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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015
Provost’s message gives insight to negotiations, fact-finder selected
Officer says he told boy to show hands before fatal shots John Seewer Associated Press
A white Cleveland patrolman who shot a 12-year-old black boy carrying a pellet gun told investigators that he and his partner continuously yelled "show me your hands" before he fired the fatal shots, according to the officer's statement released by prosecutors Tuesday. The rookie officer said that Tamir Rice didn't obey his commands and that he saw the boy pulling a weapon out of his waist band. "I knew it was a gun and I knew it was coming out," officer Timothy Loehmann said in the statement given to investigators. It turned out Tamir was carrying a nonlethal, Airsoft-type gun that shoots plastic pellets when Loehmann shot him twice outside a recreation center on Nov. 22, 2014. He died a day later. A grand jury will decide if Loehmann or his field training officer should be charged criminally for Tamir's death. Prosecutors in recent weeks released a frame-by-frame analysis of the surveillance camera footage from the shooting, along with expert reports that called the shooting justified. Attorneys for the Rice family have asked Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty to step aside and allow a special prosecutor to take over the case. They called the prosecutor's presentation to the grand jury "biased" and "improper" after releasing the reports that found no fault with the officers' actions. TIMOTHY LOEHMANN They said CLEVELAND OFFICER Tu e s d a y t h a t allowing both officers to make unsworn statements that won't be subject to cross examination "further taints these proceedings." The statements from Loehmann and patrolman Frank Garmback describe in detail action that the surveillance video shows took about two seconds. They were responding after a 911 caller reported that a man was waving a gun and pointing it at people. The caller told the dispatcher that the gun might not be real. The call also said the man might be a juvenile, but that information wasn't passed on to the officers. Loehmann said he and his partner thought Tamir was going to run as they drove up to him, but Tamir turned toward the cruiser. "The suspect lifted his shirt, reached down into his waistband. We continued to yell 'show me your hands,'" Loehmann said in the statement. "I was focused on the suspect. Even when he was reaching into his waistband, I didn't fire. I still was yelling the command 'show me your hands.'" The rookie officer said he was getting out of the cruiser when he saw a weapon in the boy's hand coming out his waistband. "The threat to my partner and myself was real and active," Loehmann said.
The threat to my partner and myself was real and active.
Samantha Karam / The Kent Stater "If we want Kent State to be the best university it can be, we need to invest in the faculty," Patrick Coy (center), an applied conflict management professor of 2O years, said. "All administrators know that in their heart."
Matthew Merchant Senior Reporter Tension between the university negotiators became apparent on Monday after a memo to other administrators from provost and senior vice president for academic affairs Todd Diacon, was challenged by union representatives. In a Nov. 16 memo, obtained by the Stater through a public records request, Diacon told the university administrators that after the Nov. 16 negotiation meeting — the proposals from American Association of University Professors — Kent State University did not reflect “any
effort on the part of AAUPKSU to bridge the gap between the parties’ current positions.” The “Message from the Provost,” entitled, “Management Update on Collective Bargaining,” states “AAUP-KSU’s most recent proposal on medical benefits actually moved in the opposite direction and has increased the divide between the two parties on several key benefit issues.” AAUP-KSU and the university’s administrators are currently in negotiations to decide a new collective bargaining agreement. Sticking points between the two sides relate to increased salaries and medical
benefits. Both sides are barred from communicating directly with the media. Diacon states in the update that the reason for it was to “provide a clear and complete picture of the entire scope of the university’s current economic and medical benefits proposals that AAUP has rejected.” He also states that communications from union leadership to members, which have been reported on in the media, “fail to reflect the full scope” of the university’s proposals. In a communication update sent to members of AAUPKSU, Deb Smith, the chief negotiator for the tenure track
unit, criticized the provost’s message for being inaccurate. Smith’s update states that changes between the proposal made during the Nov. 3 mediated negotiation session and the previous meeting on Aug. 3 were to certain medical benefits. Those changes involved the salary tier model for employee contributions toward the premium for medical coverage. It further states the change was revenue neutral for the university compared with the previous proposal, maintaining the existing salary tier system.
