Oct. 8, 2015

97th year • Issue 8

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Check out our special homecoming issue inside. www.IndependentCollegian.com

Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919

INSIDE

POLICE

UTPD officer joins DART

By Meghan Gore Staff Reporter

Fighting for rights Former UT student Veralucia Mendoza said no person is illegal.

COMMUNITY / 5 »

Tennis Sisko competed this past weekend in the AllAmerican Invitational.

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SPORTS / 6 »

“We are concerned about the possibility of something like this happening at our school.”

In an attempt to help drug addicts, the Lucas County Sherriff ’s Office has initiated the Drug Addiction Response Team (DART) and recruited the University of Toledo Police Department’s own Tressa Johnson.

The DART program sends officers into hospitals to work with addicts to get them into appropriate, long-term treatment while diverting them away from the criminal justice system, according to the Lucas County website.

Johnson’s role in the DART program is to assist addicts seeking help by getting them to appointments, scheduling followups and meeting with their counselors and specialists.

“The goal is to get them into

“It gives me insight on human conditions which allows me to provide assistance to people who are looking for change, so I have that understanding.”

TRESSA JOHNSON University of Toledo Police Department Officer

treatment and out of the prison system,” Johnson said. “And to get the dealers off the streets and the drugs off the streets.”

Johnson has a master’s degree in counseling from UT and has been working with the UTPD for 17 years.

“It gives me insight on human conditions which allows me to provide assistance to people who are looking for change, so I have that understanding,” Johnson said.

Johnson is also involved in the Sexual Assault Response Team, or SART, and the Domestic Violence Task Force.

Johnson has worked alongside MEGHAN GORE / IC Jeff Newton, the Lieutenant Tressa Johnson joined DART as UTPD chief of of an attempt by Lucas County to help police, for 16 years. part drug addicts. She is also part of SART and Newton is confithe Domestic Violence task force. dent in Johnson’s abilities to take over with her responsibilities at her new job. the UTPD and will work with “She is very victim-centered,” the DART program part-time Newton said, “We’ve come to until summer when there are know each other and [she’s] just a less students and more time to person that I have a tremendous dedicate to the program. amount of trust in and confi“We are still working togethdence in.”

Johnson will continue See DART / 4 »

Old comic strip becomes exhibit

EDITORIAL School Safety Concerns

OPINION / 3 »

Rocket Shines at Firstone Otto Black finishes in the top five, with several team members also performing well.

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SPORTS / 6 »

“Now I wouldn’t say that meat eating is murder — but it’s not exactly ethical either.”

JOE HEIDENESCHER Vegetarianism is about more than animal rights OPINION / 3 »

ABIGAIL SULLIVAN / IC

The new exhibit titled “Pete Hoffman: A Comic Journey” by the Ward Canaday Center for Special Collections hosts selections of Hoffman’s cartoon art, focusing on his long-running comic strip titled “Jeff Cobb”. The exhibit will go on through March 6, 2016, and can be viewed on the fifth floor of the UT Carlson Library.

UT COMMUNITY

UT to celebrate LGBTQA History month

By Jenna Nance Staff Reporter

The University of Toledo and Spectrum celebrate LGBTQA History Month this October with various events to help raise awareness for the community.

Because school is not in session during Pride Month, which is celebrated in June, UT and Spectrum celebrate LGBTQA History Month in October and have celebrated it during this time for about the past five years.

Throughout the month, there will be many on-campus events to increase awareness for LGBTQA History Month. Events will range from celebrations, talent shows, candlelit vigils and a keynote speech by Katharine Blaque, a blogger and YouTuber who makes videos about gender and racial equality, and more.

Spectrum hosted a “learn the facts” event in the Student Union on Oct. 1 as the kickoff event for history month. This event started with an interactive game before going into a more in-depth educational presentation about the facts and history of LGBTQA. Members were sporting rainbow flags while relaxing and learning the truth about the LGBTQA community.

Spectrum has been a group on campus since the 90s and serves as an open, affirming place for all LGBTQA students and allies.

Jack Alferio, a third-year social work major, serves as president of Spectrum UT and said it has been an impactful experience.

“We [Spectrum] are the reason safe place training exists on campus,” Alferio said. “There is still biases and ignorance today because of lack of representation.”

Whether a student is a member of the LGBTQA community or an ally, Spectrum is open for anyone to join.

Alex Schultz, a first-year electrical engineering major, went to an event hoping to gain more knowledge about the community itself and more about Spectrum as well.

“I am definitely an ally and would like to get involved with Spectrum. I want to learn more about the community,” he said.

Schultz has friends in the community, so he said it is very special to him and he thinks it is great for something like this to be available to students.

“It’s important to get the community out there instead of being hid away like most people in this community experience,” he said.

Ben Bethel, a first-year computer science and engineering major, joined Spectrum because it is welcoming and important in the community. He has been a member for four weeks after finding Spectrum through friends.

“LGBTQA is something that is so big that a lot of people don’t understand; there is a lot of ignorance within the community,” he said.

For more information on LGBTQA History Month events you can contact the UT Office of Multicultural Student Success at 419-530-2261. Additionally, Spectrum holds open meetings every Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Student Union.

LECTURE

Speaker lectures on Green Chemistry at UT

By Riley Sproul Staff Reporter

John Warner gave a lecture on Green Chemistry in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department and the recent addition of the University of Toledo’s School of Green Chemistry and Engineering.

Green Chemistry is a program in which chemists try to find new ways to create less harmful waste, save energy and replace hazardous substances.

Warner, president and chief technology officer of Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, has been making an effort to bring Green Chemistry

to universities across the country.

In the lecture, he described a kind of alarmism in modern culture, where the word “toxic” is often used but not well understood. Warner said the solution to this is a better way of training chemists.

Warner created the Green Chemistry Ph.D. program which contained all of the “normal” sections in it, but added semester classes in toxicology, environmental mechanisms and modern chemical safety policy.

This new way of teaching chemists, along with the three broad principles mentioned above, are the back-

“I thought that was really cool that he seemed so dedicated toward making the world a better place.”

KELLY LAMBRIGHT Third-year Ph.D. student in chemistry

bone of Green Chemistry in general, as well as UT’s School of Green Chemistry and Engineering.

Kelly Lambright, a thirdyear Ph.D. student in chemistry, found the lecture to be insightful and was impressed

by what Warner had to say.

“It was a very inspirational speech for me. I thought that was really cool that he seemed so dedicated toward making the world a better place,” Lambright said.

Applications for this field have been explored and were explained in the lecture. They range from a new Parkinson’s drug to a way of recycling roadway asphalt. Both of these stemming from a type of chemical interaction that Warner developed called “non-covalent derivatization.”

Since its creation, the Green Chemistry field has spread to a number of universities across the country after its beginning at the University of Massachusetts

and headed westward. Green Chemistry programs can be found in 41 colleges in 26 states, according to the American Chemical Society.

“We need to work on the way students learn chemistry,” Warner said. “So we started what’s called the Green Chemistry Commitment. And you should be proud of your leadership and their wisdom to do this, because now you’re in the middle of one of the most progressive sciences on the planet.”

This enthusiasm is being echoed in the students within the department.

“It really makes me excited that there’s so much effort being put toward that,” Lambright said.

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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, October 7, 2015

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

If you were an animal, what would you like to be?

“I’d be a lion because they’re majestic and represent courage and strength.”

Tyler Missler Fourth-year Exercise science

“I’d be a house cat because they can sleep all day.”

Levia Warrick Third-year Fine arts

The Independent Collegian staff Visit us at Carlson Library, Suite 1057 Write to us at 2801 W. Bancroft St., Mail Stop 530 Toledo, OH 43606 Contact the editor at editor@independentcollegian.com Advertise by emailing sales@independentcollegian.com Phone: 419-530-7788 Fax: 419-530-7770 BUSINESS

EDITORIAL

Advertising Aaron DeGuilio, sales manager Heath Burns, William Woodson and Neil Young, sales representatives

Editor-in-Chief Amanda Pitrof Managing Editor Colleen Anderson

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News Trevor Stearns, editor Jessica Harker, assoc. editor

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“An eagle because it’s such a majestic bird, and its ability to fly anywhere is freeing.

