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Austin Mariasy / The Kent Stater Sophomore chemistry major Irene Altieri started the "It Gets Better" booklet through the Kent State LGBTQ Student Center. Altieri and other interns at the center have written "It Gets Better" letters and delivered them to local high schools to try to help young LGBT students with the coming-out process. Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.
Student gets creative in helping LGBT youth Samantha Karam Diversity Reporter A Kent State student is looking to offer awareness and support for the LGBT community through their own initiative. Irene Altieri, a sophomore chemistry major who identifies with the pronouns they, them and their, said that LGBT students “really didn’t have anything public that we could use as support.” Altieri added that when they were in high school, no one discussed gender and sexualities that differed from the norm. Altieri said most of the resources and support came from Tumblr, a blogging and social media site. Having feeling a lack of support, Altieri start-
ed the “It Gets Better” booklet — a collection of 10 anonymous letters, hand-written by LGBT college students and faculty. Altieri shares the booklet with LGBT youth who are struggling on coming out and accepting who they are. “It’s really nice to feel that relief (of support), and we just want to bring that to other people,” Altieri said. Altieri said they’ve known since third grade something was different about themselves. They identify as a genderqueer sapphic, which means they don’t identify with either gender and are attracted to people with female body parts. Before coming out in high school, Altieri said they used to attempt to smother their sexuality and gender identity, and went through a deep
depression because of it. “I hyper-feminized myself thinking that maybe it would reverse what I was feeling,” Altieri said. “I dressed really feminine and grew long hair. I dated guys, hoping it would make me feel straight.” They came out to their friend group during their junior year of high school, but didn’t come out to their family until last year. Last October, when Altieri came out to their mother, their mom said she always knew, but it just took her a while to accept it. Altieri came out to their father last April. Altieri’s father died of multiple sclerosis a month after they came out to him. They said their father had a multitude of health problems for years, and Altieri was glad
they got to tell him about their identity before he passed. Their father supported them. Altieri’s brother recently came out as bisexual. Altieri said they think their own coming out made it easier for him because he knows that there’s someone close to him going through a similar thing. “He’s taken the whole LGBT thing and ran with it,” Altieri said. Though they have supportive family members, Altieri said they still struggled a lot with coming to terms with who they are. Altieri said they’re still trying to cope with the anxiety and the stressors they’ve faced throughout the years.
SEE LGBT / PAGE 2
Students learn about financial aid amongst carnival games Third annual Great American Smokeout Day set for Thursday Nicholas Adkins Student Finance and Jobs Reporter
Nicole Zahn Recreational and Wellness Reporter Kent State will host its annual Great American Smokeout for the third year in a row on Thursday, . This 24-hour event is a national event sponsored by the American Cancer Association that began in the '70s to increase smoking cessation. Along with encouraging smokers to quit, the Smokeout provides information and support for those trying to quit. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., educational materials, drawings, giveaways and refreshments will be provided at the Kent State Student Center second floor mezzanine. From noon to 1 p.m., an employee lunch and learn session will take place in room 313 of the Student Center to provide faculty and staff with information about the Freedom from Smoking cessation program. A student breakout session about the cessation program will follow from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in room 315. The presenter for this session will be Sierra Baker, a health educator from the Office of Health Promotion at University Health Services. The Great American Smokeout will also be providing information about the new smoking policy on campus, which will be in effect beginning July 1, 2017. Kent State's current smoking policy limits tobacco use and smoking to at least 20 feet away from campus buildings. The new policy states that all smoking, including electronic smoking devices and nicotine systems that deliver a vapor will be prohibited on any property owned, leased or operated by Kent State. A free yoga session for both smokers and non-smokers will end the event starting at 7 p.m. in room 155 of the M.A.C. Center Annex. nzahn@kent.edu
Popcorn was popping and balloons animals were made for students at the third annual Financial Aid Information Fair at the Kent State Student Center on Tuesday. Participating students were given the opportunity to learn about financial wellness while taking part in carnival-themed games, designed around different aspects of student finance. There was also a “money machine,” where students attempted to grab tickets that could be entered to win donated prizes, such as a $100 gift card for textbooks. “The purpose of the Financial Aid Fair is to help inform students about the financial aid process for the 2017-2018 academic year, and to inform them about scholarship opportunities that are available,” said Student Financial Aid Associate Director Sylvia Bustard. “I came here in hopes of potential information on student teaching in other countries,” said Jared Shoup, junior integrated social studies major. "I feel like I've gotten a lot of really solid information and plenty of reading materials to help me out." Shoup said he was able to have a long and informative conversation with Julie Wilcox, academic recruiter and retention director from the College of Nicholas Adkins / The Kent Stater Education, Health and Human Services. (Right to Left) Junior communication studies major Nicholas Peters, senior aeronautics major Dylan Oliver,
SEE FINANCIAL AID / PAGE 2
junior biology major Olivia Mullen and senior biology major Troy Kotsch showing their balloon sculptures at the Kent State Financial Aid Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016.
