The Kent Stater - December 4, 2017 by The Kent Stater

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Kent Stater

@KentWired

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER | MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

INDISCRIMINATE INJUSTICE

An in-depth look at the personal struggles and ongoing issues surrounding sexual assault 2

Students, staff define #MeToo movement

Big Brotha’s Program provides outlet for personal growth

Students’ personal stories of overcoming sexual abuse

2 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

Students, faculty speak out on national #MeToo movement Emily McMahan Student Life Reporter The trending social media hashtag #MeToo has sparked an open conversation about sexual violence and harassment online, assuring victims they are not alone. The hashtag is in response to the New York Times' expose, which revealed decades of sexual assault allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Since then, celebrities, journalists and politicians have been under fire for sexual assault after more and more confessions have been revealed. At Kent State, students and faculty opened up about what #MeToo means in their minds. “I’ve never said anything since high school,” said Morgan

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Lawrence, a senior biology major. “I think I was just hurting so much, and meeting girls who have been through the same thing has helped me a lot.” Lawrence was a victim of assault in high school. She tweeted out the hashtag so that women “don’t feel shameful” about their experiences. She said she blamed herself for what happened to her, and she wants other women to feel empowered to share their experiences. “I’ve noticed a lot of friends of mine have made the statement,” said Lucas Cassi, a sophomore education, health and human service general major. “It’s sad, but it’s nice that we can talk about it in our culture.” An American experiences sexual violence every 98 seconds, and nine out of every

10 victims are female, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. “There are a lot of reasons why someone who has been assaulted would not come forward,” said Jennifer O’Connell, the director of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services at Kent State. O’Connell said victims of sexual assault or harassment are afraid to come forward out of fear of not being believed, not remembering the exact events or being blamed for what happened to them. Some students believe the hashtag #MeToo is an outcry of victims who do not want to be silenced anymore. “I think something that isn’t brought to light as much are the less violent sexual crimes — the ones where you don’t want to,

but you’re stuck in a corner, you feel like you don’t have an option," said Mathew Knox, a junior public health major. Although the rates of assaults have fallen since 1993, RAINN reports nearly 322,000 Americans 12 years of age or older become victims every year. “It makes more people pay attention to the fact that it’s happening,” said Kristian Horne, a freshman chemistry major. “If everyone is (using the hashtag) it means we won’t be as uncomfortable talking about it.” Cassi addded, “It’s really difficult to help those that have been offended or assaulted if I don’t know how and part of that is educating." Contact Emily McMahan at emcmaha1@kent.edu.

It makes more people pay attention to the fact that it’s happening.”

TheKent

Stater 240 FRANKLIN HALL KENT STATE UNIVERSITY KENT, OHIO 44242 NEWSROOM 330-672-2584

– Kristian Horne Freshman chemistry major

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lydia Taylor ltaylo49@kent.edu DIGITAL DIRECTOR DESIGN DIRECTOR Ray Padilla rpadill2@kent.edu MANAGING EDITOR Jenna Kuczkowski jkuczkow@kent.edu ENTERPRISE EDITOR Andrew Keiper akeiper@kent.edu

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FEATURES EDITOR Rachel Duthie rduthie@kent.edu

CARTOONIST Joseph McGrellis jmcgrell@kent.edu

ASSIGNING EDITORS Nicholas Hunter nhunter6@kent.edu McKenna Corson mcorson2@kent.edu SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Rachel Stevenson rsteve15@kent.edu INNOVATIONS DIRECTOR Emma Keating ekeatin2@kent.edu

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Editor’s Note Lydia Taylor Editor Journalism is about bringing important issues to light in a factual and influential manner, a responsibility our newsroom aims to accomplish with our coverage. While we strive to remain honest in our reporting, we are also storytellers who approach our coverage with sensitivity to share the stories of those whose voices deserve to be heard. Over the last few months, many high-profile celebrities in society have been accused of sexual abuse, including Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer. Tens of thousands banded together on social media, sharing their stories of sexual abuse with #MeToo, which showed just how monumental the issue is. It happens every day, no matter if it’s on campus, in the workplace or at home. Our staff came together to create an open forum and cover this issue which affect so many of our on-campus peers. This paper encompasses stories pertaining to sexual abuse on campus and what organizations are doing to address the problem, as well as those sharing their stories through columns. The reason it is called “Indiscriminate Injustice” is because sexual assault doesn’t affect just one population; it affects everyone, regardless of gender, age, race or ethnicity. We encourage our readers to interact and respond to these stories through KentWired and social media. We hope to continue to cover this issue into next semester because without this coverage, we would not be fulfilling our duty as journalists on a college campus. Contact Lydia Taylor at ltaylo49@kent.edu.

