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Directing the spotlight of the behind-thescenes work of “Kiss Me, Kate”

Kiss M e, K ate

Features Edition

THE WEEKEND GUIDE TO ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND STUDENT LIFE

‘Kiss Me, Kate’ brings classic era to modern audiences Alex Kamczyc Arts Reporter

T

he golden age of Broadway comes to campus this weekend, thanks to months of preparation by Kent State students.

“Kiss Me, Kate,” the School of Theatre and Dance’s first production of the semester, opens Friday with a showcase of a new interpretation of the 1948 musical.

Guest director Dennis Courtney led the production process. The New York-based director — who is also a former figure skater — has directed and choreographed more than 150 shows, including “Peter Pan,” “The Last Five Years” and an award-winning run of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“I’m always drawn to projects that challenge us as human beings or say a lot about the human condition,” Courtney said at the Director Speaks event held last Tuesday. “If it doesn’t touch me as a human being, I tend to not be interested.”

“Kiss Me, Kate” is set in the '40s, and it exists as a play-within-a-play; the characters are part of a theater troupe performing William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” The relationships and interactions between the characters mirror that of the Shakespearean classic.

“I like the vulnerability of each of the char-

acters. They all have a moment where they bare themselves on stage,” said Elizabeth Woodard, a senior theatre studies major who plays the lead character, Lilli. “We all have shields and armor to make it through the day, but who is worth bringing it down for? That’s what fascinates me about this show.”

Students started rehearsing the music for the play before winter break started, practicing the numbers and arrangements that make up the show. For the actors, that was just the beginning.

“I did an incredible amount of paperwork and research over Christmas break,” Woodard said. “I wrote down everything I had in mind for my character and then tested my ideas out in rehearsal.”

They started rehearsals once the semester began, meeting at 6:30 p.m. almost every day until the late evening. For the team, the most demanding aspect of the show proved to be the dance numbers — one of which is 12 minutes long.

“I think (audiences) are going to be really impressed with the choreography,” said Stephen Cramer, a graduate theatre studies major who plays the other lead role of Fred. “These guys worked really hard on the dance numbers and I think the audience will come away with a sense of ‘wow’ with it.”

SEE KISS / PAGE 2

Performers act out a scene for “Kiss Me, Kate” ahead of the production’s opening on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the E. Turner Stump Theatre on Kent State’s main campus. Aaron Self / The Kent Stater

‘KISS ME, KATE’ BY NUMBERS

24 105 5 130 75+ 500 20 25+ 12 200+ CAST MEMBERS

PRODUCTION STAFF MEMBERS

SEATS IN THE THEATER

MUSICAL NUMBERS

WIGS

SCENIC ELEMENTS

COSTUMES

PROPS

ORCHESTRA MEMBERS

LIGHT CUES

From scratch: Constructing the set designs of 'Kiss Me, Kate'

Madeline Crandall Entertainment Reporter

Building a musical from the ground up is no simple task — just ask Tamara Honesty.

As the scenic designer for “Kiss Me, Kate,” Kent State's School of Theatre and Dance’s latest production, Honesty oversaw a squad of students tasked with creating the visual environment for the musical with nothing but an empty stage to start with.

“Understanding the big vision was the goal,” Honesty said. “There was probably over 100 people working on this, so making sure everyone is on the same page was crucial.”

To begin, everything is drawn out to scale in what is called a “drafting plate.” That material

from the designers is sent to a technical director to figure out the engineering of the design.

From there, it is given to carpenters to accumulate and accomplish the set. Then it goes to paint where they complete the designers’ vision.

Honesty explained that the beginning steps of the whole process are what take the longest.

The process of taking an idea and using communication to visually and physically create the idea was a struggle for the crew at first.

“What starts out as sketch on a piece of paper in the beginning really does come to life,” Honesty said. “The process is long, but it’s worth it all at the end when we get to see it all come together. It’s really exciting.”

Six backdrops were needed for the production of "Kiss Me Kate," but the crew created four

— three painted and one printed. Honesty said this part of the paint process is her favorite, but also the most challenging.

“We are adding a lot of little detail pieces to the set now as the show is coming up,” she said, one week out from opening night. “A huge list has been made of all the finishing touches that need to be complete, full of paint notes, prop notes and a whole page of set notes — ranging from 10-minute projects to hour-long fixings.”

Honesty said safety in the shop is important for the crew throughout the production process.

Safety glasses, hearing protection, hard-hats, water-based paint and closed toe shoes are requirements in the scene shop.

Elizabeth Woodard, a senior theatre studies major and “Kiss Me, Kate” cast member, said the

production is the largest set she has worked on.

“They hand-painted these huge, scenic backdrops with all these beautiful colors,” Woodard said. “The set team is incredibly talented and they do not get enough praise for the work that they do.”

The set ranges from earthy, natural tones to vibrant colors that represent the qualities the crew wanted the set to embody.

“There is passion and a very romantic nature in the whole set,” Honesty said. “We did our best to heighten those characteristics so the audience could best understand the story." mcranda4@kent.edu

Page 2 | Thursday, February 23, 2017

The Kent Stater

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Stater 240 FRANKLIN HALL KENT STATE UNIVERSITY KENT, OHIO 44242 Newsroom 330-672-2584 EDITOR

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Kent State students practice their rendition of “Kiss Me, Kate” on Tuesday. Opening night is set for Friday at the E. Turner Stump Theater. Aaron Self / The Kent Stater

From Page 1

KISS ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ brings classic...

Since the show follows the production of another play, the actors essentially had to master two characters: the ones belonging to “Kiss Me, Kate” and “The Taming of the Shrew.”

“It’s a very difficult piece to do,” Courtney said. “You have to be an actor who can do both contemporary and Shakespeare. You also have to be a singer who can handle a multitude of styles, from big band sound to opera.”

This dabbling in Shakespearean acting won’t be the end for students this semester; the School of Theatre and

Dance will take on a stripped-down performance of “Macbeth" in April.

“Kiss Me, Kate” won the first ever Tony award given for best musical in 1949, as well as four others. The show has also received its fair share of criticism as some believe the play is sexist.

“I think the way the characters are written, it’s more of a commentary on misogyny,” Cramer said. “I don’t think this play advocates in any way that kind of behavior.”

The play also has come under fire for its songs. “I am Ashamed that Women are so Simple,” sang by the female lead, is accompanied by a monologue on how women are happiest when they submit to their husbands.

“Historically, that was the time period,” Woodard said. “That’s why I love

Lilli so much; she is cunning and wise.

At the end (of the song) she gives Lois a wink to show that she’s still in control and she has not actually relinquished any of her power.”

Despite the claims of sexism and misogyny in the show, the performance is unaltered and will be performed as written.

“We’re not afraid of offending anybody. It was a misogynistic time when the play was written and we can’t pretend that it wasn’t,” Courtney said. “If we try to put a gloss on it or we winked at it or we went, ‘Oh, we don’t really mean this,’ I think that would be more offensive than actually presenting something in its time.”

Courtney did, however, set out to make the nearly 70-year-old musical

more palatable for today’s theatergoers.

“My concept was to make it very accessible and entertaining for a modern audience,” Courtney said. “It’s important to keep the show for our audience, which means it has to be faster paced (and) it has to have arrangements which are much more exciting.”

The production team is focused on making sure every loose end is tied and perfected for showtime Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the E. Turner Stump Theatre.

“I think that we’re at a critical point in our world that the arts need to be honored more for the part that they play in our society,” Courtney said. “That’s why I think that’s why people need to come see this: to see young people giving their souls to an art form.” akamczyc@kent.edu

Main Street Kent to hold all-inclusive comedy event downtown

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From left: Tyler Mootz, Melissa Kus and Andreas Vitone stay busy at Tree City Coffee and Pastry in downtown Kent on April 16, 2016. Deidre Pulley / The Kent Stater

Madeline Crandall Entertainment Reporter A complete night of food, drinks and entertainment is being arranged by Main Street Kent. “Eat. Drink. Laugh.” will take guests to different locations downtown, providing a taste of what local establishments have to offer Saturday, March 25.

