#opinion – Page 3 – The Transcript

The Transcript: Will America ever be great again?

By Transcript Staff, Transcript Staff

In June 2015, when Donald Trump, former American game show star, announced his candidacy, it was considered a joke, or at least questioned. But little did we know 17 months later in the wee hours of the morning of Nov. 9 2016, he would become the 45th president of the United States.

As we covered election day results, the news of Trump win- ning at almost 3 a.m. shocked The Transcript office.

Leading up to election day, Trump was not the crowd favorite on Ohio Wesleyan’s campus, losing 45-122 to Hillary Clinton in mock voting organized last week by the Student Involvement Office.

Delaware county’s results sadly did not reflect the same, with Trump winning by 16.1 percent votes. This is the most unpleasant voting result since Brexit this summer.

We all know the famous rhetoric, “I am moving to Canada, if *insert name here* becomes president.”

Many people took that as a joke to express their discontent with the candidates. It no longer is one. Case in point, Canada’s website of immigration and citizenship promptly crashed as results showed Trump’s electoral votes largely outnumber Clinton’s.

Throughout his campainging, Trump repetedly echoed that if elected, he would “make America great again.” He also said, until the very last day, he will not accept the results if he loses, a disgraceful stance to take by a nominee.

A president-elect who brags about sexual assault, spews hate on immigrants in a nation built on immigrants, and talks of the possibility of physical walls, is worryworthy and concerning to The Transcript staff. And we are not alone.

Within less than 24 hours of results being announced, protes- tors have taken to the streets “from South California to the east coast,” according to USA Today.

The only demographic not insulted or disgraced by Trump is white men. It is worth noting that Clinton did in fact win the popular vote by 224,785 votes, while over 15,000 voters chose to vote for Harambe, the dead gorilla. Let that sink in.

In the third and final debate, he casually called Clinton a “nasty woman.” And even if we look past his blatant remarks, his policy promises are concerning.

He vowed to fight “radical Islam,” which he sees as a direct correlation to terrorism. The last we checked, the American Dream did not stigmatize against a religion.

Trump’s presidency is the personification of white supremacy, xenophobia, homophobia and sexism. Delaware resident of 43 years, Dawn Smith in an interview with The Transcript said “Clinton has my vote, but she will not win. She’s a woman … Women are not the head.”

Smith is not alone. Trump’s presidency has clealry shown that no matter how twisted a candidate may be, it’s a lot easier for the while male presidency trend to prevail.

This was a long night of political coverage that ran neck and neck all night. It wasn’t until Clinton called Trump at 2:30 a.m. to concede from the race, that it became official.

Trump lovers and haters were quickly segregated into their respective sides once the results were out as social media opin- ions and creative hashtags were strewed across timelines world-wide.

Between watching election results come in live at the Delaware County Board of Elections and actively hosting radio shows with OWU Radio, the election finally coming to a halt has not even hit us yet.

These are not the clowns you see in the circus

By Courtney Dunne, Editor-in-Chief

As an employee in the admissions office, I get the question, “Is your campus safe?”

In my three and a half years here, my answer has always been “yes,” but recently, if I am honest to prospective students and their families, I would say I no longer feel safe.

What probably started as an innocent joke has turned into something that has brought a sense of fear over students as well as people in town.

I first heard about the “clowns” in Delaware when I was at Big Brothers, Big Sisters meat Willis Elementary School where they were talking about a clown who had chased them in the park.

When I heard that, I was concerned, but I thought, “Oh, it’s just kids being kids around Halloween.”

A few weeks later, I heard that a 13-year-old girl had been chased down Spring Street and the report said the man tried to grab her, but the girl ultimately freed herself. The girl never should have been chased in the first place.

This was just the beginning.

After, it was reported that someone broke into the Delta Delta Delta sorority house on Winter Street and multiple students have seen people in clown masks lurking around campus.

As many sororities head over to Winter Street for chapter on Sunday nights, there was a report that one woman was chased on her way to chapter, which sent a red flag to all the women walking back to campus from that street.

