The Kent Stater - Jan.19-22, 2017 by The Kent Stater

The

Kent Stater 1/19 – 1/22

LOCAL VOCALS A closer look at Kent’s music scene

Features Edition

THE WEEKEND GUIDE TO ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND STUDENT LIFE

Local band A Sense of Purpose performs at Euro Gyro in downtown Kent on Friday. Zachary Popik / The Kent Stater

Music venues Students find lyrical outlets cater to local as aspiring rap artists community Erin Zaranec Features Correspondent

Erin Zaranec Features Correspondent Most students don’t start their weekend strolls into downtown Kent until long after the sun has set, often times preparing for a night of drinking with friends. Before the chaos of a Kent Saturday night occurs, some downtown bars are used as music venues for the local Kent community. Water Street Tavern and Venice Cafe, both owned by Mike Beder, commonly host local musicians for community entertainment. “The majority of music I book is to attract a community crowd. It's been my experience that the community supports live music more than students,” Beder said. “I usually have my music end at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. so it doesn't interfere with the late night college crowd. The jukebox, a DJ or even our playlists suits them fine.” Water Street Tavern hosts themed music nights, like Weekly Wednesday Blues. For Tuesday nights, better known as Ladies Night to the student crowd, the Tavern sticks to DJs instead of live music. For Venice Cafe, Wednesday nights allow for local talent to take the stage during weekly open mic nights. The Cafe recently added jazz band DanJO as a weekly staple, giving Tuesday nights in the Cafe a laid-back, jazz bar feel. “(When booking artists), I consider who the audience is that I'm looking to attract and book accordingly,” Beder said. “I look to see who their audience is on social media, where else they play and how they draw.”

SEE MUSIC / PAGE 2 Upcoming Local Music Friday, Jan. 20 The Lenny Paul Band at Water Street Tavern

Friday, Jan. 20 Old Skool at Bar 145

Saturday, Jan. 21

Night Prowler (AC/DC tribute band) at The Outpost Concert Club

Friday, Jan. 27 Last Rebel Planet at Bar 145

Saturday, Jan. 28

Ritch Underwood and his Monopoly at Venice Cafe

‘‘

We have a bunch of legit rappers, singers and DJs that really take the craft seriously. I haven't seen it to this extent at any other Ohio college or university.”

“In the best of ways / we ain’t even seen the best of days / that’s why I pray, that’s why I’m rappin’ like a holiday / that’s probably why I got so much to say.” As mentioned in the lyrics of his first single of 2017, “New Genesis,” senior Pan-African studies major Zac Thomas has a lot to say — and he finds that he best voices his thoughts while rapping. Thomas may be the name called during class attendance, but Zac 1st is the name heard in live performances, on singles and in the studio. “I consider my music my life. My soul documentary, my autobi— Zac Thomas ography. It’s all about me — my life, and my growth in life, as well as my music,” Thomas said. “These are all my 3 a.m. thoughts, my responses to media in that moment and anything that moves me to speak aloud on the topic.” The 23-year-old was paving the way for this music career from age 5, taking inspiration from his uncle Anthony Henderson, better known as Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Surrounded by musical talent from a young age, Thomas, then a kindergartener, began rapping and singing into karaoke machines and playing it back to himself — all while learning his ABCs. “When I took it to school and people told me I was good at it, I never stopped,” Thomas said. “It got real in 10th grade when I got in a professional studio and saw what I could do.” While the majority of his songs exist as singles, Thomas released “Zasquiat,” a seven song EP, in August 2015. “After years of trying to find myself, musically and as a person, I have come up with this piece. Past the views of others, past current trends, past doubt. I have decided to talk about what’s happening. Right here, on our back porches. It gets deep ya’ll. I really just want you all to take a trip through my exact mind,” Thomas wrote on AudioMack, describing his first EP. Kent State senior Pan-African studies major Zac Thomas. Submitted Photo

SEE RAP/ PAGE 2

Kent band Hello Weekend works through lineup changes Jenna Kuczkowski General Assignment Editor

