Wednesday, September 21, 2016
97th year • Issue 6
Rockets spike back Sports / 6 » www.IndependentCollegian.com
Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919
INSIDE
STUDENT LIFE
FOOTBALL
SG to focus on student involvment
By Morgan Kovacs News Editor
UT travels overseas Over the summer the University of Toledo men’s tennis team traveled to Croatia and Rome. SPORTS / 6 »
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“For $90,000, every student in the dorms could get a subscription to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and the university would still have almost $30,000 left over to adopt 100 dogs. ‘The Office’ and golden retrievers are the key to a student’s sanity after a stressful exam.”
EDITORIAL What $90,000 can do for UT OPINION / 3 »
SAVANNAH JOSLIN / IC
Zach Yousey, fourth-year wide reciever, runs the ball down the field in UT’s latest game. The Rockets played in their third game of the season on Saturday, winning against the Fresno State Bulldogs by a score of 52-17.
Rocket victory
By Jackson Rogers Staff reporter
On Saturday, the University of Toledo football team defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs, dominating the field 52-17. The win improves UT’s record to 3-0 on the season. “I thought this was a tremendous performance by our football team for 60 minutes,” head coach Jason Candle said. “Something I thought we really needed to, was to put a complete game together.” The Rockets were supreme in all three phases of the contest. The offense outgained Fresno State 619254 in total offensive yards and had 27 first downs to the Bulldogs’ 7. UT’s offensive attack was very balanced in the game. Toledo gained 301 yards in passing and 318 yards in rushing. The Rocket defense terror-
ized the Bulldog offense all game, holding them to 254 yards of total offense. Toledo forced Fresno State to go 0 for 13 on third downs.
“I thought this was a tremendous performance by our football team for 60 minutes.” JASON CANDLE Head coach
“We just came out,” senior defensive end John Stepec said. “It didn’t matter whether it was raining or snowing, we just wanted to come out, fly around and make plays, and I think we did that.” The scoring was opened with
9:45 left in the first quarter when junior quarterback Logan Woodside hit junior wide receiver Cody Thompson for a 36-yard TD pass to make the score 7-0 in favor of the Rockets. UT padded their lead with 5:36 left in the first quarter on a 9-yard TD pass from Woodside to senior tight end Michael Roberts. Toledo opened up the scoring to 38-0 in the second and third quarters. The scores came off of two TD passes from Woodside to sophomore wide receiver Jon’vea Johnson and Roberts, respectively, a 7-yard TD run from senior running back Kareem Hunt and a 22-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Jamison Vest. See Football / 6 »
Student Government is looking to implement some big changes at UT this year, including creating committees and programs aimed at providing student perspectives on more that happens on campus. They plan to increase students’ ability to voice concerns about construction, increasing direct outreach to students, increasing retention, sustainability and student morale. Student Government members attended the Master Plan forums earlier this month, where possible changes were presented. In particular, the 10-year master plan which would include moving classes from University Hall to Rocket Hall, renovating the Student Union and getting rid of Lot 10 to expand the flatlands. “Those ideas were brought up by Facilities and Construction,” wrote Cameron Forsythe, Student Government vice president. “Due to this, one of our senators is proposing the creation of an Ad-Hoc to compile and submit the opinions of students. We will collect opinions from as many students as possible and reflect their views in our perspective.”
An Ad-Hoc committee is a committee put together for a specific task that dissolves after the completion of that task. The committee will solely discuss the 10-year master plan and provide feedback from a student perspective, Forsythe wrote. See Student Government / 5 »
DIVERSITY
Making a difference begins when you lend a hand UT holds its 13th annual human trafficking conference. COMMUNITY / 4 »
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“However, I also believe in the idea that people should be able to make their living through legitimate activity. For some people, creating and selling content on YouTube is that legitimate business.”
WILLIAM SAUNDERS III
Youtube demonetizing Youtubers
OPINION / 3 »
Corrections Last week, for our question of the week, printed on page 2, we accidently printed Kavitha Munugan’s name incorrectly as well as the wrong major, which should have been information systems as a graduate student. We regret these errors.
UT to study how to increase diversity in engineering By Morgan Kovacs News Editor
A team of researchers was awarded a $123,859 two-year grant to study factors that affect AfricanAmerican students’ success in engineering, which will start on Oct. 1. The research team is made up of Lesley Berhan, associate professor in engineering and director of engineering diversity initiatives, Willie McKether, associate dean of social sciences and vice president for diversity, Revathy Kumar, education psychology professor, and Aaron Adams, assistant professor of engineering at Alabama A&M University. “I wanted to form a collaboration of researchers in both education and anthropology to really See Engineering / 5 »
RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
Students work in computer lab 1047 located in North Engineering. Computer labs are open and accessible to all engineering students 24 hours of the day.
ADMINISTRATION
Gaber receives bonus for her first year By Jessica Harker Editor-in-Chief
On Sept.13, the University of Toledo Board of Trustees approved a $90,000 bonus for president Sharon Gaber, as well as a 2 percent raise. This decision was made during Gaber’s initial review of her first year as president, according to an article by UT News. The article continued that the Board Chair Sharon Speyer said the president has made a lot of progress on achieving the University’s strategic goals,
and that they look forward to continued success. Gaber’s base salary is $450,000, so the bonus was for 20% of her salary, the maximum amount she could have received according to Meghan Cunningham, from university communications. According to UT News, president Gaber did ask that the 2 percent raise be postponed until January, in line with her new leadership team, when the fiscal year 2017 budget was created in June.
“On behalf of all of us, I want to thank you. This is very well-deserved,” Speyer said to the president at the board of trustees meeting. There has been some backlash to this decision, however. Many news outlets and members of the Toledo community cited the irony of the timing of the president’s bonus and raise due to its correlation with the US News and World Report college rankings. UT had fallen within the last year; in fact, UT now stands at an unpublished rank.
