The Burr Magazine Fall 2021

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Hello reader, Welcome to the fall 2021 issue of The Burr; I am so glad you are here. The Burr staff worked hard this fall to bring you content that will make you think and make you feel. I hope you can find yourself somewhere in our stories.

These past few years, we have been shut in for months at a time and spent a lot of time with ourselves. We learned how to cook, how to stay healthy, how to grow and change within the comfort of our own four walls. It has not always been easy, but we are certainly better for it. I hope you have gotten to know yourself in this time and that you have turned bad habits to good.

With a relatively smaller staff communicating mainly over video calls and Slack this semester, completing this magazine has been a challenge. I am so happy that we came together for a few masked meetings in our office.

Sitting next to friends was something I took for granted when it was standard and something I did not realize I missed until it was fleeting.

I hope you enjoy the hard work of our staff; thank you for supporting student media.

Holly Liptak Holly Liptak Editor-in-chief

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVID COGNITIVE

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I AM MEDUSA

STARRY SKIES

POLITICAL ACTIVISM

TAROT AND ASTROLOGY

BLOOMING IN ISOLATION

REDEMPTION OF RADIO

ROOTS

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MEET THE STAFF Holly Liptak Editor-in-Chief

Preston Randall Art Director

Shane McGinnis Asst. Art Director

Emma Andrus Senior Editor

Annie Zwisler Senior Editor

Abigail Bottar Copy Desk Chief

Anastasia Lawrence Photo Director

Alex Miller Web Editor

Gabby Jonas Promotions Director

Emily Robinson Asst. Promotions Director

Designers Makenzie Dutton Abbey Pickens Keri Fabrizi Jenna Patrick Illustrators Tiffani Nelson Sarah Thompson Olivia Vennel 6 | THEBURR.COM

Copy Editors Katie Flack Sophie Young Wyatt Loy Videographer Alexandria Platt

Writers Terry Lee III Alton Northup Grace Burton Carla Thigpen Wyatt Loy

Bloggers Jenna Bal Mackenzie Shaffer Hannah Keil Sam Donaldson Sophie Young Ashley McCormick

Words by Holly Liptak

THROUGH THE LENS Full of books, school supplies and spirited apparel, the Kent State Bookstore is open and waiting for students, yet compared to past capacities, like this one in the late 70s, the store has been a little empty; Every once in awhile students and family members trickle in to find Christmas or graduation gifts for relatives. Since the start of the pandemic, the school grounds have been noticeably emptier, even in a part of campus so necessary to students.

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STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY Words by Annie Zwisler Photos courtesy of KentWired.com

KSU CUTS TIES WITH ARAMARK Kent State University Dining Services made the change from Aramark to a self-operated dining program on July 1, 2021. For many students, this change led to a decline in food and meal quality, and even incited a protest and petition where students demanded meal plan changes and refunds. Students with dietary restrictions expressed grievances and questioned the university’s next steps for dining services.

RETURN OF IN-PERSON CLASSES

Nearly all Kent State classes returned in the fall 2021 semester in-person for the first time since March 2020. Students and faculty were welcomed back to dorms, classrooms and common areas where they could once again mingle and learn, as long as they were masked indoors. Students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated by December 20, 2021 before returning to Kent State in the spring. Over 17,457 people – which includes students, faculty and staff – have registered their vaccination status with the university as of December 7, 2021.

FLASHES WIN MAC EAST TITLE For the first time in 49 years, the Kent State football team won its first and only MAC East title against Miami University. After a game that resulted in overtime, the Flashes beat the Redhawks with a 25-yard touchdown and a 48-47 final score. The Golden Flashes went on to play the Northern Illinois Huskies in Detroit, Michigan, but ultimately lost 41-23. The Flashes finished their season at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

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THE MASCOTS THAT MADE US Nearly 100 years of Kent State mascots and the ever-changing Golden Flashes name Words by Holly Liptak Art by Preston Randall

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SILVER FOXES ·1923 Playing as a team without a name until 1923, Kent State University finally settled on the Silver Foxes in 1923 – three years after the school formed a football team. A nearby silver fox ranch co-owned by Kent State’s first president, John McGilvery, gave the school its very first unofficial mascot. The team scored its very first touchdown under this name, but there is no record of a silver fox ever attending a game.

GOLDEN FLASHER · 1957 The “Golden Flashes” were born from a contest to name Kent’s Athletic Teams in 1928, beating out names like “Hurricanes” and “Warriors.” This name is said to have derived from the California Golden Bears at the University of California. While the lighting bolt has been incorporated in Kent State’s representation since then, starting in 1955 Kent State was represented by a gift from the Ravenna Kennel Club: A Golden Retriever puppy named Golden Flasher. Golden Flasher wore a cape with a letter K on it and attended every home game.

GROG · 1968 A mascot deemed more recognizable than a Flash appeared in 1968: Grog the caveman.

The star of the popular comic strip “B.C.” was requested to be Kent’s State’s new mascot and was approved by the cartoonist and creator Johnny Hart. In its time as mascot, the 8-foot, 50lb Grog costume went missing four times.

