Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Sports: Find out what ‘powers’ senior Chris Singletary has used to help get the men’s basketball team where it is today.

DAILY KENT STATER Monday, March 8, 2010 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Partly cloudy HI 48, LO 32

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Routing their rivals 8 + 23 + 20 + 13 = 4

Flashes clinch fourth regular season title in school history Cody Erbacher

POINT LEAD FOR THE FLASHES AT HALFTIME

POINTS SCORED BY KSU LEADING SCORER ANTHONY SIMPSON

POINT CUSHION FOR FLASHES WITH FIVE MINUTES TO GO

POINT VICTORY FOR KSU ON NATIONAL TV

REGULAR SEASON TITLES IN SCHOOL HISTORY

Daily Kent Stater The Kent State men’s basketball team turned Akron’s white out into a 13-point wipeout in front of a national TV audience en route to a Mid-American Conference regular season title Friday night.

Led by sixth man Anthony Simpson, the Flashes (23-8, 13-3 MAC) scored an overwhelming 74-61 victory over the Zips (22-9, 12-4 MAC) at Rhodes Arena for a season sweep of their archrivals.

Kent State clinched the No. 1 seed in this week’s MAC Tournament and an automatic National Invitational Tournament bid with the win. Akron fell to the No. 3 seed with the loss.

Simpson, a senior forward, starred in the final regular-season game, leading all scorers with 23 points while adding nine rebounds.

“Anthony’s capable of doing that every night,” said senior guard Chris Singletary, who only played 15 minutes because of foul trouble. “It just so happened tonight his number got called on, and he rose to the occasion and played a great game.”

Simpson ignited the Flashes’ offense, which started 0-for-4 from the field, with a mix of powerful dunks and arcing jump shots. He also threw in a couple juke moves.

The Zips’ fans attempted to throw Simpson off of his game by taunting him frequently, but he used it as motivation.

“I just laughed at them,” Simpson said. “My teammates and the ref was like, ‘Don’t say nothing to them; it’s not that serious.’ To me, now I look at them and I can laugh, right?

“They (are) mad, they had their white shirts. Now they can take them off and be real upset.”

Akron jumped out to a 7-3 lead to start the game. Behind an 8-0 run, Kent State took more than eight minutes into the half while the Zips’ shooters went cold.

MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATE

Willy Wonka takes Charlie and Violet down the chocolate river to get a closer look at the factory. SignStage On Tour produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Signs of Grace Church on Friday evening. SignStage On Tour is a professional children’s theatre company that tours nationally producing deaf theatre. All proceeds went to the CCCD School of the Deaf in Jamaica.

SignStage on Tour joins two cultures Deaf and hearing communities work together in play Kathryn McGonagle Daily Kent Stater TESSA BARGAINNIER | DAILY KENT STATER

Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy celebrates after cutting down a piece of net in the M.A.C. Center Friday night after the team arrived home from Akron. The Flashes beat the Zips 74-61 at James A. Rhodes Arena. With the win, Kent State clinched the Mid-American Conference regular-season title.

The Flashes extended their lead to 31-23 by halftime as Akron shot just 27 percent from the field. Kent State led the rest of the way in the second stanza behind 15 points from Simpson.

With five minutes left in the game, freshman guard Randal Holt drove inside for a layup to give Kent State a 20-point cushion.

White shirts then streamed toward the exits James A. Rhodes Arena.

“To win a conference championship, you’ve got to win on the road,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “I thought we played really well, and they were not great in the first half, and that was the difference.”

The win marked the fourth regular season title in school history and third in five seasons.

Kent State returns to action in the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday against Ohio University, who beat

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View multimedia of the game.

Ball State yesterday, 85-77, in the first round of MAC Tournament.

Contact sports reporter Cody Erbacher at cerbache@kent.edu.

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USG CANDIDATES EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s that time of year again: Undergraduate Student Government elections. Today, the Daily Kent Stater presents the profiles of the candidates for executive director. The USG election is tomorrow. Students can vote then by logging onto their FlashLine accounts.

Looking to act as liaison Matthew Gustoff Ever since Matthew Gustoff was initiated into Sigma Chi in spring 2008, he has held an elected position in the fraternity. Four semesters of leadership experience later, he said he feels he has what it takes to hold Undergraduate Student Government’s executive director position.

Gustoff, a junior business management major, said he knows how much responsibility is required to be executive director and feels he can handle it. If he is elected, Gustoff said he is looking forward to being a liaison between the student body, student organizations and the administration.

“Leadership’s never been

a problem for me,” Gustoff said. “That’s one of my greatest assets: to be able to get a group of people together to achieve a com- GUSTOFF mon goal.”

In addition to his positions in Sigma Chi, Gustoff is also the vice president of programming for the Interfraternity Council. He worked as a hall representative for Wright Hall his freshman year. He is also involved in the city of Kent’s parks and recreation, where he does mostly athletics with children.

If Gustoff is elected, he has six main goals he wants to accomplish. He wants to improve campus security, make the campus “greener,” work with the director of business and finance to produce a public annual report and to help voice the concerns of students to the administration staff.

See GUSTOFF, Page 6

Hopes to L.E.A.D. Justin Pierce Justin Pierce never thought he would learn a lesson from boxing he would later apply to politics.

“If you don’t do everything possible you can behind the scenes, when you step in that ring, you’re not going to see a good outcome,” Pierce, a senior finance and accounting major, said.

Pierce said he can graduate in December, but will defer his graduation one more semester if elected.

Pierce said he is the only known two-term president of Delta Upsilon. He claimed his fraternity has gone from low

numbers to high numbers in his presidency.

He is also the current director of student a d v a n c e - PIERCE ment within USG. He has a very specific platform he calls the L.E.A.D. Movement, an acronym that stands for “link programs, exposure, accountability and diversity.” He said he believes this platform is an extremely realistic goal.

“It’s going to be the theme,” Pierce said, “of every initiative student government focuses on next year if I’m elected.”

It starts with the link programs he is planning on instituting.

See PIERCE, Page 6

Oompa loompas, a gold-clad Willy Wonka and props labeled “Chocolate” and “Nut Room” were scattered around actors rehearsing for the production “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but this wasn’t just any production. It was performed Friday night in American Sign Language with the help of Kent State students.

Even though the event was last Friday, the preparation for it tells a different story.

“I think there’s so much the hearing community can learn from the deaf community,” said Jen Carrick, director of Signs of Grace at Grace Church, which is hosting the play.

“And in ignoring that community, we’re really missing out, and I think both the deaf community and the hearing community, the deaf culture and the hearing culture, have so much to offer each other.”

The childhood classic will bridge the hearing and deaf societies, Carrick said, when the actors take the stage to perform the tale about respect, honor and love that will be both signed and spoken. Grace Church in Middleburg Heights has been working in conjunction with SignStage, a part of the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, to bring “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to life.

“Just because you’re deaf doesn’t mean you can’t be an actor, a professional actor,” said SignStage director Bill Morgan.

He said SignStage, which travels with deaf and hearing actors across the country putting on plays in sign language, agreed to donate the performance to Grace Church in return for rehearsal space.

See WONKA, Page 6

Kernich murder suspect faces three more assault charges Ronald Kelly, the suspect charged with the attack on Kent State student Christopher Kernich, has been indicted on three more counts of misdemeanor assault.

Kelly, who is also facing two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault, a seconddegree felony, was indicted by a Portage County grand jury.

According to the Record Courier, Kelly allegedly assaulted three other Kent State students on the night of the Kernich assault.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 15, Kernich was nearly struck by a car driven by Glenn P. Jefferson Jr. Kelly and co-defendant Adrian Barker got out of the car and allegedly assaulted Kernich, who died a week later from his injuries at Akron City Hospital.

Kelly’s arraignment for the new assault charges will be at 1 p.m. March 29 at the Portage County Common Pleas Court.

His trial is set for May 4 in front

of Judge John A. Enlow.

Barker will be re-arraigned at 9 a.m. Wednesday after a grand jury amended two of his charges Friday. He has been KELLY indicted with two counts of murder and a count each of felonious assault and obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony. His trial is set to begin April 13 in the courtroom of Judge Enlow.

Jefferson has been indicted with two counts of obstructing justice, a third-degree felony. His trial is set for May 25 in front of Judge Laurie J. Pittman in the Portage County Common Pleas Court.

