Wednesday, February 1, 2017
98th year • Issue 21
Rockets take down Chippewas SPORTS / 5 » www.IndependentCollegian.com
Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919 POLITICS
‘March Against Injustice’ By Maryam Jawaid Staff Reporter
In light of President Trump’s recent travel ban imposed against seven Muslimmajority countries, the Muslim Student Association and the Gamma Nu chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated with support from other organizations, hosted a march for the UT community. Students and members of the community gathered in front of the Lancelot Thompson Student Union on Monday, Jan. 30 to protest the ban and stand in support of their fellow community members. Hedyeh Elahinia, co-president of MSA, was inspired by the impact that protests occurring across the country had on judges’ rulings regarding detainees. “So here at UT, similarly on a smaller scale, we wanted to show our support for our international students,” said Elahinia, a second-year biology major. “UT has a sizeable international student population, be they American-born or otherwise, and we wanted just to show our solidarity with them.” Hundreds of people were present for the march, armed with provocative signs and an infectious energy. The march commenced at 4 p.m., which consisted of the
crowd walking while chanting slogans in support of immigrants. The march route went from the Student Union to Barnes and Noble in the Gateway Plaza, then along Secor and Bancroft Street, and came to an end back at the Union.
“UT has a sizeable international student population, be they American-born or otherwise, and we wanted just to show our solidarity with them.” HEDYEH ELAHINIA Co-President of Muslim Student Association
Jack Thomas, a community member and son of immigrants from Germany and Ireland, said he was a staunch supporter of the cause. His sign read, “Build a wall around Trump. I’ll pay for it.” See Protest / 4 »
RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
Protestors walk along Secor Road holding signs against President Trump’s Muslim Ban.
SCIENCE
ADMISSION
UT astronomer appointed to NASA
Enrollment numbers increase again for spring
By Maryam Jawaid Staff Reporter
Tom Megeath, assistant professor in the department of physics and astronomy, was chosen to serve a three-year term as a member of the executive committee for NASA’s Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group. Megeath specializes in the formation of stars and planets. “Their intent is to advise NASA on the directions they should go in terms of research about cosmic origins,” said Karen Bjorkman, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, distinguished university professor of astronomy and Helen Luedtke Brooks endowed professor of astronomy. “It has to do with all the different kinds of science that NASA is interested in regarding the universe. It has to do with whether there are habitable planets round there around other stars.”
According to UT News, Megeath was the primary investigator for the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey, one of 21 competitively
awarded Key Programs on the European Space Agency’s Herschel far-infrared space-based telescope. This
program studied the creation of stars, particularly in the Orion nebula region of the sky, by combining data from Herschel and several other space telescopes. “When it comes to allocating resources, NASA needs guidance from the astronomers who use its huge range of instruments to collect data,” Megeath said. “The work I do with the advisory group will influence and contribute to NASA missions 10, 20 years from now. This is a huge opportunity for us here at UT.” According to Bjorkman, the Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group is comprised of many subcommittees. JD Smith, UT associate professor of astronomy, is the chair of the NASA Far-Infrared Science Interest Group, which works together with the Cosmic Origins group. See Astronomy / 4 »
ADMINISTRATION
UT names Michele Soliz new vice president of student success and inclusion By Benjamin Morse Staff Reporter
Former dean of students at the University of Toledo Michele Soliz has transitioned into a new position at UT as vice president of student success and inclusion. “Inclusivity is making students feel connected and engaged, not only in the classroom, but outside of it as well,” Soliz said. “It is working across all divisions to ensure the student is thriving. Success is a clear path to graduation.” Soliz said she is confident in her ability to take on this new role and act as a progressive unit in the Department of Student Affairs. She said that her most recent experience that prepared her for this new role is directing academic support
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
The Student Union is the hub of student activity on campus.
services and acting as a close liaison with students on campus. Vice president of diversity and inclusion Willie McKether, who will be working with Soliz in her new position,
A cast of creativity COMMUNITY / 6 »
stated that she will be key in allocating movement in their department. “I think that Dr. Soliz and I have a collective mission of involvement,” McKether said.
