DAILY KENT STATER
Monday, March 28, 2011 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Sunny/clear, HI 36, LO 22
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Ford next head coach at Bradley Cody Erbacher
cerbache@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Geno Ford has moved on to coach at Bradley University after leading the Kent State men’s basketball team for the past three seasons. “I am ecstatic to work at such a great institution with such a rich basketball history,” Ford said, according to a press release from Bradley. “The passionate Bradley fan base, academic excellence and exceptional facilities will give us an opportunity to compete at the highest levels of the Missouri Valley Conference.” Ford, who will become the 13th head coach in Bradley basketball history, led the Flashes to two-straight National Invitational Tournament births. This season, his team won the MAC Regular Season Championship before falling to Akron in the MAC Championship game.
THOMAS SONG | DAILY KENT STATER
Debris piles up at a local gas station in Sendai, Japan on Thursday. Cleanup efforts have made some areas hit by the tsunami passable, but much more work is needed to fix the catastrophic damage.
Student ‘still shaking’ after quake Kent State student shares her experience after living through Japan’s earthquake Lauren Spilar
lspilar@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Kent State student Tamaki Kasakura was sitting at a café in Kichijoji, Japan, chatting with a few of her old high school friends. It was March 11, and they were talking about life in the United States, reminiscing about good times, when suddenly the ground began to shake. Now back in the U.S., Kasakura, freshman ESL student, sat down at a table in the Student Center with a pile of Japanese newspapers. She began to explain how her life has changed in the last few weeks. In early March, the 21 year old took a short break from her U.S. study abroad experience to take part in a one-week exchange program to Korea. From there, she made a side trip home to visit her family in Tokyo. Less than 24 hours after arriving in Japan, disaster hit her homeland. “I’m still shaking,” Kasakura said. It was 2:49 p.m. She and her friends were enjoying a reunion over lunch when the 9.0 magnitude earthquake began. “Japanese are used to earthquakes, so we didn’t surprise,” Kasakura said. At first, it failed
to even interrupt their conversation. Then it got stronger. “Glasses were broken,” she said. “Noise was so scary.” Another customer told everyone to get out of the building. Kasakura and her friends went outside, and the ground was shaking so hard they couldn’t stand. They held onto each other and clung to a nearby utility pole. “We were between building and building,” she said. “We were so scared.” The earthquake lasted 15 seconds. “I feel it’s forever shaking,” Kasakura said. When the shaking stopped, the students and many other customers went back inside the restaurant. “We didn’t think the earthquake was really serious,” she said. That mentality changed when, about 10 minutes later, a second large earthquake hit. “We got so scared about this earthquake,” she said. “Everyone go outside so fast.” This time after the shaking stopped, customers flooded to the cashiers to pay for their meals and leave. Kasakura was unable to reach her family after the quakes, her parents were at work and her younger sister was at home on spring break. “We couldn’t use cell phone,” she said. “I couldn’t contact with my mother and father and my sister. I worry about my grandmother.” She and her friends used Facebook and Twitter to find out what was happening. After leaving the restaurant, the students made their way back to the Kichijoji train station, which was filling up with people. “All of the trains in Tokyo were stopped,” Kasakura said. “Many people were stuck.” Kasakura was trying to get to Shibuya, where she still had a 4 p.m. hair appointment. Many people were trying to get home from work. Traf-
fic jams grew as travelers tried to hail buses and taxis. Train service was not restored that day, so Kasakura and her friends spent the night at their friend’s house in Kichijoji. The trains began to run the next morning, and Kasakura was able to reach her home in Hino at about noon. The rest of her family had already made it back safely. Her mother had been stranded in her office for a day. Her father tried to walk home from his office, a 5-hour walk, but found refuge at a relative’s house instead. Her younger sister had watched the disaster unfold live on television. “It was really terrible,” Kasakura said. “She watched exactly the tsunami hit people and hit cars. People tried to escape, but they couldn’t.” While communication and transportation were temporarily disrupted, Kasakura said Tokyo had very little earthquake damage. Fires broke out in parts of her city and some older buildings had damage, but Tokyo was not hit by the tsunami. See JAPAN, Page 4
Cassandra Beck
cbeck6@kent.edu
Kent State University Library is now open 24 hours a day, five days a week as of Sunday at noon. The library will now open at noon Sundays and close at 10 p.m. Fridays. Saturday hours will be 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The 24/5 schedule will end May 6 and resume in the fall. “With the digital revolution, library use was expected to decline, but the opposite is true,” said James Bracken, dean of Library and Media Services. “Students are pushing for libraries to be open all the time. They want to know they have a place to go that is safe, comfortable and has resources available.”
Daniel Moore
dmoore63@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Ally Snyder was a mathematics major when she came to Kent State. Currently in her second year, she has an internship this summer at Pressley Ridge School for the Deaf in Pittsburgh, Pa. As a freshman, she knew she also had an interest in sign language, so she decided to take a course in American Sign Language and became enthralled with everything about it. “My second semester here I realized I was miserable in my math classes and could not stand it,” Snyder said. “I loved my ASL classes. I loved the other students. I loved the teachers.” Snyder said she then changed her major to deaf education. But such changes won’t be possible for students beginning Fall 2011. The university plans to restrict all American Sign Language courses on the main campus to students enrolled in an ASL major or minor, a deaf education major or an educational interpreting major, according to the university’s website. She joined with fellow students to form the group Silent Standoff,
American Sign language above reads “majors only.”
which petitioned online against the university’s planned changes. As of Sunday afternoon, the petition had over 1,550 signatures, according to the website. “I wouldn’t have had those opportunities if I hadn’t been involved in sign,” Snyder said. Bethany Stahler, a senior ASL major, drafted the petition. She said she came from New Jersey to Kent State for its accredited ASL program. According to the Kent State website, the program is the only one of its kind in the nation to have national recognition and accreditation from both the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). “Everyone knows about how great the Kent State ASL program is,” Stahler said. Stahler said she considers the restrictions to be discriminatory and feels university officials are ignoring those students who want to take ASL courses as an elective. Timothy Moerland, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote in an email response to the petition that the change is being made for “budgetary, staffing and programmatic reasons.” “It will allow us to raise the
instructional standards in the sections offered at the Kent campus and strengthen the program,” Moerland wrote. “Majors (will) emerge with a stronger foundation.” He wrote that in the face of limited financial resources, “our choice is to keep the ASL major strong.” However, Stahler said placing limitations on the major will make it weaker. Professions, like doctors, should be able to have a basic, practical knowledge of the language without having to declare a minor, she said. “ASL can be used in any field — it says it right on the website,” Stahler said. “Kent’s not fulfilling its obligation to offer courses that make you a well-rounded student.” Also, she said, weakening the ASL program hurts the university because, like fashion and architecture, the program draws students. Snyder said Silent Standoff has been unable to get a definitive number of cuts in terms of faculty and class sections, but she believes a number of teachers were laid off already. “They don’t really want to talk about any of this,” Snyder said. “But how do you keep a full staff full time when you have no classes?” Jennifer Larson, chair for modern and classical languages, said
she has spoken with many students in the past couple of weeks about the matter, and it “speaks highly” of the ASL program to have so many students involved in fighting the change. However, she said some of the opponents of the change may be misinformed. She reiterated the ASL program is not shutting down, and the ASL courses at Kent State University still count as a foreign language requirement. “I would caution people to make sure they get the facts right, as there has been a lot of misinformation flying around,” Larson said. Snyder said she fears Kent State would lose its recently earned accreditation if too many students left the program. “It just doesn’t make sense,” Stahler said. “Let people take the class.” Stahler said she never expected the petition to take off like it did. She said she understands there’s a possibility the university won’t change its mind, but she is doing everything she can to make sure they do. “We have such a diverse group of people that care,” she said. “I think they’re starting to realize (that.)” Daniel Moore is the diversity reporter.
