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Kent Stater HIV/AIDS in Ohio: THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015
Treatment, prevention and awareness Brenna Parker Health Reporter According to the Ohio Department of Health, one in five people are living with HIV and don’t know it. The department's most recent figures from 2009-2013 show HIV steadily rose among young adults in the state of Ohio. Kent State associate professor and HIV specialist Dianne Kerr said students do not visibly see HIV and AIDS because it is very difficult today to tell if someone has the disease. People in the U.S. do not notice cases of HIV or AIDS as much as the initial introduction in the 1980s because it was more common to see infected people that were thin and sickly. “I don’t think we realize the scope of it, or see the countries that have been most affected,” Kerr said. “When the epidemic first hit, half of gay men and hemophiliacs had it and were dying from it.” Kerr said the rise in HIV/AIDS among young adult can be attributed to students not getting tested and not practicing safe sex. According to Kerr, the infection rate for HIV has stayed the same at about 50,000 new cases a year, but for homosexual men, heterosexual African-American women and young adults these groups are seeing an increase. Since the beginning of the epidemic, nearly 78 million people have contracted HIV and close to 39 million have died of AIDS-related causes. The majority of these cases are located in sub-Saharan Africa. “In many parts of Africa, if a woman does not breastfeed her baby it would starve,” Kerr said. “But breast milk, we know, transmits HIV.” President George W. Bush initiated the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This government initiative is a commitment to combat the disease internationally. According to PEPFAR, its investments also help alleviate the suffering from other diseases across the global health spectrum and promote a shared responsibility among donors and partner nations. As a result, PEPFAR has allowed other countries to help put an end to HIV/AIDS and has prevented over a million cases of mother to child transmissions for HIV. “When you think of the 30 million people who have died from HIV and AIDS complications that is really pretty scary,” Kerr said. “We still do not have a cure or vaccine.” HIV recently came back into the public spotlight on Nov. 15 when actor Charlie Sheen admitted on the TODAY show that he was HIV positive and was blackmailed in order to keep his medical information from being leaked to the public. Kerr said this is an example of how there is still a stigma attached with having HIV, and that people do not want to reveal if they are infected. “I know students here [at Kent State] who are infected and I can’t get them to want to speak on World AIDS day,” Kerr said. “Stigma is a major barrier when dealing with this disease.” Joshua Morgan, Risk Reduction and Outreach Coordinator for Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative (CANAPI), said for people diagnosed with HIV it can be a life altering experience, but not a death sentence. People can continue to live long and healthy lives. “The key to living a long and healthy life with HIV is getting tested so you know your status, adhering to your prescribed medication, maintaining a partnering relationship with your medical professionals and making sure you take care of yourself,” Morgan said. “Now, is that to say you should be working out six hours a day, six days a week... no. It means maintaining a
Rick Loomis / Tribune News Service People evacuate from the scene of a mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015.
14 dead in Calif. shooting
Amanda Lee Myers and Justin Pritchard Associated Press
Made with Piktochart health-conscience life and providing your body with the proper nutrition it needs.” CANAPI operates several housing programs including Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), which provides individuals living with HIV subsidized rent for up to 12 months. CANAPI allows federally subsidized housing for people living with HIV. This program houses up to five individuals at one time who are either eminently homeless or are currently homeless. According to the 2012 HIV/AIDS Integrated Epidemiologic Profile for Ohio, Portage County in 2010 had reported 46 people living with HIV. Of those who reported, 52 percent of them had an unmet need for HIV primary medical care. Portage County for comparison has 14.3 percent of its population living under the federal poverty line with 11.6 percent living with no health insurance. “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.” Morgan said the stigma associated with HIV is due to several variable factors including a general misunderstanding of HIV with the public, a lack of education regarding transmission methods and a misconception of cultural barriers. “HIV does not discriminate,” Morgan said. “It is more prevalent among today's
youth, however the rise of HIV in general is a result of misconceptions, misunderstanding, lack of safer sex practices and intravenous drug use.” Morgan said the increase in HIV amongst young adults can be attributed to not communicating with sexual partners and not knowing what sexual or drug behaviors that put those at risk for transmission. “When first diagnosed with HIV, one can expect to be overwhelmed with questions and emotions,” Morgan said. “There are health professionals through your local health department and area AIDS organizations such as CANAPI to help along the process.” According to Kerr, in a recent study done by the university, over 60 percent of Kent State students had not been tested for HIV. She wants to reach students early and get them the proper medication to further stop the spread on campus. Petit, choking back tears as the read the text for reporters at the shooting scene, said his daughter works at the center, where social workers find jobs, housing and transportation and provide other services to people with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Ten of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition, and three were in serious condition, Fire Chief Tom Hannemann said.
ment went out to the National Panhellenic Conference and organizations expressed their interest in Kent,” said Cancelliere. The council then has to consider potential sororities to join Kent’s campus. “The organizations prepared materials, and the new extension committee weighed the pros and cons of each organization and narrowed it down to three to present in fall of 2015,” Cancelliere said. The community of Kent goes through and decides how the new sorority will fit in at the university based on the presentations and information provided from NPC. “Three chapters do presentations, then chapters fill out an evaluation sheet (and) decide what is the best option for Kent State,” said Lauren Raymond, Panhellenic delegate for Tri Sigma. The committee will then be able to send questions they have in regards to the organizations. After presentations were completed, the committee was able to send questions to organizations including Sigma Delta Tau, Delta Phi Epsilon and Alpha Gamma Delta, said Cancelliere. Next followed a survey voting process, which would further the narrowing process. “Once follow up questions were
answered, the committee took the surveys and results of chapter discussion and feedback to come to a recommendation for Panhellenic,” she said. “If the recommendation passes, an invitation will be sent to the organization presented and they can either accept or deny our invitation.” With excitement in the air of the new sorority being brought to campus, there will be more opportunities for those considering recruitment next fall. “(It's a) general goal that all the women that go through recruitment, that aren’t placed, will be placed. To be part of Greek life, would have another place to go to,” Raymond said.
