The Black & Magenta
Vol. 119, Issue 24 April 6, 2015
Kathryn Kellar, Editor-in-Chief
Aftermath of university fire Brenna Busby Orbit Media Reporter
Thomas Hall Dining Hall is scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 6 after the fire on March 26. After being evacuated from the building, students were instructed to go to the neighboring residential buildings. No one was injured during the incident. There was no smoke damage. Smoke entered the room through an electrical socket. The fire is thought to have originated in a storage room below the dining area, specifically a short in an electrical plug according to Muskingum University’s Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Janet HeeterBass. “So, by [the Monday after Easter] we should be back on full schedule in Thomas and regular dining as usual,” said Heeter-Bass. The building is equipped with systems designed for sudden situations, such as a fire.
“Fortunately our fire suppression system worked,” said Heeter-Bass. “The fire sprinkler went off, [it] contained the fire in that small area.” According to Heeter-Bass, working on getting machines in Thomas dining hall up and running will take some time. “So, that just takes a lot of time when you think about every milk machine, every pop machine, draining, cleaning, restarting, and all that kind of stuff,” said Heeter-Bass. Due to the closing of one of the dining halls on campus, extra tables were added to Patton Dining Hall as well as the connecting Kelley side. The private dining area was made available. “I think they said maybe they served over 600 students [one] night in Patton, so there [was] a pretty good traffic flow through Patton,” said Heeter-Bass. The Student Success Center was reopened on March 29 during its regular hours. The damage in the Thomas Dining Hall wasn’t as bad as originally determined.
Christine Holmes/ Black & Magenta Physical Plant workers inspect the Thomas Hall fire on March 26.
Visit www.OrbitMediaOnline.com for the original Thomas Fire story and photos.
Greek Council walks to support John Kuhn Martin Kurtz Orbit Media Reporter
Greek Council will host a Heart Walk at McConagha Stadium in honor of late Professor John Kuhn on April 26. The walk will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be an open walk where students can come and go throughout the event. During the event, donations will be accepted with proceeds being split between The American Heart Association and the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus. During the last Greek Council Meeting, the Philanthropy Committee decided to put on the event. Director of Greek Affairs, Stacey Allan, talked about why the committee decided to do this event. “A lot of Greeks were affected by
T H E B L A C K & M A G E N TA
his passing and they thought this would be a good event to...help support our fellow Greeks, who might need to... process what happened and...want to remember him in a positive and great way,” said Allan. Originally, the idea was to host a fundraiser on Alcohol Awareness. Between the time of Professor Kuhn’s death and the last meeting Greek Council changed their fundraiser to tribute Kuhn. The Philanthropy Chair of the Philanthropy Committee of Greek Council, Brooklin Patterson, explained why Order of Omega chose to do the fundraiser the weekend of Muskiepalooza. “We decided to not do it [on Apr. 19],” said Patterson “because there is a lot of theatre people who weren’t going to be there so we decided on Apr. 26
because that’s the day of the concert. People will still be able to be there, but it still gives them a chance to be there with the theatre group.” Kuhn was a faculty member of The Communication, Media, & Theatre Department. Chair of the Communication, Media, & Theatre Department, Gene Alesandrini, worked extensively with Kuhn. “I am excited that people want to do this,” said Alesandrini. “John was a very important part of our department. He touched the hearts of many students.” Alesandrini mentioned how Kuhn’s family would feel about the fundraiser. “His family would be very pleased that students on campus are reaching for a tribute to John,” said Alesandrini.
Patterson also said that the Greeks on campus often do good things, like hosting fundraisers. “This is a good thing the Greeks are doing together to...bring the community together and everyone in the Theatre Department to show that this is a great cause and people are going to come out and support it,” said Patterson. Allan also echoed the sentiment. “I like to see the Greeks do more than what they are known to do,” said Allan. “They are always known for the fun and the late night weekends and those type of things, which is a part of Greek Life, but they do these great, positive philanthropy events that don’t...get publicized.” Donations will be accepted at the event and red will be worn, to symbolize fighting heart disease.
“Break the Silence: It’s on Us”
Zane Grey Family Day
“Bye Bye Birdie”
Greek community comes together to stand up against sexual assault.
Local families will celebrate popular Western novelist Zane Grey on April 26.
Opening night of the Theatre Department’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie” approaches.
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News
Christine Holmes, News & Managing Editor
Greeks shed light on sexual assault
Visual displays “Break the Silence,” raise awareness Maria Conforte Orbit Media Reporter “Break the Silence: It’s on Us,” was a two-hour event to raise awareness about sexual assault. The event was organized by Greek Council’s Order of Omega. “Break the Silence: It’s on Us” took place on Friday, March 27 in Caldwell Hall. Greek Life at Muskingum University presented an exhibition about sexual assault, open to all of campus. The exhibition included different displays, sexual assault facts, and pictures. A mock post-sexual assault crime scene was arranged complete with a bed and police tape to show the visitors what it may look like. Director of Greek Affairs, Stacey Allan said the exhibit was meant to hit viewers with all five of their senses. Students were given the opportunity to write messages of hope for Muskingum University. “The Greek community really wanted to do something to raise awareness about sexual assault, and say that this is something that is not okay and we want to take a stand against it,” said Allan.
