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@kentwired KentWired.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016
The Weekend Dec. 1
Tom Batiuk Author Signing Kent State alum Tom Batiuk, famous for his long-running comic strips “Crankshaft” and “Funky Winkerbean,” will sign books at the University Bookstore between noon and 2 p.m. Batiuk’s comics are featured in over 600 newspapers worldwide.
Basketball Hype Video Casting Call Show team spirit and prep for your closeup by being part of the basketball season’s hype video. Decked out in Kent State apparel, students should show up to the M.A.C. Center at 5:30 p.m. to film the video, set for release in late January. Incentives are offered to attract a target of 250 students, including snacks and prize raffles. Deidre Pulley / The Kent Stater Elexis Blake a junior psychology major at Kent State, signs and speaks during an interview on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016.
Living and learning with sign language Davy Vargo Student Life Reporter
very morning, Nebeyat Mamay’s bed shakes her awake when the alarm sitting on the nearby nightstand goes off. “People sometimes have a hard time when it’s raining outside or if it’s loud outside, but I can sleep just fine,” said the junior American Sign Language (ASL) major. “I’m not able to hear anything. I just wake up and I say, ‘Hello everyone!’ And everyone’s like, ‘Really, you got a good night’s sleep and I didn’t?’” For freshman ASL major Leah Norris, everyday conversations with other students often contain a surprise when she tells them she’s hard of hearing. “People will assume that I’m hearing and that I’m not deaf, and they’ll start talking to me,” Norris said. “I have to tell them, ‘Okay, slow down. I’m not able to hear as well.’” For junior psychology major Elexis Blake, class on Wednesday means keeping her eyes fixed on the sign-language interpreter in front of her — not on her professor.
E
I love that deaf students have access to education that they might not otherwise have access to.”
ELEXIS BLAKE JUNIOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR
“I had an interpreter since first grade (until) 12th grade — same interpreter, which is not common,” she said. “Typically, interpreters change. When I (got) to college, now I have different interpreters.” To these three students at Kent State, being deaf is perfectly normal. About 40 students with hearing loss are
enrolled in Student Accessibility Services (SAS) on campus. They receive services like note-taking, an amplification unit, sign language interpreters, closed-captioned videos or real-time transcribing, according to Shannon Cowling, the assistant director of accessible communication and media at SAS. Cowling said she is one of roughly 40 interpreters at Kent State. “I love post-secondary interpreting,” she said. “I love that deaf students have access to education that they might not otherwise have access to.” Mamay said it’s a bit of work to request for interpreters (two days ahead of time) to attend her classes or advising appointments. “That’s a lot of work that an average person who isn’t deaf doesn’t realize that we have to go through,” she said. Mamay, who has a hearing aid and a cochlear implant, struggles with reading and writing. “Deaf children tend to have a reading delay,” she said. While she struggles with reading and vocabulary, Mamay still loves to spend her free time reading as much as she can (mostly romance books).
Movie Nights
Free time can be a challenge for deaf students. Most of Norris’ friends are hearing. When they watch a movie together, Norris texts instead of watching the movie. “My friends who aren’t deaf hate when we’re watching a movie together and I ask for closed captions,” she said. “But I tell them, ‘You know, I need the closed captions’ and they’re like, ‘Oh no, it’s annoying.’” So Norris just busies herself with her phone instead. “How can I pay attention to a movie if I’m not understanding what’s going on because there’s no closed captions?” she said. Norris used to think she understood every-
Dec. 2
The Features Edition
The Stater’s Thursday guide to arts, entertainment and student life.
Ravenna shooting puts high school in lockdown Nicholas Hunter General Assignment Reporter
The Ravenna Police Department and the Portage County Sheriff’s Department are currently investigating a shooting that took place on Henderson Road in Ravenna reported just before 2:30 p.m. Nearby, Ravenna High School was placed on lockdown after the shooting was reported. Officials lifted the lockdown around 3 p.m. Photo courtesy of Students were escorted by law Portage County Sheriff’s Office enforcement officers and school officials to their vehicles once given the all-clear, according to the Ravenna Police scanner. School buses were instructed to take students to a safe location during the location. Following the lifting of the lockdown, they resumed their regularly scheduled drop offs. WKYC reported that there were two victims: one injured and one dead. Witnesses at the crime scene said it took over 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive on the scene. As of press time, the suspect, David Darnell Calhoun, Jr., 25, is still at large. nhunter6@kent.edu
Black Squirrel Improv Troupe Show New York City’s famed Upright Citizens Brigade Tour Company will join Kent State’s improv group for a night of free comedy in the Kiva at 7 p.m. UCB is a sketch and improv organization known for such celebrity alumni like actress Amy Poehler and writer/director Adam McKay.
Dec. 3
Festival of Lights
Visit KentWired.com for this developing story
Energy reduction methods create green milestone for KSU
No one is too old for a selfie with Santa Claus. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., Hometown Bank Plaza will kick off the holiday season with caroling, carriage rides and — of course — meet and greets with Santa himself. The festivities are part of the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Festival of Lights.
