White nationalist Richard Spencer requests space for May 4 event page 2
The
Kent Stater
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018
Attorney General Sessions’ decision threatens to set national, local marijuana industries ablaze 4
NYC terror suspect, former Ohio resident seeks guilty plea
5
Late-game heroics lift KSU to win over Western Michigan
10
‘The Greatest Showman’ inspires and motivates
2 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
NEWS
TWEET: WHITE NATIONALIST RICHARD SPENCER'S TOUR MANAGER SEEKING SPACE TO SPEAK AT KENT STATE ON MAY 4 Henry Palattella Assigning editor A tweet sent Wednesday by Kyle Bristow, a lawyer who represents white nationalist Richard Spencer’s National Policy Institute, says Spencer’s college tour manager is working to reserve the Kent State Multicultural Center on May 4. The tweet, sent at 1:25 p.m., says Cameron Padgett intends to speak at Kent State and would invite white nationalists Spencer and Mike Enoch to speak at “the publicly available Student Multicultural Center.” Bristow tagged both Padgett and Spencer in the tweet — the account about Enoch that was tagged is identified as a parody account. Eric Mansfield, Kent State’s executive director of media relations, declined comment on the tweet. KentWired obtained a copy of Padgett’s request to speak on May 4 through an email sent by Bristow. Padgett starts the email by writing that he would “like to request the Student Multicultural Center (auditoriumstyle up to 200 people), but a comparable lecture hall would suffice.” Bristow, who is also Padgett’s attorney and is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Michigan, has worked with Padgett to try to book Spencer on college tours before and threatened to sue the University of Michigan if they didn’t let Spencer speak. The two parties are currently working on organizing a date for him to speak on Michigan’s campus.
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To see Cameron Padgett’s request to reserve space in the Student Multicultural Center and to read the most current information about this story, go to KentWired.com. Seven college campuses denied Spencer’s requests to speak, including Ohio State, which listed security concerns as the reason it denied him access. Spencer is currently suing the University of Cincinnati due to the $11,000 security fee the university asked for, and he is also suing Ohio State for free speech. “The event must occur on Friday, May 4, for my purposes, because I plan to invite a number of guest speakers- including Richard Spencer of the National Policy Institute and Michael Peinovich of The Right Stuff,” Padgett’s email said. Enoch’s real name is Michael Peinovich. He also said that Peinovich and Spencer will be speaking about “the unfortunate modern trend of violent leftwing antifa protesters trying to undermine the free speech of right-wing people.” Padgett also said the 48th anniversary of the Kent State shooting would be a “prominent theme” of the discussion. Spencer was permitted to speak at the University of Florida and the University of Virginia. Florida governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency so that the different branches of law enforcement could work together during Spencer’s speech. Enoch is best known for starting alt-right blogs known such as “The Right Stuff,” and
Screenshot of Kyle Bristow's tweet on Wednesday.
“The Daily Shoah.” Lecia Brooks of the Southern Poverty Law Center was the keynote speaker at the May 4 ceremony last year. Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, spoke the year before. The Southern Poverty Law Center website identifies Spencer, Enoch and Bristow as white nationalists, and Spencer as a member of the alt-right.
Padgett concluded the email by stating the group would need audio equipment for the event, asking for two microphones — one for the speakers, and one for a question and answer session with the audience. Contact Henry Palattella at hpallatte@kent.edu.
The event must occur on Friday, May 4, for my purposes, because I plan to invite a number of guest speakers- including Richard Spencer of the National Policy Institute – Cameron Padgett and Michael Peinovich of The Right Stuff.” Arranges appearances for Richard Spencer
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Kent State to pay damages for cars hit by fallen tree Ben Orner Enterprise producer for KentWired Kent State University will pay more than $11,000 in damages to the owners of four cars hit by a fallen tree. On Oct. 13, the tree hit the cars in the Korb Hall parking lot. The owners of three of the cars filed claims against Kent State in the Ohio Court of Claims, asking the university to pay for the damages not covered by their insurance. The fourth owner’s claim is pending, according to the university. The court hears claims against state entities for money damages. Because Kent State is a state university, the car owners were required to go to the court to recover damages. Kent State said it assisted the owners in making the claims. "We understand how
inconvenient it is to lose the use of a car, and we're stepping up to expedite assistance," Doug Kubinski, an university associate counsel, said in a statement. In the first claim, filed Nov. 28, Jefferi Adams of Toledo asked for $2,206 to cover damages to his vehicle. According to his claim, Adams was visiting campus when his car was hit. A month later, Karen Nocero of Lyndhurst asked for $500. On Jan. 4, Beth Miller of Carmel, Ind., asked for $8,310. Both say in their claims that they are parents of Kent State students. The university settled each claim the same day it was filed, but did not always pay the amount the claimant asked for. Adams settled for $1,000 while the other two claimants received the amounts they requested. Kent State will pay a total of $9,810 in the three settlements, with an estimated total payout
for the four cars at $11,336. The university will use money from its general fund to cover driver expenses not met by personal insurance policies, including the replacement value of one of the cars, which was totaled. The three other vehicles sustained more minor damage. An eyewitness told TV2 a student was inside one of the cars when it was hit. She was transported to the hospital. In a statement, the university stated under Ohio law, it can legally reimburse damaged parties for outof-pocket costs resulting from vehicular damage on university property. "We're helping the affected drivers get rolling again," Kubinski said. Contact Ben Orner at borner@kent.edu.