Local newspaper the Toledo Blade even wrote an editorial titled “Tone deaf, shameless or clueless?” about the ranking of the school where they used the analogy “If the UT football team had its worst season in 15 years — losing more games than in 15 years — would the coach get a raise and a bonus?” However, the University of Toledo board of trustees cited the president’s numerous See President / 8 »
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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, September 21, 2016
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Facebook.com/ICollegian www.IndependentCollegian.com QUESTION OF THE WEEK
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
“Poland, I like their culture and I grew up in a polish neighborhood.”
Christa Cunningham Second-year Mathematics
“Germany, it’s where my family background is.”
Nick Munger
Fourth-year Communication
“England, Liverpool because my favorite futbol team is there.”
Henok Derbew
First-year Electrical engineering technology
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 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Jessica Harker
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OPINION
The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, September 21, 2016 | 3
Send letters to the editor to Editor@independentcollegian.com
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Jessica Harker Emily Schnipke
Morgan Kovacs
Philemon Abayateye
Amber Thomas
Emily Jackson
Editorials appearing on this page represent the consensus view of the editorial staff. Columns and letters to the editor reflect the opinions of their authors, not those of The Independent Collegian.
EDITORIAL
What $90,000 can do for UT
In just one year, UT President Sharon Gaber and her staff have worked to increase enrollment, raise funds and cut costs by merging colleges. Hard work should be rewarded, and Gaber has definitely done her fair share to fix the image of the university. Our national media exposure has increased because of Gaber’s strategic goals, the university’s funding has increased and she has been working on a strategic enrollment plan that got the college out of the red and increased enrollment numbers. However, the announcement of her raise and bonus has thrown the UT community into a tizzy. This news was released at a time when UT is implementing a three percent across-theboard budget cut and planning to use $5 million in reserve money to balance the general budget. We at the IC are not bothered by Gaber’s raise. The raise was included in the contract she negotiated when she was first hired. She deserves to be rewarded for doing good work for the benefit of the university and earning what she was originally promised. Our only concern is that Gaber is awarded the maximum amount of bonus that her contract allotted for. To UT students and the surrounding community, $90,000 is a lot of money.
We at the IC are not bothered by Gaber’s raise. The raise was included in the contract she negotiated when she was first hired… Our only concern is that Gaber is awarded the maximum amount of bonus that her contract allotted for. UT should be spending their money to improve the student and campus experience. Here is a summary of alternatives that we think Gaber’s bonus would be better spent towards: actual solutions to problems that UT students have been wanting solved. Some departments are feeling the stress of shrinking faculty sizes. It would be a great idea to add two more professors to the payroll at a cost of $45,000 each per year. This doesn’t fix the large-scale staffing issues UT is currently experiencing, but it can stave off the issue for a while. No student has ever turned away scholarship money. With $90,000, UT can make one-time scholarship offers of $9,000 towards ten students’ tuition for the semester. Another idea would be to offer 90 students one thousand-dollar value scholarships. This could make a huge difference to a lot of students. The university also estimates that a year’s average tuition costs about $18,580. That can provide complete tuition waivers for almost 5 students. Alternatively, it can fund a promising student’s entire period of studies. Everyone knows of the infamous elevators in University Hall and Snyder Memorial. Even if you have class on the fourth floor, its best to avoid the elevator unless you want to fall to your death. Both students and professors alike are anxious when using these elevators. The cost of a commercial elevator for larger buildings like UHall could range between $75,000 and $150,000. A smaller elevator for Snyder Memorial could be anywhere between $20,000 and $28,000. With elevator shafts already in place, the cost could be lower. We imagine it didn’t cost much to replace the elevator that the president often uses in UHall. UT could have spent Gaber’s bonus to fix some of these elevators. It also would also be super cool of the university to use that money to pay off the late fees students get on their library and school fee accounts. Sometimes all a student needs is a little free pass for their legitimate negligence. Truthfully, $90,000 couldn’t result in a new roof over the student union, but it could buy a giant weatherproof tarp that we could drape across the building. Which is basically the same thing, right? We love to support our Rocket teams. And who doesn’t love a free t-shirt? The experience can be made more colorful and fun if the university distributes more free “See you at the game” t-shirts and other paraphernalia. Our estimates show that the cost of printing a quality colorprinted t-shirt on a 100 percent cotton material could
Some departments are feeling the stress of shrinking faculty sizes. It would be a great idea to add two more professors to the payroll at a cost of $45,000 each per year. be between $5.50 and $9.00. That’s at least 10,000 free t-shirts, even when we choose the expensive route. With Gaber’s bonus, UT could afford to give 720 students a free parking pass in a raffle. If we are going to drive around for nearly 30 minutes looking for a parking space, a free $125 parking pass would almost take the sting away. Students are stressed and some struggle to keep awake during finals week. UT can provide 20,000 free $4.50 valued Starbucks drinks for students. On second thought, they would probably prefer a share of the cash. But cash or drinks we assure you there’ll be a lot of happy faces on campus. Isn’t that what the university wants? For $90,000, every student in the dorms could get a subscription to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and the university would still have almost $30,000 left over to adopt 100 dogs. ‘The Office’ and golden retrievers are the key to a student’s sanity after a stressful exam. Almost forgot: how cool would it be to sponsor a selection of students on a fully-paid vacation trip with President Gaber or some other senior officer to go promote UT around the world? This is a just a sampling of alternative projects that $90,000 can do for both the university and students. We believe in giving Caesar’s to Caesar – we really do. But we also ask the trustees to reflect on how some of these legitimate concerns can be addressed for the student and general community and how they are working to make the university better.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Response: Forgiveness sets us free and gives us peace This letter is a response to your article of September 14 on the topic, “Forgiveness sets us free and gives us peace.” We discussed your article here on campus, at the Speech Language Pathology Clinic, where I regularly attend the group therapy sessions of a University of Toledo-sponsored support group called DaZy Aphasia Centre. This is a group founded by a retired licensed nurse and stroke survivor, Jacquelyn Davis-Zychowicz, and now supervised by a UT Speech Language Pathology Clinic faculty member, Adrienna Lange. Two graduate student-clinicians, both in charge of group therapy, chose your article for discussion; it helped us focus on the memories of the great tragedy of 9/11. You chose to write about a topic that has been the matter of intense arguments for centuries; this is the problem of evil, and how to respond to it. As each of the group members took turns to read a couple of paragraphs, and the student clinicians then asked for our comments about it, we realized that indeed it is a complex topic, a true philosophical matter. Firstly, a group member pointed out that the 9/11 casualty number is far above 2,996; other victims survived temporarily but later on died of complications caused by the terror attack; still others were left crippled, physically and otherwise, hundreds of them if not thousands.