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Third-year Law

Community Alexandria Saba, editor Anna Glore, assoc. editor Features Joe Heidenescher, editor Copy desk Lauren Gilbert, editor Jared Hightower, editor Photography Abigail Sullivan, director Savannah Joslin, assoc. director

COLLEGIAN MEDIA FOUNDATION General Manager Danielle Gamble The Independent Collegian is published by the Collegian Media Foundation, a private, not-for-profit corporation. © 2015

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 | The Independent Collegian |

OPINION Send letters to the editor to Editor@independentcollegian.com

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Colleen Anderson Amanda Pitrof

Anna Glore Morgan Rinckey

Joe Heidenescher Trevor Stearns

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

School safety concerns A school shooting in Oregon sparks questions about UT’s security procedures

A shooter entered Oregon Umpqua Community College last Thursday and opened fire on innocent students and professors. He entered a classroom and pulled the trigger, first shooting a professor point-blank, then peppering the group of students until all were down. Eventually he took his own life, and the murders ended.

The gruesome act, which left 13 dead and several injured, marked the 294th mass shooting in the United States this year.

As of today, we have had more mass shootings in the U.S. than days of this year.

We are concerned about the possibility of something like this happening at our school. We’ve noticed several students are completely unaware of what to do in a situation like this. Even we would be lost in a situation like that. With an epidemic of mass shootings in this country at college campuses, it is important to have a clear plan and to be sure all students are aware of what they need to do if something like this happened.

The University of Toledo had its own scare with this type of situation. Someone called the authorities and said there was a shooter at the Student Union. Tension ensued as police told everyone nearby to evacuate and broadcast a warning message for everyone to stay indoors via UT’s emergency alert system and public address system.

Though the call was found to be a prank, it raised a lot of questions as to what would happen if a shooter were to come to campus.

The gun control regulations at UT are pretty straightforward: no guns on campus. For those with a concealedcarry permit, they are allowed to keep their weapons in a locked car but not on their person. The only people who are allowed to have weapons on campus are security personnel and those given explicit permission by the UT Board of Trustees.

While we believe this is a good policy to have, it leaves some questions unanswered as to what would happen in the event of a shooting. If there were no UTPD officers or other security personnel in the area at the time, what would occur until they were able to arrive? What kind of training do we provide students and faculty so they will know what to do in the meantime?

UTPD does have an assault preparedness program available. Attendance at an active-shooter response training called ALICE (which stands for “Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate”) is a requirement for all education majors and is available upon request to any group at UT. While this is helpful for those who have received it, the problem is that this training is not well-known, nor is it an effective means to end a mass shooting on a college campus. It focuses mainly on high schools and uses the layout of high school buildings as the basis for its response measures.

UTPD has a list of resources on the UT website that states what to do in an emergency and how to sign up for UT Alerts, and this is a good start, but we think it’s time for comprehensive emergency-preparedness education.

We think active-shooter response training should be mandatory for all students, and the solution for doing that could be as simple as incorporating it in one of the mandatory freshman-level orientation classes. Add a mandatory quiz for each class so skippers would still have to learn everything.

This would certainly make the program well-known, if not the eventual subject of Internet memes.

However it gets done, there needs to be a clear system in place which lets students, faculty and staff know exactly what to do in an emergency, whether this is a better version of ALICE training or another system entirely. This outbreak of school shootings has gone on too long in this country to still be unsure about how to help people survive such attacks. The truth is that this kind of violence can happen to any of us at any time, and the longer we pretend it can’t happen at the University of Toledo, the more harm we do everybody that comes here.

COMMENTARY

Vegetarianism is about more than animal rights As much as I love Morrissey and in 2015. If you do math, 105 pounds find its way into waterways. Conhis music, I have to admit, he’s batmultiplied by 300 million Americentrated animal feeding operations shit crazy. He is one of those vegans cans, that is 31.5 billion pounds (CAFOs), also known as feedlots, that puts a very intimidating face on of poultry. 31.5 billion pounds of raise animals for slaughter in conthe movement. fined spaces. Because these animals poultry required 4.5 The former lead eat billions of pounds of food, they pounds of feed per singer of the Smiths also produce billions of pounds of pound produced, has even gone far waste in the form of feces and methwhich means it will enough to say that eattake about 141.75 bil- ane. The feces are stored in “pooing meat is equivalent lagoons” and when it rains, some of lion pounds of food to rape, violence and to feed the amount of that excrement pollutes rivers and murder — comparing lakes. The methane produced also poultry we consume. it to the Holocaust. functions as a greenhouse gas.

141.75 billion WHAT ON EARTH? My research only began there, pounds of food sounds His, and thousands too. I still have not found any good like it could feed a lot of other veg-heads’ reason to resume eating meat or more people around premise, is that the seafood. And now, the sight of the the world who live in killing of animals for food doesn’t even draw me in. I don’t poverty. That is only food is wrong because miss the hamburgers that cause algal the number for poulit is an inhumane way try, not even consider- blooms, I don’t miss the chicken to treat animals; they nuggets that make others starve, ing beef or pork.

FEATURES EDITOR argue that animals and I don’t miss the fish that swim Not only are we have rights too. using these crops inef- around in floating feces. I can’t unlearn these facts — and meat hasn’t I would not be the ficiently, we are also looked appetizing since. first to volunteer to kill animals, but misusing the land that it grows on.

Maybe Morrissey isn’t as crazy as Morrissey and the sad, tortured, dying In Ohio, over 50 percent of land is his outward gesticulations appear. In animals are not what convinced me to devoted to agriculture. A majority of stop eating meat. an open letter to Al Gore he wrote, the crops produced are soybeans and Instead, I realized that meat-eating corn — which are used for animal feed, “Animal agriculture severely affects the world’s freshwater supply and is a major is a transgression against the environcorn syrup and ethanol. ment and other human beings. contributor to global greenhouseIn order to produce billions of gas emissions, deforestation, loss of For my New Year’s Resolution this pounds of crops, lots of soil and fertilyear, I gave up meat and seafood. biodiversity and air izer is needed. The About a month in, I was really suffer- crops over time and water pollution, among many other ing. Out at dinner, people were enjoyerode the soil and I don’t miss the ing succulent meaty platters and I was harmful effects.” the fertilizers find hamburgers that wallowing in a cardboard-y vegetable Now I wouldn’t their way into our plate. I was ready to cave. say that meatwaterways. cause algal blooms, I My desire for meat seemed insureating is murder — The fertilizers don’t miss the chicken mountable at the time. but it’s not exactly used are often rich nuggets that make To help, I put my wants in relation to in phosphorous, ethical either. Eatthe problems that meat causes — what ing meat causes irand when it rains others starve, and I reparable environI found shocked me into never eating the fertilizer will don’t miss the fish mental damage and meat again. run-off into the diminishes food For every pound of chicken prorivers and lakes. that swim around in options for other duced 4.5 pounds of chicken feed is In Lake Erie too floating feces. needed. This is inefficiency at its finhuman beings. much phosphorous est. Think about the millions of people has caused harmThe cycle of damage is fararound the world that don’t even get ful algal blooms reaching, but the solution is simple. to eat three meals a day. Now compare of microcystis, which caused Toledo Eat less meat. that to the poultry in America that are to shut off its water supply for three Joe Heidenescher is a third-year fed to the point of obesity. days in 2014.

According to the USDA, it is estiIn addition to an abundant amount majoring in English, and he is the mated that Americans will eat about features editor for The Independent of runoff, there is also an exorbitant 105 pounds of poultry per person Collegian. amount of actual animal feces that

JOE HEIDENESCHER

MORE ONLINE

My experience with resume building The main goal in college is to become educated in what you want to become; however, sitting in a classroom is not enough to get a job. When I was researching future positions, I looked at job descriptions and a lot of jobs IC COLUMNIST require two to three years of prior experience. I thought that was insane, especially for students coming right out of college.

