Archive for date: November 25th, 2014

Last class began slightly differently. Julian’s “activity” came last rather than in the beginning. We first discussed the Tunnel of Oppression event and the thoughts and feelings it brought out. I believe we all agreed that there wasn’t much participation in the discussions and the leaders didn’t encourage much talking. However, the experience made us all look at things from another point of view and realize how real these occurrences are.  Afterwards we talked about the Lipstick and Labcoats article. We got into groups and elaborated on certain points. I thought it was great that we went over it because it refreshed the issues in my mind. I enjoyed hearing what the guys had to say as well as other females because our ideas differ. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any STEM majors from females so we couldn’t exactly ask why they joined the major and how they felt. Either way, I learned a lot from that article and was not exactly shocked to hear why females entered into STEM fields. Before our “activity” from Julian, we mentioned one thing we learned from the Homeless articles. They were all eye openers for me. Although I have to work very hard and sometimes it feels stressful, I can’t even imagine what homeless students go through every day. Lastly, we were given an assessment from Julian that was also given to us at the beginning. I think many students rushed through it because it didn’t affect our grades.

 

The last topic to be covered next week is what we can do to enact change. Although we had two readings, before I read either one I realized that I have been speaking up slightly more when I hear offensive things. Simply taking this class gave me the courage to speak up. The first reading was the Cycle of Liberation, which made me think of the Cycle of Socialization. As with the cycle of socialization, we go through stages at our own pace and choose our direction to enact change. Seeing the cycle of liberation and reading the article gave me hope and confidence. If we show more people then we have more of a chance to positively change society. What I love the most is that anyone can enter this cycle at any point in time at any place. As the waking up stage stated, I am starting to feel a difference on myself simply from the awareness that this class has given me. I have also noticed myself solidifying my beliefs and discarding the negative one, as with in the getting ready phase. This article really spoke to me because I feel myself beginning to experience parts of this cycle. It isn’t as easy to reach out, build a community, or actually act, but now I feel as though I have the tools to start. It is one thing to enact change, but it is another thing to maintain it. It needs to almost become a way of life. The second article covered the next steps in order to interrupt oppressive behavior. This sounds easier than it is was my first reaction. It is so much easier at first to join in on the oppressive behavior, but after awareness it becomes easier to confront the behavior. What many don’t realize is that saying nothing is a way of supporting the oppression in a way. I used to do this because I didn’t always know what to do. This article mentions education as the first step in enacting change. I agree that this is the first major step because I already notice a change in myself. I found the author’s tips for responses helpful. For example, telling someone that a joke is not funny or organizing a pro-diversity event are ways to enact change. Overall, I can say I learned a lot and wouldn’t change it for anything! I can only hope that I can keep up the courage, join forces with others, and enact change.

Last week, Julie decided to quit the game because she felt left out because her boyfriend was voted off previously. Missy is upset about this because she put a “wrinkle in the plan” that everyone was supposed to vote Josh out.

Now that they have merged into one tribe, Huyopa, separates into two different teams for their reward challenges. This weeks reward: taco bar. If I were on this show and my reward was a taco bar, I would try a lot harder win and be really disappointed in myself if my team lost. LOL! Missy was not chosen for a team, so she had to sit out and not have the chance to try for the taco bar.

Jeremy notes that Keith wanted to vote Julie off if they had gone to tribal council, but Jeremy knows that all of Keith’s alliances were against him and had planned to vote him out if they had gone to tribal council.

Again, Josh tries to recruit Baylor to be part of his alliance. He says that she owes him because he saved her in the beginning of the game. Baylor feels blackmailed by Josh’s invite as his alliance. And then Josh turns it onto Missy, saying that she controls what Baylor does. Which I think is just his way to get out of “being wrong,” always coming up with excuses.

The girls at camp are so concerned with what the guys are doing, and I hate it. Instead of them just getting along and accepting each other, the girls are annoyed that the guys always want help with different chores around camp, when I feel like everyone should be contributing.

Despite Josh trying to form alliances, he is voted out this week! He and Baylor had an almost equal amount of votes, Josh: 6 and Baylor: 5.

Leadership has been shown throughout the season of survivor, in each episode there is different person who showed a leadership and some were stronger than others. In episode 9 Jeremy is elected of the show and this was a smart move by the rest tribe members that remained.  Jeremy was a strong leader he had great communication skills, was a good team player and possessed good communication skills and knowledge of the game. I think that many of his team mates saw him as a threat if he remained in the show and decided to boot him out.

In survivor we see people trying to be nice to try to make it to the end, For example Natalie and Jeremy giving their reward to Jon and Jaclyn to save them in time of the votes. But we seen it before and we see it again no one is there for anyone but themselves, so at the end of the day your last day could be any day no matter what friends you make in the game or what type of leader you are, your spot in the game is not guaranteed.

Jon and Jacklyn have shown huge leadership roles for the fact that they have basically determined the outcome of the past  4 tribal councils, I don’t understand this because they are not the only couple that is left in the game for people to be listening to them or trying to win them over for their votes. Jon and Jacklyn have a big influence in the past few episodes and I think the rest of the tribe members don’t realize that there is only 2 of them, if they want to strategize they need to find a way to vote one of them off in tribal council before its too late and they take home the winning prize!

The previous episode ended in a way that i haven’t seen before. When Julie quit it really threw a wrench in most of the blue tribe members plans. The tribe is freaking out due to the fact that their previous plans to get either Jeramey or Josh off the islands. The first challenge in the episode was very physically challenging. The tribes were both mixed for this activity and the yellow team was way ahead the entire time and keep it strong till the end and finished before the competing team. There were no clear leaders in the activity but you could hear the positivity that they were supporting each other with. It proved to be a the winning motivation. Most individual and couple strategies are based on personal power rather than position power because each member or couple wants to have earned status within their tribe. Whereas positional power is dependent upon every member of the tribe doing their job. The winning team sent John to exile islands where he found an idol making him a definite leader that carries weight within the groups voting decisions. The guys in the blue tribe are getting on the nerves of the women on the team with their rude manners. Jacklyn is showing her true colors with the women and possible a women alliance in the near future. On the individual immunity challenge Jeramey won keeping himself out of the soon to vote and the two main leaders now have become Josh and Jackelyn. In this episodes tribal council Josh was voted out. Josh was a main leader and a big threat to the rest of the tribe members. John and jacklyn were the swing votes. There is a huge power struggle between two groups with the tribe and it was clear who was in each tribe expect when it came down to where John and Jacklyn stood. Power in the book is defined as ” the ability or authority to influence and motivate others.”