Category: Thoughts/Opinions

Writing home from Russia, a historical outlook

WADE FULLERTON
STAFF WRITER

Map of Allied operations in Archangel, Russia [Left]. American rifleman, Russian rifle. Defending the critical rail junction at “Verst 466” with the 339th Infantry Regiment, Sept. 24, 1918 [Right].

The AEF – American Expeditionary Force – had decisively defeated the German Army on the Western Front on Nov. 11, 1918. The Great War closed, while a new – more bizarre – chapter opened. Two months prior to the end of the war, President Woodrow Wilson – a politician who ran on a non-intervention policy – moved to send men of the AEF to Russia.

The President must have been troubled by this intervention. The United States felt pressure to join the effort to contain Bolshevism’s spread in Russia and support their allies – Britain and France. Five thousand soldiers of the AEF made up the 339th infantry division. These were men from all temperaments across the state of Michigan. During the late summer of 1918, these Michiganders completed their training in Fort Custer and were prepared to embark on a transport ship to Archangel, Russia.

Several of these men were Alma College students who put their education on hold to fight in the Great War. The Weekly Almanian published a section called “From our Boys in the Service” every edition during the First World War. Letters were printed from students and alumni who were active in the AEF. Private Russel – an Alma College student – wrote to his Mother on Sept. 10, 1918:

Somewhere in Russia:

Dear Mother,

At least we are somewhere and in Russia at that. I suppose everything is all O. K. at home. I surely hope so. I never felt better in my life. I do not know whether I have gained in pounds or not because all the scales are balanced in Russian.

Russia does not look as old as I had expected. All the streets are either mud or cobblestone. There are a few street cars. The horses are all very small and pull from a yoke in the form of an arch, over their necks. All of the axles are made of wood and are well greased. The Russian dress is surely queer. I saw one fellow who had a purple silk shirt on that I would like to get my hands on. Some of the girls look like Yankees in their dress. The Russian churches have large globe domes, generally gilded. They have lots of huge bells which, when they ring, ring steadily for about forty minutes. One of the churches around here has a large picture in it. Looks like a hand painting but of course it isn’t because the weather would soon destroy it. Another church has pictures of saints all over on one side.

There are plenty of wooden sidewalks around here. The Russian language is surely a tongue-twister. Already we have mastered a few words like good and no good thanks, the names of towns, cigarettes, dog, etc. They make a noise like a rattle snake to stop their horses.

Well I must close, with love to all.

Russel.

Even one hundred years ago, Russel conveyed the Alma College code of ethics; to foster curiosity abroad and approach his situation from a position of learning. His letter also carries melancholy for his home he had left behind. Moreover, yes – only a Michigander would act as polite as Russel does, despite the perilous circumstances.

For Russel and for the rest of the 339th from Michigan – who more than likely left home for the first time – will have to combat disease, the harsh cold and maintain morale. It would slowly turn into an intervention that none of the men could justify themselves as to what purpose they were serving in Russia.

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The Era of Understanding

HADEN GROSS
STAFF WRITER

Living in the time on a pandemic, we as people cling fervently onto normalcy. We pray that change will come, and we will resume a life that is devoid of social distance. Many have had to put their life on hold as the world heals. Graduations were cancelled, schools were vacant and for student athletes, many spent time watching dust collect on their beloved equipment.

Some cried, others took to the street in fury as governors refused to okay sports. The protests, while nonviolent, sparked mass controversy across Michigan, among other states. People opposed the large droves of protestors taking to streets, as the number of COVID-19 cases skyrocketed. Others banded together and protested as athletes, coaches, students and fans to protest for playtime.

“As a senior in high school who had their season cancelled, I can understand the disappointment,” said Danielle Dumoulin (24’). “However, I don’t believe that jeopardizing the health and safety of others because you want to play a sport is fair. We have to understand the situation we are currently in and act in a way that benefits all people.”

Understanding is the key word to Dumoulin’s thoughts. We must understand the feelings of the athletes, but not let them overshadow the pandemic. According to Mlive.com, over 2,000 individuals were present at the last rally, not to mention the hundreds of social media posts directed at the governor.

