The Kent Stater - April 3, 2017

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@kentwired KentWired.com MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017

JMC finalizes plans for new fall Rolling Stone course

Baseball captures two wins

Molly Spillman CCI Reporter

mspillma@kent.edu

Kent State redshirt junior Mason Mamarella bunts down the third-base line in the first inning during the second game of a double-header against University at Buffalo at Schoonover Stadium on Sunday. Kent State won 14-0. Nate Manley / The Kent Stater

Offensive explosion propels Flashes to series win over Buffalo Nick Buzzelli Sports Reporter Junior pitcher Eli Kraus doesn’t mind pitching in the cold.

In fact, the Kent State left-hander prefers when the temperature hovers around 40 degrees. He finds that hitters tend to get more “complacent” at the plate when the weather is chilly.

He surrendered an early unearned run in the top of the first inning on a brisk Saturday afternoon against the University at Buffalo.

But then Kraus settled down and threw six consecutive scoreless innings to help the Flashes (17-8, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) to a 9-1 victory and, ultimately, a MAC series win over the Bulls (8-16, 1-2 MAC) this weekend at Schoonover Stadium.

“You’re always a little bit vulnerable in the first inning. You’re fresh out there, you come straight from the bullpen, you sit for a minute. Giving up the run in the first inning, you got to kind of teach yourself to not get too phased from it and that it does happen,” Kraus told Kent State Athletics following Saturday’s game. “I love pitching in this weather, I love pitching in the cold. I would take pitching in this weather nine times out of ten. I really do like it.”

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, sophomore first baseman Pete Schuler smacked a tworun homer to right-centerfield to put the Flashes on top. Junior catcher Tim DalPorto doubled and scored two more runs in the following inning.

But it was Kent State’s four-run eighth inning — sparked by a single by junior outfielder Mason Mamarella, a double to centerfield by junior out-

fielder Dylan Rosa and a DalPorto RBI groundout — that put the game out of reach.

Kraus picked up his fifth win of the season by striking out five batters in seven innings of work while relievers Patrick Dayton and Austin Havekost each threw one scoreless inning.

“One thing with (Kraus) is, as a Friday starter, you want a guy who can compete and battle through, no matter what happens. And he does that," Flashes manager Jeff Duncan told Golden Flashes TV. "I think he did that last week, too, when Ball State throws a three spot on him in the first inning and then he settled down and throws a bunch of zeros up and gives us 6 2/3 or whatever it was. Same thing today … he just settles in and puts six straight zeros up.”

‘‘

I love pitching in this weather, I love pitching in the cold.”

– Eli Kraus Junior pitcher

Majority of students take on loans to learn graduated with $30,000 in debt, according to a report conducted by The Institute of College Access and Success.

According to the Climate Survey conducted at The federal government offers financial aid for Kent State last spring, more than half of the 4,754 higher education through the Free Application for student respondents used loans to pay their tuition. Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA measures the Additionally, of the 50 percent who reported financial needs of a student. experiencing financial hardship — 2,390 responAccording to Mark Evans, director of Financial dents — over 60 percent of these students cited Aid at Kent State, the form doesn’t take into account difficulty affording tuition. important factors such as the value of one’s home or In Ohio, the average college student in 2015 mortgage payments.

“There is no perfect formula because every family’s situation is different,” Evans said.

Daniel Hawes, professor of political science at Pennsylvania – $34,798 Kent State, said he doesn’t believe students know enough about loans and Ohio – $30,239 debt before starting college.

“There’s a lot of support by universities to Michigan – $30,045 help students find financial aid,” Hawes said.

"There’s not a lot of supIndiana– $29,022 port in teaching students or showing them the consequences of that aid.”

West Virginia– $27,713 Curtis Reynolds, professor of economics, agreed that students aren’t Kentucky– $27,225 always aware of the consequences that come with taking out thousands of dollars in loans.

0 5,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 “My guess is (that) students don’t know that Debt much about what debt is,” The average amount of student loan debt at four-year institutions and private non-profit Reynolds said. “There’s four-year institutions during the 2015-2016 school year for Ohio and its bordering states. been some moves by the Information provided by The Institute for College Access and Success.

Caelin Mills Student Politics Reporter

Average state student debt

Average amount of debt

With registration for Kent State's upcoming fall semester starting Monday, the faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication are putting the final touches on the new Rolling Stone magazine course are being put on by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC).

The specialized, five-week course aims to educate students about the origins of Rolling Stone magazine and its different societal impacts over the years. The latest announcement came when Kent State publicized its partnership with Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Having a relationship with the Rock Hall makes this a national class,” said JMC Director Thor Wasbotten.

Announced less than a month ago, the course has received local media attention. News outlets like Cleveland.com, the Record-Courier and Crains Cleveland Business magazine have all covered the debut of the class.

Students can expect to spend one of the five class sessions at the Rock Hall, which will have its own 50th anniversary Rolling Stone exhibit on display.

JMC faculty is also working to provide different guest lectures and speakers to visit Kent State to contribute to the course's curriculum.

“Music, Movements and Media: Rolling Stone @ 50,” will be taught by Stephanie Smith, an assistant professor in JMC, who came up with this class through her love of the magazine.