Both University Police and Counseling Services’ phone numbers and other helpful information were given out to students during the event. Counseling Services was in attendance during the “Break the Silence: It’s on Us” event. On the importance of the topic Allan said, “[To raise awareness] is a good idea because so often victims of sexual assault don´t talk about it and there is a lot of victim blaming. These things need to be talked about, and Muskingum is a caring community and we care about each other. We don´t want anybody to go through something that dramatic.” The purpose of the event was to start conversation on sexual assault awareness among the students. “I hope that students come with an open mind and have a reaction whether it is good or bad, that starts conversations and they start to talk about this issues together and create a good environment,” said Allan. At 7:45 p.m. the Greek Community gave their message of hope regarding to the sexual assault, followed by a moment of silence and finished the event breaking confetti poppers to actually break the silence.
Lakeside house basement floods Kathryn Kellar Editor-in-Chief A drain on the side of 137 Lakeside Dr., also known as the Alpha Sigma Alpha (ASA) house, froze from rain on the morning of March 3. The water from the rain and snow eventually leaked through the side of the house door and down the steps to the basement. “It was a totally normal thing to happen to an old house,” said Alpha Sigma Alpha House Manager, Maria Hopeck. “There was barely any water on the ground. It didn’t pool or puddle. Physical Plant came as soon as we called and cleared the ice from the drain. A couple of cardboard boxes got wet. We moved the stuff in them to plastic containers.” When Physical Plant gets calls on water damage they typically send out a plumber from Physical Plant. Those workers then report the incident to supervisors if additional help is needed. “What we do when we get a phone call is try to gage [it],” said Senior Director of Facilities and Physical Plant, Kevin Wagner. “Phone calls can vary
on severity depending on the day and what is going on and we quickly, internally assess. Usually a flood is an immediate response.” According to Wagner, Physical Plant uses water absorbent socks to absorb water. For this particular instance, a Physical Plant worker put several tube socks in the basement and one by the sill of the door where water was leaking in. Another Physical Plant worker shoveled to create a trench for the excess water to go. After the water leaked in some members of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia helped members of ASA to clean up the basement. “A couple of Sinfonians came over when they heard and helped us carry the trash to the dumpsters,” said Hopeck. “The ground was dry later that night. Everything is cleaned up and we are working on reorganizing.” If students experience flooding, Physical Plant workers can be reached on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For the weekends students can contact University Police. Another step for students to take in this instance is to notify Residents Assistants and Student Life.
@GoGreekMU/ Twitter A visual display from “Break the Silence: It’s on us” on March 27.
Before Muskiepalooza, there was May Day Sarah Liston Orbit Media Reporter The arrival of spring and approach of the academic year’s end signify events such as final exams and graduation. Decades ago, however, Muskingum students looked forward to one other special event: the May Day celebration. May Day was a tradition at many institutions, including Muskingum, and was held early in May. The day was a celebration of spring and was hosted by the womens athletic department. “It required a lot of commitment and a lot of work from students, so you would need a group that was excited about putting on a big production,” said William Kerrigan, Professor of American History at Muskingum University. The first May Day took place in the first years of the 20th century, at a time when a good physical education for women generally included the dancing normally seen in May Day traditions. “It is true that we did have competitive womens sports teams, but for a very long time, they only played intramurally,” said Kerrigan. “I think that as society modernized, as more college women were competing in sports, extramural sports, that sort of took the place of the May Day celebration.” The May Day celebration was seen as an elaborate affair from participating students. One main tradition of the event was the dancing around the Maypole. Students would each be
holding a ribbon attached to a pole in the center, and would perform a dance that would weave the ribbon around the pole. Another practice was the electing of the May Queen and her May Court. Particularly in earlier celebrations, decorated boats would carry the court and their queen across the campus lake to the hollow, where the celebration would take place. All the participants in May Day would often dress in elaborate costumes of their own. The wardrobe choices seen at celebrations could be seen as unconventional. “The May Queen always wore a dress, and the costumes for many of the other participants were quite elaborate,” said Kerrigan. “They often dressed as woodland animals or elves. There’s one image from a May celebration where on the Quad, that I would probably date in the 1960s, when many of the participants are dressed up as giant panda bears.” The celebration lost popularity and eventually ceased in the mid-1960s due to a shift in the Muskingum calendar. Previously a three-term semester, with a one-class January term and a spring term that lasted from February to the end of May, had been used. With the introduction of Muskingum’s current calendar, the early days of May were spent in finals or in break. This led to the decline in involvement in and the eventual end of the May Day celebration held at Muskingum University.
