LOVED ONES REMEMBERED:
FRIENDS GRIEVE AFTER DEATHS OF FOUR KENT STATE STUDENTS Editor’s note: Four Kent State students have died since May. In remembrance, the Kent Stater staff spoke to loved ones of the deceased. They shared their cherished memories of these students, and we hope their memory lives on. See page two for the full story.
TYLER HEINTZ
MYKA GRAY
JAMES STOCKDALE
“I also know that we are a very resilient community, so there is hope.”
TAYLOR PIFER
LAMAR HYLTON DEAN OF STUDENTS
High: 86° Low: 71°
@kentwired KentWired.com THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017
A LOOK BACK AT KENT’S HISTORY
A tale of rails, mills, banks and bridges Kent State buildings display “Smoke-Free” signs on entrances. Sue Zake / The Kent Stater
CLEARING
THE AIR:
Kent State campus goes smoke free Mariel Zambelli, Holli Phillips and Lydia Taylor Reporters
A panoramic view of the city of Kent from 1882. The Library of Congress
Editor’s note: As Kent celebrates the Fourth of July holiday with the annual Heritage Festival, The Kent Stater decided to explore the city’s history. Kaylee Peterson and Cameron Gorman Reporters
The story of Kent begins in 1790 with Captain Samuel Brady.
Brady — often revered as an iconic symbol of Kent history — was in all reality a Native American killer, whose famed jump across the Cuyahoga River was the result of being chased by Native Americans seeking revenge — not a heroic race. As the story goes, Brady landed on the other side of the Cuyahoga and fled to a nearby lake, which now bears his name — Captain Brady. Brady has been the source of inspiration for several other once-landmarks in Kent including Brady’s, a coffee shop that stood where Starbucks on East Main Street does now, and Brady Lake Village, which recently dissolved. Shortly after Brady’s leap, the Haymaker family arrived to what would soon become Franklin Mills. Jacob Haymaker originally bought the land from Aaron Olmsted, but unable to return to settle the town himself, he sent his son, John. John and Sally Haymaker were the first settlers of what they named Franklin Mills but what would later become Kent. In 1807 the Haymakers built the first mill, planning to create a settlement based around the Cuyahoga River and the resources it provided. They were successful and their investment in the mill, as well as the growing community, lured Zenas Kent to Franklin Mills. Zenas Kent — a successful businessman from Ravenna — saw a future in Franklin Mills. Zenas had 13 sons, including Marvin and William, who became prominent members of the history of Kent. Zenas partnered with John Brown and began building several new
1454_29543
buildings throughout the city including a tannery, which has since been turned into Tannery Park. Zenas was also responsible for the construction of the Kent National Bank, of which he was the President, as well as cotton mills and a flour mill. During the b o o m o f F rank lin Mills, Zenas sold much of the land he owned to the Franklin Land Samuel Brady. Company, a group The Library of Congress of investors and capitalists, whose biggest idea for the city was the addition of a silk mill. The silk mill, whose building still stands on the other side of the Cuyahoga River, failed once it was realized that the silkworms could not survive in the Northeastern Ohio climate. Marvin Kent, someone artist Henry Halem described as “prescient,” foresaw the importance of having a thriving railroad. He believed it was the key to connect Franklin Mills to the rest of the country. The track for the railroad was laid in 1853, although it took 10 years before the first train came through. At that point in time, the A&GW Rail Yards — built by Marvin Kent — employed one in every three people in the town. Because so much of town was employed by Marvin Kent, and because he had been the force behind much of the growth in the city, the town was renamed from Franklin Mills to Kent, after Marvin Kent. The depot, which still stands as a historic landmark in Downtown Kent and is now owned by the Kent Historical Society, was built in 1875. When the two-story building opened, its first floor featured ticket offices, a dining room and a kitchen, while the second
floor held living quarters for the owner of the restaurant. After the railroad business came to an end for Kent, the depot was abandoned and would have been demolished if not for the Kent Historical Society purchasing the building in 1975. Previously the building housed the restaurant Pufferbelly, but recently, renovations began to turn the depot into the home of a new Italian restaurant. Shortly after the depot opened, the Main Street bridge construction began in 1877. The bridge, which is over 120 years old, is one of the only stone bridges left standing in Ohio. Again, Halem said Marvin Kent had the foresight necessary to do things a little bit differently. While most stone bridges in the state of Ohio were at most 30 feet wide, Marvin ordered the Main Street bridge to be 60 feet wide. Halem said if they hadn’t made it so wide, it would’ve been gone a long time ago. The bridge is made of stone “casing” and filled by debris and the leftovers from demolition, which were poured inside in order to fill the casing. John Davey arrived in Kent in 1881 after being commissioned to construct what is now Standing Rock cemetery. Standing Rock, a historical landmark in Kent located in the center of the Cuyahoga River, has been a piece of Kent history since before the Haymakers. Davey was also the founder of the Davey Tree company, which planted hundreds of trees around the community. His son, Martin L. Davey, would go on to be a prominent political figure from Kent. The Opera House, constructed in 1889, hosted traveling entertainers, magicians, silent films and eventually “talkies”. However, due to financial restraints and changing entertainment preferences, the building was abandoned in the 1950s and eventually demolished in 1964 to make way for a parking lot and eventually what is now the Hometown Bank drive-thru.