Kent venues such as Euro Gyro, the Outpost Concert Club and the now-closed Stone Tavern. Formed in 2012, the once five-piece band recently went through a lineup change that reduced Long practices, crazy shows and lots of cafthem to a four-piece. Hello Weekend is made up feine are some of the things that make local popof vocalist Zach McCulley, bassist Jonah Onuska, punk band Hello Weekend tick. guitarist Jae Hamilton and drummer Ayo Oduwole. Its high-energy performances have resonated in It was due to new job opportunities, McCulley said, that rhythm guitarist George Baran decided to part ways with the group. Without Baran in the band, the rest of Hello Weekend is busy re-working songs to better fit the new lineup. “Right now we're trying to figure out which parts that George played that we need to keep in the song, that a single guitarist can play, while also sounding as close as we can get it to how it was,” McCulley said. Despite the challenge of reconstructing the majority of Ayo Oduwole, a drummer for Kent-based Hello Weekend, performs onstage during their songs, all the band members agree that there are some a show at Mahalls’ in Lakewood, Ohio, on Sunday, June 12,2016. upsides of the change. Jenna Kuczkowski / The Kent Stater

“It’s been difficult but I think it allows us to focus on different aspects of the music we never thought about before,” Onuska said. The band said they drew a lot of its early influence from bands like Green Day and Blink-182, but now say bands like Four Year Strong will influence their writing. McCulley said he has always thought of the band as being pop-punk while also having hardcore elements. He believes that even without Baran, the style of the band won't be altered. “Obviously our sound will change a little bit since we don't have that fifth creative mind in the band,” Oduwole said. “Wires will have to connect differently and we’ll have to find new ways to work around not having a rhythm guitarist.” During its time as a band, all the members have had to face challenges not unlike this before with things like equipment getting stolen or damaged, or just finding time for the band with everyone's different schedules. In the end though, the entire band said they feel it's worth it because they love what they do. “We’re not in this to get big, we play music and do all this because it's fun and we like to,” McCulley said.

SEE HELLO / PAGE 2

Page 2 | Thursday, January 19, 2017

The Kent Stater

From Page 1

RAP

HELLO

Students find lyrical outlets ...

Kent band Hello Weekend ...

While Thomas is currently in his senior year, he would hesitate to label himself as a student before a musician. “I definitely focus a lot more on music than on schoolwork. I’m not ashamed to say that because, well, it’s my passion,” Thomas said. “I still make sure I’m on top of my business in school, too, though.” While he may spend more time perfecting lyrics than perfecting homework assignments, Thomas does take the time to make sure some of his pieces can be educational, using his voice to speak on social issues. “My music is experimental. I like to try many different sounds from smooth to hype, from lyrical to vibey. But I always make sure I talk about real life. What's real, what I'm really dealing with and my people,” Thomas said. “As a Pan-African studies major, I like to use my music, in a lot of cases, as a form of black activism.” Thomas is not currently signed, but works with music group BE$T REGARDS. The group is currently working on becoming an LLC, or limited liability company. Thomas always writes his own lyrics, but works with Cleveland rapper Kirk Stillz for the beats behind his words. All of his songs are produced by Matt Maunus at Top of the World Studios in Parma. “I literally am a music machine. 100 percent of the day, I’m either looking for producers, finding beats, writing music or listening to music,” Thomas said. “In fact, I have about 120 songs created in my phone that I got in December. It’s literally my passion.” His passion has taken him from the classroom to the stage, performing in venues around Cleveland, Akron and Columbus. Upon graduation in May, Thomas hopes to begin travelling more for performances. For now, his music thrives in Kent. “I think the musical talent at Kent is crazy and slept on,” Thomas said. “We have a bunch of legit rappers, singers and DJs that really take the craft seriously. I haven't seen it to this extent at any other Ohio college or university.” The rap and hip-hop scene at Kent State may be one of the university’s best kept secrets, but it’s one that allows students to express themselves in a creative outlet. “This the only way that you’ll ever see the real me / This the only way that you’ll ever see the real me.” Sophomore marketing major Maxwell Wolford’s voice fades off on his October single entitled “The Real Me,” haunting the listener at the end of the track. Similar to Thomas, Wolford finds rapping is the best way to be heard. Working with other Kent State rappers like SAV, Hauzzy and Chris Blaire, Wolford has integrated himself into a scene that is otherwise still underground. “I never would've known (about the Kent rap scene) if I didn't directly meet them to discover (it). That's where the underground aspect comes into play," Wolford said. "There is so much talent here, but there is no buzz on campus because there isn't a place for people to hear all that we put out regularly. As of now, social media is the biggest platform." Wolford, who writes his own lyrics but currently relies on pre-recorded beats from other artists, finds the balance between student and artist to be an uneven one as well. Like many other artists, his craft oftentimes comes before his schoolwork. “It's tough without a doubt. Whenever I have about two hours-plus of downtime from school work and/or studying, I record, find beats and think of concepts,” Wolford said. “Most of the time I wait until my school work is finished, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't put my music first a good amount of the time.” Wolford began his music career at 10, growing up in a musically inclined family where he was “basically tossed in a family band” from birth. The traditional college experience entails taking courses that prepare you for a future career. For Kent’s creative artists, coursework is simply a distraction between studio sessions.

