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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE 08.20.08

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DAVID RANUCCI | DAILY KENT STATER

The department of Pan-African Studies is ready for a new semester in its renovated home. A3

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

The Rock is one of many landmarks Kent State can call its own. B6

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Taco Tantos is one of many off-campus dining options in downtown Kent. C9

The newly renovated Dix Stadium is ready for the return of the Golden Flashes. D2

THERE’S A LOT TO KNOW ABOUT KENT STATE We know you’re still unpacking, arranging furniture and getting to know your new roommate. Or maybe you’re visiting campus to buy your books and finding out where you have to park next Monday.

We’re not officially part of the Week of Welcome, but we’d like to think we can help. So when you have a few minutes, turn the page — there are 52 of them. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about your new school.

What’s different about college? Read about making new friends, going Greek and more. SECTION A Learn everything you need to know about eating on campus, getting involved and navigating KSU. SECTION B Want to get off campus and explore the city? Our guide to Kent’s restaurants, shops and more. SECTION C And, last but not least, previews of this fall’s sports teams and how to avoid the feared Freshman 15. SECTION D

>> find more orientation information & sign up for daily updates @ KentNewsNet.com

PICK UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF. News. Sports. Entertainment. Campus Life. Monday through Friday. Each and every week during the semester.

The first Daily Kent Stater publishes Monday, Aug. 25.

+ Visit us at our booth Sunday at BlastOff!

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Making the transition: high school vs. college Differences, advice for making it count for the next 4+ years Maria Nann

Daily Kent Stater Students don’t come to college just to get a diploma. At least, that’s what Lauren Pernetti said.

“Don’t think that having a piece of paper at the end is enough to get you a job,” the academic program coordinator said.

“It’s what you do to support that piece of paper — internships, organizations, experiences — that help you to get your job.”

For incoming freshmen, college can be a time of adventure and excitement. It can be easy to

SO, HOW DOES COLLEGE MATCH UP TO THE LAST FOUR YEARS? > These tips from the Office of Undergraduate Studies explain what to expect in college compared to how it was in high school.

get caught up living an independent life and forget what is really important, and sometimes just discovering what is important can be difficult enough.

Miranda Reed, sophomore communications studies major, advised incoming students to meet their professors.

“They will appreciate you taking the time to introduce yourself,” Reed said, adding that in large lecture classes, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. To really standout, Reed said, make the work for the work standout.

“Always leave yourself with enough time to get papers done,” she said. “All-nighters are not fun nor are they conducive to a productive learning environment.”

Bethany Schlotterer, sophomore business administration major, said the time difference between college and high school is something she

appreciates.

“It’s nice because you get to choose when you work your best,” she said, “later in the evening or earlier in the day.”

Pernetti offered the following advice to freshmen trying to make the adjustment: n “Pace yourself,” Pernetti said, adding students often find themselves getting behind on things, and it ends up breaking over them like a wave. n Take friendships slowly, she said. The opportunities that present themselves in college are broad, and it’s best to take them all in. n “Go to class,” Pernetti said.

“If you go to class, you might find yourself not having to study quite as hard when the test comes around.” n Talk to upperclassmen and professors, Pernetti said. Find someone to connect with who will

listen and provide guidance. n “Don’t be afraid to do some things that you’ve never done before,” she said. It’s important to be familiar with different organizations and students. n “Be curious,” she said. “If you’re curious, that opens up a whole new world for you.” n It’s also important to have a sense of learning style, Pernetti said.

Everyone learns differently, which is important to helping make the most of classes and college. n Pernetti said involvement is key to having a sense of belonging, which is crucial to enjoying a college career.

Reed also said it’s important to make sure students’ living situations suit them because it will affect their happiness.

“If you don’t like a roommate or you aren’t happy, don’t wait until the end of the year to make

a change,” she said. “It will have a big effect on how much you enjoy school.”

According to the Office of Undergraduate Studies, the largest difference between college and high school is personal freedom.

“The difference between high school and college is that nobody is looking over your shoulder in college,” Pernetti said. “One needs to be independent.”

Schlotterer agreed and said with the freedom in college comes greater responsibility.

“It’s really easy to make excuses and not accomplish everything you need to,” she said. “So you really have to commit yourself to getting done what needs to be done. No one is going to hold your hand and tell you what to do.”

GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL

COLLEGE GRADES

TESTS IN HIGH SCHOOL

TESTING IN COLLEGE

Grades are given for most assigned work, and homework or attendance grades can usually boost overall grades. n Extra credit projects are often available to help students raise their grades.

Grades are rarely provided for all assigned work, and tests usually make up most of the course grade. n Extra credit cannot usually be used to raise a grade in college courses.

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS

COLLEGE PROFESSORS

n

n Teachers check homework and remind students of incomplete work. n Teachers provide students with information missed when they were absent and approach students if they need assistance. n Teachers draw connections for students, helping to lead them through the thinking process.

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS

Teachers check homework and remind students of uncompleted work. n Teachers provide students with information missed when they were absent and approach students if they need assistance. n Teachers draw connections for students, helping to lead them through the thinking process. n

n

n Professors do not always check homework or remind students of incomplete work, but they will assume students can perform the same tasks on exams. n Professors expect students to seek help and information they missed or do not understand. n Professors may lecture nonstop, expecting students to identify key points and keep good notes.

COLLEGE CLASSES

Students often have hours between classes.

Students spend 12 to 18 hours a week in class. n Students arrange their own schedule, and schedules tend to look lighter than they are. n Professors may not formally take roll, but they still know whether students are attending class. n n

Testing is frequent and covers small amounts of material. n Make-up tests are often available, and teachers frequently rearrange test dates to avoid conflict with other events. n Teachers frequently conduct review sessions, highlighting key points to study. n

PERSONAL FREEDOM IN HIGH SCHOOL

Contact principal reporter Maria Nann at mnann@kent.edu. n Testing is usually infrequent and may be cumulative, covering large amounts of material. n Students, not professors, need to organize material to prepare for the test. n Make-up tests are seldom an option, and if they are, they must be requested. n Professors usually schedule tests without regard to the demands of other courses or activities. n Professors rarely offer review sessions, and when they do, they expect students to come prepared with questions.

PERSONAL FREEDOM IN COLLEGE

High school is mandatory and free.

Students’ time is usually structured by others. n Students need money for special events. n Students can count on parents and teachers to remind them of their responsibilities and to guide them in setting priorities..

College is voluntary and expensive.

Students manage their own time. n Students need money to meet basic necessities. n Students will be faced with a larger number of moral and ethical decisions and must balance their responsibilities to set priorities.

GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN HIGH SCHOOL

GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN COLLEGE

n n

Students are usually told what their responsibilities are and are corrected if their behavior is out of line. n

n

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

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STAFF Newsroom 672-2584 Editor Christina Stavale cstavale@kent.edu Managing editor Doug Gulasy dgulasy@kent.edu News editor Kiera Manion-Fischer kmanion@kent.edu Forum page editor Jackie Valley jvalley@kent.edu Lead designer Adam Griffiths agriffi8@kent.edu Photo editor Daniel Doherty ddoherty@kent.edu Features editor Anna Duszkiewicz aduszkie@kent.edu Copy desk chief Jessica Lumpp jlumpp@kent.edu Principal reporter Kristen Traynor ktraynor@kent.edu Principal reporter Ben Wolford bwolfor2@kent.edu Principal reporter Maria Nann mnann@kent.edu KentNewsNet editor Kristine Gill kgill2@kent.edu

Advertising 672-2586 Student sales manager Shay Strode 672-0888 Student advertising rep Alexandra Ross 672-2697 Student advertising rep Kristyn Lebovitz 672-2351

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240 Franklin Hall Kent State University Kent, Ohio 44242

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n Students are to take responsibility for what they do and don’t do, as well as for the consequences for their decisions.

DAILY KENT STATER

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

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DAVID RANUCCI | DAILY KENT STATER

Above: The entrance to Oscar Ritchie Hall has changed considerably. Below right: University professor Halim El-Dabh unpacks. Above right: A row of benches and tables line a wall for students to enjoy food from the nearby cafeteria.

Oscar Ritchie ready to reopen this fall After a year of renovations, the department of Pan-African Studies looks forward to moving back home Shamira Fowler

Daily Kent Stater In its 60 years of existence, Oscar Ritchie Hall has acted as a home away from home for members of the Kent State community, particularly the department of Pan-African Studies. After a year of remodeling, both faculty and students are preparing to move back into the recently refurbished building.

“I’m definitely ready,”said Alene Barnes, associate professor of PanAfrican Studies. “The excitement is there, just like buying a new home.”

The construction for Oscar Ritchie Hall, which began in the summer of 2007, will be finalized for incoming students this fall semester. The completion of Oscar Ritchie will be commemorated with an open house Aug. 20.

Michael Bruder, assistant director of architecture and engineering, said the remodeling for Oscar Ritchie was not simply new window treatments, but a modernization of an

old building.

“It was actually a complete renovation where we emptied the entire building and did what we would call a gut rehabilitation of the place,” Bruder said.

The contemporary Oscar Ritchie Hall will provide new offices for faculty and student organizations and a faculty commons space.

Other improvements include an updated computer laboratory with wireless Internet, a resource center with library materials, a multipurpose room, student lounge areas, flat-panel television screens in hallways and common areas to display artwork.

In addition, the building now has a back entrance, an elevator and a cooling and heating unit.

Such features are common to other buildings but were not previously in Oscar Ritchie Hall.

“We are looking forward to climate control,” said George Garrison professor of Pan-African Studies. “It was one of the coldest

buildings in the winter and the hottest room in the summer.”

At the lower level, there are three new classrooms, a Jazzman’s Café Coffee Cart and new study space.

Although the African Community Theatre was not renovated, additional entranceways were added, as was a green room for actors.

The budget for the Oscar Ritchie renovations was set at $10.4 million.

As construction workers ran into complications, it ended up costing almost $1 million more.

“Whenever we’re doing renovation in an older building, it’s always tricky and complicated because the building isn’t necessarily built like the initial layouts we have,” Bruder said. “Once you open the building and get started, the building is not exactly what you expected.”

A time for action

Getting the school to begin renovations for Oscar Ritchie Hall, which also houses the Institute for

African-American Affairs, the African Community Theater and UHURU magazine, was no easy feat.

Garrison said he believes there has always been some hesitation toward the needs of the department of Pan African Studies from the school and the administration.

DeMareo Cooper, former Black United Students president, was one of the driving forces behind Oscar Ritchie’s renovations back in 2004. Cooper said he saw what he thought was an injustice and decided to take action.

“What happened is that they were remodeling all the buildings around that building, and I kind of noticed it,” Cooper said. “So I went and looked at the history of the (renovation) plans and I (saw) every year it was just getting pushed back — first 1997, then the next plan was in 2002 and then the next in 2008.”

Cooper said he decided to talk to building coordinators at the time but had little success. Cooper then

decided it was time for action.

“We (students) marched out to the plaza, and the same dude that said he didn’t want to talk to us, all of a sudden, we’re sitting in a room with him,” Cooper said. “We had a plan and knew exactly what we wanted. It was definitely a student movement supported by staff.”

The efforts and activism of student supporters like Cooper helped shed light on the importance of the department of PanAfrican Studies and race relations to the Kent community.

“This is a core element that constitutes the most important thing on this university campus: diversity,” Garrison said.

The new home feeling

Garrison said he hopes the new building will spark curiosity in students who may not have taken classes in Oscar Ritchie Hall before.

“I hope the curiously of students, both black and white, are

going to get them here, and I know once they (are) in there, the climate will keep them there,” he said.

Other faculty members are just happy that all classes will be located in one building.

“Temporary housing had classes all over campus,” Barnes said. “I found myself carrying my office in the back seat of my car.

And having more office space as a professor is important. I’ve always lived in a cubicle.”

Garrison said he is not only happy to move into a building that has been newly renovated, but to move into a building that has so much history.

“This is one thing people need to understand, whether they’re white, black, green, yellow or polka dot: Oscar Ritchie is a treasure to Kent State,” Garrison said.

Contact minority affairs reporter Shamira Fowler at sfowler1@kent.edu.

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

FORUM

The not-so-many differences between you and me

BY Christina Stavale

The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Forum Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors.

Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns.

Submissions become property of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.

As each of my 163 classmates walked the stage to receive their high school diplomas about two years ago, I could tell you something about almost every one of them.

It wasn’t because I was friends with everyone; it was mainly because everyone knew everything about each other — to the point where I could tell you whether each of my classmates had siblings (and their siblings’ names and ages), where they were going to college, what their grades were like and what they had been involved in during high school.

And on the off chance that I couldn’t tell you one of these things about a classmate, I could almost assume they shared my Catholic faith.

(After all, I attended a Catholic school.)

This kind of environment made it easy to find common ground with others throughout high school. I grew accustomed to walking through the halls in between classes, knowing everyone I passed. It was my comfort zone.

Hence, choosing Kent State was a huge step out of my comfort zone. I was admittedly scared to go to a public school for the first time. I didn’t know what kind of people I would encounter. For four years, everyone I knew was so similar to me.

I was scared I might not get along with those who were different.

But aside from its huge student body, Kent State had exactly what I was looking for in a college. So I took my chances, and two years later, I couldn’t be more grateful.

As I walked around campus those first few weeks, I realized that I knew nothing about anyone. It was strange to me, but it was an easier adjustment than I predicted. Instead of relying on labels to draw connections, I forced myself to really get to know and understand people.

During that year I slowly began to embrace the fact that I got along with plenty of people who may

or may not have been from the same background as me. Things like family history, major, faith and what someone is involved in may label us, but that doesn’t mean they actually matter when it comes to getting along with someone.

My biggest awakening came when I covered the minority affairs beat for the Daily Kent Stater last year. I wondered how a white girl who had obviously been part of the majority her entire life could cover the minority communities on campus. It didn’t take long to find the answer: Have an open mind.

Every week, I met someone who came from a different background than I did. And every week as I talked to the same or different people, I learned something new, whether it was about the support networks sexual minorities have or the racism black students still face. Before this, I had no idea.

I also learned the differences between me and the people I talked to were slim, while the similarities were right there in front of me. After all, when it all comes down to it, we’re all college students trying to graduate. And isn’t that similarity enough?

It’s natural to be drawn to people who look just like you, especially when you’ve been brought up in that kind of environment for your entire life. You might not realize it, but you may automatically sit next to someone who looks like you in class. You may subconsciously stray to the other side of the sidewalk when someone who looks different from you walks by. Make a conscious effort not to do that.

It’s not hard to look past stereotypes and labels to find common ground. The more you step outside your comfort zone, the more you realize that those things don’t really matter. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but you can still show that you understand.

Contact editor Christina Stavale at cstavale@kent.edu.

An opportunity of choices

BY Maria Nann When my high school boyfriend and I broke up, the first thing I did was cut my hair.

We’re talking drastic shoulder-length to above-the-ears change, and I was excited. Scared, but excited.

The second decision my newly free self made was to go to a different college than I had planned to attend. And I was excited about that, too.

Scared, again, but excited.

And when I came to school, I promised myself I was going to try new things — join groups, participate in activities. I wanted to protest, chant and be free. I wanted to have a voice, and I wanted to be heard.

So I went to protests. I marched up and down the streets of Kent, chanting alongside a hundred other people, some of whom I knew, most of whom I did not. It was emancipating, like I was my own person, taking a stand for something I believed in. And I had done it with people who held the same beliefs as I do.

I went to meetings, and although I sat quietly in the back, the number of people gathering for a specific cause or reason still impacted me.

I didn’t speak out, but I listened, and I heard intelligent people defending a cause important to them, whether it was important to me. And I learned that every story has two sides, and we should all be sure to hear both sides before making our own decisions.

I went to my first dance club, and it was quite the experience. I had never been much of a dancer. During high school dances, I was always the one sort of bobbing in time to the music but never in the center of the dance floor. Bur here, amid the sweaty, over-perfumed crowd, it was different.

No one knew me, and 98 percent of the people

there would never know me. I could do anything I wanted. So I danced for the first time in my life, and I had fun.

Everyone tells you that college is about studying hard, or about discovering yourself, or about getting acquainted with the freedom of having a social life controlled only by you. But college is really about one thing only — choices.

The decisions you make during college will have an effect on the rest of your life because they affect the person you are becoming, the person you are going to be.

I spoke out, made myself known. I found myself in uncomfortable situations and learned to work through them. I put myself in other people’s positions and discovered things not only about them, but about myself, as well.

I learned that it’s worth getting up at 4:30 in the morning to watch the sun rise, even if it means you’re going to be exhausted by 10 that night. I learned that you don’t always have to be right to be correct and that admitting you are wrong isn’t a sign of failure, regardless of how low it makes you feel. I learned that life without conviction is meaningless, and that you don’t have to change the world to have an impact on it, even if you may not realize it at the time.

I have no regrets — just things I haven’t done yet.

You don’t have to protest or go dancing to get the effect of college. But this is your time to choose what’s important to you and what you want to do with it.

This is life. Whether we’re ready, it’s here and it’s happening. Embrace it.

Welcome to it.

Contact columnist Maria Nann at mnann@kent.edu.

Don’t pack your bags before you have even unpacked

BY Jackie Valley A nearby beach. Pretty city streets with elegant architecture. And a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration every year.

Better yet, its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean means winter temperature highs in the 60s and lows only in the upper 30s.

It sounds like paradise to me. That’s why I added Savannah, Ga., to my potential future home list a few months ago. True, I have never actually been to Savannah or the state of Georgia for that matter, but I did my research.

Consequently, I came to the conclusion that British Gen. James Oglethorpe, who first settled there in 1733, was a pretty smart guy.

Why do I know all this about a city more than 700 miles away from Kent?

Because I tend to be ZIP code antsy. I moved several times growing up, so the thought of staying in one place forever seems unnatural. At first, four years at Kent State seemed like a long time.

But then, a grim reality dawned on me recently: I will be graduating college in two years. I will be on my own, entering the workforce and leaving Kent.

Suddenly, I have cold feet — and not just because I live in Ohio where temperatures can dip unexpectedly during summer.

I’m not ready to be done with college. I’m not even ready to be halfway through college. But, sadly, I am.

Everyone says to savor your college days because they will be the “best four years of your life,” and they will go by quick. Believe those people. It’s true.

It’s true because college is an evolutionary time period, marked by initial fears and then full-force euphoria. You don’t normally hit your stride in college until the end of your sophomore year.

You spend your freshman year adjusting to being out of high school, and for some, being away from home. You make friends. You join campus organizations. You lose friends. Then you make more new friends.

By the time second semester of sophomore year rolls around, you have your posse of lifelong college pals and you’re beginning to become immersed in classes for your major. You’re not 21 years old yet, but otherwise, life is grand.

Before you know it, the first week of May hits.

Suddenly, those hometown friends you could not wait to see after freshman year seem a little more distant. You delay moving out after exams until Residence Services threatens to evict you.

Then you spend the summer between your sophomore and junior year counting down the days until you can move back to Kent, perhaps into a new apartment. It’s almost a guaranteed scenario.

Now as I enter year three of college, I am acutely aware that my days in Kent are numbered until I graduate and head to the beach — or wherever else life leads me first. And this perplexes me.

I’m a dreamer by nature. My mind tends to wander to the future more often than it should, wondering what life will be like after I graduate high school, after I graduate college and after I enter the workforce.

Luckily, one of my best friends since middle school recently brought me back to reality while predicting our future joint family Thanksgiving dinners.

“Your kids will be coloring on the floor while you, oblivious to it all, try to assess the damage done to the turkey after accidentally burning it in the oven,” she prophesied.

That one terrifying prophecy is all it took to curb my future-harping tendencies. Kent may not be my sunny oasis, but it’s my home — and it’s a home with a clear expiration date.

Before you know it, you’ll be entering your junior year also. I just hope you’ll be entering it without the mindset of having hurried away the previous two years. Your time in college is precious.

Don’t wish it away waiting for the future to arrive.

Contact forum editor Jackie Valley at jvalley@kent.edu.

> It’s that time of year again.

Whether you are commuting or living on campus, adjusting to college life is a major transition from high school. We have all been in your position one year or several years ago. We’re here to help. Read about our freshmen year triumphs. Laugh at our freshmen year disasters. Relate to our freshmen year stories.

Whatever the case may be, here’s what we have to say about making the transition to Kent State . . .

— The staff of the Daily Kent Stater 2008 Orientation Issue

Making Kent your home away from home

BY Doug Gulasy OK, time for a true confession: I’m not much of a crier.

Sure, I’ll cry at funerals. It’s hard to avoid that, no matter how stoic you want to appear. But I’m not one to weep during a sad movie. As much as I don’t like seeing Old Yeller or Bambi’s mom die, I’m not one to cry about it.

You might wonder why I’m telling you this if in fact you’re still reading. I promise I’ll get to it.

First, though, let me flash back to two years ago. It was Week of Welcome at Kent State, and I was an incoming freshman from the Pittsburgh area.

I remember how excited I felt.

This was my first extended period away from home, as I’m sure is the case with many of you. I was eager to begin my transition to the real world.

So as I walked toward my parents’ car to see them off, I thought I was ready to begin life by myself. I didn’t think saying goodbye would be that hard.

I was wrong.

Even though I don’t cry much, I definitely cried that day. And I’m not talking about a couple manly tears to show my parents I would miss them. No, I straight up bawled my eyes out, shaking shoulders and all. Suddenly I did not want my parents to leave.

But leave they did, leaving a suddenly homesick 18-year-old in their wake.

My homesickness didn’t stop there. In fact, it festered for basically my entire first semester as I wallowed in self-pity. It never occurred to me to do something about it.

Instead of going out and socializing like other freshmen, I stayed holed up in my dorm room with the door closed. I overindulged on my meal plan and the Freshman 15 became more like the Freshman 30 or 40. By the time winter break hit, I was ready to quit. Give up.

Admit failure and go home.

Flash forward to now as I prepare to enter my junior year.

I’m about 50 pounds lighter

than I was at the end of my first semester and I have plenty of good friends to count as my own.

Simply put, I feel great.

So what happened?

What happened was that I finally realized my homesickness wasn’t going to improve by osmosis. I had to do something about it myself.

Beginning my second semester, I finally began to venture outside my dorm room. I went to the rec center. I went to the M.A.C. Center for basketball games. I joined student organizations such as the Daily Kent Stater and made friends I still have today.

I realize that not all of you freshmen will deal with homesickness. Some of you will be just fine making the transition to college, and that’s great.

But some of you may experience what I did, and that’s all right. Homesickness is a perfectly normal thing for any college freshman to feel, especially if this is your first extended period away from home.

What isn’t all right, though, is letting those feelings consume you and cause you to give up on college too soon. I almost made that mistake.

There’s no cure-all for homesickness. Different things work for different people. For me, what it took was meeting people and making friends. For others, what works is talking to a counselor about what they’re feeling.

But I guarantee you that doing nothing will do the same for your homesickness: nothing. It won’t get better on its own.

If you’re feeling homesick, you’re not alone, even if it may seem that way. Don’t let loneliness drive you to drop out of college. You’ll regret it.

Instead, keep pushing on.

I didn’t give up, and neither should you. College is supposed to be the best years of your life.

Give it a chance to be.

Contact managing editor Doug Gulasy at dgulasy@kent.edu.

Scaring myself into success

BY Anna Duszkiewicz College. It appeared before me as a towering giant.

During high school, wellmeaning teachers used their scare tactics to motivate us: “You won’t get away with this in college” or “You need to know this if you ever want to succeed in college” or “You’re never going to make it through college alive, so don’t even try. Muahaha.”

OK, so I made the last one up.

But that’s how I felt. College was impending doom — the Goliath ahead. It didn’t help that I knew so many people who didn’t make it. My best friend’s sister dropped out before finishing her first semester. My brother dropped out after two years. The single mother of three I babysit for dropped out.

Most of the guys I worked with at my first job at a pizza shop were also college dropouts. I was doomed to fail.

The fateful fall semester came, and I overprepared for everything.

I became a fanatical note taker, hanging onto the professor’s every word. I developed a slight obsession with highlighters. My planner became a friend I could not live without. I kept thinking, “If I don’t make it, at least I’ll go down having given my best.”

I got an A on my first test of the semester, but that didn’t mean anything. I got another A. It will only get harder, I thought. It wasn’t until I finished the semester on the Dean’s List that I loosened up long enough to think, “Huh, maybe this college thing isn’t as bad as everyone says.”

Still, with every semester I feel like it’s going to be harder than it was before, so I still study as if I am going to fail. Perhaps this is not psychologically healthy, but it works for me. Once I get a handle on my classes, I loosen up — but not enough to let my grades slip.

College is not easy. It is much different from high school — not necessarily much harder, but it’s much different. In many of the big classes, no one is going to care if you show up late, or if you don’t show up at all. You can skip class, smoke on campus and talk during a lecture without getting in trouble. If that’s why you’re going to school, have at it.

But do realize that in college, you make your own success. No one is going to take you by the hand and walk you across the stage. It is up to you to realize that while, yes, you have much more freedom, it is important to do the things you had to do in high school –– pay attention, show up, take notes –– for your own good.

The lady I babysit for is back in school. My brother also went back and is set to graduate in December. Circumstances differ.

Some people are forced to drop out. Some want to. I see now that a lot of college dropouts end up going back to school, usually once they realize life isn’t all that pretty when they’re working a dead-end job with not-so-good pay. I didn’t know that when I started college, and it’s probably better that I did not. It may sound unhealthy that I initially scared myself into the 3.8 I maintain today, but I think a little fear can be healthy.

Contact features editor Anna Duszkiewicz at aduszkie@kent.edu.

MORE

ADVICE? GO TO PAGE B4

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Web sites offer student evaluations of professors RateMyProfessors, Pick-A-Prof helpful in choosing classes

READ THE DAILY KENT STATER / PICK IT UP MONDAY 08.25

Senior anthropology major Beth Lomske had heard of RateMyProfessors.com before she started college but didn’t start actually looking at it until after she came to Kent State.

Lomske said she never checks the Web site before she signs up for classes. Instead, she waits until she’s already registered for the next semester, and even then she only looks to find out what she can expect from the pool of professors in her department.

“Whether it’s a horrible professor or not, I probably still have to take it,” she said laughing.

Lomske’s pattern of checking Web sites such as RateMyProfessors or PickAProf.com after registering for classes is as common as those students who check the sites religiously to determine which professor they’d rather take.

Lomske said although she’s w r i t t e n a cou p l e o f h o n e s t reviews, she’s never felt compelled to write a condemnation of a professor. She added the less-than-glowing reviews she left were for professors whose teaching style were the problem — not the professor’s personality.

More than 1,400 professors from Kent State are listed on RateMyProfessors, with the English and Mathematics departments the two most reviewed. Reviews are searchable by name, university and department, although other ways of sorting the reviews are available. The Web site also offers users a detailed explanation of how ratings are calculated and how top professor lists are determined.

RateMyProfessors also offers students the option of ranking a professor’s hotness, which is denoted by a single chili pepper.

Pick-A-Prof offers reviews of professors broken down by individual classes within a department. The Web site, which dates from 2000, linked up with Facebook with professor rating and

Loftable furniture gives residents many options for living arrangements Daily Kent Stater Sharing a room is something many students experience for the first time when they go to college.

Sharing a small room might seem like the end of the world, but there are ways to organize the room to create more space.

Kent State has 24 residence halls. Sixteen of those 24 are available for freshmen, and 13 of those 16 have loftable furniture.

“The loftable furniture can be

Daily Kent Stater

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Organizing your space well can be key to sharing a dorm room Katie Garland

Brittany Moffat

PAGE

manipulated in many different ways to make more space in the rooms,” said David Taylor, housing and management coordinator.

For example, the bed can be left on the ground, bunked or lofted.

“If students loft their beds over their desks it creates a private workspace in their room for them to do their homework,” Taylor said.

Stores such as Target and Bed Bath & Beyond also sell storage containers for students.

“Flat and wide containers are good for under-the-bed storage that can be used even when the beds are just on the ground,” Taylor said.

Other types of items can help with organization as well.

“Using extra hooks or hanging storage space helps to organize closets,” said Brittney Sloan, senior

interior design major.

Students should talk to all roommates before they move in and decide who will bring what. Taylor said one of the biggest problems he sees is students with duplicates of things they don’t need.

Every room comes with a bed, desk, closet and dresser. Each hall has different room dimensions and shapes.

“One of the best things to do is find out all the measurements of furniture and the room and try to figure out how you want the room set up when you move in,” Sloan said. “It isn’t easy to move furniture after you move all your stuff in.”

Contact student affairs reporter Katie Garland at kgarlan3@kent.edu.

Making new friends is survival Meeting new people, taking chances are part of the experience Jessica Renner

Daily Kent Stater

schedule applications in 2006.

Unlike its competitor, Pick-A-Prof also offers grade histories based on official grade records held by a university. This allows students to see how many A’s, B’s or C’s a professor generally assigns.

While grade histories at other schools are available only if students upgrade from a free account to a paid subscription, grade histories for Kent State are free. The service is provided by the Undergraduate Student Government.

As on RateMyProfessors, PickA-Prof has many reviews of English and mathematics professors. However, not every course has a grade history available.