At least two heavily armed attackers opened fire on a banquet at a social services center for the disabled Wednesday, killing 14 people and seriously wounding more than a dozen others in a precision assault that looked "as if they were on a mission," authorities said. Hours later, police hunting for the killers riddled a black SUV with gunfire in a shootout two miles from the late-morning carnage, and a man and woman with assault rifles, handguns and "assaultstyle clothing" were killed, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said. A third person who was spotted running near the gunbattle was detained, but Burguan said it was unclear if that person had anything to do with the crime. It was the nation's deadliest mass shooting since the attack at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, three years ago that left 26 children and adults dead. Police shed no light on the motive for the massacre, but David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles office, said the bureau is looking at several possibilities, including workplace violence and terrorism. He did not elaborate. The attackers invaded the Inland Regional Center and began shooting around 11 a.m. They opened fire in a conference area that the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health had rented out for a banquet, said Mary-
beth Feild, president and CEO of the nonprofit center. Witnesses reported seeing one to three gunmen. Burguan said that someone had left the county employees' event after "there was some type of dispute," but investigators were not sure whether that had anything to do with the subsequent massacre in the Southern California city of 214,000 people about 60 miles of Los Angeles. Authorities also found a potential explosive device at the social service center. As gunfire echoed through the large three-building complex, several people locked themselves in their offices, desperately waiting to be rescued by police. Some texted their loved ones or telephoned them and whispered to them what was going on. "People shot. In the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office," Terry Petit's daughter texted him. About four hours later, with police looking for a dark SUV, officers staking out a home in the nearby city of Redlands saw a vehicle matching that description leave. They tried to pull it over, the SUV crashed, and a gunbattle broke out around 3 p.m., authorities said. One officer suffered a minor injury. Preliminary information seems to indicate that “this is personal, and there seems to suggest some element of revenge and retaliation,” said Erroll G. Southers, director of Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies at the University of Southern California and a former FBI agent.
Amy Schumer to perform Sunday
SEE AWARENESS / PAGE 2
Greek life adds new sorority Kayla Sturm Greek Life Reporter The past semester has been increasingly significant for Greek life. The community reached more than 2,200 members, broke goals in philanthropic events, and announced on Wednesday that they will be welcoming Sigma Delta Tau National Sorority into their community in fall of 2016.
ΣΔΤ The Process
“In Fall of 2014, an exploratory committee was formed which consists primarily of the same women on our extension committee,” said Leslie Cancelliere, vice president of recruitment and retention on Panhellenic. “The original committee decides if another (National Panhellenic Council) organization would be beneficial for a number of reasons.” What's next is to consider when the best time to bring a new sorority to campus could be. The committee had to go through presentations and allot enough time to decide and not rush the process, said Cancelliere. After determining the right time to bring a new sorority to campus, the NPC will show interest. “Once this was determined, an announce-
The future of Kent's Greek life
Bringing a new sorority to campus can increase membership numbers as well as expanding philanthropies. Women will also have more options to decide on where their home away from home will be. “I am most excited about the new sorority's philanthropy,” said Adeline Wadel, a junior zoology student and member of Phi Mu. ”It will be nice to have even more organizations to raise money for and to support as the Greek community of Kent State.” ksturm4@kent.edu
Allen J. Schaben / Tribune News Service Amy Schumer backstage at the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.
Alex Gray / Payton Moore Politics Reporter / Assigning Editor Comedian, actress, writer and producer Amy Schumer will be performing at the M.A.C. Center Sunday night at 8 p.m. Sophomore communication studies student Andrea Rinehart is excited to see her perform. Rinehart enjoyed watching her in the recent romantic comedy "Trainwreck," and keeps up with Schumer's appearances on "The Ellen Degeneres Show." “She’s hilarious. I like her because she says whatever, and that’s great. Not many people are really like that today,” Rinehart said. Schumer made her reputation through theater and stand-up comedy. She also appeared on "30 Rock," "Girls" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Her Comedy Central TV Show, "Inside Amy Schumer," has received five Primetime Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award since 2013. Tickets for Schumer sold out the day of release. For more information, contact KSU’s Undergraduate Student Government at 330-672-3207. agray27@kent.edu and pmoore22@kent.edu
Page 2 | Thursday, December 3, 2015
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The Kent Stater
Roundabouts become popular across the area Eric Poston Construction Reporter Drivers will encounter several new roundabouts when they navigate around the Kent area in the coming years. Roundabouts are becoming more popular than signaled intersections, because traffic studies have shown that roundabouts are much safer. A signaled intersection has 32 conflict points compared to eight in a roundabout. A conflict point is where a crash could occur. The Federal Highway Administration reports a 90 percent reduction in fatalities, a 76 percent reduction in injuries and a 35 percent reduction in all crashes occur when a roundabout is constructed.
