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Insecure invisible
Students struggle with food access at Kent State Jenna Kuczkowski Contributor nywhere from a quarter to one half of Kent State students may struggle to afford a balanced diet – or even enough food. Alexia Castillo, a junior communication studies major, is among them. “I miss just worrying about studying and having school be my number one priority, while not having to worry about how I’m going to live off eating only pb&j and eggs,” Castillo said. Castillo, 20, lives off campus in a house. She estimates she probably eats pb&j and eggs – for the day – at least three times a week, since "it’s cheap and it fills (her) up." Castillo is dealing with what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls “food insecurity.” Food insecurity means not being able to afford or have access to healthy, balanced meals, which can include going without food at times. According to a growing number of studies being done on college campuses across the nation, food insecurity is on the rise as tuition, housing and other living expenses become increasingly expensive. “I have big payments like my rent and my car that affect my budget — and my job doesn’t give me many hours — so recently, I’ve been trying to find a job with reasonable
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hours to just be able to make it by,” Castillo said. A 2014 email survey of 300 Kent State students, which used USDA food security survey questions, found that almost 50 percent of the students surveyed were food insecure and 25 percent of those students had a very low level of food security. That projects to as many as 14,000 students. The survey results concluded that students with the highest risk of food insecurity were ones living off campus with someone other than their parents or alone. A similar study was conducted in 2015 by Kent State graduate student Jennifer Marks as part of her thesis. She found 22 percent of students – about 6,000 – were food insecure. Surveys at several other campuses show similar numbers. In 2010, the City University of New York found that about 40 percent of its students experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months; Those numbers were higher among students who worked at least 20 hours per week. A 2014 study at Oregon State University found that 59 percent of students there were food insecure at some point during the previous year, which reportedly caused issues involving their academic success, as well as physical and emotional health.
Illustration by Ashley Griffith
Cassandra Pegg-Kirby, who is the assistant director of the Women’s Center on campus as well as the center’s food pantry, said she feels food insecurity at the college level may be disregarded by people because they believe if students can afford college, they must be able to afford food or even have too much food.
“I think on our campus and a number of campuses, there are people right on the edge of being able to do that and attend college,” Pegg-Kirby said. “I think a number of our students are making it work, but if one thing changes in their life — like a high heating bill or not getting enough hours at work — that can be enough to get them off track.”
Board of Trustees discuss MAC Center renovations
Andrew Atkins Administration Reporter
“Aging but unique” — that’s how Kent State’s Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen described the M.A.C. Center in a Board of Trustees meeting discussing possible renovations for the facility Wednesday morning. These renovations are important, Nielsen said, because the M.A.C. Center is the front entrance to the university and is often the first impression of the university visitors have. Currently, the proposed
renovations are still in the beginning stages — as of now, it’s only an idea. Built in 1950, the last renovations occurred in 1992, Nielson said. Infrastructure improvements and deferred maintenance could cost $10-12 million, Nielsen said, and facility upgrades could cost $2023 million. Money will need to be raised from external sources, which will be accomplished by engaging an outside agency to complete a capacity analysis to determine how well money could be generated from
Photo courtesy of Adriona Murphy Kent State President Beverly Warren speaks during a Board of Trustees meeting in Franklin Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016.
The Weekend Dec. 8
these external source, Nielsen said. To put the highest estimated total cost into perspective ($35 million), if one $800 computer was purchased for all students enrolled across the eight-campus Kent State system (47,094), the total cost would be roughly $37.7 million. The proposed improvements of the first floor include improving bathrooms, a renovated entryway, new seating and a “refreshed home court.” Nielsen estimated the floor has not been remodeled in 10-15 years. On the second floor, Nielsen said possible renovations include a north and southend hospitality platform and possible suites. Potential third-floor renovations include a new center-hung scoreboard, basketball offices and a hospitality area, according to Nielsen. Moreover, renovations to the loges are also planned. Visitors entering the main court would enter on the second level and either go up into the upper-level seating or down into the floor-level seating. This would avoid problems like visitors walking onto the court, Nielsen said, which poses issues particularly in the wintertime when snow and salt gets onto the wood flooring. The entrance lobby would be renovated to include a new hall of fame and updated technology like flat-screen televisions. “We want to focus on student athletes and overall well-being of the students that enter the M.A.C. Center,” Nielsen said.
Hanukkah in The Nest Sponsored by Hillel, this celebration of the Jewish holiday will feature donuts, coffee, gelt and a life-sized dreidel tournament. The event will be open to students from noon to 4 p.m. in the Student Center’s Nest.
aatkins5@kent.edu
Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studied food insecurity at community colleges in 2015. She published a report of her findings, titled “Hungry to Learn: Addressing Food & Housing Insecurity Among Undergraduates.” Her findings included two basic types of food insecure students:
Those who were in the lower-middle class before they started college and were forced by their education expenses to deal with food insecurity for the first time, and those who were in poverty before college; in their case, hunger and poverty were a preexisting condition.