Graphic by Sara Scanes | Daily Kent Stater
Circulation desk services will be available during 24/5, but no cash-based transactions will be provided after 11 p.m. No additional staff was hired to extend the library’s hours. Instead, existing staff hours have been altered, meaning there will be no additional cost to the University Library. Students, faculty and staff must check in with their Flash ID to a security aide to enter to the building after 11 p.m. Only one set of doors in the main entrance area will be used to let students in and out. Security escorts will be available for those leaving the building after dark and before sunrise. Summer intersession and semester hours can be found at www.library.kent.edu/locations and hours.php. Cassandra Beck is the Library and Information Science reporter.
Kent State receives $2 million grant for custodial research Kelsey Misbrener
kmisbren@kent.edu
University to restrict ASL courses to majors only
See FORD, Page 4
Library announces extended hours
Daily Kent Stater
Submitted photo
Kent State made a run in the NIT after defeating Saint Mary’s and Fairfield before falling to Colorado in the quarterfinals. FORD This season, Ford led the Flashes to a 25-12 record. During the regular season, Kent State led the MAC East with a 12-4 conference record in order to gain the automatic bid into the NIT. To start the season, Kent State displayed a roster full of inexperienced players. But Ford managed to transform a roster with 10 new faces into a well-rounded team that made a run late into the postseason. Ford, who was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, leaves Kent State after leading the Flashes to two, more than 20-win seasons.
Daily Kent Stater More grandparents are acting as full-time parents for their grandchildren than ever before, said Greg Smith, professor of lifespan development and educational sciences. Kent State received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for a Custodial Grandparent Study. Smith said the study will focus on the psychological difficulties that both custodial grandparents, those who care for grandchildren full-time, and grandchildren suffer because of the unusual parenting situation. Smith, the principal investigator of the project, said the study is important for three reasons. “There’s growing numbers of these families,” Smith said. “The grandparents are at risk for a lot of stress, because this is coming at them at a time in their life, you know, when they thought their parenting duties were all over with. And then the kids are at a great deal of risk because of trauma they may have experienced as a result of their parents’ behavior.” The problem isn’t specific to a certain part of the population. It cuts across social class, race and age, project director Karie Feldman said. Smith said the growing amount of custodial grandparents is primarily due to parents with substance abuse problems. “Because of that, a lot of these kids have been either abused or neglected, so they’re at increased risk for a lot of behavioral and emotional problems,” Smith said. The directors of the study will start by recruiting 126 custodial grandmothers throughout the state of Ohio. Smith said they chose to focus on grandmothers
because they are usually the primary caregivers. They will meet in groups of seven to nine once per week for 11 weeks and participate in activities led by group leaders. A mental health professional and a fellow custodial grandmother will act as leader and co-leader of each group. Feldman said some activities will be parenting-related while others will focus on nutrition. “We’re really offering them free support,” Feldman said. “We’re saying, ‘Come to these groups, have a chance to talk about the issues that you’re having. We’ll give you some resources.’” According to the project outline, the mental health professionals will continue to follow up on the participants’ progress a year after the meetings to see if the children and grandparents have better emotional health. Smith said this study is important because custodial grandparents may have an “outdated” parenting style. “We have new understandings about parenting, so they may not have caught on,” Smith said. “Kids have changed, you know, being a 12 year old now is different than it was, you know, when their kid was 12.” Smith researched custodial grandparents for many years with colleagues in Baltimore, Texas and California. Those colleagues will also receive some of the grant money and conduct similar experiments. “The bottom line is, most of these grandparents really love these kids, you know, so it’s not like they’re not doing a good job or aren’t trying to do a good job,” Smith said. Kelsey Misbrener is the College of Education, Heath and Human Services reporter.
Page 2 | Monday, March 28, 2011
Daily Kent Stater
CAMPUS CALENDAR
For the week of March 28 — April 3
KentWired.com
MONDAY
Art Club
Show When: 9 a.m. Where: Music Listening Center in the Student Center
n UNICEF
KSU World Water Week When: 11 a.m. Where: Student Center
n Wristbands
for Japan When: 11 a.m. Where: Student Center
n Life
Blood Table When: Noon Where: Student Center
n Cut
Throat Pool When: 8 p.m. Where: Cyber Café
n Zumba
When: 7:15 p.m. Where: Student Center Ballroom
n Congo
Tour for Invisible Children When: 8 p.m. Where: Kiva
TUESDAY
n Hemp
Jewelry Sale When: 11 a.m. Where: Student Center
n Fusion
magazine T-shirt sale When: 4 p.m. Where: Student Center
n Commuter/Off-
campus Students meeting When: 5 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 302
n Resume
Career Building Workshop When: 6 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 206
n UNICEF
KSU meeting When: 8:30 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 303
n KIC
meeting When: 6 p.m. Where: Student Center Governance Chambers
n Pilates
When: 7:15 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 204
wednesday n USG
meeting When: 8 a.m. Where: Student Center Governance Chambers
n KSU
Pre-Law Club meeting When: 5:15 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 309
n Men
Empowerment Network When: 6 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 206
n Greek
President
meeting When: 6 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 319
n Election
Forum for N.A.A.C.P. When: 6 p.m. Where: Oscar Ritchie Hall Room 250
n Speaker
Max Edelman When: 7 p.m. Where: Kiva
n Let’s
thursday
n Columbus
Program Informational Table by Political Science Department When: 11 a.m. Where: Student Center
n “The
Evolution of Drug Policy: The Role of States and Communities,” Dr. Duane C. McBride When: Noon Where: Moulton Hall Ballroom
n Cooking
Class When: 5 p.m. Where: Eastway Private Dining Room
n Pizza
Wars When: 7 p.m. Where: Student Center Dining Room
n USG
Comedy Night When: 8 p.m. Where: Rathskeller
n MODISTA
Dance When: 7 p.m. Where: Oscar Ritchie Hall Room 340
minority fashion show When: 7 p.m. Where: Student Center Ballroom Room 320
HAVE AN EVENT YOU WANT TO SEE HERE? Send information to lcoutre@kent.edu by the Thursday of the week before.
