Opinion – Page 11 – The Transcript

Unleash the beast

Last week I was stopped on the Jay by two young men sitting in the bed of a pickup truck. They weren’t townies or lost parents looking for directions. They were representatives from Monster Energy. They handed me a free can of Monster Rehab and sent me on my way.

Monster has become a part of our campus life. It was added to the dining locations and Thomson Store last year (made possible by Coca-Cola’s acquisition of the distribution rights).

Since then, you see at least one student per day with a Monster energy drink in hand, or cans piled in the resident hall trashcans after a Saturday night.

Now, Monster is clearly not good for you, at least not in large quantities. This might explain why Chartwells managers decided to place their encouragement to buy Monster underneath a shelf in front of the Hamilton-Williams Food Court cash registers; hidden from immediate notice, but still in sight. Though there is a “Balanced Living” sign outside the Food Court and numerous claims about healthy living on the Chartwells website, the company is marketing a blatantly unhealthy option; they tell us to gulp Monster while simultaneously contending that their main interest is in positive health choices.

According to the World Health Organization, there are numerous risks associated with the consumption of energy drinks like Monster. These include type 2 diabetes, caffeine overdoses and high blood pressure. These risks are compounded by the fact that the college students who drink Monster are typically under high stress and running on less sleep. Here, Chartwells’s ad becomes especially sinister: “keep yourself going.”

Even worse, when Monster is mixed with alcohol, something young adults do often, the chance for things like heart palpitations increases. Here’s where Monster Energy’s ad people come in. In New York state, Monster was accused of planting student “ambassadors” on campuses. They were told to throw parties encouraging their fellow classmates (including underage freshmen and sophomores) to use Monster as their exclusive alcohol mixer. According to ABC News, Monster paid these students some $100 per party.

But the issue at hand, for me, is not exclusively a health one. Consumers have been adequately informed about energy drinks, and I believe in a certain level of personal accountability in the marketplace. I don’t think that I am being unduly influenced or even taken advantage of by Monster. I know the risks associated, and I still, on occasion, chose to drink their product. What bothers me is the stand Monster and Chartwells seem to take on our generation.

The majority owners of Monster, both pushing 60, and the Chartwells public relations staff see our generation as shallow and easy to manipulate. Bring a shiny truck, whose jacked up wheels mirror their jacked up customers, and hand out free samples. The students will see how fun and young the Monster Energy company is (not necessarily healthy, but something close: youthful), and look for their flashy cans in refrigerators. Chartwells can promote green, ethical living, healthy options and globally conscious products, even when the company perpetuates the same issues they claim to be combating.

Advertisers see us as loud and vocal about our stances but not especially interested in practicing what we preach. It’s all about the tagline, the poster, the empty words that highlight and at the same time mask their hypocrisy. I am not condemning those who drink Monster, or even the company that prepares our food. But I wish they would stop pretending to be something they’re not.

Taylor Swift, feminism and me

Taylor Swift at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Photo courtesy of US Magazine's website. — Taylor Swift at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Photo courtesy of US Magazine’s website.

Suddenly, it seems like being a feminist is the hottest thing you can be right now. Since Beyoncé’s proclamation at the 2014 Video Music Awards, other celebrities and musicians have been clamoring for that title. One selfproclaimed feminist is none other than Taylor Swift.

Look, I’m open about my extreme dislike for Taylor Swift. I find her to be a disingenuous, corporate machine. But I think her worse offense is her brand of feminism. In promotion for her latest album “1989,” she has gathered up a “girl squad,” for a lack of a better term. It consists of beautiful, successful and mostly white women. She practices the old adage “hoes before bros,” which is totally ok. But my problem is with how superficial her feminism is.

“Why is her feminism superficial?” one may ask. Why, let me tell you. Based on her actions as a so-called feminist, her basic understanding of feminism is that women stand for other women.

That’s great! But she doesn’t go deeper than that. But she does seem to contradict herself.

For example, her hit “Bad Blood” seems to tell the story of a former friend who betrays her; she’s out to get revenge. Rumors are that that song is about Katy Perry. But a song spouting revenge on a woman is not very feminist, Taylor.

