Daily Kent Stater for Tuesday, April 20, 2010

His own man: one student’s journey to find himself | Page 8

DAILY KENT STATER Tuesday, April 20, 2010 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Partly Cloudy HI 62, LO 40

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KERNICH TRIAL

“

Faculty clash at monthly meeting

I can’t remember all my lies.

Glen Jefferson JR. Witness

Suzi Starheim JEFFERSON

TESSA BARGAINNIER | DAILY KENT STATER

Defense attorney Scott Michael Lear speaks with his consulting attorney William T. Whitaker while cross-examining Glen Jefferson Jr. during Adrian Barker’s trial Monday. Jefferson invoked his right as a witness not to be photographed.

Jefferson testifies in Barker trial

Melissa Dilley Regina Garcia Cano Daily Kent Stater

The star prosecution witness in the murder trial of Adrian Barker testified yesterday that he saw Barker and Ronald Kelly stomp Kent State student Christopher Kernich.

Glen Jefferson Jr., 21, of Mentor, admitted to lying to police, detectives and twice — under oath — to a grand jury about what he saw and his involvement in the beating death of Kernich in the early morning of Nov. 15, 2009.

“I can’t remember all my lies,” Jefferson admitted after Barker’s attorney, Scott Michael Lear, asked him several questions relating to previous false statements he made in connection with the investigation.

Jefferson’s testimony In court yesterday, Jefferson said he was finally telling the whole, truthful story.

(Editor’s note: the following account was adapted from Jefferson’s testimony) The night began after Jefferson drove from his mother’s home in Mentor to the Akron home he shared with Kelly and four others.

Barker’s car was parked in the driveway, and Jefferson went inside to have him make room. He found Barker and Kelly drinking juice and vodka out of juice jugs on the couch. When they asked him to go to Kent, he declined, saying his friends were coming over.

When Jefferson’s friends went home early, he called his roommate to get directions to Kent and see if he should still go out.

Jefferson followed his printed MapQuest directions to Main Street. He called Kelly, who told him to park at Firestone Complete Auto Care since it was right next to the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, where a party was taking place.

Jefferson first saw Barker and Kelly on the couch in the fraternity house with two girls.

They all went down to the basement and started dancing.

A fight then broke out, but Jefferson was not allowed to discuss it during his testimony because of its relation to Kelly’s upcoming trial.

Someone came downstairs to break up the party.

Jefferson, Kelly and Barker headed to the

car. Barker sat in the back seat, behind Kelly, who took the passenger seat.

Kelly instructed Jefferson to go right, toward campus.

When pulling out of the Firestone Tire parking lot, Jefferson noticed an “unfriendly” exchange of words between Kelly, Barker and a “couple of people to the left of the car.”

“What the fuck did they say?” Jefferson asked.

“Pull the fuck over,” Kelly responded.

Jefferson pulled into Moneypenny Realty and Management’s driveway. It was full and his car was on the sidewalk.

Before Jefferson could stop his car and put the emergency brake on, Kelly and Barker had already left the car.

Immediately after Jefferson got out of his car, he saw someone lying on the ground behind it and Kelly and Barker “marching down the street,” toward downtown.

“I remember following them because I didn’t know what they were doing,” Jefferson said.

When Jefferson was approximately seven feet from his car, someone took a swing at him from his side. He ducked and swung back, using his right hand to connect on what defense attorney Lear called “a lucky hit” and then kicked the unknown man in the stomach with his left foot.

When Jefferson looked up, he said he “observed Ron and Adrian stomping some kid on the ground.”

He said, demonstrating to the jurors, that Kelly gave the victim two quick

stomps to the chest then Barker delivered a stomp to the head.

Jefferson ran back to his car to rip off his temporary tags because he was on probation for a 2007 felony and didn’t want to be identified.

Jefferson got back in his car, and after waiting for someone to pass, left the driveway and headed toward downtown. Kelly got into the car and stuck his head out the window to yell for Barker. Someone punched Kelly in the face.

“What the fuck?” Kelly yelled.

Jefferson and Kelly drove to Main Street Auto, where Jefferson said Barker was “swinging punches to three or four people.”

Jefferson pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car along with Kelly. Jefferson stood between the group of people and Barker.

“I’m just trying to get my dudes home,” Jefferson said to the crowd.

“Your two dudes fucked that dude over,” a man in a military uniform replied to Jefferson.

At that point, Kent police officer Sarah Berkey arrived at the scene.

Police asked Jefferson to give a brief statement at the scene of the assault. Police then searched him, checked his shoes and gave him a sobriety test. He was then released to go home.

Jefferson did not give a written statement to the Kent Police Department about the assault until hours after the incident.

See TRIAL, Page 5

Daily Kent Stater Conflict again entered into a monthly faculty meeting as members of the Educational Policies Council met yesterday in the Student Center.

Ralph Lorenz, interim associate dean of the arts, proposed an experiential learning requirement for all Kent State students seeking a bachelor’s degree. The requirement would have students completing at least one hands-on learning experience as an undergraduate.

“We have recognized that diverse experiential learning is basically learning by doing, and there are many ways that this can be brought about,” Lorenz said. “We have come up with five categories that we qualify for experiential learning, which are civic engagement, creative/ artistic activities, practical experiences, research and study abroad/ study away.”

The initial proposal was not agreed upon by all members of the meeting and was debated on for nearly 30 minutes.

Linda Williams, associate professor of philosophy, was one member who said she didn’t initially think

experiential education should be made a graduation requirement.

“I thought we were trying to reduce the number of requirements for students so that they could go through our curriculum more easily,” Williams said. “So I find adding more things sometimes (is) a little counterproductive for that goal that we had set for ourselves.”

Lorenz said the requirement would be different, depending on what suits each department best.

“We realize also that for each unit, there may be many different ways that this would best apply to that unit,” Lorenz said. “So we have recommended a decentralized process in which each unit, it’s up to them how they’re going to implement this and which of these categories they are going to be appropriate for their particular case.”

Associate Provost Stephane Booth said only approximately 60 percent of Kent State students have experiential learning as a requirement for graduation.

At the meeting, a revision of the dismissal policy for undergraduate students was also passed.

See EPC, Page 5

Chef brings Mexican cuisine to students Samantha Worgull Daily Kent Stater

What’s the key to worldrenowned Mexican chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Roberto Santibañez’s dishes? He likes the heat.

Yesterday, Santibañez visited Kent State, sponsored by Dining Services, to demonstrate to admirers of Mexican cuisine how to make guacamole and pico de gallo. The key to both, as explained in his demonstrations: the chiles.

Santibañez said although the heat in his dishes sets him apart from other chefs, he also enjoys cooking with avocados and anything seafood related.

But because Santibañez graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, he certainly isn’t limited to merely Mexican cuisine.

He was trained in French cuisine at the culinary institute and loves to practice combining it with Mexican food.

“A mixture of French and Mexican cuisine is actually really good, “ Santibañez said. “There are no chiles in French cuisine, but a lot of their things added with chiles are fantastic.”

The restaurateur has worked on multiple menus for restaurants including the upscale Rosa Mexicano and musician Carlos Santana’s Maria

MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATER

World-renowned Mexican chef Roberto Santibañez came to Kent State to demonstrate cooking techniques. He talked about not seeding peppers and properly prepared guacamole.

There was a book signing and food tasting as well.

Maria. Santibañez also owns his own restaurant in Brooklyn called Fonda, and is currently working for Chilango in London.

