Fighting for a Peaceful Tomorrow

The war in Afghanistan continues to rage on as it closes in on a decade. The U.S. invasion on Afghanistan that began the war on terror was launched on Oct. 7, 2001 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

In subsequent years to follow, U.S. and NATO forces have engaged in vicious combat against insurgent operatives throughout the Afghan region, which has led to many countless lives lost, including civilians. In response to the conflict occurring in the region, other groups have become involved.

These individuals aren’t armed as their counterparts are nor do they use any method of violence to carry out their mission. These individuals do not believe war is the answer to resolving the issues occurring in the region and have dedicated their lives to working towards a nonmilitary solution to ending conflict in Afghanistan and restoring peace.

Kathy Kelly, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, said she didn’t want to support the military system. She wanted to challenge it.

“I wanted to find ways to do that governed by the nonviolence counsel of Mahatma Gandhi and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King,” Kelly said. “I’ve been very influenced by the teachings of King. His ‘Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence’ speech seems very relevant to me today.”

The war in Afghanistan has drawn comparisons to the Vietnam War. Though America hasn’t seen the implementation of the draft take effect during the current conflict as did during Vietnam, America is faced with a war that has proven to be both costly and timely.

The cumulative cost of both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 has already surpassed $1 trillion. In fiscal year 2011, the Pentagon requested a budget of $159 billion to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

“It costs $1 million to keep one U.S. soldier on the ground for one year,” Kelly said. “$2 billion per week is being spent in Afghanistan.”

Kelly further added some of the money that goes to the U.S. aid organizations and security contractors goes right into the pockets of war profiteers.

“The U.S. has to spend thousands of dollars every day,” she said. “There are 7,000 trucks that take off every day to deliver supplies to U.S. troops. Those trucks go along roads run by war lords and drug lords who charge money for every single truck to pass through.”

Mary Ann Wright, a former United States colonel and foreign diplomat, resigned from the U.S. State Department in 2003 in opposition to the war in Iraq. Shortly after resigning, she began speaking out about her concerns on U.S. involvement in the Middle East region.

Wright said money spent in Afghanistan should be used to better the lives of the Afghan people. She said hundreds of billion dollars have gone into the country and very little of it has gone to the average citizen.

“With the attention of the international community, there should be more schools and clinics built,” Wright said. “There are 70,000 people living around Kabul in complete poverty right next to multimillion dollar huge stonewalls, which protects U.S. military installations. The people live in horrible mud covered tents. I don’t know how they keep from freezing to death every night in the cold.”

Kelly said 30 years of warfare has left the country battered.

“Kabul used to be a city with greenery and some fresh water running through it,” she said. “Now it is heavily polluted. It has the highest concentration of fecal matter in the air of any country in the world. At least 3,000 people die each year just from breathing the air.”

Wright said Kabul is not a safe capital.

“There are suicide bombings almost every day in Kabul,” she said. “The hotel I stayed in last year was burned to ground three months after I left. There were aid workers from India that were killed in that little hotel where I was.”

Kelly further elaborated the high pollution has lead to many diseases for the Afghan children.

“Many children die every single day in Afghanistan,” she said. “And they are dying from gastrointestinal disease, respiratory disease, malnourishment and eventual starvation. The average life expectancy is 44 years of age. A fifth of the children who do survive birth won’t live beyond five years of age.”

President Obama initiated a July 2011 deadline to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan; but additionally, increased troop deployment in the region to combat growing insurgency. Wright doesn’t believe U.S. involvement is going to be minimized in three years.

“The U.S. is planning the expansion of the U.S. embassy,” she said. “Over a half of billion dollars will be spent, which will make it the largest embassy in the world. I think the plan is for a much longer and stronger involvement and I am very concerned about that.”

Connecting Voices

The “Dear Afghanistan Project” was founded with the primary purpose to connect people from around the globe with the Afghan people living in the war torn region in an effort to promote peace. The “Dear Afghanistan: A New Year’s Call for Peace” held Jan. 1, 2011 connected people from around the world with the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers, a collection of Afghan youth who are working to promote peace in the region.

