Glen Oaks Community College President David Devier tells the story behind GOCC’s high graduation rate, which ranks near the top among all Michigan community colleges.
Category Archive: Opinion
WSV’s Dan Robinson writes, “May we take up that responsibility and declare a season of reconciliation and healing along the Dnieper River in Ukraine, the rivers of the Great Lakes, and waterways around the world.”
Emme Zanotti writes, “American moms and dads are being punished for loving their transgender children. Stop and think about that. The LGBTQ community is on the verge of access to vital familial and societal acceptance, but from Lansing to Washington D.C., Republicans are impeding that progress — by prosecuting parents.”
The following letter was submitted for publication by St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald on behalf of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks ahead of the 2022 state primary and general election.
WSV’s Charles Thomas suggests three steps to take when learning how to lose with grace.
Critical shortages of computer chips used in cars and trucks are fueling a rift between automakers and their dealers, and the divide is likely to grow deeper as automakers make a radical shift to electric vehicles
WSV’s Nancy Boyd writes, “If we are seeking happiness from the outside inward, things may become pretty discouraging. If, on the other hand, we seek happiness from our inward being, we will not only learn to experience happiness from within, but to encourage others with whom we share our lives.”
WSV’s Steph Hightree writes, “I promise you it will be OK. Do I expect you to feel better tomorrow? Not at all. But I do hope that you start to heal soon. You are not alone in this. Contrary to popular belief I used to be young and in love, and I have experienced heartbreak myself. I may not be an expert but I can help you navigate this new normal.”
WSV’s Charles Thomas writes, “The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu was one of the great spiritual giants of our time, so when I learned that he had once visited our fair city of Three Rivers, I was shocked.”
University of Michigan economist Gabe Ehrlich predicts Michigan will almost fully recover the 1 million-plus jobs lost during the pandemic by the end of next year but “high inflation is part of the price we’re paying for a fast recovery.”
WSV reader Jonathan Rice writes, “The old Blackberrys stopped working a little while ago. I remember the first time I saw someone use a Blackberry, I was with a coworker. She pulled out a calculator, did some math, and then she put the calculator up to her ear and started talking to herself. ‘Oh s**t,’ I thought. She’s lost it.”
WSV’s Amy East writes, “And, at that point, that’s when I realize I’ve come to a crossroads. I realize I’ve been walking around cut off from myself, numbing myself to the pain, yes, but also numbing myself to the beauty too. As I stand at the crossroads, I know that down one road lies the same — protected and predictable, yet numb — and down the other lies uncertainty — and the ability to feel alive again.”
“The famous New Year’s Eve ball has fallen in New York (and in Three Rivers), and it is now January 2022. Typically this is the time where people make New Year’s resolutions and use the phrase ‘New year, new me.’ Well, I’m here to tell you that this year I promise to be the same hot mess Steph you have come to know and love.”
WSV columnist Deborah Haak-Frost writes, “In this list, I share my top five Sow Good Seeds columns of 2021. My hope is that they may invite you to see yourself more deeply in the context of this planet, to consider a perspective you may not have had previously, to plant some seeds in your mind about how our lives are so intricately interwoven with the natural world.”
#MomLife is a window that looks into all things motherhood and family. Steph Hightree published 22 columns in 2021 with plans for many more next year. Here are Steph’s Top 5 favorite columns.
Big World, Small Town columnist Charles Thomas ranks what he believes are his five best columns of 2021.
Executive Editor Alek Haak-Frost writes, “We are a polarized nation, we pick sides, and more often than not choose hate over love. Kids have noticed and are taking their cues from the way adults in their lives behave. We have a responsibility as a nation, as human beings, to shift our focus from simple solutions brought on by knee jerk reactions in the heat of the moment, and instead start to do the real work.”
WSV’s Charles Thomas writes, “The honest truth is that many of us feel sad around Christmas time. If that’s where you are this year, please know that you are not alone.”