Li

Sociocultural Learning []

Also, post your culture brochure immediately/5/2/12
 * Please complete the online evaluation for this class. You must have received a link from the university. Thanks/5/2/12**

Dongfeng Li SMC 1313 Iyengar 04/24/12 Philosophy courses Before coming here, I thought Philosophy is very boring. However, I found that I had to learn some philosophy courses because they were required. I have already learned four more philosophy courses now. In fact, I think I understand a lot of self-understanding thoughts, and different religious beliefs. My major belongs to business, and it is important for us to think by yourself. Moreover, philosophy courses can help students to think through different ways. On the other hand, learning about different religious cultures also can help students understand more detailed information among different countries. Kalpana M. Iyengar/EN 1313

Chapter Presentations Your chapter presentations are due on April 24th and April 26th. Everyone must read all the chapters as listed below because I may quiz you on any day on any chapter! Please use the following guidelines when you present**. Please bring a draft of your presentation to my office on the 19th (anytime between 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.) or Wednesday, the 18th (anytime from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) (20 points)**
 * 1) Use technology (power point, prezi, and you tube) – List the salient points from the chapter and present the summary. Show part of a you-tube video that is relevant to your chapter **(20 points)**
 * 2) Develop about 5 questions to ask your classmates in class. The questions must be from the chapter and it should engage your classmates. I shall collect the responses in class **(20 points)**
 * 3) Make copies of the summaries for your classmates to read **(20 points)**
 * 4) Discuss the chapter with your classmates by eliciting questions **(20 points)**

April 24th presenters April 26th presenters Chapter Presentations
 * 1) Chao Ning - The Maker’s Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts (83)
 * 2) Ma - School versus Education (50)
 * 3) Shen - Growing up (56)
 * 4) Xi - Everything isn’t Racial Profiling (95)
 * 1) Yihua - My Father’s Life (113)
 * 2) Kim D - College Pressures (128)
 * 3) Kim Y - The story of the good boy (192)
 * 4) Jung - What is Intelligence Anyway? (43)

Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar 27/01/12 Name Game I found that there were some differences between Chinese names and other countries’ names when I talked with a registrar who named Elvire Smolik yesterday. Further, I learned about a name that I did not know in China. We use our surname before our first name unlike other countries’ names that begin with the first name. My name in China is Li Dongfeng, and Li is a common surname in China, and Dongfeng translates into East Mountain in English. My grandfather gave me this first name because he hoped that I would grow up like a Mountain. Unlike my name, Elvire Smolik is a Mexican- American, and her full name is Elvire Deleon Gonzalez. She came to America and married an American in 1997, and she changed her last name to Smolik like her husband. Her given name Elvire was the same as her mother’s, and her last names Deleon and Gonzales were her father and mother’s surname. Like my surname, Deleon and Gonzales are very common surname in Mexico. However, the source of her given name was very interesting. She told me that Mexico has its own calendar and that every date has a name. So every Mexican’s name is depended on the date they was born. Moreover, it is impossible for Chinese have the same given name as their older generation, but it is common in other countries, like America and Mexico. In America, lots of women always follow their husbands’ surnames after getting married, and it is similar with the past period in China.
 * You have read two chapters from the novel and you have a month to go/3/29/12**
 * Have you been reading the novel? If you do not post the summaries on a timely fashion, you will end up doing a mediocre job in the end. Please read the novel and post the summaries periodically/3/1/12**

Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar 30/01/12 My First flight Experience I did not go to other places by air before going to the United States. Even though it was my first flight experience, I had different feelings along the way to America. Not only was it a nearly twenty hours trip, but I also I had to transfer two flights before I reached my destination. I still remembered I transferred two flights in Tokyo and in Salt Lake City, and there were two interesting stories that happened to my eight friends and I while staying a few hours in different airports. Firstly, I made some mistakes because of the language barrier when I reached Tokyo airport. After we went through the security check in Tokyo airport, and we had to look for our boarding gate for the next fight. Unfortunately, we wanted to use the signs to guild, but the signs were written in Japanese. Then I had to ask airport employees, while the majority of them cannot speak English. At last, a stewardess guided us to the right gate. After that, Ma and I started to search for smoking room, which was easy to find. However, we found that we didn’t have a lighter, so we had to borrow it from someone else. At that moment, I didn’t know how to say lighter and just knew fire. I asked another smoker for fire, but he didn’t understand what I said. At last, one of the smokers understood me and gave me his lighter. I felt so embarrassed at that moment. Secondly, We met with a series of troublesome events in Salt Lake City. As we all know, everyone has to go through the immigration inspection in order to come into The United States. Unfortunately, there were a large number of people waiting to go through inspection. As a result, we spent nearly two hours in line. In the end, we didn’t have enough time to go to the boarding gate because we had to check our luggage and go through security check. Although the airport workers let us go through the emergency access, we missed the last flight by ten minutes later. The over ten hours flight trip had already made us feel tired, but now we had to wait another ten hours next flight to San Antonio. We also realized that it meant we had to stay at the airport. What’s worse is that I lost one of my bags when we hurried for the flight, and the majority of my valuables were in this bag. I went to lost luggage station to look for my bag, but no one found it. At last, one of the employees told me I might be able to find the bag in San Antonio airport. When I returned to the boarding gate, I felt very tired and I could not sleep well on the seat. Furthermore, we were told there were no flight to San Antonio when we prepared to leave, so we had to go to Huston first, and then transfer flights to San Antonio. When I reached San Antonio airport, I could not remembered how the ten hours passed the. Fortunately, Ma found my bag in the San Antonio airport at last. The over thirty hours flight travelling was the most unforgettable experience of my life. It is obvious that everyone may have the same experience, but feel different about it. Before my first flight, I imagine it would be a wonderful experience. In fact, I saw some beautiful scenery from taking plane. However, the surprising and troublesome events changed my previous positive expectation about my first flight experience. Even though I made some mistakes and had some trouble with my first flight, I realized that I should learn from this. For example, I should improve my speaking skills and make sufficient preparation for my flights before taking off. In short, my first flight experience gave me a chance to broaden my horizon and make it a valuable experience.

Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar 07/02/12 Homelessness It is common that there is many homeless people have existed in developed or developing countries from period to period. As we all know, a large number of people lost their families and houses because of an economic depression. Lots of laid-off people, especially the older generation, can’t find other jobs to earn their living, and become homeless gradually because thousands of enterprises have to shut down due to the bad economy. On the other hand, natural disasters such as an earthquake play an important role in causing in the number of homeless people. Whichever it is in developed or developing countries, there are many people suffering from poverty and homelessness. I realized this when I studied in the United States. I still remember one of my social service projects, which took me to Heaven for Hope to prepare breakfast and lunch for homeless people last semester. What I saw touched my heart deeply. We had to prepare over 300 breakfasts in one hour, and then people were given their breakfast in order. In addition, each person was only given one breakfast and only one cup of orange juice. My job was giving each person one cup of juice, so I could see them clearly. At 7 am, these people were waiting for their breakfast in line. Meanwhile, there was a bad odor floating from these people. I found that these homeless people were both old and young, and that the majority of them wore dirty clothes. Furthermore, most of them ate before coming into the dining room when they got their breakfast. After breakfast, I asked the regular workers some questions about these homeless people while preparing lunch. I knew that most of them were laid-off blue-collared workers, and that they lost their homes because of a financial crisis. Their families abandoned the younger adults and most of them were out from jail. However, the cause of homelessness is different for other countries. There was a large amount of people who lost their houses and families because of the Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan Province in China on May 12th, 2008. Sichuan Province was destroyed, and local people were panicked and troubled. My older brother, part of a special police force, was responsible for rescuing people who live in the Mianzhu area in Sichuan province with his colleagues. There were nearly 200 special police force officers who stayed there for six months. Before they reached there, their commander told them some people were trapped in the collapsed buildings, so my older brother and his colleagues tried their best to rescue them. However, they found that there were many heads, legs and arms displayed on the street, and many people were looking for their families. Meanwhile, they realized that the situation was very serious. Because of the hot weather they had to catch all the stray dogs and organized local health officers to disinfect the whole city so as to avoid the spread of illness. Furthermore, they also installed many tents for local homeless citizens as their temporary homes, and restored the supply of electricity and water. This natural disaster caused thousands of people to lose their homes, and many to continue suffering from this earthquake. A bad economy and natural disasters are two kinds of causes that can lead to a great number of people losing their homes. Whether in developed or developing countries, many homeless people have to be supported by the government and rich people because they cannot earn their living due to an economic depression. On the other hand, natural disasters also cause a great number of homeless people. In short, there are many people suffering from poverty and homelessness.

Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar 14/02/12 Quiz What is process analysis? Give an example from your reading of text. Process analysis is that how to put something together and how to explain why something happens. For example, process analysis can be used to explain why leaves changing color in autumn. What are the two different kinds of process analysis? Two kinds of process analysis are directive process analysis and in formative process analysis, respectively. Process analysis can be simultaneous, cyclical, or as a strategy. Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar 16/02/12 How to Apply for An American Visa Applying for An American Visa is the most complicated process compared with other countries’ processes. In like other countries’ Visa, people merely need to prepare the proper materials that are required and deliver them to the consulates. Then they will get their Visas after no more than two months. However, if people want to apply for An American Visa, obtaining proper materials is just the first step, and they must complete other complicated steps such as making an appointment for an interview. There are some details about applying for a U. S. Visa. Firstly, whichever countries people apply for, they must prepare for necessary documents. For example, if students want to go abroad for their education, they must apply for F-1 Visas. In my opinion, this is the most complicated Visa to apply for. At first students send their detailed personal information to the American Universities they want to enter, and the universities apply for I-20s from the U.S. Immigration Bureau for them. When the universities get your I-20, they will deliver them to you. Furthermore, there are the universities’ tuition, address, and I-20’s expiration date show on them, so students should have property certificate to prove they can afford the tuition. On the other hand, the U.S. consulate doesn’t allow that students who apply for Visas have a tendency to immigrate, so students must have relative evidences to prove they don’t want to immigrate such as family certificate, International English Language Testing System transcription, and university acceptance letter. Last but not least, students must have their passports and Visa credit card because they can help you live in the United States more easily. Moreover, students should also prepare some photographs for their Visas. Secondly, students should make appointments with the U.S. consulate as soon as possible. As we all know, there are a large number of people applying for American Visas each day, so it is important for students to make appointments as quickly as they can. After setting the date, they have to go to the U.S. Consulate and wait in line. As one of these students, I still remember that I waited nearly 3 hours, and when I came into the U.S. consulate, I found that other complicated processes were waiting for me. Thirdly, I had to fill in my personal information in order to let express companies deliver my Visa home before I came into the U.S. consulate. After that, I turned in my documents to the consulate employees when I came into consulate. However, I felt as through I was in jail when I stayed because the workers required me to take of my belt and shoes, and went through the security check. In the end, they gave me a bin of my materials to wait form my interview. I remembered it had three steps. The first step was to show my passport and I-20 to the officers. The second step was to check my fingerprints. I thought these two-steps were to certify that the students’ identities. The last step was to talk with consulate officers face to face. The officers always asked people some questions to find out whether they had immigration tendencies. In fact, the majority of these officers are psychologists. However, to my surprise, all of them could speak Chinese fluently, and the officer talked to me in Chinese when I was being interviewing. Lastly, if the officers did not return your passports, it meant that you would get your Visas after in about two weeks. Otherwise, you had to start the application process again. Applying for a U.S. Visa can be a unique experience in your life. As we all know, not everyone has a chance to travel abroad, and applying for a Visa is very essential. For students, wanting to experience another country, applying for a Visa is especially important. Furthermore, it is very necessary for them to focus on their interview.
 * The open book quiz is brief and incomplete. Please post the responses immediately/2/17/12. Please see me in my office on Tuesday.** Please see me in class immediately/2/22/12