“I’ve been a subscriber to the magazine for over 40 years,” Smith said. “I am completely faithful to it.”

One of the ways Rolling Stone is commemorating its 50th anniversary is by comparing different rock festivals over the years, which is what originally caught Smith’s eye.

“As I’m reading I’m thinking, ‘Why aren’t we doing something here?’” Smith said. “This is not only an iconic magazine, but ... the birth of rock journalism ... more importantly, it is the epicenter of music, media and social movements."

In order to receive course acceptance, students must email Smith directly with a statement of why they want to be in the class.

Smith is interested in having Jacqueline Marino, an associate professor in JMC, lecture on her writings about Hunter S. Thompson, who is an iconic author and writer.

The class begins with examining the origins of the magazine, something Kamczyc said he thinks every student will learn a lot from.

The course plans to educate students on how Rolling Stone has shaped American life and the effects its in-depth reporting has had on society.

Smith cited pieces like the nowretracted “A Rape on Campus” article and the 2010 story that led to Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s resignation as crucial in shaping students' view of journalism.

“I want them (students) to look at the authentic voices and writers who have been transformative in many phases of journalism at Rolling Stone,” Smith said. “I want them to examine the rewards, risks and implications of this cutting-edge, high-risk journalism style.”

Wasbotten anticipates the partnership with the Rock Hall and the demanding nature of the upcoming course will challenge JMC students in a new way.

"Smith is going to ensure that this class is rigorous and will create a deeper level of thinking than one might think if they’re just reading a Rolling Stone magazine,” Wasbotten said.

Registration preference will be given to JMC majors and minors with junior and senior class standing.

The Bulls, however, bounced back in the first game of Sunday’s double header and used starting pitcher Charlie Sobieraski’s three-hit, seveninning outing to pick up the 9-2 victory, their first in league play.

Kent State junior pitcher Zach Willeman surrendered five runs — four of which were earned — in five innings of work in the loss.

When the series finale began shortly after the first game's final out, though, the Flashes used their previously dormant offensive firepower to close out Sunday with 14 runs on 17 hits in the shutout win.

Kent State put up nine runs in the bottom of the first — four of which came via Schuler’s grand slam — and added two more in the second and third innings, respectively, before scoring one final run on a passed ball in the fourth.

Schuler led his team with five runs batted in while 11 Flashes collected hits.

Sophomore pitcher Joey Murray notched his fourth win by striking out 11 in six innings while relievers John Matthews, Zach Shultz and Zach Spangler each threw a scoreless inning to preserve the shutout, the Flashes' fourth of the season.

“We talk about protecting our house here and making sure we protect our homeland. We’ve been very good on the road and now we got to switch things up and be at home and the routine changes a little bit,” Duncan said. “But I think we’re very comfortable at home and we’re ready to go.”

The Flashes will be back in action this Tuesday when they play a home game against Youngstown State on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. nbuzzel1@kent.edu Department of Education to try and clarify some of those things such as what the loans are, what the debt is going to be and what their payments are going to be like.”

Cole Hochron, a sophomore exercise science major said he is currently $25,000 in debt. He estimates he will have between $40,000 and $50,000 to pay back when he graduates.

He believes the most stressful part about taking out loans is making payments on time, but isn’t worried about not being able to pay off his debt.

“I guess I live optimistically," Hochron said. "I’d like to say that I’ll have a job, and I’ll be able to pay it off over time."

According to Evans, around 90 percent of the incoming freshmen class at Kent State this fall will receive some type of financial aid through the university.

He said the university informs students of their financial aid options and resources through presentations before students begin school during Destination Kent State (DKS).

Evans believes the biggest problem with incoming students is they don’t start saving for college early enough and don’t search for scholarships.

Sophomore nursing major Renee Deckman said more scholarships are available to certain majors compared to others. She said she is currently $10,000 in debt and will graduate with between $30,000 and $40,000 to pay back.

“I know that for nursing they do give out a lot of scholarships, but I feel other majors don’t,” Deckman said. “I transferred from biology to nursing, and in biology I didn't get much money.”

Hawes cited lower state funding as one of the main causes of increasing tuition and student loan debt.

“In the 1980s, over 60 percent of our total revenue came from the state — now it’s 14 percent,” Hawes said, “At the same time, costs continue to go up. You have inflation, pay raises, infrastructure (and) more students, so the costs keep going up, state funding goes down. That has to be filled in somewhere and it’s tuition.”

SEE DEBT / PAGE 2

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

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SPORTS EDITOR Cleveland Indians fans at the watch party outside of Progressive Field react as the Chicago Cubs pull ahead in the 10th inning before winning Game 7 of the World Series just after midnight on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2016. Clint Datchuk / The Kent Stater

Darvish gets first Rangers opener against AL champ Indians Stephen Hawkins Assoicated Press Yu Darvish is getting the start he's never had with the Texas Rangers.

Darvish will be on the mound on opening day for the Rangers for the first time Monday when the two-time defending AL West champions take on the American League champion Cleveland Indians.

"I try to think, it's not just opening day, just take it as another game," Darvish said through his translator.

