1. 22 | March 2015
outbreak and may also prevent recurrences. Supplements should
only be taken when the symptoms begin and for only several
days. Consulting with your doctor is recommended if you are
on medication. Lysine is an amino acid, and antioxidants
are believed to strengthen immunity and boost your natural
defenses against infections.
Some simple advice and home remedies that might give some
fast relief are: rub ice on the infected skin for a few minutes
and repeat as needed. Ice will help to slow the pain receptors
and give some comfort. The tannin in tea also gives a soothing
effect: apply warm, dampened tea bags to the blisters as desired.
According to some naturalists cold milk has a role in cold sore
treatment, as they believe it can provide relief and even promote
healing. Simply soak a cotton ball or swab in some cold milk and
dab it or apply gently over the sore. Small pieces of raw onion can
be applied directly on the cold sores for treating and preventing
cold sores from getting worse.
Avoiding acidic and salty foods is a wise choice during times of
outbreaks.Foodssuchaschocolates,peanuts,grains,peas,seeds,
oatmeal and whole-wheat are high in arginine, therefore they
should be restricted. While the amino acid, lysine has a positive
effect on your bodies natural defense system, arginine, which is
another amino acid, demonstrates a suppressing effect on lysine.
It is therefore best to limit your intake of arginine sources like
meats, dairy products, nuts, seeds and corn. Avoid tea and coffee.
Avoid processed food. Eat a vitamin rich diet: fresh foods with
high antioxidants and high complex carbohydrates. Eat fruits
and green leafy vegetables. Your diet must include vitamins A,
C and E. Zinc and iron are also necessary. Include garlic in your
diet. Garlic is a natural infection fighter by destroying bacteria,
fungus, and virus in the body.
Avoiding using make-up to conceal the sore will aid a speedy
recovery. Make-up only harbors bacteria and does not allow
proper air circulation or medicinal absorption for healing. Use
a separate towel and washcloth for the infected area; remember
it is easily spread. Harsh cleansers and hot water should also be
avoided, as they will only irritate the sore more. Cleanse with
warm water, dabbing the infected area, not scrubbing or rubbing.
Allowing the blisters to drain and to dry will speed healing.
Applying warm compresses to the area can help relieve pain,
drain the blisters, and start the healing process. After cleansing,
apply medication to the sore and allow to absorb undisturbed.
Cold sores are a nuisance. They can be painful and very
unattractive. Although there are many cold sore treatments,
there is no cure. The best that we can do is to make our skin
comfortable during the outbreak, and relieve the pain and
discomfort during the healing process. But, the good news is
that eventually the cold sore will go away. ■
from herbs, pg. 21
LEMON
B
ALM
PAMELA-ANN
//Flickr
REISH
I
VikNanda//F
lickr
WITCH
H
AZEL
BlueRidgeKitti
es//Flickr
OLIVE
LEAF
MaurizioPont
ini//Flickr
PROPOL
IS
RobCampb
ell//Flickr
CHAMO
M
ILE
EranFinkle//F
lickr
LICORI
CE
GinoCherchi/
/Flickr
BLACK W
ALNUT
marc50//
Flickr
Examples of herbs used
to treat cold sores
Linda Meek is the owner and operator of Stone Pond Farm.

2. | 5February 2015
Personal Memoir of a Civil Rights Activist
Part 3 - THE 1964 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
NEW DAY: For those of us who
spent most of the Summer working
on the Freedom Project, leaving rural
Mississippi was like entering a brave
new world filled with strange people
and ideas.
In the sixties the prevailing
influence was the cold war, a conflict
between the United States, and the
Soviet Union (Russia) and Communist
China. The US and
Soviets had been allies
during World War II
(WWII) but afterwards
the two countries
became engaged in a
struggle for political and
economic dominance.
Both had a bounty
of nuclear weapons,
which they threatened
to use if attacked. Both
recognized that a real
military confrontation
would most likely result
in the annihilation of
all human life on the
planet. During that era
every political event was
framed in cold war terms,
including the Civil Rights Movement.
Condemnations of being communist
were hurled against the Movement
and its leaders, even Dr. King. J.
Edgar Hoover, the long time director
of the FBI, was so convinced that the
Movement had been infiltrated by
communists, he spent large amounts
of the government’s resources
investigating civil rights leaders while
often ignoring the white terrorist
organizations, which were instigating
and promulgating violence against
civil rights workers.
During this period America was
also experiencing a period of great
prosperity. The ravages of WWII had
destroyed the production apparatus
of the major European and Asian
industrial powers. The US was the
only country, which emerged with
its industry intact. In fact, the US
took on the task of helping to finance
and rebuild European and Asian
manufacturing capabilities through
programs like the Marshall Plan.