Ryan Place shooter’s death sentence confirmed Alex Delaney-Gesing Senior Reporter The suspect in the shooting of a Kent State student earlier this year has been sentenced to death. Akron resident Damantae Graham, 19, was officially sentenced to death by lethal injection Tuesday in the Portage County Court of Common Pleas. The final verdict was read by Judge Laurie Pittman, according to court records. Graham was also sentenced for the full jail sentence conviction each carried. The total for all sentences came to over 60 years, and he will remain in the penitentiary until his death sentence is carried out. Graham and three other suspects — Marquis Grier, 18; Ty Kremling, 18, and Anton Angelo Angel / The Kent Stater Planicka, 18 — were arrested in the homicide Damantae Graham sits next to one of his attorneys at the of freshman Nick Massa at Ryan Place apartPortage County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, Nov. 8, ments this past February. 2016, during his trial for the murder of Kent State freshman All four suspects have been charged with Nick Massa on Feb. 7, 2016. six felonies — aggravated murder, aggravated
burglary, aggravated robbery and three counts of kidnapping — and are being tried in court as adults. Graham was found guilty of all six charges in the Portage County Court of Common Pleas on Nov. 3 after being identified by two witnesses. The witnesses identified Graham as two of three men who entered an apartment within the complex and held them at gunpoint while searching the property for money and alleged drug paraphernalia. Kremling and Planicka will sit before Judge Pittman for a criminal pretrial Wednesday morning. Grier will appear before Pittman Thursday morning for his own criminal pretrial hearing. The other three suspects will appear in court on Nov. 22 for criminal trial hearings. Sam Lough contributed reporting to this story. adelane3@kent.edu
Page 2 | Wednesday, November 16, 2016
The Kent Stater
College of Arts and Sciences to Stater offer Poland study abroad program The
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Emily Fulmer Religion Reporter The College of Arts and Sciences will offer a spring break study abroad program in Poland for Holocaust remembrance. The course, Perceptions and Remembrance: The Holocaust in Literature, Cinema, and Public Display, is a onecredit hour course – open to all majors and class standings – that students will have the opportunity to take while abroad. Chaya Kessler, director of Jewish Studies, will be teaching the course and leading students during the trip. “The trip evolved from our annual visit to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.,” Kessler said. Kessler said at the end of their visit, which is always the first Sunday in November, the Jewish Studies Program met with a Holocaust survivor. After the meeting, the students were asked what struck them the most. Kessler noted that several students mentioned the size and information about Auschwitz was what interested them the most, so she later asked students if they would be interested in traveling to Poland. “Everybody said yes,” Kessler said. “Coming back, I said ‘OK, let’s go. Let’s do Poland!’” Kessler said 20 students have already registered for the program ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline. With the limited time students have during the program, Kessler said the group only travels to two cities in Poland. From Page 1
LGBT Student gets creative in helping... Kathleen Mattise, the program coordinator for Kent State’s LGBTQ Center, said there is still a lot of hate and fear directed at people who identify within the LGBT community. “When you’re in high school — maybe just starting to figure things out or already have it figured out — all those negative messages can be really impactful and cause some turmoil,” Mattise said. “The ‘It Gets Better’ project is a way to show that there are other people like you. You’re not alone. There’s nothing wrong with you.” The LGBT community is more likely to suffer from mental illness, Altieri said, because of the emotional and mental burden that derives from coming out. As they grew to accept who they are, Altieri’s depression faded. As it faded, however, anxiety set in. “The way I visualize it (is as) if you’re taking a bottle of pop and shaking it up,” Altieri said, “When I have an anxiety attack, it’s like someone opening that bottle, and I just explode.” Altieri is still trying to cope with their
