April 20, 2016 by The Independent Collegian

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

96th year • Issue 30

Check out our special issue, Culture Clash COMMUNITY / 4 »

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Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919

INSIDE Culture Clash We examined different problems that occur when many different cultures combine. You can identify these stories by the icon. Don’t forget to check out our usual Community section online. COMMUNITY / 4 »

ATHLETICS

$6 million upgrade

UT athletics plans renovations for summer

By Jenna Nance

Associate Sports Editor

Rockets fall short The softball team suffered three straight losses at the hands of CMU.

“

SPORTS / 6 »

“The SU needs to be renovated to address both organizational, structural and community-related problems, as well providing a more relaxing and all-encompassing space for the students.”

EDITORIAL Out with the old OPINION / 3 »

Refer Head The baseball team scraped a victory, but dropped the other games against Wright State.

“

SPORTS / 6 »

“When the University of Toledo’s Department of Theatre and Film decided to produce a version of ‘Little Shop,’ director Edmund Lingan chose to pay homage the horror influences of the film.”

EVAN SENNETT UT pays homage OPINION / 3 »

Starting this spring, the University of Toledo Glass Bowl and Savage Arena will be receiving renovations that will cost around $6 million, which will come from fundraising efforts. “It’s one of our main entryways to campus so it’s important that it looks visually appealing,” said senior associate director of athletics Dave Nottke. “I think this will be a great way to drive

in new season ticket holders, to drive in our fans, and I think it’s great for Toledo. “ There will also be a new FieldTurf playing surface funded through the UT budget. The $500,000 FieldTurf project will replace the current turf that was originally installed back in 2008. Expansions in Savage Arena will create new offices and work spaces for the men’s and women’s basketball staff as well

as expanding the Joe Grogan Room to potentially insert a future training table. The project is expected to be finished by the start of the 2016-2017 basketball season. Renovations to the east side of the Glass Bowl facing Stadium Drive will include new concessions, restrooms, entryways, a ticket booth and an updated façade outside the stadium. “The east side needed a face-

ENTERTAINMENT

CAP finishes out April with student events By Emily Jackson and Emily Schnipke Staff Reporter and Community Editor

The last few weeks of the semester can be overwhelming, stressful and tiring to many on the University of Toledo’s campus. Students can be found studying late into the night at Carlson Library, while others are already anticipating their impending doom and failure. Regardless, everyone anxiously anticipates the dreaded slew of final exams and papers. Luckily, Campus Activities and Planning is in the process of hosting a number of events for students, like a fun-filled night of Glow Golf. Students flocked to the Student Union on April 12 to play glow-in-thedark mini-golf, race each other on Mario Kart and enjoy free Cold

Stone ice cream. The organization also hosted its annual Murder Mystery Dinner on April 5. Students dressed up in evening gowns, suits and masks in accordance with the formal masquerade theme and enjoyed a dinner courtesy of Olive Garden. With more of April still on its way, CAP has also been hard at work planning its two biggest events of the month — UT Comedy Night and a concert featuring Hoodie Allen and Bryce Vince. This year’s Comedy Night will host author, TV star and comedian Steve Hofstetter along with UT’s very own alumni, Brad Wenzel. “I’m dark and a social critic. I’ve been described as ‘the Daily Show meets HBO,’” Hofstetter said. “If that appeals to you, [I’ll]

see you there.” The laughs start at 8 p.m. on April 20 in University Hall’s Doermann Theater. Free tickets are available at Ask Rocky in the Student Union and at the door before the show. CAP has also been delivering tickets this week to students who tweet them their location. “It’s been a while since I’ve performed at UT,” Hofstetter said. “But the last time I was there, it was a great show. I’m looking forward to being back.” After the comedy night, CAP won’t have much time to rest before their biggest event this month: a concert at Carter Field with musical artists Hoodie Allen and Bryce Vine. Kelsey O’Brien, vice president of marketing

lift,” Nottke said. “We have a lot of season ticket holders on that side and we want it looking the best for the fans.” The current turf has a lifespan of eight years before it must be disposed of, making it necessary for an upgrade before risk of injury, according to Nottke. “Our main concern is our player’s safety,” said Head Coach See Turf / 6 »

Festival of color

ABIGAIL SULLIVAN / IC

Two participants smear color across their faces after having the powdered paints thrown onto them as part of the event. The Holi festival was held April 13 in the grassy area outside the Field House. The festival is a way of welcoming spring.

See CAP / 8 »

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Mohamed and Forsythe win SG election By Sarah Hochadel Staff Reporter

While the country is buzzing with political talk and debate, UT held their own elections this past week for Student Government president and vice president. Amal Mohamed and Cameron Forsythe emerged victorious and will serve in the positions this coming year. It was a close election where 2,064 students voiced their opinions. Amal and Cameron won by 50 votes. In an email interview Forsythe said, “We had an amazing campaign team and we all worked to reach out to students

to talk about the election and where we stand on

“I want to do things that incorporate the students, and I want them to know that they can come to Student Government for any concerns they have.” AMAL MOHAMED SG president elect

current issues.” Mohamed and Forsythe plan to reach out to different student orga-

nizations and increase their outreach directly with student leaders. They said that students’ voices need to be heard and SG provides a platform for their ideas and opinions to be expressed. Mohamed said she would like for SG to become a household name and for more students to be aware and involved. One of the main changes that Mohamed would like to see at UT is better parking on campus. Mohamed said, “Whether it’s decreasing the amount of tickets or increasing the number of appeals, I need to make a change on that.” The issue of parking has been a lengthy debate on campus and within SG. Mohamed and Forsythe have the support of

members of SG, including previous VP Ian Miachalak, who said, “They will have a lot to learn, but I have complete confidence they will give their best effort and improve on the work Cody Spoon and I did this year.” He said that Mohamed and Forsythe will work well as a team and that they have the support of the student body by having prominent positions in several organizations across campus. SG held their last meeting of the semester on April 19, and Amal and Cameron will take the head of the organization starting fall semester of 2016. Mohamed said, “I want to do things that incorporate the students, and I want them to know that they can come to Student Government for any concerns they have.”

| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, April 20, 2016

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What are your plans for the summer?

“I’ll be working at Wild Water Kingdom.”

