Silent night, heartbroken night

December 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I suppose that I may have started this- another Christmas column- with contrasts anyway, this week.  Warm southern Illinois temps, melting our preconceived ideals of a white Christmas. a calmness of a true silent Night as contrasted with the hassle and bustle of any major department store. We try so hard to close our eyes and hear the distant, traditional Christmas bells, in a cell phone world. But, I never planned to contrast the fervent holiday hope for Peace on Earth with the shattering headlines of mass murder in school. I may have mentioned Mideast turmoil, our troops in the field still, or some such more general reference. But, never did I plan on having to address funerals of precious innocents gunned down in cold blood so near the birthday of the Prince of Peace.

If you are expecting a logical, general, or moving explanation of how something like the Sandy Hook masscre can occur in a universe governed by a loving God, I am destined to disappoint you. I do not have a clue. I do not mean to be skeptical, irreverent, or seem anti-God in any way. But, the smallness of my mind can not fathom how a God who parted the Red Sea could not jam a gun, divert airplanes from Twin Towers, or strike down mass murders in their tracks.
Maybe some day I will be able to ask Him in person- quietly and with tears- how this could be. I am versed enough to expect some of these tears will be His when he explains it all to me. All I have to accept now is the always offered; “God had a purpose”. and, I don’t doubt that this is true. That about sums up what great theologians with all their books, and the neighborhood barber both can concur  for an explanation. in short- we just didn’t know why these things are allowed by the God of supreme Love to make us endure supreme heartbreak.
I come from a town that buried its dead at Black Christmas. The 1951 Mine Disaster saw funerals all through the Christmas holidays. Wreaths hung from doors..but they were black. A life is a life is a life- young or older.
But, the comparison becomes all the more heartbreaking when it is twisted little bodies with no hope of a future.
Methane caused our Mine Disaster. Evil from a place we dare not imagine in our own human hearts took the lives of young children and their teachers that horrible Friday morning. I can not answer why. I can only add in some small way, our town understands.
As citizens of the world, we all grieve. Newtown, you have the prayers of a West Frankfort resident. We will grieve with you each of your Black Christmas’ and seek an end to any other community having to share our mutual grief. Until then, we hold each other, we cry together, and we look to the Heavens together for a reasonable explanation that never comes.
Filed Under: Columns, Featured, Opinion Tagged With: , ,

Franklin County Farm Bureau News

December 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 By J. Larry Miller

It is obvious that the public opinion of farmers is changing but to have the Secretary of Agriculture make negative comments about rural America tells me that we need a new department leader in Washington. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has some harsh words for rural America: It’s “becoming less and less relevant,” he says.

A month after an election that Democrats won even as rural parts of the country voted overwhelmingly Republican, the former Democratic governor of Iowa told farm belt leaders this past week that he’s frustrated with their internecine squabbles and says they need to be more strategic in picking their political fights. “It’s time for us to have an adult conversation with folks in rural America,” Vilsack said in a speech at a forum sponsored by the Farm Journal. “It’s time for a different thought process here, in my view.”

“Why is it that we don’t have a farm bill?” said Vilsack. “It isn’t just the differences of policy. It’s the fact that rural America with a shrinking population is becoming less and less relevant to the politics of this country, and we had better recognize that and we better begin to reverse it.”

Vilsack criticized farmers who have embraced wedge issues such as regulation, citing the uproar over the idea that the Environmental Protection Agency was going to start regulating farm dust after the Obama administration said repeatedly it had no so such intention.

In his Washington speech, he also cited criticism of a proposed Labor Department regulation, later dropped, that was intended to keep younger children away from the most dangerous farm jobs, and criticism of egg producers for dealing with the Humane Society on increasing the space that hens have in their coops. Livestock producers fearing they will be the next target of animal rights advocates have tried to undo that agreement.

“We need a proactive message, not a reactive message,” Vilsack said. “How are you going to encourage young people to want to be involved in rural America or farming if you don’t have a proactive message?”

There is no doubt that farm groups need to be proactive but we must defend our industry against the very things that the Secretary mentioned as frivolous. Regulating dust from combines and animal rights issues are basic to our survival.