The omnipotent theme within these protests is that student athletes feel as if they have been wronged and have pulled the proverbial receipts from data regarding COVID-19 spreading through athletics. A scientific study ran by MDHSS, deduced a 99.8 precent negative rate over 30,000 tests. Thus, marking huge strides for protestors. It appears that dust will have to find other objects to accumulate on.

“I genuinely believe in the right to a peaceful assembly,” said Morgan Sweitzer (’22). “However, things are complicated right now due to the pandemic and social distancing issues and on that the pandemic isn’t over. As much as we all want to passionately get back to normal life, we must do what we can to protect ourselves and others. It is important for young people to have interaction and engagement but to also stay healthy.”

Michigan’s government officials claim that the resurgence of winter sports was not due to the protests, but as we have seen within the last year, change is bread from the common man. The idea of change continues to be a prevalent theme as we embark into a new year, new presidency and new social precedent. As a society, we are beginning to see the first fledglings of an improved society- we still have long to go, but what we have accomplished should be celebrated.

It is not to say that student athletes shouldn’t feel a sense of victory as they head back to the various courts and fields this winter, but they should also be reminded of how capable of change we are if we band together. The same positivity should carry these students and coaches through their seasons, so that they may be reminded of how lucky they are to have the opportunity to play a sport they love. It is a hope that athletes will be given a safe environment to compete in.

It is the goal of this article to encourage the notion of understanding and by doing so, we as a society will heal from the pandemic, emerging as people who have found a long-lost compassion for others.

https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2021/01/let-them-play-delivers-clear-message-as-thousands-flock-to-capitol-to-protest-winter-sports-pause.htm

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We’re all Conspiracy Theorists

ATULYA DORA-LASKEY
STAFF WRITER

You do not believe in conspiracy theories. The idea that powerful people would ever secretly conspire to maintain or strengthen their power is simply preposterous to you. America is experiencing a whirlwind of misinformation right now, and a clear line must be drawn between educated citizens and paranoid crazies.

You do not believe in lizard people or the Illuminati. The moon landing was clearly not faked. Qanon supporters are obviously insane. You definitely know Covid-19 is real. You do not think that there is anything suspicious about how Jeffrey Epstein died. In your opinion, everyone who thinks the American government engages in mass surveillance is too paranoid. You find claims that the CIA tried to invent mind control by dosing people with LSD to be outlandish. You sleep soundly knowing the American government has never considered committing false-flag terrorist attacks to build support for a war against Cuba. You also definitely believe that Donald Trump fairly won the 2016 presidential election, because believing he secretly made deals with Russian agents would mean that you were theorizing about a conspiracy. And you’re definitely not a conspiracy theorist, right?

Well, maybe not all of these personal statements are true, maybe you do believe in *some* of these theories. To be fair, the CIA’s mind control experiments and the story that the military tried to get President Kennedy to sign off on false-flag terrorist attacks have been proven to have happened through now declassified documents. Maybe you are a conspiracy theorist after all, or

at least you should be. Contrary to popular discourse, conspiracy theories have an important role to play in democracy––as paranoia about the rich and powerful conspiring is not unfounded. Painting all conspiracy theories as inherently ludicrous only serves to delegitimize heavily proven theories though an association with unhinged theories, and legitimizes unhinged theories through an association with heavily proven theories. It would be very silly to believe all conspiracy theories, but it would also be incredibly naïve not to believe in at least some of them.

Black History month can provides us with some learning opportunities to grapple with how conspiracies were often violently used by the American government against Black people. Between 1932 and 1972, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention secretly carried out their Tuskegee Syphilis Study by recruiting 399 Black sharecroppers who had syphilis and promising them free medical care, but only giving out placebos so the effects of syphilis could be observed. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study directly led to the deaths of 128 participants. Starting in the 1950’s, the FBI covertly began a program known as “COININTELPRO” which aimed to completely dismantle the Civil Rights movement and other left-wing organizations by sending in undercover agents to monitor the plans of activist organizations and sow discord whenever possible. The FBI even secretly bugged the residences of Martin Luther King Jr. and attempted to blackmail him into committing suicide by threatening to release audio tapes of an affair he had. In 1969, the FBI quietly conspired with the Chicago Police Department to assassinate 21-year old Fred Hampton, the incredibly successful Black Party chairman of the Chicago chapter who had pioneered the free breakfast program, fought against police brutality, and created a multi-racial working class movement known as The Rainbow Coalition.

