Friday, November 30, 2012 La Roche College • 9000 Babcock Boulevard • Pittsburgh, PA 15237 • 412.847.2505
Vol. 17, Issue 3
One Young World Summit Martin Sheen is 2013 Commencement Speaker Includes La Roche Participants By Max Robinette
by Nate Marsh
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a Roche has procured activistactor Martin Sheen as its commencement speaker for the May 2013 graduation ceremony. Sister Candace Introcaso, President of La Roche College, rapped her enthusiasm at the October Board of Trustees meeting in announcing the selection. “Sheen’s social activism and commitment to Catholic social justice make him an ideal speaker. We are very excited that [he] has accepted our invitation.” Sheen has worked with stars including Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Robert Duvall, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. He has appeared in the Academy Award-winning film Apocalypse Now (1979), Wall Street (1987), The Departed (2006), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), and is quite a catch for the school. In addition to his success in cinema, Sheen, who was born Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez in 1940, also exemplifies the ability of a citizen outside the political sphere to influence and direct social change, both globally and nationally. His activism has brought awareness to several liberal and Catholic causes, a zeal that has sometimes received negative attention from authorities. He has been arrested for protesting more than 60 times, most recently in 2007. Sheen is a strong pro-life advocate, upholds the rights of labor, and is a proponent of international social justice issues. Sheen also appeared as liberal Democratic U.S. President Josiah Bartlett in the television series The West Wing from 1999-2006,
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Actor and activist Martin Sheen (left) with his son, Charlie Sheen, who’s also an actor. a role that seemed to combine his acting and political activism. In that role, Sheen continually battled a fictitious Congress for passage of Democratic legislation. Born of immigrant parents—a Spanish father and a first-generation Irish mother, Sheen may be most well known to La Roche students as the father of actor Charlie Sheen, star of the CBS television series Two and a Half Men. Charlie Sheen also appeared with his father, Martin Sheen, in Wall Street. During the October meeting, a board member jokingly asked when the news was announced if the speaker would be bringing Charlie. Everyone laughed when Sister Candace quipped, “No, I don’t think our insurance would cover that.” It is an exciting year for the school given the 50th anniversary celebration, and Martin Sheen brings still more anticipation and flavor to it. Aged enough for wisdom, mad enough to inspire passion, La Roche
rom October 18th through the 22nd, Pittsburgh was the site chosen to host the third annual One Young World summit, and two of our very own were lucky enough to be in attendance. One Young World brings together 1,500 people from the ages of 17 to 30 from 190 different countries from all across the world to inform the world’s youth about modern, global problems, universal in all walks of life, such as global health, politics, and the environment, and inspire these young minds to be future and active leaders in their communities. Representing La Roche at this event were biology major and senior Lyn-
ka Ineza, 23, and the Coordinator of Disability Services, Rachel Kallem Whitman, 27. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Whitman said. “I established lasting relationships with some of the people I met, and bettered myself to be more active in my community, be better at my job and become an all-around better person.” This summit opened opportunities for Whitman to meet people she never would have had the opportunity to meet, like a former
child soldier from Africa, a marine biologist from Muritious, and a human rights worker from Iraq. Even former president Bill Clinton stated in his appearance at the summit that the conference is “stimulating and exciting and wonderful. The [only] problem is that huge numbers of people from every country here represented are left out of this process.” Ineza noted that the event was “hard to describe. I could go on for days.” She was most impressed by professor Mohammad Yunus, renowned economist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who encouraged the young people of the world to be active and creative in their communities to make a difference. Yunus emphasized in his lecture that young people should not wait to act, but
©oneyoungworld.com should do so immediately, and do it one step at a time. Focusing on a single small act of kindness at a time and building upon that, rather than doing too much and overwhelming yourself, is a formula for success and causes those you helped to reciprocate the generosity shown. Whitman, as an advocate for disability awareness, was drawn to the
see World, page 6
Veterans Panel Explains Need for Empathy By Jalyn Evans
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hree student veterans on Monday, November 12, used remarks they gave as part of a Veterans Day Panel held at La Roche to bridge gaps between two worlds: one where Americans utilize freedom, often taking it for granted, and the other where some Americans protect the freedom of all. La Roche’s Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the panel event to increase student awareness
and empathy about the real-life affects of war on soldiers in the field and once they return home. “I’ve lost friends and family; I’ve even lost relationships because people don’t understand what we’ve just gone through,” said Julion De Leon, La Roche student and former Marine Infantry Heavy Machine Gunner. Our troops need moral support and recognition for the sacrifices they’ve made for our country.” For those of you who are dating someone in the military, be strong and stand by that person,” Leon said. “It’s
not that your problems don’t matter, but don’t call complaining about how tired you are from working an eight-hour shift.” He said it simply doesn’t work to compare the stress of making life or death judgment calls in the face of danger to regular stateside jobs. The panel consisted of three students: David Mack, Kristopher Italiano, and De Leon. Each speaker appealed to the idea of denying one’s self for the good of the whole. After all the sacrifices troops make for our country, agreed the panelists,
it is important that they come home and feel appreciated. Though domestic issues can arise when one’s spouse or family member is away at war, it is important to stay positive and show love, the panelists said. Kristopher Italiano, former Arabic Linguist and National Security Officer for the Army, addressed his speech to those people, often young and inexperienced, who are not sensitive to the severe toll that war inevitably takes on a person.