2014 AL Cy Young Corey Kluber pitches in Cleveland's season opener for the third consecutive season, all of which have come on the road.

Darvish is going into the sixth and final season of the contract he got when he joined the Rangers from Japan. The ace right-hander missed the first two months last season still rehabbing from

Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2015 season.

"Right now I'm not thinking about any of that stuff. I just don't," said Darvish, who is 46-30 with a 3.29 ERA in 100 starts with the Rangers.

Asked what he sees in Darvish now, manager Jeff Banister responded, "A very healthy, exceptional right-handed pitcher who's as good a pitcher as there is in the game."

Kluber was 18-9 in 32 starts last year during the regular season, then went 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six postseason starts that included three in the World Series. With all that, he threw nearly 250 innings.

"I feel right on track to where I would normally be at this point," Kluber said after a long spring that allowed him to pace himself into the season.

"When you are as dedicated as he is, a lot of good things will happen," man-

Special education conference coming to Kent State Caelin Mills Student Politics Reporter Kent State will host the first Badar-Kauffman Conference on Contemporary Issues in Special Education this April.

The conference lasts from April 13 to 14 and will feature experts in special education from around the country, as well as workshop sessions.

Nathan Stevenson, assistant professor of lifespan, development and education sciences, played a major role in organizing the conference.

“This is an event we’re hoping is a source of debate and a place where people can ask some difficult questions," Stevenson said.

"It’s not just an event where you go to listen to people talk for hours."

Thursday’s portion of the conference will take place in the Center for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, while Friday’s will

take place in the Student Center Ballroom Balcony.

The cost for students is $25, although Stevenson said they’ve been receiving donations from people to sponsor a student’s attendance.

“We’re drawing speakers from around the country who have very close friends in educational research nationwide, so people who can’t attend can also pay for a students attendance on their behalf,” Stevenson said. "We’ve gotten donations from as far away as Arizona.”

The theme of the event is "Multi-Tiered Systems of Support," and will include topics relating to learning disabilities and prevention services, as well as academic and behavioral needs for students with special needs.

“Hopefully this conference will be a source of debate, brainstorming and discussion,” Stevenson said. cmills11@kent.edu

ager Terry Francona said. "He is one of the best pitchers in the game."

Mike Napoli is back for his third stint with the Rangers after spending last season with the Indians. Napoli was part of the 2011 World Series with Texas, then won a championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2013 before going to the World Series with Cleveland.

"I built great friendships with a lot of people over there," Napoli said. "I've been through playing against a team that I've played for before. I kind of know how to handle it now. There's definitely going to be emotions, opening day, new season, facing them. It's going to be a fun time."

Napoli returned to Texas, which lost Mitch Moreland in free agency to Boston, after the Indians signed slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million deal that was the richest in club history.

From Page 1

DEBT Majority of students take on ...

Reynolds believes the inflation is also because the return on a bachelor’s degree is increasing as well, making it worthwhile for people to go to college. The increased demand for a college degree drives up the price.

“The best estimates are that each year of schooling — assuming that you graduate — raises your annual income by about 10 percent,” Reynolds said.

Hawes agreed, saying the importance of a degree is it brings opportunities. But students have to be sure they choose a major where there’s a demand for jobs in that field.

“On average, the degree more than pays for itself easily, but maybe not for everyone,” Hawes said. “Some individuals can’t find work in their art history major. That’s not to say people shouldn’t major in art history. But there’s not a lot of jobs for that out there.”

Reynolds believes the biggest reasons students run into debt problems are due to dropping out, expensive schools and forprofit schools with low graduation rates.

He thinks it’s unclear whether student debt is the cause of graduates becoming less likely to buy a house or put money into a retirement fund.

Hawes called these the long-term economic consequences of student debt, as those approaching retirement usually have

Encarnacion hit 42 homers and had 127 RBIs last season for Toronto, which the last two years has beaten the Rangers in the AL Division Series. He had only one all spring with Cleveland.

Darvish's catcher Monday will be Jonathan Lucroy, who at the non-waiver deadline last summer blocked a proposed trade from Milwaukee to Cleveland. Lucroy then was dealt to the Rangers, who exercised their team option to keep him this season.

Lucroy caught this spring for the United States team that won the World Baseball Classic.

"It's an experience you can look back on and smile upon," Lucroy said of the WBC. "The lineup I called against the Dominican team, two games, that's legitimately the best lineup I've ever had to face as a catcher. ... No lineup is going to be that good. I learned a lot from it."

savings and a home as their largest asset they are able to sell.

He said students are unable to buy homes because they can’t afford a down payment due to their loan payments, or can’t get approved for a mortgage because they’re already in debt.

Hawes said policies such as loan forgiveness programs and income-based repayment programs are effective in managing the growth of student debt.

This allows for a graduate who works a certain amount of years in the public sector and makes 10 years of payments to have their federal student loan debt forgiven, according to Hawes.

“Those are the policies that currently exist, and I think students need to be more informed about their existence,” Hawes said.

While the university hasn’t experienced increased default rates, many across the United States have.

If a school’s default rate exceeds 30 percent, the institution is in danger of not being able to accommodate federal financial aid.