There are four key components to getting the experience for your dream job — talking to your success coach and advisor, gaining connections, work experience and getting involved in school curricular activities.

Just a year ago, I changed my major to communication, despite having no experience in journalism and public relations at all. I was not involved with any clubs or organizations and I barely knew anyone. I was clueless, so I went to my advisor and she insisted that I should join clubs and start looking for internships. Talking to your success coach and advisor is a great way to ...

OLIVIA LATZ

Finish reading this column online at www.IndependentCollegian.com

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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, October 7, 2015

DART

from page 1

very closely,” Newton said.

John Laux, interim associate dean of the College of Social Justice and Human Services and a former professor of Johnson, feels that she will make a great addition to the DART team.

“I am very thrilled that she is joining the DART team. I think that she will

represent the university very well,” Laux said.

The county-wide, community-centered initiative is set up so that any person dealing with addictions that comes through UTMC is helped through the process of working past their drug addiction.

Johnson said even if an addict they are working with experiences a relapse, the team will continue to

be there to help them.

“It’s not, ‘Okay, they didn’t make it through, we’re done,’” Johnson said. “The team is still there for relapse also.”

Johnson is still in training with DART and is hoping to start working with a client this week. Johnson said she is looking forward to the opportunity to work with a different type of law and to help people with addictions get into treatment.

CLASSIFIEDS

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Wednesday, October 7, 2015 | The Independent Collegian |

COMMUNITY Follow us on Twitter @TheICToledo

IN BRIEF

The historic Ohio Theatre will host a preview event to announce the upcoming Glass City Film Festival.

By IC Staff

The Ohio Theatre will host a preview event on Oct. 14 to celebrate filmmaking for the Glass City Film Festival in Summer 2016.

The evening will include refreshments and feature a free screening of the locallyproduced short film, “The Last of Little Syria,” which is a cultural documentary about life in Toledo’s Olde North End through the eyes of a Lebanese immigrant, Hassan Cheaib.

Filmmakers Hasan Dudar and Katie Rausch of The Blade will be speaking about their experiences creating the film.

The Glass City Film Festival is the first juried film festival to be held at the historic Ohio Theatre located in the Olde North End. The three-day festival will take place May 19-21, 2016 and will be featuring a wide variety of selected films from various genres.

The goal is to promote the historic theater and create a vibrant atmosphere in the Lagrange Street business district.

The Ohio Theatre will continue to host a variety of art and cultural events as a part of their official programming, including live concerts, a culturally-based film series and themed storytelling.

The preview event is open to the public and will provide more information about the upcoming film festival.

Day of event: 6:00 Refreshments Available 6:30 Glass City Film Festival Presentation

by Jim Hill, Ohio Theatre Board Member 7:00 Short Film “The Last of Little Syria” 7:30 Question and Answer session with filmmakers, Hasan Dudar & Katie Rausch from the Blade

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Fighting for rights STUDENT FEATURE

Veralucia Mendoza Reno advocates for all undocumented immigrants

By Joe Heidnescher Features Editor

In her TEDxToledo talk in September, former University of Toledo student Veralucia Mendoza Reno hammered home the idea that “no human life is capable of being illegal.”

Mendoza Reno served as the community editor at The Independent Collegian two years ago but has clearly not stopped using her voice in the Toledo community. She plays an active social justice role through legislation, advocacy, protests, talks, essays and community organizing, among other things.

But Mendoza Reno wasn’t always a die-hard activist; her strong convictions come from a mixture of her first-hand experiences and her faith.

She openly speaks about her experiences being labelled as an “illegal,” because she is one of an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the US, according to Homeland Security.

Originally not everyone knew about her undocumented status; it was a secret facet of her identity.

She said most of her friends didn’t know. She had to cover up and pretend that she was a citizen even when the comments affected her emotionally.

“Every time immigration would come up, I would be as quiet as ever … You hear people make jokes and

blame you for things, but you’re like, ‘I’m one of them, I’m one of them.’”

Naturally, she was afraid of what many of her friends would say. Mendoza Reno was worried that no one would see what immigration was like from her perspective; after all, she didn’t choose to move to the U.S. She was brought here from Peru by her parents when she was 8. Her father is a chemical engineer who looked for work in the U.S. After several years, Mendoza Reno said, “he did not receive proper legal advice, and we overstayed our visas and became undocumented.”

However, being undocumented is not her sole reason for engaging herself in social justice work.

“My parents did instill in me a sense of human dignity, particularly through our faith,” she said.

Both of her parents are ordained pastors and her Christian faith is a fundamental piece of her identity.

Some of her fellow Christians had very harsh feelings about the “illegals,” as she said they put it. But she wasn’t able to understand why members of her faith community would spurn and chastise immigrants rather than accept them as human beings.

After trying to reconcile two incompatible ideas, she realized “justice and love and peace were more important, and much more

in line with what Jesus spoke about.”

Even as she began to slowly tell some of her friends, the responses were not all great. Later when she was in college, her “coming out,” as she calls it, as an undocumented immigrant went city-wide.

“Every day I saw something, another news article and I would just cry, until I realized, am I just going to sit here and cry, or am I going to do something about it?”

VERALUCIA MENDOZA RENO Former UT student

In 2013, her status as an undocumented immigrant was printed in a Blade feature about non-native university students.

The comments from the story were overwhelming for Mendoza Reno.

“Even though I was out there, I was bitter because of the response,” she said.

Soon after that story, Mendoza Reno wrote a column for The Independent Collegian addressing the overwhelming response

Awareness month helps to remind students about the epidemic of domestic violence Staff Reporter

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and SAEPP is organizing a number of different events around the University of Toledo campus to spread awareness about domestic and sexual violence.

“Women ages 18 to 34 are at greatest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence,” wrote Lindsay Tuttle, coordinator of the Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program, in an email interview.

Abby Beham, a former member of the SAEPP Committee, wrote in an email interview that it’s important for universities to be promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“We learn about and hear about domestic violence issues but always think, ‘it can’t happen to me,’ until you have firsthand experience with it,” Beham wrote.

Beham wrote that these issues can happen on any college campus and the events going on this month will help attendees understand what domestic violence looks like.

One of the events is the Silent Witness Project Unveiling Ceremony, which will kick off this month’s events Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. It will feature body silhouettes accompanied by the stories of local women who were murdered in violent ways by their partners or stalkers.

The next event will be Oct. 12 when the White Ribbon Campaign will be tabling in the Student Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. SAEPP and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will

promote it by handing out ribbons and T-shirts.

According to the SAEPP event webpage, White Ribbon is “the world’s largest movement of men and boys working together to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity.”

The next day, Oct. 13, there will also be an open discussion on “Healthy vs.

Unhealthy Relationships.”Anyone can participate in the discussion and free pizza will be provided at the event. Tuttle and SAEPP graduate assistant Lena Salpietro will be leading the discussion.

“We are hoping students will come with ideas and recommendations for their fellow students who are unsure about what constitutes a healthy [or] unhealthy relationship,” Tuttle wrote.

Some of those students are from the Greek community.

On Oct. 16 from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., Alpha Chi Omega will host their annual “Nacho Night,” where the money raised will go to promoting domestic violence awareness, their sorority’s philanthropy. SAEPP will have a table at this event and will be available to answer questions regarding their program.

Alpha Phi Alpha will host an event this month as well with their second-annual “Anti-Domestic Violence Gala.” The event will consist of a dinner with the goal of supporting

about her status.

“I call it coming out of my undocumented closet,” she said.

Mendoza Reno believes that no one should have to live a secret life or live in fear of their identity. Instead, she embraced her identity and continues to talk about her experiences. She said coming out was the event that “triggered it all.”

