Forum 'Seniors' Divided by a Half Century connected by common concerns

There was a bit of anxious electricity in the air as the panelists took the stage, even though the event was billed not as a debate, but as a conversation. With high school seniors on one side and senior citizens on the other, a ping-pong of incongruous burdens and dissimilar proposals was anticipated, perhaps even feared.

But as the microphone was passed from one panelist to the next, it seemed to transform into something else entirely: a baton. And as the evening progressed, the two sides resembled more of a team.

The Daniel Island Intergenerational Forum (IGF) was conceived by retired dentist and island resident Fred Danzinger, who went on to enlist the sponsorship of The Daniel Island News and assemble a dedicated committee of five members: Danzinger, Ron Silverman, Lydia Freilich, Beth Bush, and Sue Detar. Applicant panelists were selected, a date and venue were secured, an agenda was established and, perhaps most importantly, a vision was confirmed:

“To bring together in a public forum representatives of a younger generation and senior citizens, and glean their perspectives on important matters facing humanity, our nation, and the world today. Further, to stimulate, recognize and respect the opinions of each generation and to learn from each.”

The event took place on Tuesday, February 23 at 7 p.m. in Bishop England High School’s Performing Arts Center and featured ten panelists - five high school seniors and five senior citizens - selected from a pool of applicants. Once panelists were chosen, each submitted three topics that were near and dear to their heart, and the IGF committee assigned every participant one question from their list. The high school seniors were to prepare remarks not exceeding five minutes, and the senior citizens were given a two and a half minute limit for their topic statements.

As explained by event moderator and Daniel Island News reporter Beth Bush, the high schoolers were given more time to present because they were also competing for a $1,000 grant. Judges Jane Baker, Bob Sauer, and John Garcia selected the student who best presented and articulated his issue and responses during the program, and the Daniel Island News ultimately awarded the scholarship to Academic Magnet High School senior William Pugh.

In addition to the individual presentations, panelists discussed two pre-determined issues as a group, and had time at the close of the event to share their personal reflections on the entire IGF program (see opposite page).

Following is a synopsis of the individual presentations.

High School Panelists

William Pugh, Academic
Magnet High School
Topic: The lack of diversity in schools, communities, and workplaces
Observing that diversity is “not just black and white,” but encompasses all different races, religions, backgrounds, perspectives, socio-economic levels, and sexual orientation, Pugh enlisted an analogy of shrimp and grits to speak to the importance of all the components to our cultural “melting pot.” He suggested that exposure to diversity in schools can counteract any prejudices or “mal-teachings” at home, and that more diverse communities discourage racial links to poverty and crime. Citing such companies as Google and Apple, he pointed out that the most innovative organizations place a priority on staffing diversity. Pugh ended with a fitting quote from Robert Kennedy: “Ultimately, America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity.”

Reid Cobb, Bishop England High School
Topic: Economic opportunity to pave the way for a better society
Cobb suggested that there is a troubling trend of turning to government intervention “for problems created by government intervention in the first place.” Instead of using government entitlements to combat poverty, he firmly believes that opportunities are the missing remedy. Quoting Ronald Reagan, Cobb offered, “I believe the best social program is a job,” and he believes those jobs are best delivered from the private sector. Calling for a “release of the beast of the economy,” Cobb stated that halting high taxes and government grants, easing regulations such as those from the IRS and EPA, and resisting the temptation to demonize the wealthy will reinstate a true drive to succeed in America.

Isaac Holt, Hanahan High School
Topic: Gun control
“How many more lives have to be sacrificed…” Holt opened. Observing that gun violence has killed far more Americans than terrorism and that the U.S. has the highest number of mass shootings among all nations, Holt suggested that the answer starts in our communities. He went on to state that, as the U.S. bolsters its national security, we also need to place relationship-building law enforcement back into neighborhoods and truly address mental health issues. Lastly, Holt advised against arming teachers in schools, stating that the risk of an armed instructor being mistaken for an “active shooter” is simply too high. Instead, he feels that the presence of dedicated school resource officers provides a better safeguard.
Aidyn Trubey, Palmetto Scholars Academy
Topic: Why you should not think your dream is impossible, and what you should do for it
Looking to embark next year toward a triple major in economics, geology, and pure mathematics, Trubey offers himself as an example of chasing your dream. He is tired of hearing students around him bemoan the fear of not making enough money or not having the time to do what is necessary for achievement. Trubey observes that the more globalized we become, the more remarkably able we are to make a key contact and “through that contact, you make yourself a web, and from that web you make yourself a career.” He recommends breaking down your dream or idea to its fundamentals, and seek out specialists to help move you forward. His final word spoke to interdependence: “The more we all strive to do our best and the more we all go after our own goals, it adds back to everyone.”