Doug Mackey, the project’s technical director, said he and fellow activists have been organizing the global call-ins for over a year. He said he wanted to give people around the world the opportunity to hear each other’s voices, in addition to sharing the voices of the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers.

“When we hear another person’s voice, we listen and we become friends,” Mackey said. “Then we learn to love each other. When we love each other, we stop fighting each other. We need to keep amplifying the voices.”

Wright said the call-in was remarkable because it was the second time it was held during a two week period. She said it shows the real concern lots of people from around the world have about the situation in Afghanistan that has left its civilians in a phrase “no place to turn.”

“The call-in showed the international concern of citizens saying we understand what’s going on and we want to help end the violence,” she said. “We were willing to call in, email and text message on New Years day to show this concern was very important.”

Mackey said he and fellow activists plan to continue the global call-in to help connect the voices of the youth and those who are young at heart who care about peace.

“We’ve cracked open live streaming,” he said. “We want to continue to build the people’s journey, which is the way of bringing the voice of particularly young people in war torn countries together with voices of the young people of the occupying countries.

Mike Ferner, president of Veterans for Peace, said the call-in received a good steady response and over a thousand people took part. He said it was significant and it meant a lot to the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers.

“The Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers were happy to discuss nonviolent methods to help rebuild their country,” Ferner said. “They proposed education and rebuilding in infrastructure. They are interested in rebuilding the country in a way that doesn’t include military force.”

Mackey said killing is never the solution and that it goes back to the golden rule that’s found in every religion.

“If we are going to treat people the way we wanted to be treated, we wouldn’t be killing each other,” he said. “7 to 20 percent of the deaths are innocent civilians. We need to melt down the borders a friend at a time by increasing the number of conversations and people involved in these conversations.”

Mackey said Terry Rockefeller, whose sister Laura Rockefeller, was killed on 9/11, took part in the global call-in via skype to talk with people in Afghanistan.

“There is quite a connection there as you can imagine,” Mackey said. “This is a woman whose sister’s death was used to invade other countries and she’s trying to stop the invading. She doesn’t want her sister’s death to be used that way.”

Mackey added the conversation between Rockefeller and the Afghan youth was very moving.

“She was in tears with the kids in Afghanistan,” he said. “The kids in Afghanistan are saying ‘Please Terry, don’t cry.’ Terry said to them that her tears were tears of joy because they were able to talk to each other, and because they could talk to each other, they could help stop the madness. That kind of conversation goes a long way to inspiring others.”

Andrea LeBlanc, board member of Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, has much in common with Terry Rockefeller. He husband was also killed in the 9/11 attacks.

“Before I knew for sure he was on one of those planes, I was immediately heart sick because I knew the country would retaliate and there would be more innocent deaths and suffering,” LeBlanc said. “I felt really hopeless about stopping it. The following year when I heard about Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, it was a big relief to me to find a group of people who had suffered the same kind of loss, but had the same belief that war was not the answer to the situation.

Kelly agreed.

“I’ve been a part of a group of people who would rather advance the works of mercy rather than the works of war,” she said. “So sometimes that has taken me into prison, war zones and volatile areas. I’ve been in multiple war zones and that’s each time confirmed my belief that problems aren’t solved by dropping explosives on people and leaving families bereaved at the sense of desired revenge.”

LeBlanc said she feels very strongly that nonviolence is the better way to deal with conflict because violence only produces more violence. She said military intervention doesn’t seem to be solving the problem.

“Our main concern with Afghanistan is that we think war is wrong in the first place,” she said. “We want the voice of the Afghan people heard in America, which isn’t being done by the media. The media has an enormous responsibility to tell the whole story, which is to find the people who are living the consequences of what we’re doing and find out what they want. The people we’re in touch with in Afghanistan feel U.S. presence is making their lives worse, not better.”

A Complex War

Ferner said the situation in Afghanistan is far more complex than it’s understood to be. He said it’s not simple to say there’s a good guy and bad guy.

“There are much more forces and interests involved,” Ferner said. “There’s a lot going on and it doesn’t necessarily revolve around the United States. I think we are so used to looking at things from our own perspective, in which the U.S. concerns and interests define the whole thing. We’re certainly a major component there obviously, but there’s a lot more going on there than the simplified way it’s presented here by the government and news media.”

