<i>Lest We Forget: A Response</i>, other letters

To the Editors:

Naturally, when I read this past week’s review, I was surprised to see that no letters to the editor had been written about the OC Republican sponsored “Never Forget” posters. However, when I first sat down to write, I was confused as to what direction I wanted to take. Perhaps I could have focused on the utter hilarity of Jon Bruno’s statements that, as a political organization, the OC Reps could hold or support an “apolitical event.”

This is in contrast to the rather obvious reality that any action such an organization takes politicizes even the simplest memorial. Or I could have focused on the nature of the “Never Forget” poster campaign. Perhaps I could have stated that the basic assumptions made on these posters draws together a string of disconnected minority political movements in relation, in order to create a blatantly prejudiced view, not only of the Islamic world but also Muslims in general.

However, I finally decided I would rather run with the theme of “Never Forget,” “lest we forget” that these other large international headlines were printed in Sept. 2001:

The “First Anniversary” of the al-Aqsa Intifada reported between 700 and 800 deaths this year of Palestinian-Israeli violence according to Guardian Newspapers Int. and Agence France Presse; on Sept. 13 the Agence France Presse reported that 500 people had died in five days of Muslim/Christian religiously motivated violence in Nigeria. They were buried at night in an unmarked mass grave.

Seven days later there were another 200 reported deaths; the Conita Press International reported one million annual malaria deaths, with an average of one person dying every 30 seconds. This means that on Sept. 11, as many people died from a completely preventable disease as were killed in the terrorist attacks, 2,900; on Sept. 11 the Agence France Presse reported that South Africa had the worlds largest HIV infected population, 4.7 million; according to the Duetsche Presse Agentur, 50 million people were on the brink of starvation in India due to sustained drought and a local economic collapse; finally, just before Sept. 2001, on Aug. 28, the total casualties of a three-year civil collapse in Angola left at least 2.5 million dead and one million homeless. This made the conflict the most violent in terms of casualties on the international scene since WWII, according to the All Africa Inc. Press.

So, “Lest we Forget,” as we remember the roughly 3,000 left dead from Sept 11 (including the hijackers), thoroughly 3,000 American War casualties, the thousands of Iraqi military/militant casualties and 50,000 Iraqi civilian causalities, in a conflict where Sept. 11 was inappropriately used to justify unrelated military action, that we, we are humanity, and as such, our pain knows no boundaries. Hopefully the OC Reps will remember this “dose of reality” the next time they seek to profess such an “apolitical” message.

–Billy Noseworthy
College senior

To the Editors:

How many times have I interrupted my walk to class to spend a dollar on a paper cup of coffee, sweetened with paper packets of sugar, stirred with a flimsy wooden stick, capped with a plastic lid and insulated with a cardboard sleeve, only to throw it all away in ten minutes? As I walk in the door to the Decafé, I feel the nagging guilt of a delinquent student wasting time and money on something that does more harm than good. But I do it anyway, because it’s just this once, because that’s just how it is, and because my once-in-a-while coffee cup is insignificant on top of the mountain of trash thrown away at Decafé every day.

My own apathy shames me, but another realization worries me more: I’m not the only one. The before-class cuppa is not an insignificant “just-this-once” affair when almost every student passing the door to Decafé 15 minutes before the hour goes inside. Others probably react the same way I do to the waste; we all know where paper comes from and where trash goes. And yet we contribute to the refuse, and I, at least, delude myself that it won’t matter in the end.

Do many of us believe, consciously or not, that our actions make no difference? Do we feel that way about bigger things, too, like votes?

To speak of “bigger things:” as an educational exercise, I try to read The New York Times daily, critique it and react to it (“That’s too bad,” or “Oh, good,” depending on the story). What I don’t do is imagine what I could or should do in response to the situations reported. I tend to take news as a record of inevitable facts. Facts, perhaps, but inevitable? If the news past was inevitable, then there is no way to avoid similar events in the future. The muckrakers at the Times might as well go home.

I don’t want us to miss our opportunity to ameliorate the social problems of our day for lack of self-confidence. We are young people with wealth, education, leisure time and a choice about how to spend it. We’d better have what it takes to make some improvements in our society, because if we can’t, or won’t, who will?

I intend this letter to be a personal reflection that I hope may resonate with some others who feel powerless at times. By no means is it meant as a sweeping criticism. There are many activists on campus, I’m glad to say, and you have all my respect. I just hope more people, like me, will be encouraged to join your ranks.

