An Open Letter to Dr. Michael Frandsen, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio
The connections I made in Springfield, Ohio made a lasting impression on me personally, as well as on the work of our Center for White Rose Studies.
To: Dr. Michael Frandsen, President, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio
Dear Dr. Frandsen:
Twenty-one years ago, on March 28, 2003, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking at Wittenberg University’s Dreyfus conference. Wittenberg was the first institution to take a chance on me. At the time, my White Rose work was relatively unknown.
Your history, German, and theology professors made me feel at home, as welcome as the most senior speaker at that conference. Tammy Proctor, Timothy Wilkerson, Rochelle Millen, these Wittenberg professors treated me the same as the better-known David Brenner, Benjamin Lammers, and Howard Lupovitch. The connections I made in Springfield, Ohio made a lasting impression on me personally, as well as on the work of our Center for White Rose Studies.
It’s therefore with more than a little distress that I read that Wittenberg has been caught in the crossfire of disinformation spread by unserious political candidates, who prefer short-term political gain (such as it is) to finding solutions to issues that are rending the very fabric of American life. It’s instructive that antisemitism plays a role in the current anti-immigrant rhetoric, with far right-wing ideologues descending on Springfield, blaming the “immigrant problem” on phantom Jewish power brokers – much as the Dreyfus Affair falsely blamed Alfred Dreyfus for treason, based on forged documents and false witness, steeped in antisemitic hate.
I am posting this “open letter” to you to my publication, Why This Matters, so my readers can know about the threats and domestic terror leveled against Wittenberg. If I personally can do anything to help your faculty or students, or if my readers can do so, please let me know. I’m also copying Robert W. Iuliano, president of Gettysburg College; Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin of the United Lutheran (ELCA) Seminary in Gettysburg; and Hanover Hebrew Congregation in case my friends, neighbors, and fellow learners would like to “adopt” Wittenberg in this trying time.
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Very truly yours,
Denise Elaine Heap
Why This Matters: I write about why the heroism of students in 1943 has meaning for us in twenty-first century America. The labels have changed, the concerns have not. This is not a partisan issue.
This is a free post! Share with anyone who needs to hear this message. Disinformation is not allowed. Not in politics, not in historical process, not in business. Speak the truth with everything in your being.
Note for my readers:
You can read the Campus Alert from Wittenberg University here.
Among other things, that alert contains the following recommendations. No college student (and it goes without saying, no high school student or elementary school pupil) should have to live like this.
Campus Safety Tips:
Always be aware of your surroundings when you are out and about on campus or in the community,
Report unusual activities or suspicious individuals immediately to the campus police, including those outside of residence halls and housing.
Threats toward our campus community are unacceptable. We encourage you to report any crime to law enforcement.
We encourage you to take the following additional measures for your safety:
Be alert of strangers who might attend gatherings at your residence and take action to address their presence by calling Wittenberg Police to respond.
Exterior doors of residential halls and Burb’s houses should never be left unlocked or propped opened.
Do not allow others to "tailgate" behind you in gain entry in a secured building or space. If you observed someone who "tailgated", call Wittenberg Police.
Close and lock your room door when you are sleeping or studying in your room.
Should you become aware of someone unknown who has entered your residence, call 9-1-1 when it is safe to do so.
We must be the change, somehow, some way! VOTE!
© 2024 Denise Elaine Heap. Please contact us for permission to quote. To order digital version of White Rose History, Volume II, click here. Digital version of White Rose History, Volume I is available here.