We, as freshmen in college, have always heard the phrase "back in the day." I know that, personally, that is one of the most annoying things an older person could say to me. That is, until I stopped and thought about the radical changes that have taken place in the past sixty years. Many times, older professors compare us young students to how it was when they were our age. They went through high school looking through World Book instead of WebMd. They did math mentally or on paper instead of doing everything on a super calculator. But amongst all of the differences, there are many similarities.
Television has put quite a bit of distance between my generation and my professors. For example, if I were to ask one of my professors what he or she thinks about the current Kardashian situation, I would probably get a blank stare. When they were growing up, no one cared about the latest popular couples divorce or what celebrity was seen dating another. But in this day and age, this information is abundant and, at some times, seems like it is forced down our throats every time we turn on the television. In every store there are pop culture magazines by the checkout or in book sections. Of the professors I have discussed this with, most just do not see the point in getting caught up in the drama. Pop culture has always caused quite a divide between generations. But modern television and video streaming can also aid in narrowing that divide. I can watch almost any show that has been aired in the past forty years without much of a problem. This gives my generation a view into past culture and entertainment. People like Michael Jordan are still immortalized in our minds because we have seen documentaries or game footage from his heyday. And though these great pastimes will never change, some things cannot stop changing.
The times that we live in now are much different from forty years ago. Music was different, and so were the morals of this nation. When many of my older professors were young, rock and roll was considered evil by some. Topics like homosexuality were just not mentioned. Divorce rates were much lower because the parents felt a greater commitment to marriage. It seems like the morals instilled by parents were much higher in many. But only one or two decades later morals would drop off tremendously. The music scene was also going through big changes. Rock and roll was really growing and the sound was changing. Rock was the most popular genre. Concerts began using fire pillars and many different lights and other effects to make the visual aspect just as good as the music. But in modern times, pop music is king. Rap has also come onto the scene, replacing the disco of the earlier years. Profanity is much more common in modern music than it was thirty or forty years ago. The same thing happened to television. Earlier shows showed wholesome families and depicted the American dream. The shows were clean enough for the whole family. But now, reality tv has taken over. Many shows have crude language and other inappropriate content. But some stations, such as TV Land, have immortalized these early shows.
The differences between generations are many. But common ground can always be found. The things of the past should be remembered and cherished, but things will change and time will move on. The generational differences have been present since humans have been alive, and they will inevitably continue as long as we roam the earth.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
iPad Preliminary Data
I'm in the process of analyzing the results of HC's iPad questionnaire. One question already analyzed is:
SAU Honors College should continue to supply iPads to incoming students.
Percent
Strongly Agree 24%
Agree 54%
No Opinion 19%
Disagree 2% Strongly Agree 24%
Agree 54%
No Opinion 19%
Strongly Disagree 2%
I have recommended that SAU continue to supply incoming students with iPads in 2012.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Edmundson, Nevin: Diversity
Until we, as people, learned to accept one another without first judging each other based on the color of ones skin, the tension between African-Americans and Caucasians were high due to the discrimination African-Americans had to endure.
White people were so determined to isolate the Blacks from their everyday life that they made race-based utilities such as: Segregated churches, bathrooms, schools, and many more aspects people of all colors used on a daily basis. For some reason, White people back then could not grasp the idea of an "equal world" and hated the Black people for wanting equality in their life and the generations to follow them. Had it not been for people like Martin Luther King, the United States might never had moved past where were back then and could quite possibly still be stuck in the same place we were 60 years ago.
Alas, the world today isn't as Black and White as people would like for it to be. Even though many people look down on discrimination today, there are still a small number of people who would prefer that we lived in a world that was segregated just as it was back then. It is sad, because the children they raise will have the same ideals that they do, causing tension again and stirring trouble which should have been dead long ago. Sadly, discrimination will never completely go away. There will always be a small percentage who believe in a "superior race", but what they do not seem to realize is that there will never be a perfect utopia they are trying to build. Discrimination has ways of finding new people to single out. There would be a new group of people within the utopia that would be singled out, therefore destroying the utopia they wanted to build so badly.