SEE FOOD / PAGE 2
UHS questions if tobacco ban will lead to more students quitting Samantha Ickes Features Correspondent Smoking cessation programs have been offered at Kent State's main campus for more than 10 years, providing students with free resources to quit smoking. With a university-wide smoking ban going into effect July 1, 2017, Sierra Baker, a University Health Services health educator, said UHS expects an increase in the number of students attending the cessation. In anticipation of growth, Baker was hired in August as the second facilitator of the tobacco cessation program, which is a program from the American Lung Association (ALA) known as “Freedom From Smoking.” Baker said the program typically sees between two and five students each semester. ”We didn’t know with having this upcoming policy (if there) would be a jump in our numbers in this cessation program because typically we have a handful of students go through (the) program each semester,” Baker said. “Having this new policy next July, we did kind of wonder — and still are kind of wondering — (if we) will ... see a huge jump where maybe 15 people are in the program.” The program, which takes seven weeks to complete, was recently completed by three students. Students meet eight times during those seven weeks and completely stop smoking during week four of the program. Baker said the students meet with the facilitator twice in the fourth week because the first 48 hours of quitting “is such a critical time.” The first session of the program involves learning what is expected of the student and what resources are available to them. Baker said students are not committed to staying in the program until halfway through the first session, after learning more about the program. “It’s going over what’s to be expected and answering questions that students have,” Baker said. “You’re not a committed participant of the program until halfway through the session. It’s important to know you’re not automatically signed up and quitting just because you walked in.”
SEE TOBACCO / PAGE 2
Dec. 10
Dec. 11
Stock up on seasonal food and gifts as 50 vendors, artists and crafters assemble for a special installment of the local farmers’ market. Peruse all that community members have to offer between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. inside the United Methodist Church of Kent while enjoying live music.
Is there a better way to bribe students to study for finals than free food and prizes? Take advantage of tutors and a quiet space to prepare for those dreaded exams for 12 hours straight, starting at 10 a.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. A grand prize goes to the student who studies the longest.
Haymaker’s Holiday Farmers’ Market Study-a-thon
Page A2 | Thursday, December 8, 2016
The Kent Stater
they’re bored, Baker said she would discuss strategies to help prevent them from falling back on smoking. “Research has show from the ALA that the more involved people are in these activities the more successful they are in quitting,” Baker said. “No single method of quitting works for everyone.” Sophomore early childhood education major Samantha Haley said she doesn’t plan to quit smoking as a result of the ban on campus. “I’m not ready to quit right now,” Haley said. “Just because I can’t (smoke) on campus, it won’t make me stop
From Page 1
TOBACCO UHS questions if tobacco ban ... The program includes many selfreflection activities. For example, Baker said students have “homework” such as a Pack Track where they write down when they smoke, the circumstances around it and how they’re feeling when they smoke. Students record this for three to five days and then evaluate what they find. If they find themselves smoking when
USG hosts Study-a-thon Nathaniel Harvey Activities Reporter On Sunday, Kent State's Undergraduate Student Government is hosting a 12-hour study marathon, also known as the StudyA-Thon, in the Student Center Ballroom. The Study-a-thon will have free food, study materials, coffee and academic tutors that specialize in writing, math and science. The Study-a-thon will also include raffles with prizes such as gift cards, donations and a larger-scale technology prize at the end of the night. Natalia Roman, director of academic affairs for USG, is the person incharge of the event. “Study-a-thon is a 12-hour study marathon to incentivize students to prepare for finals," Roman
said. "It targets students who are still trying to adapt to college and that are trying to acquire study skills that are helpful to them." When asked about the big prize, Roman said she could not give anything away, but students will want to be there for the whole time if they want to win it. For every hour that students are studying, they will receive a raffle ticket. “The more hours you study, the more raffle tickets you have (and) the more likely you are to get the prize,” Roman said. “If you’re here for 10 hours, you can put your 10 tickets in the last raffle and get the big technological device.” The Study-a-thon starts Sunday and will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. nharvey6@kent.edu
doing it off (campus).” Haley has been smoking for four years and is unsure if the ban will be effective at keeping people from smoking on campus. “Even though they are banning smoking on campus, I don’t think it will stop completely,” Haley said. “People will still smoke or vape on campus. They don’t think what they do affects anyone else, and I still see people vaping inside.” Though the cessation program has not had an increase in participants this fall semester, Baker said there still may be an increase in the spring as people
begin to prepare for the ban. However, she said she believes people’s readiness to quit smoking is a larger factor than the changing policy. “I don’t think the policy is making people quit smoking,” Baker said. “It’s saying you can't do it on campus anymore. But when you look at people’s behavior change and their readiness to change, if they’re not wanting to quit or contemplating quitting any time soon, then I don’t think the policy is going to make them jump and sign up for this program.” sickes5@kent.edu
Ohio House committee approves 20-week ‘heartbeat’ abortion ban Associated Press
Abortions would be banned after 20 weeks under a bill that Republican lawmakers hope to pass Thursday and add to legislation already on its way to GOP Gov. John Kasich that would prohibit abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. A House committee voted Wednesday night to pass the 20-week ban, which now heads to the full House for consideration Thursday. That follows House approval Tuesday night of the so-called heartbeat bill, clearing the way for what would be one of the nation's most stringent abortion restrictions. That legislation would prohibit most abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy after the first detectable heartbeat. Kasich, an abortion-rights
opponent, has previously voiced concerns about whether such a move would be constitutional. He has not said whether he plans to sign the measure. State Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican from Celina, said the twice-defeated bill came back up again because of Republican Donald Trump's presidential victory and the expectation he will fill Supreme Court vacancies with justices who are more likely to uphold stricter abortion bans. Asked if he expects the Ohio proposal to survive a legal challenge, Faber said: "I think it has a better chance than it did before." The ban would make an exception if the mother's life is in danger but not in cases of rape or incest, he said. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio said the move would block access to abortion before most women even know they're pregnant.
