Ohio Wesleyan faculty share their thoughts, concerns, and insights about this new world and our place in it.

The Politics of the Coronavirus Pandemic

By Ji Young Choi, Associate Professor of Politics & Government

"The coronavirus outbreak has revealed the importance of political leadership and the capacity of the government in handling a sudden, large-scale crisis."

Read: The Politics of the Coronavirus Pandemic

If You're Doing Something Else While Reading This, STOP

By Kira Bailey, Assistant Professor of Psychology

"Have you ever watched a show while reading for class? Have you ever listened to a podcast while writing a paper? Have you ever responded to a text on your phone while playing a video game?"

Read: If you're doing something else while reading this, STOP

Intricate Web May Connect Forest Clearing to Coronavirus

By Laurie Anderson, Professor of Botany-Microbiology

"As an ecologist, I study the interactions between organisms and their environment. At first, the coronavirus pandemic may seem like a simple, terrifying case of a virus interacting with the human species. However, an ecological perspective shows that this story involves complex connections among multiple species, deforestation, and humans as a unique animal with its own patterns of behavior."

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Which Countries Are Responding Most Effectively to COVID-19?

By Jim Franklin, Professor of Politics & Government

"The novel coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world and seems certain to affect every country. As we have seen, the contagiousness and relatively high hospitalization rate of COVID-19 pose a challenge to even the most developed countries, yet some countries have been far more successful (so far) at slowing the spread of the virus than others."

Read: Which Countries Are Responding Most Effectively to COVID-19?

There's Nothing Virtual About Online Connections

By Kira Bailey, Assistant Professor of Psychology

"Two weeks before our wedding in 2007, my soon-to-be spouse and I received a package. It contained a paper towel holder and a spice rack from our registry. The gift receipt was signed, 'Love, Antal.'”

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A Pandemic of Irrational Public Policymaking

By Franchesca Nestor, Assistant Professor of Politics & Government

"Why has our response to climate change been so slow? Why does our social safety net remain woefully stingy compared to other democratically elected countries? Why weren’t we better prepared for this pandemic?"

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In Defense of Competence

By Amy Butcher, Associate Professor of English

"In the wake of this global pandemic, a viral meme has made the rounds on social media, attempting to take humans to task by reminding them that, while under quarantine, Shakespeare wrote King Lear."

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