Though it was a time of
unprecedented economic growth,
the fruits of that prosperity were not
distributed equally throughout our
population. Certainly, the middle
class grew, and the super rich began
to accumulate a greater share of the
country’s resources, but the poor were
stuck in a quagmire of despondency,
depression and diminished
prospects. African-
Americans were
disproportionately
represented among
the poorest class of
Americans. President
Johnson initiated a
War on Poverty in an
attempt to address
these disparities.
Martin Luther King,
at the end of his life,
also begun to focus
his efforts on enabling
the poor. He was
assassinated in 1968
while supporting a
sanitation workers
strike in Memphis.
Yet another after-
effect of WWII was a period of
worldwide national liberation and
anticolonial struggle. Before WWII
most of the world had been divided
up into European colonial empires.
After WWII the Europeans didn’t
have the resources to maintain those
empires. This created an atmosphere
for struggles for independence. Some
were peaceful such as Ghana. Others
were violent such as Kenya, India and
Viet-Nam. Often the powers-that-be in
America identified these struggles as
communist insurrections supported
by the Soviet Union.
The liberation struggles of the
world’s peoples, particularly African
people, had a profound effect on the
struggles of African-American people
for social equality in the United States.
There was a great cross-fertilization
of ideas, if not resources. King was
inspired by the beliefs and strategy of
Gandhi in India. American scholars
and leaders including WEB DuBois,
Kwame Toure, Maya Angelou, and
Malcolm X lived on the Continent and
were inspired by African liberation
leaders. While Steve Biko, Nelson
Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta and others
took lessons from the American
movement.
THE DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION: The Mississippi
Freedom Democratic Party
(MFDP) leadership, at the August
6 Convention, decided to go to
the National Democratic Party
Convention to petition the National
Party to seat the MFDP instead of the
regular Democratic
delegates. It was an
ambitious plan, but
we were hopeful.
After all, the regular
delegates had been
elected in violation
of the rules of the
Party. Blacks had
been systematically
excluded from voting
in the primary
elections and
participating in any
of the caucuses or
the state convention.
There was not a
single Black delegate
among the regulars.
The head of the
regulars, Governor
Ross Barnett said
that “ Blacks were
unqualified to vote.
We don’t believe
in having ignorant
people elect our
officials.” The MFDP had complied
with the Party rules. Registration had
been open to all, regardless of race.
The site of the Convention,
Atlantic City, had long passed its
prime as “America’s Playground.”
The Miss America competition
was still being held there and the
Beatles had performed, but people
were seeking other entertainment
outlets. Gambling casinos were still
in the future. Atlantic City was a poor,
working class community stranded on
the Jersey shore.
We arrived a few days before the
start of the Convention on August
24. As foot soldiers we did not travel
with the MFDP delegates or the
leadership of COFO. Our job was to
provide support, which meant we had
to pay our way. There were a couple
of hundred of us from the summer. A
bunch of us found accommodations in
a poor section of town, which became
our Freedom House. We paid the
rent and fed ourselves by finding day
work. Some were wait staff, others
short order cooks. I lacked those
skills so I was a cart pusher. I pushed
tourists around
the Boardwalk for
tips. Our primary
tasks were to
maintain the
picket line outside
the Convention
Hall, to pass out
leaflets, and sing
freedom songs.
Once the delegates
arrived I usually
found myself
pushing a cart
filled with two or
three bigwigs from
the Party. Some of
the conversations
I overheard were
quite enlightening.
It was clear
that most of the
n o n - S o u t h e r n
delegates were
sympathetic to
our cause. A year
after the March on
Washington, the pursuit of civil rights
fortheNegrointheSouthwasstillseen
as a worthy cause by most people in
the country. Our ship was also floating
on the blood of martyrs. Most of us
thought that the National Democratic
Committee would probably split the
80 or so seats between the regulars
and the MFDP. But we believed that
CHARLES DUMAS
Theater Professor, PSU
By CHARLES DUMAS
cxd28@psu.edu
see memoir, pg. 6
Once the delegates arrived I
usually found myself pushing
a cart filled with two or three
bigwigs from the Party.
Some of the conversations
I overheard were quite
enlightening. It was clear that
most of the non-Southern
delegates were sympathetic
to our cause. A year after
the March on Washington,
the pursuit of civil rights
for the Negro in the South
was still seen as a worthy
cause by most people in the
country.
