John Muller Blog 10 Sex Race and Moving Forward

My journey through 332 was very eye opening and I am very glad to have chosen this class for my GER. I have never been in a class that inspires as much thought as 332. There were certain topics that had never even crossed my mind that now I find myself thinking about often. Furthermore, the diversity in the class and the encouragement to think differently allowed for tremendous class discussions where issues were tackled from any number of angles. I think this general way of learning allowed for me to change the way I think about things and approach a problem. I certainly learned that there are so many ways of looking at issues and this class helped me open my mind and view issues from the perspective of various other diverse people.

I discovered that even though I never thought of myself as diverse being a white male that I can offer a different perspective on things based on my own experiences as well. Just because I am not part of a minority doesn’t mean I can’t relate with the stories and films that I not only watch in class but see all around me. I also learned that a community is more than just you inner group of friends and can form within a classroom. Often classes at William and Mary you can feel competitive with your classmates and it seems like survival of the fittest but the community that formed in 332 was very supportive and everyone wanted each other to succeed and everyone was open to hearing varying opinions. Moving forward I think what I have learned will help me after I graduate and in the real world. Being able to think outside of the box is a valuable skill and I think the education I received from 332 and William and Mary will help me to think critically and give me an edge over those who received a more of a “cookie cutter” education.