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Hi, my name is Christopher Sixl. My family moved to the United States of America twelve years ago from Frankfurt, Germany. I'm a freshman this year at the Institute of Technology and my intended major is Mechanical Engineering.

My personal belief about gender is that it plays a very important role in how we perceive the world in which we live, the relationships we have with others, how we do things, how we think, what kinds stereotypes are drawn about us, and how we handle situations. From what I have seen and experienced, men and women interpret things differently, and seem to handle things on a more emotional basis. Men try to seem like they are neutral to things in a way that sometimes makes them seem cold and unemotional. It's kind of like how guys don't cry in movies. Women are more in touch with their emotions and are more comfortable handling them than men are. That's why when I have a problem with a friend or something I go to a girl rather than a guy. Guys are problem solvers and this approach usually doesn't work well with situations that require more emotional intelligence.

Gender can also affect power in relationships in families, between employees, and between friends. In some families men dominate their wives because society has taught them that they are dominant simply because they are men. The same thing can happen in the workplace.

I also think that society's view on gender has changed significantly in the recent past. A couple hundred years ago it would have been considered crazy for a woman to leave her family, get an education, and find a job. That was what society expected guys to do. I believe that although it isn't perfect, the opportunities that were once only available for men are open to both men and women. Things could always get better though.