“
“Her office will focus largely on the student perspective, while my office will take the lead on faculty and staff. With this, we keep a sense of interconnectedness.” Kaye Patten, senior vice president for student affairs, will also be working with Soliz in collaboration of student success and said she looks forward to working closely with her associate. “Soliz’s position will require her to work across the division in terms of retention and inclusion strategies. My position as senior vice president for student affairs will support and guide her efforts in those areas,” Patten said. “We both use a forward thinking
See Inclusion / 4 »
INSIDE
“One of the most common things to do is to just look in the camera and say the namesake phrase “He Will Not Divide Us,” which is a reassurance to those looking for stability in the currently unstable state of our country.” EDITORIAL “He Will Not Divide Us” OPINION / 3 »
Rocket men lose heartbreaker SPORTS / 5 »
IC Staff Story
Enrollment is still on the rise at the University of Toledo for the current spring semester, reaching 18,849, according to the official 15-day census numbers. This number has increased by less than 100 students from the 2016 spring semester, in which the enrollSHARON GABER ment was 18,783. However, this number represents a trend in UT enrollment numbers, reversing the previous six-year decline. In the 2016 fall semester, UT saw an enrollment increase for the first time, with the number spiking up to 20,648, though it is projected to go down again. Increasing enrollment has been part of Gaber’s five areas of focus for her plan for the University since she became president. “UT provides an excellent education, and we are proud to offer that experience to more students,” Gaber said in an email to the student body. “We have now reversed the previous declining trend and look forward to continuing a positive momentum moving forward.”
“We have now reversed the previous declining trend and look forward to continuing a positive momentum moving forward.” SHARON GABER University President
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“Student bodies, for example, could demand that the municipality, in conjunction with the county, and campus be a “sanctuary” for anyone that is threatened to be deported.” ZACHARY RASEY It’s time to get involved
OPINION / 3 »
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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, February 1, 2017
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OPINION Send letters to the editor to Editor@independentcollegian.com
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Jessica Harker Emily Schnipke
Morgan Kovacs Sam Williams
Philemon Abayateye Emily Jackson
Editorials appearing on this page represent the consensus view of the editorial staff. Columns and letters to the editor reflect the opinions of their authors, not those of The Independent Collegian.
EDITORIAL
“He Will Not Divide Us”
One of the defining characteristics of living in America is the right to free speech. The right of every American to use their voice in whatever way they please is one of the building blocks of this country. In the past year, that right has been utilized as well as it could be by our fellow citizens. Whether it be to gather and chant to show solidarity with refugees of Middle Eastern countries, as University of Toledo students did on Monday, or to come together in massive numbers at rallies across the country in support of the now 45th president of the United States, as many did over the past election cycle.
One of the defining characteristics of living in America is the right to free speech. Whatever the reason, and whatever the voice, Americans have the right to disparage or commend anything they deem necessary. With the increasing tensions and widening gap between opposing political sides, it seems this right is becoming as important as it was when the Bill of Rights was first introduced. Learning to respect one another’s opinions in this tumultuous political climate will be necessary to avoid division. This idea of anti-division has its roots set deep in post-Civil War America, with the famous Abraham Lincoln quote, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” often accompanying any discussion of division in America. These philosophies are being carried on today, most notably by actor and ever-controversial public figure Shia LaBeouf. On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, LaBeouf and two other collaborators launched their online performance art project “He Will Not Divide Us.”
This idea of antidivision has its roots set deep in post-Civil War America, with the famous Abraham Lincoln quote, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” often accompanying any discussion of division in America. The project consists of an empty lot outside of the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York, a white wall with the words “He Will Not Divide Us” written on it and a camera that is livestreaming to the world for the duration of Donald Trump’s presidency. Watching the livestream while writing this gave us a snapshot of modern American life in the same way a Norman Rockwell painting gives us a snapshot of American life. We saw two friends talking. A lot of people just walking by the area. One
guy did a bottle flip and then dabbed. Another person walked up to the camera and simply called out his friend for not liking the song “Nightcall” by Kavinsky, a mighty noble cause, in our opinion. One of the most common things to do is to just look in the camera and say the namesake phrase “He Will Not Divide Us,” which is a reassurance to those looking for stability in the currently unstable state of our country. This phrase, and other aspects of the project, have garnered criticism from various parties. Editor-inChief of Waypoint Austin Walker showed up to the livestream on the first day of the event and gave a short speech on how he feels the country is already divided, and how democracy works best when we acknowledge that we are already divided and confront that division intellectually and critically. Other criticisms are about the idea and overall message of the project (unity and peace), as participants in the project have been ridiculed and yelled at by LaBeouf when they use the camera to deliver rhetoric that aligns with white power groups like the alt-right.
