Posts

Kaitlyn Evans

Felipe Alfau

Felipe Alfau was not your normal writer. In fact, he believed he was not a professional writer at all. Ironically, Felipe comes from a family with lots of journalist, translators, and people that devoted their life to the art of writing. He never wanted money for his work and was never interested in writing professionally. Felipe considered himself just like your average man with a wife and a daughter. He became known as a writer when he first submitting Locos to a New York Times Publisher for financial reasons. Felipe’s first language was Spanish. He was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1902. In 1916, he moved to the United States when he was only fourteen-years-old. He quickly picked up English as his second language. He spent over seventy years of his life in the United States. He received a Catholic education, but remained skeptical about afterlife. In his last years of life, Felipe resided in a retirement home. As an elder, Felipe still sees his life as having nothing out of the ordinary and knew he was ready to leave his life. Overall, Felipe was a stubborn and traditional man.

Felipe Alfau has written numerous stories and criticism pieces. A lot of his work is lost; however, because he did not consider himself a professional writer and did not want his work showcased. Some of his most famous works include but are not limited to,

  • Locos (1936)
  • Chromos (1990)
  • Le Café des fous (1990)
  • Sentimental Songs (1992)
  • Cuentos Espanoles de Antano (1995)

Cites to visit about Felipe and more on his works,

It is interesting to note that all the works listened above besides for Chromos were originally written in English. However, some of his works in Spanish were from when Felipe was only eighteen-years-old. He wrote music criticism for a newspaper called La Presna. He believed writing in English was easier to convey his message and bring two cultures together. His works were about the things in life he had passion for.

If I had a conversation with Felipe Alfau, I would ask him why he didn’t consider himself a professional writer when he wrote all his life. He would respond that he doesn’t consider himself a professional writer because he’s not one. In an interview Alfau said about himself that “it was better when nobody cared. Some people think I am a celebrity, but I don’t even understand what that means.” He would say he writes because it’s his passion. It’s how he connects his life in Spain to his life in the United States. Following that question, I would ask him, why did you write pieces so much in your later life that became published? Felipe would respond that he got bored because he’s been in a nursing home for a long time. He even said, “I see myself as an old man ready for death, ready for rest.” That the people in the nursing home were crazy and writing keeps him sain. And “perhaps because [his work] didn’t belong to the culture climate of the past, but they fit into the present.” Lastly, I would ask why he doesn’t consider his life ordinary? Felipe would say there is nothing ordinary about his life and say that his life is “a waste of time.”

Felipe Alfau was a very intriguing man. He was not your average human being even though he saw himself that way. He did not consider himself a professional writer and never wanted to be a professional writer. Felipe brought the culture of Spain and the United States together through his writing, which made him so unique. He wrote because it was his passion. He was just a stubborn and traditional family man that found himself in the spotlight when he needed a little extra cash.

Dongyuan Chen

Filial piety

In China, “filial piety” has long been a Chinese traditional virtue recognized by the public, and I also show respect for this word all the time. My understanding of this word is more of children showing heartfelt gratitude to everything that their parents have done for them. Of course, what I respect is the heartfelt gratitude and what I agree with is children’s repaying their parents’ love. However, nowadays, “filial piety” is misinterpreted by many people and turned to burdens enforced on children. Moreover, some parents may even force their children to do something in the name of filial piety; some parents may compel their children to totally comply with their will to achieve their expectations in the name of the debt of raising children up. To this regard, I do not agree with the so-called traditional virtue of “filial piety”.

All the parents should be responsible for taking a new life to this world. They should not use sayings like “I gave birth to you” to force their children to do what their children are unwilling to do. In that case, it is a brutal act and a kind of moral kidnapping. It is not necessarily a good thing for children that they were brought to this world. They are exposed to this colorful and wonderful world, but in the meantime, they also have to suffer all kinds of pains in this world. Besides, we can not view things from a unilateral perspective. When parents bring children to this world, children also bring about happiness, pleasure, sense of pride and even sense of achievement to their parents.