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4 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

ROTC addresses sexual assault, harassment, prejudice in Army Kathryn Monsewicz Military and Veterans Reporter Every year, Kent State’s Army ROTC cadets take a break from their military drills and tactics to address an unfortunate occurrence in the military: sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination. Cadets must go through mandatory Sexual Harassment/ Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) training. “Sexual assault we know has been an epidemic throughout our society,” Capt. Joshua Donecker said. “The Army tries to be at the forefront to educate and provide the knowledge (of sexual harassment and assault) and how to report it.” The military defines sexual harassment as any unwanted sexual behavior or advancement, be it nonverbal, verbal or fostering a climate of such, Donecker said. Types of sexual harassment in the military include a “quid pro quo” advancement, where one person might do a sexual favor for another to get something he or she wants. Another type is having a hostile work environment. The environment the cadet creates while he or she is in command is important. When cadets graduate, they will become officers in the Army. Their job is to set and correct environmental conditions that people adapt to appropriately. “I hope they understand their own decisions on how they are going to foster their command climates when they are in charge,” Donecker said. Sexual assault is defined as physical contact done for

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sexual gratification. In the military, sexual harassment and assault apply both to other soldiers, the civilians a soldier interacts with and soldiers’ families. “Even if it happens once in the military, it is too much,” Donecker said. Consent is a touchy, hard-to-define gray area, Donecker said. The age group of those most likely to be predators, and victims, is between 18 and 24 years old — the

typical age range of college students. Just because a person is impaired by alcohol or is not conscious does not mean he or she gives consent. SHARP training is for students to understand how to report and “shut down” sexual misbehavior or misconduct if they see it happening, Donecker said. To respond to sexual harassment or assault, a cadet should always talk to the SHARP representative in his or her unit.

Sexual assault we know has been an epidemic throughout our society.” –Capt. Joshua Donecker

Members of Kent State’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs perform a flag-raising ceremony on the Student Green at Risman Plaza during Kent State’s observance of Veterans Day Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. McKenna Corson / The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

KentWired.com 5

A team of cadets train at Camp Ravenna Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Merritt

Submitted photo

“This kind of training is important to make sure that people understand how seriously the military takes this type of thing,” said Cadet Daniel Henderson, a senior public relations major, after the presentation. “The military is not a flawless place. There are some bad apples in the bunch, and those bad apples can only be weeded out if people are willing to step forward and hold them accountable.” As the military acknowledges and works to prevent and respond to sexual misbehavior, Donecker said everyone must acknowledge their own prejudices through the Equal Opportunity program. The EO program ensures fair treatment of all persons regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, etc. and bases a cadet’s potential on merit, fitness and their capabilities as a soldier. Donecker said that all people are prejudiced to some degree. We are socialized by society and media to have prejudices whether they are conscious or subconscious. Some cadets may say that, in the

military, all they see is “green,” meaning all people are seen as equal. Donecker instead stressed that people should celebrate their individuality and diversity to get away from groupthink; a practice wherein groups make decisions together that chips away at creativity and individual responsibilities. There are resources cadets should use if they have problems with sexual harassment, sexual assault or affairs in equal opportunity, Blake Bishop, a freshman political science major and cadet said. SHARP training and the EO program are important, Henderson said, because they help cadets understand how “to rectify situations that place them in harm’s way,” as well as recognize what makes them feel uncomfortable and what “degrades unit readiness.” “If something were to happen, not everything falls on you,” Bishop said. “There are people who can help you out like other officers, the EO officer, the SHARP representative.” Contact Kathryn at kmonsewi@kent.edu.

6 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

New on-campus group aids young men struggling with mental, physical health

Freshman construction management major Jason Booker and freshman digital media production major Peter Lindo, both members of the Big Brotha’s Program, concentrate as they do their planks Saturday. Tierra Thomas / The Kent Stater

Sophomore theater studies major Vendrix Gem focuses as he performs a plank Saturday. Gem is part of Big Brotha's Program, a new on-campus group that aims to help men improve their mental and physical health. Tierra Thomas / The Kent Stater