Kent State
Construction for the two roundabouts on Summit Street will start in the spring. The intersection of Ted Boyd Drive and Summit Street will become a roundabout along with the intersection of Campus Center Drive and Summit Street. “There is kind of a public perception that people don’t like roundabouts because they don’t know what to do,” said Kent State executive director of facilities, planning and design Michael Bruder. “Statistically, that is a good thing because when people are unsure, they slow down and make eye contact with other drivers and eye contact with pedestrians, and people are just more cautious.” Bruder said accidents that do occur in roundabouts are at a slower speed and they are normally side swipes compared to t-bone accidents at a standard intersection. He said there will be some public outreach from the city of Kent and the university about how to navigate roundabouts. “Statistically, roundabouts are actually safer for pedestrians than standard intersections,” Bruder said. “Part of it is because you are only crossing one direction of traffic at a time and there is a space to land in the middle.” Bruder said one drawback is roundabouts are difficult for visually impaired pedestrians, but the one constructed at Campus Center Drive will have a high-intensity activated crosswalk beacon. This beacon allows for traffic to be stopped for one leg of the roundabout while a visually impaired pedestrian crosses.
trucks and trucks pulling any sort of trailer to navigate. He said he could improve five separate intersections across the county for the price of one roundabout. Other challenges with roundabouts are pedestrians, bikers and blind individuals Paradise said. The county explored the option of installing roundabouts to help improve Canton Road in Springfield Township, but found they would be too close together and the area needed another solution to ease congestion and limit left turns. He said roundabouts are a speed control device and don’t get rid of all accidents, roundabouts just change the type of accident. “I want to keep everything on the table until I can find the best cost solution for the problem,” Paradise said.
Summit County
ODOT
Summit County deputy director of engineering, Joe Paradise, has a different view of roundabouts despite some of the statics and cities building them. “We discourage them, we would rather look for more cost effective solutions,” Paradise said. Paradise said small roundabouts can be tough for semi-
The Ohio Department of Transportation generally has a favorable opinion of roundabouts because they are much safer than a conventional intersection and they move traffic more efficiently. “Roundabouts are typically considered whenever an intersection needs to be widened to accommodate
RAs receive stipend for work during break Ryan Landolph Residence Halls Reporter Six resident assistants have been chosen to stay on campus over winter break and are due to receive a stipend for their duties. “The winter break staff (will) receive a stipend of $245 (each) week and will be scheduled for up to 28 hours (each) week,” said Daniel Shonk, assistant director for assignments and marketing for Residence Services. The RAs will have a more administrative focus this year and will be in the halls available to assist with anything that arises, Shonk said. One of the selected RAs, Dylan Oliver, said he has worked over winter break before and enjoys it. “I decided to stay on campus because it is a great way to interact with other people,” Oliver said. “Getting to work with and interact with RAs from different staffs is a treat. Being a break RA also allows me to work with quality people 'higher up' in residence services, which I would never have a chance to do otherwise.” Without staff and other faculty on campus, as is usually the case,
From Page 1
AWARENESS HIV/AIDS in Ohio... “There is a quote that (says) ‘statistics are just numbers with the tears wiped away’ those statistics represent people: mothers, fathers, sisters and other family members,” Kerr said. “I think when we see these numbers we should view them as people who were loved and cared about that is 30 million gone.” The Ohio Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that healthcare providers test everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 at least once as a part of routine health care. “The good news is that we are working to have an AIDS free generation,” Kerr said. “The way that we can do that is by focusing on prevention and also providing people drugs so that they do not go on to get AIDS.”
MaKayla Brown / The Kent Stater
Traveling cars exit the roundabout on Powder Mill Road on July 31, 2014.
RAs, ARHDs and RHDs will be taking larger roles over winter break. Oliver sees the job of an RA as extremely important. “It is very important to have RAs on campus over break, and it is good to have an RA in each building where people are staying so they can talk to someone if they need assistance,” Oliver said. “Many people staying over break are international students, and without an RA in the building, they may not be familiar enough with residence services to know who to call if they need help or have a question.” Oliver said Kent does a great job accommodating its students and makes sure residents are safe, sending security staff on rounds each night. Joseph Okonofua, a freshman aeronautical engineering major staying on campus over winter break, feels reassured that there will be RAs in residence halls for major to go to if there is any concern. “I think it is good that there are RAs in the dorm during the break,” Okonofua said. “I think they (will) be of great help and assistance to (the students), who are lonely (and need) people to talk to during the holiday.” rlandol1@kent.edu