Adam Lukas

First-year Criminal justice

“I’ll be taking sum“I’ll be doing an internship and taking mer classes, unfortunately.” summer classes.” Taylor Hunt

Fifth-year Computer science and engineering

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Wednesday, April 20, 2016 | The Independent Collegian |

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Jessica Harker Joe Heidenescher Colleen Anderson Maisha Rashid Emily Schnipke 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

Out with the old

Our idea of what a perfect student union would be

Be it a break between classes for students or the one place that’s always showcased in tours, the Student Union is the place to go. It is the hub of students, faculty and administration alike. It’s the best place for the daily dose of caffeine and break from work, and to be greeted with the faces and sounds of thousands of people from different departments and walks of university life. In addition to being the social center for the University of Toledo, the Student Union houses student organization offices and administrative offices. Being such an integral part of the university’s social and administrative infrastructure, the building’s organization and aesthetic requirements are sub-par, and do not meet the standard required of such a central university structure. To address this issue, many groups around campus have been discussing the hopes of getting a new student union, and what our perfect UT student union would look like. Student involvement offices requires visual and physical accessibility. Proper functioning of the different student involvement groups on campus is important, as these groups represent the diversity and cultural enrichment of UT. Their offices are hidden in the narrow corridors in the second floor of the SU, which are accessible only through a dark stairway. Being offices that obviously see a lot of student traffic, it is unacceptable that these offices are so inaccessible and that their personnel have to work from such cooped-up little holes in the wall. Designing a better floor plan so student involvement offices are actually accessible to students is key to our perfect student union. It will not only increase the aesthetic of the building but also serve the purpose of being noticeable enough and within eyesight, as such a traffic-heavy and student-centered office should be.

Being such an integral part of the university’s social and administrative infrastructure, the [SU’s] organization and aesthetic requirements are sub-par, and do not meet the standard required of such a central university structure. Improve SU floor plan. Along the same lines, it is important to emphasize the misuse of the space in the SU. The SU holds these huge conference rooms located on the second and third floors, which are once again accessible by only one ramp, and are not within clear sight. The rooms have the capacity for holding conferences for around 300 people, and in the past have been used to hold heavily populated events such as career fairs, research symposiums and new student orientations. However, the organization of the building being as it is, these rooms aren’t in enough view to be used as space for huge social events, and at most times are accessible only through a labyrinth of passages. A better layout of SU definitely needs to be a priority in our new union so that its structures and facilities are fully appreciated and utilized to their full capacity, and no one gets lost while trying to attend a huge conference. Lounge areas and quality of food options need attention. In addition to improving the visual appeal of the SU, it is important to also have the SU cater to students’ relaxation and comfort. There needs to be more space for lounging and for dining. The seating and lounges at the SU are placed in such a way that people feel like they are sitting on top of each other. Being on Main Campus, SU holds a good percentage of the food options on campus, and it is sad to see what a low variety of food options and low quantity and quality of comfortable seating options are available to enjoy that food. Our perfect student union would include higher quality and more diverse food options, and increase student seating in and around these areas. It would also include more comfortable and easily accessible lounges for students to utilize. Update interior décor of SU. Being the predominant social, educational and recreational center, the services SU offers should be regarded as a priority. After all, most of the tours of the university involve showcasing the SU as a primary attraction. The uncomfortable and battered couches thrown randomly across the SU, which offer no privacy, and the lack of any meaningful or recognizable photos or drawings or any sort of interior decoration make it a rather dull, mediocre building, being the Student Union in name only. Rocket Hall has murals and the SU, which sees more foot traffic and non-UT people than Rocket Hall, has only decades-old black and white pictures. Even the college colors, blue and gold, or Rocky and Rocksy our mascots, which are supposed to embody the school spirit, are sparsely displayed in any structures in SU. As a solution we could use a statue of Rocky and Rocksy or make changes to the dreary, sadness-creating yellow lights which seem to make us regress in time rather than advance and modernize. Availability of gender-neutral bathrooms. There is another issue that needs to be addressed in the renovations of the SU, and this is the existence of gender neutral bathrooms. Even a private unisex bathroom, where each stall opens up to a mirror and basin for the individual, makes it more accessible to the existing transgender students as well as making a more space-saving solution. By investing in unisex bathrooms in the SU, UT will consequently be investing in creating a more supportive and inclusive educational community. SU needs to be reconstructed to have updated interior decoration and better utilization of its existing facilities and services, as well as offer required services. It needs to cater to all students, and make them feel they are a part of an inclusive community, which includes recognizing the needs of the LGBT community as well. The SU needs to be renovated to address both organizational, structural and community-related problems, as well providing a more relaxing and all-encompassing space for the students.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Why UT shouldn’t encourage fueling up on “empty calorie foods” Last week UT students and faculty members received an advertisement via email that included some mixed messages about stress, focus and health. The advertisement came from the University of Toledo Barnes and Noble Bookstore. You may remember seeing this ad, which is pictured here. The heading for the ad was “Stay Fueled & Stay

Focused” (see ad in the next column). I do not see much here that is worth fueling your body. Certainly, yes there are calories here … so by those terms alone, this is “fuel.” That said, the items in this advertisement are empty calorie foods, which means they lack nutritional value. These types of foods are loaded with simple sugars, solid fats and sodium. Let’s think about this: does it really sound like the best strategy to “fuel up” on simple sugars and empty calorie foods to “focus?” I think we all know the answer to this, and it is NO. UT is sending a mixed message to students with advertisements like this. As an instructor and fellow student on campus, I recognize the stress students are under this time of the year. As a dietitian, I know there are better options. These types of choices, although okay in moderation, do have detrimental effects if consumed in excess.

For example, if consumed on a regular basis, empty calorie foods are likely culprits for weight gain. It has clearly been documented that students who consume more fruits, vegetables and grains score higher on academic assessments. I recommend foods that provide valuable nourishment to fuel our minds and bodies. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2015), people should consume nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean protein as part of a healthy eating pattern. Moreover, the guidelines specifically recommend the avoidance of empty calorie foods, like the ones presented in this image. A major movement in the public school system is to provide nourishing choices for students. What about colleges? Should UT not hold this environment to the same standard? As a learning institution, UT needs to

provide an environment that fosters student learning and success at the highest level. If UT or the bookstore promotes sugar- and fat-laden snacks to students … are they really helping students?