Tierra Thomas African-American Student Life Reporter A set of burpees and some pushups, along with sitting twists and planks. A three-minute break, and then repeat. “Last circuit,” junior exercise science major Caleb Broaddus calls out to the group of men beside him, all sweating, tired and out of breath. But they still get into position, ready to finish what they started. Big Brotha’s Program, a new student organization on campus, gives male students struggling with their mental, physical and emotional health an outlet to better themselves. “I want this organization to be an outlet for men who maybe have not experienced or don’t necessarily want to join a Greek organization,” said Carl “CJ” Owensby, a freshman political science major and the founder of the program. Big Brotha’s Program recently started this semester after Owensby and a friend won a pitch competition for LaunchNET in Spring 2017. Owensby won $400 to jumpstart his student organization, and so far, there are 14 mentors and 15 mentees. “This organization is not just geared to bigger men,” he said. “It’s geared toward men, period. And it’s to help them with physical health, mental health and academics.” Owensby said he wants the program to succeed in helping men battle with mental health, which he feels isn’t talked about much in the black community. “College can be really stressful, and a lot of people like to hold that in,” he said. “Mental health is something that is overlooked so that’s something I’d really like to hit on.“ Juanantonio Nieves, a sophomore criminology and justice studies major, oversees all other mentors in the program. After learning a lot from his mentors his freshman year in the Kupita Transiciones program, he wanted to become a mentor for other people. “I want my mentees to be impacted by myself, as well, the same way I was impacted by my mentor,” Nieves said. The Big Brotha’s Program offers support for those who want to gain confidence while also trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Broaddus, the health coordinator for the program, puts together exercise routines and implements them with the mentors and mentees. “I’m making sure that I’m not pushing them to where they can’t do it, but I’m pushing them to be able to push past their limits,” Broaddus said. Broaddus said he wants the mentees to have the mindset where they want to get their body right, but won’t judge them if that’s something they’re not interested in. “It doesn’t matter either way because in the end I still see them as my brothers, and I’m still going to help them in any way that I can,” he said. For Owensby, it’s the little things that matter when it comes to getting the program to succeed. “The real purpose of this is to focus on the small things that can make a big, greater impact on us as men,” he said. Contact Tierra Thomas at tthoma54@kent.edu.

Monday, December 4, 2017

KentWired.com 7

Students talk financial fears, solutions

Angela Radesic Job and Finace Reporter While every student has a different financial situation, one thing applies to almost all students — college will almost always leave you with some sort of debt. When it comes to those attending a college or university, the most commonly thought about fear is typically debt or student loans. According to an article published by Make Lemonade, the average college student in 2016 graduated with $37,172 in student loan debt. With the average student loan debt ranging from $30,000-$40,000 and increasing every year, college students have statistics like these as a constant reminder while in school. For Rachel Caraffi, a freshman psychology major, debt after college was the issue she was most worried about when starting at Kent State.

Illustration courtesy of Michaela Courtney

“My biggest financial fear upon entering college was the amount of debt I would accumulate over the course of going to school here,” Caraffi said. “I have to pay my tuition each year by myself, without the help of my parents. In saying this, there was a lot of financial pressure placed on my shoulders upon coming to college because I wanted to make sure I saved up enough money to afford my first year.” Caraffi doesn’t currently have a job, but she plans to get one during spring semester to help with other costs while in college. “I believe it’s important to have (a job) throughout college,” Caraffi said. “Any money you can make during the time you’re at college will help you in the long run.” While debt is one of the top financial fears of college students entering and currently enrolled in a college program, it is not the only financial issue students fear. For freshman mathematics major Emma Stec, her biggest fear is losing her scholarships. “My biggest financial fear is losing my

scholarships because they’re helping me pay for college,” Stec said. “I try to relieve my fear by focusing on my schoolwork.” According to Student Loan Hero, it was written that the average amount of scholarships and grants given to students that attended a four-year college was $7,010. For students to uphold a scholarship or grant, they need to obtain good academic standing. Keeping up with grades while being a member of different organizations on campus and obtaining an internship can be difficult and is a concern for those fortunate enough to have scholarships. College students all over Ohio have different financial worries that accompany them in college. For Michael Cooch, an Ohio State sophomore data analytics major, he said his biggest worry is debt, but he doesn’t like to dwell on that problem while in school. “I don’t focus on my debts,” Cooch said. “They do not have to be repaid until six months after I graduate, so I will have time

to pay them off.” When facing a stressful financial situation, he goes to his dad for advice. “He’s put four kids through college so he already knows how each of them financially did it,” he said. “Therefore, he can help me with any issues I have.” Relatives, financial planners and financial aid employees are all people to turn to in times of financial difficulty. All students have financial fears, and it is important to have resources in times of trouble. “To help cope and relieve (my financial fears) I put into perspective the reality of my situation,” Caraffi said. “It is inevitable to accumulate debt through college and that I eventually will run out of my savings and have to take out loans. ... I make smart spending choices and work whenever I can to continue saving up money for my next tuition payment.”

Contact Angela Radesic at aradesic@kent.edu.