Without realizing it, we as students discriminate based on race all the time. When you observe groups that are hanging out together, very seldom do you see a group with mixed races. Most of the time, it is always all Blacks or all Whites or a group composed entirely of another race. Granted, segregation is more subconscious now rather than intentional, but this ideal perfect utopia that everyone wants to achieve will never come to be because we, as living, breathing humans, are by no means perfect.
White people were so determined to isolate the Blacks from their everyday life that they made race-based utilities such as: Segregated churches, bathrooms, schools, and many more aspects people of all colors used on a daily basis. For some reason, White people back then could not grasp the idea of an "equal world" and hated the Black people for wanting equality in their life and the generations to follow them. Had it not been for people like Martin Luther King, the United States might never had moved past where were back then and could quite possibly still be stuck in the same place we were 60 years ago.
Alas, the world today isn't as Black and White as people would like for it to be. Even though many people look down on discrimination today, there are still a small number of people who would prefer that we lived in a world that was segregated just as it was back then. It is sad, because the children they raise will have the same ideals that they do, causing tension again and stirring trouble which should have been dead long ago. Sadly, discrimination will never completely go away. There will always be a small percentage who believe in a "superior race", but what they do not seem to realize is that there will never be a perfect utopia they are trying to build. Discrimination has ways of finding new people to single out. There would be a new group of people within the utopia that would be singled out, therefore destroying the utopia they wanted to build so badly.
Without realizing it, we as students discriminate based on race all the time. When you observe groups that are hanging out together, very seldom do you see a group with mixed races. Most of the time, it is always all Blacks or all Whites or a group composed entirely of another race. Granted, segregation is more subconscious now rather than intentional, but this ideal perfect utopia that everyone wants to achieve will never come to be because we, as living, breathing humans, are by no means perfect.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Paul McLendon Visits Honors Seminar
McLendon went over the SAU budget and discussed how state contributions to the full budget amount have been steadily dropping over the last 10 years. He also showed where SAU income came from and where it was spent.
The Honors Seminar is designed to acquaint students with all aspects of the college experience. Where the money comes from and how it is spent is a key aspect.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Morris, Robert: Diversity
Despite the fact that there are some glaring differences in the two letters assigned to us, I found that the most important portion of the letters were their similarities. Anyone can note the fact that these letters were written by the two opposing sides of a very stressful situation. A Call to Unity was written by a group of clergymen who felt that they had nowhere else to go. They felt that they were backed into a corner which is certainly understandable. While I don't agree with their view I can emphasize with their feeling that they were losing what they felt like was just the culture of the land. I of course though empathize with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because his vision of a new America is the one I live in now. I was more affected though by the blatant racism present in A Call to Unity. As a child I heard the stories that my grandparents told me about growing up in the South during times of heightened racism, but it is always different to read a letter like this. It is almost like I can hear them say it directly to me and that is very creepy. I have never ignored the past but it feels strange to try and place myself in the position of the author or audience of any of the letters we were asked to read. I can hardly wrap my mind around the growth of our nation from that point. We have grown by leaps and bounds from a "negro" not getting to vote to a Black man as president. Thus in conclusion I feel that the letters serve as a sufficient window into the past, a time that few of the people of our generation could even come close to comprehending.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Edmundson, Nevin: Beloit List
After reading the differences on the mindsets between incoming freshman and the professors, I now truly see how different, yet alike, we are. Many things professors would consider “controversial” or “absurd” are things we, as students, see as normal. Some of the past generation would look at our generation and frown upon us, but what about their generation? Did the generation before them not frown upon them just as they do us?