News
Kathryn Kellar, Editor-in-Chief
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“Rotaract Coffeehouse” builds a bridge Jie Yu Orbit Media Reporter “Rotaract Coffeehouse,” organized by Rotaract Club, will take place on April 28 at 7 p.m. in Sandra Wolfe Thompson Theatre in Caldwell Hall. The idea to host the event came from treasurer of Muskingum University’s Rotaract Club, Anna Mayo. Mayo’s friend once mentioned there were few channels on campus to connect students and professionals. So she discussed her idea with other members of Rotaract Club to address the problem. Different from career fairs, the “Rotaract Coffeehouse” will provide a casual talking environment for the students to chat with professionals of different backgrounds, such as, business, education, health service, media,
and law. Since it’s an informal occasion, students won’t need to wear interview attire. Students can relax and ask any questions about their areas of interest, while enjoying the free refreshments served. “We don’t want students to feel they have to come for an interview,” said Advisor Rotaract Club, Amy Gooden.“This is a very straight business type of environment. We encourage students to come just as they are.” Gooden is also a member of Zanesville Daybreak Rotary, which is an organization that aims to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise. Muskingum University’s Rotaract Club is a college chapter of Rotary. Gooden recommends students utilize the resources there. “We have contacted the guests (from
Rotary),” said President of Muskingum University’s Rotaract Club, Christine Holmes. Currently, “Rotaract Coffeehouse” is in the promotion stage. “We are not offering anything that encourages the students to come to an area,” said Gooden. “Any kind of education that you can get from someone, who has been in your area of interest, or been in the real world can be of benefit.” The event also offers an opportunity for networking. “When looking for a job, they can go to the person that they met if they connected with them, and see if they can find an opportunity somewhere,” said Gooden. Moreover, it builds a bridge to connect the campus and society. “We are here ultimately to graduate
and get a job,” said Holmes. “It’s great to be able to find out what it looks like in the real world and your career that you’re possibly going to do.” So far, the club has invited seven representatives including, Maryjane Shackleford, Ruth Ware, Kyle McPeck, Corey Hamilton, Tod Klotzbach, Jeff Moore, and Vickie Kumoroski. Shackleford serves as President of Barnes Advertising. Ware is a Retired Teacher and Curriculum Consultant with the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center. McPeck is CEO of Ticketcrush. Hamilton is the Director of the Muskingum County Health Department. Klotzbach is an Agency Field Leader for State Farm Insurance. Moore serves as President of Roseville Motor Freight. Kumoroski is the Clinical Ethics Consultant and Director of Spiritual Care at Genesis Healthcare.
Editorial Staff Education Majors explore General Education Curriculum Editor-in-Chief: Kathryn Kellar News & Managing Editor: Christine Holmes Special Sections Editor: Kandee Ferrell Sports Editor: Chris Morgan Opinion Editor: Kandee Ferrell Web Editor: Josey James Copy Editors: Lindsey Kreamer Circulation Manager: Nick Lambes Faculty Advisor: Lisa Marshall
This is Volume 119, Issue 24 of The Black & Magenta. The Black & Magenta is published weekly except during school holidays. Contact (740) 8268189 or email bandm@muskingum.edu for subscription information.
Hopes of on time graduation have future teachers switching to new option Kandee Ferrell Special Sections/ Opinion Editor The General Education Curriculum is the topic of conversation in many advising meetings while students plan for their next semester. The Education Department is no exception. According to the Registrar’s Office webpage on Muskingum University’s website, current students have three options to choose from which are, sticking with their current requirements, changing to the new Gen. Ed. requirements, or changing to the 20152016 Academic Catalog. The new curriculum choices include, education courses that can fulfill
general education courses like “Quantitative Reasoning” and “Communication in the Global/Digital Age.” According to Chair of the Education Department, Rae White, these new options will allow those majoring in Education to have “breathing room” in their very large academic schedules. “I actually had one student that said ‘maybe I can actually take an elective,’” said White. “That student had never taken an elective.” The process student take to discover whether switching to the Gen. Ed. Curriculum will benefit them or not is a meticulous one and it depends on their position in the program they are trying to complete. “It takes careful work, going course
by course by course,” said White. The Education program takes on average, four to five years to complete the Gen. Ed. The Curriculum may help students in the program to graduate on time or only require one extra semester versus the extra year most students look forward to currently. “What I think the Gen. Ed. is going to enable them to do is maybe complete it in four years,” said White. Each student is encouraged to meet with their advisor and work to choose the option that fits their schedule best. For more information on the Gen. Ed. visit blackandmagentaonline.com or visit the Registrar’s tab on the Muskingum University website.
Muskingum University Police Crime Log
March 25
- Investigated a complaint. Student Life was called to report that a concrete parking block was brought into the lobby of Moore Hall and was placed on the floor.
March 26 - The fire alarm went off in Thomas Hall. The fire was located in a storage area for Aramark and the fire was contained to that area. Students were evacuated for some time, but were allowed to return to their dorms once it was determined by the University Police and The New Concord Fire Department that it was safe to return.
March 27 - Followed up investigation. University Police was out at the scene of the fire at Thomas Hall with Muskingum County Fire investigators.
- A complaint was investigated. Baseball Coach contacted University Police about a shed that had been broken into and tagged with red paint.
March 28 - Fire alarm at Townhouse 4B. Everything checked out okay. A smoke detector “accidentally” fell from the ceiling and Physical Plant was called in to fix it. - Assisted The New Concord Police Department on a traffic stop and vehicle search.
Throughout the week - Several student transports for the week. - Multiple vehicle jump starts and lock outs. -Multiple assists to The New Concord Police Department. - Multiple parking citations issued.
