tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75540810345709901272024-03-13T20:12:07.681-07:00A piece of my mindRenee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-13355874210398933972011-12-01T21:53:00.001-08:002011-12-01T21:53:30.369-08:00What if there was no more school?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Before writing this I had to ask myself, “what does college really mean to me?” After some thought on my experience in college thus far, going to college means to go to a place where you get your degree so you can be so much more successful in life. When I first began my college career, college, to me, was just getting out of bed getting dressed, and going to college. I had to realize the importance of a college education and how seriously you have to take your education.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I never realized how quickly college was approaching and “starting my life” seemed far away. I would contemplate what I really wanted to do with my life and about going away to school, carrying around heavy text books, making something of myself, but didn’t realize how much planning and funding I needed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Well here I am, anticipating my graduation with my Bachelors degree in the near future, and instead of worrying about what I am going to do once I graduate, I have my foot in the door at a news station and I am actually working in my field of study! That is almost unheard of these days. .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The idea of not going to school next semester has actually gone through my mind several times. Although I know the importance of obtaining a college degree, it is hard to stay motivated so close to the end. If I didn’t attend college this next semester I would be working full time. I also work part time at Arden Mall and work nights at News 10; there would be plenty for me to fill my time with, if I choose not to go back to school. Consequently, I am aware that not finishing my degree would be a waste of all the money, time and hard work I have put in these past 2 years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It is encouraging to think back to the times when everything used to be so easy. Elementary school, middle school and high school was a breeze, I never had to study, or struggle to do homework. I didn’t have to worry about what I would get on a test, it was as if getting an ‘A’ was always guaranteed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until I started turning in assignments for college level courses, and that’s when I realized everything was changing. I was so used to succeeding academically that I had no idea what to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
During my first term, I used the strategy I had been using my whole life to get good grades: take notes in class and study those notes for five minutes, maybe ten each day. I learned the hard way that that method wasn’t going to cut it at that school. I felt out of my comfort zone and confused. I didn’t understand how I had gotten to this point where an ‘A’ was impossible and receiving a ‘C’ was a miracle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Maintaining this routine is a main reason why I know that skipping my last semester of college would be a huge mistake. As hard as it is to stay motivated, I know that if I do not go back next semester I never will. School is enjoyable for some and torture for others. I am one of those people who do not enjoy school, but succeed at it although it may not be happily.</span></div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-42012140708229914992011-11-25T16:36:00.000-08:002011-11-25T16:36:33.934-08:00More than a Vacation...<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From what I can remember, Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city filled with culture and history. It is a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the Jordan Valley. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">In the center of the city, ultra-modern buildings, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.visitjordan.com/attractions/amman/hotels.asp" target="_self"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">hotels</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">, smart </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=111" target="_self"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">restaurants</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=243" target="_self"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">art galleries</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"> and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans' workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city’s much </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=118" target="_self"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">older past</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">.<br />
<br />
Due to the city’s modern-day appeal and difficult climate, almost half of Jordan’s population is concentrated in the Amman area, the main city. The suburbs and housing consist of mainly tree-lined streets and concrete and dirt roadways. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">T</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">he downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewelry to everyday household items, and gifts to intrigue the tourists. The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well-educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their city. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amman, Jordan is where most of my family is from and have lived at sometime. My grandparents on my mother’s side still reside there.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last time I visited was when I was 15, I hope to travel there and maybe study in Jordan in the near future. Because I seldom visited there it became difficult to assimilate to the lifestyle there, compared to the simple luxuries I enjoy every day here in the United States. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned a lot visiting there each summer; I especially learned how it felt to be independent and responsible by flying overseas alone. I enjoyed feeling the confidence I gained from doing well outside the comforts of my life in America. <br />
<br />
Over time, I realized the importance of understanding my heritage and experiencing the lifestyle people in Jordan experience every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in the Middle East over the summer and noticing how life is and the discipline people have learned and assimilating to the culture and lifestyle, I took that opportunity to grow and learn in any way that I could. I became more aware of life, more familiar with both Jordanian and American cultures, as well as with those of who surrounded me. </span></span><br />