The band said show nights are especially fun for them not only because they get to perform, but because they also get a chance to hear new bands, catch up with friends and even meet some new people in the process, which is one reason Oduwole believes local music brings people together in a lot of ways. Before each show, the band said that they agreed that while they are confident in their ability to put on a good show, they still will get pre-show jitters. “Right before every show I'm always

ezaranec@kent.edu

From Page 1

MUSIC Music venues cater to local ... For both establishments, Beder said there is a noticeable increase in both crowds and sales during live music performances. With the Stone Tavern closing in July 2016, The Kent Stage took over the downtown music scene as the only venue that exclusively hosts live performances.

filled with adrenaline and I’ll even get the shakes sometimes," Hamilton said. "But once I start playing everything just seems to flow." Typically, the band plays around Kent and Northeast Ohio, but Hamilton said they’ve traveled to places in Pennsylvania as well as New York to play. While venue shows are fun for the band, McCulley said basement shows in houses shine in their own way. “I really like basement shows and how intimate they are,” McCulley said. “And also because people are actually there to see local bands instead of there to just wait for the headlining band to play.” McCulley said the only downside to basement shows is one aspect often taken for granted: head space. Consider-

ing how much the members of the band jump around, ample space is important. Right now, the band is working on recording a new self-titled EP this March that will include three to four songs made up of mostly new material but also one or two re-worked old songs. After the EP, the band plans to release a full album later this year. “We’ve been writing a lot lately and have two more songs nearly finished on top of the ones we wrote for the EP,” McCulley said. Hello Weekend’s next show will be on Feb. 18 at The Foundry Concert Club in Lakewood with The City of Sirens, Settle Your Scores and many other bands.

For 90 years, The Kent Stage has hosted local, regional and national musicians and live performances. “Aside from being the largest music venue in Kent with 642 seats, it’s award-winning acoustics, the quality of acts and the number of concerts per year,” said Thomas Simpson, founder of The Kent Stage. “We have a tremendous reputation both within the musician’s world and among fans of great music. 92 percent of our customers are visitors to Kent.” The Kent Stage is also home to the Children’s Musical Theatre of Kent,

Standing Rock’s International Short Film Festival, Kent Paranormal Weekend and Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings. “While most of the folk, blues, legendary Rock Hall and doo wop acts tend to attract more community members, jam bands, hip-hop acts, local rock bands, the Ghost Walk and, of course, Rocky Horror attract a good number of college students," Simpson said. "A lot of times we have multi-generations of the same family at a concert.”

jkuczkow@kent.edu

ezaranec@kent.edu

Grievance Club stays close to home while gaining notoriety

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Kevin Cappy, vocalist and bassist of The Grievance Club, performs onstage during a show at Mahalls’ on Saturday. Jenna Kuczkowski