— Josh Johnston

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Page 2 | Monday, March 8, 2010

Daily Kent Stater

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

DAILY KENT STATER 240 Franklin Hall Kent State University Kent, Ohio 44242 NewSroom 330.672.2584 Editor Doug Gulasy dgulasy@kent.edu

CAMPUS CALENDAR

Managing editor Christina Stavale cstavale@kent.edu Multimedia editor Sara Scanes sscanes@kent.edu

News

For the week of March 8-14

M T W R F S

n College of

Nursing Luncheon When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: Student Center Ballroom KSU Med Tech Club meeting When: 5 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 322

n

n KSU Ballroom Club

practice When: 6 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 204 n Relay for Life meeting

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Student Center Governance Chamber

n Women’s Liberation

Collective “Ask a Cop” meeting When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Kiva

n American Red Cross

Bloodmobile When: 11 a.m.

Where: Student Center Room 204

n Bead It, Glue It, Write It

When: 5 p.m.

Where: Eastway Center Lower Lounge Muslim Students’ Association meeting When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 314

n

n Habitat for Humanity meeting When: 7 p.m.

Where: Henderson Hall Room 201

Kent Political Union meeting When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 309

n

Commuter/Off Campus Students meeting When: 5 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 321

n

n Women’s Resource Center

film “The Lioness” When: 5 p.m.

Where: Kiva

n Undergraduate Student

Government public meeting When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: Student Center Governance Chamber

n Speaker: Studio Luz

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Cartwright Hall Room 306

n KSU History Club meeting

When: 7:15 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 311

Stedman Graham Presentation When: 9:15 a.m.

Where: Student Center Ballroom

n

n Movie: “The Boondock

Saints II” When: 3 p.m.

Where: Kiva

n Beans, Rice and Spice

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Eastway

n Speaker, Robert Craldini

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Michael Schwartz Center Room 177 n Biology Club meeting

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 317

n K.A.S.A. Dance Rehearsal

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 310AB

n Movie: “The Boondock

Saints II” When: 11 p.m.

Where: Kiva

Regina Garcia Cano rgarcia1@kent.edu

News team assistant

Kelly Byer

kbyer@kent.edu Campus editors

Anthony Holloway ahollow1@kent.edu Kristyn Soltis

Erin Perkins eperkin2@kent.edu SPORTS

Sports team leader

Cody Francis

cfranci1@kent.edu Sports team assistants

Caleb Raubenolt

craubeno@kent.edu

Randy Ziemnik

rziemnik@kent.edu

Forum

ksoltis1@kent.edu

Forum editor

City editor

ssteimer@kent.edu

Sarah Steimer

NEO Hot Air Balloon Pilots Association trade show When: 7 a.m.

Where: Student Center Room 204

Tom Gallick

fyonkof@kent.edu

ddoherty@kent.edu

Honors College retreat When: 10 a.m.

Where: Student Center Room 310C

Social media editor

Design director

n

n

tgallick@kent.edu

Visuals

Copy desk chief

Photo editor

jjohns64@kent.edu

csirse@kent.edu

Joshua Johnston KentWired editor

Frank Yonkof

Women’s Workshop When: 1 p.m.

Where: Student Center Rooms 302, 303, 304, 306ABC, 307

n

Movie: “The Boondock Saints II” When: 11 p.m.

Where: Kiva

n Comedy night

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Rathskeller

S

Gymnastics vs. Bowling Green When: 1 p.m.

Where: M.A.C. Center

n

Wind Ensemble concert When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Cartwright Hall Room 306

n

Kent Anti-Racist Action meeting When: 8 p.m.

Where: Student Center Room 320

n

HAVE AN EVENT YOU WANT TO SEE HERE? Send information to ahollow1@kent.edu by the Thursday of the week before. (Due to space restrictions, not all events may be included.)

Caitlin Sirse

Assistant photo editor

Daniel R. Doherty

Austin Corthell

Justin Armburger

acorthel@kent.edu

Jarmburg@kent.edu

Features

Design supervisors

Features team leader

Kristina Deckert

mdilley2@kent.edu Features team assistants

stwarek1@kent.edu

Melissa Dilley

n Battle of the Bands

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Rathskeller

News team leader

Pamela Crimbchin

kdeckert@kent.edu

Sam Twarek

pcrimbch@kent.edu

AdvertIsing 330.672.2586 Sales Manager Rachel Polchek 330.672.0888 Account executive

Account executive

Michelle Bair

Katie Kuczek

Korie Culleiton

Daniel Meaney

330.672.2697 Account executive 330.672.2697 Account executive

Bethany English

330.672.2590 Account executive

330.672.2590 Broadcast representative 330.672.2585 Online representative

Kevin Collins 330.672.3251

Schuyler Kasee 330.672.2585

Student media 330.672.2586 Manager Lori Cantor 330.672.0887, lcantor@kent.edu Advertising manager

Kelly Pickerel

330.672.6306, tbongior@kent.edu Production manager Evan Bailey 330.672.0886, ebailey@kent.edu Business officer Norma Young 330.672.0884, njyoung1@kent.edu

Susan Kirkman Zake

Tami Bongiorni

Classifieds ad manager

330.672.0883, kpickere@kent.edu Stater adviser Carl Schierhorn 330.672.8286, cschierh@kent.edu Newsroom adviser 330.329.5852, szake@kent.edu

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

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

Daily Kent Stater

Monday, March 8, 2010 | Page 3

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View an audio soundslide of the MAC Wrestling Championships.

CAITLIN SIRSE | DAILY KENT STATER

Senior Danny Mitcheff fights for position against Central Michigan sophomore Scotti Sentes in the 133-pound title match at the Mid-American Conference Championships at the Rose Center yesterday. Mitcheff won the match 8-2 and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Wrestling sends five to NCAA Championships Rachel Jones

Daily Kent Stater Heading into day two of the MidAmerican Conference Wrestling Championships with four wrestlers in title matches, the Kent State wrestling team had a series of upsets and emerged with five wrestlers advancing to the NCAA Championships.

The No. 16 Flashes placed second in the tournament this weekend with 73 points behind Central Michigan’s 94 points.

Kent State coach Jim Andrassy said he had mixed emotions about the tournament.

“We had five national qualifiers, so I’m pretty happy about that,” Andrassy said. “Overall, we were expected to get second, but it would have been nice to upset (Central Michigan).”

Senior Danny Mitcheff (30-3) dominated Central Michigan’s Scotti Sentes, ranked first in the MAC, winning 8-2. After Sentes beat him at the home match Feb. 21, Mitcheff said he was excited to win the rematch.

“I knew it was going to be tough just because he’s beaten me earlier,” Mitcheff said. “Losing’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes you learn from it, and I did and got the win because of it.”

Mitcheff, ranked eighth in the nation, took the 133-pound championship title, which advances him to the NCAA Championships.

“The biggest part was definitely winning against the guy I lost to before,” Mitcheff said. “I feel good about the win. It gave me more confidence.“ The upset set a new Kent State record for most career wins (127).

For the second year in a row, the senior took home the award for the Most Outstanding MAC Wrestler.

Andrassy said all of those accomplishments in just two days are minor to Mitcheff.

“This is just one step for Danny,” Andrassy said. “He’s wrestled about as well as I’ve ever seen him wrestle before. If he wrestles like he did in that last match, he could be a

national champ, and that’s what he’s looking to do.”

In one of the closest matches of the tournament, sophomore Brendan Barlow, ranked 15th in the nation, upset Central Michigan’s Jarod Trice for the MAC title at 285 pounds. Barlow had only one word to describe the match: long.

“I was hurting,” Barlow said.

“I went into it knowing I could win, but I didn’t really expect it to come down that far.”

The Central Michigan crowd roared through the nine overtime periods while the heavyweights battled for the MAC Championship title and a ticket to nationals.

Andrassy and Central Michigan coach Tom Borrelli argued over almost every call the referees made, but Barlow said he did not mind.

“I was getting really tired, so it was nice when the coaches would argue, and I caught my breath.”

In tiebreaker three, Barlow ended the 4-4 match by earning riding time advantage by three seconds.

“I was happy Barlow could hold off the way he did and stay calm,” Andrassy said. “(Trice) gets a little bit out of control sometimes.”

After defeating Trice, ranked third in the nation, Barlow expects a high seeding in the NCAA Championships. While his ultimate goal is to be an All-American, Barlow is currently focusing on getting healthy again.

