Emily Feldmesser – Page 5

Identity and ideology don’t always mix

There have been renewed peace talks between Israel and Palestine recently. As a cynic, I roll my eyes because I highly doubt that anything will be done this time.

But as someone who grew up in a Jewish household and was surrounded by Judaism growing up, I actually hope the peace talks will go through — but not the way most people would expect.

When I was younger, I went to Hebrew School every Wednesday afternoon and Sunday morning. We would learn about the Torah and all of the wonders that occurred. We also spent a lot of time on the subject of Israel.

That only intensified for me when I went to a private Jewish day school for seventh and eighth grade. Oh, don’t get me started on my ten years of attending a Jewish overnight camp and everything I learned about Israel there.

In all of these situations, we were taught about the perfection that Israel is and how we must protect it from being separated into two states.

I was taught that Jerusalem belonged to the Jews because of everything we went through as a people. I was taught that Jerusalem was exclusively ours; people were allowed to visit, but it was exclusively for the Jewish people. When I went to Israel on my eighth grade class trip, I was transfixed by Israel’s beauty and the richness of culture that was entrenched in everyday life.

Once I hit high school and was effectively removed from that bubble, I was still a strong supporter of Israel. Due to some events in my life, I decided to become an atheist, but still be culturally Jewish.

However, as I got older and started really paying attention to the news, I started to discover some unsightly truths about Israel. I found out about its human rights record against Palestinians, which greatly upset me. I remember thinking to myself, “I never learned about that in Hebrew School.”

I started doing more research on my own, and I discovered that I didn’t support Israel.

I didn’t like how dependent it was on the United States; I didn’t like how it treated people in the settlements; and I definitely didn’t like how it denied international aid to those who desperately needed it.

Once I started telling people I no longer blindly supported Israel, I received mostly negative comments.

The area of Milwaukee where I live has a decently sized Jewish population, so my opinion was one of dissent. I would try and tell relatives where I was coming from, but they would just shoot me down, telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I would then support my argument with facts, but they wouldn’t believe it.

This really is the first time I’m discussing my unfavorable view of Israel in a large forum setting, since I don’t feel like defending myself every time I decided to give my educated opinion.

So, during this latest round of peace talks, I support the two-state solution. I just find it ironic that a group of people such as the Jews, who have been horribly oppressed for all of history, to enforce similar actions on other oppressed minorities.

Global Grab: Talking Turkey, Korea Fires Away and Egyptian Elections

The Issue: Turkey

Once considered one of the more stable countries in the Middle East, tensions have been rising in Turkey over the past few weeks.

Recently, the government blocked access to Twitter and YouTube because audio recordings talking about the security situation in Syria were uploaded to the sites.

According to the New York Times, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told supporters at a campaign rally that “YouTube was being used in a dirty tricks campaign against his government before local elections.”

Prime Minister Erdogan faced sweeping antigovernment protests last summer, but his party was still reelected on Sunday.

His party, the Islamist Justice and Development Party won large numbers in the local elections, larger than the 39 percent A.K.P. won in the 2009 local elections.

According to the New York Times, there are also upcoming elections, like the presidential election in the summer, and parliamentary elections next year. The elections will determine the political future for both Prime Minister Erdogan and his political party.

The Issue: Korea

Whenever the spotlight shines away from North Korea, the nation always know how to get its international focus back.

North Korea has been doing live-fire exercises near the South Korean maritime border.

Instead of sitting idly by, South Korea returned fire.

According to CNN, a defense spokesman from South Korea said, “We are not shooting at North Korea, just shooting into the sea.”

According to the New York Times, this exchange of fire was the most serious episode along that border since an artillery duel which occurred in 2010.

These types of military exchanges are not new, but the tensions between these two countries are ramping up yet again.

The Issue: Egypt

With rising tensions in Egypt, the presidential elections will take place on May 26 and 27. Egypt’s army chief, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced he would run for president, but he had to resign from his post in order to do so.

According to CNN, el-Sisi is quite popular among Egyptians who supported the deposition of President Mohmed Morsey of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was the first freely elected leader in Egypt.