Student hurt in Kent crash released from city hospital RECORD-COURIER STAFF REPORT
One of the two Theodore Roosevelt High School students hospitalized after a March 16 traffic crash at Crain Avenue and Lake Street in Kent has been released from the hospital. Roosevelt senior Jake Prunty was released from Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna on March 17. Prunty told the RecordCourier that he suffered a fractured vertebra in the crash that seriously injured fellow senior Zach Marlow and briefly hospitalized three other seniors. Marlow remains hospitalized at Akron City Hospital. He was briefly trapped under the Jeep Liberty SUV the students were riding in when it flipped over near the Crain Avenue bridge at 11:15 a.m. March 16. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Managing editor Josh Johnston jjohns64@kent.edu
friday
saturday
n
n
Graduate Student Senate Conference When: 7 a.m. Where: Student Center
n Kiswahili
Language
Hour When: 3 p.m. Where: Oscar Ritchie Hall Room 240
n UNICEF
KSU Walk
for Water When: 3 p.m. Where: Risman Plaza
n Sand
Wars by Phi Kappa Tau When: Noon Where: Centennial volleyball court
n African
Night When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Student Center Ballroom
n Late
Night Entertainment by CSI When: 9 p.m. Where: Rathskeller
Spring Race by Recreational Services When: 8 a.m. Where: Student Recreation and Wellness Center
n Real
Late Reels: The Sandlot When: 11 p.m. Where: Kiva
n Late
Night Entertainment by CSI When: 9 p.m. Where: Rathskeller
sunday n USO
Talent Show Auditions When: 3 p.m. Where: Kiva
n Worship
Gatheringh2o Church When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Bowman Hall Room 137
n Real
Late Reels: The Sandlot When: 11 p.m. Where: Kiva
dmoore63@kent.edu
Britni Williams
bwilli61@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater A recent survey of more than 2,300 undergraduates found 45 percent of college students do not show improvement in critical thinking skills. The results troubled Senior Associate Provost Timothy Chandler, who headed the recent Kent Core makeover. Chandler said there’s a mismatch between what professors think they’re teaching and what students are gaining from each course, and it is critical the style of classes change. “It’s not about exams and grades,” he said. “We’re moving (toward) much more subtle forms of assessment, writing more and expressing things more. People are realizing it’s not just about taking a course.” The study, conducted by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa was released in January in their book “Academically Adrift,” gathered results of the Collegiate Learning Assessments (CLAs) from 24 unidentified schools in Fall 2005 and again in Spring 2007. The CLA measures a student’s critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving and written communication, according to the test’s institutional report. David Dees, an associate professor in the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration at the Salem campus, is working with Chandler to ensure that students at Kent State don’t become academically adrift. He said he wants an across-
Managing editor Kelly Byer kbyer@kent.edu
News
SPORTS
Assigning editors
Sports editor
lcoutre@kent.edu
cerbache@kent.edu Assistant sports editor
Lydia Coutré
Emily Inverso
einverso@kent.edu
(Due to space restrictions, not all events may be included.
the-board approach to changing the curriculum, which includes infusing diversity through the globalization of classes. “Are we there yet? No,” Dees said. “But the structure is in place.” Kent State’s structure, Dees said, is centered around change driven by proper feedback from faculty and students — something the schools in Arum and Roksa’s survey did not do. “They took their eye off the ball and focused on other things,” Dees said of the surveyed schools. “We’ve had our eye on the right ball.” Dees said in the past five years, Kent State has been focusing on undergraduate education philosophy by collecting data, reviewing the Kent Core requirements and developing learning outcomes. The recent experiential learning requirement, he said, is an effort to shift curriculum to better prepare students through experience. “We’re asking the right questions and correcting the right kind of information now,” he said. “By 2013, every Kent Core course will have a learning outcome tied to the types of assessment faculty do to achieve that learning outcome.” Provost Robert Frank said he is hesitant to rely on the results of the CLA’s. He said it’s fair to be critical of the CLAs and any assessment that measures student learning and professor performance. “These are hard skills to measure,” Frank said. “Both our tendency to measure and perhaps the actual measures we use aren’t as developed as they should be.” Kent State completed its pilot year of administering the CLAs for students in
2010, Dr. Stephane Booth said. Although the results can’t be compared to the Academically Adrift survey because the test hasn’t measured any growth, she said, the university gains valuable data about what specific areas of critical thinking faculty needs to focus on. “(It’s) good information to get to faculty,” Booth said. “This is just the beginning.” Dees said faculty will play a key role in driving the curriculum change. While the impact of the changes will be unpredictable, Dees said he feels they are also concerned about students gaining critical thinking skills. “The faculty I’ve spoken with are so passionate about learning in the classroom,” he said. “I really mean it.” Any major change will come slow, he said, because the university is a strong democracy and everyone is welcome and free to voice opinions. Elaina Sauber, freshman English major, said the amount of critical thinking Kent State demands of students largely depends on a student’s major. “I think English and history are more demanding,” Sauber said. Sauber said the university should “absolutely” enforce writing, argumentative skills and subjective thinking in the curriculum of majors that are lacking it. “Not only does it help students understand theories and concepts better,” she said, “but it also teaches them to ask why and challenge things. Just because you ask why doesn’t mean you’re wrong.” Daniel Moore is the diversity reporter. Britni Williams is an academic reporter.
Cody Erbacher
Kelly Petryszyn
Lance Lysowski
Taylor Rogers
OPINION
kpetrysz@kent.edu trogers@kent.edu
Nicole Stempak
nstempak@kent.edu
Jessica White
jwhite83@kent.edu City editor
Allison Smith asmith75@kent.edu Copy desk chief
Jennifer Shore
jshore2@kent.edu
llysowsk@kent.edu Opinion editor
Rabab Al-Sharif ralshari@kent.edu
Visuals Photo editor
Rachel Kilroy
rkilroy@kent.edu Assistant photo editor
Hannah Potes
hpotes@kent.edu
KentWired editor
Design director
fyonkof@kent.edu
sromba@kent.edu
Features
Kate Penrod
Frank Yonkof
Features/A.L.L. editor
Laura Lofgren
llofgren@kent.edu Assistant Features/ A.L.L. editor
Stefanie Romba
A.L.L. design editor kpenrod1@kent.edu Lead page designer
Sara Scanes
sscanes@kent.edu
Nicole Aikens
naikens@kent.edu
AdvertIsing 330-672-2586 Sales Manager Rachel Polchek 330-672-0888 Account executive
Michelle Bair
330-672-2697 Account executive
Korie Culleiton
330-672-2697 Account executive
Bethany English
Kent State trying to buck college learning trend Daniel Moore
240 Franklin Hall Kent State University Kent, Ohio 44242 NewSroom 330-672-2584 Editor Regina Garcia Cano rgarcia1@kent.edu
Go to KentWired.com to see the interactive entertainment calendar. The calendar covers entertainment events on campus and in the city of Kent.