“I was healthy all year until a week before this,” Barlow said.

“I got sick right before this, and I pulled a muscle in my rib. Adrenaline is a pain killer, I guess.”

Sophomore Dustin Kilgore (33-1), ranked first in the nation, continued his winning streak at the tournament by defeating Ohio’s Nick Purdue by major decision, 13-5.

“I’m excited,” Kilgore said. “I was able to get a major (decision) in each of my matches. I came in here and wasn’t really expecting that.”

Ranked first in the MAC, Kilg-

ore said he did not know what to expect at this tournament.

“I use the same strategy for each match, but (this weekend) I wasn’t going out like I usually do,” Kilgore said. “I was just going crazy.

I actually had to step back a little bit. Just because you’re seeded first, you don’t know what’s going to happen. I went out there and got the job done.”

As the 184-pound champion, Kilgore automatically advances to nationals.

“I’ve been sick lately, but once I get past that, I’ll be 100 percent,” Kilgore said. “I’m going in there looking to be an All-American and win it.”

Sophomore Ross Tice (25-12) placed second in the 165-pound weight class. The runner-up title advances him to the NCAA Championships. Tice wrestled five matches total, which is more than any Kent State wrestler competed in this weekend.

Freshman Keith Witt, ranked third in the MAC, placed second in the 174-weight class. With an upset Saturday and a loss Sunday, Witt still qualified for nationals.

The fourth-place finishers for Kent State were sophomore Troy Opfer (17-19) at 125 pounds and freshman Chase Skonieczny (2117) at 141 pounds.

While there are a set number of wrestlers per weight class who will advance to nationals after this weekend, the NCAA will announce the 33 at-large qualifiers Wednesday. The NCAA Championships will take place March 16-18 in Omaha, Neb. “We’re going to give the guys a few days off to rest,” Andrassy said, “to get their bodies back and let them feel good about everything.”

Contact sports reporter Rachel Jones at rjones62@kent.edu.

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Gymnasts find their fire Earn top-team score for season Katie Corbut

Daily Kent Stater In a nail-biting competition, the Kentucky Wildcats topped the Kent State Golden Flashes by one tenth of a point with a final score of 196.050 to 195.950.

Even with a loss Friday in the M.A.C. Center, many team goals were met and exceeded.

From the first rotation on vault, through the fourth on floor, Kent State trailed Kentucky by tenths, but the Flashes kept fighting against the 15th ranked team, event by event.

On the vault, junior Christina Lenny took first with a score of 9.9 and was followed by two gymnasts from Kentucky tying for second place (9.875). Freshman Lauren Wozniak set a personal best on the event, scoring a 9.825 and tied for fourth with Kentucky’s Jasmine Minion.

Some uncharacteristically low bar scores pushed the Flashes behind the Wildcats by almost two tenths, but sophomore Erin Rothrock prevailed in a three-way tie for first scoring a 9.850.

Head coach Brice Big gin was disappointed with the scoring and believed that more than one gymnast deserved higher marks.

“Lenny might have been off on a cast or two,” Biggin said. “But Abou (Mitri) had just a little wobble on her dismount and that was it. She hit every handstand. It’s frustrating, but the girls did what they needed to do.”

The season-long challenge of the beam exercise is where the Flashes excelled over the Wildcats by meeting their goal of hitting five out of six routines. The Flashes counted not one fall, and the first four gymnasts went up and performed solid routines.

Senior Brittany Kopp was very pleased with the beam team’s performance consid-

ering their past struggle on the event.

“It felt amazing to go up and not have a fall before me,” Kopp said. “That just felt so great, having the first three girls hit. The intensity from the crowd was great.”

Placing first on the event was junior Christine Abou-Mitri who tied her personal best of a 9.875.

Tying for fourth with Kentucky’s Hillary Furguson was sophomore Brianna Skiffington, who set a personal best (9.775) after struggling to find focus in previous meets.

The Flashes continued to make up ground on the Wildcats in the fourth rotation on floor. While the Wildcats took top honors in the event, the Flashes showed extraordinary determination.

Placing third was senior Lydia Barrett (9.875) and in a three-way tie for fourth was Lenny, AbouMitri and Minion of Kentucky (9.850).

Once again, Abou-Mitri showed why she is ranked in the top 25 in the country in the all-around competition as she placed first in the meet with a score of 39.275. Following her was her teammate Lenny (38.600) and in third was Andrea Mitchell of Kentucky (38.450).

Biggin couldn’t say more positive things about Abou-Mitri and her success as an all-around competitor.

“She’s just not budging,” Biggin said. “That girl refuses to break. She’s so focused right now in the way she’s competing and leading this team.”

Coach Sharon Sabin would have liked to have topped her alma mater, but was still extremely proud of the girls’ performance.

“You’re upset because you lost, but we actually didn’t lose 100 percent,” she said. “Our kids were faced with a team and they didn’t crumble or choke. They rose to the occasion.”

The fight that Sabin saw in the team is what she hopes to see in the future, especially in the MidAmerican Conference Championship that draws closer and closer. Biggin was disappointed that the 21-meet home winning streak came to an end, but felt that regardless of the loss, the

JESSICA KANALAS | DAILY KENT STATER

Junior gymnast Christina Lenny performs on the vault during yesterday’s meet against Kentucky. Lenny received a 9.9 on her performance and took first place in the overall vault results. The Flashes lost the meet against the Wildcats.

meet can still be looked at as a positive thing.

“Wins and losses matter to a point,” he said. “We did what we needed to do tonight to feel successful. The win streak comes to an end to a team that’s ranked 15th in the country, and it took their best meet of the season. We know we did our job.”

Kopp was upset about the loss, but had similar emotions as her coaches.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” she said. “It’s my second to last home meet as a senior. It would have been nice to pull out a win, but we have to take the good that happened tonight. And there was so much good that happened. We can’t focus on the loss.”

Contact sports reporter Katie Corbut at kcorbut@kent.edu.

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OPINION

Page 4 | Monday, March 8, 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.

Daily Kent Stater

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

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

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

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

DKS EDITORIAL BOARD Doug Gulasy Editor Christina Stavale Managing editor Sarah Steimer Forum editor

Thomas Gallick City editor Caitlin Sirse Photo editor Sara Scanes Multimedia editor

FAMOUS QUOTE “Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.”.”

— Zelda Fitzgerald

our

SUMMARY: Almost everyone tells us that education is one of the most important things in the world, but then they make it almost too expensive to attain.

VIEW

The most backward decision in America

Last Thursday, thousands of college students across the country protested budget cuts to state university systems. Students took to the streets, letting lawmakers hear their pleas to put money back into the schools.

The argument many are making is that such cuts to publicly funded institutions drive up tuition, limit classes and make higher education unavailable to many low-income students.

And there should be protest. Cutting money from higher-education budgets is a completely backwards way of taking care of business during a recession. As much as any student would understand that the cuts must happen somewhere, how could it make sense to anyone, student or not, to essentially take money away from the future: us?

It is difficult enough as it is for many students to pay for college and demanding that they pay higher is absurd. If anything, students

should have to pay less in times of recessions because they are hurting much more than others. It’s difficult to tell a student with a 15-credit hour load who is already working one job to pick up another so he or she can pay for those credits.

And what if a student in a particular major can no longer take a very important class just because it’s unpopular and was determined worthy of being cut? This student, who is already paying plenty to get the education he or she deserves, can no longer do so.

What do we say to the brilliant high school senior who had always planned of going to college to study medicine but now cannot do so because the costs are just too high and his family can’t give him the financial help he needs? This could have been the student who made a serious medical breakthrough if given the chance.

If people plan to proceed to tell young people that college is an absolute necessity, things had better change in terms of funding. Do not tell someone they need food to survive, then refuse to help them attain the nourishment they need.

Education is terribly important in our country, especially if we, as a nation, hope to remain at the top. Why add obstacles to that?

We have every right to protest this twisted decision to cut higher education funding. And protest we will.

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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WAYNE STAYSKAL’s VIEW

■

DID YOU KNOW? On this day in 1917 In Russia, the February Revolution (known as such because of Russia’s use of the Julian calendar) began when riots and strikes over the scarcity of food erupted in Petrograd.