Although students vary in when

and how often they use these Web sites — either during class registration or after they’ve decided on their schedule — others hardly ever use the sites.

Gary Thomas, junior vocal music major, said he’s heard of the Web sites, but neither he nor his friends use them. He said he vaguely recalled his freshman roommate using one of the sites, but he hadn’t paid much attention at the time.

Thomas said he had never had any cause to use either Web site.

“It’s just not what attracts my interest,” he said.

Contact education, health and human services reporter Brittany Moffat at bmoffat@kent.edu.

Sometimes the college environment can be overwhelming for incoming students, but taking advantage of opportunities to meet new people is vital for freshmen to make new friends.

Psychologist Pamela FarerSingleton, who works at the DeWeese Health Center, said students should be willing to take the risk of putting themselves out there when trying to make new friends.

Farer-Singleton said new students can relate to each other about many things. For most of them, it is their first time moving away from home and leaving friends and family behind.

“Everyone is pretty much in the same spot,” Singleton said.

She advised students to avoid staying in their dorm rooms all the time, focusing only on things and people left behind in a hometown. Oncampus activities may lead to students forgetting about how

much they miss home and allow them to make their new home right here at Kent.

“They create activities to enjoy on campus and on the weekends,” Farer-Singleton said.

Once freshmen are able to overcome potential initial shyness, there are many ways for them to flourish, Farer-Singleton said.

“It is one of the most important times of someone’s life,” she said. “It is a time of real growth when people challenge their own values as sensible and have opportunities to take on thoughts and different opinions that other people have.”

Junior Spanish major Jacquie Fry said being open to others helped her make friends when first coming to Kent.

“I would tell freshmen to be outgoing and talkative in class or in the dorm,” Fry said.

Senior nutrition major Michael Bird said he met many people by talking with them in class. Just asking about assignments or what was going on in class allowed him to find a bond between himself and classmates.

During his first year, Bird said he was not content with the amount of friends he made, so he started getting involved in a lot of extracurricular activities. He helped with Habitat for

Humanity, joined a club sport and joined a club for students in the nutrition program.

“Extra activities make college more exciting,” Bird said. “If all you do is go to class and go home to do your homework, it can get depressing.”

Farer-Singleton suggested students join groups and clubs or attend meetings that are going on around campus. A lot of these groups are free for students, and they span a wide range of interests.

Students can attend religious and cultural groups, volunteer programs and sporting events at little to no cost to them. Singleton said these events give freshmen the opportunity to meet people with similar interests, and these connections can potentially blossom into friendships.

“The way you make friends is by building memories,” FarerSingleton said.

Farer-Singleton said students should not be intimidated by the new mass of people that surrounds them when coming to college.

“The college’s diversity is to be enjoyed,” she said. “Why not check it out?”

Contact social services reporter Jessica Renner at jrenner3@kent.edu.

A6

08.20.2008

[

College is more than a ‘big party’

Administrators share tips for incoming class Ben Wolford

Daily Kent Stater

If tuition stays the same, an undergraduate living on campus will have spent $33,720 on tuition alone after eight semesters at Kent State.

As one such undergraduate said, “It’s just one big party with a cover charge.”

That’s one way to look at it.

But Kent State’s administrators are hoping by graduation, students will gain something from the university more lasting than a headache — and more useful, too.

“We’re complicated people,” President Lester Lefton said. “We can do lots of different things.

You can be an artist and a psychologist. You can be a scientist and religious. You can be a sports enthusiast and a scholar.”

He didn’t say beer connoisseur and temperance activist; perhaps that’s a little too complicated.

But his contention about human complexity resounds at a liberal education university.

“Isn’t it the point of a college education,” Lefton said, “to create well-rounded individuals who are not unidimensional, who can see the world through different lenses?”

Lefton described with reverence his college music professors who were “exhilarating, who inspired me and created transcendent moments.”

Though he was a psychology major at Northeastern University, Lefton said he lapsed into thoughts of studying music, but he was able to stifle them. Music was his mistress, but he always came home to psychology, or something to that effect.

That’s why Lefton is an advocate of exploring as many different facets of knowledge as possible.

“Use every elective you’ve got to take courses in music and theater and religion,” he said, listing others. “You will never have another opportunity to have so much expertise in so many fields available to you … It will open your mind.”

On the other hand, Pete Goldsmith, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs, considers the expenses of soul-searching with a cover charge.

“The first year, maybe yearand-a-half, you can do a lot of exploration,” he said, “but you need to begin to focus in … Most students aren’t in a situation where they can be on the six-year plan or the seven-year plan.”

But Pat Book, vice president for regional development, explored several different areas before she found what she was really interested in.

“I tried different things,” she said. “I took general (education) courses and then I took English and psychology and sociology.

And then I discovered anthropology, and that became my passion.”

And she still made time for a life outside books.

“I went to Rod Stewart concerts, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Judy Collins,” Book said.

That’s all fine, said Yank Heisler, interim vice president for finance and administration, but he pitched a more selfless use for students’ spare time.

“You can certainly often go hear a lecture or go hear a performance,” he said. “The other side of that is, if you’re a student, most of you have more free time than you did during your high school experience. Figure out a way to give something back. Do something volunteering-wise.”

With classes, jobs, volunteer-

ing and concerts, Provost Robert Frank said creating structure for one’s life is a valuable skill for a student.

“The most important thing for freshmen,” he said, “is to think about developing consistent study skills and stress management skills. It’s a big year in people’s lives; there are lots of changes.”

One change might be a switch in one’s major, said Willis Walker, interim vice president for human resources. And if that happens, he encouraged students to go with it.

“As you go through the education process, you have to realize that you are learning skills,” Walker said, “some of which are transferable to whatever it is you may decide you want to become if you change your mind about what it is you think you want to become now.”

For example, Walker, who is also Kent State’s chief university counsel, paid for his undergraduate degree by laying bricks. After he decided he wanted to become a lawyer, he landed his first job with the National Urban League because he had knowledge of the construction trade.

In whatever facet of studentdom a college student places priority, Gene Finn, vice president for institutional advancement, said he or she should be thinking “carpe diem.”

“Now is the time,” he said.

“Take an art course. Take something you wouldn’t normally try.

Now’s the time to do it because once you get out into the real working world, there aren’t as many opportunities for that.”

And there will always be opportunities for parties with cover charges.

Contact principal reporter Ben Wolford at bwolfor2@kent.edu.

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

meeting your administrators You pay their salaries. They run your university. A look at how university administrators run Kent State on a daily basis from their point of view. > THE TOP TWO

PAGE

> Lester

Lefton

president

The caricature of the university president: “cigar smoking, brandy snifter” in hand, is long outdated, Lefton said.

“The truth is, today a president of a major research university is more like — and I’m not sure if this is such a good thing — a CEO of a large corporation,” he said, “having to make executive decisions about a multi-hundred million dollar budget.”

But Lefton said he wishes it weren’t so.

“I’m an academic at heart,” he said. “I’m not a businessman at heart.”

And while he said he makes an effort to be Kent State’s academic leader as much as possible, most of his time involves working with the government or meeting with deans and faculty.

> Robert

Frank

provost

As provost, Robert Frank serves as the academic visionary for the university.

“The provost is the chief academic officer of the university and oversees all the academic programs,” he said.

Frank is beginning his second year at Kent State.

“While they’re students here, both the quality of the education they get and any new programs that get initiated, the provost would have a big role in those,” Frank said.

The role, he said, is ensuring programs are supported by capable faculty and the skills students learn will be marketable to employers.

MORE ADMINS > > > >

^ I’m an academic at heart.

I’m not a businessman at heart.

President Lester Lefton

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Pat Book vice president for regional development

The basic element of Pat Book’s job is outreach.

“I’m sort of the senior outreach officer for the university,” she said.

“That means that I interact with communities and with business and industry.”

She aligns the resources Kent State has with the needs of the area’s economic markets. For example, if the Cleveland Clinic needs a nurse intern and Kent State has nurses to offer, Book lets both know.

On top of that, she oversees the office of continuing and distance education, which offers classes mostly to professionals and other non-traditional students.

She described her job as “not so much sitting in here, but being out there.”

Gene Finn vice president for institutional advancement

Most of Gene Finn’s work happens behind the scenes.

M W F in the Daily Kent Stater

DAILY KENT STATER DAILY KENT STATER

“I work in one of those areas that students don’t know a lot about,” he said.

But students do see the results of his work in their financial aid packages.

“I oversee all the fundraising and alumni relations activities,” he said. “So by the time students get a sense of what we’re doing it’s really because of scholarships that have been donated, faculty and professorships that have been established and newly renovated buildings.”

The most direct contact Finn’s office has with students is when it hires them to make calls for donations in the phone center and when it uses student ambassadors for alumni relations.

Pete Goldsmith vice president for enrollment management and student affairs

Of all the cabinet members, Goldsmith’s responsibilities have the most direct effect on students.

“I’m responsible for all the enrollment management func-

tions,” he said, “including admissions, financial aid, which is very popular with students, and registration. And on the student affairs side, (I’m responsible for) many of the support services for students.”

Those services under his direction include Residence Services, the counseling center, the health center, Student Accessibility Services and the Center for Student Involvement.

“I tend to interact a lot with folks who interact with students,” Goldsmith said.

Yank Heisler interim vice president for finance and administration

Since stepping into the vacant vice president for finance and administration slot, Heisler has taken the reigns of what

amounts to the infrastructure of the university.

He oversees the operation and construction of facilities, financial affairs, Dining Services, public safety and the university budget. “(Students) will interact first with us because they pay us,” Heisler said. “The Bursar’s office comes under business and finance.”

The second interaction will probably be with the campus environment.

“What they see, in terms of the grounds and the condition of our buildings and the classrooms and dorms,” he said. “We’re kind of responsible for all that maintenance and repair.”

Willis Walker interim vice president for human resources

Willis Walker is the chief university counsel at Kent State but since January has been interim vice president for human resources.

He said his office has very

little interaction with students.

He does, however, work with the people who work with students.

“We oversee the hiring and management of employment matters for the university,” Walker said.

Tom Neumann interim vice president for university relations

As vice president for university relations, Tom Neumann directs uni-

PAGE

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versity marketing and communications, federal and state government relations and WKSU-FM.

Ed Mahon vice president for information services

Ed Mahon manages Kent State’s information technology systems, the most student-visible of which are FlashLine and FlashZone wireless Internet.

>> sign up for daily updates at kentnewsnet.com/register

— Ben Wolford

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To work or not to work? Academic advisers keep you on track to graduate find a job Daily Kent Stater Jasmine Jefferson, senior American Sign Language major, didn’t look for a job until the spring semester of her freshman year. At her mother ’s suggestion, she took the fall semester to gauge how much work she’d have and adjust to college and campus life.

Jefferson said she now thinks she could’ve handled working from the start, but she’s glad she waited to find work.

Doug Neitzel, head dean of the First Year Advising Center, said academic advisers have a formula for determining if freshmen should work and how many hours they can reasonably schedule. The formula takes into account a student’s total number of credit hours and how much he or she should — in theory — study for each class.

If a freshman is taking a full course load of anywhere from 12 to 15 credit hours, he or she can expect to spend at least 24 to 30 hours or more a week in class and working on assignments outside of class, Neitzel said.

If students are spending 45 hours or more in classes, counting study time, advisers recommend they work no more than 15 to 20 hours a week.

Neitzel said formulas like this don’t take into account the needs of students today. He said it’s not unusual for students who are doing poorly in a class to take a poor grade because they are unwilling to think of themselves as students first and employees second.

Sophomore English major Lisa Mirkovich said she saved all the money she made between the ages of 16 and 18 and lived off her savings her freshman

year. Instead of working, she said she chose to be involved in different student groups and learn how to handle a college course load. She said she’s glad she did it that way.

For other students, though, working freshman year is not always an option.

Jacob Hupp, freshman integrated life sciences major, will have a work-study position this year. He said he suspects his job may cut into his studying time, but the staff of the Career Services Center has told him to come in if he’s concerned his studies are suffering because of his job.

on campus

n Visit the Career Services Center Web

site at http://career.kent.edu to search for opportunities.

The joy of paperwork

Ami Hollis, associate director of the Career Services Center in the Michael Schwartz Center, said in an e-mail that her office usually places about 5,000 students in on-campus jobs every year. She added most student employees fill out the required paperwork to work on campus at the beginning of the fall semester, but there are always students coming in to look for work.

Hollis said the services offered by her office extend beyond helping students find work. She said a student trying to decide between two jobs is welcome to stop by the center daily between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. or between 2 and 4 p.m. to talk with a counselor. The counselor can help the student determine the challenges and benefits of each possible job and determine what fits best with his or her schedule.

Neitzel said choosing work over social involvement may not be the best choice for some students. For others, adding a job to their schedule can help them learn time management skills.

Both he and Hollis agreed on

n Follow instructions for logging into

CampusWorks.

n Visit the Michael Schwartz Center to

fill out paperwork, and be sure to bring proper identification. This includes either a passport or both a driver’s license and social security card. n On-campus jobs require students to

sign up for direct deposit. Students may do this by logging on to FlashLine and going to the My HR tab to complete the direct deposit form. one point: An off-campus job may have certain benefits for students, but on-campus jobs have statistically improved student retention rates. Students who work on campus consistently feel more involved, make more connections with their coworkers and other students and are more likely to finish their undergraduate studies at the same school where they start.

Contact education, health and human services reporter Brittany Moffat at bmoffat@kent.edu.

READ arts. life. leisure.

EACH THURSDAY IN THE Daily Kent Stater

Students sound off on finding a job during your freshman year Rebecca Odell

Daily Kent Stater From investigating possible majors to knowing when to withdraw from a class, academic advisers are a resource to help students navigate their college education.

“The adviser is a personal consultant,” said Doug Neitzel, assistant dean of Undergraduate Studies and head of the First Year Advising Center. “Part of our job is to make students better consumers of their own education.”

Neitzel said students should know that advising is about much more than selecting classes for the upcoming semester. Students can meet with an adviser for advice on topics such as dropping classes, balancing free time and interpreting university policies and procedures.

“Advising is a means of transitioning into college life,” Neitzel said. “We help students become acquainted with other resources on campus.”

It takes time to understand the flow of the semester, and being on a new campus with new responsibilities and freedoms can overwhelm incoming students, Neitzel said. “(Freshmen) know they will be challenged academically, but they don’t know what direction that challenge will take,” Neitzel said.

Lack of time management skills is the No. 1 problem Neitzel said he sees in freshmen.

Honors College adviser Becky Gares said the first topic she addresses when a student is having difficulty with a course is the student’s attendance in the class.

Gares said she asks students if they have an organizational system and note-taking skills. She recommends students take the time to talk to their professor about problems before or after class or during office hours.

The next step is to see if any study groups, supplemental instruction or tutoring possibilities are available for the course, Gares said.

“If you’re having trouble, odds are you aren’t the only one,” Gares said.

If a student has tried every avenue and is still struggling with the course, he or she can consider withdrawal, Gares said.

“If you’ve exhausted all those possibilities, by the end of the 10 weeks I would strongly recommend dropping the course,” she said.

University policy permits withdrawal from a course through the 10th week of the semester. Any classes dropped after the second week of the semester will be recorded as a “W” grade on the student’s academic record. If a student does not drop a class before the 10-week deadline, he or she must complete the course and will receive a grade.

Students who wish to retake a class have the opportunity to repeat a lower-division course using the Rule for Recalculation of First-Year Grade Point Average, which replaced the Freshman Forgiveness policy in January 2008.

As part of the policy, the course can be repeated at any time during a student’s undergraduate years at Kent State for a letter grade. All grades received will appear on the student’s transcript, but only the highest grade will be used to recalculate the student’s grade point average.

Any letter grade will be forgiven for a higher grade, but the policy does not apply to content courses such as internships, individual investigations or special topics courses.

Although the Rule for Recalculation of First-Year Grade Point Average is available to students, Gares said students need to realize it could take up to three semesters to catch up after one semester of poor academic performance.

Advisers can help students navigate around policies such as the Rule for Recalculation of FirstYear Grade Point Average, but one source is not enough, said Rachel Walls, junior art education major.

Walls, who consults three different advisers, said advisers have always answered her questions and helped her get the information she needed throughout her college education, but she received incor-

TAKE IT FROM

tHoSE wHo KNow

]

Brittany Moffat

How to

I withdrew from a math class I started taking. It was really easy, it was five days a week

and I’m a journalism major — I hate math. It was for the better because I realized I could take a philosophy class and it would count as my math credit. Ben Wolford

I always register for the maximum amount of credit hours,

just so I can drop one. It’s inevitable that one of the classes or professors, particularly with

LER classes, doesn’t mesh well with me. Unfortunately, my mom just told me the other

day that it costs us $9 every

time I drop a class, so I guess my escape plan should be

[

Students sound off on finding a job while managing the rest of your freshman year

used with caution. Halley Miller

more advice at

KentNewsNet.com

rect information from one during her freshman year.

“It is good for freshmen to know the opportunities available to them, and more knowledge is never a bad thing,” Walls said.

“Just be careful to check and double-check your information.”

Gares said students can best make use of their advising appointments by preparing for them. A student should review the undergraduate catalog, Web site and graduation requirement sheets beforehand and have a list of questions ready for his or her adviser.

“Your education is your responsibility,” Gares said. “We are here to keep you on track.”

Contact regional campuses reporter Rebecca Odell at rodell1@kent.edu.

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

The truth behind joining a fraternity or sorority All you need to know about going Greek Kristen Traynor

Daily Kent Stater If students are planning to join a social sorority or fraternity this fall, there are a few things they should know. The Greek system at Kent State is separated into three separate entities: Black Greek Council, Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council.

Panhellenic Council

The Panhellenic Council sororities have the most formal recruitment process of the three groups.

The Panhellenic Council includes six separate sororities, and it has a Facebook application that includes forms and information for interested applicants at http://panhellenicfacebook.com.

Women interested in joining a sorority can enroll in recruitment information nights Aug. 26 through Aug. 28. On the first day, information will be given on philanthropies and financial costs for each sorority.

“The cost is a big jump from sorority to sorority,” said Whitney Baker, president of Panhellenic Council.

At this point, recruits, called

FINDING A PLACE TO KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE

Opening up a checking account and selecting a bank is something that many new students have to do. Sometimes it’s hard to read the fine print and find all the hidden catches that come with “deals” the banks give you. Not all offers are bad, and it can take patience and paying close attention to details for students to find the bank and program that works for them.

— Arielle Williams

“potential new members,” will choose four sororities they think fit them best. The next day potential new members will spend time with each of the four sororities and pick two at the end of the day, listing their first and second choice.

The sororities will then list their choices, and recruits will be placed into a sorority with an announcement at Bid Night on Aug. 28. After this, the process toward initiation usually takes six to eight weeks, Baker said. Sorority members must have at least a 2.5 GPA.

Black Greek Council

Black Greek Council’s recruitment is a little less formal, said Della Marie Marshall, adviser of BGC and associate director of the Center for Student Involvement.

The regional director for each organization within the council tells the chapter how many recruits it can take each semester, depending on the number of members in the chapter. Most recruitment for BGC takes place in the spring, but some is done in the fall. The council includes three male groups and two female groups.

“Each group handles their own process,” Marshall said.

Marshall said anyone interested in joining should approach a group member or president to

find out when the meeting for new members will be. Each group only has one meeting, so if people miss it, they may miss out for a whole year. However, the groups do advertise using avenues such as Facebook and fliers.

The Interfraternity Council

The Interfraternity Council is the least formal in its recruiting process, but the group is working to make the procedure more formal with this year’s open house events, said Amy Davis, graduate assistant in the Center for Student Involvement.

Usually, those interested in joining a fraternity would have to find a fraternity member or be approached by one in order to become a member, but this year, the group is experimenting with open houses, such as those in the TV show “Greek.” Unlike the show’s open houses, however, Kent State’s will be alcohol-free.

Davis said when students join a fraternity or sorority, they’re much more connected to the campus and the community, and they’re more likely to stay at Kent State and do well in school.

“It’s supposed to be your home away from home,” Baker said. “Sorority life kept me here. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Contact principal reporter Kristen Traynor at ktraynor@kent.edu.

KEY BANK

n Located at 620 S. Water St., (330) 677-3200

n Special where students get a free iPod when they open a free student checking

account or debit card n Students must follow all online instructions to get the iPod n Set up online account access n Apply for a student credit card with a $300 to $500 limit (must make payments on time) n Students get the iPod in September as long as their accounts don’t close or overdraft n First box of checks costs $10 n Key Bank is giving away $2,500 scholarships (students don’t have to have an account, but they do have to register)

NATIONAL CITY BANK

n Located at 1180 W. Main St.,

(330) 673-1332 n Standard free checking account with debit card (must start with $50 in account) n No minimum balance, but students must have activity; if no activity within 6 months, the bank will begin charging fees n Free online banking and bill payment n Student savings account free with checking account (must start with $50 in account) n Free “checking plus” (monthly bill payment and direct deposit available) n ”Points program” free: For every dollar students spend, they get 2 points that can be turned in for money or use at various stores n National City has duffle bags and water bottles to give away if students open an account

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK

n Located at 1500 E. Main St, (330) 678-8282;

101 E. Main St, (330) 677-8200; 1035 W. Main St, (330) 677-8210; 250 S. Water St, (330) 677-8301; Kent Student Center, (330) 677-8243 n First 50 checks free n Students can open up a savings account linked to their checking account for overdraft protection n Account linked to FlashCard so students can use their FlashCard at ATMs n Free online banking and bill payment n ATMs on campus: Student Center, Eastway, outside Bowman Hall

08.20.2008

Communication important when dealing with roommates Approach problems diplomatically, ask a third party to help TIPS FOR GETTING ALONG WITH ROOMMATES

Amanda Egut

Daily Kent Stater When freshmen move into the dorms, they often find tight quarters, lofted beds and no doors to separate beds into bedrooms. Add in an unfamiliar roommate, and it may seem like a lot for new students to get used to.

So how do freshmen deal with these unique living arrangements?

“Communication was really important,” said Monica Volante, junior electronic media production major. “I didn’t want to make her (my roommate) feel bad, so if anything bothered me I would never mention it.”

Volante said, however, saying nothing was as bad as yelling all the time because nothing got accomplished.

n Keep communication lines open.

matically — don’t yell. n Keep the room organized. n Don’t use roommates’ space. n Return borrowed items. n Don’t steal from roommates.

n Bring in a third party like an RA if a bad situation persists and communication has been unsuccessful. n Don’t have friends over late at night. n Be considerate of roommates’ sleeping and studying needs. n Don’t leave trash in the room.

“Looking back on it, I realized if I would have asked her to change things it wouldn’t have been as scary as I thought,” Volante said.

“She probably didn’t like some things that I did either.”

Setting up the room can also be a challenge for freshmen because they have to decide where the beds go, who uses what closet and who gets to watch shows at certain times.

“We kept our room a her-half, my-half deal,” junior dance major Allie Ketterer said.

Resident assistants can help in the organization process, said Amy Quillin, associate director of Residence Services. If students need a resource such as a phone number, they can contact RAs. “RAs are also students who go to class, take tests and have

n If there is a problem, approach it diplo-

KSU graduate Teresa Belfiore suggests being open when talking to your roommate about your living needs. “Communication is very important,” she says. She also suggests not letting things accumulate

over time without anything being said. She advised being courteous to your roommate, and if you’re having problems, talk it out with each other.

Senior English major Sarah Koby says in order to avoid any roommate problems, be sure to talk everything out. If students are having problems with roommates, bring it up. If students feel they can’t bring the issue up to their roommate, she suggests getting the resident

My roommate was my best friend from high school, and we got along great. It’s important to communicate when something about your roommate is bothering you because chances are they have no idea they are bothering you. Jessica Lumpp My biggest problem about learning to live with a roommate was getting homework done. It was almost impossible for me to focus on the 10-page research paper due in less than 24 hours when my roommate was chilling on the futon watching “The Bachelor.” I had very little self-control and I’d usually end up watching it with her. You have to discipline yourself. Kristine Gill

Contact relationships reporter Amanda Egut at aegut@kent.edu.

The best thing to do is to talk things over beforehand. Make sure you set guidelines and expectations for when you can have guests, when you clean the room, etc. That way, if a situation comes up, you know how to deal with it and you aren’t put on the spot. Christina Stavale

assistant or residence hall director involved so they can help mediate the problem.

— your roommate eating your favorite food every time you buy it, for example — “talk it out and try not to yell.”

Sophomore exploratory major Natalie Dawson suggests hiding the good stuff, such as valuables, jewelry, meaningful items and, of course, good food.

Senior psychology major Yejide OlaniyanOlaniyan recommends not rooming with your best friend.

“You hear it all the time, but until you actually go through the experience like I did,” she says, “you will understand why it’s a real big precaution.”

Senior anthropology major Julia Shuttleworth says to let the little things go, but if something’s a big deal

The only roommate I ever had was from Japan and spoke limited English — just enough to get a thought across but not enough for me to feel obligated to speak to him all the time. He was really laid-back, though, so we got along really well. If a roommate does something you don’t like, decide if it’s better to let it slide or to respectfully bring it up.

As much as you don’t like your roommate leaving fingernail clippings on your pillow, you may not want to come off as a complainer. Ben Wolford

Be considerate of the other person’s space and belongings, and ask the same consideration for your own. If something’s bothering you, talk to the person, and then go to your RA. For irreconcilable differences, it’s possible to get your room assignment changed. Kiera Manion-Fischer

[

Junior fashion merchandising major Brittany Bigsbee’s advice to incoming freshmen is to complete a roommate agreement form. She says it’s very important because roommates

can tell each other what their expectations and needs are from each other.

She suggests asking questions such as: “Are you a messy person?”, “Do you have early classes?” and “Do you mind if friends come over?”

TAKE IT FROM THOSE WHO KNOW

social lives,” Quillin said. “The system is set up to supplement or augment what students learn in the classroom.”

An easy way to keep organized and facilitate communication is a dry erase board, senior mathematics major Bob Vokac said. The board can be placed in a communal area where everyone can see it and write notes to each other. “(The dry erase board) helped keep my apartment organized,” Vokac said. “Sometimes I didn’t see my roommates for days, (but) they would come in, see the note and know what was going on.”

Vokac lived off campus after transferring to Kent State last year and now wishes he could have had the dorm experience.

“I kind of wish I would have lived in the dorms,” Vokac said. “It looks like you meet a lot of people.”

YOU AND YOUR ROOMMATE JUST MOVED INTO YOUR DORM THAT WILL BE YOUR HOME FOR THE NEXT YEAR. HERE IS SOME ADVICE FROM STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE: Senior graphic design major Stephen Rollick’s roommate was messy and rarely left the room. Rollick says they rarely talked to each other, making it an awkward situation. He has one piece of advice: “Be clean and tidy or else the bugs will move in.”

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

more advice at

KentNewsNet.com

— Ashley Williams

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

This Summit East lot is one of the many places commuters can park while they’re on campus.

New commuter students face their own challenges On-campus residents a minority among all Kent State students Rebecca Odell

Daily Kent Stater As masses of freshmen begin to unpack their bags and maneuver their belongings into residence halls during the Week of Welcome, it may seem as though everyone lives on campus.

However, students who live in campus housing are a minority at Kent State.

Approximately 22 percent

of students at Kent State live on campus, according to the Center for Student Involvement Web site.

The remaining 78 percent of students live off campus and choose to commute.

Commuting can have its advantages and disadvantages, said Alexia Boyles, senior early childhood education major.

Boyles said she decided to commute from her home 10 minutes from campus after living in a dorm for one semester. Commuting was convenient and cost-effective, but Boyles said she began to feel separated from campus life.

“I found that it was very easy for me to become secluded and lose that strong connection with

the KSU campus and the sense of community I felt while living in the dorms once I moved off campus,” she said.

Boyles said working on campus and staying involved in student organizations helped her stay connected to the campus.

Jared Smith, Undergraduate Student Government senator for off-campus and commuter students, said commuters are at a disadvantage because they do not have a reason to stay on campus after class. They are not exposed to information about campus events the same way residence hall students are.

“If you’re a commuter, you do not have the same luxury as some-

one who lives on campus who always knows what’s going on,” Smith said.

O ff - c a m p u s s t u d e n t s a re encouraged to learn more about events happening on campus through involvement with the Commuter and Off-Campus Student Organization, said Michael Lillie, assistant director for the Center for Student Involvement.

Smith said COSO hosts a coffee hour for off-campus and commuter students about seven times a semester in the lower level of the Student Center. These events allow students to enjoy free coffee and breakfast foods while meeting new people and learning about events happening on campus.

COSO also hosts a housing fair in the spring to provide students with information about apartment complexes in the area. Student Legal Services provides information about precautions to take before signing a lease.

Commuters should become involved in student organizations because they are a great way to meet people and stay busy, Smith said.

“There are more than 200 (student organizations) here at Kent State, and if you get involved, you’re going to meet people,” he said.

Boyles said off-campus students can get connected to campus by introducing themselves to

people, reading the newspaper, joining clubs and organizations that interest them or getting a job on campus. Hanging out in populated areas such as the Hub can help students meet new people, Boyles said.