The simple fact is we are on in the same. Everything that our generation uses and says in everyday life is a fad. The generation our professors grew up in had fads of their own as well. Technology is just another fad. Soon another new thing will interest us and we will move on; it’s just how the world works. We use phrases such as: “Been there. Done that. Bought that T-shirt.” but did their generation not say: “You sound like a broken record?” The phrases have the same general meaning, but it’s the trend, the underlying urge to find new things that changed the wording behind it. I have never understood it when someone not of my generation told me things such as: “It’s your generation that’s driving this nation into the ground.” How are we destroying this nation, or going to destroy it? Is it because we rely on technology? Is it because we don’t pay as much attention to the news as we should? Or is it because they think life is just handed to us? Our generation has proven that even in a fast changing world, we will adapt. The simple fact that we have calculators that do the work for us or that we have phones that can offer us more information than our local library should not diminish the fact that we are more than capable of taking care of ourselves and not becoming lost in the innovations life has to offer us tomorrow.
On that same note, it is clearly apparent that there are things we have not had to grow up with that their generation has. We have not truly seen how harsh the world can be. Women and race have always been “accepted” in the work force, and as a matter of fact, discrimination is now a major law issue, whereas to their generation, this a fairly new concept. Our generation does tend to focus too much of our free time on useless information. There isn’t much use in knowing which “Jersey Shore” character most looks like a girl at your school. On the topic of television, I actually was stunned when I found out that at one point “Rocky Horror Picture Show” was not a common show aired around Halloween time when it first came out. When I first found out that it was not just banned from TV, but banned from being sold in this country, I was utterly blown away. It just goes to show how much television has changed in what it airs and what is now acceptable for our youth to freely see.
It must be difficult for professors to “click” with any student, considering how different our worlds are from the outside eye, but as previously stated, students and professors are not too different deep down. In fact, we are one in the same, and once we get past that, the bridge between students and professors will quickly be established and learning, on a deeper level, can truly begin.
Goecke, Colby: Diversity
"A Call for Unity" and "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" are both well written letters. That said, there are a few very distinct differences in the two as well as in their respective writers.
"A Call for Unity" is written from the perspective of those who agree with the need for change, but aren't necessarily willing to put themselves out in order to achieve it. The clergymen prefer to watch from the sidelines and dictate how things should be done differently, rather than doing something themselves. These men talk of change and applaud those striving for it, yet they do nothing to further the cause. The second issue with the clergymen is the fact that they are making suggestions and accusations about the situation, all while being uninformed and/or willingly turning a blind eye/deaf ear to the facts of the matter. They call for an end to the demonstrations and ask for peaceful negotiations while anyone who knows anything realizes that any hope of that has been dashed by the other Whites in and around Birmingham. I believe the writers of "A Call to Unity" also sought to weaken the overall movement in Birmingham by talk of "outsiders". If the local clergymen could convince the local "negroes" that King and others were outsiders and not part of the local unit, then the "outsiders" power and effectiveness would be severely limited. This would isolate the Birmingham locals and make them much more vulnerable to attack and weaken their cause significantly.
Dr. King's response to "A Call to Unity" was a much better written letter. Dr. King's polite yet clear reprimand of the Birmingham clergymen was commendable indeed. He was careful to incite no furies or arguments with his writing, yet his points were very clear and direct. King saw the big picture and made certain that this fact was evident in his response. He covered the situation in Birmingham in no uncertain words, yet he did not stop there. His explanation of the issue expanded to cover the entire nation. It was obvious in Kings's writing that he was very familiar in dealing with opposition and knew how to handle it effectively and with as little damage as possible.
