Sarah's Blog

This entire semester I have talked about inspirational people, from people who overcame countless obstacles to achieve their goal to philanthropists giving away thousands of dollars to help others to people who used their passions to change the world.  Now, I would like to address one more inspirational person – YOU.

Yes, you.  After reading Six Effective Ways to Inspire Yourself, you can:

• Become inspired and therefore change some parts of your lifestyle
• With the changed lifestyle, inspire others

1.  Read / Watch Movies.  Being exposed to the product of other peoples’ creativity drives you into a cycle of unending ideas and and experiences.  Though these may differentiate somewhat from real life, it was real people that created the story, and they want to convey the message to you.

2. Listen to music.  For most types of music, the lyrics tell a story worth hearing.  Music can be a very influential part of someone’s life, and someone can live by the lyrics that an artist conveys.

3. Make note of your dreams.  Being aware of your short-term and long-term goals makes you more motivated to achieve them, and there is no better feeling than finally achieving something you’ve worked so hard for.

4. Free write.  Take some time to sit down and let your mind pour on the pages.  Doing this frequently from day to day can help get your mind off things that may be on your mind at the present moment.  Then in the future when you go back and read everything you wrote about, you can see how much you’ve changed and grown up in your writing.

5. Take time off.  You eventually reach a certain stage in your life where work interferes with play, and it’s okay – it happens.  Taking time off, whether it be an hour or two to watch tv or a week to go on a paradise vacation, is essential to success in the workplace.  Balance is possible, and although work almost always trumps play, there’s always time for you to have a little fun.

6. Keep in contact with people.  Life is not a journey that one is destined to adventure out on your own.  By nature, your overall persona is directly affected by the people you interact with.  The people you are surrounded by are not only who inspire you, but they can also be who you can inspire.

I’ve written many blogs with people that inspire myself and hopefully also inspire you.  But with this last blog, I hope that these steps can lead you to inspire other people.

In discussing multiculturalism in the United States throughout the duration of this semester, I have mentioned many times that we are a nation founded on the basis of immigration.  It always came to a question of whether or not the incoming populations were capable of being “American” – first it was the Germans, then the Chinese, then the Irish and the Eastern Europeans.  Today we have the same expectation for Latino Americans and Muslims – are they worthy to be part of our country?

The truth is, there is nothing that differentiates one person, immigrant or not, from being more “American” than the other.  The United States is a country that thrives on diversity by bringing together a plethora of races, cultures, and religions from all around the world.  There are so many heritages that make up this country, with each culture making up an irreplaceable contribution to the overall American culture.

In his book entitled, The Culture of Narcissism, author Christopher Lasch describes that the traditional American culture of individualism has developed into somewhat of a “narcissistic and self-absorbed” society.  He argues that as a whole, the American society demands cultural assimilation and that people coming into the country should adopt “mainstream ways” in order to reach social acceptance.

I already mentioned many times before about the political issue surrounding the topics of Lasch’s book. In my first blog post, I mentioned the term “melting pot” and its multiple definitions.  Throughout the semester I wrote about how the United States is pushing to a single, defined culture that can apply to everyone living here.  I wrote about immigration reform, interracial marriage, and the issue of making English the official language.  For my last blog post, I would like to highlight the things that take place in the United States that defy the “mainstream assimilation” and allow individual cultures to retain their identity while they are here in the United States.  We already see this throughout the year with the people around us celebrating different holidays.  It’s almost like bringing a piece of another country to the United States, and it brings cultural heritage to light.

The Filipino Sinulog is an annual festival that takes place in Cebu City in the Philippines.  An American adaptation has been brought to the United States by Filipino Americans (including my family) with a Summer Sinulog taking place every August in Olde City, Philadelphia.

Each year in the summer, the Hopi Indians perform a rain dance, which was once used as a prayer for rain during the summer’s dry season.  Now, the Hopis still perform the dance every year in order to preserve the tradition.

Irish Fest in Chicago takes place annually every July, showcasing the finest Irish-American music, dance, food, and family activities.  The festival lasts for three days and has been around for 28 years.

The Armenian Genocide Walk takes place every year in April in Philadelphia.  Thousands of Armenians from the Northeast gather together on this day to walk in honor of the 1.5 million Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide.