8 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

Kent officer’s remarks at Panhellenic Council meeting raise questions about victim blaming Miranda Marinello Greek Life Reporter In late October, a Panhellenic Council meeting took a turn from a pedestrian review of council position responsibilities to an evening laced with discomfort after controversial remarks from Lt. Michael Lewis on the risks that come with Halloween weekend. Uncomfortable silence overtook a meeting, which was moments before focused on upcoming board elections. “With Halloween coming up, you ladies represent potential victims and I’m gonna speak to that in a number of different ways,” Lewis said. “Halloween is the biggest party night of the year by far. Kent State students are not always our biggest problem — but you are the attraction.” Julia Telford, a junior communications major who was in attendance, did not expect the subject matter to turn so dark. “I was expecting him to ... give just like a safety precaution,” Telford said. “Like, ‘If this happens you should do this’ or ‘If you feel uncomfortable, here’s a contact number,’ instead of literally ... slut-shaming everybody there.” According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, or RAINN, more than half of all sexual assaults on college

campuses occur in the first four months of the school year. “One of the projects I've been working on is that there are certain times of year that are more risky,” said RaeAnn Anderson, a research associate of psychology at Kent State and postdoctoral fellow in trauma and violence research. She said since Halloween is during the time when risks are higher, it is everyone’s responsibility to be more proactive. “That means we all as a community need to be thinking about what do we want to do,” Anderson said. Lewis said Halloween is when groups of men, which he dubbed “wolf packs,” will come through downtown, causing trouble and starting fights at local parties. "They’ll be accosting females,” Lewis said. “(Women) represent potential targets and potential victims. I want you to stay safe on Halloween by, number one, staying sober.” In a comment replying to a Facebook post by Emily Cavanaugh, a speech language pathology graduate student, criticizing Lewis’ remarks, he said through Kent Police Department’s page his usual 25-minute presentation was cut to just five minutes. “I have met with the council several times in the past, and have always been welcomed and seemingly well-received,” Lewis said in the post. “If anything in my

Breakdown of locations where sexual assualt occurs 55%

at or near the victim’s home

10%

in an enclosed but public area, such as a parking lot or garage

15%

in an open public space

12%

at or near a relative’s home

on school property

National Sexual Assualt Hotline|800.656.HOPE|rainn.org Visit rain.org/statistics/scope-problem for full citation.

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condensed message was received in a manner in which it was not intended, I certainly want to remedy that situation.” Lewis said he would be willing to meet with Cavanaugh, as well as any other students who felt offended by his comments. “I stated several times last night that the safety of the students is our priority,” Lewis said. While Anderson did not question Lewis’ motive in what he said, she did question his method. “What's most striking to me about what officer Lewis had to say, as a scientist who studies this — this is something I see a lot — people say lots of things and even many of them may be factual or based on facts, but they are presented in a way that is not helpful,” Anderson said. “And it’s within a narrative that is not helpful and often not true. So much of what he had to say presents campus rape as this problem that comes from somewhere else, not from campus, and that women as potential victims are responsible for stopping it.” RAINN reports that 70 percent of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. “I feel like as a cop he should have like given resources and said, ‘If you’re going to go out on Halloween, you need to stick with your friends, just watch out for each other. Don’t drink open drinks that someone gives you,’ like, basic information,” Telford said, adding she would never feel comfortable reporting an assault to the Kent Police. “Basically like he told us we deserve it — whatever happens,” Telford said. “You represent potential targets and potential victims,” Lewis said. “I want you to stay safe on Halloween by staying sober. I know that that’s a joke to a lot of you: ‘Yeah right, I’m not gonna drink on Halloween.’” Lewis recommended going out and staying with groups as a way to stay safe. “As you become separated from your group of friends you become a much easier target for those wolf packs,” Lewis said. “They can easily attack or drug a female who has strayed away from her friends and becomes an easy victim. I would discourage you from even attending the parties that go on (during Kent Halloween).”

Reported sexual assualt on Ohio campuses

KentWired.com 9

On the Cover: Illustration by Michaela Courtney

= Ohio State University = Ohio University = University of Toledo

= Miami University = Wright State University = University of Cincinnati

= Akron University

So rather than telling people not to do things ... let’s tell people how to do things in a way that they can be more thoughtful – RaeAnn Anderson about.”

Contact Miranda Marinello at mmarine7@kent.edu.

= Kent State University = Bowling Green State University

Research associate of psychology at KSU

Anderson said telling college students what to do has been found to be ineffective. “So rather than telling people not to do things ... let's tell people how to do things in a way that they can be more thoughtful about,” Anderson said. “What are the risks they're comfortable taking and what are the risks they're not comfortable taking?” Anderson also questioned the idea of “wolf packs” of men coming to Kent every year. “There may be some truth to that, but that's certainly not the overwhelming majority of cases,” Anderson said. “The overwhelming majority of cases are students attacking other students, and yes, women are potential victims — so are young men, actually. A lot more college men experience sexual assault than we often acknowledge.” About one in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape, according to RAINN. Anderson recommended Kent State’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services and various student groups endorsed by the Women’s Center for those looking for comprehensive education and information on sexual assault. “(SRVSS), in my experience, are very up to date on the literature, as far as research because there is a lot of new information coming out about this topic,” Anderson said. “We're learning more and more each day, and it's fast-paced change in some ways.”