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Kent State University groundskeepers clear debris from multiple cars after a tree fell in the Korb Hall parking lot Oct. 13, 2017. Kassi Jackson / Kent State University
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Mimi Caron, a sophomore psychology major, takes items out of her glass covered back seat on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. Caron’s vehicle was one of three damaged when a tree fell into the Korb Hall parking lot. “I looked out and saw the tan seats and thought, ‘Oh, this will not be good,’” Caron said. Carter Adams / The Kent Stater
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4 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
NYC terror suspect with Ohio ties may plead guilty if spared death penalty Larry Neumeister Associated Press A man charged with killing eight people in a Halloween attack on a New York City bike path is willing to plead guilty if he'll be spared the death penalty, his lawyers said Wednesday. The lawyers told U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick that the families of victims and the public can be spared a drawn-out legal process if U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions decides not to seek the death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov. Saipov briefly lived in Cuyahoga Falls years before the attack. Authorities say the Paterson, New Jersey, resident was inspired by the Islamic State group when he mowed people down in rented truck. He has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail. "In short, a decision by the government not to seek the death penalty would bring immediate closure to the case without the need for the public and victims to repeatedly relive the terrible events of Oct. 31, 2017," the lawyer told the Manhattan jurist in a letter signed by David Patton, executive director of the Federal Defenders of New York. If the government seeks death, the lawyers said a trial should occur no earlier than September 2019 because of the large volume of evidence and the need to build a defense with information to be gathered halfway around the globe. Authorities say Islamic State group propaganda was found on cellphones belonging to Saipov, who moved to the United States legally in 2010 from Uzbekistan. In addition to Ohio, he also lived in Florida and worked as a commercial truck driver before he recently moved to New Jersey with his wife and children. In a letter sent to the judge Tuesday, prosecutors said a decision on whether to seek death in the case will not occur until after they receive a submission from the defense revealing any mitigating circumstances. They said they had asked for it to be submitted within three months but defense lawyers have requested an additional three months to work on it. Prosecutors asked that a trial be set for April 2019. They said a firm trial date is necessary because it would enable planning by many of the victims and families located throughout the United States and overseas, including in Argentina, Belgium and Germany. The government said there is "a strong desire for closure" among those harmed by the attacks in the U.S. and abroad. "It is deeply traumatic for these bereaved, seriously injured, or otherwise traumatized victims and their families to endure reliving Saipov's attack by recounting the details, and victims have already expressed to the government concern about delays in this process," prosecutors wrote.
A damaged Home Depot truck remains on the scene Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, after the driver mowed down people on a riverfront bike path near the World Trade Center on Tuesday in New York. Mark Lennihan / Associated Press
For the original story from November, visit
Thursday, January 18, 2018
SPORTS
KentWired.com 5
Peterson’s game-winner caps wild finish in win over Western Michigan Cameron Hoover Sports editor Kent State led Western Michigan by as many as 18 points in the second half Tuesday night, but with 9.9 seconds left, a goaltending call on junior guard Jaylin Walker tied the game at 71. Kent State coach Rob Senderoff chose not to call a timeout, and senior guard Kevin Zabo dribbled the length of the court before losing the ball at the rim. 4.1 seconds left. Sophomore forward Danny Pippen collected the loose ball with his back to the basket, twisted and left a point-blank layup short. The ball was whacked out of mid-air by Western Michigan’s Reggie Jones, directly into the hands of sophomore guard Mitch Peterson, five feet away from the basket. 1.9 seconds left. Peterson collected the ball and calmly lifted, using only his right hand to propel the ball toward the net. It’s a shot Peterson has been famous for during his time at Kent State and one he’s made dozens of times over his two seasons. “We call it the floater,” Zabo said of Peterson’s patented move. “It’s his shot. It’s Mitch’s shot.” The ball hadn’t even fallen the whole way through the net before Peterson pumped his fist in celebration of his first career-game winner. With 0.2 seconds on the clock, Peterson was mobbed by his teammates in celebration of a 73-71 win over Western Michigan that brought the Flashes record to 9-9, including 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference. Peterson said it was no accident he was in