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Community Corner
Christine Holmes, News & Managing Editor
Old fashioned family day to end month Brenna Busby Orbit Media News Reporter The 5th annual Zane Grey Family Day kicks off at noon on Sunday, April 26 at the National Road/Zane Grey Museum in Norwich. Donations are accepted but not required. All proceeds go to the Education Programming fund for the John and Annie Glenn Museum. “These events are wonderful for the community because it’s a free event, donations only,” said Director of Education for the John and Annie Glenn Foundation, Joanna Duncan. Should it be necessary, a rain date is scheduled for the even on May 3. “It’s a Sunday afternoon and if we have wonderful weather it’s just an amazing day,” said Duncan. History is a theme that is seen in every event offered during Zane Grey Family Day and Duncan believes that is a motivator for people to come to it. “I believe that people try to learn more about history and how much fun it can be to learn about history when
you have hands on activities, such as this kind of a day,” said Duncan. Duncan said that the activities are all things that Zane Grey would have participated in when he was alive and a resident of Muskingum County. “So, for the community to learn a bit of history, their own history actually, along the National Road with our famous author Zane Grey it’s just a win-win situation for any family,” said Duncan. In his lifetime, Zane Grey wrote over 80 books. Duncan’s intended goal for the day is to share Grey’s passion for writing and get people interested in reading. “We want them to know that Zane Grey was a very interesting man and maybe, just maybe they’ll pick up a book, a Zane Grey book and read more of his stories,” said Duncan. Duncan is positive that with so many books to choose from, that there is something for everyone. “There’s a possibility that a book will interest you,” said Duncan. Many community organizations will
be hosting programs this year. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will teach fishing techniques starting at 12:15 p.m. that day. Registration for this event is required in advance. For the first time partaking in the day, The Wilds will host an animal presentation for the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Activities throughout the day include Dutch Oven cooking and Zane Grey Wheel of Fortune. The Girl Scouts of America will be beading bracelets while the Boy Scouts of America will demonstrate fire starting and make chokers. Duncan said the event isn’t just geared toward small children and that Zane Grey Family Day can be seen as a break from classes, homework and studying, for college students as well. Also available, will be a food and beverage stand, with food like hot dogs and chips available for purchase. There are activities scheduled until 3 p.m. and the all-day activities continue until 4 p.m.
Volunteers wanted for “Let’s Pick it Up New Concord”
Submission/ NCAARD A young girl tries lifting a trash bag at the 2013 Let’s Pick it Up New Concord. Karysa Kent Orbit Media Reporter The New Concord Area Arts and Recreation District (NCAARD) is hosting “Let’s Pick it Up New Concord” on April 25 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. NCAARD’s Program Director, Judy Beetem, expressed that this event is connected to Earth Day which is on April 22. “Let’s Pick it Up New Concord” is a community service event open to Muskingum University students and all others that want to partake in the 6th
Submission/ NCAARD Volunteers throw bags full of trash into a dump truck during the 2013 Let’s Pick it Up New Concord.
year NCAARD has hosted the event. “This is a great thing for your clubs and your Greek organizations to sign up to get their community service hours,” said Beetem. “We have people all over the community come out and work in groups and different zones in New Concord.” Students at Muskingum typically use the event to record service hours. NCAARD is providing all the protective equipment and trash bags. Volunteers are to meet at the New Concord Elementary School pavilion on Main Street. A free lunch will be provided
following the event. NCAARD is providing hot dogs and chips. “The lunch and everything is donated by local businesses Guernsey Muskingum Electric, New Concord Board of Trade, Century National [Bank] and East Muskingum School District,” said Beetem. Those who wish to participate in the cleanup need to sign up for this event. To register, Beetem said to call NCAARD at (740) 826-2293 or email ncaard@newconcord-oh.gov. There is more information available on ncaard.org for those interested.
John Glenn HS Sports Week of April 13
Baseball
April 13 Varsity at Tri-Valley 5 p.m. JV vs. Tri-Valley 5 p.m. April 15 Varsity vs. Philo 5 p.m. JV at Philo 5 p.m. April 17 Varsity at Morgan 5 p.m. JV vs. Morgan 5 p.m.
Softball
April 13 Varsity at Tri-Valley 5 p.m. JV vs. Tri-Valley 5 p.m. April 14 Varsity vs. Cambridge 5 p.m. JV at Cambridge 5 p.m. April 15 Varsity vs. Philo 5 p.m. JV at Philo 5 p.m. April 17 Varsity at Morgan 5 p.m. JV vs. Morgan 5 p.m.
Track & Field
April 14 Boys & Girls vs. New Lexington & Philo 4:30 p.m.