“We go to Warsaw, which is the capital,” Kessler said. “Then we go to Krakow, and from Krakow we go for a day trip to Auschwitz.” Kessler also said that students visit Oskar Schindler’s enamelware factory, which is in a town outside of Krakow. “It’s a very strong experience for students, (and) is a bonding experience with those who go because they experience something very powerful (and) very emotional,” Kessler said. “All the movies, books and all of the stuff you study or you learn about ... you see it for yourself, and that’s very powerful.” In the past, Kessler said groups of students were originally taken to Israel. “(Kessler) had a program going to Israel for several years that was very underattended,” said Kristin Stasiowski, director of international programs and education abroad for the College of Arts and Sciences. “We know that the Kent State student population typically gravitates toward European destinations.” Stasiowski said it is a uniquely inspiring course to take if you want to be a human being. “(The trip) is not about revisiting a depressing, heart-wrenching, awfully depressing period of history just to anxiety. In addition to helping themselves grow to accept who they are, Altieri helps others as well. There’s an online It Gets Better movement, Altieri said, which sparked their initial idea for the booklet. But as far as they know, this is the only booklet of its kind.
I love the fact that so many different vocies and stories can be incorporated. KATHLEEN MATTISE KSU LGBTQ CENTER PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Altieri said they’ve already brought the booklet to Hoover High School in Canton. They plan on going back to Hoover in March. The booklet is important “because it is shared with middle and high school students (who) are part of gay-straight alliance groups,” said Ken Ditlevson, director of the LGBTQ Center. “These students oftentimes don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel when they are living in silence — or even worse — are being stifled by unsupportive family environments.”
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mind the depths of evil, for the sake of minding depths of evil,” Stasiowski said. “It is a very contemporary course that does look at history from a wide perspective.” Stasiowski said what students take away from this trip is how they think about human dignity, human suffering and the role everyone plays in being a witness to certain events.
“The trip is uniquely inspiring — absolutely a must-do for anybody who is a Kent State student and wants to graduate with a degree of higher education,” Stasiowski said. Kessler said she expects this trip to be very important, emotional and an experience that will stay with students forever.
Later this month, Altieri will bring the booklet to Cuyahoga Falls High School, which reached out to Ditlevson. “The book and letters give hope that life does get better,” Ditlevson said. “It encourages students to stick through it all, and to get to college where they can be themselves and be accepted and loved.” Mattise said the booklet motivates LGBT youth to embrace who they are and grow to accept their identities. People of multiple sexualities and identities wrote letters included in the “It Gets Better” booklet. “I love the fact that so many different voices and stories can be incorporated,” Mattise said. “There’s got to be at least one part of one letter that can connect with someone.” Altieri said the booklet has received positive feedback, and (has helped) students. They said the “It Gets Better” booklet would have impacted their life in a really positive way. “I’d feel like it would be okay to actually feel this way, and I wouldn’t have had to stress out about it as much as I was. That feeling is worth a lot,” Altieri said. “Sometimes there’s just this feeling of an anvil on you being lifted — and that alone can mean the world to someone.”
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FINANCIAL AID
Students learn about ... “We are here to make sure our students are aware of the specific scholarships available to them,” Wilcox said at the fair, referring to students with EHHS majors. Wilcox pointed out that every student should seek out financial aid representatives at their specific schools to get a better idea of the scholarships available to them. She said some scholarships are only offered at the school’s dean’s discretion. Other representatives at the fair included Tiffany Mullen with PNC bank. Mullen explained the benefits that PNC offers Kent State students, such as checking accounts with zero fees for six years. “The response has been very positive and students have been very receptive to learning more about the financial aid process and their personal finances,” Bustard said. “The Financial Aid Office is committed to providing the information students need to help them successfully finance their education at Kent State University.”
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The National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) inducted 14 new members into the Kent State Black Squirrel chapter during its fall initiation ceremony on Sunday. Steven Yurek, vice president of recruitment and retention for NRHH, said the organization brings leadership skills to the top 1 percent of student leaders living in the residence halls, all while helping them feel more connected to the university. “It helps you to create that home away from home," Yurek said. "We all look for that place where we feel important, and we feel special and have that connection."