position to play the hero. “It was a little bit of (being in the right place at the right time),” Peterson said. “But I’d like to think I was reading the play. I was counting on Danny making it, but the ball came my way so I put it in.” The Flashes jumped out to an 18-point lead with 3:36 remaining in the first half, thanks to red-hot three-point shooting. At that point in the game, Pippen, Zabo and Walker combined to go 8-for-8 from behind the line. Pippen’s 16 points in the first half were a season-high for a whole game. Kent State led, 45-33, at halftime, but the Broncos (11-7, 3-2 MAC) slowly chipped away at the lead thanks to 15 made secondhalf free throws. “Obviously, Western Michigan is a great team, — one of the toughest teams in the league — so we knew they were going to try to come back in the second half,” Zabo said. “We did a good job staying composed in the end." Senderoff focused on his team’s defensive rebounding statistics against one of the stronger teams on the offensive glass in the MAC. The Broncos only secured nine offensive rebounds, three less than their season average. “We had more second-chance points, including the game-winning basket,” Senderoff said. “To me, the biggest key for us in this game was how we defended.” Zabo finished with a game-high 23 points, while Pippen chipped in with 16, all in the first half. Junior center Adonis De La Rosa picked up his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while junior point guard Jalen Avery added nine assists. Kent State will hope to continue the momentum from a two-game home win
Senior guard Kevin Zabo drives past Western Michigan's Josh Davis on Tuesday. Madeline Zupko / The Kent Stater
streak in their next game on the road, where the team is winless in conference play. “We celebrate now, but we’re onto the next tomorrow,” Zabo said. “We have another tough opponent, and we’re looking to steal one on the road. We’ve done a good job protecting our house, but now we have to get one on the road.” Kent State will look to keep the win streak alive for its next game at Toledo at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 at Savage Arena. Contact Cameron Hoover at choove14@kent.edu. Sophomore forward Danny Pippen and a referee exchange glances during Kent State's 73-71 win over Western Michigan on Tuesday. Pippen scored a season-high 16 points, all in the first half. Madeline Zupko / The Kent Stater
6 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Thursday, January 18, 2018
COVER
Medical marijuana seen at risk following move by Sessions Andrew Selsky Associated Press
The site at 4000 Lake Rockwell Rd. in Ravenna Twp. where FN Group Holdings, LLC, will build a medical marijuana cultivation and processing plant taken in December 2017. Meghan Constantino / The Kent Stater
Medical marijuana grow site to open in Ravenna Troy Lee, Paige Brown and Julian Wissinger Reporters A vacant lot in Ravenna Township will become Portage County’s only medical marijuana grow site and processing facility, at least for now, after the state of Ohio announced in late November the 24 companies authorized to produce the now legal substance. The facility, expected to be active this year, will open at 4000 Lake Rockwell Rd. Tom Hobson of Chagrin Falls owns FN Group Holdings, LLC, along with his daughter, Claire, and son, Spencer. Hobson said a personal stake in the potential benefits of using medical marijuana led him to become involved in the business, which will go by the name Wellspring Fields. “I have a family member suffering from Parkinson’s disease and another suffering from rheumatoid arthritis,” Hobson said. “I think it is right to allow
KentWired.com 7
them to have a safe avenue of relief through medical marijuana.” The Ohio Department of Commerce announced twelve companies, including Hobson’s, were issued “Level II” cultivator provisional licenses in late November for facilities with up to 3,000 feet of growing space. The facility is expected to employ between eight and twenty employees. Another twelve companies were issued “Level I” cultivation licenses for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space. The Hobson’s were each involved in different ventures before coming together to launch this business. Hobson said his daughter had a great job in the Boston area but wanted to come back home to help take care of her ill grandmother. His son worked in marketing but wanted to strike out in a new field. This happened around 2015, when a marijuana ballot initiative to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana in Ohio failed. Governor John Kasich, however, signed legislation legalizing medical marijuana in the state June 8, 2016. Hobson said he is excited to be working with his children. “I started my first business in my early twenties with the help of my father, so it felt like the stars were
aligning for me to be able to start a business with my kids,” Hobson said. “I feel a real connection with my father and understand what he must have been feeling when working with me to start a business.” Hobson approached the Ravenna Twp. trustees with his business proposal during their March 14, 2017, regular meeting. Trustees Pat Artz and Vince Coia approved the writing of a letter in support of opening the plant. The trustees approved the location in part because it will be a medical marijuana grow site and processing facility, not a dispensary. While the rules for medical marijuana are set by the state, Coia said the township put some additional restrictions on the facility, including stringent security requirements and that the site can never be used for retailing recreational marijuana, even if it eventually becomes legal. Hobson’s business will be open by the stateimposed deadline of September, 2018, but said the challenges to get up and running so soon are “no joke,” since he is faced with erecting a building in the dead of a Northeast Ohio winter.
“This process is a lot of hard work, but we are definitely up to the challenge,” Hobson said. “One thing that has become obvious to us in this process is that Ravenna Township is a great community and a great place to start a business.” Contact Troy Lee at tlee25@kent.edu. Contact Paige Brown at pbrown31@kent.edu. Contact Julian Wissinger at jwissing@kent.edu.