“We’re always working on fun, progressive events to expose people to different businesses that they may

not have visited in the past,” Heather Malarcik said, executive director at Main Street Kent.

Beginning with the drink, this occasion will start at Franklin Hotel Bar with a guest’s choice of two drinks to start the night, included in the package deal.

“The Franklin Hotel Bar has newly opened and been totally renovated within the last couple of months,” Malarcik said. “I’m excited for people to experience the new location that has been brought to our downtown.”

Next, participants will go to Laziza, a Mediterranean restaurant located in Acorn Alley, where they will have a number of different dinner options.

The Kent Stage is hosting comedian Mike Polk Jr., a Kent State graduate, to entertain the guests for the night after dinner. Polk is widely known for his viral YouTube videos specializing in witty conversation about Cleveland’s different quirks.

To top off the event, Tree City Coffee and Pastry will host a secluded dessert

party with wine tasting.

With 80 spots available, the $75 tickets are expected to sell out, much like Main Street Kent’s other recent allinclusive event, the Chocolate Walk, which had participants sample chocolate at businesses all around town.

“We know that people really enjoy attending events that are pre-packed for them,” Malarcik said. “They pay one ticket price and then go enjoy themselves for the night.” mcranda4@kent.edu

State lawmakers channel grief into fight against opioids Kyle Potter Associated Press In statehouses across the country, lawmakers with loved ones who fell victim to drugs are leading the fight against the nation's deadly opioid-abuse crisis, drawing on tragic personal experience to attack the problem.

A Minnesota state senator whose daughter died of a heroin overdose in a Burger King parking lot — a friend hid the needles instead of calling for help — spearheaded a law that grants immunity to 911 callers. In Wisconsin, a state representative has introduced more than a dozen opioid-related bills in the years since his daughter went from painkillers to heroin to prison. A Pennsylvania lawmaker whose son is a recovering heroin addict championed a state law that expanded availability of an antidote that can reverse an overdose.

"We're all here because we have this empty void in our lives," said Minnesota state Rep. Dave Baker, whose son started out taking prescription drugs for back pain and died of a heroin overdose in 2011.

The lawmakers' personal stories have lent weight to the effort to combat what public health officials have deemed a full-blown epidemic that is fast approaching the severity of the AIDS outbreak of the 1980s and '90s.

More than 52,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2015, and roughly two-thirds of them had used prescription opioids like OxyContin or Vicodin or illegal drugs like heroin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those overdoses have jumped 33 percent in the past five years alone, with some states reporting the death toll had doubled or more.

"It drives what I do," state Sen. Chris Eaton, a Minnesota Democrat whose daughter, Ariel, died almost 10 years ago, said Tuesday. "It's a crisis. We're losing a generation."

In trying to combat what they see as the reckless overprescribing of opioids, lawmakers are up against powerful adversaries. A joint investigation by The Associated Press and the Center for Public Integrity last fall found that pharmaceutical companies and allied groups spent more than $880 million nationwide on lobbying and campaign contributions from 2006 through 2015.

The industry group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said in a statement Tuesday that it is "committed to helping combat misuse and abuse" of prescription drugs.

Wisconsin Rep. John Nygren's daughter, Cassie, suffered a heroin overdose in 2009 and has been in and out prisons, jails and drug court.

"Drug addiction was never in my world," said Nygren, a high-ranking Republican who has shepherded countless measures into law.

Among them were laws that require people to show identification when picking up opioid prescriptions, provide immunity for those who report overdoses, and allow police and paramedics to carry naloxone, the overdose antidote better known as Narcan. Similar laws were passed in Pennsylvania, written by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, a Philadelphia-area Republican whose son is a recovering heroin addict.

Governors are telling their personal stories from the bully pulpit, too.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan launched his longrunning effort to curb drug addiction and deaths by

revealing that his cousin had died of a heroin overdose. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has devoted his final year in office to curbing his state's rapidly growing heroin and prescription drug epidemic, citing the case of a friend from law school who was found dead with a painkiller bottle at his side.

Christie said his friend fell into a haze of addiction that started with a simple back injury.

"I sat at his funeral with our friends and helplessly watched his family grieve. I thought to myself, 'There but for the grace of God go I,'" Christie said. "It can happen to anyone."

In that January speech, Christie called for such measures as a five-day limit for first-time opioid prescriptions and a requirement that insurance cover six months of substance abuse treatment. Last week, he signed them into law.

Increasingly, state legislatures are looking at prescription painkillers as the start of an addiction that can lead to heroin or other drugs and, eventually, death.

Baker and fellow Minnesota lawmakers want to take the fight directly to pharmaceutical companies, proposing legislation Tuesday that would charge manufacturers a 1-cent fee on every milligram of opioids they sell.

The measure is projected to raise an estimated $20 million or more to support addiction programs and public awareness efforts.

The pharmaceutical industry group called that proposal a "burdensome and arbitrary tax that would not help those struggling with addiction, but would jeopardize patient access."

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KSU faculty weigh in on Trump cabinet members Cameron Hoover General Assignment Reporter

Betsy Devos, Secretary of Education

Betsy DeVos is President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. secretary of education and was confirmed Feb. 7. Her job as secretary will be to ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence throughout the nation. DeVos is known within the realm of education for her unabashed support of school choice, school voucher programs, for-profit charter schools and teaching of creationism in science classrooms. DeVos comes from a wealthy family that has donated over $20.2 million to federal Republicans candidates since 1989.

DeVos' appointment was controversial; Vice President Mike Pence had to break a deadlock in the Senate to confirm her by a vote of 51-50. Her lack of public school experience has caused rampant protesting around the nation, including at Kent State where on Feb. 8 students participated in a walkout protest on campus.

Kent State faculty opinion

Todd Hawley Associate professor for the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies “I’m just disappointed (by DeVos’ nomination). My first reaction to her nomination was that she is someone who hasn’t even been a part of public education,” Hawley said, “whether that was as a student, a teacher or an administrator.”

Hawley said he’s happy to see people pushing back against this decision from the Trump administration, especially on Kent’s campus.

“We live in Ohio, where state funding is being diverted away from public schools toward charter schools,” he said. “These issues have been talked about for years. She represents everyone’s greatest fears about dismantling public education. So I am excited to see people pushing back against her. My hope is that it will lead to her paying more attention to the hard work public school teachers do.”

Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy

Rick Perry is Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Energy but has not been officially confirmed yet. If Perry is appointed, his job would be to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.

He has served as the governor of Texas for 15 years and a vocal opponent of the Department of Energy in the past. During his 2012 presidential campaign, he said he would like to see the department abolished, but now upon being nominated for the position, he had retracted his previous statements. Critics are unsure how well he will handle nuclear weapons because he has no prior work in the field.

Kent State faculty opinion

Robert Sines Dean of CAEST Though Sines said he doesn’t wish to get into politics or second guess President Trump’s nominations, he didn’t seem to be too concerned with Perry’s general lack of experience in the energy industry.

“Being a leader is what’s most important, because he’s not going to do anything as far as researching sustainable energy or

familiar to average joes. Tillerson has little experience with foreign diplomacy, and some see this as a problem during one of the more non-diplomatic presidencies in recent memory. Despite that, he comes with recommendations from former secretary of defense Robert Gates and former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

which types of energy are better for us,” he said. “He’s got thousands of employees in the Department of Energy, so those are the folks that do that kind of stuff. He just has to orchestrate it.”

Sines takes a patient approach to judging Perry as a potential secretary.

“It’s hard to say what will happen,” he said. “We will have to wait and see what sort of programs he comes up with.”

Kent State faculty opinion

Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce

Wilbur Ross is President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the cabinet department tasked with promoting economic growth, creating jobs, sustainable development and improving standards of living for Americans. Ross has yet to be officially confirmed by the Senate.

Ross has spent his life amassing his wealth through investing and banking, and has grown to a net worth of approximately $2.5 billion, according to Forbes. Recently, Ross has become a more attractive nomination to Democrats after the 79-year-old veteran private equity investor promised to divest around 90 percent of his financial holdings and resign from more than 40 professional titles to avoid conflicts of interest. His critics have expressed concerns about Ross’ plans to erect high tariiffs for foreign competitions to protect U.S. businesses because they believe it inhibits free-trade.