In my opinion, every child is his or her parents’ “work” and he or she may have something similar to parents or becomes someone that the parents expect him or her to be. But it does not mean that I am in favor of some parents’ behaviors, such as going against children’s will and asking them to do something they don’t want to do. Certainly, at first, children know little about this world, so parents should impart knowledge, correct values, view of thought and world view to children as well as tell them some living skills. Then it is inevitable that during the process, some problems and conflicts may occur, which proves the existence of children’s natural instincts. You may have a doubt—why do so many fierce conflicts take place between parents and children from time to time?  It is not contradictory. When children were little, some parents did not help children form correct values, or we can lower our standard, some parents did not impart their own values to their children. What’s worse, when children were in their childhood, the communication between children and parent was very little, so it is nothing strange that children’s thoughts are different from parents’. Now children have grown up and their thoughts run counter to parents’ will, parents cried out that their children no longer follow their directions. Why? Why should children obey their parents who fail to well educate them? Do those parents ever reflect on themselves? At this time, parents will usually give sayings such as “I am your parent”, which seemingly makes sense, but I think those sayings are feeble and futile, and I feel lamentable for them.

Let’s get back to the word of “filial piety”, which is a pseudo-proposition at first. Every life is independent. Children did nothing, so why should they support their parents for dozens of years? Some parents may say: “Why? I raise my child up for twenty years!” Children owe parents nothing. Parents bring children to this world and raise the children of their own accord. No one pushes them to do this. “Then how about us? Can our children really leave us alone?” It depends on parents. If parents provide superior and comfortable growing environment and the warmth of a family to their children, as well as support children to grow up happily and healthily, I am sure that the children will be kind to their parents, which is true dependency and affections. Children love their parents, so they genuinely want to repay their parents. If their parents do not live a good life, they will feel uncomfortable, which is human’s instinct, but not the so-called kinship or patriarchal clan ties. Using kinship or clan ties to bind people is really unreasonable. Therefore, I show no compassion for the poor elderly who use legal provisions to force their children to fulfill the obligation of support. An effect presupposes a cause. All the results come from seeds planted by those parents at the very beginning.

In addition, nowadays, many parents regard children as everything in their own life. In my opinion, that is why the saying of bringing up sons to support parents in their old age exists. In parents’ eyes, they devote themselves to raising their children up, so it is for sure that their children should treat them in the same way when they are old. If their children leave them alone, what I want to tell them is, “You deserve it. You yourselves ask for it. No one ever pushes you. You certainly live your own life. You make every decision on your own.” Therefore, I beg to differ with those sayings like “My whole life is occupied by my child.”

I won’t interfere in others’ life. But if I am a parent, my child will only be a part of my life, but not my whole life. If conditions permit (I refer to economic condition), on the premise of fulfilling my obligation of raising my child, I will still continue what I like to do, such as traveling, reading and to be together with people I love. There are too many novel and wonderful things to be done in this world. Therefore, in my mind, those empty-nest elderly are really very poor. They reply on others, but once others leave them, they have nothing. The same is true when it comes to the relation between lovers.

Moreover, if children do not contact their parents, there are nothing but following reasons: the children do not miss their parents at all, which show that the parent-child emotion is not deep. So is it true that the parents have nothing to do with such a situation? Or maybe the children live happily. Shouldn’t parents feel happy in this case? If it is not above two reasons, maybe the children encounter some difficulties, but they don’t want to discuss with their parents. Isn’t this their parents’ problem? Or there are someone who can provide suggestions to the children, so shouldn’t their parents feel happy? If their parents are not happy, that means their parents are selfish.

Life should be mastered by everyone. Children have their own life. Parents bind their children by using ethical traditions and give them the sense of guilt. Then such parents are still very selfish. Everyone may live a life for about several decades. In the first over twenty years, children cannot totally make their own decisions on their own. If the rest of their life should still be controlled by parents, that is too pathetic. It would be best that if children can persuade their parents, but if they cannot, forget about it and follow their hearts. People should be grateful, but should not make concessions without bottom line.

From my perspective, modern society should no longer advocate so-called “filial piety”, especially blind filial piety. Parenting should not be a debt of gratitude, while filial piety is not an obligation. Instead, “filial piety” in traditional sense can be replaced by love. We have no obligation to be filial, but we can show love for our families.

 

 

Andrew Vonderhaar

The United States of Polarization

For starters, I don’t care if you’re a Republican. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat. I don’t care about your political affiliation at all.

Of course, I will always support your right to choose what political standards you believe, with my final breath. But at the end of the day, you’re an American. When the United States Constitution was signed in 1787, there were no political parties. It was settled with the ideals of a country united. A country run for the people, by the people, strongly opposing any form of totalitarianism and monarchy.

This nation, in all its honor, was the first ever in time to create the voter-based political parties. Beginning with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists (Democratic-Republican Party), which were divided based upon beliefs in political issues. As the nation grew stronger, more developed and powerful, the party system did as well. Over time, the parties morphed into what we know them as today: The Republican Party, Democratic Party, as well as several third parties.