SEE HISTORY/ PAGE 2
As of July 1, Kent State is the 26th college in Ohio to become a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education. “By building a culture of health, we are hoping to decrease the number of smokers here on this campus,” said Shay Little, vice president of Student Affairs. “If our campus is smoke free, smokers will smoke less per day since they do not have access to areas where they can smoke. Our goal is not to punish smokers but to help create a healthier lifestyle.” In an email sent to the Kent State community on Wednesday, university President Beverly Warren stated the policy is in line with the administration’s healthy campus initiative. “The health and wellness of our Kent State family are high priorities with significant benefits,” Warren wrote. “Studies also have shown immediate health benefits to stopping smoking at any age. It’s never too late to quit!” See full story at KentWired.com
Kent State international enrollment drops Cameron Gorman Reporter Kent State enrolled 3,045 international students in the Spring 2016 semester, according to statistics from University Communications and Marketing. For the Spring 2017 semester, that number sunk to 2,489. Overseas issues in key countries such as Saudi Arabia and India, as well as the turbulent political climate in the United States, contributed to the decrease in enrollment of international students, according to the Office of Global Education and the reports of some international students. “When I came … in 2015, around that time, we were around 300-350 students that came from India. And then last year, I was invited by this international orientation and (at) that point, I saw there were, like, hardly 60-70 new students,” said Ashwin Maniyan, president of the Kent Indian Association. “In fact, in those 60-70 students, there were at least 10-15 students whose Visas were rejected the first and second time, and then the third time they got their Visa. So there was a lot of visa rejection that was happening in India itself.”
SEE ENROLLMENT/ PAGE 5
Page 2 | Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Kent Stater
The
From Page 1
HISTORY
In 1901, at the peak of his philanthropy giving Andrew Carnegie gave a $10,000 gift to the city of Kent to be used to build a public library. Marvin Kent offered the land, and that library, now known as the Kent Free Library, has since added on expansions and grown, but remains a free public space for the community. In 1910, the city of Kent took its first steps towards becoming a college town. William Kent, a son of Marvin Kent, sold the land to the state of Ohio to build Kent Normal College, a teacher’s training school and what would become Kent State University. Martin L. Davey, the son of John Davey was elected mayor of Kent in 1913. He went on to be elected (and reelected) to the House of Representatives in 1918, and eventually became the Governor of Ohio in 1934. In 1913, the city of Kent had a major flood, one of the first to be captured on camera. The floods, a result of the nearby river, were a contributing factor to the way property was purchased and owned by different people within the economic sector. The houses that stood on higher ground such as the row of homes at the top of the Main Street hill, were reserved for the most wealthy in the community. The homes, most of which are currently occupied by fraternities, are the original homes that stood in the 1900s. The 1920s became a boom of development and growth for downtown Kent. The Franklin Hotel was constructed in 1920. The hotel saw many different owners — one of whom, Cornelius P. Patchin, died in an elevator malfunction. Eventually, in 1979 the hotel was condemned and remained vacant until recently. The city of Kent purchased the property and sold it to Ron Burbick, who refurbished the space and added in Buffalo Wild Wings to the lower floors. In the same boom, the Kent Theatre began to take shape. Originally built to be a modern movie place, the theatre has since become the home of the Kent Stage. The Kent Stage opened its doors in 2002 and found it’s place in Kent following the emergence of the Folk Festival — an annual Downtown Kent event. The venue has since seen big names come through and hosts a production of Rocky Horror Picture show every year. As Kent State began to expand and the community followed. Henry Halem says there are direct ties between education available and economic benefit a city experiences. “As professors and students came and the economic base grew — which is why the economic base today is so great,” Halem said. “The power of education is directly tied into the economic well-being of any city.” The university saw a massive amount of expansion in the 50s and 60s, following the post-war boom. Students flocked to the University and in turn, filled the town with new consumers. It was at this point in time the businesses like Ray’s Place became an iconic mark on the town. In 1972, Kent saw one of its most historic fires to date. The Kent Block — a series of buildings constructed by Marvin Kent — fell to the blaze, which burned the entire block to the ground.
Kent
Stater
A tale of rails, mills, banks and ... The Twentieth Century: Education Comes to Town
240 FRANKLIN HALL KENT STATE UNIVERSITY KENT, OHIO 44242 Newsroom 330-672-2584
EDITOR
Lydia Taylor ltaylo49@kent.edu
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Ray Padilla rpadill2@kent.edu
MANAGING EDITOR
Jenna Kuczkowski jkuczkow@kent.edu
CAMPUS EDITOR
Andrew Atkins aatkins5@kent.edu
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Madeline Zupko mzupko1@kent.edu
COPY DESK CHIEF
Isabella Eschedor ieschedo@kent.edu
OPINION EDITOR
Nicholas Hunter nhunter6@kent.edu
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Mariel Zambelli mzambelli@kent.edu
CARTOONIST
The Pufferbelly restaurant in downtown Kent. Illustration by Madeline Zupko / The Kent Stater
In its place now is the Hometown Bank Plaza, the only corner of the four-way intersection of Main Street and Water Street that does not house the original building. The landscape of downtown Kent has been shifting for years, metamorphosing dive bars into empty lots and other streets into blocky retail strips. Its identity, to those who have watched it change are more contested. Acorn Alley, a draw for many college students, didn’t open until 2009. The Lester A. Lefton Esplanade — the brick-paved pathway that connects front-campus area shops and streets downtown — didn’t guide students and pedestrians until 2013. The changes current and past students have seen, however, seem small compared to the changes university alumni have witnessed. The Kent of 2017 may look different than the Kent of 2010, but the transformation throughout the years, as alumni Phil Soencksen noted, goes far deeper than the city may let on. “Downtown was kind of gross,” said Phil Soencksen, ’89. “Really, there weren’t really good places to eat. There was the Pufferbelly, but that was the kind of place you went with your parents when they came in from out of town. But there wasn’t really a lot of stuff to take your parents to, and the places were gross.” The next big expansion of downtown Kent has been recent — beginning in 2007, when strategic plans to revitalize the community. Dave Ruller, the city manager, said several surveys were conducted over the years and the answer almost always came back the same: Kent residents wanted to see a revitalized Downtown Kent. At the time of the 2007 survey and formulation of a strategic plan to bring
From Page 1
REMEMBRANCE Loved ones remembered ...