For Yurek, NRHH has been a means of coming out of his comfort zone, developing as a leader and meeting other students. “It’s something I’ve wanted to be a part of since I came into school freshman year,” Yurek said. “For me, I found my place at Kent State through NRHH.” Service and recognition are at the forefront of the organization’s mission, and Chapter President Marisa Stephens said NRHH is constantly working to improve campus life and unite students of diverse backgrounds. “It’s a great opportunity to meet people coming from different backgrounds and work with them toward the same goal of making (campus) more inclusive,” Stephens said. “It’s a really great way to make connections (because) you’re
meeting people you might not have met otherwise.” The organization hosts several local volunteer opportunities with senior centers located in Ravenna, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Hattie Larlham, in addition to giving monthly recognition to leaders in the residence halls. Yurek said NRHH also sponsors an end of the year celebration where faculty, staff and students in the residence halls are recognized for the difference they make in the Kent State community. Stephens said volunteer and recognition opportunities like these shape the future of NRHH members. “I think NRHH just sets the tone for how people want to live the rest of their lives, and from there, they are just super successful,” she said. Stephens said she hopes to see the organization provide new inductees an opportunity to
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grow as leaders ads@ksustudentmedia.com and recognize the impact they have on the lives of others and the Kent State community. “I hope this organization can give them a voice and give them a path to follow through their college career," Stephens said. "I also hope it has an impact on them that what they’re doing doesn’t go unnoticed." However, Yurek said the opportunity for growth through NRHH is reliant on what new inductees invest into the organization. “It’s really up to the members to decide how they grow and develop,” he said. “I want them to make it their own and create new memories from it, at the end of the day.” rsteve15@kent.edu
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 | Page 3
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The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors. Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor (email them to jmill231@kent.edu) and guest columns. Submissions become property of the Stater and are subject to editing without notice.
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On International Education Week doubles in amount of events McKenna Corson International and Grad Affairs Reporter The 2016 International Education Week is underway at Kent State, with 40 different events planned in celebration. IEW is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State. According to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, IEW first started in 2000 and is celebrated in over 100 countries. See the extended article on KentWired.com
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... only one week standing between today and Thanksgiving break.
Jeers to ... there being an entire week standing between today and Thanksgiving break.
I’m still with her
The November divide
Sophia Witt Letter to the Editor A recent letter to the editor in The Kent Stater, entitled “Creating a home and creating diversity on campus,” was written with the intent of criticizing Bowman Hall’s featured figure, Golda Meir, the former prime minister of Israel. The piece was penned by Students for Justice in Palestine President Yousof Mousa, an individual whom I have met several times before this article was written. This article spoke to me on a humane level; not only was I surprised by the politics of the piece, but I was left culturally shocked as well. Meir was a hero, not only to myself, but to the world. Meir was one of the founding figures behind Israel’s establishment, as well as the fourth prime minister of the only Jewish state in the world. Among many things, she was a woman with the staunch idea that women did not need to strive for equality, but that it was already their G-d given right. Her views on equality of sexes not only inspired generations of her time, but my own as well. As a Jewish woman, a minority and an intern for the Women’s Center at Kent State, I look up to Meir. Her beliefs fall in line with those of women today, who so
desperately struggle to be seen as an equal to the typical “male bias” that we see in today’s America. Women such as Meir are necessary to look up to during times when women so desperately demand to be respected and perceived as strong leaders in the world. “Feminism,” however, was a term Golda struggled with; she didn’t believe women needed to be seen as leaders, but rather that women should naturally and inherently be viewed as equals. The comparison of Meir to President-elect Donald Trump in Mousa’s article stands to be illogical and extremely insensitively written. While his article alludes to exclusivity during Meir’s leadership, her inclusiveness deemed her a true unifier of peoples. Meir held a key role in assistance with illegal immigrants of her time. She fought against the British (who governed the land, geographically termed “Palestine”) for a large number of displaced people in an effort to welcome them into Israel. She also helped illegal immigrants come to Israel during World War II. In doing so, Meir volunteered to go back to America to raise money to help house and feed all of the new migrants to
