Close to home??

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this article from The Baylor Lariat.

http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=50768

In Honor of Earth Day

Have you changed your lifestyle to make it more "green"? What kind of changes have you made?

I wanted to add that since I’ve written the article about green trends, I’ve noticed even more companies advertising their “greenness.” WalMart launched a green campaign, as did David Weekley Homes, a Texas homebuilder. Because this month hosts Earth Day in a couple of days, even radio stations have picked up on the trend. All of this reinforces the idea that this trendiness of green permeates all aspects of our culture. Do you have any plans for Earth Day?

Rebekah

Studying Foreign Language: ¿Vale la pena? (Is is worth it?)

by Faith Rice-Mills

Every semester when I teach beginning Spanish, I am curious about my students’ reasons for taking the class. On the index cards I pass out at the start of the semester, the students tell me their names, age, birthdays and what they hope to take away from the class. While many write “I want to be able to talk to people from other countries,” many responses still indicate the only reason the student is taking the class is because it is required for his or her degree.

My class is not necessarily always a fun class. Yes, I try to hold their interest by piling bizarre clothing on top of my outfit and teaching them that my Turkish belly dancing skirt is “una falda azul {a blue skirt} and my rain boots are “mis botas feas” {my ugly boots}. But an infinite number of workbook pages and hours upon hours of watching the Spanish language soap opera Destinos does not always endear me to my students.

I do not expect my students to love my class or even like it. What is disappointing is the lack of interest in learning a subject that could eventually prove to be valuable. Many of these students have been taught to believe that if an individual immigrates to the United States, he or she should learn English. While I will not agree or disagree with this opinion, I notice that the same people refuse to acknowledge that one day they may be in a situation where English is not the dominant language and they will not be able to communicate.

It is impossible for me to comprehend this aversion for learning another language. Does it originate from fear? Are we afraid that if we are bilingual we will lose our identity as Americans? Many young French, Danish, German, Japanese and Mexicans have been speaking English since a young age and yet continue to identify with their culture. Or maybe it is because, although we do not express it explicitly, we have an inherent belief that the United States is an empire and everyone should eventually have to learn its dominant language.

I have heard many complaints: “I hate that so many instructions come in both Spanish and English,” “I hate it that I have to wait to listen to the Spanish recording when I want to talk to someone at the bank.” I have heard clerks complain when Spanish speakers come to their lines and only know a few words of English. However, these same people vacation as far as Europe or as close as Mexico and complain because no one can give them directions. It baffles me when they say “I mean, come on, how hard is it to learn a few words of English.”

How hard is it to learn a few words of Spanish? How about a few words of Chinese? German? Arabic? There is no method proven accurate in measuring the difficulty of learning a foreign language being that the capacity to learn language varies from individual to individual. I will not lie; it is not exactly easy. I have studied Spanish for ten years and sometimes still say “la día” instead of “el día.” At the same time, I also know that most Spanish speakers appreciate any attempt to communicate with them in their native tongue and don't mind “la día.” I assume speakers of many other languages feel the same way.

I am not suggesting we all sit down for an hour every day and conjugate verbs. I am not suggesting everyone be bilingual. I am simply hoping for a change in perspective. The belief that the United States is a powerhouse and therefore everyone must learn to communicate with us instead of vice versa is ignorant. Since I graduated from college my peers (who mostly did not remember much from their foreign language classes) have gone on to teach in Japan and complete their medical school rotations in hospitals located on the Texas border. As a history teacher, my sister was assigned three ESL classes and most of her students do not communicate in English. Even Brad Paisley sings, “I wish you would study Spanish” to his former self in the song “Letter to Me.”

In our changing world it is necessary that we see other languages as tools rather than use our lack of knowledge about them as an excuse to fuel ignorance and prejudice. Whether the United States remains a major world power or not, it is imperative that we recognize our need for communication, even if we are communicating with very few words. I will help you get started; Hola. ¿Cómo te llamas? [Hi. What is your name}. Now repeat. Next word: Mucho gusto {Nice to meet you}. Now repeat and then repeat it to someone you have just met.

Question of the Week: 4/15/08

Tell us about your 2007 income tax experience. Will it affect the way you vote in 2008?

Synonyms: Green and Trendy?

Does anyone remember last fall when NBC went "Green" for a week? They included infomercials with NBC celebs spouting tips and facts about how to live "greener," and the kicker: a "Green" wedding on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, equipped with a "How To" guide to have the "green" wedding of your dreams (never mind this is the character's tenth time to wed.)

Yes, folks, being "green" is now equivalent to being the cool kid in school. Green has gone mainstream.

If you watch television on a semi-regular basis you've seen the commercials for old brands with new outlooks. Chlorox offers an "all natural" line now, as do almost all major brands and, even if you don't shop at Whole Foods, you can still buy "green," and you can still BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag.)

There are new brands on the market, too. Seventh Generation, for example, whose newsletter the Non-Toxic Times also instructs and informs consumers about all things healthy and natural, recently made a cameo in the romantic comedy "27 Dresses" with big-name celebrities Katherine Heigl, James Marsden and Edward Burns. Consequently Edward Burns' character is also very green. He drives a hybrid and is a vegetarian.

It's not just cleaning products either. General Electric, a company with a history of promoting its stewardship of Mother Earth, recently aired an ad with a house-hugging tree, a play on the popular phrase 'tree hugger.'

Even more fascinating is a recent New York Times piece, which innocently poked fun at the trendiness of "green" in an article called "For ‘EcoMoms,’ Saving Earth Begins at Home." This article looked particularly at women in one of the wealthiest parts of the United States and captured the guilt they feel for their 4,000 plus square-foot homes and four-car garages. They sit around contemplating how to remove dry-erase markers from their children's schools and reading the "Green and Clean Mom" blog, all the while lessening their carbon footprint.

It's a conundrum indeed.

If media is ultimately a reflection of society, then we're living in a relatively green society, where a majority of Americans make a conscious effort to conserve, reuse and recycle, great news for the earth and its most fastidious proponents. Trends circulate ideas to mass amounts of people, who may otherwise never understand the need to go green or the current environmental problems we face. Trends, indeed, change the world.

The problem with trends is that they are just that: they change, they fade, and you look back in ten years and ask, "What were we thinking?" Trends may also lead to "fake" advertising and gimmicks. Companies may label their products "natural" or "organic" just to make an extra buck. Without any sort of regulation, anything can be "green."

Recently a woman asked Yahoo! Answers "How long do you think this 'green' trend will last?" It's a question on a lot of people's minds, despite where you might fall on the political spectrum. Sadly, the most popular answer on Yahoo! was "When it stops making companies money," and for all of our sakes, I hope that proves untrue.

Rebekah Sills