“It makes the entire college experience so much more worthwhile, and all of these opportunities are readily available to those willing to explore them,” Boyles said.

Commuters who want to learn more about COSO can contact the organization by e-mail at coso@kent.edu or by phone at (330) 672-2480.

Contact regional campuses reporter Rebecca Odell at rodell1@kent.edu.

watch. read. react. >> sign up for daily updates at kentnewsnet.com/register

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

[ DAILY KENT STATER

2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE SECTION B 08.20.08

]

campus survival

LOOK FAMILIAR? So your family is gone. You’re getting settled in your dorm room, meeting your neighbors and wondering what you’re going to do until classes start next week. What to do? What to do?

How about getting to know the campus? You know — your home for the next few years?

FlashCash isn’t the same thing as your meal plan. We know it’s complicated. Figure it out. B2 Undergraduate Student Government is your voice at Kent State. Learn more about the group. B3 What are your rights as a student? Student Legal Services is here to help — and you pay for it. B5 Discover the stories behind some of the art around campus. B6 The seasons in Kent are unpredictable and often all run together. It’s best to be prepared. B9 Feeling under the weather? Find out about the services offered at the on-campus health center. B11 Being at college doesn’t mean you have to give up your faith. Kent is multi-denominational. B11

inside >

[

HOW TO

eat on campus

From the Hub to the 24-hour Rosie’s, there’s plenty to satisfy you using your meal plan. B2

HOW TO

stay safe

Learn how to stay safe on and off campus and what Kent State offers for your security. B5

HOW TO

buy your books

Think you’re getting the best deal on textbooks?

Find out where to buy to save the most . B7

HOW TO

navigate FlashLine

Learn how to navigate the online home of your class schedule, Bursar’s account and more. B8

HOW TO

get around

Yes, there are buses, but watch where you park.

Find out how to get to and from class fast. B10

+ 8 other ways

]

to m a ke i t i n co l l e g e

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

When you just want to eat . . .

Knowing how much you have to spend, where you can spend it and when to eat is just the start of understanding KSU dining Michelle Bender

Daily Kent Stater Learning how to use a meal plan is just one more thing students on campus have to figure out in their freshman year.

With careful planning and budgeting, getting through the semester without a growling stomach can be easy.

“I highly suggest students budget appropriately to get the best value of their plan,” said Andrea Spandonis, director of University Dining Services.

According to the Dining Services Guide, the best way to budget a meal plan is to take the dollar amount and divide it by 15, the number of weeks in the semester. That amount divided by the number of days a student plans to eat on campus per week is the dollar amount available to spend per day.

“It looks like a big lump sum,

but by the time you get down to the last weeks you realize you are running low,” said Chris Camp, senior justice studies major.

Brett Dellasantina, senior visual communications design major, advises freshmen not to buy food for their friends without meal plans because that eats up meal plan dollars quickly.

Spandonis said the Basic and Lite plans must be used up by the end of the spring semester or the remaining money will not be refunded. Remaining money on those plans does carry over from fall to spring semester.

The Premier and Premier Plus plans roll dollars over after spring to the following fall.

There are 20 different places on campus where students can use their meal plans. John Goehler, assistant director of Dining Services, said each café serves something different every night. For example, the dinner at Eastway will be dif-

ferent from the dinner served at Prentice Hall.

“Students are afraid to use their meal plan and don’t know where the food places are,” Goehler said.

“They are afraid to explore.”

He said the cafés offer much variety for the students.

Rosie’s Diner has a grab-andgo section to help students make healthy choices. The cafés also offer different ethnic foods. Indian food will be offered this year, and a sushi chef will be on campus making fresh sushi every day. The cafés also have special theme nights, such as Wing Night and Soul Food Night.

“We will work with dietary and health restrictions,” Spandonis said. “The biggest mistake students make is not coming to talk to us. If you can’t find something, say so.”

University Dining Services also accommodates commuters.

The Hub is restricted from meal plan use between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

so that commuters have a place to eat, Goehler said.

Commuter students can also purchase a meal plan; otherwise they can use FlashCash at any Dining Service location.

According to the FlashCard guide, FlashCash is money students can store on their FlashCards.

It works much like a debit card.

FlashCash can be used not just for meals, but at copy machines, printers and the University Bookstore.

Also, many businesses off campus accept FlashCash for purchases.

Spandonis said there are a lot of pluses to staying on campus and purchasing a meal plan.

“We guarantee nutritional value and access to meals,” Spandonis said. “Grocery stores don’t cook or clean for you.”

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Michelle Bender at mbender2@kent.edu.

WHERE TO USE YOUR The Hub Summit Street Café Rosie’s Diner/Rations MEAL PLAN > Eastway Food Service Ice Arena Michael Schwartz Center Snack Shop

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

ON-CAMPUS LOCATIONS TO USE FLASHCASH All Dining Services locations All food court merchants n Bursar transactions n Campus Copy Connection n Campus vending machines n Copiers at the library and other locations n DeWeese Health Center n Eastway recreation

Ice Arena Michael Schwartz Center food bar n Jazzman’s library cart n Parking Services n Schwebel Garden Room n Signum Copy Studio n University Bookstore

n

n

n

n

OFF-CAMPUS LOCATIONS TO USE FLASHCASH Acme in Stow and Kent n Burger King n Campus Book and Supply n China City in University Plaza n Citgo Gas on Water Street n CVS Pharmacy n Domino’s Pizza n DuBois Book Store n East of Chicago Pizza n Eldorado’s Pizza Pie n Europe Gyro n Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service n Giant Eagle in Stow n Guy’s Pizza n Hungry Howie’s Pizza n Jimmy John’s n Kent State Golf Course n Leander’s Barber Shop n

Mike’s Place n Mr. Hero n Papa John’s n Pizza Hut n Pizza Pan n Pufferbelly Ltd. n Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar n Rockne’s n RSVP in Stow n Save-A-Lot n Sheetz n Sorboro’s Italian Kitchen n Stark Campus Bookstore n Subway in Acme Plaza, Water Street and inside Wal-Mart n Sunoco n Susan’s Coffee & Tea n

Kent Markets I and II Prentice Hall

Munchies

Stewart Hall/Cookie Jar

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Undergraduate Student Government is your voice to university administration Katie Garland

Daily Kent Stater The Undergraduate Student Government is a student organization that represents students and their ideas. With a recently updated government structure, USG has more members and more money to fund programs.

USG’s main focus is allocating money to other student organizations and programming events with its own money.

“We are here to represent students to the administration,” Executive Director Jonathan Bey said.

Bey said a little-known fact is that USG offers free blue books for students who are taking exams. USG also runs a judicial advocates program to help students who are going through Judicial Affairs.

“I don’t think that students realize how much authority that USG has,” said Scott Sherwood, director

for student advancement.

With its many connections to the college and community, USG offers students the chance to meet anyone from the president of the university to the city manager.

To be a member of USG, students have to be in good academic standing. Elections are in the spring, and anyone from freshmen to seniors are eligible to run.

“The best way for freshmen to get involved is to join any university committee and come to the meetings,” Bey said. “Another way to establish yourself would be to join an organization.”

Being a part of any organiza-

tion has its benefits, and USG is no different.

“USG teaches you how to deal with situations when your first idea doesn’t work; its about recovery and re-planning,” Bey said. “It also looks great on a résumé.”

USG meetings are held at 4 p.m. every Wednesday in the Governance Chambers on the second floor of the Student Center.

USG will have booths at Back to School BlastOff and the Black Squirrel Festival. It will also host four large concerts this school year.

Contact student affairs reporter Katie Garland at kgarlan3@kent.edu.

B3

Student organizations good launching pad Participation on campus can look good to employers Katie Garland

Daily Kent Stater There are approximately 225 student organizations on Kent State’s campus, all of which are designed, developed and controlled by students.

With so many different organizations, there is something for everyone to get involved with.

“When students first come to campus, joining an organization is a great way for them to meet

people,” said Thomas Simpson, assistant director of the Center for Student Involvement.

Groups generally attract students with similar interests, providing an opportunity for them to make new friends.

Employers will look at both grades and what students are involved in, Simpson said.

Freshmen can look into the different groups Kent State offers by attending BlastOff. The event is being held from 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 25 at the track behind DeWeese Health Center.

“The best thing to do is just go to meetings that you are interested in,” said Jonathan Bey, executive director of the Undergraduate Student Government. “It’s a great way to meet new people and get experience working with people.”

Contact student affairs reporter Katie Garland at kgarlan3@kent.edu.

READ THE DAILY KENT STATER PICK IT UP MONDAY 08.25

Your representatives at Kent State

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Balance the best of both worlds

First friends don’t have to be your best friends

BY Kristina Deckert

BY Kelsey Henninger

FORUM

B4

The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Forum Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors.

Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns.

Submissions become property of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.

Having a job and going to college full time can be a real pain. You go to class all day just to come home, change your clothes and go to work.

Whether you decide to get a job at one of the restaurants in the Hub, drive a PARTA bus or bust underage kids for drinking in the dorms as a campus security guard, you’re probably going to realize it’s hard to balance school, work and a social life, too.

During my first semester at Kent State, I didn’t have a job. I did my schoolwork during the week and partied on the weekends. My parents told me to get used to college life, and then pick up a job my second semester. Well, second semester rolled around and I got a job as a designer at the Daily Kent Stater, but that only paid, like, $3 a week, so I had to make ends meet. That semester, I also worked at Pete’s Arena in the basement of the Student Center. It was a hard adjustment.

If you’re anything like me, you had a parttime job in high school, and that was easy enough to juggle. But college … college is different. Eventually, I had to quit something, and because I would rather work at a newspaper for the rest of my life than a pizza joint, I opted to stay at the Stater for the experience, despite the pay.

During the time I had two jobs, though, I found myself barely having time to do schoolwork or have a social life. But after I quit Pete’s Arena, everything seemed to fall into place. I got the best grades of my entire college career that semester, and I made a lot of new friends after I cut down on my time at work.

If you have a job in college, don’t overwhelm yourself with work. Yes, it’s a lot of pressure if

you’re like me and have to pay for some or all of your tuition. The truth is, if you have to work to pay for school or other things, do it. On the other hand, don’t overwhelm yourself because you will have plenty of time for the work environment when you graduate and get a real job.

This summer, I’ve had a real job — or pretty damn close to a real one. I have been in Chautauqua, N.Y., doing an internship at a newspaper. I don’t have homework, and this summer isn’t the typical summer of having a part-time job and being lazy the other days. I work 40 hours each week — if not more — and a lot of the time, it seems like I’ve slipped into that boring grind of my parents’ lifestyle. I come home from work every day, make myself dinner, watch television, occasionally go places and do things or just sit with my roommates and have a couple beers.

College life, however, is much more exciting.

Really, I’ve had an amazing time this summer.

Even so, it’s the first time I have realized that this is what I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life if I allow it to be that way.

I highly recommend having a job in college.

It will make you a well-rounded person, give you references to put on your résumé and prepare you for a job when you get out of college.

But don’t let work consume you. You will have plenty of time for that in four (or five) years.

Live in the moment. Go out on weekends and have fun. Make mistakes — just not really big ones — and learn from them. Do your schoolwork and go to your job, but there’s more to life than just a job or school.

Contact columnist Kristina Deckert at kdeckert@kent.edu.

Spare yourself; don’t procrastinate

I believe you meet lifelong friends in college, even if the relationships don’t form in the first few days of being on campus.

I came to Kent State not knowing anyone. No one else from my graduating class came here with me, and I didn’t know any upperclassmen. I was embarking on a new chapter of my life completely alone, without a friend by my side.

I remember sitting down at my desk during the first day of Week of Welcome after my parents dropped me off and thinking, “Wow, I have no one to do anything with.”

I needed to make friends fast.

I started wandering the halls of my residence hall looking for friendly faces. I met about 15 girls during the first day. To my surprise, it wasn’t as hard as I thought to make friends because many of the other girls were looking for new friends, too.

I started hanging out with a few girls who had similar interests. We went out the first weekend, and we met up for lunch and dinners when school first started. I liked these girls enough to associate with them, but I didn’t connect with them the way friends should. I was bored with them after a week, but they were people I could do things with on campus.

I kept introducing myself to new people because I wanted to form a strong, lasting friendship with someone I wouldn’t get sick of after a few hours.

Once classes were in full

swing, I noticed one girl from my residence hall was in a few of my classes. I was drawn to her because we had similar career interests, and she was a familiar face in the lecture hall filled with 300 students. I met another girl in my First Year Experience Flash Topic class.

She was also in my math class and one of my lecture classes.

I got to know these girls as we gossiped and griped about school before each class. It was nice to hear they were concerned about the same things I was. I related to these two girls better than the first girls I met.

I started spending more time with the girls I felt a strong connection with and less time with the girls I first met. Consequently, my friendship with those few girls I met at the beginning of WOW fell apart.

College can be a tricky place to form new friendships because it’s hard to connect with someone when the only thing you have in common is the fact that you each don’t have anyone else.

There are so many people at Kent State that you do not have to stay tied to the first friends you meet. They may have only been drawn to you because they didn’t have anyone else, either.

It’s normal to sort through a few dud friendships before finding ones that will continue after college.

Contact columnist Kelsey Henninger at khennin2@kent.edu.

BY Kristine Gill When my editor assigned me a column for this issue of the Stater a few weeks ago, I was glad it wouldn’t be due for some time. But for whatever reason, I immediately responded to her e-mail to suggest a topic. (I still don’t know what motivation seized me then, but I’m working to harness it permanently.) I told her I would be writing my piece on procrastination to warn freshmen of the habit and to dissuade them from the hellacious lifestyle I now lead.

I felt as if I’d already gotten a massive head start on the assignment just by picking a topic and thinking about starting it early. It was a great feeling, a satisfying feeling — a feeling that, until the day or so before the column was actually due, stuck with me and provided a false sense of security.

Saturday night I typed away feverishly. I like my editor and I didn’t want to disappoint her, but I was doing a horrible job, and I knew it. More importantly, I rightly feared the physical abuse I would endure at her hands should I produce shit. There were only a few hours until my column was due, but despite the pressure, my brain could think of nothing but the new Will Ferrell movie, a new entertainment center for my apartment, my intense desire for a piece of cake and the YouTube clips of aliens and ghosts my sister had recently forced me to watch.

Minutes passed.

“I’d rather be reading about Bella Swan and Edward Cullen,” I thought.

Tick, tick, tick. I checked to see what my sister was doing in the other room. I went to the bathroom. I looked for clothes for my dog online. I picked my nail polish, and miraculously, I pro-

duced a column. It reiterated every generic piece of advice your mother and high school guidance counselor ever told you about studying and budgeting your time and maintaining your GPA in college. It was horrible and no one would have read it.

But, Kristine! You’re talking nonsense! How is it that you’ve produced such a flawless column this time around? Having read your pristine work, I do not believe you capable of any less!

I understand your confusion, but I stand by my words. I waited until the last minute, and my work reflected the time I invested in it.

I sent the column to my editor, happy to be rid of it, and went to bed. She wasn’t feelin’ it, either. I received 50 lashings, a verbal beatdown via e-mail and a second chance.

A second chance. This is my second chance.

I’m writing this column the night before my second deadline. I’m actually, technically writing it the day it’s due. It’s 12:30 in the morning, and as scrambled as my brain cells feel, I am compelled to pass this message on.

You don’t get second chances in college.

You don’t get them in general. You don’t get to redo an assignment that was crap the first time around, and you certainly don’t get extensions for laziness, forgetfulness or stupidity. So do it right the first time around. Tell your friends you’ll see them tomorrow, and start your assignment today. Don’t procrastinate. Study. Plan ahead. Recycle. Use other door. Wash hands before leaving restroom. Stop reading this column and start your freshman year off right.

Contact columnist Kristine Gill at kgill2@kent.edu.

Tales from a campus veteran

BY Danny Doherty As your feet start to roam Kent State University, here just a few things you should know: n At Rosie’s Diner in Tri-Towers, no one named Rosie actually works there. Save employees the trouble, and don’t ask to talk to her. n The fountain at Risman Plaza sometimes doubles as a pool or bubble bath. n There are more than 200 student groups. Get involved with something because it makes your year a lot more entertaining. n If you commute, leave yourself ample amount of time to get from Summit East. Trust me: If you are late and park illegally, Parking Services will find you. n Parking Services will waive your first ticket of each semester. After that, it can get a bit pricey. n Don’t be surprised when the Student Recreation and Wellness Center magically gets busy just after winter break. n The campus post office is located in the basement of the Student Center. There are also pool tables, board games and Pete’s Arena, a pizza shop. n PARTA has a late-night shuttle on the weekends, but it is unreliable. On the other hand, Go2Go Taxi is very reliable and is driven by a Kent State alumnus. n If you can wait to see a newly released movie, University Plaza Theatre only charges $5 for students on Mondays. n Look into forwarding your kent.edu mailbox to a different e-mail service. Kent State only allots you 15 MB. Gmail allots more than 7,000 MB. n You pay $7 to Student Legal Services in your tuition. If you have a problem with the law, don’t be afraid to contact them. n The Undergraduate Student Government brings in great bands like Third Eye Blind, who were popular when I was 11. Now I’m 23. n Guy’s Pizza downtown offers $1 slices, a nice greasy addition after a night of drinking downtown.

n The Student Recreation and Wellness Center offers more than 20 sport clubs, such as volleyball, baseball and hockey, that compete on a regular basis. n You can order Fat Billy’s pizza from inside Mugs. n Jimmy John’s will deliver until 4 a.m. on weekends — a nice gourmet addition after a night of drinking at home. n While Ray’s Place is the normal meeting area for last call in Kent, Europe Gyro offers a full menu of food, as well as a stocked bar. n The Loft offers free peanuts to all patrons. n The Kent State Police prefer not to be addressed, “Hey, Pigs!” n There is an all-night Campus Escort Service. If you feel unsafe, don’t hesitate to ask for its assistance. n Do not prank said Campus Escort sService. It is more hassle then the humor is worth. n If you hear a steady beeping in your room, ask your resident assistant to check your smoke detector.

DO NOT remove it on your own. The campus police might visit your dorm in the morning. n Be respectful of the May 4 Memorial. It is there for a reason. Don’t disgrace it. n Your meal plan is not effective in the Hub between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. n Carrying a book bag around campus on a Thursday or Friday night may be seen as suspicious. n The tennis courts behind Verder Hall are very well-lit, perfect for late-night tennis. n There are fall sports other than football. It wouldn’t hurt to visit a volleyball, soccer or field hockey game. n If you choose to go to a sporting event, beware of “Super Fan.” n Buy a very warm coat for the winter months, otherwise known as August through March.

Contact photo editor Danny Doherty at ddoherty@kent.edu.

How to choose a major

BY Kiera Manion-Fischer Many of us come to college with no idea what we want to study.

Exploratory or undecided was the most popular major among undergraduates at the Kent campus last fall. After all, you probably didn’t have to specialize in anything in high school. And that’s a good thing.

Your high school and college years are a time to figure out what you want to do with your life. In high school, you had fewer course options than you do now. Now, you can actually study something that interests you. What a thought!

Picking an undergraduate major is an extremely important decision. Not so much because it will affect the rest of your life, as my history teacher in high school told me, but because it should at least make the next four years bearable.

Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” He might have said the same about choosing a major. “Pick a major you love, and you will never have to work a day in college.”

OK, that might be a little farfetched, but you came here to enjoy yourself and to, I hope, get something out of this whole “college experience.” Maybe your reason is self-improvement — or maximized earning potential.

I know people who started out majoring in what their parents wanted them to, only to realize after two years that they hated it.

I know people who changed their majors during their senior year, effectively adding another two years to their wonderful college experience.

They could have saved themselves a lot of money, pain

and heartbreak by figuring out what they liked early on and sticking to it. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to be an exploratory major, but if you’re still an exploratory major in your senior year, you have a long way to go. Some programs here are more difficult than others, and many require at least four years to complete, usually with a full schedule.

Here are some pointers to help you choose a major that I’ve picked up during my two years here: n Follow your passions. Find something that interests you, and then talk to professors in that area. How can you make a career out of being, say, a philosophy major? n If you don’t see anything you like, eliminate! I knew I didn’t want to be a business major. It sounded boring. n Look at course requirements and descriptions for various programs. Are they courses that you would want to take? n Find ways to get involved with your intended major outside of traditional classroom activities. What social or professional organizations can you join? n Think about what you want to do after you graduate, and if you can, find a job or internship that relates to what you want to do in the future.

Me? I ended up in political science and newspaper journalism because I wanted to do something creative and help others at the same time. Sometimes I love what I do. Sometimes I hate my life. But don’t we all?

Contact news editor Kiera Manion-Fischer at kmanion@kent.edu.

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Understand your rights Student Legal Services wants you to know your rights, offers free help Shannen Von Alt

Daily Kent Stater Every student at Kent State University has rights, and Student Legal Services is there to help students understand and know them.

SLS is part of a national organization that works with different universities to advise and represent students in legal matters.

“We are here to help students so they can focus on their education,” SLS Director Carol Crimi said. “We want students to come to us so we can help them face their legal issues, alleviate some of their stress and get back to their studies.”

Every student on campus is eligible to use SLS’ services as long as he or she has paid the legal fee included on the tuition statement. If the fee is waived, the student is ineligible to receive legal service for the semester.

“The $7 fee gives students access to legal advice and representation in court,” Crimi said.

She said the $7 cost is a good deal for students.

“Court costs and possible fines are on the student, but everything else is covered by the fee,” she said.

SLS has two staff attorneys and one paralegal to assist students and provide them with advice and education about their rights and representation.

“Any attorney here will help you as much as they can,” Crimi said.

“We will represent you in court and even help with appeals.”

SLS does have limitations on what types of legal matters it can handle.

“We deal in three main areas: misdemeanor crimes, landlord tenant cases and certain civil matters,” Crimi said.

SLS cannot represent students in cases of felonies, immigration, tax issues, bankruptcies, divorce and personal injury.

Crimi said students can receive legal advice in these

matters, though.

“While we cannot represent students in certain cases, we can still give them advice and refer them to someone who can help,” she said.

Although SLS is not part of Kent State, it cannot represent students against the university or in university disciplinary actions.

However, SLS can help in most student matters. The most common cases are misdemeanor offenses and landlord issues.

Landlord-tenant cases are very common for SLS to handle, Crimi said. Many different issues can arise for student renters, and knowing tenant rights is important.

“A lot of students do not really know all of the rights afforded to them as a tenant,” Crimi said. “If any student has a landlord issue, it is important for that student to come and see us. We can help.”

To receive legal service, students can call for an appointment to speak with an attorney.

SLS can be reached at (330) 6729550. Pamphlets about SLS and students’ rights are available in the

How to

deal with police n n

Never give up your legal rights.

Don’t talk your way out of trouble.

Save your breath for your lawyer or the judge.

n

You don’t have to give consent to be searched; if arrested, plead not guilty — apply for a public defender or contact SLS or a lawyer.

n

You have nothing to lose but your legal rights.

n

— http://www.dept.kent.edu/SLS/rights.asp SLS office, located in Room 118 in McDowell Hall.

Contact police and courts reporter Shannen Von Alt at svonalt@kent.edu.

In case of an emergency . . . listen up Kent State has public notification systems, procedures in place to keep students safe Maria Nann

Daily Kent Stater Over the summer, university officials have worked diligently to ensure they are doing all they can to protect students in emergency situations.

The university, in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety and Police Services, has put into place a new public announcement system that will help notify students, faculty and staff of any emergency situations on campus.

Dean Tondiglia, associate director of public safety, said the university started installing the PA system when the spring semester ended.

The design and preparation for this project occurred a year ago.

“We decided we wanted to enhance our ability to notify the public,” he said. “We found that the alert monitors worked well and that integrating it into a PA system would enhance our ability to notify the public.”

The system that was put into place in 2001 after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks sent emergency notifica-

tions to one person in each building.

It was that person’s responsibility to make everyone else in the building aware of the emergency. Tondiglia said each building on campus had at least one alert monitor in key areas.

The decision to convert that system into a PA system, Tondiglia said, came after the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. In the new system, everybody will be made aware of an emergency at the same time.

Tondiglia said the university has emergency procedures in place for different circumstances, but he hopes the PA system will better enable the university to make the public aware of such situations.

“We think they’ll notice the emergency situations more now because they’ll hear it throughout their residence halls and academic buildings,” he said. “Hopefully, it will make them more aware of situations.”

John Peach, director of public safety and Kent State police chief, said Kent State is in the top 1 percent in the country in its ability to notify the public of emergency situations.

“The university has spent hun-

dreds of thousands of dollars to enable us to respond and react as well as possible to an emergency,” he said. “There are a lot of relatively new safety measures now that didn’t exist at the beginning of last school year, and we’re excited.”

Aside from the new PA system, Peach said the university is wellequipped with other forms of notifications to keep its students and faculty safe.

A text messaging system is not new to Kent State this year, but it has been enhanced, Peach said. In the event that an emergency takes place, faculty and staff, as well as students, will be notified of the situation via cell phone. Students and faculty must sign up for the system, called FlashAlerts.

“We’re still trying to encourage people to sign up,” Peach said.

The university also sends out notifications in emergency situations via cable television, which is available in all residence and academic halls on campus. In the case of an emergency, the university will send out a banner and an audible notification on the TV. Peach said the university Web site also has a place for emergency notifications, though the university is still experimenting with it. If there is an

emergency, a flashing banner on the Web site explains the situation. The nice thing about the Web site, Peach said, is that anyone, including parents, can see what is taking place and receive up-to-date information.

The university sends out emergency notices to all Kent State e-mail addresses as well.

Peach said the city of Kent has an AM radio broadcast station the university uses during emergency situations. The university would broadcast with up-to-date information on 1620 AM. Kent State has developed and continues to update an emergency preparedness manual, the Emergency Guide, which can be found on the Public Safety and Kent State Police Web sites. Peach suggested students and faculty review the material in the guide to prepare for any and all emergency situations.

Although there is no way to predict any emergency situation, Peach said his advice for preparing for all types of situations is to review the emergency plans online.

“The more you know, the more calm and knowledgeable you will be to safely ride out whatever the emergency is,” he said.

Contact principal reporter Maria Nann at mnann@kent.edu.

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Be safe at night Know your campus and the security services it offers Shannen Von Alt

Daily Kent Stater Being in a new area can be difficult, especially late at night.

The campus can look different — even scary — in the dark, so being safe is important.

When walking around campus at night, it is important to be aware of the different safety services available to students.

“It’s really important for students to orient themselves to the campus and all available services,” said Chris Jenkins, Kent State Police Department lieutenant. “Freshmen should put 911 on their speed dial and use common sense when out at night.”

Safety services available to students at night include the Kent State Police, the Office of Safety and Security and emergency phones posted all over campus.

Police officers are out at night to assist students, and the Office of Safety and Security operates from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The Office of Safety and Security runs the Campus Escort Service, a night service that has trained security officers escort students from one place on campus to another.

“The Escort Service is a great program to help students get around at night,” Jenkins said.

“Anyone can use it, and it’s a great way for students to be safe.”

Security officers will escort students to the dorms, to or from a late class, to cars and to or from any building or corner of campus.

Aside from providing safety, using the service can be a way to help students get to know the best paths to take at night.

“Students can just call whenever they need an escort,” Security Manager Brian Hellwig said.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can and take you wherever you need to go. We’re here to make sure you’re safe.”

For students who choose not

How to

be safe on campus n

Be aware of your surroundings.

n

If possible, don’t walk alone.

Avoid shortcuts through the woods, especially ones you don’t know.

n

If someone appears to be following you or seems suspicious, cross the street or change directions and do not go home right away.

n

n If the person keeps following you, call the police right away. If you choose to run, run fast and scream.

Keep 911 and all emergency numbers in your phone and on speed dial.

n

to use the Escort Service, taking precautions is vital to ensure safety. Students should get to know the campus, try not to walk alone and know who to call for help.

“At night, students should stick to the campus walkways and well-lit areas,” Jenkins said. “Taking shortcuts or going through the bushes can be dangerous, and you could get lost or hurt that way.”

The campus is made for foot traffic, and pathways lead to every building. Other students and officers also use the pathways, so help is easier to find.

“Officers are out at night on foot to help students be safe,” Jenkins said. “If anyone needs help or directions, we’re out and you can stop us.”

To find out more about campus safety, contact the Kent State University Police Department at (330) 672-3070. To use the Escort Service, call (330) 672-7004.

Contact police and courts reporter Shannen Von Alt at svonalt@kent.edu.

DAILY KENt StAtER

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

From left to right, the May 4 Memorial, Tilt 2005 and The Rock are three Kent State trademarks that make the campus unique.

Campus features many distinctive landmarks Michelle Bender

Daily Kent Stater Kent State has a campus that can surprise people at every turn. If students know where to look, they can find things no other university has.

Some landmarks unique to Kent State include the Rock, the May 4 Memorial, Tilt 2005 and the Partially Buried Woodshed.