While these historical events are known facts now, it is important to remember that they were once only perceived as completely outlandish conspiracy theories. In many cases, we only know them as historical facts because people were committed enough to these conspiracy theories to actually stop the conspiracy. In 1970, eight burglars calling themselves the Citizen’s Commission to Investigate the FBI spent months casing an FBI office and memorizing the routines of the residents who lived nearby. On March 8th, they broke in using a lockpick and crowbar, stole FBI documents and mailed them to journalists. “When you talked to people outside of the movement about what the FBI was doing, nobody wanted to believe it,” Keith Forsyth, one of the burglars, told the New York Times over 40 years later. The publication of these documents were what proved the existence of COININTELPRO.

None of this is in the past. We still live in an age of conspiracies because we live under capitalism, an economic and political system where money and power is concentrated among a select few. It is not unexpected that this select few will privately conspire with each other to maintain their positions at the top. They may cover up their own conspiracies or even help popularize unhinged conspiracy theories that lead people on a wild goose chases. Sweeping all conspiracy theories under the rug will not end this misinformation frenzy, but a simple analysis of determining whether a conspiracy theory elaborates on an effects of capitalism or simply makes excuses for the failings of the system by blaming hidden actors can help us stay critical of both misinformation as well as the powerful authorities in charge. At least in theory.

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The tweet that broke the camel’s back

ARYAAN S. MISRA
STAFF WRITER

“I do not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump from Twitter” – Jack Dorsey

This was taken from a Twitter thread (ironically enough) tweeted by the cofounder of Twitter regarding their decision to remove President Trump from Twitter. That is a lot of ‘Twitter’ for one sentence, but I can’t help myself. It is as though Twitter is to discourse what Cajun seasoning is to a potato salad— the ingredient that enlivens an otherwise “meh” undertaking. Especially, since most discourse takes place on it.

Twitter: It’s What’s Happening (company slogan). Seemingly, it’s what’s always happening. It is this omnipresent, and arguably omnipotent, nature of Twitter that made the social media giant’s decision to remove the incumbent Commander in Chief of the world’s most powerful military from its platform international headlines.

What started with a platform which permits 280 characters rippled through corporations across the board— Facebook, Amazon and Snapchat— leaving many astonished that the billionaire President had Snap in the first place. But it wasn’t just social media companies. Visa, AT&T and Marriot all suspended their ties with Mr. Trump.

In light of this domino effect, many wondered if Trump just got #cancelled. Well, on Nov 4 President Trump was cancelled, democratically. The events of last month however, ranging from the Capitol riot to the rampant deplatforming of Trump, weren’t remotely democratic.

In Twitter’s defense, the company took several steps to warn @realDonaldTrump that his account was in jeopardy since his actions were directly in violation with the ‘terms of conditions’ he had voluntarily accepted. Twitter first disabled the ‘retweet’ feature on his tweets, then deleted specific tweets, then temporarily suspended his account (after which he continued tweeting from other accounts). His last tweet which called the rioters “lovely people” broke the camel’s back, and Twitter finally banned him.

But what about Amazon? Is the despicable insurrection attempt sufficient grounds for former POTUS to not receive 1-day Prime delivery?

While legislators debate the legal nuance of ‘incite’, they can do virtually nothing about Trump’s voice being sequestered. The Constitution protects private organizations from falling within the purview of the First Amendment. While Twitter and other companies didn’t do anything illegal, legal acts can be immoral.

I wager that free speech is as much an American value as it is a protected right, and it is the responsibility of American corporations to preserve that value. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stood against the decisions of tech giants saying, “President Trump can turn his press team or Fox News to communicate with the public, but others – like many Black, Brown and LGTBQ activists who have been censored by social media companies – will not have that luxury.”