— History.com

A healthy distrust Last week I wrote a column in response to one written by another columnist. The column was called “Country first” by Anastasia Spytsya (Feb. 25), and my response was called “How I learned to stop worrying and love America” (March 1).

I expected a response, and I got one. It attacked my intellect and my irresponsibility as a lazy, disinterested American liberal journalist who committed his distrust in the powers that be to paper for no reason other than to get a laugh.

Sure, I like to throw a joke or two in a column, and I’m never opposed to the occasional rambling. Frankly, if it were not for this column, newspaper writing would bore me to death.

I responded to a column I found to be incredibly oversimplified, nationalistic and encouraging of a mentality I believe only furthers the issues we face as a nation.

My column was called antipatriotic. Unfortunately, this is the most primitive division between conservatives and liberals, and to perpetuate this division is wrong.

I am not unpatriotic or antipatriotic. I am opposed to blind, unwavering nationalism. It is dangerous and there is nothing unpatriotic about saying that.

Plus, I was not a big fan of the downright xenophobic statement about Canada made by my fellow columnist, which still has not been addressed.

If there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s when someone legitimizes his or her views by comparing them to the forefathers.

But while we are here I just have to ask: Am I not exercising my most fundamental right, one held in the highest regard by those who wrote dissenting pieces like “Common Sense” or the “treasonous” Declaration of Independence, by addressing my grievances through writing? Surely Thomas Paine would think so.

(Oh, for the record, “pieces of writing” is not derogation. I write pieces, you write pieces, Hemingway wrote pieces).

I have always had my rights handed to me, as it was put, but among those rights is the right to question my government. I use that right to its fullest extent, and it has led me toward contempt for our government. Philosophically, our country was founded on contempt and distrust. It functions as it does because politicians do not trust one another and we do not blindly trust politicians.

Look at a situation like the war in Iraq. Opposition to the war does not exist solely because pacifism exists. Opposition exists because there is a historical context.

People remember images of the My Lai Massacre when they see images from Abu Ghraib.

They aren’t exactly the same, but it’s easy to see how one is a derivation of the other. Plus, make a quick switch from “spread of

Nick Baker communism” to “spread of terrorism” and you basically have it down.

I listed some of the greatest crimes committed by our government since the nation’s inception in the hopes of getting people to say, “Damn, that’s a long list.

What happened with Freeway Ricky Ross and the CIA? Maybe I should read about it.”

Instead, I was told to examine issues in other countries, specifically the former Soviet Union, in hopes that I would relent a little on my contempt toward some of the American atrocities I listed in my previous column.

There was mention of the Ukrainian genocide, which was used in an effort to challenge my worldly knowledge. Interestingly enough, this babied liberal was raised by the son of conservative Ukrainian immigrants. My grandmother, Luba, was born in the Ukraine in 1924.

I never met my grandfather. She keeps the wedding photo and marriage license in a box at my uncle’s house in Cincinnati. It may have something to do with the SS guards on either side of the “wedding party” or the eagle and swastika stamp at the top of the document.

She survived the Ukrainian genocide, though not all her family was so fortunate. Her firstborn infant son was killed during the war. She survived labor camps administrated by both Stalin and Hitler’s regimes, and immigrated to the United States in the late 1940s.

Just saying. I’m a little more familiar than you may think.

In all seriousness, because what seems to be the reoccurring criticism of my columns is that they lack seriousness, I wrote the original piece to do anything but pass the time.

Some of the most poignant political and social commentary in modern history has been humorous. While I will not commit my column to the “most poignant” list, there is nothing wrong with making a point through humor.

But I am dead serious.

I have the right to think and speak for myself, regardless of what someone may define as “patriotism.” So I’m going to flog a popular horse from the conservative stable and leave you with this: Don’t tread on me.

Nick Baker is a senior magazine journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater.

Contact him at nbaker3@kent.edu.

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Apparently, loving people is a crime The “animal rights” community was certainly unhappy with my column last week (“Humans always come before animals,” March 1) when I stated that I would never donate money to an animal shelter because I would much rather donate to human causes.

It provided good entertainment as one girl compared me to “Hitler, Stalin and Caesar” before claiming my editors should be “euthanized” for printing such a view, that a human life is more precious than that of an animal.

But the most entertaining response came from fellow columnist Thisanjali Gangoda (“Humans are animals…,”March 4), who was not too happy with the fact that human beings come first in my book.

“Once again, Mr. Yonkof has proved to be insensitive, illogical and one-sided in framing his arguments, this time about why animals are less worthy creatures than humans.”

I suspect that she jumped to conclusions about things I simply never said.

For the record, I never discouraged people from donating to animal shelters. Why? Because I really don’t care if they do or don’t.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m passionate about my opinions and have no problem putting them out there. But at the end of the day, I rarely (if ever) claim my ideas are the “truth.” I’m just here to provide my worldview on things. And no one is forcing Gangoda to read my columns, especially when I have never finished reading any of hers.

Frank Yonkof What I did discourage in that last column, however, is the mindset that humans and animals are on the same level. It’s a sad, sad day when a self proclaimed “human rights activist” cannot stand up for the basic right that human beings, while never perfect, deserve to be treated with more respect than an animal.

What I did not say was that animal abuse is justifiable in any way. Surely people are responsible for the animals they choose to own, and I would never kick a puppy because it was in my way. But if I had to choose between saving a child or a kitten from a fire, I would surely save the kid.

I thought everyone would do the same. But apparently, I was mistaken.

Gangoda is living in a Disney fairy tale when she makes statements on how animals and people are “one of the same.” Even better, “No two causes are alike and no one cause trumps another in importance.” So I guess the Facebook group “Bring back Saved by the Bell” is just as legitimate as the Make a Wish Foundation?

To be quite honest, I’m not upset that Gangoda chose to attack my column. If she was in one of my classes, I would have no problem making friendly conversation with her. I guess I was more disappointed she missed the main point of my column: Some people give more respect to animals than they do to people.

Was it really fair for someone on KentWired.com to claim that my editors should be “euthanized” because I simply wrote an opinion she didn’t like? I know online commentators are sometimes unbalanced, but talking about killing a human because I refuse to donate to an animal shelter?

It goes to show you that a column can be taken wildly out of context. The idea was simple, but in the end, it proved too simple for many to handle, and everyone was analyzing what I supposedly stopped short of saying.

I think after two weeks of back and fourth snickering, people are tired of all this ForumpPage drama. Lord knows those Thursday girls are crazy, and I for one am looking forward to getting back to talking about less controversial topics like politics and religion.

Frank Yonkof is a sophomore newspaper journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at fyonkof@kent.edu.

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Total buzzkill Growing up where I did in California, I found there were typically two schools of thought when it came to the military: You either thought they were on par with babykillers or a back-up plan to pay for college.

And up until about two years ago, I have to say I personally didn’t care one way or the other as long as they left me out of it.

But finding out that a guy my brother and I grew up with joined the Marines right out of high school forced me to re-evaluate that stance. And when my brother decided to follow him, I could no longer pretend it was someone else’s problem.

There is no way to truly describe just how haunting a military graduation is to someone who has never been to one. I’ve seen two, and I can still remember the sight of row upon row of faceless young men, some not even old enough to drink, standing at attention on the parade deck. They said it was supposed to be a celebration of boys becoming men and how far they had come, but the only thing I could think about was how many of them would be dead 10 years down the road.

People assume you’re proud and happy that a member of your family decided to join the military. I don’t think it’s really one of those things you can learn to be happy about.

Learn to accept that person’s decision and be

Molly Cahill happy for them, yes, but if you don’t start out overjoyed you’re unlikely to feel that way later.

Knowing there are people out there risking their lives for their country is very different from the knowledge that one of them was once the baby you remember your parents bringing home from the hospital. The only thing worse than the constant worry he will be deployed is trying to keep a smile on my face when people say how thankful they are that my brother chose to serve his country. A word to the wise: Think before you speak. Because not everyone is going to want to hear you “semper fi” them to death.

There was a sort of long-standing joke in my family that if the government ever reinstated the draft, we would be relocating to Canada. I say joke but there is no doubt in my mind about our worshiping the maple

leaf if the time came. Most of our friends were dumbstruck to find out my brother had joined voluntarily. I will admit I had a good bit of fun springing the news on people when they were drinking.