SEE NEGOTIATIONS / PAGE 2
SEE SHOOTING / PAGE 2
Ashtabula campus adds degrees in wine Katie Rush Regionals Reporter Kent State’s Ashtabula campus offers two associate degrees in wine studies through the enology and viticulture tracks, both available as online classes. Danielle Weiser-Cline, an academic advisor at Ashtabula's campus, said enology is a science that follows the cultivation of a successfully grown vine, while viticulture is the process of growing grapes. The degree will concentrate on biology and horticulture, WeiserCline said, as well as how to prune a grapevine and care for vines throughout their lifespans. “Viticulture is really centered around the plant and bringing the plant to fruit,” Weiser-Cline said. “The intersection between viticulture and enology happens during the harvest.” In a 2014 article printed in The Plain Dealer, a report for the Ohio Grape Industries Committee found that there were 175 wineries in Ohio in 2012, a 41 percent increase from 2008, when the previous study was released.
According to the article, these wineries accounted for a significant chunk of the annual economic impact, with employee wages, sales of wine and tourism expenditures for the year estimated at nearly $330 million. “We wanted the degree to meet the needs of the Ohio industry,” Weiser-Cline said. This impact affected the Ashtabula community, with the Grand River Valley grape region in Ashtabula and Lake counties being ranked as the sixth best United States wine destinations in a 2007 survey by Orbitz Worldwide Travel Company. “Our local industry members were very passionate about educational opportunities for their workers,” Weiser-Cline said. "(Since then), we’ve partnered with a national consortium called Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA).” According to their site, VESTA is a National Science Foundationfunded partnership between the Missouri State University system and colleges, universities, vineyards and wineries across America.
The goal of VESTA is to establish programs of study in viticulture, enology and wine business entrepreneurship through collaborations with education institutions, government and industry. This partnership has helped the number and types of degrees offered at Kent State's Ashtabula campus grow. Since the programs were introduced in 2011, there has been a steady increase in enrollment. Continued growth is expected in the future. Professor Eric Cotton is teaching introduction to viticulture and wine and must analysis for the enology program during this semester. Cotton is a chemical controls engineer and has been growing his own grapes for winemaking for more than ten years. He emphasized the chemistry, planning and research incorporated into wine making. “It’s farming. It’s hard work,” he said. “It’s good to get exposed to the science before making the commitment (to grow).”
SEE WINE / PAGE 2
Photo courtesy of Tyler Hill Jenna Watson, senior photojournalism major, inspects her wine for oxidation for Wines of Northeast Ohio class at Silver Run Vineyard and Winery in Norton, Ohio.
Foreign languages up at Kent despite state, national trend Megan Hermensky Faculty/Academics Reporter Editor's note: A version of this story published Monday incorrectly described Kent State's foreign language enrollment, and the printed edition didn't include its conclusion. The corrected story appears below. While nationally students are taking fewer foreign language courses in recent years, Kent State's enrollment in those classes has increased by more than 25 percent over the last two years. According to the Modern Language Association of America’s 2015 survey report, there has been a recent overall decline in U.S. students taking foreign language classes in college. The MLA’s survey states that more than one million students were enrolled in a foreign language course in 1995, excluding Latin and Ancient Greek. That number continued to increase to its peak of 1.6 million students in 2009, and then suddenly declined to 1.5 million students in 2013. At Kent State, students enrolled in
foreign language courses jumped from very unique and wonderful skill,” she 2,528 in fall of 2013 to 3,178 in fall of 2015. said. “We would be harming our graduIn addition, Kent State's Department ates if we are unable to require of them of Modern and Classical Language that they graduate with comparable Studies, courses offered in foreign lan- skills when joining the workforce.” guages have increased to 189 in Fall Erin O’Leary, a senior fashion 2015 from 178 in Fall 2013. design major currently studying Kristin Stasiowski, director of inter- abroad in Italy, said she agrees that national programs and education abroad students should be required to take a for the College of Arts and Sciences, said foreign language after her own study she has seen an increase in the number of abroad experiences have made it hard students interested in education abroad to communicate with native Italians. opportunities this “The only Italsemester. ian I knew (when I “More and arrived) was grazie, more students are ciao and per favore, seeing just how so things were a important study little bit difficult,” abroad is to their she said. ERIN O’LEARY overall educaO’Leary did SENIOR FASHION DESIGN MAJOR tional and pronot take an Italfessional goals,” ian class before Stasiowski said. studying abroad because she “figured Although most of these study abroad we were supposed to (take an Italian students only speak English, Stasiowski class) here, which is stupid because believes that every student should be now we’re learning things that we required to take a foreign language. could’ve learned before coming here,” “Speaking a foreign language is a she said. “We’ve just figured it out by
Speaking a foreign language is a very unique and wonderful skill.