‘‘
I think it is right to allow them to have a safe avenue of relief through medical marijuana.” – Spencer Hobson Co-owner of FN Group Holdings, LLC
When U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions green-lighted federal prosecutions of marijuana lawbreakers, the vast majority of U.S. states that allow some form of medical marijuana were unexpectedly placed at risk of a crackdown and are warily watching developments. Forty-six states — including Sessions' home state of Alabama — have legalized some form of medical marijuana in recent years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eight of those states also allow recreational marijuana. Among the guidance that Sessions rescinded was the so-called Ogden Memorandum of 2009 that instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue cases against medical marijuana patients and distributors who complied with state laws. "Previous nationwide guidance specific to marijuana enforcement is unnecessary and is rescinded, effective immediately," Sessions told the U.S. attorneys based in all 50 states in a letter Thursday. Georgia state Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican who sponsored a bill in his state's legislature that legalized possession of medical marijuana in 2015, denounced the move. "I'm very disappointed in Jeff Session's actions," Peake said Friday in a telephone interview. "He will be hurting the grandfather with Alzheimer's, the soccer mom with breast cancer, the college student with Crohn's disease, the young child with seizures — these are the people that will be impacted by this action by the attorney general." The only legal protection now for medical marijuana growers, processors, sellers and users is a temporary measure sponsored by Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from using government funds to target them. Rohrabacher, in a conference call with reporters and four other members of Congress, said Sessions' move should galvanize national support for marijuana legalization. "This is a wakeup call for American people who believe in freedom," Rohrabacher said. "It will mobilize people throughout the country." Many politicians, including Republicans, have cast Session's move as an infringement on states' rights. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas
do not allow any access to marijuana, said Karmen Hanson, a cannabis policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twentynine states — plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico — allow for comprehensive public medical marijuana programs. An additional 17 states allow use of marijuana products for medical reasons in limited situations or as a legal defense, she said. Many of the states that allow some form of medical marijuana with low THC — marijuana's psychoactive compound — did so in 2013 and 2014. About half of the initiatives that allowed medical marijuana were passed by voters in ballot measures and the rest by state legislatures, Hanson said. Georgia's General Assembly passed that state's medical marijuana law in 2015, called Haleigh's Hope Act, it was named for a girl who was suffering from hundreds of seizures a day. "This means the world to us," Haleigh's mother, Janea Cox, told reporters when Georgia's governor signed the bill. Peake said Sessions' move will have a chilling effect on a bill he introduced that would allow the growing, processing and distribution of cannabis oil in Georgia. "This is as bipartisan an issue as you can get," he said. "Cancer doesn't ask if you're a Republican or a Democrat. There are people of all races and creeds who benefit from medical cannabis, so that's why it's so crucial that Congress get together and take action." The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment that restricts U.S. attorneys from taking legal action against people who use medical marijuana or produce it was maintained in a last short-term funding bill passed by Congress. But that funding bill expires on Jan. 19. Blumenauer "is working to make sure it's maintained again in whatever next funding bill Congress passes," said his spokeswoman, Nicole L'Esperance. Rohrabacher said a better, more permanent solution is a bill he submitted last year that amends the Controlled Substances Act so it doesn't apply to people who produce, possess or deliver marijuana in compliance with state marijuana laws. If it passes, Rohrabacher said he and Blumenauer would not be forced to repeatedly seek passage of their amendment annually. New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has also introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
6 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Thursday, January 18, 2018
COVER
Medical marijuana seen at risk following move by Sessions Andrew Selsky Associated Press
The site at 4000 Lake Rockwell Rd. in Ravenna Twp. where FN Group Holdings, LLC, will build a medical marijuana cultivation and processing plant taken in December 2017. Meghan Constantino / The Kent Stater
Medical marijuana grow site to open in Ravenna Troy Lee, Paige Brown and Julian Wissinger Reporters A vacant lot in Ravenna Township will become Portage County’s only medical marijuana grow site and processing facility, at least for now, after the state of Ohio announced in late November the 24 companies authorized to produce the now legal substance. The facility, expected to be active this year, will open at 4000 Lake Rockwell Rd. Tom Hobson of Chagrin Falls owns FN Group Holdings, LLC, along with his daughter, Claire, and son, Spencer. Hobson said a personal stake in the potential benefits of using medical marijuana led him to become involved in the business, which will go by the name Wellspring Fields. “I have a family member suffering from Parkinson’s disease and another suffering from rheumatoid arthritis,” Hobson said. “I think it is right to allow
KentWired.com 7
them to have a safe avenue of relief through medical marijuana.” The Ohio Department of Commerce announced twelve companies, including Hobson’s, were issued “Level II” cultivator provisional licenses in late November for facilities with up to 3,000 feet of growing space. The facility is expected to employ between eight and twenty employees. Another twelve companies were issued “Level I” cultivation licenses for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space. The Hobson’s were each involved in different ventures before coming together to launch this business. Hobson said his daughter had a great job in the Boston area but wanted to come back home to help take care of her ill grandmother. His son worked in marketing but wanted to strike out in a new field. This happened around 2015, when a marijuana ballot initiative to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana in Ohio failed. Governor John Kasich, however, signed legislation legalizing medical marijuana in the state June 8, 2016. Hobson said he is excited to be working with his children. “I started my first business in my early twenties with the help of my father, so it felt like the stars were
aligning for me to be able to start a business with my kids,” Hobson said. “I feel a real connection with my father and understand what he must have been feeling when working with me to start a business.” Hobson approached the Ravenna Twp. trustees with his business proposal during their March 14, 2017, regular meeting. Trustees Pat Artz and Vince Coia approved the writing of a letter in support of opening the plant. The trustees approved the location in part because it will be a medical marijuana grow site and processing facility, not a dispensary. While the rules for medical marijuana are set by the state, Coia said the township put some additional restrictions on the facility, including stringent security requirements and that the site can never be used for retailing recreational marijuana, even if it eventually becomes legal. Hobson’s business will be open by the stateimposed deadline of September, 2018, but said the challenges to get up and running so soon are “no joke,” since he is faced with erecting a building in the dead of a Northeast Ohio winter.