That is when Mendoza Reno began to switch directions from hiding in her undocumented closet to tackling the larger injustices that immigrants battle.

That’s when Mendoza Reno quit her job at the bank in order to attend a protest.

That protest was organized by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). It was her very first protest; she hopped on a bus with FLOC to North Carolina to protest the ways in which migrant farm workers are treated on tobacco farms.

Since then, Mendoza Reno has been working at FLOC as an administrative assistant and a community organizer.

In her current position she works in various capacities ranging from protests to processing paperwork.

“I go out to the [migrant] camps; I get to meet people,” she said. “I get to hear their stories; I get to

see the living conditions.”

According to her, the migrant workers labor for meager pay and the conditions are similar to a “third-world country.” And she said these camps exist in our backyard; there is one in Elmore, Ohio.

With the help of FLOC, she advocates for the fair treatment and fair wages for the workers. FLOC teaches the migrants that “even immigrants have rights here in the U.S.” While advocating for better conditions, Mendoza Reno empathizes with the burdens immigrants face — she said they weigh on her emotions.

“I used to get so overwhelmed I would cry every time,” she said. “Every day I saw something, another news article and I would just cry, until I realized, am I just going to sit here and cry, or am I going to do something about it?”

Mendoza Reno decided to do something about it; that’s why she has spent her time speaking about experiences.

“Do I still want to cry?

Yeah. Do I still cry when I come home sometimes?

Absolutely, especially after going to the camps. God, it’s really hard not to cry when you come home. But you get back up because they deserve it. They are humans. They deserve dignity just like anybody else.”

Homecoming Events

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH

By Tanner Schmucker

COURTESY OF VERALUCIA MENDOZA

Mendoza Reno holds up one of her signs at a protest rally that she attended as a member of FLOC.

Field Day -- Oct. 7 in the Centennial Mall. Running from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., all students have access to a Field Day event. Free food will be available during this time, along with prizes and giveaways for students. There will be a pep rally at 12 p.m. Also, PhotoBooth Live will be in Centennial Mall to give students the chance to take a group picture with Rocky, Rocksy, Coach Campbell, President Gaber and the football team.

Pageant Show -- Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Ingman Room in the Student Union. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. as a free event for all students, but seating is limited. The show will feature the Top 20 Homecoming King and Queen candidates. Judges will score the candidates in three rounds.

Annual Talent Show -- The National Pan-Hellenic Council will host their Annual Talent Show on Oct. 8 at 7-10 p.m. in Doermann Theatre inside of University Hall. The event is free to all students, but seating inside Doermann is limited.

Pancake Breakfast -- Also on Oct. 8, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. will have a Pancake Breakfast. From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the International House Dining hall where students can enjoy free food. Food will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

WW. SY OF W COURTE NSEL.COM U O C E N RNERSTO

CO

the Bethany House, an organization that shelters domestic violence victims. The gala is co-sponsored by Alpha Chi Omega and SAEPP. “I am very proud of the student body here at UT in their efforts to raise awareness,” Tuttle wrote. “Both Alpha Chi Omega and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity have become great supporters of this program. Both chapter presidents approached me about working with them this year and I am excited to see where these partnerships take us.”

The final event of the month will be “The Sex and Drugs Show.” According to the SAEPPs event webpage, the show “addresses sex and drugs headon with frank and open discussions.”

“Participants can expect to be challenged to think and develop educated opinions,” Salpietro wrote. “They’ll walk away with greater insight and the confidence to make smart choices.”

Food Trucks -- Food will be cruising onto campus on Oct. 9. Food trucks will be lined up on Centennial Mall for students, faculty and staff to purchase food from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Food trucks scheduled to be there include Displaced Chef (Cuban), Rosie’s (Italian), Grumpy’s On The Go (salads), Jeanie’s Weenies (gourmet hot dogs) and Taco Danny (Mexican). Students, faculty and staff must pay for their own meal.

Basketball Tournament -- The Brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. are hosting an I-75 Basketball Tournament on Oct. 9. The event will be held at the Health Education Center (the ROTC building) from 6-10 p.m. Admission for students is $3 or the donation of a non-perishable canned good. Registration for the tournament is required. For more information contact Ibrahim Shafau at ibrahimshafau@icloud.com.

Homecoming Day -- Oct. 10. Festivities will start at 10:30 a.m. with the Annual Edwards C. and Helen G. Schmakel Homecoming Parade. The parade route will begin on Bancroft Street and then will turn right on Middlesex Drive, right on Hughes Drive, right on Cheltenham Road and will end up back on campus. Parade floats and the University of Toledo Marching Band will be featured.

Homecoming Game -- Following the Parade, the Toledo Rockets Football team will take on Kent State University for the Homecoming football game. The game will begin at 3 p.m. The 2015 Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned during halftime.

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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, October 7, 2015

SPORTS

Xxxx For next yyyyy week...

Xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Keep an eye out for the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Men’s basketball preview xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in next week’s issue by Sports Editor Marcus Dodson. See who will be replacing Juice Brown and J.D. Weatherspoon and how they xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rockets will fair in the MAC this upcoming season. xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Follow us on Twitter @IC_Sports

GOLF

Standings IN BRIEF

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Xxxy xyy xy Football yyx yxyx yxyyy xy yyx yx yxy xyyx.

School

www.IndependentCollegian.com

Like us at Facebook.com/ICollegian

MAC Overall

EAST xxxx DIVISION Xxx xxx

Ohio 1-0 4-1 Xxxy xyy xy yyx yxyx yxyyy xy yyx yx yxy xyyx.

Bowling Green 1-0 3-2 Kent State 1-0 2-3 Xxx xxxx xxx UMass

0-0 1-3 Xxxy xyy xy yyx yxyx yxyyy yx yxy xyyx. 0-1 Akronxy yyx

2-3 Buffalo 0-1 2-3 Xxx xxxx xxx Miami 0-1 1-4 Xxxy xyy xy yyx yxyx

Rocket shines at Firestone

1-0 Central Michigan 1-0 Xxxy xyy xy yyx yxyx yxyyy xy yyx yx yxy xyyx.

Ball State 1-1 Western Michigan 0-0 Northern Illinois 0-1 Eastern Michigan 0-1

School

4-0 2-3 2-3 1-3 2-3 1-4

Soccer

MAC Overall

EAST DIVISION Kent State 3-1 7-3-2 PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICS Senior Otto Black stares down the green in preparation for a putt at the Firestone Miami 3-1 7-4 Invitational in Akron, Ohio on Monday. Black finished in second place at eight-under par.

Bowling Green 2-2 6-5-1 Buffalo 2-2 6-5-1 Ohio 2-2 4-7 Akron 1-3 4-7-1

WEST DIVISION

Ball State 4-0 8-2-2 Western Michigan 3-1 6-3-2 Central Michigan 2-2 3-7-1 Northern Illinois 1-3 2-9 Eastern Michigan 1-3 4-7-1 Toledo 0-4 4-9

School

Volleyball

MAC Overall

EAST DIVISION Ohio 4-0 14-3 Miami 3-1 11-6 Kent State 2-2 8-8 Buffalo 2-2 3-13 Akron 1-3 7-10 Bowling Green 1-3 5-12

Senior Otto Black makes his third Top 5 finish of the year

By Justice Sunderland Sports Reporter

The Toledo golf team traveled to Akron to compete in the Firestone Invitational two-day tournament at the Firestone Country Club, par 72 on Monday and Tuesday.

The Rockets finished the tournament tied for tenth place, shooting a team score 12 over par 876.

This was Toledo’s first time playing at Firestone since 2011 when they finished eleventh out of 17 teams at thirteenover par. UT was then led by former Rocket Chris Selfridge,

who tied for ninth at fourunder par 212 (74,67,71.)

This year Toledo was joined by fellow Mid-American Conference members Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Ohio University in the Firestone Invite. Twelve other teams from various universities were also present.