The Rock

The Rock is located at the bot-

tom of Hilltop Drive facing Main Street and has been a Kent State tradition for many years, as students often paint it. Sororities and fraternities most often paint the Rock, but anyone is permitted to decorate it.

Dean Miller, an alumnus of Alpha Tau Omega, said he has painted the Rock at least 100 different times, if not more.

“We paint it to celebrate occasions, show off milestones during pledging, or just for the heck of it,” Miller said.

Miller said one of the sororities on campus paints the Rock every May 4 in remembrance of a sister who was shot during the protest.

He also said there is a rumor that every four or five years geology students take a core sample of the Rock to find out how many lay-

ers of paint there are and how far down the actual rock is.

Miller advises freshmen pledgers to practice before painting the Rock.

“The first time out it gets done wrong every time,” Miller said.

“Paint it as much as possible.”

May 4 Memorial

One of the most poignant landmarks is the May 4 Memorial. The memorial, which was dedicated May 4, 1990, is located by Taylor Hall and was designed by Bruno Ast. Jerry Lewis, emeritus professor of sociology, said Ast’s design was chosen out of more than 700 designs that were submitted to a committee.

Lewis said Ast actually came in second, but was chosen because the first-place winner was not an American citizen. He also said the

May 4 Memorial came in second to the Vietnam Memorial for number of submissions.

The primary memorial consists of granite blocks on a hillside and in a plaza. The words “Inquire,” “Learn” and “Reflect” are engraved on the ground in the area.

In the Prentice Hall parking lot, markers indicate where the four students who died, fell.

These markers are lit every night to symbolize a permanent vigil.

Lewis said it is important for students to think about the markers in relation to where the National Guard actually stood and the distance between the two. “(What is important for freshmen to know) is the notion of inquire, learn and reflect and the whole idea expressed in those three words,” Lewis said. “Find out what happened, learn about it and reflect on it and what it means to you all these years later.”

Tilt 2005

One landmark first-time visitors to Kent State may notice right away is Tilt 2005 by Steven Siegel.

The sculpture is located in front of the Art Building, and from a distance looks like a strangely shaped

rock. It is actually made of stacked newspapers, and it has plants growing on top.

According to the Tilt 2005 brochure, the work involved 75 students in the School of Art, and it was done while Siegel was an artist-in-residence at Kent State.

“It was an opportunity to bring in a scholar to work with the students,” director of galleries Anderson Turner said. “It was a cool project for the kids.”

Turner said the material used in the sculpture was chosen because it is constantly changing and the whole sculpture is meant to degrade.

TAKE IT FROM

THOSE WHO KNOW

[ ]

Four creations on Kent State’s campus make it unique

Partially Buried Woodshed

A hidden treasure sometimes forgotten about on campus is the Partially Buried Woodshed, located near the Liquid Crystal Institute.

All that is left of the original woodshed is concrete in the ground.

The landmark’s designer, Robert Smithson, is known for his different artistic projects such as the Spiral Jetty and various mudpouring projects.

Turner said when Smithson came to Kent State to do a project he originally wanted to do a mud pour. Because it was winter, the

To get some peace and quiet and some successful studying in, I enjoy a secluded table on the 11th floor of the library. But, to hang out with friends, the basement of the Student Center near Jazzman’s Café is a cozy nook. Tracy Tucholski

more advice at

KentNewsNet.com

mud wouldn’t flow properly, and Smithson abandoned that idea.

According to the exhibition catalog, Smithson had truckloads of dirt loaded onto the structure until it collapsed. The idea was for the woodshed to create its own history through its contact with natural elements and its stages of decomposition.

“Robert Smithson is one of the most important artists of the last 100 years and Kent State has something by him,” Turner said.

Contact School of Art reporter Michelle Bender at mbender2@kent.edu.

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Buying books can be expensive, but options are available Shopping around for textbooks can help you find the best deal Arielle Williams

Daily Kent Stater Buying books for classes is one of a student’s first milestones.

“I remember the first time I had to buy books,” senior advertising major Nick Satow said. “I paid almost $700, and five of the books I got were for just one class.”

The whole thing can be a bit jarring at first. Paying $500 or $600 for books for one semester may not be desirable, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Students usually need books to pass their classes, and even buying books from a Web site can add up to a high cost.

Students do have a few options when it comes to buying textbooks.

Kent State has three bookstores on or near campus, and each has a different selection and method for selling its products.

At Campus Book and Supply, located on South Lincoln Street, there’s a long counter where students can hand bookstore employees their schedule. The workers will then retrieve the books.

DuBois Book Store, also located on South Lincoln Street, uses an assembly line concept. Students are called to the main counter, where bookstore employees pull their books and send them to a checkout counter. Students then retrieve their books at the checkout counter. To purchase books, photo identification is needed.

At the University Bookstore in the Student Center, books are categorized by subject. Students can find their own books by using their course numbers, sections and the names of their instructors.

Bookstore employees are there to help if needed.

Textbook prices at these three stores vary.

Contact student finance reporter Arielle Williams at awilli17@kent.edu.

ALL BOOKS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL A sampling of textbooks required for firstyear classes shows that costs may vary depending on where you shop.

Human Biology (Human Biology) Campus Book and Supply: $93, used DuBois Book Store: $90.40, used University Bookstore: $104.25, used Psychology: Themes, etc.

(General Psychology) Campus Book and Supply: $73.90, used DuBois Book Store: $67.15, used University Bookstore: $80.50, used Inside Fashion Business (Fashion Fundamentals) Campus Book and Supply: $78, used DuBois Book Store: $75.75, used University Bookstore: $85, used Creative Spirit (The Art of Theatre) Campus Book and Supply: $67.15, used DuBois Book Store: $65.10, used University Bookstore: $76.50, used College Algebra (Algebra for Calculus) Campus Book and Supply: $101.20, used DuBois Book Store: $92.75, used University Bookstore: $144.25, new Exploring Art (Art Survey) Campus Book and Supply: $88.30, used DuBois Book Store: $80.45, used University Bookstore: $96.25, used

08.20.2008

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

The online portal to Kent State It wouldn’t be a feature of Kent State if it weren’t prefixed with the word “Flash.”

There are FlashAlerts, “In a Flash” weekly messages from President Lester Lefton and FlashCash.

Perhaps most often used, though, is FlashLine, the Web site where students can check up on n Under the “My Campus” tab, you’ll

find personal announcements, perhaps most important when winter comes. It’s the first place where snow days are announced. But in that tab there is also a phone directory to find contact information for anyone on campus, campus resources links and academic services links.

n Under the “My Courses” tab, you

can access Vista, a site where teachers may post running grades and test scores, assignments, lectures and the syllabus.

almost anything that concerns them academically and financially on campus.

From http://kent.edu, students can log in to FlashLine with their user name and password. “(Students) will probably mostly be looking at their schedule and their e-mail,” said Barb Boltz,

project director of enrollment data and systems support. “And then probably dropping out of classes — unfortunately.”

But that’s not all it can do.

“There’s a lot of other information out there,” Boltz said. — Ben Wolford n From the FlashLine homepage, you can

n If you have an on-campus job, the

“My HR” tab has links to direct deposit information, earnings history and pay stubs.

n If you’re looking for a career, the

“Student Career Path” tab has helpful links such as “What Can I Do With This Major” and “Obtain Internships.”

access your Kent State e-mail account at the top right of the screen. This is the account where you’ll be contacted with information regarding Kent State, though you may forward that mail to another account.

n Under “My Account” in the “Stu-

n Under the “Student Tools” tab, click-

dent Tools” tab, you can pay tuition online and, if you have a car, pay the inevitable parking ticket.

ing the link “Print Student Schedule” will give you access to your Banner ID number and class schedule by term. n Also under the “Student Tools” tab

is a link called “Access FlashFAST” through which you can add or drop classes, view grades, request transcripts, view financial aid status and view your Bursar’s account.

n Underneath the link to Vista in

the “My Courses” tab is the link to KAPS, the Kent Academic Progress System. It tracks how many fulfilled and unfulfilled hours you have toward your degree.

Your cell can keep you connected on campus Messaging services send emergency info, offer ways to save Maria Nann

Daily Kent Stater Whether students are looking for information about campus emergencies or ways to save on food and textbooks, they can get up-to-date information with the buzz of a cell phone.

FlashAlerts is Kent State’s

official emergency text notification system. The system notifies faculty, students and staff of critical information regarding the campus. Alerts are sent out regardless of time, to everyone subscribed to the program.

Tom Neumann, interim vice president for university relations, said FlashAlerts provides students with quick, up-to-date information when there is something happening on campus that they need to know.

“It’s meant to be immediate,” Neumann said.

In addition to alerting stu-

dents and faculty of emergencies, FlashAlerts also sends out information about class cancellations.

Last semester, Kent State officials used FlashAlerts to notify students on several days when classes were cancelled due to snow.

Neumann added alerts sent out by the university are strictly informative, and there are no advertisements sent via text.

“There is no advertising, no spam,” he said.

Neumann said during the Week of Welcome, the university will have people stationed around campus, in places such

as the Student Center, to provide more information and help students register for the program.

Fliers in students’ Orientation packets will also give students information about the program.

Mobile Campus is another text messaging service. Instead of alerting students and faculty of emergencies, Mobile Campus sends out discounts and special offers to students’ cell phones.

“Students have to set up a profile online,” said Brandon Hartman, vice president of messaging at Mobile Campus. “They then can opt in or opt out of what they want

to receive information on.”

Students signed up for Mobile Campus can receive coupons from vendors on campus such as the University Bookstore. They can also receive information from offcampus vendors, including Kent Lanes and area restaurants.

Through an online account, students signed up for the program also can choose to receive information on weather and traffic.

Mobile Campus also allows student groups such as fraternities, sororities and sporting teams to send group messages. This means one administrator from

each group can send text messages to every member of the team, informing them of upcoming events or canceled practices.

For more information on Mobile Campus, including information about how to sign up, students can visit http://www. mobilecampus.com.

While there are no enrollment fees for signing up for either messaging service, all charges for text messages are determined by an individual student’s cell phone plan and provider.

Contact principal reporter Maria Nann at mnann@kent.edu.

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

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Students offer advice to prepare for Kent weather Daily Kent Stater Students attending Kent State University are familiar with the phrase “lake effect” and its consequences. It’s the term used to describe snow produced in the winter when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water.

“Bring a scarf and definitely a good pair of boots,” senior mathematics major Andrew Vanek warned incoming students.

Winter in Kent can prove to be a difficult experience for some students, especially when walking to class. Timothy Shepherd, junior justice studies major, said it is important for students to start preparing for the winter before the first frost hits.

“You need to make sure you bring your winter jacket up to Kent in September,” Shepherd said.

Caitria Clark, junior speech pathology major, said students should make keeping their hands and head warm a top priority in the chilly fall and winter seasons.

“Bring multiple pairs of gloves

because people tend to lose them,” she said.

Catherine Hace, junior sports administration major, recommends layers.

“You always want to layer,” she said. “It’s cold outside and hot in the classrooms in the winter and hot outside and cold in the classrooms in the summer.”

Students walking to class during the bitter winter season may literally stumble into campus areas that tend to be more difficult to get across than others on the windy days. Many students refer to the area between the library and the Student Center as the “wind tunnel.”

“Any area by the library will not allow you to make any forward progress,” Vanek said. “I mean, the wind just swirls.”

Shepherd suggests students also avoid the large hill by Taylor Hall and the May 4 Memorial. He said this area is a “disaster waiting to happen ” during winter.

He also warned students about other slippery areas.

“Those funky bricks (imbedded in the sidewalk) are slippery when they’re wet,” Shepherd said.

Contact minority affairs reporter Shamira Fowler at sfowler1@kent.edu.

TAKE IT FROM

]

Shamira Fowler

Vanek said although students may not be able to avoid slippery bricks during the rain, it is still important to bring an umbrella. He believes the quality of the umbrella is just as important as its function.

“If you use an umbrella, it has to be a good one,” Vanek said. “The travel ones will break.”

While the infamous wind tunnel and rainy days may hinder walks to class, Vanek said he believes it is still possible for students to get to their classes on time if they make the proper arrangements.

“You want to fit in an extra five minutes in the wintertime to get to class,” Vanek said.

Hace said she encourages incoming students to take advantage of university-provided services that inform users that classes have been canceled because of bad weather.

“Sign up for FlashAlerts because they send you text messages for snow days,” Hace said.

Informational text messages may be helpful for many students, but Shepherd said despite preparations, Kent weather can only be described as “unpredictable.”

“You never know what’s going to happen,” he said.

THOSE WHO KNOW

Kent is beautiful during any season. It’s just a pretty campus. But in the summer, it can seem deathly hot, and in the winter, you can sometimes feel like you’re going to freeze to death. Dress accordingly.

For dorms with no air conditioning, move all your furniture away from the windows. Fans will become your new best friends. In the wintertime, layers are key. Don’t feel silly bundling up in your dorm room. No one is going to make fun of you trying to stay warm.

If you’re sweating in your dorm, you’ll be OK outside in the winter.

Maria Nann I wear a hooded sweatshirt, or shirt, or jacket, or parka over my outfit every day just in case. It usually pays off. And ladies, don’t be afraid to invest in a pair of rain boots. Target has some cute ones for only $20. Winter boots are a must, too. They keep your pants dry and they look fab. Kristine Gill

[

Incoming students should be wary of the unpredictable weather during winter months

more advice at

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANNY DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

KentNewsNet.com

Many volunteer opportunities available both on and off campus Options range from local community work to a week-long trip to rebuild the Gulf Coast Jessica Renner

Daily Kent Stater Whether students have volunteered in the past or are just looking to start something new, there are several opportunities to do so on campus and in the surrounding community.

Megan Odell-Scott, a VISTA Community Service Leader for Kent State, said there are numerous options for volunteers and the experiences gained by volunteering are invaluable. She said students can meet new people and

feel as though they have had an impact on something bigger.

“Volunteering is a great way to meet people like you,” Odell-Scott said. “You are getting involved and making the world a better place.”

Odell-Scott said students can choose from many programs to volunteer, and they may also volunteer individually.

If students wish to become involved with volunteer opportunities on campus or otherwise, they can contact OdellScott at modellsc@kent.edu or (330) 672-8010.

On-campus programs n Super Service Saturdays: these are days when students come together to volunteer in the local community and help out where needed. The services change from one service day to the next. n Make a Difference Day: Make a Difference Day, which runs from Oct. 21 to 25, is the most popular volunteer program run through the campus. Students work on campus and in the surrounding community to volunteer wherever needed. n Spring Break Trip: a weeklong trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help rebuild damage from Hurricane Katrina. This year it will be from March 21 to 28. Students have to pay to go on the trip, but extensive fund-

raising helps reduce the cost. n Weekend Trips: Students who are unable to dedicate their spring break to volunteering but still want to go on some sort of trip can take advantage of service trips to the Appalachian and Cleveland areas. These trips happen every so often during the semester. n King Kennedy Center: This center, created by Kent State students in the late 1970s, is located in Ravenna. According to its Web site, it is dedicated to programs designed to meet the needs of the underprivileged in Portage County. Students may volunteer to be a mentor for a younger person, or they can help out with one of the center’s many other programs.

Off-campus opportunities n Townhall II: This organization offers many ways to volunteer. For example, Townhall II runs a 24/7 Helpline where volunteers help callers get through emotional crises and get to basic needs.

The organization also offers Crime Victim Advocacy, where volunteers help victims of rape, sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence and other violent crimes.

Many other volunteer opportunities are listed on Townhall II’s Web site at http://www.townhall2.com. n Big Brothers and Sisters: Big Brothers and Sisters of Portage County sets up mentors with children. Each child is assigned to a mentor who may have similar interests. Volunteers can help their

“little” with homework, teach them how to play catch or just watch a movie with them. These children generally just need a good influence and someone to look up to.

For more information, go to http://www.bbsportage.org. n The Center of Hope and Christian Cupboard: This food bank, located in Ravenna, allows volunteers to help keep it running. For more information, contact the food bank at (330) 297-5454. n The Lord’s Pantry: Run through Kent Social Services, this kitchen provides meals for community members who need it.

For more information, contact the kitchen at (330) 673-6963.

Contact social services reporter Jessica Renner at jrenner3@kent.edu.

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Buses take students on campus for free PARTA offers a cheap, convenient way to get around campus, all over Northeast Ohio David Ranucci

Daily Kent Stater For those not used to it, public transportation may be a slightly intimidating prospect.

It shouldn’t be overlooked, however, as it is often free or cheap, environmentally friendly and a reliable means of transportation.

PARTA is the local public transportation system for Kent State students. PARTA buses can take students where they need to go on campus or in the county.

PARTA operations manager Joe Yensel said there are roughly

30 on-campus stops and hundreds of stops off campus. Students can ride the bus for free anywhere on campus.

The fixed bus routes PARTA offers can take students to downtown Kent, Ravenna and Stow for free if they show their FlashCard to the driver. PARTA also offers express services to Akron for $1 and Cleveland for $5, Yensel said.

Ye n s e l e s t i m a t e s PA RTA moves between 10,000 and 15,000 people every day during the semester. He said while some students may fear riding transit,

PARTA is happy to help them overcome those fears to get them where they need to go.

“Try it — get on the bus and just ride it,” said Frank Hairston, PARTA public relations manager.

“Get on the Campus Loop. Just see where it goes.”

Hairston pointed out that PARTA buses stop at shopping centers, movie theaters and other area points of interest. “(It’s) friendly and safe transportation,” Hairston said.

PARTA has 60 buses in its fleet, which Yensel said makes it easy for people to find a fixedroute bus during PARTA’s hours o f o p e r a t i o n . PA RTA o p e rates from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday through Friday, and it has 24-hour bus service to Dix Stadium.

If freshmen are looking for jobs, PARTA is looking to hire students as drivers and for other positions.

“We’re one of the few that hire student drivers,” Hairston said.

“It’s one of the highest-paid jobs on campus, and we work around their schedule.”

Yensel said PARTA offers commercial driver’s license training and gives bonuses to students willing to schedule their classes around PARTA’s schedule.

Yensel said if students have any questions, they can find answers by calling (330) 672-RIDE or by checking PARTA’s Web site at http://www.partaonline.com.

Contact transportation reporter David Ranucci at dranucci@kent.edu.

DAVID RANUCCI | DAILY KENT STATER

This PARTA bus sits at the office and garage location on Summit Street. PARTA provides more than 550 trips every day, according to its Web site.

More than just tickets and towing Parking Services also offers assistance with car problems, more David Ranucci

Daily Kent Stater Parking Services may be the department that gives students tickets and boots their cars when they violate parking rules, but it also offers a motorist assistance program that many students are unaware of.

“There are a variety of services,” said Larry Emling, manager of Parking Services.

In addition to regulating parking and selling parking permits, Parking Services can jump-start cars with battery problems, inflate tires, transport students who are out of gas to nearby gas stations and help students locked out of their cars get back in, Emling said.

Emling said Parking Services gets close to 2,000 calls every year from motorists seeking assistance.

Space problems

Senior psychology major Megan Elting said she got a C lot pass her first year on campus and said there

were never any spaces for her.

Elting said she thought the pass was a waste of money and began using meters, but she received hundreds of dollars in fines from expired meters. She now parks at a friend’s house and walks to campus. She said she thinks there should be more parking spaces and that Parking Services charges too much for tickets.

Emling noted, however, if people take up spots they don’t have a valid permit for and Parking Services does nothing about it, people who do have permits will have nowhere to park.

“We’re providing a service to people who have a valid permit to that lot,” Emling said.

Old problems for new students

Parking Services will waive the first ticket each car receives, provided it is appealed and is not a flagrant violation such as parking in a fire lane or in a handicapped spot.

Emling said new students often aren’t aware of the parking regulations, and his department takes the first ticket students receive as an opportunity to show them how campus parking lots operate.

“On weekends, the myth is that you can park anywhere you want

— that’s not the case,” Emling said, adding that parking is enforced all year at all times.

Emling said many people get the wrong information through hearsay, and some freshmen don’t even know they need a permit.

Another problem for freshmen is stolen permits. Every semester 15 to 25 parking permits are stolen or lost, Emling said.

If a student loses his or her parking permit or it is stolen, Emling said to call Parking Services at (330) 672- 4432 to report it. Students will be given a replacement permit, and Parking Services will begin searching for the lost or stolen permit.

Using a stolen permit will result in a $100 fine, and Parking Services will put a boot on the car, immobilizing it until the fine is paid, parking enforcement supervisor Loretta Nichols said.

“We very rarely tow cars,” Nichols said. “We usually boot it.”

Nichols said cars can also be booted if they are on a tow list. If a car has four or more unpaid tickets or nine or more tickets overall, it can be added to the tow list.

Parking shenanigans

Parking tickets range from $15 for the first two violations to $50 for nine

or more, and they can be appealed though Parking Services’ Web site: http://www.kent.edu/parking.

Appealing a ticket does not mean the challenge will be successful.

“People come up with some dandy stories,” Nichols said. “People tell you that their grandmother died three or four times.”

Nichols said another person claimed that each time Parking Services gave her a ticket, the attendant went into her car and changed the radio station.

More common excuses include people saying someone borrowed their car or they were only parked illegally for a moment. Emling said that it does not matter who is driving a car — the car’s owner is responsible for it.

Senior psychology major Dave Bellington said if students go into Parking Services and make a case for themselves, Parking Services tends to drop the ticket.

If you want to know, ask

Emling and Nichols stress that if there is something students are unclear about or if they have any concerns, they should call Parking Services, talk to a supervisor and ask early on to avoid problems.

Contact transportation reporter David Ranucci at dranucci@kent.edu.

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Keeping Kent State healthy DeWeese Health Center offers more than treatments Stacy Rhea

Daily Kent Stater Health insurance is a big issue.

It’s important for students to understand all the benefits of the health center and how each form of insurance covers the student in a time of need.

The DeWeese Health Center welcomes all students.

“The door is open to all students, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Mary Reeves, director of health services.

“As long as you are a student, you are eligible to receive health care at the health center.”

Here’s a look at what the health center has to offer and how it works:

Expenses

All students pay a general fee when they register for classes, much like they do for student media or for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. A small portion of the general fee gets allocated to help offset some of the expenses at the health cen-

ter. There is no direct health center fee, Reeves said.

“By paying a general fee and tuition, students are eligible to come to the health center,” she said.

The type of health insurance carried by a student — no insurance, university insurance or outside insurance — and the type of office visit determine what and if the student is billed.

Students without health insurance

“If a student is able to demonstrate financial need, we can, on a sliding scale, reduce payment to a self-pay rate,” Reeves said. “We will never deny anyone service for an inability to pay.”

Students with university health insurance

Students are covered for 90 percent of the office visit. The remaining 10 percent, upon the health center ’s choice, is absorbed by the university. In the end, an office visit for a student with university health insurance is free. During the office visit, however, a student may need a test (a blood test, X-ray, etc.). In this case, the student is responsible for the remaining 10 percent.

Outside insurance provider

For students with outside insurance, the health center bills the insurance company with the student’s permission. If the carrier provides a partial payment, the health center credits the payment to its own account and absorbs the outstanding amount. Wilson said the health center never bills the student for the balance.

Pharmaceutical

“Based on student feedback from students with university health insurance, Reeves was able to negotiate a $250 increase f o r p re s c r i p t i o n c o v e r a g e , ” account clerk supervisor LaMont Wilson said.

The $250 increase raised the student prescription coverage from $500 a year to $750, Wilson said.

Students with university health insurance have a $10 co-pay for each monthly prescription, Reeves said.

For students without university health insurance, the pharmacist will ask the student if he or she has other insurance or a prescription card. Reeves said the pharmacist will then tell the student what the cost is if he or she fills the prescription at the university. The pharmacist will also tell students what it will cost if they use their prescription card at another pharmacy.

“Sometimes it is less expen-

sive for the student to use his or her prescription card at another pharmacy,” Reeves said.

Mental health

Psychologists developed outreach groups for women, Reeves said. They include: n Body image and eating concern group n Monday Montage “The psychology department is planning on developing a men’s group for the fall,” Reeves said.

Weekend hours

The health center used to be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“On average, only 2.6 students would come to the health center on Saturday,” Reeves said.

“That wasn’t enough to offset the expense of having a full staff scheduled.”

To help offset the cancellation of Saturday hours, the health center extended its hours on Monday and Thursday to include evening hours. The center is now open Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“We took into consideration students becoming ill over the weekend, and staying open Thursday evening would benefit the students before they left campus for the weekend,” Reeves said.

24-hour nurse call line In addition to offering extended office hours, the health center teamed up with University Hospitals to create a 24-hour nurse call line for all students at Kent State.

“A f ter inter viewing several companies,” Reeves said, “we chose University Hospitals because they have had, for years, a very successful 24-hour nurse call line and they have all the protocols in place.”

The 24-hour nurse line is staffed with nurses from University Hospitals. When a call comes in, the nurses determine if the situation is urgent and whether the student needs immediate care or if it’s something that can wait until morning, Reeves said. If not, the nurses will refer students to the closest health center.

During the academic year, approximately 60 students a month call the nurses call line, Reeves said.

The DeWeese Health Center is one of four in the state to carry the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

According to the AAAHC Web site, “The accreditation certificate is a symbol that an organization is committed to providing highquality health care and that it has demonstrated that commitment by measuring up to the Accreditation Association’s high standards.”

Contact news correspondent Stacy Rhea at srhea@kent.edu.

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FOR YOUR

INFORMATION

^ DEWEESE HEALTH CENTER SPRING/FALL HOURS: Monday and Thursday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES: Physical therapy, nutrition outreach program, radiology, laboratory, immunization

OFF-CAMPUS HEALTH CENTERS Coleman Professional Services 3922 Lovers Lane, Ravenna Office and Crisis Line (24-hour): (330) 296-3555 Townhall II 123 S. Water Street 24-hour crisis line: (330) 678-HELP or (330) 296-HELP Appointment: (330) 678-3006

IMPORTANT NUMBERS 24-Hour Nurse Line: (330) 672-2326 Akron City Hospital: (330) 375-3000 Akron General Hospital: (330) 344-6000 Robinson Memorial Hospital: (330) 297-0811

Kent churches try to keep students’ faith strong Many programs offered for students’ religious needs Kristen Traynor

Daily Kent Stater Many students move to college and stop attending religious services because they don’t know where to go or feel as if they have no one to go with them. Several campus organizations and local

religious institutions are trying to make things more comfortable for students to continue practicing their faith.

The Hillel Jewish Student Center on North Lincoln Street offers a student-led Shabbat every Friday at 5 or 5:30 p.m. that allows different traditions and backgrounds of students to show, said Rivkah Rosenberg, Jewish student life coordinator.

She said because students come from such diverse backgrounds, the environment is more welcoming to new students and others wanting to learn more

about the religion.

Rosenberg said students who are writing papers on the religion or just want to learn more about Judaism often attend services as well.

Currently, the cost of Shabbat is $5 per person, but the organization is working to make it free for students through a grant. Hillel has a number of different student leadership organizations, including a women’s activity group, a social justice group and an Israeli group. The Freshmen First-Year Shabbat will take place Aug. 22, and the Welcome Back ceremony

will be Aug. 29.

The Catholic Student Association and the Newman Center on Horning Road offer similar opportunities for students.

“We offer faith-based activities with a Catholic spin,” said Mark Bartholet, pastoral associate for Campus Ministry.

Bartholet said students who get involved in organizations outside the classroom are much more likely to finish at the university, and the Newman Center parish is always welcoming to new members.

The Catholic Student Organi-

zation meets the first Thursday of every month at 9 p.m. in the Newman Center. The group will host a welcome-back barbecue for students and have a reception after the first mass of the semester.

Masses are held Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m., Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 a.m. Starting Sept.

7, a Sunday evening mass will be held at 8 p.m. Masses for Holy Days of Obligation usually take place at 7 p.m.

Faith Lutheran Church and Lutheran Campus Ministries are also working to make students feel more at home. The ministry tries

to incorporate students into the choir and other activities within the church, said Bonnie Jewell, secretary and ministry participant.

“It helps to keep them grounded,” Jewell said.

Lutheran Campus Ministries meets at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday in Luther House, behind the church, and the organization will have a table at the Aug. 24 BlastOff celebration. Sunday services take place at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m., with a free student lunch after the service.

Contact principal reporter Kristen Traynor at ktraynor@kent.edu.

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

[ DAILY KENT STATER

2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE SECTION C

08.20.08

]

entertainment

MORE THAN BARS We’re not going to lie — there are a lot of bars. (We even tell you about nine of them inside.)

But there’s more. Flip through these pages to read about a just a few of the popular hangouts in Kent.