This is a four-part series chronicling my personal journey as a civil rights activist from the summer of 1963 to the fall of 1964. Nineteen sixty-three to sixty
eight was a crucial period in the American Civil Rights Movement and American history. During that period some of the most important civil rights legislation
was passed: The 1964 Civil Rights Bill and The 1965 Voting Rights Bill.
The “Movement “ changed our lives; our world was transformed. I was one of the “foot soldiers”, as Dr. King called us in the Civil Rights Struggle. I was at
the March on Washington in 1963, a project director during Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, and at the 1964 Democratic Party’s National Convention in
Atlantic City. I was blessed to be at the fiftieth reunion at Tougaloo College in Jackson in 2014. This article is based on my best recollection of those times.

3. 18 | December/January 2014/15
Oregano, a seasoned cure for indigestion
Living in central Pennsylvania, we are all familiar with the sights and
smells that come along with farm country, so
much so that we don’t even wrinkle our noses
at a field freshly spread with manure.
Bombarded with news of climate
change, it isn’t often that we connect
it with the picturesque (and smelly!)
fields of cows.
However, the Pennsylvania State
University College of Agriculture
Sciences has been conducting
research at the dairy barns, located
off Park Avenue near Beaver Stadium,
regarding methane mitigation.
Methane (CH4), according to the
Environmental Protection Agency, “is
the second most prevalent greenhouse
gas emitted in the United States
from human activities… Methane
is emitted by natural sources
such as wetlands, as well as
human activities such as leakage
from natural gas systems and the
raising of livestock.”
Methane is released from cows’
digestive process, but can also
further enter the atmosphere when
manure is stored in large amounts.
Because livestock like cows are
raised for our consumption, these
methane emissions are considered
to be human-related.
Dr. Alexander Hristov, a
professor of Dairy Nutrition at
Penn State, has been conducting
research to find ways to reduce
methane production from cows. He
and his team of research assistants
made a surprising find involving a
common kitchen staple – the herb
oregano.
Most commonly seen when
sprinkled upon a slice of pizza,
oregano is also linked to high
antioxidant levels and may have
anticancer properties. This was
suggested in several studies
with animals, though this is still
being studied and isn’t certain yet,
according to the National Center for
Biotechnology Information. It has
previously been used with livestock in a commercial farm setting, to reduce
mortality rates and increase success of reproduction.
Dr. Hristov explained that they “carried out screening in in-
vitro tests with various compounds, essential oils, and other
plant-derived compounds, and oregano leaves was the
one that significantly decreased methane production
in laboratory conditions.”
Then, oregano was introduced into the cows’ diet,
and within a specified amount of time after feeding,
gas samples were taken from the rumen. For those
of us who aren’t familiar with the anatomy of cud-
chewing mammals, the rumen is, according to
Merriam-Webster, “the large first compartment of
the stomach of a ruminant in which cellulose
is broken down by the action of symbiotic
microorganisms.” The methane emissions
were estimated using a tracer gas
technique.
There were taste panels to compare
milk from control cows and milk from
those that were fed oregano, and the
panelists were unable to tell the
difference. However, Dr. Hristov does
not think that this method could be
used on commercial dairy and meat
farms yet. He stated, “we still need to
do further research to confirm these
findings in larger and longer trials.”
However, the College of Agricultural
Sciences does not limit their research
to just one option in regards to methane
mitigation. They will soon be publishing
data regarding a recent trial they’ve done
with a methane inhibitor that resulted in
a consistent long-term decrease, around
30%, of methane production.
This is without a doubt an important
and necessary scientific advancement,
butDr.Hristovwantedtoclearsomething
up: “The general public may have a
misperception of the role of livestock in
total greenhouse gas emissions in the US.
The contribution is only about 3%. The
public should pay a lot more attention to
reducing greenhouse gasses from energy
and transportation than from agriculture
activities.” ■
By KASSIA JANESCH
kaj5227@psu.edu
Kassia Janesch is a senior at
Penn State studying English and
Environmental Inquiry.

4. 14 | March 2015
~ VOICES BOOK REVIEW ~
Republicans and Democrats can come together
and dismantle the corporate state, claims Ralph
Nader in his latest book Unstoppable, published in
2014 by Nation Books.
The book, filled with well-researched facts,
combines his vast political knowledge with his
understanding about what the average person needs
and wants.
He names names. He tells us who is bought
by the large corporations that seem to run the
government today. Money talks and Nader shows
us how by factually exposing what many people
already assumed, that corporations are financing
government officials. He gives facts about how
members of the government, including the Speaker
of the House, are being bought with huge amounts
of money that are being placed into their coffers by
outside interests (businesses).