n Roberts
DAILY KENT STATER
330-672-2590 Account executive
Katie Kuczek
Account executive
Nicole Lade
330-672-2585 Broadcast and magazine representative
Paul Gimmel
330-672-2585 Online representative
Kevin Collins 330-672-3251
330-672-2590
Student media 330-672-2586 Manager
Classifieds ad manager
Lori Cantor
Kelly Pickerel
Tami Bongiorni
Carl Schierhorn
Chris Sharron
Susan Kirkman Zake
330-672-0887, lcantor@ kent.edu Advertising manager
330-672-0883, kpickere@ kent.edu Stater adviser
330-672-6306, tbongior@ kent.edu Production manager
330-672-8286, cschierh@ kent.edu Newsroom Adviser
330-672-0886, csharron@ kent.edu Business officer
330-329-5852, szake@kent.edu
Norma Young
330-672-0884, njyoung1@ kent.edu
CORRECTIONS The Daily Kent Stater recognizes the responsibility to correct errors that occur in the newspaper. When errors occur in the newspaper, corrections will appear in this space as promptly as possible.
OPINION
Daily Kent Stater
The Opinion Page is an outlet for our community’s varied opinions. Submit letters to: Letters to the Editor Daily Kent Stater 240 Franklin Hall/KSU Kent, Ohio 44242 ■ stater@kent.edu Subject: Letters to the Editor ■ Fax: 330-672-5064 ■ Be sure to include your phone number.
Monday, March 28, 2011 | Page 3
ABOUT THE OPINION PAGE The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors. Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions become property of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words, and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.
DKS EDITORIAL BOARD Regina Garcia Cano Editor Josh Johnston Managing editor Rabab Al-Sharif Opinion editor
Laura Lofgren Features/A.L.L. editor Lydia Coutré Assigning editor Lance Lysowski Assistant sports editor
FAMOUS QUOTE “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” — Audrey Hepburn
■
DID YOU KNOW? At 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979, the worst accident in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry begins when a pressure valve in the Unit-2 reactor at Three Mile Island fails to close. — History.com
Relying on RateMyProfessors.com If you haven’t already been on it, you’re sure to use it sometime in the next week or two. Kent State course registration for next fall begins this week, and most of the student body will likely use the services of RateMyProfessors.com, the website that lets college students give feedback about professors they’ve had in the past. On the website, students can rate their professors by helpfulness, clarity and easiness. These rankings are extremely helpful to the college student who wants the easy way out — so, most of us. If given the choice between a strict grader and lenient one, it’s only natural for students to choose the teacher who will give them the clearest path to a good grade. Luckily for us, today’s college scholar has that choice. Most of the professors at Kent State are listed on RateMyProfessors with multiple ratings and comments from past students. Just about everyone I know, including myself, relies on it when deciding which classes we will take the next semester. The website has become almost as necessary in choosing classes as the actual listing of classes itself on Flashline. Most of the leeway students have in selecting which professor they want comes when there are numerous sections of a course available. However, this isn’t always the case. As a student progresses through an academic program, the courses they are required to take become smaller and smaller, giving the student little to no choice as to who their professor is. Once multisection LER classes are out of the way, the benefits of RateMyProfessors are much more limited. In addition to curriculum restrictions, students also have to deal with schedule conflicts. At the end of the day, if you have to take a class, you have to take a class. However, even if there is no choice in who teaches a course in a given semester, the ratings and comments
Mike Crissman on RateMyProfessors at least lets students know what to expect. There is a lighter side to RateMyProfessors that allows students to rate the appearance of their professors by answering “hot” or “not.” Scrolling through the list of Kent State instructors on the website, you can see there are an awful lot of red chili peppers, indicating “hotness.” In fact, there are so many that I begin to question whether or not I attend the same college. Either my perception of attractiveness is out of whack, or I go to school with a lot of creepy 20-yearolds who want to get in bed with some elderly people. It’s true that the hotness ratings are hardly taken seriously by the students deciding them. Nevertheless, it is funny. Whenever I’ve used RateMyProfessors in the past, part of me questions the rationale behind purposely choosing easier teachers. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that any knowledge lost in taking a class with a more sympathetic teacher is minimal at best. The peace of mind the website provides makes it more than worth it. College classes are expensive. I want to make sure what I’m paying for won’t make me miserable. Using RateMyProfessors is no different than looking up reviews for a car. I don’t want to buy a Dodge Viper with faulty brakes. That’s dangerous. Mike Crissman is a sophomore newspaper journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at mcrissm2@kent.edu.
editors’
SUMMARY: Daily Kent Stater and KentWired.com stand by their decision to run photos they deem newsworthy.
VIEW
Why we posted a controversial photo
A serious car accident occurred near the Crain Avenue bridge on March 16. Five seniors at Theodore Roosevelt High School were involved in a rollover while returning from their lunch break. One student was briefly trapped beneath the flipped SUV. The five students were transported to area hospitals. As with other major accidents, we quickly dispatched our photographers. Within hours, we faced a wave of criticism. As soon as photographers returned to the newsroom, an editor quickly reviewed the photos and posted two of them to KentWired.com. One showed Kent police and fire units responding to the scene at the intersection of Crain Avenue and Lake Street. The photo that generated criticism showed senior Zach Marlow lying on a stretcher as he was being carried into an ambulance, his face and hands bloody. Marlow was conscious and not disfigured. At the top of the page, we included a warning to our readers regarding the graphic image. After we began receiving criticism about the photo, Stater and KentWired editors debated whether to take the photo off our website and whether to print the photo in the newspaper. We were conflicted about the privacy and dignity of Marlow and his family. All editors agreed not to publish the photo on the front page of the Stater with the story, and we had disagreements about taking it off the website. Below, we share our reasoning. Please note that because of our publication schedule and spring break, we have not had published a paper since March 17. This is our first opportunity to explain what happened in the newsroom. From a legal standpoint, we did not vio-
late any law. The photo was taken in a public place where people have no reasonable expectation of privacy. From a journalistic standpoint, we believe the photo tells an important story. The image showed how rescue workers were rushing to aid the victim and how they seemed concerned for his well-being. We chose to omit the image from the Daily Kent Stater because we understood not everyone would be prepared to view it. On KentWired, however, we were able to warn readers about the graphic nature of the photo. We gave them the opportunity to decide whether to scroll down and see the image. From an ethical standpoint, we discussed dignity and respect. We believe we did not hurt the dignity of the victim and his family. We did not sensationalize the accident by running the photo on the front page of the paper or as the main image on KentWired. We respected the victims and their families while continuing to fulfill our role as a news source in Kent by reporting events in our city. The photo spurred an outpouring of empathy toward the victims and incited a conversation among readers that was both critical of us and supportive of Marlow. Readers responded in several ways to the photo. A comment on KentWired read: “A big thank you to our Kent first responders, police department, and fire department for taking care of our children when it is needed the most! To the parents of Zach & Jake, my prayers and thoughts are with you and your son’s (sic).” Another reader commented: “I am very close to Zach. This picture should NOT have been published. This is invading his
and his families (sic) privacy. There should not have been anything graphic posted with this “article” and I agree whoever posted this picture should be fired.” Another reader wrote: “I want to let you all know that arguing that this image of him is too graphic is irrelevant and useless. This tragedy will live in the lives of the witnesses, victims, friends, and family forever. There is no need for useless ranting. The concern should be for Zach and the others in the car. Most of you don’t know what he is undergoing at the moment, but I know you would never want to experience it. Just please look at the big picture and leave the photograph alone.” We recognize that there are unfortunate, tragic and awful events that take place in life, and for news outlets, there are sure to be some graphic images of those events. Think of the images of war, of the 9/11 attacks of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and of recent earthquakes. A photo of a bloody face is on the less graphic end of the spectrum. This time it was a car accident; next time, it might be a house explosion or a street fight — all are events we are compelled to cover as a source of news and information for Kent State and the greater Kent area. People will not always agree when a decision comes down to an ethical dilemma between offending some readers, potentially upsetting a victim’s family and covering the news. In this case, we stand by the newsworthiness of the situation and our decision to run the photo. (If you choose to see the coverage of the accident, go to http://tinyurl.com/crainave). The above editorial is the opinion of the Daily Kent Stater ‘s editor and KentWired.com’s editor.
