Yeah

Hey everyone, Brandon here, and I guess I will begin with an introduction. Originally born in Berks County, I then moved one county over to Lebanon County, before making a return here for college. I love to skimboard. Maryland and Delaware beaches are where I'll be found for a majority of the summer. I also enjoy longboarding, or "sidewalk surfing," which is why I'm quite fond of the hills around campus. My winters are spent on my snowboard, normally at nearby Bear Creek. My love for the beach has inspired me to study it in college, a marine physics major. I love to listen to music. I like to describe my taste as chill, artists like Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Eels, and Bright Eyes take up more space on my hard drive then anything else. I would have to say the highlight of my life to date would either be my snowboarding trip to Breckenridge, Colorado, or the last trip to Ocean City, Maryland this summer where the waves were nothing less then gorgeous. I was a two sport athlete in high school and have loved sports as long as I can remember. Captaining both the soccer and track teams this year was an experience I will never forget. Oh, I forgot to mention, Philadelphia will be winning the Super Bowl, and Penn State will be winning the National Championship.

Now I understand I am supposed to reflect a little on Raymond Williams' "Culture is Ordinary." It raised some interesting points to me while I was reading it. Culture really is ordinary. Feeling out of place somewhere away from your comfort zone is about as normal as human life. Not only does this statement represent a difference between the many countries of the world, but the many differences inside those countries that make them unique. Different really is normal. The only reason culture will never be accepted as normal is a theory I learned in tenth grade history, ethnocentrism. Every culture has a feeling of being the best, and until culture really is accepted as normal, it will be difficult to portray as normal. Raymond Williams may have been correct in his statement, and culture is what makes the world what it is, but while culture may be ordinary, it will be a long time until it is truly viewed that way.