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This is my puppy, Wickett. He’s actually my sister in-law’s dog, but since I moved in with her and my brother last July, I’ve sort of adopted him as my own. This picture is important to me because no matter what kind of mood I’m in, this dog can always make me smile. I’ve heard the term before that dogs can sense things humans can’t, and I never would have believed it had I not been around this dog so much. When I’m having just a really bad day, I could be acting perfectly normal and somehow he knows that I’m not okay, and he’ll sit and lay on my lap the entire rest of the evening or follow me around the house. Even the days where I just push him away, he will run around on the floor chasing his toys and flipping over them until I laugh and start playing with him. He’s such a tiny dog, but he would do anything to protect our family. I’ve only heard him bark maybe three times, and each time it was when he thought somebody or something was threatening either myself or my brother or sister in-law. No matter what, he’s always happy to see me. There’s been many times where I’ve had to give him a bath and cut his hair. He’ll follow somebody else in the house for about ten minutes after that, but it rarely ever lasts longer than that. Everybody always says that dogs are man’s best friend and he’s the definition of that. I don’t know what I would do without him, and that’s what makes this picture important. It shows one of my best friends.

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This is a picture of sky lanterns that we set off after the Christmas Eve service at church. These lanterns signify letting go of everything you’re worried about and not letting it hold you down. This is important to me because the only reason I started coming to this church was because of a bet that I lost with my best friend. That was going on three years ago. Ever since then, I have been going with him and his family almost every weekend and I can honestly say that it’s something that has changed my life. For one, it has brought me closer to his family that I ever could have imagined. They consider me a part of their family and I can go to his parents for advice no matter what the circumstance is. I know that if I wouldn’t have started going with them 3 years ago, we would never be as close as we are now. Yeah, we saw each other in school and we still would have been friends, but we were two years apart from each other and it’s not likely that we would consider each other family had it not been for this church. I’ve seen these sky lanterns in commercials on TV before, and they were always a part of something that was hopeful or meaningful. The one thing I can remember is a commercial for breast cancer. Little things like that definitely made the whole experience of getting to set one off myself with my adopted family on Christmas Eve a night worth remembering.

Picture 1 (Extra Credit Assignment)

This picture is important to me for many reasons. The first, and possibly most important is because it is the first time I got to see my little niece, Emma, since I found out that I was going to be an aunt. I honestly never imagined myself as an aunt. My brother never seemed like the type to me to settle down, get married, and have children. In the past two years I’ve seen that completely change. I always expected myself to have children before he did. But now I’m 3 weeks away from my niece’s due date, and I couldn’t be more excited. My second reason is because even though she isn’t born yet, she’s my inspiration for everything I’ve done with my life up to this point, and I know she will be in the future. I want to be somebody she can look up to in 15-20 years and be a role model. Not just another person who never really got anywhere with her life. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and when my grandmother passed away that was one of the main things I kept telling myself. At the funeral, so many people were asking my sister about the baby, and it almost seemed as if the reason the my grandmother was taken away was so that a new life could be born through my niece. I know that sounds cheesy. I’ve always been a family person, and even though she’s not born yet, she’s more family to me than I ever could have imagined.

Homework #11 – Cultural Assignment 2

1.  One thing that I believe represents our culture is money, or some sort of currency. No matter what we do in our country, it always revolves around money. You wake up in the morning to go to work to make money for yourself or your family. If you’re not getting up to go to work, you are more than likely going to school or some other form of education. Education is just another way that currency takes over our lives. Those who go to secondary or high school do not pay a fee flat out, but those in the community pay school taxes that inevitably go towards the school district. If the students want to be involved in any activities throughout their high school years, that’s more money that they have to dish out. Then almost all high school students want to go to prom and have a graduation party. None of this would be possible without currency. Fundraising occurs throughout the year beforehand for prom, and some families save money for years in order to throw their children the graduation parties they want or think they deserve. If that student decides to go to a university, or some form of higher education beyond high school, the funding has to come from somewhere for that. There have been many debates between government officials as to how much funding should be given by the government to schools. I know some people who have to work through college because they don’t have to funding or loans to get them through school without paying.

Although it is one form, money is not the only form of currency. Many people make trades instead of paying money for a certain item or service. Websites such as Craigslist are designed for something like this. There are sections set up on the site where people just want to trade items. A friend of mine was having the floor redone in a room in his house. Instead of paying for it outright, my friend’s parents paid him a case of beer and a gift card to a restaurant of his choice. Even though this isn’t money, it is still a form of currency and is still something that our culture is based off of.

2. My life has always revolved around music, even since I was a baby. When I was born, my brother was 12 and just learning to play an instrument, and had been singing at our church. As I grew up, I started singing with him as well and watched as he went through our high school’s band program and on to Youngstown State University’s music program. When I was old enough to learn to play an instrument, I couldn’t get away from it. Now, I’ve been through the same music program at my old high school that my brother went through and I can play more than one instrument, and still sing (although not as well as I had hoped). I think this is why I chose to use a song as opposed to the other options for something that best represents me and my individuality.

