TUBIOLI+My+Freshman+Year+Response3

Reading Response 3 My Freshman Year (p. 67-89) Donielle Tubioli

In the beginning of “My Freshman Year” I noticed when Nathan was talking to several international students about the way Americans speak to one another is different than what they are used to. In America, sometimes, but not always when we see people that we recognize we casually say “Hey, how are you”. This is usually an act of caring, a way to be friendly. Usually it is a basic, “hello”. One of the international students commented on the fact that she was asked and when she said she was sick, it was almost like the other person did not care and walked away. I do not always feel like this is the case with Americans. There are times we will see friends and ask how they are doing, but if they say things like they aren’t doing well, we usually take the time to ask reasoning behind it, or offer positive words of encouragement. From my own personal experience, I have noticed when people ask other how they are doing, it is actually because they are concerned and want to have a nice conversation with someone.

Another point I would like to disagree with when Nathan interviewed the international students is when they said that Americans do not try to make conversation with them. The international students spoke as if Americans were ignorant to the fact that they existed or came from a different country. I feel as though students I know are not like this whatsoever. In fact, students are more interested in the students that came from another part of the world because it is intriguing to them to learn about another country and their language. In “My Freshman Year” Nathan noted how one of the international students talked about how Americans often find their friends through hobbies. I definitely find truth in this. I have found several of my friends in high school through soccer, but many of my close friends here at Bloomsburg it was actually through living in the dorms and being in classes with them. “ If you don't have a hobby in this country, its harder to meet people. I need to develop a hobby." This was one of the statements from a student Nathan interviewed. Once again, from my personal experience, I do not believe that this is true.

As I read more and more of “My Freshman Year” I noticed myself disagreeing with more and more of the perceptions of the international students of Americans. Even though I read this in discomfort, thinking about how Americans are perceived so differently than what I feel is true, I had to take a step back and put myself in their shoes. Thinking about the CLUE project, and how we have been visiting other cultures and communities on campus, we are making observations and assumptions as well. We have been perceiving people through our vision as well, making accusations that might not actually be true, just as the international students are doing. We base our perceptions off of things that we see or hear, (only certain students or certain parts) just like those students have done on Americans (not actually seeing a whole).