To forgive is always difficult because so to speak automatic forgiveness can hide great resentment and even hatred for the enemy; it is a slow process; it can take a lifetime. Then a student-clinician, Jordan, asked us to report where we were on 9/11. When her turn came, she made the most relevant point about it: She was at school, in second grade, when it all happened. “I remember where I was very well —she said —because I could understand what was happening. But my younger sibling could not understand it,” she added. One might call the matter the “cohort effect”: Those below age 21 were
not as acutely marked by the tragedy as those above that age. We all agreed with your analysis; it was concluded that from the response to the same evil endless, ongoing wars have resulted. But it was also pointed out that no nation is supposed to be a martyr by not defending itself: The Roman Catholic doctrine of “just war” was mentioned as the justification of what our nation did against al-Qaida in Afghanistan. It was not the latter that caused what you called a “counterproductive” approach to responding to 9/11: There was a worldwide consensus, even among Islamic nations, that the United States had a right to wipe al-Qaida out, at least in Afghanistan. But then our nation did the worst that true democracies can do: To make a hasty decision and invade Iraq, which as you pointed out has done more damage than good. To forgive is always difficult because so to speak automatic forgiveness can hide great resentment and even hatred for the enemy; it is a slow process; it can take a lifetime. The United States indeed acted hastily and now the consequences are here. But there is something else about 9/11 that we did not discuss during group therapy; it has to do with the origin of Islamic terrorism. From the beginning Islam was a warring religion, as it was Christianity during the Crusades; but the kind of terror methods used by current Islamic extremist groups were unknown to Islam. There is a little-known book that sheds light on the origin of Islamic terrorism, “The Beast Reawakens,” by the journalist Martin A. Lee. It is shocking: Islamic terrorism was single-handedly crafted by World War Two, fugitive German Nazis; they taught the Palestinian Liberation Organization, PLO, how to make explosives and how to use terror against Israel. Eventually, Israel and the PLO made peace, as the PLO was never as bloody, genocidal as, for example, today’s ISIS. There lies the difference. After WWII, indeed, European thinkers, even those who were atheists, concluded that Nazism was no ordinary evil, but absolute evil, as it was the case. Absolute evil not born of German, or Austrian, minds, as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently pointed out, causing an outcry among Palestinians and even liberal Israelis: It was a Palestinian Muslim radical who, after meeting Adolf Hitler, masterminded the Nazis’ idea of a “final solution” to a problem that did not
exist, this is the integration of Jews into mainstream European societies. Back to your point, now we in the United States have a self-avowed Christian who in real life is a prophet of hatred, Donald Trump, sowing the seeds of what has the potential of turning out to be the Holocaust of Muslims, or, in your words, “proxies here at home in our search for retributions and revenge.”
It was a Palestinian Muslim radical who, after meeting Adolf Hitler, masterminded the Nazis’ idea of a “final solution” to a problem that did not exist, this is the integration of Jews into mainstream European societies. Trump, whom another Republican leader involved in the unfortunate response to 9/11, former State Secretary Colin Powell, in e-mails then hacked and published over the internet called a “national disgrace and an international pariah.” Using your words, I can’t think of a more hateful, bitter and vengeful political leader than Trump, who then, nonchalantly, claims to be a Christian and proposes going after not only the Muslim terrorists; but also killing their families! So, from the moral viewpoint you brandish, a sound moral analysis, as a predominantly Christian nation we are not any better than the worst of Islam. How come the Christian fools deluded by Trump’s Machiavellian political discourse did not collectively react, “Hey, wait a minute, this guy cannot possibly be a Christian”? No, they did not; President Trump might as well organize a genocidal Crusade against Muslims: these Christians would still support him. But, wait until November: if (God forbid) Trump wins, then over the next years all Americans traveling abroad will have to hide their national identity and call themselves Canadians: the hatred Trump would pour to the world would return to us like a boomerang. From Oscar Martínez, UT alumnus
MORE ONLINE
YouTube demonetizing YouTubers
Many people, especially those close to the issue, are concerned about the one-sidedness of YouTube’s new censorship policy for its content creators. I’m a firm believer in promoting user-friendly content whether it’s online, on the television or even in print. I think it is our responsibility to protect our children and society against potentially harmful content, and I believe that’s what YouTube is trying to do with its new policy, which came into effect earlier this month. The guidelines aim to censor against sexually explicit content, violence, inappropriate language, promotion of drug activity and other hot-button topics. The goal is to make content friendlier to users. However, I also believe in the idea that people should be able to make their living through legitimate activity. For some people, creating and selling content on YouTube is that legitimate business. So, it’s a problem when YouTube’s policy tends to have adverse economic effects on its content creators. People are outraged -- and understandably so. Some channels would either totally shut down or have great chunks of their content taken down under these new guidelines. For this type of YouTuber, who may already be living on the fringes, the impact has created huge financial losses.