Dec. 4
‘Dance ‘16: Elements in Motion’ There’s only one weekend to catch this show, which features choreography by several university faculty members. More than 75 dancers, designers, staff and crew members also brought this production to fruition. The final performance will be in the E. Turner Stump Theatre at 2 p.m. thing in a movie or show. But when closed captioning was turned on, she realized she can experience much more. “I missed so much,” she said. “Like the music in the shows, if it sounds suspicious or something, I didn’t know it sounded like that.” Even though Norris might have missed the music in movies, there are other details that deaf people don’t miss.
Lydia Taylor / The Kent Stater Information from Energy Conservation Project Initiatives: 2009 - 2016 and beyond. Energy Cost and Building Improvements.
Lydia Taylor Senior Reporter
Kent State lowered the expenses of utilities used to power campus by as much as $1.8 million annually in the past five years by implementing more sustainable, energy conservative systems, according to Kent State’s website. Melanie Knowles, manager of sustainability in the facilities planning and operations department at Kent State’s main campus, said the push to conserve energy came with the implementation of Ohio House Bill 7, which requires colleges and universities in Ohio to reduce energy consumption up to 20 percent. “The university needed to make changes in order to reach that goal and make the school a more energy-efficient place,” Knowles said. “We knew we could do more when it came to sustainability.” In 2011, Kent State launched the Energy Conservation Project in order to reach the 20 percent goal. Knowles said the first step of the project was regional campuses, which reached 21 percent since the beginning of the project, exceeding the target. The Kent campus, however, falls short of the target, sitting at just below 16 percent, according to Knowles. “We started with regionals first because they are slightly smaller and easier to work with,” Knowles said. “We started with residence halls on (the main) campus and have been taking it piece-by-piece since then because it’s just such a large campus.” In residence halls, hallway light switches were replaced with light sensors. In the residence hall rooms, sensors were applied to thermostats and windows, so if a student left the room for a prolonged time or if the windows are open, the thermostats would automatically turn off to save energy and reduce costs, Knowles said. Knowles said that in 2012 the university partnered with Brewer-Garrett Company, with a plan over the next 10 years to ensure Kent Campus exceeds the 20 percent mark by a large margin. The partnership led to Phase 1: Implement energy saving mechanisms inside academic buildings, the DeWeese Photo courtesy of Melissa Olson via Gilmore Girls Soundtrack Blog Health Center, Dix Stadium and the M.A.C. Center. The project cost $25 million, according to Kent State’s website. Melissa Olson, creator of the Gilmore Girls Soundtrack blog, shows off a
SEE ASL / PAGE 2
'Gilmore Girls' leaves lasting impact on Kent State professor Lauren Rathmell Features Correspondent “It’s a lifestyle, it’s a religion.” Any "Gilmore Girls" fan can recognize that quote from the hit TV series. Lorelei and Rory explain to Rory’s boyfriend Dean the importance of "The Donna Reed Show." For many fans, that quote sums up their feelings about "Gilmore Girls" as well. For Melissa Olson, a senior graphic designer and adjunct professsor at Kent State, the show has played a prominent role in her life. “I was 14 when the show first premiered, and my mom and I always watched it together,” Olson said. Once news of a this month’s revival episodes started to circulate, Olson realized she had a knack for all things "Gilmore Girls.” Olson said she has always loved music, and paid particular attention to the songs featured on the show, so,the reboot created the perfect timing for her podcast, "Gilmore Girls Soundtrack," to take off. “I started publishing the podcast in May 2016, but I began research for it a few months prior to that,” she said. “I was going to just do a blog, but podcasting
seemed to be a better fit.” Her research includes having watched all seven seasons countless times. She has binders of the scripts to make notes on, paying attention to what songs play at plot points, and how those relate to the character featured in that moment. “When I research an episode, I almost always find that Amy Sherman-Palladino (the show’s creator) is much more clever with her musical choices and cross-references than I ever thought,” Olson said. The podcast and blog has followers from around the world — Finland, Italy, Japan and Thailand to name a few — and is available on iTunes and Google Play. Now that the new episodes have been released, Olson has more work cut out for her. For the first few podcast episodes, she spent about seven hours researching, writing, recording and editing. Now, the process takes about four hours if it’s an episode she really loves. For something that started as a way to bond with her mom, Olson has truly turned “Gilmore Girls” into a lifestyle.
Chris Staples album featuring a song from the first season. The Spotify
lrathmel@kent.edu playlist she built is called, “Spinning in Stars Hollow.”