Kent State faculty opinion

Deborah Spake Dean of College of Business Administration Spake was apprehensive to pass judgement on Ross’ appointment. She echoed the “wait and see” approach.

“It’s hard to predict what people may or may not do since nothing’s been enacted yet,” Spake said. “The Cabinet is still being appointed. It’s easier to react to policies that have been changed than to predict what might occur.”

While Spake was fairly mum about potential policies or stances, she said that she would like to see more federal funding go to small business grants.

“Small business administration is an area where we’d certainly like to see more support of start-up businesses and small business in general,” she said. “That helps to drive local economies and certainly is the engine of the economy. So any way the federal government can support entrepreneurship would be helpful.”

Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State

Rex Tillerson is President Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, and was appointed Feb. 1. Tillerson will be the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser, and he will have to carry out any foreign policies enacted by the Trump administration.

Tillerson is the CEO of ExxonMobil, a lucrative, multinational oil and gas company. Since he began working for the company in 1975, he has never worked anywhere else.

Some critics see Tillerson’s appointment as a broken campaign promise from President Trump, who vowed to “drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.” by ousting the rich for something a bit more

Steven Hook Professor of political science Hook said that he was not very comfortable with President Trump’s selection when Tillerson was appointed.

“Given the fact that he comes purely out of the business area and doesn’t really have much background in being someone who’s representing the United States around the world, I don’t think he’s the best choice,” Hook said.

Hook said he found Tillerson’s appointment to be a contradiction from President Trump’s campaign promise to “drain the swamp.”

“You look at all of the Cabinet members, and they’re (almost) all billionaires,” he said. “Trump is saying he’s looking out for the poor people, but I don’t see that. I haven’t seen that yet. It seems like it doesn’t match up with what he said he was going to do.”

Scott Pruitt, EPA Administrator

Scott Pruitt is President Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency and was confirmed on Feb. 17. Pruitt will be tasked with protecting human health and the health of the environment by enforcing regulations enacted by Congress.

Pruitt has spent much of his political career as attorney general of Oklahoma, where he fought against environmental regulations and referred to himself as the “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda.” While many nationwide have accused Pruitt of being a climate change denier, recently he conceded that the climate is changing, and humans most likely have something to do with it.

Kent State faculty opinion

Joseph Ortiz Professor of geology Ortiz said he was not impressed with President Trump’s selection of Scott Pruitt as the head of the EPA. “ S c o t t P ru i t t c e r t a i n l y wouldn’t have been my first choice,” he said. “I think it’s kind of odd to select the head of an agency to be someone who’s sued that agency 14 times and is a known climate (change) denier.”

Ortiz said that he feels as though most people tend to take the environment for granted, and he cited some local examples to highlight his fears for the EPA over the next four years.

“There’s a reason we have the EPA. The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act of Ohio was in many ways a poster child for those laws,” he said. “The Cuyahoga River is infamous for having caught fire not once, but (several) times throughout its history because of the fact that it was legally used to dump industrial chemicals directly into the riverways.”

“Just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it’s right or scientifically sound,” he continued. “It certainly costs companies a lot less money to just dump their waste directly into our water, but the environmental damages are going to last for decades, if not centuries.” choose14@kent.edu

Kent on Climate discusses environmental fears, plans McKenna Corson Diversity Reporter A group of 13 citizens voiced their fears and plans during a Kent on Climate meeting at the Standing Rock Cultural Arts center on the status of America’s environment, weaving in current events and issues.

Key areas of discussion included Scott Pruitt’s appointment as the EPA head, the Dakota pipeline and Trump’s environmental efforts in his recent executive orders in the meeting titled “Action Meeting: Dump Trump!”

Founder and Chair of Kent on Climate Marisa Shepard, a junior translation major, said she looked forward to hearing new perspectives from local Kent citizens.

“The purpose of this group initially was to create an organization where both students and community members can come together and just find what needs to be done environmentally and act on that,” Shepard said.

The diverse group ranged from Kent State students to the elderly, capturing a wide variety of opinions on the environment.

Not only do members of Kent on Climate discuss environmental issues, but they try to devise ways they can help locally.

“Our goal is to really create viable plans to take action on environmental issues in the near future, rather than just talking about big ideas that aren’t really plausible at the moment,” Shepard said.

Michael Goodnough, a history graduate student, is an active member of Kent on Climate

who is passionate about the environment.

“This meeting helped raise awareness on what’s going on right now, especially with the EPA,” Goodnough said.

“One of the big issues facing America right now is just the lack of initiatives to rein in some of these expansions of pipelines. I think fracking and the fossil fuels industry in general is what I would chalk up as the biggest problem,” he said.

Alyx Weaver, a biomedical science graduate student, came to the discussion to get involved and learn about climate issues.

“Meetings like this do a really good job with bringing different minds together so that people can share their ideas,” Weaver said.

Weaver, like Goodnough, said she sees fossil fuels as the greatest environmental problem right now.

“There’s so much money in fossil fuel, and it’s just an unhealthy structure. There are so many people invested in it that we can’t change anything, and it really shouldn’t be like that. If it doesn’t serve the people, then it shouldn’t be that difficult to get rid of the system,” she said.

As part of the Kent on Climate meetings, the goal was to discover ways to solve the issues brought up during discussion.

“I feel like I don’t have much power on my own, so I think groups are the biggest thing we can do to try to get people together,” Weaver said.

“People need to understand that they don’t have to be quiet and that they don’t have to just sit around by themselves just watching things happen.” mcorson2@kent.edu

Kent on Climate hosts its action meeting at the Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center on Wednesday. The discussion addressed issues involving the state of the EPA, the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline and Trump’s administration. Alyssa Keown / The Kent Stater

Trump administration brings new ideas for United States education system Caelin Mills Student Politics Reporter With the election of President Donald Trump and his appointment of Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education, the debate over the idea of “school choice” is in the spotlight.

School choice refers to the idea that parents should have more choices when deciding how their child receives their education, usually through voucher programs that pay for a student to attend a private or charter school, rather than the public school in their district.

The goal is to create more competition in the education system, forcing public schools to offer a better education to compete with the education offered from the private and charter schools.

Assistant professor of political science Casey Boyd-Swan said she doesn’t think the solution is that simple.

“The truth is that we don’t really have a clear idea of which policy changes would make our school system better on a federal scale,” BoydSwan said.

She said she believes there are pieces of previously implemented policies that have worked, even though it becomes partisan.

“What’s partisan is the policy tool. If you have a policy tool that looks like school vouchers, that’s a policy tool that typically is upheld by the Republican side, bringing things back to the market. On the Democrats' side, you have policy tools such as more standardized curriculum,” Boyd-Swan said.

The College Republicans and the College Democrats remain divided on the issue, as well.

Vice president of the College Republicans Jacob Tabler said he thinks creating more competition within the education system is a good idea.

“Education is a commodity and should be

treated as such. You need a moral level of competition between educational areas to let them excel and create a better product at a lower cost,” Tabler said.

Tabler, like many Republicans, said he believes the federal government has too much control over the education system.

“Ideally, more power is left to the individual states. Local municipalities are better able to dictate education in their areas for what their schools need,” Tabler said.

This aspect of the issue crosses party lines, as vice president of the College Democrats Anthony Erhardt agreed.

“I agree with Republicans that education shouldn't be centralized within the federal government. States can allow students to better succeed, but putting it in the hands of those whose sole purpose to profit isn’t the way to do that,” Erhardt said.

However, teachers unions, whose political donations overwhelmingly go to Democratic politicians, have vocalized their opposition of school choice and voucher systems.

Erhardt said we should listen to their warnings.

“Teachers unions are one of the strongest voices for education out there. We should probably listen to them if they say this hinders their ability to teach students,” Erhardt said.

Boyd-Swan concluded that the central focus of fixing the broken education system in the United States should be the children.

“When we invest in kids and actually make a difference in the classroom in terms of the quality and the quantity of resources that they have access to, we can improve their educational development,” Boyd-Swan said. cmills11@kent.edu

Page 4 | Thursday, February 23, 2017

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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 (email them to jmill231@kent.edu) and guest columns. Submissions become pro­­perty of the Stater and are subject to editing without notice.