“The key distinction between deplatforming Trump and traditional forms of censorship is that instead of the state restricting speech (such would be the case in China for example) restrictions on free speech are guided by media conglomerates,” says Luke Losie (’23). To allow corporations to wield such power is to set a daunting precedent, one which will be far more unjust for minority voices. Just because Mr. Trump is an unlikeable character, we rejoice that the online public sphere has become a saner place. But if Twitter existed in the Reichstag, Nazis would too have rejoiced at the suspension of Otto von Habsburg’s (Prince of Austria and an ardent anti-fascist) Twitter account.

“Partly it’s a monopoly problem,” said William Gorton, Associate Professor of Political Science. He adds, “Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon simply have too much market power. Perhaps Congress could look into regulating social media outlets via anti-trust legislation.” Regulating social media companies might be the key, and in fact anti-trust cases and allegations of monopoly marketing have been brought to the courts, but it will be a long time before Congress can reorganize the structure of such companies.

Nobody ever imagined 280 characters typed by the person with nuclear codes would determine foreign policy. Nobody ever imagined social media to become the dominant form of public discourse for every faction of the political spectrum. Twitter has more authoritarian leaders tweeting every hour, should they

be banned too? We are trudging through a new swamp, one that cannot be drained by banning @realDonaldTrump.

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Alma College in World War I

WADE FULLERTON
STAFF WRITER

WADE FULLERTON
GRAPHIC CREATOR

“There can be no turning back.” These were President Woodrow Wilson’s words when he asked Congress to declare war on Germany in early April 1917. Debates across the United States ensued concerning the extent of militarization. Over one hundred years ago – at the cost of five cents per copy – on April 10th, 1917, The Weekly Almanian opened with this question to the campus community. Will military training become a part of the regular course of the male students of the College?

The College answered with an almost unanimous agreement to prepare students and select professors for training. The writer’s introduction begins, “now that war has been declared and that real action seems imminent, it is the duty of every able-bodied man to prepare himself for the aefence of the flag, and for the liberation of the world from a German autocracy.” Life at Alma – as well as the rest of the nation – was about to change.

Name-known figures of Alma College spoke their minds in The Weekly Almanian. Dean Mitchell – known now as the name of Mitchell Hall on north campus – was hesitant to military mobilization at Alma College. He spoke to the interviewer explaining that “I don’t’ believe in military training because I think it tends to create a military caste, where the civilian has no rights such as a military man has, when it comes to respect. However, I believe it is now in order, and we ought to have it.”

However, a multitude of students and professors were in favor of training. Many of the professors quoted in the article have had prior military training and believe it to be more beneficial than athletics. Aside from the recent declaration of war, Alma College life thrived as it usually did.

The Almanian added personal touches. Advertisements of local businesses could be found between the articles’ margins. Alma College Alumni took the time to write about what they were doing and where they have been after they graduated. Wright Hall once had a section of the Weekly Almanian where students would report where they were traveling to on weekend breaks from school. Although these early editions of the Almanian were – for the most part – not that long ago, much of their language read of mannerisms and topics from a bygone era in Alma’s history.

With the addition of this new section of the paper, histories long-forgotten; of times where students would gather by the Pine River or socialize in Wright Hall; might come back. Not in a physical sense, but in something far more important than that. Remembrance.

In the words of Frank Hurst – class of 1904 – to the song “I Want to Go Back to Michigan,”

“There’s a school in Michigan,

And I often wish again,

That I was back just to live those days once more;

Then was I a student gay,

And I’d while the time away

On the river at night; by day I’d study, snooze and snore.

And lonesome soul am I,

Here’s the reason why: –

I want to go back, I want to go back,

Back to Alma College years;

Back through smiles and tears;

Back to Wright Hall and the dears;

I miss the teachers – the cruel creatures

That made me bone ’till four a.m.

They thought we came to College just for knowledge,

Nevertheless, we bluffed in classes and buzzed the lasses;

And our work was mostly play.

My heart would jump with glee

Could I but only see

Alma today!”