One of the most common things to do is to just look in the camera and say the namesake phrase “He Will Not Divide Us,” which is a reassurance to those looking for stability in the currently unstable state of our country. In our opinion, what “He Will Not Divide Us” does best is provide a real time look on how we utilize our voices in the modern world. While this project doesn’t necessarily set out to accomplish this task, it demonstrates it in spades. The ways people discuss their opinions, show support for one another and criticize others’ ideas plays out like a real world representation of a Twitter feed, right down to the people shouting memes and random B-tier celebrities. “He Will Not Divide Us” is not a perfect bipartisan protest, but it has a good message, despite missing the mark. What this project does do, however, is show how protest can unite us. The causes we care for and the people we want to defend gives us a ground to stand on and defend these values in the face of those who oppose. The day after Trump’s inauguration, millions of women around the world came together in their opposition of the President Trump’s treatment of women, and the day after, thousands gathered in Washington D.C for the annual March for Life. These events showcase people gathering to show their opinion and having their voices heard. In a utopia, the need for protest would be non-existent, but until we live in that world, we should continue to voice our opinions as loud as we can, and you should fight for the right for others to do so, too.
OPINION
Finding happiness—by stressing myself tf out
EMILY SCHNIPKE
MANAGING EDITOR
It’s four a.m. on a Wednesday morning. Only hours before, the IC staff and I finished another amazing newspaper. I headed home, hoping to fall right into bed, but instead I have to finalize two papers for my English classes, fix a presentation for a communication class and finish reading 25-odd pages of textbook for another class. I can’t skip off into dreamland quite yet, and, sadly, I have to be up at seven in order to be on campus by eight for another full day of classes. Stress. You can see it in the bags under my eyes, the constant chatter of my cell phone and the shortening of my words as the day goes by. ‘Stressful’ is just one word my friends and I use to describe our lives. Hectic, crazy and absurd are others. We are stressed constantly: 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Now that I’m one semester away from my senior year of college, I finally understand the junior year stress. Free time no longer exists, student loans are crossing my mind and LinkedIn is the new Facebook. I spend so much of my time thinking about the future, which suddenly doesn’t seem so far away. I’m stressing myself out. Most of us are. You don’t have to be in college and you don’t even have to have anything to really worry about. I freak out over the littlest of things. I stress when I get a new email, when I see how much laundry I have to do, when I don’t drink enough water and especially when I read the news. My calendar is packed and each day adds a new little event to tack on. I’m overloaded. I have stress, stress and stress.
‘Stressful’ is just one word my friends and I use to describe our lives. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why did I add on a new group and a part-time job last semester? Why do students continually get involved? The answer is simple: We
want to. I want to be busy. I want to be stressed. It doesn’t make much sense to my mental health, but I like having stuff to do. I have the good kind of stress: the kind that makes me want to attend five different events in one day because I need to take it all in. College is my time to experience new things and meet new people. I want to expand myself professionally in a fraternity (Rush Zeta!), I want to write about something new each week and I want to ace my classes. I take around 18 credit hours each semester because I don’t want to miss out on a new class. It’s why I took an anatomy class last semester instead of a basic science class. I want to do more. I like going that extra mile. If I get a little more stressed out about a certain project than I should, it doesn’t matter. That extra stress means that I care. Worrying is my way of getting the job done. Often I worry a little too much, but it’s taken care of pretty quickly with a ‘Dude, chill tf out’ text from my friends. They get it. I send them the same texts just as often. Being busy just makes the time I spend by myself all that much sweeter. I appreciate the sunrise almost every morning, even when it wakes me up earlier than I have to be awake. I find little breaks in my life to smile and laugh. It’s not all constant running. Anytime that I
get lunch with friends, it gets put into my calendar, circled with a heart.
Worrying is my way of getting the job done. Often I worry a little too much. Stressing myself is my personal mission. I aim to make my life happy and do things that will make me happy. It sounds shallow, but it’s actually deeper than that. Even if I want to sleep in and miss all my classes, I pull my butt out of bed and drive to school because it will make me happier to have better grades than those extra three hours of sleep. It’s about short- and long-term goals. To me, stress and happiness go hand in hand. I know it’s not that way for everybody, but it could be. Busy yourself with the things you like doing. Go to those Zumba classes on a regular basis. Knit 50 hats in one month for children with cancer. There are so many things in the world to try. Do yourself a favor and be happy in doing. I certainly am. Emily Schnipke is the IC’s managing editor. She is a third-year communication student with a minor in English.