living here. It would’ve been a better idea to have us take a class before we left.” Laura Wester, a sophomore dance major who will be studying abroad in Thailand, disagrees that taking a foreign language course is necessary towards living in the culture. Thai is a completely new language to Wester, and although she believes it will be difficult to communicate with Thai speakers, she is confident that her professor will be able to assist her abroad. “I don’t believe that students should be required to take a class in the foreign language of the country they will be traveling to because I think that (traveling to Thailand) will be a rewarding and amazing experience even though my Thai communication skills are extremely limited,” she said. Although foreign language classes may not be required for all students, Fetne Mikati, a Kent State professor who teaches Arabic, said she believes that students who do take foreign language classes will be more aware and linked with the world around them.
“There is always this connection. It’s not like we are separated and isolated from the other continents,” she said. “Most other countries see the benefit and advantages of learning a second language and stress it at an earlier age because knowing a second language not only would help you communicate with the people there, but in my mind one of the most important things is being aware of the culture, being aware of the people, the history, the background. This will lead to a better understanding and eventually a better world.” However, when it comes back to foreign language classes in the U.S., Stasiowski still believes students should see the importance in speaking more than one language. “Everyone in the rest of the world speaks two languages or more,” Stasiowski said. “Americans are so far behind. We should make more of an effort to speak languages beyond English. It still makes a difference.” mhermen2@kent.edu
Page 2 | Wednesday, December 2, 2015
The Kent Stater
Wick Poetry Center holds last poetry reading of semester Bruno Beidacki Activities Reporter The Wick Poetry Center plans to host a poetry reading with Ukrainian-born poet Ilya Kaminsky, presenting his works Thursday night in the Kent Student Center. The event is part of the Wick Poetry Center’s Reading Series that has brought several poets and speakers to the school throughout the semester. Kaminsky’s reading will be the last Wick Poetry Center’s Reading Series event of the semester. “His poems create correspondences in the air across borders of language and culture, promoting a global citizenship informed by the intimate voice of poetry,” said David Hassler, director of the Wick Poetry Center, in a press release. Kaminsky was born in Odessa, part of the former Soviet Union, and came to the United States at the age of 16 in 1993. His experiences in his hometown served as inspiration for one of his first and most popular works, Dancing in Odessa. After moving to the United States, Kaminsky went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University and a J.D. degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He currently teaches in the graduate creative writing program at San Diego State University. Earlier this year, poets such as Jane Hirshfield and Naomi Shihab Nye presented at Kent State. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and will be held in room 306 of the Kent Student Center. bbeidack@kent.edu From Page 1
NEGOTIATIONS Provost’s message gives insight... Both proposals from AAUP-KSU rejected the university’s requirement for spousal coordination of benefits provision, which would require spouses or domestic partners of union members to obtain medical benefits from his or her employer if offered. “Given that the salary tier model was the only change in our proposal on medical benefits, we are unsure why the administration would assert that this was somehow a move backward,” the union update determines. “We can only conclude that the administration hadn’t read our proposals with sufficient care.”
Newsroom 330-672-2584 EDITOR
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Clint Datchuk / Kent Stater
The Wick Poetry Center on the night of Dec. 1, 2015.
PINK reps host fashion KSU students show watch party perform in faculty
fall dance concert
Paige Verma Student Life
Photo courtesy of Kent State VS Pink’s Twitter
KeNK campus representatives will host a viewing of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at Panini's Bar and Grill on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Students Victoria Manenti and Christy Lodder are the Kent State PINK representatives. “Panini’s is a good location, good space, has good food and a friendly staff,” Manenti said. Kent State has been teamed up with PINK for three years, but just received their license this year. The university has now become one of the 99 schools PINK has in its collegiate collection. Before, PINK had a small amount of Kent State apparel. With the license, more apparel can be produced and designed featuring the university and its logo. The fashion show, which begins at 10 p.m., will be the main focus of the event. Doors will open at 9 p.m. There will be small giveaways, trivia contests, games, activities and a D.J. who will perform before and after the show. The Kent State PINK representatives have also teamed up with One Love Yoga Boutique — a yoga studio and retail boutique — and Robeks Fresh Juices and Smoothies, located next door to Panini’s. For more information, the Kent State PINK representatives can be contacted at kentstatepinkreps@gmail.com.
