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Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016 | Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com
BUT THAT’S NOT MY BUSINESS
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
Tesla is more than a car
The Inglewood Whole Foods is genius
Odds are, the only Tesla you’ve been hearing about lately is the renowned automaker that seems to be making strides. However, a Tesla vehicle isn’t the only Tesla-named subject that should be getting attention. Nikola Tesla is an underappreciated man who, I would argue, was one of the most intelligent and intellectual humans to ever live. Tesla was an engineer born in 1856. Without Tesla, we wouldn’t have many of the luxuries we have now. We can contribute the invention of alternating-current machinery to him. Thank you, Tesla. I’m sure we can all relate to loving some type of technology that uses an alternating-current system. Technically, Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, which, in turn, helped create the alternating-current machineries. This discovery was the one that he is primarily known for. Unfortunately, a lot of the credit was given to Thomas Edison. Edison and Tesla worked together for a short period of time. The two scientists parted ways because of their different personalities.
We all use alternatingcurrent electricity in our daily routines. When you plug in your laptop charger, you’re taking part in an alternatingcurrent system. In 1895, Tesla designed one of the first hydroelectric power plants. It, of course, had alternating-current capabilities. This same hydroelectric power plant was then used to power the whole city of Buffalo, New York. Essentially, this machine was used to create the world’s first commercial electricity current. Due to this hydroelectric power plant and its success, the alternating-current system was deemed the standard power source from that point on. It’s still the standard power source today. A lot of the inventions that Tesla came up with, however, were credited to other scientists. We can, though, credit Tesla for creating and popularizing the remote control and, more importantly, X-ray technologies. Yet again, another important piece of technology that we need in society exists because of the intellect and beautiful mind of Nikola Tesla. Then the world came
BRITTANY BAUERNFIEND is a junior in English.
crashing down. Well, Tesla’s world did anyway. Around the beginning of the 20th century, the scientist set out on his greatest adventure yet. Tesla wanted to create a worldwide wireless transmission of electricity. This, in turn, would create a global communication source — a lofty goal for 1900. With the help of the investors, including J.P. Morgan, Tesla began working on his project in Long Island, New York. By 1915, Tesla’s operation was completely shut down. Tesla was now in mountains of debt. Nikola Tesla made much more progress than was he was credited for. It makes me upset that such a brilliant mind has been muffled throughout the course of time. Some would say that the Tesla name has been reduced to simply being associated with the fledgling car company. Believe what you will. That’s none of my business. bnbauern@indiana.edu
When it was announced that Whole Foods Market would open a store near Bloomington’s College Mall, no one really batted an eye. Between the growing immensity of the United States health foods market, which generated sales exceeding a record $43.3 billion in 2015, and the affinity the typical Bloomington consumer has for health foods, the 365 by Whole Foods Market store will have no trouble paying its rent. Whole Foods — more appropriately referred to as Whole Paycheck — did leave some observers scratching their heads when they opened up a new location on Sept. 28 in Chicago’s low income neighborhood, Inglewood. The health foods vendor would be hurting no one but itself by choosing to venture into a market in which the populace would be unable to afford its high-priced goods. But the new location won’t be as ill-advised as many first believed. The new store will stock products from 40 local small businesses and employ 100 workers, 85 percent of whom hail from Chicago’s south side. Of that 85 percent, 35 percent are from
Inglewood itself. For a neighborhood with more than 17 percent unemployment, these figures make a real difference in the local economy. Whole Foods and Starbucks, which also recently opened Inglewood locations, are projected to create more than 200 jobs. This would give members of the community a much-needed income boost. Although expensive, a lot of the product wealth is being transferred back to members of the community. The concept of businesses delving into historically-underserved communities is not new. The HUBZone Act of 1997 offers small businesses located in “HUBZones,” or historically underutilized business zones, incentives including preferential treatment in contract competitions when they meet a strict set of criteria to help progress these lesser-develped areas. Some of these criteria include ensuring that a sizable chunk of the firm’s workforce resides within the zone and that its “principal office” be located within it as well. Moving forward, businesses would be wise to use this unorthodox strategy. Not only does it generate PR and
DANIEL KILCULLEN is a junior in information systems.