However, el-Sisi is greatly disliked by the Islamist opposition, who see him as the person who led the coup against an elected leader, according to CNN.

Don’t judge a punk rock band by its name

A new punk band has exploded on the music scene, and they’re making a buzz for themselves, if only by name alone.

Perfect Pussy, the five-piece group from Syracuse, New York has made a splash at concerts and festivals, most recently at the acclaimed South By Southwest Festival in Texas.

The group is known for their 15-minute sets, because lead singer Meredith Graves screams so violently on stage that she becomes physically ill. Stage antics aside, this band is good. Lately, there have been numerous “punk” bands that have been making waves on the music scene, but none of them truly have the raw, unadulterated passion that Perfect Pussy has.

Graves reminds me of a rougher Kathleen Hanna of the 90s band Bikini Kill. Graves has the Riot Grrrl quality, which is the 90s feminist musical movement.

Many bands try to capture this aesthetic, but few actually achieve it.

Their debut album, “Say Yes To Love,” only came out March 18, but this band seems to be making an impact everywhere they go.

Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of their “27 Must-Hear Albums” and the music website, Pitchfork, which is notoriously tough on new music, gave the an 8.6 out of 10 on their scale, and also listed the album as “Best New Music.”

I like this album. Sure, the lyrics are unintelligible, but the passion and quality of music is apparent.

According to Pitchfork, “Graves has said that her bandmates…usually record a totally clean track first, and then she and the keyboardist…come in and ‘make noise on purpose.’”

The album is only 23 minutes long, which makes it a great album to listen to over and over again. After a few listens, I actually started to make out the lyrics.

You get a sense of urgency and angst in these songs, but it’s not the annoying kind. It’s the kind that you understand and feel yourself.

You understand what this woman is going through in her sense of anger and frustration in her lyrics. One of my favorite lines I managed to make out was at the end of the song, “Dig”: “If I’m anything less than perfection/Well shit, nobody told me!”

If you want to be on the cutting edge, cool side of music, this band is worth a listen. Just be careful Googling them.

Global Grab: A Russian annexation and a missing Malaysian plane

Beginning in this week’s issue, I will be writing a weekly column about world affairs. It will consist of simple breakdowns of complex current events to help Ohio Wesleyan students and other readers get an idea of what’s going on outside the OWU community. Here are two of the world’s most important happenings from this week.

The Issue: Crimea

For those who don’t know, there have been some issues in the Ukraine.

It started with protests against the Ukrainian government after it turned away from the western European Union and moved towards the eastern Russia. The Ukrainian public was very displeased with that decision and took to the streets in protest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not look too kindly on these protests, and the Russians moved into Crimea, which is a historically significant area to both the Russians and Ukrainians. According to the British newspaper The Independent, Crimea is “strategically important as a base for the Russian navy,” and currently has a 60 percent Russian population.

On March 16, there was a vote in Crimea about seceding from the Ukraine and joining Russia, which passed with 93 percent of the vote in favor of joining Russia.

The United States has been under fire for not getting involved, but Vice President Joe Biden is currently in Poland to offer some military and economic aid to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

According to the New York Times, “…Biden’s trip is designed to send a visible message to Russia, reinforcing the sanctions the United States and the European Union announced…”

The Issue: MH 370

On March 8, a Malaysia Airlines jet heading from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China with 239 passengers and crew simply vanished from radar. Ten days later, there is still no sign of the missing aircraft.

There has been an abundance of rumors and theories for what caused the disappearance, from pilot suicide to the plane being shot down. According to CNN, Malaysia’s Prime Minister said “somebody deliberately steered the plane off course.”

Most of the passengers are from China, but there are also passengers from New Zealand, Iran, the United States and Indonesia. According to ABC News, Malaysia is overseeing the search, while Australian officials are coordinating efforts in the southern Indian Ocean.

The BBC said Malaysian officials have searched the homes of the two pilots, but they are also investigating passengers, engineers and other ground staff.

This disappearance is an obvious mystery to the families and friends of the passengers and crew aboard the plane, and not one that will be solved anytime soon.