Lifestyle & Culture Page 5
Kandee Ferrell, Special Sections & Opinion Editor
Birdie flies in honor of lost director
Kandee Ferrell/ Black & Magenta The cast of “Bye Bye Birdie” rehearse musical scene on March 30. Christine Holmes News & Managing Editor One month after the unexpected death of Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre and Director John Kuhn, the musical theatre production of “Bye Bye Birdie” still goes on. Kuhn died unexpectedly on Feb. 28, three weeks into rehearsal, leaving the cast devastated. Chair of the Com-
munication, Media & Theatre Department, Gene Alesandrini has taken over the role of director. Upon taking the position, Alesandrini told the cast “Look, you’ve got a new director. This is a new direction. This is not going to be the same caliber production as if you’d had John Kuhn all the way along, but we’re all going to pull together and do our very best.’” So far, Alesandrini has heard no
complaints from anyone involved in the production, despite pushing the cast even harder. The cast continues to work tirelessly to prepare for the show. “The cast has done a remarkable job,” said Alesandrini. “It’s not just a matter of losing some rehearsal. They lost a really close mentor, a good friend, and a good teacher.” Alesandrini said Assistant Professor of Music, Olga Perez-Flora, has also bumped up her responsibilities in the show. “Everybody’s stepping it up and doing what they can to make the production a success,” said Alesandrini. The production of “Bye Bye Birdie” is especially significant to the cast because it’s the very production that got Kuhn’s start in theatre. “That’s what sparked John getting involved in theatre when he was in high school,” said cast member, John Webb. “He had no prior interest in theatre until he was in a high school production of “Bye Bye Birdie.”” The show will be dedicated to Kuhn’s memory. “He’s going to be remembered for quite a while,” said Alesandrini. “Not just this spring, but in the future as
well.” Alesandrini said there will most likely be some form of a campus celebration in honor of Kuhn.
Bye Bye Birdie SHOW TIMES April 16 8 p.m. April 17
8 p.m.
April 18
8 p.m.
April 19
2 p.m.
Tickets $5 each and available at the door. Prior to each performance tickets are avalible by calling the theatre box office at 740-826-8376. Muskingum University students, faculty and staff are admitted free with their Muskingum University identification card.
Small town girl, big world travels What it means to ‘See you never’ Kayla Rausch Columnist Traveling with seven people for 75 days changes you. Spending all of you time with these people makes you dependent on them. When things happen at home, the people you are with are all you have. When you feel down in the dumps, those people are the people, to cheer you up. That bond, that connection, is what was sparked as ‘Big Bird’ left Alabama to travel on for the rest of the summer. The rest of the summer our group only got stronger. We traveled to Monroe, North Carolina where we had back to back camps of about 600 people each. We learned after spending a full month together in Monroe what made each other tick. We learned what made each other cry, what made each other happy. These seven people became my best friends before I knew it. Just as quickly as we became friends, we were already continuing on
to our last camp in Colorado. Greeley, Colorado was the location of our last camp, and the place that I learned the phrase “See you never.” Reach Mission Trips is an organization that is primarily held in the summer, and has thousands of campers, volunteers, summer staff, and full time staff workers. If you think about every person you meet, that means one goodbye for each of them. At first, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be to say goodbye to people that I just saw for a week or so. I would hug them on Saturday and off we would go. But, as I started looking at the countdown to come back to Ohio, I realized that I would have to say goodbye to the people who had become my best friends, my family. This is where “See you never,” comes into play. “See you never” is really very simple. The idea is that you see thousands of people each summer and because of camps and life you never know when you are going to see them again.
Submission/ Kayla Rausch Reach Summer Staff members celebrate Kayla Rausch’s 21st Birthday July 24. So at the end of camp week you say “See you never.” This creates the expectation that you are going to never see these people ever again. Low expectations lead to a lack of disappointments, and make goodbyes even easier. But, here’s the best part of “See you never.” Sometimes you do get to
see the people you have met again, the people that have become your family and because you weren’t expecting to ever see them again, it makes things that much more exciting. So in August I said my “See you nevers,” I came back to my small town, with some big world dreams, ready for the next adventure in my life.
Opinion
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Letter to the Editor To the students of Muskingum:
Spring is upon us and that means warm days and more opportunities to get out, relieve stress, and celebrate the final month of another academic year. Many of you will no doubt be spending some of your time at parties hosted by your fellow students at houses around the Village. Have fun, but show some consideration to fellow Village residents when you attend off campus parties. For students hosting parties in the Village, there are a few simple things you can do that your neighbors will appreciate immensely. First, make sure you provide trash and recycling bins for your party guests and encourage them to make use of them. Second, do a quick sweep of the yard, sidewalks, roads and adjacent properties at the end of the evening to collect any cans, bottles and trash your guests may have left behind, and designate one resident in the house to wake early the next morning and do a second clean up in the daylight. Don’t let trash, especially glass, lie around your property. It is not the responsibility of your elderly neighbor to clean up after your party, and broken glass is a serious hazard for small children and dogs. You are responsible for cleaning this up even if you suspect these hazards were dropped by people simply passing by your house. Finally, turn the music down a few notches after 11 p.m. Give some consideration to the colicky baby you might be keeping awake, or the person who has to get up at 5 a.m. for an early morning work shift. For those students who live on campus but are attending parties, behave the way you would if you were in the neighborhood where you grew up. Come and go quietly. There is no need to shout and chant as you walk past the bedroom windows of sleeping neighbors, and please don’t dump your trash and recyclables in the road or on someone’s property. If you see your friends do this, have the courage to call them on it and ask them to pick up after themselves. We are glad that you are here in New Concord, and we want you to have fun. And we are confident that if you exercise a little consideration for those around you, your fun won’t come at the expense of others’ peace. Best to all of you as you finish out the year. Stephen Van Horn William Kerrigan David Rodland Tom McGrath Laura Hilton Harsha Abeyratne Walter Huber Jim Dooley Alistair Hattingh Vivian Wagner Jane Varley Sandra Alzate Meghan Wynne Joe Nowakowski Letters to the Editor
The Black & Magenta staff encourages Letters to the Editor. All letters must include contact information and a name to be considered for publication. Letters will not be published anonymously. Letters must be 200 words or fewer to be considered. The staff reserves the right to edit for style, grammar and space. We will not publish any letter that we consider potentially libelous. If you have questions or would like to see how The Black & Magenta is put together, please e-mail bandm@muskingum.edu. This is a student publication. Opinions expressed in the editorials, columns are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent opinions of The Black & Magenta or Muskingum University.