Evans said there are many options available to the students experiencing this and the financial aid office is the first place to start.

“If a student has questions or concerns or is struggling, the worst thing they can do is not come and talk to us,” Evans said. “Staff will try to work through all the options we have to help a family continue and be successful.” cmills11@kent.edu

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Opinion

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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.

THE OPINION PAGE IS AN OUTLET FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S VARIED VIEWS.

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

Opinion Editor: Lucas Misera Senior Editor: Karl Schneider Managing Editor: Alex Delaney-Gesing Sports Editor: Henry Palattella Assigning Editor: Jack Kopanski Assigning Editor: Andrew Atkins

On

Men’s golf takes seventh in Texas tournament Erik Svensson Sports Reporter

The men’s golf team placed seventh out of 13 at The Aggie Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M. The team ended 13 strokes above par, 24 behind first-place Louisiana State.

“This was the strongest field of the year,” said coach Herb Page. “There were nine teams (from the) top 30 in the country (competing).”

See the full story at KentWired.com

Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... Opening Day. The MLB started its season on Sunday with a game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

Jeers to ... public humiliation. A Houston man needed help from police after he was duct taped to a yield sign by friends after losing a bet.

The dangers of relative deprivation Bobbie Szabo Columnist I have recently been reading a fair amount of texts written by heterosexual, cisgender, white men who feel frustrated by our current political climate.

The feelings of frustration, exclusion and inequality the cishet white men are experiencing are a result of a phenomenon called “relative deprivation.”

Relative deprivation is the idea that those who are in positions of power or who are at the top of social hierarchies feel as though they are being oppressed when those at the bottom of social hierarchies gain ground in their movements.

Imagine a blue stick figure standing at the top of a 39-foot ladder leaning against a 40-foot cliff. Imagine a red figure standing at the top of a 10-foot ladder leaning against that same cliff.

At the top of the cliff is an abundance of food, water and shelter.

The blue stick figure must only overcome a one-foot gap between itself and the necessary aspects of survival, and it does so with ease.

The red stick figure has a 30-foot gap to overcome and does not succeed in doing so.

In this analogy, the blue stick figure has a significant advantage over the red figure simply because it does. The blue figure cannot help it; it did not ask for the privilege or for the red stick figure to be so unlucky in comparison.

But the blue figure had the opportunity to get the food, and the red figure was unable to get what it needed to survive.

Similarly, the way the social and political hierarchies are currently set up in our countries, marginalized populations are left stranded on 10-foot ladders, while those in the majority sit at the top of the cliff.

Sometimes, though, someone notices the inequality and injustice being done to the red stick figures in our world. Perhaps even a blue figure notices the injustice and throws down a rock climbing manual to the red stick figure so it can learn how to climb the cliff and get the food.

A blue stick figure experiencing relative deprivation would see that and say, “But I didn’t get a rock climbing manual! I had to climb the cliff on my own!”

The blue figures did not get a rock climbing manual, but they also did not need one.

The same can be said for the heterosexual, cisgender and white men who are feeling vilified and ignored in our current political climate — especially those in the far left.

After years of experiencing systematic advantages through little or no fault of their own, they find themselves in situations in which the voices and opinions of members of marginalized communities are held to the same esteem as their own— perhaps even more.

Although the white man is not truly losing anything in this scenario — as fellow white men still hold nearly every single position of power in our country — he sees the gains being made by those in marginalized communities and feels he is losing something.

Relative deprivation is one of the sensations that caused the outcome of November’s election.

White men saw the advances made by queer people, people of color, women and immigrants, and they felt like they were being ignored. They felt like they were losing out on something they deserved — like the members of marginalized communities were getting special privileges to which the white man had never been privy.

Relative deprivation can be dangerous, and it is important for those who experience it to recognize it and gain some other perspectives on the issue.

But it is also important for those who do not experience it to recognize it and learn how to combat the phenomenon. bszabo3@kent.edu

Protecting the press Madison Newingham Columnist The press is experiencing a very unusual time; President Donald Trump’s tweets have become news, and he’s made strides to tailor the news in his favor. Trump calls the media liars, and his constituents believe him.

Jelani Cobb of The New Yorker reported that in a meeting with The New York Times, Trump sought a better relationship with the publication because he was tired of seeing unfair treatment printed on their pages. This reflects the narcissism of our president.

It is cheap, distasteful journalism to run wild with stories about what Trump posts on Twitter. That said, it is important to study what our president is saying and believes.

But, frankly, his tweets never really say anything reasonably important. We should not give him the attention he wants by tweeting nonsense about his weekly issue.

He is the president of the United States — one of the most important countries in the world. For him to use Twitter like a teenage girl, that is not news; It is gossip.

Unproven claims are obviously difficult to fact check. I would argue that the public already has done very well with countering Trump in any way.

For reasons such as our president slandering our former president, we must counter unproven claims by protecting free press, or we will relive the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts seen under President John Adams’ administration.

Free press highlights our democracy. We must protect our right to voice our concerns over bad governing and call out the hypocrisy when we see it.

Unfortunately, free press is under attack, as Trump has suggested limits which will inevitably violate our democratic practices.