Ferner said the average person he talked to was interested in one thing, and that was having the killing stopped. He said the killing and fighting is being driven by a very few people with very large interests.

“The U.S. interest is having a strategic position in that part of the world to control resources,” Ferner said. “There could be a number of war lords in Afghanistan protecting a privileged position as a member of the government, or a certain territory they’ve gotten control of and are getting rich by allowing military supplies through these routes. Then there may be those who are fighting to seek revenge because a war lord wronged them and their family or they may be fighting to kick out the country that’s occupying them.”

Wright said there is much fighting amongst so many different groups in Afghanistan.

“There is the U.S., NATO, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and the Afghan military and police,” she said. “Afghanistan is reeling from violence from all sides.”

Ferner added, “There’s a whole lot going on that we don’t see in the news reports we’re getting. There’s no short answer.”

A Peaceful Solution

Kelly said a solution would be for the United States to apologize. She said there should be an expression of real sorrow.

“The United States shouldn’t give out a charity, but make reparations,” she said. “There should be international courts to which these war lords would be brought to accountability. Referendums should be happening across Afghanistan. There should be a peace keeping transitional force until such elections are held.”

Ferner agreed reparations should be made. He said the U.S. government owes a huge substantial amount of money to the people of Afghanistan.

“It has to be in the form of reparations,” he said. “Aid is given out of generosity. Reparations are given after acknowledging fault for wrongdoing.”

LeBlanc said the Afghan people are calling for the military to withdraw from their country. She said Afghans should be able to rebuild their country, so they can make decisions about how they want things done and not put it into the hands of foreign contractors.

“Every time we shoot a missile, we become less liked,” she said. “It needs to stop.”

Wright said U.S. sentiment varies place to place because a lot of people in Kabul say if the international community leaves, war lords and everybody else would be fighting even more for the spoils that are there. She said there are groups of people that say the international community needs to stay because they are providing a certain level of protection.

“A lot of people in Afghanistan are very concerned about the war lords, who are the real criminals in their own country,” she said. “There are some who are a part of the government and have been supplied with weaponry and funding. They have the private armies that they are able to use. The U.S. and the international community will have to address that because that will be the next problem.”

Ferner said he met with a range of people who were knowledgeable about political affairs in Afghanistan. He said the folks he met were interested in coming to a solution that didn’t involve military force.

“I met with Ramazon Bashardosp who is a member of parliament and a former presidential candidate,” Ferner said. “His overriding interest is to have a solution to the problems in Afghanistan, which is a nonmilitary solution. He thinks there should be a rapid withdrawal, built up international peacekeepers and immediate prosecution of anyone that has been committing war crimes. ”

Wright said there are a lot of people who are saying the Afghans are going to have to resolve these issues and the longer the U.S. international community pursues this aggressive offensive operation, it postpones the time the Afghans need to come to whatever agreement it is.

“I think the U.S. should work for the United Nations peacekeeping force to replace the NATO offensive force,” Wright said. “If the U.S. would start working on this right now, then in a year and a half or so, a true international peacekeeping force could be something that would replace U.S. involvement. An immediate withdrawal would be very difficult. I feel steps would have to come before withdrawal.”

Ferner said he also met with Malalai Joya, a former member of parliament who was kicked out because she was outspoken about human rights. He said there were threats made against her life and she had gone underground.

“Joya is interested in a nonmilitary solution,” said Ferner. “She wants the U.S. and foreign armies out. She also wants the Afghans to take care of their own problems and bring justice to those where justice is needed.”

Mackey said there needs to be a nonmilitary solution. He said there needs to be a cease fire.

“We need to use a cease fire as a beacon of hope to everybody,” he said. “And we need to build on that hope. People will listen better when there’s hope.”

LeBlanc said she doesn’t believe the war was handled well because so many civilians have suffered and it hasn’t solved anything nine years later. She said she doesn’t believe the Afghan people’s suffering has been presented to Americans.

“Americans need to know about the suffering of the people and the real aspirations of the Afghan,” LeBlanc said. “They want to live their lives, enjoy their lives, receive education and feed their families. The more people get to know one another and understand we all have much more in common than what separates us, then we will find it difficult to bring terror on them.”