What we need is a Secretary of Agriculture that will fight for farmers and is concerned about a safe and abundant supply of food. We may be shrinking in numbers but our value needs to be defended by a pro-farmer Secretary of Agriculture rather than a laid-off politician from the Midwest that needs a job until retirement.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

 

Filed Under: Columns, Franklin Co. News, Opinion, Uncategorized

Our Universities: Locality and Vitality

December 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By WALTER WENDLER

Fourth in a Series on Research

Research creates interest and value for a university and its locale.

“This atmosphere of excitement, arising from imaginative consideration, transformsknowledge. A fact is no longer a bare fact: it is invested with all its possibilities. It is no longer a burden on the memory: it is energizing as the poet of our dreams, and as the architect of our purposes. Imagination is not to be divorced from the facts: it is a way of illuminating the facts.” — Alfred North Whitehead
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Research funding in U.S. universities is losing ground in the world community of nations according to a May 2011 study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). U.S. research efforts once led the world, but domestic investments – public and private – are lagging globally. Atkinson and Stuart, authors of the ITIF study, claim states are experiencing cuts in research funding; nearly 50% in Alaska and a drop in the 50-state average of 2% over the last ten years.

Fading commitment places the U.S. at number 22 in research funding as a share of the Gross Domestic Product — behind Iceland and in front of Germany. That’s right, Iceland. In industry funded research, the dynamics change little. A fresh look at why research is important and how it affects local, state, national, and world economies is worthwhile.

Research agendas that meet local needs but have international consequences are most commanding.

The idea of thinking globally and acting locally is a cliché. However, the forces making research valuable repeat themselves in manifold settings. For example, Louisiana State University exists atop one of the great deltas on the earth’s surface. The power of delta focused research at LSU is categorical, as is its effect on Louisiana’s economic, social, cultural, and political needs. Likewise, it is globally important. Tiger football has local economic value to be sure, but is a mere shadow of the snap that new ideas regarding delta life and opportunity create. The eye of the Tiger is overpowered by the mouth of the Mississippi.

Principles that affect south Louisiana have utility for other delta regions. For example, the Nile Delta is dominated by the forces of wave action on the region. The same forces impact the Mississippi River Delta. Likewise the Ganges Delta is especially affected by
tidal movement, as is Louisiana. The Okanagan Delta in British Columbia is a coarse sediment delta and, while distinctive, holds similarities to the Mississippi Delta. The examples are as numerous as the major rivers of the world.

Social, cultural, anthropological, political, educational, and human and environmental health issues similarly replicate themselves world-wide driven by the geographic similarities of the world’s deltas.

If the U.S. is to regain its leadership in research commensurate with historical expectations, support of study and inquiry is essential. Research focus must be created to respond to the conditions of the regions where the universities exist to provoke support at the national, state, and local levels.

Correctly approached, the knowledge and insight generated are valuable locally and globally simultaneously. The 21st century begs vertically integrated approaches i.e. with local and global value if the enterprise is to flourish. Innovation, insight, and
creative activity propagate positive economic motion. It is not uncommon in growing economies in the developed world to have 40 to 50% of the economic growth hinged on university activity, according the National Science Foundation. Developing countries show an even more robust impact from university research. Job growth is created by new ideas that attract capital.

Science and engineering research also spur creative expression and innovative work in literature, history, the arts, and other scholarly disciplines. This synergy of discovery locally makes the university simultaneously more powerful as an economic force in the regional, state, national and international realms. Local needs drive global agendas.

Knowledge, in all its forms, is seed corn for economic development.

The daunting challenge for the U.S. research enterprise, according to The Atlantic Century, is this: The U.S. ranks sixth in the world for changes in global competitiveness over the past decade. Slippage in the power of ideas: the crucial currency of a free
society.

Declining research productivity in our universities leads to a lack of innovation and job creation. Whitehead would argue intellectual vitality is not far behind. Likewise this deficit creates challenges for universities as economic drivers in the regions where they exist.

Research is fuel for a well grounded economy. That’s the cold truth and acknowledging that may allow us to overtake Iceland.

Filed Under: Columns Tagged With: ,

Yes Bubby, there is a Santa Claus

December 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir

If you hang around high school sports long enough you get lulled into the notion that you’ve seen it all, that nothing can happen that you haven’t seen before.