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JOSEPH MCGRELLIS’ VIEW // To see all the cartoons this semester, visit KentWired.com

CSI concludes Kent State Commuter Appreciation Week Kennedy Caldwell Commuters / Apartment Life Reporter

Commuters visited the Kent State Student Center this week to participate in activities, win prizes and meet new people as part of the annual Commuter Appreciation Week.

The Center for Student Involvement holds the event each semester to show commuters the importance of being part of the Kent State community, and students participated in activities including arts and crafts and a scavenger hunt.

To see the extended article, visit KentWired.com.

Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... a Walmart employee in Columbia, South Carolina, who paid for half of the grocery bill for a family of five.

PewDiePie and the press, Milo and the media Stephen D’Abreau Columnist Milo Yiannopoulos, officially the former senior editor of Breitbart News, and Felix Kjellberg – also known as his YouTube name, PewDiePie – share something in common: They have both just suffered significant injuries to their respective careers due to media backlash over jokes they have told.

Starting with PewDiePie, the absolute most popular YouTube content creator in history: He had his latest scandal blow up over Hitler jokes he told on his YouTube channel.

To anyone even nominally familiar with Felix, the accusations of anti-Semitism would be seen as quite ludicrous. Nevertheless, The Wall Street Journal leveled such accusations against him in what can only be described as a deliberately misrepresentative hit-piece, and then “encouraged” Disney to sever ties with the YouTube star.

The jokes themselves were perhaps in poor taste, but certainly innocent enough. Yet, the media created a scandal by lifting them out of context and then deliberately attempted to sabotage PewDiePie’s career.

Though this isn’t PewDiePie’s first scandal, the financial fallout of being disavowed by Disney is perhaps one of the worst he’s had. Felix has apologized for any offense he has given for his comedy but insists that The Wall Street Journal unfairly misrepresented him.

Similar to Felix, Yiannopoulos was at the center of what he deemed a witch hunt. The controversial provocateur was telling jokes in a podcast about clerical sexual abuse of children, and likewise had his comments lifted from context to make him seem to support pedophilia.

Never mind that Milo actually was joking about his own victimization and, as a journalist, has gone after and helped expose at least three pedophiles in the course of his career.

It may seem odd to joke about actual events of child sexual abuse in which you were a victim, and the remarks Milo made about this clearly traumatic experience were certainly uncomfortable and the darkest kind of humor.

Yet, it is Milo Yiannopoulos. However, he did apologize for his “imprecise wording” and apparent making light of child abuse, apologizing to victims like himself. He did insist “to be a victim of child abuse and for the media to call me an apologist for child abuse is absurd … This is a cynical media witch hunt from people who don’t care about children. They care about destroying me and my career … ” From the fairly innocuous Kjellberg to the deeply controversial Yiannopoulos, the mainstream media networks do seem to carry a sense of misrepresentation. Personally, I watched both videos in full and in their original context to get a sense, and I can say in both situations, misrepresentation of dark comedy plays a role.

Poor taste comedy aside, I am concerned with the future of journalism. This kind of misrepresentation seems more and more common today, and even well respected outlets like The Wall Street Journal seem not to be immune to writing misleading gossip.

Subscribe to PewDiePie, or be annoyed by him. Love Milo, or hate him with a passion. Still, is it too much to ask for more journalists to stop being deceptive gossip peddlers? sdabrea1@kent.edu

I want this year’s Oscars to steer clear of politics

look out for our African-American students when the Ku Klux Klan marches to endorse Trump and that you’ll protect our LGBT students from the current administration.

DeVos should know that teachers spend an average $500 a year on their classrooms and around 12 to 16 hours a day working, even though the school day is only eight. In accordance to others with their same education level, teachers make 14 percent less.

Betsy DeVos, you owe the State of Ohio $5.3 million dollars.

You’ve been accused of plagiarism.

You’ve refused to advocate for children with special needs in U.S. Senate hearings.

You come from a family that has donated $200 million to the Republican Party.

Dear Betsy DeVos, are you really what’s best for the future of American education?

Jessica Kukura is a member of the College Democrats. Contact her at jkukura2@kent.edu.

Jeffrey King is a member of the College Republicans. Contact him at jking93@kent.edu.

what is supposed to be a release from the everyday BS that has seemingly hung like a permanent fog over this country since whoknows-when to hang over this.

I want this year’s Oscars to be about celebrating films and the beautiful creation that is cinema. I want the winners and nominations to remind us that sometimes it’s OK to get lost in a film, to allow ourselves a detox from everything the outside world is bludgeoning us with.

I want them to remind us that President Orange Soda cannot cast a shadow on everything.

Maybe that’s selfish of me. I like to consider myself more in tune with the news than many people my age. Maybe I’d be depriving others of something they desperately need to hear.

Maybe some little boy or girl needs to hear Mahershala Ali, a black man raised as a Christian who later converted to Islam, accept his best supporting actor Oscar for “Moonlight” (he’s got it in the bag) and use that platform to show them the true colors of the people our president continually offends.

Now briefly, here’s who wins.

Casey Affleck will win Best Actor for “Manchester by the Sea.” Holy moly, was that movie good – but depressing. I came out of that thing feeling more morbid than usual and that’s saying a lot; please, don’t see it with a significant other, because it’s got to be the worst date movie ever.

“La La Land” is going to take home Best Actress for Emma Stone, Best Director for Damien Chazelle and Best Picture.

Did I see it? Of course not, even though I wanted to.

Viola Davis will win Best Supporting Actress for “Fences,” even though her role is apparently the lead of the film.

If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go watch “Rogue One” again and remind myself why it was the best movie of 2016. I’m not wrong; I’ll force choke you if you say otherwise. mpoe3@kent.edu

Open letter to Betsy DeVos Dear Betsy DeVos, Can you ever understand the needs of our students from a low socioeconomic background, when you grew up as a billionaire? Can you ensure the safety of our Muslim-American students, who have been suggested for enlistment in an unconstitutional registry?

How are you – while working under a regime that disparages women as nothing more than pussies to be grabbed – going to work towards the empowerment of our girls?

What are you going to say to our Latino students when they ask why they’re being called “criminals” and “rapists?” Do you promise to protect every student in the classroom, to ensure that “separate is not equal” as concluded by Brown vs. Board of Education?

Please, I want your word that you’ll

Democrat VIEW

President of, for and by the people On Saturday, President Donald Trump held a rally in Florida to lay out some of his plans for the future of our country.

This was a rally unlike no other, drawing a crowd of nearly 10,000 people. It was similar to the campaign rallies that he used to have before he was elected.

The topics of the rally ranged from fake news and immigration to repealing and replacing “Obamacare.”

Before Trump began his speech, first lady Melania Trump began the rally by reciting the Lord’s Prayer. This was something that has not been seen in a long time: a first lady opening up for her husband with prayer.

It was a nice gesture. The prayer showed a genuine and loving side of the first lady, which we do not see that often — especially since she has decided to live in New York City until their son Barron finishes school.

However, the media and many other people saw this as unacceptable. They judged her on reciting the prayer from a piece of paper and not from memory, her accent and for reciting the prayer in general.

This is a disgrace, considering the fact that we are a country founded on religious liberties — she should have been able to recite the Lord’s Prayer without any problems.

To make fun of her accent is also a disgrace.

This is an intelligent woman who speaks five languages, so she cannot help her accent.

Where are all the so-called “feminists” when people are attacking her — a woman — for no reason? She has done nothing wrong, but continues to be attacked by the media.

During Trump’s speech, he recognized a fan in the crowd that he had seen on TV earlier in the day talking about his support for the current administration. After Trump spotted him in the crowd, he asked for him to come to the stage so he could meet him and say a few words.

I have never seen a sitting president pull someone from the crowd to come speak onstage with him while he was giving a speech. This was something that surprised many, including the U.S. Secret Service, as he requested this man to “hop the fence” to get on stage. As Trump put it, “We know our people.”

The fan gave a few words to the large crowd addressing his support of Trump. This act showed another side of the president that we do not see often, but it shows that he truly cares about the American people and wants the best for us.