Garba is a traditional Hindu festival in India that mainly showcases the Garba dance.  There are many Garba festivals that take place around the United States, including high schools and even at Penn State!  PSU Spring Garba – https://www.facebook.com/events/1377843395831007/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

And I would like to close out my final civic issues blog with the same question I ended my first blog post with, and now you can decide what the answer will be:

Is the United States melting pot under the basis that we should all assimilate into one?  Or, instead, are we forever a salad, made of different toppings and textures with distinct dividing lines?

sources:

http://cis.org/renshon/politics-of-recognition

http://www.worldandi.com/specialcollection/special-collection-diversity.asp

All images courtesy of Google Images

In 2012, alone, 30 thousand Americans made the decision to end their own life.  The suicide rate in the US has been the highest its ever been in the past 10 years, and suicide is one of the top ten causes of death.  Many people are able to seek help through counseling or support from family and friends, but others unfortunately do not.  For some people, these thoughts plague their minds every day.  Hopefully you’re not affected by these thoughts yourself, but if you ever felt depressed that you wanted to push yourself over the edge, hopefully reading this blog will change your outlook on that.

Kevin Himes was 19 when he made the decision to end his life.  On September 25, 2000, Himes took a bus to The Golden Gate bridge, and minutes later he jumped over the railing.

He reached for the rail, but it wasn’t there.  It was four seconds later that impacted the water.

He lived.

The Coast Guard keeps a watch on the waters under the bridge because so many people flock there to attempt the same deed that Himes just tried to do.  Himes was pulled out of the water, and all he heard was, “Hey kid, do you know what you just did?”

“I just jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.”

“And why did you do that?”

“I dont know, I guess I just had to die.”

Himes is one of the 2% who survive jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.  Roughly 33 survived the fall.  Out of the survivors, 19 have stepped forward saying something along the lines of, “As soon as I let go of the railing, I realized that I made a mistake.”

Himes is 1 of these 19.

“In the midst of my free fall, I said to myself these words, words I thought no one would ever hear me repeat: ‘What have I done? I don’t want to die. God, please save me!’”

Another is a man named Ken Baldwin, who was 28 when he attempted suicide.  On his way down, he thought of his wife and kids and that this was the worst thing he could ever do in life.  He admits, “everything in my life could have been fixed, except for that I just jumped.”

This event in Baldwin’s life led to a psychological shift, and he found that his survival is a lesson in life that things do get better.  There are countless reasons to why you should live, and you don’t want it to be too late before you recognize that.

Kevin Himes eventually wrote memoir, hoping to reach out to people and convey the message to seek treatment for mental illness and suicide is not the answer.

One of the best things that people can do for one another is help when the other is down, and you never know when you’ll be put in the situation to save someone else’s life.  Life is a beautiful gift, and though it may take a while for one to realize it, it’s the people they’re surrounded by that can give them million reasons to live.

As of now, the United States has no official language.  Logically it would be English, and Republican lawmakers are pushing a huge effort to scribe that into law.  But the opposition against this motion has been strong in making sure it doesn’t happen.

An official language requires all citizens and legal residents must be fluent in that particular language.  Supporters of the law feel as though it is logical and necessary, and that people who are not proficient in English should either learn the language or leave the country.  In addition, immigrants who are moving to the United States should be must be fluent in English.  This would ultimately lower the amount of money spent on translators and bilingual education, as well as strengthen the job market and reduce failure rates in high schools.

Ultimately, supporters believe that the failure of making English the official language discourages people to learn English, posing threats of communication barriers where they are necessary.  Brandon Brice of the “Common Sense Conservative” section of The Washington Times argues, “If we are going to be a united people, people who understand each other and can work together with people from anywhere in the country, we will have to have an official national language.”

Though members of the two parties in our government believe that English is necessary for assimilation into this country’s culture, Liberals think altering the Constitution is not necessary.   Immigrants either have a decent background in English before moving to the United States, or they learn it as they live here.  English is certainly adopted ubiquitously throughout the United States, but this issue is just a matter of whether or not the change should be printed in ink and written in the Constitution.

This problem is mainly concerning Mexican-Americans, as a large majority of our nation’s immigrants originate from Mexico.  Statistics show that 48% of first-generation Hispanic Americans are not fluent in English when they move here, but that number jumps to 93% among second-generation Hispanic-Americans (fusion.net).

Others believe that making an official language will alter the “melting-pot” image of our country.  As a nation found on the basis of immigration, making English, the language of the country we once declared independence from, will discriminate from the other prevalent languages spoken in our country.

There is no other country where people speak in different languages to one another in public.  How would you feel if a family were having a conversation around you, and you didn’t know what they were saying?  Maybe you think it’s rude, or perhaps you think they’re talking about you.  Or maybe you feel as though you’re exposed to a culture that is not your own – and it’s kind of cool.