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The Kent State School of Theatre and Dance will be hosting its fall faculty dance concert "Dance ’15: Moving Parts" this Friday through Sunday. According to the the event's Facebook page, the show will feature choreography from dance faculty in a celebration of artistic versatility and diversity. Joni Koneval, marketing associate for the School of Theatre and Dance, said that the concert contains six different dance pieces performed by more than 40 students. The event will take place in the E. Turner Stump Theatre of the Center for the Performing Arts on Friday from 8-10 p.m., Saturday from 8-10 p.m. and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Students have been preparing for this concert since the beginning of the semester through rehearsals and meetings, according to Koneval. “The Dance ’15 concert is a wonderful evening of choreography that students will enjoy,” she said. “The pieces featured in the concert showcase many different kinds of dance, from modern to ballet to jazz.” Students performing in the dance concert are excited to be featured in the upcoming show. “I’m really excited to share what the department has been working so hard on for the past semester with all of my friends and family,” said Laura Wester, a sophomore dance major who is expected to perform. To buy tickets for the concert, visit the Performing Arts Box Office, call 330-672-2787 or purchase them online on the School of Theater and Dance’s website. mhermen2@kent.edu
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Brenna Parker Health Reporter
From Page 1
WINE Ashtabula introduces the... Laura Witherow, a senior viticulture major at the Ashtabula campus and a first semester student in the viticulture program, said she came across the degree after it was advertised on Facebook. “One of the vineyards I ‘liked’ (on Facebook) posted a picture of someone working in the vineyards with the caption, ‘one of our viticulture students pruning the vines’,” she From Page 1
SHOOTING Officer says he told boy to...
Rachael LeGoubin / The Kent Stater Models wearing a collection by Braisha Owens walk the runway at the Modista Fall Fashion show on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 in Rockwell Hall.
Kent State’s Modista Fashion Group will host its annual fashion show "Modista High: School Dayz" this Saturday from 7-9 p.m. in the Kent State Student Center Ballroom. Modista has produced an annual fashion show since 2008. This year’s attendance is expected to reach 300. Invitations to the event are open to the public but are heavily promoted to Fashion School students, faculty and Modista Fashion Group members.
Neville Hardman nhardma1@kent.edu
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Felicia Guadagni Fashion Reporter
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Kent raises awareness Modista fashion group to for World AIDS Day present annual fashion show
bparke12@kent.edu
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Kent State's University Health Services is hosting a presentation “Know Your Status: What to Expect When Testing for HIV” as part of World AIDS Day week on Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kent Student Center. Joshua Morgan, risk reduction and outreach coordinator for Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative (CANAPI), will present an informal discussion on how the HIV test operates, risk factors associated with HIV transmission and what preventative measures people can take to eliminate HIV transmission. “We will laugh, we will cry, but most of all we will walk away from the presentation with a better understanding of how we can become an inclusive community through education, outreach and awareness while eliminating stigma and HIV transmission,” Morgan said. The Center for Disease Control recommends that healthcare providers test individuals between the ages of 13 and 64 for HIV at least once in their lifetime as part of a routine health care. Those with risk factors should get tested on an annual basis. “People living with HIV are as human as any other person,” Morgan said. “Just because they are living with HIV does not change who they are, how they love or their ability to be loved.” The Office of Health Promotions (OHP) and CANAPI have partnered to provide free confidential HIV testing for Kent State students, faculty and staff on Dec. 9.
Stater 240 FRANKLIN HALL KENT STATE UNIVERSITY KENT, OHIO 44242
Negotiation Update
O n N o v. 3 0 , t h e u n i o n announced that a fact-finder was selected for the next step in contract negotiations. Both parties selected Gregory James Van Pelt, the announcement reads, to serve in the role of factfinder. A date for a hearing to discuss his recommendations has yet to be set. At the upcoming meeting, both the union and university negotiators will “present evidence for their respective bargaining positions.” At the conclusion of that meeting, the arbiter will propose a recommendation for both parties, which, if accepted by both sides, will become the new contract between the university and the union. Both sides have previously agreed to tentative proposals to the contract, which will also be included in the fact-finder’s proposal. Until that agreement is reached, the current collective bargaining contract calls for both parties to continue the negotiation process in good faith.