Israel — she succeeded and was capable of helping these poor people seek opportunity. Meir’s successful efforts in the Israeli-American alliance, unlike any other bond in the world, continue to show true prominence. In 1973, she was named “Most Admired Woman” in Gallup polls throughout the United States. Continuing with Meir’s antivictimization beliefs, she denied the thought that Jews needed sympathy. She yearned for a world where the Jewish community would no longer need international condolences, but rather be unequivocally respected across the globe. Above all else, the goal which she most adamantly pursed was the establishment of a safe place for the Jewish people to exist. Particularly after the Holocaust, Meir witnessed the hate and belittlement of the Jewish people. While so many sought to delegitimize the Jewish community, Meir fought for the exact opposite. She took precautions to ensure the safety of the people of Israel — both Israelis and Arab-Israelis — by signing multiple peace treaties with Arab nations. Meir oversaw strong relationships between Israel and African countries by competing for the relinquishing of the
Lucas Misera lands in hopes for peace. She met with hostile Arab leaders despite the egregious mass murdering of Israelis and Israeli-Arabs prior to her prime ministry during the Six-Day War. Regardless of these attacks,Meir’s intentions stood strong: Protecting Israel’s interests was possible only by protecting Jews domestically and abroad. I urge faculty and staff of Kent State to further research a figure as prominent as Meir. Her influence was prevalent not only in Israel, but around the world. She should serve as a role model to all students at Kent State; her powerful background should motivate students to stand up for their culture, despite the possibility being victimized and doubted. I cannot possibly condone such an action as to take down her picture and quote. Such an honorable woman should be spotlighted. My name is Sophia Witt. I am the founding president of Students Supporting Israel at Kent State, an intern for the Zionist Organization of America, a Hasbara Fellow, and an intern for the Women’s Center at Kent State. But, first and foremost, I am a Jew. I speak on behalf of my cultural roots, and I am with Golda Meir. switt4@kent.edu
The art of being gay Andrew Atkins Guest Columnist “So, how do you know you’re gay?” It’s never quite the surprise you’d think it would be. There’s comfortable small-talk, and then they’re straight to the point – vetting into your very identity. This isn’t the first time, and it’s not the last time. “How long have you been gay?” “How do you know?” “Don’t you worry about going to hell?” Every time somebody asks about my sexuality, my heart races. There’s always a sudden realization that they don’t accept me. Then, it just clicks: they don’t get it. They don’t understand — that’s why they’re asking. What’s worse: My answer is only ever to satisfy their curiosity and not because they genuinely believe in the validity of who I am as a person. So, I live my life like this. I have always lived my life like this. I have always lived my life feeling sorry for the space I occupy. When I visit home, I butch my voice up, dance around political discourse like I’m on stage and minimize who I am. You see, this is an art. There is an art to shutting away your identity. When people didn’t think twice about denying who I
am, I learned how to shut my feelings away. It’s better to be numb than hurt — or so I thought. Because, let’s be honest: life isn’t a fairy tale. I’ve tried coming out at least three separate times to some of my family members. And, don’t get me wrong, it’s been getting better. They used to call me “disgusting,” but now they just tell me I’m “confused” and “need to explore.” But is that really better? At least when they called me “disgusting,” it implied some sort of basic acknowledgement of my identity. The label of “confused” is softer on the surface, but harder at its core. It implies a fundamental refusal to accept who I am. To be honest, when you grow up so close to these daily denials, you start ignoring these things. Each time I’m questioned, I respond automatically. A joke, a smile, a sarcastic eye-roll. I don’t let them see that I’m hurt. And you know what? I got away from that. At least, I thought I did. I came to Kent State. I came to a liberal school and started unpacking my identity from the boxes I’d long ago crammed it into. I finally began accepting who I was. In the background of all of this, then Republican presidential can-