= Cleveland State University

0 2011

Population:

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Accounts of reported sexual assault occurrences universities are forced to disclose in accordance with the Clery Act. Sexual assault reports include accounts of forcible and non-forcible rape and fondling. According to U.S. law, non-forcible rape offenses include “sexual conduct with individuals that the law assumes are not capable of giving consent to sexual acts,” meaning that “statutes will assume that underage, physically helpless and mentally incompetent victims are incapable of giving consent to sexual acts and will not consider consent as a valid defense to the crime.” The rise in sexual assault accounts is attributed to increased awareness and people opening up and speaking about rape more.

2014

2015

University of Cincinnati

43,691

University of Toledo

16,090

16,068

16,247

Ohio University

17,660

22,070

24,210

Ohio State University

58,322

58,663

66,046

Miami University

18,456

18,788

19,367

Cleveland State University

17,194

17,151

16,892

Bowling Green State University

15,709

19,227

16,500

Akron University

26,106

25,159

23,124

Kent State University

41,444

41,181

40,925

Wright State University

17,460

17,724

17,512

44,000

2016 45,000

8 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

Breakdown of locations where sexual assualt occurs 55%

at or near the victim’s home

10%

in an enclosed but public area, such as a parking lot or garage

15%

in an open public space

12%

at or near a relative’s home

on school property

National Sexual Assualt Hotline|800.656.HOPE|rainn.org Visit rain.org/statistics/scope-problem for full citation.

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Reported sexual assualt on Ohio campuses

KentWired.com 9

On the Cover: Illustration by Michaela Courtney

= Ohio State University = Ohio University = University of Toledo

= Miami University = Wright State University = University of Cincinnati

= Akron University

So rather than telling people not to do things ... let’s tell people how to do things in a way that they can be more thoughtful – RaeAnn Anderson about.”

Contact Miranda Marinello at mmarine7@kent.edu.

= Kent State University = Bowling Green State University

Research associate of psychology at KSU

= Cleveland State University

0 2011

Population:

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2014

2015

University of Cincinnati

43,691

University of Toledo

16,090

16,068

16,247

Ohio University

17,660

22,070

24,210

Ohio State University

58,322

58,663

66,046

Miami University

18,456

18,788

19,367

Cleveland State University

17,194

17,151

16,892

Bowling Green State University

15,709

19,227

16,500

Akron University

26,106

25,159

23,124

Kent State University

41,444

41,181

40,925

Wright State University

17,460

17,724

17,512

44,000

2016 45,000

10 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

Tax bill clears Senate in big boost for Trump, GOP Alan Fram, Marcy Gordan and Stephen Ohlemacher Associated Press Republicans muscled the largest tax overhaul in 30 years through the Senate early Saturday, taking a big step toward giving President Donald Trump his first major legislative triumph after months of false starts and frustration on other fronts. "Just what the country needs to get growing again," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in an interview after a final burst of negotiation closed in on a nearly $1.5 trillion package that impacts the breadth of American society. He shrugged off polls finding scant public enthusiasm for the measure, saying the legislation would prove its worth. "Big bills are rarely popular," he said. "You remember how unpopular 'Obamacare' was when it passed?" Trump on Saturday tweeted his thanks to Senate and House Republicans as they now begin trying to reconcile differences in legislation passed by both chambers, a behind-closed-doors process that is expected to move swiftly. Trump is aiming to sign the tax package into law before Christmas. "Biggest Tax Bill and Tax Cuts in history just passed in the Senate," he tweeted inaccurately. The overhaul is significant but far from the largest. Presiding over the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence announced the 51-49 vote to applause from Republicans. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was the only lawmaker to cross party lines, joining the Democrats in opposition. The measure focuses its tax reductions on businesses and higher-earning individuals, gives more modest breaks to others and offers the boldest rewrite of the nation's tax system since 1986. Republicans said the package would benefit people of all incomes and ignite the economy. Even an official projection of a $1 trillion, 10-year flood of deeper budget deficits couldn't dissuade GOP senators from rallying behind the bill. "Obviously I'm kind of a dinosaur on the fiscal issues," said Corker, who battled to keep the bill from worsening the government's accumulated $20 trillion in IOUs. The Republican-led House approved a similar bill last month in what has been a stunningly quick trip through Congress for complex legislation. Democrats derided the hastily written, scribbles-in-the-margin crafting of the bill in the final hours Friday night. After spending the year's first nine months futilely trying to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law, GOP leaders were determined to move the measure rapidly before opposition Democrats and lobbying groups could blow it up. The party views passage as crucial to retaining its House and Senate majorities in next year's elections. Democrats dismissed the bill as a gift to its wealthy and business backers at the expense of lower-earning people. They played up the fact that the bill would permanently reduce

