Deconstructing Nelson Mandela's Legacy

What do people talk about when they talk about Nelson Mandela?
Carolyn Holmes, ’06, asked this question at last week’s symposium on the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The answer may not be as straightforward as you think.

For decades, Mandela has been a symbol of justice, hope and dignity for the nation of South Africa. His devotion to the African nationalist cause and his unwavering struggle against the inherent injustice of apartheid reveal his truly extraordinary character. He spent twenty-seven years in prison for his activism. Upon his release in 1990, he picked up right where he left off and began working with the government to eliminate apartheid and institute multi-racial elections. He became the first black president of South Africa in 1994.

The Media and Tragedies: Coverage of Flight 370 and the Sewol Ferry Accident

Turn on CNN.

The anchor is most likely dissecting what may have happened to missing Malaysian flight 370 or the ferry that sunk off the coast of South Korea. The two disastrous events have prompted extended coverage on many television networks.

The question becomes: does the information deserve such extended coverage, or is it merely an attempt at scoring higher ratings?
Malaysian Airlines flight 370 went missing with 239 people aboard. The plane lost all contact with air traffic towers and GPS navigation. Search costs have exceeded $40 million dollars but are expected to reach hundreds of millions of dollars. The U.S. sent a Navy submarine that has covered over 50 square miles of the ocean floor, but the search efforts are expected to cease next weekend.

Cost of a Resume: Competing to Get the Job

If education is competitive, getting a job is even more competitive.

Most college students are pressured to join clubs, to play on teams and to take on leadership positions. We’re told that travel experience, studying abroad and having an internship or two will set us ahead. All of this, of course, on top of your degree of choice from whatever school you were accepted to. Each of these in and of itself takes some type of competition—and a LOT of money.


Most of us at DePauw University are willing to take on the competition. We accepted it back in grade school, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy. I’ve discovered though, that many of my peers and I had no idea how much it would cost. This brought into light a whole new type of competition, a financial one.

Competitive College: Does competition help or hinder our academic performance?

“What obligations do we have to our adversaries?  Do virtue and integrity enhance or impede our quest for victory? Is competition an obstacle to or an essential component of a meaningful life? How should competition be effectively regulated?” These questions and others will be addressed by visiting students and scholars from across the country in this year's Undergraduate Ethics Symposium, which will take place at the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics April 10-12. The topic for the symposium is “Virtue and Victory: Ethical Challenges in Competitive Life”, a topic that is very relevant to our everyday lives as university students.

The A-Listers: Can College Rankings Define a School?

How important are college rankings? As prospective students size up educational institutions, what is it that attracts them, their parents? Time and time again, we’ve seen DePauw’s name on the top party school list across the nation, but does that invalidate the academic standard we hold ourselves to? A new list was recently published by the Business Insider that appears to cast a redeeming light on “party schools." Is this enough to simply put aside all the images we have created in our minds about the type of environment DePauw cultivates? Some believe so.

Privilege at DePauw: A Personal Perspective

In light of recent discussions on campus, I’d like to offer up my own understanding of privilege. The notion of privilege has frequently come up in conversations around campus, but rarely does it seem to be understood. I have heard numerous complaints that discussing privilege demonizes someone for something they cannot control or that it is some sort of boogeyman of reverse discrimination. This understanding of privilege is far from the truth.

By only thinking of privilege as a personal attack on someone for factors they cannot control, we ignore the destructive effects that privileged society continues to have on marginalized peoples.

TOMS: When ‘Conscious Capitalism’ is Not Enough

With great anticipation for TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie’s visit radiating throughout DePauw’s campus, I had to do a double take every time I saw the words “Conscious Capitalism” broadcast on posters. The term “conscious capitalism” has arisen out of the assumption that through making ‘helping’ fashionable, we are somehow working to end poverty. The reality, however, is that philanthropic enterprises such as TOMS allow us to feel that we are helping the world without having to relinquish our role as consumers.

According to the DePauw website, while traveling in Argentina in 2006 Mycoskie was struck by the daily struggles faced by shoeless children. He consequently decided to create a for-profit organization that would provide impoverished communities throughout Argentina, Ethiopia and South Africa with shoe donations. As a result, TOMS ‘One for One’ campaign emerged, and for every pair of TOMS shoes purchased in the US, one pair is donated to an impoverished community.