He is also a culinary partner for the Taco Truck, a travelling truck that provides authentic Mexican tacos to different cities around the United States. The truck is currently in Hoboken, N.J. See FOOD, Page 5

Small Fire in Holly Park Results in Felony Arrest A Kent State student was arrested Sunday afternoon on the Ohio Turnpike while driving to Iowa after a small fire at his Holly Park Apartment.

Blayke R. Wiederin, 23, is being charged with tampering with safety equipment after the Kent Fire Department responded around 6:00 a.m. to a 911 call made by a neighbor who smelled smoke escaping from the door of the apartment, which was left cracked open.

A fire started on Wiederin’s stove at an unknown time. All three residents, including Wiederin, were asleep in the apartment, unaware of the fire because Wiederin had disabled the smoke detector several months prior.

When the violation came to the attention of firefighters, they called the police. Before the police

arrived, Wiederin left in his 2007 Hummer, got on the turnpike and, according to a Kent Police Department press release, planned on driving to Iowa.

He was arrested at 1:20 p.m. in Erie County on a felony warrant by the Ohio Highway Patrol.

There was fire damage to the stove and minor smoke damage to the apartment, Capt. Charles Palmer of the Kent Fire Department said.

Palmer also said he’s never seen a case where a disabled fire alarm allowed a small fire to get so bad.

“They’re just lucky the door was propped open with a bottle,” he said. “If the door had been closed, the fire would have grown much bigger and more dangerous.” ­—Denver Collins

Page 2 | Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Daily Kent Stater

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Student group wants activism first on 4/20 SSDP urges students to lobby for legalization Michelle Bair

Daily Kent Stater On this 4/20, Chris Wallis wants students to take an active stand before they participate in more traditional festivities.

Recently, state Rep. Kenny Yuko (D-Cleveland) has introduced The Ohio Medical Compassion Act, House bill 478, a step toward the legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio.

“I want Kent students to know they should be contacting their state representatives and asking them to support the bill,” said Wallis, Kent State’s Students for Sensible Drug Policy president. “Seventy-three percent of Ohioans support medical marijuana, according to a study by the University of Cincinnati. We need to let our legislators know that

most of our constituents support this, so we should let them know.”

In March, members of Kent’s SSDP traveled to San Francisco for the 11th annual SSDP Conference, where about 500 people from all over the world met to learn about drug policy.

The group’s goal this week, in light of 4/20, is to “spread awareness mainly about medical marijuana because we got pumped up at the conference in San Francisco,” Wallis said. “It’s our annual drug war awareness week.”

Tonight at 7:30, SSDP will be in the Michael Schwartz Center auditorium for “Lets Talk About Drugs: Marijuana.” And tomorrow at 8 p.m., SSDP is having an open-mic benefit show at Euro-Gyro. On Thursday, they are showing the movie, “The Union” at 7:30 p.m. in Room 315 of the Student Center.

Last night, SSDP was in the Rathskeller for the “The Marijuanalogues.”

“It’s like the ‘Vagina Monologues,’ but for marijuana,” Wallis said.

“

Kristyn Soltis ksoltis1@kent.edu City editor

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CHRISS TROFF SENIOR BUSINESS MANAGMENT MAJOR

Wallis said he isn’t quite sure where the April 20 holiday came from.

“For whatever reason, no one really knows where it came from,” he said. “There are a lot of myths.

For SSDP, it’s another opportunity to raise awareness, to talk to people and open up about drugs.”

Chris Troff, senior business management major, said he follows the news on CNN about Ohio’s medical marijuana bill.

“I guess it’s an okay thing, but it’s just another way for Ohio to gain money through taxes,” he said.

“There are people who will ben-

ahollow1@kent.edu

tgallick@kent.edu

It’s not going to hurt anyone; so many people are offended by people getting high, but people do it illegally. Then there are people who actually need it. I do think it is a good thing.

acorthel@kent.edu

FEATURES Features team leader

Melissa Dilley

efit from it if the bill is passed, like people with cancer and glaucoma.

Businesses who have a license to sell medical marijuana will also benefit from it and make money off of it.

“It’s not going to hurt anyone; so many people are offended by people getting high, but people do it illegally. Then there are people who actually need it. I do think it is a good thing.”

Contact on-campus entertainment reporter Michelle Bair at mbair1@kent.edu.

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mdilley2@kent.edu Features team assistants

Beth Rucker Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A gunman opened fire outside a hospital yesterday, killing a woman and injuring two others before committing suicide, police said.

K n o x v i l l e P o l i c e C h i e f S t e rling Owen IV said all the victims were female and current or former employees of Parkwest Medical Center. The attack happened about 4:30 p.m. outside the hospital’s discharge area.

Police are still trying to determine a motive. A police spokesman

said it did not appear that any of the victims were related to the suspect or that there was any connection between them. Spokesman Darrell DeBusk also said it did not appear the suspect was ever employed at the hospital.

The names of the victims and gunman weren’t released by police because the families haven’t yet been notified.

Two of the victims were taken to the trauma center at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. A hospital spokesman declined to give their conditions, citing federal privacy laws.

Linda Cody, whose father was a patient at the hospital, said she had gone to smoke a cigarette when she saw a man lying face down, surrounded by blood, outside the discharge area of the hospital.

She said she didn’t know if the man, who wasn’t moving, was dead or alive, but she had learned the victims had been shot in the same area where she normally smoked.

“It was scary,” she said. “It kind of gives you the willies thinking that could have been me five seconds ago.”

Cody overheard a woman tell police that a gun was underneath

the man.

Police put the hospital on lockd o w n a s S WAT t e a m m e m b e r s searched each floor to make sure no one else involved with the attack had made it inside.

“The hospital is safe and is being reopened with limitations,” Owen said.

Charles Billingsley was taking his sister to a nearby doctor ’s office and heard the shooting, though he wasn’t close enough to see the attack.

“I heard five pistol shots, back to back, and then another and then another,” Billingsley said. “I just saw people running from the hospital.”

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CORRECTIONS The Daily Kent Stater recognizes the responsibility to correct errors that occur in the newspaper.

When errors occur in the newspaper, corrections will appear in this space as promptly as possible.

Daily Kent Stater

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | Page 3

Volunteers aid psych department Students take part in lab experiments Kathryn McGonagle Daily Kent Stater

Class credit, money or an interest in furthering scientific research motivates Kent State students to participate in experiments conducted by graduate students or professors in the psychology department.

“I did it initially to get all the extra credit, but then there was a couple that I just wanted to do for fun,” Rio Vincz, freshman middle childhood education major, said.

“I did bigger experiments just so I could say I was part of it.”

Kent State students have the opportunity to be both the subject and researcher during psychological experiments, said Jocelyn Folk, undergraduate coordinator and psychology associate professor.

She said students take part through general psychology classes where they can choose between

participating in research or writing papers about research. However, they can also participate as student lab assistants who aid in conducting experiments.

“They are participating in real research projects,” Folk said.

“These aren’t just things we’re giving them for something to do; these are research projects that are federally funded and grad students may need the data to complete their master’s thesis or dissertation.”

Students who decide to be research subjects can pick what studies they want to participate in, which can range from online surveys to journal entries and recorded interviews. Folk said there is a varying amount of time and effort students can choose to put into experiments, some of which pay participants or can be used for credit.

Chelsea McClelland, freshman fashion merchandising major, participated in quick online tests as well as a more in-depth study of eating and exercising habits, which made her think about her lifestyle.

“A lot of the questions for the diet and exercise one gave me an awareness of what I am eating

and how much I’m exercising,” McClelland said.

Psychology assistant professor Robin Joynes said students are not only benefiting the researchers who depend on their participation for studies, but some of these experiments may very well teach students something about themselves. At the very least, she said, it will make students think about concepts like mood, memory and learning as it pertains to their lives.

