Week 10

Tuesday: In class on Tuesday we listened to Ed tell us about his life and what he has had to go through. I appreciate what Ed came in and had to say to us. I couldn't imagine being put in his shoes and trying to talk to a group of college students about something so personal. I think that the story Ed tells us about his life is very life changing and moving to everyone listening, not only for people that are transgender, but for everyone. Everyone needs to learn that when the going gets tough you need to fight through it and not just give up on everything. I think that the way Ed tells us about his life experiences really helps us as young naïve students to understand how it REALLY is for someone that is transgender to life. This is how intercultural communication can improve throughout the world. We as a population don't exactly know what it's like to go through such a change or something such as being transgender, which oftentimes will make people feel uncomfortable about the situation or they will act negative toward the situation because it's different from what they learned or what they've been taught throughout their lives. When Ed speaks to our class he seems very comfortable and open about the situation, which in turn makes us as listeners comfortable with him talking to us about it. Today Ed helped me learn a lot about people that are transgender, and I'm glad he is able to spread along his word about all he's been through. Which in turn helps us realize and respect all that he's been through throughout his life.

Week 9

Me and Braydon just listened to what Mary had to say about the GALA community and about her life and her interns life. I apologize for not remembering the interns name. I found it interesting when she asked about the gay and lesbian community in North Dakota, with the response being Rudy telling her that heterosexuality is the norm in North Dakota and that homosexuality is at times looked down upon in the state of North Dakota. I found it interesting when Rudy said that because while I had worked at Albertsons as a cashier I never recalled seeing anyone come thru that could've been openly gay or lesbian. The majority of people being oil workers or mothers of families doing their weekly groceries. I feel as if that makes the gay and lesbian population of Williston extremely low or that most of the population is scared to even go shopping for groceries because of how the state of North Dakota feels about homosexuality. I believe that things need to change. Talking to Mary and her intern I would've never been able to tell if they were gay or lesbian if I had a normal conversation with them. They are just like us with the way they act, eat, and interact with people. I loved learning from her because she was so comfortable with herself, because oftentimes she would even crack jokes to the class. I think that if there were more people that were as comfortable in their own skin as they were the world would be a much better place.
While me, Braydon, and Jarrod are upset that we couldn't make the class we're happy to be in Arizona learning even more about intercultural communication between the northern states and southern states. Even during our baseball games you can tell that things are different between how us and the teams from down south play. We even had an umpire comment the other day asking Marc LeCroix if he was from " up north " because of how he did something in pregame. It's funny how big of a difference a few states can make.

Week 8

Tuesday: In class on Tuesday we played a version of monopoly that I actually found quite enjoyable. I thought that it wasn't only an activity that helped us get involved and kept us interested. I found that this activity "put myself in somebody else's shoes" without physically doing it. It was weird playing a game of monopoly and not being able to buy some of the time. It's like there was some sort of head start for those who were chosen a white person. I ended up losing a couple dollars, which I think was pretty good because I had no strategy or no idea what to do. I really like this activity. Especially with all the different cultures that were even in our little group of 5. It's better that we had such a variety in our group because I believe that it made the game more interesting in that we all had to switch roles and try to do something that we truly haven't done before. Which is try to live in a different time as different people trying to just make it by.
Thursday: Today we watched an influential video on suicide with teenagers that have came out and said that they were gay. I believe that this video is very influential, not only because of the topic being discussed but because the person that is speaking out to us is so emotional about it and he's been through it before. It's amazing the pain and suffering that gay people go through everyday. You'd think that in the land of the free we would be able to accept everyone as equal. And I myself believe that it's a disgrace to ourselves that we are such hypocrites and so terrible to people that maybe a little different in our eyes, but at the same time they're still American. Thankfully, I was raised by a mother that is very accepting and very understanding of such situations. When I was younger my mother brought over one of her gay friends for dinner. At first I was very young and naïve about it and thought to myself that he was weird just cause he was a little different. Then as the dinner went on I realized that he was hilarious, he loved my mothers food, and could carry on a conversation for hours and hours. I realized throughout the dinner that he was no different than we were. And now every time my mother says he's coming over for dinner I get excited because I know my stomach will be sore after from laughing so hard. Pretty much what I got out of this experience is the only difference between me and him were our sexual orientation. And what I hear a lot is that everyone's common goal in life is to fall in love with someone you'll be with forever. If we as straight people have the right to love whoever, shouldn't they?