Throughout his speech, he continued to give hope and optimism about his term. He has made sure that he will put America’s best interests before him to make the best decisions for us.

He wants to make sure we are safe and prospering because America is the best country on earth. I look forward to seeing Trump have more rallies like this, and I am glad we finally have a president that is of, for and by the people.

Matt Poe Columnist I look forward to the Oscars every year for a variety of reasons, mainly that I’ve grown fond of loving to hate them and vice versa. The Academy tends to screw up a lot of its nominations and winners and that was more evident than ever with last year’s #OscarsSoWhite, in which not one person of color was nominated in the four major acting categories.

Thankfully, that changed this year, but we’ll see if it sticks going forward.

This year has been mired and marred in what seems like a relentless political assault on the sensory. It feels like there’s no escape from political coverage or, at the very minimum, that the same outlets we once turned to for avoidance of politics have bled into the political scene. It’s become all-consuming.

Turn on a football game and there is some reference to the current political or socioeconomic problems that are plaguing the country. Turn on an awards show and you’ll likely find the same thing; look no further than Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes back in January. Musicians are also producing many songs in protest of what’s been happening (although that is nothing new).

This year’s Oscars ceremony on Sunday has the chance to be one of the most politically-charged awards shows in recent memory, maybe even ever. And while “who takes home what” is still the focus of the show, it’s likely that this will be a political firestorm with some of the most recognizable faces in the world using their respective platforms to voice the current injustices happening in America.

I’ve always said that people who have fame and money and don’t use it to champion a worthy cause are neglecting a crucial part of would-be philanthropy. I guarantee you will see a plethora of actors, actresses, screenwriters, directors and who-else’s in Hollywood who will use Sunday night to damn President Cheeto and his administration’s actions.

They will be applauded and celebrated for it.

Except, well ...

I don’t want that this year. I don’t want

Jeers to ... pineapple pizza. Icelandic President Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson joked that he would ban the culinary concoction if given the chance.

Republican VIEW

Thursday, February 23, 2017 | Page 5

The Kent Stater

Immigrants change up routines, brace for arrest

Number of executions since 1976: 1,446

The numbers of executions from 1976 to Feb. 7, 2017 in the U.S. Information provided by the Death Penalty Information Center.

Deepti Hajela and Amy Taxin Associated Press In Orange County, California, dozens of immigrant parents have signed legal documents authorizing friends and relatives to pick up their children from school and access their bank accounts to pay their bills in the event they are arrested by immigration agents.

In Philadelphia, immigrants are carrying around wallet-size "Know Your Rights" guides in Spanish and English that explain what to do if they're rounded up.

And in New York, 23-year-old Zuleima Dominguez and other members of her Mexican family are careful about answering the door and start making worried phone calls when someone doesn't come home on time.

Around the country, President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on the estimated 11 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S. have spread fear and anxiety and led many people to brace for arrest and to change up their daily routines in hopes of not getting caught.

In El Paso, Texas, Carmen Ramos and her friends have developed a network to keep each other updated via text messages on where immigration checkpoints have been set up.

She said she is also making certain everything she does is in order at all times. She checks her taillights before leaving the house to make sure they are working. She won't speed and keeps a close eye on her surroundings.

"We are surprised that even a ticket can get us back to Mexico," said the 41-year-old Ramos, who with her husband and three children left Ciudad Juarez because of drug violence and death threats in 2008 and entered the U.S. on tourist visas that have since expired. "We wouldn't have anywhere to return."

The unease among immigrants has been building for months but intensified in recent weeks with ever-clearer signs that the Trump administration would jettison the Obamaera policy of focusing mostly on deporting those who had committed serious crimes.

O n Tu e s d a y, t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n announced that any immigrant who is in the country illegally and is charged with or convicted of any offense, or even suspected of a crime, will now be an enforcement priority. That could include people arrested for shoplifting or other minor offenses, or those who simply crossed the border illegally.

Some husbands and wives fear spouses who lack legal papers could be taken away.

And many worry that parents will be separated from their U.S.-born children.

Dozens of immigrants have been turning up at an advocacy group's offices in Philadelphia, asking questions like, "Who will take care of my children if I am deported?"

They are also coached on how to develop a "deportation plan" that includes the name and number of an attorney and other emergency contacts in case of arrest.

In Los Angeles, immigrants have been attending know-your-rights workshops but also calling in to report they're afraid to pick up their children from school, said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Immigrants in the Chicago area have said they are scared to drive, and some are even wary of taking public transit. When Chicago police and federal authorities conducted regular safety checks on a train line earlier this month, many assumed it was an immigration checkpoint.

Word spread so quickly on Twitter and among activist groups that Chicago police issued a statement assuring immigrants, "You are welcome here."

A 34-year-old Mexican immigrant and mother of two in Miami said she has been texting friends and exchanging messages on Facebook about what roads to avoid to steer clear of immigration patrols.

She drives to work and also takes her children to school, even though she has no license, something she cannot get because she is in the country illegally. She agreed to be identified only by her first name, Marina, for fear of deportation.

In the Bronx, Dominguez, a college student who is in the U.S. with permission under the Obama administration policy for people who entered illegally as children, is looking into what she needs to do to raise her American-born brother and sister, ages 6 and 11, if their parents are deported. The parents are in the U.S. illegally.

Now, when Dominguez goes out, she tells the others where she is going, with whom, and when she will be home, and expects the same from her parents and siblings. If someone is late getting home, she said, "we start calling."

Amid controversy in Ohio, more young people oppose death penalty Nicholas Hunter General Assignment Reporter Opposition to the death penalty being used in murder cases is at its lowest since 1972, with 42 percent of respondents opposing it, according to a 2016 Pew Research Pull.

The poll also showed that younger respondents tend to be even more opposed to the death penalty; 51 percent oppose the death penalty, according to the poll — the highest of any age group.

With new opposition, the state continues to face difficulties in administering executions.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced on Feb. 10 that the execution dates of eight death-row inmates would be postponed.

Despite having 142 people on death row in Ohio, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), the state has not carried out an execution since 2014. This is due to a botched execution earlier that year that left Dennis McGuire gasping for air for around 25 minutes before the lethal drugs used took effect. This forced the state to find a new execution formula

thus pausing executions.

On Jan. 26, however, a ruling from a federal judge said he believed that the new three-drug combo the state planned to use could not ensure that inmates being put to death would be in a deep enough sleep to not feel any pain during the process.

Associate professor of sociology David Kessler said he sees this downward trend as a good thing.

“We’re finding that we make a lot of mistakes,” Kessler said about executions.

Since 1972, 157 death row inmates have later been found innocent and freed before executions, while at least ten more people in that same time frame were later believed to be innocent despite being executed, according to the DPIC. Anthony Erhardt, president of the Kent State College Democrats, said that they “echo the Democratic Party’s stance” on executions, which is that “it has no place in the United States of America,” according to the National Democratic Party platform. In that same statement, they called the death penalty “a cruel and unusual form of punishment” and cited the cost to tax-

payers, lack of crime deterrence and number of exonerations as other reasons they are opposed to it.

The 2016 Pew study also cited numbers from the previous year that showed 63 percent of respondents find the death penalty morally acceptable, while 31 percent find it morally objectionable.

President of the Kent State College Republicans Jennifer Hutchinson falls within the latter category. She said that, although the group does not have a collective stance on the death penalty, she is not in favor of it.

“I’m somebody that’s not very pro-execution for moral reasons and for financial reasons, to be honest,” Hutchinson said.

“Our justice system is not, by any means, perfect enough to make irreversible punishments,” Kessler said. “More and more people are aware of this problem ... and they are changing their minds about something they can’t correct or compensate for. I don’t think we should be using capital punishment anymore. We can keep society safe without it.” nhunter6@kent.edu

College Board boosting SAT security to combat cheating Joe Mandak Associated Press The firm that owns the SAT college entrance exam is boosting security worldwide following test-stealing and other cheating in recent years.

The College Board said it's reducing the number of international testing dates from six per year to four for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. It says the move will reduce opportunities for test content to be stolen.

The New York-based college entrance exam provider announced Wednesday that it is taking steps to prevent past cheaters from retaking tests. In addition, it says it will alert law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad of companies and people it suspects of illegally obtaining test content.