Or take more recently, when rapper Nicki Minaj (full disclosure: I’m a huge fan) tweeted about how her hit “Anaconda” wasn’t nominated for Video of the Year at the 2015 VMAs. Long story short, Minaj tweeted that she felt that other artists get recognized more for the same work she does. Swift then took offense to that tweet, even though Minaj didn’t call her out. The two women kissed and madeup, but the issue still stands. Swift thought Minaj attacked her, and Swift attacked back.

Look, if tomorrow Taylor Swift announces she’s now focusing on deeper feminist issues, such as the inequality women of color face or issues transgender women face every day, I’ll be on her team. But the fact her feminism just skims the top bothers me. For such a role model, Swift has a lot to learn.

Southpaw: undisputed champ, or bust?

By: Ross Hickenbottom, Transcript reporter

Approaching the theater to see Jake Gyllenhaal’s most recent film, “Southpaw,” I couldn’t hold back the excitement.

The typical “dude movie” about guys beating each other up always makes for an exhilarating couple of hours in a cinema seat, and with my favorite actor starring in this one, the hype was unbelievable.

We’ve all seen the “Rocky” movies, “Warrior,” “Never Back Down,” all seeming to follow the same plot line: someone fighting for a living, losing it all, hitting rock bottom, but at the end have their one shining moment and everyone lives happily ever after, right? Right.

Anyways, now I’m in my seat, popcorn practically gone after the half hour of previews, when the movie starts… BOOM, these guys are trading haymakers, blood gushing, the notorious spit and sweat showers. This movie is intense.

Intense like it’s only two minutes into the movie and I’m white knuckling the armrests. “But that’s not how a boxing match is…” I think. “You don’t just walk up to each other and throw the hardest punch you possibly can, hoping to knock the other guy out.” Boxing is more strategic than that. But not Hollywood boxing.

Hollywood boxing can be however they want to make it because at the end of the day, there’s still thousands of people paying to see Jake Gyllenhaal get the snot beat out of him and somehow still win the contest.

He loses his wife, his house and his daughter all within a week, but still comes out on top at the end of the movie. So cliché, but honestly, what else was I expecting? The typical lose it all, gain it back story is one that viewers can’t resist, and “Southpaw” was just an overloaded version of all of its predecessors in that category.

By the end of the movie, I honestly just wanted to see him knock this guy out and hear some more Eminem, but overall, I can’t say “Southpaw” was a “bad” movie. It’s just not taking Movie of the Year.

If not now, never

Alison Parker and Adam Ward, the reporter and videographer killed in the shooting. Photo courtesy of thewrap.com.

When I first sat down to write this piece, it was going to be a welcome-back-to-the-year type of op-ed; you know, the standard “let’s have a great year, everyone!” rhetoric. Then the WDBJ shooting happened.

For those of you who don’t know, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, a reporter and a cameraman were killed, and an interviewee was injured, during an on-air interview by a former employee of the Virginia television station.

There are many issues with this latest shooting. One of the issues is that I had to say “latest shooting.” It feels like every time you blink, there’s a report of another gun shot, another killed.

Another major issue was that the killer, Vester Lee Flanagan (also known by his on-air name Bryce Williams), put his homemade video of the shooting on social media. His social media accounts have been taken down since the shooting, but the live, on-air report that was being filmed during the shooting still circulates.

A few years ago, I wrote my first-ever op-ed on gun control, spurred by the 2013 Navy Yard attack. How many more opinion pieces do concerned citizens need to write about gun violence?

How many more times will I hear about shootings at places that are supposed to be safe? Must we live in constant alert in every public space, holding our breath whenever we see a man by himself shift in his seat?

This latest act of violence will stir up another gun control debate again. And I’ll listen to the politicians and talking heads talk themselves in circles. The fact is, if gun control wasn’t reformed after the slaughter of 20 first graders, it never will be.

Editor’s note: After the writing of this story, Texas sheriff’s Deputy Darren H. Goforth was killed in an execution-style attack at a gas station in Cypress, Texas.

New Year’s Eve in August

The first day of school is like January 1st.

Although the amount of alcohol consumed during syllabus week and the night before the new

year is eerily similar, that’s not the reason for the correlation. There’s more to it.

Go back to last New Year’s Eve. You put on your best shirt, wore your nicest dress, planned to

hit nine bars and three house parties all before midnight. The excitement mixed with over the top expectations is much the same going into the first day of school.