The fact that these commonly used areas are not well lit and not well populated creates a danger for all students on campus.

According to Facebook, I am not the only student who has opinions on this issue.

Sophomore Faith Best posted on her Facebook, “I have always felt safe in this town. I grew up here. I go to college here. I practice caution.

“Yet, I have always felt safe walking from the library to my dorm at 10 p.m. on any given day. I always felt safe walking the block between my sorority house and dorm after chapter.

“That was until yesterday. Last week, we heard reports of a man in a clown mask chasing a 13- year-old girl near campus. Followed close after were reports of attempted break-ins at a sorority house.

“Yesterday, students were chased by masked men. Another was followed by a hooded man on a bike.

“Two men in clown masks were reported being seen outside my residence hall. A group of men came running toward another student outside a sorority house last night. Suddenly, caution doesn’t feel like enough.

“Why do I have to feel terrified to walk a half a block by myself? Why does my mom have to worry that I might get attacked?

“Why do my roommates have to prepare to call the police if one of us isn’t back to the room when they say they will be? Why does everyone have to hold their keys between their knuckles when they walk from their cars to the doors?

“Is this supposed to be funny? Is that really the world we live in where it isn’t a practical Halloween joke to chase women and girls with knives?”

I am hoping that these incidents are isolated and are people just trying to pull some horrible Halloween pranks. I have also noticed how dark parts of campus are at night as I have been hyper aware on my walks home.

Seasonal affective disorder is a real thing

By Tom Wolber, Transcript Corespondent

The dark days of winter are approaching.

Shorter days, lack of sunlight and cold temperatures trigger powerful biological reactions in plants, animals and humans. Many animals shut down and hibernate or fall into a state of torpor.

In people, too, winter can trigger an episodic physiological response called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

The level of melatonin (a sleep hormone) goes up, and folks become tired, inactive, disinterested, lethargic and even depressed. We crave warmth and comfort, including comfort foods such as cookies and chocolate. This is a natural, biologically-based survival strategy, not a psychosomatic “disorder.”

In times when the temperatures fall and food becomes scarce, conserving energy is a logical adoptive behavior. A more general feeling of winter blues is experienced by up to 20 percent of the population.

Depending on the exact definition of the word, about 5 percent of Americans suffer from the more debilitating effects of SAD. The farther north you go, the more pronounced SAD becomes.

In sun-rich southern states such as Florida, SAD prevalence is as low as 1-2 percent, but in northern states such as New Hampshire or Alaska it can be as high as 10 percent. The same is true for Europe where SAD is highest in Scandinavia and Russia and lowest in the Mediterranean countries.

For Ohio residents, SAD is nothing new. However, for new Ohio Wesleyan students from southern states or other countries the experience can be confusing and nerve-racking at first. By the way, the scientist who first explored SAD in a systematic manner was Norman E. Rosenthal. His book “Winter Blues” (first published in 1983) remains the standard introduction on SAD.

The good news is there are multiple strategies and therapies that allow you to cope with SAD.

Experts such as Rosenthal advise staying active during the winter months. If you bundle up, you can still go outside and catch some fresh air, sunshine and vitamin D. Taking regular walks will boost your mood and morale.

It is well-established that exercise has an antidepressant effect. Another strategy is “talking therapy” by staying socially involved with family members, relatives, friends or a counselor. You may want to join a club or start a new hobby.

Many people already practice SAD therapy, without realizing it, when they go to the mall and shop or visit family over the holidays. It is not a coincidence that the biggest shopping season of the year coincides with the time the days are shortest.

“Light therapy” is another natural stratagem to fight the winter blues. Specifically equipped SAD “light boxes” ensure you receive a daily dose of bright light. White fluorescent light seems to work best. For optimal treatment, 10,000 lux is recommended. There are no known side effects, but please use the boxes only as directed.

The counseling centers of multiple colleges and universities offer such light boxes and OWU is among them. The boxes are also commercially available.