“This process is a lot of hard work, but we are definitely up to the challenge,” Hobson said. “One thing that has become obvious to us in this process is that Ravenna Township is a great community and a great place to start a business.” Contact Troy Lee at tlee25@kent.edu. Contact Paige Brown at pbrown31@kent.edu. Contact Julian Wissinger at jwissing@kent.edu.
‘‘
I think it is right to allow them to have a safe avenue of relief through medical marijuana.” – Spencer Hobson Co-owner of FN Group Holdings, LLC
When U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions green-lighted federal prosecutions of marijuana lawbreakers, the vast majority of U.S. states that allow some form of medical marijuana were unexpectedly placed at risk of a crackdown and are warily watching developments. Forty-six states — including Sessions' home state of Alabama — have legalized some form of medical marijuana in recent years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eight of those states also allow recreational marijuana. Among the guidance that Sessions rescinded was the so-called Ogden Memorandum of 2009 that instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue cases against medical marijuana patients and distributors who complied with state laws. "Previous nationwide guidance specific to marijuana enforcement is unnecessary and is rescinded, effective immediately," Sessions told the U.S. attorneys based in all 50 states in a letter Thursday. Georgia state Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican who sponsored a bill in his state's legislature that legalized possession of medical marijuana in 2015, denounced the move. "I'm very disappointed in Jeff Session's actions," Peake said Friday in a telephone interview. "He will be hurting the grandfather with Alzheimer's, the soccer mom with breast cancer, the college student with Crohn's disease, the young child with seizures — these are the people that will be impacted by this action by the attorney general." The only legal protection now for medical marijuana growers, processors, sellers and users is a temporary measure sponsored by Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from using government funds to target them. Rohrabacher, in a conference call with reporters and four other members of Congress, said Sessions' move should galvanize national support for marijuana legalization. "This is a wakeup call for American people who believe in freedom," Rohrabacher said. "It will mobilize people throughout the country." Many politicians, including Republicans, have cast Session's move as an infringement on states' rights. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas
do not allow any access to marijuana, said Karmen Hanson, a cannabis policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twentynine states — plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico — allow for comprehensive public medical marijuana programs. An additional 17 states allow use of marijuana products for medical reasons in limited situations or as a legal defense, she said. Many of the states that allow some form of medical marijuana with low THC — marijuana's psychoactive compound — did so in 2013 and 2014. About half of the initiatives that allowed medical marijuana were passed by voters in ballot measures and the rest by state legislatures, Hanson said. Georgia's General Assembly passed that state's medical marijuana law in 2015, called Haleigh's Hope Act, it was named for a girl who was suffering from hundreds of seizures a day. "This means the world to us," Haleigh's mother, Janea Cox, told reporters when Georgia's governor signed the bill. Peake said Sessions' move will have a chilling effect on a bill he introduced that would allow the growing, processing and distribution of cannabis oil in Georgia. "This is as bipartisan an issue as you can get," he said. "Cancer doesn't ask if you're a Republican or a Democrat. There are people of all races and creeds who benefit from medical cannabis, so that's why it's so crucial that Congress get together and take action." The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment that restricts U.S. attorneys from taking legal action against people who use medical marijuana or produce it was maintained in a last short-term funding bill passed by Congress. But that funding bill expires on Jan. 19. Blumenauer "is working to make sure it's maintained again in whatever next funding bill Congress passes," said his spokeswoman, Nicole L'Esperance. Rohrabacher said a better, more permanent solution is a bill he submitted last year that amends the Controlled Substances Act so it doesn't apply to people who produce, possess or deliver marijuana in compliance with state marijuana laws. If it passes, Rohrabacher said he and Blumenauer would not be forced to repeatedly seek passage of their amendment annually. New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has also introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
8 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
OPINION
The Earth is dying, but who’s saving it?