The hardest thing to get used to was how seldom he and I get to hang out now. We were always very close as a family and before he joined the Marines, the longest we’d gone without seeing each other was maybe three weeks. So those first 13 weeks while he was in boot camp were difficult. Now because I’m away at school in Ohio, I’m lucky if we can manage to be in the same place every four months.

Accepting the decisions of people you are close to can be difficult and may even change your own perspective in unexpected ways.

So don’t buy that house in Quebec just yet.

Besides if you think Ohio has miserable winters, try visiting Montreal.

Molly Cahill is a senior pre-journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater.

Contact her at mcahill2@kent.edu.

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Daily Kent Stater

Monday, March 8, 2010 | Page 5

Kent City Elementary Schools to adopt reading initiative this fall Incentive-based program rewards books to top readers This upcoming fall, a challenge is being issued to Kent’s elementary schools. Students at each of Kent’s five elementary schools must attempt to collectively accumulate one million minutes of reading outside the classroom.

The program is called “Reading Millionaires,” a reading incentive project first implemented in a Georgia elementary school in 1995.

Joseph Giancola, superintendent of Kent City Schools, said the program is based on a reward system. Students will read recreationally, keeping track of their minutes in a log. Parents will sign off on the minutes. The schools keep track of the totals. Students in classrooms that accumulate the most minutes will be rewarded with books.

“The plan is for students to be reading more outside of school,” Giancola said. “More reading equals more success.”

Giancola collaborated with Kent Rotary International and Nancy Padak, professor of teaching, learning and curriculum studies at Kent State, to introduce this idea to the school district.

Giancola asked Padak to speak about literacy in the

community at one of the Rotary’s meetings with the goal of partnering with the schools in some capacity.

Using $5,500 of grant money, Kent Rotary International will provide the books for the program.

“The Rotary sees the importance of developing partnerships,” Padak said. “They see how important education is to their organization.”

Padak said 20 percent of adults in the U.S. cannot read and write well enough to get by in everyday life. She said Reading Millionaires helps kids develop good reading habits at a young age.

“Reading achievement is due to how much kids read,” Padak said. “They must put their noses in books.”

Giancola said the program’s success would be measured when the next round of the Ohio Achievement Assessment is given to students.

“It would be nice to see incremental change,” he said. “Any change in student growth is worth being happy.”

Padak said she has seen the program work with great success, but it will take more than this to help students struggling with reading comprehension catch-up.

The Ohio Department of Education 2008-2009 report card for Kent City School District shows the district fluctuating around 10 percent above the state requirement of 75 percent in reading comprehension. The percentages steadily decline from 87 percent at the third grade level to 75.9 percent at the eighth grade level.

“There is a diverse group here in Kent,” Giancola said. “There are

economically disadvantaged parents trying to keep up, but they don’t have the time and energy.

“Wherever there is economic need, it’s likely reading is at risk. Where there is economic disadvantage, there is academic disadvantage.”

Right now, the project is in a developmental stage.

Lori Slattery, director of instructional programming for Kent City Schools, said she is developing the reading logs and other forms parents and teachers will use during the program. She will be dispensing information to teachers, students and their families as details are finalized.

“This gives every kid the opportunity to own a book,” Slattery said. “The Rotary wants books in kids’ hands.”

Padak is confident of the effect this program will have on elementary students in Kent.

“I know this works,” she said. “I know the research. It’s based on principles that work, and it’s elegant in its simplicity.”

Giancola is looking at it from a research perspective.

“This is education research,” he said. “We don’t have experience with this, so I have no idea of the reality of achieving one million minutes. I don’t know if it is achievable.”

oil, you take all those off the table,” he said. “It’s still a good thing to do because of the environmental aspect.

I don’t see any downside.“ Garrett said the current hurdle is getting capital. The costs estimated for the machines total $2 million.

Ullom said since one of Vadxx Energy’s units produces 90,000 barrels of oil a year, and with the cost of a barrel of oil up to around $75, there would be a positive cash flow once oil production begins.

Garrett said this cash flow allows for future assistance to be needed.

“There is a lot of advanced energy out there that need continuous government support. This is not one of

them. If we knock the first couple of dominos over, the market forces will really take off.”

Strickland was expected to talk about the different grant programs Ohio is looking to offer businesses, but the length of the Vadxx presentation overtook his time. He was able to comment on what he had going on with those programs.

“It’s a proven job-creating program,” he said of the Ohio Third Frontier program in an interview after the tour. “We’re hoping to renew it on the spring ballot.”

Strickland said the program, which is targeted to nurture earlystage companies and foster tech-

nology development that makes existing industries more productive, is looking to be renewed for $700 million that will be utilized over the next four years.

Strickland sat in on the presentation with others from the county such as County Commissioners President Chuck Keiper; Dan Banks, Board of Commissioners grant administrator, and members of the Brimfield Township council.

Darren D’Altorio

Daily Kent Stater EMILY HORNE| DAILY KENT STATER

Gov. Ted Strickland visits the Portage County Solid Waste Management facility Friday afternoon to hear a proposal that could help change the way Portage County recycles.

Strickland visits Portage County recycling facility Anthony Holloway Daily Kent Stater

Portage County leaders and their associates presented Gov. Ted Strickland with a project proposal Friday afternoon during a visit to the Portage County Solid Waste Management facility in Brimfield.

Strickland said he came to the facility to “learn and listen.”

The visit started with a tour of the plant. Strickland viewed what William Steiner II, director of the Portage County Solid Waste Management facility, said is the biggest waste management plant in Ohio.

Steiner said he wanted to be able to show Strickland what they were doing at the facility and that despite the economy, the facility is running efficiently after recycling numbers increased by 100 tons this past year.

In 2007, the plant shipped out more than 22 million pounds of recycled products, including glass, plastic and aluminum cans.

Following the tour, Strickland made his way to hear a presentation from Vadxx Energy CEO Jim Garrett. Garrett, who has experience in energy business with Marathon Oil Corporation and others, told Strickland and the crowd of Portage County leaders about his intention of turning formally unrecyclable materials into crude oil.

“This is not a research project,” he said. “We have letters of intent in hand for four commercial units.”

Garrett said besides Portage County Solid Waste Management facility, the others are from places in Summit and Cuyahoga counties.

Steiner said the relationship

between the Portage County plant and Vadxx Energy is still premature and has yet to be approved.

Garrett touched on the advantages of Vadxx Energy on how it would affect the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, but he also emphasized one advantage important to Ohio by dedicating one PowerPoint slide to the issue, reading, “good jobs, good jobs, good jobs.”

“One unit employs about 20 people,” he said. $55,000 a year, compensation and benefits, good jobs.

Technician jobs, electrician jobs.

There’s one plant, one of our partners, that has a plant that could take 20 to 30 units. He has already a letter of intent with us.

He is out of Cleveland, but he runs a multi-state organization.”

Vadxx Energy CTO William Ullom said the output per unit is eight gallons of oil per minute and 90,000 barrels of oil per year.

Portage County leaders aren’t the only ones interested in the possibilities, though.

“These units will be manufactured in Akron, Ohio,” he said.

“The Republic of China heard about this and offered us a grant to move our manufacturing facilities to China. Well, we said ‘no, thank you,’ with words to that effect.

That’s what we’re focused on, translating this technology into good jobs for Ohioans, and we think we have a good shot at that. “ Strickland said despite the many appealing advantages, there is still an added benefit.

“If you weren’t concerned about jobs being created, the energy being created or the influence of imported

Contact public affairs reporter Darren D’Altorio at ddaltor@kent.edu.

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Contact reporter Anthony Holloway at ahollow1@kent.edu.

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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.

CAMPUS

THURSDAY n Kristin M. Packer, 19, of Wadsworth was charged with underage drinking at the M.A.C. Center. n Eric R. Kahle, 18, of Solon was charged with public indecency at Wright Hall. n An alcohol violation was reported at Fletcher Hall. n A miscellaneous drug offense was reported at Prentice Hall. n Dominique R. Brown, 20, of Detroit was charged with disorderly conduct at Koonce Hall.