“You are helping science, you are forwarding progress and we will gain knowledge, so in the altruistic sense, there is that,” Joynes said. “There may be a study that helps you out in the long run, and you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know before.”

Joynes said the only drawback is the time spent on something students may or may not consider valuable, but the researchers depend on honest students willing to take that time.

Weber said she not only received credit for her psychology course, but was also paid for a survey. One memory test, she said, even helped

her study for an exam by quizzing her on psychology related terms.

Freshman exploratory major Patrick Butcher said these experiments gave him a glimpse into what psychology is like while simultaneously being easy extra credit. He did say, however, he most likely wouldn’t participate if there was no extra benefit.

“Most people who take them do it for some kind of incentive,” Butcher said. “They either pay or enter you in a drawing.”

Folk said the student researchers all had to take introductory psychology classes and know what it’s like to be the subject.

“You can read about it and talk about it, but that isn’t the same as being in an experiment,” Joynes said. “We want to give you something other than us telling you what it’s like.”

Contact arts and sciences reporter Kathryn McGonagle at kmcgonag@kent.edu.

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CRASH ON HAYMAKER AND LONGMERE

JESSICA KANALAS | DAILY KENT STATER

Laurie Ransweiler witnessed yesterday’s crash on the corner of Haymaker Parkway and Longmere Drive. Ransweiler described the crash, saying one person was taken to the hospital after an orange Pontiac Coupe ran the stoplight and hit a white Acura Coupe.

POLICE BLOTTER The blotter is a record of charges filed by the police. The listings do not represent convictions or reflect guilt.

It is the Daily Kent Stater’s policy to publish on-campus and off campus arrests, charges and incidents of interest to the public.

CITY SUNDAY nTimothy R Brown, 43, of Kent was charged with drunken driving and possession of marijuana at the 1400 block of Devon Street. nJason D. Fisher, 22, of Kent was charged with public intoxication at the 1000 block of Lake Street. nTravis B. Garcia, 21, of Kent was charged with drunken driving at the 200 block of North Water Street. nJamie L. Piccioni, 20, of Twinsburg was charged with underage drinking at the 200 block of North Water Street. nRobert A. Landermilk, 25, of Windham was charged with domestic violence at the intersection of Lake Street and Marvin Street.

CAMPUS THURSDAY n Zachary D. Mulhall, 19, of Northfield was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall.

FRIDAY nCriminal damage was reported at Manchester Hall. nDisorderly conduct was reported at Dunbar and Wright Hall. nTheft was reported at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

SATURDAY nA miscellaneous drug offense was reported at the Verder C-lot. nAlyssa D. Carlozzi, 19, of Cleveland was charged with underage drinking at Leebrick Hall.

nMarisa Barber, 18, of Cleveland was charged with underage drinking at Leebrick Hall. nCourtney A. Jarvis, 18, of Cleveland was charged with underage drinking at Leebrick Hall. nMegan R. Baeslack, 18, of Cleveland was charged with underage drinking at Leebrick Hall. nJohn J. Wargo II, 19, of Sagamore Hills was charged with a miscellaneous drug offense near the intersection between Loop Road and Jackson Drive. nEric M. Sarley, 20, of Independence was charged with a miscellaneous drug offense near the intersection between Loop Road and Jackson Drive. nGarrett L. Orlandi, 20, of Independence was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia near the intersection between Loop Road and Jackson Drive. nKeith B. Baker II, 18, of Massillon was charged with underage drinking at Verder Hall. nLeah H. Heiser, 19, of Bath was charged with underage drinking at Verder Hall. nChantal M. Alvarez, 21, of Trafford, Pa., was charged with furnishing alcohol to an underage person at Verder Hall. nGiovanni A. Caracillo, 18, of Massillon was charged with underage drinking at Verder Hall. nJoshua R. Hall, 19, of Willoughby was charged with underage drinking at Wright Hall. nTyler W. Bixel, 19, of Willoughby was charged with underage drinking at Wright Hall.

SUNDAY nDisorderly conduct was reported at Fletcher Hall and near the intersection of Elmwood Drive and East Main Street. nCriminal mischief was reported at Lake Hall. nAn alcohol violation was reported at Fletcher Hall. nKyle A. Bause, 19, of Medina was charged with underage drinking at Franklin Hall.

OPINION

Page 4 | Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Opinion Page is an outlet for our community’s varied opinions.

Submit letters to: Letters to the Editor Daily Kent Stater 240 Franklin Hall/ KSU Kent, Ohio 44242 ■ stater@kent.edu Subject: Letters to the Editor ■ Fax: (330) 672-5064 ■ Be sure to include your phone number.

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ABOUT THE OPINION PAGE The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page.

Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily en­dorsed by the Stater or its editors.

Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns.

Submissions become pro­­perty of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.

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FAMOUS QUOTE “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

— Gandhi

■

DID YOU KNOW?

our

SUMMARY: The university is finally acting to fix a policy that made it difficult for deaf faculty members to find interpreters for out-of-class events. But this is something that should have been fixed a long time ago, when problems first surfaced.

VIEW

A major failure

Every so often, university officials point at Kent State as a beacon of diversity, a place where all people — regardless of race, gender, religion or disability — are seen, heard, represented and treated equally.

But until recently, the university’s actions spoke louder than its words when it came to a significant minority group on campus.

For years, according to several deaf faculty members, the university didn’t address the problems they had getting interpreters for meetings and events outside of class.

Under the original process, these deaf faculty members had to request an interpreter through the group hosting the event. That group then had to fill out a form to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to get the interpreter fee reimbursed.

The problem with that is the forms often sat on someone’s desk until it was too late, meaning the faculty members couldn’t go to the event — or could go but couldn’t contribute. Simply put, the process went through too many hands to be effective.

That’s changing now. The university

plans to streamline interpreter requests by having them go through a single person instead of multiple offices, which should settle the problem.

That’s all well and good, but why did the changes take so long?

These problems didn’t appear overnight.

According to the deaf faculty members, these issues have existed for years without the university doing anything — or even noticing the problem.

It took until this semester, after an investigation by a Stater reporter began, for Kent State to take any action at all. But that was only after university officials gave the reporter the runaround for months, saying they didn’t know anything about the problem.

How is this possible? It’s true that Alfreda Brown, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, didn’t arrive at Kent State until last fall. But those interpreter requests were sitting on someone’s desk, so someone had to have known about the problem.

It’s unacceptable that it took this long to make a change. That’s especially true given

the Americans with Disabilities Act Title I, which requires equal accommodations for employees with disabilities. Brown said the previous policy didn’t violate the Americans Disability Act, but it certainly didn’t comply as fully as it could have.

It’s enough to make us wonder if any other groups out there are facing similar problems. If one group is having difficulties without the university acting to fix them, it’s certainly feasible that there are other groups out there in similar situations. It could be time to start asking questions.

Ultimately, it’s good that something is being done — finally — about the problems deaf employees were having. But we’re not about to pat the university on the back. This problem is something that should have been fixed — or even noticed — a long time ago.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board whose members are listed to the left.

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Nate Beeler’S VIEW

On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announced that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to the U.S. are free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana, launching the Mariel Boatlift.

— History.com

All it takes is one volcano It takes adversity to bring people together or break them apart. During this past week, air travel, specifically that between Europe and other continents, was severely disrupted because of volcanic ash emanating from Iceland’s volcano.