Finding a voice among depression, stigma and dreadful weather

This winter has sucked. The cold, the rain, the sleet, the snow and that weird hail thing the other day have all been present during this long winter. For me, so has depression.

As a person who suffers from depression and anxiety, this winter has been horrible for me. The endless gray days have done nothing to boost my morale, nor has it been beneficial to my mental health. And I’m assuming I’m not the only one who has been feeling this way.

There are so many people on campus that deal with the same things I do. Hell, I would be shocked if I was the only one. However, I do feel there is still a stigma surrounding depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses.

I was diagnosed at the end of my sophomore year in high school, about a year after my best friend Laura died suddenly. I was relieved to finally know what was going on with me.

I didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t care about grades or school, and everyday was a struggle to get out of bed. Finally, there was a key to help unlock some of the answers that I was trying to find.

About two weeks after I was diagnosed, I decided to tell a girl I was close with at the time. It was after finals, and we met at a Starbucks nearby. I remember mustering up the courage to tell her this news; it was a big deal.

After I told her, she looked at me with her big brown eyes and said, “Emily, are you depressed because you don’t have a boyfriend? Because if so, that’s no reason to be upset.”

I looked at her slack-jawed. This friend was smart; I thought she would know what caused depression. “No, Jenny, that’s not the reason,” I said, and I went into the same spiel my psychiatrist gave me when I was diagnosed.

My former friend continued to insist my lack of a love life was causing my depression.

After that experience, I was very hesitant to talk about anything having to do with my mental state. I told a handful of other people, who responded better than my former friend.

Still, I felt weird — it seemed like everyone around me was happy and perfect, while I was the one weirdo taking medications to make sure I stay sane. I really kept everything to myself while in high school.

As soon as I came to OWU, everything changed. I felt more open talking about my conditions. At this point, I decided to completely be myself — and besides, my parents said I’m not the only one.

So I started talking. I don’t introduce myself like this: “Hi, my name is Emily Feldmesser and I suffer from severe depression and anxiety!” But I talk about it with people whom I feel close to, people whom I feel as though would appreciate knowing that other facet of myself.

Throughout my time at OWU, I’ve met people who have gone through similar things as I have, and some who have gone through worse. When I do decide to open up and talk about Laura or my depression, I know the people I talk to appreciate me opening up. Because it’s a damn hard thing to do.

This winter has worsened my depression, my mom can attest to that looking at our phone bill. But I know I’m not the only one dealing with these issues on campus, which does comfort me. One thing I can say for sure is that I’m ready for spring.

Students find their home away from home in Greek Life

Tri-Delta greets new sisters on Bid Day.

The week after winter break, unaffiliated men and women geared up to go through recruitment in hopes of finding a fraternity or sorority to call home.

Even though these two events occurred during the same time, they were carried out differently.

The goal of recruitment for both fraternities and sororities is to expand their chapters, and both sets of organizations carry out the processes differently. While the fraternities have a more relaxed style of recruitment, sororities have a more regimented recruitment.

Fraternities have events spanning over two weeks, culminating in men receiving bids, potentially from multiple fraternities and choosing to sign them, deferring or declining. Sorority recruitment takes place in a four-day period.

Matthew Mehaffy signs his bid to Chi Phi.

“Women’s fraternity and sorority recruitment on this campus abide by and follow NPC (National Panhellenic Conference) guidelines when running recruitment and comprise of a formal structure taking place over a specific time period determined by NPC standards,” said senior Kathryn Pickens, Vice President of Recruitment on the Panhellenic Council.

Levi Harrell, the interim Interfraternity Council Advisor, describes fraternity recruitment as “a semi-structured formal recruitment system that last two weeks and allows unaffiliated men to go to various events hosted by all eight of our active chapters on-campus.”

The new members of Kappa Alpha Theta pose for a photo creating the Theta symbol of the kite.

Because of the different styles of recruitment, each fraternity and sorority has a different way of attracting potential new members.

Junior Garrett Van Schaick, Sigma Chi president, said that each fraternity has two dates in which potential members would be able to provide “different spotlights” on the individual houses.