WILLIAM SANDERS III IC COLUMNIST
For these people, a YouTube rainy day check might be all the difference between legitimate or criminal living. But, of course, there are the other kinds of content creators, like Philip DeFranco, who are smart, and have a backup source of revenue. Many YouTubers usually add direct merchandise sales to making content and would not be very bothered even if they woke up one day to see all of their content taken down. For them, new guidelines or not, life goes on. The effect to the other kind of creators, however, extends to the commissions they
receive from the ads that accompany their content. If there’s no content, then it makes sense that there’s equally no ad. Well, we should commend YouTube here, at least for one thing: They refunded payments back to successful content creators who protested the loss of ad revenues. They still lost content-associated income, but their loss was not as severe. Another sad thing about the guideline implementation is that some content creators are not even aware and notified of the company’s decision to take down their content. They’re shocked to see their revenues drop; imagine putting your rental budget on this check and then going on to your page and seeing all of your content gone. You may well be homeless the next month. In a response to these victims’ complaints and frustrations, YouTube wrote that “while our policy of demonetizing videos due to advertiser-friendly concerns hasn’t changed, we’ve recently improved the notification and appeal process to ensure better communication.” Finish reading this piece online at www.IndependentCollegian.com
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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, September 21, 2016
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ART
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EVENT
UT Department of Art showcases midwest regional culture
Amber Thomas
Community Co-editor
Midwest Mindset pays homage to the oncethriving Midwestern region. During the Industrial Age, this demographic provided opportunities that helped mold the Midwest into what it is today. Now, some of those remains are the tarnished facets, but remembrance also resides in each landmark that is still in existence. Midwest Mindset is a group exhibition at the University of Toledo Center for Visual Arts. Featured in the main gallery, artists working and residing in Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago and Findlay, this exhibit hones in on the rise and decline of the Midwestern culture. It is presented by the UT Department of Art and produced by Austin Radcliffe and Brian Carpenter.
“I feel the sensibility of Midwestern artists tends to lean towards the handmade. I feel my work relates to that working-class sensibility of wanting to use your hands and going in and fabricating and trying to take pride in the work that is being produced.” NATHANIEL FOLEY Exhibition artist
Artist Clara Degalan says the foundational facets that once depicted our region have now become disconnected due to a loss of self-esteem. She calls it an ‘economic identity crisis.’ “Now in the 21st century we’re finding ourselves in this economic identity crisis,” Degalan said. “I think as a region we’ve always been in a cultural identity crisis. However, now all of the industries that once supported our city, glass and Toledo, cars and Detroit, have pretty much shifted overseas and become obsolete or disappeared altogether. Now we have to stop and ask ourselves, ‘Why are we here?’” This exhibit allows people to remember the past as it was, as well as to be moved in one’s new measures, according to curator Brain Carpenter. “The exhibition touches on the spirit of Midwest artists,” Carpenter said. “The work highlights and suggests a ‘high’ and ‘low’ tension inspired by a shared history of this region and understanding of craft practices. In turn, the exhibition gives us an opportunity to reflect on our current cultural tensions and inspire new avenues of thought.” The artists and curators of the exhibit want visitors to view the artwork and take time to reflect back on the past. Curator Austin Radcliffe expects people to have strong emotional relations to the pieces. “I hope they can relate to different elements from a small detail or whether they recognize some quilt patterns or towel or retan chair, something nostalgic,” Radcliffe said. Artists from around the region have brought a variety of styles to this art exhibition, enabling people to have a taste of the variety of Midwestern culture. “These are all artists working and living in the
Midwest; most of the work was made in the last five years and the show is kind of about the current state of the Midwest and sort of the rustbelt and reinvention what became of the American dream,” Radcliffe said. As natives to the Midwest, these artists are able to depict it in its rawest form. They experienced life here and are able to draw on those experiences to create a visual piece. “Well, I grew up in the Midwest, so I feel that the art that is produced here is a little different than what is produced elsewhere,” said artist Nathaniel Foley. “I feel the sensibility of Midwestern artists tends to lean towards the handmade. I feel my work relates to that working-class sensibility of wanting to use your hands and going in and fabricating and trying to take pride in the work that is being produced.” Degalan is also able to render the Midwestern feel through her art because of the experiences she has faced. “One thing that really interests me about being a Midwestern artist and making work in the Midwest from my experience having my identity routed here is that we are what has historically been known as provincial: ‘We’re the provinces; we are the far flung colony,’” Degalan said. Both Foley and Degalan are able to reminisce on instances that helped morph their creations. Foley, originator of One and Three Wings (2012), says his childhood experiences are a key impact in his work. “Flight and my father’s influence of always having airplane models or toys around me, so always pretending to fly or actually flying with him in a small airplane and military objects, it is really flight, materials of flight and how they can relate and play with one another in space,” Foley said. Degalan, creator of Grand dad (oil on canvas, 2016) and Birch (oil on canvas, 2016), says that both pieces were created with her grandfather in mind. “Both of those pieces were made in northern Michigan on a tiny lake called Rainy Lake...” Degalan said. “My whole lifetime experiences in the absolutely magical northern Michigan woods really went into both of these painting, and one is titled Granddad because every time I’m there I feel like that is the place he chose for his eternal rest because to him it was heaven...” This exhibit allows viewers to get a glimpse of what Midwestern culture really is in the eyes of curators Radcliff and Carpenter.
If you go What: Midwest Mindset Where: UT Center for the Visual Arts When: Sept. 6 - Oct. 30
“I think Midwest Mindset is a powerful gauntlet being thrown down with that exact claim that we have this population of makers here who are deeply devoted to craft who have raised their hand-skills to a high level, which is a really rare thing these days,” Degalan said. Artists for this event include TODT (art collective), Cudelice Brazelton, Erin K. Drew, Dan Gunn, Clara Degalan and Nathaniel Foley. Midwest Mindset will be open now until Oct. 30 at is free to the public. Access to the museum is free.
COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
The Hermes family won the Exceptional Rocket Family Award at UT’s Family Weekend Friday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 18. They were awarded a prize pack which included special seating and recognition at the UT vs. Fresno State football game Sept. 17.