Kent State’s Board of Trustees approved almost $25 million in future renovations to residence halls and academic buildings on the university's main campus Wednesday. The board approved renovations to Taylor Hall that address deferred main-
tenance and code compliance, as well as prepare vacated spots for additional needs, according to the Board’s minutes. The total project is estimated at $8.85 million, with the university allocating $8 million of the project from state capital funds, according to Thomas Euclide, associate vice president of facilities planning and operations.
“The overall list (of improvements) is vetted to the university and submitted to the state and then the state legislators add it to their capital improvement bill,” Euclide said. “That money will then go (toward) these improvements on campus.” The approved state capital money only goes toward improvements of aca-
Adriona Murphy / The Kent Stater Carly Evans, the undergraduate student trustee of the Kent State Board of Trustees, speaks during a meeting in Franklin Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016. From Page 1
FOOD Insecure and invisible... The Southern Education Foundation reported 51 percent of students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2012-2013 school year were eligible for the federal program that provides free and reduced-price lunches. Marks, author of the second study of food insecurity done at Kent State, said while grades K-12 have federal programs in place to provide food to students in need, that aid disappears when they get to college. She said because these students may not qualify for federal aid programs like food stamps, and their families can’t help support them, they don’t receive the help they need at college. “I found that they’re living in a donut hole,” Marks said. For the group of students who are experiencing food insecurity for the first time, there comes another issue: the meal plan. Kent State’s meal plan costs between $1,800 to $2,700 a semester. Some students move off campus to cut costs – even if it means violating the policy that requires first and second-year students to live on campus unless they commute. Students will often get their parents to say they’re staying at home just so they can get an apartment off-campus and save money. Castillo initially moved off campus to find cheaper housing and avoid the meal plan, but said she may consider a commuter meal plan. “The food is overpriced,” she said. “On a weekly basis, I would spend around $80 on the meal plan and that just seems ridiculous. Now, I usually spend $30-$40 on my groceries, and I’ll be set for at least two weeks on necessities.” The problem with students trying to budget their food money on their own, Pegg-Kirby said, is sometimes unexpected expenses force
students to take money from their food budget. Most students aren’t eligible for the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the successor to food stamps. “It's harder for students to qualify for food stamps with how many hours they’re in class or studying and stipulations that make it more difficult for students to get resources,” PeggKirby said. “Also, international students struggle because they’re unable to get those kinds of resources at all. International students are not available for county resources in the same way.” Other resources are available off-campus, but students often have limited transportation options to reach them, Pegg-Kirby said. Emanuel Jackson, a 21-year-old Kent State student, said he didn’t even know food aid existed for college students. And even then, “I believe some students are embarrassed to get help due to not wanting to be perceived as needy or struggling,” Jackson said. “Their pride may get the best of them.” Jackson lives in an apartment and works two jobs to afford rent and other billed expenses. He said he doesn’t usually have a lot of money to afford groceries or the time to cook. Jackson estimates he spends around $20 a week on food and on occasion has gone without food for a day other than a snack. Without proper nutrition, students can be negatively impacted academically, physically and emotionally. Various studies, including one done by researchers from the University of Iowa's Center for Research on Undergraduate Education in 2009, show students who work 10 to 15 hours weekly see positive impacts on grades, while students who are working more than 20 hours weekly have lower GPAs. The paradox is that SNAP requires students to work 20 hours weekly to receive federal benefits. So students are left to decide to work more, get lower grades so they can qualify, and afford
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Photo courtesy of Nate Manley Ohio Gov. John Kasich
Under the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion, states were permitted to restrict abortions after viability — the point when the fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving under normal conditions outside the uterus. The ruling offered no legal definition of viability, saying it could range from 24 to 28 weeks into a pregnancy.
Trustees approve renovations to residence halls, Taylor Hall Matt Poe Senior Reporter
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demic buildings, Euclide said, not residence halls. The board approved renovations to Lake and Olson halls, both residence halls, including installation of air conditioning, upgrades to heating and carpeting installation in individual dorm rooms. The upgrades will be effective Fall 2017 and will cost an estimated $8.3 million, Euclide said. Jill Church, executive director of Residence Services, stated money for the improvements comes from accumulated savings after expenses. “We get the revenues, pay the operating (costs) and then put some in savings, and we’ve had that built up to address different residence halls renovations,” Church said. The funds are accumulated over time and used toward major renovations projects such as the Lake and Olson Hall renovations and then re-collected for the next cycle of renovations, Church said. The money comes from revenue from room and board fees. “We have to stagger (our renovations) and make choices about when we do them,” Church said. The board also approved renovations to Bowman Hall and Moulton Hall. The Bowman renovations will use $4 million in state capital improvement funds to replace mechanical systems and lighting systems. The construction is anticipated to begin as early as May 2017, according to the board minutes. The board will allocate $3 million in state capital improvement funds to renovate classrooms, offices and research laboratories in Moulton Hall. The construction is anticipated to begin in May 2017, with the research laboratories being completed by early 2018, according to the board minutes.
