts happen its partially because of the unemployment in the state. The unemployed can't contribute to the state's budget and when it comes to the area around Georgia Tech, like downtown, Little Five, and the Underground, its unsafe because of the drug dealers, thefts, and beggars who make up our unemployed body. With Atlanta as sprawled out as it is, the people making money are paying for their area on the outskirts of the city while the inner city rots.
The recession we're, steadily heading towards a deep depression, takes me back to our novel Suburban Nation. Maybe they would appreciate my statement when I say that the addictive sprawling situation, causing the deterioration of the inner city, the sub-prime loans so that anyone can "afford" to live in the suburbs, causing the national housing failure, leading to the recession with multiple budget cuts sprinkling down even to a nominal being like me, is unsustainable for humans.
And if you think that it doesn't affect you, think twice.
Jasmine Kent
Construction is Taunting Us
So recently I got very excited in relation to the construction going on around campus. The first chain link fences were taken down! Since I’ve come here, the area around Skiles walkway has been known for nothing other than a construction area, but now finally signs of progress are showing. However, my excitement was short lived, mainly because the removing of the fences around part of the construction area was only for a day.
What I mean by this is, sadly, they put up another fence. Luckily, this one is short enough so you can see the beautiful green area perfectly, which you can’t actually set foot on. I suppose I’m just anxious to get this construction done, because if I had been able to cut through that small area, my walk time from Chemistry to English would drop by a good thirty to fifty seconds! This might not seem like a lot, but I am an engineer; not being able to take that hypotenuse just kills me.
-Taylor N.
What I mean by this is, sadly, they put up another fence. Luckily, this one is short enough so you can see the beautiful green area perfectly, which you can’t actually set foot on. I suppose I’m just anxious to get this construction done, because if I had been able to cut through that small area, my walk time from Chemistry to English would drop by a good thirty to fifty seconds! This might not seem like a lot, but I am an engineer; not being able to take that hypotenuse just kills me.
-Taylor N.
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