new life to Downtown Kent, Lester Lefton took office as the president of Kent State University and brought with him an ambitious goal to take on the downtown area and leave a lasting impact. Ruller said Lefton was a good cheerleader for the project, and led the charge for getting the university involved in the overhaul of downtown. Though it didn’t come without twists and turns, Ruller said one of the biggest successes of the strategic plan and redevelopment came from making an effort to change the community effort, and being willing to spend money to make money. “We really tried to get this consistent message across to rally around your community,” Ruller said, “It was a risk to spend this money and acquire the land, but the interesting thing about a financial crisis is that people are more willing to take risks and be bold.” The revitalization, which found some inspiration from similar college towns such as Normal, Illinois, the home of Illinois State University, was completed based on an agreement between the city of Kent, Kent State University, and a developer. A prominent private investor, Ron Burbick, also took part in the project. Burbick, the head of the Phoenix Project, was the benefactor of a $6.5 million project that brought Acorn Alley to Kent. He is also the owner of the previous Franklin Hotel, which now houses Buffalo Wild Wings. Burbick purchased a large portion of East Main Street and restored the first floors as well as adding second floors to many of the buildings. “If I were a parent of a student, or just an adult or an older student coming to Kent, thinking about coming here for school and saw the old downtown, I’d be disappointed,” he said. “Very disappointed because when I was a student
“She was always the life of the party and was very spontaneous,” Patrizi said. “She was a friend to everyone she met and went out of her way to make people feel included. She was an amazing friend.” Since their deaths, the families launched the Myka and Kayleigh Memorial Fund.
MYKA GRAY TAYLOR PIFER Myka Gray, known for her big heart and the will to help anyone in need, studied special education. “If she could make a difference in someone’s life, even the littlest, she did in a heartbeat,” said Geoffrey Gedeon, a former boyfriend. Gray, 19, died in a car crash in Geauga County on May 24, along with her friend Kayleigh O’Brien, 18, who attended Lakeland Community College. Both girls graduated from Perry High School. Alyssa Clayton, a sophomore art education major, said she stumbled upon Myka when she looked for a roommate her freshman year. She met Myka on RoomSync and didn’t realize she had forged a friendship. “She was my best friend and my roommate, but … for me, it was a lot more than that because she was honestly like the brains of the operation,” Clayton said. “There’s like, not a sad thought that really goes through her mind, ever, so she just gives off very positive vibes, and she’s just someone that you immediately really like, so there was no … like, I immediately knew that I wanted her to be my roommate.” Clayton echoed Gedeon’s statement and noted she always helped others, no matter the situation at hand. Myka volunteered at a school for people with disabilities and was involved with the community. “She had her heart and mind set on becoming a special education teacher for students — moderate to intensive care autism students, and that really reflected on the kind of person she was,” Gedeon said. “Her heart was enormous, she would be giving advice to 10 different people on whatever problems they were facing and was always there for whoever needed help.” Chirstina Patrizi, a senior nursing student, said Gray spread positivity wherever she went.
Taylor Pifer, who studied fashion design, loved Grey’s Anatomy, fashion, softball and Luke Bryan. But most of all, she loved her friends and family. “Taylor was one of the kindest hearts in the world,” said friend Erica Cope. “A saying (from) one of her favorite TV shows, Grey’s Anatomy, is calling someone their “person” as in that person (is someone) you can go to about anything, and they’ll support you no matter what. Taylor was my person, but because of the kind person that she was, she was also so many other people’s person.” Pifer, 21, died with her sister, Kylie Pifer, 18, and their mother, Suzanne Taylor, 45, in a triple homicide in their North Royalton home on June 11. Pifer’s passion for fashion showed every day, Cope said. “She was always super proud of her work and knew that she wanted to run her own company some day with our friend Sam,” Cope said. “She dressed me almost every day and even decided that if I ever get married she (would design) my wedding dress because she ‘knew exactly what I wanted.’” Bryan Demery said Pifer coached his daughter when she was on a softball team. “What I remember most about Taylor is when she awarded my daughter the game ball on June 8th, 2017,” Bryan said. “Their team won the game 7 to 6 and my daughter scored the winning run. She was so happy to be recognized.” Friend Brianna Wadsworth said she had spoken with Pifer a few days prior to the incident and made plans to get together the next time Wadsworth came back to town. “We even called each other soulmates,” Wadsworth said. “Taylor’s personality would light up the room. She was such a loveable,
I didn’t really know about downtown, because I was underage and everything else, and it was fun because I was a dumb kid, but I think students are a little different now, and I think parents are a little different now.” Not all Kent alumni agree — like Leatrice Bard Tolls, ‘92. “What occurs to me is there are so many new restaurants and stores. There’s too many of them to actually be supported by the people that live here, and so none of them are given enough audience, if you will, to sustain them,” she said. “I’m seeing too many things that (have) just opened gone already — in (pre-fabricated) buildings that don’t make me feel warm and fuzzy when I come home.” As Kent’s downtown and Kent State’s campus continues to grow and change, as it has throughout its lifetime, its identity — the feeling of the quintessential Kent — may depend on the feeling of its residents, students and alumni. Margaret May, ‘96, notices the old and the new, and thinks the changes are relatively positive. “I can still walk along front campus and see the rock and see the facades of all of the buildings that I had classes in, but I can see the new stuff too and know that, ‘Okay, so there’s students here now, and they’re having the same academic experience that I did, and they’re having the same experience as far as being away from home for the first time, and making new friends and meeting new people, and they’re doing it on the same grounds that I was on, but there’s all this new stuff here now too, to kind of keep up with the times,’” May said. “And I think that’s great. I think the only way a place survives is if it keeps up with the times.”
Joseph McGrellis jmcgrell@kent.edu
Student Media Business Office
330-672-2586
STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTOR
Kevin Dilley kdilley@kent.edu (330) 672 0887
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Tami Bongiorni tbongior@kent.edu (330) 672 6306
OFFICE MANAGER
Lorie Bednar lbednar@kent.edu (330) 672 2572
BUSINESS OFFICER
Norma Young njyoung@kent.edu (330) 672 0884
STATER ADVISER
Sue Zake szake@kent.edu (330) 672 3665
Advertising
330-672-2586
ads@ksustudentmedia.com
kpeter38@kent.edu and cgorman2@kent.edu
outgoing, enthusiastic, smart, gorgeous, athletic … there is simply too many words to describe her.” Wadsworth said her family and Pifer’s family were close friends, and it didn’t set in until a few days after they were gone. “I also told her that if (Pifer and her family) ever come through North Carolina and are close by that they could stop and have lunch or dinner with my husband and I,” Wadsworth said. “It finally set in after a few days that they are gone. I know it’s taken a hit for my family and I. We were all so close.” To remember the family, Wadsworth said she spends time looking through pictures and reflects on the memories they shared. “I want everyone who knew her to remember her as who she was and keep the memories alive. Don’t ever stop remembering who she was,” Wadsworth said. “That’s the most we can do in honor of her.”