OPINION
The voice of the people is the voice of God—it’s time to get involved On Jan. 21, I attended the Million Women March on Washington, D.C.. I cannot fully express the feeling of marching with hundreds of thousands of folks who, for the most part, share my sentiments regarding the recently inaugurated president of the United States. It was renewing and enlivening to be there among other folks who most likely consider Trump to be a dangerously unstable fascist who has taken over the core of American democracy. It does not help to see the ruin he has already done within just one week in office—and to think he has 4 years to do even more. That thought leaves me disappointed and wondering about the future of our country. My biggest concern about Trump’s presidency is how the people are going to be able to hold him accountable. More importantly, will the people who voted for him hold him accountable? For those that didn’t, what deeds, aside from direct action, can be taken to prevent what seems to be an onslaught of fascist executive orders and legislation that are already hurting innocent people? Other than calling or writing to Congress, or writing in the local rag, how can the people resist Trump’s fascism? It would seem that one potential answer, or at least a good starting point, is
ZACHARY RASEY IC COLUMNIST
something along the lines of getting involved and staying connected together, as well as participating in the local democratic process. There are several things that folks can do. Let’s start with students and student organizations. Student bodies for example, could demand that the municipality, in conjunction with the county and campus be a “sanctuary” for anyone that is threatened to be deported. No human being is illegal. I know we’re told that sanctuaries are bad, but what’s worse than tearing families
My biggest concern about Trump’s presidency is how the people are going to be able to hold him accountable.
apart and denying refugees? You would think that Trump and his colleagues would understand the value of family more than anyone else. They say it doesn’t matter, that some of these people they want to deport came to this country when they were little and thus, had no decision in the process. Then the community at large, civil society organizations and local government all have a role to play. For instance, Toledo’s City Council meets every other Tuesday to review the agenda for upcoming Council meetings. This is a good platform for civil society organizations concerned with issues relating to basic rights to lobby and get their issues across to local policy holders. But this is not enough. It behooves every concerned member of our communities, students or just residents, to be actively involved with these groups. Find a group that represents your interests and help them in getting their message across. It’s not enough to complain: We need to take action. If there’s any lessons from the last presidential elections, it is that the lower-class folks and minorities pay more dearly for their apathy towards the political process than any other group of people. Finally, I think you can take care of your “self ” to
Find a group that represents your interests and help them in getting their message across. resist Trump’s fascist moves and work towards holding your friends accountable for their own selves. I’m talking about mutual accountability here. At the risk of sounding like your mother, go for a walk, see friends, exercise, do yoga, get sleep, make a nice meal — do whatever it is that helps you stay sane and soothes your soul. Most importantly, find social support. Plenty of research shows that social capital is good for your holistic health. Get off the computer, away from the books and be with friends. If you don’t have friends, well, there are plenty of ways to get involved on campus and many other pathways to getting connected with the community — both will help you find and be a friend to someone. As for me, I enjoy petting the cats at the Lucas County animal shelter. There will be a need for stable people over the next four years. I am going to try my best to take my own advice, don’t worry. Zachary Rasey is a graduate student in the education program.
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Students and community members hold up signs and chant while marching across campus in front of Bowman-Oddy.
Protest from page 1
“My parents are immigrants, and everybody in America is an immigrant, except for Native Americans,” Thomas said. “So I’m really supportive of that. If it wasn’t for immigrants, nobody would be here today.” The march was preceded by a short rally where five speakers touched on the issues. These speakers included Amal Mohammed, president of student government, as well as Jen
Thurau from the Toledo Area Progressives and Keith Boggs, a third year media communication student who represented Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. and Student African American Brotherhood. “We will not accept the hatred that is apparent in the Trump administration,” said Querino Espino, a fourth-year economics major. “And we will do everything we can to fight these executive orders and these actions that are so against what we stand for as people, as
Americans.” Elahinia explained that the event was hurriedly organized over the weekend, with Facebook primarily being used to spread the message to the community. Considering the late notice, the outcome of the event had been unprecedented. “It’s a show of support and solidarity,” Elahinia said. “And to send a message to our community to our school, to our city, to our country that we stand with each other, not against each other.”
