CAAC Muhannad AlOtaibi by Muhannad AlOtaibi

How were your perceptions about Americans accurate/inaccurate?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-09-20 16:46:16 UTC

I was shocked to be inaccurate, I thought Americans believed in working hard and getting what's your worth, I mean that's what they call The American Dream! I found out that Americans do not believe in getting what they are worth, and that they do not trust their economic system.

Was Edward T. Hall right about what cultures reveal and hide?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-09-20 16:53:19 UTC

I believe Edward is right since I figured out that we the outsiders judge Americans more than they do for themselves, I saw that Americans were not self-aware, the culture is too diverse to be self-aware.

What did you discover about Americans that is not visible?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-09-20 16:55:24 UTC

I thought that Americans discarded religion and focused on science and their materialistic world, that's what most of my country thinks, however, I saw how much they value god, it's even written in their slogan "In God we Trust".

What did you discover about your home culture (if anything)?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-09-20 16:58:07 UTC

As I asked and heard what some Americans replied to some questions, I discovered that we aren't that far away from other cultures, specifically American's culture. Many values were the same although I thought that we were too far apart. We're both patriotic. We're both social and proud. I discovered that our perception as a country was faulty, we were too brainwashed by the media.

Explain 3 things you LEARNED this week.

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-02 09:01:46 UTC

1- I acknowledge the cause of the change in the number of immigrants which is:
The country, by 1924, began to limit immigration. The total number of immigrants per year

Dropped. As per the author, “a quota system was established to specify a number of

Immigrants that could come from each country.” heavily favoring immigrants from northern and Western Europe.
The system remained in effect until the year 1965,

2- I understood some of the challenges that diversity presents to a country such as: " In a country where diversity is limited, people won’t be as accepting of other cultures, and that would put them at a disadvantage because they’re not exposing themselves to new ideas, way of thinking, lifestyles.

But it’s a double-edged sword, take the US as an example. Even though it’s a very diverse country, they’re still not willing, or many people are not very welcoming of immigrants, this is due to the increasing numbers of immigrants entering the US illegally. This would make it harder to provide additional immigrants with the support they need. So yes, diversity can be positive, but not always. The US is a melting pot because throughout its history it was a country that attracted many immigrants, but this only made everyone assimilate into the dominant culture, which in the case of the USA is the western European culture.

3- I learned that freedom has a price to be paid which is, self reliance: Individuals must learn to rely on themselves, emotionally and financially. they try to be Independent, away from their parents as fast as possible. At first I thought that was a disadvantage and that families in the US are so broken and disconnected, I didn't know/understand what it being independent meant.

State 2 things you want to LEARN MORE ABOUT.

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-02 09:01:58 UTC

1- I want to learn more about how did the United States of America face immigration in war periods, did they allow immigrants from enemy countries? Or were they faced with lots of discrimination?

2- I want to learn more about how the United States stayed united when it's full of immigrants, and why were/were the Europeans superior to other races for a while?

State 1 thing you DON'T UNDERSTAND.

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-02 09:02:07 UTC

I'm really struggling to understand what exactly makes someone an American. I mean, I get that there were indigenous peoples who were the original inhabitants, but it seems like over time, America has become this melting pot of people from all over the world. It's just hard for me to grasp what the core American identity is. Why is it that some Americans are so discriminatory towards new immigrants? It all feels so complex, and I can't quite wrap my head around it.

Essays

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-18 04:22:01 UTC

Focus on my supplemental essays for USC especially the two supplemental with 250-word count. I will proofread my supplementals three times a week and gather feedback from Mr. Will Slade and Mrs. Sarah Episcopa. My two deadlines would be Oct 15th and Oct 29th.

For this week I will try to write the short supplemental questions that are answered with less than five words, and I will get feedback on Tuesday and Thursday from Mr. Will, and on Friday I will ask Mrs. Sarah to give more feedback.

For the next week I will try to write three drafts each one will have been done in less than five days. I will write the draft and each time I get feedback I will put it in an Excel sheet to make sure I implemented the feedback I got.