The Kent
The show will feature student designers and stylists, as well as local vendors Tre Sorelle Boutique from Cleveland and Kent-based One Love Yoga and Boutique. Elandra McConney, president of the fashion group and merchandising coordinator, said she hopes this will be the best show yet and helps introduce Modista’s new brand. “Modista dropped ‘minority’ out of its name last year, so this show is a fresh start for the group,” said McConney, a senior fashion merchandising major. fgaudagn@kent.edu
H e s a i d h e f i re d t w o s h o t s and heard his partner still yelling “show me your hands” after Tamir fell to the ground. Garmback, who was driving the cruiser, said in his statement that he wanted to keep the boy away from the recreation center and that the patrol car slid when he hit the brakes. The car didn't stop where he intended, Garmback said. He said he saw the gun Tamir was carrying when Loehmann opened his door. "I thought the gun was real," Garmback said.
said. "That post made me curious, and after a quick Google search I learned Kent has a wine degree right here in Ohio.” Christopher Rohr, a freshman enology major at the Ashtabula campus, said his interest started when he first started experimenting with wine at home. “While I was experimenting, I became more and more interested in winemaking,” he said. Rohr said he began working at a local winery and a co-worker mentioned they had previously graduated from the program. krush6@kent.edu Subodh Chandra, an attorney for Tamir's family, said Tuesday that the officers' statements were contradictory and did not make sense. "Loehmann, for example, insists that he observed things and took action that would have been physically impossible for any human being to do in the under two seconds it took him to shoot a 12-year-old child," he said in a statement. Chandra also noted that Loehmann said he issued at least three commands to "show me your hands," but that Garmback said he thought the cruiser's windows were rolled up as they drove toward Tamir. Associated Press writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 | Page 3
The Kent Stater
Opinion
The
Kent Stater
SUBMISSIONS
EDITORIAL BOARD Editor: Hannah Armenta Managing Editor: Emily Mills Senior Editor: Jimmy Miller Opinion Editor: Neville Hardman Sports Editor: Ian Flickinger
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 harmenta@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.
DREW SHENEMAN’S VIEW
On Flashes host Cleveland State Ty Sugick Sports Reporter The Kent State women’s basketball team (2-3) will continue its home stand Wednesday night against (0-4) Cleveland State University. The Flashes will enter the night with an all-time 16-12 record over the now winless Vikings. Jordan Korinek and Larissa Lurken will challenge Cleveland State’s defense and will seek to help the team even out its 2-3 record. See the full article on KentWired.com.
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... Google Maps’ new Offline
Maps, allowing users to navigate for free without using phone data on the go. Jeers to ... a Japanese research mis-
sion that will kill more than 300 minke whales in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean.
Solidarity key in tackling ISIS Lucas Misera Columnist By attacking Europe’s most iconic city, ISIS ushered the West into an era of discomfort. Brussels has essentially been stagnant due to terroristic threats, the United States is fractured politically over the issue of taking in Syrian refugees and France is dealing with threats both within and outside of the country. Through senselessly violent acts, ISIS aims to strike debilitating fear within us. Undoubtedly, a group as ruthless and non negotiable as ISIS is cause for concern. However, the truth is this: We can’t allow ourselves to be shaken. As President Obama falters with his post-crisis rhetoric and Congress continues its typical politicization of yet another mass-shooting, the American people need to remain poised and turn toward a more unified approach. How exactly does the U.S. respond in such a way? Ultimately, it starts from the top. When examining former President George W. Bush’s response to 9/11, he acted in such a way that made America seem invincible in the wake of inconceivable terror. His resiliency reflected American values. For President Obama, the task at hand is obvious: suppress American unrest and prevent the festering of radicalism in the Middle East. He announced that continued airstrikes may be the best route for combating ISIS, but many Americans wonder if this is enough. The nation isn’t asking for reckless abandon. It’s asking for a sense of security. The United States finds itself rife with racial tension and an unpromising cluster of upcoming presidential candidates, so power and control abroad can mitigate domestic strain. Simply remembering what makes this country great can get us through such harsh times. We broke free from British reign to establish one great nation, aspired for continuity after a divisive civil war, and watched different generations endure through both Pearl Harbor and 9/11. If nothing else, Americans need to remember that an unrelenting pursuit to be the greatest country on Earth survived this nation’s most trying times, and this time should be no different. Perhaps presidential candidate Donald Trump is right on one thing: America needs to be made great again. No, building his “great, big wall” and forcing Muslims to carry IDs certainly won’t do so, but rebuilding confidence in our nation will be critical. As President Obama fumbles through options trying to justify his competency in foreign policy, finding a leader that can reestablish an aura of superiority that once flourished is key. So, in fording through complicated times, we need to minimize the troublesome bickering that too often comes about surrounding groups like ISIS. President Bush’s brilliant response after 9/11 should be the model for responding to terrorism; appealing to the grit and comradeship that unifies Americans can make any amount of evil seem conquerable. We can hope that President Obama and other leaders understand this, but if not, this citizens of this nation need to understand the power of American spirit in discouraging and defeating ISIS. lmisera@kent.edu
OUR Extending the age to receive VIEW foster care services The Ohio House passed a bill Tuesday in a 91-2 vote that wishes to extend the age for people to continue receiving foster care services from 18 to 21. People who receive the extension are required to either continue with their schooling or maintain a job. According to an analysis by Ohio’s Legislative Service Commission, education entails high school, college or vocational coursework and having a job requires the person to complete 80 or more hours per month. Passing the bill would keep more than 1,000 people from aging out of the system, preventing them from becoming potentially homeless or unemployed as soon as they become a legal adult. As of right now, the bill awaits approval from the Senate. Sophomore public relations major Keri Richmond represented Kent State this past summer when she presented to Congress to advocate for more foster care rights.