Senior year as told by Kandee, I picked up my cap and gown the other day and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since then. It made me think about my high school Kandee Ferrell g r a d u a tion, Special Sections/ and how I Opinion Editor didn’t really take the time to let the moment sink in. This time I’m determined to watch each grain of sand fall through the hour
Kandee Ferrell, Special Sections & Opinion Editor
Letter to the Editor in response to
“I saw ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, so sue me” To the Editor: I am writing to address the defense of “Fifty Shades of Grey” on the basis that it is an underdog story for “plain” women. I would like to point out, first and foremost, that I respect the writer and her opinion, but that I wholeheartedly disagree. Depicting “Fifty Shades of Grey” as a channel for women with low self-esteem where they are wanted and needed by “a brooding, broken man” is very problematic and alarming. Such a point of view is glorifying the abuse experienced in “Fifty Shades of Grey” (and yes, it is abuse, there is a blatant disregard for the main character’s safety which is very important in the BDSM culture). In fact, it puts forth the precedent that 1) there are women who are plain, ordinary, boring, etc. and 2) that these women are empowered by the abusive relationship that “Fifty Shades of Grey” attempts to cloak as BDSM. This viewpoint is literally justifying relationships with men who are brooding, broken, controlling, and abusive simply because that man wants the woman who is not special enough to be wanted by anyone else. The greatest problem I had with this piece is the assumption that any woman is plain, or anything similar to this. Women are extraordinary, beautiful creatures. The assumption that any one of them is so dull that they need to be with a man who is less than perfect to them, a man who they have to fix or a man they have to walk on eggshells to please is completely absurd, oppressive, and quite frankly, a little sexist. I fully understand that it was not the writer’s intention to plant some of these seeds, but I’m writing because as a reader, this is exactly what I saw in this point of view, and as a woman, I cannot allow such claims to go unanswered. If you view yourself as a plain, ordinary woman, what you need is not a brooding man but something that will raise your self-esteem, because I assure you that you are more than ordinary. An adult man should be capable of taking care of himself. You should not be seeking out relationships where you have to make him better, though that is far too often the case. You should be seeking a relationship where you are on equal footing with your partner, a relationship where he is aware of the incredibly powerful, bright, extraordinary person that you are and he nurtures those things. Do not perpetuate the stereotype that women are less than. Women are powerful, they are bright, they are strong, and they are making a difference in the world. They absolutely do not need to rely on a man to make their life exciting, and they certainly don’t need a man to care for or want them just because they can’t find someone who appreciates their strength and beauty elsewhere. Do not settle for someone who is controlling, abusive, or even boring and simply not right for you. You are better than that, every single woman is better than that. Be the powerful, amazing woman that you are and the right man (or woman) will find you. Respectfully, Kelsey C. Apperson Class of 2014
Does anyone know where I can get a time machine?
glass. I want to remember the way the air smells that day, and the way my mom looks when she watches me walk across the stage. It’s finally hitting me that a day I honestly never thought would come, is here. I guess I keep thinking that I may find the power to slow down time before May 9. That’s the day everything I know is over. I will be thrust into the world and I have no idea what I’m going to do. This day will be my last chance to soak up Muskingum. This place has given me so much. I
don’t know how to walk away. I don’t know how to say goodbye. I’m about to be so lost. I’m about to be on my own. I have to leave the people that I count on every day. I have to leave the place that makes me feel at home. There aren’t words, and words are what I do. So what do I do when words aren’t even close to how I feel? My heart is full and empty at the same time. I am afraid and excited depending on the minute. I want to hug the people I care about, and I don’t hug. This isn’t me. I don’t get emotional
about these things, I just leave quietly. That was always my plan. So why do I want to cry every time I think of leaving? It’s not even the unknown. It’s not even the fact that I have no opportunities waiting. It’s the fact that I don’t want to leave. I like my life the way it is, stressful paper deadlines and all. I don’t want to go. I really really really don’t want to go. Maybe it’s all the medication I’m on or the fever I’m sweating out but something tells me that nothing is ever going to be as amazing as college has been.
Chris Morgan, Sports Editor
Sports
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Kelly Martin named OAC Hitter of the Week
Kelly Martin, shortstop for the Muskingum softball team, received the Ohio Athletic Conference hitter of the Week award for the week of March 23 through March 30. Martin was recognized for the honor by hitting .500 over the week, including 11 RBIs while scoring six runs and hitting two home runs. She was also a big contributor to the Muskies scoring a school record 37 runs against John Carroll on March 21. Martin went 3-5 in the game with seven RBIs, four of them coming off a grand slam in the 22-run fourth inning.