food – or to work fewer hours to try to get better grades but go hungry, which studies show leads to lower grades. “It’s a frustrating issue dealing with such a large university who is interested in their students’ academic success and in tuning out productive and engaging members of society,” Marks said. “But this can’t happen when so many students don't have access to food on a regular basis that is nourishing for their bodies and minds.” Pegg-Kirby said it’s as simple as this: “If your basic needs aren't met and you're not eating, it's going to be really hard to get your school work done and really hard to not pay attention to those hunger pains.” Pegg-Kirby said faculty members have donated grocery gift cards to the Women’s Center pantry after talking with struggling students and realizing it was a result of them not being able to eat. Five years ago, the Women’s Center opened Kent State’s only food pantry. “I think of it as, ‘Maybe if we can get food in your belly and you don't have to worry about it, you can pay those other bills and we can get you through those rough spots.’ That's really what our goal is right now,” Pegg-Kirby said. Any member of the Kent State community — students, faculty or staff, male or female — can use the pantry. Pegg-Kirby said this year’s total visits was 118, surpassing last year's 106. Because resources are limited, Pegg-Kirby said the center recommends up to one visit a month, but won’t turn away anyone in serious need — as long as the center has food. Unlike other pantries, students don't have to provide any proof of need. However, they must show a Kent State ID. The Women’s Center also works in connection with Campus Kitchen, a student volunteer organization that works to prepare and distribute food to the needy in places like Kent and Akron. Pegg-Kirby said sometimes students would rather volunteer for Campus Kitchen, which
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allows them to help others and get fresh food at the program. Another option for students in need is Kent Social Services, which is only a short walk from campus. “There’s so many good-hearted people in the community willing to help so no one in Kent should have to go hungry,” said Belinda Waller, a secretary at Kent Social Services. Waller’s desk overlooks Kent Social Services’ dining area and said only a handful of visitors looked to be college age. Students can get a hot meal daily and groceries once a month there. Pegg-Kirby and Marks agree the campus can do more to help students in need. After students left campus last May, the Women’s Center located in the Williamson House opened it’s doors to the public. The move comes with a much needed expansion of the previously cramped food pantry while also offering a larger variety of food to students in need. Pegg-Kirby said the center will also increase educational programs on community resources and food insecurity in general in the coming months. In 2013, Marks proposed the idea to build a community garden at a centralized location on Kent State’s campus. Currently, there is a community garden on the grounds of the old Allerton buildings. Marks would like to relocate it or build a second garden and encourage student involvement to help provide fresh produce to those in need on campus. “I'm always amazed with how much I learn working in this environment about people's stories and resilience, and the reality that I'm only a paycheck or two from being in that position,” Pegg-Kirby said. “It's not just other people — it's all of us in many ways. “Unfortunately I think that's more common than we know, and people are just not talking about it." jkuczkow@kent.edu
Thursday, December 8, 2016 | Page A3
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Editor: Jimmy Miller Print Managing Editor: Skye McEowen Opinion Editor: Lucas Misera Assigning Editor: McKenzie Jean-Philippe Assigning Editor: Olivia Minnier
The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors. Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor (email them to jmill231@kent.edu) and guest columns. Submissions become property of the Stater and are subject to editing without notice.
THE OPINION PAGE IS AN OUTLET FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S VARIED OPINIONS.
JOSEPH MCGRELLIS’ VIEW
On Professor uses SCALE-UP method to improve classroom settings Gabrielle Harrison Technology Reporter Traditional classroom lecturing is taking a back seat to new teaching techniques thanks to associate physics professor Mina Katramatou. In 2001, Katramatou started proposing interactive class. The new interactive classroom combines a traditional lecture with a hands-on lab experience,” Katramato said. “Instead of students just being expected to memorize information, this experience allows them to truly learn the information on their own.” See the full article on KentWired.com
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... environmental consciousness. Google data centers are set to be run solely on renewable energy by 2017. Jeers to ... a real-life Grinch who flicked a cigarette at a “Whoville” float at a Christmas parade in Alabama. Nobody was injured.
Letter to the Editor
Time got it right Lucas Misera Opinion Editor On Wednesday, Time Magazine announced President-elect Donald Trump as the 2016 Person of the Year, perhaps to the dismay of many. No matter one’s opinion on Trump’s character, however, it’s clear: he was – for better or worse – the most influential figure this year. Through fiery rhetoric that riled up a longneglected subset of the Republican voter base, Trump took the political scene by storm. His unexpected rise to power earned him Time’s distinction over a crowded field that included Beyonce, Flint whistleblowers and Russian President Vladimir Putin. If you’re not convinced Trump was truly the person of the year, the data would suggest otherwise. Google Trends, a tool that analyzes how frequently names or phrases are searched through the browser over time, indicates Trump dominated the internet for a majority of 2016. When compared to Beyonce, the pop star passed the president-elect only twice in search popularity: once in February when she performed at halftime of the Super Bowl, and once in April when her album “Lemonade” was released. Other than these two week-long stretches, Trump’s popularity dwarfed that of music’s icon. Trump also dominated other popular political figures – Putin, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and President Barack Obama – leading each in search popularity for the entirety of 2016. Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton passed Trump only once: the week following Sept. 11, when much of the public questioned the state of her health after she left a memorial service looking noticeably ill. If the goal of Time is to find the most influential person within a given year, then the magazine got it right. Trump had the U.S. spotlight for almost the entirety of 2016, leaving behind an impregnable mark on the nation’s political and social landscapes that is unlikely to fade away. lmisera@kent.edu