The English language definitely plays a huge role in the United States – language and communication in general is a necessity for society to function.  But making something official by law is what sparks political interest.  As of now, we are united by our cultural diversity coming together as one.  Is making English the official language strengthening or weakening that solidarity?

fusion.net – http://fusion.net/leadership/story/congress-immigrants-learn-english-12121

The Washington Times – http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/common-sense-conservative/2013/apr/13/why-english-should-be-official-language-united-sta/

PBS – http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/officialamerican/

**Warning – this is an extremely long passion blog, but it was necessary to cover all the points in the story.  It truly is inspirational and if you want to get a basic idea of what its about, just scroll to the bottom and watch the video.

What if you could say that 10 years ago, you saved hundreds of lives?

In 2004, a great tsunami in the Indian Ocean hit the coast Thailand.  You may remember news reports flashing on the television from when it happened.  Thousands of people were affected and injured by the tsunami, and many lost or  separated from their loved ones during the disaster.  Fortunately, there were a few great heroes that contributed significantly to saving people’s lives during this time.

The first is Tilly Smith, a girl who is around our age and was just 10  years old when the tsunami hit.  In her fifth grade class, she was learning about tsunamis, and one of the indicators of a great wave is that the tide abnormally recedes.  While on vacation in Thailand, she saw that exact indicator occurring to the ocean.  Seeing this as a warning sign that a tsunami was about to hit the beaches, Tilly alerted her parents, who subsequently warned the resort.  Tilly was able to save hundreds of lives by warning these people to go to higher grounds, and she won various awards as well as a visit to the UN for her heroic actions.

Other families weren’t as fortunate.  The second hero of the story is named Maria Belon, who was also on vacation in Thailand with her husband and three sons.  Originally from Spain, Maria worked as a doctor.  When the tsunami hit, Maria was lounging in the resort with her one son while her husband was in the pool with the other two.  The massive wave hurled Maria against trees and other debris, and she was underwater for three minutes until she clung onto a tree for her life.

 Her family was nowhere to be found.  In a matter of minutes, Maria saw her life flash before her eyes, and now her family was missing.  A few minutes later, she saw a head bob out of water, and she gratefully recognized it as her son.  Both clung onto the tree, desperately hanging on to life, just as thousands of others who were hit by the tsunami were.

Within the next few hours, a local man found Maria and her son, both with severe scratches and wounds, in the tree and took them to a nearby resting house that was located on higher ground.  Inside the resting house, there were many other people, locals and tourists, who had been injured by the tsunami.  Though she had deep wounds on her chest and leg, Maria adopted her responsibility as a doctor and began treating the injured people around her.  Many of these people, especially the local of Thailand, were less fortunate than her, and she felt a moral obligation as both a doctor and human being to help them when they needed it.

In the end, the locals of Thailand repaid Maria for her actions toward them by making it a priority to reunite her with the rest of her family.  With an arsenal of people, determination, and a little bit of faith, Maria’s husbands and other two sons were found at a hospital, and their family was miraculously brought together again after the disaster.

Overall, this story of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is a story of miracles.  In a time of disaster, people come together to help one another, surpassing language barriers and disregarding ethnic differences.  Tilly Smith managed to save hundreds of people, and Maria was able to put her problems aside to come to the aid of those who otherwise would not be able to help themselves.

This entire story is showcased in an Australian feature film titled The Impossible.  Though I have not seen the movie, I definitely plan to in the future to get a full perspective of this inspiration behind this miracle.

The Belon family at The Impossible premiere – image courtesy of mirror.co.uk

The Impossible trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgw394ZKsis

Maria is star-student with a 4.0 GPA who may never have the chance to go to college.  An American college, at least.  Despite her outstanding performance in high school, Maria has a very unclear path with little to no options after graduation.

This angered Clint Smith, a poet and also Maria’s high school English teacher.  Upon reading Night by Elie Wiesel, Smith assigned his class to compose their own memoir.  Maria’s memoir was about her and her family illegal crossing the border when she was 5 just five years old and how she was told to run without explanation.  Smith made it a mission to get his star student into a university that was suited for her, so he composed his own memoir in the form of a video about Maria’s situation.

“We tell her that a 4.0 isn’t good enough,” Smith says is the video.  “We tell her, ‘You don’t have a number, so you don’t exist.”  

His words are harsh, but they reflect the reality here in America.  Roughly 65,000 undocumented youths who have lived in the United States gone through American schooling nearly their entire life do not get the opportunity to go to college (DREAMAct Portal).  The main issue is that a majority of these students would qualify for academic scholarships, but because they were brought here illegally as children, they cannot experience these benefits.