We cannot begin to limit rights such as the press because it limits the voice of the people and a republic. In our democracy, we uphold respect for the voter, or at least that is the goal.

Without the voice of our people and our nation, what is the purpose of our government? It is intended to — and must — serve us.

In light of Trump blacklisting Politico, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and more, journalists must fight to be relevant to survive the next four years.

Journalists must continue to use online media and magazines because these are constantly expanding. Print newspapers are dying, and we must accommodate to the times to report the facts as we see them.

Future journalists need to recognize the ability to do their job depends entirely on free speech. We have not come this far to lose it to Trump. Nothing matters if we don’t have transparency, free speech and free press.

We are seeing a rise in conservative media such as Fox News, Breibart, InfoWars and now The Blaze reporting their own truths rather than the truth.

Enemies of truth are politicians and these news networks that want to limit speech into a narrow lens. Trump wants power and publicity and will report whatever to achieve that.

He does not care about the truth; He cares about himself.

Public relations professionals and jour-

nalists must fact check and report what is true. We must stop reporting lackluster news. Kellyanne Conway promoting Ivanka Trump’s clothing line is not news — it is just sad.

These aforementioned networks do not care about the man left behind, they care about their man being in power; They care about having the upper-hand. They do not care about reporting the truth at all. They report what sells, and that is not real journalism.

Most news networks believed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would win the election, so our journalism got lazy. To win back the trust of the people, we must be weary in siding with establishment practices.

Clinton was the establishment. She was polished, she had the right answers, and she seemed like the logical choice to many political scientists and the politically affluent.

The news relied on precedent to tell us how the entire middle portion of our country would vote, and it failed us.

Trump reiterated ridiculous statements about sexual assault, a physical wall and ethnic cleansing, and he barely faced lasting backlash.

We all assumed that states like Michigan and Wisconsin would vote for Clinton.

When they started to fall, this marked the end of any practice relying on precedent.

The problem is many people who voted for Trump tend to be less educated and consequently less politically affluent, and we misguidedly predicted their states. Democrats thought the working class was a given blue vote, and we saw otherwise.

We can do better by being more active in our republic, by calling and writing to our congresspersons, by being locally involved.

We can unite the Democratic Party rather than continue petty polarization.

Democrats must appeal to its wide range, thus giving progressive concessions. Democrats still are failing to adapt quickly to the future of the party.

We saw our traditional, scaled-down moderate politics fail, and we must respond to that. There is a reason Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders mobilized millions of new voters — including a number of millennials — and we must build off that.

We also need to be more transparent and honest with our constituents to earn their trust and push for policies that matter.

For example, we must be more united on the fight for civil rights and protecting the Affordable Care Act, should the current administration attempts to strip back protections and leave 24 million without healthcare.

The point here is if we allow the Trump administration to strip away our free press, we open the flood gates to corruption and hinder any effort for change. We will lose free speech, privacy, nondiscrimination policies and the freedom to practice religion or the lack thereof.

If we lose the press, we lose transparency, honesty and liberty. To sit back and watch this happen will enable political discrimination and the advancement of the few. mnewing2@kent.edu

A week without politics: My spring break journal Nicholas Hunter Columnist Editor’s note: The following column contains satire. The events mentioned in the piece are fictitious.

The following is a journal I kept over the past five days, documenting my personal thoughts as I embarked on one of the most difficult tasks of my life: taking a break from politics.

Day 1: Spring break is finally upon us. As the state of American politics is becoming more distressing by the day, I have decided to take a week-long break from politics. It’s been three hours since I checked Twitter; I haven’t watched a single press conference from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, and my stress acne is already beginning to clear up. This is a much-needed break.

Day 2: I haven’t looked at Twitter or turned on CNN since spring break began, and the effects are magical. I watched the new Netflix series “Iron Fist” (I give it a “B-”). I went for a run; I saw a chirping bird in a tree and felt pure bliss for the first time in two years.

I don’t know what Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has been up to the past couple days, and, frankly, I could not care less.

Day 3: I checked Facebook today and saw a video of President Donald Trump at a press conference; I blacked out and awoke 20 minutes later with 14 YouTube tabs opened, each with a clip of Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, on “Fox and Friends” discussing the different ways your “wires can be tapped.”

What an odd prank for my brother to pull on me.

I noticed a backlog of the “FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast” starting to build up. I need to delete those. I went for a run again — no birds this time.

Day 4: I checked Twitter to see how much my last column was shared (only once) and saw a tweet from the president. I don’t remember what it said, but I know that my phone died as I scrolled through his tweets.

Other than that, I only listened to 12 podcasts, watched five hours of CNN, and read the last four days of The New York Times. This hiatus has been a little strange, not knowing what’s going on in the world and such. But it’s been refreshing.

I started getting hives, though — maybe it’s all that running outside.

Day 5: I booked a ticket to Atlanta late last night so I can break into CNN headquarters and watch its last week of TV. I have a plan, too: play two days of TV at the same time, both at double speed. I did the math and, if I stay awake for the next 37 hours, I’ll be caught up before spring break is over.

Final thoughts: I think that we all need a break from the stresses in life. There are times when we put the weight of the world on our shoulders, and we need time to shake it off and rest.

