Trouble at Polling Locations

Working voting sites on voting day is exhausting.

I spent Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center on Oakland, talking to voters.

At 7:30 there was a long line, but around eight, the place was completely dead. There was no one except the OSU Votes representative from California, an Obama front-liner from New Jersey and two other Obama canvassers. But voters slowly trickled in. One first-time voter could hardly contain his excitement that he had indeed voted for president, and his vote had gone for Mickey Mouse.

Then we got the message, around 10:30, that three counties north, electronic voting machines were recording votes for Obama as votes for Nader on the machine print-outs. Voters were urged to check their results.

The OSU Votes representatives got other texts from the Board of Elections following the electronic voting issue, some even more profound than one that cautioned us to “beware of fat fingers.”

I learned the hard way that laughing out loud at something like that will get you angry stares from every canvasser within a 50-foot radius. 

The drop-dead serious attitude of campaign season is sickening. I am aware of the issues riding on this election; the possible impact on our economy, global warming, taxes and the like, but I do not see red when it comes time to decide whom to vote for. I recognize the long-term ramifications of decisions like these, but there is Congress, the Supreme Court and our state governments that have a say in what happens too.

Voting is a privilege, something Americans living in a competitive Democracy get to take part in. Sure, it is easy to end up all voted out, but there are some great candidates this year beyond the presidential race, and some crucial changes could be made in our city council this year. Even my friend, an post office carrier who works 58 hours a week, found time to come in and vote.

“I don’t really care about what happens,” he said, “but it is my civic duty, really.”

Italian Festival: Nothing but Amazing.

Columbus Day weekend, Italian Village was lined with red, green, and white.

For 29 years, the little community, nestled between 4th and Summit, has housed the Columbus Italian Festival. Visitors come from all over the state for a little taste of Italy, open-air markets, live music and cultural art exhibits.

Several colorful attractions decorated the brick streets. Art vendors sold oil paintings, reminiscent of European Romanticism. Traditional Italian kitchens spent the weekend in tents and prepared authentic dishes ranging from pasta broccolini to deep-dish pepperoni pizza.

The historic Saint John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church was the epicenter of the festival. Music performances were scheduled through the course of the day, including Ruffatti organ pieces, accompanying the majestic artwork inside of the church. Renovations were just completed on the one hundred and ten year old building. 

“We just finished renovating,” said Gerry Paglione, church parishioner and festival tour guide, “and what we’re really proud of is our bright and cheery color scheme. It’s similar to traditional Italian style.”

Bocci ball took up one corner of the festival, where a weekend long tournament was in full swing. Two tents housed stages with live bands, and in another corner were carnival rides and the Zona Bambini kids’ tent.

The art tent is a new addition to the festival. Kids color, make noodle-necklaces, paint and have the opportunity to meet the Columbus Crew.

“A lot of years we only had rides, so we added an art tent,” said Andy Dominianni, co-chair of Zona Bambini and television news anchor for ABC6, “we’re a close-knit community and enjoy doing hands-on things together.”

The food here is fantastic, he said, recommending antipasto skewers from his brotherhood, the Columbus Italian Club, the main sponsor of the Zona Bambini.

The Columbus Italian Club, celebrating their 30th anniversary, is a social club focused on community service and involvement. It was started by nine men as a Columbus Men’s Organization and has since become a key player in organizing and maintaining social events for the Italian community.

“We really pride ourselves in inviting young people from all around,” said Chris Beardman (Massa), the club’s President, “we are the youngest Italian club in the city.”

But membership in the younger generation is low, he said, and students interested in becoming more involved with their Italian heritage are encouraged to look at the website or come to some of the community outreach events, like the Christmas festival coming in December.

Past the Zona Bambini were street performers playing accordions, flanked by craft tents and a statue of the Santa Maria. Couples danced to the tunes and onlookers cheered while others embraced family with tight hugs.

“The festival has done a lot of expanding,” said Dominianni, “we love having this big celebration every year.”

Mugabe’s Temper Leaves 10 Dead?!

Robert Mugabe, former president of Zimbabwe, has thrown enough hissy-fits that I might as well call him a girl. Maybe if I invited him over and we painted each other’s toenails or curled each other’s hair he might calm down for a second.

He and his Zanu-PF party have dominated Zimbabwean politics since their independence from British rule in 1980. But with a new election finished and the results tallied and painfully clear, Mugabe is clinging to his power seat for dear life. Morgan Tsvangirai, Movement for Democratic Change opposition leader, has been adamant that he won the election fair and square, that the numbers don’t lie and that Mugabe called a recount because he is a sore loser. So, it went to court.

Ruffled feathers and flustered political leaders aside, Zimbabweans are still scuffling over the issue. The Associated Press reported that 10 people were killed and 3,000 families have been forced from their homes since the election due to violence and hospitalization for their injuries.

According to exit poll results, Mugabe lost by 60 percent. But nobody is supposed to know that, or they might end up with an angry Mugabe under their bed. Not kidding, he knows everything that goes on within his borders.

But there is more at stake here than Zimbabweans and their well being. The idea of democracy in Africa is hanging by a thread. There is the possibility for an upsurge of unrest within this crisis, and one man is holding all the strings.

Mugabe, you are not the next Julius Caesar. How many people have to die before you realize your selfishness is out of control?

Journalism at the end of its road?

Ohio State is closing its Journalism Library. Circulation of its school newspaper is going to be halted for the summer quarter. I just found out the program isn’t an accredited one.

To be honest, instead of being angry with the University or plain pissed off, I’m depressed. I’ve taken the liberty of emailing all the heads of OSU’s Communications Program, but they kept passing me up the line to someone else that “might” be able to answer my question. Eventually I got my answer in an email: “Ohio State’s Journalism Program has remained unaccredited for the past 10 years. However, Ohio State is an accredited University. The Journalism Program is taking a step in the digital direction and focus is being redirected…”

I couldn’t read anymore. Tears were blurring my vision. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so defeated in all my life.

To be honest, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. A speaker that came to Ohio State said famously, (I quote this from a friend who actually went to see him) “if you want to be a writer, a novelist, as I’m sure most of you do… then get a job as a waiter and write on your spare time. Let the journalists be journalists. This isn’t for you.”

Maybe it took me too long to make a decision. Journalism is fun and innovative to a fault, but with Ohio State slowly shoving it in the closet and burying it within its Communications Program, it seems to be only another sign of the inevitable death of journalism as an art form. Unfortunately, Google is too cheap to hire any actual journalists of their own and until the BBC or AP stop wiring news to them, there is still as silver lining of hope. I always thought journalism was about reporting the news with fairness and equality. Then the real world came along and rained on my parade. If it isn’t about business and money making, than it must be useless.