Delta Zeta women Zoe Crankshaw, Kristen Krak, and Katie Powell smile in a fake picture frame at the DZ house on Bid Day.

On the other hand, sorority recruitment is in one weekend, where all of the potential new members go to each house a period of time to get to know the women of the sorority.

Sophomore Sophia Apostolou, the incoming Vice President of Recruitment for Delta Delta Delta said she prefers the sorority style of recruitment because she feels “that it is the best way to get to know the girls and figure out how their interests and values match up.”

Other sorority representatives agree that the system implemented by the NPC is effective in recruiting potential new members.

“We believe formal recruitment is a fair way for the women going through [recruitment] to see each of the five houses and what fits best for them individually,” said junior Jordan Bernstein, chief executive officer of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Delta Gamma new members drop their anchors and pose with traditional Hawaiian leis.

Senior Malcolm Clark, IFC President, said the fraternity recruitment process is “constantly a work in progress.”

“We have been trying to implement suggestions from members from all parts of the Ohio Wesleyan community,” he said.

Junior Rodrigo Ravaglia, president of Delta Tau Delta, also suggests changes in the fraternity recruitment style. He said that “more efficient communication and coordination” would prevent similar events from occurring close to each other.

Girl Rising: Cajun restaurant helps fundraise for girls’ education, documentary screening on campus

The bumblebee stew entrée offered at J. Gumbo's. It's a stew of yellow corn, stewed tomatoes, onions, and black beans in a sweet and spicy cream sauce, and served over rice. It's both a vegetarian and gluten-free option at the Cajun restaurant in downtown Delaware on Sandusky St. Photo by ZoAnn Schutte — The bumblebee stew entrée offered at J. Gumbo’s. It’s a stew of yellow corn, stewed tomatoes, onions, and black beans in a sweet and spicy cream sauce, and served over rice. It’s both a vegetarian and gluten-free option at the Cajun restaurant in downtown Delaware on Sandusky St.
Photo by ZoAnn Schutte

J. Gumbo's restaurant — J. Gumbo’s restaurant
Photo by Jane Suttmeier

Richard Upton, the owner of Delaware J. Gumbo's Photo by Jane Suttmeier — Richard Upton, the owner of Delaware J. Gumbo’s
Photo by Jane Suttmeier

By Emily Feldmesser

Copy Editor

What better way to raise money for charity than with food and friends? That was the idea behind the Oct. 10 fundraiser at J. Gumbo’s, benefitting the Girl Rising campaign.

Sophomore Zoe Morris, a resident of the Women’s House, organized the fundraiser as part of her house project.

Girl Rising, according to the organization’s website, is a global action campaign for girl’s education, which it says “dramatically improve(s) the well-being of (girls’) families, their communities and their countries—multiplying the impact on society.”

Girl Rising is also partnered with the World Vision organization. According to its website, World Vision is “a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to each their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.”

Morris said the organization “distributes resources to a number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that promote the education of women in the developing world.” She said their efforts range from advocacy to the construction of schools.

Morris said being an education major was one of her motivations for this fundraiser.

“I believe strongly in education as (a) mechanism of change and social justice,” she said. “Education is, in my opinion, the most sustainable form of change there is. When people become more educated, they are better able to give back to their communities. Economies grow, health improves and peace is made longer lasting.”

Morris also said women have greatly decreased access to education for many reasons, which detracts from their communities’ well being.

“When girls are educated, they make more money, marry later, are less likely to contract HIV and have fewer children,” she said.

When planning this fundraiser, Morris thought of J. Gumbo’s, the Cajun food restaurant on Sandusky St., as an ideal venue.

“Last year, the Washington, D.C., mission trip held this type of fundraiser at J. Gumbo’s, and it was really successful,” she said. “Other than (raising money for the organization), I wanted to be able to include both the campus community and the Delaware community in this cause.”

When Morris approached Richard Upton, J. Gumbo’s owner, about holding her fundraiser at the restaurant, he gladly accepted.