TYLER HEINTZ Tyler Heintz, an incoming freshman lineman, planned to study marketing and entrepreneurship. Heintz, 18, collapsed at the second day of football practice on June 13. Portage County Coroner Dean Deperro revealed heat likely caused his death, but the autopsy could take months. He graduated from Kenton High School. Brent Fackler, head coach for Kenton’s football team, described Heintz as a hard worker and a tremendous athlete who led by example. “He was a great kid — one of those kids you loved being around,” Fackler said. Heintz received a full scholarship to Kent State. He was also named to the 2016 AP AllNorthwest District Second Team. Kent State released a statement following his death: “We are deeply saddened by the loss. Tyler was an unselfish young man who exemplifies everything we look for in a Golden Flash. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”
JAMES STOCKDALE James Stockdale enjoyed playing in the Stockdale Family Band, led by his father, Tim Stockdale, and strummed alongside his family to create bluegrass tunes. “In the communications class, you know, we all got to talk a lot more, so everyone was always curious and interested to see what James had to say because he was a very intriguing person,” said friend Kiersty Correll. “He brought his double bass in, which is the big stand up base, he brought that into play it for us, and .... his face got all red, (and said) ‘Wow, I’m not usually nervous to play, I’m nervous right now.’” Stockdale, 21, attended school at the Stark and Tuscarawas campuses, and he studied business management. He died June 15, along with his mother, Kathryn Stockdale, 54. Police said Stockdales’s brother, Jacob Stockdale, 25, shot and killed Stockdale and their mother. Jacob Stockdale then tried to commit suicide when police arrived at the home in Beach City but is currently in critical condition at Cleveland Metro. “(Stockdale) was very honest and kind hearted, confident, passionate. He was an optimistic person,” Correll said. “I feel like a soul like his could never truly die.” Following his death, Denise Seachrist, dean and chief administrative officer of the Stark campus, along with Bradley Bielski, dean and chief administrative officer of the Tuscarawas campus released a statement: “We are saddened by the news of the tragic death of one of the Kent State University at Stark and Tuscarawas students, James Stockdale. James was a business management major who studied at the Tuscarawas and Stark campuses. We offer our sincerest condolences and support to his family, students, staff and faculty and all those who knew James as they deal with this tragedy.” cgorman2@kent.edu, jcornet2@kent.edu, ltaylo49@kent.edu, aatkins5@kent.edu and mpoe3@kent.edu
Thursday, June 29, 2017 | Page 3
The Kent Stater
Opinion
SUBMISSIONS
The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors. Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor (email them to ltaylo49@kent.edu) and guest columns. Submissions become property of the Stater and are subject to editing without notice.
THE OPINION PAGE IS AN OUTLET FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S VARIED VIEWS.
JOSEPH MCGRELLIS’ VIEW // To see all the cartoons this semester, visit KentWired
On
Kent Ashtabula wine interns get hands-on work in the field Mariah Melaney Regionals Reporter Gervasi Vineyard welcomes Kent Ashtabula wine degree interns to practice the skills they need to graduate. Most of the associate applied science degrees in enology and viticulture courses require field experience at a vineyard of the student’s choosing, said Danielle Weiser-Cline, an academic adviser at Ashtabula campus. See the full article on KentWired.
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... The server failing on the Kent Stater staff during production of this publication. Jeers to ... The computer that lost its life in the design process.
Workplace harassment mustn’t go unresolved Matt Poe Columnist Hang on tight because this column is all over the place. I met an old friend last week to catch up on life and grab a beer. Our conversation sifted through a variety of topics, including how her new job has been. All seemed academic until she casually mentioned that one of her bosses was sending her unwarranted messages and getting a little too personal for her comfort. I don’t remember how exactly this point got brought up (I only had two beers, relax), but it nevertheless bothered me, mostly just how casual her tone was, as if this was something she was used to. And while I know she’s had another instance of this in the past, it made me wonder how often this happens to women in the workforce. Without swaying into an entirely different conversation, I am tired of over analyzing and dissecting every single thing in our political climate today. It seems as if every single statement or piece of news is combed for any potential racial, sexist or phobic underlying messages that are used as more fuel to an already massive tire fire. Stay with me here, I’m trying to right the ship. Anyways, today’s means of communications make it so easy for women to be the target of unwelcome advancements in the workforce. I know I always pictured these advancements like something out of the show Mad Men (which is stupid and naïve on my part) where a man deliberately makes unwanted remarks to a woman’s face. But with today’s technology, these lines of unwarranted remarks can be everywhere. They can come in newer forms like email, text messages and social media. Or they can arise in much more traditional ways like phone calls, handwritten notes and verbal remarks. I need not tell women sexual harassment or unwarranted advancements in the workplace are a major issue that needs addressed. You’ve seen it. You may have been a victim of it. One-in-three women have been sexually harassed in the workplace, according to a Huffington Post article from 2015. To me, that is absolutely staggering. But I bet it’s not to most women, as the article indicated 71 percent did not report the instance to anyone. And who the hell can blame them for not? With the way we often treat victims of sexual harassment, it’s no wonder most women fear speaking out or seeking a solution. Some may not want to risk their career. Some may really enjoy their current employer and think they can adjust to it. And some, like my friend, may sadly be used to it and view it as just another obstacle that women face in the workforce. I’d like to think it’s as simple as raising our sons to be better men and have a greater respect for women from the beginning. But it’s not that simple. It never has been nor will it ever be. If there’s one thing I’d like you to take away from this column, it’s that we need to change this culture at work. No woman (or man) should feel uncomfortable at their workplace or feel the need to brush off comments that have no place there. And until this culture of unwarranted advancements and victim blaming that often comes after is acknowledged, this problem will continue to go unreported even more so than it already does. Because 71 percent is a bullshit number. There’s no other way to say it. mpoe3@kent.edu
Friendly fire and other important dilemmas Alex Kamczyc Columnist There’s a simple saying shared among people in my family, (I’m sure other people use this saying as well, but whatever) when two people are working towards the same goal but they get in each other’s way, one would say to the other: “Hey, same team,” or “We’re on the same team.” The more and more I hear about how the Democratic Party essentially tears itself apart these past few months by its own hypocrisy, the more I think about those sayings. For example, just last week, Black Lives Matter protested Gay Pride marches that took place both in Columbus, Ohio, and Washington. One side accusing the other of being “problematic,” while also protesting the many injustices they face in America. They both have a reason to be up in arms with our government, except pointing those guns at each other muddles their voices.
