Jake Halpern Reflection
I thought Jake’s talk was very interesting, and I really enjoyed hearing about his experiences. I actually read the article about the Ferguson shooting, so it was interesting to hear him talk about it in person. What really struck me with this piece was the bias that I had going in. From previous knowledge and just natural opinion, I didn’t begin reading that article with an open mind and even began to get frustrated when Jake showed humanity in officer Wilson. I saw it as a means of somewhat justifying what happened. However, after hearing his talk, I realized how unproductive it is to have preconceived notions about other people and situations. This is especially true in situations like that one where one automatically wants to assume that one person is the bad guy. So, hearing Jake speak about his own adventures with misjudging situations or going in thinking one specific thing and having it be something completely different definitely opened up my mind. Even though it can sometimes be tough to read, it is critically important to present all the facts of a person and situation even it may go against what one already believes. And while I didn’t change my opinion on the situation as a whole, this event definitely lead me to think more deeply about my personal biases, especially going into my capstone presentation.
Shino Yoshen Reflection
I enjoyed Shino’s talk and feel like I gained a lot more knowledge, as I previously didn’t have much insight into Muslim culture. One of the things I thought was interesting was when we discussed the question about whether or not all Muslims are sexist. Many people, like myself, who don’t know much about Muslim culture usually first associate the terms women and sexism with things like hijabs and burkas. People from western cultures assume that the men in that society have sexist views because it is traditional for women to be covered up. However, many people fail to see that the women covering themselves is really meant as a sign of respect towards them. Instead of objectifying them based on appearance, this tradition forces people to form relationships based on personality. Many of these women also believe that they should cover the majority of their body. They are not forced to by a “misogynistic culture”, but rather wear it because they feel more comfortable and more connected to their religion.
On the flip side, however, the article mentioned that some Muslim women feel it is personally unnecessary to wear a hijab or burka and are ridiculed for that. Personally, I believe everyone should have a choice in what they wear and how they practice their religion without having to fear backlash. For example, I am Catholic but don’t go to church often. Because of this, some people have questioned my faith and belief in God simply because I don’t partake in traditional Catholic activities. However, I still pray and connect with God on my own time, and consider myself a “good Catholic”. Just because religion doesn’t present itself in the same manner as it does in other people’s lives doesn’t mean that one person is better than the other. It just means they’re different. So, whether or not women choose to wear a hijab or whether or not people choose to pray three times a day instead of five, doesn’t define their relationship to God and the significance of religion in their life.
Oneika Raymond Reflection
While Oneika was on campus, she shared a great deal of insight about traveling, more specifically as a black woman. One of the main things that I took away from her presentation was that one shouldn’t allow money to hinder their ability to travel the world. While money can make traveling harder, there are a multitude of resources at our disposable. I think it is especially important to take advantage of these resources and opportunities in high school and college when they are available. Luckily, at Watkinson the students are provided with many opportunities to travel and learn about new cultures and people while also serving their community. However, many other high schools don’t offer these same opportunities. Therefore, it is important to take them as they come and make the best out of them. She also touched upon her experiences traveling as a black woman. She shared that while at first she thought that traveling was something that her skin color disallowed her to do, she eventually realized that she shouldn’t let something like that stop her from exploring the world. As a fellow black woman, I find that very inspiring. Many people of color think that they are not able to explore the same opportunities as people of other races which forces them to miss out on great possibilities. So, I think that Oneika was promoting a great message of equality, not only in terms of travel, but also in general. Overall, she inspired me to take new chances, try new things and never limit myself .