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Astronomy from page 1
“I’m delighted that our astronomers are connected with this because it shows that we have really good scientists that are working here who are acknowledged nationally and internationally,” Bjorkman said. Bjorkman described the involvement of UT astronomers as important because it gives UT a seat at the table in these conversations about the future of space science, astronomy research and things of that nature. “We can make sure that we’re going to be engaged and our students are going to be engaged,” Bjorkman said, “and it helped us
Acceptance from page 1
Students and community members protest on Monday, Jan. 30 on UT’s campus. The protestors chant, “No Ban, No Wall” and “America is for us all” during their march from the Student Union to the Barnes and Noble bookstore, down Secor Road and in front of University Hall. Some protestors were overcome with emotion. Afterwards, chalk was passed around to write words of encouragement and love on campus sidewalks and buildings. Photos by Rachel Nearhoof
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philosophy in our decision-making and work for the betterment of all students.” Alongside her work with Patten and McKether, Soliz has specific plans for the upcoming semester, including a focus on heritage months for multicultural students and a goal to integrate academic support into student life. Soliz encourages those across campus to utilize the tools her new position brings. “I am here to find the students. I am here to ensure their success, and get each individual to take advantage of the resources available,” Soliz said. Students struggling with integration to university life may soon see a change in
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“...we have really good scientists that are working here who are acknowledged nationally and internationally.” KAREN BJORKMAN
Dean of College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
to think of what schools our students need to have as we go into the future, and the same skills that astronomers needed yesterday are not the ones that they need tomorrow.”
their path toward graduation and involvement with Soliz’s new position and her collaborative work with student affairs professionals.
“I am here to find the students, I am here to ensure their success, and get each individual to take advantage of the resources available.” MICHELE SOLIZ Vice President of Student Success and Inclusion
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Wednesday, February 1, 2017 | The Independent Collegian | M E N ’ S
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MAC EAST AKRN 8-0 18-3 OHIO 5 -3 13-6 KENT 3 -5 11-10 BUFF 3 -5 10-11 MIAO 2-6 9-12 BGSU 2-6 8-13
MAC WEST BALL 5-3 EMU 5-3 NILL 5-3 CMU 4-4 TOL 4-4 WMU 2-6
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Rockets take down chippewas By Jackson Rogers Staff Reporter
This past Saturday, the University of Toledo women’s basketball team defeated Central Michigan University by a score of 74-72 in the annual Rocket for the Cure game. The win increases the Rockets’ record to 13-6 overall and 4-4 in MidAmerican Conference play. “Words can’t describe how proud of my team I am,” head coach Tricia Cullop said in an interview with UTRockets. “It has not been easy the last two weeks to deal with the adversity and the things we’ve had to deal with. But I think what says so much about you is how you handle those situations. Our players handled it with class and maturity and perseverance. To pull this one out, against who is maybe the best team right now on paper in our league, felt better than anything.” Fourth-year forward Janice Monakana led the Rocket offense with 18 points and six rebounds. Other notable scorers were second-year center Kaayla McIntyre with 15, third-year guard Jay Bravo-Harriot with 13 and second-year guard Halee Printz with 12 points. UT shot 28-of-67 from the field (41.8%) and 8-of-20 (40.0%) from the three-point line to defeat the defending MAC West champions. Toledo slightly out-rebounded CMU, edging the Chippewas 40-38. The Rocket defense came to play, limiting Central Michigan to 72 points and limiting the MAC’s leading scorer, Presley Hudson, to nine points on 2-of-10 shooting. To start the game, McIntyre scored the first six points for the Rockets, jumping out to a 12-4 lead at the 5:29 mark. The second-year
“To pull this one out, against who is maybe the best team right now on paper in our league, felt better than anything.” TRICIA CULLOP Women’s Basketball Head coach
RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
The rocket women’s bench celebrates an important score in their home win over Central Michigan University on Jan. 28.
