Junior Theme: Blog #2

Things have really started to pick up this past week regarding junior theme.  It was exciting to start collecting sources, reading books and articles pertaining to our overall topic.  However, finding the “right” why question proved to be more difficult than I expected.  Early last week, I thought I had my question all set; I planned on focusing simply on “Why do school shootings occur?” (specifically, the psychological explanation behind them).  However, this question was too matter-of-fact, and would only provide a paper full of lists of possible explanations, with no real argument.  My search in finding a better why question was difficult, and I struggled to find a question that was neither too broad nor too specific.  After talking to Ms. Eich, Doc OC, and Mr. Bolos, I finally formed my question:  Why are school shootings on the rise?  I plan on focusing on why they are more prevalent today.  I mean bullying has been going on for years, so that can’t be the main reason why school shootings are on the rise.  However, the way we communicate has changed drastically over the years through all of the media connections.  Many years ago, teenagers could go to school, and if they wanted, go home and “get away” from the other students.  Nowadays, there are so many ways to communicate, that even when students leave school, they are still immersed socially with other students.  There’s Facebook, texting, cell phones, TV, and more.  With more media ways to communicate, it can end up being a negative factor to some teenagers: it means more ways to get bullied (i.e. cyber bullying).  However, this is only one hypothesis I have regarding the issue, and am continuing to research deeper into other possible reasons school shootings are more common now.

When I was talking to Mr. Bolos, he recommended the book The Copycat Effect.   The book is all about how media and pop culture trigger the mayhem in our society.  While I am just beginning to read this book  (after going to the Skokie library for the closest copy), it focuses on how if one person commits some action or crime, it may subconsciously allow others to think such action is okay for them to commit.

I still have a lot to work on, and am working on finding more articles before I can come up with any such thesis.  I have definitely made some progress, yet have a lot still to do…

Pure Madness

March is always an exciting time of year, and the NCAA tournament is definitely the highlight.  It connects so many people, even those who don’t particularly follow the collegiate teams during the regular season (which is basically me; I watch a few games here and there, but when it comes to March Madness, I follow it religiously).  It is a very anticipated tournament.  Beforehand, friends and family put together brackets and have fun picking who they think will win.  And it can be pretty competitive.  What’s so exciting is that there are almost always upsets (which can also be very frustrating when trying to fill out brackets).  However, the upsets make it all the more exciting.  I mean, who would have predicted that Morehead State (number 13 seed) would beat Louisville (number 4 seeed)?!  It shows that the “underdog” can win, it’s just a matter of which team wants it more.  Who works harder, who has the passion, the perseverance.  (I blogged earlier about the drive and determination a team needs to succeed with my personal experience of our team winning the field hockey state tournament here.)

Junior Theme: Blog #1

Day 1.  Today was the first official day of Junior Theme.  I have to say, after hearing so much about this project for so long and anticipating for it to come, I was actually kind of excited to get started with it.

I have to say so far I haven't found the process too frustrating or overwhelming.  Maybe I took too narrow of an approach, I don't know, but I was able to come up with a theme I really wanted to focus on pretty quickly.  It all happened when I was brainstorming for topic ideas last week, and looking at books around my house, when I came across Columbine by Dave Cullen.  I immediately thought of focusing on school shootings.  While such rampages are so horrific and devastating, I think it is interesting to study.  I think it would be cool to learn and understand some of the psychology behind it, and what explanations it may provide.  I plan on looking at specific incidents and incorporating some of the psychological explanations to why a teenager would commit such a horrific crime.  Why does such a thing happen?

Day 1 is over, and I have a lot of work to do.  Let the research begin...

Black and Yellow

We have been studying racism, and where it is seen in our society today.  In the sports world, racism is still prevalent.  One report mentions the following:

“African-American head coaches make a million dollars less than their white counterparts.  In college they make 400,000 less.  While there are some black head coaches, the percentage is significantly smaller… blacks are significantly under represented.”

Evidently, whites are more represented in the head coaching spots, specifically regarding the NFL.  Briefly in class someone mentioned the Rooney Rule, an NFL rule created by Dan Rooney in 2003, that states that “any team with a head coaching vacancy must interview at least one minority candidate in good faith or face commissioner sanctions.” Thus, this rule was intended to promote diversity among the head coaches in the National Football League.  Later, the rule was changed to cover general managers’ spots as well.

Dan Rooney-- Steelers owner and founder of the Rooney Rule

While some claim this is an example of affirmative action, it is not exactly the case.  One article says that, “ Diversity did not increase because teams were required to hire a person of color; after all, the Rooney Rule requires only a meaningful interview, nothing more. Diversity increased because team decision-makers who took the rule seriously opened their minds to candidates who had previously been overlooked, and with open minds, they saw talent that had theretofore gone unrecognized.”

Clearly it is not exactly affirmative action because the teams is not “required to hire”, just simply to “interview”.  A few years after the rule was implemented, diversity increased amongst the coaching staff.