Kent State baseball player Ron DeGrand, who wore the costume from 1970–72 at football and basketball games said, “I would be wringing wet after a basketball game. But nobody could figure out what a Flash was, so Grog was as good a mascot as any.”

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RAFFSTAR · 1971 A western-themed cowboy and horse became the new ambiguous mascot beginning in 1971.

Still sporting the name “Golden Flashes’’, the duo would trot up and down the sidelines during the game and up the 50-yard line after a touchdown.

For one season Raffstar the Arabian stallion was replaced with a golden palomino which the athletic department called “Golden Flasher.”

CAPTAIN FLASH · 1981 Known by many names, including Freddie Flash, Flashman, Golden Flash and Captain Flash, this mascot was essentially just a guy in a costume with lightning bolts on it. Thought to be modeled after a superhero with lightning bolts in his hands, Captain Flash acted as the Kent State mascot only for about two years.

FLASH THE GOLDEN EAGLE · 1985 Literally hatched from a giant egg and introduced during the Homecoming game of 1985, Flash the Golden Eagle has been the Kent State mascot for over 35 years. At this same introduction event a live golden eagle flew from the band tunnel to a perch at centerfield. Students had no say in choosing Flash as a mascot. Only the costumed human has been present at events since 2008 after concerns about having a live bird at sporting events. Flash has gotten a new look since his debut and to keep up on his appearance, the fur on the head and suit is brushed two to three times a month.

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FAILING TESTS, PASSING ON JOY A look at alternative routes for failed service dogs

Words by Alex Miller Since 2016, the student organization Paws for a Cause has helped train service dogs for placement with children and veterans with disabilities. Many dogs successfully meet this goal; however, not all of them get past the rigorous training process. For the dogs that fail the program, there is still a bright future ahead.

“It’s so rewarding, no matter what path they end up on,” says Jessica Schriner, president of Paws for a Cause. “If they become a service dog, if they become a breeder or if they fail out of the program and just become a pet. No matter what they end up with, it’s so rewarding to see all the progress you’ve made with the dog.”

Paws for a Cause partners with 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit organization that provides the dogs and matches them with clients. According to the 4 Paws for Ability website, the organization has placed over 1,500 service dogs. The matching process focuses on specific wants and needs, such as hypoallergenic dogs and specific breeds. For those on the waiting list, the process takes a minimum of two years.

The main goal of Kent State students in Paws for a Cause is to socialize the dogs. Students take the dogs almost everywhere they go to get them acquainted with different situations. The objective is to have them remain on task in the presence of unfamiliar people, places, sounds, sights, scents and other animals. Primary caretakers assist with socialization day to day, and secondary caretakers or sitters fill in as needed.

“You want them to be very well socialized with anything in everyday life,” says Anna Louden, a senior previously involved in the organization.

After about six to seven months with a student, the dogs have a checkpoint evaluation. If all goes well, they can move on to advanced training at one year old. Here, they are trained to detect changes in blood sugar, respond to seizures and alert to sounds, among other tasks.

Not all service dogs in training make it to this point. There are a few common reasons why dogs fail evaluations prior to advanced training. Schriner notes that barking is the

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Merida and President of Paws for a Cause Jessica Schriner. Photo by Alex Miller main reason most dogs fail, especially for smaller breeds like papillons. There are two types of barking: excited and suspicious. Both types cause dogs to fail, because the service dogs should only bark when there is a real issue. Aggression is another possible reason for failure, although Schriner says this is uncommon for Paws for a Cause dogs. Being too timid or scared can also cause dogs to fail, and they are sometimes failed for having separation anxiety as well.

Louden’s dog, Aendee, initially passed both of her evaluations.

Signs of separation anxiety were noted, but it was not considered a big issue. Aendee was scheduled to go on to advanced training.

“They told me she was going to go, and I was preparing myself, because I had her for over a year at that point,” Louden says.

“Then, two days later, they called me and told me that she flunked for separation anxiety. I was shocked but also so glad.”

Louden noticed the separation anxiety prior to the evaluations.

She was already prepared to adopt Aendee in the case that she failed.

“They said she can obviously only get attached to one person, so if they did match her with a kid, they didn’t know how well she would do being handled by, say, the mom, instead of the kid,” she says. “So it wasn’t just me; they were also thinking about the future.”

Aendee is now two years old and happily living with Louden.

In the past, 4 Paws for Ability did not allow college students to adopt service dogs that failed; however, they can now adopt if they are employed full time.

The criteria for service dogs is very strict. 4 Paws for Ability takes the time to make sure that even failed service dogs end up right where they are supposed to be. The organization refers to dogs that fail as “Fabulous Flunkies.” These dogs have two main alternative routes.

“They said she can obviously only get attached to one person, so if they did match her with a kid, they didn’t know how well she would do being handled by, say the mom, instead of the kid. So it wasn’t just me, they were also thinking about the future.”

“I took her everywhere. We lived in the dorms together., I took her to all my classes and the grocery store. During COVID, it was hard. We were together 24/7, and she got very attached to me.”

First, they are offered for adoption by the volunteer trainer who raised them, which is what happened for Aendee. They can also be adopted as a regular family pet. According to 4 Paws for Ability, some of them go on to work as therapy dogs or even compete in canine sports like agility or rally.