Let’s think about this: does it really sound like the best strategy to “fuel up” on simple sugars and empty calorie foods to “focus”? I think we all know the answer to this, and it is NO. Kerri Knippen, associate lecturer, Dept. of Health & Rec. College of Health Sciences doctoral student, Health Education

THEATER REVIEW

UT’s theater department pays homage to the classic ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ God bless Roger Corman. His lowappearance in this movie in one of budget B-movies defined an era of his earliest roles. This cult classic was cinema. After the Golden Age of film brought back to life in 1982 as a Broadin the 30s and 40s, way musical — a perHollywood went into fect fit for the hokey hibernation. While humor of the original. European films The musical was then began to blossom, turned into a big the US had simply budget musical film lost its influence on (starring Rick Moranis the silver screen. and directed by Frank American films Oz) and has obtained in the 1950s and a huge cult following early 60s had lost over the years. the zany creativity of With so many the Classic Age. The versions of the story craziest, funniest, leading to differmost imaginative ent interpretations films of this period in of the original, it is American film weren’t important to continue a part of the A-list Holthe celebration of this IC COLUMNIST lywood studio pictures. cheesy tale by talking Perhaps television was about the preceding ruining the big screen, or perhaps interpretations. When the University the studio system was losing its moof Toledo’s Department of Theatre and mentum. Either way, if one wishes to Film decided to produce a version of find originality in the cinema from “Little Shop,” director Edmund Lingan the middle of the twentieth century, chose to pay homage the horror influlook no further than the low budget ences of the film. As mentioned in his films of Roger Corman. director’s statement, Corman’s darkly humorous voice is mixed into Lingan’s “theatrical cauldron” for the play. Corman’s darkly hu“Little Shop” is a spectacle, filled morous voice is mixed with rotating sets, dozens of costume changes and an ever-growing into Lingan’s “theatriman-eating plant puppet. The small cal cauldron” for the space of UT’s Center Theatre works very well for this type of show. The play. “Little Shop” modestly sized stage is designed is a spectacle, filled such that it stuck right in the middle with rotating sets, of the audience, resulting in a transportation of each spectator directly dozens of costume onto Skid Row. It ends up being changes and an everan intimate space that brings the growing man-eating spectator very close to the spectacle. Production Designer Daniel Thobias plant puppet. has once again crafted a smart set which transforms the theater space into a very interactive set and one It has been said that “The Little Shop that seems to always be in motion. of Horrors” (1960), a Roger Corman A solid cast of enthusiastic actors production, was filmed in only two kept me well-entertained and redays. The film is a strange, dark, selfminded me of Corman’s original film. aware horror-comedy. It is celebrated But while the actors were so accurate, today for its campy dialogue and corny the orchestra seemed to disappear acting. Jack Nicholson makes a brief into the voices of the actors. The

EVAN SENNETT

musicians were playing off stage with microphones. Without their acoustic notes naturally filling the Center Theatre, the artificial condensed sound of the orchestra failed to create any excitement from the musical numbers. This was important since one should feel the presence of instruments in a musical. Without them, I became disinterested in the songs: a major problem for this medium.

The cynicism of the 1960s shows through the direction and the corny attitude of the actors was matched by the huge maneating plant, Audrey II. The carnivorous herb was an effective presence throughout the show. “Little Shop of Horrors” is a dysfunctional play, and with this in mind Edmund Lingan very aptly directed his team. The cynicism of the 1960s shows through the direction and the corny attitude of the actors was matched by the huge man-eating plant, Audrey II. The carnivorous herb was an effective presence throughout the show, even while he just simply sat still in the background like any other prop. Through all the hokey comedy in the foreground, the static Audrey II is the true horror in the “Little Shop,” and the play acknowledged that idea. Lingan has given UT an exciting finale to the Film and Theatre season. UT’s production of this classic plant story holds it roots respectfully in the Corman tradition. Evan Sennett is a first-year majoring in film studies, and he is also an IC cartoonist.

| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, April 20, 2016

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DIVERSITY

White Student Union By Joe Heidenescher News Editor

How exactly would you define white heritage? This is the question Ronald Pheils, the man who is organizing a student group that aims to “celebrate white culture and heritage” at the University of Toledo, is attempting to answer. “There is no ‘white heritage.’ There is no one thing we can point to,” Pheils said. Despite that lack of concrete common heritage, the group is seeking to unite around cultural celebration and defense against accusations of racism. “We don’t believe any race is superior to any other … we aren’t all white radicals,” Pheils said.

“We don’t believe any race is superior to any other … we aren’t all white radicals.” RONALD PHEILS WSU organizer

For now, the group has operated under the name “White Student Union,” a name that harkens back to decades of controversy and racial tension across the U.S. WSU groups are not new. They have formed on campuses like OSU, Penn State and Michigan State. In December, a UT White Student Union page appeared on Facebook, sparking controversy.

They have since deleted that page, but the group is still organizing and working to form a recognized UT student organization. According to Pheils, the group wants to form based on the premise that there is not a space for white students to celebrate their culture and heritage. As a matter of free speech, Pheils believes it is important to organize. Pheils also said that since there is space for other minorities to meet and celebrate their culture and identity, there should also be space for white people to do the same. He shares this opinion with dozens on college campuses across the U.S., as official and unofficial White Student Union groups begin to appear on a dozen other campus across the U.S. Pheils is the unofficial president of the group at UT and was one of the administrators on the UT WSU Facebook page. “There are white student unions on other campuses. Unfortunately some of them have gone to the extreme,” Pheils said, emphasizing that it is important to distance themselves from the radicals. Pheils said many of these groups resort to Facebook organizing because it is easy to remain anonymous via the social media’s “Page” function. The creator of the UT WSU Facebook page used that anonymity. Pheils did not create the group, but joined one created by an anonymous Facebook user going under the pseudonym of Themistocles Pierre.

The reason Pierre said he wishes to remain anonymous is to protect himself from threats of violence.