"A Call for Unity" is written from the perspective of those who agree with the need for change, but aren't necessarily willing to put themselves out in order to achieve it. The clergymen prefer to watch from the sidelines and dictate how things should be done differently, rather than doing something themselves. These men talk of change and applaud those striving for it, yet they do nothing to further the cause. The second issue with the clergymen is the fact that they are making suggestions and accusations about the situation, all while being uninformed and/or willingly turning a blind eye/deaf ear to the facts of the matter. They call for an end to the demonstrations and ask for peaceful negotiations while anyone who knows anything realizes that any hope of that has been dashed by the other Whites in and around Birmingham. I believe the writers of "A Call to Unity" also sought to weaken the overall movement in Birmingham by talk of "outsiders". If the local clergymen could convince the local "negroes" that King and others were outsiders and not part of the local unit, then the "outsiders" power and effectiveness would be severely limited. This would isolate the Birmingham locals and make them much more vulnerable to attack and weaken their cause significantly.
Dr. King's response to "A Call to Unity" was a much better written letter. Dr. King's polite yet clear reprimand of the Birmingham clergymen was commendable indeed. He was careful to incite no furies or arguments with his writing, yet his points were very clear and direct. King saw the big picture and made certain that this fact was evident in his response. He covered the situation in Birmingham in no uncertain words, yet he did not stop there. His explanation of the issue expanded to cover the entire nation. It was obvious in Kings's writing that he was very familiar in dealing with opposition and knew how to handle it effectively and with as little damage as possible.
Morris, Robert: Beloit List
There will forever be a generation gap, there’s no escaping it. The next generation will always move a little faster than the one before. There are some similarities as well because one generation instills certain things such as moral fiber upon the next.
Firstly, before one attempts to compare generations one must know why there is a gap in the first place. There are several different reasons for gaps between generations, but there is typically one major reason. For an example let us travel to the 1960s. This was a time of social change. The generation gap of this era was mainly sparked by a spiritual catalyst. The moral beliefs of the young generation were rapidly changing, continuously moving, and the older generation was content to stand still. This was the cause of the generation gap. For the cause of the current generation gap there is no need to dig so deep. The root cause is not spirituality but technology. Even basic knowledge of the Internet can create a gap so large that few dare to cross it. There are many parents who attempt to bridge the gap by learning the hip new “lingo,” and while that can be beneficial it would be much easier to simply add their child as a friend on Facebook.
Secondly, once adequate knowledge of the gap is obtained one can feel free to stare at the blatantly obvious thing that is the differences between the generations. There are several key differences between the generations the first being the obvious one, age. This is the thing that actually determines the generations, so it has to be one of the things that separate them. First of all, the older generation typically has more experience with this thing called life and has thus had more time to mess up than the younger generation. This being true, a member the older generation probably knows a lot more about life than a member of the younger generation. This incenses the younger generation because they believe that because they can work a laptop and their parents can’t then they shouldn’t have to listen to them. This leads to the younger generation towards making many of the same mistakes as the older generation. This contributes to the generation gap soon to come in the future and drives them closer to the older generation.
Lastly, once one notes the differences the only thing left is the similarities. While reading the Beloit articles it is simple to note the differences between the two generations, but they leave out the most important thing, and that’s the similarities, because at the end of the day it won’t matter if the younger generation thought that LBJ was LeBron James and not Lyndon B. Johnson, because the next generation won’t care who either of them are. This is the main similarity, the inevitable fall into the same hole as the previous generation, and the gaps will continually grow larger and larger. In 20 years it won’t matter that I typed this on a computer, because the next generation will just have to think and the words will come across the screen, no more spell check for them. At this point I will hate the new technology because I will feel left behind much like the older generation does now. This mutual feeling of hate toward the technology of the future is what binds the generations together.
In conclusion, gap or no gap we all end up in the same hole in the end, with the next generation racing to leave us all behind only to be knocked back into the same hole by the next and so on. It is such a grand and beautiful cycle.
Franklin, Trey: Diversity
Over the years, there has always been a diversity issue. The time when this issue was strongest was during Martin Luther King Jr.’s “nonviolent campaign.” During his time in Birmingham, Alabama, King was placed under arrest for his nonviolent civil protests. Multiple White clergymen from Birmingham, Alabama published in a local newspaper a letter titled, “A Call for Unity.” After reading this, King responded with his “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” To reflect back on the issue of the diversity and racial tension of this time in American history is important in understanding the diversity of America today.