Richmond wrote a policy report through her internship with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman as well as recommendations on how to improve the system, including her own experience with it. Her report focused on making extracurricular activities more easily accessible through government funding. By investing in foster youth early, her idea is that government will save in costs, such as welfare, when those in the system age out. We support the passing of this bill, as it would give people in foster care more time to complete their education or put away money for the future. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a permanent home to go to, and if people who age out of the system are expected to provide for themselves, they need enough time to prepare to do so. The above editorial is the consensus opinion of The Kent Stater editorial board, whose names are listed above.
Preparing Ph.D.s for the real world Leonard Cassuto, Los Angeles Times
Guest Columnist People who study for doctorates in the arts and sciences are typically driven by love for a particular historical period, author or field of inquiry. But graduate school isn’t just a place to dive into eighteenth century novels, Medieval art or neurobiology. It’s also, necessarily, a place to prepare for a career. Most graduate programs encourage their students to set their sights on jobs teaching or conducting research at a college or university. They also endorse the notion, whether intentionally or not, that taking a position outside of the professoriate is failure. That’s insanity. It takes nine years on average for students to obtain a doctorate in the humanities, and the sciences are almost as bad. At the end of that process, students encounter a job market for professors that is a mostly dry well. Only about half of doctoral candidates in the arts and sciences will eventually obtain jobs as college and university instructors. An increasing number of those openings are short-term gigs, many less than a year long, with no promise of future employment. Even the lucky graduate students who secure a tenure-track position are likely to find a mismatch between their training and their future job requirements. As students, they learn how to become research specialists. But most professors spend most of their time teaching. Only a sliver of the doctorate population gets top-tier, research-first jobs. This attitude is a hangover from the Cold War, when the federal government spent heavily on academic research and higher education for its citizens, first returning World War II soldiers and then the children of the baby boom. Government investment in new public universities and federal loan programs made college affordable for more
Americans than ever before. There was a corresponding shortage of teachers for all those new students, which meant that pretty much anyone who could finish a doctorate could become a professor. The result was the largest generation of professors in the history of American higher education. I talk to graduate students all over the country, and they know which way the wind is blowing. They want an education that bears some relation to the diverse career possibilities they know they’ll have to consider when they’re done. A graduate student in math recently confessed to me that he wants to get a job at a bank. I just met a Ph.D. in English who works as a technical writer for a software firm in Silicon Valley. Yet I’ve also heard countless graduate students say they fear disapproval, even scorn, if they tell their advisors they’re considering work outside academia. More practically, professors and administrators have to develop programs to help their graduate students professionalize for the job market. The University of Louisville, for example, runs a series of about 25 professionalization workshops each semester. These help new graduate students get their bearings, and older ones prepare for different kinds of job searches. Thousands of graduate students have unionized to protest the conditions of their educational workplaces. Their discontent sends a message that needs to be heard. If tomorrow’s talented college students believe that graduate school is a fool’s errand, they’ll simply vote with their feet and stay away. All of us benefit when more Ph.D.s are in public life. Let’s teach graduate students about all the things they can do, not just one of them.