I’m strongly advocating for the creation of something very similar to the Star Trek transponder. It would solve most problems that appear to plague air travel today. No more long queues in security lines and check-in; no more wondering if this guy was going to be on the flight with you with a bomb in his underwear. And think, just think of the time saved!

But alas, that’s not happened yet. And all those travelers that were probably just trying to get home are stuck living out of their suitcases in an airport somewhere. This is not half as romantic as Tom Hanks made it out to be in The Terminal. Those chairs in the airport are not meant for sleeping in.

Reading over people’s experiences made me glad to not be a traveler this past week. People have been stranded at airports, in places they didn’t hope to be in, and in places they shouldn’t be.

Flower exports from Kenya are wilting a quiet death. Elsewhere, an entire country mourns after a major national tragedy.

Other world leaders (including President Obama) are uncertain of attending to show his solidarity. A class of students is stuck in Paris after a study abroad trip.

Worried parents discuss their plight in forums online and offline.

People whose visas or legal status expired at this time had to turn themselves to the mercy of the authorities to be able to extend their trip. Others have

Sonali Kudva had to camp out at airports, and as mentioned before, this wasn’t half as much fun as it was meant to be. Airports are meant for the transitory, not for the long-term squatters. Some people have had no access to funds, not having planned to be in a strange airport for days. So why don’t they just leave the airport? Because they can’t. Without appropriate authorization and visas, they cannot leave the airports. Some have even been stranded sans luggage.

This is not fun at all. No change of clothing, no money and no food. And yet passengers are reportedly teaming up where they can and looking for alternatives, talking to one another as they wouldn’t ordinarily do.

They are united in the distress caused by forces outside their control.

It takes something bigger than you or I to shake us out of ourselves; to notice the person sitting next to you. I’ve seen power outages and disasters where people have gotten together and helped one another.

It sure would be nice if we did it all the time.

Sonali Kudva is a journalism graduate student and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at skudva@kent.edu.

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‘Latte-drinking elitists’ means nothing to a European MADRID — It’ll be hard to come home after living in Europe for three months.

I don’t mean the volcanic ash cloud will threaten my return, although, who knows? I may still have to catch a flight out of Ethiopia to get back to the States if this keeps up.

What I mean is there are many things here I will miss. If you think Glenn Beck is a really great guy, you can stop reading now because you’re only going to get angry at me.

One thing I’ll miss is that Europeans think Americans who support George Bush and Sarah Palin need lobotomies. Even though I have to constantly insist that those people are a minority in the world and only half of the U.S. electorate, it’s amusing to hear their bewilderment.

They really don’t understand how a movement of anti-intellectualism could gain ground in a country that has been so innovative.

In America, people who drink espresso and read literature are unelectable. Espresso and literature are indicators of liberalism and are despicable symbols of bourgeois otherness to a lot of people. Those are the same people who would rather their president drink American beer than know the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It’s very confusing for Europeans to

problem is easy and less permanent. Putting public systems in place to stop cycles of poverty is more difficult but will do the most good. The government has the ability to do the most good.

In Sweden and Finland, for example, they recognize such things, and they’re Ben Wolford doing just wonderfully. They don’t mind the high taxes, and the government hasn’t whom espresso is just coffee. If you’re a “latte-drinker,” as Palin once said with even taken their guns.

I’m looking forward to coming home. I contempt, it means you like a lot of milk miss the comfort of it. I miss Chipotle. I’m in your coffee.

I’ll also miss knowing that if I sudden- excited to be a tourist in my own country ly needed surgery here, I could get it for and visit more of the places I’ve yet to see free through the National Health Service (now that traveling seems so easy to do). that most of these countries have, and it But from here I can laugh at all this Tea wouldn’t ruin my family.

Party nonsense with like minds. Back home It will certainly be nice now to be covI’ll be afraid to laugh because I don’t know ered on my parents´ plan until I’m 26 if my who I might be offending. And it’ll be really job doesn’t cover me (it better — except I went into journalism and who knows?). odd when I feel a stupid sense of elitism But it would have been nicer not to have to about ordering espressos. worry about it.

Ben Wolford is a junior newspaper journalHere they have a fairly good understanding and broad support of the ideas of ism major and columnist for the Daily Kent social justice and public responsibility. In Stater. Contact him at bwolfor2@kent.edu. the States, the broadest support is for the React to this story and more at concept of charity.

But privately throwing money at a KentWired.com

A FINAL TOAST: Senior columns

Count the conversations It was after an impulsive decision to drive to Windsor, Canada in 2007 when I got a little bit smarter. A couple friends and I stormed the Turnpike on a mission. We left Akron at 10 p.m.

By the time we crossed the border in Detroit, we had a half hour to drink, and none of us had enough money to do any serious gambling. So, we had a couple beers, went back to the hotel where we reserved a room, made up a crazy story why we didn’t need the room anymore to get our money back and we drove home.

It was around 6 a.m. when I turned the Coheed and Cambria CD down and diverted my attention to my friend Brian to have one of those in-car talks. I told him I needed to start exercising my mind more. I felt like it was getting stagnant. I told him I felt like my memory was getting weaker. All the memories were a little fuzzy, and I didn’t know why.

I told him I wanted to make a conscious effort to remember one conversation I had with one person every day. And remember the whole thing, not just fragments. I wanted to capture the details and be able to recall them at any moment for personal enrichment. I reasoned that if I worked to remember details of

Darren D’Altorio conversations with every person I talk to, it would be like training my mind My life changed that night based on that decision.

Since then, I’ve had thousands of conversations. Similarly, my life is improved by every person I share words, ideas or just a good laugh with.

Conversations are powerful. The transaction of words and ideas with fellow humans is a treasure. I was never taught that lesson in a classroom.

The conversations I encounter every day shape me. I’ve talked to transient train hoppers from Portland who let me into their brains, sharing why they gave up life as they know it to move across the country illegally. I’ve tapped

CEOs and other successful business people for professional knowledge and golf advice. I’ve lived with a farmer in South America and had many long conversations with him after longer days of work in the equatorial sun. I talked to an Aussie who took six months off work to travel the world.

Knowledge is a byproduct of conversation.

Deciding to reach out to another person and communicate with that person opens the pathway to the human experience. I believe the collective human experience is the most valuable thing we have in this life.

As humans, we are both students and teachers. The world is our classroom. Every person has the ability to make an impact on another person’s life by simply sharing a conversation.

Count your conversations. Count them as blessings.

Darren D’Altorio is a senior journalism major and guest columnist for the Daily Kent Stater.

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Daily Kent Stater

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | Page 5

From Page 1

From Page 1

Faculty clashes at monthly meeting

Jefferson testifies in Barker trial

EPC

Typically, students are dismissed from the university for not meeting academic requirements, said Tim Chandler, senior associate provost.

“We are hoping that having finalized this policy and cleaned it up a little that there will be fewer students (dismissed), and I will work with each associate dean from each college to make sure that we get this done appropriately,” Chandler said.

Also passed with these two action items were: the designation of a writing intensive requirement for the History of Period Styles for Theatre Designers course; the designation of Survey of Rock Music History as a domestic diversity course; a revision of the Catalog Rights and Exclusions Policy; the inactivation of the plastics technology major in the associate of applied science degree, and the inactivation of the emergency medical services technology major at the Geauga campus.

Contact academics reporter Suzi Starheim at sstarhei@kent.edu.

React to this story and more at KentWired.com From Page 1

FOOD Chef brings Mexican cuisine to students An obviously busy man, Santibañez found time to make Kent State his sixth visit to a university.

“It’s really fun visiting a college,” Santibañez said. “I love young people catching on to these things.”

