Vol. 119, Issue 21 March 16, 2015
Kathryn Kellar, Editor-in-Chief
The Black & Magenta
WMCO gives back during Weekend Kathryn Kellar Editor-in-Chief WMCO, Muskingum University’s radio station, is hosting its eighth annual WMCO Weekend. The events for WMCO Weekend will be “Shave to Save,” an obstacle course with free samples of Muskie Wellness products and health and fitness trivia, and The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s “Animal Encounters.” WMCO Weekend originated in March 2008. WMCO started hosting WMCO Weekend when Student Senate charged senators with creating an original event. The group that won was given the extra $10,000 from Funding Allocations. WMCO won the contest and received the money. In 2008 Associate Professor of Communication and WMCO Station Manager, Lisa Marshall was a new professor and wanted to work with WMCO on creating an event that would spread the word about the radio station and its mission. Before being a Muskingum University Professor, Marshall was a Muskingum University undergraduate student. While an undergraduate student Marshall was a WMCO DJ and has noticed similarities between DJs when she was a student and her current stu-
dents now. “Something that has never changed is the excitement that the students have and that’s what makes me excited to come to work every day is that you never know what’s going to happen,” said Marshall. “You always enjoy conversations with students and I enjoy the impromptu teaching moments of ‘hey, I’m working on a project can you help me with this?’ And then the student ends up learning something new and that’s gratifying for me as well. So the passion for radio, I think, has always been the same.” Currently, the station has 38 radio DJs on staff. One of the main elements of WMCO Weekend is donating to charity. Every year since WMCO Weekend was started WMCO has donated to The American Red Cross, The Muskingum County Animal Shelter, and Operation Feed. This year with the “Shave to Save”
event WMCO is donating partial proceeds to another charity, CancerCare. “Part of being in the media is giving back to the community, and I want to make sure that our students understand that being in the public eye means that you need to give back,” said Marshall. “I’m always impressed by the way that the community steps up, particularly through “Animal Encounters.” The New Concord community graciously donates to our charities.” Since WMCO Weekend has originated, the event has donated $2,797 to The Muskingum County Animal Shelter and The American Red Cross and 2,232 lbs. of food to Operation Feed. “The main thing is raising money for charity and getting students on campus involved in a variety of activities that are funded by Student Senate that we can put on for the campus and kind of get our name out there as well,” said Brian Clements, WMCO Program
Director. WMCO Weekend 2015 will be Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 21. Donations of non-perishable food or money are appreciated at entry for all events. Thursday, March 19 at 11 a.m. WMCO will host the “Shave to Save” event on the Quad. The Muskingum community can bring spare change to the event starting at 11 a.m. to place in jars for each campus group. The top three groups who have the most money raised at the event will have to choose members to shave their head or cut their hair significantly shorter at noon. On Friday, March 20 the obstacle course will be held from 4-5 p.m. in both John Glenn Gym and the Quad. Also on Friday there will be free Muskie Wellness samples and health and fitness trivia on the Quad. The final event is on Saturday, March 21. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s “Animal Encounters” will be presenting an interactive presentation of animals at 2:30 p.m. Another part of WMCO Weekend is a free smart TV giveaway. On Friday, March 20 the TV will be given away from a drawing at the obstacle course that students had to fill out a game piece to enter by watching Orbit TV. More details are available at orbitmediaonline.com.
encourages seniors to do online exit counseling because it is beneficial. “The most helpful piece is I think [is that] they find out who their loan servicer is so they know who to get a hold of when they have questions,” said Gump. The website consists of basic information that students will need to know including different types of loans and time limitations. There are five stages of the exit counseling including, understanding your loans, planning to repay them, avoiding default, making finances a priority, and repayment information.
New technology offers different payment plans available to students. “We recommend that they go ahead and go onto that servicer’s website and set up an account with them,” said Gump. “That way they can get email updates. They can go ahead and set up automatic payments out of a checking account so that payment just comes out and they never have to worry about it.” The purpose of the exit counseling is to get students familiar with the financial territory so they aren’t overwhelmed with loans after they graduate. “There are different repayment
plans available, and I think sometimes that is a comfort to know,” said Gump. “I have some options and they’re going to work with me to make this something manageable.” Going into default on loans occurs after a loan is in its delinquency stage for a period of 270 days. A loan can become delinquent after it has gone unpaid for a day. Default rates can be measured by college institutions. Muskingum University’s website lists the default rate at 6.7 percent, which is less than the national default rate of 14.7 percent.