Jenna Kuczkowski General Assignment Editor A vintage, neon bowling pin sign marks the doorway to Mahall’s, a local bowling alley and concert club in Lakewood. Late Saturday evening The Grievance Club played a show in Mahall’s dimly-lit side room, uniquely decorated with random chandeliers, disco balls and a small wooden stage with large amounts of streamers. The Grievance Club, based in Kent, is self-described as a post-hardcore punk band with melodic undertones. They got their start in 2013 and are influenced by bands like Such Gold, Thrice and The Early November. Right now the band is made up of Harrison Mills, guitarist and vocalist; Kevin Cappy, bassist and vocalist; Steve Perrino, guitarist; and Dan Roberts, drummer. “They all knew each other and were high school friends before becoming a band except for me," Cappy said. "I met them through mutual friends and by going to shows and eventually we started the Grievance Club." That night, The Grievance Club was performing with the bands If Only and Pianos Become the Teeth. “We were really excited about the lineup we're playing with tonight,” Mills said. “We've known the guys in

If Only for a while now and they’re so talented, and Pianos Become Teeth are one of our collective favorite bands.” Mills and Cappy both had their favorite shows but said collectively a big highlight show for the band was when they opened for Knuckle Puck just over a year ago in Cleveland at the Agora. “I just remember it being one of the biggest shows we've ever played and it being very overwhelming,” Cappy said. “It was extremely packed and it finally felt like the start of something really meaningful to us. It was also the first show we played where we really felt the biggest presence out of the crowd and it was something really special for me." The Grievance Club’s performance Saturday night seemed to mimic that same feeling. The high energy of the band was infectious; it spread to the crowd who was moved by the impact of the sound and seemed to reflect the band's energy right back at them. There wasn’t a moment during their set that the entire front row standing next to the stage wasn’t jumping around and shouting lyrics right back at the band. The band was recently featured in Alternative Press Magazine, most like-

ly because of their strong dedication to music. “Getting featured was pretty exciting for us,” Mills said. “Obviously we're not the only ones in the feature, but we grew up reading AP and they were one of the primary means for all of us for finding out news within the scene we felt connected to.” After the release of their most recent seven song EP "Being of Sound Body & Unsound Mind" in late 2016, the band is now focusing on writing new music and getting touring plans set up. “We’ve already started to write new material but right now our number 1 priority is to begin touring plans in the next few months and getting a van,” Mills said. Although future music release plans aren't well developed right now, the band said they plan on releasing a new full length in the near future. “We’ve kind of made an unwritten law that we should never stop writing,” Cappy said. “When your writing process is stagnated, your whole band is stagnated.” The Grievance Club will have its next show on Feb. 17 at Now That’s Class in Lakewood and will be performing with Dead Fall, Like Tyrants, Colorblind and Nervous Laughter. jkuczkow@kent.edu

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Opinion

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Opinion Editor: Lucas Misera Senior Editor: Karl Schneider Diversity Editor: McKenzie Jean-Phillipe Sports Editor: Henry Palattella Assigning Editor: Jack Kopanski

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 Stypinski named MAC Gymnast of the Week Scott Lendak Sports Reporter

Kent State junior gymnast Rachel Stypinski was named Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week Tuesday after a dominant individual performance at the Ohio State University last Saturday.

Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... surviving the first week of the spring semester. Jeers to ... wildlife. Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos argued that one justification for schools loosening restrictions on guns is – in the case of Wyoming schools – the threat of grizzly bears.