After the first 36 holes of the tournament the Rockets finished the day in twelfth place at ten-over par (291-295).

The Maryland Terrapins held a four-shot lead over host the University of Akron, after the first day shooting seven-

WEST DIVISION Northern Illinois 3-1 7-9 Western Michigan 3-1 7-12 Ball State 3-1 9-9 Eastern Michigan 1-3 9-8 Central Michigan 1-3 6-11 Toledo 0-4 3-14

IN BRIEF Toledo women’s golf team wins third straight Rocket Classic The University of Toledo women’s golf team cruises to their thirdstraight Rocket Classic title with a 34-stroke victory over Ohio University at the par-72 Catawba Island Club in Port Clinton, Ohio.

UT shot a 25-over par (889) as a team led by senior Manisa Isavas who was the tournament’s top performer at four-over par (220).

Isavas edged out teammates seniors Sathika Ruenreong and Morgan Salm who both tied for second at five-over par (221).

“It was an exciting day for us,” Head Coach Nicole Hollingsworth said. “We put together three good scores as a team, but I think the key for us was yesterday’s second round giving us a big cushion going into today. I’m very proud of the way Manisa, Sathika and Morgan played the entire tournament and we need to carry that momentum into our final two tournaments of the fall.”

Freshmen, Pimchanok Kawil (228), Natcha Daengpiem (230) and Catriona Griffen (232) also had a solid finish for the Rockets coming in sixth, eighth and twelfth place respectively.

Sophomore Napaphan Phongpaiboon finished tied for 19th place at 19-over par 235 and redshirt freshman Hannah Kochendoerfer placed 50th at 36-over par 252.

Toledo returns to action next week with a trip to Noblesville, Ind. for MidAmerican Conference Fall Preview on Sunday-Monday, Oct. 11-12.

Rockets drop fourth straight in MAC play

By Marcus Dodson Sports Editor

yxyyy xy DIVISION yyx yx yxy xyyx.

WEST

Toledoxxxx

Xxx xxx

SOCCER

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICS

Sophomore Stephen Watts was forced to hit out of the bunker at the renowned Firestone Country Club. Watts finished tied for 55th place shooting eight-over par (224).

under (284-285) as a team.

Maryland would go on to win the Tournament finishing at eight-under par (856) and a two-shot edge over the Zips.

Toledo was paced by senior Otto Black who stood alone in second place in the individual standings at seven-under par (69-68) after the opening rounds just one shot off the lead behind the Terrapins’ David Kocher. The fourth-year player took control of the course in the opening day recording 10 birdies and three bogeys.

Black finished the tournament with a second place finish at eight-under par (208), one stroke behind Kocher who finished at nine-under par (207). It was Black’s third Top 5 finish of the season and the ninth of his UT career.

Sophomore Colin Joseph was the next closest Rocket at four-over par (220) to finish tied for 43rd place. Finishing just four shots behind him were sophomore Stephen Watts and freshman Spencer Shoemaker who both finished at eight-over par (224) to stand tied for 55th.

Toledo will travel to Carmel, Ind. to take part in the Crooked Stick Invitational hosted by Indiana University on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 12 and 13.

The University of Toledo women’s soccer team’s woes continued with a 3-1 loss to Ball State on Friday and then 3-1 again to Miami (OH) on Sunday.

After dropping four conference games in a row, the Rockets fall to 4-9 for the season and 0-4 in Mid-American Conference play.

In their victory over the Rockets on Friday, Ball State’s (8-2-2, 4-0 MAC) highpowered offense outshot Toledo 15 to 8.

UT junior goalie Nicole Jablonski started in goal and was kept busy. The Cardinals put in 7 of their 15 total shots on goal.

Jablonski finished the day with four saves.

The Cardinals took control early in the match with a goal from forward Abigail Boswell in the 18th minute.

The Rocket’s offense had opportunities in the first 10 minutes of the game to get on the board. BSU goalie Alyssa Heintschel came up big saving both early chances by UT junior Kiersten Johnson.

Heintschel would finish the game recording only one more save in the 80th minute.

Boswell got on the score sheet once again, scoring her second goal of the night just two minutes after the start of the second half to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. She now has five goals on the season in 12 games.

The Cardinals would capitalize off a corner kick and extend their lead to 3-0 in the 58th minute. Leah Mattingly scored her second goal of the season off a ball crossed in by Lauren Hall.

The Rockets were able to get a late goal in the 90th minute by freshman Italia Biondi but would be little too late.

The Rockets had problems finishing in a high-paced game against Miami (OH) (74-0, 3-1-0 MAC) on Sunday in which they outshot the Redhawks 17 to 4.

Miami would score all their goals within the first 20 minutes of the game with a little help from the Rockets.

Redhawks Rachel Marble got the scoring going first with a goal in the fourth minute of the game.

In the seventh minute Miami received some help from UT with an own goal from the Rockets.

Haley Walter extended the Redhawks lead to 3-0 in the 18th minute with her second goal of the season.

Miami would record their final shot in the 24th minute before the UT defense settled into the game.

The Rockets’ offense had plenty of chances with seven shots on goal and five corner kicks. Miami goalies Vic Maniaci and Patricia Koutoulas came up with three saves apiece in Sunday’s contest.

UT’s lone goal came with 15 minutes to go in the game with a goal from Sophie Pohl to cut the lead to 3-1.

Toledo will be trying to avoid their fifth straight loss when they host rival Bowling Green (6-5-1, 2-2 MAC) on Friday at 4 p.m. and then will take on fifth-place Eastern Michigan (4-7-1, 1-3 MAC) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

TENNIS

Sisko exits in second round of ITA All-American Tournament

By Keith Boggs Sports Reporter

UT senior tennis player Stjepan Sisko participated in the International Tennis Association’s All-American Invitational in Tulsa, Okla. this past weekend.

Sisko advanced to the second round before being knocked out by redshirt freshman Hugo Di Feo from Ohio State.

“He was pretty dominant in his first round match,” said UT’s Head Coach Al Werner. “Based on the mathematics, his performance puts him amongst the top 100 or 120 players in the country.”

Sisko faced off against Utah junior Parker McGuiness on Monday in the tournament’s opening round.

Sisko got off to a good start, winning the first set by a score of 6-3.

“I started the match

out a little bit nervous,” Sisko said. “But as the match progressed I was able to relax more and find my game.”

He finished McGuiness in straight sets (6-2, 6-3).

“Stjepan played a really solid match against a strong Utah player,” said Assistant Coach Jose Gutierrez. “He was able to find his rhythm early and capitalize on key points.”

Sisko was matched up with Di Feo in his second round match-up. As a high school junior, Di Feo, was the number 19th player in his age group.

The Buckeye’s highlyregarded redshirt freshman swept the first set from Sisko 6-0.

“His second round match was against a very tough opponent,” Gutierrez said. “He wasn’t able to stick to the game plan with a player that was able to neutralize all his weapons

from the first point.”

Sisko would put up a better fight in the second set but would come up short 6-4, being eliminated from the tournament.

“The level at AllAmericans is always very high,” Gutierrez said.

“The best players in the country are playing in it. You are most likely to see the top players from every university.”

Next up for the Sisko and UT is the Rocket Invitational on Oct. 9-11.

Sisko is expected to be a top seed in the event.

“The next step for [Stjepan] is having a good preparation for ITA Regionals, with the best players in the Midwest,” Gutierrez said.

“After that is the MAC Indoor Invitational and the Future’s Invitational in Florida.

“Having a strong fall season is definitely going to help him come January.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICS

Junior Stjepan Sisko shows off his forehand swing in his ITA All-American opening match against Utah’s junior Parker McGuiness in straight sets.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 | The Independent Collegian |

PUZZLES THEME: WORLD SERIES

ACROSS 1. *Where bats are stored, pl.