It’s great to see missed faces, give hugs, catch up and brag about everything you’ve done over the summer. Don’t forget to mention the summer fling that gives Danny and Sandy a run for their money.

Semester goals hide on the inside of your planner as a monster would under the bed, ready to pounce with their big, meaty claws as you hightail it to the bars. Be realistic, going to the library three hours each night will not happen. Just as going to the gym twice a day didn’t quite work out.

New Year’s Day and hangovers pass. Reality sets in and suddenly it’s the second day of school.

NYE ended up like any other night out would, and the first day of school was more or less a regular day of school. Homework is assigned, tests are scheduled and books are begging to be opened. Do not get caught up in what New Year’s Eve entails. The semester is long and college is even longer.

Enjoy the highs of New Year’s Eve and the lows of 2 a.m. library sessions. Enjoy the highs of best friends and the lows of breakups. Enjoy the highs of living away from home and the lows of living away from home. Every day cannot be New Year’s Eve.

When you reach and accept the perfect balance of highs and lows, then, and only then, will college give you the twelve o’clock kiss you’ve been looking for all night.

Upperclassmen, young alumni share stories, advice for freshmen

Upperclassmen and young alumni were asked about their freshmen year through online interviews. This is what they had to say:

What do you wish you had known as an incoming freshman at OWU?

Julia Stone ‘16

That I shouldn’t try to take on too many things. Balancing a social life with homework and still having enough alone time to recharge was a huge challenge for me, and for a lot of my fellow introverted friends. I wish I had known that it’s impossible to do everything, and that I am only human.

Ibrahim Saeed ’15

You have to submit add/drop forms yourself to the registrar; no department will do it for you. Sounds basic, I know, but I ended up needing to petition to change courses after two weeks and was also fined $40.00.

Lauren (Lo) Rump ‘15

I wish I knew how homesick I was going to be, but how important it would be to stick it out. I was incredibly homesick my first semester of OWU; I almost transferred. While I think OWU is filled with inclusive and welcoming communities, I don’t necessarily think these communities will always seek you out as a freshman.

Yasmin Radzi ‘16

I wish I knew about work study jobs during the first week of school.

Anthony Lamoureux ‘14

I wasted so much of my first year fighting with myself and trying to hold onto some idea of who I was in high school and what my family wanted me to major in. It took me three years to figure out that I should have followed my heart in the first place.

Alanna Easley ‘18

The most important thing in the first few weeks is just being friendly and meeting people. Friends drift around for the first couple of months, so it’s nice to make connections early and keep your options open. That being said, you don’t have to be friends with everybody. Some people just don’t click, and that’s okay.

Kyle Simon ‘15

I wish I knew how I could branch out and make friends better.

Ellen Sizer ‘18

I wish I knew that it is okay not to know everything right away. That is the joy of being a freshman—everything is new!

What was the weirdest or craziest thing that happened to you your freshman year?

Caitlin Burton-Dooley ‘17

I rushed and SLUshed, and it was the most amazing thing. There are so many things that I’ve learned from both of those groups.

Saeed

I developed a taste for black coffee and am now addicted to it. I also got my pocket picked at Clancey’s (Pub), losing my cell phone on Halloween night. I argued with cops outside the bar in a Luigi costume.

Stone

I got to go to Italy with my choir. Also, I jumped in the fountain on the JAYWalk while I had bronchitis and my phone was in my pocket. Luckily, my roommate had couscous, and I soaked it in that overnight to get the water out. It started working again, but then I dropped it off of a rollercoaster! Finally, my friend and I made cookie dough in my bathroom in a pot we found in a cupboard of Smith Hall’s kitchen.

Elizabeth Riggio ‘14

The day that me and my two other roommates who went through formal recruitment found out at the same time that we were in the same sorority house. We were nervous to say anything for a minute because we weren’t sure what the others would say, and then it was just a huge amount of excitement when we all said the same house. It may not be the craziest memory, but it was definitely good.

Sizer

By accident, I skipped my first college final exam because I thought it was on a different day (don’t worry, I still took it). I got eight dreads in my hair, because, you know, college. I was able to balance school, three jobs, and heavy involvement in a club while somehow being genuinely happy about my busy life. The latter is probably the craziest.