SEE ENERGY / PAGE 2
Page 2 | Thursday, December 1, 2016
The Kent Stater
Finding a balance in Greek life Brittney Prather Greek Life Reporter It's been reported that an estimated 9 million college students are members of a Greek organization at their respective universities. Whether they join to make friends, build their resumes, go to parties or learn leadership skills, they each have an incentive to change some aspect of their life. “I joined to create a home away from home. However, it became more than just that and it was so worth it,” said Tess Ryan, a senior fashion merchandising major and Delta Gamma member. Although Greek life is not for everyone, some students may decide not to join because they are concerned about the inability to balance social, academic and personal time. For Kent State students who are involved in Greek life along with outside activities, time management is the most essential part on the road to success. There are many ways that people handle this. “You have to have good time management skills just because you're going to have ... like any student, plenty of homework,” said Logan Miller, a junior computer information systems major and Kappa Sigma member. “Then, you have different events — whether it be social events or philanthropy events or chapter meetings — that you have to attend.” Ryan said she bought a planning book this school year — something she's never done before. "It has helped me so much,” Ryan said. “I just try
The
and write everything down, and whenever I do have free time, I try and get all of my homework done so that I am not overwhelmed with all of the other activities I have going on.” Keri Richmond, a senior public relations major and director of fraternal philanthropy for Delta Gamma, said that when she used to get busier with Greek life, she knew she had to write everything Photo courtesy of Brittney Prather down in order to remember it. Senior public relations major Daniel Henderson speaks during a PRSSA "My calendar was like my bible and meeting in Franklin Hall. Henderson balances PRSSA, ROTC, academevery moment I had, I needed to make ics, Greek life and more as a part of his college career. value in it," Richmond said. For some students, social life is a key factor in time outside of that together," she said. "It’s work, and deciding where they will attend school. College is it's your social life tied into one." For any student, there is stress that comes along more than a place to take classes: It is a place that with school. It is essentially a part of the job descripbecomes a home for the next couple of years. “Honestly, I would say Greek life kind of takes tion of going to college. However, there is a way to get care of all that for you because you have to maintain through it and prioritize what is important. “There are definitely times where it is like hell week a certain GPA in any sorority or fraternity," said John and every teacher decides that they want to give you Durkin, a junior computer information systems major and Kappa Sigma social chair. "We kind of push each a test or a huge paper and you kind of have to stop other to maintain our academics ... Greek life is already your social life for that week and say ‘academics are a social organization, so we are always meeting new what I’m here for and that is what’s important, and I just need to put everything else on hold while I focus people anyways." Richmond said the nice thing about being involved on my homework,'" Ryan said. Kent State students said they feel as though being during college is the large amount of activities, which actively involved in Greek life and other extracurricubecome students' social life. "You're working so closely together that they lar activities will benefit them in the future, and for become your friends and you wind up spending free some it already has enhanced their abilities. Miller said he gained a lot of really great leadership experience and networking skills through all of the activities he participates in along with his involvement in Greek life. “I have dealt with a wide variety of people that I didn’t think I would have been able to deal with without joining a fraternity, so I think that having to deal with a large assortment of people I can bring that to the workplace and it will make me very adaptable,” Miller said. Richmond emphasized that a person's personal brand is built during their freshman year of college. “I encourage every freshman I know to get involved right off the bat,” Richmond said. “Take leadership positions, join an organization, find something to grab onto because it will be like a domino effect. It will keep leading to these amazing opportunities that just don’t stop.” For those who feel as though doing multiple things can’t be done, it can be accomplished with hard work, time management, organization and perseverance. “It’s just about a systematic order to your day with the realization that at some point you are going to be done with it (everything going on),” said Daniel Henderson, a senior public relations major and Sigma Nu member. “It’s going to be fine and you are going to move on and sitting there wallowing in stress accomplishes absolutely nothing. You just have to to push through and tackle each task at hand.” bprathe2@kent.edu
Photo courtesy of Brittney Prather Senior public relations major Daniel Henderson runs for ROTC physical training on the indoor track in the Kent State Student Recreation and Wellness Center. From Page 1
ASL Living and learning without ... ‘Deaf accents’
Mamay said deaf individuals have different “accents,” or nuances in the way they use their voices or signs. People who know her more can better understand her accent. “My family is used to my deaf accent,” she said. “They grew up with me. They’re used to my voice.” One afternoon last month, Mamay sat around a table with other students, a lecturer, a professor and interpreters. They energetically discussed deaf accents and the different ways words can be signed. Mamay was shocked when Steve Vickery, a lecturer of ASL in the modern and classical languages department at Kent State, showed the different way Christmas is signed in Hawaii compared to Ohio. “Here we sign Christmas this way, or this way,” he signed, moving with his hands. “But it’s strange because in Hawaii they will sign it this way, like the shape of the tree.” “Are you serious?” Mamay signed. “Oh, come on, you should stop.” “I’m serious — I know these things,” Vickery signed. Farah Kish-Leland, a deaf ASL professor who used to have a hearing aid until she lost it, now mostly signs or reads lips. She explained sign language has “parameters” like facial expressions, hand shape and location. “For English, we have vocal intonation, but ASL doesn’t have that, so we use facial expressions to clarify what we mean,” she signed. “If I’m (irritated), you might hear (it) in my voice, but for deaf individuals, you’ll see it in their face.” From Page 1
ENERGY Energy reduction methods ... “All of these new implementations — like the new windows in all the buildings or the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems — all help the university save money and work more efficiently,” Knowles said. The second action in the Energy Conservation Project was a solar ray on top of the field house, which was completed in 2014, Knowles said. “The solar ray has actually exceeded what was predicted for it to cover,” Knowles said. “It covers about onethird of the energy used between the field house and the stadium. We plan on getting more solar rays to put on top of Kent Campus buildings in the future to save even more energy and money. Basically, we’re only paying for ... two-thirds of that energy, which is a lot less.” Knowles said the Summit Street combined heat and power plant near
‘Voices off’
In the ASL lab in Kent State’s Satterfield Hall, a large sign hangs on the wall with the words, “Voices Off.” Clusters of students gathered around tables say nothing — and yet communicate everything. Light streams through the windows as hands wave energetically, faces express feelings and laughter breaks the silence. For a newcomer, a small, lap-sized whiteboard sits on the first table, complete with a marker for anyone not equipped with sign language skill. Someone gets up to turn on the large television hanging on the wall. Seconds later, the students are watching a “Deaf Urban Dictionary” video. Here is where students gather to practice their sign language abilities with their friends. And here is where deaf students at Kent State spend their daily lives in pursuit of college degrees.