It’s a pointless effort, like bailing out water from an ocean. Simply put: If you can’t agree on a core principle, then you’re not getting anywhere. The goal is to unify, to come to an agreement on what matters the most and then fight for the most important ideals: justice, equality and freedom for all. A butcher trims the excess fat off the meat before he sells it to the public. The Democrats need to do the same because that’s where they always seem to disagree. The little things are killing the left. Every week, someone is problematic or someone does something, then gets offended if the political right does the same thing. Cut ties with the violence-condoning Anti-Fascist, or Antifa, movement. Stop attacking someone for having a different train of thought than yours. See the full column on KentWired.
Keep your prayers — we’re not broken Andrew Atkins Guest Columnist I can’t remember the first time somebody called me a “faggot.” Was it third grade? Fifth grade? I don’t remember. Through most of my childhood, that was the label my peers gave me, how they identified me. And this followed me — until I actually came out, people twisted my status as a gay man into an insult. Even after the explicit name-calling stopped, I was physically threatened. My spring semester of my sophomore year in high school, I had to get dressed in my gym teacher’s office bathroom because a classmate threatened to hurt me in a handful of ways. All of his hatred stemmed from my identity as a gay person. Today, I’m in a much better place. I am surrounded by people who love and accept me, but yesterday, I was reminded that many don’t have the same luxury I do. Yesterday, my boyfriend Facetimed me, so choked by tears that he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. He could only sob, his shoulders shaking, chest heaving. Tears streaked down his face, and his voice cracked. When he stopped gasping for air, I watched him swallow and take a second to breathe. “They found out,” he said. He meant his dad found out he is bisexual and in a relationship with me. Often, a closeted person’s worst nightmare. His family is religious. They go to church every Sunday. His brother plays in the church band. My boyfriend is not religious; he found himself questioning his faith through his early teens and eventually departed from his beliefs altogether. When he texted me — three hours after he wiped his eyes, told me he loved me and ended the call — he had just finished praying with his dad and his brother. Now, this is something of a show — he’s doing this to appease his dad in the hope his father will leave the subject of his son’s sexuality alone. What I fear the most, however, is that
these fires won’t be quenched. Like so many pointed conversations with my own family, I worry these questions and arguments about religion and morals won’t end. Not for me, not for him. And I’m angry. I will never forget his face when I answered the call. Like so many of us, he’s been hurt. Like so many of us, he will carry those scars forever. Like so many of us, some of his wounds may never heal. And, frankly, what is there to pray about? LGTBQ people are not broken. We are not sick. We are not damned. There’s nothing wrong with us — at least, not in our LGBTQ identity. You can pray for us, but your prayers are wasted. I desperately wish it was me and not him. I’m angry and hopeless and frustrated because his story is not unique. So many parents and family members and friends turn away their LGTBQ loved ones. I wish nobody had to go through this. I wish I could take the place of every single LGBTQ youth facing the overwhelming hopelessness and pain of being rejected for who they love or how they identify. I think of the LGBTQ youths who felt they had no other option than to take their lives — like Leelah Alcorn — and it breaks my heart. I wish I could take their pain away so they didn’t feel like only death could But I don’t have the power to be a martyr. What I do have the power to do is offer the same piece of advice so many people before me have: it gets better. Like so many of us, my boyfriend has hope. June is Pride month. If you can, stand tall and stand proud. If you can’t, that’s okay, too. Sometimes, it’s not safe to be out. Wherever you are in your journey, you are loved and accepted. It gets better. It truly does. I can’t remember the first time somebody called me a “faggot,” but I can’t remember the last time, either. aatkins5@kent.edu
The smoking ban only works with compromise Nicholas Hunter Opinion Editor As someone who has had breathing problems my entire life — and had a double-lung transplant back in 2016 — I would certainly love a smoke-free campus. On July 1, Kent State begins its “smokefree, tobacco-free” policy, banning all forms of smoking and tobacco use on its campus grounds. Kent State will be the 26th public university to become a smoke-free campus, which is largely a result of pressure on Ohio schools by the Ohio Department of Higher Education over the past several years. On the surface, this is a noble cause; a substantial majority of students KentWired polled are in favor of the ban and having cleaner air on campus will only improve daily life for the average student. But it gets a bit more complicated once you think about the details of the plan. First, with minimal punishments for students caught smoking and no way to punish visitors on campus, the rule feels pretty flimsy. There will be no increased security presence to enforce it, either. It almost feels like it’s being done for show. With lots of fanfare but little effort to advertise details of the policy, it only adds to that feeling. The problem with the lack of enforcement is pretty clear: Nobody will follow the new policy. Students against the ban have plenty of reason to oppose this new policy. Some smoking students are upset because they are being pushed by the university to quit. While new cessation programs are being offered to help students quit, they don’t always work for everybody. Other students, both smokers and nonsmokers, see this as an issue of civil rights. Should the university be allowed to tell students they cannot do something that is perfectly legal? These are all legitimate issues with the new policy. A negative attitude toward the policy, mixed with little being done to enforce it, will certainly lead to people blatantly breaking the new rules. The answer, it seems, would be to find a middle ground. While it would not technically make the campus smoke-free, providing designated smoking areas — out of the way from walking paths and streets — that are within easy walking distance of high-traffic areas. This, coupled with an extensive cessation program and greater advertising for those programs, would lead to more cooperation with student policy. Changing the policy to add smoking sections would eliminate the public moral victory the university is now claiming, so there is little chance this compromise will end up happening. Unfortunately, without an attempt at compromise, there’s little chance this policy will have any long-term legs to stand on. Smokers cannot be waved off as immoral and in need of saving by this new policy. Addiction is real and can be a seemingly insurmountable obstacle for many. There needs to be consideration for all sides of this issue. It’s just as much someone’s right to smoke as it is my right to not breathe it in. nhunter6@kent.edu