Scott Dotterer, Office of Health Promotions coordinator, said the Office of Health Promotions under University Health Services and CANAPI have partnered to provide free confidential HIV testing for Kent State students, faculty and staff. “We coordinate the scheduling of the appointments, promote the free confidential screenings and provide the space,” Dotterer said. World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 each year and Kent State will offer a series of events and programming during the week including a presentation on the history of HIV/AIDS, what to expect when testing for HIV, a resource table in the Kent Student Center second floor mezzanine and a roundtable discussion. To schedule a free HIV confidential appointment on Dec. 9, call the University Health Services — Office of Health Promotion at 330–672–2320. bparke12@kent.edu
additional traffic or when there is a crash problem to address,” said Justin Chesnic, public information officer for ODOT's District four. Chesnic said while roundabouts are safer and move traffic more efficiently, they come at a high cost and have impacts to surrounding properties compared to normal intersections. Currently ODOT doesn’t maintain any roundabouts in District 4, but two are planned on state Route 619 in Hartville near the Hartville MarketPlace. Hartville Mayor Richard Currie calls the improvements necessary and said it will greatly ease traffic flow. “For a variety of reasons, state Route 619 is the single most important east-and-west thoroughfare in the village,” Currie said. “Improvement should greatly enhance the experiences and opportunities of residents and visitors to the village, as a majority of our commercial activity is located on this route.” Single lane roundabouts will be constructed at Kaufman Avenue and King Church Avenue with construction beginning in 2017. eposton3@kent.edu
50 new organizations register on campus
The figure skating club at the KSU Ice Arena on Nov. 14, 2015
Weslee Clyde Student Life Reporter During the fall semester, Kent State registered more than 50 new organizations. They varied from academic, to rights action groups, to religious affiliated organizations, sports and more. Katie Goldring, the assistant director of Center for Student Involvement (CSI), believes student organizations are incredibly important to the college experience. “The new groups are really an eclectic mix this year,” Goldring said. “But it does speak to the great students we have at Kent State and what a wide variety of interests they hold.” The new organizations include the Motorcycle Club, Nintendo Club and the Foam Fighting Society. Another is Lumos Flashes, which is the Kent State Chapter of The Harry Potter Alliance (HPA). The chapter focuses on using fandoms to fight social injustice as well as raising awareness for local and national non-profits. During Lumos Flashes’ first semester at Kent, the chapter raised over $200 for This Star Won’t Go Out, which is an organization that helps provide financial support to families of children living with cancer. Carolyn Matovina, a senior special education major and president of Lumos Flashes, has always loved Harry Potter and has a passion for helping others. “Our overall goal for the organization is to build a community of people who love to geek out over their passions and use those passions to create change,” Matovina said. Lumos Flashes currently meets twice a month and is always accepting new members. Julie Norton, a sophomore marketing major and president of the Figure Skating Club, took the initiative to add the club this semester, which includes 15 members and is non-competitive. The club takes in all levels of skaters to teach the art of synchronized skating. The team performs at hockey games and local shows. Julie has been skating since she was four years old and hopes the team will grow into a competitive club-level team in the years following. “We divide practices into two sections: teaching basics and more intense skills,”
Weslee Clyde / The Kent Stater
Norton said. “We really do take everyone even if you are at a basic level.” Vocal Intensity, a new a cappella group, arrived this semester at Kent State. Currently including six members, the group sings covers of songs that are in movies or on the radio. Jonathan Natola, a freshman digital sciences major, created Vocal Intensity after noticing how many people were auditioning for other groups and he realized there was potential for expansion. The group holds auditions at the beginning of each semester and is always looking for new singers who want to become part of a singing family. A battle robot team called Xtreme Bots at Kent State is another new group registered this semester, where the 12 members prepare for two semesters to compete in a competition where robots battle one another. President Maddie Wilson, a sophomore applied engineering major, started the robotics club to help prepare for the team’s future careers. “We are all on the same team, everyone is in charge at the same level,” Wilson said. “This is how we will work in real life later on, as a team, this is preparing us for that.” The team has two female members, which Wilson says is a big statement for a robotics team. They are building twin robots this semester to take to a competition in Dayton. This will take two controllers, two drivers and will include much more practice than a normal robot. Ohio State is a big rival when it comes to robot battles, but Kent is hoping to be victorious April. To become a registered organization at Kent, the organization must have at least five officers who are all enrolled in at least eight undergraduate credit hours or six graduate credit hours. The students must all maintain a 2.25 cumulative GPA and have passed six credit hours in the proceeding semester. The organization also needs an advisor that is a full-time or part-time university employee to oversee and take responsibility for the organization. If an organization meets all criteria and is approved by CSI, they are an official Kent State organization. wclyde@kent.edu
Thursday, December 3, 2015 | Page 3
The Kent Stater
The
Kent Stater
Opinion
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
#
Throwback Thursday
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1958
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... a diabetes drug called metformin that could increase the human lifespan and prevent diseases linked to aging, such as Alzheimer’s.