Family Weekend By Anna Glore Staff Reporter
Each year, students leave their families and friends behind and travel the distance, whether it’s 20 minutes or four hours, to receive a higher education. Pictures posted on Facebook and the occasional FaceTime call with Mom don’t really capture the full picture of your college experience. That’s why the University of Toledo created Family Weekend, the perfect time to show off your college and all it has to offer. The UT’s Family Weekend happened Friday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 18 and was a weekend full of interesting things to do for UT families. Kelley Webb, the graduate assistant of programming for the Office of Student Involvement, said there were plenty of things for students and their families to do last weekend. From pizza and a magic show on Friday night, to tailgating for the football game on Saturday, the weekend promised to be a memorable one. UT’s Family Weekend isn’t as much about the fun and games as it is about doing those activities while spending quality time with family. “Family Weekend is a great time for families to come to campus, visit their children and spend some fun-filled family time,” said Evita Parks, program manager for the Office of Student Involvement. Parks said that this year is all about making new traditions, ones that have not been done in previous years. “We have added a magic and comedy show on Friday night with a dinner on the lawn and a residence hall tour with an ice cream social,” Parks said. “For Saturday, we are working to make our tailgate even more entertaining. There will be face painting, balloon art and family photos.” In addition, there was be a recognition for one of the Rocket families that attends and shows the best qualities families can have. “We created an award called the Exceptional Rocket Family Award,” Parks said. “It is given to a family who exemplifies excellent service to their community, family sacrifice, support for each other, and Rocket pride. We believe that the family that will receive the first ever Exceptional Rocket Family Award is more than deserving and is a great way to start off a new tradition.” This year’s Exceptional Rocket Family award was given to the Hermes family, which included special seating and recognition at the football game and a complimentary family registration and a prize pack.
CONFERENCE
Making a difference begins when you lend a hand Emily Jackson
Community Co-editor
Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal industries in the world. According to the International Labor Force, the money illegally acquired through human trafficking is estimated to be more than $35 billion. Ohio has been the site of much of this illegal activity. The state has ranked as high as fifth in total reported human trafficking cases in the United States, and Toledo is the fourth-highest ranking city in the nation for recruiting victims into the trade. In the face of such overwhelming statistics, change may seem hopeless. Where does one even begin to tackle this global crisis? For the past 12 years, the University of Toledo has been the site of the Annual International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference in an effort to educate others about basic human rights and improve the human condition. This year’s conference will be hosted by the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition and the UT Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institution. Sessions will be held at UT on Sept. 22-23 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Student Union’s Ingman Room and will run until 5:30 p.m. Each session will last one hour, with numerous sessions being held at the same time in different rooms throughout the Student Union. This two-day event will include 91 presentations by researchers, professors, students, politicians and many others. Presenters will speak on a wide range of topics including survivor experiences, children’s rights, exploitation in the media and advocacy and social action. Sandra Sieben, this year’s conference planner, said this event is the oldest aca-
demic human trafficking conference in the United States and is a great way to learn more from experts in this field of research. “I would encourage you to attend the conference and feel free to speak with attendees and presenters,” Sieben said. “There is a lot of great knowledge and expertise present during the two-day conference.” Sieben said through the years, the trafficking conference has welcomed presenters from 31 states and 15 countries to educate social service, health care and criminal justice professionals on human trafficking and the needs and risk of victims, as well as their customers and traffickers. The conference was started back in 2004 by Celia Williamson, a social work professor and director of the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute.
Williamson, who has been working in the field of human trafficking for over 20 years, says that having the conference here in Toledo provides a huge opportunity for global change. “If I had a conference here, not only could I bring people together to learn from each other and go back to their com-
munities and build things, but I had the advantage of making my local community so incredibly educated,” Williamson said. “So that’s really now using the conference as a vehicle to get powerful people to create the change that we need.” Williamson will be facilitating a university collabora-
tion against trafficking meeting during the first day of the conference and will also host a meeting of global scholars. She says the main goal of the conference is trying to answer the questions of how to help victims recover effectively and how to prevent people from being trafficked. “If you answer one of those two, you’ve done a better job than anyone has done in the US so far,” Williamson said. “We are
hoping to answer both of those. But if we answer one of those, we have done something significant.” Along with gaining pertinent information regarding human trafficking, attendees will also have the chance to make a direct impact. Over 30 vendors will be present including service providers, local, state and national resources, as well as products available for purchase made by survivors to help support survivors. Event registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. in the Ingman Room and will include a continental breakfast. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. each day in the Student Union Auditorium. Admission is free for all international attendees, presenters, UT students, volunteers and previous or current trafficked or exploited persons. General attendance is $90 per person per day and $175 for both days. For registration details, the conference schedule, and more information, please visit traffickingconference.com.
“If I had a conference here, not only could I bring people together to learn from each other and go back to their communities and build things, but I had the advantage of making my local community so incredibly educated.” CELIA WILLIAMSON Director of the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute
JOBS & CLASSIFIEDS
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HELP WANTED KIDZWATCH is now hiring child caregivers for all age groups for days, evenings and weekends for Perrysburg and Sylvania locations. Send resumes to info@kidzwatch.net. Student Government from page 1
In order to increase outreach to students, Student Government plans to hold a town meeting. “By town hall meeting, we are planning an event where we invite any and all students to attend and provide their input regardless of if they are or are not involved in a student organization,” Forsythe wrote. Currently, student government does direct outreach through online surveys that are shared with as many students as possible. Last year, 18 surveys were held with 3,418 students responding. This year, they are hoping to get even more responses in order to get a more holistic view of the student opinion, Forsythe wrote. Another way to increase outreach to students is by making sure students are aware of Student Government. “My main goal for this year is to implement a Student Government Ambassador Program. This program will work to serve several of my goals,” said Jimmy Russell, external affairs chairman. “The first is to increase student awareness
Wait Staff. Dependable and motivated, available weekends. Part time and full time, experience helpful but NOT necessary. Apply in person 1:30 - 4:30, Doc Watson’s 1515 S Byrne.
of Student Government.” Increasing retention and sustainability are also important goals for Student Government. “We want to do everything we possibly can in order to increase retention and student success,” Forsythe wrote. “With this, we are going to try to help students understand what is expected of them as well as making sure the students know what resources they have available to them.”
enrolled at the university, but we must also consider how our current tendencies and actions will impact future students and the community in general,” Forsythe wrote. To build student morale and a sense of community, Student Government plans to pair up organizations with similar goals Russell said. Student Government believes this will help the university as a whole. “Increasing student morale
“We want to do everything we possibly can in order to increase retention and student success.” CAMERON FORSYTHE Student Government Vice President
According to Forsythe, the Student Government is still in the early stages of creating a more sustainable campus. They are considering the creation of a Sustainability Ad-Hoc to work with the Student Green Fund. “We feel that sustainability is important because we not only need to think about the impact that our actions will have on ourselves and those currently
is important because, while we are certainly a place to get a higher education, we are also much more than that,” Forsythe wrote. “With so much of college being about the entire experience and not simply being about attending classes and studying, we feel that we should promote an inclusive environment where we can all proudly say that we are Rockets.”