The tranquility and efficiency which was envisioned for the nation through the appointing of political parties, working hand in hand, has shown its presence several notable times in our nations renowned history. Yet, it seems to be quite easier to recall the times our party system, as well as the politicians who represent their parties, have found themselves hatefully combating one another.

How does focusing your efforts on overpowering your nation’s parties, solely because their ideals differ from your own, benefit the United States?

It doesn’t.

The concept of parties despising one another is not one that is new to our culture, in fact we have seen it consume our nation. We have seen it brutally slaughter unimaginable numbers of our citizens, killed at the hand of their neighbors. We have seen it burn and ruin our land and civilizations, which gruelingly took years to stand where it once was. In case it isn’t clear enough, the culprit of this devastation was our nation’s Civil War. A war between fellow citizens on their very own shared soil. The bloodiest battle the nation has ever seen was a direct causation of political party division on political issues. In no way will I deny that the Union army fought for a noble cause and against a necessary evil, yet I can’t help to be amazed by just how destructive political disagreement without compromise can be.

As years advance, the nation developed back to what it once was. Politics again flourished right along with it. Just as these two factors see great growth over the history of the nation, the ideals they defend and dispute grow as well. Issues ranging from war overseas, taxes, racial discrimination, abortion, gay marriage, and many more constantly impact the development of the nation’s political parties, unfortunately not for the better. Republicans and Democrats despise of one another increases with every disagreement they encounter. Members of both associations begin to negatively regard individuals of contrasting parties by their affiliation to one’s political party, not as fellow human beings, and not as fellow Americans.

Unfortunately, the divide is still intact and ever s with each passing year. Every national issue and debate seems to become more and more hostile and one sided, while compromise seemingly has left the vocabulary of American politics.

Recent months have increased my fear of what is to become of politics in the U.S., especially the presidential debate that has since ended. The entire election and campaigning period resembled more of a reality T.V. show than a process to decide who will run the most powerful country in the free world. Candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton participated in campaigns focused on bashing their opponent, as well as their party and all they stand for. Never ending attacks headed by the candidates were directed at the personal lives of one another. The debates did not resemble a presentation of plans and concepts to aid the growth and development of the nation for the better, rather a downfall of suspicion on contending parties.

If the leaders of parties act in such a manner, tearing apart the contending party in such a hateful spite, rather than propose methods to improve the lives of those they represent, isn’t it clear that the people who follow them will adopt the same mindset and agenda?

The despise that was created through this past presidential election was so intense and segregated that the citizens of our nation have become far more radical and polarized than ever before. This mindset did not die out once the process was over and Trump was put into office. It very much lives on, resulting in a large percentage of the population extremely opposed to the opposite party that they refuse to support the new leader of the nation. Therefore, making working together with one another, united, a thing of the past.

You cannot blame them for this, for it is what has been building up and engrained in the minds of Americans for centuries. The enemy is no longer terrorism, war, crime, nor injustice. Rather, the enemy has become one another. We have become entrenched in animosity, pushing the nation further and further away from the goal of togetherness and unitedness by which the country was founded.

There needs to be a change. A shift in mindset. Change takes years of hard and preservation, but it is beyond necessary. We must no longer choose based upon party title, nor argue endlessly about matters of personal life. We must decide our leaders on account of what they propose we do to change our nation, not because of hate of their opponent’s party.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand” (Lincoln). These simple words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln, a man who saw the ruin that division can have on a nation, through his very eyes.

In these times, more than ever, we must follow the words of Lincoln. Americans must heed the call to come together as one nation, a unit far stronger together than apart.

America has seen what crippling polarization has done to us in the past, so let’s not allow history to repeat itself.

Grow up, and link together.

Citations

Abraham Lincoln, the “House Divided Speech” (Springfield, Illinois: June 16th, 1858)

Hallie Atwell

What Makes a Good Person?

        According to Wikipedia, common sense “is a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge things that are shared by (“common to”) nearly all people and can reasonably be expected of nearly all people without need for debate.” Most concepts or ideas that appear to be rational are accepted by all people; however, when it comes to question of “What makes you a good person,” many people have different opinions. Yes, this question can be answered with various responses that are justifiable, but some of these answers do not pertain to common sense. These answers that don’t concern common sense come from the Catholic Church and its beliefs.