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Winter is coming

AISHWARYA SINGH
STAFF WRITER

As the Northern Hemisphere of our planet tilts further away from the sun, cold and freezing winds have already started to take over our days. The windbreakers are out, the socks are never off and a warm bowl of soup has become a Saga staple. But as the season to be jolly rolls around this year, there is a unique worry on our minds- COVID-19 cases all around us are getting worse.

Alma College saw its highest spike in cases ever since the semester began (28 positive cases) and the state’s trends reflect the same. The number of new coronavirus cases in Michigan has increased 39% in the past week, with many cities seeing their highest spike ever.

With this sudden and sharp rise in cases, scientists from all around the country are speaking up about the the impacts of the winter on the coronavirus. “This virus is going to have a heyday,” says David Relman, a microbiologist at Stanford University in California. “We are looking at some pretty sobering and difficult months ahead.”

In the past, a number of the most dangerous viral infections we’ve experienced have shown seasonal trends and while it may be too early to determine seasonal trends for COVID-19, its predicted the winter will only make things worse. For example, laboratory experiments revealed that SARS-CoV-2 favors cold, dry conditions, particularly out of direct sunlight; the 1918 influenza outbreak, the only pandemic that killed more Americans than COVID-19, was five times higher during the winter than other seasons. Even the flu gets significantly worse during the winter with 40 times more cases during fall and winter than in spring and summer.

While this virus may just like the winter better, that isn’t the only reason why COVID-19 cases might rise in the upcoming season. As winter comes along, indoor activities increase and more people gather together in confined spaces, many times with poor ventilation, to meet with each other. In times like these, the importance of social distancing and mask wearing has become more prominent than ever.

If these predictions come to fruition, the United States is likely to see another 400,000 deaths on top of the current death toll of 230,000. Just the current number of COVID-19 cases in the US (nine million as of October 29) have made it home to 25% of all positive cases in the world while it is home to only 4% of the world’s population.

States like Michigan which experience cold and long winters, a subsequent rise in indoor activities and an already existing high number of cases (the seventh highest out of all 50 states) have a task ahead of them, a task the college must undertake for its students too. The state must incentivize mask-wearing not just in public spaces but also in private spaces. The college, too, must continue with its Phase-I policy of minimal contact among students and regulated events around campus.

While Alma College only has only three weeks of classes remaining, our collective fight against the virus is far from over. Winter is coming and it’s time to prepare!

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College tours in the age of COVID

Chelsea Faber
STAFF WRITER

Everyone remembers their first tour of Alma, hearing about our Scottish heritage, perhaps talking to coaches or faculty, even having your first meal in SAGA, however in a world dealing with COVID-19, what should this experience look like? Balancing the two pillars of keeping our campus safe and free from extra outside exposure, while providing this pivotal and critical experience to incoming students has been a recent topic of debate among campus.

Per campus policy, outside guests are prohibited, not only from residential halls, but some academic centers as well. Additionally, current students are highly discouraged to return home and are encouraged to only leave campus when necessary. Yet, despite these measures taken by the college, new ‘pods’ of individuals enter campus every day.

The Admissions website outlines heightened safety procedures including sanitizing of any check in materials, outdoor meetings, as well as a screening the day before. It is important to note the policy specifies that face coverings are required inside buildings, however there is no clarification as to whether this is also required when outdoors.

Students are not required to wear masks outdoors when in a situation that would allow for social distancing; however, campus culture has shown that many individuals continue to wear masks at all times when outside their own residence.

It would make sense that the policy would be universal across both sectors, but we need to remember that prospective students and their families are coming from all across the state, if not the country. They could reside in areas with a high rate of positive cases, therefore bringing a threat to campus.

Once again, this brings a complex issue to the forefront, how do we provide this experience in a meaningful but safe way?

Our admissions staff worked over the summer to provide a 360 view of campus as well as an improved walking tour –both with the hope to bring the experience of walking through campus to the screens of prospective students across the globe. Is this enough to convey the Alma College feel?