Why fake news is fake news Stephen D’Abreau Columnist For a couple months now, corporate media outlets such as CNN have been pushing this narrative of so called “fake news.” I hope that most people understand this as a wild goose chase and temper-tantrum from a dying corporate controlled media industry. National polls have rated “trust in the media” at historic lows. Gallup reports that people reporting they have at least a “fair amount of trust” in the media is at 32 percent, the absolute lowest in Gallup history since they started polling this data in the early 1970s. Traditional television is also losing viewership as competition from YouTube, Netflix and other entertainment outlets continues to grow. The cellulose newspaper has been dying for years, and this is no new trend. The media landscape is shifting. Corporations like Comcast and Time Warner are trying to respond to this shift by painting their competitors as unreliable and “fake.” Of course, actual humans like you and me have known “fake news” by a different name: Clickbait. It is the cyber yellow journalism with all the authenticity of “hot singles in YOUR area looking to hook up” whose stories don’t stand up to the scrutiny of when you just Google it. Anyone who understands the internet knows the typical scams and shams, and while they can cause problems when the headlines circulate around Twitter or Facebook, they die out quick. My annoyance at some Facebook friend’s grandma reposting an Onion article as if it is a fact, is neither groundbreaking journalism from CNN, nor is the type of thing that brings forth any new world order or change in the tides. What people weren’t prepared for is Clickbait and salacious gossip being picked up by major networks. When CNN, an established bulwark of televised journalism, starts talking about a president-elect being caught with Russian prostitutes in a story with no corroborated evidence for such claim – a story that literally came from Buzzfeed – people simply stop trusting the media networks. When The Huffington Post predicts a 98.2 percent likelihood of a Hillary Clinton victory, people start to wonder if they are being lied to, or if the Huffington Post actually doesn’t know as much as readers think. I watched CNN for election night coverage, but was able to see Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos call states over social media for the president-elect a full hour before CNN did. In summation, what I’m really saying is the narrative of “fake news” is actually, well, fake news. Clickbait has been around for a long time; sure it’s annoying, but it’s not new or as dangerous as many are trying to paint it. The issue I see is that the media networks are less concerned with facts and journalism, and more concerned with creating, pushing and maintaining narratives, like the ‘fake news” narrative. They have lowered their standards to that of Buzzfeed and Breitbart, now wondering why they command the authority befitting such an organization. I hope the next generation of journalists and writers can bring integrity back to the networks, because anyone who claims that the networks haven’t lost their credibility is pushing a narrative. That’s the real fake news. sdabrea1@kent.edu

As Donald Trump prepared to give his final speech of his presidency, I was reminded of a similar (sort of) speech just a few years back featuring our former president, Barack Obama. The aforementioned speech took place in January 2017 when Obama delivered his farewell address as president in his adoptive hometown of Chicago. It was vintage Obama: a masterful display of grace, humor and humility in a time when most people began believing those values were no longer necessary for everyday life. It was somber, accompanied with laughs and tears as Obama thanked his wife, Michelle and former vice president Joe Biden. If both of those relationships aren’t great examples of #rela-

As Poe puts it:

Trump’s farewell speech a reminder of preposterous four years Matt Poe Columnist As Donald Trump prepared to give his final speech of his presidency, I was reminded of a similar (sort of) speech just a few years back featuring our former president, Barack Obama. The aforementioned speech took place in January 2017 when Obama delivered his farewell address as president in his adoptive hometown of Chicago. It was vintage Obama: a masterful display of grace, humor and humility in a time when most people began believing those values were no longer necessary for everyday life. It was somber, accompanied with laughs and tears as Obama thanked his wife, Michelle and former vice president Joe Biden. If both of those relationships aren’t great examples of #relationship goals, then I don’t know what is. Man, does that feel like a long time ago. But now it’s January 2021 and President Donald Trump just concluded his farewell speech as our 45th president. As we all know, His Orangeness was defeated in the general election by Democratic nominee Kanye West (he’s got his own issues, I know), but thankfully Kanye is turning most of his duties and powers over to his vice president, Bill Murray. Murray has already enacted legislation to ensure kegs and taco stands on every street corner and won’t discriminate against customer regardless of one’s liberal or conservative views. His decision to govern directly from the press box at Wrigley Field in Chicago may draw ire from conservatives (and White Sox fans) but it’s something we can manage. After all, we did just survive four years of a Trump presidency. Speaking of which, Trump’s farewell speech was much like his presidency: unpredictable, uncensored and inflammatory. Frankly, I knew it was going to be typical Trump when one CNN reporter, whom Trump still declared as fake news, asked him if his vision of “making America great again” truly transpired. “You believed that shtick?” Trump laughed as he downed a well-done Trump steak with a glass of Trump vodka. “That was just a ploy to get elected and garner some attention!” After finishing the 23-ounce ribeye, Trump then addressed the on-going relationship between the United States and Russia, which, if you recall, was a major talking point during the early years of his presidency. “Look, Russia is great, I love Russia, they’re really terrific,” Trump said as he swiped a chocolate bar out of a nearby five-year-old’s hand. “Putin and I are ter-