Page 4 | Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Kent Stater
LEARNING TO FLY
See video on
Photo courtesy of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Aerial Camera Ops Course
New course teaches drone piloting skills Ray Padilla Digital Director Students in the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Aerial Camera Ops course walked through the knee-high grass at the now-defunct Kent State Golf Course. The students took out their drones, placing them on any flat surface they could find. The drones spun to life, buzzing, and then lifted into the air. They turned into specks in the sky. Three students piloted the drones toward a shed to inspect a roof, two others checked storm damage and two searched for associate professor Joe Murray’s lost duck. The Aerial Camera Ops course is a threecredit-hour class taught by Murray within Kent State’s School of Digital Sciences. Successful students receive a commercial remote certification which allows them to use drones for businessrelated purposes. In short, students learn to fly. “My goal, really, is to make them commercial drone pilots,” Murray said. “When they complete the course, they can go fly for money.” The course also prepares them for the written Federal Aviation Administration Remote Pilot Knowledge Exam. Though it is not a requirement to pass the class, students must pass the test to become certified — there is no flight performance requirement. Murray’s course is open to everyone, as noted on his aerial camera operations website. Cylina Moravy, a junior digital media production major and former student in the course, found her most memorable experience came when the class went out to Allerton Field to fly the drones 400 feet into the air. This 400-foot limit is the legal limit as mandated by the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “(My) first experience flying a drone (was) a little scary because you don’t realize how high your limit is,” Moravy said. “You have a limit of 400 feet, so getting outside and actually getting up that high, it turns into a speck and it’s a little scary.” Moravy hopes to use the certification to work for real estate companies — a drone can provide panorama photos, exterior footage and details of the available land. The drone class started in Spring 2017 as a full
A DJI MAVIC Pro drone sits on a bench at the Kent State Golf Course on Thursday, June 1, 2017. Students use this type of unmanned aircraft for training and to shoot footage. Ray Padilla / The Kent Stater
semester course after Murray received a grant from the Kent State University Foundation. The accelerated three-week course during the intersession began May 22. Murray will teach the course again in Fall 2017, where it will prepare students to operate Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems safely and ethically when using them for news, research, cinematography, applied digital sciences and taking the FAA Remote Pilot Knowledge Exam. “Everything you need to know as a pilot is encompassed in the exam — so it’s meteorology, it’s Federal Aviation regulations, it’s aeronautical decision making, safe drone operation,” Murray said. “And then I layer in a lot of concerns that would come from the journalism school … are you basically working as an ethical journalist and cinematographer?” John Wroblewski, a junior digital media production major, hopes to gain his certification during the intersession course to become a pilot of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS). He wants to use his certification to use drones when interning at the San Diego International Film Festival this summer. “It’s a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Wroblewski said. “Just because drones are a lot easier to pilot than I thought they were, but also because Dr. Murray is a great professor.” Wroblewski thought it might be difficult to learn new aeronautics terminology in a short
Students in the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Aerial Camera Ops course use a controller to pilot a drone on Thursday, June 1, 2017. While piloting, the controller shows what the small aircraft sees and records video to the phone attached. Ray Padilla / The Kent Stater
amount of time, but he said with the help of Murray, it was easy to understand and he picked it up a lot easier than he expected. “(Murray) is very understanding,” Moravy said. “Like he knows that you are a person, he’s not just going to be very critical of you, he’s going to try to help you with pretty much anything — he’s really trying to get us jobs — so he cares about what we are doing after the class, not just when we’re in the class.” During the course, students learn useful
information like pilot and operating rules, aeronautical decision making, airspace and aviation weather. A lot of time is spent preparing students for commercial FAA Remote Pilot Knowledge Exam. Students who earn a 70 percent or higher score will be certified by the FAA to act as the remote pilot-in-command according to the Remote Pilot Knowledge Test Guide. The test comprises 60 questions within a two-hour time limit. All 15 students in the Spring 2017 class passed the exam and are now commercial SUAS pilots. “I definitely think (the class) prepared us because we took seven weeks to study for that test,” Moravy said. “So the main part of the class was just studying and we would go through practice quizzes and all these practice questions and you kind of have to learn how the questions are asked, so you kind of get in the head of the FAA.” Once the students learned everything for the test, the rest of the class spent its time putting their acquired knowledge to practice by going out to the Field House, Allerton Field or the Kent State Golf Course to fly the drones. Going out and using a drone is beneficial to know before taking the exam, Moravy said, because it allows students to get a feel for how it works in relation the the weather. It’s like muscle memory, she said. “You can sit in class and talk about how wind is going to push it over, but if you’re not sitting with that controller and the drone in the air, you’re not really feeling it,” Moravy said. “If you go out in 10 mile-hour wind, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s not bad, right? It’s not pushing me over,’ but your drone is like flying sideways.” There are many programs that offer the same type of class to prepare students for the FAA Remote Pilot Knowledge exam online, but they do not have the same added benefits as the one at Kent State, Murray said. “One of the things I think I’m approaching perhaps a little differently than some of the online operations and training that have cropped up,” Murray said. “There’s online courses that will teach you how to pass the FAA exam. Weirdly, you could do that without ever flying a drone, and I don’t think that’s a responsible thing to do.” rpadill2@kent.edu