Another opportunity for Fabulous Flunkies is to become a client companion. Since they have gone through the program, client companions are well-mannered and affectionate dogs. They are placed with 4 Paws for Ability client families who have, or will soon have a service dog in the home. These dogs provide companionship, especially to other family members that do not utilize the service dog. They can also act as a friend to the service dog without affecting its behavior or training.

Paws for a Cause aims to socialize service dogs from an early age and prepare them for the evaluation process. No matter if the dogs pass the program or fail along the way, they benefit from the training and find success as a service dog, client companion or family pet, brightening the lives of countless people.

Louden and her dog Aendee. Photo courtesy of Anna Louden

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WHAT MAKES YOU MOVE Exercising for physical and mental well-being instead of weight loss Words by Abigail Bottar Art by Sarah Thompson

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For years, freshman Lani Brown hated working out. It felt like a chore, something she needed to do to make her body look a certain way. She would force herself to do cardio or go on a run, and she will be the first to tell you that she hates running. But now, almost two years into the pandemic, Brown’s relationship with working out has changed drastically.

The pandemic forced the entire world to lock down and slow down. People could not engage in life the way they used to, allowing them to assess what was actually important to them. For many people, this meant assessing their relationship with exercise. From a young age, people are told that exercise is beneficial by sources ranging from doctors to teachers to coaches, but this message is often hijacked by diet culture. People focus on working out to lose weight or to fit aesthetic goals, ignoring the myriad health benefits exercise brings that are not just related to a number on the scale.

Brown, who double majors in marketing and graphic design, says slowing down during the pandemic allowed her to rethink her relationship with exercise. She could not go to the gym or to cycling classes anymore, so her older brother started teaching her how to weight lift at home. That was when it clicked.

health, the benefits it has for mental health are just as crucial. Research shows exercising can reduce anxiety, depression and negative moods and can improve self esteem, cognitive function and social withdrawal.

Exercising regularly can also help with sleep, relieve stress and increase energy levels.

Decreasing stress during the pandemic was a big reason why freshman exploratory major Mila Gebele turned to exercise, which she only previously viewed as a way to stay in shape.

“When COVID hit, I feel like a lot of people just got into a spot where they just didn’t do a lot, didn’t feel motivated to do anything. My gym started releasing home workouts, and that helped me stay positive about things,” she says. “It helped my mentality a lot. I would feel down sometimes, and I’d just go in the garage and do a home workout, and it was just really nice to keep moving and stay active.”

Gebele says working out as a stress reliever made exercise feel better for her. Without defining success as “looking good,” she instead feels successful just for feeling good.

Registered dietitian Sarah Radcliff says this is the key to exercise.

“Movement in general is something that should add to quality of life and really benefit the individual, and I think there can be that fine line where taking it too far can kind of negatively impact quality of life.”

“Movement in general is something that should add to quality of life and really benefit the individual, and I think there can be that fine line where taking it too far can negatively impact quality of life,” Radcliff says.

“When you weight lift, you have to feel your body and stuff, so that’s when I started to learn to eat well and do it for myself really,” she says.

Working out for aesthetic goals can be tricky to navigate.

Radcliff says this can suck the joy out of exercise.

Exercising for herself caused the biggest change. With that mental shift, workouts she didn’t used to enjoy, such as cycling, became something she looked forward to.

“I never thought it was enjoyable until I put myself first and was like, ‘OK, this actually makes me feel really good,’” Brown says.

Although exercise is touted as essential for physical

This can mean having aesthetic goals that make exercise a chore to even having a disordered relationship with exercise. Radcliff says the line into disordered exercise is crossed when it takes away from other important areas of a person’s life because they need to work out, such as not being able to spend time with friends.

“I think if a person is only working out for aesthetic reasons, it can also lead to burnout kind of quickly, because you aren’t getting that joy out of it,” she says.

“It’s strictly ‘OK, I have to change my body.’ Then what happens if your body doesn’t change, or what if it changes in a way that you didn’t want it to change?

Does exercise then get pulled out of the picture?”

Gebele struggled with this thought process and doesn’t

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think working out for aesthetic goals should be the number one priority.

TikToks and whatnot saying that they loved it, so I said, ‘OK, I guess I’ll try it,’” she says.

“You would not feel super successful if you were just going [to the gym] to look good, because you don’t see results immediately,” she says. “When you’re going to feel good, you feel better after working out. You feel better immediately after.”

Now, Kirsch enjoys working out for herself. She feels strong and more energized, and she has been able to face some of her exercise fears she has held since elementary school.

Radcliff recommends assessing your relationship with exercise by asking if you actually enjoy the movement you are doing, and if not, why you are doing it. She says the key is also to listen to your body, asking “Is this feeling okay? Am I in any pain? How would it feel if I were to take a break for a couple days or for a week?”

“I realized that I’m not as scared to run in front of other people now. I wouldn’t even run around the neighborhood just because I didn’t want my neighbors to see,” she says.

“Now, I don’t mind doing it.”

This practice is known as intuitive exercise, or doing movement mindfully and paying attention to how your body feels during and after movement. Radcliff points out that not all exercise is enjoyable all the time, but it should feel good after.