Read a day-long account of Mike’s Place —a staple restaurant of Kent. C8 Drink fair trade coffee at Scribbles, and meanwhile, take in the artsy environment. C11 Find unique records and CDs at Turnup Records, which owners call a place to find “weirdo music.” C11 Take a break from reading textbooks, and find out what reads Last Exit Books has to offer. C11 Take a trip down Route 59 and check out the newly opened Panera Bread. C9 Feel like staying in for the night? Read our guide to delivery in Kent. C9 But before you go anywhere, read what police officers have to say about staying safe. C2

inside >

[

HOW TO

get free music

College is one of the most risky places to download music, but there are legal options. C2

WHERE TO

drink

Even if you’re under 21, there’s something in Kent’s nightlife scene for everyone. C4

WHERE TO

order pizza

If you feel like staying in for the night, read our guide to pizza delivery and more. C9

WHERE TO

buy old music

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar is an alternative to fast food with an upbeat atmosphere. C9

WHERE TO

dress for less

Einstein’s Attic sells vintage clothing and furniture. Read about this unique thrift store. C11

+ o t h e r p l a ce s to

h ave f u n i n Ke nt at KentNewsNet.com

]

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

PAGE

C2

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Free downloads can come with a cost Denise Wright

Daily Kent Stater

PHOTOS.COM, ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM GRIFFITHS | DAILY KENT STATER

For incoming students, college presents more choices — some students choose to skip class, some choose to get “home” at 3 a.m. and some even choose to download illegally.

But Kim Price, Information Technology security engineer, said downloading copyrighted materials illegally should be the one choice students decide against.

Students may not realize how much easier it is to get caught downloading on campus as opposed to downloading from somewhere else. Price said representatives from groups such as the Recording Industry Association of America, Motion Picture Association of America and Business Software Alliance tend to be more focused on violations that take place on college campuses, where there is a highly concentrated population of offenders.

“Before (college), students were just a fish in the ocean,” Price said. “Now, they’re a fish in a stocked pond.”

Kent State alumnus Michael Vaughn was caught downloading on campus twice. Vaughn said he learned the repercussions of downloading on campus and changed his downloading habits after being caught.

“It didn’t stop me from downloading,” Vaughn said. “But it did stop me from downloading on campus.”

With increasing technology from the RIAA, Price said representatives of copyright holders are now detecting three to four times more illegal downloads than they have in recent years.

Price said the RIAA is very aggressive.

“They have ramped up their technology, and they’re not afraid to use it,” she said.

Over the course of the Spring 2007 semester, more than 260 copyright notices were sent out to Kent State students. In February of that year, the university was ranked No. 17 on the RIAA’s worst college offenders list.

“It was an eye opener,” Price said.

Price said she thinks many students who are caught are genuinely uninformed about downloading or have some misconceptions about it.

She noted many student violators who come in seem surprised by some of the information she shares with them. She said some leave her office rather upset.

Yet she said she and other members from the security office only seek to educate students as much as possible. With that in mind, the security department went on an educational campaign last year.

The Fall 2007 semester brought several educational handouts and posters. The university also put Ruckus into place over Summer 2007 so students could download it when they returned in the fall.

Ruckus is a program that boasts over 2.5 million songs to be downloaded legally. The only catch is that files are only accessible through a computer.

Price said students may purchase a subscription plan that

enables them to copy files to an outside source. iPods, however, are not compatible with Ruckus.

All the same, Price said she has seen violations drop since the implementation of Ruckus. The Spring 2008 semester warranted about 100 fewer infringements than the 260 from Spring 2007.

“Ruckus doesn’t have everything, but it has a lot,” Price said.

“Regardless, it’s been pretty seamless and it has helped.”

Price said she believes the success of Ruckus has come from university staff members helping with promoting the program.

She said she is in the process of working with organizations such as Residence Services to make information available to incoming freshmen, especially during the Week of Welcome. She said she believes the university community now clearly sees the importance of the issue.

“They see that there’s a need, and that’s why the issue is getting better,” she said.

Contact general assignment reporter Denise Wright at dwright6@kent.edu.

Thinking about violating the university’s downloading policy? Here’s what you have to look forward to, according to Kim Price, IT security engineer:

n Representatives from the RIAA and other such groups e-mail “take-down notices” to the security department. “Take-down notices” are notices that list a student’s infringing material, the date and time of the infringement and the IP address of the computer on which it occurred. At this point, the association does not actually know the identity of the infringer. Upon receiving the notice, it is up to the security office to determine the perpetrator by using the information provided.

n Price then sends out a notice to the students, listing their violations along with the original infringement e-mail. She informs them their Internet access will be shut off immediately (with the exception of using campus resources such as Vista). n At this point, the students need to delete the infringing material and educate themselves about downloading. They are required to watch two videos and read material before scheduling an appointment with the security office to sign a verification form.

n Students can gain their network access back the same day it was shut off — as long as they meet their requirements that day. n If students receive a second violation, they are expected to come in for another information session. They go through the same five steps as the first infringement. This time, however, the student is required to take and pass a quiz.

“This allows me to know that they actually read and understand everything,” Price said.

A costly part of college life Shannen Von Alt

Daily Kent Stater Partying is often considered just a normal part of college life, but it can be dangerous and have severe consequences.

“When partying, it is important to look out for your well-being,” Crime Prevention Officer Alice Ickes said.

Before going out, students need to consider their safety and make plans to ensure it, she said.

Drinking

Underage drinking is illegal, and students are subject to university discipline and legal action if caught.

“We know that drinking happens at parties, and the biggest concern for us is that people are being safe,” Ickes said. “If people choose to drink, they need to be responsible.”

Before going out, students should make a plan for the evening that includes safely getting there and back, consumption control and an emergency strategy. It is good to

know who is hosting the party, the agenda of the party and the area to arrange for proper transportation.

Ickes said students should always go with another person or a group of friends.

“Talking before you go is vital,” she said. “A plan should be devised, and you should always stick together and watch each other carefully.”

While alcohol is prevalent at parties, drinking is not a requirement of attending. If students choose to drink, knowing their limits can save their lives.

“A lot of students feel the need

n Even after following all the required actions, students aren’t exactly in the clear with the RIAA, MPAA or other groups. Last year, the RIAA began targeting colleges directly by sending out pre-settlement lawsuit letters to randomly selected students at chosen universities. Thus, if students have more infringements, they have greater odds of being selected.

“It’s like that ticket you don’t want to win,” Price said.

n If students receive a settlement notice, they have 20 days to pay a $3,000 out-of-court settlement fee, or they can choose to go to court. n If the student does not pay the pre-settlement fee, the representative can subpoena the university for the perpetrator’s name, which the association still does not know.

Once the subpoena comes to the university, the Office of Security and Access Management is required to turn over the name.

n The RIAA will then contact the person directly and offer a second chance to settle outside of court. The second offer typically runs between $4,000 and $5,000. n If the student chooses not to settle, the RIAA can file a suit in civil or federal court.

Students may seek assistance from Student Legal Services at any point. Although Student Legal Services cannot represent the student in federal court, it can help in other ways, including recommending other attorneys.

to drink to be part of the party, but drinking too much is a real problem,” Ickes said. “It can lead to fights, bad judgment, blacking out and alcohol poisoning.”

Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person consumes too much alcohol. Death can occur, so calling 911 right away is important.

Students may also make choices they otherwise would not.

“A lot of time, students may choose to engage in activities, such as fighting or sex, they otherwise would not,” Ickes said. “Having self-control can avoid trouble and tragedy.”

If anything goes wrong during a party, it is important to get away from the situation and call the police. Students should not be nervous to call the police, as officers can help.

After the party

and academic discipline will be taken against students violating the law and university policy.

“Besides legal prosecution, court costs, fines and possible jail time, students are subject to academic suspension and even expulsion,” Ickes said.

“Students may also miss classes, miss assignments or miss work because of excessive drinking or partying.”

Even if students are caught drinking off campus, they are still subject to university discipline.

“There are other options for students,” Ickes said. “There are a lot of late-night programs and activities for students to go to. It is better to meet other people without alcohol because you can really get to know them and have fun.”

When leaving a party, students should walk in well-lit areas with friends.

“Walking home, especially after consuming alcohol, can be extremely difficult,” said Lt. Chris Jenkins of the Kent State University Police.

“It is important to walk in areas where other people may be just in case you pass out or fall and hurt yourself.”

Kent State police officers patrol the campus at night in cars and on foot to be accessible to students.

“If you need directions, help walking or getting home, we are here,” Officer Miguel Witt said. “Students should not be nervous to come to us.

It is better to get help and be safe.”

Unsafe partying can result in severe consequences. Legal action

Contact police and courts reporter Shannen Von Alt at svonalt@kent.edu.

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

08.20.2008

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

BAR GUIDE

Three Stater reporters explore nine Kent bars BREWhoUSE PUB

Don’t forget about the

Zephyr!

Read about the bar online at KENTNEWSNET.COM.

Photos BY

DAnIEl DohERty

BUFFAlo WIlD WInGS

18+

18+

Kent’s home for Keystone The one that started it all Keystone.

Above all other words, Keystone is synonymous with Brewhouse Pub, located on Water Street.

With 49-cent draughts of Keystone Light and $1.99 pitchers poured down the waiting throats of college students nightly, it becomes obvious the Brewhouse has earned the right to its name.

“It’s fun. It’s cheap. You can get drunk here,” said Katlin Rossi, senior psychology major and Brewhouse bartender.

The cheapest bomb specials in Kent accompany the Keystone, with 99-cent grape, cherry and peach bombs every day.

“Bombs and Keystone,” said junior business major and Brewhouse regular Dan Karchefsky, summarizing what the bar ’s drinking crowd is all about.

Cheap beer wasn’t always the first thing that came to mind when thinking about the Brewhouse. Fights were a frequent occurrence until a dress code was put in place. Overly baggy shirts and sports jerseys were some of the banned articles.

For a cover charge of $5, people between the ages of 18 and 21 can get into the Brewhouse — but don’t think they can get away with drinking underage.

The bar uses wristbands to identify those under 21, and for those who attempt to get creative and have someone of age get their beer, be cautioned: The bar has gone as far as putting bouncers

outside bathrooms on occasion to intercept wristband-swapping.

For the non-drinking crowd, the Brewhouse often opens its dance floor and features karaoke Thursdays. Guitar Hero tournaments have previously occurred every Tuesday night and may be returning in the fall, Rossi said. — Will Wells

[

Brewhouse Pub 244 N. Water St., (330) 678-2774 Monday through Saturday: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Sunday: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

18 and over.

Welcome to the original.

Located near the end of the downtown bar district, Kent’s Buffalo Wild Wings, also known as BW3’s or B-Dubs, was the first restaurant in the now-national chain. It currently serves as a day and night spot for a wide variety of both college students and locals alike.

“Everybody’s here at some time,” manager Zach Ehret said.

“It’s definitely a family atmosphere during the day, but it does a complete 180 at night.”

For the drinkers, Buffalo Wild Wings has 18 beers on tap, including some craft brews and seasonals. The place gets packed, and on many Friday and Saturday nights, “you can’t even move in here,” Ehret said.

The bar boasts the biggest of the big screens in Kent and frequently holds Guitar Hero tournaments on Thursdays for its patrons, giving the video game-savvy drinkers an outlet for their talents.

Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the nightspots in Kent that those of any age can frequently patronize.

Underage can enter the bar before 8 p.m. to eat and watch sports, but after 9 p.m. the bar only admits patrons over the age of 21.

Twice a week, the bar runs specials on its signature wings, with 35-cent traditional wings Tuesdays and 50-cent boneless wings Thursdays.

The bar also subscribes to the NFL Sunday Ticket and broadcasts nearly every NFL game during football season. College

[

football also fuels Buffalo Wild Wings in the fall, and on some Saturdays, Ohio State Buckeye fans pack the place to standingroom-only capacity.

“The giant TVs make the game,” said former Kent State student Adam Holmes.

B-Dubs has also started to showcase live music on its patio Sunday afternoons and has featured local musicians such as The Speedbumps. — Will Wells

Buffalo Wild Wings 227 Franklin Ave. (330) 678-9464 Sunday through Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Thursday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

All ages are permitted until 8 p.m.

By 9 p.m. the bar becomes strictly 21 and over.

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE PROFESSOR’S PUB

DIGGERS 18+

Cheap food, fun for everyone

Looking for a study break midweek? Students can find food and entertainment that won’t break the bank at Digger’s Bar & Grill on Mantua Street.

With a friendly staff, Digger’s offers daily food and drink specials in a casual environment.

Expect a crowd on Thursday for Jimmy Buffet night. The $1 cheeseburgers and the special prices on Coronas and margaritas suit students’ tight budgets.

Also, there is never a dull moment Wednesdays when students sing their favorite songs during karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Bartender Ryan Scheler said many students become regular

customers at Digger’s after their first visit.

“A lot of kids come down for the first time to see if what they heard about the burgers and beers is true,” Scheler said. “After they realize they can have fun, meet other people their age and spend $10 on a whole evening out, they’re hooked.” — Jessie Marks

[

Digger’s Bar & Grill 802 N. Mantua St. (330) 677-3444 Monday through Saturday: 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday: 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

18 and over.

DOMINICK’S

Where everybody knows your name Settled between Ray’s Place and the Venice Café, Dominick’s is downtown Kent’s bar for those who want something a little more like “Cheers,” instead of the deafening music and staggering drunks that sometimes invade other establishments.

“It’s a more mature bar, but not necessarily by age,” Dominick’s bartender Nathan Poluga said. “It’s obvious that we don’t have a bouncer for a reason.

There’s no need.”

The family-owned-and-operated Dominick’s fills the chill, sports-and-pool niche downtown. The bar has four pool tables and offers complimentary games for its patrons Tuesdays and Thursdays. The clientele tend to walk the line between college students and locals, making Dominick’s a watering hole where it’s difficult to feel out of place.

The bar staff at Dominick’s takes great pride in the establishment’s jukebox selection, which includes everything “from Sina-

THE LOFT

Peanuts abound The crunch of beer-soaked peanut shells underfoot greets anyone brave enough to push through the throngs of weekend drinkers at The Loft, located at the corner of Franklin and Main streets.

The popular Kent watering hole usually sports lines out the door Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights thanks to its cheap beer and dive-bar — but in a good way — vibe.

The bar acts as a “revolving door” for the drinkers of Kent, said manager Bob “Zac” Zacher, who has been around The Loft in one capacity or another since 1980.

Zacher said there are five Kent

tra to every Tool album — stuff where you’re gonna hear something good every time,” Poluga said. He describes Dominick’s as “a great, laid-back, rock ‘n’ roll bar.”

Dominick’s has 10 beers on tap, including craft beers from breweries such as Great Lakes.

Cherry and grape bombs are always on special for $2.50, “and they’re not the itty-bitty ones,” bartender Todd Markham said.

A recently built patio has attracted more people to the bar over the summer, and despite the increased traffic, it’s worth noting that the Dominick’s bathrooms remain pristine — a Herculean task that seemed impossible for many Kent bars in recent years.

“You can actually sit on a toilet in this place without contracting 20 diseases,” Kent resident Adam Cory said. — Will Wells >> 147 Franklin Ave., (330) 677-1119, Monday through Sunday: 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., 21 and over only. bars that share a core clientele because they don’t lean toward a specific type of crowd: Brewhouse Pub, Ray’s Place, Mug’s Brew Pub, Water Street Tavern and The Loft. Drunks and soonto-be drunks start out at Brewhouse and make their way north, with The Loft typically falling in the middle of the order.

The Loft has cheap beer specials that alternate between Bud Light and Miller Lite every month. Pitchers of the monthly beer cost $6.

The crowd at The Loft contains everything from popped collars to piercings and tattoos, but the one defining characteristic is that slightly inebriated stagger, seen when a person is flirting with his or her liquor threshold. — Will Wells >> 112 W. Main St., (330) 678-0391, Monday through Sunday: 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., 21 and over only.

18+

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RIVERSIDE 18+

Kent’s only ‘custom bar experience’

‘Higher drinking’ in downtown Kent

Ever wanted to plug an iPod into house speakers while drinking a craft beer and watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze as friends play checkers and Wii Bowling?

Welcome to Professor’s Pub. “We’re the alternative to other bars around here,” said Michael Arndt, Professor’s Pub cook and bartender.

Owner Brad Powell opened the Pub in 2007 as an establishment that lets patrons go outside the realm of the standard bar activities of drinking, darts, pool and vomiting.

“I opened the space up for whatever someone would like to do,” Powell said. “They make the space their own.”

The establishment expanded from a simple bar to a multi-faceted entertainment hub over the course of the last year.

“Mixtape Mondays” have been one of the Pub’s strongest weekly events. Monday nights at 9 p.m., patrons can bring their iPods to plug into the sound system, creating a personalized jukebox atmosphere not found anywhere else in Kent.

Customers can also access YouTube on the bar’s central bigscreen LCD TV and create video playlists, further extending the reaches of Powell’s “custom bar experience” concept.

“This is really a place for people who’ve always bitched about other places in Kent and wanted to create their own bar,” customer Heather Donleavy said.

The aspect of customization even bleeds into the men’s room, where Powell painted the walls black and set out chalk for patrons to create their own washable graffiti.

While the Pub stocks Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller Lite, its real focus is on craft beers.

Breweries such as Rogue, New Holland, Great Lakes, Flying Dog and Young’s are mainstays of the beer selection, so patrons can widen their horizons.

“You’ll definitely have a palate for good beer after drinking here,” Arndt said.

Sundays from 7 to 9 p.m., P ro f e s s o r ’ s P u b h o l d s b e e r tastings so people can get the chance to sample the bar ’s coolers. Patrons can pick five beer samples for $5.

While Professor ’s Pub doesn’t have Bud on tap like other bars, customers can still ge t the ir money’s w orth. A dark beer such as New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk is a little more expensive, but with 9 percent alcohol by volume, it really gives drinkers more alcohol for their buck.

Kent State students who are still waiting for their 21st birthday will still find a lot waiting for them at Professor’s Pub. Before 9 p.m., it acts as part coffee shop, part restaurant.

Fair trade coffee is the drink du jour before 9 p.m., and it often accompanies one of the Pub’s signature wraps or salads.

The menu stays mostly on the health-conscious track, but steak and bacon concoctions such as “The Paladin” are also served.

Powell also plans on bringing in a sushi chef to the Pub on Saturdays to vary the weekend menu.

“I’m just throwing a bunch of irons in the fire,” Powell said.

“I’ll throw something else at them (if people aren’t interested).”

— Will Wells

Those who want “higher drinking” with their higher education may find what they’re looking for at Riverside Wine and Imports, located on North Mantua Street, just north of downtown.

For those over 21, Riverside offers more than 60 wines by the glass and a rotating selection of 14 craft and microbrewed beers on draft. Staples of the beer selection include the potent-yet-smooth New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk and the Gonzo Imperial Porter.

Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller Lite aren’t served at Riverside, so those coming to drink should come with an open mind and an even more open palate, workers say.

“It’s a really distinct experience,” bartender Eric Schroeder said.

The bar hosts monthly wine tastings where often the wine maker will come to speak about his or her product while the public gets the opportunity to try it.

Thus, the bar serves as an educational experience at times for both the wine beginner and the wine savvy.

“If you’ve never drank wine in your life, you can find some-

>> 110 E. Main St., (330) 968-4965, Monday through Sunday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., All ages are allowed from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 21 and over after 9 p.m.

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ROBIN HOOD 18+

A place for music Band members, roadies, employees and early guests moved about the Robin Hood, doing their jobs. They mingled with friends while Nirvana played on the house speakers before a recent show.

Robin Hood regular Rick Myers said he comes not only for the people, but for the music and the atmosphere.

Scott Imhoff, one of the Robin Hood’s owners, said the Robin Hood has live music for all ages on weekends.

The bar has a wide variety of music, ranging from rock and hip-hop to live DJs and dance parties. It also has a wide variety of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

The Robin Hood began offering a full-scale kitchen named Zou’s Grill the second week of August.

Zou’s Grill serves American

thing you like,” Schroeder said.

“If you’ve been drinking wine for 20 years, you can find something you like. We’ve really got a little bit for everyone.”

Riverside also features live music on its newly built patio and has a policy of only seeking out regional acts in order to support local music. Jazz is the most typical mainstay, but the bar has also featured blues and folk artists such as local musician John Markovic.

In addition to its bar environment, Riverside also acts as a retailer for wine by the bottle.

It also sells beer in individual bottles, packs and cases.

Those who haven’t yet hit 21 can still find plenty of entertainment at Riverside on the culinary side of the spectrum. People under 21 are allowed into the bar until 6 p.m. to experience the “simple and savory” side of the menu.

The kitchen holds everything a person might expect from a wine and craft beer-centric establishment: gourmet cheeses, salads, soups and breads. After experiencing Riverside’s food, beer nuts and pretzels may just not cut it. — Will Wells

and Lebanese food. It delivers to all areas of Kent and the borders of Ravenna and Brimfield, said Zou Kahwaji, a university chef and the namesake of the grill.

“Everything is made fresh daily,” Kahwaji said. — David Ranucci

Sinning said. “It’s townie by day, college by night. It’s a place for everybody.”

Live music tends to draw the bar’s most diverse crowds. Kent bands Winslow and Skinny are staples of the venue, sometimes drawing crowds into the bar from outside the Kent area.

Starting this fall, the under-21 crowd will get its first taste of Water Street Tavern. The bar will be opening its expansion, which will contain 15 flat screen TVs, a kitchen that will specialize in wings and barbecue and the Kent bar scene’s only rooftop patio.

Those under 21 will be allowed into the establishment during the afternoon and early evening. Water Street Tavern will also be expanding its hours for football season, catering to Buckeye fans early on Saturdays and Browns backers on Sundays. — Will Wells

>> 503 E. Main St., (330) 678-9300, Wednesday through Sunday: Opens at 5 p.m.

The Robin Hood is for ages 18 and up.

WATER STREET TAVERN

For any and all Frat boy. Emo. Jock. Mod. Hippie.

The act of classifying Water Street Tavern, formerly known as Glory Days, by its core demographic can be summed up in one word: impossible.

With its drink selection, live music and Kent State-centric atmosphere, Water Street Tavern truly panders to everyone.

“We’re definitely pretty diverse,” general manager Brett

>> 911 N. Mantua St., (330) 677-4400, Monday through Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., All ages are permitted until 6 p.m. daily.

21 and over after 6 p.m.

>> 132 S. Water St., (330) 677-0700, Monday through Friday: 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., Saturday: 7 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., Sunday: closed.

21 and up until expansion opens.

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

An eating experience Mike’s Place Restaurant, located on S. Water Street, brings Kent together with casual atmosphere, large menu Denise Wright

Daily Kent Stater Call it eccentric.

Call it the regular breakfast stop before work.

Call it Mike’s Place. It’s a Kent eatery, which according to its Web site was “created for the brotherhood of salt, sugar and grease.”

R e p o r t e r D e n i s e Wr i g h t observed the restaurant over an extended period of time to piece together a day at Mike’s. The following is her account.

Where’s Wayne?

It’s 5:21 a.m. as cook Damian Dech makes his way across the empty parking lot of Mike’s Place Restaurant, unlocks the front door and walks inside. The building begins to light up in sync with his movements … one, now two, now three lights in the kitchen.

It’s 5:29 when Candi Kropp, a waitress who has worked at Mike’s for about nine years, walks into Server ’s Alley and hangs her coat in the wooden closet in the corner.

It’s 5:36, and by now Candi already has three pots of coffee brewing, although neither she nor Damian seem to be in a rush.

Meanwhile, Damian is putting pans of the new marinara and meat sauce over steaming hot water.

“The meat sauce and the marinara are eons better than they used to be,” he says.

In the dining room, Candi pulls chairs down from the tables. She places baskets of creamers on top of the tables.

It’s 5:56 as Candi grabs a cup of coffee and a cup of water. She places them at the table nearest to the kitchen, Jim Thomas’ regular table.

“I’m unlocking the door,” Candi shouts back into the kitchen to Damian.

It’s 5:59.

Consider the sounds … the hiss of the cooking spray coating the grill …

Candi singing along with the Taylor Swift song on the radio… “Our song is the slamming screen door…”... the

word that Wayne, Mike’s most regular customer, is out of town and won’t be coming in today… Candi pouring coffee … “I always have coffee ready for the regulars.”

NO FYRZ

It’s still dark outside when the restaurant opens. The parking lot is lit by dim lamps and a few random lights and beer signs on the restaurant. Music plays through speakers hanging outside near the entrance. Jim Thomas walks in at precisely 6 a.m. and sits at the table where Candi already has beverages waiting.

“I saw you pulling in,” Candi says as Jim flips open a copy of the Record-Courier. He takes a sip of his coffee.

By 6:18, another man is seated in a nearby booth next to the front window. An older blue Corvair bicycle hangs over the booth.

“Have a nice day,” Candi calls out to Jim, who is now on his way out the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The man in the booth reads the Akron Beacon Journal while waiting for his meal. His name is Charles Matti and he has been coming to Mike’s for more than 15 years. He remembers that 1997 brought the addition of the homemade life-size X-Wing Fighter that sits in front of the restaurant.

He remembers that last year the bar was moved from the front of the restaurant to the new castle room in the back.

“Every time I come here I look around to see what’s different,” he says.

Candi approaches the table.

“Want some more coffee?” she asks.

Later in the morning, Candi is joined by Lisa Voss, another longtime waitress at Mike’s. Both waitresses are wearing blue hoodies that read “Mike’s Est. 1987.”

It’s after 9 a.m. and there are customers scattered throughout the dining room. Some are wearing business suits, while others are wearing pajama pants. Dan Frank is wearing a Browns sweatshirt and sitting in a booth on the side

Mike’s Place Restaurant, at the intersection of State Routes 261 and 43, mixes together its menu with a unique memorabilia collection. parallel to Water Street.

Dan has been going to Mike’s about every two weeks for more than 10 years. He recalls that the space was occupied by Dutch Pantry before closing down over 20 years ago. He said the building sat empty for a long time before Mike’s bought it.

Over the years, several license plates have been added to the décor of the restaurant. They heavily decorate the dining room in which Dan is currently sitting.

Dan, who previously worked as a firefighter, wants to bring in a license plate that says NO FYRZ. “Hopefully, it will be hanging on a wall here someday,” he says.

Consider the lunchtime atmosphere … a full dining room by 1 p.m. … groups replace the lone diners from breakfast … five older men discuss alternative methods for supplying oil ... two college-age girls talk about baseball and swimming … ring, ring … one of them stops to answer her cell phone.

A cheese grater hangs back by the corner booth ... soap box cars hang overhead … a life-size Elvis with a blue sequined cape stares

down at diners from a high platform in the center of the room ... Tom Petty sings, “She’s a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too”… a first-time customer says the restaurant is “cute.”

Mike, man of the house

Mike Kostensky, owner of Mike’s, grinds up sausage as Chris McIlny, human resources director at Mike’s, puts away stock and cuts up the empty boxes.

“Mike, you got a visitor,” Candi shouts.

“I’ll be right out,” he replies, wiping his hands on his apron.

Chris switches gears and starts plugging away on dishes.

He slides a tray full of dirty dishes into the dishwasher, taking a clean tray out. He pulls the handle down, and the hissing of the dishwasher continues.

Candi takes a step into the kitchen from Server’s Alley and scrapes off a few unfinished plates. She adds them to the growing stack of dishes waiting for the dishwasher.

In Server’s Alley, Lisa grabs a pot of coffee to take out to a table.

Candi remains in the area, filling bottles with syrup. Meanwhile, Mike walks by with a plate of food.

“Hey, is your wife coming in?”

Candi asks him.

“I don’t know,” Mike replies.

“Didn’t you just talk to her?”

Mike’s reply is fuzzy as he walks out of the alley.

“Well, you’re going to be my host if I need one,” Candi says to his back.

“Hey Candi, Chuck Norris is the only person who can e-mail a roundhouse kick,” a male employee who insists on being called Pork Chop says through the open window between the kitchen and the alley. The window serves as a holding point for waitresses to pick up orders.

“I can’t top that,” Candi says.

“Last Sunday they wouldn’t make me food until I told them a Chuck Norris fact,” Lisa says to Candi. “So guess what? I didn’t eat last Sunday.”

Consider the outside décor … a homemade life-size X-wing fighter plane … patrons used to put stuffed animals in the cockpit until Mike locked it … barrels of ACME and X-wing Fuel surrounding it … a train car sitting in the grass … a yellow trailer with, “EAT HERE” painted in red.

B4’s up

During a break in orders, Derrec Bailey, “master of the grill” according to the back of his shirt, throws turkey and a bun on the grill for himself.

“Rape Me” by Nirvana starts playing on the radio.

“I like this song,” Damian says.

“Turn it up.”

Derrec throws two burgers and two buns on the grill for a carry-out order. He goes to the back and returns with a basket of fries. The printer starts buzzing as the latest order prints. Derrec tears it off and posts it next to the order pick-up point.

He throws on a chicken sandwich and a burger. But at Mike’s, the items aren’t exactly called a chicken sandwich and a burger.

The order calls for a Refd Yuppie and a Jr. Daddy. Mike attributes the unique menu to “too many pitchers of Dark and Tans at Mr. Bilbo’s in Akron.”

Damian walks over, grabs a plate and places a bun with bacon and lettuce on top for the Refd Yuppie. Fries and tater tots sit at the order point.

Derrec grabs three carryout boxes, one full of fries and the others with two prepared burgers and takes them out to Server’s Alley for Lisa.

Things are starting to pick up with three orders in progress. The grill is full of burgers, chicken, eggs, potatoes and pancakes.

Damian walks in a line down the grill, flipping each order.