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 | The Independent Collegian |
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RESEARCH
Researchers at UT receive grant to study kidney disorder By Meg Perry Staff Writer
Two researchers in the University of Toledo’s Department of Pharmacology received grants to examine the relationship between kidney disorder and cardiovascular disease. Assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Wissam AbouAlaiwi, received a three- year, $231,000 Scientist Development Grant, and doctoral student Hannah Saternos received a $2,000 award from the American Heart Association. “Our research is very innovative, and we are proposing interesting and promising ideas that can fill a gap in the knowledge in our field of cardiovascular and kidney disease,” AbouAlaiwi said. “Our group of students are very motivated and work very hard.” Saternos is using her grant to study the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in polycystic kidney disease (PKD), specifically focusing her research on the function of a family of receptors in
“If you would have told me four years ago I would be working with the kidney and loving it, I would have thought you were crazy. It’s fascinating. I don’t think people realize...” HANNAH SATERNOS
Doctoral Student
WISSAM ABOUALAIWI
the primary cilia and how it affects PKD and regulates blood pressure. “PKD is a genetic disorder that causes numerous fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys, ultimately destroying their architecture and reducing their function over time,” UT News reported. “These cysts also are associated with the development of high blood pressure and problems with the heart and blood vessels in the brain.” Primary cilia are a cellular organelle with antenna like structures, and AbouAlaiwi explains that, until recently, primary cilia were believed to have no function in the body. “If you would have told me four years ago I would be working with the kidney and loving it, I would have thought you were crazy,” Saternos said in a previous interview. “It’s fascinating. I don’t think people realize how much impact the kidney has on the rest of the body.” AbouAlaiwi explained that their objective with Scientist Development Grant is to study the function of primary cilia in the cardiac cells and demonstrate its involvement in cardiac contraction and cardiovascular disease. “We have discovered a new role for the primary cilia in the cardiovascu-
lar system related to its function as a fluid sensor,” AbouAlaiwi said. “Thus we demonstrated that cilia in the vascular system are involved in nitric oxide generation and blood pressure regulation” Researchers also now know that primary cilia contribute to calcium signaling in heart cells and to dozens of genetic disorders. Mouse models have been created to further study primary cilia. “We plan to dissect this relationship between cilia and blood pressure in
“Our research is very innovative, and we are proposing interesting and promising ideas that can fill a gap in the knowledge in our field of cardiovascular and kidney disease. Our group of students are very motivated...” WISSAM ABOUALAIWI Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
order to find a drug that target the cilia or proteins on the cilia for blood pressure therapy,” AbouAlaiwi said. This is the third grant AbouAlaiwi’s lab has received within the past year. Funding for research is competitive and AbouAlaiwi credits his students for their hard work and dedication.
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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, September 21, 2016
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TENNIS
UT travels overseas By Sam Williams
Co-associate sports editor
Despite borders, language and oceans separating the University of Toledo from the distant country of Croatia, one medium translates flawlessly across all of these barriers: tennis. It defies the normal cultural hurdles foreign countries typically have with each other, in that the ubiquitously known rules of the game allow for instant communication between players through the language of competition. This phenomenon was experienced firsthand for the Rockets men’s tennis team when they travelled to Croatia and Rome this summer to complete their first foreign tour. First on the trip, the Rockets traveled to Split, Croatia, hometown of two-time MAC player of the year and Toledo senior Stjepan Sisko. “Well, I had never been to Europe before, so I thought that going to Rome and being in Split where Stjepan, our guy from Croatia is from, was just amazing to see the people and to experience their culture and to see how much different it is in Europe than it is here,” said sophomore Vince Anzalone when asked about the trip. The team experienced the country like true natives, engrossing themselves fully in the culture of Croatia and their tennis. Coach Al Wermer spoke on how this experience was actually conceived in the first place: “Well,
we have three guys from that area of the world, that region, and then Sisko had sort of, I want to call it for lack of a better term, sort of a bed and breakfast, their family, so they agreed to help us with housing and even some transportation.” He continued saying, “He also arranged for some match play for our guys at his club where he had played.” Croatia wasn’t the only international location that the team visited. The team also spent two of their 12-day trip experiencing Rome.
“I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to go.” VINCE ANZALONE Sophomore tennis player
“I don’t think there’s anything else like it in the world. It’s like the New York City of Europe, like it’s just so historical and such a pretty place to be,” said Anzalone. “I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to go.” The team had the privilege of seeing such historic Roman locations such as the Coliseum and the Vatican. Coach Wermer had already been to Rome before and knew it was a great opportunity for his team to experience a new culture. “The idea of going to Rome kind of came on late in the last couple months, in the spring I had been to Rome,” said Wermer. “We went over there for just two nights and we
COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICS
UT men’s tennis player Vince Anzalone ,sophomore,w returns a serve during a match last season. Anzalone traveled with the men’s tennis team during the summer for a trip to Croatia, the home country of one of their senior players, Stjepan Sisko. The Rockets visited historical sights as well as scrimmaging some international teams.
spent one amazing day, went to the Coliseum and stuff like that just because we were kind of close by. Who knows when some of these guys are going to get back to Europe?” Back on the competition side of the trip, scrimmaging the international clubs presented a unique experience for the men’s team. This is because all matches they play in the states are played on a hardcourt, yet in Croatia they use a red clay surface, the same surface that is used in the French Open. “Oh, it was definitely different than here in the States; it’s much slower, the red clay, than the hard courts that we play on, and I really enjoyed it,” said Anzalone when asked about the different surfaces. “I mean it takes a little getting used to, to play on the red clay, but I honestly enjoyed it very much.” The new surface, coupled with the international competition,
provided a unique opportunity for the Rockets to prepare for the upcoming fall season. UT is set to begin their fall season this Friday in West Lafayette, Indiana at the Purdue Invitational.