6. Sheep sound 9. Biblical captain 13. *Player’s rep 14. Opposite of nothing 15. Slow on the uptake 16. Rock bottom 17. *____ out a triple 18. Twig of willow tree 19. Pharmacy order 21. *Game that determines homefield advantage 23. Make bigger 24. Team homophone 25. Federal Communications Commission 28. Per person 30. Bank account transactions 35. Bread quantity 37. “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” band The ____ 39. Specialty 40. 4,840 square yards 41. Edward Teller’s baby 43. Capital on the Dnieper 44. Dandruff manufacturer 46. Ship canvas 47. Additional 48. *H in DH 50. Kind of math 52. Hankering 53. Like a busybody 55. Voluntary fee 57. *Home of 1993 champion Blue Jays 61. Popular flowering shrub 64. Opera house exclamation 65. Not lean 67. Narcotics lawman 69. Of the Orient 70. However, poetically 71. *Ty Cobb or Al Kaline 72. Sushi wrapped in nori 73. Small dog’s bark 74. Mercantile establishment DOWN 1. Campaigned 2. Petri dish gel 3. Surrender 4. Mack the _____ 5. *Reason for World Series cancellation 6. *Opposite of strike 7. Sierra Nevada, e.g.

8. Pool problem 9. Nessie’s loch 10. “I’m ____ ____!”

11. Away from port 12. *All-Star 2nd

Last week’s solution

baseman, ‘85 Cardinals champs 15. Neolithic tomb 20. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host 22. ____ Zeppelin 24. Like Kathleen Turner’s voice 25. *HOFer Frankie Frisch, “The Fordham ____” 26. Spherical bacteria 27. Jeweler’s unit 29. *Last World Series win was 1908 31. Two-wheeler 32. In a cold manner 33. Not those 34. *Best-of-____ 36. Matted wool 38. Chieftain in Arabia 42. The ____, against Britain 45. Type of flag 49. Break down 51. *2014 World Series champs 54. Sentimental one 56. Braid

Last Week’s Puzzle Solved

57. Kind of ski lift 58. Guesstimate phrase 59. Iron horse track 60. West Wing’s Office 61. At the summit 62. Therefore or consequently

63. Maple, to a botanist 66. Bingo!

68. Miner’s bounty

VISIT INDEPENDENTCOLLEGIAN.COM FOR MORE

7

8

| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, October 7, 2015

THE INDEPENDENT

COLLEGIAN

Homecoming 2015

2 | The Independent Collegian | Homecoming 2015

DID YOU WITNESS THIS ACCIDENT?

Contact Attorney Charlie Contrada

(419) 841-4400 or charlie@contrada.net

Homecoming 2015 | The Independent Collegian | Dear readers of The IC, This year marks the 84th annual homecoming game in our school’s history. This Saturday night, the Rockets will be facing Kent State as they attempt to continue their hot streak this season. This game will also mark the half way point in the football season, with six games left to go.

Inside of this special edition of The IC, you can expect to find a recap of last week’s intense football game against Ball State, what makes homecoming different in high school and college, and the history behind UT’s own Rocky and the notable music of the pregame show.

Remember to stay safe this homecoming and go Rockets!

The IC Staff

Football schedule: • UT vs. Kent State Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m.

Glass Bowl

MUSIC FEATURE

Marching through

An inside look at the history of the UT pre-game music and the man behind its composition

By Trevor Stearns and Joe Heidenescher

News Editor and Features Editor

Helmets crash, a whistle blows, a cannon is fired and the crowd goes wild — but this crescendo of school spirit might not echo across campus without a pregame show that catapults the fans into a Rocket fever from the start.

Before the game begins, the University of Toledo Rocket Marching Band play the iconic UT March and Fanfare that drum the crowd into excitement. Although often unseen by the crowds watching the marching band play, the composer behind our pregame music is UT’s own David Jex. Jex is a professor of music and an alumnus of

UT. He’s also one of three generations of Rockets; his parents and sons attended school here too.

“We feel pretty strongly about UT,” he said.

That’s why in 1973, when he was asked to help compose a new and original march for UT, he wrote the music that is still played at UT games to this day.

“The band director at that particular time — Jamie Hafner — he said, ‘Well for the pre-game show, I want to have a stock fanfare that is recognizable as the UT Fanfare and I want to have a full-size march,’” Jex said.

At that time, UT’s fight song and Alma Mater were the only pieces original to the school.

Jex said those pieces were around “well before” him.

But the fight song and Alma Mater had an effect on Jex’s composition process.

“The fanfare has little bits of the alma mater and little bits of the themes that are in the march as well,” he said.

Additionally, Jex utilized the UT archives for inspiration. He riffed on the music that was already a part of UT’s culture and history.

“I mean, it’s kind of a blended song because the actual tunes have been written by other people ... especially the first two strings before you get to the trio, because the last trio string is the UT Fight Song,” he said.

• UT vs. Eastern Michigan Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.

Glass Bowl • UT vs. UMass Saturday, Oct. 24 TBA Foxboro, MA • UT vs. Northern Illinois Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.

Glass Bowl • UT vs. Central Michigan Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.

Mount Pleasant, MI • UT vs. Bowling Green Tuesday, Nov. 17 TBA Bowling Green,OH • UT vs. Western Michigan Friday, Nov. 27 TBA Glass Bowl

3

SAVANNAH JOSLIN / IC

The marching band plays Jex’s two compositions in the pre-game before each home football game. Throughout the years, tweaks have been made to both compositions in order to make it simpler for the band to play.

ABIGAIL SULLIVAN / IC

David Jex is the second in a line of three generations of his family who attended UT including his parents and his sons. In 1973 he was approached to compose the UT March and fanfare.

Once he composed the song — which he composed on hardcopy manuscripts because there was no way to compose digitally — he sent it to the band to practice.

He said the first runthrough for a piece isn’t always pretty, especially with challenging music; however, the UT band got it almost perfect on the first try.

“The first time [I] heard, away from just diddling away on a piano, was passing out the parts and the band playing it. And it worked pretty well the first time,” Jex said. “And that’s always a good sign.

Because if the group struggles with it, it’s not going to work because rehearsal time is very compact, especially for a marching band.”

That original score didn’t go without change though. Jex said that as the directors have changed, tweaks have been made to make it

easier to play. And as time goes on, the music of UT will continue to change and morph — Jex just hopes the music tradition and his impacts stick around.

“The fanfare has little bits of the alma mater and little bits of the themes that are in the march as well.”

DAVID JEX Professor of Music

Almost 40 years after the creation of these pieces, Jex said he “still gets a kick” out of hearing his music played at football games.

“It’s always fun to have the music you write played,” Jex said, “Every game I go to, I’m always there for pre-game so I can hear the fanfare and the march.”

4 | The Independent Collegian | Homecoming 2015

Rocky through the ages

By Anna Glore and Emily Schnipke Associate Community Editor and Staff Reporter

College mascots play a pivotal role in defining their universities, from being symbols of school pride to representing the school at every athletic event. The UT mascot was chosen for us after we earned the name ‘Rockets’ at a football game 92 years ago.

According to the UT Athletics website, when the football team played Carnegie Tech in 1923, Pittsburgh sports writers were shocked to find out that UT did not have a nickname.

“Though an underdog, Toledo fought formidably, recovering a series of embarrassing fumbles by favored Tech. Pittsburgh writers pressed James Neal, a UT student working in the press box, to come up with a nickname,” the website said.

“Despite UT’s 32-12 loss, the student labeled the team ‘Skyrockets,’ obviously impressed by his alma mater’s flashy performance against a superior team. The sportswriters shortened the name to ‘Rockets,’ which has been used since.”

Rocky and Rocksy, our trusty mascots, didn’t just come from thin air — the UT mascot has had an interesting and everchanging history.

Rocky the Rocket was first introduced during the 1966-67 academic year by the UT Spirit and Traditions Committee. It began as random students being chosen to dress up for the games as Rocky.

In the fall of 1968, the director of student activities, Dan Seemann, took Rocky under his wing, and the mascot began to take shape.