Kayla Rausch/Black & Magenta
Online exit counseling required for students Brenna Busby Orbit Media Reporter
Online student exit counseling is a federal requirement for all senior college students in the United States before they graduate. The purpose of online student exit counseling is to inform and educate students about paying off student loans. Exit counseling is available through the same website students used to get their loans before their first year, www. studentloans.gov. Amber Gump, Senior Associate Director of Student Financial Services
T H E B L A C K & M A G E N TA
Travis Crawford feature Page 2 Senior Year as told by Kandee Page 3 “Much Ado about Nothing” Page 4
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News
Chris Morgan, Sports Editor
Senior thrower reflects on career as a Muskie
Martin Kurtz/Black & Magenta Travis Crawford practices the weight throw during an indoor track and field practice. Crawford participates in both indoor and outdoor track. Martin Kurtz Orbit Media Reporter Muskingum University senior, Travis Crawford, is a four year shot put and weight thrower. Crawford is a Digital Media Design Major who came to Muskingum because of both the Communication, Media, & Theatre Department and throwing program. Crawford described his initial thought when he was first a first-year. “I thought that I was going to be a beast and learned really quickly that collegiate implements are much heavier than high school, and there was a learning curve and transition to make [that] I learned the hard way,” said
Crawford. While at Muskingum University Crawford has dealt with injuries in his athletic career. They included a torn left pectoral muscle, a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, and a severely strained anconeus muscle in his right elbow. Crawford explained how he moved forward with shot put and weight throwing through the injuries. “Just babying it,” said Crawford. “Taking care of it, and doing prehab and rehab…and just making sure I don’t wear it out. Basically, giving it rest when it needs it and not pushing things too much.” This year’s indoor and outdoor track and field season will be Crawford’s last. He said that this has been why he has been performing well at recent meets. “All excuses are out the window. I either do it or I don’t, so I choose to do it,” said Crawford. Crawford worked his way up to a leader in the track and field program, which makes Jake Gleason, Head Men and Womens Track and Field Coach proud. “We’ve always been blessed here to have a really nice throw program,” said Gleason. “So when Travis came in as a freshman, he had some great people above him to kind of teach him the ropes and he’s kind of picked up the torch and the torch was passed to him. He’s a senior [now] and we have some young guys in here and he’s doing a really nice job of directing them and
showing everybody how we do things. We work hard, practice hard, and compete hard. He’s been living up to that.” The biggest piece of advice that Crawford got was during his junior year of high school, when he was struggling with throwing. A first-year from a rival school talked to him which changed his outlook. “He told me to have fun,” said Crawford. “So next thing you know, I’m down there throwing at my rival high school’s shot ring and I’m having fun and the next thing you know I’m throwing about 10 feet further than I was before I started the struggle. So have fun, relax, be fast. That’s all we have to do here.” Crawford has had many good times
during his time at Muskingum. However he believes that sometimes there are assumptions made about his sport that students don’t necessarily understand. “That I don’t do anything,” said Crawford. “Maybe I’m just a thrower, step in a circle, and you know my goal is to be fast so the shot, by the time I start my throw, it’s out of my hand in a half second. Doesn’t seem like much, but we take hours in the weight room, a lot of hours outside the circle and do a lot of drills and there’s more to it then at face value.” Crawford also has other hobbies, which include playing videogames and spending time on the bench press, and hanging out with friends.
Martin Kurtz/Black & Magenta Travis Crawford goes through his throwing motion during practice. Crawford will be a top thrower for the track and field team this season.
May Term gives students another option to finish Liberal Arts Essential courses
Chris Morgan/Black & Magenta The May Term & More section of MuskieLink allows students to register for classes like they would during the normal school year. Chelsea McCrae Orbit Media Reporter May Term & More is a program on campus that students can use if they want to sign up to take summer classes online or on campus.Students are able to sign up for any of the courses offered on MuskieLink, just like they would if they were registering for a class for fall or spring semester during the year.
Prospective students can register for any of the offered courses until the first class meeting. Whether you are on campus or taking a course online, there will be tuition to consider. “The tuition is $470 per credit hour, but I suggest either students talk to the Financial Aid Director of Operations Jan Vejsicky or go down to the Business office to see some payment options that are available,” said Direc-
tor of Graduate and Continuing Studies and Marketing, Bonnie Callahan. There are a variety of classes offered both online and on campus. Most of the courses offered are LAE classes but there are major course offerings as well. “We really offer a variety of the LAE requirements so students who may not be able to fit something into their schedule in the fall or in the spring term have an opportunity to pick up additional hours, whether they need to catch up or they want to get ahead for the fall,” said Callahan. There is a program to take summer classes at Muskingum University so students have the opportunity to get ahead in credit hour or fill in LAE credits. “I just think a lot of our students don’t realize that Muskingum does have a summer term, and I want them to be aware that throughout the summer that they can take classes at Muskingum,” said Callahan. “So take a look and see what’s available and take a
course with us because they’re already familiar with the faculty members they are comfortable with Muskingum.” May Term & More offers courses online and on campus so students that aren’t able to make the commitment to drive or be on campus are able to take a course online. If a student is not able to find a housing option for the summer near campus, it might be more beneficial for them to take a course online. “If you can’t afford to drive to campus or find somewhere to live on campus during the summer, it really does allow the opportunity,” said Callahan. Students from outside the University are welcome to take classes during the summer as well. Any student wishing to do so would just have to make sure their credit would transfer to their original school. Interested persons should contact the Registrar’s Office for further information on registration. Students can currently access May Term & more and search for courses.