During the demonstrations, Santibañez taught the crowd the right way to cut the chiles, avocados and cilantro that he uses quite often in his recipes.

“All these fancy schools, they’re great for teaching you how to handle the regular foods,” Santibañez said. “But when it comes to learning international cuisines, like Mexican or Vietnamese, it’s another kind of scope.”

In comparison to American cuisine, Mexican cuisine is healthier, Santibañez said.

“Almost everything we use is fresh vegetable-based,” he said.

“Good Mexican cuisine is incredibly healthy.”

Santibañez said Canada, the United States and Mexico all have to work together to educate their citizens about healthy eating.

An enchilada is healthier than a hamburger — but not from your corner Mexican restaurant.

Contact room and board reporter Samantha Worgull at sworgull@ kent.edu.

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TRIAL

Jefferson’s differing stories At yesterday’s trial, the courtroom viewed a dashboard video taken by Kent police at 2:25 a.m.

Nov. 15 that showed Jefferson wearing a long sleeve shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He admitted while watching the video in court that he and Kelly planned to divert the police by saying people had yelled a racial slur. In addition, as the two sat on the Honda’s hood, they planned on telling police they had been outnumbered by 30 or more people.

“This is going to be a mess; this is going to look stupid if this goes to court,” Jefferson said he told Kelly, while Barker was being arrested. Next, police arrested Kelly.

Before testifying yesterday, Jefferson had stated that after leaving the Phi Sigma Kappa house on East Main Street, Jefferson tried to pull his car out of Firestone Tire, located next to the fraternity, but was being blocked in by people walking, who referred to Barker and Kelley as n—s.

“I didn’t hear the word,” Jefferson said yesterday in front of the jury.

Jefferson’s first written statement omitted that he had kicked a man the night of the assault.

Jefferson had originally said after parking at the Moneypenny lot, a guy with a military uniform broke his windshield and someone ripped the temporary tags off his car.

In his first statement, Jefferson also omitted saying that he had seen Barker and Kelly stomping Kernich. Instead, he had said they had only kicked him.

Jefferson first appeared in front of a grand jury Nov. 24, 2009, and pleaded “the Fifth” on the advice of his attorney, Ronald Spears. As he left the courtroom, he was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice and then booked and sent to the Portage County Jail, where he stayed until Dec. 24.

On Dec. 10, Jefferson appeared in front of a grand jury three times.

Jefferson said in his first two appearances he had fabricated part of his statement because he did not want to “throw Ron and Adrian under the bus.”

Jefferson said after speaking with Detective Mark DiJerome of the Kent Police Department, he

decided to appear a third time that day “to tell the truth.”

Jefferson said in his testimony that during a December meeting with prosecuting attorney Tom Buchanan, he admitted to kicking Kernich. However, he said today he wasn’t sure whether the person he kicked was the victim.

When Lear questioned Jefferson about his statement to Buchanan, Jefferson repeated that he wasn’t sure if the person he hit was Kernich or not.

Lear continued to probe for a yes or no answer, but ended that line of questioning when Judge John Enlow sustained an objection from the prosecution.

When asked why the jury should believe his testimony based on previous inconsistencies, a teary-eyed Jefferson said it’s because of a personal experience he’s had with murder.

“Because I know what it feels to lose somebody,” he said. “When I was 10 years old, my father was murdered. I know what it feels not to know what happened.”

Jefferson said he lied because he wanted to cover up for Barker and Kelly.

“At that point, I didn’t think the kid was that injured,” he said.

“I just thought he was roughed up, until about a week later I found out he was still in the hospital and was on a lifeline, and I felt bad.”

Lear noted during his crossexamination that Jefferson’s differing testimonies to the grand jury on Dec. 10 came 19 days after Kernich’s death on Nov. 21.

Lear questioned Jefferson multiple times on whether the prosecution had offered him a plea bargain. Jefferson firmly responded “no.”

When Jefferson was charged with obstruction of justice, his bond was set at $200,000. Instead, he was let go on Dec. 24 on a personal recognizance bond. Jefferson paid $500 for a required GPS monitor and stayed on house arrest at his mother’s home in Mentor.

A month later, the GPS tracker was taken off.

Last week, Jefferson was booked at the Lake County Jail after violating the terms of his probation in connection with felony theft charges from 2007.

He is currently under arrest for drunken driving and has not been indicted.

Contact public affairs reporters Melissa Dilley at mdilley2@kent.edu and Regina Garcia Cano at rgarcia1@kent.edu.

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Additional testimony from yesterday’s proceedings Detective Norman Jacobs took the stand yesterday to continue his testimony from Friday.

Jacobs denied leading witnesses when he questioned them about what they saw the night of the assault.

Defense lawyers played audio of Jacobs saying: “The nice thing about this case is that, I’m not going to say I think, we know we have the right guys in custody. They got arrested that night. We just have to build a nice, solid case against them and we build and go from there.”’

Jacobs then admitted he must have said that statement when talking to a witness.

However, he said, he did not lock himself into a theory about the case when he was questioning witnesses within the 36 hours after the incident.

n

n Following Jacobs, the prosecution called to the stand Dwayne Winston, the forensic identity director of Laboratory Corporation of America. After testing a swab taken from defendant Adrian Barker’s shoes from the night of the assault, Winston’s team determined that the DNA on the shoe belonged to Kent State student Christopher Kernich.

Winston explained that 0.01 percent of a person’s DNA is what makes him or her unique.

The probability of the DNA sample not belonging to Kernich is one greater than the world’s population, calculated at the time of the test as 6.5 billion, he said. n Kent State senior accounting major Tyler Martin, an eyewitness to the assault of Kernich on Nov. 15, was called to the stand by the prosecution following Glen Jefferson Jr.’s testimony.

Martin said he was walking back from downtown Kent with his two roommates when he noticed a disturbance near the Delta Tau Delta house on Main Street. n

He testified to seeing Kernich squared off in the middle of the street with a black man in a red shirt he later identified as Ronald Kelly.

He said he then saw another black man come from “pretty much out of nowhere.”

He said the man “crow hopped” before punching Kernich in the head. He identified the man as Barker.

“Crow hop” is a baseball term used in which a person gains momentum by running, jumping and leading with one foot in front of the other, which Martin demonstrated for the jury. “(After Kernich was punched), his head turned toward me, and I saw a look in his eyes,” Martin said. “It just looked like he was dead. It looked like nobody was there.”

Martin said he then saw Barker and Kelly repeatedly kick Kernich in the head and chest, “like you try to kick a soccer ball,” a motion he again demonstrated for the jury.

He also said he witnessed Jefferson come to where Kelly and Barker were standing

by Kernich’s body and kick him once in the ribcage before going to get his car.

Martin said Kernich’s attackers were yelling in a taunting sort of way while beating Kernich. “(They said), ‘Yeah, we killed that n—.

Yeah, we’ll kill anybody else, too,’” Martin said.

He said he went to the Kent police minutes after the incident to give his statement.

In the cross-examination, Barker’s attorney, Scott Michael Lear, identified Martin as being blind in one eye, color blind and Lear called to attention his consumption of alcohol the night of the incident.

Martin said he was blinded in his left eye in a baseball accident last July. He said he has a “color deficiency” that he has dealt with his whole life and he drank five to six beers over a period of three and a half hours.

Lear said Martin gave a statement to officer Sarah Berkey of the Kent Police Department minutes after the incident, where Martin

pointed out a black male in a red shirt as the person who blindsided Kernich, knocking him to the ground.

Lear also asked Martin if he spoke about the incident with his roommates, to which he responded no.