“Fat Actress” is not amused A recent crack by late night comedy host George Lopez has caused a lot more controversy than expected. Lopez compared actress Kirstie Alley to a pig on “Lopez Tonight,” but the comment was not well received by Alley. Alley responded the way that any celebrity begging for attention would, by firing back on Twitter. She proclaimed Lopez was the big bad wolf in the situation, which makes one wonder if she realizes she’s still a pig in this analogy. Maybe this outrage has to do with respect, not that many people are looking to earn Alley’s coveted respect. I have seen Conan O’Brien make multiple jokes about Alley that were much more offensive than Lopez’s (and funnier). If you look through it all, it seems like a sorry publicity stunt by Alley. Don’t get me wrong; I’m very thankful that she took this route for a publicity stunt rather than the sex tape route. But Alley has made her entire “career” on her weight. She used to be on a show titled “Fat Actress.” If I publicly declared myself to be fat, I wouldn’t lash out at people for agreeing with me. She must’ve
Dylan Lusk thought maybe this was her chance to shine once again. The Jenny Craig commercials don’t seem to be cutting it for stardom. It’s hard to choose sides in this argument. I’m torn between a fat dude and a Mexican comedian who looks like an old catcher’s mitt. As much as it kills me to say, I have to side with Lopez here. If you don’t want to be ridiculed then don’t put yourself in the limelight. I’ll make fun of any celebrity I see, because it makes me feel better about myself. Nothing soothes the soul like insulting someone more successful than you. My favorite part of this battle was the comeback from Alley. She insulted Lopez for
receiving a kidney transplant, which is hardly an insult at all. That’s just living; you can’t insult someone for that. She even asked for his kidney back, presumably for a late night snack. Lopez has since apologized for his comments. However, he was not forgiven right away. Alley did not buy into Lopez’ apology at first. Although, he does not seem like the type of person to just throw an apology around. This is the man that punched Carlos Mencia in the face for stealing material from him. However, after a few more days in the spotlight, she finally forgave him. So say this is a publicity stunt, did it have any effect? I still won’t watch “Lopez Tonight.” And I still don’t understand “Dancing with the Stars.” The only thing that has changed for me is that I remembered Alley exists. It just goes to show you that the only way to get to the general public is with a sex tape.
Dylan Lusk is a sophomore electronic media production major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. You can contact him at dlusk2@kent.edu.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR I read in the Daily Kent Stater a few weeks ago that “Waiting for Superman” was being shown at Kent State. While I have major concerns about the movie, I do not have a concern with the movie being shown. I have always believed that college is a time to be exposed to diverse ideas, and students need to learn how to critically examine the information they are presented in order to develop their own beliefs. My concern is the article said the “film shows the scary and realistic state of education.” Although I would agree there are areas in which change is clearly necessary, few, if any, education experts would describe “Waiting for Superman” as a realistic portrayal of the American education system. In fact, many of the points made in the movie are inconsistent with the research and data that is available. Here are just a few examples that have been provided by experts in education from across the country: 1. The movie suggests public school quality in the United States is low. The fact is U.S. students at public schools in wealthier districts rank among the best in the world. Moreover, 77% of parents rate their child’s public school as good or excellent. The major problem is not that the public education system is completely broken, but that it is not equitable. Our students
from poorer families are not provided with the same opportunities for educational success as those from more affluent families. 2. The movie suggests funding levels for schools do not make a difference when addressing issues related to poverty. However, the movie unintentionally refutes this by showing the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) as an example of achieving success with children in poverty. HCZ is heavily funded from private sources allowing it to provide a wide range of services, including health care, which are not available to students and families in other poor districts. In other words, funding does make a difference. 3. The movie suggests charter schools are the answer. While there are some very successful charter schools, charter schools do not generally perform better than traditional public schools. In fact, when examining schools with similar student populations, a Stanford University study found 46% of the charters do about the same, 17% do better, and 37% actually do worse. 4. The movie suggests teacher unions are the major problem. The fact is the states in which students perform the best have the most unionized teachers, and the lowest performance
levels are in states with weak or few unions. Moreover, Finland, which is widely recognized as the most successful country with regards to K-12 education, is also unionized, even for student teachers. 5. The movie suggests competition among teachers and schools will improve education. The fact is there is no evidence to support this theory. Actually, there was a recent study at Vanderbilt University that found that merit pay for teachers did not have an impact on student performance. While I could continue with a number of other examples (as many education scholars have), the point is the movie provides only a small snapshot of some examples in education today and does not provide a good overview of the education system as a whole. I would encourage any student or university community member who is truly interested in understanding and helping to solve the problems in K-12 education to go beyond “Waiting for Superman” to search for answers.
Daniel F. Mahony is the dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services.