Seeing our country as one built on the basis of immigration, many people see this as a major civic issue.  The DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act is a legislative movement that may be the solution.  The legislation would give those brought into America illegally when they were 15 or under a clear bath to citizenship, which also includes completion of a college degree. (DREAMAct Portal).  The main purpose of the act is to give those who came to America for a better life the chance for that better life, because they are otherwise hindered from achieving their goals when they clearly have the potential.

The White House recognizes the DREAM as “good for our economy, good for our security, and good for our nation” with support from both the Republican and Democratic parties (whitehouse.gov).  However, the Act was first proposed way back in 2001 and still hasn’t been passed by both houses in Congress.  Though Americans agree that some kind of immigration reform should be done, it is unclear what exactly should be done.  According to a study by the Pew Research Center in 2013, roughly 75% of Americans believe that legalizing undocumented immigrants who have the potential to strengthen the economy of the country will in fact strengthen the economy of this country.

In 2011, California enacted the California DREAM Act, which gives these undocumented students access to scholarships for state schools.  Currently, 15 states have passed their own version of the DREAM Act (PA is not included in this).  On March 17, 2014, the Congress of New York, a state plentiful of students who would qualify, failed to pass the NY Dream Act by two votes in the Senate (The New York Daily News).

In Clint Smith’s memoir, he says, “How convenient that we forget our own history – a country of immigrants who were once told that we don’t belong, an assemblage of faces, simply waiting for our country to see us.”

Immigration reform is necessary, but our country doesn’t know the best possible solution.  It is only a matter of time, and maybe one day, the DREAM Act will become a reality for students like Maria.

Clint Smith memoir: http://www.nationswell.com/teacher-brilliantly-explains-cant-turn-backs-undocumented-students/

White House DREAM Act info: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/01/get-facts-dream-act

DREAMAct Portal: http://dreamact.info

The New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/dream-act-killed-new-york-state-senate-article-1.1724830

February 17th might have been the best day of Kevin Grow’s life.

Kevin of Bensalem High School served as the basketball manager for four years, and he also has Down Syndrome.  To honor his commitment to the team, the coach put him on the court for the second-to-last varsity game, where he scored 14 points and even a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.  His performance earned him the Junior Phenom Award, an award recognizing actions in helping others and demonstrating teamwork and spirit.

A YouTube video highlighting Kevin’s accomplishments went viral and it not only inspired people all over the nation, but it also happened to catch the attention of the NBA.

Image courtesy of CBS Philadelphia

On February 17, 2014, Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Sam Hinkie offered Kevin a ceremonial two-day contract.  After Kevin signed the contract, he was able to eat dinner in the players lounge and tour the practice facility.  He was even able to join the team during the end of the practice and shoot around with his new teammates.  The next day, Kevin suited up for the Sixers’ game against the Cavaliers in his own custom-made jersey.

Kevin’s career in the NBA didn’t stop after two days.  He also caught the attention of the Harlem Globetrotters, whom he signed for in early March.  He was added to the Globetrotters’ roster as “3-point specialist.”

Image Courtesy of NBC Philadelphia

Globetrotters’ stars Handles Franklin and TNT Maddox went to Bensalem High School and spoke in an assembly regarding important life lessons, including Kevin’s inspiring story.  They also prized Kevin with his own custom Globetrotter’s jersey, which was embroidered with “KG3” on the back, to recognize his membership on the team.

This makes Kevin only one out of two people ever to be signed to both the 76ers and the Globetrotters, the other being Wilt Chamberlain.  He’ll sit alongside Chamberlain not only for his performance in basketball, but also for his lasting influence and inspiring story.

YouTube video of Kevin Grow – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THORAQgNqco#t=66

The stories behind THON are amazing, heart-warming, tear-jerking, and overall, inspirational.   One story is unlike any other: Katie Austin was a student here at Penn State, a two-year Family Relations Captain and 2009 Family Relations Overall, and formerly a Four Diamonds child.

In the sixth grade, Katie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  She was admitted to Hershey Medical Center and braced herself for rounds and rounds of treatment.  In February of 2000, still affected by cancer, Katie and her family experience their first THON at Rec Hall. Overwhelmed by the inspiration, love, dedication of the Penn State students, Katie came out of her first THON bleeding blue and white.  She hoped to one day experience THON from the other side as a Penn State student.  It was a slow process, but Katie successfully made it through her treatment and was declared cancer-free.