Jeers to ... the 13 months it took for a dashboard camera video to be released of the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
Women in the NFL deserve higher wages Samantha Karam Columnist A Thanksgiving tradition in my house is watching football. As my family carried out this tradition last week, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders came out to perform. All I could think about was how they probably worked their whole lives to get to that point. Next, I thought: “Is it really worth it?” These girls are at the top of the food chain in regards to NFL cheerleaders. They are considered the best of the best and they have the ability to entertain stadiums full of rowdy football fans. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are widely regarded as the most prestigious cheerleading squad in the NFL, but their careers aren’t as pristine as you would think. Cheerleaders put as much time and effort into their jobs as NFL players do, but when you compare the two careers, they’re on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. A CMT television series called “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” highlights the strict audition process the girls endure. The series shows how the girls are criticized for their bodies and how they’re constantly reminded that they are replaceable. Coaches and talent scouts go out and find football players, then encourage and recruit them. Cheerleaders show up to open auditions and are judged based on a few hours. One would think that the harder an athlete works, the greater the salary and job security. That’s how it goes for football players, but not so much for NFL cheerleaders. Football players have secure jobs and they’re paid millions. NFL players sign contracts promising them a set amount of years to play. However, once a girl makes the Dallas Cheerleading squad, she has to re-audition each year, even if they’re the best on the squad. If girls get injured or miss a rehearsal, they’re cut. Meanwhile, NFL players can sit out an entire season due to injuries and still have a job. Football players can move up to higher salaries. Cheerleaders have set wages for each home game they perform in. According to an article from The Atlantic, Cowboys cheerleaders earn $150 per home game. They are not paid for the many rehearsals they’re required to attend either. ESPN’s website states the Cowboys play eight home games this year. From those eight games, the girls make just $1,200 a year. According to Spotrac, a website for tracking salaries of professional athletes, Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo has an annual salary of more than $22 million. His salary has consistently increased throughout his career, and even if he gets injured and can’t play, he still has a job making more money than most people would know what to do with. There are practice teams full of football players who make more than $100,000 and never step on the field once. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders practice for multiple hours a day and perform at every home game, yet they’re denied even minimum wage. They perform in stadiums full of people. They are viewed through television all over the country and get major street cred in the cheerleading community. That’s quite the honor, but when looking past the wonder of show biz, the most prestigious NFL cheerleaders make less than I do working at Dairy Queen. The Dallas Cheerleaders work their whole lives to get to wear those glittery cowgirl boots. They perform just eight times a year, but when they do they bring in substantial revenue for the Cowboys. There’s little tangible reward for them and that should change. skaram3@kent.edu
OUR VIEW
Still a violent society requiring change
Editor’s Note: This is the same Our View we ran in the Monday, Aug. 31, 2015, and Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, editions of The Kent Stater. The only difference we made is changing the lead from the shootings in Roanoke, Virginia, and Roseburg, Oregon to San Bernardino, California. We made the decision to run this editorial again because gun violence remains an issue in this country, and nothing has changed to address it.
At least 14 people were killed and 17 were wounded Wednesday in San Bernardino, California, at the Inland Regional Center, a facility that serves people with developmental disabilities. In Savannah, Georgia on Wednesday, a gunman shot and killed a women and injured three men. A man shot and killed three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood Friday. According to a Washington Post report, there have been 355 mass shootings this year, which are defined as shootings with four or more victims. At the time of the last heavily covered mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon on Oct. 1, there had been 274 shootings. Violence is everywhere in our society, and it has been for most of our lives. One of the most defining moments of our
generation are the terrorist attacks on 9/11, when footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers was played over and over again. Since then, we have had Columbine, Virginia Tech, Chardon, Newtown, Aurora, Charleston, Roanoke, Roseburg and now San Bernardino – a list with a tragedy behind each name. After each event, we all hear, “How many more times does this have to happen before something is changed?” However, because our nation is so deeply politically divided when it comes to the issue of gun rights and gun control, nothing ever changes. We think there should be meaningful change from our politicians, with stricter requirements in place before a person can walk into a store and buy a gun. There should be mental health evaluations and background checks to determine the person is of sound mind to be purchasing a firearm. We need legal change and a willingness from our political leaders to make tough, possibly unpopular decisions, to prevent people from getting guns who should not have them and murdering innocent people. The above editorial is the consensus opinion of The Kent Stater editorial board.
Empty promises in Paris? John Bolton and John Yoo, Los Angeles Times Guest Column As more than 190 nations continue to meet this week to negotiate an agreement to limit greenhouse gases, President Barack Obama finds himself in a terrible bind. On one side is international pressure to vest any climate deal with what international law considers to be binding legal force. On the other is the political difficulty, even the impossibility, of approving a climate treaty under our Constitution because of the need for approval by twothirds of the Senate. To realize the purported benefits of limiting greenhouse gases, nations must undergo the economic pain of reducing carbon-based fuels. Because all nations benefit from any reduction, individual countries have an incentive to keep polluting and just free-ride on others’ efforts. In November, French President Francois Hollande declared that if a Paris agreement “is not legally binding, there is no agreement.” (Of course, in international law, there is no way to compel compliance, judicially or otherwise, which is what makes such law an amorphous concept.) The Obama administration has made contradictory statements about whether a Paris agreement will be binding. Last month, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said that any deal was “definitively not going to be a treaty.” State Department officials backtracked the next day: “The U.S. is pressing for an agreement that contains both legally binding and non-legally binding provisions.” In the summer, officials said they would negotiate a “politically binding deal.” Obama may try to thread the needle with an executive agreement, which does not involve Senate consent. The U.S. has made roughly 1,100 treaties in its history, but it has made about 18,500 executive agreements — 17,300 of them since 1939. While attractive to all presidents, executive agreements
rest uneasily under the Constitution, which authorizes treaties only. Obama’s recent Iran nuclear deal illustrates the line between treaties and executive agreements. While we opposed the nuclear deal’s substance, we conceded its form as an executive agreement. The Iran deal did not limit American sovereignty, it did not take attacks off the table and it required no new legislation. In our view, it fell within the president’s power and will probably last only as long as his time in office. (A president has the unilateral power to abrogate executive agreements, and even treaties, as George W. Bush did in 2002 by withdrawing from the Antiballistic Missile Treaty). When it comes to a climate deal in Paris, an executive agreement cannot meet the “legally binding” demands of European leaders because the president alone cannot keep the promises that are under discussion. For example, the Paris negotiators want firm emissions-control agreements. But only Congress can set specific national limits on greenhouse gas emissions under its authority to regulate interstate commerce. Helping developing nations absorb the costs of energy limits, as envisioned by a proposed $10 billion Green Climate Fund, would also require legislative approval: Congress alone controls the power of the purse and any U.S. contributions to the fund. Obama can achieve his climate change legacy only through delicate negotiations with Congress. His poor relations with the House and Senate, especially on foreign policy, appear to render success unlikely. Obama may rely on his unilateral authority to join a world climate pact, but without Congress his most important promises will be empty ones whose fate will be left to his successor.