Initially, Derrec and Damian were switching jobs, but Damian seems to be settled at the grill, while Derrec is busy finishing orders by the order pick-up point.

“Lisa, B4’s up,” Derrec yells.

Consider the smells … freshly sliced lemons … hamburgers on the grill … crisp bacon … the smell of potatoes being added to the smell of meat that fills the air.

She’s a sexy thing

It’s about 9:30 on a Sunday night, and closing time is quickly approaching.

Food is already scraped from the grill, and the smell of lamb meat and steak starts to disappear. The amount of customers has dwindled down to about eight — most of whom are in the bar.

Server’s Alley is deserted as the servers gather in the kitchen area.

Waitress Michele Bohrer stops in the alley to answer the phone.

“Next week’s schedule? No, it’s not up there yet,” she says to the person on the other line.

Pork Chop puts two quesadillas on the grill. He walks over to the radio and flips through some stations before settling on a song.

“I believe in miracles,” comes from the speakers. “Where you from, you sexy thing?”

“I dedicate this one to Michele because she’s a sexy thing,” Pork Chop says as he walks over to

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

grab a stack of clean plates from the dishwasher.

Consider the menu … acceptable forms of payment … checks, sometimes … credit cards, when they’re not stolen … suits of armor … Excalibur … a variety of food to choose from … “The Walleye that Ate Cleveland” … “Justin Quesadillas,” named after a teen who applied to be a cook, saw the menu and ran out screaming … the “All American Breakfast” for $5.99 … the house rules … “Mike is always right (just don’t ask his wife).” … only Mike or managers may refer to waitresses as serving wenches … make no motorboat noises in your drink.

“So this guy walks into a bar”

Waitress Melinda Stephan walks through the barely lit bar room to a corner table near the Hall of Fame.

“Anything else I can get for you, sir?” she asks as she sets down the receipt.

“One more coffee,” he replies.

“How was your dinner?”

“Terrible.”

Melinda seems a little unsure of what to say.

“I’m just kidding,” he says. “It was great.”

A smile returns to Melinda’s face.

“I hate when you guys do that,” she replies.

There’s a crowd at the bar watching the Cavaliers play the Bulls. Cavs are up 44-39.

The occasional outburst of laughter and murmur of conversation provide the music in this room.

“If this was a White Russian, that would be fantastic,” Melinda says of the clear soda in her blue plastic cup as she sets it down by a monitor behind the bar.

Consider the bar ... a signed Rachael Ray poster hangs by the bar … “To Mike, Great food!!!!

Love your place.” … a Browns gym bag and a wooden helmet sign that reads “Kent Browns Backer” sit high above the bar … two thrones sit on a raised platform in the corner to add to the castle theme.

As 10 p.m. rolls around, the staff appears slightly tired and probably eager to get home. But with all the joking they do among both themselves and customers, chances are they’re probably still looking forward to the usual fun during tomorrow night’s shift.

Contact general assignment reporter Denise Wright at dwright6@kent.edu.

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

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Deli known for speedy service A healthy beverage option Amanda Egut

Daily Kent Stater Racing cars, fast motorcycles and speedy fast service are all terms that can be used to describe Franklin Square Deli. With pictures of race cars on the walls and a black-and- white checkered counter, the atmosphere fits the quick-paced environment.

“You can come in and get a quality sandwich in a few minutes,” said owner Carl Picelle.

The deli, located in downtown Kent at the corner of South Water and Main streets, is still a thriving business after 25 years of service.

“We’re very busy here when school is in session, as well as in the summer,” Picelle said.

Customers wind in and out of the line getting subs in moments.

The little deli is filled with young people, working people and people sitting on the patio conversing. Rory

Moushey, assistant professor of English as a second language, sat at the checkered counter.

“I’m a big fan of racing and I’ve been coming here all of my life,” Moushey said. “I remember this place being built when I was about 3 or 4 years old.”

He said the atmosphere is one of the reasons he keeps coming back to the deli.

“I like that you can see onto the street and that they have reading materials for customers,” Moushey said. “You can also eat outside.”

Picelle said he follows a working owner philosophy. He can be found behind the counter almost every day. If he isn’t there, he is probably out catering a party.

“I want to serve the best product to people and give them more than they expect for their money,” Picelle said. “I want to make sure customers are satisfied.”

The menu includes subs in

[

Katie Garland

Franklin Square Deli 108 S. Water St. (330) 673-2942 Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

6-inch or footlong sizes. Prices range from $4.15 to $14.95. Combos include a beverage and the choice of chips, cole slaw or potato or macaroni salad.

The deli also serves breakfast items, which range in price from a 70-cent English muffin to a $5 breakfast sandwich. A menu is available online at http://www.franklinsquaredeli.com.

Contact relationships reporter Amanda Egut at aegut@kent.edu.

Good options at good prices Rebecca Odell

Daily Kent Stater Panera Bread provides catering and pick-up options, but it also offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating for meeting with large groups or relaxing with a friend.

Located approximately three miles west of Kent State in Stow, Panera is a café and bakery style restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“The atmosphere can be intelligent, inviting and peaceful,” said Amanda Knorr, a University of Akron student. “It’s a very good place to study and/or hang out and just relax.”

Youngstown resident Melissa Morris said Panera is one of the best places to go for all three meals because it’s affordable and fresh.

Ordering a drink and a sandwich or a You Pick Two combo at Panera will cost approximately $8, store manager Jamie Harp said.

Morris said she likes to go to Panera with friends to socialize over one of the frozen coffee drinks or smoothies.

“Sometimes all I want to get is a drink, and that’s perfectly OK at Panera,” Morris said. “You can sit there and talk for hours and no one will ever give it a second thought that you’ve been there for the entire afternoon.”

Harp said Panera provides WiFi service, so guests are welcome to bring their laptops to surf the Web or work on homework.

Some of the most popular menu items include frozen coffee drinks, You Pick Two soup, sandwich and salad options, breakfast soufflés and cinnamon crunch

[

Panera Bread 4338 Kent Rd. (330) 475-0503 Monday through Thursday: 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

bagels, Harp said.

Morris said she enjoys Panera’s strawberry smoothies and the Italian combo sandwich with a bag of chips. She also enjoys the restaurant experience as a whole.

“The atmosphere is excellent,” Morris said. “Everyone feels comfortable when they go inside.”

Contact regional campus reporter Rebecca Odell at rodell1@kent.edu.

Daily Kent Stater Thirty-second meals with five servings of fruit and ingredients to boost energy and smarts as well as to help hangovers.

This is what Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar offers customers.

The smoothies, which use real fruit and 100 percent juice, are designed as meals.

“It’s a simple and quick alternative to fast food,” said Pulp owner Tom Knepp.

With brightly painted walls, modern music and wireless Internet, Pulp is more than just a drive-thru, it’s a place students can come with friends.

“It’s close to campus so students can come here and use the Wi-Fi to do their homework,” said Pulp manager Marie Castilow.

Shannen Von Alt

Daily Kent Stater Colorful walls, local art and festive music invite visitors into Taco Tontos in downtown Kent.

Taco Tontos is a Mexican restaurant that cooks with real homemade ingredients and local flare.

For the past 23 years, owner Maureen Gartland has brought her special flavors and spices to the Kent palate.

“When I first started it, it was exotic for Kent,” Gartland said.

“It’s Mexican food with my unique twists. You can’t get what I make anywhere else.”

The menu consists of burritos, tacos, tostados, taco salads and a variety of chips and salsa or guacamole. Homemade mild and hot sauces complement any dish.

While the restaurant does not have a signature dish, the numer-

Reporter Tim Jacobs investigates dining options that will come to you.

Specials: n Buy one, get one free deal for delivery orders. n Buy one, get two free deal for pick-up orders. n Single slices of pizza for $1 or two slices and a 20 oz. Coke for $3. n Menu also includes wings, breadsticks, pastas and gyros.

DOMINO’S PIZZA Location: 1413 S. Water St. Phone: (330) 673-6360 Hours: Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Specials: n Any oven-baked sandwich for $4. n Three or more medium one-topping pizzas for $5 each. n Will be handing out discount cards on campus. n Accepts FlashCash.

EUROPE GYRO Location: 107 S. Depeyster St. Phone: (330) 678-GYRO Hours: Monday through Sunday: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. (closes at 3:30 some weekends) Specials: n Large two-topping pizza for $8. n Large one-topping pizza, 12 wings and one sauce for $12.50. n Three gyros for $9. n Small pepperoni pizza for $5. n Two large one-topping pizzas for $14.50. n Two extra-large one-topping pizzas for $18.50.

FAT BILLY’S PIZZA Location: 144 W. Erie St. Phone: (330) 678-2007 Hours: Monday through Sunday: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Specials: n Dine-in lunch special, in conjunction with Mug’s, from noon to 3 p.m. Choice of eight to 10 menu items for $5. n One extra-large one-topping pizza for $11.99. n Has changing daily specials. n Accepts FlashCash.

GUY’S PIZZA Location: 146 S. Water St. Phone: (330) 678-KENT Hours: Monday through Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Sunday: Noon to 11 p.m.

JIMMY JOHN’S Location: 313 E. Main St. Phone: (330) 677-4200 Hours: Monday through Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Thursday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Sunday: 11 am. to 12 a.m.

Specials: n Employees say there are no set specials, so just call in and ask. n Accepts FlashCash.

Specials: n Because of franchising issues, Jimmy John’s doesn’t run any daily or student specials.

HUNGRY HOWIE’S Location: 1444 E. Main St. Phone: (330) 677-5555 Hours: Monday throughWednesday: 10:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Friday and Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Sunday: 10:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Specials: n Two large one-topping pizzas for $12.99 after 9 p.m. n Accepts FlashCash.

MAIN STREET CONTINENTAL GRILL Location: 911 E. Main St. Phone: (330) 678-0800 Hours: Monday through Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Specials: n Students who bring in FlashCards will get 10 percent discount for pick-up and dine-in orders. n Restaurant specializes in Mediterranean dishes and serves hamburgers, hot dogs (with Coney Islandstyle toppings) and a variety of vegetarian and vegan entrees. n Also offers special dish each day. n Accepts FlashCash.

Former depot puts forward fresh food Brittany Moffat

Daily Kent Stater Kent’s Pufferbelly Ltd. Restaurant and Bar may not have trains to feed, but owner Kevin Long hopes to continue the 27 years of tradition of good food and friendly service that has made the defunct

[

PufferBelly Ltd. Restaurant & Bar 152 Franklin Ave. (330) 673-1771 Monday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tuesday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday: Brunch served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, dinner from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

train station-turned-eatery a Kent landmark.

Long said it never fails to surprise him when he or his employees are out of town and meet people around the country who know the Pufferbelly.

“It’s a landmark,” he said.

“They put us with Kent.”

Contrary to some opinions he’s heard over the years, Long said the Pufferbelly is not about fine dining. Prices are comparable to Ray’s Place, which is located across the street, and to other chain restaurants. However, unlike at chain restaurants, Long explained the Pufferbelly’s ingredients are always fresh — never frozen or partially pre-prepared.

Long said making meals from scratch means the time from placing an order to tucking into a plate of pasta or salad may take a little longer than at some restaurants, but the quality is worth it.

Using fresh ingredients also means the restaurant can feature seasonal dishes and some unusual house specialties. In fact, it’s not unusual for guests to call ahead and ask Long if it’s possible for the kitchen to make a dish that is not regularly on the menu or may have been a daily special weeks before.

The restaurant’s emphasis on giving the customer what he or she wants extends beyond the food.

The dining room’s walls are covered in Kent memorabilia, while

[

Pulp Juice & Smoothie Bar 1708 E. Main St. (330) 677-0355 Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“I just want everyone to try it once,” Knepp said. “I have been drinking smoothies for a while and now I am addicted.

We have a lot of regular customers that come in four to five times a week.”

Contact student affairs reporter Katie Garland at kgarlan3@kent.edu.

Mexican food and local fare

HUNGRY? LAZY? YOU’RE IN LUCK. THESE PLACES DELIVER.

BRUNO’S PIZZA Location: 405 E. Main St. Phone: (330) 678-5161 Hours: Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Knepp, a marketing graduate from Kent State, created Pulp three and a half years ago.

“This area was lacking a lot of options,” he said Along with smoothies, Pulp offers a selection of wraps.

Unlike many fast food places, Pulp doesn’t throw away food because it uses frozen foods that never go bad, Knepp said.

Pulp is geared towards a fun, upbeat crowd that is a little less than 50 percent students. About 70 percent of workers are students.

“It’s a young crowd, and I have made a lot of friends working here,” Castilow said.

Pulp offers customers a drive-thru or walk-in experience. Customers can grab a quick smoothie for the road or enjoy a sit-down meal with friends.

antique carriages are suspended from the ceiling.

Long said independent restaurants like the Pufferbelly hold a special, if fading, place in towns and cities like Kent across the country. But cultural importance aside, Long said his guests have just one reason for coming back.

“It’s a good price for a good meal,” he said.

Contact College of Education, Health and Human Services reporter Brittany Moffat at bmoffat@kent.edu.

ous burrito flavors make for unique combinations and flavors.

“I really like our burritos,” employee Random Gregory said.

“You can mix and match flavors like sweet potato and black bean.

Everyone loves our burritos and once people try one, they always come back.”

Besides the food, Taco Tontos is known for its atmosphere. The local art and colorful decorations give it a Southwestern feel.

“It’s just not like any corporate or even any other local place,” Gregory said. “The restaurant is personalized and very local. It’s just relaxed and a fun environment.”

The food and atmosphere make Taco Tontos a Kent staple. After it resided in the Loft for almost 20 years, it has moved next to the Zephyr so it can be open all day for customers.

PAPA JOHN’S Location: 439 E. Main St. Phone: (330) 678-0050 Hours: Monday through Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Friday and Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Sunday: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Specials: n Large one-topping pizza for $7.99 after 9 p.m. with a Campus Book and Supply discount card. n Large one-topping pizza with order of cheese sticks for $13.99. n Two large three-topping pizzas cost $19.98. n Accepts FlashCash.

[

Taco Tontos 123 Franklin Ave. (330) 677-0223 Monday through Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to midnight.

Sunday: closed

“It is easy to go right past us and not stop,” Gregory said. “If you want to experience a part of Kent, definitely stop in and just try a burrito. Once you try one, you’ll be back.”

Contact police and courts reporter Shannen Von Alt at svonalt@kent.edu.

PIZZA HUT Location: 1715 E. Main St. Phone: (330) 678-0000 Hours: Monday through Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday and0 Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Sunday: 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Specials: n Three or more one-topping Pizza Mias for $5 each. n Two large one-topping pizzas for $12.99 after 7 p.m. n Three or more medium one-topping pizzas for $6 each. n Accepts FlashCash.

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Susan’s atmosphere different than other local coffee shops Shamira Fowler

Daily Kent Stater

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Turnup Records’ store is filled with music from underground and other lesser-known artists.

A place for ‘weirdo music’ Turnup Records offers lesser-known music in small-town atmosphere Brittany Moffat

Daily Kent Stater Self-described purveyors of “weirdo music,” Turnup Records’ Charlie Loudin and Doug Gent sell new and vintage vinyl, CDs and tape cassettes that aren’t common in stores outside larger cities.

Loudin said weirdo music consists mainly of underground or widely unknown bands and singers who will not show up on the Top 40.

Tucked away on the first floor of the old home next to the Standing Rock Cultural Arts headquarters, Turnup Records offers a unique atmosphere. Loudin and Gent have filled the front bow

window with fliers for upcoming local concerts, while the window seat is layered with stacks of local publications and fliers for other Kent cultural events.

Racks along the outside wall hold collections of new and vintage vinyl. Included among the vintage records are musical theater soundtracks, Motown groups and 1980s punk and new wave acts. The store also carries records from groups such as Journey and KISS, which Loudin describes as guilty pleasures.

Loudin, who opened the store in August 2005, said he wanted some place that carried music he would normally have to travel to Cleveland, Columbus or Ann

Arbor, Mich., to find. Growing up in Kent, he said the city has always had good record stores, but he saw a need for a store like his.

The store occasionally hosts local bands, and it carries the work of local musicians and artists. Loudin said he thinks support for local businesses — and the people of Kent — is important.

Loudin laughs when he describes the music he carries as weirdo or awesome, but he said what’s most important is offering music people “feel passionately about.” Loudin said his and Gent’s broad knowledge of music and records qualifies them to offer customers sound advice and suggestions for new records to try.

[

Turnup Records 257 N. Water St. (330) 678-8876 Monday through Saturday: Noon to 7 p.m.

Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m.

Loudin and Gent are planning a Sept. 6 party to celebrate the store’s third anniversary. Local musicians and artists are expected.

Contact College of Education, Health and Human Services reporter Brittany Moffat at bmoffat@kent.edu.

Kent’s favorite vintage store Einstein’s Attic sells retro clothes, authentic imports Michelle Bender

Daily Kent Stater Vintage jewelry, tie-dye T-shirts, retro furniture and kitschy knickknacks are just some of the things customers can find at Einstein’s Attic, a thrift store located across from University Plaza.

The store is one of the best places in Kent to find vintage clothing and household items.

“It’s like stepping back in time,” owner Gretchen Trout said. “There is a little bit of everything.”

The store steam cleans and sanitizes all of its furniture and clothing. Trout said sanitizing is not required by law but is something

the store does anyway.

“If we wouldn’t use it, we wouldn’t want to sell it,” Trout said.

Einstein’s Attic is also a great place to get a costume for Halloween or a themed party. Trout said if people call ahead the employees will put together costumes.

Owner Sherry Dakes said during Halloween the store will be mostly full of costumes. In the past it has had a full Willy Wonka costume and a Batman costume.

“We aren’t an off-the-shelf kind of costume place,” Trout said.

The store also carries all different kinds of retro furniture students can use to furnish a dorm room. The store has vintage couches, tables, futons and chairs.

“We try to be a nice retro vintage option that’s affordable,” Trout said. “We’re a lot cheaper than vintage stuff online.”

Dakes said the store has had a lot of interesting stuff over the

Jessica Renner

Daily Kent Stater

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Einstein’s Attic, located near University Plaza, offers vintage clothing and other retro items. years. She said it has had everything from a life-size E.T. doll to a red velvet couch.

“We have unique items,” Dakes said. “Our stuff is one of a kind.”

Besides furniture and clothing, Trout said Einstein’s Attic is one of the few places in Kent where people can find authentic imported items such as incense.

The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays for restocking and so employees can clean and sanitize new items, but the rest of the week the store is open from noon to 7 p.m.

[

Einstein’s Attic 115 Cherry St. (330) 346-0673 Tuesday through Saturday: Noon to 7 p.m.

“We’re the coolest store in Kent,” Dakes said.

Contact School of Art reporter Michelle Bender at mbender2@kent.edu.

Michelle Bender

Daily Kent Stater The tiny store of Last Exit Books in Kent is filled to the top with books categorized into a variety of subjects, including Eastern philosophy, poetry and classic literature.

Last Exit Books buys and sells books, music and movies.

“We’re more of a neighborhood store, not a textbook store,” owner Jason Merlene said. “We

have stuff you would find in Borders or Barnes and Nobles but much cheaper.”

Merlene said he is always looking for beatnik literature and anything by J.D. Salinger or Kurt Vonnegut, as well as art and poetry books.

He said customers bring him many different types of books, even odd ones. One time a customer brought him six boxes full of books about the Apocalypse.

“I hope that every Apocalyptic literature title is in those boxes,” Merlene said. “I can’t imagine there would be more.”

Merlene said he buys books based on their title and condition. He said he won’t take books that are damaged or moldy, and

DAILYKENTSTATER

he won’t take a certain title if he already has too many copies. He also doesn’t buy textbooks.

For music, Merlene accepts CDs or LPs, and he mostly likes DVDs but will take VHS movies.

“We’re a neighborhood store with smart shelves,” Merlene said. “Every shelf has quality books. There isn’t a lot of fluff.”

[

Last Exit Books 124 E. Main St. (330) 677-4499 Monday through Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Michelle Bender at mbender2@kent.edu.

[

Susan’s Coffee & Tea 623 E. Main St. (330) 677-0101 Monday through Saturday: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

an educational or entertaining experience.

“It’s pretty spacious so you have the choice of an isolated coffee experience, or if you wanted to be with a large group of people, you could,” Buchstein said.

The atmosphere may bring many new customers into the café, but Clark said the products and service keep them there and make Susan’s different from the competition.

“I think that we have food and that’s a big difference,” Clark said. “And you get a little bit more personal service. It feels like home.”

Employees say the chocolate- filled croissants are one of the most popular products Susan’s offers.

“People get really upset when we run out,” Clark said, giggling. “And our bakery is a lot better (than the competitors). Our treats are baked fresh every day.”

Coffee still remains one of the most important aspects of Susan’s. Ms. Emma said she makes an effort to get a cup of coffee whenever she visits Kent.

“Every time I come here I get the coffee,” Ms. Emma said. “Oh yeah, it’s very good.”

Contact minority affairs reporter Shamira Fowler at sfowler1@kent.edu.

Fair trade café has comfortable feel Scribbles Coffee Co. has artsy environment

Kent store full of books, movies, music Last Exit Books a place to find classic books at inexpensive prices

Large supple couches, the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sugary sweet scent of puffy pastries invade the senses upon entering Susan’s Coffee & Tea. Susan’s employee Emily Clark said Susan’s, which was established in 1986, is the coffee shop of choice for many members of the Kent community “We get a lot of different people from Kent,” Clark said. “All types of people: students and other people from the area.”

Although Starbucks is located on the same street, Clark believes Susan’s is a steadfast competitor.

“I think anything Starbucks can make we can make better,” Clark said.

William Buchstein, senior business administration major, said although he was interested in Susan’s he continued to go to Starbucks. One day, he decided it was time to stop in.

“I was looking for an atmosphere that Starbucks couldn’t offer,” Buchstein said. “(Susan’s) has an independent vibe, not a pre-scripted, generic atmosphere that’s at every other commercial coffee shop.”

Ms. Emma, a woman who has been a customer for over 10 years, said the atmosphere is what attracted her to the coffee shop.

“It has a gorgeous view and the building is just beautiful,” Ms. Emma said.

Clark said she believes the café is very “laid back and chill” and is a great place for Kent State students to study because it offers free wireless Internet.

Buchstein said Susan’s gives customers the option of having

Scribbles Coffee Co.’s logo is stamped on the front window of the café and has one of Kent’s famous black squirrels sipping from a steaming cup of coffee.

Yet this coffee is a bit different — it’s fair trade.

Fair trade is a humanitarian initiative that fairly compensates poor farmers for products such as coffee.

Co-owner Rodney Wilson said he and his wife, Carla, always wanted to have their store be completely fair trade, but it took a little time to find a supplier that could meet their needs. “ We w e re a w a re o f t h e impact our purchasing was doing and after we found the right supplier, we were able to go fair trade,” he said.

Wilson works at the café nearly every day, and he said the business has been doing well, even in the summer.

Business may not only be steady because this is the only fair trade coffee shop in town.

The artsy environment also makes customers feel at home and allows them to relax.

“It’s almost like a coffee shop you wouldn’t find downtown,” one customer whispered to her friend, smiling and looking at the scenery as they waited for their drinks.

Inside Scribbles, a Sufjan Stevens melody floats from speakers and glides into the

ears of customers as their nostrils fill with the scent of freshbrewed coffee. A cushy golden crushed velvet couch allows customers to sip a drink as they watch the happenings of Water Street.

Customers who approach the counter can admire homemade cards that are for sale next to it. After choosing a drink from one of the two large chalkboards, people can further explore the café.

The next room has high ceilings and its walls are painted a springy mint green. There are bookshelves overflowing with used goodies lining the back left corner and the back wall of the room.

Three other small tables are in this back room. Each is covered with brown paper and has a container of crayons. Customers have drawn musical notes, flowers and some sketches of impressive scale while sipping on coffee.

Wilson said the café has attracted both community members and college students and he is happy to draw a diverse crowd.

Contact social services reporter Jessica Renner at jrenner3@kent.edu.

[

Scribbles Coffee Co.

237 N. Water St. (330) 346-0337 Monday through Thursday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday: 10 a.m. to midnight

DAILYKENTSTATER

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[ DAILY KENT STATER

2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE SECTION D 08.20.08

]

sports & fitness

A FLASHY FACELIFT Dix Stadium has a fresh new look for the 2008 football season. The highlight of $4 million worth of renovations is a new high-definition video scoreboard, and the team is capable of making some big plays to show off on its display. But there’s a lot more going on this fall in sports.

Injuries hurt the football team last season — literally. What can a healthy team do? D2 Volleyball made big strides in coach Glen Conley’s first year, so what’s in store for his second? D4 Field hockey wants to atone for an early exit in last year’s Mid-American Conference Tournament. D4 The soccer team hopes to grow stronger this season with a more unified team. D5 Cross country coach Mark Croghan is hoping a solid spring track season will carry over to fall. D5 Men’s golf finished sixth at last year’s NCAA Championships. What should we expect this year? D6 The women’s golf tradition may be the best-kept Kent State sports secret. D6

inside >

[

HOW TO

stay fit

The Freshman 15 can be real, but staying healthy at college is possible, and it can be fun. D10

HOW TO

use the rec center

Find out what you need to know about the rec center and everything it offers. D10

HOW TO

join a club sport

With hockey, baseball and more, there’s more to athletics at Kent State than the varsity sports. D11

WHERE TO

bike and hike

Less than a year old, the Portage Bike and Hike Trail offers more than six miles to explore. D11

HOW TO

go ice skating

A Kent State novelty, the Ice Arena offers chilly fun all year round no matter your skill. D11

+

more photos of Dix Stadium online at KentNewsNet.com

PHOTO BY DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

]

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Dix Stadium ready to show off renovations Upgrades include high-definition replay scoreboard David Ranucci Tim Jacobs

Daily Kent Stater Faculty and players are excited about the $4 million secondphase renovations to Dix Stadium, and they believe that fans and prospective players will be drawn to its new look.

“They’re really awesome,” Kent State mascot Flash said. “(It) really looks good for a Division I program.”

One of the most prominent

changes to the stadium is a new high-definition scoreboard. Football coach Doug Martin said the high-definition scoreboard is one of the first in a college team’s stadium, and it will have the ability to show video replays.

Martin said he thinks the stadium looks brand new and the renovations have put the Flashes over the top.

“It’s helping to take our program to the next level,” said Kevin McKeethan, graduate assistant in sports and recreation management.

McKeethan said he believes the renovations will bring more recruits to the team and more excitement to the crowds in attendance.

Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy said the changes in the stadium took place in phases.

Phase I was completed before last football season.

Kennedy said Phase II of the renovations involved more construction than improvement. It included removal of the south endzone bleachers, replacing them with a façade and platform. Other improvements included a new front entrance on the west side of the stadium, a new circular roadway around the stadium, renovations to the “K” Room and improvements to the parking area.

Michael Bruder, director of design and construction for the Office of the University Architect, placed the entire Dix Stadium renovation project at an estimated cost of $8 million.

Kennedy said he hopes all of these improvements will increase attendance not only to the games themselves, but to other events at the Dix complex as well.

“The video boards will real-

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Included in $4 million worth of offseason renovations to Dix Stadium were improvements to the facility’s exterior. ly enhance the opportunity for students to participate like they hadn’t before in terms of promoting student events and activities,” Kennedy said. “We will have the ability to host major concerts there, and we’re really looking forward to having more Kent State students involved on football weekends.”

Kennedy said an average of 3,000 to 5,000 students show up for home football games, although higher-profile games, such as games against Kent State’s rival Akron, bring upwards of 20,000 students in attendance.

“We run game-day shuttles to and from the game,” Kennedy said. “We’ll

have pregame tailgating in place, and it’ll be a great party environment at Kent State football games.”

Contact building and grounds reporter David Ranucci at dranucci@kent.edu and general assignment reporter Tim Jacobs at tjacobs@kent.edu.

Healthier football team looks to win Flashes hope recovery from injury-plagued 2007 season will mean good things in 2008

football

AUG. 30 vs. Boston College (Cleveland) SEPT. 6 at Iowa State H SEPT. 13 Delaware State SEPT. 20 at Louisiana-Lafayette mac SEPT. 27 at Ball State H mac OCT. 4 Akron

Thomas Gallick

Daily Kent Stater

The Kent State football team seemed to have enough talent last year to take any blows the season could throw at them, but by the end of the year the injury-plagued Flashes looked like a punch-drunk heavyweight whose manager should have tossed in the towel.

Thanks to an infusion of new talent and a returning group of veterans who have learned tough lessons, coach Doug Martin said he thinks the team is ready to fulfill the promise of last season.

“When we were healthy last year, we were beating Iowa State and we were beating Ohio on the road, which was a great win,” Martin said. “So if we have a healthy quarterback, we’re capable of making a run at this thing.”

Senior linebacker Derek Burrell said playing on a team hampered by injuries was not easy, but he looks forward to trying to fix that this year.

“It’s been tough, but that’s in the past,” he said. “This is my last year, so I see us going out good this year, and that’s all that matters.”

The team showed promise coming into last season but sputtered to a 3-9 finish after winning three of its first five games (including a 24-13 win at Iowa State to open the season).