didate Donald Trump began his campaign for presidency. It was a joke. Funny – simply not possible. I made fun of him on my social media, typically with no response. But slowly, Trump support crept into my feeds. I didn’t take it seriously. I thought most were jokes. I didn’t even want to bother starting the conversation. This was a mistake. I was alarmed at first. As a liberal person, Trump was against everything I stand for. He was sexist, xenophobic, ableist and racist. And while I knew he wasn’t exactly a champion of gay rights, he wasn’t explicitly homophobic. And then he selected Mike Pence as his running mate. Pence has expressed unfavorable viewpoints concerning the LGBT community Trump had gone down the list of things I oppose and checked every single box. Despite my best efforts, I lived in an ideological echo chamber. I truly thought none of my closest friends and family supported him. I thought he had no chance of winning. But then he did. I’m not going to pretend that everybody who supports Trump is as hateful as his platform. Some supporters simply did not like Demo-
cratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Some felt forgotten. One of my friends asked me if voting for Trump was racist, xenophobic, ableist and sexist. The answer: explicitly, no – implicitly, all of the above. The thing about voting is that you don’t get to pick which parts of the candidate’s platform your vote goes to. You vote for the whole platform. So when you vote for a party whose platform consists of all of these terrible attitudes and ideologies, that’s what you vote for. I don’t expect some of my friends and family to understand. They will never understand the complex nature of the hatred they voted into office, if they never even bothered to understand me. I’m so tired. I’m tired of apologizing for the space I occupy. I’m tired of watching the smile creep out of somebody’s eyes, of watching their grin freeze on their faces when they realize: “Oh. He’s gay.” I’m tired of being untrue to myself. I’m tired, but I won’t give up. I may lose my right to marry. I may be discriminated against. But I will not falter. I will answer hatred exclusively with love, kindness and compassion. aatkins5@kent.edu
Opinion Editor This month has been particularly divisive. Presidential elections have everyone on edge – perhaps, for good reason – but the quadrennial nature of the United States’ most important voting day has overshadowed an otherwise annual debate that arrives every November. Yes, pre-Thanksgiving Christmas observers, this column is directed at your habit of prematurely forcing tinsel, holiday shopping and the oft overplayed rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey onto the rest of us. According to an article from The Fiscal Times, nearly 30 million Americans began purchasing gifts for the holiday season before mid-September; 20 percent of those shoppers also said that all gifts would be purchased by Thanksgiving. To put that into perspective, a 2007 article from the Napa Valley Register reported that 26 percent of Americans identify themselves as “chronic procrastinators.” So, although one in four Americans struggle getting critical tasks completed in a timely manner, an astonishing one in five will have Christmas shopping done an entire month before Christmas Day. In most cases, I’d applaud the general public for a mass case of motivation. Yet the fact that such motivation involves leapfrogging Thanksgiving is a travesty. Of course, corporations contribute to the problem; stores are prepared to prey on consumers shortly after Halloween, lining shelves with red and green and shamelessly playing Christmas music with no regard for November. I assure you that I am no Grinch. Rather, the inner economist in me worries the excess supply of Christmas spirit radiating from corporations and peers will crush the value of the holiday. Christmas has its time and place — namely December— although, I understand the excitement. No other time throughout the year is kindness so evident. For many, the generosity and joy associated with the holiday season is contagious. However, the beauty of Thanksgiving is that it forces us to slow down and take one day off — whether that day off is spent quarterbacking for a family football game, falling into a deep turkey-induced food coma or hearing the all-too-common estranged uncle explain whom he voted for in the election. Appreciate Thanksgiving and its purpose. After all, how often do we as college students get to spend extensive time with loved ones? If you need me Nov. 24, I’ll be hunkered down in front of the television, watching football and fighting off the effects of tryptophan. As for Christmas: I’ll see you in December. lmisera@kent.edu
Page 4 | Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Perspectives
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BONDING OVER
BARBECUE Dairyette, a barbecue restaurant, pictured in October 2016, in Paducah, Kentucky, has a 60-year tradition of serving barbecue and ice cream while creating a sense of community.