And Katie’s dreams came true – she was accepted into Penn State (PSU being the only school she applied to) and started her freshman year in 2007.  She immediately became involved in THON, hoping to give back as much as it had given her.  She was welcomed as a Family Relations captain in 2007 and 2008, and in 2009, she was named the THON Family Relations Overall (today they would referred to as a Directors).  Katie found that FR was where her passion really lied, and was excited that she was able to find her THON niche so quickly.

Her senior year, Katie took on a different perspective and became involved with a special interest org, Ohana.  She was able to experience the fundraising side of THON and also became close with Ohana’s adopted THON families.  THON 2010 was also the year that Katie attained one of her proudest accomplishments – dancing.  Part of her treatment back in the sixth grade involved bilateral hip replacements, and dancing in THON would have been something she could only dream of.  Katie said that the children and families that struggle every day just as she and her family had, as well as the people who unknowingly supported her kept her standing for those 46 hours.

Katie graduated Penn State with a degree in Nursing, and she hopes to make a profession out of dedicating her time to helping others.  Back when she was a Four Diamonds child herself, THON inspired Katie to dream about her future.  As a Family Relations Director and dancer, Katie helped other children and pushed them forward in order to accomplish their own dreams.

Watch Katie’s story here “From THON child to THON leader” here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7V89t_R9I&feature=related

“We’ve become a country where race is no longer so black and white.”

In October of 2013, The National Geographic released an article titled, “The Changing Face of America.”  It featured a collection of pictures of somewhat odd looking Americans that resulted from biracial birth.  Thoughts surrounding the article questioned the changing levels of demographics of America, and what would be the dividing line among cultures in the future, if those lines were to even exist.

In the late 18th century, German scientist classified all human race by color: the “natural varieties” of red, yellow, brown, black, and white.  The basis of race has forever sat upon dividing lines and the idea of sorting people out into different categories.  In 1960, 99% of the country was either black or white.  Six years later, 17 US states still had laws against interracial marriage (National Geographic).  It wasn’t until 1967 in the Supreme Court Case Loving v. Virginia that invalidated all federal laws against interracial marriage.  Shockingly, Alabama was the last state to lift the ban in November of 2000… shocking right??? (Ballot Pedia).

Nevertheless, since the 1960s, interracial marriage has increased, thus blurring the dividing line between black, white, and all the other colors – thus making some sort of blend.  When it comes to the US census, more people are selecting multiple boxes to cover the various labels that define them.  In 2000, the first year that “check all that apply” appeared on the Census, roughly 6.8 million people checked multiple boxes.  Ten years later, that number has risen by nearly 32% (National Geographic).  The question, “Where are you from?” and “What are you?” comes up a little more often, and the replies are becoming a little more culturally and playfully creative.  Terms such as Blackanese, Filatino, Blaxican, and countless others have been used by people to describe their heritages.

But hear this – by 2060, the Census Bureau predicts that the United States will become a pluralist country, and non-Hispanic whites will no longer be the majority.  CNN reported in an article last May that the majority will be lost among children in just six years; the transformation is expected to begin at the bottom of the age distribution and movie its way up.  What is the main cause of this?  International Migration.  Immigration rates are higher than they have ever been in the past, and paired with rising rates of interracial marriage is causing a blend between racial lines.

With all that said, the article released a series a photos that depict what the average American will look like in 40-50 years:

At first sight, these people may seem normal.  You may think to yourself… what’s so special about these people?  But if you look closely at their features – their eye color, hair color, and alignment of nose and mouth – it shows that these combinations are unique from anything we’ve ever seen before.  Each one of these is an actual person, and The Huffington Post reported what they considered their races to be.  Many were a mix between Black/European country or Latino/Asian.

Right now, we’re not used to seeing these combinations of eye color, hair color, and other facial features but they will soon be the face that America will see everywhere, every day.  National Geographic cites this as an opportunity – a chance to erase lines of presumptions and reconsider the definition of race.  Perhaps the “Changing Face of America” will allow this country to uphold its status as a “melting pot” in the sense that features and faces are becoming more homogenous.  Perhaps, like any other country, America will have its own face to define itself.

National Geographic article – http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/changing-faces/funderburg-text

Ballot Pedia – http://ballotpedia.org/Alabama_Interracial_Marriage,_Amendment_2_(2000)

CNN article – http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/15/news/economy/minority-majority/index.html

US census report – http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb13-89.html

The Huffington Post – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/national-geographic-changing-face-of-america-photos_n_4024415.html