see Veterans, page 6
This publication reflects the views, attitudes, interests, and tastes of the writers, editors and contributors to The Courier. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration, faculty and staff of La Roche College.
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Opinion The La Roche Courier < November 30, 2012
A Hit to the Head — Is the rate of concussions a game changer? by Nate Marsh
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ven a casual fan has probably noticed that during most televised sporting events, an announcer will make a reference to the unprecedented number of concussions that occur as a result of sports-related injuries every year. Head injuries potentially put players’ lives at risk, so it’s a hot button topic. Undoubtedly, with an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occurring in the United States each year, an epidemic level according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), head injuries are an issue of growing concern, especially for parents. Should parents allow their children
to play contact sports? I believe the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Despite the high incidence rate of concussions, the ordeal is being blown out of proportion. Concussions are not a “disease;” they are freak accidents. They are unfortunate, to be sure, but would you report a broken arm during a football game to the CDC? After long, painful, professional careers, concussions might rightfully be included in a category of illnesses reported to a central monitoring agency such as the CDC, but how many of us really go on to have jobs where we’re literally bashing skulls with people and getting paid for it? I have played varsity football and lacrosse on championship teams in high school, continue to play varsity lacrosse at La Roche, and have had (maybe) one entirely healthy season in my life, including concussions. I have played with the best protection on the market for both sports, and despite technological advancements and
research, there is very little to help prevent concussions up to a point. Concussions are caused by the brain colliding with the skull and bruising the brain, and generally occur because the skull of a player suddenly comes to a stop, in most cases due to a head-to-head collision. Helmets are specifically designed to protect the skull and face from fractures, and, if the player is lucky, a concussion. But in reality, there is little that protecting the skull can do to stop the brain from coming into contact with the inside of the skull—a scary situation. The spotlight on concussions has been building up over the past decade as more and more players have been paralyzed from headto-head collisions in games, in-
©scienceline.org cluding Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand two years ago. The controversy over concussions reached a zenith when San Diego Chargers legend, Junior Seau, shot himself in the chest last May—a common method of suicide for ex-NFL players so that their brains can be researched for concussionrelated illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The public is becoming more aware of such illnesses now because the athletes who played in the 70s and 80s played at a time where there was little research concerning head trauma and few technological advances that could be implemented to help prevent the injuries. Likewise in that era of athletics, a player, unless knocked unconscious, was inclined to “shake off ” injuries and get back in the game as soon as possible, whether by personal ethos or by
pushes from the coach. The players from this era are the ones filing lawsuits against the NFL for not being warned of potential dangers from playing a sport that has long been known to be violent. At one point in the early 20th century, football faced a legal ban because of its barbarous and dangerous nature. Of course, an awareness of the causes of concussions was nowhere near what it is today and two decades ago the public generally didn’t have any idea of potential diseases that might follow a severe head injury. My deepest sympathies go out to the legends and pioneers of the game, but would it have made a difference if they had known about potential dangers? For many, playing football was a way out of a depressed neighborhood or a dead-end mill job. Some simply had an unrelenting love for the game. In that sense, little has changed over the decades about the passion players have for the game. Attention to the concussion epidemic is