But not politics. The 24-hour news cycle, four-times-a-week political podcasts and endless front-page spreads featuring a member of the Trump cabinet never stop.

So I cannot ever stop. I learned a hard lesson this week, but an important one: I need politics just as much as politics need me. nhunter6@kent.edu

Page 4 | Monday, April 3, 2017

The Kent Stater

Gilbert Baker, Rainbow Flag Creator, poses at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, NewYork, on Jan. 7, 2016. Gilbert Baker, openly gay artist and and civil rights activist designed the Rainbow flag in 1978 which become the iconic symbol of the gay community worldwide; MoMa announced in June 2015 its acquisition of the iconic Rainbow Flag into the design collection. Anthony Behar / Sipa USA

‘Trailblazer,’ creator of gay rights rainbow flag found dead at 65 Karen Matthews and Elliot Spagat Associated Press Gilbert Baker, the creator of the rainbow flag that has become a widely recognized symbol of gay rights has died. He was 65.

Baker was found dead Friday at his New York City home. The city medical examiner's office said Saturday that he had died of hypertensive heart disease.

Baker was born in Kansas and served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972.

He was stationed in San Francisco in the early days of the gay rights movement and continued to live there after his honorable discharge.

According to Baker's website, he taught himself to sew and began making banners for gay and anti-war marches, creating the rainbow flag in 1978.

Baker said in a 2008 interview that he knew instantly from the way people reacted to the flag that it was "going to be something. I didn't know what or how ... but I knew."

Baker was part of a circle of San Francisco gay activists that included Harvey Milk, the city supervisor who was assassinated in 1978, and Cleve Jones, who created the Names Project AIDS memorial quilt in the 1980s.

In an interview Saturday, Jones recalled the rainbow flag's first appearance at the 1978 gay

pride parade.

"It was quite amazing to stand there and watch all these thousands of people turn off Market Street into San Francisco Civic Center Plaza and march beneath these giant flags that were flapping in the wind," Jones said. "People looked up and faces lit up and, without any explanation, this was now our flag."

The flag was initially eight colors, but it was cut to six because of the limited availability of fabrics, Jones said. He said Baker rejected advice to patent the rainbow flag design and never made a penny off it.

Baker also designed flags for civic occasions including the inauguration of Dianne Feinstein,

now California's senior U.S. senator, as mayor of San Francisco.

Baker moved to New York in 1994 and created a milelong rainbow flag for the gay pride parade, which that year commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.

Current San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee said in a statement that the rainbow flag "has become a source of solace, comfort and pride for all those who look upon it."

"Gilbert was a trailblazer for LGBT rights, a powerful artist and a true friend to all who knew him," Lee said.

Trump says US is ready to act alone on North Korea

declare Beijing a currency manipulator, though it is unclear President Donald whether Trump will Trump says that the Unitfollow through with ed States is prepared to either threat. act alone if China does Trump told the newsnot take a tougher stand paper that he doesn't against North Korea's "want to talk about tarnuclear program. iffs yet, perhaps the next Tr u m p ' s c o m m e n t s time we meet." in an interview with the Tr u m p ' s a m b a s Financial Times come just sador to the United days before he is set to Nations Nikki Haley, host Chinese President Xi also offered tough talk Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago on China, saying on estate in South Florida.

ABC's "This Week" that The two are expected to the U.S. is pressing Chidiscuss a number of issues, na to take a firmer stand including North Korea, regarding North Korea's trade and territorial disnuclear program. putes in the South China U.N. resolutions Sea during their meeting have failed so far to on Thursday and Friday. deter North Korea from "Yes, we will talk about conducting nuclear and North Korea," Trump told missile tests. Last year, the newspaper for a story the North conducted that appeared Sunday on two nuclear tests and its website. "And China two dozen tests of balhas great influence over listic missiles.

North Korea. And China "They need to show will either decide to help us how concerned they us with North Korea, or are," Haley said. "They they won't. And if they do need to put pressure on that will be very good for North Korea. The only China, and if they don't it country that can stop won't be good for anyone." Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses supporters at the IX Center in Cleveland on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. Clint Datchuk / The Kent Stater North Korea is China, A State Department and they know that." spokesman said late Sunna's help.

Asked what the U.S. day that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been in touch with a Asked how he would tackle North Korea, Trump said: "I'm not would do if China doesn't cooperate, Haley said: "China has to coopertop Chinese official about the upcoming trip. going to tell you. You know, I am not the United States of the past ate."

"We can confirm Secretary Tillerson spoke today by telephone where we tell you where we are going to hit in the Middle East."

Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, however, said he doubtto Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi regarding this week's visit While China provides diplomatic and economic support to its ed that Beijing will cooperate. of President Xi and other issues of bilateral and regional impor- neighbor, it claims that its influence over Kim Jong Un's govern"I've been working on the North Korea problem since 1994," tance," the spokesman said. He discussed the upcoming visit on ment is limited.

Carter said on ABC. "And we have consistently asked Chinese condition that his name not be used.