The Flashes were hit hard by injuries at the quarterback spot, losing senior Julian Edelman, junior Anthony Magazu and sophomore Giorgio Morgan at different points last year.

The team ended the season on a seven-game losing streak, mostly against Mid-American Conference opponents. Martin said while Edelman will be the starting quarterback this year, he hopes to take some pressure off of him and keep him healthy by playing Morgan more.

“Giorgio’s going to play in every game,” Martin said. “I’m really planning on treating those

CUT IT OUT!

2008 Schedule

H mac OCT. 11

[

Ohio (Homecoming)

OCT. 25 at Miami NOV. 1 at Bowling Green H mac NOV. 12 vs. Temple H mac NOV. 18 mac mac

vs. Northern Illinois mac NOV. 28 at Buffalo

H Home game

mac Mid-American Conference

game

for your information

2007 record

3-9 (1-7 Mid-American Conference) coach

Doug Martin (fifth season; 15-31 record)

Key returneeS

Junior running back Eugene Jarvis, senior quarterback Julian Edelman, senior linebacker Derek Burrell Key departureS

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Sophomore linebacker Dorian Wood (35) blocks a kick during an intrasquad scrimmage Aug. 12 at Dix Stadium. guys a lot like I did our quarterbacks at East Carolina. Giorgio’s going to get at least one series of each half to come in and play.”

Martin said Edelman is 100 percent healthy, and the knee injury that hurt him last season should not affect his touted scrambling ability.

Edelman’s 455 rushing yards last year were second on the team to junior running back Eugene Jarvis, whose 1,669 yards ranked him seventh overall in the nation.

Jarvis, the leading rusher from last season returning to college football, said the team has a different mindset after last year.

“A lot of players are hungry,” Jarvis said. “We don’t want to feel like we felt last year ever again.”

Jarvis said although he achieved a great deal on the field individually, this season will not mean much to him without a solid result for the team.

The Flashes were 1-1 against Bowl Championship Series teams last season, and they go into this year with two more BCS match-

ups. Kent State plays its season opener against Boston College in Cleveland in the Patriot Bowl Aug. 30 and travels to a rematch with Iowa State the next week.

Martin said the team learned that it can upset big-time programs last year with the win at Iowa State.

“Last year, beating Iowa State, I think was a great learning curve for our players,” Martin said. “They finally realized that they can go and win those games. You don’t just have to go play them and keep it close — you can win that game. I think we go into (the) Boston College (game) and we’ll go into Iowa State fully expecting to win.”

After a technical knockout because of injuries last season, the Flashes go into this year with the talent and depth to last the full 12 rounds and possibly come out with a MAC championship.

Contact sports reporter Thomas Gallick at tgallick@kent.edu.

Defensive tackle Colin Ferrell, cornerback Jack Williams home court Dix Stadium FirSt game

KEY RETURNEES

Eugene Jarvis, junior running back: Jarvis is coming off a record-breaking sophomore year and should be even more dangerous if the quarterback position has any stability this year. Look for Jarvis to be more involved in the passing game this year so he can get into one-on-one matchups.

Julian Edelman, senior quarterback: Although sophomore Giorgio Morgan is being tagged as the quarterback of the future, Edelman returns this year as the starter because of his elusiveness as a scrambler and the respect his fellow offensive players have for him. If Edelman stays healthy — a big maybe — other teams will need to devote almost as much time to figuring out how to contain him as they do with Jarvis.

Derek Burrell, senior linebacker: Burrell brings toughness and leadership ability to a solid linebacker unit featuring seniors Cedrick Maxwell and Stevon Moss and transfer Cobrani Mixon. Burrell led the team in total tackles last season with 112 and was named a third-team All-Mid-American Conference selection.

Aug. 30 vs. Boston College (Patriot Bowl at Cleveland Browns Stadium) FirSt home game

Sept. 13 vs. Delaware State

FRESH FACES

Cobrani Mixon, sophomore linebacker: Mixon sat out last season because of transfer rules after leaving Michigan for Kent State.

Mixon is already generating buzz because of his athletic MIXON KONZ RINEHART ability and speed despite not playing for the Flashes yet. He brings Big Ten talent to the MAC and should play a big part in the talented linebacking corps.

Jameson Konz, senior tight end: Konz played his last three seasons as a linebacker but moves into the tight end slot because of the depth at the linebacker position and his potential as a weapon on offense. If this experiment with Konz on offense succeeds, it could help take some pressure off Jarvis and a young group of receivers.

Matt Rinehart, freshman punter: The punt may be the most important play in football, and the Flashes need their young punter to come in and bring consistency that has been lacking in the past. Rinehart should challenge junior Jake Kilroy for the starting spot and help the Flashes win the battle for field position.

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Volleyball focuses on learning to win Led by Conley, Flashes look to continue success from last season

2008 schedule

volleyball AUG. 29 at Colgate (Colgate Classic) AUG. 30 vs. Boston College

Josh Johnston

Daily Kent Stater

Before last year, the Kent State volleyball team was not a force to be reckoned with on the court.

The Flashes had failed to post a winning season since 2002, and they lost the last seven matches of the 2006 season.

But that was before coach Glen Conley stepped into the picture.

In his first season at Kent State, Conley coached the team to a 22-10 overall record and a semifinal finish in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Flashes lost to nationally ranked Ohio 3-1 in the semifinals, but the appearance marked the furthest the team had advanced in the tournament in Kent State history. The 22 wins were also the second most in a season in school history.

Conley returns this year for his second season at Kent State looking for the same success as last year. To achieve that, he said the team will need to focus on learning to win. “(Winning) is a process,” he said. “It’s not something that just happens today and tomorrow you’ve got it. It’s a whole new experience, and they’re going to have to learn how to deal with different people this year.”

Those different people are junior college transfers Tamy Leipelt and Brianne Wille and freshmen Maigan Larsen and Lauren Simon.

Senior captain Vaiva Laniauskas said the new players have already made a positive impact on the team.

“They work hard with themselves and they work hard with us when they’re allowed to,” she said. “They seem very dedicated to the cause, and they believe in what we have to say.”

CUT IT OUT!

[

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Junior Brianne Wille tips a ball toward Freshman Lauren Simon and Sophomore Kristen Barr during the Coach-on-Five drill Aug. 11th.

Despite losing three key seniors to graduation, the Flashes still bring an experienced team to the court. Nine of the 14 players are juniors or seniors. Conley said he feels the team will pick up right where it left off last season.

“I think we’ve got a strong nucleus returning,” he said.

“We’ve got some big shoes to fill obviously, but that’s college sports. We’re very athletic right off the bat, and that’s a huge part of what we want to do.”

Not only is the team experienced, but the coach is as well. Conley said he has more of an advantage coming into this season.

“I was a rookie in the MAC

(last season),” he said. “I feel like I know the other teams better. I certainly understand how Kent State does things.”

He also has the respect of his team. Laniauskas called Conley the “best coach I’ve ever had in my life.”

“He knows the game so well and he knows how to turn 14 players into one team that wins games,” She said. “He finds every strategy needed. He knows how to manipulate the other team. I have nothing but respect for him as a coach.”

Contact sports reporter Josh Johnston at jjohns64@kent.edu.

for your information

2007 record

22-10, 11-5 Mid-American Conference coach

Glen Conley (second season with Kent State, 19th overall; 373-192 career record)

Key returnees

Seniors Vaiva Laniauskas, Ashley Feutz and Krista Groce, sophomore Lauren Jones Key departures

Laura Jensen, Anja Knabe-Paulsen, Anne Zakelj home court M.A.C. Center First game Aug. 29 at Colgate First home game Sept. 19 vs. Duquesne

(Colgate Classic) AUG. 30 vs. West Virginia (Colgate Classic) SEPT. 5 vs. Quinnipiac (University of Maine Tournament) SEPT. 6 vs. Providence (University of Maine Tournament) SEPT. 6 at Maine (University of Maine Tournament) SEPT. 12 at Air Force (Air Force Academy Tournament) SEPT. 12 vs. North Carolina Central (Air Force Academy Tournament) SEPT. 13 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Air Force Academy Tournament) SEPT. 13 Florida Atlantic (Air Force Academy Tournament) H SEPT. 19 Duquesne (Kent State/Mizuno Open) H SEPT. 20 Chicago State (Kent State/Mizuno Open) H SEPT. 20 Ohio State (Kent State/Mizuno Open) H mac SEPT. 26 Buffalo H mac SEPT. 27 Akron mac OCT. 3 at Miami mac OCT. 4 at Bowling Green H mac OCT. 9 Ohio H mac OCT. 11 Central Michigan mac OCT. 17 at Ball State mac OCT. 18 at Toledo H mac OCT. 24 Western Michigan H mac OCT. 25 Northern Illinois mac OCT. 31 at Akron mac NOV. 6 at Buffalo H mac NOV. 7 Bowling Green H mac NOV. 8 Miami mac NOV. 13 at Ohio mac NOV. 15 at Eastern Michigan NOV. 20-22 MAC Tournament (Toledo) H NOV. 29 Cleveland State

H Home match

mac Mid-American Conference match

Field hockey looks to avenge early exit Experienced team hopes to erase sting of semifinal loss by winning conference Chris Gates

Daily Kent Stater The Kent State field hockey team is quickly becoming a front-runner in the Mid-American Conference and is building for the future to ensure things stay that way.

With seven new freshmen joining the squad and last season’s top four goal scorers returning, the Flashes have high hopes in 2008.

A young team last year, Kent State went 12-9 and advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals.

“We had a young team last year in that I had to have a lot of freshmen step up,” coach Kathleen Schanne said. “I think it’s just huge that we have a lot of experienced, seasoned veterans coming back for this year.”

Those veterans will have the chance to make up for the unfinished business from the MAC Tournament. The Flashes lost to Miami on a penalty shot with fewer than three minutes to play.

“I thought we could’ve gone farther than we did,” junior Laurie Wilkins said. “I think we know we can do it. We always play hard.

We’re always competitive. We know in our heads that we can do it and I think that this year could be a good year.”

Wilkins is the second-leading goal scorer returning from 2007 and plans to take on her own leadership role even though she is not one of the two team captains. That honor went to seniors Natalie Barrett and Stephanie Bernthal.

That leadership will be tested in maintaining another young squad. Underclassmen more than double the amount of seniors and juniors on the team, and Schanne expects them each to play a role in the team’s success this season.

“The past two recruiting classes we’ve been really pleased with,” Schanne said. “This one we feel the same with. We’re going to have to wait and see how the team forms up. I have seven juniors and seniors together and then 15

sophomores and freshmen, so we’re sort of looking to all of them to come in and play a role.”

The Flashes have a tough task ahead of them considering the competition they will face in 2008.

Four of the Flashes’ non-conference opponents finished last year ranked in the college field hockey coaches poll.

A three-game stretch in midSeptember will be the toughest of the year. Kent State travels to No. 18 Virginia on Sept. 13, No. 7 James Madison on Sept. 14 and No. 19 Albany on Sept. 21.

Schanne noted that not only is the tough non-conference schedule a great preparation for the MAC season, but it is also a chance for the Flashes to possibly break in to the national rankings themselves.

“It’s really key to have plenty of nationally ranked opponents to help us with our national ranking,” Schanne said. “If we can knock off a few of those teams it really helps us with our (Ratings Percentage Index).”

In an effort to prepare and build chemistry, a large percentage of the team stayed in Kent during the summer. With practice set to begin Aug. 14, the team is prepared to adopt the correct frame of mind.

“In the MAC we kind of beat each other up,” Schanne said. “It’s very competitive. You can’t take anything lightly. We’re a processoriented team and we try to take things one game at a time.”

Kent State will begin competition with an exhibition against Robert Morris Aug. 21. The regular season starts at home Aug. 30 against St. Francis.

The Flashes host the MAC Tournament from Nov. 6 to 8 and hope to find themselves in the finals on their home field. Last year, they surprised many in the conference, finishing second in the regular season and earning a firstround bye in the tournament.

“Last year, we had such an improved season,” Schanne said.

“The way (the MAC semifinal) went down in the end is definitely on the minds of seniors and they want to avenge the MAC title. They want it, they want to be champions and I’m sure they thinking about it every while they’re training this summer.”

[

Contact sports reporter Chris Gates at cgates1@kent.edu.

Senior Natalie Barrett prepares to hit ball during the field hockey team’s game against Ohio State last fall.

for your information

2007 record

12-9 (7-3 Mid-American Conference) coach

Kathleen Schanne (third season, 19-24 record)

Key returnees

Junior Laurie Wilkins, sophomores Rachel Miller and Nicole Leach Key departures

Charlotte Muller, Kara Copeland home court Murphy-Mellis Field First game Aug. 30 vs. St. Francis First home game Aug. 30 vs. St. Francis

FILE ART BY GAVIN JACKSON | DAILY KENT STATER

CUT IT OUT!

2008 schedule

field hockey

H AUG. 30 St. Francis AUG. 31 at Ohio State H SEPT. 5 Pacific (Golden Flash Invita-

tional)

H SEPT. 7 Lock Haven (Golden Flash Invitational) SEPT. 13 at Virginia SEPT. 14 at James Madison SEPT. 19 vs. Vermont (Albany, N.Y.) SEPT. 21 at Albany H mac SEPT: 27 Central Michigan*

H mac SEPT. 28 Ohio mac OCT. 4 at Miami mac OCT. 5 at Ball State mac OCT. 10 at Ohio H mac OCT. 12 Missouri State mac OCT. 17 at Central Michigan mac OCT. 19 at Michigan H mac OCT. 25 Miami H mac OCT. 26 Ball State mac NOV. 1 at Missouri State H NOV. 6-8 MAC Tournament (Kent) H Home match

mac Mid-American Conference match

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

Soccer vies for better season behind a more unified team Nick Walton

Daily Kent Stater The Kent State soccer team will look to improve on its 2007 season and compete for the MidAmerican Conference title.

The 2007 season ended in the first round of the MAC Tournament after a 4-3 loss to the eventual champion Toledo Rockets.

The Flashes will now focus on becoming a better team in 2008.

“We just look to the future,” coach Rob Marinaro said. “The one thing we’re really working on this year is to make sure that we become a unified team.”

Marinaro said having a more unified team will improve the team’s chances for success, and he wants the individual players to contribute to a team concept.

“We can’t look for just one player to carry the majority of the weight,” Marinaro said. “Everybody has got to carry their own weight and make sure that it’s a smooth running team.”

The Flashes will have to overcome the loss of six senior players from last season, including the Flashes’ all-time leading scorer Kimberly Dimitroff. Dimitroff was also named to the AllMAC First Team.

Two returning players who also received awards last season include junior Catharine Marosszeky (AllMAC Second Team) and sophomore Josee Charron (All-MAC Freshman Team).

Marinaro said it is up to the remaining players to step up in place of last season’s seniors.

“We got a fantastic group of seniors that will help us lead,” Marinaro said. “The rest of the (players) that have their maturity understand that being a team sport you need to be as unified as possible.”

M a r i n a ro s a i d h e s a w improvement in individual skill and team interaction during the team’s spring training.

The Flashes will once again face a challenging test from the other teams in the conference, but their expectations are still high.

“We always strive for excellence and we’re not going to be satisfied unless we’re at the top of the conference,” Marinaro said. “That’s what we build for every day and that’s what we work for.”

The Flashes start their season at Youngstown State on Aug. 24.

[

FILE ART BY REBECCA MOIDEL

Junior Jackie Barath prepares to make a pass in a game against Bowling Green last fall.

for your information

2007 record

7-11-1 (5-6 Mid-American Conference) coAch

Rob Marinaro (eighth season, 61-59-17 career record)

Key returneeS

MAc OCT. 3

at Miami

soccer

MAc OCT. 5

at Ball State

AUG. 24 at Youngstown State

H MAc OCT. 12 Eastern Michigan

AUG. 29 at Wright State

H MAc OCT. 17 Western Michigan

H MAc OCT. 10 Central Michigan

H AUG. 31 Southern Illnois-Edwards-

Senior Caitlin Hester, junior Catharine Marosszeky, sophomore Josee Charron

ville

SEPT. 5 at LSU

Key depArtureS

Kimberely Dimitroff, Lisa Kurz, Brittany Fracasso

SEPT. 7 vs. South Florida (Baton Rouge,

hoMe court

Kent State Soccer Field (behind Dix Stadium) FirSt gAMe

Aug. 24 at Youngstown State FirSt hoMe gAMe

Aug. 31 vs. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Contact sports reporter Nick Walton at nwalton1@kent.edu.

2008 Schedule

H MAc OCT. 19 Northern Illinois MAc OCT. 24

at Bowling Green

MAc OCT. 26

at Toledo

La.)

H MAc OCT. 30 Buffalo

SEPT. 12 at Pittsburgh

NOV. 2 MAC Tournament quarterfinals

SEPT. 14 at Michigan State

NOV. 7 MAC Tournament semifinals

SEPT. 19 at Eastern Kentucky

NOV. 9 MAC Tournament final

H MAc SEPT. 26 Ohio

H Home game

H MAc SEPT. 28 Akron

MAc Mid-American Conference game

Spring momentum big for team After strong track season, cross country looks ahead Brock Harrington

Daily Kent Stater Mark Croghan has seen a lot of success in his cross country career. The Kent State coach enters his third season with the program, and although the three-time U.S. Olympian and five-time U.S. national champion has many first-place finishes in his own career, his team is running through rough patches.

“Certainly, we were definitely disappointed in the way we performed last season,” Croghan said.

The men’s cross country team had only two first-place finishes in 2007, while the women had only one second-place finish.

However, between the two teams, only six runners were seniors, while 11 runners were underclassmen.

Translation? The 2008 team is loaded with young experience.

Aiman Scullion returns for his junior year, looking to improve upon his successful sophomore

[

seasons in cross country and track and field. The Salem native leads a men’s team Croghan said is more experienced and more developed since last season.

Successful indoor and outdoor track seasons could be the reason why the men’s team’s future is bright, Croghan said.

Scullion had impressive times in the 10K during the outdoor season. Senior runners Dan Klatt, Andrew Carnes and Joe Parker also performed well in the track season, especially in the longdistance portions of events.

“We had some success in the indoor and outdoor track seasons,” Croghan said. “Hopefully, we can carry the momentum we had in the outdoor season to the cross country season.”

The women’s team struggled last season but is made up of young runners who had possible breakout track seasons last spring.

Junior Kelly Gephart will lead the pack after posting impressive times in the Mid-American Conference indoor track championships.

for your information

Men’S 2007 record

Finished sixth at Mid-American Conference Championships coAch

Mark Croghan (third season)

Key returneeS

Gephart served as the anchor of the track team’s second-place medley relay team. She and fellow junior Jessica Lhotsky had their most success in the longdistance portions of the events.

Croghan said the women’s team is a veteran group that could have a big year if the runners continue to develop. The major goal for both teams will be to improve their MAC records, Croghan said. Last season, the men finished sixth at the MAC Championships while the women finished ninth.

The Flashes’ only event at home will be the Short Course Open on Aug. 29 and they will compete in events in Minnesota, Indiana and Pennsylvania at Penn State. The MAC Cross Country Championships will be held on Nov. 24 in an undetermined location.

Contact fall sports editor Brock Harrington at jharrin2@kent.edu.

2008 Schedule

H AUG. 29 Short Course Open SEPT. 13 at Mel Brodt Invitational (Bowling Green) SEPT. 20 at Iona Meet of Champions (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

Key depArtureS

OCT. 17 at Penn State National Invitational (State College, Pa.)

FirSt Meet

Aug. 29 (Short Course Open) FirSt hoMe Meet

Aug. 29 (Short Course Open)

CUT IT OUT!

cross country

Senior Joe Parker, junior Aiman Scullion Ryan Spellman, Ray Armstrong

OCT. 10 at All-Ohio Championships (Delaware, Ohio) OCT. 18 at Pre-National Meet (Terra Haute, Ind.) NOV. 1 at Mid-American Conference Championships (Athens) NOV. 15 at Great Lakes Regional (West Lafayette, Ind.) NOV. 24 at NCAA Championships (TBA)

[

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM CAMMETT | DIAMOND IMAGES

Junior Aiman Scuillion finishes a meet last season.

for your information

WoMen’S 2007 record

Finished ninth at Mid-American Conference Championships coAch

Mark Croghan (third season)

Key returneeS

Juniors Kelly Gephart, sophomore Allison Krupko Key depArtureS

Suzanne Spettel

FirSt Meet

Aug. 29 (Short Course Open) FirSt hoMe Meet

Aug. 29 (Short Course Open)

PAGE

D5

BY Brock Harrington

Home of the 1972 MAC Champions

Contrary to what you see, Kent State has a flashy future “Anything but Kent.”

I spent an entire summer covering Ohio high school recruiting at Ohiovarsity.com, and “anything but Kent” was a moniker I put on some of the athletes I talked to.

That isn’t a surprise, considering most future college students aren’t born with a desire to attend Kent State. And I’m sure that some non-student athletes have come to Kent State thinking that Harvard or Yale must have misplaced their transcripts.

But you’re here now, so let your hair down, sit back in your futon, live up the college life you have always dreamed of and enjoy four (but probably closer to six) years of Division I college sports.

Some of your friends are living the “Big Ten” life in Columbus or the “stay at home life” in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron or Cincinnati. You freshmen Flashes are at Kent State — the home of the 1972 Mid-American Conference football champions and also the home of the men’s basketball team that scored 10 points in the first half against UNLV in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

But you know what? There are a lot of good, great, grand and historical things that surround Kent State athletics.

And you now own season tickets for every single home game, match and tournament for the Kent State Golden Flashes.

(Contrary to what you may think a Golden Flash may be, a Golden Flash is a ferocious, bloodthirsty eagle — all true but the bloodthirsty part.)

So what athletic events can you look forward to besides endless amounts of underage beer pong at Kent State this fall and in the future?

Many. But what does Kent State have that other schools don’t?

They have 60-plus years in the MAC, including two of the last three MAC men’s basketball titles. They have been to more Elite 8 games in this milennium than Cincinnati, Akron and Ohio combined (OK, so it’s only one Elite 8 appearance). They have won 20 games for 10 years, and the 2008 MAC player of the year (Al Fisher) is returning.

They had more alumni in the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl than all of the aforementioned schools, plus Ohio State. If you want to see more dominance, read Doug Gulasy’s preview of the women’s golf team. They have more titles and accolades then Roger Clemens has excuses.

The field hockey team has the reigning freshman of the year (Rachel Miller) and coach of the year (Kathleen Schanne). Kent State volleyball should compete for a MAC championship in Kent State coach Glen Conley’s second year with the team and will return a ton of players next year, in his third season.

Softball became the fourth spring team to win a MAC championship. They had the best pitcher in the conference and likely the best in the region (Kylie Reynolds).

Kent State is the home of Jack Lambert. Kent State is the college that National Championship-winning coaches such as Nick Saban and Lou freaking Holtz attended. Heck, you want NASCAR? Kent State alum Michael Keaton played a driver in one of his movies (thank God for Herbie Fully Loaded). Ben Curtis, a British Open champion, is a MAC golf champion from Kent State.

So Kent State hasn’t played in a college football National Championship game the past two years? From what I’ve seen, neither has Ohio State. So Pittsburgh should be ranked in the top five for basketball this season? Its football team is known more for Dave Wannstedt’s mustache than anything else.

Ohio University may be a fun school to visit, but its head men’s basketball coach left for a 2007 D-II school, so the parties couldn’t have been that great.

And my hometown university, the Cincinnati Bearcats? Well, they let the college president fire the most popular man in Cincinnati not named Pete Rose (Bob Huggins).

Miami plays basketball in a theater.

Toledo went through a gambling scandal last season, and they didn’t fire the coach. Bowling Green may have made a bowl game last season, but it lost by a billion points to Tulsa.

So remember, no matter how bad you think the sports are around here, because a 3-9 football team receives more coverage than the women’s golf team, Kent State sports aren’t as bad as ESPN makes them out to be.

“Anything but Kent” may be the line now, but keep an eye open because these flashy, bloodthirsty eagles may just be the key to a fun experience here in the Northeast end of Ohio, and they may do some winning while they’re at it.

Contact fall sports editor Brock Harrington at jharrin2@kent.edu.

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

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D7

Men’s golf hopes Women’s golf relies for national encore on younger players

FILE PHOTO BY BRIAN MARKS

Kent State sophomore Jean-Phillipe Paiement takes a tee shot at the WIndmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna on April 26.

After high finish at NCAAs, team looks to take its next step Doug Gulasy

Daily Kent Stater Just three months removed from placing in the top 10 teams at the NCAA Championships, the Kent State men’s golf team will look to repeat its success this fall season.

The Flashes set a program record by finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships in May, 10 shots back of champion UCLA. With that experience, the team is hopeful it can compete on a high level again this year.

“We have a tradition of playing at the national level and playing for the national championship,” Kent State coach Herb Page said.

“We were very, very close to winning it (last season). Now we’re going to try to do it again.”

The Flashes will begin play at the Maryland Intercollegiate from

[

Sept. 6 to 7, and a good test will come later that month at the Ping/ Golfweek Preview from Sept. 28 to 30. Page called that tournament a “measuring stick” for the team.

The tournament is so important, Page said, because only the top 15 teams in the country from last season were invited. Also, the tournament is being held at the site of the 2009 NCAA Championships, the Inverness Club in Toledo.

“That’s kind of a highlight of our fall, and I think that’ll test us and see where we are,” Page said.

“You obviously have to be in the top 15 to get invited, so we feel really good about that.”

Overall, Page said the schedule will be difficult, as it usually is.

However, the Flashes will have the benefit of experience this season.

Four of the team’s top six golfers from last season return: junior David Ludlow and sophomores Brett Cairns, Jean-Phillipe Paiement and John Hahn, the 2007 Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Year.

“My expectations are (that) if they continue to work hard — they’re very coachable young men

for your information

2007 RECORD

Finished sixth at NCAA Championships COACH

Herb Page (31st season) KEY RETURNEES

Junior David Ludlow, sophomores Brett Cairns, John Hahn KEY DEPARTURES

David Markle, Tom Ballinger HOME COURSE Kent State Golf Course FIRST GAME Aug. 30 vs. St. Francis FIRST GAME Sept. 6 to 7 at Maryland Intercollegiate (Cambridge, Md.)

— and we put them into elite competition, they’re going to get better,” Page said. “We need to keep improving, and with the right attitude I think that’ll happen.”

Page said if those four players play up to their potential, the Flashes will need just one of their remaining players performing well to make the team successful.

Last year, the Flashes came on the strongest in the spring season.

The team finished in the top three in five consecutive tournaments, including two tournament victories.

Page hopes the team will have the same kind of success throughout this entire season and, once again, contend for the NCAA Championship in May. But the Flashes aren’t guaranteed success just because of what they did last season, he said.

“It is very difficult to play the schedule we play and to get back into contention,” Page said. “Yeah, we did very well, but it all starts from scratch again. Everybody starts back at even.”

Contact managing editor Doug Gulasy at dgulasy@kent.edu.

2008 SCHEDULE

CUT IT OUT!

men's golf SEPT. 6-7

Maryland Intercollegiate (Cambridge, Md.)

SEPT. 13-14

Wolf Run Intercollegiate (Zionsville, Ind.)

SEPT. 28-30

Ping/Golfweek Preview (Toledo)

OCT. 5-6

Windon Memorial Classic (Glenview, Ill.) OCT. 24-26 Bank of Tennessee at the Ridges (Jonesborough, Tenn.)

Keeping winning streak alive rests on returnees, new faces Doug Gulasy

Daily Kent Stater It has become seemingly a yearly ritual for the Kent State women’s golf team.

Each year, the Flashes have to replace valuable players from the year before. And yet each year, the Flashes win the Mid-American Conference Championships.

This season, the Flashes will have just three returning lettermen from last season as they attempt to win the MAC Championships for the 11th straight year.

“We keep trying to reload and bring in very talented players who have a lot of room for improvement, and hopefully their games grow as they’re here and they become very accomplished players,” coach Mike Morrow said. “That’s always our goal.”

Kira Meixner and Tara Delaney, both of whom have placed first at the MAC Championships in their careers, graduated after last season. That leaves seniors Maddi Swaney and Kirby Dreher and sophomore Martina Gavier as the only returning golfers with experience from last season.

The other golfers on the team lack experience, but Swaney thinks they’ll be able to do a

[

good job.

“They have some big shoes to fill, but I think hopefully they’ll be able to step up to the challenge,” Swaney said. “I think they can, so I think we should be pretty good.”

As for the three returnees with experience, Morrow said they should provide leadership for the younger members of the team. “(Their) experience should hopefully propel their game to the next level,” he said. “We’re going to count on those three very heavily to keep this team improving.”

Last season, the Flashes ranked 13th in the country in the final collegiate poll, and they placed in the top five teams in every tournament but one. The team won three tournaments, including a dominating 51-stroke victory at the MAC Championships.

Swaney said she hopes the team will continue its strong play from last season.

“I think we can kind of go (into the season) with the mindset to continue the momentum that we (had) from last season,” she said.

“We can win the first tournament, and that would be great. We have the talent to do that.”