As strange as it may be, I first heard this song at my church with my best friend’s mom. After I got over the initial shock that my church’s band was playing something punk rock, I went home and looked up the song for myself. The lyrics I don’t think could describe someone’s life better than mine. The song talks about making mistakes and going through hell and back, but never being completely out of the “game” of life and never giving up, no matter how bad things get. The term “dark horses” refers to a little‑known person or thing that rises to fame after being labeled as the underdog for a generous period of time.

This song represents me because the people that know me best know that I haven’t exactly had a normal life. When I was a freshman in high school, I got very sick and was struggling keeping up in my classes because I wasn’t able to go to school. I had multiple surgeries and was hospitalized twice. At the time, I honestly felt like I wasn’t going to make it through high school because it just seemed like when I got one thing done, there was one more thing that happened that set me two steps back from where I started. My friends and family never gave up on me, and did everything they were able to to support me and help me get my work done. I think that’s why I chose this song as one that describes me and my individuality. I know everybody has to go through things in their life, but this is one thing that really stuck out to me.

Homework #10 – Cultural Assignment 1

Social interaction varies from country to country. It is oftentimes something that others are able to see and gain a general conception as to what culture is like in that country. There is one interaction that comes to mind specifically when I think of an example that illustrates American culture. This interaction is how Americans shake hands with each other when they first meet another individual. While every culture greets each other in a specific way, the United States is one of only a few countries I can think of that shake hands. In Greece, individuals slap each others’ backs as a form of greeting to each other. In Singapore, individuals will slide their hands back from the palm of the other person and place that same hand over their own heart to show greeting. There are many other examples that could be defined, but this just shows that shaking hands in America is unique to our culture. 

I was a part of a musical ensemble for four years that was a very unified organization. In this group, there is one social interaction that sticks out in my mind that defined the group as a whole. This group could not exist without a certain unity, and this is present throughout the entire organization. In this organization, each member was a part of their own individual section as well as the rest of the ensemble as a whole. If these ensembles did not work together, the production itself didn’t make any sense and would be just a jumbled mess that nobody in the audience would understand. Within each section, parts must be played together and in time in order to be able to piece each section together into an entire ensemble. This unity didn’t just exist musically in the ensemble, however. Throughout one competitive season of this ensemble, bonds were made between members that I have yet to see be broken. Strangers become friends, friends become best friends, and some best friends even go on after high school to form relationships. These people are very much family to each other, and I was fortunate enough to be a part of this for four years. I, myself, met some of my best friends through this organization, and I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for their support. Along with the unity between students, the instructors and students share a bond that is like no other. These instructors genuinely care about the individuals they are teaching, and put their heart and soul into making the productions the best they can be. Without all these factors working together, I don’t believe that the organization would be possible.

The one thing that I really believe expresses a person’s individuality is their music taste. It is possible to learn so much about a person just by browsing through their iTunes library or looking at CDs they own. Many people may argue that this isn’t possible the judge since so many people just listen to songs based off the popularity of it. However, I rarely have seen a person have a music library that doesn’t have many different genres of music. The library may have a sufficiently greater number of songs from one genre than the other, but that is also a way of that person expressing their individuality in the end.

 

Homework #9 – Individualism as a Cultural Value

1. Three topics that Americans often think it is rude to talk about are another person’s sexual life, negative thoughts toward another person’s family, and a person’s financial situation. I think Americans believe talking about sexual life and financial situation is rude because it is forseen as invading another person’s personal life. These are not things that you would normally talk to just an aquaintance about, so it is seen as offensive when this is brought up. When talking bad about another person’s family, it is taken offensively and often seen as rude because what is said about a person’s family is also normally taken to heart personally.
2. Care of the elderly is completely different in Thailand versus America. In Thailand, if an elderly person becomes ill, they are automatically asked to move in with the younger generations of the family. In America, you rarely see sick elderly people living with their children or grandchildren because they feel that the other family members have lives of their own. Buddhist philosophy states that if you aspire to be wealthy or famous, you are showing signs of greed. In America, those who aspire to be wealthy are showing drive and determination, and are often respected.
3. One thing that places an emphasis on individualism is the style of clothing I wear. Most countries wear the same type of clothing year round because it reflects the weather and the work they have to do throughout the day. In America, we wear clothing to reflect our mood and our personality, as well as for different working atmospheres.