Page 4 | Monday, March 28, 2011 From Page 1
JAPAN Kent State student shares her experience after living through Japan’s earthquake Kasakura watched the tsunami news on TV and knew that many of her friends and family were experiencing it. She has friends whose homes were destroyed. Fortunately, they and their families are OK. One of Kasakura’s friends, though, is still unable to contact her grandparents who lived in that region. Tamaki said she thinks many people in Japan are now having mental health problems, an aftermath that still isn’t being addressed. “I couldn’t sleep for three days,” she said. “I think almost all Japanese couldn’t sleep.” About once an hour, the ground would start to shake again and everyone’s cell phones would ring to alert them of an earthquake emergency. “They was not bigger than first one, but I think they still big earthquake,” she said. “We felt sick because of always shaking.” In the following days, Tokyo began to experience food and gas shortages. Houses were restricted to using no more than 21 hours of electricity a day. And, like international media outlets, local media focused on damages in the north, so Kasakura said it was hard to find out what was going on around her. “Even
Daily Kent Stater Japanese TV news they don’t focus on Tokyo or nearby Tokyo,” Kasakura said, “Actually, we don’t know how much damage in nearby Tokyo.” Many people are evacuating, she said. “I think many people are trying to buy tickets to go to Korea or China. Maybe they are trying to escape from this earthquake and the nuclear plant problem.” At the airport, where earthquakes still threatened to cancel flights, Kasakura saw teary-eyed families being divided, husbands staying and wives and children leaving. “It’s really sad,” she said. Kasakura left Japan on March 15 to return to Kent. “It was really hard,” she said, “But I thought, ‘I have to live my daily life.’” As sad as it was to leave, she said her mother thinks she is safer here. “She think if I am in U.S., she feel better, because I am OK,” Kasakura said. Because of the time difference, she cannot talk to her family often, but she does stay in touch through email. Her mother says that buying food has become more difficult. The rolling blackouts continue to shut down parts of the city. Some days she cannot go to work because the trains aren’t running. Day-to-day life is becoming more of a challenge. “Many people can’t live their own life,” she said. “Even if there is no huge damages, we don’t have enough food and gasoline in Tokyo.” Both of her parents work in public ser-
From Page 1
FORD Ford next head coach at Bradley
THOMAS SONG | DAILY KENT STATER
The sun sets on an empty road in Sendai, Japan, Thursday. Many areas hit by the tsunami still remain flooded and abandoned. vice, and her mother will likely go to a disaster area soon to help victims. “I worry about radiation,” Kasakura said. “It’s really scary.” If things get worse, her sister may come to the U.S., too. Kasakura said she feels bad about leaving
Japan. The Japanese people are very grateful for the help they have been receiving, she said, and she knows they will need it for a long time. She hopes the world won’t forget Japan. Lauren Spilar is a contributing reporter.
Ford recorded 68 wins and 37 losses during his time at Kent State, with a 35-13 conference record. Ford will have the responsibility to transform a Bradley program that finished the season in a tie for ninth place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Braves, who are expected to five of the top seven scorers for the 2011-12 season, finished with a 12-20 overall record and a 4-14 conference record. According to Bradley’s press release, Ford will be introduced as Bradley University’s head coach during a press conference at noon Monday on the court at Renaissance Coliseum. The event will be streamed live online. Cody Erbacher is the sports editor.
KENTWIRED.COM Get the link online to watch the event streaming.
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Rent Love Vintage? Check out: www.etsy.com/shop/ vintageous102607
Parasson’s Italian Restaurant Hiring All Positions, All Shifts, Starting at $8-$10/hr. Apply in person 11AM9PM, no phone calls please. 3983 Darrow Rd., Stow SUMMER EMPLOYMENT. Summit County Health District Mosquito Control Program. $10.30/hr M-F 8am-4pm. Mid-May through August. Primarily outdoor work. Biology/ health/science majors preferred. msmith@schd.org / 330-926-5602 EOE Part-time landscape workers needed. Male/Female. Morning/ early afternoon hours. $8/Hour. Must have own car. 330-208-8226 Lawn Fertilization Company seeks employee. Must have valid Ohio drivers license 4 points or less, please call 330-688-3389 Jobs for Students! Simply Color Industries, a photographic printing business, wants your help! We are looking for creative and hardworking individuals to join our production team. 12-24 hours per week Flexible scheduling (4 hour shifts) Light Assembly. No Experience Necessary. Email your interest and resume to harold@simplycanvas.com Barrington Golf Club Seasonal summer servers/cooks/ bartenders, meals and uniforms provided, competitive wages, apply in person. 350 N Aurora Rd Aurora EOE
Buyer Beware! We make every effort to screen for fraudulent advertising, however, we cannot guarantee the veracity of the advertisers and their messages in this section. It is important for consumers to respond to any advertisement with the utmost caution.
On Campus Employment Network and Telecom Services is seeking student workers for the spring/summer and fall semesters. Starting pay is $8.50/hour. Flexible schedule. Call 330-672-3747.
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All real estate advertised herin is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information.
Efficiency and 1 bdrm apartments available now. Heat included! Call 330-678-0746 Hurry!!! Efficiency apartments still left. Call 330-678-0123 $100 OFF 1ST MONTH’S RENT Kent: 2-3 bdrm spacious apt. move in now Call 330-678-0823 NOW LEASING FOR FALL 5,4,2,1 bedroom Houses. Efficiency. Good Location Near KSU. Call 330-554-8353 KENT RENTALS 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses. Call Rich 330-221-0030. Spacious 4&5 bedrooms houses with 2 full baths. Great condition, great location, A/C, W/D, dishwasher, deck, garage.
horoscope By Nancy Black Today’s Birthday (03/28/11) Forrest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” Let yourself try as many new experiences as your heart desires. Don’t forget to share, or you might get a stomachache. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 6. As T.S. Eliot said, “To make an end is to make a beginning.” Like a chimp, let go of one vine to swing on to the next. Don’t look down, but straight ahead.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 7. Your energy and resourcefulness move projects ahead powerfully, despite your feeling decidedly antisocial. It’s fine to dig in to the work. Be open to changes for the better.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7. There’s this constant dance going on to balance work and home life. Don’t be tempted by risky ventures, but rather aim to spend time peacefully managing obligations.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is an 8. You get a lot done today. Something you’ve been looking for may suddenly appear. Go ahead and get it, but consider the long-term implications of big purchases.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7. You’re planning an adventure of discovery. Doors are opening. You may feel like hiding out before taking this leap toward fulfilling a purpose or dream. That’s okay.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 6. Projects are moving forward, propelled by animated, creative conversation. Don’t listen to inner cynicism. And get a second opinion before making financial choices.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 9. You’re the king of the jungle. But remember that your species can’t survive because of you alone. We’re all in this together. Devote attention to others.
Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 7. Find your spiritual side, and listen. You have the energy, resources and ability to generate something you’ve been wanting. Release self-doubt and pessimism.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is an 8. You’re grounded, energetic and resourceful. Projects are really rolling. Don’t go so fast that you run over someone. Be open to something new for an unexpected bonus.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 6. There are too many unanswered questions. Some parts of life seem dark and gloomy, while others are bright and colorful. Focus on the latter.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 7. Unless distracted by introspection and self-criticism, you can really move a group project forward. Imagine its intention fulfilled, despite any negative inner comments.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 5. Get out and do something with a friend or sibling. Meet for coffee; go for a day trip or an afternoon hike. Let them talk you out of any lingering insecurities.