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Those who have never traveled to the middle east will be surprised to see that </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amman is a very diverse city. Palestinian, Iraqi, Circassian, Armenian, and many other ethnic groups reside in Amman. The city went from 20,000 inhabitants to more than 2 million people in less than a century partly because of massive influxes of refugees from Palestine and Iraq. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 4.8pt 0in 0.1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Despite the common misconception that most Jordanians do not understand English, that is certainly untrue. Tthe most commonly known language is English, and French is the next known language, Arabic being the main spoken language of course. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never hurts to know a few useful phrases and come prepared with a translation book, or to have the names and addresses of places you are going written in Arabic for use with a taxi driver. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can not wait to visit again and enjoy the beautiful heritage that I will never stop appreciating. </span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div></div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-19949957517114270842011-11-10T11:36:00.000-08:002011-11-10T11:36:11.853-08:00Restaurant Review-Chicago Fire in Folsom<div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">Chicago Fire is Sacramento and Folsom California's most popular place to taste authentic Chicago Pizza. It opened its first location in Folsom in February of 2003. The main theme of Chicago Fire is to serve unique and authentic Chicago-style pizza. The most popular orders of their Chicago Pizza favorite is a flaky deep dish, gourmet stuffed, or the popular choice of Chicagoan’s, crispy wafer thin crust, which is served in sliced squares. They have a simple menu and sometimes a long wait, but it has always been worth the wait every time I have gone there. They offer a full table service, a full bar, a great selection of wines to choose from, and a more upscale environment to enjoy pizza at a reasonable price. </span></div><div style="background: white;"><br />
</div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">When I first went to Chicago Fire, I intended to try their thin crust pizza by recommendation of my friends. It is rated the best thin crust pizza in the area. Not only was it the best in the entire Sacramento area, but it was just as good as thin crust pizza I had in Chicago two summers ago. In Chicago, we've found the pizzerias tend to use a corn flour dough, which gives the pie a grainy consistency. The owner told us that Chicago Fire uses wheat flour which produces a smooth texture. </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">My friends ordered random appetizers that were equally as delicious such as, artichoke, chicken wings, spinach salad, and their signature Margherita pizza, which of course had to be enjoyed with a pitcher of margaritas. The salad was awesome and the artichoke was a perfect starter for the group. The margaritas were a bit on the sweet side but the fact that we could get them in pitcher form made up for it. </span></div><div style="background: white;"><br />
</div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">Their menu claims that, "The crust is wafer thin and has no rolled edge. The toppings are placed under the cheese and the pizza is cooked on the stone deck of a very hot pizza oven, resulting in a crust that is thin, light and crispy. The browning of the cheese and areas of chocolate brown/black crust is a sign of the authenticity of this pizza" .We had the "Traditional" and the crust was a delicious flavored crunchy with fresh chopped tomato, basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. We also had the spinach salad which had fresh spinach, crumbled bacon, crumbled egg, red onion, homemade spinach dressing & homemade croutons. Everything was delicious even the mojitos we ordered, from their 15-year experienced bar tender. <br />
<br />
When we first arrived, we did have to wait for our table, so they gave us a hand held "beeper' that lit up with red dots when our table was ready and it took about a half hour. There are many places within walking distance to pass the time so we decided to go directly across the street and do some wine tasting there. We had some fabulous wine and the owner had just bought the store, surrounding art galleries are also a must see.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><br />
</div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expected that there would be a wait for the restaurant. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated in a very large booth surrounded by glass in an open and light part of the restaurant. The great food and drinks made up for the lacking service, we repeatedly had to find our server and ask for water, and to be refilled or for a second order of drinks. Most people seem to overlook the sometimes poor service experience, because the food is worth it. I would say that this is definitely a place worth visiting!</span></div><div style="background: white;"><br />
</div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-38461674281247332102011-10-28T10:33:00.000-07:002011-10-28T10:33:51.287-07:00Journalists in Jordan Gather to Show Solidarity with Al Ghad reporter<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">A recent story regarding a Middle Eastern Journalist caught my attention and prompted me to further read into the incident. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds of Journalists came together at the Jordan Press Association to show their solidarity with Al Ghad journalist Yousef Damra. Damra was threatened after publishing an article exposing a major fraud case. The demonstration was joined by Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications who worked in efforts to recent government acts of intimidation against journalists.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">Damra started his investigative story in April when he started writing about victims of fraud. As a Journalists many confided their stories in him, and knew that he was capable of reaching contacts that local victims could not. His articles and columns exposed $3 million (Jordanian dollars) in real estate fraud.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">After receiving many phone calls threatening that if he did not stop coverage of these cases, his life would be in danger. Damra reached out to the Jordan Times, revealing to Times editors that he is reaching out to the police. In an email I received from a Jordan Times editor,” Damra told The Jordan Times yesterday, adding that he informed Al Ghad’s management who in turn complained to the police.” I have been consistently intrigued by this story, and the capability of this writer. I was also very excited to receive an email response from the editor, considering he is in the Middle East. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">This is also intriguing to me as a writer because it shows me the limitations I have as a writer, yet, I am able to see how far I can go to get answers, and how far journalists will go to maintain credibility.