tallied a pair of layups and a jumper to give UT the early lead. McIntyre kept shooting the basketball and knocked down two more shots to create a 19-14 lead with 8:43 remaining in the opening half. McIntyre was strong in the post, draining five of her first six shots from the floor to make it a five-point difference. Monakana converted on back-to-back layups to increase UT’s advantage to 28-23 at the 5:26 mark in the second quarter. Despite Toledo’s fast start, Central Michigan stayed close, scoring 13 points in the first half to put the visitors ahead for the first time, 3231, at the 2:15 mark. UT closed out the half from another layup by Monakana and a second triple from Printz to give the Rockets a 36-32 advantage at the intermission. The Chippewas scored the first points of the
third quarter, cutting the Rockets’ lead to one, but Toledo answered with a mini 9-3 run to open up a 47-40 lead at the 5:23 mark. Printz knocked down her season-high third three to open the run, while Monakana was credited for the other six points. “Halee has probably, up until last game, seen limited time during a long stretch,” Cullop said. “She really earned more [minutes] because she didn’t keep her head down, she kept persevering through it.” Central Michigan ended the quarter on a 17-5 burst to create a 57-52 lead. The Rockets opened the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run to reclaim the lead, 64-59, at the 7:04 mark. Printz knocked down her career-high fourth three to ignite the rally, before Bravo-Harriott splashed a three of her own and converted a layup. “I had a bit of space,” Bravo-Harriott said in
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Rocket men lose heartbreaker By Justice Sunderland Staff Reporter
The men’s basketball team lost a nail biter game (74-72) to Northern Illinois University at University of Toledo’s Savage Arena on Jan. 28. The loss came just a couple of days after UT defeated the Ohio Bobcats, one of the top teams in the conference. Second-year guard Jaelen Sanford stood out among the Rockets, with a game-high 29 points. Fourth-year guard Jonathan Williams added 21 and fellow fourth-year Steve Taylor Jr. had seven points, nine assists and 17 rebounds. The Huskies were led by fourth-year forward Marin Maric, who tallied 15 points. Fourth-year guard Aric Armstead added eleven points, including some big buckets at the end of the game. “We emphasized guard rebounding,” said head coach Tod Kowalczyk. “We can’t just rely on Steve Taylor to get the glass.” Toledo controlled the lead for most of the first half despite committing four turnovers in the first three minutes. They took the initial lead due to early three pointers by Sanford and Williams. After the first media timeout, Williams added another layup that sparked a UT run that lasted nearly four minutes. UT then took a 22-11 lead. “I think some of us weren’t 100%, but it’s just effort,” said Jaelen Sanford. “We’re going to come back and we’re going to be better.” Bad shot selection and poor ball security allowed NIU to put together a run to take their first lead since the opening minutes. They took a 35-34 lead with 2:25 remaining in the first half, thanks to a three ball by second-year guard Laytwan Porter.
RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
Fourth-year guard Jonathan Williams takes the ball up the court in Saturday’s loss against Northern Illinois University.
A nice pass from Taylor Jr. to fourth-year forward Jordan Lauf resulted in a layup at the buzzer, and the Rockets trailed 40-37. The second half was the complete opposite of the first half, with the Huskies controlling the lead. The Rockets were getting good looks at the basket, but once again struggled with giving the ball away. After a few good possessions by UT, including layups from Sanford and Williams, a couple of stops on the defense made the Rockets catch up within five points. A big three by Sanford put the Rockets down four 56-52 with about nine minutes remaining in the game. The Huskies seemed to always have an answer when Toledo pulled close. Maric converted an and-one that put NIU back up by nine with seven minutes left. The Rockets felt a sense of urgency with four minutes remaining as second-year forward Nate Navigato got a steal, and converted the layup to cut the lead to just five. “We knew we had to be more aggressive,” Sanford said. “Things were going our way and we had momentum.” NIU had an answer as Armstead knocked down
two big buckets to put the lead back at nine with just over two minutes left. Sanford helped UT have a chance at the end, with an assist to Navigato for three and a layup of his own to put Toledo down by just one with 41 ticks left on the clock. UT couldn’t get a stop when they needed it, as they gave up three on the next possession and trailed 73-69. Sanford wasn’t done yet, as he came down and immediately knocked down a big three pointer with 19 seconds left. After a foul and one missed free throw, Toledo had the ball with a chance to win the game by three. They advanced the ball down the court to Williams, who then stepped out of bounds with 1.5 seconds remaining; all but ending the game. This is only the second loss for the midnight blue and gold at Savage Arena this season. “Every loss is frustrating,” Kowalczyck said. “I hate to lose.” UT will look to get back on track Feb. 4 as they travel to the Stroh Center in Bowling Green to take on Bowling Green State University in the Battle of I-75. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
an interview with UTRockets. “I was struggling at the start, but I hit my last one and that kind of built confidence in me. When it went down, that’s when my whole confidence level rose.” After the timeout, Central Michigan scored nine of the next 11 points to push the lead back in its favor, 68-66, with 3:10 left in the fourth period. The Chippewas scored all of their points at the charity stripe over the course of the next three minutes. CMU was held without a field goal in the fourth quarter, as the visiting team missed all nine of their shots from the field. The Rockets will be back on the court on Feb. 1 when they host 2016 MAC Tournament Champion University at Buffalo (15-5, 5-4 MAC). The opening tip versus the Bulls is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN3.
