Every year at the Thanksgiving table, salivating at the succulent turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, welcoming each person into the family, whether a divorced friend or distant cousin, my family and I go around and reflect on what we are thankful for. Each year the meal changes slightly and the people are different, but what we are thankful for is usually similar. Health, opportunity, friends, family, and food seem to be the big ones.
But this year was different for me. In English we have been reading Reading Lolita in Tehran, and before the big feast I had finished my reading for the following class. The story is centered on women living in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the challenges they face as being women in a society that persecutes them and deprives them of their freedom in nearly every way. A group of women are selected by a female teacher, Azar Nafisi, to meet on Thursdays to discuss literature. A particular passage from the book struck me:
"I raised my glass of water to him and said, who would have thought that such a simple meal would appear to us like a kingly feast? and he said, We must thank the Islamic Republic for making us rediscover and even covet all these things we took for granted: one could write a paper on the pleasure of eating a ham sandwich."
The man is highlighting the difference between society before and after the strict law enforcements, and how once common objects and daily rituals seem foreign and suddenly special. The contrast between this society and our own is huge. Freedom is often taken for granted in America, and I have been reminded of this through Reading Lolita in Tehran. I feel so lucky to be a woman living in America: to be able to voice my opinions, go to whatever school I desire, and simply be blogging right now.
While many people complain about their issues with the United States and the government, I am thankful. Sure, there are many things that need to be fixed, corruption and the economy as a whole for example. But we are so lucky to even be able to voice our opinions on what we think is wrong. As we say our thanks this Thanksgiving, it is imperative that we are thankful for what we have, and not contemplate what we want to have.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Response to Alex Burma's Presentation
A few weeks ago Alex Barna, from the University of Chicago's Center for Middle Eastern Studies, gave the Glenbrook Academy of International Studies a presentation on American stereotypes on the religion of Islam and Muslim people. His goal was to educate us on how the Middle East is viewed and how these views affect how future generations view it. After seeing the first day of the presentation, these were the most important things that I took away:
1. It is imperative to realize that Islam is a peaceful religion, and only certain Muslim groups are extremists
All too often people associate Muslims with terrorism. This is a dangerous stereotype and completely untrue. Not all Muslims are extremists, and not all extremists are Muslims. Grouping all Muslims together as terrorists would be like saying all Americans are blond with blue eyes. I told my family the other day I would love to travel to Egypt or a Middle Eastern country to study abroad one day and they immediately said no. There is a fear of the Middle East in general because of the violence that is concentrated in certain areas. The whole entire area is not characterized by this.
2. Islam is not a monolithic religion
There are multiple factions of Islam, and grouping them together as one would be incorrect. First of all, there is the Sunni-Shiite split. Then within these two groups there are even more divisions based on what people individually believe.
Living in the North Shore area, I can honestly say I do not know many Muslim people. I think the problem is that people around where I live do not know many people who practice Islam. We characterize people of the religion because we do not know many of them. I think that if we knew more Muslims, we wouldn't be so quick to judge or stereotype them because we would have a more personal connection.
3. Breaking the stereotype is difficult
Mr. Barna's job is incredibly important and what he does helps people realize that their way of thinking, or other people's way of thinking, is wrong and needs to be changed. But sadly, educating a small group of people about Islam isn't going to change the general perception of the religion and middle eastern area. Because of the Arab Spring and Muslim extremists, people associate Muslims with these negative images. These images reinforce how people already feel. Unfortunately, I don't think these stereotypes are going away anytime soon.
1. It is imperative to realize that Islam is a peaceful religion, and only certain Muslim groups are extremists
All too often people associate Muslims with terrorism. This is a dangerous stereotype and completely untrue. Not all Muslims are extremists, and not all extremists are Muslims. Grouping all Muslims together as terrorists would be like saying all Americans are blond with blue eyes. I told my family the other day I would love to travel to Egypt or a Middle Eastern country to study abroad one day and they immediately said no. There is a fear of the Middle East in general because of the violence that is concentrated in certain areas. The whole entire area is not characterized by this.
2. Islam is not a monolithic religion
There are multiple factions of Islam, and grouping them together as one would be incorrect. First of all, there is the Sunni-Shiite split. Then within these two groups there are even more divisions based on what people individually believe.
Living in the North Shore area, I can honestly say I do not know many Muslim people. I think the problem is that people around where I live do not know many people who practice Islam. We characterize people of the religion because we do not know many of them. I think that if we knew more Muslims, we wouldn't be so quick to judge or stereotype them because we would have a more personal connection.