SHANNON KOVACH’S VIEW
Joseph Langan Last June, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would relinquish its commitment to the Paris Agreement, a 2015 international effort to invest in green technology and reduce carbon emissions. Last week, the president flirted with the idea that the U.S. “could conceivably” rejoin the Paris deal. We don’t have time to outline vague “maybe... maybe not” policies. 2017 was the third warmest year on record, and the most expensive year for natural disasters in the U.S.: $306 billion. Climate change is playing a part. The trio of major hurricanes that devastated Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida were merely the most bombastic show of force. Extreme weather tattered any semblance of normalcy: from a freeze in the Southeast that hurt fruit crops, to deadly hail storms that battered Colorado; from aggressive tornadoes that terrorized the Midwest, to wildfires that seared beyond the usual season in Southern California. The average temperature was 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average. It may not seem like a lot, but think of that rise in temperature as the tip of the iceberg. If carbon emissions continue, global warming could transform our world and sabotage the planet’s potential to sustain a human civilization. This is a generational problem that requires extraordinary and consistent leadership. With the U.S. backing down, who’s stepping up? Well, nearly everyone. China’s coal consumption has remained flat since 2013, and its solar and wind technology continue to grow at the fastest pace on the planet. India is on track to surpass its Paris climate targets after setting an inspiring goal to only sell electric vehicles by 2030. Mexico plans to produce 35% of its energy from clean sources by 2024. Belgium is committed to the EU’s goal to cut carbon emission levels 20% by 2020 and is shutting down the last of its coal power plants. Sweden’s recycling system is so revolutionary the country imports trash from other nations to keep the plants running. After Portugal’s recession, the country enacted progressive policies to revitalize architecture and encourage local arts, putting investment in clean energy and green jobs at the heart of its initiative.
Even here, more than 80 mayors are vowing to put their people over the president’s blunders. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio leads the charge with a lawsuit against five big oil companies, including ExxonMobil, for contributing to the stark rise in greenhouse gases. If the lawsuit is successful, we could see BP and others forced to fork over billions of dollars in damages. But it’s not all geopolitical power plays and foreign solutions. As a student, you can do your part to reduce your carbon footprint. You can switch to more efficient light bulbs, turn off lights whenever they’re not being used, carpool, use public transport, eat less meat and waste less food. You can consider going vegetarian or vegan. As a student, you can pay attention to company policies and vote with your wallet. At the end of the day, the needed changes can’t happen without robust national polices, so exercising your rights and speaking up is needed now more than ever. Joseph Langan is a columnist. Contact him at jlangan3@kent.edu.
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2017 was the third-warmest year on record, and the most expensive year for natural disasters in the U.S., totaling $306 billion. - Joseph Langan
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.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
KentWired.com 98
The things we lose, the things we find NUMBERS Andrew Atkins A simple Google query lets me know that St. Anthony is, indeed, the patron saint of lost things. “Tony, Tony, come on down — something’s lost, and I need it found.” That’s the prayer my grandma taught me the day she gave me the St. Anthony necklace; I was eight. This was probably the closest my grandma would ever come to being shady towards me. Yes, call upon our father who art in Heaven to offer aid to the child who loses everything the moment it leaves his line of sight. Though I have to admit: My grandma was onto something. To this day, I’d lose my right butt cheek if it wasn’t attached to the left. Jokes aside, I think my grandma wasn’t telling me everything when she gave me the necklace. In fact, I think the “lost thing” she had in mind was actually me.
I am the child of two divorced parents. My dad often spent his time in one of three states: drunk in his studio, drunk at the bar or drunk in his room. My mom spent most of her time working two jobs to fill in the gaps my dad very clearly couldn’t. Eventually, my mom moved my sister and I into my grandma’s house. My grandma spent most of her time juggling my sister’s outbursts and delinquent behavior with my total meltdowns every time somebody raised their voice at me. My mom eventually met someone else, and we moved in with my stepdad. When we moved out, my grandma knew that, for the first time in her life, I would not be under her protection. So she called upon the only thing she could: her faith. She gave me a St. Anthony necklace. I visited my grandma periodically. We would go to church and then Waffle House afterward (the main draw for me). As she neared the end of her life, my mom and I would visit
every Saturday with groceries and we would help out around the house. My mom would cook and I would do various chores: mowing the lawn, shoveling the driveway or weeding the flower beds. On one of these visits, about a month before my grandma died, she looked at me and asked “Where’s your necklace? Why aren’t you wearing it?” No, Grandma. I didn’t lose it. But I always remembered to wear it after that. I still wear the necklace she gave me whenever I feel like I need a little extra strength to get through the day. I like to think that she gives me extra guidance. I know my grandma hoped I would be able to find something in myself that I couldn’t entirely find in the chaos of the world around me. Was it peace? Was it love? Was it family? I don’t know exactly. But whatever it was — don’t worry, Grandma. I found it. Andrew Atkins is a columnist. Contact him at aatkins5@kent.edu.