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Damra's main goal in this investigative story was to uncover corruption and follow through with a service toward his readers that turned to him as a Journalist. He also talked about his duties as a part of the media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He expressed that it is part of a journalists’ social and professional responsibility to report on any violation of the law. He also sets an example for other investigative journalists that they have rights as long as they do not cross the line or over their boundaries.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">In addition to journalists, several citizens who claimed to be victims of fraud took part in the demonstration and urged authorities to take action to protect the journalists that arrived in support of Damra. According to the Damra’s previous article, “JPA President Tareq Momani yesterday said that press intimidation is damaging to society, describing the threat against Damra as “thuggery.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">I believe that as journalists, we should be aware of the challenges we face while doing our job, yet at the same time, never be deterred from our responsibilities in exposing any violation of the law, or other parts of society. Every Journalist should know their rights, and also their boundaries when covering any story, and be aware of their surroundings. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-62908762572782470662011-10-20T20:06:00.001-07:002011-10-20T20:06:43.890-07:00Death of Gaddafi and its affect on the Middle East<div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For more than 40 years, Moammar Gaddafi was the unusual, unpredictable and brutal face of Libya, the oil-rich country, that became his international gem. He was killed Thursday in Sirte, his home town, eight months after he vowed to die rather than be defeated in the uprising. He became the first Arab ruler to be executed by his people during the revolt that is known, as the Arab Spring, thousands of citizen demonstrators against the dictator inevitably resulted in his long awaited death. His downfall followed the downfall of the leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, who were taken down by their own people, before protesters took to the streets of eastern Libya in February. According to the Jordan Times, an international newspaper that I subscribe to, Gaddafi was believed to be 69 when he died, at his death, had been one of the world’s longest serving dictators. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His death will ultimately affect the rest of the Arab world, and Middle Eastern ties with America as well. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">American relations with the Arab world have been strained for decades; Israel’s relations with the Arab world just as strained. The opposers enemies of Israel portions of the Middle East is predominately the West. This shows that Western views dominate most of the media, and the one sided approach that is shown. Most of their victims, indeed, are themselves Syrians and Iranians, followed by Lebanese and Palestinians. Furthermore, Palestinians are fighting for peace themselves. The main media portrayal of Egypt is a chaotic and overly religious county, that was smothered by the now deceased dictator. Egypt, and now more specifically Libya is labeled as predominately Islamic and is constantly being compared with other Arab countries, such as Jordan and Palestine. Although Egypt is more liberal compared with Saudi Arabia, Egypt is still the most conservative Muslim country in the media, and will continue to be shown that way despite the death of the dictator, who enforced not only the religion, but his own set of laws as well. <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">The demonstrations and the efforts by Libyan freedom fighters, led to the downfall of Gadaffi, and will have its effect for Palestinians as well. The support of Egyptian political groups has been based on the image that the protesters were strong, as well as their ability to reach surrounding cities and counties with their efforts. Yemen, Palestine and Syria have been fighting for the same cause, and are sending the same message to Palestinians. That message is essentially that Israel’s forces are just as susceptible to failure and removal by the people just as Gadaffi was removed. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">The <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">peace process in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict" title="Israeli–Palestinian conflict"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Israeli–Palestinian conflict</span></a></span> has taken shape over the years, despite the ongoing violence in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East" title="Middle East"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Middle East</span></a> and protesters attitudes about a lasting peace is what is driving the peace process for those countries as well. There has been various efforts made to find peace and political agreements that need to be made in both the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab%E2%80%93Israeli_conflict" title="Arab–Israeli conflict"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Arab–Israeli conflict</span></a> and in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian%E2%80%93Israeli_conflict" title="Palestinian–Israeli conflict"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Palestinian–Israeli conflict</span></a>. Libya’s new found freedom is just a stepping stone for these countries to keep fighting and achieving the same goals.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-11314070722649843902011-10-14T10:21:00.000-07:002011-10-14T10:21:27.938-07:00Occupy Wall Street, and its Similarities to the Arab Spring<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">In this blog I wanted to connect the issues regarding Occupy Wall Street with the middle </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">eastern issues of inequality I have been discussing the in past. To begin with, Occupy </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">Wall Street</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Occupy%22_protests" title=""Occupy" protests"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">ongoing series</span></a> of demonstrations in New York City based mainly in </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuccotti_Park" title="Zuccotti Park"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Zuccotti Park</span></a>, in the core of the city. The protest was originally<sup> </sup>called for by the </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Canadian activist <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>group <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters" title="Adbusters"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Adbusters</span></a>, as reported in the Wall Street