“My expectations for the year are higher than ever; I don’t want to be too overly zealous as we start out.” AL WERMER Men’s tennis coach
Coach Wermer is keeping his expectations for the fall split cautiously optimistic. “Well, my expectations are tempered [for this fall season] because we are -- I don’t
Football
VOLLEYBALL COURTESY OF UTATHLETICSS
Rockets spike back By Keith Boggs Staff Reporter
The Toledo Rockets volleyball team lost two of three matches this past weekend at the Diet Coke Invitational in Minnesota.
“I feel like we continually improve each week as a team. We played the most consistently against Green Bay, and that showed with a quality win.” GREG SMITH women’s volleyball coach
The Rockets defeated Green Bay 3-2 in their first match. Toledo didn’t get off to the greatest start, dropping the first set to Green Bay, 18-25. The Rockets came back in the second set and matched the Phoenix’s score, in what was an evenly played match. The match continued to go back and forth through four sets, with each team winning one. In the decisive fifth set, Green Bay took an early 3-2 lead, but Toledo came back with a strong four-point charge. The Phoenix would only manage to get as close as two points from there on out, as the Rockets won the set 15-9. The match improved Toledo’s record to 7-3 on the season. “I feel like we continually improve each week as a team,” said coach Greg Smith. “We played the most consistently against Green Bay, and that showed with a quality win.” Junior Saige Thomas and sophomore Gracey Tuifua led the Rockets with 15 and 14 kills, respectively. Junior Rachel Vidourek finished with 13 kills. Toledo’s next test was against the host, and third-ranked nationally, Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers dominated
majority of the match, with a .347 kill percentage and a 17-5 block advantage. The Rockets put together a solid effort and lost a close one in the second set, 25-22. However, Minnesota was just too dominant, sweeping the match 3-0. Tuifua led the Rockets with nine kills in the match. “Against number 2 Minnesota we started off a bit slowly, but once we got our feet under us we finished out the first set well,” said Smith. “That carried over into the second set where we played a really tight set with them. If we could change how we played a couple of points, it would have changed the outcome of that set. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain that level of play in the third.” Toledo was again swept later in the day by North Dakota, contesting each set closely, but never being able to finish. Though the final score read 3-0, the sets went 25-23, 25-17, 25-23. “In the North Dakota match we came out flat, and as a result we didn’t have the outcome we wanted,” said Smith. “We have some things to work on to continue our progression as a team.” Thomas led the Rockets with 12 kills on the match. Toledo opens up conference play next weekend as they return home to host Eastern and Central Michigan at Savage Arena. “We are excited to start the MAC schedule this Friday at home versus Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan on Saturday,” Smith said.
If you go What: UT women’s volleyball vs. Eastern Michigan Where: Savage Arena When: Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m
from page 1
Fresno State got on the board with 2:02 left in the third quarter when redshirt freshman quarterback Chason Vigil threw to sophomore wide receiver Keesean Johnson for 9 yards, resulting in a touchdown and making the score 38-7. The Bulldogs got a 42-yard field goal from junior kicker Kody Kroening to make the score 38-10 at the 14:51 mark in the fourth quarter. Toledo answered back with 12:06 left in the game off of a 1-yard TD run from redshirt freshman running back Art Thompkins to make the score 45-10. Fresno State wide receiver
know if all of our guys did what we would’ve liked in the summertime.” The fall split is just the beginning for the Rockets 2016-2017 season, however. After the MAC indoor tournament at the end of October, the Rockets will resume play for the spring season, where Coach Wermer has some of the best expectations he’s ever had. “My expectations for the year are higher than ever; I don’t want to be too overly zealous as we start out,” Wermer said. Coach Wermer’s optimism for his team is even more uplifting considering the tough spring schedule the Rockets boast, with teams like Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio State lining the schedule. The men open up their season at home Sept. 30 at the Rocket Invitational, and the team encourages everyone to come out and support your Rockets.
Jamire Jordan exploded for an 85-yard TD pass from Vigil with 6:41 left, making the score 45-17. Senior wide receiver Zach Yousey capped off the scoring with a 62-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Michael Julian at the fourminute mark to end the scoring at 52-17 for Toledo.
“We definitely take pride in our work ethic, but we go out on Saturdays and have fun.” LOGAN WOODSIDE
UT quarterback
“We definitely have a group of guys that like to have a lot of fun,” Woodside said. “We definitely take pride in our work ethic, but we go out on Saturdays and have fun. You know it’s something that we’re not going to have forever, and the four years you have at Toledo, and the relationships we build with our teammates, it’s just special to go out there and play with those guys each week.” UT will have a bye week this week and then will travel to Provo, Utah to take on the Brigham Young University Cougars. The game will be on Friday, Sept. 30 at 10:15 PM ET.