Radcliff thinks diversity of race, size, gender, ability, etc. is crucial to fostering a culture that works out to feel good. This is the community that helped sophomore marketing major Kellie Kirsch start working out regularly during the pandemic. She has always been underweight and the connection between working out and losing weight discouraged her from exercising.

“During the pandemic, I saw more people working out, more people who were like me who had the same issues doing

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Radcliff says everyone should find what feels good for their bodies and brings them joy.

“There are so many different ways to move your body that doesn’t have to be running, right? It doesn’t have to be yoga or whatever,” she says. “We can move our bodies in a lot of different ways, and it all counts.”

Radcliff encourages people to move their body in social ways, like going on a walk with a friend, taking your dog to the park or playing with your kids. She hopes everyone will be able to foster a healthy relationship with exercise and says to reach out for professional help if exercise feels complicated. She urges everyone to find movement in their life that is enjoyable to them, even if it does not fit their idea of what working out should look like.

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COVID COGNITIVE Words by Emma Andrus

The impacts, repercussions and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying isolation on mental and cognitive health.

This story discusses themes of mental health and mental illness.

“I think my mental health problems probably started in the fourth or fifth grade,” Bri Manross says.

Manross is a senior studying criminology with a minor in marketing at Kent State. With roots in the small-town, lakeside village of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, she recalls growing up with a love of dance and having a graduating high school class of only about 60 people. She loves to read, watch “The Office” and spend time with her 10-year-old American foxhound, Peanut.

She also has anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

“I think I have high-functioning depression,” Manross says. “I’m going to school, I’m doing extracurricular activities, I’m having a job. I’m doing all these things. I’m around all these people all the time. I put up a front that I’m smiling and I’m happy and doing so well, but it’s like I was physically doing those things, but I was never there. Like my mind was always someplace, depressed.”

At her lowest points, she slept nearly all day, every day but says she still felt as though she could never get enough. Struggling with feelings of loneliness and a lack of self-worth, she remembers rarely eating and losing upwards of 10 pounds.

OCD, she says, is harder to describe.

“It’s so misunderstood,” Manross says, sighing. “It’s like, ‘Well, I clean all the time.’ OK. That’s not what it is.”

OCD is characterized by unwanted and recurring thoughts, otherwise known as obsessions, that lead to repetitive actions, thoughts or compulsions. It comes in a variety of forms, degrees and categorizations. For Manross, hers manifests as counting.

“I’ll be listening to the radio, or I’ll be listening to music. And I have to count words, and they have to equal six,” she says. “It’s

just very difficult to describe it to people, because they’re like, ‘Well, why don’t you stop? Why do you have to do it?’ And it’s like, I know I don’t have to do it. I know from the outside —I hate the word crazy, but it looks crazy. You can’t help it as much as you want to.”

At some point, Manross realized she needed to reach out and ask for help. For years, she did not know how to bring up how she felt to her parents and loved ones. Growing up and experiencing those feelings at such a young age, she says, made her feel as though maybe they were normal, but while in high school, the problems came to a head.

“I kind of remember being in my room and feeling super overwhelmed and crying and being like, I can’t keep this to myself anymore,” Manross says.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it took a toll not only on Manross’s mental health, but the mental health of the population as a whole.

According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by late June 2020, nearly 40% of adults in the United States reported struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health — including symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, stress-related disorders and reports of having engaged in recent substance misuse. About 11% of surveyed individuals reported having seriously considered suicide within the 30 days leading up to the survey.

Pamela Farer-Singleton is the director of Kent State’s Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS. “Most folks were challenged by the degree of isolation they experienced during COVID,” she says. “We did see that people who were very social typically had a harder time with the

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isolation — maybe they felt low or blue … Students did feel sad, and they did feel a lot of tension and stress, probably also not only from isolation but from learning in a different way.”

And she did.

Manross, too, felt these impacts.

Loy started looking into the option of therapy. Now, as a student at Kent State, she sees a graduate student for free-of-cost counseling offered through the university.

“Honestly, when quarantine first happened, I felt really good,” she says. “So I was like, OK, great. I get to be in this space that I cherish so much. This is awesome.”

“Some days are harder than others,” Loy says. “It also gave me healthy coping mechanisms — things I can do to make my struggles go by easier.”

She was at home, with her parents and dog, and able to spend time in her room, which she describes as her safe place.

Eventually, she began feeling depressed while being isolated at home. She felt restless, and in a way, she wanted out: out of the house and out of quarantine.

She smiles. One of her escapes, she says, is origami.

“You’re watching the news, and you see the cases going up, and you hear people that you know getting COVID,” Manross says. “And it’s so unknown, and you want to live your life, but at the same time, there’s just so much up in the air, and it’s just very scary.”

Some students, like freshman theatre studies major Jessi Loy, used the pandemic as leverage to find herself and realize that seeking help for mental health was important and necessary.

“During COVID, it was very hard, because I was quarantined a lot, and school was my escape,” she says. “I wasn’t able to go to school. It was not always the best time, so my mental health, it struggled. But it made me realize that I could go to people and I could talk to people about it. So I got to figure out more about myself as a person during quarantine.”

