Natural Gas, Immigration, and Death

Natural gas was a main discussion in class, and continues to be a main discussion in our economy. The finding of the Marcellus Shale, which lies partly in Pennsylvania, is the reason so many gas-drilling and energy companies are moving in on our territory. The question still remains whether to trust these companies or not? Personally, I see the good in them and discussion didn't really change my thinking. I live in a rural area of farmland and woods, and my neighbor town, Benton/Orangeville, has felt the impact of gas-drilling. Although people get paid an incredible amount of money, it could be harmful in a number of ways. Digging into the ground and disturbing the under-layers can cause pollution in drinking wells, and fracking can damage our environment. A few people in class had mentioned that they knew people, who agreed to gas-drilling, that could light their water on fire! Plus, no one knows the long-term affects of being exposed to gas-drilling either. All of these ideas were brought up and truth is, anything could have a negative effect on the environment! I'm sure an airplane isn't environmentally-friendly, but people still use those to take luxurious vacations. Gas is a natural resource that is essential to our economy! In my opinion, do what you have to do!


Rachel led discussion about Chinese Immigration in Italy. This is very strange to me, because I can't imagine why the Chinese would choose Italy as their migrant country. Why don't they expand into other Asian countries, such as Korea or Malaysia? The class quickly changed my thinking on this proposal, because it's true that Asian countries do not like to be associated/mixed with one another. This immigration doesn't affect me personally, but I could only imagine what it would be like to finally travel to Italy one day. I would be very confused if everything was written in Chinese and if there were Chinese restaurants and Chinese symbols on the streets. Because Italy is very culture-oriented, I can't help but picture Italy with cobble stone sidewalks, fountains, and statues. I think from a tourism standpoint this could hurt their economy. All in all, I don't think the Chinese belong in Italy because they are complete opposite cultures.

Wendy led discussion about green funerals. I understand this "movement" provides consumers with more alternatives to burial and funerals, but I don't like this idea. Personally, I would go the old-fashioned way. Moreover, I believe many people today would choose the old-fashioned way because it's what they're used to. (Although, this may be attractive to some; I know a lot of people who are Vegan or environmentalists and would probably consider an environmentally-friendly funeral.) All in all, I think this idea could definitely catch on, just like the idea of solar panels. Consumers are just waiting for a definite "this really works!" Once consumers see other people doing something, it eventually catches on like a trend. Finally, from a business stand-point, I can congratulate the business leaders that opened their companies to this untapped market.

Penn State.

When news broke that legend, Joe Paterno, was fired effective immediately from Penn State's Football staff, it broke a lot of hearts, including mine. I have never been a huge Penn State fan, but I love attending football games and have friends and family that attend Penn State. It's incredible that I even felt the hit of the news. I think it was mainly because I felt bad for him. I mean, by saying that he was a legend, and the face of Penn State, is even an understatement to the impact he has had on the Penn State community and associates. The fact that they made a quick decision within three days and wouldn't even let him attend the last home game was astounding to me! I wanted to cry. This makes me wonder if there are things that the public still doesn't know? Or if the Board wanted to preserve the image of Penn State and decided the best way was to implement their crisis management plan? Either way, they knew they were going to shake up the whole community.

After a few days of discussing this topic in classes, and with family and friends, I think the situation is finally calmed for the most part. Now that they are investigating, the public is just waiting to hear what is next.

I think firing Joe Pa was lawful, but not ethical. A lot of people argue that if it was anyone else, the situation would be different. But we should all agree that he deserved a little more than a phone call. I think the biggest problem was the image of Penn State in a crisis like this. The amount of people that this has affected (current students, fans, prospective students, alumni, stakeholders, etc.) is immeasurable.

Our discussion in class related to the ethics of the matter, not the lawfulness. I think the graduate assistant had no excuse for handling the matter the way he did. I think his career and alterior motives got in the way of the safety of a young child, and the safety of the University at large. He was very unethical! With that, Joe Paterno did what he was supposed to do but didn't investigate it furthur, that is unethical! I think they were afraid of what would happen because they had so much responsibility. But now we can see that pushing it under the rug made it one thousand time worse!

More on Taxes Ahead...

The biggest issue in our country is solving our debt, and I feel like our class has been there every step of the way! We had discussed "Rick Perry's Not-So-Flat Tax Plan" which is another proposal to pay our nation's debt. I did not know much about this tax plan until I had read the article and, once we discussed it in class, I completely disagree with it. At first, I thought everyone in the class had supported it, but after looking into the details, I was surprised that anything like this had a possibility of being passed! First, this tax plan separates the rich and poor by hitting the poor harder and the rich actually end up paying less. I am a believer that the rich should pay more than anyone, because from an economic standpoint, they typically use more of the country's infrastructure than anyone! Second, I think it's ridiculous that the rich would be paying LESS than past years, because how will this solve the debt problem?? The poor will be the ones to pick up the slack when they are struggling to put food on the table for their families. I am all for the rich being taxed the most!!And I'm happy that this tax-proposal was not passed!

I was the first one to present an article and I'm very happy with how it went. When I first saw the Twitter article, it caught my eye because I saw so much more than the simple fascination of Amy Jo Martin being a Twitter coach. I had a field day tearing this article apart, and loved getting opinions from the class. Personally, I do not have a Twitter. I understand the simplistic, innovative social media network and can see why everyone is obsessed, but I grew up with 5 channels and still do not own a smart phone. (I am very opinionated of people who never look up from their cell phones or computers). But anyway, I thought the class had a lot of input to all of my questions, especially the males because they are more into athletes. I believe they now understand the severity of what their favorite athletes post because they are icons. Also, I feel as though they will stop looking at Twitter as a personal social media network and more as a marketing tool for our companies.

Sports in Business!

The Green Bay Packers have recently become a legacy in football. I feel this is because they overcame their "under-dog" label after winning the 2011 Super Bowl. I enjoyed the article, not because I'm a sports buff, but because I'm from a small town, too. It's not Pittsburgh or Miami, it's Lambeau. I think their small town, "for the fans" persona compliments their accomplishments in the NFL. It's almost like their fans come first, but I think that should be the case for any team, league, performer, etc. Without the devoted fans, these people are nothing. The NFL would be nothing if millions of people didn't tune into the Sunday night game. That's just the way I feel.

This article made me think of my experience with the Philadelphia Phillies. I took a tour of the NEW stadium in 2008 (before they won the World Series). Everything the tour guide ended with "for the fans." I was surprised to hear the most expensive ticket price was $84!!! This relates to that "hometown" feeling that all the fans in Lambeau have. Whether or not they don't pay out to shareholders, they shouldn't have to if that's what their NFL rules state. I believe if you become part of the Green Bay Packers, you're okay with not getting "paid back," you're just happy to be part of the legacy!

On the other hand, Manchester United is doing anything but "keeping it hometown." It's no wonder this team is a global giant. Why? They are the best team of the most popular sport in the world. I don't believe soccer is as popular in the United States as in other countries around the world, but everyone in our country has at least heard of Manchester United. Even I have so that's surprising. This article gave me a new appreciation for the sport. I was surprised of the fact that no NFL teams can have advertisements on their jerseys, but soccer jerseys can ONLY have advertisements. It's no wonder why every company wants to be a part of Manchester United, because they are the best way to market. They are well-respected and worldly. It's also good to hear that the team takes pride in their sponsors, too, by creating relationships and preserving that connection.