Speaking and hearing
Don’t turn away
One of the most annoying things that hearing people do, according to Norris, is suddenly look away right in the middle of a sentence if a door slams or an alarm goes off. “A hearing person will turn their head,” she said. “(I’m like), ‘Okay, what happened?’ They just automatically turn their head, and I’m wondering what happened.” She wishes people would explain what they’re looking at. Norris leaned forward and waved her hand. She said that’s one of the ways to get the attention of a deaf person. With her hands, she pretended to push something out of the way — she said it’s okay to move someone aside if they’re standing right in the middle of two other people’s conversation. “For deaf people, it’s okay to touch them,” she said. “A typical person, if you were to touch them and push them aside a bit, they would feel violated.”
Mamay prefers to marry someone in the future who can sign so that communication is easy. “If they’re not deaf, ... that’s fine,” she said. “But I want to meet someone who signs.” Friends have told Mamay and Norris that they do certain things they didn’t know other people could hear. Mamay always felt the vibration of the clucking sound she used to make in her throat, but she didn’t realize it was audible. Norris used to sigh all of the time …, until she was told that people could hear it.
Deaf power
Mamay and Blake started the Deaf Power Organization in September so that deaf and hard-of-hearing students could feel included on campus. “There was a (deaf) girl that I met last year — she came here and for three months, she didn’t know anyone else — like no deaf, no hard of hearing,” Blake said. “I felt bad — no one should have to deal with that. She felt like she had no friends — just very lonely.” Blake, the president of the organization, said they hold educational events (one event featured an expert who came in to talk about social security insurance details for the deaf). They also host social events, such as yoga nights, game nights and fundraisers.
At the drive-through
Both Norris and Mamay laughed at the question of driving — of course they both drive cars.
Born deaf, Blake said that not hearing is normal. She said that hearing with her cochlear implant is more robotic than normal hearing would be. “But then again, I can’t tell because I’ve never experienced that hearing,” Blake said. Most of Mamay’s friends are deaf, and most of Norris’ friends are hearing. Mamay said that most deaf students can feel left out of conversations with hearing students who don’t sign—but Blake said she never feels left out with her deaf friends.
the university’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center supplies twothirds of campus energy, powering air conditioning, steam and electricity. “The power plant was one of the many great things to happen to this campus,” Knowles said. “It’s so close to campus, that there is hardly any energy lost when it the power shifts into campus. It takes a big role in energy reduction because nearly 60 percent of our energy comes from that power plant.” Phase 2 of the Energy Conservation Project that has yet to begin was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2012 and is the last phase for the project in order for the Kent Campus to reach 20 percent energy reduction, Knowles said. Sean Nichols, a senior environmental conservation biology major, said even though the power plant helps save energy, it still causes a problem when it comes to the use of renewable energy and fossil fuels. “I know a lot of sustainability projects will get shot down just because
of how affordable the energy from our power plant is. While natural gas is the cleanest of all fossil fuels, it still puts plenty of carbon into the air,” Nichols said. “Kent State likes to call itself a ‘tree campus,’ but if we choose natural gas over renewable energies simply because it’s easy and cheap, maybe we should re-evaluate whether or not we deserve that title.” Nichols said he likes most of the changes being made to conserve energy at Kent State, but it has the potential to do even more. “I think Kent is doing a few things well, for example: The (solar ray) on top of the field house, the local power plant and the geothermal heating and cooling at the College of Architecture and Environmental Design building,” Nichols said. Nichols believes the implementation of green roofs would conserve even more energy and help ramp up savings. “Though few buildings on campus are structurally sound enough to support that extra weight, it would work
wonders if it could be incorporated wherever possible,” Nichols said. “It would bring down heating and cooling costs by insulating buildings better.” Knowles said there are two academic buildings with green roofs: Taylor Hall and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. “As we keep renovating the buildings on campus, we are checking to see where exactly we are able to put these green roofs and what changes we can make to the buildings as a whole in order to become a more sustainable campus,” he said. Javier Ojeda, sophomore environmental conservation biology major and member of the Herrick Conservatory and Sustainability Club on campus, said one area tends to be overlooked is the amount of water wasted on Kent State’s campus. Ojeda said the Herrick Conservatory and Sustainability Club tries to spread awareness of water waste through teaching students how to collect rainwater and how it can be used in multiple ways.