constantly growing, however. This year the NFL has publicly advertised a donation of $30 million to the National Institutes of Health to research brain injuries. This was arguably a good public relations move on the part of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, but many fans are asking for still more action from the NFL. In recent years, the NFL has begun work on finding rules to secure player safety. The NFL has developed both rules that protect players from blows to the head and deterrents for offenders of the rules. Now if any player is suspected of having a concussion from a blow to the head, he is immediately evaluated by the team’s medical staff and forced to sit out the rest of the game. On top of that, referees are more strict on the enforcement of penalties involving contact to the head, even going so far as to give a fifteen-yard penalty for a defender who puts his hand on the quarterback’s helmet in any way. Perhaps the most notable rule change has been moving the point of kickoff ten yards further, decreasing the number of kick returns, which has yielded significantly fewer concussions than before the rule was changed; 43 percent fewer concussion have occurred as a result. The elimination of that many brain injuries from the part of the game that previ-
Concussions are not a ‘disease;’ they are freak accidents. They are unfortunate, to be sure, but would you report a broken arm during a football game to the CDC? ously caused the most injuries, like LeGrand’s paralyzing hit two years ago, is huge. Many people have argued that the form of tackling should change in order reduce the amount of concussions. I ask those people if they have ever tried to write with their non-dominant hand. That’s what it’s like to try to change your way of tackling. Tackling becomes instinctual to most athletes. The sport has been around for well over a hundred years and the biggest change came with the development of the forward pass in the early 20th century. Tackling has never changed. Nor should it ever. It is a necessary evil. Divers can get the bends from not using proper techniques when resurfacing, parachutes won’t always open for skydivers, people will wreck cars. The same principle applies to football, or any contact sport. Besides potentially violating a longstanding and much-loved tradition, adding more rules or altering tackling would likely cause viewership of NFL games to plummet. If too many rules regarding tackling are implemented, the sport would begin to head toward a more flag football style of play. In perusing blogs about whether fans would continue to watch the NFL if there were little or no contact between players, not even one in ten admitted they would watch it, or said they would change anything, for that matter. The simple fact is this: these are professional athletes doing their job. No one is forcing them to take this job. They have to learn the job somewhere, and learn by doing. Considering the hazards of the job, pro football players still make millions more than those in our Armed Forces who literally risk their lives in their chosen profession.
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Opinion The La Roche Courier < November 30, 2012
A Bystander to Bullying Speaks Out By Lauren Galuska
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ive, four, three, two, one—the whistle blows and the playground is jammed with excited children rushing in all directions, but due to an alarming rise in bullying, recess is also a time for some children to hide and cower in looming uncertainty. In American schools today, there are approximately 2.1 million bullies and 2.7 million victims, according to bullyingprogram.com. In the U.S., a child is bullied every seven minutes outside the classroom; every twenty-five minutes a child is bullied within the walls of a supervised classroom. For many children and young adults, bullying is simply a fact of life. They live with it every day. Bullying is very real and isn’t going away any time soon. Bullies intentionally pick their victims based on many factors, including physical appearance, disability, race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Yet all a victim of bullying needs is one lone voice of support, one that is usually not his or her own, and one that all too rarely comes to the rescue. According to bullyingprogram.com, one out of four kids in America is bullied at some point in
Four types of bullying (verbal, relational, physical, and cyber bullying) wreak havoc on kids and young adults.