Lear also played two excerpts from a meeting Martin had with Kent police Detective Jennifer Ennemoser where Martin admitted to not being able to see well at night. In the meeting, Martin also identified the person who struck Kernich as being 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-9, while Barker has been identified as being about 6 feet tall.

— Cody Francis n Lt. James Stein, supervisor detective of the Kent Police Department, testified that he saw video of defendant Adrian Barker lick his thumb and rub his Nike high tops, which had bloodstains on them. n Ennemoser testified she took photos of Kernich at the Akron City Hospital on Nov. 16, the day after the attack. She also took photos of Barker’s clothing Nov. 19 and of Kernich’s autopsy. The photos were shown to the jury and submitted for evidence. n Kent police officer Michael Lewis testified that he collected shoes from Barker and Kelly at the same time on the morning of the attack. Lewis wore gloves, though he couldn’t remember whose shoes he collected first or if he changed gloves in between.

Barker’s and Kelly’s clothes were collected later in the morning, and Lewis couldn’t say with certainty whether he changed gloves in between collections.

—Nicole Stempak Public affairs reporters Melissa Dilley and Regina Garcia Cano contributed to this report.

Page 6 | Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Daily Kent Stater

Science fans form new club Group learns through projects Nicole Aikens

Daily Kent Stater There is a group at Kent State with one main goal: make science exciting.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics group started again at the end of January after it died out a few years ago when members graduated. The nine-member group is interested in all things math and science that go into aeronautics and astronautics.

“The (AIAA) supports aeronautical technologies and all of the sciences and maths behind it,” said senior aeronautics major Daniel Mickolick, who is the president of the Kent State chapter.

The group can find internships and networking through the AIAA nationally, but Mickolick said the hands-on learning the group does is what truly makes the science exciting.

This semester, the group is working on two projects. The first project is designing airfoils for NASA Glenn Research Center.

“Airfoil is the curve of an airplane wing,” said Israel Debro, freshman aeronautical engineering major.

The mockups of different kinds of airfoils will be made out of balsa wood or plastic foam, Debro said. The designs the group makes will be tested in a wind tunnel, Mickolick said.

The second project will be a sort

JEWELRY FOR SALE

of test run for next year, when the group hopes to participate nationally in AIAA. This year, the group is working on different designs for supersonic aircrafts, Debro said. Next year, the group will pick a different project to compete with.

O n e o f t h e g ro u p ’ s m o s t recent hands-on learning experiences happened the week before spring break. The members took a trip to the Alcoa Inc. plant near Cleveland, which is where the aluminum casings for MacBooks are made.

Trips like that make things exciting for Debro.

“I would definitely say the best part of the group is whenever we’re together,” Debro said.

Now the group is planning on launching water rockets, and Mickolick is hoping they will draw some attention to the group.

“The rockets can target anyone who walks by,” Mickolick said.

It is important for the group to gain more members because nine is not enough to be recognized as an official chapter by AIAA. “The (AIAA) wants about 15 members to be an actual chapter,” Mickolick said.

Along with their hands-on work, the members of the group are actively trying to recruit more members and hope to make AIAA an official group on campus again.

Contact College of Technology reporter Nicole Aikens at naikens@kent.edu React to this story and more at KentWired.com

DANA BEVERIDGE | DAILY KENT STATER

Local artist Noreen Miller hands her business card to a customer at the Jewlery Student Co-op’s jewelry sale yesterday in the Art Building.

Miller and others in the jewelery metals program are selling their work around campus this week.

Daily Kent Stater

For information about placing a Display ad please call our offices at 330-672-2586 or visit us at 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

CLASSIFIEDS

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | Page 7

Classified ads can be placed by FAX at (330) 672-4880, over the phone at (330) 672-2586 or by e-mail at ksuads@yahoo.com. If you fax or e-mail an ad, please be sure to include run dates, payment info and a way for us to contact you.

www.KentWired.com

Pregnancy Center of Kent. Here to Help (330) 839-9919 ESCAPE DOME Gentlemen’s Club 18+ NOW OPEN NO COVER CHARGE $2 Budlight Weds w/ College ID 166 Currie Hall Pkwy Kent 330-677-5479 THE UNDERGROUND @ the Escape Dome Kent’s ONLY Alternative Nightclub COMING SOON...

Want to make a difference for Kent State University?

Consider working for the PhoneCenter!

Applications are being accepted for full-time students who want to gain useful job experience in a professional, fun work environment. We offer flexible scheduling for students, evening and weekend work, and pay $8/hr. For an application and/or further information, contact Nicole at phonecenter@kent.edu or leave a message at 330-672-0404 today!

Fastenal - Part-time/Paid internship position(s) available: Sales & Operations Support Earn $10-12 per hour. Responsibilities include (but not limited to): telephone and counter sales; inventory control; pick, pack, ship & delivery. Day shifts ranging from 10-25 hours per week (M-F). Opportunity for full-time advancement.

Candidates should possess a great attitude, excellent oral/written communication skills, ability to multi-task in a team environment, and be customer-services oriented.

Interested candidates must possess basic math skills, a valid driver’s license that meets our MVR requirements, have the ability to safely lift 50 lbs, and be at least 18 years of age.

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horoscope

By Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement Today’s birthday (4/20/10) Stress increases in relationships this year. Some tension signals the magic that draws you to partners, but too much conflict interferes with your pursuit of happiness. To find a balance, pay attention to the rhythm of your passions and use communication as a pressure valve.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 7. Turn your attention away from work to encourage those closest to you. Mutual support gets everyone through a ticklish situation. A bit of caution is advised.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8. This is the day you’ve been waiting for! As luck would have it, the females in your life are right there beside you, aiding and abetting your every move.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. By the end of the day, you’ll feel most fortunate. You took on a complicated, detailed task and completed it well within budget and on deadline.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 7. Your fondest wish is to finish work from yesterday. Fat chance!

You’re not in the office. Write down ideas and then let them go, and then go play.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7. Group effort gets you a long way today. Take charge of persnickety details, because no one else will do it right now.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7. You start the day feeling lucky. Add to that your ability to choose exactly the right method, and you’ll achieve the goal easily.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 7. If love truly does make the world go around, then your world is spinning nicely. Keep your feet on the ground by taking time to savor it.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 6. Arrange today’s activities to allow plenty of time for fun and romance. You know your deadlines, but relax. You’ll make them.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 5. By choosing a direct path to your own personal comfort, you indirectly satisfy the needs of an elder you respect. How fortunate!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7. You truly enjoy the company of your favorite people now. Surprise them with a unique new game, or see a movie. Indulge in popcorn or treats.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 5. The work you do in private will be appreciated when you finally reveal the completed assignment. Others may worry about deadlines. Don’t add to their concern.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 5. If you have a long meeting, bring drinks and snacks for everyone.

That way, no one becomes restless.

Bend rules to maintain the focus.

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Apply online for our Ravenna, East Akron, and Newbury locations by going to www.fastenal.com. Click on: CAREERS. Or call Pete 330-7455000 x103. Fastenal is an EOE. Lawn Fertilization Company seeks employee. Must have valid Ohio drivers license 4 points or less, please call 330-688-3389 DANCE TEACHER WANTED - dance studio needs dance teacher for ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, and contemporary classes. Please contact Aurora Rose Dance Academy. 330-995-3262 or 440-343-7115 COLLEGE PRO is now hiring painters all across the state to work outdoors with other students. Earn $3k-5k.

Advancement opportunities + internships. 1-888-277-9787 or www. collegepro.com Community Action of Portage County is accepting AmeriCorps Vista Volunteer applications for the 10 week Summer Association Program.