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is seen at a rally in opposition to the Republican tax bill held in lower Manhattan in New York, NY Saturday. Hundreds of activists held a rally in Foley Square before marching to Wall Street protesting the U.S. Congress' tax bill, which was approved by the U.S. Senate in the early morning hours of Dec. 2. At Wall Street, activists were joined by New York City elected officials including Mayor Bill de Blasio who addressed the crowd. Albin Lohr-Jones / AP

corporate tax rates, from 35 percent to 20 percent, while offering only temporary tax cuts to individuals, lasting until 2026. Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation has said the bill's reductions for many families would be modest and by 2027, families earning under $75,000 would on average face higher, not lower, taxes. The bill is "removed from the reality of what the American people need," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He criticized Republicans for releasing a revised, 479-page bill that no one could absorb shortly before the final vote, saying, "The Senate is descending to a new low of chicanery." "You really don't read this kind of legislation," Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told home-state reporters, saying senators focus on the major provisions as opposed to the "mind numbing" comparisons to current law. Democrats took to the Senate floor and social media to mock one page that included changes scrawled in barely legible handwriting. Later, they won enough GOP support to kill a provision by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., that would have bestowed a tax break on conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan. The bill hit rough waters after the Joint Taxation panel concluded it would worsen federal shortfalls by $1 trillion over a decade, even when factoring in economic growth that lower taxes would stimulate. Trump administration officials and many Republicans have insisted the bill would pay for itself by stimulating the economy. But the sour projections stiffened resistance from

some deficit-averse Republicans. But after bargaining that stretched into Friday, GOP leaders nailed down the support they needed in a chamber they control, 52-48. Facing unyielding Democratic opposition, Republicans could lose no more than two GOP senators and prevail with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence, but ended up not needing it. Late changes introduced by GOP leaders included helping millions of companies whose owners pay individual, not corporate, taxes on their profits by allowing deductions of 23 percent, up from 17.4 percent. That helped win over Wisconsin's Johnson and Steve Daines of Montana. People would be allowed to deduct up to $10,000 in property taxes, a demand of Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. That matched a House provision to keep some GOP votes from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. The changes added nearly $300 billion to the tax bill's costs. To pay for that, leaders decided not to erase the alternative minimum tax. Instead, they reduced the number of highearners who must pay it. They also increased a one-time tax on profits U.S.-based corporations are holding overseas and they would require firms to keep paying the business version of the alternative minimum tax. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. — who like Corker had been a holdout and has sharply attacked Trump's capabilities as president — voted for the bill. He said he'd received commitments from party leaders and the administration

"to work with me" to restore protections, dismantled by Trump, for young immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children. That seemed short of a pledge to actually revive the safeguards. The Senate bill would drop the highest personal income tax rate from 39.6 percent to 38.5 percent. The estate tax levied on a few thousand of the nation's largest inheritances would be narrowed to affect even fewer. Deductions for state and local income taxes, moving expenses and other items would vanish, the standard deduction — used by most Americans — would nearly double to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for couples, and the per-child tax credit would grow. The bill would abolish the "Obamacare" requirement that most people buy health coverage or face tax penalties. Industry experts say that would weaken the law by easing pressure on healthier people to buy coverage, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said the move would push premiums higher and leave 13 million additional people uninsured. Drilling would be allowed in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Another provision, knocked out because it violated Senate budget rules, would have explicitly let parents buy tax-advantaged 529 college savings accounts for fetuses, a step they can already take but which anti-abortion forces wanted inscribed into law. There were also breaks for the wine, beer and spirits industries, Alaska Natives and aircraft management firms.

Monday, December 4, 2017

SPORTS

Cameron Hoover Sports Reporter The Kent State men's basketball team needed role players to step up Saturday night, as leading scorer Jaylin Walker (17.7 ppg) was sidelined for the second straight game with an ankle injury. The Flashes’ role players filled the extra minutes vacated by Walker, as four players scored in double digits and added lockdown defense to lead Kent State (5-3) over Cleveland State, 72-62. Senior guard Kevin Zabo took full advantage of the opportunity. He played 33 minutes, one off the season high he got in the Flashes’ last game against Norfolk State, the other contest Walker missed. Zabo’s season-high 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting (6-for-6 on free throws) led the team,

KentWired.com 11

Balanced attack, tight defense lift Flashes over Cleveland State (Left) Kent State junior guard Jalen Avery goes for a pass against Cleveland State Saturday. The Flashes pulled out a 72-62 win.