Journal; this is similar </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring" title="Arab Spring"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Arab Spring</span></a> movement we discussed in class and that I will be elaborating on in a </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">future column, more specifically the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahrir_Square" title="Tahrir Square"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Tahrir Square</span></a> protests in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo" title="Cairo"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Cairo</span></a>, which initiated the </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">2011 Egyptian Rebellions . </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">People who take part in the event are mainly protesting against social and economic </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">inequality, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_greed" title="Corporate greed"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">corporate greed</span></a>, and the influence of corporate money and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying" title="Lobbying"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">lobbyists</span></a> on </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">government, among other concerns. They usually go on through October, and similar </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">demonstrations have been held <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_%22Occupy%22_protest_locations" title="List of "Occupy" protest locations"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">in over 70 cities</span></a> in the United States and have also </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">spread globally, collectively to the Middle East.</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">This leaves </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">liberals and democrats to contemplate their next move and reactions toward </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the Occupy Wall Street movement. The main conflict among liberals is the fact that </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">democrats and liberal organizations have begun to support the protests. Occupy Wall </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Street is an major symbolic movement, and many of its current members are very </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">driven, but the harsh fact remains that it may go nowhere. But liberals and mainstream </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">organizations can help shape the movement into a positive result. A conflict remains </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">that many protesters are involving themselves, but to not necessarily know what they </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">are fighting for in the first place, nevertheless, I believe that this movement will go down </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">in history. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As reflected in the Wall Street Journal, Republicans are in a high point now in the sense </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">that these radical movements benefit Republicans more than Democrats. In the United </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">States, conservatives are not as dedicated and active as other parties. Mainstream </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Liberals are feeding into what is being shown in the media and what technology has </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">brought to the movement, although most of what is being protested contradicts the use </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">of mainstream media and its hold on consumers, no matter what party you are affiliated </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">with.</span><br />
<div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">It appears that the Democratic Party is suffering the most with the economy. Voters see </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">them as enemies on the same level as those in Wall Street, and Wall Street sees them </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">as hostile and potential threats to their motives. Republicans have successfully directed </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">their economic intentions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>away from those who challenge it, this gives more power to </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">politicians and where Wall Street will end up in the eyes of both parties. </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">If the protests are to play a positive role, it will either refocus the public attention on Wall </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Street, and re center political views in general. The Occupy Wall Street movement will </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">essentially<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>organize itself around <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>progressive ideas, although they may lack political </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">support. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If people stick to their cause, and protesters fight for what they truly believe in </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">and dismiss popular ideas, there will truly be change. </span></div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-11316850294677801852011-09-23T11:09:00.000-07:002011-09-23T11:09:13.477-07:00Ray Hanania-Columnist or Comedian?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mk9JpkndrWg/TnzLMcQ-DXI/AAAAAAAAAAw/2lUS8LlHn_A/s1600/Ray+Hanania+Column.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mk9JpkndrWg/TnzLMcQ-DXI/AAAAAAAAAAw/2lUS8LlHn_A/s1600/Ray+Hanania+Column.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center" class="style3" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">Ray Hanania</span></strong><span class="style51"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">, a former Creators columnist and is now a self-published <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Palestinian-American writer married to a Jewish woman. He writes about Mideast issues in an evenhanded way that makes him seem like a radical with some of his topics compared to other columnists who back Israel almost unconditionally. Hanania's approach to writing has caused him to become un-popular with much of the mainstream media. By the way, Hanania is also a stand-up comedian who has developed just as large of an audience to his hilarious comedy as to his humorous writing.