Driving and marriage
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Sometimes, Norris wishes she couldn’t speak so clearly. “My speaking ability doesn’t really match my hearing ability,” Norris said. She might be talking to someone who doesn’t realize she’s hard of hearing. When the other person starts talking, she has to tell them to slow down. “I have to explain it,” she said. “And that’s frustrating.” Norris grew up thinking she was stupid — she didn’t realize she was hard of hearing until she was in high school. “In high school I knew something was up — there was just something different about me,” she said. “It was kinda like that ‘aha’ moment. I just realized I couldn’t hear.” A year ago, Norris started to learn sign language, even though her parents had wanted her to be able to speak and read lips. When she realized she was hard of hearing, she decided to learn about sign language and the deaf community.
When Norris rides up to the drivethrough window at a fast food restaurant, she often feels that workers are annoyed when she shows them her phone with what she’d like to order written down. “I’m not able to speak through the little microphone in the front, so I just go to window, and I give them the order of what I want,” she said. “I always feel like they’re mad at me.” “I mean, really it doesn’t matter,” Mamay said. “There’s friendly people who will sign too, you know — there’s a lot of people who know ASL and are willing to sign. I think you’re fine, really.” “But if I have the time, I would just go in and write on my phone,” Norris said. “I don’t want to make their day harder.”
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“I love all my friends, deaf or hearing,” Blake said. “I actually have a few hearing friends that sign, so that’s a big plus. When I am with my deaf friends … I know exactly what’s going on. I am not missing out on anything. So being with them is by far the easiest.” While many students enjoy walking campus with earbuds plugged in, Blake can’t exactly listen that way. “If it’s something new, I couldn’t tell you the lyrics … unless I studied it,” she said. “I can’t understand what the lyrics are saying on the radio when I have it on in my car. Unless it’s a song I know — I know maybe 90 percent of the lyrics.” dvargo@kent.edu “We would like Kent as a whole to allocate more funds to resource and energy sustainability education for students,” Ojeda said. “Programs and events need to be held to educate the common student about how to maintain a green lifestyle within dorm life.” Knowles wrote in an email that along with other sustainability issues, Kent State is working on improving water efficiency throughout all campus buildings while renovations take place. “Potable water use has been reduced by 38 percent in Leebrick (Hall), 46 percent in Wright (Hall), and 47 percent in Koonce (Hall),” Knowles wrote. She said the Office of Sustainability and Residence Services plans to create programs to encourage students to take on a more sustainable behavior, such as reducing water usage. Knowles said there are still improvements to be made, regardless of the progress on making Kent State a more sustainable and energy conservatory university. ltaylo49@kent.edu
Thursday, December 1, 2016 | Page 3
The Kent Stater
Opinion
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The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily endorsed by the Stater or its editors. Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor (email them to jmill231@kent.edu) and guest columns. Submissions become property of the Stater and are subject to editing without notice.
THE OPINION PAGE IS AN OUTLET FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S VARIED OPINIONS.
JOSEPH MCGRELLIS’ VIEW
On New bill may degrade open carry on campus Lydia Taylor Senior Reporter
Ohio lawmakers decided to move forward with two hearings on House Bill 48 this week in wake of The Ohio State University attack. Jennifer Thorne, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said if the bill passes, the punishment for concealed weapon carry on college campuses would be degraded from a first degree misdemeanor to a minor misdemeanor, similar to receiving a traffic ticket. See the extended article on KentWired.com
Cheers&Jeers Cheers to ... only one week of classes remaining before finals begin. Jeers to ... Semisonic. A woman called Oregon police after a man near her driveway refused to stop whistling the band’s hit, “Closing Time.”