The small steps that shaped an activist Samantha Karam Kent State University is a campus of activists. We are reformers. We stand up for what we believe in. This conviction is undeniable when you look at our history and current demonstrations. That same conviction brought me to this campus. In fifth grade, I learned I was capable of changing what I don’t believe to be right, and have been trying to do so ever since. Let’s travel back to 2006: Lisa Frank notebooks fill every backpack and it is cool to get banned from Club Penguin for using curse words. My classmates swarm the blacktop like flies going at a discarded popsicle. Even though it is Friday, with the weekend in sight, I am not as enthusiastic because I know the task ahead of me. The parking lot, which doubles as our playground, is split in half by a row of cones I choose to challenge every day. Girls play with jump ropes and hopscotch on the left. Boys play dodge ball and flag football on the
right. That’s how recess was at Saint Brendan Elementary School. Mrs. Crowley, the recess supervisor, patrols the cones, making sure we stay on our sides. She is very proud of her job, so I have to be smart with how I sneak past her. I notice some girls chatting near the cones. I stand with them and wait for Crowley to walk past. Then, I bolt to the football game across the lot, where I’m accepted without hesitation. After all, I am on the school’s team and known for my speed. I take position behind the quarterback, and the game is back on. He passes the ball to me, and I am off. I swerve through gaps of bodies until I see nothing but open blacktop in front of me. I cross the touchdown marker and turn to see my team jumping with excitement. The breeze brushes against my cheeks, and I feel like I am standing on top of a mountain. “Girls, stay on the other side!” I see Crowley running toward me. “You still can’t follow the rules,” she said. “Now, you know where you go.”
I pass the ball to one of the boys and proudly take my place on the stoop. Showing my opponents the strong running back I am is worth the sacrifice. Later that afternoon, in the middle of math class, I am called into the principal’s office and asked why Crowley was complaining about my behavior. Rather than slumping in acceptance, I sit up and state my claim: “Don’t separate recess anymore.” I explain not all girls like hopscotch and not all boys like football. It’s not right that I can’t play during recess just because I’m a girl. The principal says nothing, just dismisses me. I never received any follow up. Monday, I make my way from the cafeteria to the blacktop as usual. Only this time something beautiful is waiting for me. I squint past the sunlight and sigh with relief. The cones are gone.
Samantha Karam is a columnist. Contact her at skaram3@kent.edu.
TO KNOW:
13
Children held captive by California couple Thirteen siblings were held captive for years by their parents in a Southern California house. A 17-year-old managed to escape, helping the police free the others.
26,000 Dow Jones hits new record Wednesday
The nation’s oldest stock index reached a record-breaking mark of 26,000 points for the first time ever, closing at 26,115 at the end of the day.
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... Rubik’s cube. After a viral video of a woman recreating the “Star Wars” “Cantina Theme” with a pen, a Youtuber did the same with a Rubik’s cube.
Jeers to ... false alarms. Following suit to Hawaii, the Japanese government also sent out a false missile warning, asking its citizens to take shelter due to a nonexistent North Korean attack.
10 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Review
‘The Greatest Showman’ proves nothing is impossible
Photo courtsey of 20th Century Fox
Lydia Taylor Editor
I
f you’re looking for motivation, this is the movie you need to see.
Director Michael Gracey brings P.T. Barnum back to life in a rags-to-riches musical, following the true story of how the visionary started at rock bottom and rose to fame, surpassing everyone’s expectations. Set in the 1800s, “The Greatest Showman” starts out with Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman, as a young boy growing up alongside his father with hardly any money in their pockets. All his life he dreamed that he would create something great to simply bring joy to others, despite his economic status. He never let anybody drag him down. His story proves nothing is impossible; all you need is ambition, passion and determination to make your dream come true. Gracey couldn’t have picked a better casting. Jackman portrayed the vivid imagination of Barnum with true perfection, drawing the audience into Barnum’s life and mind instantly. You can’t help but fall in love with every character, especially the roles played by Zac Efron and Zendaya (no spoilers, I promise). This movie is a rollercoaster of emotion. One minute you’re overwhelmed by the difficult
situations the characters face, and the next minute you want to jump out of your seat and dance along. The music, produced by Tony and Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, encourages the average viewer to let their imagination run wild, reminding them of the time they were a child with high hopes and dreams. Not only does the musical send the message that anybody is capable of their goals as long as they want it bad enough, but it includes other themes such as inclusivity and self-love. Gracey did excellent at continuing the legacy of musicals in film since ‘La La Land’ in 2016 (also a must-see). If anything, Barnums life story should motivate everyone to go after their goals. It shows that even though it’s a long road ahead, you will most definitely have failures along the way, but you’ll be able pick yourself up and keep going. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, you can quite literally do anything with a little bit of imagination. “The nobelst art is that of making others happy.” - P.T. Barnum. Grade: A-
Contact Lydia Taylor at ltaylo49@kent.edu.
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All you need is ambition, passion and determination to make your dream come true. – Lydia Taylor Editor
Thursday, January 18, 2018
CLASSIFIEDS Come join numerous other Kent State students and be a part of our Moose family at Happy Moose Streetsboro 9436 State Route 14. Now hiring hostesses, servers, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and food runners. Close to campus, parttime hours and great work environment. Apply online at happymoosebarandgrill.com or stop in to fill out an application.
Pinewood Apts. Studio and 1 BR Off Street Parking Single Story Park Like Setting Call Today 330-673-2403 Houses for spring semester and 2018-2019 school year. 2 & 3 bedrooms. 330-547-1212 Nice 1&2 bedroom apartments. Good location. Responsible tenants, non-smoking. No pets. 330-688-1187.
Books Expensive? Pay for them with a rewarding career at Hattie Larlham! Hiring Direct Support Professionals! Short drive from Kent, shift differentials, flexible scheduling relevant experience for your resume and a bond you won’t forget!