sweeten a company’s brand, it also creates real, tangible returns. In fact, Whole Foods’ Midtown Detroit location was so successful that developers sought to build a second store that was 50 percent larger. Huge firms like Whole Foods, whose valuation has been estimated at upwards of $14 billion, have a responsibility to their local communities. Rather than being blinded by the allure of wealthy suburban — and largely white — locales, there is a lot of value to be tapped in emerging areas as well as designated HUBZones. Without opening a can of worms, the effects could have on long-term gentrification of these neighborhoods. More businesses should give this stragegy a shot. Both the firms and the communities they serve will be better for it. dkilcull@indiana.edu @daniel_kilc_
JORDAN RIVER FORUM
ILLUSTRATION BY MORGAN ANDERSON | IDS
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The consequences of ‘backlash slogans’ like All Lives Matter
Indiana deserves better than Holcomb-Crouch ticket
While sitting in a bathroom during a break between classes just the other day, my searching eyes scanned the typical stall engravings until they couldn’t help fixating on one thing: #AllLivesMatter. Now, it wasn’t that this was a new phrase to me. I immediately recognized this as the counter-campaign against the Black Lives Matter movement. I was just taken aback that this was still a blossoming trend. “Backlash slogans,” a term I coined for groups such as All Lives Matter, Meninism and so forth, have made an appearance anywhere from social media platforms to public demonstrations to the walls of bathrooms. But whether this is perceived as an innocent joke or needed critiquing, these “backlash slogans” are hurting vital social reform efforts. Take the debate about the diction in feminism. Notice that I specifically used “diction” because we are evaluating the choice and use of words in this campaign. The term feminism was created out of the urgency to acquire
equal rights for females, hence the word feminism. As seen with the phrasing of the American Revolution or LGBT Pride, clarity of the subject matter is essential to getting supporters and a visible message line for a movement. It’s not that male rights don’t make the cut. It’s that they don’t need the reformative change. This example is why my eyes couldn’t divert from #AllLivesMatter. It’s basic rhetorical strategies we are forgetting. If we retract the main content from these phrases, then how will a proper callto-action rise? Imagine if the “Fight Against HIV” in Botswana’ was generalized to the “Fight Against Any STD” or “Fight Against African Diseases.” Right away one is able to understand the lost effect from losing part of the subject line. Now, it’s not that the other STDs or African diseases are less important, but rather we are targeting this specific cause needing particular attention — especially when there’s a 22.2 percent HIV adult prevalence in Botswa-
na, according to avert.org. Even though this seems obvious and silly to break it down this way, some people can’t grasp this idea in a modern-day scenario, such as Black Lives Matter. Mapping Police Violence found that unarmed black people were killed at five times the rate of unarmed whites in 2015. That’s a nonnegotiable fact. Additionally, we see a lack of justice given to several black victims like Alton Sterling, Eric Garner and Michael Brown. In short, it’s essential we use distinct language like ‘black’ instead of ‘all’ to solve these distinct problems, not to exclude or be narcissistic about a certain group. Remind one another of three elementary things: diction’s significance, the real target message and the consequences, intended or not, of ‘backlash slogans.’ If these elements are kept in mind, then we will start seeing more societal changes that will ultimately better everyone as a whole. Colette Tangney Bloomington
While reading through the IDS online yesterday, I read an opinion column titled, “The Holcomb-Crouch ticket is the way forward for Indiana.” I appreciate and respect opinions, as they provide the foundation for conversation, but I also feel we only grow if we challenge them. Respectfully, Mr. Aranyi’s column read like a sophomoric partisan biography. “Together, I believe this ticket makes an excellent team.” Eric Holcomb was not chosen by the people, but by a group of 22 GOP party officials. After running third in the Republican primary for Senate, he replaced then-Lt. Gov. Sue Ellsperman and is currently running for governor. The Holcomb/Crouch ticket sounds more like a deal than a team. “Together, they possess nuanced insight into Indiana: the people, the economy, and the recipe for success in our state.” Understandable, but where can I find example
of this insight? I’ve checked their website and I see no specific policy and no clear vision for Indiana — let alone a recipe. Perhaps their plan is so “nuanced” it’s not even available to the public? Looking at “the bio,” it seems as if Lt. Gov. Holcomb has only worked within the Republican Party, so how has he displayed “nuanced insight” if he’s running on the record of Governor Daniels and Governor Pence? In this time of severe partisanship, how does he plan on dealing with people who disagree? “This is a team that understands the problems facing Hoosiers and understand that the policies implemented have a real impact on the people they represent.” Again, where are the policies? Hoosiers have slid from 34th to 38th in per capita income. Sure, unemployment is low, but the average Hoosier family makes $7,000 per year less than the average American family. In terms of problems fac-
ing Hoosiers, what about RFRA? Lt. Gov Holcomb has publically stated his agreement with the law saying, “Governor Pence struck a good balance.” There is no balance when it comes to the lack of civil rights. What about the people in East Chicago, what has the state done to help with the debilitating lead problem? “Moving forward, this team is best equipped to lead Indiana forward.” How can we move forward with leadership that accepts Abortion Bill 1337 and refuses to accept Syrian refugees who have been thoroughly vetted? Feel how you want and share your thoughts, but this platform deserves more than an uninformed opinion. The people of this state deserve leaders who have outlined specifics regarding moving Indiana forward, not just another politician carrying this state because of the R in front of his name. Samantha Yaros Bloomington