Ask for It

I went to the closing speaker for DSLC given by Dr. Malveaux. Dr Malveaux is the President of Bennet College which is an all women, mostly African American, institution. She spoke about a range of different topics but a couple that I really enjoyed were about women getting equal pay and poverty linked to diversity. The one that really stood out to be that made me think about class was the topic on equal pay for women. She discussed how women do not ask for a higher salary so therefore they do not receive a higher salary then men. In my business law class our Professor made us read this book and write a paper on this exact topic. The book was titled Ask For It. This is linked to earlier stories we have read in Lives and Times such as A Room Of One's Own and "The Yellow Wallpaper". In both of those stories women were fighting for their writes to be independent and equality. So like the main characters fought for women's rights we should to by asking for equal pay.

What it means to be "American"

The title "American" is very difficult. The question of what it means to be American was raised in class and here is my attempt to answer the question. Being American does not include race, religion, gender, but what I do think it includes is culture. I would say it is the majority of how people act that make the up the American culture. I think that things like Democracy, rights and laws, ect. is the culture of the United States. It's weird that we are called Americans when there is South America and North America: shouldn't we be called North Americans?
I think that Sanjeev and Twinkle can easily describe themselves as Americans because they have followed the American ideals of democracy, following the laws, and even going to college. I would consider higher education an American ideal. Christianity is too hard to throw in the mix because there is no one American faith, so I do not think it can be considered part of the word American, I think I would place it as a subset. But mostly I feel like being American is about the choices that you can make -- isn't America often referred to as the freedom lands?

Doves vs. Hawk: A tragic story

There once was a lone hawk that sored above everyone else... he didn't let anyone know how he truly felt because he believed that what you are and how people see you are two separate things. Then there were four doves. The doves were the prey in this epic story. The hawk was jealous of the doves because everyone loves them. They seem kind and harmless... people are just attracted to them. So when the evil hawk deceived the poor doves then all ended up dieing and the hawk was exposed and caged. The end.