“I’ve heard so many threats of violence, you wouldn’t believe. If I can even be connected to a friend, or friend of a friend, I might be in danger. And naturally, I don’t want to put myself or others in danger..” THEMISTOCLES PIERRE WSU organizer

“Too many people already think they know who I am,” he wrote via Facebook. “I’ve heard so many threats of violence, you wouldn’t believe. If I can even be connected to a friend, or friend of a friend, I might be in danger. And naturally, I don’t want to put myself or others in danger.” That fear of danger is what Pheils said is part of the reason why there have been problems with WSU’s becoming an official UT student group. They have not turned in an application to become an official group yet, according to Kaye Patten-Wallace, the senior vice president for student affairs. “If they meet the criteria to become a recognized student organization, they would have the same

rights and privileges of any other recognized student organization,” she wrote in an email interview. According to Willie McKether, special assistant to the president for diversity, any group is able to organize as long as they do not spread hate and intolerance, which is what Pheils said was a concern brought to him from Dean of Students Tamika Mitchell. Pheils and Pierre both said they do not condone hateful speech, racism or racial violence. They actually want to distance themselves from organizations that promote racism, like the KKK. Despite these beliefs, both individuals said they fear being labeled a racist because of the color of their skin. Pheils and Pierre cited the Jan. 24 incident with Rayshawn Watkins as what they perceived to be an example of falsely labeling whites as racist by jumping to conclusions too quickly. Pheils said he can acknowledge the historical perspective of racism, and he understands that white privilege exists, but he said things are starting to shift. “It’s almost starting to turn now, now [whites are] starting to be persecuted,” Pheils said. “Now we are starting to be perceived as the bad people if we do have an opinion. I’m the last person that would be a racist, you know. I was honestly one of the biggest Ben Carson supporters out there, I was still a Condoleezza Rice fan.”

The “persecution” Pheils mentions includes being left out of the ongoing conversation on race, and even being targeted by it. This is why Pierre said many white student union groups have begun. “White Student Unions, and other pro-white activism, is the natural consequence, and logical extension, of identity politics,” Pierre wrote. Pierre questions the notion that, if other cultures and races are allowed to have pride in their identity, then why is it wrong for whites?

“White Student Unions, and other pro-white activism, is the natural consequence, and logical extension, of identity politics.” THEMISTOCLES PIERRE WSU organizer

“I don’t want people thinking that pride equals hate,” Pierre wrote. “I don’t hate anyone. In fact, I agree with some of what I’ve heard from Black Lives Matter protesters. We should all have pride in our identity, without hating anyone.” What Pheils said he does not See WSU / 8 »

DIVERSITY

Bridging the cultural divide By Maisha Rashid Opinion Editor

Thinking about diversity makes you distinguish some very personal and intricate details about yourself. It makes you really look at your identity and realize it isn’t just a plain account your experiences and surroundings. Rather, you realize you are bigger than just you; you are a converging point of different cultures and histories. At UT, we have an unusual, but predominant, culture of students that are a product of a complicated combination of cultures. These are the firstgeneration Americans and the international students. Being on a university campus you realize that genetically inherited features or socially inherited habits no longer completely embody

“Yes, I definitely do feel the divide between international and first-generation Americans even if we are of the same culture.” SHIRLEY YEE CHINESE-AMERICAN

the entire structure of a person. This is because what we have now have are first-generation Americans who have immigrant parents but habitually Americans, juxtaposed with international students or immigrants who have come to America for higher studies and are merging with the American culture, but who are essentially a product of their homeland. Student organizations that represent this diversity hold events showcasing unique features of the different cultures, which are so knowledgeable and enriching, and definitely exciting as the SU

“When I’m with my white friends I feel too brown but then when I’m with my brown friends I feel too white (or American). #thestruggle lol.” RAYAT AHMED BANGLADESHIAMERICAN

is adorned galore with fliers advertising some cultural event or the other at UT throughout the year. I feel a sense of pride and uniqueness when I educate others about the history and ways of my people, the Bangladeshis. On the other hand, I enjoy learning more about the surrounding American ways and inherent American characteristics and traditions. Keeping these in mind, I’ve come to realize a very important quality about myself. Having been in the US for almost a decade now, trying to learn and integrate myself with the American culture to better adjust to the new land, I have increasingly become somewhat “American” too. It is a sentiment many internationals say as well. Starbucks has become my coffee, Walmart my grocery store, pasta the go-to dinner and I have other such American additives integrated into my cultural background, which

make me a non-genetic, non-historically and a nontraditionally American. Thus, while I still identify primarily as a Bangladeshi and enjoy educating people about the Bengali way of making “bhaat” (rice) and “daal” (lentil soup), I believe the staple American burger and fries has become an integral part of my being as well. The cultural events showcasing the unique traditions of particular culture are inclusive, but on a very superficial level. Other than educating others on food and traditional performances distinctive to their particular country, there is very little else these events do. While these events can provide internationals with some sort of nostalgia or feelings of solidarity with their country people, it doesn’t do much else. It is important to talk about these events, because they are one of UT’s primary ways to showcase diversity on campus. But there is an important part of the UT population who

don’t obtain the inclusion or identification promised at UT. These are the first-generation Americans. A huge portion of the first-generation Americans feel very disconnected from their history, simply because their backgrounds are not even identified as a culturally distinct existence. They are a combination of two different cultures, and while you’d think that because of the two cultures to choose from they’d have more space for inclusion, it is exactly the opposite. The social events that the student organizations, representing different countries,

“‘Cest la vie … Carpe diem.’ Seize the day, because such is life ... seize every opportunity you get, to meet new people and bridge cultural differences!” SRIMATHI KASTURIRANGAN INDIAN INT’L STUDENT

often have little impact on the first-gen Americans. They feel like they aren’t able to connect with internationals from their parental birth-country and don’t really get to understand the ways and language of the people. UT never holds discussion of issues related to first-generation Americans. Getting that real feeling of solidarity and identification with a non-American culture is difficult. Despite these feelings of isolation, UT does not have system to address these issues. See International / 8 »

“I like American movies and listen to American songs, I tried to merge in the culture here or even feel like America is my second hometown, but deep inside I still consider China is my motherland, my root is over there.” YANGYANG ZHANG CHINESE INT’L STUDENT

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 | The Independent Collegian |

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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, April 20, 2016

SPORTS Follow us on Twitter @IC_Sports

In other news... Toledo football team announced on Tuesday that they will play a home-and-home series against Colorado State University starting in 2019. The Rockets will play at Colorado State on September 21, 2019 before hosting the Rams on September 25, 2021.