        The Catholic Church, one that I have been associated with since birth, has firm beliefs on what makes a good person, or furthermore, what will help a person on the path to heaven. In order to be a respectable person in the eyes of the Catholic Church, one is expected to attend mass every Sunday. They state that this is necessary in order to receive communion and hear the Word of God. Another integral part of the Catholic religion are the scriptures and parables that are found in the Bible. Being a good Christian, in terms of this, means putting one’s faith in a book that was written nearly 3,500 years ago. Although I have been a part of the Catholic Church since my baptism, it still confuses me as to how attending mass every Sunday and reading the Bible will lead me on the right path to heaven. I strongly believe that if I live my life being the best person I can be, then God will allow me to go to heaven. This does not mean that a person must go through life not making any mistakes or committing any sins, because God knows that we are all human and subject to temptation. It means He does not expect us to be perfect, but instead, God wants us to learn from our mistakes, love each other as He loves us, and be the best persons we can be.

         These ideas of the Catholic Church are important in many ways, but being a good Christian does not always mean that one is a good person. For example, one person may be a devout Catholic and attend his or her community church every Sunday to listen to the Gospel. However, this same person could live every day treating others poorly, ignoring the needy, or even committing major sins. Is this person still on the right path in order to be accepted into heaven? Many people are married through the Catholic Church and have been unfaithful to their spouse, but they still make it to mass on Sunday. Does this make them a good person? How about the Catholic couple who realized their marriage no longer works for them and decide to get a divorce? In this common situation, the Church does not believe in divorce and therefore does not see this couple as fit for entering heaven. On the contrary, I am not saying that there are no decent Catholics, because that is not the case in the slightest. Some of the best people I know are Catholics. It is the fact that people who devote a great deal of their time to God do not have the common sense to understand that those who are good people in their daily life are worthy of going to heaven; regardless of their beliefs or how many times they’ve been to mass.

         The beliefs of the Catholic Church go on and on. These are not the only opinions of the religion that do not have substantial reasoning behind what makes a person suitable for heaven. Along with attending mass and reading the Bible, it is in their opinion that those who are homosexual are immoral in the eyes of God. It should not matter which gender a person loves, as long as they are loving one another as God wants us to. He did not create humans to conceal their true selves and act in a way that society tells them to. Instead, he created us to be happy and to treat one another with respect. A man may love another man, but he is also caring, kind, and respectful of others; therefore, with common sense, this man is the type of person who should go to heaven.

         My intention is not to discredit the Catholic Church and their firm beliefs that have been around for many years. As an American, a person has the undeniable right to take part in the religion of his or her choice, or perhaps to not take part in any religion at all. With this, each religion has different views and it is important to respect the beliefs of one another. However, this does not mean that we must agree. Every day I aim to be a good person, whether it is doing small actions, such as holding the door for the person behind me, or doing something monumental. I make mistakes, I learn from them and I grow every day as a respectable human being; but, I don’t go to mass every Sunday and I stopped reading the Bible the moment my religion class concluded in the 10th grade. I don’t believe that this makes me a bad person, and therefore should not hinder me from living eternity in heaven.

Maris Corzine

The Anthropogenic Depletion of Coral Reefs

        When one thinks of coral reefs, it is typical to think of a beautiful place in the ocean, filled with colorful coral and various species of fish. However, few people understand how human influences have impacted coral reefs, causing the depletion of coral reefs due to coral bleaching. Coral reefs are not only extremely beneficial to the ocean’s ecosystem, but they are also beneficial to the human population. Today, human activity has threatened 58% of the world’s coral reefs (Burke).

        There are people who argue that coral bleaching is only natural, and the species are possibly meant to die off. Coral bleaching can be natural, but human actions are forcing these ecosystems to generate their cycles at a faster paste, making it difficult for them to rebound.  It can be hard to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic components, because human disturbances may not be detected until it has occurred, or if it happens along with a natural disturbance. Natural disturbances such as tropical storms, hurricanes, low tides, outbreaks of disease or predators, and unusual temperatures can damage coral reefs. Even though these natural disturbances can cause large amounts of coral to die off, these disturbances are part of the natural cycle reefs must encounter to adapt to the ecosystem. Hurricanes can flush out unwanted sediment, creating a more substrate environment for organisms to grow on.  This must mean that human activity is the main reason of coral bleaching, and even though natural activity can disturb the coral ecosystem, it does not come close to the damaging effects of human activity.