At the start of the pandemic, Loy was in her junior year of high school. She was preparing to take on the role of Alice in her school’s production of “The Addams Family.” With less than a week until opening night, the show was canceled.

“I felt myself start to withdraw,” Loy says, “because performing is my way of showing emotions, and I wasn’t able to do that. I was like, ‘This isn’t normal,’ and my family got really worried. And so I was like, I should probably do something about this, because I don’t want to feel like this if I don’t have to.’”

“I hate the word crazy, but it looks crazy. You can’t help it as much as you want to.”

“I could pick it up really quickly. It was just one of those things that I could watch a video one time, and I have it memorized. So I just hand out little origami swans to people around the school,” she says.

Loy has a box she made in woodshop class that she fills with her origami: swans, lanterns, hummingbirds and all kinds of different animals of all different shapes and sizes. On average, she estimates that she can make upwards of 30 to 50 pieces in a single day.

Any time she feels stressed or worried, she turns to the craft.

“I’m like, OK, we’re just gonna put that aside, and we’re gonna focus on something that I know I’m good at,” Loy says.

As she says this, she smiles. She is almost out of origami paper and is probably going to need to buy more. ※※※※ At Kent State, there are a number of mental health services offered to students.

CAPS offers psychotherapy services, including therapy for individuals, couples and families. They also offer assessments for learning difficulties or attention-deficit disorders. In addition, they host workshops and groups covering a variety of topic areas, including empowering and supporting students who are recovering from substance abuse disorders, gaining emotional resilience and learning skills and the level of mindfulness necessary to cope with anxiety and stress. CAPS also increased their services in the spring of 2021 by hiring more staff and adding six sessions that are free of cost and covered by student fees.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, CAPS got to work within hours, contacting students who used their services and offering telepsychology sessions. Farer-Singleton believes they were ahead of the curve in that respect.

Her biggest advice for struggling students is for them to find ways to connect with others in an interpersonal way. While doing so, she says, it is important they set boundaries and assess the level of risk they are willing to take in an era where COVID-19 still exists. In general, seeking help is the first step.

“I would always advise students not to wait to ask for help,”

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Farer-Singleton says. “We know that the prevalence of mental health is constant, pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. In fact, one out of four individuals, sometime in their lifetime, may experience a mental health concern, so it’s very common …

Give us a call and find out how you might get some support.”

One organization CAPS is involved with is the Student Mental Health Coalition. They are a group that promotes mental health across campus while working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. The coalition is composed of organizations including Kent State of Wellness, Student Support Services, University Health Services and Kent State’s chapter of Active Minds, an organization headed by graduate student Kayla Marker, of which both Manross and Loy are members.

Active Minds is a mental health organization with more than 600 chapters nationwide. Their mission is to change the conversation about mental health. Organizers worked together to bring a group centered on mental health awareness to campus.

“That was really our goal and mission: to be able to have students come together who have that shared appreciation for mental health and educating on mental health.

We all have mental health that can be supported.”

“We all came together to see what kind of programming we could do on campus, what kind of events that students wanted,” Marker says. “That was really our goal and mission: to be able to have students come together who have that shared appreciation for mental health and educating on mental health.

We all have mental health that can be supported.”

The coalition started on campus during February of 2019.

Marker says early in the spring 2020 semester, they saw individuals attending events and wanting to get involved.

“We were finally at a place where we gained enough momentum,” she says. “Having to switch very abruptly to all virtual — that really threw a bump in the road … I’m sure with having all virtual events and having to sort of rely on social media, students were probably feeling a little burned out.”

At the start of the pandemic, the coalition saw a dip in attendance. Now, with the reintroduction of in-person events, they are bouncing back with a combination of virtual and inperson activities, including a V-A-R (Validate, Appreciate, Refer) training program.

“The biggest overall thing I’ve taken away is just honesty.

Being honest with yourself but also being honest with the people who are trying to help you,” Manross says. “Mental health is so stigmatized. A lot of people have mental health problems. I think a big thing is: just try not to be ashamed of it. Because you are what you are, and there’s no shame in that.”

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health, please know that there are resources available to help. ※※※※

“The coalition is always here for students,” Marker says. “It gives them the space to be able to learn about mental health, to be able to share their own opinions.”

General Resources:

When she first arrived at Kent State, Loy was worried that partaking in the counseling and therapy services offered would mean “taking someone else’s spot,” but eventually, she realized there was a spot for her, too.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

“I feel like therapy is good for everyone, even if you don’t think you need it,” Loy says. “So don’t worry about ‘taking other people’s spots.’ You’re getting the help that you need.”

Manross acknowledges that reaching out for help can be difficult. It is hard, she says, but doing so can provide a muchneeded sense of relief.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Crisis Text Line: Text “HELLO” to 741741

Kent State Resources: The Counseling Center at White Hall: 330-672-2208 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 330-6722487 or at kent.edu/caps

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Words by Katie Flack Art by Tiffani Nelson

I AM MEDUSA 22 | THEBURR.COM

You know who I am. Or at least you should. You weren’t supposed to. I’ll spare you the tragic backstory — the poor, young girl taken advantage of by a god. Because let’s be honest, that’s not the story you came to hear — that story already has so many forms. No, and you know my story.