Dongfeng Li SMC 1313 Iyengar 03/11/12 Why I Choose Accounting As My Major As we all know, more and more students graduate from their universities, and finding better jobs is an important issue they face next. Furthermore, whichever universities they study in, choosing good majors have an effect on their jobs in the future. On the other hand, students always like to choose from popular majors rather than if they are suit for it. So it is not good for their development in the future. In short, it is important for you to ask why you want to choose a major. Here are some reasons why I choose accounting as my major. Firstly, accounting is the language of business. It is well known for business majors that they have to learn accounting principles as one of their course. They must understand some basic knowledge of accounting. So if I choose accounting as my major, it is easier for me to learn other business areas for my master’s degree. Just like constructing a building, accounting can act as the foundation. Therefore, accounting plays an important role in the studies of business majors. Secondly, accounting is a major that can help students find jobs easily. There are an increasing number of companies founded all over the world. These companies need to attract more investors and creditors, so they must hire accounting agents to help them to make balance sheets, cash flow statements, and income statements. Then accounting major’s students have more opportunities to find jobs. On the other hand, these companies also need their internal accountants to manage their financial departments. Moreover, students will have better opportunities to gain top management options of companies if they get Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certificate. This is why I choose to be an accounting major and study in the U.S. because I want to get an American CPA Certificate. Thirdly, I want to become a successful businessman to improve my mother’s living standard. As I was growing up, my mother’s health was breaking down because she spared efforts to earn money. So she is suffering from diabetes and coronary heart disease now. When I was studying in high school, I had a dream of becoming a brilliant physician and tried my best to reduce her pain. However, I gave up this thought after the college entrance examination because it was not realistic and my abilities were limited. So I chose school of business instead of medical school, and I thought that becoming a rich businessman could help me to achieve my dream. In addition, accounting can help me to become a successful businessman. At this present, I am studying hard and getting closer to realizing my goal. There are many different crossroads in every person’s life, so they must make different decisions. However, choosing a good major will be a turning point in his or her life. Whichever majors are chosen, it is essential for everyone to ask yourself why you choose this major. For example, I choose accounting as my major because accounting is the language of business, It is easy to find a job after graduation, and it can help be to become a successful businessman to achieve my dream.
 * Please post your classification essay after visiting the LAC/3/4/12**

Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar The Summary of Are you Ok Week 1 The Introduction This chapter describes the author went to the hotel by taxi and remembered something when she talked with the driver on the way in Syracuse, NY. For example, the author knew that many malls were built in suburbs instead of downtown. When the driver asked her three times, are you Ok, she called in a time the driver of a shared taxi gave her father’s luggage to another passenger when the older man disembarked first. Moreover, the author also remembered different taxi drivers’ characters in different cities or countries, such as in Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Phoenix, and Memphis, etc. Fabric Thrown over the City This chapter says the author talked with the driver on the way to Columbia University in New York City. The author and the driver chatted with the author when he saw something and some people from the window. As we all know, many people do the same thing every day, and different people work in the some occupation. So most of them look similar. In addition, the sun streak is a beautiful thing beautiful it means the starting of one day. Way to Go This chapter says a walker named Peace Pilgrim walked back and forth across the United States many times. She went to different cities on foot, never based on other transportation, and everywhere could become the place she lived. Shopping for Nothing This is a story of Grandma Marie who likes to ride downtown in buses. When once companying with her grandma, the author enjoyed the way grandma shopping—window shopping. Since grandma is too shy to talk with others, she never takes a taxi or goes into a shop asking the price. However, she still enjoys the shopping as she staring into the window, she feels owning the product. From the story, the writer tries to tell readers that, having something inside head is also another way to own it. Keep what you want in mind when it is difficult to really own one sometimes can be a smart choice to keep the feeling of fulfilled. Do not desire for too much is a way to keep happy, that is what I learned. Take Me with You Different ridings the author tells in this chapter are memories of her childhood. When only three year old, the writer was taken by a thirteen year old boy on his bike, they pedaled wherever she want and had a lot fun. Also, the writer recalls stories that her father drove her into an accident, drove around with her mother’s friend Irma, a taxi ride when in second grad as well as after mother got a license they drove on the freeway and had a small accident. By telling these, the author shows her enthusiasm in travelling around. Not necessarily being rich, but have the passion and opportunity to go far away is the very important point of having a Big Life. In the journey of life, it seems similar; you don’t need many things, just the passion of going on. A large package can be a encumber, the process is the most important.