         Climate change is the biggest contributor to coral bleaching. Climate change is caused by the high emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, from human activities. The human population has been exponentially increasing as the world has become more developed. Due to the increase of population, humans have created a bigger impact on their environment such as the ocean. Since the Industrial Revolution around 1800, the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased from about 280 parts per millions, to about 380 parts per million (Pickrell). Humans have contributed to the levels of carbon dioxide by the combustion of fossil fuels. The ocean absorbs about half of all new anthropogenic carbon dioxide (Pickrell). The consumption of massive amounts of carbon dioxide causes an increase of temperature in the ocean. The increase in ocean temperatures results in coral bleaching, another reason supporting the claim it is directly a result of human activity.

         Warm ocean temperatures cause the symbiotic relationship between algae (zooxanthellae) and coral to be disrupted. Algae is a primary food source for the coral, and lives within the coral’s tissues, which gives the coral color. The coral releases regular amounts of zooxanthellae in order to keep the concentration balanced in their tissues. When coral undergoes a significant amount of stress, it releases massive amounts of zooxanthellae, causing the coral to lose their color. The release of too much zooxanthellae weakens and whitens the coral’s exoskeleton, making it more susceptible to disease.

         Coral ecosystems are beneficial to humans in many ways. Coral reefs provide a natural barrier for currents, waves, and storms which helps prevents damage on land, erosion, and loss of life. Coral reefs are home to up to 4000 species of fish and 800 species of coral. Fish in coral reefs are a major food source for fisheries. Half of federally funded fisheries are highly dependable on coral reefs, and if damage is done to the reef, it could result in a depletion of fish (The Value of Corals). The depletion of fish will damage the market of fisheries, and there will be less of a food source for the human population. Coral reefs have also become an important source for medication. Certain species in coral ecosystems have been discovered to be important sources of medication to treat major medical conditions, such as cancer and heart disease. Medications from coral ecosystems are also known to treat arthritis and asthma. Lastly, coral reefs are a great source for the economy by attracting tourism. Tourists scuba dive and snorkel in the reef to observe the diverse ecosystem living under the water. If humans continue to contribute to climate change, these benefits the coral reefs provide, will be lost.

        To improve coral reef ecosystems, we must begin to realize how anthropogenic influences impact the reefs. Coral reefs help create a very diverse and unique ecosystem. If coral reefs continue to deplete, it will affect organisms in the ocean and the human population. Coral reefs provide a source of food and protection for humans. Due to this dependence on them, it is necessary to take action in slowing human impact on the coral reefs in order to protect them from anthropogenic influences.

Works Cited

Burke, Lauretta. “Reefs at Risk: Map-Based Analyses of Threats to Coral Reefs.” Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series (2011): 918-20. World Resources Institute. Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.

Hauter, Stan and Debbie. “What Makes Coral Bleaching Happen and How Can It Be Prevented?” About.com Home. About Home, 06 Nov. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017. <http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutcoraldiseases/a/aacoralbleach.htm>.

Pickrell, John. “Oceans Found to Absorb Half of All Man-Made Carbon Dioxide.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 15 July 2004. Web. 13 Feb. 2017. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0715_040715_oceancarbon.html>.

“The Value of Corals.” The Value of Corals | Coral Reef Systems. Coral Reef Systems, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2017. <http://coralreefsystems.org/content/value-corals>.

Kaitlyn Evans

GMOs

        When one thinks of a GMO, they often think of serious health effects or maybe they do not even know what GMOs are in modern day terminology. In recent years, the media has drawn a large attention to GMOs and most of the public eye does not know anything about the subject. Well, a GMO or generically modified organism is an organism whose genes have been modified so that the organism can perform better under a certain environment. The process is simply speeding up natural selection. Something that humans have been doing long before Darwin discovered natural selection (University of Georgia).

        In today’s world, GMOs are used in many crops and are referred to as GM crops. In the U.S., there are eight GM crops commercially grown including cotton, sugar beet, soybean, corn, canola, papaya, alfalfa, and summer squash (Byrne). This poses a question from many consumers that purchase products made from these crops, are GM foods safe to eat? GM crops are tightly regulated by several government bodies and undergo safety testing before being commercialized (Key).  Three U.S. government entities have authority to regulate GM crops, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration (Byrne). Foods from GM crops have been consumed by millions of people all over the world for over 15 years, with no reported effects (Key).

        Overall, GMO crops have many advantages. In the developing world, 840 million people are undernourished, surviving on fewer than 2000 calories a day and many do not have a reliable food source (Key).  For example, the Golden Rice Project was started where GMO rice was developed to produce more Vitamin A to prevent deficiency in developing countries. Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness and death to 2 million children each year (Key). The Golden Rice provides 50% of  vitamin A for children (Key).