Exam personality profile

It’s a chilly Monday night in mid December on the campus of Bowling Green State University. BGSU appears to be a ghost town.

Many students are crammed inside the campus library. 24 hour quiet hours have been mandated in all dorms and students have their heads buried in various books.

This is the time of the year where seats tend to be filled in classrooms across campus. This constitutes the most stressful time of the semester- finals.

There are five students studying in the Harshman- Chapman lab. A young woman sighs with frustration as she flips a page in her text book.

The lab door swings open and a female standing 4’11’’ walks in. She is wearing red slippers, BGSU brown & orange pajama pants and a blue shirt. Carrying her SpongeBob backpack, she flicks her brunette hair with blond streaks away from her face as she finds her studying destination.

Marie Krupienski, a sophomore student at Bowling Green State University majoring in Tourism, takes a seat at a large table. The younger of two children, she is originally from the east side of Cleveland and is a Mentor High School graduate.

She rustles through her backpack and pulls out neatly organized notes and an Econ textbook that has sections divided by tabs.

“Ugh,” sighs Krupienski. “I dread and love this time of the year. First off, it’s exam week, but at least it’s Christmas season.”

Krupienski is like every other student on campus during this period, except she is taking 18 credit hours and; not to mention, a former Rocket. “Yeah, I’m taking so many credit hours because I lost some when I transferred here from the University of Toledo,” says Krupienski.
Studying, as Krupienski puts it, is essential during exam time. But she also makes time for leisure activities to alleviate the stress exam week can cause the average student.

“I was swimming at the rec and performed ab workouts before I came here,” exclaims Krupienski. “And I also played some Chinese ping pong in Kreisher with a couple of friends.”

“Paralyzer” by Finger Eleven suddenly plays through her cell phone. She answers the call and engages in a ten minute conversation. “Yeah, you didn’t know!” says an animated Krupienski. “I had to get rid of it.”

Krupienski ends her call and puts on her glasses, while pulling a study guide out of a folder. She is focused.

“Yeah that is another thing I did to prepare for finals,” says Krupienski who is referring to her last phone call. “I had to get rid of Facebook. It wasted my time and I could spend that hour doing something productive.”

Krupienski takes a sip of her Aquafina before getting up to access a computer.

“You know looking at a computer screen makes you tired due to rays or something it gives off,” she says. “That’s why you gotta wear glasses because it blocks the rays. That way you won’t be tired studying.”

She starts to type the facebook url address, but then remembers her account is cancelled.

“See?,” she says. “Facebook is addictive.”

She then logs onto the BGSU website to check her email. She logs off the computer after checking her email and walks back to her original seat.

“There are various studying methods I have,” says Krupienski. “These are studying habits I carrying with me for all tests- not just for finals.”

When looking at her textbook, one would notice tabs placed on the side and on the top. “The tabs on the top means I still need to read that section and tabs on the side mean I have already finished it,” clarified Krupienski.

In addition to tabs being there, one would notice each are a different color. “I color code every section for order,” she says.

She then pulls out a stick of spearmint gum. “Would you like a piece?” she asks. “Studies say spearmint gum helps your thinking because it calms your nerves.”

Several students walk in and out of the lab at this point. “I usually do not study in the lab because I am always focused on the door,” laughs Krupienski. “But with printer making noise and people walking through, it creates a little bit of noise.

Krupienski is fond of noise. “You hate it when it’s too quiet,” she says. “It can be quiet, but not too quiet.”

She pulls out another notebook from her backpack and reviews some material. She then begins to write in it.

“I have a separate notebook where I recopy all my notes,” says Krupienski. “It’s a great way to study because it gets into your head better when you rewrite them.”

Sarah Sperling, a 3rd year student who is a Recreation Major and Environmental Education Minor, is a close friend of Krupienski and confirms her friend Maria as having good study habits.

"I don't see Maria as being a book worm or studying continually, because she has to be involved in some physical or social activity at all times,” says Sperling. “Yet, when it comes right down to it, she can sit down, focus, and study productively. She usually does better when she has a study partner or partners."

