languages

I feel that people who don't speak a foreign language are at a disadvantage when it comes to the state wide writing exams. I remember taking the state English exams and a section of the test was always finding the right definition for a particular word. The words on the exam many times were words that most people wouldn't know at the particular grade level i was in, but knowing Spanish which is derived from Latin helped me so much. being able to pick out the root word, if the word was Latin based, gave me a fair advantage over those who didn't know another Latin based language. I might not use all the words I know, but I feel that I know many more words, and their definitions, than the average American student. I'm not claiming I knew the definition to all the words on the exam but I could at least make an educated guess, and not to my surprise I always did well.

Now that I am older I realize that the advantages of foreign languages are even greater. I not only was able to score high on state English exams but now that I want to learn still another language it is facilitated by the knowledge of Spanish. Never mind that the language is Italian, which is fairly similar to Spanish, but it is another language. All the Latin based languages are 'inter-communicable' which also gives me an advantage as an international citizen. Being able to communicate with many different people in many different parts of the world is a qualification that the average American student can't claim to have, unless of course their homes are interracial, but even then many opt to make english the official family language and the secondary language is forgotten or not taught at all.

blogging is hard work

Every week I have to post a new blog and every week I am caught off guard. Sunday rolls around and I realize I have to post another one for the week and I haven't thought about what I'm going to write. Since I currently do not have any sophisticated topic ideas or a topic remotely interesting I shall wait a couple of days until I feel inspired. I'm sure I will think of something soon...

See You At The Pole

Wednesday, September 27th, was See You At The Pole day. See You At The Pole is a national day of prayer for schools. Students meet at the flag pole to pray for their schools, student body, staff, the nation, etc.

San Jose State met from 7:30 to 10:30am. Students came and went according to their class schedule, but our time was awesome. We prayed and sang songs by the flag pole in between McQuerry Hall and Sweeney Hall. The guitar definitely set the mood for a time of worship.

In continuation of the See You At The Pole event was the Gathering Of The Unashamed, in downtown San Jose at the Cesar Chavez park, that evening. Christians from all over the bay area gathered for an awesome time of prayer and worship. Two of our very own SJSUers led the bay area in prayer. Hundreds of young people showed up, Christians and non-Christians as well.

A Canadian band called Hawk Nelson performed and they definitely drew the crowd in. Girls were swooning over the lead singer and their pop-rock sound got the crowd excited.

I believe San Jose will see many changes in the months to come. This gathering downtown was a great opportunity for fellow Christians to just hang out and stand united.

The best part was that it was all FREE.

Nietzche

I'm having a hard time getting into the teachings of Nietzsche. He might be considered a great philosopher, but I don't think that he did anything particularly impressive. To me, Nietzsche was just a man completely dissatisfied with life and never achieved happiness or even contentedness, even though he tried so hard to think for himself.

I'm not saying that since he thought for himself and wasn't happy that we should therefore not think for ourselves because we won't be happy. All I'm saying is that I don't feel he had a meaningful life. All Nietzsche did was question institutions and destroy the foundation of peoples way of thinking and living without providing a better way.

I have yet to finish reading the Genealogy of Morality so I might change my mind.

men and women

I have been studying John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women. Mill discusses in one of his essays marital slavery vs. marital friendship. He argues that women should be brought up to the level of men and should be treated as equals. He was one of the first philosophers to tackle the issue of the equality of women and though his intentions are pure and noble, I feel he got it wrong.

The mere fact that he says women need to be brought up to the level of men indicates that he thinks where men are is where we should all be. Women need to enter the world of men and assimilate. He says women are capable, therefore should be given the opportunities to excel in the areas in which they are gifted yet have neglected to develop.

"...the very things which women are not allowed to do are the very ones for which they are peculiarly qualified; since their vocation for government has made its way, and become conspicuous,through the very few opportunities which have been given."
-John Stuart Mill



Beside women's role in government he focuses on the marriage aspect of our human relationship with the opposite sex. He says women should not be forced to serve their husbands, for the contract of marriage is not to be one of marital slavery but more of a contract of friendship and partnership.

This sounds great, but something is missing from his argument. He has forgotten that men and women are very different. I am one who thinks men and women were created to fulfill different roles in society. We are not all to act the same and be qualified in the same fields. Though a woman is capable of doing that which a man does, it does not mean that that is to be her goal in life. To be just like men would not work. Men and women are indeed equal. Since the beginning of time and creation, husband and wife were in a partnership having been made equal but to serve different purposes.

Roles are interchangeable and one can perform well the role of another but the original intent has been forgotten. Each have strengths and weaknesses therefore we should assume our roles and complement each other. My thoughts may seem too idealistic but if we learned to be content with what we are given then there would be no need to fight for what another has.

second time...

"Most of us have been subconsciously 'named' by at least some of the negative experiences and circumstances in our past. And going through the world knowing you're one of the unlucky ones, one of the unlovely people, can be a traumatic experience. surrounded by scandal, we live in fear that somehow even more of the things we've done, the bad things we've thought in the deep recesses of our heart, will someday show up on the Record for the whole world to read and know about. And we'll be marginalized for life."
-Rick McKinley

We all fit in the margins of society at one point of another. We feel a sense of illegitimacy because we lack something that everyone else seems to have. We feel that everyone will be able to point out that thing that makes us illegitimate the very moment they see us. We feel that way because we ourselves cannot see past that when we look in the mirror. Our past experiences seem to form us and define who we are. The world looks at us and according to our place in society and surrounding circumstances and 'names' us.

We all receive labels but we shall not be held in bondage by that. A name cannot define us. I am infinitely grateful that i do not need to be limited by what the world has to say about me. No matter what my circumstances or my background are, there will always be someone to give me hope for a better future.

first post

Campus Crusade for Christ just had their biggest event of the year so far. The traditional Root Beer kegger at the Crusade House. There was a really big crowd which makes me excited about the semester ahead of us.

verse of the day...
" pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." proverbs 12:10