Easley

I put off a paper way too long and ended up pulling an all-nighter to finish it. I decided to fuel myself with Monster to power through it, so I walked to UDF (United Dairy Farmers gas station) and bought three Mega-Monsters. Not paying attention to how fast I was drinking them as I worked, I drank all three in about an hour and a half. After a bit, I started shaking, overheating, and then hallucinating—I thought people were walking through the room, I saw shadows moving around me, and the Eevee postcard on my roommate’s desk started yelling at me for procrastinating. Morals of the story: don’t procrastinate, and monitor your caffeine intake.

Lamoureux

We had a school day that was cancelled! It was crazy! We had a blizzard that caused the entire academic side of campus to be covered in an inch of ice… So we all just went on the JayWalk and played in the freezing rain. There used to be yarn strung around all of these trees near the theatre (OWU’s Chappelear Drama Center), and it was so cool to go under it and feel the yarn frozen into one kind of ice sculpture.

Teona Council ‘17

The relationships I formed with various people on campus. For the most part everyone is super chill, and willing to get to know you or work with you on something. That’s weird because that type of environment isn’t something that happens everywhere.

What about OWU or college life in general surprised you the most?

Sizer

Things you need don’t just magically appear. Like, I have to go and buy stamps if I want to send a letter. My mother isn’t here to give them to me. Or, if I need really anything, it’s up to me, which is surprisingly really nice. I like being dependent on myself more. This doesn’t mean I don’t need help every once in awhile, but it’s nice to feel more independent about my decisions.

Simon

I think OWU surprised me in that I wasn’t as ready to take on college as I thought I was.

Rump

It is so easy at OWU to find what you are passionate about or where you fit in, and become a leader and important player on campus. I left OWU feeling the same way I left high school: feeling I made a positive impact and that my time there mattered.

Easley

The people at OWU are extremely accepting. I never made friends very easily before college, but I fell in with a great group of friends early on and have continued to make new ones almost every day. The community is open to people from all walks of life, which was quite refreshing.

Burton-Dooley

How happy and lovely everyone is.

Riggio

I think in a way OWU became my family. Living and working with such a small community means you get to know everyone. Some people may not like this, but to me that’s a beautiful thing. I felt very close with my peers, and class in particular. It’s amazing to walk down the street and feel like you are part of more than just a university, but a close community. I loved feeling connected to many different clubs, sports, events, professors, and students. It really is special. Even if there are times now and then when you wish you were more anonymous.

Saeed

It surprised me how friendly everybody was, and how much people respect you for who you are. I was worried there would be peer pressure and it would be hard to fit in, but it was quite the opposite. Just be yourself and everyone will love you for who you are. I met some of the nicest people I know during college.

Radzi

What surprised me the most was how much I was going to be so attached to OWU. I turned in my deposit before I even visited the school. When I visited the school, I knew I was going to feel right at home. I am still surprised to this day how much I love OWU. Going to OWU was literally the best decision I have made in my life! The professors, the opportunities, and the people have made my undergraduate experience such a unique and special experience.

What is one piece of advice you have for the incoming freshmen?

Lamoureux

Take advantage of all of the extra opportunities that OWU has to offer, whether it be travel-learning courses, TiPiT grants, fraternities, sororities, SLUs, sports. Be a part of something that is bigger than you! All of these opportunities allow you to become closer to both people at OWU and others around the country and world. We can sometimes forget that there are so many big and amazing things outside of the OWU bubble. But, if you allow yourself to take risks and try new things that you would have never expected, amazing things can happen.

Burton-Dooley

Find something you love and you’ll find people you love, and it will always make you happy.

Rump

Don’t hold on to high school so tightly, and accept the change that is college and the rest of your life. Don’t get worked up if people you befriend freshmen year don’t turn out to be your soulmates come sophomore year and beyond. Everyone is so eager to pair up and find their “people” those first couple weeks, and that is important, but as the years go on, you will change and evolve and mostly likely many of those freshmen friends will too, and that is part of the process. Finally, [care] about your grades. When it’s senior year/graduation time and you start thinking about grad school, all those B- and C’s from the beginning semesters start to haunt your transcript and GPA. You can recover, but it will take work.

Simon

Be ready to change.