Other planned reforms include an increase in audits of test centers worldwide and steps to make it easier for students and educators to anonymously report suspected cheating.

"We are unwavering in our commitment to SAT test security and we will continue to confront any efforts to undermine it, including the unauthorized disclosure of test questions and test forms," Peter Schwartz, the College Board's chief administrative officer and general counsel, said in a written statement.

A frequent critic of the College Board believes the group isn't doing enough to prevent recycled tests from flooding an online black market where foreign students can buy copies of tests already given in the United States before they're recycled and given to students overseas.

"The most important thing is what they did not say," said Bob Schaeffer, public education director for FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing. "They did not say they're going to stop recycling

Kent State graduate and current professor Jeffory Bowen discusses volunteering to students on Sept. 16, 2015. Nate Manley / The Kent Stater

tests, which is the primary tool used in all these international cheating scandals."

But College Board spokesman Zachary Goldberg said, "We are reducing re-use, it's in the announcement. We recognize that's an issue."

The official announcement says "the College Board has increased test form development to reduce reuse."

"With these new policies, the College Board is committed to expose and thwart individuals and organizations who attempt to steal and share test materials for profit and other gain," said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale University.

The College Board canceled college entrance exams in China and Macau in January 2016 after determining some students may have obtained copies of the tests. Fortyfive testing centers were affected, and similar problems have plagued the administration of the test in Asia in recent years, though cheating has occurred elsewhere, too.

In 2015, federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh charged 15 Chinese citizens in a conspiracy to have impostors take the SAT and other college entrance tests in Pennsylvania as far back as 2011.

A former University of Pittsburgh student, Han Tong, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation for being the go-between for

Chinese students who paid up to $6,000 to have impostors take the tests for them. All but two of those defendants, who remain in China, have pleaded guilty. Eleven of the 13 convicted have been sentenced by a federal judge in Pittsburgh, and most were deported.

The Educational Testing Service, of Princeton, New Jersey, administers the SAT, the Test of English as a Foreign Language and the GRE graduate school entry exam, which were targeted in the Pittsburghbased scam.

The College Board oversees registration for the SAT and is tasked with ensuring test results are legitimate for each student.

Recreation Center to hold fitness events in support of vets Shane Transue Fitness and Recreation Reporter The Kent State Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) will hold its fourth annual Wheels4Change Remembrance Fitness event, from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday.

The event is free to attend but donations are encouraged. All donations provide funding for veteran programs.

Wheels4Change works to help military vet-

erans and their families. According to their website, their goal is “to link local veterans and their families with resources to address post-military problems and provide them with support, including employment, fitness and motivational opportunities to help them successfully reintegrate into their local communities and assist them in the rehabilitation process.”

Event-goers will be able to participate in a variety of different fitness related activities at the Rec, including this year’s new events in the

lap pool and rock climbing.

Elizabeth Michel, group exercise program officer of the SRWC, is planning the event and said she feels encouraged for this year’s turnout.

“This is the fourth year we’ve done Wheels4Change and each year it keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Michel said. “It’s great for all of us to show support to our veterans who gave their time and in some cases, their lives.”

Also new this year, “The Eyes of Freedom Memorial” are a series of paintings that depict

the 14 Marines from Lima Company out of Ohio who lost their lives in March of 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Wheels4Change often holds events in Akron and surrounding areas.

Kent employees participating in the Wellness Your Way Employee Incentive Program may receive 10 exercise points for your participation in one of the physical activity classes. To receive points, sign in at the classes. stransue@kent.edu

Page 6 | Thursday, February 23, 2017

THE THURSDAY

The Kent Stater

WEEKEND BUZZ FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Zumbathon

BeatleFest

Farmers’ Market

Remembrance Fitness Event

Enjoy two hours of Zumba and hip-hop dance classes for a good cause. From 6 to 8 p.m. in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, instructors will lead sessions for donations to the Akron Children’s Hospital.

The fourth annual Kent BeatleFest brings live Beatles music to 18 downtown venues all evening. Featured cover band Abbey Road will perform with the same amps, guitars and drums the Beatles members used in their heyday.

This special Mardi Gras weekend of the Haymaker Farmers’ Market will include free yoga classes and a workshop on converting a T-shirt into reusable bags. This weekend’s event will be held in the indoor location from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This Wheels 4 Change event is an annual fundraiser meant to “honor the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.” Following an opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m., participants can exercise at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center with a suggested donation of $25.

Further Further Reading Reading

“‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ impresses audience on opening night”

by Jack Kopanski

This musical, set in 1920s New York City, captured a classic era last spring semester on the same stage “Kiss Me, Kate” is set to take over Friday.

This grad was involved with the original song development for previous seasons of “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and a stage adaptation of the “Mean Girls” film.

“Theatre alum lends voice to Netflix series, upcoming ‘Mean Girls’ musical”

by Benjamin VanHoose

Read about these past productions and grads from the School of Theatre and Dance online at KentWired.com.

“The School of Theatre and Dance jazzes up opera with ‘Hot Mikado” by Brittany Rees

Fall 2014 saw the run of this colorful show, which is a jazzy reimagining of the 19th century opera “The Mikado.”

A Spring 2014 guest director brought the classic Jane Austen story to the Wright-Curtis Theatre, complete with minimal sets and period costuming.

“Pride and Prejudice’ opens at KSU”

by Lily Martis

Artist: Akala Song: Find No Enemy

Artist: Lowkey ft. Mai Khalil Song: Ahmed After five years of exploring cultures without releasing any track, British lyricist Lowkey returned with his newest song, “Ahmed.”

A good representation of Lowkey’s style, “Ahmed” brings attention to the Syrian refugee crisis. His words leave the listeners with a reminder: The decision of politicians influences the lives of thousands.

Akala approaches many social issues with one of his most lyrical songs to date.

The song starts with a chilling guitar solo instead of heavy drums like in most rap songs. He approaches those issues without anger; instead, he is telling listeners the way to solve conflicts is through self-love.

He ends the song with the lyrics, “Look in the mirror and find no enemy.” This is a track without a powerful beat, but with profound lyrics that make people think.

BSR Beats: Social Relevance Here is a list of music that is relevant to social issues. These are some tracks with powerful instrumentals and educational lyrics.

Positivity can stay in our heads when they are expressed this way.

Musical lectures — knowledge is power!

Artist: Dub FX Song: So Are You Artist: Joey Bada$$ Song: Land of the Free We are excited to discover another American musician who has strong words in his lyrics.

Finding an American rapper is just a great feeling because it brings us closer to the problems of American society. “Land of the Free” is one track you must listen to in order to feel better about the American political climate.

Dub FX is an Australian looping musician who many fell in love with after watching his street performance.

He is always spreading positivity in the world through his music. “So Are You” is a great example of his positivity, which acts as a wake-up call for the world. It is great to see an artist who makes music that always tells the truth as he sees it.

Artist: Dumbfoundead Song: Harambe L.A. hip-hop artist Dumbfoundead released the rap song “Harambe” after the shooting of the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. To many, this may seem like a parody of the incident, since Harambe went viral on social media.

However, DFD used the catchy title to grab our attention and delivered a track that is about more than a gorilla getting shot.

Bill filed to loosen North Carolina 'bathroom bill'

Gary Robertson Associated Press

North Carolina lawmakers filed bipartisan legislation Wednesday aimed at breaking an impasse over the state's "bathroom bill," but it's likely to face tough going in the Republicancontrolled legislature.

Two House Republicans and two Democrats sponsored the measure that would repeal House Bill 2, the law approved last March. But the proposal contains add-ons that led gay rights groups as well as Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper — who prefers a simple repeal — to immediately pan the measure.

HB2 requires transgender people to use multi-stall restrooms in schools and other public buildings that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates and blocks expansion of LGBT rights in local ordinances and state law. It drew national protests.

Republican state Rep. Chuck McGrady of Hendersonville, one of the sponsors of the compromise bill, said he hopes it can secure enough votes for passage in his chamber. A deal between Cooper and Republican legislative leaders in December to repeal HB2 fell apart amid political acrimony.