        In addition, the world’s population is predicted to double over the next 40 years, with over 95% of humans being born in developing countries (Key).  It is estimated that to meet these increased demands, food production must increase by at least 40% with decreasing fertile lands and water resources. GMO technologies are one of several different approaches to combat these problems. GM crops produce a higher yield than non-GM crops and promote efficient land use. Along with higher yields, the price of food decreases.

        In conclusion, next time you see a GMO label on food products at the grocery store think about what it means. It is a proven fact that the United States has the safest food supply in the world. Next time you hear someone say GMOs are bad for your health let them know that studies show no harmful health effect and let them know the advantages of GMOs. With the world population expected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050 higher crop yields in result of using GMOs are not a bad thing. They add more nutritional value to food at a lower price and in an efficient way. It is common sense to support the production of GM crops.

Resources

Bryne, P. “Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Techniques and Applications – 0.710.” Colorado   State University Extension,

        http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/genetically-modified-gm-crops-  techniques-and-applications-0-710/ Accessed 6 Feb. 2017

“Genetically Modified Crops.” Mission 2014,

        http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2014/genetically-modified-crops Accessed 6 Feb. 2017

Key, Suzie. Ma, Julian. Drake, Pascal. “Genetically modified plants and human health.” US       National Library of Medicine. 1 Jun. 2008,

        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2408621/

“Selective Breeding or Artificial Selection.” University of Georgia, 24 Nov. 2013,

        http://wallace.genetics.uga.edu/groups/evol3000/wiki/ce8b9/Selective_Breeding_or_A rtificial_Selection.html

“World population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050.” United States Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 29 July 2015,

        http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html

Haley Evans

Feeding a Growing World

         By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach nine billion people. This brings about a huge concern of food security. Farmers will need to produce more food, on less land. This means using antibiotics in livestock is crucial to feeding the world. Unfortunately, using antibiotics in livestock gets a bad reputation. More and more people are following the antibiotic free trend. This is because consumers are misinformed about the agricultural industry today. I believe that this is one of the biggest problems in modern day agriculture.

Poultry is the number one consumed meat in the United States. Many food business’s will advertise their poultry as antibiotic free. Chipotle and Subway are huge culprits of this. The modern-day poultry industry never uses antibiotics while raising broilers though. It takes about 8 weeks for a broiler to reach market weight. The farmer will make approximately six dollars per chicken. If one of his chickens were to become sick, he would lose more money treating it with antibiotics, and waiting for the withdrawal time. That is why the modern-day poultry industry is antibiotic free.

The dairy, beef, sheep, and pork industry’s commonly use antibiotics while raising their livestock. The gestation period for cattle is the same as humans. That means it takes nine month to get new hooves on the ground. Calves will weigh about seventy pounds when they’re born, and are worth at least $200. Like all young animals, their immune systems are not strongly developed. They often get sick. A farmer is not going to let his calf die of a bacterial disease, if it can be cured, its common sense. It’s money down the drain, and food lost to feed the world if he does.

Many consumers think that antibiotic use in livestock is helping antibiotic resistant diseases in humans. Tetracycline and Ionophores combined are antibiotics used 70% of the time in animal agriculture. Tetracycline is only used 4% of the time in human medicine and Ionophores are never used in human medicine. This means they contribute very little to human diseases that are antibiotic resistant. Therefore, antibiotic use in livestock has little effect on humans.

A common misconception consumers often have is that meat raised with antibiotics is harmful for human consumption. However, all meat is antibiotic free when the animal is slaughtered. A withdrawal date is the period in which the animal still has drug residue in its system. At the end of the withdrawal date, the animal is drug free and able to go to market. Withdrawal dates are regulated by the FDA and USDA, and taken very seriously.  This insures that your meat is safe for consumption when raised on antibiotics.

The bottom line is, your food is safe if it is raised on antibiotics. All meat is technically antibiotic free. The knowledge gap between farm and plate, is why consumers often think from a different perspective than agriculturalist. It’s a constant battle in a world where food security is a growing problem. Whether you agree with the use of antibiotics or not in livestock it is important to remember, farmers are not out to hurt consumers. Farmers are just trying to do their best to feed a growing world.