Jeffrey Sapakoff, Wando High School
Topic: Relations with Syria and
the refugee crisis
Sapakoff acknowledged that the problems in the Middle East “have not happened overnight,” with territorial and cultural discrepancies dating back to Biblical times. He feels that the refugee crisis is a symptom of the issues with Syria. He is in favor of the coalition that has formed by several NATO nations along with other countries in the Middle East. Observing that the Syrian people are a largely peaceful population, Sapakoff believes that the expansion of the coalition needs to be encouraged, and that more western involvement is necessary. “The coalition is trying to create safety without nationhood,” where negotiation comes first with minimal military intervention. With an ultimate goal of peace and progress, he underscores that resolution will take “time, patience, and getting everyone on board.”

Senior Citizen Panelists

Nona Bonheimer, Retired financial advisor
Topic: Education
Bonheimer expresses a particular concern about the low rate of public high school graduation among our nation’s minorities. Though our country boasts an overall graduation rate of 81%, that rate for black or Hispanic males is just 59% and 62%, respectively. Dropout youth often face a life of poverty, crime, homelessness, and/or drug abuse, and state budgets in turn are burdened by growing demand for social services and criminal justice support. Bonheimer cited a University of Chicago study that named the most potent predictors of graduation: attendance, behavior, and course performance. She advised against liberal use of suspension as a disciplinary tactic and in-school juvenile arrests for non-violent infractions. Bonheimer stressed the need to address issues in low-income and minority homes, such as poor nutrition and family chaos, as they “have a profound effect on academic performance.”

John Gilsenan, Retired business executive and United States Navy Captain
Topic: The absence of respect for people as individuals and cultures (and why tolerance, understanding, acceptance, and goodwill are virtues in need of support)
Acknowledging that there is “no Utopian formula” to restore these virtues, Gilsenan instead suggested we could all take part in “a strategy for conscious improvement.” With efforts to “rise above” discourse, restore civility (from the “severe blow” it took as a casualty of the Vietnam War), avoid engaging in political disputes, and refuse to reward ill-behaved public pockets of society like professional sports, he feels we can recreate conduct we would want today’s youth to emulate. Gilsenan also recommended making time for two outside references: George Carlin’s 2008 essay, “Something to Ponder” and Robert DeNiro’s 1993 film, “A Bronx Tale.”

David Brown, Retired retail
executive
Topic: Dysfunction in government
Brown asserted that all participants on the stage could surely agree that we all have the “good fortune” of living in a country that was formed on the “collective wisdom of our country’s founders,” which was meant to equip us with the means to resolve political, social, and economic issue we might face as a nation. Today, however, Brown sees these political institutions working poorly and the government actually “losing its ability to govern.” Its incapacity to function as it should has resulted in crumbling infrastructure, failing education, income disparity, climate change, lack of economic mobility, a “too big to fail” financial system, and a political arrangement far too influenced by money. Only when we address a polarizing media, an unfiltered Internet, and a marginal education system will we be able to return to the functioning structure “bequeathed us.”

James Edwards, Retired small business owner
Topic: The decline in critical thinking
As a member of his high school debate team, Edwards learned an important distinction between a position and an opinion: “A position requires study of a topic, and it requires an understanding that there are valid points on both sides of the question. An opinion requires neither.” Unfortunately, Edwards observes an absence of critical thinking coming from the very sources from which we get our information each day. Only 31% of today’s television news stories are longer than one minute, and much more time today is dedicated to opinion and generally self-serving commentary. In addition, ascertaining the accuracy of information found on the Internet is difficult, while finding content that reinforces pre-existing opinions is not. “In the absence of accurate, unbiased information, we resort to tribalism,” Edwards states. He believes that this results in a “binary crisis,” or the notion that every problem has an either/or solution, when the real answer more often lies in “both or neither.”

Joseph Maurelli, Retired nuclear engineer and United States Navy Lieutenant
Topic: The national debt
Reminding the audience that the U.S. national debt surpassed the $19 trillion mark just weeks ago, Maurelli demonstrated its gravity by pointing out that it would take a week for a person to count to one million, but it would take 31,000 years to count to one trillion. He conceded that debt is not inherently bad, as long as it is managed in a fiscally responsible way, but that “while most individuals have a limit on the amount of debt they can acquire, Washington has no requirement to balance its budget, and can continue to overspend, leaving a trail of careless decisions for future generations.” He went on to point out that there’s little room for discretionary spending, and that our government is saddled with unfunded obligations. Maurelli suggests that slowing the rate at which we spend and developing a sense of fiscal discipline will only begin to correct the problem of our mounting debt.