–Ashley Taylor
College senior

To the Editors:

Sept. 30 is a day that has been very important in history. It is the day on which, in 1927, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player to hit sixty home runs in a season. In 1399, Henry IV was proclaimed King of England.

But perhaps most important is what will happen Sept. 30, 2006. It is the day the African Union’s mandate in Sudan ends, and its force of 7,000 troops will be withdrawn from the Darfur region. Until this point in time, the African Union’s force is the only measure in place to protect a people from a genocidal government.

Unless immediate action is taken and a United Nations force is put into place, thousands of Sudanese will be vulnerable to slaughter. Already, the Sudanese government in Khartoum, the main perpetrators of the genocide, are amassing troops along the border, preparing to move in as soon as the African Union moves out. The UN has already passed a resolution to send a force of 17,000 troops to Sudan, but will only do it with the permission of the Sudanese government, the very government that is perpetrating the genocide.

The question is, what can we do as students in Ohio to convince the UN to send the peacekeeping force to the region? Get active. In the days leading up to Sept. 30, we need to tell President Bush that we will accept no other alternative but immediate action. Please call once a day. It is the least we can do. It is imperative that the student body makes its voice heard, and convinces the government to take action.

The United States government can influence the United Nations to send a peacekeeping force immediately.

To contact the White House, call (202) 456-1111.

Senator Paul Simon said about the Rwandan genocide that if every Senator had received phone calls from 100 constituents, the United States government would have intervened and thousands of lives could have been saved. As a student body of 3,000 students, we can do a lot better.

–Sarah Rosenthal
College junior
Member of STAND
(Students Take Action Now: Darfur)

To the Editors:

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, I write about the Wright family story in the Sept. 15 issue of the Review. Clearly, as stated in the article, the editors have passed the Wright Laboratory of Physics many times without a moment’s notice or concern, because the picture chosen to accompany the story bears little resemblance to it.

The picture is of the Second Congregational Church building, sold to the College in 1927 to house temporarily the Zoology Department. It was renamed for Albert A. Wright, late Professor of Geology and Natural History and no relation to the airplane family. This building once stood west of the bookstore, but it was demolished in 1959 to make room for Bibbins Hall of the Conservatory.

The only Oberlin landmark other than the Physics Laboratory bearing the name of a member of the family from Dayton, Ohio is the crumbling remains of a marble fountain in front of the Allen Art Museum. It was erected in memory of Trustee Katharine Wright Haskell by her husband in 1931. She was the only one among the five Wright siblings to attend college.

–Bruce Richards
Chair, Department of
Physics and Astronomy

To the Editors:

The Center for Leadership in Health Promotion (formerly the Office of Health and Life Skills Education), the Office of Judicial Affairs and the Office of Residential Education partner to support the College’s mission to provide students with educational programming in an environment that encourages personal growth and individual well-being.

In particular, we seek to support students in making choices that avoid the risks associated with unhealthy or dangerous use of alcohol and other substances. We recognize that students are adults and are expected to obey the law and take personal responsibility for their conduct. As the semester begins we would like to draw your attention to the following policies and initiatives related to alcohol and other drugs:

All students are expected to familiarize themselves with college policy related to alcohol and other drugs. A complete summary of the rules and regulations related to alcohol and other drug use and abuse can be found at www.oberlin.edu/students/links-life/rules-regs.html.
All on-campus parties held in residential spaces must be registered through Residential Education in advance. Students should call x58472 to schedule an appointment. It takes up to five weeks for an alcohol permit to be approved by the state. To host a party with alcohol, a $30 fee is required to receive the temporary alcohol permit. Parties not approved through the party planning process will be held accountable to college policy.
Substance-free housing is available for any student wanting to live a lifestyle that includes abstaining from the high-risk use of drugs and alcohol within their residential community. Please contact Residential Education at x58472 for application information.
AA and Al-Anon meetings take place both off- and on-campus. For complete information, visit www.oberlin.edu/lifeskills/aod.
New to Oberlin College — The electronic THC Online Knowledge Experience (e-TOKE) is a marijuana-specific brief assessment and feedback tool designed to reduce marijuana use among college students. The assessment takes students about 10-15 minutes to complete, is self-guided and requires no face-to-face contact time with a counselor or administrator, www.oberlin.edu/lifeskills/aod/.
Free anonymous on line alcohol screening at www.oberlin.edu/lifeskills/aod/.