Kayla McMillen / The Kent Stater (Right) Cleveland State sophomore point guard Evan Clayborne tries to block Kent State freshman forward BJ Duling from scoring in the first half of the game Saturday.

Kayla McMillen / The Kent Stater

and he added three rebounds and an assist. “I didn’t see it as ‘OK, I’m replacing (Walker),” Zabo said. “No one can replace him. He’s one hell of a player. I’m just trying to come in and contribute in a lot of different ways. I’ve got to be a lot more aggressive with him out, but it was a great team effort. … I’m happy with how we played.” Junior center Adonis De La Rosa continued his strong start to the season with 16 points, including 11 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, including four on offense, and a team-high three assists. De La Rosa’s passing out of double teams in the post led his teammates to many open looks. “We practice against the double teams a lot,” De La Rosa said. “I felt comfortable out there. I just made the right plays, and guys were in the right position.” Coach Rob Senderoff was happy with

the way the team responded to being without Walker. “It’s not easy when a lot of the offense is geared toward running (Walker) off screens,” Senderoff said. “In the long run, it’ll help us because it gives Kevin (Zabo) more confidence, Jalen Avery more confidence.” Senderoff said the team’s success in the past two games gives Walker more confidence in his teammates going forward. “We won both games (while Walker was out),” Senderoff said. “It gives him more confidence in these other guys that they’re just as capable on any given night as well.” Avery chipped in with 15 points, three assists and no turnovers. The junior point guard has had more assists than turnovers in every game this season, and this is his fifth game of the season without a turnover. Zabo said taking care of the ball is one

of the most important aspects for the two point guards. “Me and Jalen — we have great chemistry on the court,” Zabo said. “We talk a lot. That’s something we take very seriously: not turning the ball over and leading our team while we’re on the court together. Tonight, he did a great job. He hit big shots.” Senderoff didn’t have a concrete update on a return for Walker. “We’ll have a better idea on Monday,” Senderoff said. “I spoke with him (Friday), and he said he was at about 70 percent. I’m hoping he’ll be able to play soon, but I really don’t know. We’ll know when he practices.” The Flashes return to the court looking for an upset over No. 21 Xavier at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Cintas Center.

Contact Cameron Hoover at choove14@kent.edu.

12 The Kent Stater

Monday, December 4, 2017

OPINION

#MeToo: Here JOSEPH McGRELLIS’ VIEW lies the girl you tried to make me Madeline Zupko I stand in peace because I learned rest won’t save me. Here is why I stand: It was green. Army green. And although it physically held firewood, it spiritually held every fear I had ever known: the threat of my death. This simple box, a storage bin of sorts, was the loaded gun held to my head as I was forced down onto the cold and unforgiving garage floor across the street from where I slept and played. This box was the only thing between the truth and the rest of the world. “If you tell anyone about this, I will put you in that box and put it in a lake and no one will ever find you or hear you,” he said. And I believed him. I was 6. A short girl with a dimple and my whole life ahead of me. He was 19. A medium-height man with a crooked smile and wicked intentions. Nearly every day for three years, I was forced down onto the floor of his garage, the space between his bed and wall, his basement floor and even my own bedroom floor. The feeling of cold cement beneath my feet still makes me shiver. I would just rest there, a sitting duck waiting to be taken over for what felt like the millionth time. Each time he promised, “This is the last time,” and each time I died a little more on the inside.

Photo courtesy of Madeline Zupko

From the outside looking in, I was a small girl who worshipped Disney princesses and danced ballet. But on the inside, I was being forced into a woman, a concept I did not even understand. The last time it happened, he walked into my room and said, “I won’t be coming back for a while, I have real friends now. This Cinderella Ball is over.” I was relieved the clock had finally struck midnight, but my savior never came. Instead of turning into a beautiful and confident princess, I felt dirty and used. I was robbed of one of the biggest moments a girl experiences in life. I would never get a chance to feel the exhilarating confusion behind pressing my lips upon someone else’s for the first time. I would never “lose my virginity” because it was taken before I even knew I had it. I was trained to believe it was my fault and I would be in trouble with my parents if I told anyone, that if I spoke I would be killed. I remained silent. Every time the phone would ring, I felt

this fear that someone had found out, that my life would never be the same or that I’d cease to exist. Little did I know, my entire existence was wasting away every day that I remained silent. I remained unchanged. My growth as a human was being stunted and the storm I was facing followed me everywhere. There is not a day that goes by where my mind does not find my bare skin against the cold floor again. For 10 years I stayed unchanged. An entire decade had gone by, and he still remained known as the babysitter I had growing up. His face still appeared in my home videos, a family friend. Memories of the times he helped my mom by watching me after school remained happy, and I was wasting away. I tried to take my own life. I thought maybe it was the only way to address how I felt. I just didn’t know where to begin with the letter I would leave. How do you say sorry for your absence from life and drop a bomb like that at the same time? I couldn’t do it.