FRIDAY n Bradley R. Cain, 18, of Brook Park was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Sean M. Patterson, 19, of Brook Park was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Sean E. Dolan, 19, of Brook Park was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Kyle D. Smith, 19, of Strongsville was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Matthew A. Tuttle, 19, of Cuyahoga Falls was charged with a miscellaneous drug offense and possession of drug paraphernalia at Dunbar Hall. n Christopher P. Edwards, 19, of Cuyahoga Falls was charged with a miscellaneous drug offense and possession of drug paraphernalia at Dunbar Hall. n Nicole M. Shevlino, 19, of Massillon was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n Lauren A. Paddock, 18, of Clarence, N.Y., was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n A miscellaneous drug offense was reported at Prentice Hall. n Taylor L. Stefanov, 19, of Canton was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n Lindsey S. Schultz, 18, of McMurray, Pa., was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n Matthew T. Altman, 20, of Plain City was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Allen J. Unkefer, 19, of Homeworth was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Maria N. DeFranco, 19, of Independence was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Michael C. Swigert, 20, of Louisville was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Richard A. Otis, 20, of Cleves was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Criminal damage was reported at the Music and Speech Center and Allyn Hall. n Disorderly conduct was reported at Prentice Hall.

Page 6 | Monday, March 8, 2010 From Page 1

WONKA SignStage on Tour joins two cultures Six Kent State students worked to make this a special night, from which all the proceeds went to a trip Grace Church members are taking to Montego Bay, Jamaica, to donate time and supplies to the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf.

“Sadly, in Jamaica, deaf children are often neglected, perhaps abused, they don’t have any language,” Carrick said.

CCCD, with help from Grace Church and other missionary work, is able to educate deaf six to 22-year-olds, providing them with language, a vocation and others to connect with. The school relies on donations of basic things we take for granted, Carrick said.

For example, she said, printer cartridges, pens and craft supplies are in high demand. She said a shipment of Sharpies brought the principal to tears on their mission trip last year to the same school.

Kent State students help where they can while practicing their signing skills. Some were be ush-

Daily Kent Stater ers, some were selling tickets and others worked in the café before the play.

Kaleigh Lambe, junior American Sign Language major, is required to work in some capacity in the deaf community and said she chose the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” production because of both their work in Jamaica and the bridging of the two cultures here in the U.S. “This will let people get a better understanding of deaf culture and how deaf people live their everyday lives,” Lambe said. “It’s not necessarily a disability, but a way of life.”

Co-owner and co-director Erin LaFountain, a Kent State alumna from the theater program, said the children are the ones who benefit most from this production. Instead of being forced to watch an interpreter the entire time, the children were able to take in the wonder of the performance, she said.

“The kids sit there the entire performance looking at the side of the stage where the interpreters sit, but now they get to actually experience it. Just to see the look of amazement on their faces is exciting,” LaFountain said.

LaFountain said that sign language isn’t just a tool for communication, but a conduit for creativ-

ity, art and beauty in theater, but is a very small, often ignored, niche.

“It’s not just the art of theater, it’s the art of signing, too,” LaFountain said.

D a v i d P e n n y, s e n i o r applied conflict management major volunteered, said bringing deaf and hearing kids, as well as deaf and hearing adults, together for a common goal is one of the most fascinating parts.

“I guess a lot of the other countries have no language at all for the deaf, and if we can help out, why not?” Penny said.

Friday night, Kent State students helped to bridge two cultures: the deaf and hearing, raise money for the underprivileged deaf in Jamaica and helping to pull off a marvelous play in a way it’s never been done before for deaf children, Carrick said.

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

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From Page 1

PIERCE USG Executive Directors These programs will allow better communication between all the different student organizations, between students and the administration and between the university and the university to the city of Kent.

He wants to put a string of chains in the Student Center to represent the “strong chain of the student organizations at Kent State.”

Secondly, he said he doesn’t think USG is well-known enough on campus. He said a lot of students didn’t even know USG was responsible for Jay Sean coming to Kent State. He wants to expose USG and its accomplishments to the student body. Pierce wants new, educational programming for shows and such.

He also wants to work on a freshman outreach program, which would work to make freshman more involved on campus in order to get a proper college experience.

Pierce’s third point is the idea of accountability. This includes goal setting, director and student accountability and guidance. All of these points, Pierce said, push for progress. He wants next year’s student government to affect the student

government 10 years from now.

His final point is that of diversity.

He wants to work with different cultures and organizations in Kent State to “diffuse culture,” which, he said, will show what every culture and organization has in common. This involves utilizing what he called the tipping point.

“The tipping point is what I’m going to be pushing,” Pierce said, “and that is bringing student organizations together and collaborating on projects, student organizations that would never come together.”

He mentioned an example that he has connected UNICEF with the Dodgeball for Haiti event.

“My personality has grown,” Pierce said, “into one where I just won’t feel worthwhile if I’m not doing something significant, if I’m not helping make a difference on campus.”

— Nick Glunt React to this story and more at

KentWired.com From Page 1

GUSTOFF USG Executive Directors He also wants to inform President Lester Lefton of student orga-

nizations and to create a listserv to the presidents of all organizations on campus. He said he thinks organizations are important to Kent State because they help improve the college experience for students.

“The goals that I have,” Gustoff said, “I want them to be realistic.”

He said he doesn’t want to be some politician that makes “obnoxious goals” that never pan out.

Gustoff said security at Kent State is the main issue he wants to address.

He hopes to do so by working with the city police, campus security, the city of Kent, residence halls, the administration staff and Kent Interhall Council.

He said he has a dream of putting up some kind of security post on Main Street to enhance the security of students coming back to campus from downtown Kent.

Another goal of his is to attend one meeting of every student organization on campus. He wants to be acquainted and familiar with every organization.

“The passion that I would have for this position,” Gustoff said, “is second to none. Bottom line.”

— Nick Glunt React to this story and more at KentWired.com

Kansas City wants to close half of its public schools

MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATER

Charlie Bucket, played by Craig Fogel of Sign Stage On Tour, has just realized that he was the finder of the final golden ticket. Sign Stage On Tour is a professional children’s theatre company that tours nationally producing deaf theatre. Sign Stage On Tour produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Signs of Grace Church on Friday evening.

All proceeds went to the CCCD School of the Deaf in Jamaica.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City was held up as a national example of bold thinking when it tried to integrate its schools by making them better than the suburban districts where many kids were moving. The result was one school with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and another with recording studios.

Now it’s on the brink of bankruptcy and considering another bold move: closing nearly half its schools to stay afloat.

S c h o o l s o ff i c i a l s s a y t h e cuts are necessary to keep the district from plowing through what little is left of the $2 billion it received as part of a groundbreaking desegregation case.

Buffeted for years by declining enrollment, political squabbling and a revolving door of leadership, the district’s fortunes are so bleak that Superintendent

John Covington has said diplomas given to many graduates “aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”

Kansas City is among the most striking examples of the challenges of saving urban school districts. The city used gobs of cash to improve facilities, but boosting lagging test scores and stemming the exodus of students were more elusive.

Like other big-city districts, it finds itself struggling to become more than just the last resort for large pockets of poverty in the urban core.

Some districts like Boston and Cleveland have tried busing in students from other neighborhoods, while others such as Chicago have built magnet schools with specialized facilities and curriculums.

The latest possible solution

for Kansas City is the plan Covington submitted to the school board last week that called for closing 29 out of 61 schools to eliminate a projected $50 million budget shortfall. Covington also has said he wants to cut about 700 of the district’s 3,000 jobs, including 285 teachers. The school board vote is Wednesday.

The proposal has stunned the community.

“It’s crazy,” said Donnell Fletcher, the father of two girls, ages 4 and 12. “I just hope that with all the changes that they are planning on making, that the kids are the ones who are the most important and that hopefully they will get the resources and the education they need to be successful.”

— Associated Press

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

Monday, March 8, 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.

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Pregnancy Center of Kent. Here to Help (330) 839-9919

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Mike’s Place Monday nights 32 cent wings - $2 margaritas

Now leasing for fall. 2br apt $699750 a month includes gas, water and trash. Many great amenities. Hurry in now, before you get locked out.

(330) 673-8887

Mike’s Place Tuesday nights $2.50 gyros - $2 Long Islands - Bar only

Now accepting applications for summer and fall! Studios, 1&2 bedrooms still available-Hurry In! 330-678-0746

PLAY SPORTS! HAVE FUN! SAVE MONEY! Maine camp needs fun-loving counselors to teach All land, adventure & water sports. Great Summer! Call 888-844-8080, apply: campcedar.com Office assistant needed. Kent area apartment community is looking for an office assistant. Full Time Summer help. General responsibilities include customer service, general office responsibility, phones/computer and some sales. The successful candidate will be organized, selfmotivated, outgoing and possess good communication skills. Fax resume to (330) 677-4651 attention Jeanette. A drug free work place.