Andrew Vonderhaar

Pick Yourself Up

An elderly man, frail and gaunt appears in the spotless beige coated television room in his humble two story, baby blue carpeted home. I look up from my reclined seat on my favorite couch, noticing him leaning for support on the room’s door frame. As he walks directly in front of my glued gaze on the T.V. his steps are deliberate and careful, shaky with each movement of his legs as he focuses to keep his balance with each pace.

His once full head of dark gray and silk white hair is thinned almost completely, leaving behind simply a patched fade of frail white with a skin revealing bald spot in the center. His go-to joke was to always leave a dollop of sunscreen in the middle of his head and shout, “Those damn birds outside hit the bullseye again”. Never failing to produce gasps always followed by booming laughter, from anyone who was lucky enough to see his prank. Years of intensive Chemotherapy, heavy medication, and constant battle against cancer were the cause of this new, walking shell of a man I saw before me in the room.

His slow steps across the room are abruptly interrupted by a stumble. He loses his ground under his slender, unsupportive legs and hits the floor in front of me with a painful thud. His collapses were not a surprise anymore, rather they were becoming a regularity. As I jump up to help, his piercing, chocolate brown eyes immediately dart a stare directly into my own. With his deep and scruffy voice, firm as always, orders me, “Sit back down, I can get up myself”. I obey his command.

A bone thin arm extends outward to his favorite reclining chair, the sleeves of his favorite lucky sweatshirt, shaded in deep green coloring fatigued from decades of constant use, slide down to his elbows. His now revealed forearm, displays shriveled, golden tan skin, resembling a tough faded leather. My grandfather’s hands were the size of a full grapefruit, complimented by extremely long, skinny fingers besides an outlier on his left hand whose top quarter was removed in his younger days after a ladder incident at his factory job. Those huge hands, once being able to throw the most feared change up pitches in all of Cincinnati high school and college baseball, now trembled as they held onto the chair above him.

No matter how much I wanted to help my struggling grandpa, who was the greatest man I ever knew, he would never allow me. Under any circumstances. It was always his fight.

With the strongest burst of energy left, he pulled himself the ground, and slid his body right into his favorite spot in the house. His eyebrows, still distinguished and bristly with dark black overlapping hairs, scrunched towards each other to express his concentrated struggle to catch his own breath. With careful rhythm he slowly breathed in and out. Puffing his fragile chest beneath his sweatshirt as crackling, raspy currents of air ventured from his throat. The fight to catch his breath seemed always to be a real one, an authentic struggle. Yet this fight, like all the others he fearlessly combated in his life cut far too short, he wasn’t going to let himself be defeated.

The breathing calmed and steadied out, his wrinkled neck along with his wide shoulders turned to face me, still sitting on the couch watching him with a look of utter concern. His eyes, always exuding a feeling of calm and togetherness to all they gazed upon, fell upon my own once more. His quivering lips opened to uncover his glimmering white teeth, smirking at me as he always did, as if nothing had happened. He picked up his remote, turned on Sunday night football, and we watched and talked endlessly until my grandma told him it was time for bed. Our tri-weekly routine.

My grandfather was the greatest man I have ever known. He came from less than dirt, working restlessly to make a better life for his own children and wife, than he ever had before. He taught me all I know about being a man through endless stories, random tidbits of advice, mentoring, and the never disappointing example he set, that have stuck with me every day of my life. Yet one stands out to me above them all, what he unknowingly taught me through his fall and refusal to be aided.

In that moment my grandfather taught me to never let anything stop you. Never let anything push you down, and certainly never let it keep you there. Though everything may not be in your favor, and though you may be torn down, weak and in pain, get back up and try again.

Cancer took his life, yet it never had the power to defeat him. His spirit was resilient. Always. This is how I will always remember the man who made me who I am today.

Maris Corzine

Greg – My Father

When did you decide to become a nuclear engineer and why?

I decided when I was in grade school because my father, who was a doctor, had a lot of patients whose husbands worked in engineering.  He talked about it some, and I remember we went down to look at the farm (nuclear plant). I thought it looked like a neat place to work, and wanted to learn more about nuclear engineering, what nuclear power was, and decided that that was what I wanted to do for my career. That was the stuff that happened that helped me make that decision.

Were there times in college when you doubted yourself?

Absolutely. My grades weren’t that great. My father died when I was 21, and so I wound up dropping out of school that quarter, and it got me behind a year just in one quarter. It was hard. It was hard to keep up with everybody so I looked at going into actuarial sciences about my third year or fourth year.

How did the death of your father affect your education?