Kobe and Peyton still worthwhile Matt Poe Columnist Two of the greatest athletes of our generation are coming to the realization this is the beginning of the end for their respective careers. On Sunday, Kobe Bryant announced his decision to retire from the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the season, and much speculation indicates Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos may not play past this season. For fans of these two historic players, it is hard to imagine the game of basketball without Bryant and football without Manning. Soon, however, it will become a reality. Injuries and Father Time have ultimately caught up with the respective legends. Manning, 39, is sidelined indefinitely with a foot injury (along with a borderline dead arm) and his return is unknown. His Denver Broncos are continuing to play great and in prime position for another playoff run. In fact, they’re probably better with him watching from the sidelines instead of commanding the field like the mad general we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. As of now, he needs the Broncos much more than they need him, a trivial thought when considering we’re talking about one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game. On the hardwood, Bryant, 37, has been hampered by serious injuries over the last several years, including a blown Achilles tendon, major shoulder surgery and knee issues. He’s healthy for now, but Kobe’s ultra-competitiveness may lead to further injury during his farewell season. We millennials have been watching these two dominate the game since our days in diapers and nap time refusal but the versions of these two greats are much different today. Actually, it’s borderline cringe-worthy at times. Overthrows, underthrows, poorly timed throws: You name it and Manning has managed to do it this year. For all his greatness, he’s always been interception-prone but nothing like this year. Bryant’s play meanwhile, thinks it can still put up 30 points nightly like it did a decade ago. His body says otherwise with ghastly air balls, errant shot selection and the inability to defer to teammates. It’s a bad product on display by these two. It’s hard to watch. But you know what? It’s still worth watching and it’s still must-see TV. Although they are former shades of their great selves, Bryant and Manning have given us so many memorable moments over the years. Their current struggles serve as a reminder of how great they truly were in their respective primes. Many fans, including myself, get so caught up in rooting for our teams that we don’t realize how great these guys are until they’re finished. That’s fine and all, but it inhibits our ability to recognize and appreciate greatness in present time. Watching them now as opposed to 10 years ago is like watching different versions of the same people play; the nostalgia is easy to succumb to but it’s hard to debate otherwise. The reality is that they’ve made it look so easy for so long. The NBA is now, in all likelihood, Steph Curry’s league. The NFL is on the verge of being claimed by someone like Andrew Luck or Cam Newton. We’ll get to enjoy these guys for years so make an effort to watch Kobe and Peyton reveal those final, faint glimpses of greatness before the curtain calls on two brilliant careers. mpoe3@kent.edu
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Hoverboards roll onto campus Dana Miller Safety and Transportation Reporter From celebrities to social media, selfbalancing scooter boards are steadily becoming a popular mode of transportation, including on Kent State's campus. These lithium-ion battery operated boards have many names, including hoverboards, mini-segways and self-balancing scooters. Regardless of which name people choose to call them, they are causing a buzz amongst students and faculty. To operate the board, the rider puts both feet on the respective sides. To turn left, put more weight on the right foot and push forward, then opposite to turn right. To go forward, lean to the front slightly. To stop, stand straight up and even out the weight in the middle. According to entertainmentbox. com, it is all instinctive movement and should feel natural. “My first impression of it was, “How does this thing work?” said Mika Kristian, a junior marketing major. “I thought it was such a great idea to look into it and tell my friends about it so more word about it would come to this campus." The first time Kristian saw someone riding a hoverboard was right on campus. “It was behind Tri-Towers. I was impressed that so many people, mostly international (students) were using
them,” Kristian said. “I decided to go over and ask them what that was and (it seems like) once one person does it everyone wants to come over and try it out.” As of now, hoverboards are produced primarily in China within the same couple of factories. The boards range in price from $300 to $2,000, depending on what seller it is purchased from. “You get it from China and they put (company labels) on it,” said Kevin Otubu, a senior entrepreneurship major. “They’re all the same thing. The most popular one is probably PhunkeeDuck because all of the celebrities have those ones, but now the bigger one's Uwheels.” Otubu, who is also the director of programming for USG, just recently purchased one along with his twin brother and roommate. He is waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Although he says he plans to use it to mess around for the most part, his entrepreneurial mind has bigger plans. “If all of us had them and we’re going around the Esplanade and just driving around getting people, that would be amazing,” Otubu said. “It attracts people, so it’s a good way to promote a concert or something (by) pass(ing) out some fliers. You’re going to get someone’s attention and they’ll talk to you.”