Nature versus nurture in family Israel Galarza III Columnist Over Thanksgiving dinner this year, an interesting topic arose at my dinner table: nature versus nurture. Both nature and nurture affect how we believe as humans. The argument shouldn’t be exclusive to one or the other, making the subject very grey in nature. In this context, nature refers to our genetic disposition, where nurture refers to the environments we are raised in. In essence, how we believe stems from both our genes as well as the social constructs we are exposed to growing up. Some examples of traditional social constructs I’ve experienced have been schools, churches, recreation centers, police stations, libraries, barber shops and local diners. Without social constructs, there wouldn’t be the possibility that a system of beliefs would exist. It has been proven that through social construction, beliefs are taught, reinforced and spread throughout a society. One piece of anecdotally-driven evidence that supports the importance of social constructs is my personal love for football. Having gown up in Cleveland, I’ve always been aware of how popular football is in the community. Northeast Ohio has been known as a football area for decades because of the decorated Cleveland Browns. Between the Kardiac Kids of the ‘80s — because several of the scores for the team’s games were decided in the final minutes — and Jim Brown and Paul Brown leading the team during the ‘60s, there have been over 50 years of die-hard love for that sports team. I grew up just as the city was getting its famed team back from Baltimore in the late ‘90s. This timing led to my early childhood years being dominated by Browns games and constant football talk between my uncles who were die-hard fans of the sport since their childhoods. The moral of the story is that I am a football fan because I am from Cleveland. My family is made up from a majority of football fans, and the city I come from is made up from a majority of football fans. Everywhere I went, people were either watching or talking about football. I played peewee football in middle school and watched ESPN and NFL Network all day growing up. Most of my social constructs were dominated by contact sports. At school, home, the local recreation centers and restaurants, the talk would be dominated by contact sports. However, I have a personal anecdote for why I also believe genetics play a role in how we believe as humans. My genetics are not the strongest in nature, and include a long history of health issues like drug and alcohol abuse, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. My grandfather was a heavy drinker, heavy smoker, has diabetes and has survived two triple bypass open-heart surgeries. My father is an overweight, out-of-shape smoker and functioning alcoholic. I love both of those men to death, but my family’s genes have predisposed me to have a higher likelihood of drug and alcohol abuse in my lifetime. Fortunately for me, my gene variants lead to illness anytime I consume any large amounts of alcohol. I also enjoy bodybuilding as a hobby, and choose meals myself made up of authentic, quality, healthy ingredients. With an entire family made up from similar DNA, I am predisposed to end up physically like most of the members in my Galarza family tree. It is up to me and my self-will to alter those destinies put in place. The fact still remains: My genetic makeup plays a huge role in how I believe. Since my family’s genes aren’t the strongest, I now believe that it is up to me to make sure that I am as healthy as I can be with the practice of diet, exercise and self-control. This was the debate at the dinner table, and what did I gather from the discussion? That nature and nurture go hand-in-hand, a notion that my history leaves me no choice but to believe. igalarza@kent.edu
The glass ceiling has been cracked My fellow American is evil
Alex Delaney-Gesing Copy Desk Chief Today marks the beginning of a new month. November, a period that saw the rise and fall of two vastly different political and social movements throughout the United States, has finally come to end. And so, it would seem, has the chance for the glass ceiling to break. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton achieved what no other woman has; securing a nomination as a major political party’s presidential candidate. She was the epitome of what the 21st century should be about: shattering the glass ceiling. Clinton, however, had her faults. The now-famous email scandal involving the use of her private work server for personal matters while secretary of state dubbed her “Crooked Hillary.” It plagued her campaign and was one of the leading reasons voters referenced as to why they felt they couldn’t support her. But Clinton represented more than just scandal: She’s a woman — a minority. Her place in society is one that has been viewed as inferior for centuries. Because of this, her nomination was a victory for those who have felt women are deserving of more success than what they’ve achieved. Her nomination was a history-making event that none of the 14 women since 1872 who ran before her accomplished — earning enough delegates to secure a major party nomination. In the general election, more than half of this country voted for Clinton, who won the popular vote by a considerable margin of millions. Granted, that didn’t earn her the
presidency, out-gaining President-elect Donald Trump should mean something. Personally, I’ve always been a strong believer in advocating for women’s rights. Gender equality is a topic at the forefront of the majority of issues in today’s society that’s in need of advancement. I don’t think it should be up for debate as to whether or not men and women should be on the same playing field, so to speak. It should simply be a given. Something accepted and understood. For a country that’s supposed to be a leader in the world, it seems as though we’re late to the bandwagon of gender equality. Out of 142 nations in the last 50 years leading up to 2014, 63 countries have had women as either the head of government or state, the World Economics Forum reported. Shouldn’t that be a sign to the citizens of this country that perhaps we should follow suit? Our president is often referred to as the “leader of the free world.” Shouldn’t that freedom extend to gender as well? It seems too obvious of a concept. Or maybe that’s because — as a young woman and self-proclaimed feminist — I’m biased. Clinton’s success in securing the Democratic presidential nomination cracked the glass ceiling. It didn’t break it. That, unfortunately, has yet to happen. Until women are given equal opportunity to govern at the level of men, the progressive future of the United States will hang in the balance. adelane3@kent.edu
A Mag’s Do’s and Don’ts: Working out A Magazine Guest Columnist You’ve heard it before: bring a water bottle, stretch, yadda yadda. But you just ate five servings of Thanksgiving leftovers and aren’t going grocery shopping because in your mind, you justified your lack of self control — since it’s almost the new year. It’s December. You have at least another month to get your head out of the plethora of pies and into the gym. Now, it’s time to improve your workout IQ.