childhood, and as many as 160,000 students stay home from school on any given day of the year because they are afraid of being bullied. I have an older sister named Sara who has learning disabilities, including ADD, ADHD, OCD, and anxiety, among other conditions that inhibit her social and learning abilities. Sara has been bullied a long part of her 27 years of life, everywhere and anywhere,
but mostly at school—in the restroom, in the classroom, during recess, in the hallways, and on the school bus. Bullies are relentless and don’t back down. They saw my sister with a big red target on her back and many kept shooting torment her way. She has been out of school for almost ten years and doesn’t have to deal with much bullying anymore, but she is unable to live on her own. Bullying doesn’t only happen at school or at work, it can happen at home, too. Bullying can stem from parents, cousins, or other fam-
day,” she would go straight to her room and not talk to anyone in the family for hours, despite my mom’s repeated attempts to coax her out of it. Due to her lack of confidence, she used to spend a lot of time with younger kids. She loved them because most of the time, they were too young to bully her and they looked up to her. To them, she was important and she was somebody. Bullying statistics show that most victims do not report bullying to parents or teachers for fear of their attackers. For the most part, they are ashamed and embar-
©thinkgprogress.org ily members. Four types of bullying (verbal, relational, physical, and cyber bullying) wreak havoc on kids and young adults. Verbal bullying involves name-calling, taunting, and teasing. Relational bullying comes right out of a scene from Mean Girls, a movie in which characters spread rumors, causing social isolation for victims. Girls tend to use this method of bullying most often. Physical bullying includes push-and-shove matches and physical violence, and this form of bullying tends to happen more often among males. Finally, cyber bullying consists of some form of teasing, threats, or intimidating remarks made over the Internet. There are some telling signs that a child or young adult is being bullied. Changes in mood, such as the appearance of aggression, sadness, anxiety, or depression are often red flags that show bullying. Sometimes victims tend to spend time with younger kids, indicating a problem with peers. My mom and I could always tell when Sara had had a bad day at school. Her dismissive attitude said it all. After school on a “bad
rassed. Victims often feel like no one can help them, but in reality we can help! It doesn’t take much effort or a big lump sum to help these kids. All it takes is the power of words. Education is key in combatting bullies. Teaching your own child to step in and not be a bystander can help stop bullying. Bullying doesn’t stop with graduation from high school. It just takes different forms. Speaking up when someone you know is hurling insults in either an online or an inperson assault can help, too. I am guilty of being a bystander. When I was in middle school and Sara was in high school, some older kids in the back of the bus were calling Sara names. I just sat there and pretended like I didn’t hear anything. I was too young to stop anything, or so I told myself. Perhaps I could’ve stopped it, but why didn’t I? Like many, I was too scared that the anger of the older, mean-spirited kids would be redirected at me, so I left my sister to the pack of wolves. I wasn’t any better than the people bullying my sister, and I knew better. Now, the “Be More Than a Bystander” campaign, led by the
nonprofit Advertising Council, is striving to eliminate, or at least reduce, bullying by putting out a slew of television, print, and online ads promoting speaking out. If onlookers know what to do, they can help neutralize bullying, contends the campaign. “Parents
There are some telling signs that a child or young adult is being bullied. Changes in mood, such as the appearance of aggression, sadness, anxiety, or depression are often red flags that show bullying. talk to their kids about drugs, sex, drinking, and driving,” says Peggy Conlon, President and Chief Executive of the Ad Council. “But they are not always proactive about bullying.” The ads give tips to stop bullies, such as moving the victim away from the situation, reporting the incident to an adult, or simply speaking up. It’s painfully obvious that intervention is crucial. Most often, a bully craves an audience. Bystanders speaking out may not halt bullying altogether, but taking that step can raise the self-esteem of the victims. For parents, caregivers, teachers, friends, or acquaintances, it’s important to not only recognize the signs of bullying, but to also be proactive. Now I’m more than just Sara’s little sister. I am a proactive protector and no longer a bystander. I can only hope that you, too, will stand with us before the final whistle is blown.
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Sports
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The La Roche Courier < November 30, 2012
Hard Work Pays Off: Women’s Tennis Team Wins AMCC Championship By Rachel Bachri
achieve such a huge upset.” Under pressure, the girls were very determined and able come together to win the title they worked hard to earn.