Local part-time furniture mover needed. Must be available at least 2 full days a week. Monday-Sunday. $11/hour to start for helpers. $13/ hour for drivers (clean license required) 330-689-1900.

Brubaker’s Pub, Stow now hiring cocktail waitresses and servers.

Apply in-person Monday-Friday 10a.m.-6p.m. at 4141 Bridgewater Parkway, Stow Bartenders needed - no experience required. Earn $20-60/hour. Call us at 740-205-6432.

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Cooperative (MVOC) is seeking a full-time Community Organizer Fellow to work in the Youngstown and Warren, Ohio communities.

The Fellow will work with a senior community organizer to coordinate grassroots issue campaigns and projects, identify and develop leaders, and bring together a broad base of institutions and residents to work collectively to address quality of life issues.

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collective is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Youngstown/Warren Region by identifying and developing leaders, organizing neighborhoods, and building capacity to achieve healthy communities.

Qualifications: -Excellent written and oral communication skills, organizaion, interpersonal skills and ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds.

-Proficient in Microsoft programs including Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, and internet research.

-Interest in social justice issues -Must have a valid Ohio driver’s license and access to a reliable car.

For more information, visit www. mvorganizing.org/organizingfellow or email your resume and cover letter to beth@mvorganizing.org.

NIGHT CLUB NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS ARENA Sports & Entertainment Complex (Formerly Mustang Salliz) 1543 Streetsboro Plaza Drive 44241 Apply in Person Mon, Tues & Wed 4pm to 8pm Facebook@KentArena.com

Free Psychic Readings 3-5 pm every Thursday Empire 135 E. Main St. Kent www.empirekent.com

Found money in parking area of Circle K on Main Street in Kent across from Whitehall on Thursday, Feb.4, 2010 at approximately 8:30 am. If you can describe the number of bills, their denominations, how they were folded and the total amount, arrangements will be made to return it to you. Email: vnader@kent.edu Field Jacket found on campus - contact Peggy 330-672-5822.

NOW LEASING FOR FALL 5,4,2,1 bedroom Houses.

Efficiency. Good Location Near KSU. Call (330) 554-8353 Whitehall East Townhomes - 4 or 5 bedroom leases, with 3 bathrooms, great rent options with all inclusive plans. Some newly rennovated, all units washer/dryer and dishwaher included. Call or text today 330-9904019. www.whitehall-east.com LUXURY 4-BEDROOM UNITS large, clean, all appliances + FREE washer/dryer.

(330) 714-0819 Shrewsberry Rentals 3, 4, and 6 bedrooms starting at $900. 4 bedrooms $1475. 6 bedrooms $2,000. Trash, sewer, and recycling paid. 330-221-2881 Spacious 2&3 bdrm apts @ Holly Park. Gas heat paid Sign up now for fall and receive $100 off first 6 months based on a twelvemonth lease.

(330) 678-0823

**Summer and Fall Specials** Furnished/unfurnished studios, 1&2 bedrooms, Call now 330-678-0123 Rent in Kent Enjoy spacious 4&5 bedrooms duplexes with 2 full baths. Great condition, great location, A/C, W/D, dishwasher, deck, garage. $1,2001,750. 330-808-4045 GREAT PRICES! GREAT PROPERTIES! 3, 4 & 5 bdrm properties starting at $1000/mo.

Call Rich at 330-807-6090

By Linda Black Today’s birthday (3/8/10) This year you feel driven to accomplish more with the opportunities you are given. Find time each day to dream in solitude. Then, carry those dreams into the world of partnership. Share your ideas.

If necessary, draw them into your private space to share inspiration.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 6. Obsess early in the day. Get it out of your system.

Then accept a challenge to change the way others view your work.

They don’t need to understand your motivation.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 7. Logic compels you to demand substance from your co-workers. They have little desire for anything but fantasy. Try not to demand compliance today.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 6. Social contacts obsess over tiny details. Create a different perspective in which minutiae blend into the bigger picture.

Agreement will follow.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 5. Don’t fuss when associates continue to brainstorm and you prefer action. You can’t do it all today anyway. Plan it for tomorrow.

Now Leasing for Summer and Fall.

2 BR Apts. Heat, Trash & Water pd.

Pool, Pets welcome, $665-$725.

Close to KSU 330-673-5364 NO WATER BILL! NO GAS BILL! 4&5 Bedroom duplex available for fall starting at $330/mo!

Each side has 2 bath, W/D. Dishwasher, deck, garage, etc. Close to campus and on bus route. Last one I have available! Call Sweeney (740)317-7294.

Remodeled, University Town Home, 5 BR, W/D, Dishwasher, 2.5 Baths, $275 per room, Will go fast, 330-8084045 University Townhomes 5 bedroom 2.5 bath. $265/month tahaysmanagement.com, 330-612-0767 Stow: 2 & 3 bed townhomes with one car garage. Pets welcome, 10 min from KSU. Prices $665-$850 call (330)686-2269.

Kent- 3&4 bdrm townhouses for fall, $395 pr rm includes gas & trash 330678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt. com Kent- 1 bdrm & efficiencies for fall, starting at $450 pr mth includes ALL UTILITIES 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com Kent- 2&3 bdrm for fall, starting at $425 pr rm some include ALL UTILITIES 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage, condo-styled duplex, on two acres, $1100/mo. 330-221-4533 Tired of a roommate? Live in our newly remodeled one bedroom apt for $495, you only pay electric.

(330)678-0972.

Two bedroom apt near KSU $615 per month all utilities except electric included. Call (330)678-0972.

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.

KENT/BRIMFIELD. Newer 3 & 4 Bdrm duplexes. 1 car garage. $900-$1100 per month. 330-338-5841 or 330329-1118 Kent - 1,2&3 bedroom. $500, $590 and $750. 330-677-5577 STUDENT RENTALS FOR THE ‘10’11 YEAR Are you looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, a studio, a duplex, a house, or a student rooming house with 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 bedrooms?

Our staff is ready to help you with all your housing needs.

Check out the list of available rentals on our website www.jkohlre.com click on Rental Management, Student Rentals, or you can stop in or call our office.

Jack Kohl Realty EHO 237 East Main Street Kent, OH 44240 Phone: 330-677-4722 Fax: 330-6774730 Spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath duplex.

LR and Family Room, W/D, A/C, $960/ mo, Available July (330)630-9285.

Kent—3 bedroom, 1 full bath. 2 levels. Newer carpet+flooring. Paid water w/appliances. $750 a month.

330-815-2869.

Kent near downtown and campus 2 bedroom apartment, all utilities paid except electric, $350/bedroom + security deposit. (330)676-9440 Now Leasing for Fall a beautifully newly redecorated 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath duplex. $275/person, (330)6876122.

NOW LEASING FOR FALL 1 block from KSU Beautiful newly redecorated 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse apartments $325/student 330-687-6122 For 2010-11: One Month Free Close to Campus 2 huge apartments, licensed, private parking, large yard, large front porch. 4 bedroom $1300/$325 each. 4/5 bedroom $1400, $280-$350 each. (330) 6263957 1, 2, &3 Bedroom Houses & Duplexes all close to downtown available June and August (330) 678-7901 Available Fall: Triplex, each unit 3 Bedrooms, 1 bath house, large yard. $800. Also Large Duplex, each unit 2 bedrooms, 1 bath with garage $650; (440)953-8687 info www. yourhomerental.com AVAILABLE NOW one large bedroom in house 244 East Main $320 utilities included (330) 333-1531

1 bedroom apartment in a house.

Kitchen, living room, bath. Separate entrance. No pets. One year lease.

Available in August. 330-673-8505 3 Bedroom house available for Fall.

Great condition, full appliances, $350 bedroom 1, $325 per bedroom 2 and 3. Close to Campus 330-673-1225 2 Bedrooms, 1-1/2 Baths. Close to Campus. $660/month. No Pets, go to www.lincolnwoodrentals.com or call 330-835-7737.

Available For Fall Huge 4 or 5 bedroom units in great condition. Deck/patio, garage, large yard, washer/dryer hook up. $300/ bed includes water and trash. (330) 612-4057 AVAILABLE AUGUST 1 Year Lease, house licensed for 8(5 bedrooms), 2 kitchens, 2 baths, University Drive, large off street parking $1800/month (330)760-0138 Rooms for Fall 1 block from campus. $350/mo includes ALL utilities, cable and internet. Non-smoking house.