Dr. Shay Little Guest Columnist Dear students, As we close another semester and another calendar year, I write to share my thoughts about our community and the privilege it is to serve Kent State as the vice president for student affairs. I often challenge you to become your best selves. Many of you eagerly respond by pursuing your personal passions while leveraging your academic talents to define your purpose and mission. This fall, I observed many students living their passion through engagement in the election process either by campaigning for candidates running for office or encouraging others to register and vote. I also observed student organizations standing for what they believe in: The Black United Students, Muslim Student Association, PRIDE! Kent, Ohio Student Association, Spanish and Latino Student Association, and Students for Justice in Palestine — among others — raised their voices and invited all of us to play a role in the process. As we work to become our best selves, we also find many ways to bring our community together. We support our student-athletes on the courts and fields. We encourage one another in the dining halls and residence halls. We challenge one another in the classroom. We support one another in the most difficult times. We celebrate our individual and collective successes. As the Flashes, one of our core values is showing kindness and respect in all we do. Recently, there have been reports of repugnant incidents that are not aligned with this core value. Respect for individuals and all the identities we represent such as our race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, disabilities and political
ideology is paramount at Kent State. We aim for this very special community to be elevated by our advocacy for social justice as we seek opportunities to listen to and engage with one another in genuine, respectful dialogue. We are Golden Flashes. And as Golden Flashes, I ask you to help us to respect the core value that define our community. At the same time, I offer my thanks to the many students within the last few weeks who have challenged me to also live true to this core value. Faculty and staff are in your corner. We want to see you succeed. We are here to celebrate your successes, support you in your deepest sorrows and challenge you to expand your worldview. University Stewards have been trained to listen to and support you if you feel disrespected or devalued. These informal and neutral resources are also available to share in moments when you feel affirmed and respected. In your quietest moments and especially in those moments when you feel the most alone or uncertain, we are in your corner. We believe in your pursuit of your personal mission – your unique and important purpose. As we say in our school song: “We’re all together, Let’s go forward, K-S-U!” I encourage you to report incidents incongruent with our core values by calling 330.672.4050 or emailing studentaffairs@ kent.edu. Let’s engage in respectful dialogue about the most challenging issues facing our community and our world while showing what it truly means to be a Golden Flash. All my best, Shay Little Vice President for Student Affairs
A Mag’s Do’s and Don’ts: Finals A Magazine Guest Columnist When finals roll around, we find ourselves enjoying cleaning, talking to the annoying roommate about her meaningless Thanksgiving break (you ate turkey? Wow!) and organizing drawers of random “whatchamacallits.” As much as we’d like to say, “Heh! Who needs school! I could just drop out and sell Beanie Babies on eBay for millions,” that’s not happening (yet). Welcome to finals. We’ve rounded up some of the best studying do’s and don’ts for those of us who plan on graduating.
Do’s:
Install temporary blocks to social media. SelfControl or StayFocusd are apps that you can download to your phone and computer browser that eliminate the distractions of those tasty Buzzfeed videos we find ourselves watching for hours. Make up stories. If your tests involve memorizing complicated formulas, differentiating between two similar items or breaking down the problem into singular letters, do like we did in elementary and get Acrostin’. Acrostic poems work as great tools to create a story with each letter of the word. Work in a clean environment. Yes! More time to distract yourself from studying! But seriously, clean your room, your vanity, do your laundry and study in a room with a
relaxing ambience and no distractions.
Don’ts:
Highlight. Research shows highlighting your material doesn’t significantly improve your ability to remember. Instead, write everything down. No note cards? No problem. Just putting pen to paper involves your brain in a more physical activity that’s similar to working out – you’re not going to see great results in the gym if all you do is take the stairs. More vigorous studying means a better memory, which means making the Dean’s List, which means scholarships! Psych out over everything you have to do. Sure, you’ve got that final in Microeconomics, and are thinking about all of that will definitely send your head into an anxious blob. You’re going to have to schedule and plan out what’s most urgent with least, and then break down your studying chunks even further. We recommend doing this on paper, as it’s easy to see and can quietly loom over your head while you sleep. Listen to music with lyrics. Researchers at Stanford conducted a study where students often were confused over material they knew because they were trying to decipher the lyrics in their heads. A quiet, distraction-free space is key to snagging As.
The ‘War on Christmas’ Stephen D’Abreau Columnist The War on Christmas has nothing to do with Starbucks. The real political battle for Christmas is over the soul of the celebration and the spirit of the season, and the enemy is consumerism and social isolation. It doesn’t matter if you are Jewish, atheist, Christian, or anything else; the holiday season is celebrated by many and, as a result, threatens an entire culture. First, let’s know our enemy: consumerism, the socioeconomic philosophy of building a society around the consumer desires, acquisition of material goods and empowering the capitalist market forces in our society via “giving the consumer what they want.” The problem isn’t capitalism or the free market, but rather the shallow, selfish and materialistic culture derived from the economic world we live in. Social isolation is also a result of the economic boom of the holiday season, stemming from the overload of work and stress that accompany December. Stress — it must sound familiar to final exam season right? We are encouraged, almost by necessity, to stress out, lock ourselves away and toil in isolation. Our reward? Shallow materialistic culture and maybe a fleeting sense of “Christmas cheer.” This is not what Christmas is about, and I don’t mean this as a platitude. I mean this theologically. The Gospel of Matthew states, “(For I was hungry, naked, sick, and a stranger… and you fed, clothed, visited and welcomed me) …Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee… and when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee … ?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’” If Christmas is about Christ, one major demand of Christ is to honor him with selflessness, kindness, compassion and giving — not isolation and materialistic pursuits. Even if you aren’t a Christian, surely the message for the season still resonates. The soul of Christmas is giving — it’s about compassion to the poor and kindness to the stranger. I encourage anyone who reads this to take this message to heart. This holiday season, whatever you celebrate, endeavor to go outside yourself. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate clothes to the homeless, carol at a hospital or give a present to a less fortunate stranger. The only way to combat the stressful, selfish and isolating forces in this war is to fight back with selfless, joyful and outgoing pursuits. To my fellow Christians, I add this: when people say “keep Christ in Christmas,” don’t take this as platitude of the faith — make your faith alive this season by your deeds and honor Christ this Christmas. sdabrea1@kent.edu
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The Kent Stater
Sports
SPORTS EDITOR: STEPHEN MEANS // SMEANS2@KENT.EDU
Kent State rolls to second consecutive lopsided win Nick Buzzelli Sports Reporter
Clint Datchuk / The Kent Stater Kent State freshman guard Mitch Peterson shoots a layup after gathering the offensive rebound against Grambling State University on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at the M.A.C. Center.