Council

Make a friend and keep in touch with someone back home who you can depend on, whether that’s a parent, guardian or a friend, because the first year is overwhelming in some ways. Maybe it’s not academically, but maybe it’s socially, medically, or something else entirely. Having someone there can make a difference in how your year plays out.

Stone

Our student body embraces the strange oddball in all of us. If you are you, you’ll meet other people that love you for just that.

Saeed

Opportunities don’t come looking for you; you have to go seek them out. Go to school and enjoy yourself, and be there for the sake of learning. Don’t be married to grades—just enjoy learning and the grades will turn out great.

Riggio

Don’t get too consumed by any one thing. Try lots of things. Don’t assume you won’t like something or be interested in it without giving it a shot. You may surprise yourself.

The courage of Caitlyn Jenner

The cover photo from Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair photo shoot. Photo courtesy of vanityfair.com. — The cover photo from Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair photo shoot. Photo courtesy of vanityfair.com.

When I woke up this morning, my Twitter was all a flurry with news of Caitlyn Jenner. When I saw her portrait on the cover of Vanity Fair, I gasped. She was beautiful and looked happy. As someone who avidly watches Keeping Up with the Kardashians and follows the lives of the Kardashian/Jenner family more than my own, this was a big moment.

When Caitlyn, formerly Bruce, announced her transition a few months ago, I watched with rapt attention. I couldn’t believe someone who was so present in my life (or, as present as someone on a reality show could be) was making this enormous transformation before my eyes. When I watched the amazing Diane Sawyer special, I was on the edge of my seat with tears in my eyes. I couldn’t imagine what Caitlyn, then Bruce, was going through her entire life. It is said Caitlyn is the first major public figure to be making this transition in the public eye. That takes a lot of courage. It takes a lot of courage for anyone to transition.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well Caitlyn’s transition was received. Many Twitter posts were supportive and encouraging. Of course, there were the comments that she was doing this for attention or that this was part of a whole Kardashian scheme were there. Why would someone do this for attention? Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the Kardashian/Jenner family, is a media mastermind, but this is not part of her plan for world domination. This is obviously a very personal choice, and is not dependent on ratings or popularity.

Caitlyn Jenner poses during her recent Vanity Fair photo shoot. Photo courtesy of x17online.com.

The fact that Caitlyn so publicly announced who she is is a huge milestone, if you ask me. Not only are the portraits beautiful, the interview opens up and delves into Caitlyn’s mindset and who she is. It’s incredible to see the overwhelming support that is behind Caitlyn and her “new” life. I’m hesitant to say “new” life, because it has always been her life; she’s just now free to be who she really is. I cannot wait to see what Caitlyn will do with her newfound pedestal, and I hope she can be an advocate for those who need it.

Publish or perish at OWU

By: Dr. Thomas K. Wolber

Like many small liberal-arts colleges, Ohio Wesleyan University is first and foremost a teaching institution. The school’s Code of Regulations states, “It shall be the primary function of the faculty to instruct the students in the arts and sciences, and in all branches of liberal and professional instruction, as taught in the best universities.” And the Statement of Aims reaffirms that core mission when it says, “the University has as its preeminent purpose to be a quality institution for teaching and learning.” Wherever you turn, you will hear echoes of that sentiment. President Rock Jones says frequently, “Excellence in teaching is the hallmark of Ohio Wesleyan University today, as it has been for generations.” And OWU’s website declares, “OWU’s faculty and staff are dedicated to student success, and they demonstrate that dedication in countless ways every day in every way. Students spend time with employees not only in classrooms and offices, but also over lunch, at a Battling Bishop athletic event, or other community-building opportunity. OWU faculty members and staff become important mentors and close friends, ready to help students find their way to personal and professional success. It’s all part of the Ohio Wesleyan experience.”

However, that “Ohio Wesleyan experience” is now under assault. Dedicated teachers are denied tenure or promotion and relegated to second-class citizens and obscurity. Their commitment to students and efforts to bring out the best in them are deemed insufficient and inadequate under a misguided personnel policy that increasingly de-prioritizes and devalues teaching in favor of scholarly research (or creative endeavors).