SAT 780 MATH

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-18 04:26:15 UTC

Focus on my SAT Math especially system equations and vertex formulas, and solve 10 questions daily about those two concepts. Until my next exam on December 2nd. To make sure I am on the right track to get a 780 in the Math section. I will have a practice exam for both concepts biweekly and try to see my progress by logging my answers into an Excel spreadsheet.

This week I will solve the past exams of 2022 and review them with Mr Michal Goldstein, this will take 3 hours per day for 5 days only.

Next week I will try to solve the past old exams of 2018-2019 by only solving for three hours per day for 5 days and then next class I will bring in my wrong answers (if any) and review them with Mr Michal.

TOEFL Score 102 -> 115

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:06:39 UTC

To improve my TOEFL Score from 106 to 115, I will take a practice exam every 4 days and try to log every section and every score. I will give myself a month to work on that. I will work with Mrs. Kelly on my TOEFL score and work on my weakness which is the speaking part.

Every week I will log the listening and reading questions I got wrong and try to practice my weaknesses. I will use Google Sheets to log my performance.

TOEFL Listening Log

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:06:55 UTC

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gvNyOR8mHXbK6kvxoL-E6lMnbM8-KIxplYcmuAD48y4/edit?usp=sharing

TOEFL Reading Log

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:11:53 UTC

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Sk6dFqJhnZ8DC-pWF-wU2PN9oueUOzcHHB4Cj3oV1zc/edQit?usp=sharing

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:26:02 UTC

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:32:17 UTC

Becoming Athletic

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:36:34 UTC

I want to become more athletic;I am going to do cardio for 30 minutes a day doing 7km/h on 15% incline and reducing my calorie intake by 500 calories to become 2100. I will keep track of my progress by doing 10 km runs and logging my pace time.

Week One: I will go for 10km/h for twenty minutes and log my pace to see if there was improvement.Then I will do 3km/h for an hour to enhance my endurance 3 days of the week.

Week Two: I will go for 10km/h for twenty minutes and log my pace to see if there was improvement.Then I will do 5km/h for an hour to enhance my endurance 4 days of the week.

Week Three: I will go for 10km/h for twenty minutes and log my pace to see if there was improvement. Then I will do 15km/h for only 7 minutes and 5km/h for 20 minutes for three days only.

Week Four: I will compete in a marathon between me and my friends to run towards the bats bridge and mark my time. Hopefully I will complete the run with only 15 minutes.

Waking up on time!

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:37:03 UTC

To wake up on time! I will do so by setting two devices to wake me up: My phone and my clock that I have just bought. I will set an alarm to go off at 7:45 am exactly and my phone’s alarm would be 7:35. I’ll make sure I am going on the right track by logging my wake up time each day on google sheets. I will try to make this a habit by having small goals to achieve first trying to stay on habit for at least two weeks then a month then comes after it three months since all we need to do to build a habit is maintain doing it for at least 70 days.

Clean Glowy Skin!

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-10-25 07:37:23 UTC

I want to keep my face and skin glowy and clean. I will buy a facial cleanser, a facial moistrizer, facial serum and vitamin c serum and apply it twice per day, one after my morning shower and one before going to sleep. I will log every day that I succeed in doing such a thing and I will try to keep this routine for at least 3 months, the deadline is January 15th.

Were your sources and questions suitable for this assignment? Did they generate a lively discussion? Why or why not?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 13:43:41 UTC

SOURCE

I believe my source was suitable. Even though I only provided one source, CNBC: RAISING SUCCESSFUL KIDS

Is there a ‘right’ age for kids to be on social media? the source covered all the questions and areas of my academic discussion concisely.

QUESTIONS

My questions were suitable and correlated with the topic and source provided. Half the questions were open-ended to provide more freedom and more opinions to flow. Also, I had a question for the participants to reflect on themselves since they might forget that they were in the place of the child.

What did you do well as the moderator?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 13:47:18 UTC

I think I did well in choosing a topic, asking questions, and presenting the summary for the class. The discussion didn't end after the 20 minutes, but my participants continued to seek the optimal ways to give their children their phones. That made me understand how much my topic meant for the participants.