With Kent State holding a 17-point advantage early in the second half against Niagara University, senior Jimmy Hall was charged with a foul, his third of the game, while battling for a loose ball on the defensive end. On the ensuing possession, after the Purple Eagles collected six consecutive offensive rebounds, Hall was once again whistled for a foul, prompting head coach Rob Senderoff to take his leading scorer and star player out of the game. Realizing his team was without its captain, sophomore Adonis De La Rosa understood that he had to step up in Hall’s absence and, as a result, the sophomore center netted nine of his 13 points and six of his eleven rebounds in the final 20 minutes of play en route to Kent State’s (6-3) 10072 blowout win over Niagara (2-7) Wednesday night at the M.A.C. Center. “I know Jimmy’s our leader and he picked up four quick ones and I know I had to step up and coach (Senderoff) subbed me in for him and I knew I had to pick up the slack,” said De La Rosa, who’s in his first season with the program. “So far, I think this was my best game.” Despite beginning the first nine minutes of the contest with what Senderoff said was “as good as we can do defensively,” by holding Niagara to 1-of-15 shooting for four points, Kent State’s defense softened after that point. The team enabled the Purple Eagles to score 24 points during the
final 9:50 of the first half to cut the deficit to 15 at halftime. “Our defensive mindset was great to start the game. There’s a couple things we saw that we knew we had to guard well, certain actions. And the first 10 minutes of the game was as good as we could do defensively,” said Senderoff, who’s in his seventh season as head coach. “I didn’t think the last 10 minutes of the first half was great but, at the end of the day, if you can hold a team to 36 percent shooting, that’s pretty good.” Niagara used a 10-0, capped off by a Shane Gatling jump shot, to cut the deficit to 12. But Kent State’s offensive bombardment continued during the game’s final 11:47, scoring 36 points during that stretch to secure the win and marking the first time since 2003 that the Flashes scored 100 or more points twice in a season. While Kent State has dominated its opponents at home this season — winning all four games by an average of 35.8 points — Senderoff said he doesn’t anticipate that Saturday’s game against New Jersey Institute of Technology will be as easy as the wins over Grambling State and Niagara were. “I think each of these games ... becomes harder. As we go on in this month, I think each game will be tougher than the last game,” he said. “We’ve played well the last two nights. By no stretch is that a sure that we’re going to play well Saturday. We just have to come with the right mindset, which I think we have.” nbuzzel1@kent.edu
Fall sports take home postseason honors
Stephen Means Sports Editor
Kent State’s athletic program has seen a multitude of student athletes receive postseason honors for both their performances as a student and an athlete throughout the fall semester. Junior Ines Delpech became the 11th player in Kent State field hockey history to be named Longstreth/NFHCA All-American when she received third team honors. Delph helped the Flashes to a 14-7 record, including a 6-0 conference record and a Mid-American Conference championship. She, along with senior Madison Thompson, earned AllRegion honors. Both were two of eight players named to the Academic All-MAC team. The field hockey team won the MAC for the third straight season and eventually lost to No. 19 American University, 2-1, in the first round of the NCAA
Tournament. The Flashes’ soccer team saw four players named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Regions team. Senior Jenna Hellstrom — who was also the first player in program history to be named an All-American — was named first team, and senior Abbie Lawson was named second team. Redshirt junior Donavan Capehart and sophomore Ashleah McDonald were named to third team. Hellstrom was also named MAC Offensive Player of the Year and first team MAC All-Tournament team. The soccer team finished the season with a program record 15-3-2 (8-1-2 MAC), including a 13-game unbeaten streak, winning both the regular season and tournament conference championship. They saw off season of to an end in the first round of the NCAA tournament in a 3-0 loss to No. 21 Northwestern University. On the football field, four Flashes took
home All-MAC honors. Seniors Terence Waugh and Najee Murray were named first team All-MAC, while junior Jerrell Foster earned second team honors. Junior Jon Cunningham was named to third team. Senior Nick Cuthbert was one of three linebacker selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team with a 3.97 grade point average. The football team finished the year at 3-9 (2-6 MAC). Kent State’s volleyball team saw eight of its players earn academic All-MAC honors. Senior Drew Norberg, juniors Kelsey Bittinger, Challen Geraghty, Amber Gerdeman and Brittney Kakscht; sophomores Sam Jones and Lexi Mantas and redshirt freshman Darby Connors were each among 78 studentathletes to receive the honor. The Flashes finished the year at 15-15 (8-8 MAC) and lost to the University of Toledo in Alyssa Keown/ The Kent Stater the first round of the conference tournament. Kent State Berta Jover Llorens and her midfield teammate Silvia Figa Malgosa fight for the ball during a field hockey game
smeans2@kent.edu against Saint Francis University on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016.