Every time I get that smug belief that there’s nothing going to surprise me I get slapped up side of the head by the reality that when dealing with high school athletes a wise man will learn to expect the unexpected.

Case in point: Benton vs. Herrin in high school basketball last Friday night.

Let me lay just a little groundwork on this one before I explain what has to rank as one of the oddest, craziest, wildest games I’ve seen.

Both teams lost heavily to graduation last year and both teams have only one player that saw extended varsity action last year – Cole Forby for Benton and Justin Lukens for Herrin. Both teams entered the game with identical 1-3 records and it was the first SIRR Ohio Division game for both teams.

I broadcast Benton Rangers sports on WQRL and as a rule try to talk to Coach Ron Winemiller the day before or the day of the game just to get a feel for how the week has gone, find out about injuries, the opposition, starting lineups, etc. I sent Winemiller a text message very early Friday morning and told him to call me if he found a few minutes free. He called almost immediately and we talked 15 minutes about the week of practice, how he planned to attack Herrin and so on. He told me it was the best week of practice his team has had, period, and he was optimistic that the Herrin game was certainly in the ‘winnable’ category.

Based on our conversation I headed to Rich Herrin Gymnasium thinking it was going to be a hard-fought game but one that the Rangers could certainly win.

The game started slowly with both teams missing more shots than they made but Herrin finally pulled ahead and led 9-5 at the end of one quarter. Benton’s five points came on one field goal and three free throws, and I noted on air that it was troubling that Benton managed only a single field goal in eight minutes of play.

The second quarter proved to be nothing short of disastrous for the Rangers as they again managed only one field goal. In the meantime Herrin started finding some offensive rhythm and scored 13 points to take a 22-7 halftime lead. I repeatedly said during the second quarter that I had never seen an entire team go into the deep freeze offensively like the Rangers did in the first half. To illustrate that point, as a team Benton shot 16 percent from the field. And to go along with the offensive woes Benton just seemed flat and unemotional in the first half.

I have watched enough high school games to know that a 15 point lead is not insurmountable. As I often say at halftime, the first three or four minutes of the third quarter, in my estimation, would set the tone for the rest of the game.

Well, to my dismay the first four minutes of the third quarter proved to be the same as the first half – only a little worse. During that span Herrin outscored the Rangers 10-2 to take a commanding (and somewhat embarrassing if you’re a Rangers fan) 32-9 lead midway through the third.

My job as a broadcaster is to report what I see during a game and there is absolutely no way to ‘spin’ a 32-9 score for anything other than what it is – ugly.

So, in a nutshell here was the situation. After 20 minutes of basketball Benton had made three field goals and three free throws and had not yet reached double figures as a team. And on top of that the Rangers had not shown any – and I mean any – inclination that they had the capability or the desire to make a run at the Tigers. And I thought several times during this dismal stretch of basketball about my conversation with Coach Winemiller that very morning about that great week of practice Benton had. High school kids, I thought, are hard to figure out.

Benton finally managed to break double figures following a timeout and then hit another basket after a Herrin miss and trailed 32-13 with 2:30 left in the third. The Rangers finished the third quarter strong on a 7-2 run and cut the Herrin lead to 34-20 heading into the fourth. Still, a 14-point deficit with only eight minutes to play, particularly after Benton had only managed 20 points through three quarters still seemed like to much of a margin for the Rangers to overcome.

In what can only be described as a ‘wild’ fourth quarter Benton kept chipping away and finally cut the Herrin lead to single digits at 34-25. All of a sudden the faithful Benton following, which had been as quiet as a church mouse all evening, came alive … along with an old radio hack (me) who had pretty much thrown the towel in back at the 32-9 point.

I have always had a rule of thumb about a comeback – it it gets to single digits its a ballgame, and clearly with Benton having momentum at its back and the Tigers playing tentative we were headed for an exciting conclusion to what had otherwise been a dreadful game for the Rangers.

The final minutes of the fourth quarter were hectic, frantic and exciting as the Rangers continued to chip away and chip away finally pulling even at 37-37 in the waning seconds. Benton actually had a chance to win it at the buzzer but the shot misfired and we headed to overtime. My initial thought about the four minute overtime was that it would be a shame for the Rangers to make this great comeback and then not be able to finish out with a win.