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses supporters at the IX Center in Cleveland on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. Clint Datchuk / The Kent Stater

rific friends, our relationship was great, just great, you know, he called me on the phone the other day and the conversation was terrific.” As most Americans remember, along with others around the world, Trump and his suspicious relationship with Russia finally came to light after the alleged hotel videotapes surfaced in early 2018. The release of the tape sparked the president to inconceivably continue to defend Putin and claim that “fake news” outlets like ABC and NBC leaked the video. Coupled with his tax returns that showed direct ties with Russian businesses, Trump felt obligated for one final jab at the media. “It’s terrible. It’s just awful the way the media works in this country,” Trump said while being bounced up and down on Putin’s knee. “It’s a shame that I just can’t say inflammatory things and get away with it. It’s dishonest and it’s sad.” After his closing remarks, which included stating that he would now retire to Florida and continue to cheat at golf, the Trump presidency ended with the same whimper it began. Somehow, we managed to avoid another world war. For that, I thank you former President Trump; it was the lone bright spot in an otherwise tension-filled four years. It was a long, tiresome couple of years for almost all of us but now, I’m spent and in need of some rest. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to leave my apartment for the local street corner where cold beer and some taco al pastor await me. mpoe3@kent.edu

The Obama legacy: ‘When they go low…’ Nicholas Hunter Columnist His eight years are almost up. Tomorrow, President Barack Obama steps down, and Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. In 7th grade, I recall sitting in world history class as the high school secretary announced that Arizona Sen. John McCain had won my high school mock presidential election. I was confused; Obama was so likable, and McCain was a grouchy old man. It turns out my family was Democratic in a Republican town. I previously hadn’t even thought about it. All I knew was that the adults around me were good people, and my friends were just my friends. Then, suddenly, my classmates had political affiliations. I spent the next six years hearing grumbles every time the name “Obama” was uttered, repeated jokes about his country of origin, the morality of his mixed race and his middle name, Hussein, being emphasized and spoken like a slur. Instead of joining in on the mockery, I only admired him more. The attitudes and words I experienced in high school were often an echo of the stories conservative media told about Obama. So while I knew that he wouldn’t know (or care) whether people from my town wanted to see his birth certificate, he was hearing then-businessman Donald Trump demand to see it. And he obliged. In April 2011, Obama released his birth certificate to the public. He also responded with humor to the situation; in May of that year at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the president played a clip from the movie “The Lion King” depicting the birth of Simba. After the clip, he said, “I want to make clear to the Fox News table that was a joke. That was not my real birth video. That was a children’s cartoon.” Obama’s remark after playing the clip was more than just a joke to poke at a conservative-leaning news organization; it was an example of how he handled the tenuous relationship that developed with conservatives both in the media and in Washington. As the election has come to pass and political tension is seemingly at an all-time high, Obama once again has elected to take the high road. As Republicans take control of the executive branch, Obama’s most notable accomplishment, the passing of the Affordable Care Act, is under threat of repeal. And instead of insisting that they leave it alone, during his farewell address last week he said, “(if) anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we’ve made to our health care system, that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it.” And this attitude is a common trend of Obama’s politics; he stuck to his guns when needed, but he could adapt. As he steps out of the Oval Office for the final time tomorrow with an above average approval rating of 60 percent, his legacy as president is still taking shape. It is hard to know whether history will be kind to a president who fell short of his goals — not necessarily because of incompetence, but due to an extremely high bar and even more extreme partisanship. But whether history is kind to Obama or not, he will always stand out to me as the standard-bearer for what respect and understanding looks like. nhunter6@kent.edu

Page 4 | Thursday, January 19, 2017

The Kent Stater

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR: HENRY PALATTELLA // HPALATTE@KENT.EDU

Women's basketball upends Western Michigan Henry Palattella Sports Editor The Achilles' heel of the women’s basketball team over the past couple years has been the fact that it has made a habit of digging itself into early holes that can’t be crawled out of. For the first 20 minutes of the Flashes’ game against Western Michigan Wednesday night, it looked like history was going to repeat itself. "Once again, this team is really doing a good job of making the right adjustments at halftime," coach Todd Starkey told Kent State Athletics after the game. "We were really struggling and were fortunate to go in at halftime down 11. We made some adjustments and ... They did a really good job of executing that."