A healthy, balanced diet can also help people stay alert and functional during the winter season. Studies have shown, for example, that fish-eating nations such as Iceland and Japan have significantly lower SAD rates compared to other countries in the northern hemisphere.

If you have the time and means, a ski trip to sunny mountain slopes or a trip to the Caribbean can also do wonders for you. Some folks have permanently relocated to more southern climates, with good results as far as SAD is concerned.

In the overwhelming majority of SAD cases, prescribed antidepressants and medical intervention is not required. Only in extraordinary circumstances may episodic SAD lead to a more serious chronic depression.

This would be the time when professional medical help is called for and when antidepressants can be used as a last resort.

If you exercise, stay socially connected, seek out natural or artificial light and eat well, you should be able to survive the annual winter funk without great difficulties.

Trump: he loves me, he loves me not

By Areena Arora, Managing Editor

Little did we know what scarce Onesidential candidate Donald Trump declared at a rally in Edison, New Jersey that he “is a big fan of Hindu, and a big fan of India.”

Flash back to April 2016, he mocked Indians for our accent when discussing call centers and outsourcing at a rally in Harrington, Delaware.

Thank you, sir. Your transformation has been unreal; impressive even.

As a Hindu Indian, I should feel relieved now. But I do not. Maybe because I am a woman, too, and in 2013 he tweeted sexual assault in the military is to be expected “when they put men and women together.” Or, maybe because more recently, Trump claimed that ‘grabbing a woman by the p***y is only locker room talk.’ But I get it. As his wife Melania Trump said in an interview to News 18 on Oct. 18, he was “led on,” and “it was only boy talk.”

Maybe I should look past that. But as a foreigner here to study, this presidential election has been an especially peculiar experience. I had been looking forward to when I came here two years ago, but little about this election has lived up to my expectations.

With candidates’ emails being leaked, personal taxes being discussed and policies being sidelined, I’m not sure if this is really what I was looking forward to.

I grew up in a democratic country, the largest one by seats in fact, I understand politics can be a mad jungle, and baseless allegations about opponents is not new. However, Trump’s transformative approach toward Indians is unreal.

As an outsider, I was hoping to hear about actual working policies and not how high the wall will be, or who will pay for it. As an economics major, I thought Trump would talk about the labor force, employment and you know, other smart-sounding things, but instead he chose to spew hate on immigrant labor-force.

Two weeks ago, my parents feared for my safety if he is elected – you know, he seems to dislike women, and immigrants. But they’re at peace now. For 48 hours, as of writing this, he has declared us to be best friends, and you might wonder why the sudden change?

According to a 2014 Pew study, 65 percent of Indian Americans were democrats or leaned toward voting democratic. Since there’s about 3.5 million Indian Americans, it seems that Trump’s transformation is merely a product of vote mongering.

I wonder, though, if this 240-year-old democracy is barely dependent on vote and popularity hunger.

An opinion of OWU Macks: “Not cool”

By Dylan Hays, Transcript Reporter

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been on campus here at Ohio Wesleyan. Let me tell you, my first few weeks at OWU have been amazing.

I love the campus, I love the history, the culture, the diversity, the people … well, most of the people. Before classes started, the studying became priority and before I even found a core group of friends, I was introduced to the Instagram account “owu_macks,” which as of now (Sept. 20, 11:00 p.m.) has 240 posts and 1,291 fol- lowers, and the most recent photo has a respectable 95 likes.

When I first saw this account I thought little of it – just another stupid thing we college kids do. The more I thought about it, the more it enraged me, the more furi- ous I became. It is not the subject matter itself that brings up so many feelings, but merely the fact that no one seems to be bothered by it.

During orientation we were presented were presented with different seminars on college relationships, hook-ups and sexual assault.

I greatly respected the choice to include these sessions and I think they were not only insightful, but necessary. Of course you have the guy who hasn’t really gotten out of his high school stage and is yell- ing just a couple of inappropriate jokes, but I seemed to think that these individuals were the minority and most students were more adult than that.