3. Breaking the stereotype is difficult
Mr. Barna's job is incredibly important and what he does helps people realize that their way of thinking, or other people's way of thinking, is wrong and needs to be changed. But sadly, educating a small group of people about Islam isn't going to change the general perception of the religion and middle eastern area. Because of the Arab Spring and Muslim extremists, people associate Muslims with these negative images. These images reinforce how people already feel. Unfortunately, I don't think these stereotypes are going away anytime soon.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
America's Future
With the presidential elections coming up next year, the Republican candidates don't look so promising. After watching an interview of Herman Cain discussing what he would have done in the place of Obama regarding the Libyan revolution, I am a little worried for the future of America:
Cain doesn't seem to know what he is talking about, and spends about a long time at the beginning trying to get the interviewer to clarify the question. On the other hand, Mitt Romney is not well educated on many issues and feels he could have handled situations, such as the Iranian "nuclear crisis", better than Obama.
To read more about Romney: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/us/politics/before-primaries-romneys-team-looks-ahead-to-obama.html?_r=1&hp
Now that I am 18 and can vote, I see all the more reason to follow politics. Before this year, I never really saw a reason to get involved and read about what was going on. But things in the world seem to be getting ever more complicated and being knowledgeable in today's affairs is extremely worthwhile. Perhaps this is why these candidates upset me so much.
These candidates are not well informed. They make generalizations and place blame on others who they feel have not done a good job. After taking U.S. and World History, I feel I have a good understanding of how past events have impacted today's world. If an 18 year old can have this, I firmly believe that the Republican presidential candidates should have the same, if not better, knowledge.
I hope that my generation and generations behind me educated themselves because it is so important to our future. We cannot have a president who doesn't know how to handle situations. If these candidates think they will get elected by getting barely passing grades in foreign policy, they are wrong.
Cain doesn't seem to know what he is talking about, and spends about a long time at the beginning trying to get the interviewer to clarify the question. On the other hand, Mitt Romney is not well educated on many issues and feels he could have handled situations, such as the Iranian "nuclear crisis", better than Obama.
To read more about Romney: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/us/politics/before-primaries-romneys-team-looks-ahead-to-obama.html?_r=1&hp
Now that I am 18 and can vote, I see all the more reason to follow politics. Before this year, I never really saw a reason to get involved and read about what was going on. But things in the world seem to be getting ever more complicated and being knowledgeable in today's affairs is extremely worthwhile. Perhaps this is why these candidates upset me so much.
These candidates are not well informed. They make generalizations and place blame on others who they feel have not done a good job. After taking U.S. and World History, I feel I have a good understanding of how past events have impacted today's world. If an 18 year old can have this, I firmly believe that the Republican presidential candidates should have the same, if not better, knowledge.
I hope that my generation and generations behind me educated themselves because it is so important to our future. We cannot have a president who doesn't know how to handle situations. If these candidates think they will get elected by getting barely passing grades in foreign policy, they are wrong.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Effects of Volunteering
My official title at the Heartland Animal Shelter is “dog walker.” But if I could change the job title, I would rename it “official attention giver” or “helper around
the shelter,” because working at an animal shelter isn’t solely about taking
dogs out once a day. A significant part of the job is befriending the canines
and assisting other volunteers with their jobs, whether it means cleaning up a
cage or staying half of an hour longer to feed the dogs.
There are about fifty dogs at the shelter at any given time, each with their own
personality and needs. The two opportunities a day they have to escape out of
their kennels are important for the dogs both emotionally and physically. I
have made it my mission to not only give them a good workout, but to show them
I care by giving them extra minutes outside, a run around the yard, or a treat.
Working at an animal shelter has changed me in ways I never would have expected. I
always knew that I liked working with animals, but I never imagined that
working with people would be a big part of the job as well. When I leave,
Helen, a volunteer who feeds the dogs, always thanks me and tells me how
appreciative she is that I help not only the dogs, but her. Even if I don’t
receive pay for the job, I receive the benefit of not only helping dogs, but
people as well. When I am at the shelter, my main focus is on helping out, not on myself. It has made me become less selfish and more compassionate.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die." Volunteering gives us a purpose in life, even if it is a small one. Community service is always encouraged by both high schools and colleges. Whenever people would talk to me about it, it would go in one ear and out the other. But after being deeply involved in community service, I really understand why. So I encourage all of you out there to help others, whether they are people, dogs, or even the environment. Find your cause. Because when you do, your time will feel well spent.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
A Stagnant Revolution
This post is in response to an article from the Christian Science Monitor about the Revolution in Egypt: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1028/Egyptian-activists-try-to-bridge-digital-divide/(page)/2
Twitter helped organize and unite Egypt’s revolution, but can this form of activism accomplish anything substantial in the post-revolution? This article clearly leans to the side of no, but offers support for both sides. About 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and less than 1 percent of Egypt is on Twitter. This leads us to believing that the revolution rose from middle class, meaning that the lower class isn’t getting its voice out nearly as much as the middle class. Changes will be made for the middle class and will not necessarily reflect the general public. The article argues that Egypt is not finished with its revolution because not everyone has had their say.