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BASEBALL

Raiders rout Rockets

UT gets outscored 28-8 in weekend series

By Jackson Rogers Sports Reporter

Over the weekend, the University of Toledo baseball team faced off against Wright State in a three-game series. The Rockets lost on Friday 8-1 before taking a 9-3 victory on Saturday. Toledo went on to lose the rubber match on Sunday 11-5. With the defeat UT drops to 8-27-1 on the season. On Friday, senior Deion Tansel moved into ninth place on Toledo’s all-time hits list with his two hits. Senior Ryan Callahan recorded an RBI and sophomore Dalton Bollinger went 2-4 at the plate scoring UT’s lone run. Junior Steven Calhoun picked up the loss for the Rockets, allowing three runs in six innings while striking out three batters. Wright State got out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning as senior Ryan Fucci and redshirt junior Daniel Arthur hit back-to-back RBI doubles. UT earned a run in the second inning when Bollinger doubled to left field, then

scored on a fielder’s choice. Wright State added some insurance runs in the bottom of the second when junior Sean Murphy zipped a single past third base, scoring redshirt freshman Zach Weatherford. The Raiders scored again when junior Mitch Roman scored Murphy on a single to right field, building a 4-1. The lead expanded in the eighth inning when redshirt junior Brad Macciocchi and redshirt junior Gabe Snyder scored on a pitching error. Freshman JD Orr hit an RBI sac fly to set the final score of 8-1. On Saturday, Toledo scored a season-high nine runs while recording a run in five straight innings. Senior Ross Achter earned the win for Toledo in six innings of work allowing two runs. It was his fourth win on the season. Tansel had three RBIs and stole two bases while going 1-3, sophomore Brad Boss hit a tworun home run and senior Lucas Sokol added two RBIs. The scoring started in the fourth inning when Tansel hit a squeeze bunt to score freshman

RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC

Freshman outfielder Ross Adolph lines up for an at-bat at home against Wright State. Toledo dropped two in the three-game series.

Baseball

Riley Campbell. UT added some insurance the next inning when Sokol singled home Boss from second before scoring on the next at bat making it 3-0. Wright State was on the board in bottom of the fifth when senior John Brodner hit a double to score sophomore Matt Morrow to make the score 3-1. Toledo answered right back with a run of their own in the fifth when Callahan scored Bollinger on an infield single. The Rockets looked to take control with three runs in the seventh on a sacrifice bunt from Sokol and a two RBI single from Tansel, giving Toledo a 7-1 advantage. Wright State scored in the bottom of the seventh when JD Orr hit into a fielder’s choice scoring Sean Murphy and cutting the lead to five. Boss put the Rocket lead back to seven with a two-run homer in the top of the eighth. The Raiders scored a run in the eighth off of a double to make the score 9-2. UT dropped the rubber match Sunday 11-5 at Scott Park. Junior Sam Shutes was given the loss for the Rockets allowing two runs in five innings. Sophomore Matt Hansen led Toledo offensively with two RBIs and three singles. Sophomore

MAC Overall

EAST DIVISION

WEST DIVISION

School

9-3 7-5 5-4 3-6 3-6 2-7

23-14 12-23 13-20 8-28 8-27-1 9-23

Softball

MAC Overall

EAST DIVISION Miami Akron Buffalo Kent State Ohio Bowling Green

10-3 7-5-1 8-6 8-6 7-7 4-10

25-15 23-18-1 14-27 25-15 25-16 16-27

9-4 9-5 8-6 5-8-1 4-11 3-11

18-19 28-13 18-23 18-21-1 18-26 8-31

WEST DIVISION Western Michigan Northern Illinois Eastern Michigan Central Michigan Ball State Toledo

Jason Candle. “But, it is certainly an upgrade that will benefit the fans as well.” The new FieldTurf surface is called Revolution 360 and will feature the latest cutting-edge playing surface technology. While the look for the field will not change drastically, the field renovations have already started and are expected to be finished before the start of the 2016 football season. Candle says the team is anxious to see the final product. “Anytime there is a new upgrade to where you do your daily business is a positive thing,” Candle said. “For these guys, there is rich history and tradition on this field so it’s great to play at home.” The Rockets will open the season on the road in Jonesboro, Arkansas where they will take on Arkansas State on Sept. 3.

“Anytime there is a new upgrade to where you do your daily business is a positive thing. For these guys, there is rich history and tradition on this field so it’s great to play at home.” JASON CANDLE Toledo football head coach

Toledo will debut the new renovations during their home opener against Maine on Sept. 10. This will also be Candle’s first home opener as the Rockets head coach after assuming the role at the end of the 2015 season. “I’m excited to see how our team competes and I can’t wait to get out there in the fall.”

If you go What: UT vs Michigan Where: Ann Arbor When: Today, April 20 Starting Pitcher: Freshman Parker Ruffer

Wright State increased its lead in the top of the ninth with a fielder’s choice and a Weatherford double. Toledo attempted to rally with three runs in the ninth on three straight RBIs from Montoya, Krupar and Hansen but it was not enough. The Rockets will travel to take on the Michigan Wolverines on Wednesday, April 20 at 4 p.m.

SAVANNAH JOSLIN / IC

The current FieldTurf playing surface lies bare but is expected to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 10 against Maine.

Toledo come up empty-handed on road against conference foe

By Justice Sunderland Miami 9-3 19-16 Sports Reporter Kent State 9-3 26-10 The Rockets softball team travOhio 5-7 16-19 eled to Mount Pleasant to take on Central Michigan where they lost Bowling Green 4-8 13-23 all three games in the weekend Buffalo 4-8 11-20 series. With the loses, UT falls to

Ball State Northern Illinois Eastern Michigan Central Michigan Toledo Western Michigan

A.J. Montoya went 3-5 at the plate with a double while junior Jake Krupar and Callahan each recorded RBIs. Wright State struck first with two runs in the first inning off of a Fucci sacrifice fly followed by an RBI double by Arthur. With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Shutes walked three straight batters before hitting a fourth to give Wright State the 8-0 after six innings. Toledo didn’t score until the seventh inning on a fielder’s choice. They added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Hansen.

from page 1

SOFTBALL

Standings

School

RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC

Junior Sam Shutes tosses the ball over the plate in Toledo’s game three 11-5 loss to the Raiders. Shutes pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two runs during that time.