I loved the fact that OWU took the time to talk about this serious topic, one that most other larger universities tend to ignore until it’s much too late. Then days later, I began to really think as to why someone would make this ac- count. The truth, I admit, is I do not know. I do not even understand why someone would think it’s OK.

If you are not familiar with the account, then let me explain that the way it works. One indi- vidual will snap a photo of fellow students making out (usually at a party or other similar situation) and direct message the image to the account where it is posted with a “clever” comment.

Why does this inherently anger me? Why should a first- year student care so much? Well, why should I not care? This is my school as well, my pride, the place I hope to graduate from one day.

Should the highlight of our school be the fact that we, as students, are doing great things or the fact that two students once kissed at a party and their photo now resides on the Internet for- ever. I could go into the details of how it’s a part of rape culture and the logistics of these individuals not giving consent to have these photos posted. The thing is, I shouldn’t.

That girl you just posted a photo of? She has a family, she has hopes and dreams and one day her potential employer might see that photo. That guy in the picture? His future children might see
that; what would they think? That person you just tagged? They are now forever linked to one moment in their life that they just might not want to remember.

I’m not shaming anyone (except the individual(s) who manage the account). We all make mistakes, that’s a part of being human – but the Internet is this false intimacy that we all have become addicted to. I’m not asking anyone reading this to think twice. I am asking you to think differently

Fresh Start rises on Sandusky Street

By Leia Miza, Photo Editor

If you didn’t know, the most delicious cinnamon rolls are being made right here in town.

Delaware’s newest cafe and bakery, Fresh Start, opened its doors to the community this past July, offering fresh baked good, pastries and Crimson Cup Coffee.

Co-Owner, Todd Daughenbaugh, Delaware resident of 14 years, said he “lived in Columbus, slept in Delaware” and aspired to finally connect with the community and start fresh, hence the name of his new business.

“I really wanted to be more connected to the community, or find something, a business that the community really needs and wants and I think we found that niche here, with great pastries, baked good and hopefully even more deserts.” he said.

Ron Lawson, manager of Fresh Start, added “The reason why wanted to open in Delaware was the fact that Buehler’s had closed down and so there was a need immediately because of that. But our heart was to bring great coffee and great baked goods anyway, and I think that’s something downtown Delaware needed.”

Photo by Leia Miza. — Photo by Leia Miza

By walking into the bakery on any morning, you will notice that business is booming. “We have people in everyday that are new but then we have a lot of people who are regular customers already. Eight weeks in, to have as many regular customers as we do, that’s a very positive sign.” said Lawson.

Daughenbaugh said it’s been amazing, and the community has been very supportive. “People really appreciate the quality and the customer service and the great products, great food, pastries and coffee, things like that.” he said.

And although, Home Slices is right down the street, competition is not something of much concern to Fresh Start.

“The only competition that we see is that they’re on the corner which is a prime location and we’re a little further up the street. But everything we do is different than anywhere you’ll find baked goods in Delaware or anywhere close.” said Lawson.

His wife, Lynette Lawson, runs the kitchen as head baker. “All of our doughs are hand laminated.. We don’t use any frozen batters or any frozen breads. Everything is made from scratch.” she said.

From her spinach rosettes to her grandmother’s cinnamon roll recipe, Lawson explains that there’s a strong demand for all the products.

Drinks made in Dela-where?

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

If you had asked me two years ago if I thought you could buy beer that was brewed in Delaware or drink wine from a vineyard down the road, my answer would have been: “Drinks made in Dela-where?”

It wasn’t that I thought the city of Delaware had nothing to offer its residents or the students of Ohio Wesleyan, but when I thought of beer, Delaware wasn’t on my radar and when I thought of wineries, I thought of California or Italy.

My view was completely changed when Restoration Brew Worx opened 15 months ago. Located on Sandusky Street, Restoration Brew Worx offers a variety of beers such as IPAs and Porters, among others that are all brewed in the back of their restaurant.