Don’t feel bad for Browns’ fans Jacob Ruffo Columnist The Cleveland Browns turned a tie game, with a chance to kick a game winning field goal, as time expired into a loss in regulation. The kick was blocked and returned for a touchdown. “Ugh, poor Browns fans!” Right? Wrong. Every year they manage to do things that “only the Browns” can do. For instance, look at the 2014 NFL Draft. They hired an independent firm to find out who was the best quarterback prospect coming out that year. The four major targets: Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, UCF’s Blake Bortles and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. They spent $100,000 to discover that the firm found Bridgewater was the best option. So, being the Browns, they went and traded up to draft Johnny Manziel. How on Earth can fans justify rooting for these people? More recently, this season specifically, they’re almost daring people to stop rooting for them. They have their “franchise quarterback,” they have flashy new uniforms and then they start 36-year-old Josh McCown. Didn’t they completely disregard that independent study and trade some other draft picks to pick this guy? Why don’t they play him? Then, the geriatric McCown makes his first exciting play of his career and scores, but then he gets hurt and Manziel finally gets to play. This is the apex of the season. Manziel is in. He isn’t great. He isn’t even particularly good. But, he is a reason to watch, something the team was seriously lacking up until then. For a game and a half, the Browns’ most popular player was allowed to play. It’s clear the Browns build off of this excitement. They have to, don’t they? Maybe not. McCown was the starter again the next week. After another week McCown got hurt again, and Manziel was back again. He played against the Bengals and Steelers and they lost both games. After Manziel spent 10 weeks in rehab, he’s told his team over and over again that he will not drink anymore. Then he goes on to lie to the Browns about the video that showed him with bottles of champagne at a club. Consequently, that cost him his recently named starting position and he was demoted to third string in Monday’s game against the Ravens. I don’t feel bad for Browns fans. They see what happens every year and they somehow expect something different from this team. From Courtney Brown to Brandon Weeden to Johnny Football, bad decision after bad decision leaves me callus to the people who choose to expect something other than what they get. jruffo@kent.edu
Page 4 | Thursday, December 3, 2015
The Kent Stater
Interfaith groups unite for community outreach Kelly Powell Religion Reporter Groups such as the Kent Interfaith Alliance, Campus Religious Life Organization, United Christian Ministries and Interfaith Campus Ministry look to be a bright contrast to the plethora of dark events that have inked our newspapers and consumed our television screens. With their efforts based in bringing members of different faith traditions together, each organization hopes to eliminate barriers and find commonalities to create and forge unity and trust.
Kent Interfaith Alliance
The newly formed Kent Interfaith Alliance, host to more than 13 religious groups, held a prayer gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church Sunday at 1 p.m. for the numerous mass shootings both in the U.S. and internationally. Julie Cory, pastor at First Christian Disciples Church of Christ, said “senseless tragedies” are the root of the alliance’s formation. After the Charleston church massacre in June 2015 that killed nine members of a predominantly black church, religious leaders in Kent decided to create a dialogue and solidify the community. The Virginia shooting compelled L.A. Gatewood, pastor at Spelman Chapel AME Church, to take action in Kent. He resolved to march from the First Christian Disciples Church of Christ to Spelman Chapel. He walked alone as long as he was able to demonstrate a positive relationship between two churches, one having a predominantly white congregation and the other having a predominantly black congregation. On Aug. 2, 400 people joined Gatewood in his march. Since the march, the alliance has come together several times, its most recent meeting being a two-day reconciliation retreat held at Kent United Church of Christ. The retreat began with equity and inclusion training, continued with presentations from thirteen faith communities and concluded in relationship building between attendees. Christie Anderson, reverend of Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent, agreed with the relational aspect of their meeting. Her hope for the gathering was that those in attendance would attempt to understand “complex international situations that don’t have easy answers.” “When you get to know the face behind people of different religions,
that’s what softens your heart,” she said. For members of the alliance, social justice is one of the most critical values the church body can stress. Avery Danage, pastor of United Church of Christ, said he feels there can’t be a healthy community without it. “It’s important that support is shown to marginalized people,” he said. “It’s fatal hypocrisy otherwise. We need to be as adamant about foreign terrorism as we are about domestic terrorism.” As the co-convener of the alliance, Danage is determined to establish a reputation in the Kent community of not being too forward, nor too silent about matters of interfaith activity. An analogy he made describes his view of relationships between supposedly separate faith communities. “You don’t have to major in what I major in to be a student at Kent State University,” he said. “We can still eat at Rosie’s and watch football together.” This solidarity, demonstrated during the march, left Gatewood overwhelmed. “To see 400 individuals march through the streets of Kent on their way to a black service with the police keeping an eye on them,” he said. “Every pew was filled to listen to a sermon about love having no color. It’s said that 11 a.m. is normally the most segregated hour in the country.”