It was all I could think about. My father was not there to talk to me anymore. I didn’t talk to him all the time but someone that was very much a given in my life, was suddenly gone. It was just difficult to deal with because it’s all you’re thinking about. You don’t have someone in your life anymore. You can’t touch them or talk to them anymore. I know that would upset him that I reacted that way, because those (bad) things that happen you should be able to get around them but it was very hard to concentrate on doing school work because the subject matter at the time was hard. It was easy to give up on school just to dwell on losing my father. Another thing I will say to that is my mother was not very forceful with me. She let things happen in time. She was very patient. I think if there was someone who was more demanding of me doing well, I might have tried harder then. But she was not willing to do that. In the end, it was up to me to make that decision not have a parent do that for me.

What subject did you struggle with most?

The higher maths. You know we got into functional analysis, number theory, and after calculus it started getting pretty difficult. I remember taking a functional analysis class that were mostly math majors in it and by the time it was done, about 3 quarters of the class had dropped it (chuckles). It was me, one other engineer, and about four math majors that were still in it. I stuck with it and got a D (laughs).

Is there anything you wish you could change looking back?

Yes. I wish I would’ve tried harder at the beginning and had been more willing to work with other people, to ask for help more readily. I think that would have made a difference and I would have done better academically. Some stuff I can’t change like when I was very upset my father died. It was hard to get around that. It was just a hard thing to do. And I can’t change that. You never know when stuff like that is going to happen.

What do you plan to do after you retire?

Actually, I don’t plan on retiring. That’s my retirement plan. I have to work until I am 80. I figure I’ll drop dead before then (laughs). But if I get to retire, I would like to travel. I’d like to go places and volunteer doing things physically to help people. I wish I could have done that when I was younger when I had the physical stamina to do that. If I try to do that at age 70 or so, it’s going to be difficult but I think I can still do stuff. There’s a lot of things that I haven’t gotten to see that I would really like to. So probably the biggest think I would like to do when I retire is travel.

Hallie Atwell

Robby Stahl- My Soccer Coach

        Roby Stahl stands six feet, two inches tall at the age of 63. As a mere ten-year-old girl of scarcely 4 feet, 7 inches, his height nearly petrifies me. I am walking to my first official club soccer practice with a new coach and an entirely new team.  Upon my arrival, I see sixteen new faces and one in particular that makes me about stop in my tracks. My new coach has the smallest trace of white hair that looks like it could fall out at any minute; this is soon to be covered by his red Kings Soccer Academy ball cap. Aside from the slight bulge that protrudes from his stomach, his entire body seems fit enough for a twenty-five-year-old man. His legs are as toned as a body builder’s, with especially strong calves that make his ankles look tiny, and arms that show no indication of a day missed at the gym.

        According to my parents, Roby Stahl has coached some of the most famous woman soccer players, including Mia Hamm and was even married to Michelle Akers at a time.  If this didn’t already terrify me enough, the tense and stern atmosphere that seemed to surround him definitely did. “Everyone sit down, there will be no talking or you will be dismissed from practice,” are the first words that leave his mouth as we all walk toward him. “Great”, I think, “this should be fun.” Throughout the duration of the practice, Roby stands off to one side of the field and carefully watches each drill that our practice consists of; he does not let a single mistake go unnoticed or without a remark on how to improve. If necessary, he is not afraid to raise his voice if he believes his point is not getting across. Whether it be a critique or an acclamation, he never looks happy. He constantly stands with his eyes squinting and lips curled back into his mouth, the ultimate look of concentration. Later on I start to believe that his rigid appearance does not mean he is mad or dislikes coaching our team; instead I believe that his only concern is the progress of our team, therefore prohibiting a single thought unrelated to soccer enter his mind.

As time with our new coach continues, Roby starts to become one of the most influential role models in my life. With only a couple months under my belt, I learned more about soccer from Roby than I had in my whole four years of previous experience. He is dedicated, extremely qualified and knows exactly what he wants to accomplish, letting nothing get in his way. He has no tolerance for messing around or any forms of gossip unrelated to soccer during our practices. In our four years together, he taught me not only a great deal about the game of soccer, but also shared with me some of life’s most important lessons. For example, Roby once said a famous quote to me, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Although I had heard this before, he stressed the point that this quote did not only pertain to soccer. Instead, he wanted to remind me that life is worth taking risks and for that, I owe it to him to take chances and put forth my best effort in everything I partake in. Roby Stahl has prepared me for success not only in the game of soccer, but also for the times when life gets tough; and for that I will always remember him.