I know that this is from about 3 weeks ago but i am still thinking about it. I dont know if yall remember but it was the class that we talked about race and we had 2 vistors to come in and talk to us. Cassie made the comment that her roommate would always say hey to everyone that she knew when she walked by even if the only way she knew them was class. Cassie also said that, this may not be exactly what she said, but it was something like how the only reason she did this was because her roommate was black. Do yall think that way?? For me i totally disagree. I am a very social person so i say hey to everyone i pass even if i have never seen them before. Do yall think that that is a culural/race thing?? Let me know what youre thinking.

dude, i completly see where you're coming from. i actually saw (i'm not completely sure on her name) treesa? today in sanford and smiled and said hello, even though i have only seen her once before in my life. i was brought up in a family who always taught to be friendly. "keep your enemies far and few" is what i learned. now im not saying that by not saying hello to someone in class is going to create enemies, but i don't think that person will think very highly of you. i didn't agree with cassie's statement at all, but i wasn't sure if i was the only one or not. i'm the kid that smiles to almost everyone i pass on campus or the street. i have regular conversations with joshua (the rock seller) and harold (the hemp seller) on king st. perhaps i'm overly friendly, but i don't think that has to do with my race.

Kelly Ann, I agree with you completly.I am a very social person also. I speak to almost every one even if I don't know them. I don't think that it has anything to do with race at all. I think it has a lot to do with the type of family you grew up in

this is so funny because i can see what cassie means by her statement that about her roomate always saying hello to people. i think what she was saying was that her roomate, who is black, will always say hello to every other black person she passes on campus, regardless if she's ever had a class with them or met them or not. i know that some people are really friendly and smile and/or say hi to people they pass walking around, especially if they recognize their face, but i have noticed my boyfriend (who is also black) doing the same thing that cassie's roomate does...say hello to all black people he passes. david doesn't say hello to everyone he passes like that, and when i asked him why he does that, he doesn't say much, "its just something i do." i don't know what to conclude from this or if i even made any sense here...but i thought i would share my story also.

this is interesting...I think the point trying to be made is that because there are fewer blacks at ASU, Cassie's roommate speaks to each of them. Maybe it's a matter of comfort, belonging, being understood. But at the same time, I don't only speak to the whites I pass, and I have been in situations when I, as a white, was a minority. I didn't make a point to speak to all the whites then. So...i think it's a matter of personality as well.

Does Cassie's roommate speak to no white strangers? Is that a fair question?

haha maybe i should chime in on this thread of conversation, huh? um, TRECE (as it is spelled ) agrees with me and the point i brought up. i guess because black americans are a minority here, they feel more of a sense of comradity. it was a pretty big generalization of me to make, but i still stick by it. i mean, for pete's sake - right after trece and i walked out the door and down the stairs after that class, she saw a black woman she didnt know and they both said hey to each other out of nowhere. immediately trece turned around to smile at me b/c she knew she'd just proven my point right.

in response to the question about whether or not she talks to other white strangers just as much, NO, SHE DOESN'T! it's just so weird. so i can't really say she's just a chatty person and recognizes everyone. if that were so, then she'd be saying hey every 20 seconds to someone as she walked across campus, regardless of color. but she can pass 50 white people, not say a word, and come across one black person and recognize that black person verbally.

another interesting thing i thought about the other day when she made a statement...trece said, in passing, she was at a party and saw a guy she'd never seen before. so she automatically said, "oh, i know he dont go here!" so i see that its very important to her to have to recognize every single black person on this campus because they are a minority. i mean, i see a knew face everyday but when i do, i dont assume that person doesnt attend asu. but when trece saw an unfamiliar black face, she assumed that. so there's definitely some connection there.

p.s. im not saying she doesnt talk to white people period. no, she does. if she knows you or recognizes your face from somewhere, she'll say hey. but that night i said that in class, i was just trying to make the point that just because someone is in my class i dont walk up to them and say, "hey, i know youre in my class so i just wanted to acknowledge you and say hello." i dont do that and i know a lot of people dont either. but with trece it's like (and dont get offended b/c i know im completely sanctioned by trece to say this) she'll pass a black person and the underlying message of their exchanges of "hey" is, "hi there, i see youre black too, so i'll say hey to you even though i don't know you." i dont mean that in a bad way at all - so please dont yell at me in class. it's just a plain observation i made. im not making assumptions about what that observation means though.

I would have to agree with CASEY on this one, and no it isn’t because we are engaged. I have noticed the type of trend that she has described in several other blacks students at ASU. They may not know or have ever seen someone, but just because they are black they feel they must go and talk to that person. I do have the feeling that Angela is right in the fact that this behavior could be due to the fact that they are a minority and find comfort in one another. I’m not really sure though because I am not a black person.

casey, i'm sorry but i still don't understand why you wouldn't smile or say hello to someone you see from class? perhaps i was just raised differently, but i feel i can honestly say that if i recognize you i will say hello or smile. ask leah, i know more random people on king street than a normal person. why is this? i don't know, but i acknowladge each of them every time i see them on the street, in a bar, at a party, or on campus.

I dont think that people smile or say hello because of a cultural thing, i think it is more about a persons personality and comfort level. Sometime i smile or say hello to someone i have never seen before if i feel comfortable or if i get a certain vibe from them. I dont think there is anything wrong with not saying hello to everyone you meet. Its just how you feel at a certain point in time around a certain person.

Ok, so I was thinking about the people I say hello to & why I speak to them & not others... I think as far as strangers, it's people who smile at me, look like they could use a smile from me, or perhaps have on a shirt with a band I like, or are hanging out with a friend of mine. I remember when I first came to boone I spoke to EVERYONE I passed, but over time I just decided to pick & choose whoever has "good vibes". Like everyone has said, it's personal... I think you just connect with certain people & as far as ethinicity- that's just a really obvious thing they can connect with!

thanks Kaelyn thats how i am! i have always been very friendly to everyone!! i am a very happy-go-lucky kind of person! whats that quote??? " it take about 34 muscles in your face to frown and 15 to smile, so share a smile" i dont know thats kind of corny much i mean its the truth!!!