more than three matches in a season before. However, there has been a noticeable improvement since Coach Wilf arrived. Last year, the
The Redhawks were led by coach Aaron Wilf, who began coaching the Redhawks in 2011. When he came to La Roche, the team had never won
team was 8-3 and finished third in the conference in the regular season and conference. Now the team has won the title of AMCC champions,
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n October 21st, La Roche College Women’s Tennis Team took the title of Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Champion from the seventime champions, Penn State Behrend. They earned the title by defeating Penn State 5-4. The Redhawks put in a lot of hard work to earn this and it wasn’t easy. The Redhawks were down 4-1 when they started to make a comeback. Doria Shima, Chelsey Wassel, and Melanie Ward won their matches, which tied the score, leaving it to senior captain Alea Marks to win it. She won her match 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, earning the conference title for the team. Sophomore Chelsey Wassel explained, “It was nerve racking watching the last match, every point was a nail biter. Everyone had butterflies in their stomachs. When we won I was shocked! I didn’t think we would
Editor-in-Chief Shay Badolato
Contributing Writers Nate Marsh Steven Young Grant Wentzel Jalyn Evans Max Robinette Julianna Zito Rachel Bachri Lauren Galuska
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a huge achievement. “I think the success we had this year was directly related to the progress we started to make last year,” Coach Wilf said. “We began to change the culture of the team here last season and gradually built it up to what you see today.” The team has definitely made progress, and has taken a huge step for the future of the tennis program at La Roche. Although not many students knew much about the tennis team previously, this accomplishment has made the student body more aware of the program. And it seems that the awareness and appreciation of the sport and the team can only increase from here. The Redhawks put a great deal of time and hard work into winning the championship title, and everyone is excited to see what is to come for the team in the future. “It was so exciting to win!” said Victoria Shields, a junior. “We went into the championship wanting to win and tried our best. It’s a great feeling knowing our hard work paid off.”
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Entertainment The La Roche Courier < November 30, 2012
Can the Internet Kill the Television Star? by Steven Young
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he “cut the cord” trend could destroy television by taking away cable subscriptions and advertising, but television isn’t only putting up a fight, it’s winning every round. Netflix and Hulu Plus have inspired the “cut the cord” trend. The idea is that cable or satellite television could be totally replaced with Internet video streaming. The average cable and satellite packages cost around $71 a month. Hulu Plus and Netflix cost $7.99 a month each and combined would cost $15.98 a month. Netflix and Hulu Plus allow viewers to watch television shows and movies on their computers, tablets, and/or smart phones. Netflix and Hulu Plus might come at a cheaper cost, but can’t compete with the cable and satellite companies. Hulu Plus can provide users with the latest episode of a favorite show, but not until a day after it has aired. Netflix isn’t able to get new episodes until the season is over. Netflix can’t provide the “must see” pro-
graming that brings in advertisers. The reason Hulu Plus and Netflix have to wait to upload shows is because they need permission and rights. Fox, NBC Universal, and the Disney-ABC television group own Hulu Plus. The networks make sure that the shows will be watched on their networks the day they air. When it comes to Internet video streaming, television’s strategy was based upon Sun Tzu’s philosophy, “Know thy enemy,” but turned into “Buy thy enemy.” A viewer might be able to wait a day for a show, but may not be willing to wait a whole season. AMC has started developing a lot of the “must see” television. Shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead are not available on Hulu Plus and don’t show up on Netflix until the season is over. That is long time to avoid “water cooler talk” in the office, dorm, or family home about popular shows and dodge spoilers while waiting to watch the series on Netflix. Showtime and HBO have not only been able to create “must see” programming, but have even adapted
to online streaming. Subscribers can download an app for free on a mobile device and stream shows and movies anytime and anywhere. Popular Showtime series, including Dexter and Californication, aren’t even available on Netflix or Hulu Plus. Hulu Plus and Netflix also can’t compete with television when it comes to viewing local news and sports. People who “cut the cord” won’t be able to watch local news and live sports online. While the Internet may indeed be gunning for television, its demise is not likely to occur anytime in the near future. The Internet is a growing market for ads but television still brings in the most ad revenue. Networks bring in viewers with popular shows and live sporting events. The super bowl alone can generate $250 million in advertising. Internet ad spending has been increasing steadily. In 2011 Internet advertising grew to around $34.5 billion in spending. It is currently taking up 20 percent of the ad market and is projected to grow to 35 percent by 2016 and increase spending
©google.com to around $76.6 billion. This growth will make the Internet the second biggest market in advertising. Television currently leads the market at 40 percent and brings in $188.5 billion in ad spending. Even if the Internet does grow to 35 percent of the market it still isn’t bringing in more revenue than television. So, while the “cut the cord” trend may be getting in some good punches television is still ahead in the fight. At the end of the contest television will be declared the winner by a technical knockout.