To learn more about the role Twitter played in the Revolution: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/01/the-twitter-revolution-debate-the-egyptian-test-case/21296/
Another problem that the people who are on Twitter and Facebook are talking but not taking action. Informing people on situations and how they feel only works to a certain degree. If someone doesn’t rise up and lead, how will anything get accomplished? They have the power to communicate, but not the knowledge of what to do with that power.
Many efforts have been made to congregate people to have them talk about what should be done. For example, The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights held a workshop in which people discussed what the best ways to communicate are. But this isn’t enough.
The Egyptian revolution is different from past revolutions in that there is no clear leader. The people, mostly middle class as mentioned above, have led it and voiced their opinions. My main concern is that because there is no central voice and consensus as to how things should be changed, the revolution will not be as successful as it could be with a leader.
Twitter helped organize and unite Egypt’s revolution, but can this form of activism accomplish anything substantial in the post-revolution? This article clearly leans to the side of no, but offers support for both sides. About 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and less than 1 percent of Egypt is on Twitter. This leads us to believing that the revolution rose from middle class, meaning that the lower class isn’t getting its voice out nearly as much as the middle class. Changes will be made for the middle class and will not necessarily reflect the general public. The article argues that Egypt is not finished with its revolution because not everyone has had their say.
To learn more about the role Twitter played in the Revolution: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/01/the-twitter-revolution-debate-the-egyptian-test-case/21296/
Another problem that the people who are on Twitter and Facebook are talking but not taking action. Informing people on situations and how they feel only works to a certain degree. If someone doesn’t rise up and lead, how will anything get accomplished? They have the power to communicate, but not the knowledge of what to do with that power.
Many efforts have been made to congregate people to have them talk about what should be done. For example, The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights held a workshop in which people discussed what the best ways to communicate are. But this isn’t enough.
The Egyptian revolution is different from past revolutions in that there is no clear leader. The people, mostly middle class as mentioned above, have led it and voiced their opinions. My main concern is that because there is no central voice and consensus as to how things should be changed, the revolution will not be as successful as it could be with a leader.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Changing of Language
Language is constantly being changed. New words are added because of technology, the youth, and pop culture, aka slang. In fact, the change of language over time is called diachronic change. While some words in a language stay the same, others are transformed, shortened, and cut out altogether based on the people that use it. English is a prime example for this.
One word that has demonstrated a change in “gonna,” as opposed to going to. This word is prevalent in new music and the youth’s language. What does this say about our use of English when people are using the incorrect form of a word, and don’t even realize they are doing
it? When it comes to writing, there is auto-correct. But in real life, what you say is what you get. If a teenager is in a college interview and uses this language, they will look unprofessional and immature.
For a list/explanation of more
changed words: http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/
I think part of the problem in misuse of words in society today is due to technology. Teenagers instant message, send emails, talk on Facebook, video chat, etc. There is a social pressure to use these technologies, and if you don’t you won’t be able to understand your peers because “they are all doing it.” There is also less reading and writing than there used to be. And instead of handwriting essays, we type them on the computer. We don't learn how to properly spell words because the computer does it for us. Also, our vocabularies aren’t as complex because we do not give ourselves a chance to enrich them. But we do not have ourselves solely to blame for this.
it? When it comes to writing, there is auto-correct. But in real life, what you say is what you get. If a teenager is in a college interview and uses this language, they will look unprofessional and immature.
For a list/explanation of more
changed words: http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/
I think part of the problem in misuse of words in society today is due to technology. Teenagers instant message, send emails, talk on Facebook, video chat, etc. There is a social pressure to use these technologies, and if you don’t you won’t be able to understand your peers because “they are all doing it.” There is also less reading and writing than there used to be. And instead of handwriting essays, we type them on the computer. We don't learn how to properly spell words because the computer does it for us. Also, our vocabularies aren’t as complex because we do not give ourselves a chance to enrich them. But we do not have ourselves solely to blame for this.
Personally, school and extracurriculars take up the majority of my time. If I am not doing homework, I am at practice or at a meeting. The only reading I have time to do is for school. And when you have 50 or so pages to read a night, it is hard to fit in a book that you want to read.
The change in our language is a multifaceted problem that cannot be stopped because it is already engrained in our culture. Our lives are so busy already that we do not even notice it happening unless we take a step back and think about it. To all my teenagers out there: don’t worry too much about it. You will read a lot in college and have a lot of time to build up that vocabulary of yours.
Image from: http://team1-gc.wikispaces.com/Facebook+Slang+and+Emoticons+101
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