OWU’s faculty is evaluated on the basis of the quality of their teaching (60 percent), research (30 percent), and service (10 percent). In theory, this sounds reasonable although, parenthetically speaking, the Code of Regulations does not mention an obligation to conduct research at all. It is also interesting to note that the U.S. Professors of the Year Awards Program, for which OWU recently nominated three individuals, requires “a scholarly approach to teaching and learning,” but no significant research record. The problem of OWU’s faculty personnel policy lies in its implementation. It has become so formulaic, draconian, and punitive that it has lost all sense of proportion and decency. In the past, if you were a passionate teacher you were assured success if you showed “evidence of scholarship” and provided dedicated service to the University. Not so now. Under the new standard of “significant scholarship” more and more faculty are denied tenure, and countless others are bypassed for merit and promotion.

I have seen this happen at other institutions. At top universities around the world, it’s “publish or perish.” The pressure to focus on publications is so great and all-consuming that there is little or no time for teaching and service. If you happen to be a dedicated and accessible teacher who cherishes spending time with students and in the classroom, it can mean the end of your academic career. Consider that every tutorial or independent study taught in addition to the regular course load means a diminished scholarly output. Every conversation with a prospective, current, or former student means another unread article. Every concert, exhibition, play, or sports event you go to because you want to support the students can be a distraction and disruption of your schedule as a researcher. Every letter of recommendation requires a level of care and time that may compete and conflict with scholarly endeavors. Helping students become better writers is a challenge when the quality and quantity of your own writing is very much at stake.

This is what I meant earlier when I wrote that OWU’s teaching mission is under threat. The pressure to publish or perish has finally reached this institution, too, and as a result teaching no longer has the unquestioned primacy. There is diminishing incentive to do so. The faculty-personnel committee has created a hostile work environment for people whose primary devotion is to teaching and a climate of fear for those who don’t conform to its norms. Teaching ranks low. Research is where the grants and resources, merit and promotion, fame and fortune are.

We are already seeing the deleterious effects of this misguided policy. Faculty in significant numbers refuse to serve on committees; many do not attend admissions events; some even show no interest in helping with student retention. After all, there is no money in sitting down with an advisee and point her in the right direction. I cannot blame these colleagues for acting rationally and in their own best interest. It is not their fault. They are reacting logically to a system that no longer puts students front and center. In a research-centered environment students are, to put it bluntly, little more than a nuisance and a bother.

As this unfortunate trend continues, disengaged faculty will spend less and less time with students. They will teach their classes and hold the requisite number of office hours, but that may well be it. Admission and retention efforts will suffer, the quality of advising will diminish, and students in need and distress may not get the full attention they deserve. This is not an apocalyptic doomsday scenario. The downhill trend is already in evidence, exacting a heavy toll. Ohio Wesleyan is currently experiencing difficulties meeting admission and retention targets. It may be an inconvenient truth, but I submit that this is, in part, a direct result of a flawed faculty-personnel policy that de facto elevates research over teaching, forcing teachers to make the difficult choice of putting students on the back burner. This wrongheaded approach undercuts OWU’s historic mission and has already done incalculable damage. The focus on faculty research has gone too far and is no longer an asset. Instead, it has become a risk and a liability that imperils the future of the college. OWU has strayed from its ethos and legacy. We need to recalibrate our values and priorities and find a better balance. Students and faculty, administrators and trustees must step up and demand that Ohio Wesleyan return to what it has been for almost 175 years – a premier teaching institution.

Dr. Thomas K. Wolber is an associate professor of German at Ohio Wesleyan. He teaches all levels of German language, literature and civilization. In addition to those subjects, he specializes in comparative literature and environmental studies.

On Agent Orange and war veterans

Dr. Thomas Wolber

From 1961 to 1971, vast areas of Vietnam were sprayed with Agent Orange herbicides. The purpose of the defoliants was to destroy the food sources of the Vietcong and to deprive them of canopy cover. Up to 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the toxin. The effects are still virulent today, resulting on tens of thousands of annual premature deaths and severe birth defects, even in second and third generations.

The Vietnamese are not the only ones suffering from the consequences of this toxic legacy. Some 2.6 million Americans served in the war, and many of them also became disabled after being exposed to Agent Orange. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes some fifty chronic diseases linked to Agent Orange, including Hodgkin’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, leukemia, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and several cancers.

It took an epic battle with the VA, but today most Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange (except sailors) qualify for help and treatment, at least in theory. But the waiting lists can be long, and many have died without ever being seen, examined, and treated. However, there is still no help for their descendants although Agent Orange is expected to cause continued health problems for veterans and their children for at least five to seven generations.