Turf

8-31 and 3-11 in the Mid-American Conference play. Toledo lost game one 1-2 on a heartbreaking walk-off home run by Katelyn Rentschler. UT did not fare well in Saturday’s doubleheader losing both games 12-3 and 9-1. The Rocket offense struggled the entire series managing only five runs and with no players recording a multi-hit game. In game one, senior Marla Gooding pitched six innings allowing only two runs on six hits. Her counterpart Rachel Knapp struck out seven batters for the Chippewas on her way to a victory. Junior Celeste Fidge doubled to right field to begin the action in the top of the second inning. She later scored the first run of the game on an infield fly. Toledo led 1-0 after two innings. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Rentschler put Central Michigan on the board with a blast to straight away center field to even the score at one. UT could not take advantage of several errors in the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded. Senior Jessica Lemieux was thrown out at the plate before Fidge grounded out to leave two runners on base.

After three up and three down for UT in the top of the seventh, it only took one batter for the Chippewas to end the game. Rentschler hit a walkoff home run to center for her second-long ball of the game. The momentum carried to the next day for Central Michigan as they exploded for a nine-run fifth inning to win the first of two games Saturday. Toledo junior Brittany George got things going early in the top of the first with a three run blast for an early advantage. In the bottom of the second Rachel Vieira responded for the Chippewas with a bases loaded RBI single. After a force out at home Sara Hansen lined out to second base to leave three runners on. Freshman Kimberly Frank only lasted two batters in the fifth inning as she allowed two runs without recording an out. In relief freshman Heather Webb did not fare much better giving up an RBI to three straight batters to cap off a seven hit nine run inning for Central. Vieira hit another home run in the bottom of sixth putting Central Michigan ahead 12-3 and putting the mercy rule into effect. CMU completed to sweep of UT by scoring nine runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings in the second game of the doubleheader. Webb got the start for Toledo allowing four runs on seven hits in five inning of work. Gooding

gave up for runs as well in just 0.2 innings of relief. The scoring began in the top of the second as Toledo sophomore Ashley Rausch doubled home a run from first. In the bottom of the fourth Chelsea DeLamielleure put Central Michigan on the board with a solo home run off Webb. The Chippewas really got things going in the fifth inning when Allison Curtis hit a leadoff triple. Sydney Heath later doubled home a pair of runs before scoring two batters later putting Central Michigan up

4-1 after five innings. UT left one on base in the top of the sixth before Central Michigan once again put the Mercy rule into effect. With two outs and the bases loaded Maison Kalina hit a bases-clearing triple to put Central Michigan ahead 9-1 and ending the game. Toledo will look to end their six-game losing streak on Wednesday, April 20 as they play a doubleheader against Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne at Scott Park. The games begin at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

SAVANNAH JOSLIN / IC

Sophomore Samantha Showalter shoots a line drive down the left field line. The Rockets were winless in the three game series against Central Michigan.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 | The Independent Collegian |

CIVIL RIGHTS

From Birmingham to Ferguson

#ChangingTimes #CivilRightsMovement #Now&Then

By Colleen Anderson Managing Editor

Not much can stay the same over 50 years, and civil rights activism is not immune to change — but what’s the difference between Black Lives Matter and the plain old civil rights movement? Is it really just a hashtag? University of Toledo history instructor Jason Jordan said it’s not so simple. Jordan said both movements have groups of people with overlapping opinions, but not necessarily identical opinions.

“We tend to think of the civil rights movement as this monolithic thing where everybody is on the same page, everybody has the same goals, they agree on the same tactics, and it really couldn’t be further from the truth.” JASON JORDAN University of Toledo history professor

“We tend to think of the civil rights movement as this monolithic thing where everybody is

on the same page, everybody has the same goals, they agree on the same tactics, and it really couldn’t be further from the truth,” Jordan said. “Some people go as far as saying there wasn’t one civil rights movement, but [many] civil rights movements … because there was such a diversity of thought.” Jordan said activism battles before 1960 were mostly fought in the halls of government. Think of Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. However, when activists at the time lost their faith in the ability to make change from within the system, action-oriented groups started popping up. “People started to realize that real change in society wasn’t going to come solely from the courtrooms,” Jordan said. “Take for instance all of the student activism that you see across the country today … a lot of that … reminds me very much of the types of young-person- or student-led activism that you saw in the mid-to-late [1960s].” Jordan said he sees similarities between different movements, even across generational lines. He said the surge of young adults in the Black Lives Matter movement reminds him of the 1960s Black Power movement. “It tends to be younger, collegeage students who are kind of cynics, tired of banging their heads against [the] brick wall holding

them back,” Jordan said. One brick wall in the way of progress is the belief that race is-

“[Activists] kind of get frustrated with what they see as this slow pace of change in American society, and just kind of a general apathy to issues having to deal with race.”

JASON JORDAN University of Toledo history professor

sues are a thing of the past, which Jordan said can slow things down. “[Activists] kind of get frustrated with what they see as this slow pace of change in American society, and just kind of a general apathy to issues having to deal with race,” he said. “So there’s a lot of frustration, there’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of discontent that you can see bubbling to the surface.” Now, the slow march of progress may be upping the tempo. In the 1960s, activists had to deal without the advantage of tweets or viral videos, a luxury the Black Lives Matter movement enjoys. David Young, director of the Office of Excellence, which oper-

DIVERSITY

ates an educational program for underprivileged youth, said social media brings advantages to an activist movement. Raising awareness about social issues and documenting evidence of incidents like police killings is much easier with the help of modern technology. But every coin has two sides, and Young said social media is no exception. The lightning-fast speed of social media means both successes and mistakes are amplified to an unprecedented level. “We just always have to remember to be responsible in sharing … just as exciting as this instant news is, and instant awareness is, there’s a level of responsibility that has to come with that as well,” Young said. “As their tweet goes out, the judgment of the tweet is just as instantaneous.” UT is no stranger to activism or the Black Lives Matter movement. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2015, a group of 30 protestors interrupted the annual Unity Celebration by approaching the stage and chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” The protest lasted several minutes before the ceremony could continue. Unity Celebration organizers and attendees were not upset by the demonstration, but more intense demonstrations across the country have received criticism for being too disruptive. Jordan said it’s hard to draw the line between reason and excess,

“We just always have to remember to be responsible in sharing … just as exciting as this instant news is, and instant awareness is, there’s a level of responsibility that has to come with that as well.”