Several units available: -Deluxe 4/5 bedroom units. $360 per room. -All inclusive, $350 per room. 330-808-4045 Hurry In 2BR Apts available for Fall Free Heat and Water, Pets Welcome, Outdoor Pool 330-673-5364 1 & 2 bed apartments. All utilities included except electric. Call to schedule your tour today (330)6780972 Large 2 bedroom 1.5 bath apartment $585/month + deposit & electric. Heat, water and trash included. 330312-0066 or 330-968-4930 Apartments for Rent: 1 bedroom apartment in a house. Kitchen, living room, bath. Separate entrance. No pets. One year lease. Available in August. 330-673-8505 or 330-221-8218 1&3 Bedroom Apartments Close to Campus Joe (330)310-1494. Kent- Quiet 1, 2&3 bedroom. $525, $590, $780. 330-677-5577 HIDDEN PINES Town homes 4 bedrooms 2 bath. W/D. ALL utilities included. $365/mo/bdrm www.hidden-pines.com 440-708-2372 Kent near downtown and campus 2 bedroom apartment, all utilities paid except electric, $350/bedroom + security deposit. (330) 676-9440 5 bedroom / 2.5 bath town homes Start at $300/month/resident Call 330-990-4019 tahays-management.com
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Now leasing for Fall: a beautiful newly redecorated 2 bedroom duplex, washer/dryer hookup, 3 blocks from downtown and KSU, $300/student. 330-687-6122. Now leasing for Fall: a beautiful newly redecorated 2-bedroom 1.5bath, townhouse with washer/dryer hookup, central air, free water and garbage pickup, $350/person. 1 block from KSU. 330-687-6122 Now Leasing for June, a beautiful newer condo, 2 large bedroom, 2.5 bath, double car garage, central air, backyard deck. $375/student. 330687-6122 NO UTL INC UNIVERSITY TOWNHOME. 5 BDS, 2.5 BATHS, STOVE, REFRIG, W/D, A/C. $345.00 PER PERSON; WWW.JLCASTO. COM CALL 330-688-7040. $495.00 FIRST 3 MONTHS. 2BD 1BTH TOWNHOME. LAUNDRY, CARPORT. jlcasto.com 330-688-7040
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Page 6 | Monday, March 28, 2011
Daily Kent Stater
SPORTS Sports editor: Cody Erbacher • cerbache@kent.edu
Men’s basketball ends season with tournament run Rachel Jones
rjones62@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater
PHOTO COURTESY OF DREW HALLOWELL | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dustin Kilgore wrestles Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State University during the Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Kilgore defeated Foster by fall to win the 197 pound national title.
Kilgore: national wrestling champion A.J. Atkinson
aatkins2@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater A minute was left in the second period when Dustin Kilgore, Kent State’s lone representative in the final round of the wrestling NCAA Tournament, trailed 5-1 to Oklahoma State’s Clayton Foster. With 30 seconds remaining in the second, period Jim Andrassy, Kent State coach, said he was just hoping for a two-point takedown to narrow the lead to 5-3 for the final period. Kilgore was thinking more than just twopoints in the championship match held in Philadelphia on March 19. As Foster rolled to escape, Kilgore saw his opportunity. He jumped in and pinned Foster with just four seconds to go in the second period to become Kent State’s first national champion wrestler. “It’s the best feeling ever,” the 197-pound national champ said. “I just wanted it really bad. This is mind-blowing.”
“As soon as I saw (Foster) get tired, I knew right then I had to push myself twice as hard — harder than I’ve ever been pushed before. I wanted it and I got it. I’m just thankful my body had the conditioning it does, because, without a doubt, that’s what got the job done.” Kilgore’s endurance showed by the number of shots he took. In the nearly five minute match, Kilgore had taken a total of six shots compared to Foster ’s two. Kilgore said he kept his composure, even though Foster blocked many of those shots. “Those shots were probably what were able to wear him out and get him tired,” Kilgore said. “I wasn’t getting frustrated. You don’t do a lot of thinking; the adrenaline does the thinking for you.” Andrassy said how happy he was to be a part of “the most exciting match of the tournament.” “Best feeling in the world,” Andrassy said. “I was just a spectator. I was just glad I could run out and meet him on the mat.” Kilgore said he was happy to win Kent State its first national wrestling champion-
ship, but was most happy to win it for the program and his coaches. “What the coaches have done is phenomenal,” Kilgore said. “In the future, this is going to build such a great team for Kent State, I’m hoping, because they deserve it. They put everything towards me getting a national title.” Now, Kilgore is debating leaving this program for a year to train for the Olympics. If Kilgore has a top-two finish in the University Nationals or finishes in the top eight of the U.S. Open, he has the option of Olympic redshirting next season. “To face wrestlers from other countries would be an incredible experience,” Kilgore said. Even if Kilgore qualifies to have the option of Olympic redshirting, he still has one other major factor. If he chooses to Olympic redshirt, he will not receive his full-ride scholarship next year. Since the U.S. Open is not until April 26, Kilgore has plenty of time to make a decision.
months of basketball, most players are ready for the season to be over, so an excited team this late in the season was refreshing. “As a coach, you don’t get that,” Ford said. “These guys gave it their all.” But their all was not enough to overcome No. 1 Colorado on March 22 as the Flashes fell 81-74, ending their season and their time in the NIT. While Ford said Colorado should have played in the NCAA Tournament, he admitted their home crowd could have
The players on the Kent State men’s basketball team started their spring break with a trip to the National Invitation Tournament and ended it with a completed season. The No. 7 Flashes (25-12, 12-4 Mid-American Conference) upset their opponents in the first two rounds but failed to make it to the semifinals. Th ey star ted their NIT run On the road, we just against No. 2 St. weren’t quite good Mary’s, flying to California the enough to get it done. morning after the tournament’s offiGENO FORD | FORMER COACH cials announced the matchup. factored into the loss. The seesaw battle on March 15 “If it was a neutral court game, started with the Flashes winning maybe we could have pulled it then moved to the Gaels taking out,” Ford said. “On the road, we over and ended with a movie- just weren’t quite good enough to worthy finale. get it done.” With 24.9 seconds on the clock, The Flashes were up 67-66 with junior guard Michael Porrini — 5:30, but Colorado made strong who led with 19 points that night runs in the final minutes to pull — scored to bring the Flashes ahead for the lead. behind just 70-69. Ford said it was disappointJunior forward Justin Greene ing to see Kent State — who scored the winning basket with prides itself on winning games in 2.4 seconds on the clock in what the stretch — to be on the other he called “probably one of the big- end of the situation. gest wins in my career.” Greene led with 20 points and That confidence spilled over to said while it was disappointing the second round game March 20 the team could not get to the against No. 6 Fairfield. Final Four in New York for its The evenly matched teams tied lone senior, Rod Sherman, he is the score at 35-35 at the half. looking forward to reassembling M e a n w h i l e , F a i r f i e l d ’ s the troops next season and trying double-team defense tied up to get a bit further. Since the team started with 10 Greene, letting him score just new players this season, a similar eight points in the game. But sophomore guard Ran- team will be returning next year. “Without question this is the dal Holt stepped up offensively, scoring 22 points and prompting toughest group that I have been a late-game runs that brought the part of,” Ford said. “We have had a lot of teams that have shown a lot Flashes above the Stags 72-68. Holt said the team’s desire to pro- of toughness and a lot of character but this one has handled losing and long its season as long as possible adversity in terms of not playing served as motivation to advance the well and traveling. They just keep Flashes further into the tournament. playing, and they really like to play.” Kent State former coach Geno Ford said after almost four Rachel Jones is a sports reporter.