Benton amazingly got its first lead of the game at the 3:38 mark in overtime – a lead that the Rangers would not relinquish as they pulled out a 44-42 OT victory in the home opener and first conference game.

There is really only one overall stat worth noting in this improbable victory: For the first 20 minutes of the game Herrin led Benton 32-9 and for the next 16 minutes the Rangers outscored Herrin 35-10. I talked to many people immediately following the game and the next day and to a person everybody agreed that it was one for the ages. A good friend summed it up best when he said: “It might have been the ugliest and the most exciting game I’ve ever seen.”

Many years ago my friend, the late Danny “Bubby” Malkovich, witnessed a somewhat miraculous Benton win against Okawville a few days before Christmas, and began his story the following day in the Benton Evening News with this lede: ‘Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus.’

As I sacked up my equipment on Friday night I thought of what I had just witnessed and I thought of that great story-beginning by Bubby more than 30 years ago. With that thought in mind I think there is only one appropriate way for me to end this particular offering.

Yes Bubby, there is a Santa Claus … and he is still delivering presents to Rich Herrin Gymnasium in December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, High School Sports

Franklin County Farm Bureau news for Dec. 7

December 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By LARRY MILLER

We have just returned from the IAA annual meeting in Chicago. I always enjoy this meeting, but the only problem is that I have to leave home and go to Chicago to be there!

Our three delegates this year were Leon McClerren, Ralph Smith, Debbie Fisher and Michael Browning served as an alternate. These folks voted on every proposed resolution and represented Franklin County farmers very well.

The policies that they adopted are in a 118-page document that gives the organization positions on a host of agricultural issues. With these adopted policies, farmers can expect these issues to be guarded by the IAA board and staff to protect the interest of farmers as we labor to produce food, fiber and fuel. All of this for a $65 investment in our industry.

If anyone would like a copy of this document, we would be happy to provide them to you free of charge.

There are several issues that will be discussed and hopefully acted on in the General Assembly and Congress in the next few weeks but the cloud that hangs over our future is the financial cliff that is on the news everyday. Farmers could be affected negatively if nothing is done about the estate tax provision that will expire on Jan. 1.

We have been asking members to call their Senators and Representative to ask them to support the present position at the $5 million level rather than at $1 million. If you made a call, please let us know so that we can report to the IAA.

Ironically, all that we hear about is that offers have been made to increase revenue (tax increases) but no one is talking about spending reductions. Sixty-five percent of the federal budget is obligated to entitlements and that is where we must start to solve this problem.

The President is asking for increased revenue and increased spending not spending cuts. My calculator will not compute that into a more balanced budget. We are headed to a cliff whether it is the first of the year or at some later date.

We now have a debt that is greater than our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). What that means in terms of the common man is that you owe more than you produce in one year. What you produce does not equal or exceed your profit. Some people say that there is no concern about the debt problem and most of the rhetoric is simply to frighten the public. As a common man, I do not need a very sharp pencil to understand this dilemma.

We need to pray that common sense would pervade our halls of the Capital buildings and that old-fashioned economics would become the common sense of the day.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help, let us know.

Filed Under: Columns, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Our Universities: Roots

December 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Third in a Series on Research)

J.E. Lawrence, in The Nebraska State Journal in 1949 regarding pioneer life and character, wrote: “New land is harsh, and vigorous, and sturdy. It scorns evidence of weakness. There is nothing of sham or hypocrisy in it. It is what it is, without apology.”
So too should be the case with research and scholarship at any institution that calls itself a university.  It is the cause of all else when configured appropriately.
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By Walter Wendler

$1.28 billion is a pile of dough. For the third year in a row, the University of Michigan leads public universities in research spending, with this year’s total being $1.28 billion:  Big time, big dollar, big science and big scholarship in a neat package.

These numbers scare off those unfamiliar with academic excellence and the nature of faculty and student enterprise. Some universities give up before the first pitch is thrown.  They believe there is no way to compete in this ball game.
Too bad:  It is an unfounded postulation.