Krupienski says she and Sperling motivate each other during exam which goes a long way. They each go into an exam mentally prepared due to encouragement they receive from each other.

Krupienski, like many other college students, will have to use her study skills to good use to make it through this stressful period. But with the many study methods she has, getting through exam week will be a breeze.

BGSU Senior Day

Senior Day took place Friday, November 2, 2007. College seniors are now probably scratching their heads wondering why they were not honored, but it should be clarified that Senior Day recognized the contributions of the Bowling Green State University Football team’s senior players.

Senior day is a special moment for many. It highlights the achievements of the seasoned veterans on BG’s football team.

The BGSU Falcon football team has a core of seniors who continue to rear the younger players into the team leaders they will soon become. Seniors of the Falcon Football team were honored during their game with Akron, which they won 44 to 20.

Many people may question the need of Senior Day. Mike Burtch, staff assistant for the Falcon Football team, has watched these young men progress into the football players many see before them. Before he was a staff assistant, Mike Burtch spent his Undergrad years as team manager for the team.

“Senior Day is a special moment. It gives people, fans, families, and other on-lookers a chance to admire the athletic or academic accomplishments of the athletes,” said Burtch. It also can give those being honored a chance to stick out their chests and be proud of what they’ve done.”
Giovanni Fillari, a junior football player for the Falcons, agrees Senior Day is a very important day for all.

“As a younger player, the seniors of the team have done a great deal for me on and off the field,” said Fillari. “There are a small group of seniors, but all of them have had a hand in lending knowledge to me and the rest of the team. They have showed me what a "Falcon" is by carrying themselves with Pride and Honor in everything theydo. I hope that younger people will look at me the way I look up to the current seniors.”

Many students who were athletes in high school can remember the pride they felt when they were honored for senior day. It displays the years of dedication one gives to the sport, in addition to homework and other external factors that build stress for the young athlete.
Khalafani Rice, former player for the Falcon football team, admired the seniors for their dedication to the sport.

“They know their purpose and performed their job to the best of their ability day in and day out,” said Rice. “Some were motivating and help keep you mentally tough for the game.”
Seniors can be seen as survivors. They battled to keep good grades, a good disciplinary standing, and a spot on the team.

They inevitably are the last ones standing and senior day recognizes this valuable attribute.
Burtch has been around the football team for a little more than 6 years and has seen some players not make it to their senior year.

“I have seen so many football players come and go. Not everyone that goes out as a freshman makes it to their senior year,” said Burtch. “Those that do have learned how to go through some ups and downs that life can bring. Most of them will not be able to go on playing the sport after their career is over so they realize how much more to life there is outside the arena or stadium.
Burtch further elaborates, “Many have matured, physically as well as mentally, with those experiences. There are some that come in, not respecting the game and when they leave; you can see a change in their attitude because of how much work they put in.”
Fillari knows for certain the seniors have a lasting impact on both younger player and the game.

“I have learned to lead by example from the seniors,” said Fallari. “Many people can talk a good game and say that they will do something, but you aren't doing much of anything until it is done. A good example is senior Sean O'Drobinak who plays DT. He stopped a late 4th quarter rally on 4th down during the game @ Eastern Michigan Friday night. We would not know the outcome if it wasn't for him. This was only one example of numerous ones that seniors have made throughout my tenure as a Falcon.”

Many may view Senior Day as just a regular day to give recognition to seniors of a particular sport. But many should view that day as compilation of the many years of blood, sweat and tears these players dedicated to their sport.

Fillari says, “Once I am a senior, I plan to show the younger people that there is more to being a Falcon football player that being a good athlete on the field. It is about being respectable and responsible off the field. Decisions are always to be made in thecollege life, and I hope to help younger kids make the better ones once they are brought to a tough decision.”

Scrap Metal Valuable?

Crimes occur everyday; especially theft. People will steal anything from a stick of gum to an automobile.

But people have now upgraded to a new desirable item. What is it you ask?

Well, this item comes in the form of scrap metal. Don’t laugh, this is a serious matter.
This new criminal trend has many people going to extreme lows. For instance, three men, James Nelson, Richard Pitts and John Kuhn were caught stealing a flag pole from Mount Carmel Cemetery’s Veterans’ Memorial in Toledo, Ohio in hopes of trading in their stolen treasure at a scrap yard for an undisclosed sum of money.