A.J. Atkinson is the wrestling reporter.
Baseball wins first conference series A.J. Atkinson
aatkins2@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Led by a strong pitching staff, the Kent State baseball team won its first home stand, winning two of the three games this weekend against conference opponent Toledo. The Flashes opened the weekend winning a 1-0 pitching dual between sophomore Andrew Chafin and Toledo’s Michael Hamann. Chafin threw 88 strikes out of 113 total pitches, struck out a career high 15 batters, gave up four hits and walked none in Kent State’s first shutout in two years. “He was as good as you can get,” said Scott Stricklin, Kent State coach, of his ace. “He really commanded the strike zone. We knew they were going to swing the bats. Once you get to two strikes, that slider is about unhittable.” With the win, Chafin, the March 12 Mid-American Conference Player of the Week, improved to 3-1 on the year with a 0.53 earned run average. Chafin boasts a 42:8 strikeouts
to walks ratio and a mere .155 opponents’ batting average. The Flashes broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior third baseman Travis Shaw began the inning with a leadoff walk. Junior catcher David Lyon then singled through the left side of the infield. After a wild pitch, both Shaw and Lyon advanced into scoring position. F re s h m a n f i r s t b a s e m a n Cody Koch hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Shaw to tag up and score what became the game winning run. The Flashes dropped Saturday’s game, 5-2. The Rockets posted three runs in the first and held the Flashes to their two runs in the bottom of the first. “We got behind early,” Stricklin said bluntly after the loss. “We didn’t have a lot of life.” After the loss, the Flashes rebounded with solid pitching, fielding and hitting, all working together Sunday to beat Toledo 8-2 and claim their first conference series. Unlike the first two games of the series, the offense gave more
breathing room for the pitchers. Senior right fielder Ben Klafczynski kept his hitting alive, going 2-for-5 with two runs batted in and one run scored. “He has established himself as one of the best hitters in the country,” Stricklin said of Klafczynski, who is currently batting .430 with four doubles, six homeruns, 25 runs and 22 runs batted in. The rest of the lineup also started to heat up. This weekend, Lyon batted .778 with two doubles, one homerun, six runs batted in and a run scored. “Pitchers are so worried about Klafczynski and Shaw that they give (Lyon) good pitches to hit, and he’s taking full advantage of it,” Stricklin said. Starting pitcher David Starn earned his third win of the season, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits, seven strikeouts, and two walks on a 34-degree March day. “Starn did an excellent job overcoming the elements,” Stricklin said of his junior pitcher ’s performance. “It’s hard pitching when your hands are numb and
you can’t feel the baseball.” Starn is now 3-1, has a 1.56 earned run average, a 37:9 strikeouts to walk ratio, and opponent’s only hit .200 against him. “Your goal is to win the series,” Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. “You want to win the series, but for us to come back and erase (Saturday) says a lot about this team.” Twenty-two games into the 33 game regular season, Stricklin said he is pleased with everything but his defense. Even though the Flashes’ lead the MAC with a .975 fielding percentage, Stricklin said he wants to see stronger defense develop. “With the pitching we have (leads the MAC with a 2.20 earned run average) we’ll win a lot more games if we play defense the way we’re capable of,” Stricklin said. The Flashes hope to carry Sunday’s strong performance into their 3 p.m. Wednesday game at Schoonover Stadium against Penn State. A.J. Atkinson is a sports reporter.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLIFF GRASSMICK
Junior forward Justin Greene posts up against a Colorado defender. Greene, the MAC Player of the Year, led Kent State with 20 points in the loss.
Kent State gymnastics captures second at MAC Championships Tyler Goddard
tgoddar1@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater
Hahn victorious at Fireline Towson Invitational Senior John Hahn led the Kent State golf team to an overall victory at the Fireline Towson Invitational this weekend. The Flashes, who finished with a three-round 879 score, edged out Townson by 25 strokes. Hahn finished the tournament with a 1-under, 215 overall score, for his third win this season. Hahn has six career wins, just one away from Ben Curtis at the top of Kent State’s all-time wins leader list. — Cody Erbacher
Kent State
Rd1-Rd2-Rd3=total (to par)
Team
Rd1-Rd2-Rd3=total (to par)
1
John Hahn
71 - 71 - 73 = 215 (-1)
1
Kent State
296 - 285 - 298 = 879 +15
4
Brett Cairns
75 - 70 - 75 = 220 (+4)
2
Towson
301 - 301 - 302 = 904 +40
T 5 Mackenzie Hughes
74 - 71 - 76 = 221 (+5)
3
Rhode Island
307 - 298 - 307 = 912 +48
T 9 Corey Conners
76 - 73 - 74 = 223 (+7)
T 26 Isaac Charette
78 - 76 - 77 = 231 (+15)
KENTWIRED.COM Read mid-season softball highlights online, and look for additional reports from the golf invitational.
Kent State finished second at the Mid-American Conference Championships on March 19. Central Michigan won the Conference Championship meet with a score of 195.900. They edged the Flashes who finished with a 195.050. Kent State had totals of 49.025 on the vault, 48.850 on the uneven bars, 48.725 on the floor exercise and 48.450 on the balance beam. The Flashes finished with the highest team score on the vault. First Team All-MAC selection Christina Lenny led the way for the Flashes by finishing second on the all-around with a 39.200. She won her third career conference vault title by tying for first with a 9.900.
Second Team All-MAC selection Marie Case finished fourth in the all-around with a 39.200 as well. Case tied for sixth on the vault with a 9.800 and tied for seventh on uneven bars with a 9.750. Sophomore Lindsay Runyan scored a 9.800 on the uneven bars to tie for second place with teammate Christina Lenny. Runyan is ranked seventh in the nation on the uneven bars event. Rachel Goldenberg and Lauren Wozniak both added scores of 9.800 on vault for the Flashes. Senior Christine Abou-Mitri recorded the highest team score on the balance beam with a 9.725. Kent State will travel to the NCAA Regionals Ann Arbor Regional where they are the sixth seed. The meet is April 2 at 6 p.m. Tyler Goddarad is a gymnastics reporter.