Binta and the Great Idea

In this film, there are two important issues at hand. The first one is the importance of school and education. In Senegal, not all students are required to go to school like we are here in the United states. Take Soda for example. She did not attend school because her father didn’t allow her to. Her father believed that women are supposed to do house chores and take care of the family, not go to school. However, Soda’s mother agrees with her in that she must go to school. Soda doesn’t want to become ignorant like her parents.
The second topic covered by this short film is the importance of one’s culture.
In the film, Binta’s father comes up with an idea to adopt a western child. He believes that by doing this, he can teach the child the simple and happy ways of life of his community. He thinks that the advances in western culture place a hamper on happiness. He wants the “Tubab” child to experience happiness.
The end of this film was a bit surprising to me. At first, I believed that Binta’s father would embrace the advances in western culture. It turns out that he prefers the simple and almost carefree lifestyle of his region over western practices. Western people might learn the importance of equality, family, culture, identity, and cooperation from Binta’s society.
This film made me realize that culture does play an important role in your life. It is a part of what defines you as an individual. It is where you obtain your morals and attitudes toward life. It is not a bad idea to embrace other culture’s beliefs as well as your own.

the first blog

There are billions of people in the world with some of the same characteristics, but also with some differences. I am like many guys in this world, but there are some things that make me unique. Like many other people, I enjoy, sports, music, and food. I like to have fun and share laughs with others. Sometimes I even like to share laughs at others. My motivations are doubtful people, happiness, and money, along with many other things. I like music just as much as I like sports. Music, to me, is like a complex piece of art form. I spend a lot of time thinking on how we came up with it. Competition is very important to me. I get all the competition I need just by watching sports(preferably baseball and soccer). Food is another part of my life. I love to try different things, and I have honest appreciation towards different foods.

Like many of my peers, I am seeking an education as a strategic move to better my lifestyle. College is a continuation of a long history of learning. My education has allowed me to learn about the necessary things in life. It has also taught me things about all of the different places on earth. Such things that I would have been oblivious to without an education. I would have probably never learned about remote places of the world without the aid of a textbook, and a teacher to teach it. It is this knowledge about different people, cultures, and religions, which have allowed me to broaden my way of thinking. Some ideas or beliefs of others have influenced me in many levels. Schooling has rendered us members of society. It was school which taught us how to behave and act towards other people. School is important from college all the way down to kinder garden.