The Kent Stater - March 23 - April 2, 2017

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The

Kent Stater 3/23 – 4/2

DEFINING DIVERSITY Appreciating the vast diversity found in everyday life

Features Edition

THE WEEKEND GUIDE TO ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND STUDENT LIFE

Photos by Clint Datchuk

Flashettes hope to start dance legacy on campus

Immigrant Ohio

McKenzie Jean-Philippe Diversity Editor After the Flashes’ loss last Friday to the University of California Los Angeles Bruins during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, to many at Kent State, basketball season came to an end. But to the eight members of the Flashettes dance team, March Madness is a time to plan ahead. Formed in March 2016, the Flashettes are a relatively new group on campus. Though the Kent State cheerleading and dance teams have an established presence at football and basketball games, the Flashettes came to be after member Lacy Talley realized the university spirit program needed a change. “Me and a couple friends — we went to one of the games — and it was, like, we saw a lack of diversity at the game, and we just wanted to improve that,” said Talley, a junior visual communication design major. “I feel like Kent State needs a group like this because it shows another population that isn’t represented.” This past November marked the dance team’s premiere performance. Though the team is only a student organization — and not part of the university spirit program — they have danced at nearly every home women’s and men’s basketball game. The Flashettes specialize in a type of dance they categorize as majorette; a style popular in historically black college and university dance teams across the country. Talley said what separates majorette dance from other styles is that routines are usually choreographed to music

Flashettes captain Michaela Broadnax, sophomore, dances with Lacy Talley, junior, and Diamond Carroll, junior, in Centennial Court F lounge on Monday. Jana Life / Kent Stater

played by the band, which means dance teams typically perform in the stands alongside the band. Movements also tend to be more stylized and sensual. Body rolls of the hips and shoulders, exaggerated arm movements and rhythm that’s hard to mimic are all key components of majorette dance. Angelica White, senior business management major and team president, is eager to enhance the campus presence of the Flashettes. Along with Talley, White is one of the founding members of the team. She said the goal when creating the Flashettes was “to bring awareness to a different style of dancing (and) a different culture to a predominantly white institution.”

SEE FLASHETTES / PAGE 2

A Look Inside Columbus’s Somali Community http://kentwired.jmc.kent.edu/immigrantohio/somalia

Recognizing women of Kent State McKenzie Jean-Philippe and Jenna Kuczkowski Diversity Editor and General Assignment Editor As cliché as it may be, women do come in all shapes, colors and sizes. While that will never change, Women’s History Month is as good a time as ever to recognize those differences that make each female unique. Women make up 61 percent of the student body; the majority at Kent State, according to the university’s student body profile. Here are the stories of three of those women. Each has her own perspective, but what they

share is their passion and pride in being a woman in the United States in 2017. These stories are a part of the Kent Stater project, “Celebrating Diversity: The Women of Kent State” that highlights a diverse group of women across Kent State’s campus. Look for the full video stories in early April online at KentWired.com.

Lama Abu-Amara When asked what trait women have that

strengthens society, junior chemistry major Lama Abu-Amara had a simple answer.

“I would say their kindness,” she said. “We just have very big hearts.” According to Abu-Amara, as a MuslimAmerican, she sees that same trait in her own culture, where honesty and an open mind are held in high regard. As president of Kent State’s Muslim Students' Association (MSA), Abu-Amara represents a community that doesn’t always see those same values reciprocated. This only stresses the importance of a campus organization like MSA. “Muslims need a place where they can feel that they’re safe, and they’re surrounded by

Screenshot of Lama Abu-Amara via KentWired.com

other people who are similar to them,” she said. “And it helps a lot since MSA acts as a sanctuary for those people, and it’s just really nice to have the company.” See extended article on KentWired.com


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