At many smaller universities, in student headcount or research productivity, a modest posting of research expenditures still yields powerful results for students and faculty. The impact of the scholarly enterprise is not predicated solely on raw quantity, or the multiplied funding that accompanies it. Although, if you play the odds, the chances of producing good work go up if you produce more work.  It is the law of large numbers in university research.

But things are not always what they seem, and the game is made up of layered perceptions and results.
Babe Ruth posts on every list in baseball: a good fielder, the power hitter of all time, a .342 lifetime batting average and, early on, a pretty good pitcher: a star.

Al Simmons was a very good player, but you will likely not find him on too many top ten lists.  “Bucketfoot Al” — awkward batting stance — was a lifetime .334 hitter; consistency and determination produced a powerful workmanlike performance, but out of sight to all but the most ardent fans.  Eight runs at Cooperstown before he made the cut.  Like many State U’s he did an excellent job, day-in and day-out.
Riggs Stephenson, who played most of his career with the Chicago Cubs — maybe why you haven’t heard of him –, was remarkable. His lifetime batting average of .336 is excellent, but unfortunately for poor Riggs, I could handle a ground ball better than he.  Not a corner in Cooperstown for him.
Contributions come in all shapes and sizes.

A plaguing assumption by inexperienced university leadership is that in order for research to flourish, faculty sacrifices a commitment to “the wholeness” of the university experience:  teaching and scholarship. Twofish-quant, a blog responder on Physics Forums said, “One thing that I liked about MIT was that, yes professors were very busy, but teaching undergraduates was still a high priority, so the professors put a high priority on getting that right.” That can happen at State U down the street too if the university values excellence, knows that scholarship drives it, and that faculty and students produce it.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, in a 2007 analysis, looked at faculty productivity in universities with fewer than 15 PhD programs.   Places like DePaul, Bryn Mawr, Clarkson, and William and Mary were all in the top 10. None of these institutions are seen as big time, big dollar research endeavors. Yet, because of the academic and scholarly culture, research and discovery by faculty with student participation, reputations for excellence grow.  Excellence is marketing that needn’t be hyped or can’t be contained.
Susan Connor, Provost of Albion College, also in Michigan, reported an annual R&D budget of $630,000. Modest. Albion serves 1700 undergraduate students. She suggested the faculty’s passion for research and scholarship was what drove excellence, according to the Journal of Science 2010, Big Thinking at Small Universities.

When a research and scholarly culture is present, it goes to the deep roots of the institution, like “Bucketfoot’s” heart for the game.  The culture can be present, even when the tally looks like the “widow’s mite” by comparison. Principles of discovery create educational probability.
Will Herberg, a Jewish theologian, once claimed societies that give up their ethical roots in the Judeo-Christian ethic and work towards the appearances of that ethical foundation are “cut flower cultures.”  “Cut flowers retain their original beauty and fragrance, but only so long as they retain the vitality that they have drawn from their now-severed roots; after that is exhausted, they wither and die.”
Scholarship is the root of the university experience for all and it must flourish in one form or another.

“It is what it is, without apology.”

(Walter Wendler has presented and published in a variety of forums, served on various university committees and been active in community service. Wendler and wife Mary are the parents of two grown children, Walter III and Bradley.  Wendler is the former Chancellor at SIUC and currently is director of the School of Architecture.)
Filed Under: Columns, Opinion

Northern Home Extension Unit November happenings

November 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By KRISTI BROSE

Northern Home Extension met on Nov.15 at the extension office for their Thanksgiving dinner with Ola Dalby as hostess.

Kristi Brose, Judy Webb, Ginger Prior, Carolyn Odom, Linda Duncan, Ola Dalby and Earlene Galloway enjoyed the meal of turkey and dressing, corn pudding, green beans, sweet potatoes, turnips,rolls, pecan pie, chocolate pie and pumpkin cake. We also enjoyed an apple cider drink.

The meeting started with members answering to what they were thankful for besides GOD and family. Christmas Ideas Day was reported on, 4-H Acheivement night was reported on, Kris mentioned the kid’s craft class on Dec. 1, 9:00-10:30am. We will be making Christmas decorations, the cost is $10.

Linda gave the health report on doctors giving up their hospital visits because it was taking away from their practices. Today, in-house doctors or hospitalists are replacing the doctors in the hospitals.