The list of possible birth defects is long and includes things like congenital heart disease, clubfoot, cleft lip or palate, his dysplasia, and numerous diseases that most of us have never even heard of. The VA provides compensation for many severe birth defects among children of female veterans who served in Vietnam, but there are no equivalent benefits for the descendants of male veterans, who constitute the vast majority.

Anyone who believes that the Agent Orange issue is not something that affects the Delaware or Columbus community is mistaken. We have hundreds of veterans of foreign wars in our midst. One of them is Joe DiGenova, a Vietnam War veteran and the longest-serving City Council member in Delaware’s history. He is very concerned about the transgenerational effects of Agent Orange and has urged Ohio politicians such as Andrew Brenner and Pat Tiberi to support legislation that would extent help for victims of Agent Orange to children and grandchildren of male war veterans.

An article in the Columbus Dispatch last year (5/12/14) profiled John E. Pistick, 71, who lost his left arm due to soft-tissue sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that has been found in Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Two of his three children developed brain tumors during childhood. They are adults now, but because of their inability to live independently they still reside with their parents.

The brave men and women of the armed forces deserve our admiration and gratitude. Society owes them the best care available. They and their children should not have to worry about whether or not to receive medical help. The Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2013 merits bipartisan support. It is a broad piece of legislation – perhaps too broad because it also includes assistance to Vietnamese nationals and environmental remediation. If it does not pass, then perhaps a more narrowly defined law that specifically addresses the needs of the American descendants of Vietnam War veterans needs to be introduced.

Dr. Thomas Wolber is an associate professor of German at Ohio Wesleyan. He teaches all levels of German language, literature and civilization. In addition to those subjects, he specializes in comparative literature and environmental studies.

Reading is good for you, kids!

I love reading. I love reading books, magazines, newspapers, online articles. Anything that has words printed on it, I’ll read it. And I’ve always been like this. My parents told me that when I was about three, they came in to read me a story before bed. Instead of welcoming their presence, they said, I told them they could go away and I could read it myself. And since then, I haven’t been able to stop.

I remember as a kid staying up way past my bedtime to read a book. I would hear my parents coming up the stairs and I would run to turn my light off. Once I heard their door close, I would turn it back on and continue my adventure. Sometimes, I got caught and heard the exasperation in their voices. “Emily, turn off your light and go to bed.” I like to think that they were secretly happy that I was up reading.

And even as a junior in college, I stay up way too late finishing books. It always goes like this, “Ok, only one more chapter, then I’ll go to bed.” The chapter finishes. “Well, that wasn’t a good ending point, one more.” Then, “That chapter was incredibly short, one more.” That would go on until I had 20 or so pages left in the book, and then I would have to finish it. And then I would wake up about three hours later for class and hate myself. But I never learn my lesson.

Growing up, I always carried a book on me. I took one to the dentist’s office, doctor’s appointments and even to sleepovers, you know, just in case we had some free time. And today, I keep one in my purse at all times.

However, one thing I never understood was when kids would proudly say, “I don’t read. I hate it.” I understand if it’s not your favorite thing to do in the world. Hey, I don’t like sports. But bragging about not reading a book for school isn’t cool. I knew people in high school who didn’t read any of the assigned books for class. Yeah, they got by alright thanks to Sparknotes, but I always thought it was ridiculous that they bragged about it. It was like they were proud of not reading. That always hurt my heart. Reading has been one of the only things that has kept me sane in my life; it’s a form of escapism.

When Greg Moore, an Ohio Wesleyan journalism alumnus, came, he told some of us that one of the habits of extremely successful people he has met is that they all read a book a week. Now, I’m not talking about Anna Karenina length a week. It could be anything. If fiction isn’t your style, that’s cool. There are so many genres of books it makes my mind boggle. Whatever you’re interested in, there is probably a book about it. Trust me, I know. I’ve read books about the creation of The Clash’s album, London Calling all the way to books about true crime throughout history.

Now that we are all at that points in our lives, I hope that telling someone you don’t read isn’t a sense of pride like in high school. And I’m not saying reading needs to be your favorite thing in the entire world, like it is mine. I’m just saying you should pick up a book every once in a while. It might surprise you how much you actually enjoy it.