Ubben Lecture by TOMS founder offers chance to think and act

On Sunday, March 2nd, Blake Mycoskie, the president and founder of TOMs will deliver a speech about his story and his revolutionary Buy One Give One (BOGO) business model.

I don’t need to point out that the Ubben Lecture Series has a reputation for bringing in impactful speakers from varying fields. The Ubben guests I’ve heard from over the course of my time at DePauw have opened my eyes to a bigger picture and given me an opportunity to connect the wonderful privilege of my education to a new and interesting narrative. Part of the aim of bringing in these speakers seems to be to motivate us to do everything we can with the knowledge we take from DePauw. That’s why I find this choice of speaker particularly intriguing.

Sochi Olympics' ethical problems overshadow spirit of cooperation

Photo: Flickr 

We have all seen the stories about the less-than-perfect conditions of the 2014 Winter Olympic games. There are stories of un-flushable toilets, malfunctioning snowflakes, and even an athlete breaking out of a jammed bathroom door like something out of a Kool-Aid commercial. Despite all of this, you can’t say that the Russian government didn’t try to make this year’s Olympic competition a showcase of a new and improved Russia. With an initial bid of $10 Billion, Russia was willing to pay for the most expensive Winter Games to date. However, according to Forbes Magazine, the total cost of the games has risen exponentially to an astounding $50 billion, more than all previous Winter Olympics combined. Although the economics of the situations are incredible, digging deeper into the facts gives us a more complete understanding of the humanitarian and ecological price we pay for the Olympic Games. These issues darken the mood of what is supposed to be a competition representing international unity.

Belafonte’s speech powerful, no one there to hear it

During my time at DePauw University, I have listened to lectures from esteemed guests such as Leymah Gbowee, Bill Clinton and Ron Paul. But this week, I heard a speech more critical than any other that I have heard on this campus: a speech from 87-year-old activist Harry Belafonte.

Belafonte comes from a time when a tweet was not the endpoint of a political movement, but rather from a time when social activism was rampant. Known to be a beacon of controversy, Belafonte delivered a straightforward lecture about the growing plague of complacency and immorality that has been dominating American society and the global community. His ideas are the most important ideas I've heard at DePauw.

US outsources production and pollution to China with unintended consequences

Air pollution over Eastern China. Photo: NASA

All actions have consequences, and it turns out that production of goods on the other side of the globe has consequences for air quality in the US.
It’s a well-known fact that air pollution in China has reached alarming levels, supported by the horrifying fact that 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are located in the Asian country. Photos of people in Chinese cities wearing pollution masks have gone viral and the extreme environmental situation is concerning to many citizens and environmental groups.
The government seems to be taking these concerns about air quality seriously by requiring factories to release their pollution numbers and is even providing real-time emissions data on a nationwide scale. Access to breathable air, without excessive risk of asthma, emphysema, or lung disease, should be a global right; thus, many are viewing the situation as civil rights issue, in part because it disproportionately affects those with lower income. 

Violence in Film

For the second week in a row the sequel to The Hunger Games sits atop the box office. Catching Fire broke the record for both the largest 3-day and 5-day gross for Thanksgiving weekend.[1] Catching Fire resonates with audiences because of its revolutionary overtones and strong female lead. It is nice to see a film that has such a strong heroine that espouses values that both males and females aspire to embody. But for all of Katniss’ spunk, grit, and determination, the film remains one of the most violent features in theaters this year.

In Recognition of the Men and Women Who Came Before Us

Photo from National Geographic, Aaron Huey

As we return from Thanksgiving feasts and our families, we may remember the holiday as a few days of rest,

relaxation, and appreciation for all of our blessings. However, when contemplating the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday and its history, it’s time that we look past the modern traditions and the classic story of Native Americans and white settlers harmoniously coming together to celebrate a good harvest after that cold winter in 1621, and open our eyes to where the descendants of those white settlers and Native Americans are today.