1594_29545 3073_29547
1035_29546
Thursday, June 29, 2017 | Page 5
The Kent Stater
‘It’s out of my hands’: Libyan student struggles to stay in US Albadri, who came to Kent in 2015, has long felt the effects of a failing system. Every semester, as well as this upcoming semester, Albadri has submitted a request for tuition from the Central Bank of Libya, but has only received three semesters of tuition out of the six semesters he’s requested. Since Albadri has been unable to reach his money to pay for his last two semesters at Kent, he now owes the university a year of tuition. In Fall 2016 when his money didn’t come, the university allowed him to continue taking classes on good faith. When the money never arrived, Albadri enrolled again on good faith for his Spring 2017 classes, but they were dropped in March after the Bursar’s Office told him he could no longer continue going to class. If he is unable to pay again by this August, his I-20 Form that allows him to study here will be terminated, and
Jenna Kuczkowski Managing Editor
Ibrahim Albadri, a junior computer engineering major at Kent State, stands in the halls of the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology on May 11, 2017. Jenna Kuczkowski / The Kent Stater
“The idea of having the money, but I can't reach it, kills me,” said Ibrahim Albadri, a junior applied engineering major at Kent State. Since last year, 21-year-old Albadri has been struggling to regain access to his saved tuition money in his Libyan bank account and is now at risk of being forced to leave the United States if he can’t pay the university. Due to political unrest and currency shortages caused by a civil war, the Central Bank of Libya has stopped all international transactions with the exceptions of medical or education costs. Unlike the quick ATM access to cash in the U.S., transactions through the Central Bank of Libya could take over a year to be approved by the government and the money disbursed.
he will be forced to return to Tripoli, Libya, where his family lives. “Growing up in Libya was fun,” said Albadri. “See so let me tell you, Libya was fine until, even after the revolution, everything was fine until the elections happened.” A l b a d r i re c e n t l y s t a r t e d a GoFundMe page as a last hope to raise money so he can stay stateside. As of now, the page raised nearly $5,000 of his $50,000 goal. “When we hire Libyan journalists, we pay them in cash dollars or transfers to bank accounts in Malta,” said David Kirkpatrick, Middle East correspondent for the New York Times. “Because if you put money into a Libyan bank, you may never see it again.” Kirkpatrick, who has worked for the New York Times since 2004, said there are two main issues with banks in Libya creating this problem for international students and Libyan
citizens alike. Because of the civil strife in Libya, the country had its oil output cut back or shut down completely at times, Kirkpatrick said. Since oil is the main source of money for the Libyan government and economy, a shutdown of output means a shortage of money for the country. “On top of that, the rival factions fighting each other in Libya are all drawing on the Central Bank money in various ways to pay salaries and buy supplies for their fighters through various diversions,” Kirkpatrick said. “And yes, the same Central Bank has been paying all sides in the fighting. So, at the end of the day, its supplies of cash are dwindling.” The black market contributes to the issue after the value of the dinar skyrocketed due to the government trying to enforce an artificially high rate of exchange. See full story at Kentwired.com
HIGHEST ENROLLMENT BY COUNTRY
INDIA
CHINA
SAUDI ARABIA
33.48%
23.30%
20.45%
From Page 1
ENROLLMENT Kent State international ... The Office of Global Education also recognized the increase in difficulty for students to study in the U.S. “For India, the interest in studying abroad is still there, and coming to the United States, but what we were noticing is visa issuance rates were decreasing ... and this is something that is at the discretion of the U.S. consulates in those cities or in those countries,” said Salma Benhaida, director of international recruitment and admissions in the Office of Global Education. Job anxiety in India has also added to the dropping rates, exacerbated by “word of mouth,” which is one of the most driving factors overseas, Benhaida said. Scholarship funding has been slashed in Saudi Arabia, which Benhaida said, is one of the three top countries for international enrollment along with India and China. This decreased the number of students who can afford an overseas education. “They have not been awarding
scholarships to students as much as they had been in the past and this is something that is affecting all U.S. institutions including Kent State University,” Benhaida said. “We are one of the largest hosts of Saudi students in Ohio, so we may feel it a little bit more than some others who don’t have as many Saudi students.” Problems in the home countries are not the most nebulous and uncertain issue facing the future enrollment at Kent State. As of June 26, the Supreme Court allowed parts of President Trump's executive order to prevent citizens of six muslim majority countries to travel to the U.S for the next 90 days. The justices of the court made an exemption to the ban that allowed travelers with a "bona fide relationship" to people or entities in the U.S. Those who will attend school, currently work, or have family in the U.S. will be allowed into the country. “It’s more of the uncertainty, and for us, we always want to make sure that students and parents know that regardless of changes that may always happen in economics, politics, Kent State is always Kent State, and
OMAN 3.74%
1.77%
is always a friendly, welcoming place just like (Kent State President Beverly Warren) had said in her statement after the first travel ban,” Benhaida said. Adriano Mangiryous, a student from Saudi Arabia, said he had been swayed by “anxiety and fear” over the ban to stay in the United States over the summer. “I applied for summer positions. I’m currently working in campus just to make my summer more productive, but I was planning to go back home to make a new Visa so I can plan to study abroad as well, which was a part of my undergraduate plan,” said Mangiryous, a freshman biology major. “But then Mr. President’s order happened in January, and that blocked all my plans, so that’s something I would say may discourage people to Kent State in the future years unless anything gets resolved, at least for the Middle Eastern countries.” According to statistics provided by Marina Jimenez, a global media strategist at the University of Toronto in Canada, the college received a 22 percent increase in applications from outside of Canada and a 59 percent
Classifieds Happy Moose Streetsboro 9436 State Route 14 now hiring hostesses, servers, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and food runners. Close to campus, part-time hours and great work environment. Apply online at happymoosebarandgrill.com or stop in to fill out an application.