Poole starts, shines against Wright State in road victory Henry Palattella Sports Reporter Kent State freshman guard Ali Poole made the most of her first start of her collegiate career Wednesday, scoring 19 points to help lead the Flashes (4-4) to a 79-69 road victory over Wright State University (4-3). Poole got the Flashes going with her hot start, as 14 of her 19 points came in the first half. She also rewrote her season-script in regards to three-point shooting. She finished a perfect five-of-five from beyond the arc. Poole came into the game shooting only 19 percent from behind the arc. Senior guard Larissa Lurken had another great game for the Flashes, as she dropped in 23 points and added six rebounds in the win. Meanwhile, junior forward Jordan Korinek finished the game with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. The Flashes jumped out to an early lead off of an early three-pointer from Poole, but the lead was surrendered after Wright State's junior forward Lexi Smith scored four straight points to give the Raiders their first lead. It proved to be their only lead, as Korinek scored on a layup two possessions later to give the Flashes the lead for good. The Flashes held a modest 20-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, but then outscored the Raiders 22-9 in the second quarter to go into half-time up 42-22. The Flashes dominated the third quarter as well, going into the fourth quarter up 66-44, but the Raiders went on an 11-0 run early in the second quarter and made it 69-61 with 2:30 left. Wright State forced the Kent State lead down to 74-69 with 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but the Flashes were able to knock down late free-throws and hold off the late run. Junior guard Chelsea Welch led the Raiders with 21 points, while sophomore guard Symone Simmons and Smith each chipped in with 18 and 11 points, respectively. The Flashes will be back in action Saturday afternoon when they take on Youngstown State University in the first game of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. in the M.A.C. Center. hpalatte@kent.edu
Austin Mariasy / The Kent Stater Kent State redshirt freshman guard Megan Carter drives to the basket during a game against Fort Wayne on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in the M.A.C. Center.
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STATER SCRAMBLE
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Professor advocates for women's rights through Clinton course Lydia Taylor Administration Reporter As a young girl, Kent State women's studies professor Suzanne Holt felt as though she had a mission in life — a wish to go out and save the world — but wasn’t quite sure what that mission was until she was 10 years old. “There was the civil rights movement that was happening on television and ... you saw people marching,” Holt said. “It occurred to me that in order to get what I had, some people had to beg and fight. It didn’t sit right with me and I hadn’t really begun to think about what that meant for me as a girl in the world that I was going to, at some point, fight my own fights.” Sheryl Holt, Suzanne Holt’s twin sister, said Suzanne was always the kind of person whom people would confide in, and she would always be there for those who needed to hear her perspective. “She was always the more confident person with an idea,” Sheryl said. “She demands that people speak from an authentic place. She was always the kind of person people needed to talk to, including myself. She’s my best friend.” When Holt and Sheryl were young, they grew up in an progressive home in Sebring, Ohio, and loved to play sports of all kinds: basketball, softball, soccer and almost anything that involved athleticism and fun. Once they entered school, they realized there were hardly any sports for women and how frowned upon it was to play sports as a girl. Holt started to experience the disparity in treatment between men and women. “It never occurred to me at the time that women were treated differently,” Holt said. “I went from this childhood of innocence and all of a sudden, I had this major question of ‘Why?’ Why were women being treated differently than men?” Once Holt reached adulthood, she realized it was not just a calling for her to be an advocate for women’s rights — amongst other issues — but a way of life. “I’ve always sort of been the defender of the underdog,” Holt said. “I feel like how I got into women’s studies was a complete fluke, but what it allowed me to do was help me navigate my way through the path I always knew I had and wanted to explore.” Through women’s studies, she took her passion that she built over time, serving as an advocate for women. Recently, she decided to create a new course at Kent State based off of a woman that
Zac Popik / The Kent Stater Suzanne Holt at her home in Kent, Ohio, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016. Holt is the director of women’s studies and will teach the course, “Hillary Clinton Case Study: Perspectives on Gender and Power” this spring.
influenced her: Hillary Clinton. “When she ran the first time, I found her fascinating,” Suzanne Holt said. ”The more people started to pick on her, I kept asking myself, ‘What? What’s the deal?’ One of my strong convictions about us as a species is that in our conversation, we seem to be talking about one thing, but we’re actually talking about ourselves.” The Spring 2017 course, “Hillary Clinton Case Study: Perspectives on Gender and Power,” aims to delve even further into the reasoning as to why Clinton was treated differently compared to other presidential nominees, as well as spark discourse in regards to the difference in treatment with women, compared to men in society as a whole. “It’s important to discuss these things because … we were consistently moving forward in the election and didn’t have time to slow down and talk about it,” Holt said. “Now, we can actually look back on all the factors of the election." Holt wants students in the new course to form their own opinions and thoughts around as to what exactly happened during the election, and why Clinton was treated the way she was compared
to Trump or any other candidate running against her, she said. Junior music major Destiny Sabo said she took Holt’s Women’s Colloquium class, where Holt inspired her to look more in-depth at the details of the disparity between genders. She plans on taking the Clinton course next semester. “The class I took with her was mainly discussion-based. She was very respectable and always ready to consider the opinions or input of different views,” Sabo said. “I consider myself a feminist, but I never realized how much the ingrained sexism of our society had taken a toll on me — especially considering the election. People hold women to a much higher standard than men.” Outside of her focus on women’s studies, Holt enjoys her time with her three dogs — Ruthie, Thelma and Wabbit — walking them on campus and meeting students, as well as having fun with her three nieces. “She’s amazing with my children,” Sheryl said. “It’s funny because when they were little, they couldn’t pronounce her name. So, they shortened it to ‘Loving Aunt Zan,’ and that’s one of the ways I would describe my sister as: loving.” ltaylo49@kent.edu