What could you have done better?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 14:03:27 UTC

I disliked the fact that some participants were interrupting each other. Interrupting someone who is sharing their opinion to present a "better" one is not ideal; it shows disrespect. My only recourse was to wait for the interrupter to finish, then revisit the opinion of the person who was interrupted.

After the discussions concluded, I began observing online debates where each party interrupted the other and noted how the moderators handled these situations. I understood interruptions were a thing in my culture and that, usually, the participants in discussions should be strong enough to defend themselves, though still, I am looking for an answer to the best solution for facing interrupters.

What did you learn from this experience?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 14:09:42 UTC

I realized that interruptions are common in my culture. I also gained insight into my participants' backgrounds, their introduction to social media, and its effect on their personalities. Understanding these personality changes helped me grasp social media's impact on children, guiding me on when to introduce my child to it.

Additionally, I discovered my strength in moderating discussions effectively. However, a challenge I face is being firm with friends who are participants. When they view the discussion as a casual conversation among friends, it's harder for me to assertively ask them to stop interrupting.

Euthanasia-- Roaa's Discussion

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 15:30:48 UTC

Summarize your opinion of the sources the moderator provided and the topic in general.

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 15:42:12 UTC

I appreciated the NY Times article Roaa provided, as it succinctly enlightened me on US laws regarding euthanasia. This source was both informative and reliable, and despite its ".com" domain, the NY Times is a reputable outlet. Another source I found compelling was from the National Library of Medicine, a national governmental website. It impressed me with its authoritative, unbiased presentation, grounded in facts and providing counterarguments to euthanasia, along with citations for all its data.

My view is that whether euthanasia is allowed or not, the outcome remains complex. If someone chooses to end their life, what actions could be taken? Penalizing the individual is not feasible, and imposing penalties on families or doctors involved in euthanasia raises ethical questions. However, I believe the government's role in personal life decisions is limited. We've been taught that suicide is wrong, but the rationale is not always clear. If someone decides to end their life, they should have that choice, but it's crucial to actively discourage them from taking such a step.

What did you do well during the discussion?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 15:45:27 UTC

I maintained my stance without dominating the discussion, a tendency I previously had during debates on ethical topics. These discussions often provoke deep questions for me, such as what determines right or wrong, or why certain beliefs are ingrained as correct. Ethics is a subject I am passionate about, and it always sparks my curiosity and eagerness to learn more. Fortunately, this time I managed to balance my enthusiasm with humility, ensuring I listened attentively to all participants and understood the reasoning behind their opinions.

What could you have done better?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 15:47:48 UTC

Admittedly, I have a tendency to judge people based on their opinions, which isn't ideal. Separating an individual's views from their identity and focusing solely on critiquing the idea or concept is something I struggle with. In future discussions, I plan to adopt a different perspective, considering the possibility that a participant might not personally endorse a view but is instead presenting it to explore counterarguments. This is a strategy I often employ myself.

What did you learn from this experience?

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 15:50:52 UTC

I realized that I need to delve deeper into the topics of ethics and the reasons why suicide is considered wrong. The concept of ethics and the way people adhere to them without question is something I find perplexing. Additionally, I've come to understand that views rooted in religion often carry inherent biases and may not always align with personal beliefs. This leads to a tendency where individuals reinterpret religious teachings to match their own perspectives, which can sometimes cast a negative light on the religion due to these subjective interpretations.

What are some of the "single stories" that other people have created, or could create, about you.

MUHANNADMOTAIBI — 2023-12-06 16:02:06 UTC

Many Saudis stereotype Jeddawis as being manipulative in relationships and more influenced by foreign cultures than their own Saudi culture. Conversely, there's a different stereotype about my tribe, portraying us as close-minded, overly aggressive, and oppressive towards women. Additionally, there's a humorous perception based on a hadith involving an Otaibi who cherished the Prophet's shoes. This has led to jokes about Otaibis being obsessed with expensive Arabic shoes and even labeling us as shoe thieves. It's common in Saudi Arabia for each tribe to have its own set of jokes and stereotypes.