JASON JORDAN University of Toledo history professor

especially when many protestors believe disruption is necessary for change. Young has his own experiences in student activism to draw from. He was involved in the campaign to ask UT to divest from the South African apartheid in his college years. Looking back on his involvement, he said it’s important to strategize. “You’ve got to be prepared, you have to do your research, it has to make sense, you have to make sure that you’re well-informed,” Young said. “And sometimes there’s a tendency to move out of emotion rather than real understanding of what the situation is, and what the problem is, and students have to guard against that.”

DIVERSITY

Asian culture at UT By Anna Glore Staff Reporter

While the Asian community represents only 2 percent of the student population at the University of Toledo and are often clumped into one generalized category, the unique student groups on campus reflect the diversity and culture of each individual facet within the community. One of these groups is the Chinese Student and Scholars Association. Yuan Hu, the president of CSSA, said that the organization is all about supporting and providing resources for newly arrived Chinese students, scholars and their families, all while promoting the culture and building connections with other student organizations. Hu also said that it is important for students to understand other cultures in order to get to know them better. Cultural differences in how people relate to one another can often lead to misconceptions or misunderstandings, according to Hu. “Chinese people are very friendly — they like to make friends with other people, but sometimes they are shy — it is because of the culture,” Hu said. “Sometimes American students think we are silent and do not have much eye contact with the other person. It is not because we are impolite, it is because of Chinese culture. We are trying to adapt to American culture.” In order to promote their culture, CSSA hosts several events throughout the year both to celebrate within the community as well as to raise awareness with those who may not be familiar with Chinese culture. “We assist Confucius Institute to hold some culture events. We also have our own culture activities, Chinese Spring Festival gala, carnival or other events,” Hu said. In addition to interacting with student organizations, language is an integral and defining part of any culture. At UT, there

RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC

Performers Wang Zhe, left, and Chenzi Zheng, right, show off their skills at the 2016 Chinese New Year Gala.

are currently six Japanese instructors, one of them being Joseph Hara, the Director of the Japanese Studies Program. Hara was born and raised in Japan and came to America about 45 years ago. “I have been teaching the language and culture at UT for the last 26 years,” Hara said. “[The] study abroad program in Japan that I developed has been continuously active for the last 17 years and we have 26 UT graduates working in Japan today as the result.” Students in Hara’s classes have always been interested in the cultural aspect of what he teaches, which is why Hara said that he tries to incorporate as many aspects of Japanese culture in the classroom as he can.

“UT provides them as much as it can, it promotes every culture event, it makes us feel at home.” YUAN HU CSSA president

“I have Japanese Culture and Civilization courses every semester and they are always full in enrollment. It is an indication of how much students are interested in learning about the culture,” Hara said. “I usually cover not only historical aspects on cultural development such as diet, fashion, festivals, religions and different view point based on philosophical background.” Hara said there are many non-Asian students who participate in things like CSSA and take the Japanese language courses, whether it’s to gain more knowledge of the culture, or to learn a skill that will increase their career opportunities. “Students who are taking Japanese language courses as well as culture courses are from all areas of disciplines. I would say a good number of students have some exposure to Japanese anime before showing their interest in the Japanese culture. Also a majority of students seem to think of future job opportunities after graduation,” Hara said. Hara said that he feels that the Japanese culture is well represented on campus, due to the fact that the Japanese section of the Foreign Language Department is the second largest behind Spanish. Hu also feels this way about the Chinese culture, and all cultures in general. “We can see different culture events in every semester. UT provides them as much as it can, it promotes every culture event, it makes us feel at home,” Hu said.

Colleges ‘diversify’ in Ohio By Jenna Nance

Associate Sports Editor

The state of Ohio is home to many different universities of all different sizes and cultures and yet, they all share the same problem: diversity — or lack thereof. “There are a lot of people who grow up without being exposed to diversity and the older generation mindset is all people see at a very young age,” said Bill Cohen, a graduate teaching assistant of engineering at The Ohio State University. I researched and compared three different universities and their diversity and inclusion programs within the state of Ohio. Those schools include the University of Toledo, the University of Cincinnati and OSU. I considered size, popularity, competitive programs and of course student representation, but chose to focus on these three schools due to the representation of the three different sizes of the typical universities in the state of Ohio. UT has a total enrollment of around 23,000, while UC has 44, 000 and OSU has a total enrollment of around 58,000. In a list of 100 of the most diverse universities by Niche. com, only one Ohio university was represented: Case Western Reserve University. That same publication released a list of the most diverse universities in the state of Ohio. Out of

61 schools, UT is ranked 32nd, one ahead of OSU and two ahead of Bowling Green State University. In an interview, UT student Carter Steude and UC student Tyler Siebert both said that they did not see any issue with diversity on their respective campuses. Each university offered many different programs and trainings to create a more welcome and inclusive environment, yet many students are not aware that they were even implemented in the first place.

“It’s important that we support one another and continue to have these conversations.” SHANDA GORE Chief diversity officer at UT

“People don’t want to be educated on the subject,” Steude, a third-year education major, said. “They believe it is someone else’s problem and not theirs so they don’t do anything about it.” At UT, the month of April means Diversity month. UT is offering different forums and events to engage and welcome students from all over the globe in addition to educating students on the subject of diversity.