Republican students go against the political grain Brooke Forrest Politics Reporter After coming to college at Kent State, Sophia Witt became interested in politics. She was on her own for the first time and discovered she didn’t actually have the same beliefs that she had grown up with. She didn’t share her mother’s liberal views; Witt was Republican. At first, the senior communication studies major didn’t want to identify as a Republican because of some of the negative stereotypes. But after getting involved in various conservative political groups including the National Rifle Association and the pro-life movement, she believed that some of her initial feelings may have been wrong. “Within this party that I’ve aligned myself with, I’ve met so many diverse people — more than I’ve probably met within any (other) cause," Witt said. "It’s not what I thought it was.” Even though her perception of the party changed, Witt found that others were not so welcoming to her Republican affiliation. “My mom took it very poorly. (She) actually stopped talking to me for a while. We stopped talking for ... a year,” Witt said. “On holidays — my birthday — I didn’t hear from her. We stopped completely talking because she’s very liberal and she hated my politics and where I was standing on the (political) spectrum." Witt said she was raised extremely liberal and didn't care much for politics. “I didn’t really understand it and I didn’t really want to get involved because it felt like another way to separate people," she said. Republicans of Kent State Many Republicans on-campus view the university as a very stereotypically liberal college. With the recent election being one of the more divisive ones to date, some conservative students have chosen to keep a low profile. “I would say you have a lot of closet Repub-
licans on this campus. Unfortunately, we’ve created a culture — especially in this recent election — where it’s been deemed uncool or wrong or isolated to call yourself a Republican,” said Jennifer Hutchinson, a senior political science major and president of College Republicans. “I think people are scared honestly to say that they are with this party. They might agree with us on economics, foreign policy or tax reforms, but they are afraid to say they support this party because their fellow peers, teachers, family or whoever are going to put them into this little box of someone who isn’t tolerant of any and all other people,” Hutchinson said. “That’s very unfortunate because — in college — it’s supposed to be an atmosphere of open dialogue (and) open discussion.” Isabella Diorio, sophomore fashion design major, has experienced some of the fear of being openly Republican at Kent State. “A lot of people just don’t want to say anything because they are afraid they’ll get targeted and questioned on their beliefs,” Diorio said. Diorio voted for Republican President elect Donald Trump. She has avoided discussing politics or being open about her support of Trump, especially because most of her friends in Kent are Democrats. “We kind of stray away from anything politically-oriented in our conversations because we know we’ll fight ... it’s already happened a couple of times,” Diorio said. “Sometimes it gets really heated and we fight a lot about it. But it just kind of encourages me to continue to stand up for what I believe in.” For a number of young Republicans on campus, they feel a divide between some of the “accepted beliefs” on campus and the assumption of what republicans believe. “There has been this stigma and this misconception that has been created about the Republican Party where, if you say you are a member, you are now labeled a racist, a bigot, homopho-
bic — you name it, especially this presidential year. Not that those people don’t exist. But that isn’t the Republican Party,” Hutchinson said. “I think the bigger challenge is trying to break down some of those barriers." Hutchinson said the College Republicans are trying to show people that "there's a new wave, a new generation, a new way of thinking within the Republican Party. Despite feeling like a minority on campus, the Kent State College Republicans was named the No. 1 College Republican chapter in Ohio by Sen. Rob Portman, according to Hutchinson. The College Republicans have also made strides in creating a more inclusive environment and facilitating more open dialogue, in part by partnering groups like PRIDE! Kent and the College Democrats for events, Hutchinson said. “I think a lot of young Republicans think very similarly with our fellow students of any party on a lot of the social issues, including gay marriage and, for some, pro-life,” Hutchinson said. “(The) Republican (Party isn't) the black and white party that it used to be.” A red and blue divide Despite some work for bipartisanship, some student Republicans on campus still feel that they will not be accepted by their Democratic peers. “I think this is the most polarizing election we’ve ever had,” Witt said. “You can’t say ‘I’m a Republican’ or ‘I voted for Donald Trump.’ You can’t say those things because you will get attacked and you do receive a lot of backlash for it. It’s very sad.” Witt voted for Trump, and is both frustrated and fearful about the response she has seen from her peers. “I think that it is very unfair that I voted for someone in this country that most people voted for, and I can’t express that because I could lose people I call my friends," Witt said. “And I don’t want to have things come between us with this election."
Who a person voted for shouldn't determine whether or not someone likes you, Witt said. "I know people who were in relationships and they broke up because their significant other voted for the person they don’t like," she said. Politics post-election Even though Republicans won not only the presidency, but numerous other seats this year, many young Republicans on campus are still feeling unsure about their future in politics, especially on a college campus. Hutchinson is optimistic that different political groups can work together and strive for inclusivity, but said “that inclusivity has to go both ways.” “We saw that in this election. We saw people who felt isolated and not included in a certain atmosphere or bubble that was created — not just on campuses, but everywhere," she said." But that is so dangerous, especially for future generations that conversation (have) to be there." Hutchinson said she encourages people to keep the conversation open. Any perception, stigma or preconceived notions a person thinks they have or think they now about, she said, "Somebody (should) tear it down." For some Kent State student Republicans, the fear of judgement is still a major concern — especially as many people from both sides are feeling fear and anger. “It’s scary to me because I’ve seen what it’s like to lose your mom over politics," Witt said. "I have seen the effect of politics." While she and her mother are mending their relationship, Witt still worries that politics has become too much of a driving factor in relationships. “You are not your politics. That’s not all you are, and I think it’s important that we get that across,” Witt said. “I think that people can be people. What’s so great about democracy is that we don’t have to agree on things and ... still (be able to) live amongst each other.” bforres3@kent.edu
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