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Rocket tennis victorious at home By Kenny Kruse Staff Reporter
The University of Toledo men’s and women’s tennis teams both had wins during a home matchup. On Jan. 27 against the Dukes of Duquesne University, the men won 6-1 to rebound their season record, 2-3. The women’s team won 4-3 over Duquesne that same day, and 6-1 over the Cleveland State Vikings on Jan. 28 to improve their season record to 3-2. Men’s Tennis The men’s team started the day strong in doubles matches. Second-year players Vince Anzalone and Serjen Olmedo defeated their opponents 6-3, while feloow second-year athlete Juan Carranza and Reid Teatsorth defeated their opponents 6-1. Fourth-year athlete Stjepan Sisko and first-year player Thawin Suksathaporn were on their way to a win, but their match was cut short with a score of 5-2. “We played extremely well in all the doubles matches,” said head coach Al Wermer in an interview with UTRockets. “I was impressed to see that we carried that momentum into singles and got off to a great start right off the bat.” Anzalone, Sisko, Suksathaporn and Teatsorth each claimed their second consecutive singles win. The Rocket momentum marched on into the singles matchup. Second-year athlete Luka Vitosevic defeated his opponent 6-3 in the opening set, but Tim Kane for Duquesne replied with a 7-6 defeat. Vitosevic bested Kane in the end, 10-8, to make UT’s 6-1 victory official. The Rockets will be on the road next weekend, traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to face Finish reading this piece online at www.IndependentCollegian.com
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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, February 1, 2017
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CULTURE
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THEATRE
Sigma Lambda Beta celebrates the melting pot By Areeba Shah Staff Reporter
When it comes to diversity, the University of Toledo is a melting pot. Students of different cultures and backgrounds are an integral part of campus and specific events are hosted on campus to promote cultural awareness. Noche de Cultura was one such event, held in Rocky’s Attic Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate Latino culture. Sigma Lambda Beta and other Hispanic organizations like SAHSA and Al Corazon de Mexico all contributed to this event. Javier Gomez, a second-year accounting major and chapter vice president, said Sigma Lambda Beta is fairly culturally diverse, as its members are Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Moroccan, African American and British. “That is seven different cultures out of only eleven brothers,” he said. Gomez just recently joined the fraternity this past fall semester and said he loves all the brothers and the cultural diversity that the fraternity has to offer. “One of the pillars that we share that differentiates us from others is cultural awareness,” Gomez said. “We are very open about culture, and it’s something we want our brothers to be aware of. It’s something we want to educate others about too.” The main focus of Noche De Cultura was to showcase Latino culture by providing Hispanic food and live entertainment. Although this was the first time the event was hosted on campus, Sigma Lambda Beta hopes to make it an annual event. “The more exposure we get on campus is better, but really it was just a cultural event where we wanted others to see something different,” Gomez said. “The ambiance was really kind of charming. I think that people enjoyed it with the semiformal attire and the performances.” The event was not only open to University of Toledo students but also to families and anyone who was willing to learn more about the Latino culture. El Corazon de Mexico, a Folklorico group of professional dancers, performed at the event, and members of the fraternity even held their own performances. While one brother sang, another did a spoken word to display Latino culture. Just as passionate and excited to share Latino culture was Carolina Romero, president of the South American and Hispanic
Student Association. Although this was the first time the two organizations collaborated together, Romero said she was thrilled to see more attendees than she initially expected. “There are not a lot of Hispanic events here for us,” Romero said. “It’s really nice to see people who weren’t Hispanic attend the event. It was nice to see how they were curious about our culture.” Romero said SAHSA loved performing their popular salsa dance at the cultural night, and they enjoyed being asked about how to do salsa. “We love dancing, and we love the reaction we get,” she said. “Every time we perform, we just want to show everybody what we do and how we do it for fun so everybody can see our different cultural dances. We are creating events for people to learn from us,” said Romero. She added that she was interested in seeing other performances, learning what people knew about her culture and that she was excited to meet people who shared a similar culture. “I was really happy to be a part of it. They did a really good job,” said Miguel Alvarez, SAHSA’s vice president of marketing and fourth-year supply chain management student.
“We are very open about culture, and it’s something we want our brothers to be aware of.” JAVIER GOMEZ Chapter Vice President
Alvarez said it was challenging compressing an eight-minute dance routine into one minute. “We wanted to share our culture with a bigger audience of people,” he said. “We did a salsa dance, and we just wanted to expand people’s knowledge of what kind of dances we do in the Latino culture.” Alvarez said he was most excited about seeing all the different performances that showed the audience the diversity of Latino culture. “They were really great people, and we have a lot of things in common, like trying to expand people’s knowledge of our culture. I could definitely see us doing other events in the future,” Alvarez said.