Homework #8 – Introduction to American Life

1. The first thing that international students would find different from TV and movies is that the female students are not all tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, and skinny. At the same time, the male students are not all muscular and fit. They also would notice that not every person comes from a wealthy background. Most TV shows and movies depict that all Americans have money and can afford expensive clothing, nice cars, and any other items they desire at any point in time.
2. The pamphlet describes Americans’ view of time as something that is scarce and must be spent wisely. The pamphlet mentions that if a person is “on time” they are also highly respected. I think that this is the case because in the United States economy, people are constantly on-the-go and it is expected that they be on time. So much of what we do depends on being on time, and if we aren’t, we are punished severely.
3. The pamphlet says that the reason interruptions are not taken well is because there is a limited amount of time and in order to cover all topics needed, a person must stick to their agenda. In most of the groups I am in, interruptions are seen as negative. Rarely are they ever thought of as a good thing, with the exception of when friends and I are throwing around ideas of what to do or where to go to eat.
4. “One might bring flowers, a bottle of wine, or even a small artifact from one’s country.” I find this interesting because I have never been at a party or gathering where the guests that were arriving brought artifacts from their country. This may seem strange to me because they have been same country gatherings, but I think this was an odd sentence to include in this pamphlet.

Homework #4 – The New Politics of Consumption

1. I most definitely think that material items could cause things such as isolation. Even today in our culture we are starting to see some warning signs of this. Many teenage boys are constantly playing a video game system, rather than outside playing football or baseball. At the same time, teenage girls are often found looking at pictures of models in magazines. These material things take their focus away from other points in their lives. Society would no longer need to go out to do things, rather they would sit in their houses most of the day and keep to themselves

2. I don’t believe so. If average salaries were to increase, I actually think it would lead to more of a problem rather than solving it. These families would have more money to spend on material items, which does not in turn promote social behavior. Eventually, isolation is going to occur.

3. Education and your location are two that I believe encourage “competitive consumption”. Competition is needed in education in order to get into top schools, while it is also needed when searching the home buying market.

4. “Competitive consumption” influences my identity by causing me to always try harder at what I’m doing. No matter what, there is always going to be someone who is better than I am, has better things, or is in a better financial state. The same goes for my family. We are always trying to climb the ladder into social equality, but it is a never-ending process.

Homework #3 – Moral Machines

1. I think it is very likely that some catastrophic even such as this happen in our lifetime. Technology is increasing in complexity more and more every day, to the point that some hospitals have robots programmed to carry tubes of blood from patients to the lab area in the hospital. Quite frankly, I think the public reaction will be partial chaos, due to the fact that nothing of this sort has happened in a great manner to civilians. If it is something that is expected to be a problem, precautions should be taken ahead of time in case of an emergency with these robots.

2. I think it is highly possible that artificial intelligence is in our future, but I do not see it happening to the extent mentioned in this article in the next ten years. Technology has come a long way, but it also still has a long way to go. I think it will shape our identities by making it harder to teach younger generations that they need to work for what they have. At the same time, I think it could be beneficial by allowing us to further explore who we really are and not be lead astray by unimportant tasks.

3. Some positives of artificial intelligence are increased capacity by humans to do things they otherwise would not be able to. Robots could be used to do tasks such as house cleaning or personal accounting (ex. Taxes). This could also end up being a negative effect. Those jobs once held by people in such markets would no longer be needed, leaving thousands of adults unemployed.

4. I’ve had multiple computers crash on me without when I was working on being saved. Most of the time the things I lost were papers and they were backed up in other ways, but others it was pictures or music that I wasn’t able to get back.

Homework #2 – Morality

1. My initial reaction was that Mother Teresa is in fact the most admirable of the three. She has been looked upon for by many as an influential human being and I am no stranger to that. However, after reading further into the article, I am very impressed by what Norman Borlaug has done. Although Mother Teresa is still very much at the top of my list, Norman Borlaug is now a very close second. I believe that Borlaug is a very creditable human being for dedicating his efforts to saving human lives and preventing future sickness as opposed to Gates.
2. The two people I believe to be most admirable to me are my brother and George N. Parks. My brother is 12 years older than me, so I grew up watching him make his own mistakes. When I started making decisions about colleges he told me not to make the same mistakes he did and drop out. He is now a local paramedic. At one point he resigned from his supervisor position at one company for a non-supervisor level position at another, a significant pay cut, because the moral standards of the company were putting the lives of people in the area in danger. George Parks dedicated his entire life to teaching young musicians and giving them the strength to be the best they can be. He instructed thousands of drum majors at  the Drum Major Academy he created every year until his passing. Both of these people shows what I consider moral standards because they were both doing things for others with no expectation of being returned the favor.
3. I do believe that morality is universal. Every person, no matter how bad they are, always has that little voice inside them telling them what is right and what is wrong. The difference between the people we consider morally good vs morally bad, is that those who are “morally bad” are the ones who choose to suppress that voice. That does not mean that it doesn’t exist. After so much time of suppressing it, it becomes second nature, resulting in how we as a society see those people.
4. The five varieties are harm, fairness, community, authority, and purity. I feel like Americans rank community first, since so much of our culture is based on “fitting in” with others. In a way, the other varieties are grouped under community as a sense of being a part of the group as a whole. Take purity for example. If you are part of a group of friends that is against promiscuity and you are one of the most promiscuous people they know, they’re not going to be very kind-hearted to you.