International Experience is Crucial for Our Education

International Education week is a joint operation of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that encourage worldwide exchange. The main objective is to prepare Americans for a globalized market and encourage students from abroad to study and share cultural experiences in the United States. This provides a unique opportunity for the cross-cultural exchange of moral values and ideas. I think it’s incredibly important for this to be part of our education. There are numerous lessons to be gleaned from an international education that are not accessible from the classroom. I think an international education experience is the best way to develop a broad understanding of global issues. In today’s interconnected world, it’s important to understand that what you do here in Indiana or elsewhere, has implications worldwide—and what better way than to discover them firsthand?

The fight for the quality of life for all living organisms

“Imagine if you were [confined] to a bathtub for twenty-five years, don’t you think you’d get a little psychotic?!” exclaims an opponent of animal captivity, more specifically that of killer whales.

Marine mammal scientist, Dr. Naomi A. Rose attributes various reasons as to why concrete surroundings are a terrible idea for these smart, complex, powerful creatures. One, the small size of the tank does not allow orcas to be exercised enough and therefore, are not fit. Second, they may be paired or grouped with other orcas that are not conducive to their environment, which decreases their immune system. This is extremely important, as orcas are naturally very social animals.

Events on Mindfulness and Art: Nawang Khechog's Visit to DePauw

   

  When you think of meditation, it’s likely that you think of Buddhist monks as well. Meditation has been practiced by Buddhists for centuries, and has more recently made its way into the Western mainstream under the umbrella term of “mindfulness training” (Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is especially popular). Defined as “being aware and attentive to the present moment without judgment,” mindfulness-meditation offers a host of benefits to its practitioners.  

Forgotten Casualties: War and the Environment

Humans are sometimes self-contradicting. They are well aware of the violence and social and economic disruptions caused by war, but war, ironically, has been one of the most recurring themes throughout human history. One thing that might have justified this contradiction could be the cost and benefit analysis through which people think the harm caused by war is the price that they have to pay in order to achieve advancements and greater good. However, there are many casualties of war that cannot simply be quantified as either benefits or costs that have been long forgotten by many people. By degrading the natural environment, wars are destroying the intrinsic values of other lives and are depriving future generations’ the right of having a healthy life. The loss of value of species and the right of living a normal human life cannot be calculated in quantitative terms.

Following are two examples of how warfare has altered the natural environment and human health in negative ways:

Greencastle Feels Repercussions of Government Shutdown

Greencastle’s USDA office was closed.

Indiana’s Social Security office was closed.

The federal government was closed.

The government shutdown on October 1^st shocked citizens across the country. Reporters on CNN, CBS, and ABC performed live shots outside Capitol Hill. Families watched in their living rooms to hear they could no longer order passports and all national parks would be closed. Government employees had a “snow” day.

According to a CNN article, nearly 800,000 workers were furloughed; an estimated 3.3 million government employees worked without pay – as their roles were regarded as critical. Workers were placed on unpaid leave until the legislators reached an agreement on October 17^th on a budget for the new fiscal year.

Food, Ethics, and Culture

There is a certain truth to the saying, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” After all, practically everyone, man and woman alike, enjoys a good meal now and then. However, the immense sociocultural power of food is not limited to trite, gendered stereotypes. In fact, it offers one of the most crucial ways through which we interact with our world and the people who inhabit it.

Fundamental to the importance of food is its ability to connect people and cultures. As espoused by travelers such as Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain, food offers us the most basic of windows into the lives of cultures outside our own. By sitting down and enjoying a conversation-filled meal with others, we are able to form a vital connection not only to their culture, but also to their lives. Without the medium of food, such cultural differences would be all the more difficult to bridge.

Syrian Youth for Peace: Securing Syria's Future

America is a culture of opinions. A proud tradition of democracy and suffrage has precipitated a society in which people take it upon themselves to be informed and critical. Although some may be persuaded by the wit of a politician or the bias of a media outlet, many of us take it upon ourselves to be informed and critical toward the realities of our world. The conflict in Syria is one of the most polarizing subjects in today’s international realm. Their civil war has been long and atrocious. Scattered factions of rebels have risen up against the authoritarian Al-Assad regime, thrusting everyday citizens into the horrors of war. Since the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons on civilians, the United States and its citizens have become increasingly concerned with how to handle the ethical dilemmas that come with humanitarian intervention.