Bill Navarre was the first official mascot. The costume, made by the theatre department seamstress, was a wastepaper basket with a pointed rocket top made of papier-mâché.

Rocky’s outfit has changed several times since then.

In the 1970s, Rocky’s outfit consisted of a tall metal rocket helmet that matched with different jumpsuits, including bell bottom pants.

In 1977, with the help of former astronaut and Ohio senator John Glenn, an authentic space suit, helmet and boots were donated to the University of Toledo by the NASA space center in Houston, Texas. The

spacesuit was worn for football games, but a lightweight replica was made for basketball games.

The astronaut suits were used until 1980 when the Rocky costume was changed once again to take on a more futuristic look designed to look more like a space rocketeer.

Another Rocky costume was introduced in 1983. It was plush with huge feet, but was only used until 1986 when a bigger and bluer plush Rocky with smaller feet was unveiled.

Quite a few changes have been made to Rocky the Rocket through the years and one dramatic change was made by a UT student in 1994.

Carlos Gary, an IC cartoonist in 1994, said that students were throwing marshmallows at Rocky during a football game and were yelling that Rocky looked like “a blue condom.”

“This guy wasn’t very marketable,” Gary said. “You never saw Rocky on a T-shirt.”

After a few years of modification, Gary had created a “Fightin’ Rocket” and first came up with the idea of his female counterpart, Rocksy. It wasn’t long before these new mascots were being printed onto T-shirts and

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO

This version of Rocky’s suit was an authentic space suit, loaned to the University of Toledo by the NASA Space Center in Houston. The suit was not in new condition when given on indefinite loan to UT and was procured with the efforts of former student Karen Link and U.S. Senator John Glenn in the 1970s.

sweatshirts and being sold in campus bookshops; about 300 items had been sold at that point.

Gary struggled to get his idea launched and accepted by the university, but turned out to be more successful than he had ever imagined.

Although Gary’s idea of Rocksy was a hit, she was not actually made a mascot yet.

Rocksy was unveiled to the UT community at MusicFest in 2011 after a month-long online university poll was conducted.

Rocky the Rocket and the University of Toledo catapulted to national attention in 1996 when John Monnett, a UT senior who portrayed Rocky from 1995-96, fell overboard a cruise ship while on spring break in Puerto Rico. Monnett fell 77 feet and was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean for nine hours before finally reaching land four miles away from where he fell.

“It seemed like I had a higher purpose than to die in that little bay there,” Monnett told the New York Times.

More recently, Rocky, who’s real identity remains anonymous, faced another obstacle when he was involved in a car crash that placed him in UTMC three years ago.

Rocky suffered a head injury and broke the right side of his face. He had a spinal cord injury and sustained a concussion that caused memory loss.

Rocky was out of the hospital after a week and a half and did not sustain any physical repercussions from his injuries.

Not only has tragedy changed Rocky, but his appearance has changed too.

In 1998, at the rivalry Bowling Green football game, the old Rocky the Rocket stepped into a limousine and a new Rocky walked out to display the new Tower Blue and Rocket Gold costume, complete with a jetpack.

The UT athletics website said any student can try out to be Rocky in the spring semester for the following year. The only requirements are commitment, a fun personality, school spirit and the ability to communicate well through non-verbal communication.

Today, Rocky and Rocksy can be spotted at any UT football, basketball or volleyball game, as well as most other sporting events.

Homecoming 2015 | The Independent Collegian |

5

SPORTS RECAP

Back from Ball State Rockets remain undefeated after 24-10 away victory

By Marcus Dodson Sports Editor

The University of Toledo’s football team opened up Mid-American Conference play with a 24-10 road win Saturday against Ball State.

With this victory, the Rockets (4-0, 1-0 MAC) move into the AP Top 25 at No. 24.

“Our goals and aspirations are better than how we played at times,” said UT Head Coach Matt Campbell. “You leave here wanting a lot more in what you got in terms of execution and detail but to win the football game is goal.

“We still have a lot of work to do.”

UT controlled the line of scrimmage once again as the Rockets’ offensive line has yet to give up a sack in 140 passing attempts.

Toledo’s offense was led by sophomore Terry Swanson, who rushed for a season-high 139 yards on 24 carriers; it won him MAC west division offensive player of the week.

Junior tailback Damion Jones-Moore added 86 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.

UT would finish the night with 285 rushing yards and 444 yards of total offense.

Senior quarterback Philip Ely was 16 of 22 passing for 164 yards.

His first two passes of the game were picked off, but he would settle into the game completing his next ten passes and finishing the game with two touchdown passes.

The defense continued to be a force to be reckoned with, holding the Cardinals to 26 total rushing yards and only 262 yards of total offense. In the last two games, the Rockets’ ‘D’ has allowed just 12 yards on 54 attempts.

Ball State’s freshman Riley Neal completed 23-of-37 passes for 236-yards and a late touchdown.

Neal was chased around all night by the Rockets’ front seven, which came up with two sacks. Senior Trent Voss wreaked havoc all night with seven tackles and three tackles for a loss for a total of 16 yards.

“This is a very veteran defense,” Campbell said. “These are now kids that have been in our program for three or four years now. Schematically, we haven’t changed over the course of time.

I think we’re really starting to settle in and feel comfortable.”

UT ranks No. 1 in the MAC in scoring

CURTIS LANE / IC

This photo depicts quarterback Phillip Ely before a snap at the Arkansas State home game on Sep. 26 at the Ball State away game the Rockets left victorious with a 24-10 win. Ely successfully passed 164 yards against the Ball State defense.

defense, allowing 13.0 points per game.

After a turnover-plagued first quarter, Toledo would get the scoring started early in the second quarter with a 12-play, 69-yard drive capped off with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Ely to junior Michael Roberts.

“I thought there were points in that first quarter where we really could’ve got rattled,” Campbell said. “But our kids stayed the course and really made some plays when we needed to on both sides of the ball.”

On UT’s ensuing possession, the Rockets would march down the field once again on an 8-play, 68-yard drive to take a 14-0 lead with 7:36 left in the second quarter. Jones-Moore rushed for a 5-yard touchdown after making a pair of Cardinal defenders miss.

Toledo was not done scoring in the second quarter, converting a 31-yard field goal by freshman Jameson Vest and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Ely to senior Alonzo Russell.

The Rockets played perfectly in the

second quarter, scoring on all four possessions. Ball State didn’t give up easily on their homecoming night.

With just 56 seconds remaining in the first half, the Cardinals drove 61 yards in 7 plays to get three points before the

“This is a very veteran defense. These are now kids that have been in our program for three or four years now. Schematically, we haven’t changed over the course of time. I think we’re really starting to settle in and feel comfortable.”

MATT CAMPBELL UT Head Football Coach

half on a 29-yard field goal from BSU kicker Morgan Hagee. Toledo took a commanding 24-3 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Rocket’s offense fell behind and failed to come up with more points.

Ball State would score on a 51-yard bomb from Neal to wideout Jord Williams for a touchdown to bring the score to 24-10. The ensuing possession for the Cardinals meant they had an 11-play drive that stalled out at the 19-yard line after having a second and goal from the four-yard line.

BSU would attempt a 35-yard field goal but Hagee shanked it wide-right.

Toledo would not give the Cardinals another chance to score, running out the clock and taking their first MAC win of the season.

The Rockets will continue their drive for a MAC championship when they host Kent State on Saturday in front of a Homecoming crowd.

The game will kickoff at 3 p.m. and will be streaming live on watchESPN.com.

6 | The Independent Collegian | Homecoming 2015 About this publication Homecoming 2015 is a special edition produced by The Independent Collegian, the University of Toledo’s student newspaper.