“There are three reasons why I wanted to get involved with this event,” Upton said. “I agree with the need to provide education on an equal and fair basis for females and I appreciate Zoe’s passion for the project. I like seeing young people doing positive things other than personal gain and recognition. Finally, I am always looking for ways to collaborate with OWU and showcase students to the Delaware community.”

Upton said this event was the biggest turnout to date. He said students were lined up five minutes before the official start time.

Sophomore Erin Parker said she thought the event was “really fun” and agreed with its cause.

“I believe that women around the world should be offered the same opportunity of education as men have,” she said.

Adding to the atmosphere was sophomore Alex Paquet, who was performing live music for the people attending the fundraiser.

Junior Liam Dennigan said, “Overall, I had a really good time and was glad I could support the cause.”

Upton said their “Give Back Night” program gives “100 percent of tips of the day of an event go to the fundraising entity.” He said J. Gumbo’s does not pay its employees based on tips.

“The entity will also receive at least 10 percent of food, beverage and other sales, while 50 percent of ice cream sales go to the entity,” he said.

Morris said the money raised will be given to the 10×10 Foundation and will be distributed to its affiliated organizations, such as Room to Read and Girl Up. Part of the proceeds will contribute to bring a screening of the film “Girl Rising” to OWU.

Lack of gun control desensitizes public

By Emily Feldmesser

Copy Editor

“Another day, another mass shooting.” That was my first thought when I heard about the Navy Yard incident in Washington D.C. on Sept. 16. As of press time, 13 people have been confirmed dead, including the suspected shooter.

I feel like I can’t escape this vicious cycle of gun violence. Every time I check the New York Times” or see the televisions in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center turned to CNN, the headline is always about a shooting or two. It’s gotten to the point where I just expect to hear about a shooting on the news. It’s a sad reality.

I grew up in Wisconsin, where hunting is way of life. Guns are constantly present. On Aug. 5, 2012, in Oak Creek, which is about half an hour from my house, an armed man barged into a Sikh Temple and opened fire. In all, seven people were killed, including the shooter, Wade Michael Page. Page was a former member of the U.S. Army and a white supremacist. He legally purchased the guns used in his rampage.

This shooting hit close to home, figuratively and literally. You think you’re immune to these acts of gun violence when you’re nestled in your cozy little bubble. But when it does happen, you’re in shock. I know I was. I was glued to the TV for the next few days, just watching the coverage.

Wisconsin has a concealed carry law, which basically means people are literally allowed to carry guns wherever they want. So whenever I go into my local Jewish Community Center, where my mom works, I see a sign that says that guns aren’t allowed on the premises. I would think that one wouldn’t need a gun going into a place where kids go to day camp or where people go work out.

My household is quite liberal, and while growing up, I wasn’t surrounded by guns. My dad told me when he was younger he had a .22 caliber rifle. When I found that out, I was utterly shocked. However, he told me that he and his brother had to take classes provided by the National Rifle Association in order to shoot the rifle at a local shooting range.

Still, the fact that my dad, who is the biggest proponent for gun control I know, had a gun rattled me. He told me, “Look, I’m not anti-gun. I’m just very pro-gun control and education.” That’s the stage I’m currently in. The fact that civilians are able to purchase semi-automatic guns to just have them is sickening. These are military grade weapons, what does John Smith from Anywhere, U.S.A., need it for?

Guns need restrictions. There, I said it. People are so afraid of this topic, as to not offend anyone. What’s there to offend? We need stronger gun control laws in order to prevent tragedies like Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., shootings from happening again.

I’ve always thought it was common sense for there to be education and stricter rules for people purchasing arms. But as I’ve talked to people, I’ve realized my views aren’t as common sense as I would like them to be.

Some think there should be no restrictions on guns. I ask them, “Even automatic weapons? You think automatic weapons are okay for regular people to just gallivant around town with?” They give me a blank stare while I sigh. The conversation is almost pointless.

After every major tragedy with guns, there’s a large outcry about the need for stricter gun control laws. Facebook and Twitter are abuzz with impassioned pleas for a change in the laws. I cannot deny that I’m guilty of hopping on this social media bandwagon, too.