Stand-up Storytellers Share Tales By Julianna Zito
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hat is The Moth Story Slam? Real stories, told by real people, live, on stage, without notes. Ten audience members share personal stories in an intimate setting at The Rex Theater on Pittsburgh’s South Side on the second Tuesday of each month. The rules are simple: 1) True story. 2) About you. 3) On a pre-assigned topic. 4) Under 5 minutes. 5) No notes. Performers are selected by drawing names at random from those who have volunteered earlier that night to share stories prepared in advance. November’s topic is “Taking Sides,” an apt choice in the wake of the U.S. presidential election this month. A diverse crowd ranging from college students to grandparents gathers on tightly arranged rows of folding chairs and faces a simple stage holding only a microphone flanked by promotional posters of the event’s sponsor, radio station WESA, 90.5 FM. I find a seat and chat with those around me. Like me, the couple sitting beside me has been here before and follows The Moth podcast. It is a niche group of loyal fans and brave participants. Each storyteller is judged by three teams of audience
© Sarah Stacke, Courtesy of the Moth
A performer faces a friendly audience at The Moth story slam. members selected an hour before the show starts. The teams choose names fitting the evening’s topic: Switzerland, Not Switzerland, and The Tie Breakers. To further enhance audience participation and enjoyment, each audience member is invited to respond in writing to a question posed on a small slip of paper before the show begins. The responses are dropped in a box and read aloud by the emcee, Alan Olifson, between storytellers
while the judges determine scores. Tonight’s question is: “Tell us about a time when you were someone’s greatest ally.” Olifson’s amusing delivery and commentary as he reads aloud the audience’s handwritten mini-stories and shares anecdotes from his own life brings me to tears of laughter. “This guy is hilarious! I come just to hear him,” says the woman seated behind me. In 1997, novelist and poet George
Dawes Green founded The Moth to promote the art and craft of live storytelling. Since that time, it has grown into a large, non-profit organization founded on the principle that stories should be told with intimacy and authenticity, honoring the idea that everyone has a story worth telling and worth hearing. The name of the organization was inspired by the small, white moths that snuck through a tear in the screen, fluttering into Green’s Georgia living room, where he and other like-minded literary sorts would gather for a simple night of sharing stories. Now, nationwide in select cities, Moth Storyslams offer a venue for the local community to gather in the same spirit. Watch or participate for the bargain ticket price of $5. Where else can you find two hours of entertainment for that price? At the November event in Pittsburgh, none of the storytellers elects to talk about the U.S. presidential election, despite the “Taking Sides” theme. The ten stories are about the moral dilemma of choosing between right and wrong, or between mom’s wishes and dad’s wishes, or even about choosing to remain neutral. The takeaway message was that taking a side or not taking a side are equally difficult.
see Tales, page 5
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Tales continued from page 4 Marat, an immigrant from Turkey, tells of his parents’ heroic efforts in the 1980s that helped create the first human rights act to protect prisoners from inhumane treatment. A college student, Howard, describes living with two roommates who were dating each other. Upon breaking up, one roommate attempted to deport the other. Jason, the Milkshake Factory Jagoff, shares a story about the time he lost his cool over the Factory’s refusal to recycle. Stacy Keene, who is featured on the Moth podcast, shares a story about growing up as a “patch hunkey” and is later declared the winner of the storyslam. Born into a family who lived in a coal patch suburb of Pittsburgh, she was the first in the “front patch” to make friends with an African-American family from the “back patch.” The scores for the evening’s stories range tightly from 7.5 to 9.5. As the November winner, Keene is given a chance to go on to tell her story again at the yearly GrandSlam Moth event. If you’d like to hear more stories, visit TheMoth.org or tune into The Moth Radio Hour on 90.5 FM WESA on Sundays at 6 p.m. If you get up the courage to tell a story, as I did on one memorable evening, I can assure you it is both a cathartic and a healing experience. Join me at the next show on Tuesday, December 11. The theme of the night is “Aftermath.”
