Arts & Life, A5
Sports, A6
A festival for filmmakers
Rockets outlast WMU to become bowl eligible
Independent Collegian IC The
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Serving the University of Toledo since 1919
www.IndependentCollegian.com 92nd year Issue 22
UT community reflects on elections Issue 2 and health care bill fail By Sura Khuder News Editor
One of Ohio’s most debated issues was settled when voters overwhelmingly rejected Issue 2 Tuesday. The referendum to repeal Senate Bill 5, which limits the collective bargaining rights of 350,000 union worker public employees, was defeated 60 percent to 40 percent. Issue 2 would have also caused public workers to pay 15 percent of their healthcare benefits and 10 percent of wages into their pensions. “The people of Ohio sent a clear message we were heading in the wrong direction,” said Brent Teall, president of College Democrats. Senate Bill 5 was signed by Gov. John Kasich and passed by the Ohio Senate by a vote of 17 to 16 on March 2. Approximately
Student hospitalized after accident By Jennifer Ison IC Staff Writer
David Mettert, a senior majoring in sales and marketing, was hospitalized after being dragged from the spoiler of a car in front of Maxwell’s Brew on Bancroft Street early Friday morning. Eddie Kanan, the owner of Maxwell’s, said he viewed the entire incident on surveillance video around 1 a.m. and alerted the police. “He grabbed onto the spoiler of a car and the driver took off not knowing he was holding onto it. The spoiler fell off by the time the car was under the bridge,” Kanan said. Mettert fell with the spoiler and sustained several serious injuries when he hit the ground. According to a police report filed by the UT Police Department, Mettert was found lying in the grass near the side of the road. The driver of the car was Nick Gillan, a UT student and friend of Mettert, according to Ethan Ladowitz, Mettert’s roommate and a senior majoring in international business and marketing. University police happened upon the scene and called for backup and an ambulance. Mettert was taken to Toledo Hospital and was later airlifted by helicopter to the University of Michigan Medical Center. Courtney Behmlander, a friend of Mettert, found him immediately after the accident when she drove past the scene with her boyfriend, Ladowitz said. “Courtney is like an angel to — Hospitalized, Page A2
1.3 million Ohioans signed a petition to put Issue 2 on the November ballot. In a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday, Kasich said it was clear the people had spoken. “I’ve heard their voices, I understand their decision, and frankly I respect what people have to say,” Kasich said. The issue was seen by many as a step to outlaw unions, curtailing the ability of firefighters, police officers and teachers’ ability to negotiate over benefits. “The voters have sent a very clear message to the governor what is acceptable and what is not,” said Linda Rouillard, assistant professor in French and member of the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors. “It’s an excellent example of the — Elections, Page A2
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT
Courtney Johnson, a schoolteacher in Ironton, Ohio, raises her arm following a speech after the failure of Issue 2 at the We Are Ohio event at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in Columbus on Tuesday.
Eric Albrecht/Columbus Dispatch/MCT
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT
Ohio Governor John Kasich wipes his brow amid discussion about the failure of Issue 2 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday.
Jaclyn Berman, Margie Whitis and her fiance, Bill Pearsol, celebrate during the We Are Ohio event at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in Columbus on Tuesday.
Cruz the new face of Fox Toledo By Allison Seney IC Staff Writer
UT alumnus Jocelyn Cruz was picked as the new Face of Fox Toledo. “I wanted to be on TV as long as I can remember and I majored in communication and I see this as an opportunity to let dreams go forward,” Cruz said. The position entails doing promos for shows, special appearances and blogging on the Fox Toledo website. “Basically, I feel like I am an entertainment
reporter and more, but it is so much fun,” Cruz said. Cruz is the sixth person to represent the station with this position. Originally from Amherst, Ohio, Cruz graduated in 2011 from UT cum laude with a degree in communication. She was also crowned UT’s first Latina Homecoming Queen in 2009. Twenty people competed for the title. Half auditioned in person and the other half submitted a video on the internet. Cruz said she auditioned for the position at the last
minute. After the top ten for the competition were chosen, contestants remained active on social networking sites and attend community events. Cruz interned for five months in New York City for BET during her sophomore year at UT. “I think the experience has made me stronger and more willing to do what I want to do,” she said. Cruz said she received support from her family and friends while in the process of promoting herself.
“You definitely have to be willing to put yourself out there even if there is a chance of rejection. You still have to be a hundred percent you at the same time,” she said. Cruz said she did TV in high school and college. This experience has made her well-balanced in the television area. “During class it was different, though. We covered what was more hard news, but it is so much different then what I am doing now. Doing the news is — Cruz, Page A2
Courtesy of Joseph Herr
UT alumnus Jocelyn Cruz, the new face of Fox Toledo, was UT homecoming queen in 2009.
Scheduling classes with Rate My Professor By John Gumersell IC Staff Writer
Photo Illustration by Nick Kneer
Some students have reported using RateMyProfessor.com as a tool to help them schedule their classes.
Emily Decker is currently scheduling courses for next semester. Instead of turning to an adviser, the junior majoring in nursing sought help from the website Rate My Professor to create her class schedule. “I use ‘Ratemyprofessor. com’ when scheduling, and if a review for the professor shows that they have an excessively rough curriculum or that many students had a terrible time in the class, I’ll look for another professor for the course,” Decker said. Rate My Professor debuted in 2001 and has since collected over 10 million professor reviews from over 6,500 schools across the country. The website enables college students to write informal reviews of their professors and instructors, offering positive or negative recommendations to other students. Like Decker, some students scheduling courses for the spring semester have reported referring to the website for assistance in choosing classes. “I would say that this website could affect
the scheduling process in the future, as I know that students use the website during the scheduling periods,” Decker said. Shelby Stalter, a sophomore majoring in anthropology, said she looks up each of her professors before registering for her courses. “Occasionally, I will look up reviews on the site prior to class scheduling, too, to make sure I have a solid [professor],” Stalter said. While some students are relying on the website to help them chose their courses, others, including the professors themselves, question its credibility. “It seems to me that the site is as good or bad as the individual reviewer,” said Sharon Barnes, professor of women and gender studies. “I would hope that students critically think about the assessments of the reviewers, just as they would about any other opinions they encounter.” Christine Hombrink, a junior majoring in English, said the reviews on the website are biased and should not be taken seriously. “Unfortunately, many students will avoid the [professor] they’re looking up if they
see the negative reviews there,” Hombrink said. Lisa Bollman, academic adviser in the Gateway and QUEST program, said if students mention Rate My Professor during their appointment, she informs them the comments on the website are merely anecdotal. “Word gets around fast,” Bollman said. “Students come to their academic advising appointments already aware of the websites such as ‘Ratemyprofessor.com. Other students’ opinions on a particular course may not reflect how the student I am working with would respond to the class or instructor.” Bollman said while the website loses some credibility with the hotness rating, it’s likely to stay popular regardless of how faculty and advisers feel about it. “The website has been around for years,” said Matthew Wikander, advisor and professor of English. “In my department, we have always had a laugh at it. You will find many positive and negative reviews of instructors on the site, but I haven’t seen it affect scheduling since the site first peaked several years ago.”