CROSS COUNTRY
University of Toledo runners impress at BG Women place 10 in top 15 By Justice Sunderland Co-associate sports editor
Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Bowling Green on Friday, Sept. 16 for the Mel Brodt Invitational at Forrest Creason Golf Course. The Rocket men dominated the field, having three of the top five finishers. The women’s team also ran strong and smart, placing 10 women in the top 15 runners. Junior Alberto Chelimo took first for the second straight race with a time of 25:54.2. He has a perfect record, winning both of the races he has run for Toledo thus far. Junior Stalline Kurgat finished in third place at 26:12.5, with fellow Kenyan Titus Koech finishing eight seconds back in fifth. Sophomore Josh Oeters finished in eighth with a time of 26:39.5 and sophomore Caleb Morehart finished at 27:00.5, good enough for 14th place, to round out the top five finishers for Toledo. On the women’s side of the competition, Rachel Walny of Bowling Green won the event with a time of 17:16.2 Junior Joan Jepkirui led the way for UT, finishing in fourth place at 18:05.6. Junior Caroline Lambert was next for the Rockets at 18:07.0, good for sixth place. Toledo took every spot from eight to fifteen, with sophomore Jennifer Lichter finishing eighth at 18:10.2 and freshman Athena Welsh
If you go
What: Greater Louisville Classic Where: Louisville, Kentucky When: Saturday, October 1
right behind her at 18:10.6. Junior Maja Pacaric ran herself into the top ten with a time of 18:10.9. Senior Theresa Warsecke, junior Stephanie Barlow and sophomore Nina Bendixen were among the ten Rockets to finish in the top fifteen. The Rockets have received more than just high ranks as recognition for their hard work, however. Chelimo, another Kenyan native, earned MAC runner of the week honors in last week’s race for winning the Toledo Opener, his first career race as a Rocket. Both the men’s and women’s team will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 1 as they travel to Louisville, Kentucky for the Greater Louisville Classic.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 | The Independent Collegian | SOCCER
Rocket victory
COURTESY OF UT ATHLETICS
Senior tri-captain Brooke Maletic runs the ball during a game against Northern Kentucky on Sept. 2. Recently, UT women’s soccer won their fourth straight game.
UT soccer shutout
By Justice Sunderland Co-associate sports editor
The University of Toledo’s women’s soccer team defeated Indiana State on Sunday, Sept. 18 by a score of 3-0. The Rockets defense was dominant, recording their fourth straight shutout. The offense was just as impressive, tallying 21 shots. Toledo is now 5-3 and has won four consecutive games. Senior forward Kiersten Johnson scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season on a long pass from senior Brooke Maletic in the 11th minute. This was already Johnson’s third shot of the game. She recorded six shots in the game, including five shots on goal. “We’ve worked really hard on our attack,” said head coach TJ Buchholz. “Kiersten started us off and we needed that. It gave us some breathing room and some confidence.” Indiana State came out aggressive to start the second half with a shot in the 49th minute that required a save from sophomore goalie Katie Wilson, the only real challenge she saw all game. Johnson put a header on goal in the 57th minute but it was saved by Brittany San Roman. Johnson came close to her second goal again in the 62nd minute, but it hit off the post and freshman Alex Troy tallied
her first collegiate goal off of the rebound, bringing the score up to 2-0. Troy recorded two more shots in the game, one of which hit off the post.
“Kiersten started us off and we needed that. It gave us some breathing room and some confidence.” TJ BUCHHOLZ Women’s soccer head coach
Junior Isa Echeverri headed in a wellplaced corner kick by senior Lauren Taylor in the 65th minute. It’s the Olympian’s first goal of the season. The UT defense put the hammer down after that, allowing only one more shot to be taken, that they did successfully blocked. “Our defense is playing outstanding,” said Buchholz. “They’re a cohesive unit and we finally feel like we have good continuity in the back and we have key pieces that are working well together.” The Rockets start Mid-American Conference play on Friday, Sept. 23 as they host Kent State University at Scott Park at 4 p.m.
SAVANNAH JOSLIN / IC
Senior wide receiver Zach Yousey embraces his teammate after catching a 62-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Julian. The team had 301 total passing yards during the game against Fresno state last Saturday.
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| The Independent Collegian | Wednesday, September 21, 2016
President from page 1
accomplishments her first year as the reason for their decision. In fact, this decision was made soon after the announcement on Sept. 6, that enrollment at UT had gone up for the first time in six years. One reason for this increase was Gaber’s execution of her five strategic goals for her first year, which outlined a plan to help increase enrollment and retention rates. This increase added 267 new students to campus, going from 20,381 enrolled last fall to 20,648 this semester, according to the official 15-day census numbers. Gaber has also accomplished a variety of other things during her first year. According to her 2012-16 annual report, Gaber has
spent her first year traveling and meeting alumni and donors, and the numbers prove it’s working. Gaber has increased fundraising numbers to $16,750,861. This is an increase of about $400,000 since 2015. SHARON GABER “What that means is that if we don’t work really, really, hard every year to make sure that people recognize that this is a pretty darn good place, that you get a good education, you know really all of these things, then you know we are going to be back in that situation,” Gaber said in a previous interview. “So it is an ongoing situation that we have to make sure we are doing.”
UT Blood Drive
SAVANNAH JOSLIN / IC
Freshman nursing student Elouise Filas gave blood for the first time during a UT blood drive hosted by the American Red Cross on Sept. 13 in the Student Union. According to the Red Cross’s website, young people are among the most committed group of blood donors and contribute a significant portion of the nation’s blood supply. In fact, blood donations at high school and college blood drives account for as much as 20 percent of donations during the school year.
Student Union renamed after trail-blazing professor IC Staff
University of Toledo students, professors and community members gathered on Monday, Sept. 19 to celebrate the life of Dr. Lancelot Thompson. In 2014, the UT board of trustees renamed a conference room in the Student Union after Thompson. At the memorial, President Sharon Gaber announced that the entire Student Union will be renamed after Thompson. According to UT’s website, Thompson first joined the University of Toledo in 1958 as an assistant professor of chemistry. He was the first full-time black faculty member at UT. Thompson quickly ascended through the ranks in the department of chemistry, becoming an associate professor in 1962 and then was hired as the assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1964. He also received the University’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 1964. Quickly becoming an integral part of the university, Thompson was hired as
dean of student services in 1966 and was promoted as a full-time professor the next year. In 1968, just ten years after coming to UT, Thompson became the university’s first vice president for student affairs and stayed in that position for 20 years, until he was named professor emeritus in 1988. Wishing to inspire future generations of college students, Thompson helped to organize UT’s annual Aspiring Minorities Youth Conference, which is still active today. The trendsetting professor continued to mentor UT students and student athletes throughout his life. Thompson died on Sept. 10 at the age of 91. PHOTOS: (Right) Robert Niedzielski, professor emeritus of chemistry, speaks about his former colleague, Thompson. (Bottom right) Thompson’s family listens to speakers during the memorial service. (Bottom left) Richard Stegman, Jr., a Blue Key alumnus, spoke about Thompson’s effect on his collegiate career.