Martin was told that she won the award in practice on Monday, March 23. “It’s exciting that they think I stood out,” said Martin. “It was unexpected though when I came into practice Monday and Coach said that I had received it,” said Martin. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.” The award for the week was posted on the OAC’s website. Each week the OAC chooses a hitter of the week award and a pitcher of the week award out of the 10 Ohio Athletic Conference school’s Varsity teams. Winters said that Martin also spent a lot of time in the off season working on her consistency and power. Martin has started at short stop since her first year at Muskingum. “That’s a pretty integral part of the team, being the short stop you have to be vocal,” said Martin. Martin believes that she has improved over the years which makes her a valuable part of the team. “She needs to keep on playing how she’s playing,” said Winters. “There’s not too much wrong with the way Kelly Martin plays the game.” Martin said that softball has made her more sociable and more vocal, which she uses to be a leader for the
team, and Winters agrees. “I think her personality has shined through a lot more too this year in comparison to her freshman and sophomore years,” said Winters. One of Martin’s favorite things this season was winning at John Carroll, where the team won 37-1, while Winters favorite part of the season has been the team itself. “I think overall, if I had to pinpoint it to one thing, this group’s been fun,” said Winters. “They have a lot of high energy to them, and they’re kind of jokesters with each other, which just creates an upbeat atmosphere.” Along with being a short stop, Martin is also a math major, and likes to
Let’s not beat around the bush. Kentucky basketball is very good. After being called out by West Virginia first year Daxter Miles Jr. earlier in the week, the Chris Morgan Wildcats came Sports Editor out and destroyed the Mountaineers in their Sweet 16 matchup with a resounding 78-39 blowout. It really seemed like Kentucky took offense to Miles’ comments and were playing angry the entire game, as they should have. Trey Lyles scored 14 points in the win, followed closely by Andrew Harrison who scored 13. The Wildcats improved to 37-0 on the season and don’t appear to be losing steam. Now the question is simple, can Kentucky be stopped? My answer is just as simple. “No.” There are a lot of good teams in the tournament this year, but Kentucky is an entirely different monster. They may not have the same star
power that past teams had with the likes of Anthony Davis and John Wall, but what they do have is plenty of experience. The Harrison twins, Andrew and Aaron, are both sophomore guards in coach John Calipari’s system. Big man Willie Cauley-Stein is a monster 7-foot junior. Add that to the star of the lineup in fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns and the Wildcats have possibly the best big man tandem in recent memory. Cauley-Stein is a beast in the post defensively with 65 blocks on the season. He averages just under two per game this season, but that’s mostly because he has another shot-blocker next to him in Towns. Cauley-Stein had 106 blocks last season being the lone 7-footer on that squad. Towns has definitely taken some shot-blocking opportunities away from Cauley-Stein this year, as Towns has a total of 87 blocked shots on the season. The two of them together have a combined 152 blocks on the season. The Wildcats can even succeed without Towns on the court. In the game against West Virginia, Towns only played 13 minutes. The Wildcats won by 39 points that day.
The only thing that would’ve topped this tandem in my mind would be putting Davis with Nerlens Noel, but Davis jumped to the NBA as Noel was coming into Kentucky. Here’s the kicker...Cauley-Stein was a first year on the team that lost to Robert Morris in the NIT. Just looking at the way he plays, he surely doesn’t want to be denied this time around and doesn’t want to feel the pain of losing
Submission by Muskingum University Sports Information Jonnie Neuhart Orbit Media Reporter
focus on her academics, with a GPA around 3.9. “Being a math major is kind of tough, but math’s fun,” said Martin. Martin hopes that this season the team can come together both offensively and defensively. “We have kind of been rocky a little bit, offensively we’ve been pretty strong defensively some errors here and there, but I think once we put everything together we’ll be successful as we were last year,” said Martin. Winters expects the team to get back to the NCAA Championship this season, and hopes to improve on last season’s performance by making it to the Super Regional tournament.
Christine Holmes/ Black & Magenta Kelly Martin throws over to first base against Ohio Wesleyan on March 18.
Captain’s Quarters, Is Kentucky destined for greatness?
in that fashion. With that kind of experience on the roster, there’s no way the Wildcats can lose. It’s not every day we see this many players on a John Calipari team with this much prior experience. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the tournament unfolds, but one thing is for sure. Kentucky is here to make history, and I believe they will.
Muskingum University Youth Football Clinic The Muskingum University Football program invites the public to participate in a football youth clinic on Saturday, April 11. The clinic is open to boys currently in 3rd grade through 7th grade and is free to all participants. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at McCoKathryn Kellar / nagha Stadium on the campus of Muskingum Black & Magenta in New Concord. Camp will conclude at approximately 12 p.m. in the Muskie Football locker room with a certificate of participation given to all. Each camper will be given a Muskie Football T-Shirt at registration. Please wear molded cleats, plastic cleats or tennis shoes. To register please contact Muskingum Coach Luke Summers at (740) 255-6309 or by e-mail at lsummers@muskingum.edu.