Whether you realize it or not, you know who I am, and you know where I’ve been, and you know what I’ve endured.

There are a few things you should be made aware of for the sake of narrative clarity, however, so here is your lovely context: One day, there was a sweet young girl named Medusa, cursed with a horrible beauty by Aphrodite. To circumvent the goddess’ wrath, young Medusa pursued knowledge instead, making herself a patron of words rather than an artist’s muse. But wouldn’t you know it? Aphrodite’s curse still lingered, to which Poseidon took note and indulged — in Athena’s temple, no less.

Anyway, Poseidon went on his merry way, but Athena cursed pregnant Medusa to live out her days as a Gorgon.

But you know what? Screw them. It’s not like I left a life or loved ones behind. My past was surely erased when Athena’s marble finger touched my forehead, breathed death into my form. My memories surely disintegrated into ash with my hair, my heart surely hardened into stone like those upon whom my gaze meets.

Screw the gods.

Well, all except Athena. Of course I don’t mean all-knowing Athena. Even in my damnation, she is my mistress and I her priestess — a lifelong oath.

But like I said, I’m over it.

I moved into a cave last week — yes, an actual cave. Like a monster. I suppose I’m not so far off from one now, but I feel it’s a tad unfair to brand me as such. At least give me some time to go mad before you start throwing such labels around. Out of respect for what’s left of my human dignity.

It’s not so bad for a cave. The openings are wide, shedding plenty of light into the brown, rocky interior during the daytime.

Ordinarily, I find myself in what I’ve dubbed my room: a rockobstructed space only wide enough to house one person comfortably. It provides privacy, my own abode, a place to let go.

A major fault of the institution: the cave is level with the sea.

Yes, the sea is beautiful. No, I do not respect its master. The sight is still gorgeous — blue-green tides rolling over each other into pure white foam that gnashes against my cave — but its churning troubles me.

But enough of that.

I am not alone. Fortunately, my new snake friends are kind

enough. They haven’t spared a word so far — quite rude, I know — but one of the 11 will occasionally give my forehead a gentle lick.

My sisters live here too, residing in the adjoining cave area. Or at least they call themselves my sisters — I’m not aware of any familial relation. Stheno and Euryale, as they’re named, truly strive to soothe my plight, but each is immortal while I’ll be dead next time I anger the gods. At this moment, they call me from my nook, ask if I’d like to start a tapestry with them, don’t see why I must decline. The two deeply care for me, I’m sure, but as it’s said, sometimes it’s better to be alone than alongside those who mean well but fall far, far short from the mark.

On this night, I dream of blind owls stumbling into walls and falling from high balconies with hopeless squawks. When I jolt awake, the sea laughs in my ears and I mutter some naughty words at it. Lying back down, I toss and turn, but the sea never quiets enough for my thoughts to stop chasing it.

In the morning, I’m a little further down the coast, checking our nets for fish. Poseidon stops us from catching all that much, but normally a few stragglers get caught in the lines anyway. I welcome the opportunity to expand my view out the cave wall.

A whisper behind me. A haughty chuckle. The hairs on the back of my neck rise and by instinct, I turn. For a split second, I spy a dashing young man with mischievous eyes and a crooked smile. Holding a swordpoint to my throat. His image is captured eternally in stone before I can blink.

My heart stutters in shock.

I take a breath.

Blink.

Exhale.

I try to push the sword away, but the rock doesn’t budge. Those impish stone eyes simply bore into my heart.

Struggling to right myself, I sit on the dusty ground, murmuring a quiet prayer to Athena. One of my snakes licks my forehead — my main girl. Choking on my breath, my shaky fingers give her head a gentle stroke. It may be my imagination, but she seems to nuzzle into me.

The days and weeks flicker by like candle flames. I scarcely sleep for the cowardly phantoms that face me in my dreams.

I’ve already bested the harpies, the sirens, Echidna in my slumber. Yet the dastardly fiends still won’t leave me be!

One night, I awake with my heart pounding after enduring the wrath of Scylla in my own dark waters. I gasp for breath, but I’m trembling violently. My stomach flops every which way, and I nearly vomit on the rocky cave floor.

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Out of the corner of my eye: a subtle movement on the opening to the cave wall. My head turns to spot an owl lounging on the ledge, like she’s always been there. White feathered, her round gray eyes seem to glow in the dark. She watches me, as though awaiting my next move.

I scoff, nearly laugh as water drenches my clothes, my face, my poor snakes. “I’ve died for far less.” Again, I spit.

I clench my jaw.

One last word, a gurgle in the monstrous waves: “Athena!”

The waters come at me like a jumping spider.

Immediately, I am pulled into their freezing, dark depths.

Then, my chest unleashes a mighty flare.

“You!” I growl. “Have I not been a faithful servant to you?! Show yourself!” The owl observes silently. “I said show yourself!”

Now, I’ve scared the thing, and she flies off into the dark, starspeckled night.

I let out a scream that does nothing to disturb my sisters.