Do’s
Start. It’s easily the toughest part about going to the gym. Actually going requires planning, coordination and confidence — but come on, you’ve got this. Every muscle in your body will be thanking you afterwards. Don’t wait for Monday, for the new month or until those new pair of leggings come in. Working out only works if you do. New to the gym? Ask an experienced friend to come with you. They’d love a workout buddy and your questions will be answered. “Gymtimadation” will quickly turn into “gymspiration.” Read labels. It’s true that you’re burning calories, but if you’re hoping to rock a body-con dress by the end of the month, you’ve got to watch what you’re eating. Protein bars mislead gym beginners with their intense carb and calorie count. Protein is obviously important after a sweat sesh (they keep you full longer and repair ripped muscle tissue) but you can get the same result with less calories from Greek yogurt and
pineapple, sliced turkey with low-fat cheddar and chocolate almond milk. Make the playlist. Research shows listening to music distracts from any “pain” you may face while working out (although too much pain isn’t what you want). Faster music pushes you to new distances and emotional hits will carry you through the last reps. Plus, headphones mean you don’t have to listen to dudes wearing Crocs and socks brag about their bench personal records.
Don’ts
Restrict yourself. As much as we all crave toned legs and abs, it’s important to work out several muscle groups in order to reduce strain and allow for ripped muscle tissue to heal. If you plan on working out arms for four days a week, you’re hindering the process. Take a day off in between muscle groups or rotate what you’re working day by day. We recommend working out upper body one day, lower body another day, and getting cardio in two to three times a week. Check the scale meticulously. Results will slowly be visible — and we know how much you hate waiting. Consistency will be key here, and when consistency can’t happen, don’t freak out and quit altogether. Missing a day, a week or a month doesn’t mean you can’t be seen in tennis shoes ever again.
Stephen D’Abreau Columnist When people look at political divisiveness, it is often common and acceptable to blame it on external factors: The media creates bias and hysteria, the pundits purposefully divide us, the candidates are becoming too extremist in their ideologies, the politicians refuse to cooperate and so on. To be sure, these all have a place in explaining how the current state of politics came to be as it is. However, these considerations ignore other crucial forces in political discourse; they ignore the internal factors. The internal factors are probably more important in a certain sense, too because every person has control over these factors in their own lives. There are three major areas of internal factors I want to discuss: political identity, political bias and what I am going to call political myth. My hopes in outlining them here are that you can guard yourself from falling into these patterns, and perhaps we can all change the discourse from bottom up. Political identity is an obvious problem with the current discourse. At its core it is creating an understanding of personal identity and self, based on your political ideas and affiliations. This is incredibly harmful to political discourse because — unlike identities that are constructed by culture, or religion, or relationships, or shared history – political identity is the irrationality that turns individuals away from reasonable conclusions. Ultimately, your ideas aren’t in response to facts, it’s just who you are. Fiscal policy should be based on economic analysis, and changed if new facts come to light. Political affiliation should be based on shared ideas, not shared identity. Just think about it: How many people consider being a feminist, conservative, liberal, Libertarian, Marxist or Black Live Matter supporter as integral parts of who they are? Affiliations and political philosophy based not on what the facts are, but on how people see themselves. This leads to the second factor: political bias. Once you assume a political identity, you automatically see other affiliations as “other” to you, and distrust them. This is why you may have been discouraged to make political affiliations known when applying to jobs or getting interviews. It’s well documented that this can affect your prospects far more than any other superficial trait like gender, race or even LGBT status. Conservatives are more willing to listen and work with other conservatives, and feminists are more willing to work with ideas from a “feminist perspective,” regardless of the topic. People become biased by label, instead of the content of the idea or character. However, the most insidious factors are the political myths. To put it simply, political bias allows you to straw man outside ideas as more hideous than they actually are. A disagreement about tax policy becomes accusations of “hatred of the poor” or “communism.” Pro-lifers are all “misogynists” with their “war of women and reproductive rights.” Pro-choicers are “baby killers” that “hate children and support eugenics.” People who voted for this candidate are “racists and homophobes,” and their candidate are “liars and cheaters.” People who voted for the other candidate are “fascists.” So, what’s the mindset stemming from a combination of these ugly political factors? That a fellow American — due to basic differences in political ideology — is evil. sdabrea1@kent.edu
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The Kent Stater
Sports
SPORTS EDITOR: STEPHEN MEANS // SMEANS2@KENT.EDU
Lurken named MAC East Player of the Week Henry Palattella Sports Reporter
Larissa Lurken put together a dominant performance over the extended Thanksgiving break—26 points per game over three games in the Florida Gulf Coast Showcase—earning her Mid-American Conference East player of the week honors. Lurken—who was named to the all-tournament team—not only stuffed the stat sheet, but the record books as well. The senior guard recorded her 1,000th career point in the Flashes first game of the tournament, which was a 42-84 loss to No. 5 Baylor University. Lurken followed that up with 39 points in the Flashes 79-73 loss to Eastern Kentucky University the very next day, which was the highest
point total of not only her career, but the highest total for any player in a Gulf Coast showcase game. She went 22-25 from the free-throw line in the Flashes loss to the Lady Toppers, which are both new Kent State records. Lurken finished the tournament off by recording her third double-double of the season scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the Flashes 77-64 win over Florida Gulf Coast University in their final game of the tournament. Lurken currently leads the nation in freethrow attempts and sits at sixth in points per game averaging 23.4 points per game. The Flashes return to the court Wednesday night when they take on Fort Wayne at the M.A.C. Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. hpalatte@kent.edu
Austin Mariasy / The Kent Stater Junior forward Jordan Korinek drives to the basket during a game on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in the M.A.C Center.