–Lori K. Morgan Flood, Assistant Dean/Director
of the Center for Leadership in Health Promotion
–Kimberly Jackson Davidson, Associate Dean of Students/Dean for the Class of 2009
–Adrian Bautista, Associate Dean of Students/Dean for
the Class of 2008
–Molly Tyson,
Associate Dean/Director of
Residential Education

To the Editors:

On the morning of Aug. 29, approximately 80 student athletes and academic ambassadors helped first-year students move into their respective residence halls. They carried refrigerators, blankets, laundry baskets, computers, clothes and many other items to first-year students’ rooms. As administrators who coordinated this project, we wish to express our sincere appreciation to these student athletes and academic ambassadors for their hospitality. You truly served as ambassadors, sending a welcoming message to first-year students and their families.

–Shozo Kawaguchi
Associate Dean of Community Life & Dean of the Class of 2010
–Jason Hudson
Director of Student Athlete Services/Associate Head Track
and Field Coach/Assistant Cross Country Coach
–Randal Doane
Assistant Dean of Studies
–Molly Tyson
Associate Dean & Director of Residential Education

To the Editors:

As required by the Oberlin College Honor Code, I am submitting a summary of cases heard and decided by the SHC during the Spring 2006 semester.

Feb. 19, 2006: A College first-year admitted to having cheated on an exam. The student was found responsible and assigned a 3-5 page paper on academic resources that are available to Oberlin students in different departments. The student was also assigned eight hours of service in the Oberlin Community.

March 5, 2006: A College senior admitted to having cheated on a paper. The student was found responsible. Because of a previous Honor Code violation, the student’s diploma was withheld for one year after graduation and prohibited from participating in graduation. In addition, the student was asked to complete 100 hours of community service and asked to write 3-5 pages on what situations similar to this might arise after college and how he will diffuse or avoid them.

March 5, 2006: A Conservatory senior previously found responsible for cheating on a test was granted an appeal. The student was found not responsible.

March 19, 2006: A professor alleged that a Conservatory sophomore plagiarized on two quizzes. The student was found responsible and assigned a 4-6 page paper on how unintentional plagiarism fits into the Honor Code and presents a problem in academic settings.

March 19, 2006: A professor alleged that a Conservatory sophomore had plagiarized on a paper. The student was found responsible and assigned a 4-6 page paper on how s/he could have avoided the situation and discussing citation methods.

March 19, 2006: A professor alleged that two Conservatory first-year students had inappropriately collaborated on an assignment. One student was found responsible and the other was found not responsible. The student found responsible was assigned a 5-7 page paper discussing the Honor Code system, how it does and does not function effectively and how it can be improved upon.

April 19, 2006: A professor alleged that two Conservatory students — a sophomore and a junior — had collaborated on an exam. The two students were found not responsible due to lack of sufficient evidence.

April 23, 2006: A professor alleged that a College sophomore had plagiarized on a paper. The student was found responsible and assigned a 2-3 page paper on campus resources to aid students with outside matters affecting their academic work.

April 23, 2006: A College junior admitted to having plagiarized on a paper. The student was found responsible and assigned a 2-3 page paper on what could have been done differently in the situation and what college resources could have helped.

May 12, 2006: A professor alleged that a Conservatory senior plagiarized on a quiz. The student was found responsible and assigned a 4-6 page paper on individual responsibility in respect to the Honor, what the student would have done, given the same situation and what resources are available to help Oberlin students with citation issues.

May 15, 2006: A professor alleged that a Conservatory senior and a Conservatory sophomore collaborated inappropriately on an assignment. The two students were found not responsible.

May 15, 2006: A student granted an appeal in a case where a professor alleged that s/he had plagiarized on a paper was found responsible again. The student was assigned a 5-7 page paper on appropriate citation of sources and general knowledge, including specific reference to the Honor Code.

May 24, 2006: A professor alleged that a College senior plagiarized on a paper. The student was found responsible and assigned a 3-5 page paper on citing sources in the specific field of the course.

May 25, 2006: A professor alleged that a Conservatory senior had plagiarized on a paper. The student was found responsible and assigned a 5-7 page paper on the importance of time management, editing, personal responsibility and the advantages/disadvantages of online research.

May 25, 2006: A professor alleged that a Conservatory senior had plagiarized on a paper. The student was found responsible and assigned a 3-5 page paper on proper citation and citation methods.