In “A Call for Unity,” eight clergymen detailed the need to end the “demonstrations,” which were led by Martin Luther King Jr. It also entailed that “Negroes [should] engage in local negotiations and use the courts if rights are being denied” (Wikipedia). Noticing that the clergymen were attempting civility about the situation, I can tell that only after King had entered Birmingham did the clergymen want to do anything about the racial tension between Whites and Blacks. Although that could possibly be false, the only evidence that anyone was doing much of anything noticeable in Birmingham was the letters “A Call for Unity” and “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Within “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King opposes “A Call for Unity” by claiming that if the White community had done something about the issue before; the black community would not have resorted to “demonstrations.” To reflect upon these issues, King had responded to the looking away from ‘unity’ by marching into Birmingham and nonviolently campaigning demonstrations against the discrimination of the Black community.
King's nonviolent campaigns and marches showed America that the strong racial tension between Blacks and Whites was in favor of the discrimination of Black people. The Black communities of America, mostly in the South, were no longer going to take that discrimination. So, in an attempt to end or at least lessen the racial tension between Whites and Blacks, King campaigned around the South to show that the Black community was being discriminated against. His campaigns led to the lessening of the racial tension between the Black and White communities and reinforced the ‘unity’ of the two.
Jeon, Heekyung: Haiku
Honors College students go one step further
toward their clear, apparent goals
with good company and outstanding academic achievement
toward their clear, apparent goals
with good company and outstanding academic achievement
Sunday, December 4, 2011
White, Zowie: Diversity
I feel that the clergymen who wrote "A Call for Unity" are turning a blind eye to the social and civil injustices in Birmingham. Without the outside influences, the Black community would not have the courage to stand up for their rights. Yes, they do not explicitly promote violence and hatred in their religious and political activities, but the clergymen do not promote equality among all races. Jesus has love for everyone. As men of God and as leaders in their community, they should teach this to their followers. The clergymen suggest using the court system and negotiating with local leaders in the community. How can they suggest this when the Black community has tried this countless times and have been denied their rights? One can always suggest a solution when he or she doesn't live with the issue or predicament. They claim that the demonstrations occurred at the wrong time. There is no such thing as a right time to fight for what one thinks is right.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responded to "A Call for Unity" with "A Letter from Birmingham Jail." The response was necessary, because it voiced the purpose and motivation behind the demonstrations in Birmingham. As a fellow clergyman, he includes appropriate allusions to the Bible, in order to illustrate his points. I agree with his points, I feel that he needed to edit himself. Yes, the eight clergymen needed to be enlightened, but it does not warrant countless allusions and explanations. The passion is appreciated, but the phrase, "Less is more," should be applied. I believe that Dr. King was a brave man for voicing his opinion. Many forget that he was only a leader who could convey the views of the Black community. This is shown in his appeals to the clergymen. He describes the everyday life and experiences of the Black citizen. His intelligence is displayed, when he mentions Hitler's regime to counter the clergymen's view of blacks' involvement in politics.
Yang Zichao: Haiku
Honors college, you and I
Friendly staff, good study environment, elites come here to get wise
Stay here, make me shine
Friendly staff, good study environment, elites come here to get wise
Stay here, make me shine
Campbell, David: Diversity
Action or complacency. In the case of the racial equality movement of the '60s, this was the primary choice in question. When diversity is suppressed or looked down upon in any way, especially in a legal sense, those affected have an obligation to do something about it. And when it is, in fact, in a legal sense, there is nobody that remains unaffected. A violation of human rights, no matter who it targets, is an ethical offense to each and every individual who is indeed a human.