It’s then that I stop praying so much to Athena — wise, cursed Athena. She only serves to anger me.

My snakes are a single comfort — I’ve taken to calling my little darling Astraea. The others have started to come around, too, and I plan to name each one in due time. For now, we quietly learn each other.

On a darkly clouded day, Euryale forces me out of my nook to gather some fresh water. Chest in knots, I look out at that churning sea. I try to calm myself, but it won’t stop screaming, cursing me. I grit my teeth.

“My, Poseidon, how clever you are! Sending your water droplets to ruin my day — what a move. It’s clear why you pick on daughters of Athena, isn’t it? You have no wits but those you can thieve!

No answer.

My blood splashes thick and hot in my veins.

“Cowardice, is it? You can’t stand to face me, heathen?!”

Not a word.

I let out a scream. Snatching pebbles and rocks and stones from the cliffs, I begin hurling them into the hideous sea, shrieking at its shapeless flesh, its moaning cries! I curse it! I curse this ocean of putrid filth! I tell it so! I tell it what an abomination it is! I tell it it’s no wonder Zeus rules over the heavens, for who would want such an ugly sea?! Ugly, ugly sea!

The ground shudders, a rumbling and splashing before me. He, the sea himself, appears, blue-maned and seething. And I spit at him! I spit at this churning, hideous sea!

Glaring daggers, he raises his mighty, silver trident and the ocean swirls in a violent whirlpool before him. Before me.

“Foolish girl,” he sneers, wind viciously whipping his hair.

“You’ll die for this blasphemy!”

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※※※※ I awake on the beach, my dress in tatters, my snakes slithering dully with distaste. I’m coughing until water spurts out of my throat.

She stands above me, gray eyes watching emotionlessly.

Everything aches, and I know she has saved me. Yet I glower at her.

“You,” I manage to wheeze.

“Me,” she acknowledges coolly.

“Here as you asked. Despite all the trouble you’ve been causing as of late.”

Athena circles me slowly as I pant for my breath on the sand.

Her features are calm as stone.

“Really, my priestess, I expected much more from you.”

“You stood there and watched,” I cough out. “You let me become … become this.”

Astraea gives my forehead a careful lick, clearing away a bead of saltwater.

“Is your lot truly so awful?”

“Morph into a Gorgon and discover for yourself.”

“Ever so clever,” she laments, wistfulness on her tongue. “You broke your oath.”

“I tried to fight him!”

“He is a god! You should have prayed to me; it should have been your very first impulse!”

“It is said that you are always watching your temple; where were you?”

“It is not my responsibility to look over your shoulder like a pet.

I rule over all of knowledge and strategy. I thought I could trust you. I thought you were capable.” She scoffs, looking me up and down. “Now look at what you’ve become.”

“What you made me,” I growl, struggling to stand and falling back on scraped palms.

“Wrong!” Her voice resounds through the mountains, the ocean, my ears again and again — a deadly warning. Her gray eyes are as sharp as steel, as cool as ice. Then, sorrow seeps in. Almost a whisper: “Have you any idea what you’ve done?

Your death will be very soon, child.”

“Save me,” I quiver.

“I cannot,” she says sadly, almost an afterthought. Athena looks to the ground. “The Fates decreed it. The Oracle foretold it. Poseidon is now on the warpath, and you created this end for yourself. A young hero named Perseus, a son of Zeus, will be the deliverer of your doom. Tread carefully. Die well.”

“I served you well. I know I served you well, mistress!”

“More faithfully than any other priestess.” Her eyes now meet mine, angry. “And then you betrayed me.”

“Your uncle betrayed you.”

“Your children will be praised — remembered among men. That should please you.”

“The children I never wanted? The children I’ll never know? Heroes? Praise to you, all-knowing Athena, for this gift of gifts!”

She shakes her head with sad malice. “I love you. I favor you.

That is why I came bearing this news. Your time is running out.

You’d best learn to appreciate it.”

In a flash of light, she disappears.

I let out a useless shriek and land on my knees. Astraea and her sisters softly lick away my tears. Patting each one of their little heads, I trudge back up to the cave.

I decide not to tell Stheno or Euryale. It will be a cleaner death without the fuss. Instead, I spend most of my time in my nook, resentfully looking out at the sea. I am not afraid of it, but I am wary. The thought of the water still makes my chest ache.

A few days after my encounter with Athena, an owl sits in the

cave wall opening for a little while. I do not acknowledge her, instead delicately petting my snakes as I watch the sea rise and fall. Something about her presence seems to quiet the tides.

After some time, the owl gives me a little bob of her head. I nod in acknowledgment, and she flies off.

Weeks crawl by. More heroes start arriving, perhaps sent by Poseidon. I try to warn them, but they look at me just as swiftly as they appear.

I worry any of them could be Perseus, and I am not yet prepared. But life continues, so I suppose I have not yet met my time.

Around now, owls visit more often. Almost daily. They never so much as hoot. Simply sit in the cave opening and observe me, as I do them. After some time, I break my silence and whisper to Athena a tearful prayer, my snakes bowing their scaled, green heads. I ask her not to forget me, to bear my image when I am gone.

I think we reach an understanding.