–Allison Pickett
Double-degree fourth year
Secretary,
Student Honor Committee

To the Editors:

My name is Rick Panfil. I am the General Manager for Bon Appétit at Oberlin College. Bon Appétit Management Company is an on-site custom restaurant company for corporations, colleges and universities and specialty venues. Last year, we launched the Eat Local Challenge to raise awareness about where the food on our plates comes from, the importance of local versus organic and the impact of “food miles” — the distance food travels from the farm to the dining table.

On Oct. 3, 2006, 400 Bon Appétit restaurants and cafes across the country will serve a lunch made entirely of ingredients from within a 150-mile radius of each kitchen. Bon Appétit at Oberlin College collaborates with farmers from the surrounding areas in Hope, Ohio, Shiloh, Ohio, Mt. Eaton, Ohio, Wooster, Ohio and even up the road from Oberlin at the George Jones Memorial Farm. Not only do we help support local farmers but local companies such as Hartzler’s Dairy in Wooster, Gerber’s Chicken in Kidron, Jorgenson Honey in Oberlin and many, many more.

We estimate that 30 percent of our food purchases are from local artisans within 150-mile radius.

The Eat Local challenge is a little bit more then just buying local. The challenge includes the mandate that if we buy pizza dough from Gibson’s bakery in Oberlin that all the ingredients they use are also local. This includes the yeast, oil, flour, salt, sugar and anything else they may use; all ingredients must come from within a 150 mile radius.

We know that we are having a positive influence on the lives in our community.

However, as individuals we all need to help support our local farmers and artisans. By buying directly from local farmers we provide Oberlin College students with the freshest food possible, keep the profits in the local community rather then with in a distant importer and decrease the loss of bio-diverse plant life in the area.

–Rick Panfil
General Manager, Bon Appétit

To the Editors:

Sherrod Brown’s legislative record demonstrates that he has voted against seniors and others who would benefit from lower drug prices. In 2000, Sherrod Brown cosponsored a Medicare prescription drug bill that prohibited the government from negotiating discounted prices and which allowed private plans to administer the benefits (H.R. 4770, Introduced June 27, 2000). This piece of legislation demonstrates the level of hypocrisy in Brown’s campaign rhetoric. Brown has criticized Republicans for voting to privatize services but was responsible for this legislation that created a benefit to be administered “through a contract with a private administrator.” I’m confused!

Doesn’t Sherrod Brown run around screaming in support of negotiating with drug companies? Doesn’t he criticize Republicans for efforts to privatize delivery of benefits? Which Sherrod Brown are we to believe? Brown is willing to say and do anything to win an election!

Senator DeWine has been a friend to older Ohioans. He supported increased funding for the low-income home heating assistance program (LIHEAP), which helps the poor, elderly and disabled pay their heating bills. DeWine has supported legislation to protect Social Security benefits of seniors by repealing the Government Pension Offset provision and the Windfall Elimination Provision which serve to decrease Social Security benefits and most recently, voted for an amendment to repeal the 1993 tax increase on Social Security benefits. Unlike Sherrod Brown, DeWine has voted for legislation to extend the Medicare program’s sign-up period and to allow the federal government to save older Americans money by negotiating prices for Medicare drug plans.

Mike DeWine has been consistent and honest in representing his record. Anyone who claims he walks in tandem with the Republican majority and President Bush is not familiar with all of the legislation. Vote for Mike Dewine to preserve benefits for older Ohioans.

–Michael Lisi
Avon Lake, Ohio

To the Editors:

Fearless, sure.

Awesome, absolutely!

On Tuesday I volunteered at the LifeShare blood drive on campus. I was there to give back, but to my surprise I walked away with more than I gave. After 14 years on campus I realized something that I sometimes forget or take for granted. The students on this campus are awesome and inspiring. After spending seven hours meeting students from all over the world, I saw such a commonality amongst them. They are all good hearted, good spirited, young adults. I did meet a few faculty and staff, but students mostly surrounded me. The room was full of such a positive energy that I could not help but walk away from Wilder without taking home a burst of it myself.

I only saw a small portion of what the students at Oberlin College do to help their community but it renewed my spirit with such vigor that the youth of today is strong, they care about people, and they will be good leaders in a country that so desperately needs them. As a blood product recipient and volunteer of LifeShare, I would like to thank and commend all of you for what you do every day to help others.

–Cindi Manning
Chemistry Resources Coordinator