The relationship between the United States and China has been leaders ... because they uniquely have the historical and the ecoIn his interview, Trump said trade was the incentive for China uncertain since Trump's election. nomic relationship with North Korea, to make a difference. to work with the United States. Still, he said the United States During his campaign he accused China of unfair trade prac"They haven't used that influence, and so it's hard for me to be could "totally" handle the situation in North Korea without Chi- tices and threatened to raise import taxes on Chinese goods and optimistic with that," he said.

Jim O’Connell Associated Press

Monday, April 3, 2017 | Page 5

The Kent Stater

Television host ~ Quinones to speak at Stark campus Kennedy Caldwell Commuters and Apartment Life Reporter

Rescuers search for survivors in Mocoa, Colombia, on Sunday. A grim search for the missing resumed at dawn Sunday in southern Colombia after surging rivers sent an avalanche of floodwaters, mud and debris through a city, killing at least 200 people and leaving many more injured and homeless.

Fernando Vergara / AP Photo

Desperation sets in as flood death toll tops 200 in Colombia Alba Tobella Associated Press Townspeople desperately searched their ruined homes and the local hospital for loved ones Sunday after a torrent of water, mud and debris swept through a city in southern Colombia, causing more than 200 deaths, many of them children, and leaving hundreds more missing and injured.

Neighborhoods were left strewn with rocks, wooden planks, tree limbs and brown muck after heavy rain caused the three rivers that surround Mocoa to rise up and surge through the city of 40,000 Friday night and early Saturday as people slept. The deluge smashed houses, tore trees out by the roots and washed cars and trucks away.

Search-and-rescue teams combed through the debris and helped people who had been desperately clawing at huge mounds of mud by hand. Many had little left to search.

"People went to their houses and found nothing but the floor," said Gilma Diaz, a 42-year-old woman from another town who came to search for a cousin.

President Juan Manuel Santos, who visited Mocoa for a second straight day Sunday, declared the area a disaster zone and said the death toll stood at 210. But that was all but certain to rise because authorities said there were more than 200 injured, some in critical condition, and more than 200 others unaccounted for.

Dozens stood in the door of a hospital, hoping for news of family members who were not on the list of those confirmed dead or injured. Others frantically knocked on relatives' doors, hoping to find someone with information about their loved ones.

The disaster seemed to hit young people particularly hard.

Santos said more than 40 of the dead identified so far were under 18, perhaps because youngsters were already in bed when the floodwaters struck.

Maria Cordoba, a 52-year-old resident who was trying to wash her belongings in a river, said two of her nephews, ages 6 and 11, were killed when their house was destroyed. "The

mother as well was totally beaten up" but managed to save her 18-month-old baby, she said.

A rescue worker in an orange jumpsuit emerged from one search area with the body of an infant wrapped in a towel. Not far away, Abelardo Solarte, a 48-year-old resident of Mocoa, held a child's shoe as he helped clear debris.

"You have no idea how many kids there are around here," Solarte said.

Jair Echarri, who came from a nearby town to help, also struggled to comprehend the loss of so many children. "I feel an enormous sadness because it's filled with kids' things, toys, clothes, school books," he said. "I am a father and this breaks my heart."

Santos said the avalanche of water and debris also knocked out power in half of the province of Putumayo, where Mocoa is located, and destroyed the area's fresh water network, creating dangerous and unsanitary conditions.

Mocoa is vulnerable to flooding. It is surrounded by the three rivers in a natural basin created by the surrounding mountains.

The danger has grown worse in recent years because of deforestation, which eliminates some protection from runoff, and because many people built their homes close to the water.

But the triggering event was rainfall of more than 5 inches (130 milimeters) that began late Friday.

A 1989 hydrology report for the Agricultural Ministry warned that just such a disaster could happen unless steps were taken to reinforce the riverbanks, channel water away from the town and restore some of the forest. It was not immediately clear why those steps had not been taken.

Juan Chanchi de Ruiz, 74, said the noise of the surging flood woke her up and gave her enough time to get to higher ground.

Her house wasn't damaged, but several neighbors' homes were heavily damaged and many people fled with some of their belongings.

"Around here, there's nobody. Everybody left," she said.

Colombian officials pledged aid to rebuild homes, and the attorney general launched an investigation into whether local and national authorities responded adequately to the disaster.

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John Quiñones, television host of “What Would You Do?” and ABC News correspondent, will present at the Kent State Stark's 26th Featured Speaker Series.

The event is scheduled for April 19 at 7:30 p.m.

According to Kent State Stark’s website, “Kent State University at Stark's Featured Speakers Series brings national and international experts in civil rights, politics, education, environmental activism, literature and arts to campus.”

Denise Seachrist, dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Stark, said Quiñones brings wisdom, struggles and strength to overcome hardships.

“He is an important aspect of the Featured Speakers Series because he is a familiar face who is ultimately coming to share words of wisdom about doing the right thing,” Seachrist said. “With the political landscape, current events and turmoil in the headlines, turning inward to ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing on a daily basis is more important now than ever before.”

Quiñones plans to host a Q&A session with students, and select attendees will be selected to attend a private dinner with him.

Quiñones’ autographed books will also be for sale during the event.

Kent State Stark’s Special Events Coordinator Kelly Simonis emphasized the importance of the Featured Speaker Series for Kent State students.