We discussed our meeting days, it was brought to the attention of those at the meeting that more people couldn’t make the Wednesday meeting, so it was decided to change meeting time to the 1st Thursday of the month starting in January. The 2013 dates are as follows; Jan.3, Feb.7, Mar.7, Apr.4, May 2, Sept.12(2nd Th), Oct. 3, Nov. 7, and Dec.5, 10:30-3:00pm.

We voted to give Knight Shield shelter in West Frankfort $200 for Christmas to use as they see fit. Ginger made the motion and Kristi seconded it, motion carried. Another motion was made about purchasing the turkey for Thanksgiving and it failed.

Earlene won the gift game and a bingo game and Carolyn won a bingo game.

Everyone took home a little candle holder and a cinnamon-applesauce star made by Sedona Prior and Ginger.

Sympathy goes out to Mary Bauer in the loss of her mother, Roberta Bain, and prayers for Shawn Craig who is related to two of our members, Linda Duncan and Carolyn Odom. The members of Northern Unit would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Filed Under: Columns, Living, Opinion Tagged With: , ,

Benton library plans Christmas Talent Show

November 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By ERIN STEINSULTZ

Benton Public Library will hold its first Christmas Talent Show Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

“This is something new we’re trying this year,” said library director, Erin Steinsultz. “We’ve had Christmas concerts in the past that have been well attended.  Violinist Rebecca Curry has performed for us many times, and she came up with this idea to offer the teens of our community a chance to show off their talents.”

The library has a signup sheet at the front desk for any teen wishing to participate.  Interested performers should sign up before December 7.

“We’re hoping for a variety of performers, from musicians to poets and anything in between, as long as it has a holiday theme,” said Steinsultz.

Curry and her family have been long-time supporters of the library.

“Rebecca and her brothers have all volunteered at the library.  We appreciate their support.  I think this is a great idea, and I appreciate her interest in helping the library to provide new things,” said Steinsultz.

Performers and audience members should please refrain from wearing perfume or cologne due to severe fragrance allergies.

The library encourages all teens to sign up and share their talents.

“I know we have a lot of talent in the teens that come here regularly.  All teens are welcome to perform, even if they’re new to the library,” said Steinsultz.

Anyone with questions or who is interested in performing can call the library at 618-438-7511.

Filed Under: Benton News, Columns, Franklin Co. News Tagged With: , , ,

Franklin County Farm Bureau News for Nov. 21

November 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By LARRY MILLER

As I wrote last week the lame duck sessions of both Congress and the General Assembly will convene next week and political action will be fast and furious. The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that President Obama will seek $1.6 trillion in additional revenue, more than double the level he sought in last year’s budget talks with House Speaker John Boehner, who has indicated he will accept new revenue—not higher tax rates—in exchange for structural changes to entitlement programs.

The President said he will continue to push for higher tax rates on the highest wage earners, but left the door open for changes in entitlement programs. Sen. Durbin—who is expected to be re-elected this week to the number two Senate leadership post— continues to promote a deal that would call for $3 in spending cuts for every dollar in new taxes. Talks begin Friday. Estate taxes, capital gains rates, small business expensing and other tax extenders will be part of the “fiscal cliff” discussions.

A decision on what to do with the farm bill during the lame duck session could be made by the end of the week. It is believed that a new five-year farm bill’s best chance of passage would be for it to be included as a “pay-for” in any deficit reduction, fiscal cliff avoiding budget and tax deal. Other options include extensions (either 3-month or 1-year); with a new bill written and passed. AFBF and virtually all agriculture groups are opposed to any extension, but that might change over the course of the lame duck session.

The General Assembly will commence with the first round of the fall veto session on November 26th and we will be working with the legislative leadership and their staff to assess where we stand on several issues. Included in that list will be fracking legislation, pension reform, and the IDOR’s bill to amend the Farm Land Assessment Act.

As a side note, the Illinois Department of Revenue will be making a presentation to the County Supervisors of Assessment regarding the proposed legislation to the Farm Land Assessment Act as a part of the annual County Officials conference. Stay tuned the week of November 25th as I will report where these and other issues stand as we begin the veto session process.