If the Flashes do have a successful season, that will continue the women’s golf program’s successful tradition. The women’s golf team is entering its 11th year of existence at Kent State, and the Flashes won the MAC title in each of their first 10 years.

While the major tournaments

CUT IT OUT!

2008 SCHEDULE

women's golf SEPT. 20-21

Mary Fossum Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)

OCT. 3-5

Tar Heel Invitational (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

OCT. 10-12

Mercedes Benz Women’s Collegiate (Knoxville, Tenn.)

NOV. 2-4 NCGA Collegiate Match Play Championship (Orlando, Fla.)

such as the MAC Championships, NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships aren’t until the spring season, Morrow said he still wants to have a strong fall season.

“The first tournament, as far as rankings and everything goes, means as much as the last tournament before conference (championships),” Morrow said. “We really don’t have a lot of time to do things. We just have to get off to a good start and hopefully keep improving.”

Contact managing editor Doug Gulasy at dgulasy@kent.edu.

for your information

2007 RECORD

KEY DEPARTURES

COACH

HOME COURSE Kent State Golf Course

Won 10th straight Mid-American Conference championship Mike Morrow (11th season) KEY RETURNEES

Seniors Maddi Swaney, Kirby Dreher, sophomore Martina Gavier

READ IT DAILY STARTING AUG. 25

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENT STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

Senior Kirby Dreher chips from the bunker.

Kira Meixner, Tara Delaney Home course: Kent State Golf Course

FIRST GAME Aug. 30 vs. St. Francis

FIRST GAME Sept. 20 to 21 at Mary Fossum

Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)

read listen react >> register for daily updates and breaking news alerts @ KentNewsNet.com/register

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08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

08.20.2008

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D10

08.20.2008

DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center, located off Summit Street, is free for students taking five or more credit hours.

Rec center attempts to combat ‘Freshman 15’ Daily Kent Stater Everyone hears warnings about what to expect during the first year of college. But one warning looms about 15 pounds larger than the others.

Just about every college student has heard of the legendary “Freshman 15,” and many have experienced it firsthand. Students can avoid gaining that extra weight that seems to accompany freshman year.

Ben Cope, recreation program coordinator at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, said increased caloric intake, decreased physical activity and a slowing metabolism are three big contributors to the Freshman 15.

Cope said exercise and nutrition must go hand-in-hand to battle the Freshman 15.

“At the end of the day, you could have exercised for two hours, but if you’ve taken in 500 extra calories it doesn’t matter how much you exercised,” Cope said.

The rec center offers a variety of programs and services to help students avoid the Freshman 15.

Nutrition services, personal training and group classes help students develop healthful habits that will last beyond freshman year.

Nutrition Services

At the rec center, students can determine their metabolic rate, get a diet analysis, attend nutrition counseling and get a personalized diet prescription from a registered dietitian.

Cope said these services can help students adjust to a new lifestyle of being responsible for their own nutrition.

“You’re on your own, and it is a whole other lifestyle because it’s a lot of grab-and-go — you’re on the run, you’re studying and you’re trying to balance everything,” Cope said. “Nutrition is something new, and if you don’t have any direction, it can get lost in the shuffle.”

The rec center offers metabolic testing. Students take a breath test that measures their personal resting metabolic rate so they can accurately plan a healthy daily caloric intake.

The test costs $25 for students.

“It’s not like Freshman 15 happens all of a sudden — it could be 50 calories a day that you’re over,” Cope said. “It’s not going to show the first month or two, but six months down the road, you get on the scale and weigh five more pounds and wonder how it happened.”

One-Day and Three-Day Diet Analyses are available at the rec center. Students enter everything they eat during the time period into a computer program called Food Works. Food Works then determines the nutritional

strengths and weaknesses of students’ diets. The cost to students is $6 for One-Day and $19 for ThreeDay Diet Analyses.

Nutrition Counseling is available to students for $17 a session.

It consists of one-on-one sessions with a registered dietitian. Students can discuss anything related to diet and nutrition, including concerns and goals.

For $17, students can purchase a Diet Prescription, essentially a one-week food plan, prepared by a dietitian after completing a Three-Day Diet Analysis. The Diet Prescription is custom designed to help students reach their individual nutritional goals.

Cope’s advice to avoid the Freshman 15 is for students to remain conscious of the foods they eat despite the transition into college life.

“You’re going to meet friends, and you usually end up eating what they eat,” Cope said. “Keep that in mind, and be an individual — think about what you’re putting into your body.”

Personal training

The rec center offers one-onone personal training sessions with certified personal trainers.

The trainers help students develop exercise programs that are tailored to their current fitness level and specific fitness goals.

“Some people want to gain muscle mass, and some people want to lose weight and some people are training for a triathlon or other event,” Cope said.

Sessions with certified personal trainers range from 30 to 60 minutes, and students can purchase a single session to a 20-session package based on individual needs. The cost to students for a single 30-minute session is $17, and the price per session decreases when a multi-session package is purchased.

In order to schedule personal training sessions, students must first complete a Fitness Assessment and Three-Day Diet Analysis.

“The Fitness Assessment is a comprehensive printout of where you are at physically,” Cope said.

“We do cardiovascular, endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and body composition.”

Liz Walko, senior human movement and sports medicine major, is one of six certified personal trainers at the rec center. She said the personal training program benefits people of all fitness levels.

“I see a wide range of people; some are really fit and some are very out of shape,” Walko said. “But you have to start somewhere.”

Walko said the personal training program is helpful for students who are new to exercise because they learn new techniques, and the trainers ensure that students use proper form as they exercise.

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Rec center features include basketball and racquetball courts, a swimming pool, group classes and much more.

REC CENTER OFFERS ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS The Student Recreation and Wellness Center offers a variety of activities for students, whether they are trying to stay fit, get involved in sports or just want to meet people and try something new.

For students enrolled in five or more credit hours at the Kent campus, the cost of using the rec center is covered by their tuition.

Students enrolled in fewer than five credit hours can purchase a student membership for $70 per semester to use the rec center.

The rec center is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m to midnight, Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Students must bring their FlashCard for admission.

For more information on the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, call (330) 672-4REC or go online to http://www. recservices.kent.edu.

“It’s better to learn the right form with someone watching than to come here alone and be doing the wrong things,” Walko said.

Cope said the personal training program helps students who need a more structured exercise program.

Personal training is also geared toward students who need extra motivation to exercise regularly.

“The majority of the time people do training because they want to be accountable,” Cope said.

“You have somebody that you’re accountable to. You have appointments and the accountability factor is huge.”

Adventure Center Climbing Wall and Climbing Clinics n Outdoor Clinics n Adventure Trips n Teambuilding and Leadership Challenges n Outdoor Rental Center n

Walko’s advice to students on avoiding the Freshman 15 is to get a fitness routine started immediately.

“Don’t let it get so bad that you just let yourself go,” Walko said.

“Make exercise a priority.”

Group X

Aquatics n Swim Lessons n Masters Swim n Safety Certifications

Sports n Intramurals n Sport Clubs n Community Leagues

Group X classes at the rec center offer a wide variety of group fitness sessions throughout the day.

Group X classes last from 45 to 60 minutes, and the cost to students for a single class is $3. Students can also purchase a 12-punch pass for $30 or unlimited Group X for the semester for $40. Focus of

Fitness and Wellness Group X classes n Instructional classes n Personal Training n Fitness Flashes n Fitness Screenings n Fitness Orientations n Nutrition n

TAKE IT FROM

[ ]

Jessie Marks

Source: The Student Recreation and Wellness Center Web site

classes ranges from spinning to kickboxing to ZUMBA and more.

Walko, who teaches group fitness classes, said there is a Group X class for every sensibility, whether students desire an aerobic workout, toning, or a combination of both. She suggests students try several classes to learn what works best for them.

“If you can, find one class you really like and make it a weekly event,” Walko said. “Get into a routine right off the bat, and make it a priority to come to the rec center.”

Students who want to learn more about Group X or want to

THOSE WHO KNOW Walking to class provides a great way to get exercise, but in order to stay fit, I would suggest going to the rec a few times a week. The rec gets extremely crowded after 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., so if you don’t feel like dealing with all that chaos, 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. are good times to go, too. The rec is free to students. Take advantage of it before you graduate and have to pay entirely too much money to be a member of a fitness club.

Kristina Deckert

more advice at

KentNewsNet.com

try different classes before making a financial commitment can try them for free during Demo Week, which runs from Sept. 2 to 8.

Cope said Group X classes are also a way for students to build social networks while they exercise.

A complete list of the Group X class offerings can be found in the Recreational Services Fall 2008 Program Guide. Students can get a copy of the Program Guide in the lobby of the rec center.

Contact student recreation and wellness reporter Jessie Marks at jrmarks@kent.edu.

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DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

The Portage County Bike and Hike Trail gives students a way to get from place to place and stay in shape.

Happy trails for Kent cyclists Portage County Bike Trail nears completion Tim Jacobs

Daily Kent Stater Kent cyclists will have a new reason to dust their bicycles off and oil their chains by the end of the year.

The Portage County Hike and Bike Trail is nearing completion.

John Idone, director of the Kent Parks and Recreation Department, said the majority of the work on the long-term project is scheduled for completion Nov. 15.

Idone said the city gained almost $1 million in state and fed-

eral grants.

The trail is a collaboration between Kent Parks and Recreation, Ravenna Parks and Recreation, the Portage County Park District, Kent State University and neighboring townships and other entities.

“All the neighboring townships have supported the project, particularly Franklin Township, which has put up matching money to put up parts of the trail,” Idone said.

Eventually, the trail will serve as an east to west junction for other trails in Ohio.

“We’re calling this the ‘H Connector,’ which would be the center part of that ‘H’ connecting the Ohio and Erie canal corridor that runs from Cleveland ultimately to Cincinnati,” Idone said. “It would then cut across the county to the

THE KENT (STUDENT) BIKE CLUB Senior anthropology major Beth Lomske sat at the Home Savings Plaza waiting for the rest of the Kent Bike Club members to show up for their weekly ride. The group, an official organization recognized by the university since last fall, is loosely organized, but people show up every week.

“On the really organized rides, we usually get 15 people,” Lomske said. “In the summer, it’s not that organized. We usually meet and ride until about 7 (p.m.).”

Lomske said the group, at the moment, is all students, although anyone is welcome to ride with them.

“We don’t get older cyclists,” Lomske said.

“We intend it for everyone, but it’s usually only students who show up.”

Lomske said the group’s future plan is to open a bicycle co-op, where students can get help with repair, swap parts and stories and eventually rent bicycles. She said it will be a donation-based organization when they get it off the ground “hopefully around August.”

The Kent Bike Club meets every Friday at 5 p.m. at the Home Savings Plaza in downtown Kent. Any student or resident is welcome to show up.

east and link up with a northsouth trail called the Lakes to Rivers Trail which goes from Erie to the Ohio River.”

Another section of the trail that will span from the city limits west through Tallmadge and eventually to Akron is planned

to be finished in 2012. Idone said another part of the project, which will run from East Crain avenue to Riverbend Park, is currently up for bid and should be completed

by Oct. 1 this year.

Michael Bruder, director of design and construction for the

Office of the University Architect, said the university is also wrapping up its bike trail project, by extending the Esplanade along South Lincoln Street to East Main Street. The university’s portion of the trail spans from the University Esplanade all the way across campus to Dix Stadium. “(The trail) goes back through the woods and through our wetlands,” Bruder said. “There are sections of the trail that are actually boardwalk because the soil was too soft for paving.”

While Bruder and Idone said the purpose of the trail is to improve pedestrian and cyclist transportation both on campus and in the city, the two sections of the trail also have slightly different purposes.

Bruder said the university’s section of the trail is meant to improve traffic across campus and

to connect the campus to the surrounding area so students aren’t dependent on having a car.

Idone said the city’s portion of the trail is not only for transportation, but also to encourage commerce downtown and make Kent a more desirable place to live.

“We think, once the trail is complete, that it will have tremendous economic benefits, not only in bringing people to downtown Kent to go shopping, go out to eat, enjoy Riveredge Park, but I think we’ll generate some businesses that will cater to these people interested in cycling, so I would anticipate a bicycle shop,” he said.

Idone also said the community has been very supportive of the trail.

“Bike trails are a very popular thing, certainly an amenity people are looking for when they’re looking to purchase a home,” he said.

Contact general assignment reporter Tim Jacobs at tjacobs@kent.edu.

Club, intramural sports build community, fitness Rec centers gives students options for competition Jessie Marks

Daily Kent Stater As students arrive on campus and ease into the college lifestyle, many are looking for ways to stay active with sports and athletic competition.

With more than 20 sport clubs and more than 40 intramural sport leagues offered through the Department of Recreational Services, students have several options to choose from.

Greg Bailey, assistant director of club and intramural sports and community leagues, said club and intramural sports are an easy way to get involved on campus while staying active.

“It’s a very social activity, but it also has the competitive aspect if you want it to be competitive,” Bailey said. “In college is where a lot of your lifelong friends are made. You meet them through the activities you do, through common interests.”

Although sport clubs and intramural sports share many of the same activities, the structure, cost and time commitments make them different.

Intramural sports

The Department of Recreational Services offers a broad range of intramural sports that allows students to compete in athletics throughout college and promote an active lifestyle.

“When you come to college, you have a busy schedule and something gets left out, and it could be physical activity,” Bailey said. “Intramurals and club sports

promote lifetime fitness.”

Students can participate in intramurals for a nominal fee that varies by sport.

Men’s, women’s and coed intramural leagues run during fall, spring and summer seasons. Participants use an instant scheduling system to choose the day and time of their games, with contests taking place in the evenings between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Intramural sports give students the chance to participate in athletic competition without a complex schedule, Bailey said.

“Intramurals is different because it doesn’t have the structure that a club program has with practice two to three times a week and travel,” Bailey said. “Intramurals is getting your five best friends together and you’re going to play.”

John Krehnovi, intramural sports and community leagues coordinator, said intramural sports give students a social network.

“One of the biggest benefits to intramurals is that it’s a great way to get out and spend time with friends,” Krehnovi said. “Intramurals is the perfect opportunity to try a new sport because it’s not as competitive — they’re designed to be fun.”

For the first time, in Fall 2008 the Department of Recreational Services will offer “free agent registration” for the intramural program. Students who want to play but don’t have a team can sign up on the rec center Web site as a free agent. A meeting will be held where all free agents can meet and form teams based on interest and availability.

Jon Taylor, senior tourism management major, participated in softball and flag football intramurals last year.

“As a senior, I wish I would have started intramurals sooner,” Taylor said. “You meet a lot of people, and it is a good time.”

Taylor’s advice to fellow stu-

dents is to use intramural sports as an outlet and to have fun.

“Sometimes dorm rooms can get pretty depressing,” Taylor said.

“Intramurals keep you active and get you out of your dorm room.”

Bailey advises students not to wait until the last minute to sign up. He said registration begins on day one of the semester, and each sport program has deadlines.

Bailey said students can check the rec center Web site or the Program Guide for intramural schedules and specific sports’ deadlines.

He encourages students who have questions or concerns about getting involved in club or intramural sports to contact the rec center.

Club sports

Club sports require greater time and financial commitments from members but offer a higher level of competition in exchange.

Club sport teams are studentoperated but remain closely affiliated with the university. These teams are like varsity sport teams because the clubs travel and compete against other institutions.

They are different because the students are responsible for making their own competition schedules.

Members of club sport teams often have dues and hold fundraising events that vary based on the sport. Funds collected by the club are used to purchase uniforms, pay for travel expenses and pay contest officials.

“Club sports are common interest groups,” Bailey said. “They are much like fraternities, sororities or any other student organization.”

Students can learn more about sport clubs from the rec center Web site and the contact information for club team student managers will be available the second week of classes.

Contact student recreation and wellness reporter Jessie Marks at jrmarks@kent.edu.

DANIEL DOHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

Located on campus, the Kent State Ice Arena offers college skate nights for $1.50 and skate rentals for $2.50.

Get your skate on: Ice Arena an alternative to rec center Darren D’Altorio

Daily Kent Stater The Kent State Ice Arena is an unexplored treasure on campus. Tucked behind the DeWeese Health Center and across from Van Campen Hall on Loop Road, the Ice Arena is easily missed or completely unknown to many new students at Kent State.

It’s a great place to come freshman year as an alternative to going downtown or going to the fraternities, said Laura Russo, graduate assistant for the Ice Arena.

The Ice Arena offers a variety of activities, such as college skate night, broomball, hockey games and even beginner skating classes that count for credit hours.

The most popular activity at the Ice Arena is broomball, Russo said.

“Freshmen don’t even know what broomball is,” she said.

“Broomball is when you run around the ice with your gym shoes on, with sticks that are the top part of a broom, and you hit a ball around, playing with the same rules as hockey.”

Sign-ups for broomball begin every September, and the spots go quickly. About 20 to 32 teams of 15 people compete during the season.

The games are five-on-five, and two women from each team must be on the ice at all times. Starting in October, games begin at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights and go until about 2 a.m., Russo said.

“We have it set up so that it doesn’t conflict with work or school,” Russo said, “unless you have to study.”

If studying is in order, the Ice Arena is another option, aside from the library or dorm study lounge.

“We recently put in Wi-Fi,” Russo said. “It’s really quiet during the day, so if any students want to study they can bring their laptop here.”

If hunger creeps up or the brain starts to slow down during the studying process, the Ice Arena is equipped with a full snack bar and coffee menu. Burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, cappuccino, espresso and hot chocolate are some of the favorites, Russo said. Meal plans

are accepted from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and FlashCash is always accepted. And the Ice Arena is the only place on campus that sells Dippin’ Dots — and you can buy it with your meal plan.

Students can sign up for beginning skating, broomball and beginning hockey classes in the physical education section of the course list on FlashLine, Russo said. These classes are covered in the cost of tuition and offer a fun departure from the monotonous book work of most classes.

Wednesday nights are college skate nights. All students with a college I.D. can skate for $1.50, and skate rental is $2.50. Also, on Friday and Saturday nights there is a skate party with disco lights and a disc jockey.

The Kent State men’s hockey team plays its games in the arena on Friday nights throughout the spring semester. Students can get in to the games free with their FlashCards.

Contact general assignment reporter Darren D’Altorio at ddaltor@kent.edu.

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CLASSIFIEDS

For information about placing a Display ad please call our offices at 330-672-2586 or visit us at 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Classified ads can be placed by FAX at (330) 672-4880, over the phone at (330) 672-2586 or by e-mail at ksuads@yahoo.com. If you fax or e-mail an ad, please be sure to include run dates, payment info and a way for us to contact you.

www.KentNewsNet.com

What’s Happening

On-Campus Employment

www.zenzuu.com/queenesi SIGN UP NOW Make Friends, $Make Money$, Make Connections It’s absolutely FREE*FREE*FREE Contact Sondra (Esi) Bryant at akronprojecthope@sbcglobal.net

PARTA/CAMPUS BUS SERVICE now hiring KSU students for bus operator positions. We offer paid training, $7.50/hr. starting operator wage, and flexible scheduling around your classes! Applications available at www.partaonline.org, or 2000 Summit Rd. Kent (across from Dix Stadium). 672-RIDE EOE

Alpha Tau Omega welcomes all new students!

Employment Parasson’s Italian Restaurant Hiring all positions all shifts starting at $8-$10/hr. Apply in person 11am-10pm. 3983 Darrow Rd., Stow. 234 Wooster Rd N, Barberton. No phone calls please.

Waitress/waiter help fine dining.

Apply in person, Reserve Inn, Hudson. 15 min. from campus.

330-650-1717

Riverside Wine, 911 N. Mantua St., Kent. Retail, server, food prep, dishwasher, stocking & hostess. All shifts available, Deck open, non smoker, fast paced, (must be 21+ to serve), Apply in person Tues-Sat 1-4pm.

Leasing consultant/manager trainee for 160 unit apartment building in Kent. Please fax resume to 216-763-1016.

Math tutor needed - experienced in algebra and mathematics for adult student. Call 330-995-0164.

Parasson’s Italian Restaurant Hiring all positions all shifts starting at $8-$10/hr. Apply in person 11am-10pm. 3983 Darrow Rd., Stow. 234 Wooster Rd N, Barberton. No phone calls please.

Raymond World Inc. seeking individuals to work as secretary/ bookkeeping/account/clerk and sales representative.

Qualifications: verbal/written communication skills, extremely organized. Legal background is helpful.

Interested candidates should contact Parker.lura1@gmail.com

Real Estate Custom Kent ranch on .72 a. 4 brm, 4.5 b, 4 c gar. 3141 sqf 1st fl, 2206 fin. ll. Bonnie 330-730-6263

For Sale

Today’s Birthday (08-20-08) You’re going to want to travel this year, and conditions are good.

You’ll enjoy almost every minute of your adventure. The trick is to keep doing your regular job. And stick to your budget.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Rent KENT Large 4 bdrm avail Fall. Nice area. $325/rm/mo. 1 mile from campus. On the bus line. Only a few left. Call Bryan 330-697-0425

KENT/BRIMFIELD. Newer 3 & 4 Bdrm duplexes. 1 car garage. $900$1100 per month. 330-338-5841.

4 bedroom near KSU - $1200.

Minutes to KSU. Includes trash and mowing. Call 330-329-1118 1 or 2 bdrm avail in 4 bed duplex.

Rent $250/mo 440-708-2372 or www.manning-properties.com

Updated large 2 bdrm, 1.5 ba apt. 5 minutes from KSU. On bus route, plenty of parking and onsite management. $600/mo plus sec dep and elec. Owner pays for heat water, trash. Small pets ok, no dogs. Call 330-289-3225 Kent house for rent across from Kent Post Office. 1 BR in a 3 BR apartment open Aug. 15th. No pets, 1 yr. lease. 330-673-8505

Childcare

4 bdrm house, 3 acres, 2 full baths, W/D, 2 car garage. $350 per bedrm plus utils. 330-676-9440 5 bedroom house for fall. Across from KSU! Utils. included. $425/ mo. 330-630-1468.

Available Aug., 2 Bdrm large rooms. Close to campus $550 month plus utilities. 330-626-7157

Mobile home for rent. Reasonably priced. 330-646-3480.

Akron U Area 6 bdrm house, Spicer town area, full bsmnt. $250/ rm/mo.utils paid. 330-328-1084

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8. This is one of those cruising days when everything goes fine. Start new projects, play games, relax and enjoy yourself. By the way, you’re lucky financially, too.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 6. You’re beginning to start thinking about the jobs you need to finish. If that’s not true yet, it will be soon. You’ll be reminded.

Try not to be taken by surprise.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 6. Manage your resources carefully. You will have to know what you’re bidding on and how much it should be worth. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll score big.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 6. People are getting anxious. They’re insisting upon action now, sometimes without proper planning. Reassure anyone who’s pressuring you that the job will get done in due time.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8. It’s good to voice your opinion, but it’s wise to choose your battles. If you’re outgunned, don’t keep hollering. Make your point and then shut up.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8. Don’t talk about what you’re going to do. Show, rather than tell. Nobody wants to hear your stories. They want to see you in action.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7. Luckily for you, there’s more work to be done. This job looks like it pays pretty well. You might even make enough to pay off the debt you just incurred. That would be very good.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is an 8. The money’s beginning to arrive, and not a moment too soon. You’ll have enough, even after paying off a bill that’s already due. Don’t worry about it.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7. Don’t be alarmed if you become more excitable over the next few weeks. You might even blurt out a couple of things you wish you hadn’t said. Do be careful about that.

Rent

Rent

Available now, 3 bdrm duplexes and efficiency apart., $825 & $280/ month. No pets. 330-626-5910

Kent Condo! Very close to campus!

(S. Lincoln St.) Now renting!

2 bdrm, 1.5 ba. Assigned parking, water, trash & heat paid! $700/mo. + elec. 330-676-0796.

Large 1&2 bdrm. country twinplex, 3 min. to campus. Utilities included. 330-310-1494 Joe. FIRST MONTH FREE! 3 BR duplex.

Corner of College & Willow. $1150 per month + utilities. We pay trash & water. Call 330-414-3359

1 bedroom available in a 4 bedroom duplex at Hidden Pines.

Washer & dryer included. Located in a beautiful wooded area. $300 per month. Call 440-708-2372 or www.manning-properties.com 1 BR apt. 1 person, no pets. 2 bus stops, includes gas & water, 2nd floor of QUIET, private home. $385 + elec. 330-673-5599

KENT- 2 bdrm. air, appliances, carpet. Heat/water paid. No pets or sec 8. $590-$630. 330-677-5577 Minutes to KSU. 3 BR 2 BA, appls., garage, A/C. $850-$950. 330-9474325. www.mbnproperty.com

Available For Fall 3 bedroom 1 bath, ranch-style house, off Rt. 43, near campus.

Very nice condition. No pets, large yard. 440-953-8687 For more info: www.yourhomerental.com

ACROSS FROM CAMPUS AT 436-438 E. SUMMIT ST. 4 Bdrm Apt. $350/Rm + Utilities 2 baths, large bedrooms.

Basement with washer & dryer.

NO PETS Moneypenny Realty & Mgmt.

330-677-4722 ext 113 www.moneypennyrealty-management.com

Nice 2 bedroom apartment. 1/2 block from KSU. $600/mo. + util.

No pets. 330-688-1187 2 Bedroom, 2 bath condo. 2 car garage. W/D, stove and refrigerator included. $1100 a month plus security or OBO. 330-541-3046.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8. Travel conditions are excellent. You’re also getting luckier. Minimize costs, however.

Follow a hunch, but don’t abandon your common sense.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 6. Take charge of the situation. You may wish somebody else could do the job better, but they can’t. It’s up to you to make the final choice.

Like new gold couch and 3 tables $150. Call 330-678-3896.

2 BR apartment 2 blocks from campus. 1 year/9 mo lease starting immediately. A/C & coin laundry. $325/bdrm + electric. Call 330676-9440

Babysitter Needed: Looking for someone with an upbeat and energetic personality to watch our 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year olds.

Weekdays and weekend evenings as needed. Please call Angelique or Jason at (330)342-0202 or email us at jaberry@roadrunner.com.

By Linda Black

Regulation Corn Bags. Set of 8, $20. Choice of colors.

330-554-4033.

Need a good paying campus job and don’t want to work nights or weekends?Visit www.collmedia.net for more info. References required.

Childcare Help Needed Need childcare help after school for three teenagers.

Responsibilities include supervision in my Hudson home and driving to and from after school activities. Hours 3-6 p.m.

Monday - Friday. Reliable car and references a must. Contact Pat at 440-7248128.

horoscope

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is an 8. Be aware of your teammates’ locations and capabilities. You’re not in this all by yourself. Somebody you know is in a good position to help.

Kent duplex- 1 mile to KSU. 3 bdrm units. New flrs & kitch. $795 + Util.

No pets. 216-536-9694.

Kent Condo 940 S. Lincoln. Close to KSU. 2 bdrm, 1.5 ba. No pets.

Heat incl.$725/mo. 216-524-0745.

3 Bdrm duplex- ctrl air, wash/dryer, parking. $700/mo + util. $700 deposit. 1 avail now and 1 avail Sept. 15. No pets. 330-357-1095 KENT- NICE HOUSE. Close to KSU & downtown. 3-4 people. No pets.

Available August. (1 & 2 bedroom also available.) Call 330-297-6539

3 Bedroom, 3 bath condo. 2 car garage. Water, electric, W/D, stove and refrigerator included. No pets. $1500 a month or $500 per bdrm. plus security. 330-541-3046.

FREE RENT FOR AUGUST. Near KSU, newly renovated four bedroom house. $1240 per month plus utilities. 330-329-7535 University Townhomes, 1 bdrm w/ 4 coeds avail. now. $315 all util. & DSL includ. Call 330-431-1824.

Female empty nester looking for someone to share her cozy Cuyahoga home with.$425/mo., Utilities & internet included. Please call 330-603-7091.

AVAIL FOR FALL: 3 bdrm units, close to campus, starting at $750/ mo. Call today 330-329-2535 AVAILABLE FOR FALL. Huge 3 or 4 bedroom duplexes in great condition. Deck/patio, garage, large yard, W/D hookup. Starting at $900, includes water & trash. Call to view 330-221-1909.

One bedroom apartment, half block from campus. All utilities paid. $450 per month. Available August 22nd. Call 330.931.0434.

Lower level of house w/ 2 BR, 1 full BA, fridge and microwave, partially furnished. Attached garage & patio.

Kitchen & laundry privileges. $400/ mth. incl. utils. Call 330-673-2812.

Lovely quiet studio apartment off West Main in Kent.

Private entrance at rear of owner’s home. $450 includes utils, cable & internet. 1 mo. sec. dep. 330-8427657. Available 8-23

Roommate(s) Needed

Services

Lg room. $210/mo. plus utils.W/D. Quiet close to campus. Parking avail. Call Rachel 330-612-6452.

Carpet and installation starting at $9.00 per yard. Call Tim at 330221-0726 to get your free estimate.

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DAILY KENT STATER 2008 ORIENTATION ISSUE

lsu living The Daily Reveille’s Guide for College Students

freshman guide