96th year • Issue 28
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Acting through life Community / 6 » www.IndependentCollegian.com
Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919
INSIDE
THEATER
Puppets come to life on stage Original show to open April 10
By Joe Heidenescher
Spring is here UT will use the spring game to measure growth among the team’s many open position battles.
“
SPORTS / 3 »
“Imagine how utterly silly it would be to spell words with z’s instead of s’s; you’d think we were incompetent writerz. Thuz, this new name makez UT studentz sound uncreative.” EDITORIAL Croutons haz a new name OPINION / 4 »
A fashion show all about dressing to impress UT’s business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, will host “A Fashion Affair” runway show on April 9 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. The goal of the show is to teach students how to ‘dress for success.’ COMMUNITY / 6 »
“
“It’s OK to cry; in fact, it’s a natural part of the grieving process. Allowing yourself to be sad for a little while helps you release all of those pent up emotions that are not healthy to keep bottled up inside.” DEVAN LUTZ 10 steps to get over a past relationship OPINION / 4 »
Associate Community Editor
A new stage performance written by one of the University of Toledo’s own faculty members will debut this month at Center Theatre. The twist: most of the characters aren’t human. “It’s life-sized puppets and it’s one of the weirdest shows that we’ve ever done,” said Gina Gass, a puppeteer in the performance. PHOTO COURTESY OF UT “The Immortals” is a (From left to right) UT students Emily Werner, Alexis performance written and Johnson, Won Hee Kim and alum Megan Aherne rehearse for “The Immortals” with puppets. The show directed by UT professor opens Friday, April 10 in the UT Center for Performing Erica Frank and features Arts Center Theatre. a cast of 20 puppets. With her help and background normally we do more risky, out of Erica’s brain, and it’s in puppetry, students have experimental not-so-chilreally kind of cool. She rebeen involved in the proally made her dren-friendly shows,” she cess of creating said. “But there are things story come puppets and in it, just like kids’ cartoons, to life.” “It’s life-sized bringing them that adults are also going Accordto life on stage puppets and to enjoy so it’s not like it’s ing to Alexis for this show. strictly for kids, but it’s it’s one of the Johnson, a “‘Normal’ is kind of trying to make it for third-year weirdest shows not a word I everyone on some level.” theatre would use to that we’ve ever George Johnson, a firstmajor and describe this year theatre major and done. ” a puppeteer play, ever,” said puppeteer in the perforfor the rabGINA GASS Gass, a fifthmance, said the show’s bit, “The Puppeteer year doubleoverall message is about Immortals” majoring in global warming and that is different theatre and the play is based off the from most department communication. “It’s so Great Pacific Garbage theatre productions. different, it’s so weird … Patch in the Pacific Ocean. “It’s definitely unlike It’s kind of like a weird Kenzie Phillips, a secondsome of our other shows; children’s story with a it’s more open to kids and weird twist. It’s straight See Immortals / 5 »
Sexual Assault Awareness Month events Clothesline Project: April 9 & 16 The UT Counseling Center uses Tshirts in a new, unique way — to bring an end to sexual assault and violence against women. The project takes place April 9 in Centennial Mall and April 16 in UTMC cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Denim Awareness Day: April 29 The UT Counseling Center will have a display in the Student Union taking donations and passing out information about Denim Awareness Day. This day was started when the Italian Supreme Court ruled that a girl implied consent to be assaulted because her jeans were too tight. The booth will promote wearing jeans to work and accept donations to be given to YWCA Hope Center.
“
BLAKE BACHO Always expect the right thing SPORTS / 3 »
Take Back the Night: April 18 UT will join with other universities for this annual event, which will be held at the UAW Union building to advocate for the end of domestic and sexual violence. LGBTQ Panel Speakers: April 23 The UT Counseling Center will host a panel of experts to discuss a wide array of LGBTQ issues, including resources, suicide prevention, transgender advocacy, and how to be an ally. The event will take place in Student Union Room 2584 from 6-7 p.m.
Men walk a mile in heels for survivors of domestic violence By Samantha Rhodes Managing Editor
Any woman who’s worn high heels is familiar with the pain that often accompanies this fashionable shoe style, and soon University of Toledo men will experience this same sensation — except they’ll be walking a mile. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an annual event put on by the Panhellenic Council in which Greek women sponsor one or more men to ‘walk a mile’ around McComas Village in high heels to support the fight against domestic violence. “Most cases “I believe that of domestic the fight against domestic violence violence is one that almost happen in every person can the comfort relate to and some women may not of your own even realize that home and they are victims the majority to this kind of abuse,” said Kalee of women Royster, panheldeny or blame lenic chairwoman themselves.” for the event and a second-year maKALEE ROYSTER joring in biology. Panhellenic Council “Most cases of Chairwoman domestic violence happen in the comfort of your own home and the majority of woman deny or blame themselves.” According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than one in three women and more than one in four men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Statistics prove that women are more commonly the victims and the World Health Organization’s media center reports that on average, 30 percent of women who have been in a relationship say they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence by their partner. To help support this issue, Royster said See Heels / 5 »
DIVERSITY EVENT
Indian cultural festival will come to Toledo area on April 15 with bright bursts of color
By Torrie Jadlocki IC Staff Reporter
“You can’t really describe what Jans did that night without referencing a donkey at least a few times.”
Denim Day Walk: April 12 Denim Day Walk will be held to support Denim Awareness Day with a two mile wellness event held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Donations for the YMCA HOPE Center will be collected during the event.
GREEK LIFE
The University of Toledo will experience a burst of color as campus groups host an event in celebration of the Indian festival of Holi. The event, modeled off the festival that has Hindu roots and features the throwing of colored powder, will be held April 15 from 3-5 p.m. at the field next to the Memorial Field House. The idea was first raised in the fall of 2013 when staff members at UT’s Center for Religious Understanding wanted to plan “an all-campus event that would help UT students get to know other UT students from other religions and cultures in a fun way,” Jeanine Diller, director for religious understanding at UT, wrote in an email. “A couple of us had
taken part in the Color Run and recognized it as an American version of Holi, a cultural holiday in India with religious roots in Hinduism that celebrates the start of spring by throwing colors at passersby,” Diller said. According to Diller, the event is meant to not only be fun for participants, but will also serve as a dialogue on religion and culture. “Given its connection with religion and thus our mission, we tossed around the idea of combining some version of Holi on campus with students dialoguing about religion and culture, and realized the colors themselves would do a great job of representing diversity,” Diller said. “We found out several other campuses had been celebrating Holi too, talked with UT’s Indian Students
PHOTO COURTESY OF TOLEDOFAVS.COM
Students celebrate the Indian festival of Holi at last year’s festival on April 9 beside the Field House on UT’s Main Campus. The powdered colors thrown at one another represent the arrival of spring.
Cultural Organization, who also wanted to bring this event to UT, and the idea was born.” Jeff Witt, program director for the Office of Equity, Diversity and Community Engagement at UT, said this event will benefit students by giving
different perspectives. “This event is an important one for the Office of Equity and Diversity to support because it builds awareness for one of the key elements of human diversity — faith and religion,” Witt said. Diller said the event was
successful from the start. “Last year was our first time running this event,” Diller said. “We expected 200 and over 400 people came. It was also incredibly fun and joyous. I think this year will be even bigger — See Holi / 5 »