I sat down with Frank Barickman, partner and brewer of Restoration, who has been brewing beer for 20 years. He had done work for other people but realized about two years ago that it was time to start his own brewery. Barickman told me that all of their beer is made on premise and they only sell their beer in the restaurant. For now, he said they’re going to stick with their Sandusky Street location and continue selling their beer at restaurants in Delaware, but they plan on distributing kegs in the future.

When I asked Barickman why he thought the city of Delaware was a good place to brew beer in-house, he mentioned the growth Delaware has seen in the last 10 years and how the business owners in town have stepped up and answered that growth with successful restaurants such as Amato’s, Typhoon and others. Barickman said that if someone said they were going to start a brewery 10 years ago, people would say that it was never going to work, but today it is possible.

But if your palate desires wine over beer, try Blend of Seven Winery. Opening their first location in 2013 and currently located on Stratford Road, owners Steve and Sandi make their wine from imported grape juice. Offering wine by the taste, glass and bottle, Blend of Seven Winery offers reds and whites, among other types of wine.

When I spoke with Sandi, she said people actively seek out wineries, but it is their centralized location that draws in customers from Columbus, Findlay, Marion and other cities within twenty minutes of their winery. Sandi said they have the capability to ship their wine within Ohio, which has increased their customer base but also provided the issue of trying to stabilize their inventory level. Sandi said once they can get a steady amount of inventory, they would like to sell their wine at restaurants in Delaware.

So let me fast forward to my 2016 view: Drinks made in Delaware do exist and their presence around town is growing just as fast as Delaware grows.

Letter to the Editor

To the members of the Ohio Wesleyan University community:

The April 18 action by the OWU faculty members should be reversed immediately. Although OWU, as a private institution, is well within its legal rights to be as secretive as it wishes, closing the doors of its faculty meetings is not only detrimental to the university community’s ability to function, it sends a message of elitism and paternalism to the students. The faculty’s action demonstrates that the university’s mission, as described on the website, is either hypocritical or out of touch with the mindset of those who purport to educate OWU students.

In part, the university website states:

Ohio Wesleyan provides them [the students] with a bounty of interconnected experiences—across disciplines, across cultures, even across continents. After our students graduate, we expect them to be insatiable problem solvers—and agents of change….

We are active and engaged with the world. We have thoughtful opinions, big ideas, and we share them in a rich campus conversation….

If the faculty members actually believe in providing a “bounty of interconnected experiences,” they cannot fail to note that their action demonstrates that they believe students do not understand the concept: The faculty members have shown that they believe students are incapable of synthesis, are incapable of understanding anything beyond the confines of the classroom, and therefore will not understand the implications of the faculty action. Faculty members apparently also believe that students are incapable of understanding what economics professor Bob Gitter means by a “chilling effect” on discussion. What Gitter means, of course, is that the students’ role models are too craven to express their opinions in an open forum – a lovely lesson in evading accountability.

“Rich campus conversation,” indeed.

Sincerely,

Arthur L. Ranney, Ph.D.

OWU Visiting Professor (1989-1990)

Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Contact: 608.330.1950 (mobile, preferred)

ranneya@uwplatt.edu

Look closer: being a mindful consumer

Olivia Lease, Online Editor

I try to see stories in everything I purchase.

I wonder whose hands made the sweater resting on my shoulders or where the watermelon I am currently eating was grown, picked, washed and perfectly sliced.

I don’t like to go shopping very often. There are so many options that it is no longer exciting but overwhelming. I can walk into a store and see thousands of cheaply priced goods in front of me. What I don’t see are the hidden costs, I have to search for the real stories.

Organic pineapples being grown in Costa Rica, most of which to be transported elsewhere. Photo by Olivia Lease. — Organic pineapples being grown in Costa Rica, most of which to be transported elsewhere.

I think it’s time for us to acknowledge the fact that we live in a consumer-centric society made possible by the hard work of others. People we will most likely never meet but whose stories matter.