Alyssa Keown Photographer Dairyette sits on Friendship Road in Paducah, Kentucky, a fitting address for its homey feel. Friends and families pass through the restaurant every day, sharing stories and laughs over barbecue sandwiches and ice cream. Owner Roy Bohannon Jr. decorates the walls with photos of people from the town. “I don’t want you to come one time,” Bohannon said about about his customers. “Come back.” Bohannon worked for a chemical company for 19 years until 2009, when the economy plummeted. With plans to retire from the company and eventually open his own barbecue restaurant, he suddenly found himself out of a job. So he and his wife, Becky, bought Dairyette, which has served Paducah for more than 60 years. “I’m still humbled and nervous,” he said about business ownership. Bohannon said the hardest part of running Dairyette is hiring the right people because he believes employees help to keep the tradition of Dairyette alive. He said he is blessed to have the staff he does. Some of the kids have been working there since high school and continue to work through college. “As an owner, you can’t do this by yourself — (you must) surround yourself with the right people,” Bohannon said. “Without them, I couldn’t do it.” Bohannon said Dairyette carries a lot of history, and new memories are made every day. When he framed the first dollar he made and put it on the wall, a delivery man taped a second dollar up as a joke. Now, customers sign their names on dollar bills and hang them up to leave their mark on Dairyette. “A lot of people think of this as their second home,” said Eric Gross, a regular customer. “Knowing what I know now, I wish I did this 20 years ago,” Bohannon said. “God closed one door (and) I lost my job, but he opened another one and I am so blessed. It’s been the best eight years of my life.” Roy Bohannon Jr. fist bumps customer Shane Parker, known as "The Bear,” to Dairyette employees in October 2016.
Dairyette owner Roy Bohannon Jr. treats his customers like family, high-fiving twins Lauren and Haneline Kennedy in October 2016.
akeown@kent.edu
Photos by Alyssa Keown
Charles Sweat, 76, enjoys lunch at Dairyette on a Thursday afternoon in October 2016. "I’ve been coming here now for 40 years," Sweat said.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 | Page 5
The Kent Stater
Classifieds Looking for former high school wrestlers a few days a week wanting to teach fundamentals and make extra money. Call Don Lorence 330-612-0488
$100 SIGN UP BONUS Hiring now for end of semester and Winter Break. Afternoons and evening hours available. $12+/hr. Cuyahoga Falls 330-926-0499 VIDEOGRAPHER/VIDEO MAKER Looking for 1-2 highly skilled individuals to make videos in Final Cut Pro. Must be highly Skilled. Parttime, Flexible hours, Great pay. Knowledgeable in social media helpful. Email resume to Mary@pmtm. com
LEASING FOR FALL 2017 Spacious 3, 4, & 5 bedrooms with 2-3 full baths. Great condition, A/C, washer/dryer, dishwasher, deck, garage. 330-808-4045
To place advertising, call (330) 672-2586, email ads@ksustudentmedia.com, or visit us in 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Business hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
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HOUSES FOR FALL 2017-2018 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 & 9 bedrooms 330-547-1212 FREE first month’s rent. University Oaks 1 bedroom apt. available for winter semester. Contact: hlozier@kent.edu Now Leasing for 2017 REMODELED houses for rent 2,3,4,5,6,9 and 10 bedrooms Beautiful and close to KSU Starting at $385/mo (330) 552-7032 One bedroom apt. 345 Flats. Will pay monthly parking fee. Available winter semester. Contact: mthompson@odesign.biz FALL- Nice 8 person house on South Willow St. 330-678-3489
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.
For Rent: 5 bedroom house one block from campus. Available Next Fall. 330-673-0650
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Page 6 | Wednesday, November 16, 2016
The Kent Stater
Sports
SPORTS EDITOR: STEPHEN MEANS // SMEANS2@KENT.EDU
Bittinger finds success on the court and in the classroom Nick Buzzelli Sports Reporter Kent State Assistant Athletic Director Angie Hull remembers the difficulty she had two years ago trying to schedule Kelsey Bittinger for her first semester of college. Typically, Hull builds the schedules of first-year athletes around the university’s core courses, such as college writing, psychology and humanities. But Bittinger ’s case was different. Thanks to Strongsville High School’s Advanced Placement courses, she entered Kent State with the credit hours of a sophomore. “For me, it was a struggle to schedule her at first because she’d already done all of her Kent core classes. And she wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in yet,” said Hull, who has been with Kent State since 2007. “But Kelsey’s one who you can throw anything at.” During the past three seasons, Bittinger — a junior outside hitter for the university's volleyball team — has learned to balance an honors academic workload with the rigors of playing Division I volleyball, a season that requires travel 10 weekends during the season. “It’s kind of tough, especially during preseason, when we were in tournaments that were pretty far away and playing three matches (a weekend),” Bittinger said. “It kind of stinks because getting caught up on just my notes takes a few hours, and then having to finish homework and everything because I have to do it on Sundays, which is our day off. But I obviously enjoy it.” Entering her first year, Bittinger followed the lead of former volleyball player Bridget Wilhelm and enrolled in the honors program, a branch of the university whose mission is to “recruit, challenge, and support the highest ability students at Kent State,” according to the program's website. However, during this time, Bittinger was still unsure of what she wanted to major in. Growing up, she had always been interested in math and science, so she thought biology was a suitable discipline to study. Bittinger quickly realized, though, that she missed math and wanted to major in something that would combine
Aaron Self / The Kent Stater Freshman defensive back Jamal Parker intercepts the ball for a touchback in Kents State’s game against Bowling Green State University on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016.