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Author and activist speaks to UT “I am not broken”
By Emily Schnipke Managing Editor
“Strangers pat me on the head, they whisper… things about courage and inspiration. They declare me special.” Eli Clare, a writer and activist, spoke these words on Jan. 30 in Memorial Field House at the University of Toledo to a crowd of different ages, abilities and sexualities. Clare used parts of his memoirs to explore the idea of being “defected” and needing to be “fixed.” “Strangers ask me what is my defect,” Clare said. “To them, my body mind just doesn’t work right.” Clare, who identifies himself as “white, disabled and genderqueer,” was brought to UT by the Disability Studies “It’s really nice toAbility see Center Program and Jim Ferris, Endowed Chair Disability Studies. people whoinweren’t “Eli Clare has been important Hispanic attendanthe thinker in disability culture since the event. It was to met seein 1990s,” Ferris said.nice “We first Ann Arbor 1995 atcurious the groundhow theyinwere breaking This/Ability conference on about our culture.” disability and the arts, and Eli has ROMERO been giving me CAROLINA things to think about President of the South American and ever since.” Hispanic Student Association The Disability Studies Program hosted Clare just before the release of his new book, “Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure.” Ferris said Clare’s book examines “the prominent place that the cure holds in thinking around disability.” Clare began his lecture by ensuring that people in the back of the room could hear him and also see the Powerpoint at the front of the room. He encouraged the audience to let him know if they needed something. “If you need to knit to listen, do that,” Clare said. “If you need a wall to lean on, there’s one there. If you need to lay down, there’s floor space up here.” In his lecture and upcoming book, Clare investigated the ideology of cure
MADDIE TOMCZAK / IC
Eli Clare reads passages from his book, “Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure.”
and the deeply held belief that bodies and minds considered “broken” need to be fixed. He finds that this ideology is ultimately rooted in two concepts that are fundamental to contemporary life: the “normal” and the “natural,” Ferris says. Since these concepts or ideologies are so basic to 20th and 21st century American life, Clare’s message addresses issues pertinent to everyone who has a body in the contemporary world. “More than 25 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with disabilities continue to occupy a significantly disadvantaged position in society,” Ferris said. “Yes, of course we should work to change this.” Politics and society were one of the very first topics Clare touched on. He said that it doesn’t matter who you support or what your values are, but we need to understand that we are in a
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RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
Amber Zucarell (bottom) performs at the 24 Hour Play Festival with Danielle Hale (upper left), Samantha Campbell (upper center) and Tyria Allen (upper right). Their skit was about Disney princesses and Dora the Explorer in college for the category inappropriate children’s show.
A cast of creativity By Emily Jackson Community Editor
Creating a theatrical masterpiece takes months, even years to perfect. Memorizing lines, making props and costumes, creating sound effects and music and organizing the play takes a lot of time and effort. But what if you could cram all that creativity and work into a 24-hour time period? Behold, the 24-Hour Play Festival. This festival, hosted by the University of Toledo’s theatre fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, is a yearly event where UT students and alumni create short plays within one day and then perform them for the public. This year, 30 people participated in the event, and six plays, including a musical, were created. The event began Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Center for Performing Arts, where participants were placed into groups. Each group then chose two props and were given two lines that would somehow need to be incorporated into their play. Next, the groups were each assigned one of six genres – horror, inappropriate children’s show, mystery, musical, telenovela and medical drama. Participants then spent the next 24 hours in the theater creating, writing and practicing their plays. Alexis Johnson, a fourth-year theatre major and president of Alpha Psi Omega,
has participated in the festival for four years now and said that while there is little sleep, everyone still seems to have fun. “We had dinner and lunch together. We had little competitions,” Johnson said. “We even had a 3 a.m. dance party to make sure we didn’t hate each other, and we needed a break from writing for six hours, so why not dance it out?” Kaitlyn Beacom and Mike Vanderpool, members of Alpha Psi Omega, helped to organize the event and became “Mom and Dad” to the participants as they ran and got more props and even donuts for everyone throughout the 24 hours. “Mom and Dad had to alternate naps,” Vanderpool said. “They never came to me for anything. They always went to Mom first.” The performance of the plays took place Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m., and more than 40 people came to watch the final productions. Johnson said that one of her favorite parts of the performance was finally getting to show the audience what they had created in such a short period of time. “It’s like I’ve been delivering these lines to a bunch of sleep-deprived people for eight hours,” she said. “Then the audience comes in with fresh eyes, and there’s a different energy. Then you feed off their energy and they might think a line is hilarious that no one ever laughed at before.”