United Christian Ministries
Campus Religious Life Association
Interfaith Campus Ministry
Where the alliance is a conglomeration of leaders in the community, the Campus Religious Life Association provides a space for the leaders at Kent State. Formerly known as the Campus Ministers Organization, CRLA is a voluntary group that allows religious professionals to discuss their respective faiths and to determine how to best serve the campus of Kent State. “The university sees this group in collaboration with it,” said Mary Lynn Delfino, CRLA president and pastoral associate for campus ministry of the Newman Center. “We are able to help with retention and spiritual and emotional well being of students.” CRLA formed in the 1970s in response to the May 4 shootings. After the tragedy, people were concerned about the formation of cults and feared that religion might be hidden. Since then, the CRLA has established a particular structure for their meeting times, which occur on the second Tuesday of every month. Gatherings will start with a member of the university community, such
as a police officer, psychological services provider or admissions member, sharing information about the state of the campus. After the information is shared, members of the CRLA are welcome to take a moment of reflection and discussion ensues. “Being a part of this organization has allowed me to recognize that your presence matters,” Delfino says. “We all get to witness to this campus in our own quiet way. To be together is what we should be doing. None of us are here to step on each others toes. We are here to be ethical in the sharing of our faiths and spread goodness.”
Photo courtesy of Christie Anderson Christie Anderson lights the candle representative of lasting peace at a prayer gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 29, 2015.
On campus since the 1920s, United Christian Ministries acts as an ecumenical organization that emphasizes interfaith activity between students. “We really need to focus on overcoming hate,” Jodi Stillisano, associate pastor of UCM, said. “I don’t think any religion would disagree with that. We have to set aside doctrine and theology when it comes time to stand in solidarity.” Those times to stand in solidarity have been both loud and quiet this year. “This semester, sadly, we’ve already held three prayer vigils,” Stillisano said. “We’re hoping to do more fellowship that’s not always in response to something tragic.”
Since 1967, Interfaith Campus Ministry at Kent Stark has been a “cooperative venture between clergy to have a faith presence on campus,” says Michael Gleason, ICM director and campus minister. “I came to college as an atheist, so I’m well aware of student traditions,” Gleason said. “Every individual has a body, mind, soul and spirit. My ideology is that a whole person has a faith component.” The outreach that ICM does to encourage this comes in several different forms. They refer students to counseling, offer them bus passes a n d g a s c a rd s and provide a fully licensed p re s c h o o l a n d childcare center for students with children. ICM brings in practitioners of different faiths to share meals with
the approximately 20 students who participate weekly.
Interfaith
From the city of Kent to Kent State’s main and branch campuses, interfaith activity is growing. “We are helping to write a nar-
rative of community rather than supremacy,” Danage said. “If you look at things through the lens of superiority, you will always see inferiority. However, if you look at things through the lens of community, you will always see unity.” kpowel23@kent.edu
Thursday, December 3, 2015 | Page 5
The Kent Stater
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Today’s Birthday (12/03/15). Pursue personal dreams this year. New domestic doors open (3/8) before group changes require attention (3/23). Professional exploration winds down after August, leading into a new team phase. Professional opportunities (9/1) require home resolution (9/16). Love is your lodestar. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is an 8. Remain forgiving with miscommunications, especially at work. Roll around obstacles. Ignore false rumors and gossip. Avoid spontaneous reactions. Keep your goal in focus. If you can keep your temper, delightful results are possible. It could get romantic.
BLISS
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is an 8. A creative problem requires imagination. Consider consequences before getting yourself into a sticky situation. Age differences interfere with clarity. Listen, learn, and stick up for your point of view, respectfully. Sometimes the best move is none.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7. Loose lips sink ships. Watch for breakdowns. Confusions swirl. Keep cool. Abandon a preconception. Counsel loved ones to defer gratification, for now. Notice a philosophical shift. Listen for the heart of the matter. Focus on compassionate action.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7. Ponder carefully before choosing. Strike out in a new direction, and follow the path before you. Get tools and supplies together. Work through complex details. Get help with practical details. Interesting time require innovative solutions.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today is a 6. No need to rush into expensive household upgrades. Don’t splurge on stuff you don’t need. Take a family poll to assess shared priorities. Share ideas and solutions. Get the whole gang to help. You’re surrounded by love.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 5. Take time for foundational issues. Clean up to save time in losing things. Review the past for insight on the road ahead. Private, peaceful activities suit your mood. Nurture health and well-being. Slow down and recharge.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today is a 6. Rely on experience. Ask questions and listen for solutions. Don’t worry if, at first, you don’t succeed. Open up the subject for further discussion. Help others see the big picture, to strategize rather than impulsively reacting.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 6. Distractions can lead to misunderstandings. Take one thing at a time. Slow down and ask for clarification, rather than making assumptions. It’s better to stop the action to check course than plowing on in the wrong direction.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8. Don’t talk about the financial impacts of the plan yet. Work out details, and consider multiple options. Get practical expertise. Differentiate what’s predictable from a fantasy outcome. Strengthen infrastructure and support. Bide your time, and consider.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8. Postpone financial discussion. Misunderstandings crop up easily now, especially around money. Double-check statements and invoices. Make payments on time. Don’t believe everything you hear. New developments change the assignment.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. Rest from this recent busy spell. Sink into a good book or film in your favorite chair. Keep it simple, with satisfying luxuries like bubbles and steam. Consider plans, without beginning action yet. Strategize and build support.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7. Think fast under pressure. Grace with matters of the heart serves you well. Listen generously to a loved one’s concerns, even if they’re unfounded. Discover something you didn’t know. Settle somewhere peaceful. Relax and recharge.