But the Flashes (9-9, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) reversed history, coming back from an 11-point halftime deficit to upset Western Michigan (13-4, 4-2 Mid-American Conference). The Flashes clawed back into the game much in part to senior guard Larissa Lurken, who shone once again, scoring 13 of her 26 points in the second half to help put the Flashes on top. Junior forward McKenna Stephens stepped up with nine points, none of which were bigger than her three-pointer with over six minutes remaining that gave Kent a 64-63 lead. Freshman guard Ali Poole made easily her biggest bucket as a Flash with 4:36 left, as she made a layup that gave Kent a 57-55 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. Reigning MAC East player of the Week Jordan Korinek played well too, finishing with 15 points on

six of nine shooting, and she also started the game by scoring the Flashes first eight points. Senior guard Meredith Shipman led the Broncos with 21 points on seven made field goals, six of which were three-pointers. Sophomore Deja Wimby chipped in with 17 points of her own, but she also fouled out with just over a minute left. The Flashes’ biggest victory on the night came on the glass, as they outrebounded the Broncos 41 to 28 — 11 of which were grabbed by sophomore guard Merissa Barber-Smith. Barber-Smith only got better as the game went on, as 10 of her rebounds came in the fourth quarter. The Flashes will be back in action this Saturday when they welcome MAC West rival Toledo to the M.A.C. Center. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. hpalatte@kent.edu

Kent State sophomore forward Jordan Korinek pivots around a Northern Illinois defender at the M.A.C. Center on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2017. Nate Manley / The Kent Stater

Kent State’s Korinek named MAC East Player of the Week Samantha Ross Sports Reporter

Kent State senior forward Larissa Lurken drives into the lane against a Northern Illinios University player at the M.A.C Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. Nate Manley / The Kent Stater

Kent State forward Jordan Korinek is currently in the midst of her best season as a member of the Kent State basketball team: The junior is averaging 14.2 points per game and has emerged as the perfect complement to star guard Larissa Lurken. Korinek received recognition for her achievements Tuesday, as she was named MAC East Player of the Week. As of Wednesday, she has also been named the MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week. The honor is given to athletes who have preformed well in their respective sport and maintained above a

3.0 cumulative GPA. Korinek started her week off by scoring 26 points in the Flashes 98-97 loss to Northern Illinois University. But she earned the award in the Flashes 68-65 upset of divisionfavorite Ohio University this past weekend, finishing with a team-leading 24 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals. Korinek joins Lurken as the only Flashes to be named MAC East player of the week this season. Korinek currently sits at 903 career points, and could very well reach 1,000 career points by the end of the season. sross39@kent.edu

Thursday, January 19, 2017 | Page 5

The Kent Stater

THE

WEEKEND BUZZ

SATURDAY

FRIDAY Kent Inaugural Day Rally

Winter Blast

Real Late Reels

Men’s Basketball Game

Rain, snow or shine, join Democracy Ohio outside the M.A.C. Center for a rally designed to show support of liberty, freedom and justice no matter any political leanings. The event starts at noon, the first 50 attendees will get a free copy of the Constitution.

The Ice Arena will be host to more than a hockey game, for tonight at least. Horse and carriage rides, bonfires and s’mores will be offered between 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. at this Center for Student Involvement event.

The opening weekend showing is “War Dogs” starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller. The rest of the free series held in the KIVA on Fridays and Saturdays, features movies spanning a variety of genres, including true stories, dramas and blockbuster action flicks.

Find out what the mysterious new marketing campaign is all about at tonight’s home game against the University of Toledo. Marketing for the event has promoted a “brand new gameday” on social media, simply urging students to “be there.”