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Do something meaningful, work with the CAC Summer Food Program for Children.

To apply: http://americorps. gov/mp/listing/viewListing. do?fromSearch=true&id=35637 CAC Interview required.CAC is an equal opportunity employer and provider of services.

Organic Grower needs part-time help. Close to KSU. 5-8 hours/ week. $9/hour. Prefer Art student or experience gardener. Begin May 1.

Call Barb 330-297-8741.

EVENING POSITIONS Dependable people for our Monday - Friday 4pm-9pm positions. Flexible hours. Call 330-650-6011 for Joy. Local Taxi Company looking for good drivers. Must have clean driving record. Willing to work around your schedule, hiring all shifts. 234-7386600

All real estate advertised herin is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information.

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Bartenders needed - no experience required. Earn $20-60/hour. Call us at 740-205-6432 ext. 780.

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Ladies’ Night at Empire every Thursday 6:30-9 pm Free Henna Body Art Empire 135 E. Main St. Kent www.empirekent.com

Buyer Beware!

We make every effort to screen for fraudulent advertising, however, we cannot guarantee the veracity of the advertisers and their messages in this section.

It is important for consumers to respond to any advertisement with the utmost caution.

Field Jacket found on campus contact Peggy 330-672-5822.

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(440) 953-8687 www.yourhomerental.com Very Clean, quiet 2 bedroom, 1 bath, gas, heat, water, appliances included.

Available May 1.

330-760-1884 Duplexes available for Fall semester beginning August 1. East Summit, across from campus. 3 bedrooms, Washer/Dryer. $335/person plus utilities. 216-407-6703

FALL—1 Bedroom Apartment. $425/ month all utilities included. 1 year lease. NO PETS. 330-678-3489.

Renting for fall 2010, Whitehall East Townhome, 4-5 bedrooms, Starting at $285 per room. 440-336-6761

Available 06/01 and 08/01. Large 2 bedroom, Clean, $650 including utilities. Near campus. 330-626-7157

Spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath duplex.

LR and Family Room, W/D, A/C, $960/ mo, Available Jylu (330)-630-9285 Kent. Close to downtown and bus service. $245/month includes utilities and parking. Call 330-678-3536.

Tallmadge Pointe Apartments, Spacious 1&2 Bedroom, $530-$670, contact Patience for details at 330416-3934 Three Bedroom House on Lincoln, Call Josh at 419-357-4897. Very close to campus.

Fall. Near KSU, 2 bedroom condo, 1.5 bath, washer/dryer in building, $660 +gas +electric. Call Drew 440921-3524.

S. Lincoln St. condo, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, no pets, heat included, $725/month. 216-524-0745 Now Leasing for Fall. Kent 4 bedroom house. 330-626-5910 3-4 Bedroom Duplex, Very Clean & Efficient, Special and Spacious!

2 & 3 bedroom apartments. Gas heat paid. Sign up now for fall and receive $35 off a twelve month lease. Ask about a reduced security deposit. 330-678-0823 Roommate needed for August. $350/mo plus utilities. Behind Acme. druff3@kent.edu

GET IN EARLY! 2 subleasers needed for 2 bedroom, 2 bath Pebblebrook apartment.

Available May 23. Lease ends August 15, but available for renewal. $974/ month + $487 for month of August.

Call Adam 330-524-5430.

Taking Summer Classes? Need a room?

One room open in house on College Avenue with two female roommates, available May 17-August 8. $400 + utilities. E-mail kpickere@kent.edu if interested. $400/month everything included.

May 16- August 25. WiFi, Central air, and TiVo. Call 419-202-4859. Close to Franklin Hall.

For Sale Sears Kenmore ‘Zig Zag’ Mounted Tabletop 1960s Vintage Sewing Machine (Model 1751) REDUCED TO SELL!! $50 CASH only! GREAT CONDITION! All original attachments, tools and instruction manuals included! Leave a message for Deb at: 330-677-1645 or 330-672-8827

Daily Kent Stater

Page 8 | Tuesday, April 20, 2010

YOUR LIFE Features editor: Melissa Dilley • E-mail: mdilley2@kent.edu

ON THE WEB AT KENTWIRED.COM

An rdinary Man Story by Erin C. Perkins

For most men, it’s probably easy being a guy. But for Trae Ruscin, it’s slightly more difficult.

JESSICA KANALAS | DAILY KENT STATER

Trae Ruscin, senior Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender studies major, was born as Amy, but during his senior year of high school in 2006, decided he knew he was meant to be a man. “I didn’t really identify as a girl or a boy. I didn’t put words to how I felt,” he said. “I was gender neutral until I figured it out.”

W

hen the 22-year-old college senior starts his day with a quick shower, he throws on some clothes like any other guy, but there are a few extra things he has to do to help him feel even more like a man. Instead of shaving, he flattens his D-cup size breasts with a chest binder, compressing them to give an illusion of a male chest. He places a lightweight packer — similar to a dildo — in his boxers to provide him a comfortable and discreet bulge. His finishing touch is a few sprays of Juicy Couture Dirty English for men — a mix of fruit, leather, wood and amber musk.

It’s not easy being a man for Trae. But it was even more difficult being a woman.

Trae was named Amy after his birth on Nov. 29, 1987. By his senior year in high school in 2006, he knew he was meant to be a man. He didn’t care for skirts, he hung out with too many boys and as a child never referred to himself as a girl.

He felt detached from his body, like it didn’t belong to him — whatever a girl was supposed to be, he knew he wasn’t it.

By the time he was a freshman at Kent State in 2006, he had purchased a chest binder and was non-surgically changing his gender from female to male.

Today, Trae is an open female-to-male transgender awaiting testosterone injections and surgery to have his breasts removed and reconstructed so that the man he is on the outside will match the man on the inside.

At 6-feet, he’s tall and thick. His golden brown eyes are piercing but inviting behind his square-rim glasses.

His lips are naturally rosy and full. His pale skin is complimented by rusty hair sprinkled with faded highlights. His shaggy, short haircut awkwardly frames his face. But his smile is kind.

Tucked away from the chilly, March rain, Trae comfortably scrunches down in a cozy leather chair near a window in a coffee shop, unwinds and relaxes into a conversation about his journey from woman to man.

“I knew there was something different. I couldn’t figure it out,” he said. “But it’s exciting, feeling like you. It was scary figuring it out, but it’s also exciting in a way. I feel like I have a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

It takes some imagination to see Trae as the man he believes he was meant to be. Physically, his gender is more androgynous, making it uneasy to draw the line between a boyish girl or a girlish boy.

“I am more on the feminine side,” he admits, while scanning his eyes over his outfit, a pair of dark jeans with a purple hooded sweater, blue scarf and blue sneakers. It’s easily as ambiguous as his sex.

“I accept different parts of my feminine and masculine side,” he said, his voice still slightly feminine, but strong.

He’s a photographer majoring in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender studies. He enjoys knitting, crocheting, baking and hanging out with boys and flirting with them as well as with girls.

“My sexuality is fluid,” he said, explaining that he falls for people for who they are, not what gender they identify with.

But coming to terms with his sexuality and gender was not an easy road for Trae to travel.

“I didn’t really identify as a girl or a boy. I didn’t put words to how I felt,” he said. “I was gender neutral until I figured it out. I’ve had streaks of masculinity and femininity.”

Those streaks included wearing mini-skirts and military boots at one point and wearing nothing but jeans, T-shirts and sneakers at another point.

From ages 8 to 18, Trae said he was depressed.

