79 Year-Old Offers Advice to Students About Democracy

To the Editors:

College Student of 2000, I greet you. I am taking this opportunity to converse with you through your college or university newspaper. I do not have name recognition or any great accomplishment to put before you. I come to you as a human being that has lived for 79 years, who loves this country of diversified people, has in common with you our heritage of our forefathers which created our democratic way of government.

Our forefathers had a dream of having a government that governed in a way that all can have liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness. They also saw the importance of education for all. This is your inheritance of the social order we live under and I think you will agree that we are blessed to live in this country. However, this dream of a truly good democracy is a continually creative process and one we will lose if we do not take the responsibility to keep developing and searching for the truth in the meaning of life, liberty and happiness.

Our democracy is in trouble. Our public servants are in bed with large corporations, our laws are being affected by campaign contributions, our information is controlled to a large extent by corporate media. It seems to me that our youth have given up on democracy as shown by the voting record of around 11 percent. "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is you end up being governed by your inferiors." Plato.

The alarm button is being pushed. All of us who are still alive, can think, can get up, have energy, are happy and have survived this drug culture age of sugar, tobacco, alcohol and drugs - legal and illegal -can be thankful. We are blessed in this age of technology with the computer and internet. With these we are able to ove ride the hold the powerful two political parties have over us and the control that media has over what we hear and see.

There are three things young people can do to make a difference:

1) Register to vote, and set up registration tables in every college and university. Voter registration for the General Election on Nov. 7 need to be at the county Boards of Election by October 10 at four a.m.

2) Get on the web, be aware of third parties, find a reason to vote and then vote your conscience.

3) Be in touch with other students who are awake, for it is lonely being by yourself.

The following websites will get you started:

http://www.natural-law.org

http://www.a-reason-to-vote.com

http://www.JohnEastman.org

http://www.green.org,

http://www.lp.org

http://www.constitutionparty.com

http://www.democrats.org/index.htmlhttp://www.rnc.org

http://www.reformparty.org

--Billie Eastman,

Oberlin Resident

Professor of Art Condemns Trash

To the Editors:

Many years ago the distinguished scholar, curator and teacher - Ellen Johnson - gave birth to a wonderful idea - THE ART RENTAL COLECTION. It has become a truly fun occasion where students camp out overnight in the Allen Memorial Art Museum courtyard and adjacent classrooms and corridors. Spontaneous events happen, music is played and stories are told to pass away the cool evening hours until nine a.m. the following day. Students get to choose an original work of art for their room by paying an exceedingly modest fee ‹ used to acquire more works of art for rental. A fringe benefit is that students also get to meet a whole new group of art lovers: kulture vultures, artofiles, you choose the name. It is a tradition I think is marvelous and encourage enthusiastically its continuation.

This year's overnight camp-out had, however, a serious downside. The classrooms, corridors and courtyard were trashed. I have never encountered from socially-minded and politically correct Oberlin students such disrespect for their surroundings. It was a disgusting sight -- beer bottles, pop cans, ashtrays full of butts scattered around, food wrapping, wasted food was everywhere -- NOT JUST THE ODD PIECE OF TRASH -- but a plethora of disgusting trash. I am appalled.

When I noticed this happening, I made an announcement to the 30 or so students still waiting to enter the museum to pick up their choice of art. I asked that they be sensitive and take home any trash that they brought. My announcement was received with derision. This is not what Oberlin stands for ­ or it did not used to. Such attitude soils the memory of Ellen Johnson, is disrespectful of the faculty and staff of the Art department and museum, and gives all students a bad rap.

I hope that this is not a new trend ‹ another example of the "ME" generation ‹ I got mine and screw you "Jack." It is a shame that a handful of insensitive ill-mannered students should be allowed to sully a marvelous tradition.

TRASHERS should be ASHAMED!!

--John Pearson

,Professor of Art

Massachusetts Student Says Best Activism is in Voting

To the Editors:

I go to a small liberal school in Massachusetts. I found your paper online and was reading through it to get a glimpse of Ohio politics. I wanted to go to a liberal source in Ohio, for I am proud to call myself a liberal, and I believe in many of the causes that were protested in Seattle, D.C., Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. However, I am a practical man as well.

It is based on this notion of practicality that I must respectfully disagree with the author of the "Activists" editorial, who lauded the students who were arrested in Philadelphia. While I commend the students for standing up for their principles, I am of the firm belief that change occurs from within, not from without.

While the WTO, Philadelphia and Los Angeles protests are certainly notable for their inclusion and their disruption of the lives of citizens and dignitaries, no great change occurred as a result. Not one. No initiative was scaled back or edited, no great trade barrier was kept in place. So much effort without any real progress. I would hate to say that the protests were for naught. If students drove to D.C., instead of marching, and dressed up instead of dressing down, and had a conversation with lawmakers as opposed to a conversation with themselves, then progress might have been made.