“Being the only public university in Stark County, it is our responsibility to lead and facilitate conversations about the world around us,” Simonis said. “Sometimes these conversations are difficult, containing serious subject matter, and other times they are lighthearted, but it is important that we continue to bring these current topics to the forefront in our community.”

The Featured Speaker Series has garnered over 700 attendees since the event was first established.

“The event has come to be not only a campus tradition, but also a community one,” Simonis said. “The community and campus is grateful for the opportunity and the feedback is, time and again, filled with appreciation and awe. We hear stories from attendees who express that they feel like this has provided them with a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Students are limited to two tickets, which will be available for purchase starting today at Kent State Stark's main hall information desk.

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.

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Page 6 | Monday, April 3, 2017

The Kent Stater

Sports

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

Flashes season ends in road to nationals

Scott Lendak Sports Reporter

The Kent State gymnastics team finished in last place at Saturday’s NCAA Regional in Morgantown, West Virginia, but coach Brice Biggin said he was still proud of his team.

“When you’re competing against five teams in the top 23, it’s not easy,” Biggin said, whose team finished sixth overall. “I was certainly proud to be there, and I think our kids should be glad to be there. There were a lot of other teams that were sitting at home.”

The Flashes (5-8, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) finished with a score of 194.375, which was their worst score since the third week of the season. Biggin said he thought a few individual gymnasts performed well.

“Skyelee Lamano had a good senior meet,” Biggin said. “As a senior I am so happy for her because she’s been a great kid for us, and it was a great way for her to go out. Seniors Jordan Hardison and Samantha Gordon also performed well. I thought the

whole senior class had a great meet.”

Lamano's best finish came in 26th in both the uneven bars and floor events, while Hardison managed 13th in the vault and Gordon reached 36th on the floor category.

Junior Rachel Stypinski tied for ninth in the all-around competition with a score of 39.050, which was 0.125 points short from advancing to the NCAA National Championships.

Stypinski posted the Flashes’ top two scores of the day with a 9.875 on floor and a 9.850 on bars.

“Rachel unfortunately had a little bit of an off-meet,” Biggin said. “She’s battled a bad ankle since before MAC Championships. She gutted out four events today, and a lot of kids would not have gone through what she went through in the past three weeks.”

J u n i o r B ro o k e Ti m k o d i d n ’ t compete due to injury, but Biggin said the team has been able to fight through injuries all year.

“I’m proud of the team because we fought through a lot of adversity this year,” Biggin said. “We went through

more injuries than we’ve had in a long time, and we kept having people step up and fill in. Maybe it wasn’t quite at the level that we wanted it to be at times, but they never gave up. You never like to lose, but being healthier certainly gives you more opportunities to compete at a high level.”

Sophomore Kennedy Plude scored a 9.800 to tie for tenth on balance beam.

The Flashes received a team score of 47.950 on the balance beam, which was their lowest score on the event since the first week of the season.

“Kennedy Plude had a good beam routine, but the most unfortunate part of this meet was that we’ve been so good for the last five weeks on beam,” Biggin said. “It’s one of those events where, if you have an early kid fall, sometimes it tenses up the other kids.

We had a fall on the first routine and that normally doesn’t happen, so we had a few kids get a little tight.”

Michigan (197.350) and Alabama (196.625) had the top two team scores and will advance to the NCAA National Championships.

Senior Milena Fabry flips across the balance beam during the meet against Ball State University Friday, March 10, 2017. Alexander Wadley / The Kent Stater

“It wasn’t due to a lack of effort or attitude,” Biggin said of the team's performance. “Unfortunately in sports, sometimes it’s your day and sometimes it’s not. If we just do a normal beam set, we’d be right

there with every other team.”

The Flashes finished the season fourth in the MAC. The Flashes also finished 31st in the country with an average team score of 195.210. slendak@kent.edu

KSU drops weekend series against Central Michigan Samantha Ross Sports Reporter

Then-junior pitcher Ronnie Ladines pitches against University at Buffalo on April 23, 2016. The Flashes won both games in their double header. Carrie George / The Kent Stater

The Kent State softball team dropped two of three games this weekend against Central Michigan and dropped to a .500 record in conference play.

The Flashes (13-18, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) lost 1-0 after 11 innings in their first game against the Chippewas (19-10, 4-2 MAC).

Senior pitcher Ronnie Ladines threw all 10 innings for the Flashes and recorded a seasonhigh 10 strikeouts.

In the second game, the Flashes opened up the scoring on a first-inning RBI single by Ladines, but the Chippewas responded with eight straight runs of their own. The Flashes

got one more unearned run across in the sixth inning, but eventually lost 9-2.

The Flashes came back and beat Central Michigan University 3-2 in the final game of the series.

Ladines (5-11) struck out nine batters and allowed one earned run and scored the first run of the game when she hit a solo home run in the second inning.

The Chippewas led 2-1 after the third inning, but Kent State scored two more runs in the sixth inning on a double by sophomore Bailey Brownfield.

The Flashes will have their home opener this Tuesday when they take on Ohio University on Tuesday at 1 p.m. sross39@kent.edu