Shanda Gore, chief diversity officer at UT, said that while UT is making strides, there is still work to be done. “It’s important that we support one another and continue to have these conversations,” Gore said. In addition to this new initiative at UT, UC has started inclusive workshops that are new for this school year in addition to holding different events, such as hosting guest speaker Jennifer Eberhardt. The associate chief diversity officer at UC, Kathy Riehle, said the university stands by their mission to make campus environment inclusive and welcoming to students, staff and faculty. UC sits at number 14 on the list of most diverse universities in Ohio, doubling both UT and OSU. “When you walk around campus, it sure doesn’t seem like there is an issue,” said fourth-year architectural engineer at UC, Tyler Siebert. “Almost everyone gets along and it comes right from President Ono really.” UC President Santa Ono has created a partnership with students and staff to refocus on diversity efforts around the university. Some of those include new diversity teams and committees, new strategic hiring efforts and holding different discussions on the topic of See College / 8 »

| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, April 20, 2016

WSU

from page 4

Dancing for charity UT students participate in RockeTHON, a thirteen hour dance marathon benefiting Mercy Children’s Hospital, raising over $147,000.

College

CAP

diversity and inclusion. According to the rankings, the majority represents 80 percent of OSU’s campus with only 20 percent representing the minority. Like other universities in Ohio, OSU offers different inclusion workshops, diversity forums and hosts many different guest speakers to speak on the subject at hand. “OSU is such a big campus with a large number of different students, anyone who wants to learn or know more can by just walking into the Office of Diversity and Inclusion,” Cohen said. All universities are different but these three all still choose the same path towards a more accepting university. While many different outcomes come from given efforts, the university can only do so much. “Everyone works incredibly hard,” Gore said. “Everyone is working from their own place to make sure students feel welcome and safe while studying at UT.” To learn more about diversity at the UT, you can contact the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Community Engagement at 1-800-586-5336.

and promotions for CAP, says it will be the first concert at Carter Field in over a decade. Allen and Vine are both upcoming hip-hop artists and O’Brien thinks this will be an incredible show. “For only $10, this will definitely be worth people’s time,” O’Brien said. “They are very energetic have a good rapport with their audiences. I think University of Toledo students will really like them.” O’Brien has her sights set on a big student turn-out, having already sold more student tickets for this concert than Rock the Arena, a rock concert held in Savage Arena in March. She said that the

from page 7

from page 1

purpose of this concert is to put the focus back on to the students and what they want to see. O’Brien also hopes to see students from surrounding area high schools attend the concert as well. “If we can get high school students on our campus and see how fun UT is hopefully when choosing what college they want to attend, they will want to be a Rocket,” O’Brien said. The show will begin at 8 p.m. on April 22 in Carter Field. Students can purchase tickets at Savage Arena for $10 and non-students can purchase tickets at Savage Arena or their website, utrockets. com, for $35.

want is white heritage to be labeled as automatically racist. “What we don’t want is the incident that happened in a fraternity house several months ago to automatically be pointed [sic] as the white guy is the bad guy,” Pheils said. Pheils said that if the student group actually organizes next year will probably go by the name “European Student Union” as an effort to distance themselves from the perception of being hate group. Regardless of the efforts to organize as a group solely dedicated to European culture and heritage, Lance Price, president of UT’s Black Student Union, said he still does not understand the group’s claim. “I fail to see the need in having a ‘White Student Union,’” Lance Price wrote in an email interview. “We attend a university where white students are already the majority.” In a speech to the univer-

International from page 4

I have asked first-gen and international students from the same cultures to talk about their feelings about how they feel their cultures are represented at UT, and if they feel a good sense of belonging and inclusion because of their backgrounds. The answers I got were surprising. All of the first-generation Americans I have talked with for this article have expressed how eagerly they want to learn about their parent’s cultures and incorporate it into their lives. A lot of the time I didn’t even think it really mattered to first-generation Americans where their parents hailed from; I thought they were not even concerned about identifying as anything other than Americans. However, that was not the case. Both first-generation Americans and internationals have expressed how high schools often have little diversity and so they rarely got a chance to know about their parent’s ancestral heritage. When

sity two weeks ago, President Gaber presented the racial demographic of campus, which showed that whites make up more than 50 percent of the student population. Price said he would encourage the White Student Union to reach out to other campus cultural organizations to increase dialogue, but “if the ‘White Student Union’ continues to take the path they are currently on, I doubt we’ll be welcoming them with open arms.” Pheils said he would rather work with BSU and the Latino Student Union, rather than fight with them. “I don’t want to create a war with BSU or LSU,” he said. “I have great friends and great leaders from the past that have been presidents of those groups, and I have talked to them and they thought it was a great idea, if we stay on the path of an open dialogue.” However, Price said he

thinks that forming a WSU “misses the point” about white privilege, while Pierre said he thinks skin color has less to do with privilege. “There is a disconnect between theory and practice, if I am supposedly privileged, or not, based merely on skin color,” Pierre wrote. “When someone assumes you are privileged, without knowing your personal circumstances, it shows that they don’t care about you as a person. They don’t want to hear my story. They don’t care. They’ve already made up their mind, without needing to know anything about me.” Pheils said this is the crucial problem they hope to address, to avoid being labeled and grouped as privileged or as racists. He said that these labels target and hurt overall relations and that they make all white people out to be against other races. “Really, the biggest thing is we are not anti-anybody, we are not,” Pheils said.

they came to college, they expected to be properly integrated and understand the values and traditions their ancestors have. They want to know and feel connected to their parents’ cultures, since that is also, despite them never being having grown up there, an essential truth of who they are. However, this group or “culture” isn’t something that isn’t acknowledged, despite the fact that their sentiments are actively being ignored as they are denied their historical and cultural values. It was surprising to find that it was the international students who felt integrated into the American culture and found people from their own countries to share new experiences and with. On the other hand, the first-gen Americans felt left out of this side of their identity. They often just had their American identities to rely on, and some people felt left out even then, as at first glance, their genetically inherited appear-

ances weren’t American. Meeting at a single event, where all you see are some food and clothing from your parents’ country, don’t really solve issues of inclusion. The interaction and ability to really identify as an American-Korean, or American-Bangladeshi or AmericanIndian, aren’t addressed. From personal experience, both internationals and the first-generation Americans are left feeling like another American who just learned about a new type of food or new type of dance. UT needs to address the issues of first-gen Americans. As the administration increases efforts to improve diversity on campus, they need to understand that the correct way to make them feel integrated and at home and at one with the ancestral heritage for their own personal identification, is to actually increase personal interactions between the first-gen and people from that culture. It is the only way to clearly visualize those lines that converge to form your unique racial identity.