Big first quarter leads Kent State over Fort Wayne Henry Palattella Sports Reporter
Austin Mariasy / The Kent Stater Kent State's coach Todd Starkey and senior guard Larissa Larken pose for photos on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, after Larken was honored for scoring her 1,000th career point in the previous game.
Kent State senior Larissa Lurken of the women's basketball team continued her hot start to the season, as the senior guard scored 25 points to help lead the Flashes (4-4) over Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (1-6) by a score of 66-55. “I was really pleased with the way we started,” Kent State head coach Todd Starkey said after the game. “Then we ... took our foot off the gas a little bit. We kind of got away from our gamwe plan, and ... (Fort Wayne) started to get a little bit of success. Starkey said that once the team got a taste of success, the players got a little hope. "I think (us playing) five games in nine days kind of caught up with us in the second half," he said. "Mentally we weren’t as sharp and we ... struggled through the second half, especially offensively.”
Lurken—who broke numerous records in the Florida Gulf Coast Showcase showcase last weekend—finished the game eight of 15 from the field and seven of 11 from the free-throw line. “That wasn’t in the game place,” Lurken said of her offensive output. "I try to be aggressive from the start, so getting off to a hot start will help me throughout the game. And not just (for) me, but my teammates as well.” Lurken was joined in double figures by sophomore guard Alexa Golden (13 points and six rebounds) and junior forward Jordan Korinek (11 points and five rebounds), while junior guard Naddiyah Cross added four assists. It wasn’t all roses offensively for the Flashes, though, as they only managed to shoot 50 percent from the line and lost the turnover battle 17-12. The Flashes were also outscored
49-32 in the last three quarters. “It’s good that we got out to a big enough lead,” Starkey said. “What that tells me is that we need to continue to progress and make sure that we’re not practicing bad habits, no matter what the score is on the court.” Sophomore guard De’Jour Young led the Mastodons with 14 points, while freshman guard Zaria Atkins added 10 points. Despite this, Lurken emphasized that this season feels different from seasons past. “It just shows us that our system is really working this year with everyone returning plus one addition,” Lurken said of the early season success. “It’s crazy how different of a team we are … We still have a a lot of work to do obviously but it’s really important for our team to start out .500 at the beginning of the year, especially before conference play starts.” hpalatte@kent.edu
Four Flashes named to All-MAC Team Henry Palattella Sports Reporter For the 11th straight season, at least three Kent State players will receive All-Mid-American Conference postseason honors. SeniorTerence Waugh and fifth-year senior Najee Murray were named to the first team, junior Jerrell Foster was named to the second team, while junior Jon Cunningham was named to the third team. Waugh—who was named first-team All-
MAC for the second straight year — complied 64 tackles on the season, including 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Waugh also recorded a forced fumble and a blocked field-goal in 2016. Murray—a transfer from The Ohio State University—was a force in the secondary for the Flashes, finishing seventh in the nation in pass deflections. Murray also played a part in five turnovers and scored his first career touchdown on a 47-yard fumble recovery in the Flashes' loss to Central Michigan Universitiy. Murray also gathered 47 tackles and four tackles for a loss. Cornerback Foster is the Flashes' lone represen-
tative on the second team. Foster contributed to Kent State's tenacious pass defense as well, as the junior finished 29th in the nation in passes defended to go along with three interceptions. Foster also compiled 39 tackles and a forced fumble. Defensive tackle Cunningham rounded out the Flashes’ showing by appearing on the third team. Cunningham was a solid force in the middle of the field for Kent State, finishing the year with 34 tackles (4.5 which were for a loss), a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries. Murray and Waugh were two illustrious members of a solid Kent State defense, and their
performances were recognized as such in their final year on campus. Cunningham and Foster will be back next year, along with some key defensive cogs. Freshman Jamal Parker led Kent State in interceptions last season with three, while senior safety Kevin Bourne was second on the team with two interceptions. Bourne also recorded 21 tackles in the Flashes' season finale against Northern Illinois University, making him one of four players to total 20 tackles in a game last season. hpalatte@kent.edu
Thursday, December 1, 2016 | Page 5
The Kent Stater
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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.
Pinewood Apartments Kent Studio and 1 Bedroom apartments. Convenient location. Cat or small dog welcome. Call and ask for specials. 330-673-2403 Limited time offer. Restrictions apply.
To place advertising, call (330) 672-2586, email ads@ksustudentmedia.com, or visit us in 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Business hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
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The Kent Stater