Journal, March 31, 2009

Journal Entry for March 31, 2009

 

So I ruffled some feathers…that was my intention.

 

My journalism teacher in high school always told me that the best stories were about things that pissed people off. What pisses me off, is spending an entire class period arguing whether or not the people at the Drop Inn will hate us after we write about them as an object of our creativity. So, I apologize for picking on you, Jack – we can attribute my insensitivity to your feelings to woman’s monthly visitor, maybe.

 

As for my classmates who – through hearsay – have their panties in a bunch over me being hypocritical in suggesting that students who go to Miami are sheltered, I have to correct you.

 

According to the credible source, dictionary.com, sheltered is to be protected from the troubles, annoyances, sordidness, etc., encountered in competitive situations: a sheltered life.

 

Is this a competitive situation?

 

Anyway, in no way does sheltered deal with socioeconomic status in the world, but if we want to go there, we can.

 

My family would be considered upper middle class. We live in a small, modest house in a nice town. My mom drives an Escalade, so shoot me. I feel fortunate to be close with my family, be healthy, and be able to have the opportunity to share a classroom with you lovely people. Call me sheltered, I can take it. I can’t change people, but I truly don’t care.

 

Homogenous, according to dictionary.com, is to be of the same kind or nature; essentially alike.

 

There’s not a whole lot of diversity at Miami. The administration works hard to promote it, but for some reason or another, it’s not a prevalent characteristic of our university. In my opinion, I thought the usage of homogenous in regards to Miami and then to suggest inquisitively ‘Sheltered, anyone?’ was a valiant effort to make my point that Miami is an easy stereotype. It’d be easy for me to stereotype homeless people as irresponsible, but it’s just as easy for them to stereotype Miami students as sheltered. Perhaps the stereotype isn’t correct, but is it a possible characteristic for at least some of the respective category?

 

My real point in writing a controversial blog post was to say that whatever we create doesn’t need to be politically correct or sugar-coated. It also doesn’t need to be blunt or stereotypical. It’s a work produced by our class that will be given to the Drop Inn. It will be diversified enough that people are able to make their own statements and ideas, but all in all it will be one production. And what they take from it, we probably won’t know. And that’s OK.

 

I look forward to our final piece.