Let’s also consider it from the opposite end: anxiety about fully understanding potential college options in the age of the coronavirus is likely at the forefront of many high school seniors. Many campuses have not had as successful of a return to campus as Alma has. In fact, campuses across the nation have seen high rates of positive cases, with outbreaks continuing among students.

Keeping this in mind, potential students have to balance the nerves of experiencing a place that could become their temporary home for the very first time with the fear of contracting COVID-19.

Michigan has recently seen spikes in positive cases, specifically in areas that have fared well thus far in the pandemic. Many experts worry this is the beginning of the ‘fall surge,’ meaning the second wave of high rates of cases across the country.

With this being said, it is not the time to let down our guard, not even a small amount. There is absolutely no way to know if a ‘pod’ of prospective students would be the ones to bring and transmit the virus on campus, but with as fragile of an ecosystem as we have here, is this a risk we are willing to take?

Regardless of how a potential shut down would impact the college on the administrative and operational end, we have to consider the health and wellbeing of students, faculty and staff first. We cannot place ourselves in a position to shut down abruptly again. Therefore, as we move forward into what is poised to be a second wave of coronavirus, we must be extremely cautious and calculated in our actions as a community.

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Are we creating terrorists?

ATULYA DORA-LASKEY
STAFF WRITER

On June 20th, Adam Fox invited some friends he had met on Facebook to hang out. They met in a vacuum shop, where Fox pulled a rug up to reveal a secret trap door to a basement. Then Fox collected everyone’s phone before they went down to make sure they were not recorded. Fox and the other men vented their anger at the recent policies set in place by the state to (successfully) curb the pandemic. The conversation then took a sharp turn to an another subject: kidnapping Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

These would-be Michigan kidnappers also used an encrypted group chat to communicate, where the rhetoric began to get more misogynist and violent. Fox clarified his intentions by saying that the group should just “Grab the f**kin Governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude – it’s over.” These men discussed various strategies to target the Governor, and at one point Daniel Harris messaged “Have one person go to her house. Knock on the door and when she answers it just cap her…at this point. F**k it.”

How do we know this conversation happened? There was an undercover FBI agent who managed to record the conversation with a secret wire as well as log the encrypted group chat. As the plan progressed, more undercover law enforcement began to participate. Their involvement and testimony was integral to the arrest of these men on October 7th and stopping what could have been a deadly act.

As you might expect, the defense lawyers see it differently. The defense team for the Michigan men say that it remains to see what exactly the FBI agents contributed towards the “cause,” and whether or not these agents pushed the men into going forward with this plan. Unfortunately, the FBI has sketchy history when it comes to their undercover officers. And they can sometimes act less like informants and more like driving forces in creating a potentially deadly crime.

In 2012, Sami Osmakac filmed what the FBI would later call a “martyrdom video.” To the camera, Osmakac stated his intentions to avenge the deaths of Muslims being killed around the world while wearing something that looks remarkably close to a suicide vest, while an AK-47 sits propped up in the background. Osmakac was 25 years old, and had schizoaffective disorder according to the psychiatrists who examined him before trial. In this case, the FBI provided Osmakac with all of the weapons seen in the video, the car bomb that he planned to use, and even money for a taxi to he could get to his target. In files leaked to the Intercept, it is clear that Osmakac needed repeated prodding and persuasion by FBI agents in order to go through with the plan. The FBI agent who helped Osmakac make the video said that Osmakac “acted like he was nervous” and “kept backing away.” The FBI squad supervisor described Osmakac as a “retarded fool.”

The FBI radicalizing young Muslim Americans into terrorism and then arresting them for it was a staple of the post-9/11 era. It will have to be seen in the trial whether or not the FBI was a driving force with the would-be Michigan kidnappers the same way they were with Sami Osmakac. The Michigan men were obviously wrong for plotting what they did, they are the product of a society where the President has continued to call for Governor Whitmer to be “arrested” even after this story broke, despite the fact that it was this rhetoric that placed her in

danger in the first place. However, the core question is whether or not these Michigan men would have gone through with a kidnapping even without undercover law enforcement. Due to the FBI’s track record, Michiganders deserve proper transparency on how the Bureau operated in this case.

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