But first, let’s acknowledge the fact that our supermarkets no longer abide by the seasons.

You can buy a pineapple at any time, regardless of that fact that we are not living in Brazil or Paraguay, where the plant originated. It has now been spread throughout South America. I visited Costa Rica over winter break and was able to a tour a plantation.

There, some of the crops we saw would eventually travel over 3,000 miles to reach California while some would go even further destinations in the U.K.

A single pod of fruit from which palm oil is extracted. Photo taken in Costa Rica by Olivia Lease. — A single pod of fruit from which palm oil is extracted.

When we walk into a store, we don’t see the hours of hard labor or the elaborate transportation system it took to give us more choices. Variety is simply something we’ve become accustomed to.

While in Costa Rica, I also had the chance to tour a palm oil plantation.

The edible vegetable oil is used in 50 percent of all packaged products in America. It is extracted from the fruit grown on African palm trees. These trees are originally from Western Africa but are now grown wherever heat and rainfall are abundant enough.

On the tour, I passed workers yielding machetes. The heat was suffocating despite the early time of day. Poisonous snakes are common in the field and a constant threat for workers to be aware of. One boy helped wrangle the cattle used for transport. This was their everyday routine, a dangerous job they had become accustomed to.

Across the world, forests are being slashed down and indigenous people relocated in order to make room for these crops, just to keep up with our demand.

America, the land of the free, is unwilling to admit that we also are a catalyst for conflict and destruction.

Wokers herd cattle used for transportation of fruit from palm oil trees. Photo taken in Costa Rica by Olivia Lease. — Wokers herd cattle used for transportation of fruit from palm oil trees.

Look in your backpack, pick out a few things. How many of them say “made in the U.S.A.”? I don’t think it should be a point of pride to have these products, but more so, a standard.

There a several things you can do help slow the global economy, the best being to buy local items (and if it’s produce, make sure it’s in season). This phrase is so much more than a trendy consumer choice. It’s an effort to be a part of your community and a chance to know the story behind what you are purchasing.

Global Warming is real, duh

Killington, Vermont, a place normally covered in snow this time of year. Photo by Matt Cohen.

Matt Cohen, Editor-in-Chief

The young adult skiing down the slush-covered Vermont mountain wearing nothing but a smiley face shaved into his chest hair and American flag thigh-tight shorts was the sanest of us all.

We didn’t account for warm weather in early March at 4,231 feet of elevation and we paid for it. The jackets and snowpants caused overheating and after the first run down the slopes, sweat dripped from everywhere.

Most people know global warming is a thing. I do, too.

But now, after the sun’s reflection off the wet snow gave me an unfortunate sunburn on the underside of my relatively big nose, I really know.

Global warming is an issue that needs immediate attention.

According to evidence presented by NASA, sea level rose almost 7 inches in the last century. But over the last decade, the rate has nearly doubled from that of the last century.

Earth has undergone 10 of the warmest years of its approximately 4.543 billion life in the last 12 years. It has also gone through 20 of the warmest years since 1981.

We cannot wait for an end-all solution. There are simple tasks we can do to help avoid more underside-of-the-nose sunburn in early March.

Check your tires regularly. Properly inflated tires increase gas mileage by 3 percent and every gallon saved prevents 20 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

When just 1 percent of people maintain their cars for a year, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept from the atmosphere.

I like a chilled household or cool bedroom as much as the next guy. And as the season changes, I pay close attention to the thermostat. But now, it will be for another reason.

During the warmer months, raising the temperature just 2 degrees can save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emission throughout the year.

Lastly, here are some solutions geared toward college kids. Use the washing machine or dishwasher when it’s full. We do the dishes almost never and wash our clothes once a week, maybe. You now have a very good reason when your mom calls.

On average, showers use four times less energy than baths. I can’t remember the last time I took a bath.

Yes, global warming is a big issue, but it doesn’t need a big solution. Just check your damn tires.

Read the full list of things to do to help stop global warming here.