According to the Toledo Blade, these men damaged two nearby monuments in the process of sawing the flag pole.

Little do people know; scrap metal is big business and is not just in the city of Toledo, nor is relegated to the borders of the U.S. Scrap metal is global and even the automobile you drive could contain metal that was stolen, exchanged for profit, sent overseas for another profit, and then used to produce it.

13abc.com states nothing is off limits: school construction sites, utility companies, cemeteries and businesses. Losses are passed along to consumers and neighborhoods are left to deteriorate.

According to SanduskyRegister.com, copper, aluminum, stainless steel and brass are valuable metals. This site states Steve Lichtcsein, owner of Sandusky Steel & Supply, says, “Copper sells for more than $2 per pound, compared to 50 cents a pound nearly 20 years ago.”

As said before, something this minor is major economics. John Waunick, an attorney from Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP Law Firm, says when one hears about a flag pole being stolen to be used as scrap metal, you know this situation is not small potatoes… it’s big business.

“It’s the law of supply and demand,” said Waunick. “It is being generated by both China and India. The price on the open market is so high right now it’s worth the effort [by criminals].”

Individuals will go through any means to get this valuable resource. Captain Diana Ruiz-Krause, commander of the Personal and Public Affairs Bureau of the Toledo Police Department, agrees with this analysis, but is also concerned about the effect this crime is having on neighborhoods.

“Metal prices are very high and they take them to scrap yards,” says Ruiz-Krauz.
“People will go to abandoned houses or even houses that are not abandoned, especially in older neighborhoods, and take off its aluminum siding. This has proven to be very detrimental to neighborhoods as community value goes way down.”

Sgt. Joel Squadrito of the Ft. Wayne police department agrees. According to 13abc.com, Squadrito asserts "If you live in that neighborhood and two or four houses become vacant and they become condemned, whatever the case may bring, it breaks down the neighborhood and property value."

“I live in Perrysburg and we recycle,” said Waunick. “Don’t be surprised if you find that someone has been rummaging through your recyclables. They take what they find and go to a scrap yard.”

Many may wonder if it is really worth the effort to steal from a cemetery just to make some money. Bryan McGannon, director of Media Relations & Marketing for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc., which is a trade association representing about 3,500 scrapyards across the nation, states the prices for these metals are so high right now.
“Some metals like copper are selling for about 3 times what they were selling for 2 years ago,” said McGannon. “While I can't get into the mind of a criminal, metals are just another item that has value that is readily available and frequently not secured or locked up.”

Melanie Nied, a law firm receptionist at Anspauch Meeks Ellenberger LLP, feels there may be another reason some individuals do this crime.

“People need money for habits they have,” said Nied. “It may be to support a drug habit.”

According to Sandusky Register.com, Capt. Paul Sigsworth of the Erie Country Sheriff’s Office agrees that drugs may be a factor.

“Many thefts are motivated by drug habits,” said Sigsworth. “It’s gotten worse lately because of heroin usage.”

Drugs also happened to be a reason for the flagpole incident.

According to the Toledo Blade, Denise Ann Dartt, a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge, sentenced Kuhn to one year in prison August 8, 2007 after he pleaded no contest to felony vandalism. Judge Dartt imposed the maximum sentence after Kuhn asked that he be given time in prison to kick his drug addiction.

Law enforcement and scrap yards are trying various methods to combat this problem. Police officers make unannounced visits while scrap yard use a security system to keep tabs customers.

According to 13abc.com, as officers make unannounced visits to scrap yards, Sgt. Joe Heffernan of the Toledo Police department says, “We want to make sure one person comes in, they have valid government issued ID, positively identify that person, identify what the property is and where it came from.”

13abc.com further states R&M Recycling relies on a computerized security system to keep tabs on its customers and their purchases. R&M's David Willet says, "Anyone that comes into the yard is on camera 24 hours a day and in our computer we have signatures that are required, ID required. So that's all on file."

Businesses that don't play by the rules face being shut down by code enforcement officers.