In the first half of the book Nader describes
how it’s possible for things to change so that a
dismantling of the corporate takeover can be
achieved. “Convergence” is the word that he uses
throughout the book to describe how both parties
can actually come together to create a government
free of financial influence. For the naysayers, he
shows that it has been done before.
He gives examples when conservatives and
liberals have joined forces and, against all odds,
have passed laws that have helped the people and
the country as a whole, instead of the corporations.
In Chapter five, he lists 25 ways in which
both parties need to converge to change the
system. At the top of the list is to get the
Department of Defense (DOD)
to audit its budget.
This department
has over a 527
billion dollar yearly budget, and yet, every year the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) auditors
report that the DOD’s books are “unauditable.”
Congressjustshrugsitsshoulders. Naderclaimsthat
this problem is a perfect candidate for convergence
by both sides of the aisle.
Another idea he suggests is to link the minimum
wage with inflation. He says
that if someone at the
bottom would start this convergence then it would
rapidly gain momentum, because in addition to
liberal thinkers, all leading traditional conservative
thinkers, with few exceptions, agree that we need to
have a minimum, mandatory level of worker well-
being.
In Chapter six, Nadar lists ten obstacles that
could prevent convergence within the 25 ideas he is
promoting, and how they could be overcome.
It is apparent that Nader has not only done his
homework for this book, but is very knowledgeable
about the way people in government think and act.
His career has spanned a broad spectrum and
he has innumerable friends and acquaintances
in both government and corporations. Without
him saying so, it becomes apparent to the reader
that they all do respect him and hear what he
is saying.
Nader puts up a good case for convergence
and the benefits to everyone, if it would ever
happen, but his evidence about the financial
collusions are so strong that they actually
confirm how deeply embedded corporations
are in the pockets of government officials,
and how unlikely it is that the Democrats and
Republicans have the will and the willingness to
converge in order to produce a truly democratic
government.■
By JON VICKERS-JONES
castletale@yahoo.com
Jon Vickers-Jones is a storyteller, writer and
artist.

5. 16 | December/January 2014/15
VOICES CHOICES
Artist of the Month ~ Justin Gruneburg
Local artist Justin Gruneberg, a graduate of Penn State with a Bachelor of Arts degree from
the School of Visual Arts has been working with multiple mediums, usually oil on canvas, but
has been experimenting with digital work as well. Gruneberg said, “I don’t necessarily have
a preference. Digital is cool because it can be very efficient and allows for more flexibility
throughout the process. But I think I still hold a romantic ideal towards painting. Maybe it’s
because I’m so familiar with it, or maybe it’s nostalgic, but whatever it is, when I put oil paint
onto a canvas by way of a brush, that’s when I feel the most fulfilled.”
Gruneberg used to attempt to make political, cultural or social statements and to put
meaning in his work, but it never materialized how he imagined, so he’s exploring another
direction with his new works, taking interesting concepts and images and putting them
“through the filter” of his brain, with the goal of creating something he enjoys and feels
passionately about. He describes his own past works as “if you have a box with a label and
you drop me into that box, the label would read I take a bunch of stuff and throw it together
and see what happens. I find images of objects and environments and mix them together
with the hope that something resounding comes out the other end.”.
His works are available for sale on his website, www.saatchiart.com/jmgrune.
By KASSIA JANESCH
kaj5227@psu.edu
One of the only elements that would seem out of place in a home setting is the small breakfast bar complete with
professional espresso machine. This bar allows for the restaurant to boast a complete list of coffee and espresso drinks,
all made with the coffee of the day. Those of us who require a good caffeinated pick-me-up most mornings will appreciate
this drink list, whether your preference is a vanilla latte or a good old fashioned shot of espresso.
Upon our arrival, we noticed that the dining room was full, and immediately expected a long wait. However, the
twenty minutes that the hostess told us would be our wait time turned out to be more like fifteen and passed quickly.
After our wait time was up, we were promptly seated and attended to by a professional and personable server. She
quickly took our order and brought us our drinks. Despite the dining room still being rather packed at this point, our
food did not take long at all to come out of the kitchen.
I had ordered a bagel with cream cheese and lox with a side of sausage patties. The café’s rendition of the bagel and
lox came with a few pieces of red onion sprinkled on top, which I thought added a great taste to the already-savory
breakfast. The sausage tasted good, but the patty was rather thin, and had a slightly dry texture. Someone at my table
also ordered scrapple, which I had never had before. It had a good taste, but a slightly soggy, mushy texture.
Overall, The Naked Egg Café is a great place to eat brunch, with a great ambience at a reasonable price.
Restaurant of the Month ~ The Naked Egg
By HANNAH GENOVESE
hrg5049@psu.edu