World
continued from page 1 mental health and wellness discussions offered at the summit. At One Young World, they informed those in attendance that disabilities are a part of our culture and showcase our diversity as human beings. “Too often we get caught up in being ‘normal,” she said, “but our different realities and personalities make us different people and make us better people in the community.” Suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder during her own schooling, Whitman
Veterans Panel Explains Need for Empathy continued from page 1 He told the audience to think twice before asking troops questions such as: “Were you ever blown up or have you ever been shot at?” “When you ask a person this kind of question, they start to recollect where that came from and how to answer,” he said. “You’re gonna give someone a chance to relive an experience that maybe they don’t want to relive. Being blown up is not a fun situation, nor is being shot. Maybe that person hasn’t had a chance to get the help he or she might need, and you’re not a qualified person to deal with any response to a question of this nature.” Most people find it exciting to hear about experiences that exceed the normality of every day life. With Call of Duty or paintball fighting as the only insight to what it’s like to fight a war, young Americans often fail to grasp the genuine life and death atmosphere that surrounds soldiers during wartime. People love action films and filmmakers make livings from dramatizing and animating war experiences. In August of 2009, G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra grossed more than $22 million the Friday it was released in theaters. By the end of October, the film had domestic total gross revenue of more than $150 million. This contrasts to the more realistic war movie
Dear John, which had domestic total gross revenue of some $80 million. Italiano said the media’s take on Post Traumatic Stress Disorders is an exaggerated one. Spending a year in high danger zones heightens one’s
took advantage of these “beacons of hope” to achieve success. Knowing that there are people in the world bringing these issues to the forefront of discussion was extremely motivating for her to hear. Both Ineza and Whitman were impressed by the number of big name activists in attendance, including Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan, among many others. As Whitman put it, the summit was a chance for “leaders of the past to motivate the leaders of the future.” As apathy continues to grow among much of the youth like wildfire, One Young World aims to stop the spread of that blaze in its track with positivity. Hosting
such world-renowned public figures shows that organizers “have faith in the young people,” as Ineza phrased it. Ineza went on to say how well the summit educated its audience on issues from the past and present, and showed ways that youth can become active to remedy problems and bring lessons back to their communities by educating those around them. As Sir Bob Geldof, singer, activist, and One Young World counselor said in his speech to the audience, his generation “abysmally failed,” and “It’s too late for everyone behind me, which means it’s your game,” challenging the youth of today to perpetuate change in the world.
overall sense of awareness, he said, “but it’s not what Hollywood shows you about a guy who hears a firecracker go off and all of a sudden he’s pulling out his [gun].” In a general sense, the speakers called out intensely personal questions or insensitive tendencies that someone would only ask out of ig-
norance. One would have to have a huge lack of empathy in order to fail to see the real life pain that fighting war evokes. To illustrate this apparent lack of empathy, Italiano said, “You wouldn’t ask someone you didn’t know about how they lost their mother to some traumatic disease or car accident.” David Mack, former soldier and team leader for the Army, expressed disdain for ill-informed anti-war protesters who show no appreciation for the positive aspects of war. “We’ve built schools, and we’ve fed the hungry,” he said. Mack said people who rely exclusively on media sources such as CNN protest war and get aroused when they don’t know the full story. Sometimes, he continued, they never even thank the men and women who lay down their lives to protect American rights and freedom. Men and women who fight to protect America don’t get the freedom to express a preference about location and assignment or complain about it afterwards. Italiano explained that unless you’re a politician or a general you don’t get a choice about location assignments. “You’re told where to be, when to be there, and what you’re supposed to look like when you arrive.”
Ineza also had an interesting role at the conference as the lone delegate from Burundi. However, she was not totally on her own. Many other African countries had delegates in attendance. “We all had one goal,” she said, “ to make the world a better place to live in or make the change we want to see in the world, as Ghandi said.” Whitman noted that the experience reminded everyone that one doesn’t always have to be the “perfect person...always leading. Lead on, dance on, party on to be a better person. We are all born as human beings, but we should all die as human beings doing.”
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