"It's a bill that I view as sort of a bipartisan path forward to deal with an issue that is very complex and needs to be resolved," McGrady told reporters.

GOP lawmakers approved HB2 in response to Charlotte city leaders approving a February 2016 ordinance that would have allowed transgender people to use the restroom aligned with their gender identity. The state law prompted some businesses and sporting events to spurn North Carolina. The NBA moved its All-Star game out of Charlotte, and the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference withdrew championship events this academic year.

Attempts at a resolution have mounted after worries the NCAA would soon remove

from consideration local bids to host events through 2022.

"I feel like I can get a majority of Republicans and majority of Democrats on this bill if Gov. Cooper will help me get those Democratic votes, and I think that this is a good start," McGrady said.

But Cooper said in a statement he was "concerned that this legislation as written fails the basic test of restoring our reputation, removing discrimination and bringing jobs and sports back to North Carolina."

Any bill also would need to pass the GOPled Senate. Both chambers would either need to have overwhelming Republican support or decent backing from both Democrats and Republicans to withstand any potential veto from Cooper. Cooper offered his own legislation last week, but even the same LGBT rights groups against Wednesday's proposal opposed his offer.

Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro said anything but a "clean repeal of HB2" is "a distraction from the real issue."

Under the legislation, lawmakers would still control policy decisions over the use of multi-stall bathrooms in public buildings. Cities could expand other anti-discrimination protections, like those covering sexual orientation, after a four-month process. But a referendum on the ordinance would be required if opponents get above a threshold of signatures of registered voters in the city.

House Minority Leader Darren Jackson of Raleigh said the referendum was "a non-starter for me ... I never think that it's a good idea to put the rights of the minority on the ballot."

Governing boards of University of North Carolina and community college campuses could also expand anti-discrimination protections beyond what the proposal adds to current state law.

The measure also would increase penalties for certain crimes that occur in public restrooms

Photo courtesy of Matt Poe via kentwired.com.

or locker rooms. It would address concerns by some HB2 supporters that letting people use public bathrooms based on gender identity could be used as a pretense by sexual predators.

But there's little evidence the issue is a widespread problem.

Social conservatives, meanwhile, say HB2

should remain in place.

Wednesday's bill filing came the same day President Donald Trump's administration lifted federal guidelines that said transgender students should be allowed to use public school bathrooms matching their chosen gender identity.

Thursday, February 23, 2017 | Page 7

The Kent Stater

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Build your resume! Young Explorers Aurora and Twinsburg are looking for part-time and full-time teachers. 330-562-5588 Send resume to lissette@youngexplorerschildcare.com Lawn maintenance company seeks FT/PT employee. Must have valid drivers license 4 points or less and reliable transportation, please call 330-688-3389 or email lawnpride1978@gmail.com.

A&W Restaurants Opening soon!

Now taking applications for: -Car Hops -Fountain Help -Assistant Fry Cooks Apply in person only, 1-5 p.m. MonFri. 1124 West Main St. Kent, Ohio 769 E. Main St. Ravenna, Ohio

Landscaping company now hiring full day part-time and full-time positions. Send resume to cstriola@aol. com, or call 330-867-2981 or 330388-7801 for more information!

Boys Youth Lacrosse hiring Lacrosse coach for middle school players.

Please contact Matt Brown at mwblife@gmail.com. Evenings and some weekends starting March and ending in Late May. Paid positions.

All real estate advertised herein 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.

Now Leasing for Fall REMODELED houses for rent 5 and 6 bedrooms Beautiful and close to KSU Starting at $385/mo (330) 552-7032 Luxury 4 Bedroom large rooms and yard Deck, Patio, Fire Pit FREE washer/dryer and parking 330-714-0819 Leasing for fall, newer 5 bedroom 2 bathroom house. Huge private yard, large deck, close to campus $1550/mo. Call or Text Mike 330-554-3976 LEASING FOR FALL 2017 Spacious 3,4,&5 bedrooms with 2-3 full baths. Great condition, A/C, washer/dryer, dishwasher, deck, garage. 330-808-4045 University Town Home, 5 BR, W/D, Dishwasher, 2.5 Baths, $395 per room, Free utilities, cable & internet. Remodeled. 330-8084045 Shrewsberry Rentals Available for Fall Large 4 bedroom $1600 with water, sewer, recycling, and garbage paid. 330-221-2881 Clean 3 bedroom right next to Mcgilvrey. $430/person, includes utilities. Call Nancy 330-472-0501

To place advertising, call (330) 672-2586, email ads@ksustudentmedia. com, or visit us in 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Business hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.

Whitehall EAST Town Homes University Town Homes Town Homes still available 5/bedrooms 2.5/3 bathrooms Rents start as low as $450/mo/ person Call 330-990-4019 HOUSES FOR FALL 2017-2018 3, 4, 5, 8, & 9 bedrooms per house 330-547-1212 Spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath duplex. Living Room and Family Room, Washer/Dryer, A/C, $960/ mo. Available July (330)7604013(call/text).

August 1st: Studio apartment (Across from McGilvery Hall) parking and all utilities included. Please call between 9AM-6PM 330-7158570 www.kent2rent.com Newer 4 & 5 bdrm duplex. W/D, DW, A/C, deck, firepit. $1480/mo. & up. (216) 5363958 Nice Rooms for Fall 1 block from campus. $500/mo includes ALL utilities and wireless internet. No pets, 12 mo lease, non-smoking house. Chris Myers (330) 678-6984 Large Efficiency available for August 2017. Lots of storage, All utilities included except phone & cable. Call 330-678-3047 2 bdrm house available August 2017. $510.00 pr rm. W&D hookups, very cute. Call 330-678-3047

2 bdrm apt available for August 2017. $325 pr rm on our 10 pay plan, Includes ALL utilities except phone & cable. Call 330-678-3047 Single rooms available August 2017. Prices range from $385 to $415 on our 10 pay plan. Includes ALL utilities except phone & cable.

Call 330-678-3047 Single rooms available NOW. Prices range from $345 to $395 pr month. Call for addresses 330678-3047 Available Now! Studio Apartments $495-525 1 bedroom units $625 Fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, very close to KSU, quiet community, 330-678-3785 3 & 4 bdrm townhomes available for August 2017. On bus line, EXTRA LARGE BEDROOMS, W&D hookups. $474.00 pr room includes gas & trash. Call 330-6783047

SUDOKU

Available fall 6 bedroom house, 1 block from campus. Featuring large bedrooms, free washer and dryer, front porch, plenty of off street parking at $430 per month per bedroom. Individual leases.

There must be 6 people. Call Justin 330-328-1084.

House for Rent, 7 Bedrooms, Across from campus, On-site parking, $450/room plus utilities.

330-221-0460.

HOUSE FOR RENT: Well maintained. Close to campus, W/D, +other amenities. 330-673-6844.

UNPLANNED PREGNANCY? Are you looking for a wonderful home and future for your child?

We have been looking to share our love and lives with a child. Perhaps we are looking for each other.

Kent State Graduate Please call 1-888-34-ADOPT code: 91704

Page 8 | Thursday, February 23, 2017

The Kent Stater

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR: HENRY PALATTELLA // HPALATTE@KENT.EDU

Flashes beat Bowling Green, extend MAC East lead Henry Palattella Sports Editor The Kent State women’s basketball team (16-11, 10-5 Mid-American Conference) outscored Bowling Green State University (7-20, 3-12 Mid-American Conference) in the second half of Wednesday's game en route to a 70-60 victory over the Falcons.

The Flashes – who now have sole possession of first place in the MAC East – found themselves down 29-27 at halftime, thanks in part to the Falcons collecting 13 offensive rebounds in the first half, which led to nine second-chance points.

The Falcons also held Kent State senior guard Larissa Lurken in check for the first half, as she only had three points going into

halftime. Lurken came alive in the second half, however, as she scored 17 points.

“I didn’t expect to be faceguarded; that was a new experience,” Lurken told 640 WHLO Akron’s Dave Wilson after the game.

“So, I really struggled to get things going.”

Lurken was joined in double figures by junior forward Jordan Korinek and redshirt freshman Megan Carter, who finished with 18 points and 14 points, respectively.