But I actually write to my lawmakers. After the failure of the latest gun control bill in April 2013, I wrote to both of my senators about their votes on the bill. I received the generic “Thanks for contacting us, but…” email. Hey, at least I did my part.

Recently, it came out that Iowa that blind people are allowed to have gun permits. And according to the Washington Post, in one county, three permits were granted to people who aren’t allowed to drive legally. Doesn’t that sound like a headline from the Onion? I feel like the next step is to allow dogs to get guns. I can just imagine it—my lovable golden retriever wearing a gun holster to the dog park! Doesn’t he have the right to bear arms?

In order for our country to not have these tragic events occur on an almost daily basis, there needs to be actual change in our government. People need to be persistent when it comes to talking to their senators or anyone who represents them. Don’t just put your opinion on social media—do something to start the changes. I know I’m writing to my elected officials, because I don’t want my dog to be able to own a gun.

Counseling Services Overhaul

By Emily Feldmesser

When Ohio Wesleyan students arrived back on campus after a summer away, many were shocked to hear two counselors, Drs. Colleen Cook and Eric Johnson, had left.

Cook, for former director of Counseling Services at OWU, to be the director of Counseling at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Massachusetts, and Johnson is now the director of Counseling Services at Colby College in Maine.

The departure of Cook and Johnson left OWU’s Counseling Services office with a need to replace two full-time counselors before the beginning of the semester.

Dr. Charlie Ross retired within the past few years after working for Oberlin College for 20 years. While at Oberlin, Ross was their Counseling Center director and Student Health director. Through Cook, Ross became the interim director of Counseling services for at least one semester, while the administration is searching for a new full-time director.

Ross said his duties include “supervising the staff, guid(ing) the department and help(ing) in the search for a new director.”

Ross said Counseling Services is currently looking for a new director, and that he’s interested in bringing in trainees from Ohio State University’s social work program. He also said he wants “a stable, full-time staff of at least three counselors.”

Currently, there are two full-time counselors, Ross and Julie Duhigg; one half-time counselor, Brian Ward; and two counseling interns, Sarah DelPropost ’07 and Nate Sewell.

“They (Cook and Johnson) are both excellent clinicians, and they were well networked on campus,” Ross said. “They did a lot of things with the athletic department and other organizations. Any time you have two people who have been here for 14 or 15 years walk away, that is an impact.”

Ross’s main focus as interim director is to try to figure out how to give help to everyone who needs it. One method of doing this is referring students to outside clinicians that are located in Delaware.

“People who have been in counseling or some sort of therapy before they came to college, or have been in therapy for a year or two, and they would get set up with a private counselor,” Ross said.

His goal is to have more students access the services relatively quickly, because other students would be seeing private practitioners. This would allow students who need immediate attention or students who don’t need as many sessions to come in to see OWU counselors without a waitlist.

Last semester, students circulated a petition advocating a change in the way counseling at OWU was set up.

In an email sent to the students who signed the petition, senior Jessica Martin said the petition’s head committee, composed of herself, Kamila Goldin ’13 and sophomore Susannah Waxman, met with administrators at the end of the last academic year. But, according to Martin, they “made it very clear that this need for more mental health services was not a priority on our campus.” Martin declined comment on the petition or the changes to Counseling Services.

The petition also said that last semester, 10 percent of the student population were on a waitlist to seek counseling. Ross said the number was around seven percent, which he thinks is “too high.”

“The goal is to operate in such a way that people are moving in here and getting attention in a briefer way,” said Ross.

Goldin said she thinks greater counseling availability has positive effects in many parts of students’ lives.

“Students who feel supported are surely going to much better in school, are going to be able to support other students who need help and are generally going to be much better able to engage with the OWU community,” she said.

Waxman said she thinks the university should consider counseling as central to its mission.
“If this school is truly to stand for the ideals of a liberal arts college, a reevaluation of the standard for student mental health services is vital,” she said.

Sophomore Kristina Wheeler said she thinks resources should be available for those who need them, even if the need is unexpected.

“One can never be sure if or when they might need help, and despite the helpful and welcoming staff, it requires a lot of hard work which a small staff isn’t always equipped for,” she said.