Editor-In-Chief Amanda Pitrof Editors Joe Heidenescher, Colleen Anderson, Trevor Stearns, Marcus Dodson and Anna Glore Copy Editors Lauren Gilbert and Jared Hightower Cover photo Savannah Joslin Photo Department Abigail Sullivan and Savannah Joslin Cover photo pictures Members of Kappa Delta Adviser Danielle Gamble

About The Independent Collegian UT’s student newspaper was founded as The Universi-Teaser in 1919. For much of its life, the paper was simply called The Collegian and was funded in part by UT. But in 2000, facing attempts by then-president Vik Kapoor to exercise more control over the paper — including trying to install his own handpicked candidate for editor-inchief — the paper began the move toward organizational independence.

Kapoor was forced to resign that spring, and in the fall, The Independent Collegian was born. With help from members of the faculty, board of trustees and local press, The Collegian severed legal and financial ties to the university and eventually moved off-campus.

Although the IC now leases space in Carlson Library, it is still run independently by the Collegian Media Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. The IC is committed to remaining a strong, independent voice for the UT community.

IndependentCollegian.com

Rockets make the rank

For the first time since 2012, UT breaks top 25

By Marcus Dodson Sports Editor

Toledo’s football team has jumped inside the Associated Press Top 25 this week for the first time since 2012 as the No. 24 team in the country. The Rockets improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the Mid-American Conference after their 24-10 road victory at Ball State on Saturday.

Toledo is 4-0 for the first time since 2001 when it opened up with a 5-0 mark before losing at Ball State.

Toledo jumped out of the gates this season with back-toback wins over two Power 5 conference opponents — Arkansas 16-12 and Iowa State 30-23 OT — in consecutive weeks. UT is the third team in MAC history to do so.

UT had Arkansas State running in the wrong direction in their 37-7 shellacking at home.

The Red Wolves were held to -14 rushing yards.

The following week the big guys up front controlled the line of scrimmage again holding Ball State to 26 rushing yards.

In the first four games, the Rockets’ opponents scored just one touchdown and three field goals in 13 chances inside the red zone. That ranks second-best in the nation behind Appalachian State (two scores in 11 chances).

The Rockets scoring defense of 13 points per game ranks best in the MAC. “Our defense is one of the best in the country,” said senior defensive end Trent Voss.

“I’ll stand by that; it’s exciting being out there playing.”

The front seven of UT matches up with any front seven in the country. The Rockets have the fifth-best run defense in the country, holding opponents to 80.5 yards per game.

The offense hasn’t been as great as the defense but is still holding its own. UT has averaged 27.7 points per game thus far and has showed signs of

CURTIS LANE / IC

The Rockets football team rushed the field on Saturday, Sept. 26 as they prepared to take on Arkansas State at the Glass Bowl. The Rockets eventually emerged with their third win.

improvement and consistency each week.

“I was really proud of finishing the game with the ball in our hands,” said senior quarterback Phillip Ely. “Something we haven’t done in the last few games, where we were completely able to put the game away.”

Toledo has also received good play from freshman place kicker Jameson Vest. The rookie has made 8 of 10 field goals with a career-long of 44 yards.

The Rockets will challenge their seven-game win streak when they host Kent State on Saturday during homecoming at 3 p.m.

The Golden Flashes (2-3, 1-0 MAC) are fresh off a 20-14 win at home versus Miami (OH).

KSU enters Saturday’s game on a 10-game losing streak in the Glass City dating back to 1977.

Kent comes into Saturday’s game with the third-best rushing attack in the MAC, averaging 169.4 yards per game, playing into the hands of what Toledo does best. KSU also ranks last in total

offense with 327 yards per game.

Toledo’s offense will be put to test as the Golden Flashes have the number-one defense in the MAC, only giving up an average of 252 yards to opposing offenses.

Running back Kareem Hunt’s status is up in the air for the game which would be an upgrade to an already prominent rushing attack. Sophomore

“I was really proud of finishing the game with the ball in our hands. Something we haven’t done in the last few games, where we were completely able to put the game away.”

PHILLIP ELY Rockets’ Senior Quarterback

Terry Swanson and Junior Damion Jones-Moore have picked up the slack for the injured Hunt combining for 462 yards and six touchdowns.

“We’re like the Justice League; everybody is a superhero when it comes down to it,” Swanson said after rushing for 139 yards on 24 carriers at Ball State.

Those backs will be running behind an offensive line that is proving they belong. After replacing five senior starters from last year, the UT o-line has yet to give up a sack in 140 passing attempts this season.

They are only one of two teams in the country that can say that.

The other is the Air Force.

The key to the game will come down to which team plays best on third down. Kent State Leads the MAC in third-down defense with opponents converting just 25.6 percent of third-downs.

The Rocket’s have also been successful converting on 46.2 percent of third-downs.

Homecoming 2015 | The Independent Collegian |

7

Decoding homecoming The five differences between college and high school homecomings It’s impossible to deny that homecoming is one of the bigger events at the University of Toledo, filled with floats, free food and a cornucopia of school-themed events. While students may be familiar with homecoming festivities in high school, they aren’t quite the same. From attire to activities, there are five key differences between high school and college homecoming.

1. The focus

In high school it’s all about the big dance.

Whether or not you took a date, you probably spent multiple hours getting ready and went to dinner with a group of friends. Picking a date for the dance was a big deal and there was a significant amount of pressure for couples to find the cutest way to ask each other to the dance.

In college it’s all about the big game. The tailgates beforehand are wild with students blowing off steam after a week of classes and pumping up for the football game that night.

While high school homecomings have a game as well, there’s no denying that the intensity gets amped up 100 percent at the collegiate level.

COLLEEN ANDERSON

MANAGING EDITOR

2. What you wear

For girls in high school, dress shopping was half the fun as you went to store after store looking for the perfect one. Meanwhile, guys were out buying or renting a tux and picking out a tie to match their date’s outfit.

The whole process of picking out corsages and heels and matching accessories all built up to the photo sessions that groups of friends took before the dance itself.

Once you hit college, the pressure to look glamorous on homecoming drops to zero. It’s all about decking out in school spirit-themed gear for the game — whether that means getting a hoodie or slathering on the gold and blue face paint. At UT, you can wear whatever you want as long as it’s gold and blue.

3. How long it lasts

ABIGAIL SULLIVAN / IC

Kassandra Reyna, a third-year human resources managment major, participates in the homecoming casino night event.

If you count getting a group together, finding a dress or tux and taking photos, high school homecoming takes anywhere from one to two weeks. However, the event itself only lasts for two nights — the game and the dance.

In college, there’s a whole week of activities centered on that year’s theme. For UT, no matter what other events might change from year to year, we can always plan on the homecoming parade marching through the area around Main Campus. Various student groups participate, some marching along, others creating floats to show off. This year’s

ABIGAIL SULLIVAN / IC

University of Toledo students participate in homecoming events on Centennial Mall.

‘Rocket Road Trip’ theme has everything from a casino night to a field day planned for the students to pump them up for the main event.

4. The homecoming court

Depending on what high school you went to, choosing the homecoming king and queen was probably a mixed bag. Maybe for some it was a casual event and writing a random name on a slip for the ballot box. For others, it might have been an intense campaign based on the popularity of the students involved.

At UT, the homecoming candidates have to be at each event of the week to let students get to know their options.

After that, it’s up to the students to vote if they want to.

5. The reason behind it all

At the end of the day, high school homecoming was your night. You got to focus on your outfit, your date and your friends. You even got to enjoy yourself and take a break from high school life for a few days. For that whole weekend, you could pretend that school wasn’t going to restart on Monday.

In college, it’s about school pride and

UT’s community. Alumni flock back to their alma mater to remember their own college days and see how far the college has come. From cheering for your team at the game to walking in the parade with other students, every event is meant to immerse you in the experience.

Despite the differences between high school and college homecoming, both give you a chance to interact with your school community while taking a break from school. In high school, you get to have the time of your life with your friends. In college, you get to remember why you chose to become a Rocket.

“Despite the differences between high school and college homecoming, both give you a chance to interact with your school community while taking a break from school. ” COLLEEN ANDERSON Managing Editor

8 | The Independent Collegian | Homecoming 2015