This week families will gather around a table of abundance and hopefully will pause to give thanks for God’s goodness. Sometimes I wonder how I can really express my thanks to God for his grace to me but His word (the Bible) says it is expressed in the way we live. God help me to be the man He wants me to be.

Maybe we can express thankfulness by inviting a less fortunate family to our table or by donating to our Harvest of Help program for families in Franklin County.

Hope to see you at our annual meeting on Monday.

Remember we are farmers working together. Let us know if we can help.

Filed Under: Columns

Our Universities: Research Matters, Absolutely

November 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

First in a Series on Research

‘Learning creates ideas grounded in the past but hopeful for the future.  History is the basis for discovery, and it relentlessly repeats itself absent new ideas and insight: Forward focused investigation and research.
When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.‘
                                                                                                                                                                                                                — Alexis de Tocqueville —

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In the rush to respond to predictions of the demise of American higher education, many suggest that addressing increased costs, lack of student ability to perform basic intellectual functions and an omnipresent push to graduate more students in shorter periods of time will solve the woes of contemporary higher education in the United States. All true in a measure.

Alexis de Tocqueville, in The Old Regime and the Revolution, pondered the negative impact of the monarchy on many things, but paramount among them was the detrimental effect of diminished intellectual liberty on a free society.  While nearly impossible to sum up his seminal work, Democracy in America, I will try:  Liberty for free-thought fused to free-will is the foundation of a free society. Nothing else works.
Likewise, in universities without free expression fueling discovery, trade-schooling follows inexorably.

Research, scholarship and creative activities, fussily discussed and differentiated on university campuses for a multitude of reasons, are essentially the same thing: new ideas and fresh perspectives representing the exercise of free-thought and free-will.  Developing new chemical compounds, explicating the value of history to society, or crafting a painting stimulating individuals to be situated in the world, differ only in degree and application. And most importantly, all demonstrate evolving thought that provides instructional value to citizen-students.

The best way for students to learn the transformative power of free-thought and free-inquiry is to work with an engaged mentor.  Ideas, and the people that generate them, create an ever stronger society. Dogma of any kind is anti-democratic and works against the true purpose of the university.
Many, inside and outside the academy, disdain the growth of degree mills. Institutions that deliver techniques, abilities and even ideas don’t certify a student “educated,” but certify the student “exposed.” Education cannot occur without exposure to be sure, but short of enlightened action, training has occurred. Training has value but is not to be confused with education.  This is not chicken and egg tautology, but the essence of a university.

When considering the establishment of a university in Vietnam, benefactors and investors saw the benefits of a western-style research university.  A U.S. technology giant was planning an enterprise that would become the largest of its kind in the world.  But corporate and government leadership was plagued by the nagging fear that existing national universities in Ho Chi Min City and Hanoi would not produce scientists and engineers to lead with their minds.
The perceived shortage of free-thinking, innovative individuals created a dramatic deficit for the future of Vietnam:  Research universities are the antidote to uninspired training.

A good dose of de Tocqueville: The recognition that what was good for the individual, i.e. study and investigation that produces new ideas, was good for the social order. Likewise, any force, whether the monarchy or an overbearing single party governing order, was doomed to failure. Vietnam had long ago given up on universities and settled for trade schools adopting the colonizer’s mindset. The impact went beyond the university as a basis for spawning new industry and infected the nature of the social order as well.
Intellectual vibrancy and social progress are welded together.

Research in universities is congenital. A good liberal arts college impacts people teaching a form of inquisitiveness that emulates the depth of what goes on at a research university. Likewise trade schools produce valuable results, but neither should be confused with a research university.
Universities cannot divorce themselves from workforce education and the preparation of skilled people to assume valuable roles in society. However if the research universities stop at employment expediency, they fall short of purpose.

Blind pragmatism creates a downward spiral evidenced in the slipping contribution of the European states to the global economy. Economically vibrant societies grow from new ideas, and good universities are hot houses that propagate them.
Social benefit is knitted into the cloth of the culture.

Research is not a luxury, but the foundation of intellectual life for faculty and students. If our universities respond only to pedestrian measures of progress — how many, how fast, how much — we might sacrifice the gold ring of new ideas, for the brass ring of measurable output, on the altar of ignorance.

Filed Under: Columns, Opinion, Uncategorized
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