Sarah Walsh - Diversity Response

I really like to talk about social issues, especially ones related to diversity and social justice, but I didn’t love that our diversity activity left so little room for nuance when we were talking about issues that are often much more complicated than a yes-or-no answer. I also didn’t like that only one person in each group was allowed to speak – while it was definitely reflective of the way that different groups often end up being defined (in the eyes of others) by the opinion of one especially loud individual, I would have liked to have some more discussion between everyone in the FIG. I had hoped this might be an opportunity for us to get Freedom Writers-y and explore how we as individuals are diverse, or discuss our opinions with one another instead of having you and Professor Steffens as sort of a neutral sounding board. It would have been a very interesting learning experience! Not that I didn’t like what we did, though; it was still interesting and thought-provoking. J

Like I said during the exercise, Mizzou is a far more diverse environment than Kearney, Nebraska and I feel very lucky to be here for that reason.

I think religious diversity is often left unaddressed simply because it’s such an overwhelmingly touchy subject and most people who practice a given faith are convinced that it’s the One and Only Correct Religion Ever. When it comes to religious questions, reason pretty much goes out the window because there are no truly definitive answers – if you’ve looked at the comments for literally any given YouTube video, from Gaga’s latest to LOLCats, you’ve probably seen how vicious people get about tearing down the religions of others when their own are just as dependent on sheer belief instead of anything physical or measurable. It’s a really difficult discussion to facilitate, which I think is sad because we could learn so much from one another if we were willing to sit down and listen.

Related to religious diversity, I think diversity in sexuality is another topic that I honestly don’t see a lot of outside of specifically LGBTQ-oriented spaces. I guess it’s related to religious diversity – most people who are homophobic are that way for a religious reason, so their convictions are obviously quite hard to shake. On some level, this could be a discussion that it is sometimes best not to have with people you want to continue liking, but on another I think it’s an important and very current issue to discuss. 

Diversity Reflection- Cassie Naes

Diversity to me is important in society. I am a believer in the idea that everyone is unique, which makes everywhere we go in the world a diverse place. Most people assume diversity is just dealing with racial issues but in different settings it can be a less obvious occurrence. Things such as hair color, majors, or religion make us stand apart from the rest. Just within our FIG we have people majoring in different subjects, we have different hometowns, and different beliefs. The fact that people are looked down upon for being different sickens me. Being different is what makes us unique and if everyone were the same there would be no point in getting to know people; you’d be friends with an identical version of yourself.

            Diversity at Mizzou is something that I think is encouraged. There’s different clubs for different people and there is always someone like you to reach out to if necessary.  I think racial diversity is least dealt with in society and schools because it can cause such chaos. Society preaches the idea of everyone being equal, however more often than not it seems like certain people always get special treatment. It is less of an issue then it used to be but Americans, African Americans, Asians, and other races aren’t seen as equals.

Diversity Reflection-Jennifer Heck

               What I liked about the diversity activity we did in class was that we got to see right away everyone’s results to the question. What I didn’t like was how it was not anonymous and that we had to choose one side over another when you felt like you could argue both sides of the statement. It was interesting to hear everyone’s reasoning for choosing that particular side.

                I feel as if the diversity here at Mizzou is wide. Everyone comes from a different place and background. Even if a group of students came from the same high school, there would still be diversity within that group. I feel that the least talked about concern with diversity has to be the language barrier. Communication is a big part of living here at the University of Missouri. I understand that a lot of students are international students, but it makes it extremely difficult to work on projects with them when you cannot understand what they are saying, and they cannot understand what you are trying to say. I am a very patient person when i work in groups like these, however some people are not, and being like that makes it difficult for everyone in the group to complete the task. 

Jennifer Heck

Ali Johnson-Diversity

I liked the activity because it got us thinking about issues we might not have thought about before. It also forced us to choose a side. There were many times when some of us couldn't choose a side, but you weren't allowed to stay in the middle. This forced us to really think about what the statement was and choose the side that best reflected our opinions. However, this is also something I disliked about the activity. There were times when I couldn't choose a side, but had ideas to back up each side. I wanted to justify why I wanted to stay in the middle, but that wasn't an option.
While I have never noticed anything shocking about Mizzou's diversity, some of my classmates brought certain things to my attention. I wasn't aware that African Americans have separate Homecoming activities. I definitely think this is an issue Mizzou needs to work on because Homecoming should be a huge event for the whole university to come and celebrate together. The Homecoming events I took part in were a lot of fun and I would want everyone to be able to be involved in them.
This is a topic that is least talked about with diversity. As a student, I was unaware of this occurring and I'm sure a lot of other students would agree. So many are unaware that the lack of diversity occurs, including at Mizzou. Since people are unaware, it can't be changed.

diversity reflection - Nikki Osberg

The diversity exercise we did in class was very informative. It was interesting to see what stance everyone took on certain issues, especially because most of us fall into the same demographic. It seemed to me that religion played a big role in whether people traveled to the “yes” or “no” side of the room. Race also had a hand in the decision-making. I liked being able to take my own stance, since until I moved here, most of my decisions and opinions were formed for me on behalf of my family and peers. The statements were thought provoking and gave me the opportunity to truly think about what it is I believe in.

I have seen a lot of diversity here at Mizzou, much more so than at my high school and in my hometown. Sure, if you travel about ten miles from my California suburb you can see plenty of diversity. But here, on campus, the diversity is much more realistic. It shows that race and sexual orientation and religious beliefs do not contribute to whether or not you have the capability to get into a good school and perform well. Regardless of the diversity all the students here are here for the same reason. The only issues I have seen first hand are in regards to homecoming. I was not aware that we had strictly African American fraternities and sororities, or that they have their own block of Homecoming events separate from the other Greek houses. I find this incredibly unfair and even archaic. We should be coming together as one without labeling ourselves based on color or race. Mizzou seems to have a very open student body and I hope that soon we all participate in school events together. No one should be cast out. 

Amy Parks Blog #3

So far I have not made any progress on my interview paper, I have not even started but I have started it and I plan to do the interview either in person or over the phone depending on the person I chose. I plan to do either a journalism professor at Mizzou or someone else within the j community. Also I think it will help expand my understanding of journalism careers in general because right now I am not entirely sure what I would like to do within journalism so this could help narrow it down for me. I plan to ask them how they got started in their profession, what made them choose to enter the field they are in, and what the benefits and flaws are to the job. Also what they recommend in reference to today and what I can do to be prepared for the job market and what I can do to really stand out. I hope to gain a better understand of the type of individual I need to be in order to be competitive in the job marker and also what benefits such professions could have on the impact of my life. I don’t have any questions about the assignment. 

Final Project - Sophie Newman

I have thought about this project, but I have not come up with a concrete person of who I plan to interview yet, although I have a few ideas.  My mom works in politics and has many colleagues in the public relations field.  I have not yet contacted someone yet, but I hope to do a phone interview with someone working in this field.  I want to ask them what exactly they do, and what type of hours they work.  I am concerned that I could not handle some types of journalism majors because of the fast paced lifestyle.  I also plan to ask them questions regarding how they found their job, and what pathways they took to get there, during college as well as post college.  I believe this will be helpful as I am planning on majoring in Strategic Communications through the Journalism school, and would love to learn more about it.  If this does not work out I plan to contact a professor of Strategic Communications here at Mizzou and set up an interview.  I am fascinated by this public relations and advertising sequence, although I am not exactly sure what type of career it could result in.  I think this project will be especially useful in helping me to see what type of profession I could possibly end up in. 

Sophie Newman