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Page 6 | Thursday, December 3, 2015
The Kent Stater
Sports
Check out KentWired.com for a Q&A with field hockey center mid-fielder Ines Delpech
SPORTS EDITOR: IAN FLICKINGER // IFLICKIN@KENT.EDU
Q&A with MAC Wrestler of the Week Ian Miller Dan Armelli Sports Reporter Fifth-year senior and 157-pounder Ian Miller, was named MAC Wrestler of the Week last week after he went 4-0 at the Navy Classic, winning his second career title at the event. It’s the fourth time in his career that he’s been named Wrestler of the Week. Miller, a two-time All-American and threetime NCAA qualifier, finished the tournament with a pin and two major decisions, including one in the 157-pound final. Before he and the team head off to the twoday Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational — which starts Dec. 4 — the Stater spoke with Miller about the past, present and future of his Kent State career. You went to Oak Harbor and won a state title. What led you to come to Kent State? My uncle, Zeb Miller, wrestled here. Wrestling’s been in my life pretty much all of my life. All my uncles and my dad, they all won state. It’s been a family tradition. You’ve been highly successful since you’ve been here, winning a MAC championship your freshman year. Has there ever been a point where you had to go through a learning curve or had a tough point where you had to get over it? I think my sophomore year, when I redshirted, was probably the hardest year. I was so used to competing and starting. I had to learn how to just focus on training and getting better and competing without it counting. That was a learning curve for me. When did you think you could wrestle at the collegiate level and be successful at it? My eighth grade year I won the junior high state title. That was when I was like, ‘Man, I might be pretty good at this sport.’ After that, in high school, I did very well. In my high school, I had a lot of upperclassmen going off to colleges and wrestling. I wanted to follow in their footsteps. If you had to sum up your wrestling style, what would you say about it? Explosive. My style’s explosive. A crowd-pleaser. Coach Jim Andrassy has talked about the great wrestlers needing to be a little selfish, mentioning you and former Kent State wrestler and NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore to different degrees. What do you think he means when he says that? We go out there and we want to win for ourselves. When we win for ourselves, we do well for the team. If we’re winning for ourselves, we’re going to win for the team, whether it’s getting a pin or just winning and getting three points
in a dual meet. I think if we do well, be selfish and just think about ourselves, it’ll actually help the team in the long run. You’ve had to talk about this multiple times, but going back to last year with the scoring fiasco at NCAA Championships, you did a great job of putting that behind you. You seem like you’re pretty good at not taking tough moments too hard. Where does that attitude come from? Growing up I had a lot of great coaches. They just taught me to put it in the past. Don’t forget about it. Use it to fuel you. One of my club coaches growing up, Erik Burnett, taught me a lot about discipline and how to be respectful. I think that’s probably what helped me the most, to put it behind me and just let it fuel me. You’re one of three guys on the team that are still undefeated along with senior 133-pounder Mack McGuire and fifth-year senior, 149-pounder Mike DePalma. Have you guys specifically talked about how special of a year this could be for each one of you? We haven’t talked about it. We just all know it’s going to be a good year.
Rachael Le Goubin / The Kent Stater Kent State's Ian Miller pins his opponent and watches as the time ends in his final match of the MAC Championship on Sunday, March 9, 2014. Miller defeated his opponent from Central Michigan and finished first in his weight class, winning him a Mid-American Conference title.
Hockey prepares to face Oakland Chris Yamnitsky
DePalma talked about how each of Sports Reporter your wrestling styles and work ethics The Kent State Hockey Club will return to the are different. What specifically makes ice Friday after a week's break. you guys different from each other? Just the way we wrestle, our movement, our preparations. They’re all different. When we wrestle each other in the room it really helps us because they might have styles that match up against guys we don’t know how to wrestle. It’s really good that we all have different kinds of styles. It really helps us in the long run. You were named MAC Wrestler of the Week last week for the fourth time in your career. What does it feel like when you’re recognized with this award? It always feels good. I didn’t even know I had it until I got on Twitter. I was surprised. It’s an honor. There were a lot of good MAC wrestlers wrestling last week. I was surprised I actually got it. It’s such an honor. The Cliff Keen Invitational will be your biggest challenge so far this year. Is this week business as usual? Are you going through the same mental and physical preparations you normally do? Yeah, but this week’s a little bit more intense. I know this tournament’s probably the second best tournament this year, besides NCAA’s. There are a lot of great teams. I just have to take it one match at a time, focus and do everything I usually do and it should turn out good. darmell1@kent.edu
“Our focus early on was just to take some of the rust off,” coach Jim Underwood said. “Moving into the rest of the week, we will continue to work on our special teams and go over our penalty kill systems as well." The Flashes (8-4-2) will try to snap a fourgame losing streak on the road against Oakland
University (4-10-2). The Flashes faced the Grizzlies five times last year and were only able to come out with one victory. “They play very well at home, as most teams do, but they are aggressive, and we are expecting a good team speed from them with some big strong defensemen,” Underwood said. “We are expecting them to be hungry because they need to make up some points in the standings.” The game starts at 8:15 p.m. in Rochester, Michigan. cyamnits@kent.edu
Max McCarty / The Kent Stater Forward Jon Buttitta, #14, defends the puck against Western Michigan University on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015.