Kent: Beautiful, large 2 bedroom. Freshly painted walls. $700/month. Heat, water and trash included. 330-472-9671.
Our employees provide care, build relationships, and share experiences with people with special needs.
Buckeye Parks Management Serving Kent for over 30 years Now Renting for 2018-2019 August Move In Call to schedule a showing today! 330-678-3047 www.BuckeyeParksMgmt.com
9772 Diagonal Rd. Mantua OH 44255 www.hattielarlham.org - 800233-8611 EOE/Drug-Free Workplace
Five Bedroom House for Rent $325 per student. Available July or August 2018. Call 330592-1848.
Brimfield Beef O’Brady’s needs servers and bartenders. Flexible hours! Apply online at beefobradys.com
All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information.
REBUS
4 bedroom 2 bath, Neat and Clean $270 per month per person plus utilities. Parking available one half block from Mcgilvrey Call Nancy at (330)-472-0501 6 Bedroom 3 Bath North Lincoln 1 Block from Campus Neat and Clean $365 per month per person plus utilities. Please call Nancy at (330) 4720501. Leasing for fall 2018 Spacious 3,4,&5 bedrooms with 2-3 full baths. Great condition, A/C, washer/dryer, dishwasher, deck, garage. 330808-4045 5 bedroom 2.5 bath. All appliances and washer/dryer. SPECIAL $390 a month/ per person. All utilities and cable/internet included. 2 bedroom 1 bath $750+ See JLCASTO.COM 330-6887040
AVAILABLE NOW. Short term leases and leases in August available. Close to campus. 2 and 3 bedrooms, details for special move-in. Landlord pays heat, water and trash. Good parking, central air. 330-6769440. For fall. Group of females looking for roommates to share apartment on South Willow St. one block from campus. 12 month lease, no pets, nonsmoking house. $515 per month, includes all utilities and wireless internet. Call 330-678-6984 East Townhomes - group of females looking for a roommate 1 Bedroom available for January Šand- for August/Fall 2018 Rent is $450/m with 1 month FREE special = $385/m! Rent includes ALL utilities, tv, and internet Call/text Keith 330-689-8888 KSUtownhomes.com
Legendary BBQ Pork Every Thursday! Franklin Square Deli See Us @ Facebook Delivery 2:00-4:30 Only Franklin Square Deli Hands Down, The Finest, The Freshest, The Best Soups & Sandwiches! For Over 35 YEARS! Delivery After 2:00 Franklin Square Deli Sandwiches Made RIGHT!
HOW TO ADVERTISE For information about placing a Display ad please call our offices at 330-672-2586 or visit us at 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Classified ads can be placed by fax at (330) 672-4880, over the phone at (330) 672-2586 or by e-mail at ads@ksustudentmedia.com. If you fax or e-mail an ad, please be sure to include run dates, payment info and a way for us to contact you.
STATER SCRAMBLE
KentWired.com 11
12 The Kent Stater
Thursday, January 18, 2018
MIND YOUR STEP. KEEP YOUR HEAD OUT
OF THE CLOUDS,
PREVENT SEXUAL HARASSMENT & SEXUAL VIOLENCE
AND YOUR FEET
ON THE GROUND!
WE WANT YOU TO FEEL YOUR BEST. DON’T BE ONE OF THE 73 VICTIMS OF SLIP, TRIP AND FALL INJURIES THIS WINTER SEASON. · Wear proper footwear in inclement weather. · Report unsafe conditions so they can be addressed. · Phone: 330-672-4347 · Email: compliance@kent.edu
WWW.KENT.EDU/COMPLIANCE/INCIDENTACCIDENTINJURY KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, KENT STATE AND KSU ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS AND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION. KENT STATE UNIVERSITY IS COMMITTED TO ATTAINING EXCELLENCE THROUGH THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF A DIVERSE STUDENT BODY AND WORKFORCE. 17-BF-00327-009
FACILITATOR-LED PREVENTION WORKSHOPS: 421 E. Main • 330.673.5270 (In the same plaza as Kinkos & Bottles 101)
Students (Earn 100 Flashperks!)** Tues Mar 6, 2018 from 6:30-7:30pm Twin Towers Studio A
Come in and celebrate the new school year!
**Dinner Provided**
We have a huge selection of:
Faculty and Staff (Earn 1 hour Beyond Compliance!)** Wed Mar 21, 2018 from 12:00-1:00pm Heer Hall Rm107 **Lunch Provided**
• Vaporizers • Water pipes • Greeting cards
Faculty and Staff (Earn 1 hour Beyond Compliance!) Mon Apr 23, 2018 from 10:30-11:30am Heer Hall Rm107
• T-shirts • Body jewelry • Papers • Other party accessories
$10
off
when you spend $50 or more
(excludes vaporizers & concentrate) EXPIRES 9/10/2017 1246_28379
Faculty and Staff (Earn 1 hour Beyond Compliance!) Tues Feb 20, 2018 from 10:00-11:00am Heer Hall Rm107
Visit KENT.EDU/SSS to register TITLE IX