“They were trying to run us off ball screens,” Carter told Wilson. “Coach (Todd Starkey) just said keep (attacking) and that’s what we did.”

Sophomore guard Alexa Golden also had a strong performance, finishing with eight points to go along with three rebounds and a steal. Golden didn’t play in the first matchup between the two teams.

The Falcons were paced by freshman guard Andrea Cecil, who scored a careerhigh 14 points in the victory. The Flashes scored a modest 22-56 (39 percent) from the field, while the Falcons were 22-66 (33 percent) from the field and 7-27 (25 percent) from three-point range.

The Flashes will be back in action this Saturday, Feb. 25 when they welcome The University of Akron to the M.A.C. Center for the second leg of the Wagon Wheel series, a game that Starkey said he is looking forward to.

“Once again, everybody’s going to come after you,” Starkey said to Wilson.

“Akron’s going (to) come in on Saturday and they’re going to want revenge.”

Redshirt freshman guard Megan Carter drives to the basket against Fort Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Wayne Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in the M.A.C. Center. The Flashes won

hpalatte@kent.edu 66-55. Austin Mariasy / The Kent Stater

Behind the jersey: KSU junior point guard Kevin Zabo Tanner Castora Contributor Editor’s note: Tanner Castora is a redshirt sophomore men’s basketball player and a journalism major. He provides insight and commentary as a student-athlete.

Character is a journey, not a destination — or Le charactaire est un sejour, et non une destination, as they may say in Kevin Zabo’s hometown of Gatineau, Quebec.

Zabo, a junior point guard for the men’s basketball team, is averaging 5.4 points per game, 1.3 rebounds per game and nearly two assists per game in 18 minutes of playing time a night.

While his journey to Kent State has been lengthy and unforeseen, that doesn’t mean the junior hasn’t learned from each step.

Zabo’s father, Zephyrin Zabo, was born and raised in the Congo, and his mother, Jacqueline Mukama, came from Rwanda. The two met at school in the late '80s.

A decade later, the family — Zephyrin, Mukama and their first born child Alexandre — fled to Canada amidst threats of war in the Congo and surrounding countries.

In 1995, Zabo was born in the family’s new home of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Although Zabo’s father played more soccer than basketball in high school, he was an avid fan of the NBA. At a young age, he introduced Zabo to the game of basketball.

“When I was real young, my dad bought me this mini hoop in the house with a basketball,” Zabo said. “Apparently, that’s all I wanted to do.

We would always play on that and we would always watch NBA games together.”

Kevin and his family moved 208 miles west to French-speaking Gatineau, Quebec, when he was 4 years old. If you ask him today what he refers to as his home, this will be your answer.

It became apparent early on that Zabo had a unique talent.

In his new hometown, there was a YMCA league for young ball players, but the organization had established an age restriction: Kevin was only five at the time, but only those seven years old and up could play.

Initially, the league accepted Alexandre but not Kevin. Zabo’s father convinced the YMCA that Kevin would have no problem competing in the league.

“Right there and then was when I knew I could really play. From then on I would always play up (with older kids),” Zabo said. “You could say the rest is history, or perhaps, the first

step of a never-ending journey."

By seventh grade, Zabo played for De L’ile High School in his hometown, where he won two state championships before he finished the eighth grade.

Shortly after, he played AAU basketball for QC United, a well-known club team that held connections to many higher ranking high school coaches.

Well-recruited by high school coaches, Zabo ultimately chose St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, 383 miles southeast of his beloved hometown.

The St. Mark’s basketball team was a different type of animal. The talent level had risen. He joined players recruited by national college stalwarts like Duke University or the University of Arizona.

Nik Stauskas, selected eighth overall in the 2014 NBA draft, played for the team.

Nonetheless, Zabo started at point guard as a freshman, despite a language barrier: Spoke French, not English, until the seventh grade.

“In seventh and eighth grade, we would take English as a second language type of class, like how people take Spanish here,” he said. “In eighth grade I started watching American movies.

But when I came to the States, I really knew no English. I was never scared, I was excited. I wanted to go to the States, I wanted to speak English.”

When his freshman season of hoops ended at St. Mark's, it was time for the AAU circuit to begin in the spring. Not only is AAU vital to young men look- Kent State junior guard Kevin Zabo brings the ball up court against Central Michigan University at the M.A.C. Center on ing to play basketball in college, but it’s Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017. Kent State lost 105-98 in overtime. Nate Manley / The Kent Stater also the easiest way to be seen by college coaches. That spring, he joined the top AAU team based out of Canada, and Zabo. St. Mark’s had finished the season with a of St. Mark’s in Rockville, Maryland. At MonZabo — like he did in high school — would play 27-3 record with Zabo at the helm, but the school trose Christian – where NBA star Kevin Durant up a few age groups. required student-athletes to play a sport during played – Zabo again earned the role of starting The team, CIA Bounce, was loaded with each season. Zabo played football in the fall, bas- point guard. talent again: His teammates consisted of Tyler ketball in the winter and tennis in the spring.

Zabo guided the team to a semi-final berth Ennis, who was a first round pick in the 2014 His goal was to earn a Division I basketball in the 2012 National High School Invitation and NBA draft and now a member of the Houston scholarship. It was important to be with his AAU finished with a record of 22-3. Zabo would only Rockets; Andrew Wiggins, who was the first team during the weekend of tournaments, yet stay at Montrose Christian for one year however, overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft and now a there would be weekends he was stuck playing as he and his family decided it was best for him budding superstar for the Minnesota Timber- tennis instead. to move on from Montrose Christian after the wolves; and Anthony Bennett, who was selected “I felt like it was slowing me down, ” Zabo season. first overall in the 2015 NBA by the Cleveland said. “I wasn’t there to play football and tennis.

Another step in the journey was on its way.

Cavaliers.

I was a basketball player.”

See the full article on KentWired.com.

It was a can’t miss opportunity, but other obliSubsequently, Zabo decided to transfer to tcastora@kent.edu gations would oftentimes create a road block for Montrose Christian School, 413 miles southwest

Hockey hosts postseason tournament, faces Davenport Erik Svensson Sports Reporter

Kent State forward T.J. West takes a face off against John Carroll at home on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Max McCarty

Nine teams — including three of the country’s top ten — will come to Kent this weekend to compete for the top spot in the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL).

The GLCHL playoffs tournament will be hosted at the Kent State Ice Arena and will run from Thursday to Sunday.

Three of the teams participating — Adrian College, Davenport University and the University of Michigan-Dearborn — are ranked among the top ten teams in the American Collegiate Hockey League.

The Kent State hockey club (1916-0) will play its first game against Davenport on Friday at 8 p.m.

Davenport (26-6-1) is seeded No. 2 for the tournament and is ranked No. 8 in the American Collegiate Hockey League. Kent State is seed-

ed No. 7 in the tournament and is ranked No. 24 in the American Collegiate Hockey League.

The two teams last faced each other at the beginning of the season, when Davenport swept Kent State earlier in the season. The Panthers won by scores of 4-3 and 4-2.

“We’re two very different teams now,” junior forward Jon Buttitta said. “It’s been a full season. We’ve changed a lot since then. I’m sure they’ve changed too.”

Davenport is already guaranteed a spot to the national tournament, which the Flashes will use as motivation. “ We ’ re a d a n g e ro u s t e a m because this is our final weekend,” head coach Jim Underwood said.

“When we lose, that’s our final game of the year. They’ve still got another week of hockey, but for us there’s no tomorrow.”

Kent players are confident in the work they’re putting in to prepare for the upcoming games.

“I think our skill set will definitely help us,” senior captain Alex Compean said. “We’ve got a lot of forwards who are able to score when they want to. We’ve also been working on our defense – getting the puck out of our zone and find an open guy to get it away from the goal.”

Members of the team are looking forward to the competition with Davenport.

“We’re going to be on home turf,” Buttitta said. “Even though they’re a top ranked team, anything can happen in playoff games.

We’re going to have our crowd, we always give Davenport a good game – I think we could come out on top." esvensso@kent.edu

The Kent Stater

Thursday, February 23, 2017 | Page 9

Page 10 | Thursday, February 23, 2017

The Kent Stater