Bowling Green's running game dooms Flashes in loss Photo courtesy of Andy Drabic
both math and science. As a result, after her first semester, Bittinger reviewed the university’s catalog of majors with her older sister, Samantha, an aerospace engineer at NASA, who recommended that she study applied physics. Bittinger hasn’t looked back since. She’s aced classes in her major — such as Electromagnetic Theory, Applications of Modern Physics and Classical Mechanics — while also taking courses that she wouldn’t normally have had an interest in, like Chemistry, Art History and Cultural Anthropology. “Kelsey’s been great. She’s very dedicated, not just (as an) athlete but (as a) student as well. When you have a major that’s applied physics when you’re in the honors program and you have the GPA that you do, it’s a testament to how hard she works,” said head coach Don Gromala. “And she does the same thing on the court. She wants to do everything that she can, and she does that for us.” Gromala said Bittinger is the primary attacker for the volleyball team. "She's a primary passer, she serves, she digs, she blocks — she does it all," Gromala said. “There’s a lot on her shoulders, on her plate for the success of our program. But
I think she goes about that the same way with her school work. She does everything that she can to be her best (and) doesn’t accept being average at all.” Hull said Bittinger will have enough credits to graduate in 2017 and can take graduate classes during her final year of eligibility if she elects to do so. “Kelsey’s one who could easily have gone to 12 hours a semester and just slid through, but I don’t think she’s taking less than 16 a semester. She’s taken more than that sometimes,” Hull said. “So she’s got that option of, ‘Am I going to graduate early? Am I going to be a grad student? What am I going to do with that time?’ She’s put herself in a really good situation.” Bittinger, though, isn’t quite sure what she wants to do after graduating from Kent State — whenever that may be. She said could picture herself working at NASA, just like her sister. But she’s also interested in medical physics, which is applying physics concepts and theories to the medical profession. “I could see myself doing a lot of things,” Bittinger said. nbuzzel1@kent.edu
Henry Palattella Sports Reporter Bowling Green State University (3-8, 2-5 Mid-American conference) used four long scoring drives and 420 yards on the ground to help lead them to a 42-7 win over Kent State (3-8, 2-5 MAC) on Tuesday night. The Falcons jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when they went on a 16-play, 89-yard drive that was finished off by junior running back Donovan Wilson, who finished with 107 yards and two touchdowns on the night. Bowling Green used essentially the same blueprint on its next drive that ended when freshman quarterback James Morgan hit junior tightend Hunter Folkertsma from three yards out to increase the lead to 14-0. The Falcons struck again on their next drive when senior running back Fred Coppet rushed it in six yards out. All of a sudden, the Falcons were up 21-0.
The Flashes finally put their notch on the scoreboard when senior receiver Earnest Calhoun took a junior Nick Holley slant pass 56 yards for a touchdown. Holley sat out a drive midway early in the second quarter due to an apparent injury. He returned under center for the Flashes next drive, but he was halfway through the fourth quarter in favor of sophomore quarterback George Bollas. Bollas finished the night seven-ofnine with 118 passing yards. Bowling Green put the game out of reach on their second drive of the second half when junior running back Josh Cleveland took a handoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Kent State will look to get their fourth win of the year when they take on Northern Illinois University on Nov. 25 for their seasonfinale. Kent State head coach Paul Haynes has never won more than four games in a season as the football team's head coach. hpalatte@kent.edu