If the problem is with the bureaucrats, then get new ones elected. You have the power to protest, certainly, but you also have the power to change that which is around you.

If all the effort that was put into these protests had been put into getting like-minded candidates elected, then the reforms that were fought so vehemently for would be on the way. The true power of citizens, especially students and young people, is the power of the lever. Vote. Change things.

--Jeremy Hastings

Massachusetts Student

Graduates Advocate Alumni Affiliate Groups

To the Editors:

When I was a student at Oberlin, I used to wonder at times about ways that I could establish relationships or contact alumni for insight regarding some of the challenges and opportunities (career, grad school, etc.) facing me. One mechanism that exists currently at Oberlin for alumni-student interaction is alumni affiliate groups.

The affiliate groups structure was established in 1989 by the Alumni Council to recognize alumni who are bound together by common characteristics, interests and concerns in addition to their status as alumni. Thus, alumni with shared interests have formed groups at their own initiative for purposes consistent with those of the Alumni Association, but that may not be directly addressed by current goals and activities of the Association.

The current affiliate groups include the following: Alumni and Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers in the Environment (ADOBIE); Oberlin Alumni Association of African Ancestry (OAAAA); Oberlin Asian Pacific American Alumni Association (OAPAAA); Oberlin Christian Alumni Association (OCAA); Oberlin College Alumni Bowlers Association (OCABA); Oberlin International Alumni Association (OIAA); Oberlin Lambda Alumni (OLA); Oberlin Latino Alumni Association (OLAA); Oberlin Student Government Alumni Association (OSGAA).

As you can see, the current affiliate groups cover a wide variety of activities and interests. For example, the OAAAA includes 2000 members and has an active interest in all members of the Oberlin community, especially students. To assist students, we raise funds annually for the Black Student Emergency Fund, and provide money to help students deal with unforeseen crises. Also, we invite and include students actively in our reunions.

Student participation in our activities provides us with input and perspective to assist us in prioritizing our goals and strategies. Since many of us are not usually on campus that often, you can help us keep up-to-date with key on-campus issues and opportunities that arise. In addition, as we understand student priorities better, we can assist students further to achieve their goals. Finally, we look forward to the day when students become alumni and join our various affiliate groups. If you have any questions or comments about any of the affiliate groups, please contact the head of that affiliate group directly. On behalf of the OAAAA affiliate group in particular, we welcome your input and interest.

-Dawn Alexander

'82, OAAAA President

-Lori Bolnick

'95, ADOBIE Co-Chair

-Laura Kaufman

'95, ADOBIE Co-Chair

-Jill Medina

'88, OAPAAA Co-Chair

-Larry Herndon

'61, OCAA Chair

-Thomas Rei

'80, OCABA Liaison

-Christopher Ngai

'95, OIAA Chair

-James Harrington

'73, OLA Co-Chair

-Zoe Sherinian

'84, OLA Co-Chair

-Maria Marino Morales

'91, OLAA Co-Chair

-Diana Olivares

'95, OLAA Co-Chair

-Andreas Pape

'98, OSGAA Co-Chair

-Joel Whitaker

'97, OSGAA Co-Chair

Stolen Nader Posters Ablaze

To the Editors:

This is a letter to inform the Oberlin community of some outrageous political attacks on the new Oberlin Nader for President Campaign. Someone or several people have been systematically tearing down flyers advertising the Thursday night meeting to launch the campaign.

Several times during the course of Wednesday, some cowardly individuals went around to several locations on campus selectively tearing our posters. Late Wednesday night, they stole 500+ posters from the mailroom cubby-holes, where they were placed for distribution.

Just moments ago, as I was writing this late-night letter in Biggs, someone SET FIRE to one of our flyers posted on the glass wall, and then fled the scene!!! These are completely outrageous and ominous attacks on our efforts. Whether they are intended to intimidate or simply an ugly joke, they are not something anyone respecting democratic rights should tolerate.

If you political vandals have a problem with our efforts to build support for Ralph Nader's insurgent presidential bid, come out in the open and say so. Explain your views to people and let them judge. If you would like to organize a debate on the issue, email us (stlm9989@oberlin.edu). Maybe first pay us back the $25 worth of posters you stole. You have many ways to express your opinions, but you have no right to try to intimidate us, infringe on our ability to organize our meetings or put our ideas forward.

-Ted Virdone

College Junior

-Ty Moore

College Senior

Socialist Alternative and the Oberlin Nader for President Campaign