Dangerous Taxis This chapter is about several dangerous rides the author had ever taken before she met a truck driver who warn her not to any more. Not the crush she got into, nor the dangerous driver she met but the kind truck drivers’ words changed the author’s mind that she’d never hitchhike anymore. This is not only because she find it dangerous to get on strangers’ cars, but also feel guilty and regret when thinking about the truck driver’s altitude when she easily tell someone she never saw before about another person’s tragedy. Even cannot feel as painful as the sufferer, it is wrong to tell stories about the tragedy to strangers that met the first time. Being thoughtful for the victims can not only bring warm feelings to them but also good ones for inner field of us.

Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Professor: Iyengar 02/04/12  The meaning of Life You can find different types of people when you walk on the street in the morning. Some of them are driving to work, some are on their way to school, and others just go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air. Obviously, different types of people are using their own ways to show their meanings of life. When we were children, we had to go to school to learn knowledge. Several years later, we are faced with find jobs in a strong competitive environment when we graduate from universities. However, we should enjoy our lives when we are retired after decades. As we all know, the former two stages are processes everyone must experience, but the last stage is one that a lot of people want to experience. In my opinion, the three stages are processes a lot of people experience, and the difference is the development of every stage. In other words, the meaning of life is the process of three stages in general. I watched an America movie named Forrest Gump a couple weeks ago, and I had a deep feeling about the character Gump. So although Gump is a disabled man who can’t walk normally like ordinary people, and individuals always laugh him at, still he didn’t give up on himself, and then become a master of sports at last. I think it is Gump’s meaning of life. After watching the movie, I had some thoughts about myself. When I was a child, I had a dream to become a brilliant doctor because I wanted to cure patients who were suffering pains. However, when I grew up gradually, I found what I thought in the past was not realistic because an individual’s power is so limited. Several years later, when I studied in university, I understood that I should study hard not to live up to my parents’ expectation. Later, my mother’s body was broken down because of overwork, and I knew clearly she wanted me to study in a good environment. Though my parents only graduated from high school, they tried their best to support me to study abroad. Therefore, I must take advantage of the opportunity that my parents gave. Perhaps I just have a selfish mind, but making more money is my meaning of life from now on because I want my parents to have a better living environment than others in the future. I think most of people’s purposes of life are living in the top, so they study hard and want to find good jobs after graduation. Furthermore, different processes cause different outcomes, which include. In short, it is realistic. The development of three stages improves the meaning of life. Buddha said human beings came to the world is suffering. Furthermore, Even if hard study and strong competitive work environment are the motivations for most of people to achieve the meaning of life and have good living standards in the future. Although few people contribute their lives to the public as their meanings of life, most of people want to make money to afford their good life in the future. In my view, we should spare efforts to adapt to the environment when we can’t change it. Do what you want is your meaning of life. Dongfeng Li EN 1313 Iyengar 04/17/12  Summary Before reading this small article, racism has being become a common topic that is knew by people. I still remembered that an article named I had a dream I learned in high school. As a classic speech, Martin Luther King, a Negro leader, tried his best to resist ethical discrimination in American. On the other hand, Neil, as used other method to talk about racism. For example, just like a black might become “a nigger”, a white “a honkey”, an Asian “a Paki”, a Chinese “a chink”, an Italian “a wop”, a French- Canadian “a frog.” Moreover, some people are not willful ignorance but which comes from lack of experience. Like a friendly man said, “ I am not racist, but the Chinese are the worst drivers on the road.” Another example