SOUTH CANADA JAPAN BANGLADESH NEPAL IRAN KOREA 1.53% 1.41% 1.17% 1.08% 1.04% increase in students from India. “The United States is one of the top choices for international students to pursue the higher education, but with the restrictions happening, I wouldn’t say that would be a good choice for me, at least for my case,” Mangiryous said. As a result of these issues, the Office of Global Education is seeking to re-invigorate international enrollment by diversifying their recruitment to other countries. “I think one thing that we had always been setting in motion but now it’s a little bit more pronounced is strategies to diversify our recruitment portfolio,” Benhaida said. “You have to take advantage of favorable conditions, so if you have scholarships sending you students, obviously that’s a great opportunity for us to forge relationships with the scholarship bodies. But on the other hand, we are also working very hard to diversify our recruitment targets as well.” The uncertain future of travel law in the U.S. also contributes to the amount of international student enrollment. “We have to be, as we’re looking
forward in our marketing plans and things like that, be aware that there’s a little bit of a change in perception if you will, among what we would call our marketplace all the way around the world,” said Mike Taylor, marketing and communications specialist in the Office of Global Education. Some of the other areas recruitment will market to includes Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. “Actually, we’re looking at several other locations … geographical locations. I think Southeast Asia specifically. Vietnam is one of our key target areas right now.” Taylor said. Taylor noted that even though the enrollment rates are lower for the Spring 2017 semester, the university international enrollment rate is still higher than in previous years. “It’s a pretty good pace that we’ve kept, from say, 2008 to now. Over the past eight years or so, it’s grown fairly steadily,” Taylor said. “Even with the enrollment numbers we expect for this fall, we’re still going to have far more international students than we did in 2008, so we’re happy about that.”
To place advertising, call (330) 672-2586, email ads@ksustudentmedia. com, or visit us in 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Business hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
Townhouse for rent. Near KSU. 1323 S. Water St. Nice quiet 3-bedrorm townhouse, private, new carpet, large garage. $1,200. 330475-5906.
SUDOKU
2, 3, 4, and 5 bedrooms per house 330-547-1212
Real Estate FOR SALE 1992 Champion Discovery II Single Wide Mobile Home with AC. 3 BD/2 full baths. $10,000. Birchwood Manor, Ravenna. Call 330-297-0200.
SQUIRREL TALES All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information. 2 bedroom house. $895/month. Located on corner of N. Depeyster and Portage Street. Close to downtown. Washer/dryer included. Available July 1st. 330-322-3269 KENT- Across from KSU, quiet lg luxury 2-bedroom. Many amenities. Air. Appliances. 1-car garage with remote. No Pets/8. Starting $695/month plus some utilities. 330-628-0447 Licensed student rental. 5 bedroom fall semester. 549 S. Water St. Kent. 5 blocks from campus. 330-414-4100. Remodeled 2 BD/1 Bath. Firstfloor of house. 1013 N. Mantua St. One mile to KSU. Available Aug. 1. $795.00 plus gas & electric. No Pets. Email scbonsignore@gmail. com 216.536.9694
REBUS PUZZLES
cgorman2@kent.edu
Page 6 | Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Kent Stater
Graphic by Madeline Zupko / The Kent Stater. Photos from the Kent Stater staff.
KSU basketball’s Jimmy Hall signs deal overseas Simon Hannig Copy Editor
Kent State senior forward Jimmy Hall makes a move to the rim against Ohio freshman forward Jason Carter during the semi-finals of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, March 10, 2017. Kent State won 68-66. Nate Manley / The Kent Stater
Former Kent State men’s basketball forward Jimmy Hall recently signed with a professional basketball team in France: Saint Thomas Basket Le Havre. The team announced on Monday, June 19 Jimmy Hall will join the team. At the time of the NBA Draft on June 22, it was unknown what teams had an interest in Hall, and he went undrafted in the NBA Draft. The city of Le Havre is located in the Normandy region of northwestern France. Saint Thomas Basket Le Havre, founded in 1924, plays in the Pro B Division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB). STB Le Havre is lead by coach Eric Bartecheky. LNB is a men’s professional club basketball in France. There are only two division’s in LNB: the first-tier LNB-Pro A (first division) and the second tier-Pro B (second division).
Kent State men’s basketball guard Jaylin Walker had some thoughts about his former teammate and what Hall will bring to STB Le Havre. “(Hall is) going to bring a high level motor. He can bring a guarantee bucket inside the paint around,” Walker said. “(He's) gonna bring a defensive presence with his rebounding ability and a great personality, and a guy that’s gonna play hard every minute.” Former Kent State point guard Jon Fleming also talked about what Hall will bring to the court for Le Havre — the skills he brought to Kent State for three years. "He's the ultimate competitor and loves the game,” Fleming said. “He has a unique skill set of great touch and footwork along with a knack for hitting big shots and pulling in rebounds. I tell people all the time no matter where Jimmy Hall ends up he will be good. That's what great players do.” The last impacting thing Hall brought to Kent State was his "presence on the court,” Walker said.
Fleming also talked about Hall’s impact on Kent State. "As far as basketball, it's hard to find someone better that put on a Kent State uniform,” Fleming said. “He pretty much rewrote a lot of the history books and most importantly lead us back to the tournament by putting up incredible numbers four straight games in the MAC (tournament).” Fleming said he hopes to one day see Hall's jersey hang in the rafters at Kent State, not only for how he played on the court but for the kind of person he is off the court. "He's humble and just one of the most enjoyable people to be around. In all the conversations we've had in our four years not one was about how good he is, only about how he can improve,” Fleming said. "Kent State is truly lucky to have had Jimmy Hall represent this university for the last four years.” Saint Thomas Basket Le Havre season starts in mid-October. shannig@kent.edu
Campus Pointe luxury student housing
CURRENTLY LEASING FOR FALL 2017 WITH AMAZING DEALS!
CALL TODAY AND STOP BY FOR A TOUR
330.673.2202 WWW.CAMPUSPOINTEKENT.COM 1055_29544