According to freep.com, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is trying to raise private money to pay for two full-time prosecutors devoted to pursuing cases of scrap metal theft. She also is planning to meet with Wayne County Circuit Court judges to urge tougher sentences on scrap metal theft, which is a misdemeanor.

The global economy may encourage crimes such as these to be committed. Something as small stealing scrap metal is generating a billion dollar market.

With the damage done to public lighting, homes and businesses from thieves looking to strip them of copper and other metals for sale, Worthy said such crimes must be punished more harshly.

But John Waunick said it best… it’s big business.

It Takes a Village

How would one feel if college students played a role in rearing one’s child? No wait, please come back!

Please do not flip the page because college students are not as incompetent as many may believe. Parents need not worry about their sons or daughters acquiring the skill to play beer pong.

But let’s take it a step further. How would one feel if campus Greeks played a role in rearing one’s child? No, this is not a joke; it is a serious question.

The mere thought of college students raising a community of kids may send shivers down a parent’s spine. The stigma associated with college students is not praiseworthy; especially amongst Greeks.

But for Gwen Whitlock, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, bringing her two teenage daughters to Alpha Kappa Alpha’s sponsored “It Takes A Village” has been worthwhile. “I must say that I am impressed,” said Whitlock, who is a resident of Bowling Green, OH.

Held in Bowen Thompson Student Union room 308 on September 8, 2007, It Takes A Village featured various activities for children ranging in the ages from toddlers to teenagers. Among the activities for the children was the option for boys to receive a haircut and girls to have their hair braided.

Music was played to provide a soothing atmosphere and food was provided to quell the children’s appetite. Not to mention the children’s laughter was also soothing to the ears.
When asked how she learned of the program, Whitlock replied, “I have a friend who happens to be a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. I attend church with her at Indiana Missionary Baptist Church and she informed me of this program.”

Whitlock further added, “I have several family members who are AKA and I am familiar with the things they do in the community.”
If there were any indication of the Greek stereotypes, the Iota Iota chapter of AKA successfully dispelled them. No true colors were exposed, but the bright white smiles of children in the room, and of course pink and green.

The kids enjoyed working with crafts. A table of young girls was putting together gummy bears with tooth picks.

“This here is my BFF,” exclaimed a young girl who was referring to a young girl sitting next to her. BFF is an acronym for “best friends forever”.
The child was the most valuable resources at ITAV. AKA sorority members were very attentive of the children’s needs.

Kelli Brown, president of Iota Iota chapter, was pleased with the turnout of the program. There were many children as well as Bowling Green State University students who were in attendance.

Brown proclaims one of the main objectives of the program is to mentor young children. “We’re trying to bring BG area black children here to interact with one another. This is a mentoring program. We inspire kids in the community and are positive role models for them,” she said.

Whitlock’s two daughters, who were in attendance, happen to be identical twins. Shleah and Shreah are sophomores who attend Bowling Green High School and will turn 16-years-old this November.

Both girls enjoyed themselves at the event. “It was okay meeting some new people,” said Shreah.

Shleah responded, “There are a lot of activities for us. I made a string wolf.”
When asked what they would be doing if she was not in attendance at ITAV, Shreah responded, “I would be playing with my three kittens.” She was referring to her Giga pet.

Shleah responded, “I would be tending to the chickens at home.”
The “It Takes a Village” concept is an old African proverb. Alpha Kappa Alpha stresses the importance of this concept for black children.

Hillary Rodham Clinton chose this title for a book she wrote in 1996. Clinton proclaims that children will thrive only if their families thrive and if the whole society cares enough to provide for them.

The meaning of the event served an actual purpose than the event itself. It was not done to fulfill a community service requirement.
The program taught kids they can find solace within the black community. They were exposed to resources they may have never known before.

Whether the children realize it or not, they learned values that will stay with them for the rest of their life. Helping others will be a value that will be instilled in them for a lifetime.

Founded on December 4, 1972, the chapter of Iota Iota has been dedicated to promoting quality education, uplifting the black family, inspiring those to make healthy choices and economic empowerment. Alpha Kappa Alpha is a college based organization striving to organize a channel - an organization - established to promote unity.