in the article is that an oil company executive rejected building with Easter Indian tenants not because of their race, and the real reason is he was given to understand cockroaches were symbols of good luck in their culture. On the other hand, the racism is based on willful ignorance and stereotype. For instance, multiculturalism as we all know it indulges in stereotype depends on it for a dash of color and the flash of dance. Furthermore, there are dangers, in community response. From the author’s views, it is very bad that Miss Black Canada Beauty Contest still exist because it can cause racial segregation. In Quebec, there are The associations of Black Nurse, The Association of Black Artists, the Congress of Black Jurists. In turn, there are also associations for whites. To be frank, racism for one is racism for others. Drunk Driving When a drunk individual makes a decision to drive home, he endangers everyone on the road. This decision may not seem important at the moment, but it can have a crucial impact on others. With the decision of whether or not to drive under influence, he or she does not always realize the result of their actions, and ending up making a really irrational decision. Many people think that increasing fines for drunk drivers will have an effect on cutting down of driving under the influence. According to Walsh-Buckley (2008), “ In Victoria, drink-driving penalties became harsh, depending on the type of offence, blood alcohol level, and whether it was a subsequent offence” (p. 8). Even through drunk driving laws looks on paper, but they will not make sense in the fight against drunk driving. Thus, together with close friends and a solid education, the rate of drunk driving will decrease. However, drunk driving fines also present a positive effect. The only benefit of increasing drunk driving fines is the promotion for the law enforcement agency to collect fines. As we all know, the majority of drunk divers do not believe that they drank too much. Moreover, one person who decides to drive home after drinking does not even consider the fines they may receive. Therefore, a state increase in drunk driving fines does not decline the amount of drunk driving arrests, nor a decreased amount of alcohol related accidents. But the only change is an increase in government funds from drunk driving fines. Other solutions, besides raising of fines, lies with education. If the public learned about the consequences of drunk driving through education, they will have the ability to decide whether or not to drive home under the influence. For example, an individual needs to know that how many drinks push him or her above the legal blood alcohol limit to drive. Obviously, different states have different levels of standards. As Wiley John (2001), “ Georgia lawmakers last month made the state the 21st to adopt a law making .08 the legalbloodalcohol standard for drunkdriving, Mother Against Dunk Driving reported” (p. 8). The public also needs to know the consequences are far greater than a simple fine. The risks of drunk driving can include killing yourself and others when driving impaired. The difference between life and death depends on whether or not to drive home after drinking. So an educated person knows to drive drunk better than someone who does not know the facts. Another factor that can affect people’s decision to drive the under influence comes from their friends. A possible fine may not stop someone from drunk driving, but a close friend will tell him or her not to drive and prevent them from doing so. Many times, drunken people always use every possible excuse to persuade others to let them drive. But true friends never let them drive drunk, no matter the circumstance. Although nothing can prevent drunk driving indefinitely, education and the close friends can play a significant role on a drunk driver’s decisions. However, the increasing of fines would prove completely ineffective and not have any effect on the amount of drunk driving that takes place. People do not consider the legal punishment when making the decision of whether or not to drive drunk. Therefore, its prevention does not depend on legislation, but I education. Educated people make wiser decisions, and hardly ever make decisions to drive drunk. Reference Wiley John. (2001). More States Back. 08 Legislation. //Alcoholism and Drunk Abuse Weekly//, 13, 8. Retrieved From http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail? Walsh- Buckley, Warwick J. (2008). Dealing With Drunk Drivers in Australia- Defenses to Drink Driving Offences. //Legaldate//, 20, 8-9. Retrieved from []?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvLDpwmA_jE