There have definitely been steps toward eliminating the apparent racism in the coaching world.  In fact, take a look at the five most recent Super Bowls.  “Seven out of the ten teams in those games had either a head coach or general manager of color.”

Mike Tomlin-- Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, has lead his team to 2 Super Bowls, and one victory.

These people of color have just as much talent, and it’s great that because of the Rooney Rule, more minorities will get the chance to be interviewed for coaching jobs.

Twain and Reconstruction

After finishing Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as discussing the Reconstruction period in class, I noticed that Twain reflected in his book the social issues that came with this period after the Civil War.  Twain finished the book approximately 20 years after the war was over.  Slaves were “free” by this time.  Yes, they were indeed free (as of the thirteenth amendment).  However, I feel like Twain hinted the truth of that time that while by law slaves were free, they still certainly did not have equal rights.  Black Americans during the time may have been free in a technical sense, but they did not have the same freedoms; Black codes (defined in Foner as “laws passed by the new Southern governments that attempted to regulate the lives of former slaves”) were enforced, and they could not vote.  Twain showed how Tom took advantage of Jim and mistreated him  (knowing all along that Jim was actually free).  However, in the end, such mistreatment causes other characters to acknowledge Jim as a worthy human being.  Reflecting on the entire book, it is evident how Twain portrayed Jim how probably many “free blacks” at the time felt; free in a legal sense, but not necessarily by society’s standards.

Looking at the immense segregation that followed the 13th amendment, clearly blacks were not equal.  How do you believe Twain's constructed world, the way Jim is seen by society, parallels the issues that would evolve during the Reconstruction era and the time to follow?

Jim was free all along?!

Last week, we have finished Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  After finishing the book, a few thoughts came to mind, some that were particularly frustrating (please note, I am not trying to devalue the book—it was definitely a good read).  But I’m not here to write a summary of the book (those who haven’t read it can do so or can look online for a summary).  However, the frustration I felt was the realization that most of the actions done by Jim and Huck were done, in hindsight, for no actual purpose.  It was a troubling aspect that a lot of what they did was for potentially no reason.  Throughout Huck and Jim’s journey, Jim had to be careful of who say him, and what he was “allowed to do” because of his black identity, set by society’s standards.  In the end, we find out that Jim has technically been a free man all throughout the adventure when Tom reveals that he has known all along that Miss Watson has been dead for two months, and that she freed Jim in her will.  That whole entire time when Jim was constantly cautious about being caught as a “runaway slave”, he was actually free!  To me, that was frustrating because I seemed to sympathize for Jim.  I felt sorry for all the masking, hiding and what not, he had to do because of his identity; especially since morally Jim seemed to be the only decent human being in the end...  

Success?

Recently in the news, Chinese mother, Amy Chua, published the book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, as well as an essay titled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”.  In her piece, she mentions how she chose to raise her two daughters, and how it was “successful”.  Yeah academically I wouldn’t doubt it.  Both daughters, Sophia and Louisa (Lulu), (currently 18 and 13) never got a grade below an A (they “weren’t allowed to”, according to Chua).

In her book, she talks about her parenting style, why it “worked”, and why she thinks it is better than the “permissive Western parenting style”.  To say Chua is a strict parent is an understatement.  Talk about a parent who doesn’t allow their kids to have playdates, watch TV or play computer games, choose their own extracurricular activity, etc (click on the article above for more specifics).  Her daughters were raised to focus strongly on schoolwork and were required to play piano and violin (they were not allowed to play any other instrument) hours each day.

Throughout her piece, at least from what I could tell, she seems assume all Chinese parents are like her.  Maybe not to such extreme, but nonetheless that this is the “Chinese” way.

I cannot believe any mother would raise their children like this.  To infringe on their freedoms and basically take away the normal childhood seems wrong.  Reading this one particular story made me particularly mad.  It went like this:  Amy Chua was celebrating her birthday with her husband and two daughters, 7 and 4 at the time, when they gave her a handmade birthday card.

"More accurately, it was a piece of paper folded crookedly in half, with a big happy face on the front. Inside, 'Happy Birthday, Mummy! Love, Lulu' was scrawled in crayon above another happy face. I gave the card back to Lulu. 'I don't want this,' I said. 'I want a better one – one that you've put some thought and effort into. I have a special box, where I keep all my cards from you and Sophia, and this one can't go in there.' I grabbed the card again and flipped it over. I pulled out a pen and scrawled 'Happy Birthday Lulu Whoopee!' I added a big sour face. … 'I reject this.'" [an excerpt from her book]

I am in shock that any parent would do this to her children.  Her whole parenting style seems too much, in my opinion.  It seems like she is raising robots.  Yeah maybe her style would be okay if all we wanted were flawless brains.  But the interesting thing about humans is their characteristics, their individual interests, beliefs.  And not allowing children to try new things (school plays, sports, etc.) seems to be depriving them.  Clearly “success” is defined in many different ways, but do you think this the “successful” way to raise a child?