Then, one day during the spring of my freshman year of high school, I was exhausted of being forced down, so I stood up. I walked myself into the counselor’s office and I spoke, I cried and I grew. Thanks to that day, I finally put the glass slipper on for myself and became the confident girl I dreamt of being. Today, I am still standing. My purpose in writing this is to say, “Me too.” Sexual abuse in any way, shape or form is never OK. It is crippling and dehumanizing. It is completely asinine that everyday men and women are being forced down when every human everywhere was meant to stand proud. I broke my silence, and I became my own hero. Even though he is still out there, somewhere, I am OK. If you have gone through this, I am sorry. If we all stand together, we can make it through. Today, I am 19, a short woman with a dimple and my whole life ahead of me. Madeline Zupko is a guest columnist.

SUBMISSIONS: 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 lmisera@kent.edu) and guest columns. Submissions become property of the Stater and are subject to editing without notice.

Monday, December 4, 2017

#MeToo: A fraction of men get sexually assaulted — I was one Anonymous When I was 14 years old, I went on a class trip to Disney World where my three best friends proceeded to sexually assault me. When you’re young, things don’t always make sense, and years later, it’s still hard for me to process the logic behind it. Regardless, the issue began with my roommates holding me down and “teabagging” me in my sleep. While most people view this as innocent or comic enough, waking up to this is an extremely uncomfortable feeling. When my best friend since first grade removed his shorts while the other ones held me down, the incident became something far different. To avoid running the risk of being gratuitous, I can only imply what happened next. Thankfully, I was soon able to shake them off of me and tried to make a beeline out of the hotel room, but they caught up to me. They beat and kicked me in a corner of the room and hit me with anything they could find lying around the room. I had a bruise in the shape of a footprint on my right forearm for three months. When something like that happens to you, it’s more shock than it is sadness or powerlessness at first, at least until you get a chance to process it. These guys had been my best friends since I was 6 years old. It’s unimaginable they’d do something to hurt me like that, and I was too young to know how to respond. I never wanted anyone to find out in a million

years, but we were in high school and words spread fast. Two days after we returned from the trip (and on my main attacker’s birthday, of all days), I was in the principal’s office giving her my story in response to an anonymous tip. A few years later, another boy told me he was the one that came forward. He was in the hotel room next door and heard the altercation and felt compelled to do something. Everything happens for a reason and surely he was trying to do the right thing, but not a day goes by where I wish he never did it. While my situation was personally harrowing, the actual assault aspects never became as grisly as other horror stories I’ve heard. In fact, I firmly believe that in my case, the fallout from the assault was way more traumatic than the actual incident itself. As soon as I stepped out of the principal’s office, it was like waking up on Mars. Students told me I was a homosexual (news to me) who wanted it to happen to me. I heard teachers in the hallway saying I made it up for attention. Girls wouldn’t be caught dead talking to someone like me. I went about 18 months without my classmates talking to me in public. I lost every single friend I had because it was inconvenient to be around an outcast like me. Even my mother was disappointed in me. After my visit to the principal’s office, I came home in tears. The bus ride home had been particularly brutal, and I was unaware that this was about to become the new status quo. I was looking for some relief from my mom, but all she could say was, “Maybe if you were tougher, this wouldn’t have

happened to you.” No, maybe if I was asleep this wouldn’t have happened to me. Maybe if I didn’t go on the trip, this wouldn’t have happened to me. Maybe if I was more judicious in picking out my friends, this wouldn’t have happened to me. Or maybe — just maybe — if they had more self-control and respect for me, this wouldn’t have happened. Life goes on. It took a number of years for me to get to where I’m at today, but I’ve finally beaten this thing. Not a day goes by where I’m not reminded of it in some way, but only rarely does it bother me anymore. Time heals all wounds and things do get better, but I had no idea how much time it would take. I had an unfortunate post-traumatic stress disorder incident the first time I attempted to be intimate with a female, and I ruined what would’ve been my first taste of young love. I was scared to escalate with girls I was attracted to because I would hate to be with the girl of my dreams and embarrass myself in a similar fashion. I felt like if I couldn’t even control the gender of the people that have sexual relations with me, I couldn’t control any aspects of my own life. I can’t even begin to imagine what women go through when they are attacked by men. We must do better as a culture. We can’t continue to blame victims for the perverted actions of their attackers. We can’t continue to make excuses for rapists and violators, and we can’t reinforce a rape culture that says this kind of behavior is acceptable. Unfortunately, my story is nowhere near as rare as I once believed it was. My heart breaks for all the other victims out there, and I stand in solidarity with you.