He never identified as heterosexual or lesbian. He even went through a gothic phase, wearing only black clothes and dark makeup. When he was 16, he came out as bisexual, but as Trae began to better understand his difficulty living as a female and fitting into society’s role of female, he knew he was more than bisexual.

Finding himself Before coming to Kent State, Trae took classes at Cleveland State, including a gender studies course, where he realized why he felt different. During the course, he watched films where he categorized the male and female characteristics of film characters.

He also studied theories about what makes men and women different.

It was rather daunting, and yet eye-opening for Trae to define for other people what he had yet to figure out for himself.

“As I was watching, I was thinking, ‘that is like me and so is that,’” he said. “I (had) figured it out. That’s where I found the words to describe what I was feeling.”

Now that he had more of an idea of who he was, he needed to introduce his family to their new son.

Introducing Trae In Nov. 2007, Trae thought his parents would finally find out about him. Maybe this time his parents would find his handwritten letter detailing who he really is, not the precious little girl they named Amy, but their son, Trae.

When Trae left his parents’ house after Thanksgiving break, he left the letter to his parents in his bedroom. When he returned for winter break, the letter was still unopened. It was one of many unopened letters waiting to be found — waiting to reveal his truth.

A letter, Trae explained, said everything he couldn’t. A face-to-face conversation would have been too emotional for Trae to bear. The letter, he insisted, said it all.

“I didn’t think I would have the answers they needed,” he said. “I have a hard time talking to my parents about something I’m so passionate about.”

“I’m a transman,” Trae recalled writing. “I’ve felt this way for a long time. There’s nothing you did to make me this way.”

Finally, in the spring of 2008, Trae found the courage to ensure his parents would receive the letter — he mailed it from his local address in Kent to their home in Euclid. Along with the letter he included a brochure about a local support group for transgender individuals and their families.

He waited for a response. A little more than a week later, he heard from his mother, Jennifer.

She sent him a card with a cute picture on the front. She often did that, he said. There was usually no pre-written message inside, just her words scribbled on the blank pages. This time writing, “We don’t quite understand … but we love you regardless.”

Trae paused, a smile slowly emerged, and he said, “She still has the letter, you know. When I went home once, I saw the letter in the file cabinet where she keeps all (her children’s) stuff — like medical records and other important things. I saw the letter in my folder. It was really telling.”

Slightly tearful, Trae’s eyes drifted toward the window at the icy rain running down the glass. He was still smiling.

“It was really cute. It meant a lot to me. It’s really encouraging to me,” he said.

He shared that his mother has made many efforts to be supportive like shopping with him and not questioning him when he uses the male dressing room — despite her obvious discomfort, he added.

“She’s not been accusatory, but concerned. I’ve become very close with my mom,” he said. “She notices that I’m happier now.”

She’s even adjusted to calling him Trae and using male pronouns when referring to him.

His father, Mark, on the other hand, has been more silent — not avoiding the subjects of his child’s gender transformation, but certainly not inviting its discussion either.

“He’s starting to acknowledge who I am. He’s not comfortable being open about anything. He’s putting forth a little bit of effort; he’s tolerating my friends calling me Trae … He doesn’t object to it, but he doesn’t really ask questions. He seems more like ‘live and let live.’ It’s going to take him longer, he’s more conservative,” he said. “I don’t have to hide anymore.”

It was obvious to Trae’s father that Trae stopped hiding who he was when they ended up in the same restroom during a family trip from Ohio to Rhode Island. While at a rest stop, Trae went into the men’s restroom, only to have his father come in a few moments later. Trae became nervous as he heard his father’s voice and then saw his sock-covered feet in sandals from underneath his stall.

Trae swallowed his nerves, exited the stall and awkwardly made eye contact with his father as he washed his hands. The two never said a word to each other and made their way back to the car quietly.

“It was nerve-racking,” Trae recalled, while laughing. “Looking back, it’s really funny because I had no reason to be (nervous); I was in the right bathroom where I belonged.”

As a worker in housekeeping at the Student Center, his encounter with his father in the male restroom was only one of a few awkward restroom incidents. Trae’s androgynous appearance harvested complaints from male coworkers who didn’t want to share the men’s restroom with a “girl.”

Trae’s boss grew concerned for his safety. He now uses a gender-neutral bathroom in the Student Center placed there by an LGBT group on campus for transgender students.

Trae said his brother Michael, 17, and his sister Kelly, 25, are still adjusting to their sibling’s change.

His sister tried to intercept the letter Trae wrote to their parents, threatening to hold it hostage. She eventually gave in to Trae’s wishes to let them read it. His little brother nonchalantly reacts when his older high school

classmates who know Trae tell him how cool his “brother” is.

Despite coping with Trae’s gender change, he’s quick to say how fortunate he is to have a family who loves him and stays in his life.

“For 20 or 21 years, they knew me as their daughter. I can’t expect them to understand right away. I’m not pushy on them. It took me 18 years to figure it out; it’s not fair to assume they can accept (this) in any less time than me,” he said.

Trae’s family was unavailable to be interviewed.

Comfortable in his skin Trae is fortunate to have a second family in the LGBTQ community in Kent.

“These people helped me figure it out. They feel proud of who they are,” said Trae, who is the vice president of PRIDE!Kent, an LBGTQ group on Kent State’s campus. “My friends are intensely strong. (We’ve) adopted each other and become each other’s family.”

During one of its weekly meetings, PRIDE!Kent members gathered in a large banquet room in the Student Center and discussed events for the upcoming week. Trae, at the head of the room, is mostly quiet, but charismatic. Often he flashes a grin to those around the room who know him — which is everyone — as if he’s sharing an inside joke.

Among the room’s 30 students, an assortment of masculine and feminine, straight and gay, is a world where Trae is Trae. No one will accidently call him ma’am instead of sir. No one will complain about him being in the men’s restroom. No one will say she instead of he. He is simply Trae.

He is more comfortable in his skin, living his life uninterrupted by the pressures of fitting specific female gender roles encouraged by the world.

But the price to feel comfortable in his own skin wasn’t cheap for Trae.

Tisha Coats, 20, is a longtime friend of Trae who has known him since high school. She and a mutual friend were the first people to whom Trae revealed his new identity.

“He pretty much told us that he is trapped inside this body and it’s not his, that’s how he explained it to us,” Tisha recalled about the afternoon Trae visited their friend’s house with the confession.

“I was confused,” she admitted. “I never met anyone who had been through that situation. I felt bad. He was going through it by himself for so long.”

But she said once Trae made his peace with his identity, a new man was born.

“It’s been interesting — he’s been really interesting. He’s more comfortable with who he is as a person. It’s exciting to see him change from a fragile person who kept to himself to someone who is now more outgoing. It’s awesome to see him grow into his own skin.”

While Trae is comfortable identifying as a man, he is a long way from completing his journey.

Trae’s journey to be comfortable in his own skin has been marked with struggle, humiliation and discomfort. But it has also been met with joy, self-realization and purpose.

He plans to use his photography as a platform to raise awareness about the transgender community. He hopes to have an exhibit featuring photos telling the stories of transgender individuals. Those pictures, he imagines, would be of transgender individuals involved in everyday life exhibiting pride and confidence.

“I want people to know there are well-adjusted, well-rounded transgender people,” he said. “We’re not crazy; we’re normal, boring people.”

And it’s clear Trae would rather be a bored man than a troubled woman.

“I am still learning about myself and the world,” he said with widening eyes and a smile. “I’m excited (about becoming a man), each step is terrifying, but it’s exciting. It’s exciting feeling like yourself.”

Contact reporter Erin Perkins at eperkin2@kent.edu.

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