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Sports
Muskie Baseball building on start to 2015 campaign
Chris Morgan/ Black & Magenta Christian Leitenberger awaits a pitch against Heidelberg on March 29. Ashley Adams Orbit Media Reporter The Muskingum baseball team is off to 6-12 start on the 2015 season. The Muskies started their season off
Womens Tennis looks to gain experience Christine Holmes News and Managing Editor The young womens tennis team is looking to adjust to a new coaching staff and gain experience during the 2015 season. Under Head Coach Mary Beth Caudill for the first time since 2012, the Muskies are getting used to the coaching staff, which also includes Jessica Tharp as assistant coach and Troy Yerian as a coaching intern. According to Caudill, having three coaches allows for individualized attention for each member of the team. “Little nuances of the game are being looked at,” said Caudill. Caudill looks to the team captain, senior Rebecca Keeley, for leadership on the court. Keeley is returning for her fourth season and currently plays the number one spot for doubles and number two for singles. Keeley’s partner, Laura Kalesse, an international student from Germany, plays the number one spot in singles. Junior Johanna Smith is the only other upperclassmen on the team
in Florida over spring break, going 3-7 overall. “Our schedule early on has been really competitive,” said Head Coach, Gregg Thompson. “Our record isn’t really indicative of how we’ve been with varsity tennis experience. The rest of the team consists of sophomores and first years. “It’s good for them,” said Caudill of the experience the young players are gaining. “They’re going to get some competitive matches in and just grow, I think, each year.” The Muskies went 1-2 in the fall portion of the schedule with the lone Muskie win coming against Defiance. The Muskies won that match 7-2. The team started out the spring season with a loss on the road at John Carroll falling 9-0 to the Blue Streaks. Caudill said the loss was very eye opening for the team. “It was good for us to see everything we needed to work on,” said Caudill. The team practices six days per week and hits the outdoor court, weather permitting. “It’s all we can ask right now is just put the time in, put the commitment in, and try to get better every day,” said Caudill. “That’s what we’re looking to do.” The main difference between the fall and spring schedules is that the Muskies played every match at home in the fall. Caudill said the scheduled matches against Capital and Marietta were important to win in order for the team to keep their goal of tournament play.
playing.” The mens baseball team lost a double header against Heidelberg on Sunday March 29. Heidelberg took the first game in extra innings, winning the game 1-0 in the 12th inning. Heidelberg also took the second game 9-2. “They’re ranked 14th in the country for a reason,” said Thompson. “The Ohio Athletic Conference is hard in every sport. And you’ve got to find a way to make sure that you play at a high level in order to be competitive.” There are a few players who have contributed greatly. A.J. Kazmierczak, a sophomore, has a current batting average of .356 on the season. “We’ve had couple really good surprises,” said Thompson. “Kazmierczak came off the bench when Brett Robberts got injured and [he’s] hitting over .400 and finding a way to get it done.” Vayden Wood is a first year and has a .409 average. These Muskies are only part of the teams developing offense. “Austin DeVore is having a good year offensively,” said Thompson. “Joe Shumar is putting together a good start to the season and there’s some guys that have played for us last year that we need to get going, and if we can get
Chris Morgan, Sports Editor them going, we might be pretty good.” The Muskies will look to improve as the season continues while coming together as a team and building on their start to the season.
Chris Morgan/ Black & Magenta Vayden Wood gets into his batting stance on March 29 against Heidelberg.
Lacrosse teams face early tests in 2015 season Payton Patterson Orbit Media Reporter Lacrosse is well under way on the campus of Muskingum University and the mens and womens teams have been tested in the early season. The womens team is currently 0-4 on the season, but despite the record, womens Head Coach Rachel Cibulas does not look at it as a winless season. “A lot of people see that as a losing record, but we have stacked ourselves against some more established programs, which was my goal,” said Cibulas. Cibulas wanted to play tougher and new opponents at the beginning of the season in hopes of helping the team be ready for conference play. In their first game on March 4, the Lady Muskies scored 11 goals on the Yellow Jackets of Waynesburg in their 14-11 loss. Cibulas stated that this is a big achievement for the Lady Muskies because most first year programs score maybe one or two goals a game and some have yet to even score. “The girls came off the field like ‘okay, so this is what it is supposed to be like in college,’” said Cibulas. Cibulas wants the womens team to
push themselves and also stick to the fundamentals. “Every team needs a swift kick to the rear, to do a gut check and be like, ‘oh you know we need to get ourselves back to the basics,’” said Cibulas. “When we go back to the basics, which is when we do our best. We need to focus on catching and passing and making the little things easy.” The mens lacrosse team has started out with a 3-4 record. Mens Head Coach Nick Gallagher said that his team is playing well and they have met all of their expectations so far. Three of the four losses have come on the road. “I think for us it is about being comfortable,” said Gallagher. “We have taken some pretty long trips. It is always difficult when you go on the road and it makes it a little more difficult when you take long bus tracks.” Gallagher stated that his team has come out strong in each of their last two away games, which is great for the young program. Gallagher also said that the program is continuing to progress forward at home and on the road. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to come out, to compete, and to go to war with,” said Gallagher. The men open up OAC play on April 8 when they travel to Otterbein.