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="style3" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Hanania's parents are Christian immigrants from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_of_Palestine" title="British Mandate of Palestine"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Palestine</span></a>. His mother is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem" title="Bethlehem"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Bethlehem</span></a>; his father, George John Hanania, from a prominent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian" title="Christian"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Christian</span></a> family in Jerusalem, served with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army" title="United States Army"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">U.S. Army</span></a> during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">World War II</span></a> and with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Strategic_Services" title="Office of Strategic Services"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Office of Strategic Services</span></a> and later the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency" title="Central Intelligence Agency"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">CIA</span></a>. He himself served with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force" title="United States Air Force"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">U.S. Air Force</span></a> during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War" title="Vietnam War"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Vietnam War</span></a> and in the Illinois <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_National_Guard" title="Air National Guard"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Air National Guard</span></a>. Hanania's wife, Alison, is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish" title="Jewish"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Jewish</span></a>; and they currently reside in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orland_Park,_Illinois" title="Orland Park, Illinois"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Orland Park, Illinois</span></a></span><span class="style51"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></span></div><div align="center" class="style3" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="style31"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Hanania is a University of Chicago graduate and a longtime, veteran Chicago political reporter, Hanania now writes an award winning column analyzing political and social issues that is now a part of several Chicago area newspapers. He also writes a weekly column for the <a href="http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/SearchResults.aspx?q=hanania" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">Jerusalem Post Newspaper </span></strong></a>on Middle East issues.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div><div align="center" class="style5" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As a parttime, freelance media and political analyst, Hanania also provides media support for web pages and internal communications projects as well as providing media consulting to governments and businesses.</span></div><div align="center" class="style5" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Hanania is also a recognized Arab American historian and author of several books including <a href="http://www.hanania.com/profiles/profiles.htm"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">"Arabs of Chicagoland" which</span></strong></a> was published in 2005. To add to his list of commitments, he is an activist for peace between Palestinians and Israelis speaking out against terrorism, violence, extremism, and religious fanaticism. He strongly supports and advocates for peace based on non-violence and compromise between Israel and Palestine.</span></div><div align="center" class="style5" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Hanania has become internationally known as a standup comedian using humor performing for Christian, Muslim and Jewish audiences around the world to confront hatred and animosity. His Arab American-Jewish comedy routine lampoons his life and unique marriage to his wife, Alison, who is Jewish, at clubs, universities and Arab, Muslim, Jewish and American events around the country.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Some of his college credentials and awards include: </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Sigma Delta Chi National Award for Column Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists for his columns on the alleged discrimination against an Arab grocer in a suburb of Chicago. MT. Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award 2009 by the Mehdi Family. Winner of the First National Ethnic Media Award for Commentary/Editorial Writing (which was translated into English) in 2006 by the New America Media Association for his three-part series: <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"Shedding Moonlight on Conflict,"</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"A new Language of Peace"</span> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"Things Palestinians and Israelis share."</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Professional_Journalists" title="Society of Professional Journalists"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Society of Professional Journalists</span></a> Lisagor Award for column writing in 1985, 2003, 2007, 2009. Also, he won an award for a Chicago Newspaper Guild Column among many others.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I enjoy his comedy and stand up humor considering that I can directly relate to the Arab-American issues he must deal with, as well as the Arab-Jewish relations that I have written about and followed throughout my college years. His humor somehow creates more of an understanding of these very serious issues while raising awareness to anti-war efforts and racial tolerance in America. I appreciate his writing and the efforts behind them and will continue to read and follow his work.</span></div><div align="center" class="style5" style="margin: auto 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-73311130583043516152011-09-16T01:21:00.001-07:002011-09-16T01:21:33.729-07:00Arab Americans in the Media<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Arabs Americans, and Muslim Arab Americans by association and by direct action have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">been increasingly racialized and targeted and discriminated against. These prejudices </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">have been fueled by the "war on terrorism" media influence. Mainstream media </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">continues the repetition of the urgent threat of Islam and of the Arabs and Muslims who </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">represent it. There are many ways for the media to deliver such a message to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">public through respected print, radio and various other news mediums. These </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">organizations increasingly reflect and reproduce the same global images and incidences </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">of Arab and Muslim Americans and Islam globally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Although these media outlets cannot decide for the public and their readers and</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Consumers consider race, they are representational of something larger that can </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">change mainstream beliefs, or main belief about Arab Americans. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It becomes an easy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">outlet to discriminate when an American tragedy such as Pearl Harbor, 9-11 and many </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">others, are tied to a specific nationality or race of people. Arab Americans and Muslim </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Americans are represented as highly religious, and strictly more religious than most </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Americans. Arab Americans and Muslim Americans are represented as religious devout </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Muslims. This assumption leads most Americans to believe that the attacks of 9-11 to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">be religiously motivated. Although this may be true for the few men who committed the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">act of terrorism, it does not represent the majority of Muslims or Arabs in America.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Arab Americans and Muslim Americans are represented as linked to international </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Muslims and Muslim movements, which are themselves are categorized as people of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">color, dark and dangerous; this also associates all people of Arab descent as Muslims </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">which is untrue. Many Arab Americans, like myself, are Christian. Although Arab culture </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">is widespread the religion has nothing to do with the actions that were committed. The </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">idea that Muslims and Arabs are against the United States became an ongoing theme in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">most media coverage, this made Arab Americans and Muslim Americans target citizens </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">for discrimination and an ongoing struggle for acceptance and equality and their civil </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">rights.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">By Renee Sweis</span></div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-19671160086710939632011-09-09T03:08:00.000-07:002011-09-09T03:08:06.346-07:00Whats it all for?<div style="text-align: left;"></div><span lang="EN"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>College can prepare us for our leisure time just as much, than it can prepare us </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>for our working lives. College educated people are able to appreciate and enjoy </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>literature, art, music, essays, movies, and other products of the culture. College </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>graduates have a sort of appreciation and enjoyment that is deeper because of </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>their education: those with a liberal arts education see things in movies and </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>music and literature that those without the education don’t. And, as a </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>consequence, their experience is richer. </strong></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>College students often worry about what they will do after graduating as an </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>English major, or a Sociology majors. Most people believe and would argue that </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>the only thing valuable about a college education is what sort of job, and income </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>you can get with that college education. So, since you’re spending all that time </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>and money and effort on college, you should get yourself the sort of education </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>that is useful for getting a good job. Choosing a major in the commonly chosen </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>field of ‘business’ or ‘marketing’ is a broad subject matter and has a vast </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>opportunity for success in the work force. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>I would further engage you by asking that you broaden your image of what a </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>college student wants, and should want; and what a college student actually gets </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>out of an education vs. what they should get out of an education. Most students </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>who land an office or medical assisting job feel as though they have hit the </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>highlight of their career. Furthermore I would continue by saying it doesn’t </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>matter what college you choose, but what you do in college, and after college </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>that matters. It is important to choose something that you enjoy doing rather </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>than what will bring in the most income after college, because now is the time to </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>pave the way for your future in a non regrettable way.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Back to my college student-office-worker analogy, this topic regarding the </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>benefits of a college education and its enjoyments along the way can be </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>extended without end, as it can definitely be debated, but what no one can </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>debate is the importance of taking action to pave your way to the future you </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>hope to have for yourself in the end. You can’t hope that the piece of paper that </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>says “Diploma” will be your meal ticket into the dream life, it just means that you </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>have a better chance while competing for better career opportunities. If your </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>focus is more on status and status alone, you might end up being Andy Bernard. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>times. From his small desk on the office floor of the Dunder Mifflin paper </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Be more than a bachelors degree, or a </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>diploma, be what you’ve always dreamed of…..</strong></span></div></div></span><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>He went to Cornell University. (Ever heard of it?) He will tell you this. Many </strong></span></span>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554081034570990127.post-72984277451760462922011-09-02T01:08:00.000-07:002011-09-02T01:08:36.896-07:00From Summertime to Crunch Time<h2 class="date-header"><span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;">Thursday, September 1, 2011</span></span></h2><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry"><h3 class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bumper to bumper traffic, angry students jogging from class to class, endless lines at Starbucks and Java City... Yes, it must be the first day of the semester.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Waking up at the crack of dawn to go to work is bad e</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">nough on its own, but now the added joy of 5 back to back classes in one day, i</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">s not a</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">s tolerable. To add to the list of joys, a 30-hour-a week Summer internship at ABC News Ten, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">takes up any other "f</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">ree" ti</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">me I may have.</span></span></span></div></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>Despite the endless work and stress, it was very motivating to get back into a strict and </strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>steady routine. Although the next four months of my life are planned down to the minute, it will all be worth it in the end come graduation time; o</strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>r getting hired through the internship I have invested so much of my time.</strong></span></span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>It was either out of </strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>sheer luck, or the grace of God that I did not struggle with tickets or finding parking these first few days. Although the parking </strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>problem continues to plague the campus, from students to the faculty members. </strong></span></span></h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-7659027985170525549"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>My first class went smoothly,and of course was let out early as expected on the first day. Of course, the only thing on my mind was finding a cup of coffee during the 11 minutes I had before my next class started.</strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"></span></strong></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">"W</span></strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">hy would you enroll in 5 classes in two days, back to back?"... Yo</span></strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">u might ask, well thanks to the decisions of our state congr</span></strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">ess men, and members of our school board, there are not a variety of classes to choose from, so you take what you can get. </span></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"></span></strong></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>Another "joy" of first day, is that you have to re-train your mind into focusing on what your professor is saying, and remembering to write EVERYTHING down to avoid missing an assignment. After being detatched from the classroom scene for several weeks, sitting for a long period of time is easily described as torture. </strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>Although my earliest class begins at 10 a.m. it can become easy to procrastinate and under-e</strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>stimate timing with completing assignments. Leaving at the exact right time, and leaving time for parking becomes second nature. A 10 a.m. class is not that early, but overestimating the "extra" morning time can be very dangerous in meeting deadlines.</strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"></span></strong></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">It seems as though I can never </span></strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>time things co</strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>rrectly, either im extremely early or three minutes late. Even though professors will wait and give you the benefit of the doubt, you still have to fight thru 345 people to get to a seat in a class that you are enrolled in; only to find out that later on 300 of those students are hoping to add or on a waitlist. </strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"></span></strong></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>After spending 35 minutes taking roll and then another 45 minutes explaining the same syllabus that was explained in the previous class, its on to the next journey of finding Del Norte hall, which I just discovered this semester, </strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>actually exists.</strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>Although having back to back classes is extremley stressful, it is convienient not to have to find a way to fill up a one or two hour gap in between classes, which I </strong></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>had to do last semester. I no longer have to akwardly sleep in my car, or in the library until my next class started.</strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"></span></strong></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">With all of that said, I feel that over these passed few semesters, there have been many lessons learned, and many more to come. I can't wait until graduation time when I look back on these days, or re read this blog and be ecstatic that its all over, and I can now embark on a new journey and start my future.</span></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>So I am filling my head with good thoughts, and wishing my peers good luck. I am hoping to stay focused, and ending this last semester with pride and excellent grades.</strong></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"></span></strong></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Here comes a new semester!! </span></strong></span></div></div></div></div></div>Renee Sweishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052951299969535935noreply@blogger.com0