For this Digital Scavenger hunt assignment I decided to search for the term Boogaloo. I decided to search for this word because it sounded fun and It was a word that I am unfamiliar with. The earliest reference that I found was that In the New York Times. On March 11, 1966 an article, Dance: philly-dog Routing Boogaloo, discusses the various music trends around that time. Although he doesn’t explicitly state this he alludes to it by describing a female getting “into the boogaloo.” “The girl, hair blowing wild, dress-nude look complete-gaping wide at empty seams, moved with a sort of flip shy confidence into the boogaloo.”The author describes how it beginning to lose it fame and the new  popular dance style the Philly Dog. He writes “ the boogaloo is doomed. Have you heard of the Philly Dog? You will. Its coming in.”

The book One Thousand Novelty and Fad Dances written by Tom Nelson, describes the Boogaloo as a “ fluid style that uses every part of the body.” Those who dance in this style ensure that their entire body flows together.

Google Books Ngram Viewer, displayed that the term Boogaloo began being used in the late 1950s and its use increased in the 1960’s. The author of the New York Times article discussed how the Boogaloo will lose its fame to some new dance style. This is supported by the graph which displays a decrease in the usage of boogaloo in the early 1970S. To get a better idea of how Boogaloo looked like, I searched for videos that deosntrated the dance style. My favorite was a combination of an electric boogaloo, which I included in a link below.

Why would an African-American join the the confederate army? We discussed this in class and many students provided valid reasons as to why they suspect black men would join a confederacy that has enslaved, dehumanized, and oppressed them.

I ask myself a similar question every time a Palestinian joins the Israeli army. How could you serve a country that continously agonizes  your fellow people. I think the reason why they feel the need to join the army of their opresser is for the following reason. When an individual is constantly told that he or she is worthless and can never amount to anything, they come to believe in it.  They become the “lesser individual” that they have been told they are.

In “Mean Girls” Regina George consistently taunts and ridicules her friend Gretchen Weiners. Gretchen truly believes she is inferior and therefore follows her every command. Unfortunately,  succumbing to the remarks of others is inevitable for many people.

These “oppressed” individuals develop a “self” which mirrors the expectations and perceptions of the oppressor. This development of self is called the looking-glass self, a social-psychological concept developed by Charles Cooley. Seeing as slavery ended along with the Civil War, one can only speculate why a black man would join the confederate army.

As a Palestinian it never ceases to amaze me when an arab is so sympathetic to Israel that they discriminate against their own kind.  My brother-in-law and I went to McDonald’s in Beit Or, an Israeli city with a large Arab population. I approached the cashier and noticed that his name was Ahmed which gave away his Arab origins right away. I proceeded to order my meal in Arabic and to my surprise he yelled at me in Hebrew! Embarrassed due to the looks of the Israelis waiting in line behind us, and the fact that he refused to answer me in Arabic, I asked him why he wouldn’t answer me. The manager became aware of this issue, yelled at the cashier and took my order.

I thought for a while about why he was reluctant to answer me in Arabic despite being an Arab. I suspect that he was embarrassed of his origins. He would rather be an Israeli than be a Palestinian. He came to believe that Israelies are more superior and that he would rather be an “undercover Israeli” than embrace his true origins. Now the connection between this story and blacks joining the confederate army may differ. But I believe that Blacks in the confederate army and Ahmed truly felt inferior. They were told that their race is inferior and they came to believe it. Ashamed of their origins they attempt to makeup for their “shortcomings.”

An inevitable obstacle that all pre-med students must strive to overcome is the MCAT. A daunting exam which determines whether or not one can achieve his or her dream to become a physician. I always try to form a connection between the classes I am taking to the MCAT. By forming these connections, I can determine how I can improve to be a better test taker.

One of the many things I have learned in this class is the importance of critical reading and listening. The verbal reasoning section of the MCAT is the biggest struggle for pre-med students majoring in the sciences. The several weeks in this class taught me how much I struggle with critical reading and listening. Unfortunately, I have been unable to hear the “beats” described in class. When Henry Thomas’ Railroadin came on I could barely decipher what he said. That is not my only struggle, reading “Shallows” and “Segregating Sound” was  another battle. After reading both books, I understand the “big picture” but I fail to comprehend the many details they provide and the arguments they seamlessly integrate into their works.

From the beginning of class, we discussed the importance of obedience and discipline in reading and listening. To become a good physician, I must be able to interpret the symptoms a patient presents. These signs can also be nonverbal. However, in order to do so, I must be a critical reader, who can interpret the signs presented to me, and draw conclusions based off of what is presented. In the MCAT, I must also draw conclusions based off the literary work presented.  I have 9 more months until I take the MCAT. I got my work cut out for me, but hopefully, I will discipline my mind in the art of reading so that I may overcome this heinous exam!

As I was looking at my Facebook feed I came across a video: “12 Nursery Rhymes You Didn’t Know Were Racist.” (I Included the link below) I am a very positive individual and always try to see the good in others. Although Donald Trump really is pushing that side of me, but let’s not dive into politics!  Last week we were discussing the influence of African Americans during the early 20^th century on American music culture. When I heard that the national anthem of Texas was about a man and his black love interest I was really confused. Texas?! Really? But I guess it’s just human nature to stereotype in some ways. But it really is shocking knowing that a heavily racist state would be singing about African Americans.   This brings me to back to my point about the nursery rhyme video. I never realized how racially rooted this country was until Dr. O’Malley made me aware of it in class. As a Muslim Palestinian I am quickly aware of racism that is directly related to my culture. This may be an issue in and of itself. I am quickly aware of the hatred imbued against my culture, but fail to realize the hatred towards others. I think all people, regardless of race, heritage, and culture, should be more empathetic and socially aware and embrace different selves, including myself.

I also think there is an issue with how I listen to music. Miller describes learning as a feelingful activity. He adds that by thoughtfully listening to music we should be able to embrace various “selves.” When I first listened to the State of Texas song, I really did not answer it. That is because I have not been disciplined in the “art” of listening to music. On day one of the class, I supported the notion that music should be a backdrop in our daily lives. Now I have to disagree with myself. In order to truly understand the essence of the music, to embrace the lyrics and the passion of the artist, I must listen thoughtfully. As I listen to Railroadin by Henry Thomas, I should embrace this shared experience of the Great Migration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH1FtENNlFU