Kandee Ferrell, Special Sections & Opinion Editor
Opinion
Senior year as told by Kandee returns
When you get knocked down, get up again... after a good cry, of course What happens when you fail at something you assumed you’d pass without effort? Your self-esteem is bound to take a hit, I’ll tell you Kandee Ferrell that much. Special Sections/ So what do Opinion Editor you do next? You have two options. You can wallow in self-pity (one of my favorite past times) or you can accept your mistake and do something to change it. The chances are, if you thought you could do it, you still can. All you need is a slap in the face, which you probably received when you realized you failed, and a new sense of motivation. As easy as all of that sounds, I know it’s much harder in reality. For me, I need about an hour to kick myself while I’m down, 10 minutes to get angry at everyone who has nothing to do with my failure, and then I get around to doing something about it. The only part the matters is the latter of course, because in the real world it won’t be a professor that cares about you and wants you to succeed telling you to try harder.
It will be a boss. They won’t be offering you a second chance, they’ll be firing you. So take the critiques you get here at Muskingum and use them to your advantage. Don’t shuck them off, embrace them, you might even just get better if you try. Professors know you, they’ve watched you grow. They want you to succeed. It just so happens that the only way to succeed to be told that what you’re doing isn’t good enough. Students often have a hard time accepting this fact, especially if they’ve come out of high school as the best at what they do. Students who feel too entitled to take a critique will always be mediocre. It’s the students, who take the critique and make a change that will end up at the top and prepared for the real world. Now after you’ve learned to take a critique, the next step is learning to find a private place to cry so that the person critiquing you doesn’t have to awkwardly offer you tissues. Tune in next week when I share my favorite spots on campus to break down with your head held high. Some of my top spots include the girl’s bathroom and in front of any class.
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 publsihed 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-run publication. Opinions expressed in the editorials, columns are those of their authors and do not necessarily opinions of The Black & Magenta or Muskingum University.
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Gender equality means women want equal pay I sometimes hear a male in passing make fun of a woman because she is a woman, and I don’t know what to say. It’s “just jokKathryn Kellar ing” of course, Editor-in-Chief right? Is it ever right to jokingly put someone else down? Does it make any of us feel any better? No. Why do we still do it then? I don’t understand how we live in a world with freedom and yet we still put others down. Women are the same as men, we are just built different physically. Our gender doesn’t make us less intelligent or weaker. It just makes us different physically. Just because I am a woman does not mean that I don’t have the same respect for men because they are men. I deserve the same courtesy and respect because I am a human being. We are all human being and deserve the same treatment. I should not be afraid of being treated differently, paid less, and disrespected more because of my gender. I have worked just as hard as men to get my undergraduate degree, internships and applying for jobs. There are women and men out there that understand the plea that I am typing out. Women are humans too. We have dreams, plans, and thoughts of the future. We have worked hard to get where we are. There are women out there, who will be paid less than males in their field because of their gender. It is not right. We should expect more of each other than to disrespect each other. At 22-years-old and soon to be a college graduate, I shouldn’t have to
worry about attending a workshop on being a woman applying for jobs. I want to live in a world where pay doesn’t discriminate. People confine the world. The world is limitless if we don’t define the world with outdated and incorrect expectations. I want to live in a world where I don’t fear for the little girls who could be treated unfairly or for the women before me who have had to endure inequality. The world that we live in expects more of us and challenges us to make the change. How can we if you don’t speak up? You have a voice and one voice does make a difference. Think of your mother, daughter, sister, or friend. They deserve more. You deserve more. We all do. It makes me feel good knowing that men are also stepping up to the plate and vocalizing positive views on equal pay for different genders. This is my plea to you. We are all human and deserve equality in what money we can live off of. Just because I was born a girl doesn’t mean that I should be treated differently than boys. For all of the women out there who have already gone through this struggle, you are not forgotten. We can change this if we just speak up and choose to be limitless. Being limitless means learning to be flexible and not let anything stop us from doing, or being whatever we choose. I want to have a voice that isn’t looked down upon because of my gender. I want my voice that is based on my thoughts, my opinions ,and my skills. Is that what eveyone else wants too? It is what we all want. I want to be known for more than just being a female and so do all of the other females in the world.