Those who may want to involve themselves in this program may contact Kelli Brown at krbrown@bgnet.bgsu.edu

Washington Redskin "Sean Taylor" Remembered

Sean Taylor is at peace now, but the media gave him a hard time to achieve that state. The fact that Taylor was the victim of a botched robbery attempt did not gain him sympathy, but rather a merciless attack from media journalists. As soon as news hit that Taylor was shot in his home, the media began speculating whether his background may have had something to do with it. Gossip is not even a standard form of good journalism, yet journalists decided to make it their platform in their coverage of his death. Instead of reporting on his condition, news outlets decided to devote their resources to bringing up past events of Taylor's troubles. The media felt it was in good taste to say Taylor's shooting was caused by the way he lived. He was shot, but the media covered his shooting as if he done the crime. When is it a crime to protect one's family from intruders? ESPN broadcaster Michael Wilbon had this to say about Sean Taylor:

"I know how I feel about Taylor, and this latest news isn't surprising in the least, not to me. Whether this incident is or isn't random, Taylor grew up in a violent world, embraced it, claimed it, loved to run in it and refused to divorce himself from it. He aint the first and won't be the last. We have no idea what happened, or if we know now will be revised later. It's sad, yes, but hardly surprising."

It's sad that a few events, such as a DUI or gun wielding incident, are all that characterizes a man who has dedicated 24 years of his life to this earth. If all other news outlets will not show compassion for the senseless murder of Sean Taylor, The Obsidian will. May God bless your soul and family. Rest in peace Sean Taylor.

Michael Vick In a DogFight For His Life

Mike Vick has sure found himself in the dog house. It’s just so happens that the doghouse comes in the form of a prison. On Nov. 19, 2007 Michael Vick surrendered to U.S. marshals three weeks before he is to be sentenced for a federal dogfighting charge on Monday, Dec. 10, 2007. According to a court document, Vick worked out a deal to voluntarily enter custody prior to sentencing. This action caused Vick to miss Thanksgiving with close family and friends during this troubling period for him. Vick wants to get an early start on the prison sentence he may have to serve and display an act of repentance for his crimes. According to the Associated Press, the gruesome details outlined in the federal indictment _ dogs were hanged, drowned and electrocuted _ fueled a public backlash against the Falcons' star player and cost him several lucrative endorsement deals. AP states Vick is being sued for more than $4 million by banks claiming he defaulted on loans and might have to repay nearly $20 million in NFL signing bonus money. Not to mention he is banned indefinitely from the NFL. According to CNN, Vick has to pay nearly $1 million dollars for the care of about 54 pit bulls. These costs will cover the long-term care and/or the euthanasia of the dogs found on his property during a dogfighting raid. If that’s not enough, Virginia has decided to bring state charges against the fallen star. Vick will go to trial on state dogfighting charges in Surry County, Va., on April 2. According to AP, he has been charged with two state felonies _ beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison. Vick seems to be getting hit with consecutive blows, but the attacker is savoring the knock out. A player who once was sitting in a locker room mentally preparing a football game is now sitting in a jail cell awaiting his trial date. It is hard to fathom the rise and fall of this star player. A player who was once hailed by the public is now public enemy number 1. Many fans of Vick hope the judge does not impose the maximum length of five years. Daily News stated on Friday November 30, 2007, two of Vick’s partners in dog fighting operation were sentenced to 18 and 21 months, respectively, which may be an indication that Mike Vick will stay in jail longer than expected. According to Daily News, William Frick, the former prosecutor for the South Carolina Attorney General’s office who in 2004 got a 40-year sentence for notorious dogfighter David Ray Tant said, “I don’t think it looks good for Michael Vick. If those two guys who cooperated early are getting that much time, Vick is going to be at least looking at 24 months. I personally thought he would be looking at 18 to 24 months. But if those guys are getting 18 and 21 months, Vick is going to do more time. And they don't have the additional stuff of being the ringleader, which Vick is.” Many fans wonder if Vick will ever be allowed to return to football after these charges? It really is a difficult question to answer, but let’s just hope that Vick pays his debt to society and quickly gets back to what his fans remember him as. Not as a cruel dog fighting ring leader, but as a prolific football player.