Chris Myers (330) 678-6984

Available Fall 2010. Act now!

Looking for 5 responsible students for newly renovated university townhome. Call after 8pm (440) 622-3630.

Kent Condo! Very close to campus!

(S. Lincoln St.) Now renting for Fall. 2 bedroom,1.5 baths Assigned parking, water, trash & heat paid! $750/month + electric. Accepting Visa/MC (330) 676-0796

Hidden Pines Townhouses, 4 lg BR’s, 2 bath, W/D, wood floors, ceramic tile. Spacious, very clean!

ALL utilities included option as low as $365/BR. www.hidden-pines.com/ or 440-708-2372

2 bedroom upstairs apartment for fall. Newly remodeled, located on N Depeyster St. $310/person/month +gas +electric. lease references, deposit, no pets, 330-297-7117

Great campus condo. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath. Available August.

Call Dr. Miller at (330) 618-7764 Apartments for Rent: 3 bedroom apartment Half of a home.

Living Room, kitchen,bath. No pets.

One bedroom available now $330/ month. 330-673-8505

1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments, close to campus. Joe (330) 310-1494 For Fall: 3 bedroom apartments $400/month per room, security deposit required. Heat included, laundry room. No pets. Across from KSU. (330) 554-3024

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 6. You worry about the plan that was made long ago. Can everyone attend? Go ahead, even if someone calls in sick. You don’t want to delay.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. You want it all: love, recognition and responsibility. Well, maybe not so much responsibility. Take every action necessary to move it forward.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 6. Your partner is out thinking up ways to spend the money. Hopefully you’ve established a budget beforehand.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7. It’s a good thing that you enjoy your work, because today the pressure’s on to get more done in less time. Relax in order to get into the flow.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8. Circumstances allow you to either fall in love, increase the power of a current relationship, or direct your passion into growing your beauty.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is an 8. Although you obsess about creative elements in the design, the overall project holds together nicely. Associates polish up the appearance.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8. Although the ball’s in your court, there’s a lot of action on the other side. Take care of your responsibilities and leave others to theirs.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7. If your feelings aren’t already pinned to your sleeve, wear them proudly. You can’t hide them anyway. Earlier efforts bear fruit.

Page 8 | Monday, March 8, 2010

SPORTS

Issue No. 1

Sports editor: Cody Francis | E-mail: cfranci1@kent.edu

ON THE WEB AT KENTWIRED.COM

The Kent Crusader

Stories by Cody Erbacher Photo Illustration by Daniel R. Doherty

B

He’s the man the Flash fans love!

The man the opposing teams wish would disappear!

H

e is Chris Singletary, a senior guard for the Kent State men’s basketball team. Singletary is the favorite for the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Award, and he is a major factor behind Kent State’s success, averaging 11.7 points a game.

With the MAC Tournament right around the corner, sports reporter Cody Erbacher sat down with Singletary to talk about his thoughts on his last season.

Q: Do you ever feel too much pressure? being that the program has done so much for me on and off the court, I feel that’s a responsibility A: Nah, that’s granted of me. I don’t have a problem doing that being that the program and my teammates It seems that whenever the game is on the line, the players and coaches look to you for answers.

have done so much for me.

Q: How is it that you are able to score and get other players involved without missing a step? high school I played point guard, and you know the point guard is mainly getting teammates A: Ininvolved, so that’s where I picked that trait up. I always want to be able to pass and get my teammates

involved because I’m able to score also, so if I’m getting my teammates involved and their scoring and feeling good about themselves, that can only help us. I can always break down a play and get a basket for myself.

Q: Next year when you’re gone how is the team going to replace you?

You’re never going to be able to replace what it was that specific player brought, but you can find ways A: to get multiple guys to bring in those things that that player has. So next year they can bring in a guy that’s a great passer and a guy that’s tough, then you put those two together and you got me.

Q: No, not really. I think that’s something that growing up in west A: side Chicago, playing in the alley, playing with older guys, You’re an intimidating player; do you think opponents are afraid of you?

playing street ball. I think that’s something that has made my game the way it is as far as being strong and aggressive with my moves. I know that I’m a big guy and guys are going to be physical with me, so that means I got to be even more physical. I never play tough to intimidate my opponent, but at the same time if that helps, so be it.

Q: How did you become the leader that you are now?

Having great leaders in front of me, taking things A: that I’ve seen them do and taking it and adding it to my game and my personality. I took what the past seniors had, put it into one bowl and made it into my own and led that way. Coach told me this program is always about the senior leadership. Me being a senior I thought it was only right that I step up and be that leader that coach knew I could be.

Q: the Year, do you think you should be?

With everyone tabbing you as the MAC Player of

be honest, I swear this is not a lie, until maybe a A: To week or two ago I hadn’t even thought about it. To

me, I haven’t even been playing that good. After my sprained ankle and after my knee surgery, I kind of felt that I wasn’t going to be able to be that player of the year player. That’s something I’m not real big on because that’s an individual award, and I’m more concerned on winning a MAC Championship.

atman, the Caped Crusader and the Dark Knight are one in the same, but now a fourth name can be added to the list — Chris Singletary.

By day, the senior guard is just a student. But when he steps onto the hardwood court in the M.A.C. Center, he’s the leader of the Kent State men’s basketball team.

By day, Batman is Bruce Wayne, a billionaire mogul. But when the bat signal shines high in the sky, he’s the protector of Gotham city.

Similar to the way Batman watches over Gotham City in secret, Singletary protects his teammates from their opponents on the court.

“Chris to me is similar to Batman in the sense that he’s a ringleader. He’s not afraid to stand alone,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “He does a great job making everybody else better.”

Without each of these superheroes, the things they look after would struggle in the path of harm’s way.

Villains would overrun Gotham City in the short term, but it would eventually regain composure and function properly.

Since this is the last season for the 6-foot, 4-inch player, the Flashes are going to struggle replacing him. Singletary has the tools that have quietly pushed Kent State to the top of the Mid-American Conference.

He uses his top-notch passing ability to get other players involved. He uses his exceptional leadership ability to lead the team in the toughest situations. He uses his brilliant basketball knowledge to break down any defense and get an easy bucket.

“Chris’ greatest ability on the court is to make everyone else better,” Ford said.

Singletary is the Dark Knight of the team, but it would be tough to tell since he doesn’t post teamleading numbers.

“With the Batman character, it was about him, but to him it wasn’t about him,” Singletary said. “In high school, I was like one of the top three players in the state, but you could never tell because I was real humble.”

Although he doesn’t have billions of dollars and Morgan Freeman to help him through everyday adversity, Singletary does have the ability to protect the basketball team and possibly lead them to a MAC Championship.

His Archrival The Joker hates Batman and Batman hates the Joker. Chris Singletary hates the Miami basketball team.

Every superhero has an archrival. The Joker is just one of many on Batman’s mind. Miami is the only one on Singletary’s mind.

An outsider would think Akron or Zips’ fans would be the easy answer for Singletary, but that statement couldn’t be more false.

In the past couple of years, Miami has been known to keep the senior guard out of the equation.

“Their coach is so smart with the scheme he comes up with,” Singletary said. “I would say with my four years being here, I hate Miami the most. They play so slow, and they do everything right.”

Singletary has not scored in double digits in three of the last four games against the RedHawks. He recorded 11 points in the senior-day game this season.

“His numbers against Miami in the last two years are not great,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “They double team him all the time, and they’re a great help defensive team.”

But after the win against Miami in the final game of the season, Singletary can leave this season knowing he beat the RedHawks on his senior day.

His WEAKNESS Batman has one rule — never to kill. But he is aggressive in his line of work.

The game of basketball has many rules, one of which is five fouls and you’re out.

Singletary has trouble following this rule, limiting his playing time in some games.

“Fouls,” Singletary simply stated about his biggest weakness. “Not being able to let stuff go. I feel like nobody should be able to score on me.”

Game after game, the Flashes have to worry if their star athlete will be on the court or watching from the sideline.

“Chris’ biggest weakness is he spends too much time next to the head coach,” Ford said. “He spends too much time on the sideline.”

DAILY KENT STATER FILE PHOTO