For a complete list of WMCO Weekend events go to orbitmediaonline.com or blackandmagentaonline.com
Lifestyle & Culture Page 4
Kandee Ferrell, Special Sections & Opinion Editor
“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” delivers Kathryn Kellar Editor-in-Chief
Most people know Neil Patrick Harris for “How I Met Your Mother” or “Doogie Houser, M.D.” These are his more popular roles, but my favorite performance of his is “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” is a three act web series that is not well known. The web series tells the tale of a want to be supervillian, who wants to join the Evil League of Evil. The League is the ‘popular’ villains group that all aspiring supervillains want to join. Harris plays Dr. Horrible/Billy. The film also stars Nathan Fillion, best known for “Firefly” and Felicia Day, best known for “The Guild.” Fillion plays the superhero counterpart, Captain Hammer Corporate Tool. “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” is
out. written as a musical. “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” What is interesting about the film is that it was written in 2008 during a is directed by popular Sci-Fi Director Joss Whedon. Writer’s Strike. Whedon, along with his brothers, The short musical web series lasts a Jed Whedon total of only 42 minutes and is able to and Zack Whecatch viewers’ attention. don, and MaurisThis series has sa Tancharoen, a well-written helped write both plot, phethe film and munomenal sic. actors, and An importsongs that are ant part of “Dr. both catchy Horrible’s Singand creative. Along Blog,” are An interestsongs. ing fact about Movie Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog theAs soon as this series is I hear any one that it only took of “Dr. Horrisix days to film. Reviewer K. Kellar ble’s Sing-Along That in and Blog” songs I of itself makes instantly want to “Dr. Horrible’s Rating watch the film Sing-Along again. Blog” a stand
Spoiler Alert!
Some of the songs from the film include, “A Man’s Gotta Do,” “Brand New Day,” “Slipping,” and my personal favorite “Everything You Ever.” All of these songs focus on Dr. Horrible and his goal to become a supervillian. I recommend this TV series to anyone, even those who do not like musicals. After having watched “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” several times I have noticed that the crew worked hard to give just the right amount of songs to not overwhelm viewers. Overall, I would rate this web series a five out of five based on the quality of the film. For a short produced film, this film raised the bar. The web series entices viewers and elicits emotions in a way that makes you want to watch the movie again. The music is also catchy and will be stuck in your head for weeks at a time.
Editorial Staff Muskingum welcomes American Shakespeare Center 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: Erin Fetters and Lindsey Kreamer Circulation Manager: Nick Lambes Faculty Advisor: Lisa Marshall This is Volume 119, Issue 21 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.
“Much Ado About Nothing’”to be performed
Kandee Ferrell Special Sections/Opinion Editor
“Much Ado About Nothing,” written by William Shakespeare, will be performed in Brown Chapel Wednesday, March 18. The production will be performed by the American Shakespeare Center (ASC), who is based in Staunton, Virginia. The 11-actor troupe will begin the performance at 7:30 p.m. The doors will open at 7 p.m. and feature half an hour of live musical entertainment. The Special Events Committee brought the event to Muskingum. The committee is funded by the VPAA. According to Assistant Professor of Music and member of the Special Events Committee, Zeb Highben, the play will offer entertainment to even the most Shakespeare deprived viewer. “The American Shakespeare Center will do a brilliant performance so even if you don’t know the plot of “Much Ado About Nothing,” even if you don’t know anything about Shakespeare’s writing style or use of language you’ll still, I think, have a really enjoyable experience,” said Highben. The performance isn’t the only thing that ASC will bring to campus. They will also host two workshops on Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The first workshop will provide
insight to how Shakespearian actors interact with their audiences and the second workshop will teach students about Elizabethan dancing. The workshops will be open to Theatre and English students but will also be open to the rest of campus if they don’t fill up. Highben said that the committee has been working on this event for about a year. They worked with ASC to become stop on their “Method in Madness” tour. “Good professional theater is something that’s worth driving for, worth paying for, and good professional Shakespeare is even rarer so just to have any Shakespeare company on campus is a great gift, but to have the American Shakespeare Center is even better,” said Highben. “Much Ado About Nothing” follows young lovers in Messina. Don Jon plans to ruin nuptials between Hero and Claudio while Beatrice and Benedick face the idea that they may love one another against their better judgment. Highben suggested that watching is the best way to learn Shakespeare for those who aren’t familiar with the writing style. “Shakespeare is kind of like roller skating,” said Highben. “The best way to get to know is just to do it.” The performance is free and open to
the public. It is not limited to campus residents, and students are encouraged to invite family and friends.
American Shakespeare Center Schedule of Events Hosted by the Special Events Committee Acting Workshop 11 a.m. in Caldwell Hall Dancing Workshop 2 p.m. in Caldwell Hall “Much Ado About Nothing” 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m. in Brown Chapel Free and open to the public.