The Alabama clergymen have respectable intentions in "A Call for Unity," advocating a peaceful, law-abiding resolution. However, their ideals for diffusing the conflict and its racial tensions are impractical at best. In a nation or state where the government itself is complacent and suppresses meaningful change, any strictly law-abiding movement can be put down with only the slightest bit of effort. Also, it is ironic that the government put so much emphasis on suppressing non-violent protest actions when it is obvious that in a stark majority of cases the violence during this time period can be attributed to the police force opposing the equal rights movement. Thus the suggestions, if not subtle demands, of the clergy are contradictory and at cross purposes to the cause of equality among all human beings.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s response to his fellow clergymen is calm, collected, while also firm and resolute. Whereas the clergy's intentions are respectable, King's are noble and morally driven. Just as there is a difference between fleeting happiness and internal joy, King points out there is a difference between merely having order and having real peace. In lieu of condoning civil obedience at the expense of justice, King advocates an ideal that, as far as American government goes, was conceptualized as long ago as the writing of the United States Constitution - when the government is unjust, the citizens are morally obligated to overthrow the government in favor of a new one. While in practice, this concept is more figurative, as the federal government was not literally overthrown, the equal rights movement seeks to accomplish just this.
The Alabama clergymen have respectable intentions in "A Call for Unity," advocating a peaceful, law-abiding resolution. However, their ideals for diffusing the conflict and its racial tensions are impractical at best. In a nation or state where the government itself is complacent and suppresses meaningful change, any strictly law-abiding movement can be put down with only the slightest bit of effort. Also, it is ironic that the government put so much emphasis on suppressing non-violent protest actions when it is obvious that in a stark majority of cases the violence during this time period can be attributed to the police force opposing the equal rights movement. Thus the suggestions, if not subtle demands, of the clergy are contradictory and at cross purposes to the cause of equality among all human beings.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s response to his fellow clergymen is calm, collected, while also firm and resolute. Whereas the clergy's intentions are respectable, King's are noble and morally driven. Just as there is a difference between fleeting happiness and internal joy, King points out there is a difference between merely having order and having real peace. In lieu of condoning civil obedience at the expense of justice, King advocates an ideal that, as far as American government goes, was conceptualized as long ago as the writing of the United States Constitution - when the government is unjust, the citizens are morally obligated to overthrow the government in favor of a new one. While in practice, this concept is more figurative, as the federal government was not literally overthrown, the equal rights movement seeks to accomplish just this.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Walton, Arain: Diversity
I believe everyone should have the same rights and so when I read these two articles I was filled with emotion.
I grew up in an all white home with almost no contact with black people and yet I was raised to respect people as humans, I wasn't taught to look down on people because of there skin tone. Because of this upbringing I was angry at the tone of the clergy writing " A Call to Unity". They where lying right through there teeth. They acted like they cared and wanted to do right by the people when really they just wanted the embarrassing protests to stop. Also wight the protests going on businesses lost money. What town wants to have a bad economy?
When I read "Letter from Birmingham Jail" I was filled with passion and agreed wholeheartedly. King was right about so much. The Whites where making everything unfair but saying they would work with the Black community. The Black community tried to be polite, to talk, to negotiate, it just had no effect. So they decided to start protesting nonviolently. Even then they were being respectful. I know so far it seems I'm sticking up for the Black side so I'm going to pause and try to see it from the perspective of a White person then...
I can see why White people were upset because all their lives they grew up seeing Blacks as inferior. But, I believe I'd start seeing them as equal people when they stood up for themselves. If someone is going to fight for something that bad they deserve to get it.
Parks, Caleb: Haiku
The bird leaves the nest.
The bird soars to extreme heights.
The bird hatches her eggs.
The bird soars to extreme heights.
The bird hatches her eggs.
Nunn, Florence: Haiku
Honors is real fun.
I've learned lots of cool new things.
I'm glad I got in (:
Hao, Jiayin: Haiku
What is Honors College?
It is the place where we can realize our dreams.
Never miss this amazing place!
It is the place where we can realize our dreams.
Never miss this amazing place!
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