Kent State faculty had some of the same increasingly positive responses to these futuristic self-balancing boards. “I actually just saw one the other day,” said Tom Euclide, associate vice president of facilities and planning and operations. “It’s a natural evolution (of transportation). I would promote it.” Euclide believes that regardless of what type of alternative transportation hoverboards are, they're good for the campus. “We are catching up to the more innovative schools that… 15 years ago were pushing bicycles and walking as the primary mode for transportation with a college community,” Euclide said. Otubu said he would like to see further accommodations made on the Esplanade for new forms of transportation. “I think we need to extend the bike paths because students do not actually ride on (them),” Otubu said. “And not just all bricks because it’s kind of bumpy so I know for the hoverboards it’s going to be pretty bumpy.” These self-balancing boards are said to be the hot item of choice on Christmas lists this year, according to USA Today. However, they won't be easy to obtain. USA Today reported that finding them in retail stores will be less than easy and although ordering online is cheaper, the shipping will take a while.
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Tammy Ljungblad / Kansas City Star Logan Meis, 20, balances on his hover board outside his apartment complex in Overland Park, Kan., on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. Meis purchased the personal transportation device for about $330 online.
As of now, there are no legal restrictions for riding the boards in Ohio, unlike some enforcement in New York City and other areas. “The use of skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles and similar conveyances on campus is regulated in the university policy register,” said Jeff Futo, a Kent State police officer. “The policy exists so that their use does not interfere with pedestrians, create a hazard to others or damage university property.” Futo said that the university has not yet come to a point where there needs to
be any sort of restrictions on the boards. As for now, the innovations like these hover-boards seem to remain a topic of interest to students regardless of any controversy. If anything, most students have agreed that, it just looks "cool." “It’s just very innovative (and) everyone likes the stuff that looks like it’s in the future,” Otubu said. “Students want everything that looks trendy, something that’s going to spot the attention and catch the eye.” dmill139@kent.edu
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 | Page 5
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Today’s Birthday (12/02/15) Spread your wings this year. Follow your studies where they take you. Realize personal dreams. March eclipses herald a new domestic phase before shifts in a group project. September eclipses incite a career rise and more changes at home. Pursue truth, goodness and beauty. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 7. The next two days get especially fun. Romance blossoms. Play with friends and family. Things don’t always go as planned. Keep practicing. True your aim, and try again. Work with someone who sees your blind spot. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today is a 6. Fix up your place today and tomorrow. Your home and family require more attention. Personal comfort must be considered ... clean house, and beautify. Don’t strain the budget. Flowers brighten things. Create peaceful spaces. Use your practical resources. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today is a 7. You’re especially clever today and tomorrow. Catch up on studies. Write your brilliant ideas down. Practice your craft. Keep things simple, despite enthusiasm for details. Don’t overextend or get carried off by fantasy. Welcome contributions from others.
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Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 9. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any busier, it does. Your work is in demand today and tomorrow. Gamble? Not today. Choose stability over illusion. Handle a structural problem. Stay in communication. Expect some emotional impact.
BLISS
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 9. Lucrative opportunities abound today and tomorrow. Your ideas are attracting attention. Focus on the goal with determination. You may be learning more than you wanted to know. Avoid tricks, distractions and silly arguments. Try and try again. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 9. The moon is in your sign today and tomorrow for extra energy and confidence. Take care of personal practicalities. As you gain strength, you also gain options. Don’t rush into anything. Pamper yourself. Consider a new style. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 6. Peace and quiet suit your mood. Finish up old business today and tomorrow. Productivity behind closed doors provides welcome respite from a recent flurry. Assumptions are challenged ... think before reacting with authority. Use your own good sense. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7. Friends come to your rescue. Team projects go well today and tomorrow. Stifle rebellious tendencies, and align with a group vision. Keep the objective in mind. It’s easier to ride the horse in the direction it’s going.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. Work takes priority for the next few days. A challenge or test requires focused attention. Pass it, and a professional status rise is possible. Practice makes perfect. Relax when you can, especially with warm water. Recharge batteries. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is an 8. New opportunities arise to study a subject you love. Travel conditions improve today and tomorrow. Plan itineraries in detail before setting off. Replenish reserves, and resist the temptation to overspend. It’s not worth an upset. Follow the money trail. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7. Revise plans to discover a win-win financial situation over the next few days. Review budgets, send invoices and pay bills. Changes necessitate revisions. Join forces with another for funding, with clear, strategic priorities. Do what you said. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is an 8. Provide support. Be more willing to share the load for the next two days. You’re building for your future. Discover romance in the process. Work together for a shared dream. It may not look like the pictures.
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