It comes at dusk one evening that the feeling overtakes me: my death is on its way. This night is going to be my last.

I nod to myself, eyes dry. It is time.

Astraea and the girls must know, for they are extra affectionate this evening. I pat each of their little heads and whisper my love and thanks. Together, I promise them, we will find peace in this next life.

As I lie down to sleep, the sea does not fill my ears. My sorrows do not ache my bones. No. I look up into the damp night and feel ease come over me like the gentle warmth of a hearth.

Justice will find me. I should sleep. Yes, this is right. I will not die in vain. Glowing with warmth, I smile to myself.

“Praise you, dear goddess.”

And, at ease, I rest.

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STARRY SKIES OVER A SLEEPY TEXAS Summer photography in Marathon

Words by Holly Liptak Photos by Anna Lawrence Our photo editor Anna Lawrence and her mother traveled to Texas this summer for a trip filled with enormous mountains, ghost towns and tiny art shops. The trip was covered by a photography scholarship Lawrence earned.

The Wallace J. Hagedorn Scholarship has been used to support photography students’ tuition costs and fund enriching out-ofclassroom experiences since 2014. Hagedorn’s gift of $4.2 million was the largest single gift ever given to Kent State and is only to be used for photography scholarships. What makes Hagedorn interesting is that he only took one photo class at Kent State and fell in love with photography.

Recently, Kent State has not been able to send students to a workshop of their choice because of COVID-19, so students only received tuition scholarships this year. Using the money she would have put toward her tuition, Lawrence put her money toward her own enriching experience: a Perseid Meteor Shower photography workshop in Southern Texas.

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Day 1: Destination number one was the mining district of Terlingua: a nearly deserted town near the Rio Grande where Lawrence stayed for two days. As of the 2019 census, the population of Terlingua is 110. The workshop took place at night, leaving the whole day to explore the area. Lawrence’s time was spent wandering through the ghost town’s small crystal shops and enjoying dinner at the Starlight Theatre Restaurant.

At 8 p.m., the group of 15 photographers ranging in age and distance traveled went out for a practice shoot. Lawrence was the farthest photographer from home by far. The group shot the stars over the mountains, but it was a cloudy night so, while it was good practice, most of the shots were unclear.

“It was too cloudy to really get the full experience, but at least I was prepared for a clearer night,” Lawrence says.

Day 2: The Lawrences’ big, red RAM truck toured through Big Bend National Park, with its passengers taking in as much of the scenery as they could. Although it was the blazing summertime, the coinciding rainy season resulted in rare luscious green vegetation among the mountains.

Although the daytime was full of adventure, this night was completely overcast, preventing any shooting for the photographers. With only one day of practice shooting, Lawrence was worried she may not get the opportunity to shoot any night photos.

“If you plan to take nature photos, I learned that you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. The weather does not care how far you’ve traveled or how badly you want clear skies — but luck was on my side on the third day,” Lawrence says.

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Day 3: On day three, the group drove to Marathon to race the clouds, per the suggestion of Jason Weingart, the team’s fearless leader and director of the workshop.

On the way, they passed through Big Bend Ranch State Park, a larger, more rural park close to the border of Mexico. Lawrence found huge mountains and vast landscapes to be the subjects of her shooting there.

The Lawrences then stopped at Marfa, a tiny town known for its artisan art shops and numerous galleries.

In Marathon, the group learned how to photograph a passing storm and finally set out on their mission to photograph the galaxy. Lawrence says seeing the Milky Way for the first time so clearly changed her life.

“I had so much fun pointing my lens at the sky and seeing the galaxy light up on the screen of my camera...It took some patience to wait for the little clouds to pass, but it was totally worth it.”

Lawrence highly encourages any photography student with a passion for nature and the stars to take a workshop learning how to take night and weather photography.

More of Anna’s photography can be found on her Instagram @annatl_photos.

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POWER TO THE PEACEFUL Life has returned to campus, and with it, political activism Words by Wyatt Loy Photos by Alex Miller

A small crowd of students gather around the Victory Bell passing out pins and holding homemade signs with phrases like “Students Demand Better Food & Pay,” “R.I.P. Prentice” and “Feed Us, Todd.” They talk and joke with each other, expressing their grievances with the university. One student, Christian Heller, has a megaphone and says a few words before the demonstration begins.

“This march is to tell the university that we are sick and tired of all this stuff that we’re doing and that they need to increase food quality,” he says. “They need to give us a living wage, they need to pay us on time, and they need to give us inclusive options.”

Colt Hutchinson, the president of Kent State Students for a Democratic Society, takes the megaphone to give some context for why they are demonstrating.

“In 2019, we submitted a list of demands to the university, one of which being cutting the contract with Aramark as our dining contractor,” Hutchinson says. “If you don’t know about Aramark, it’s a really, really horrendous company. They have deals with private prisons – just an institution that shouldn’t be at a university and a place of higher learning.”

SDS is just one piece of a larger coalition that submitted those demands to the university. Among the groups involved were Black United Students, Sunrise Movement Kent State, Jewish Voice for Peace and more – all are politically active groups on

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campus with their own goals and plans for what they want to accomplish. Hutchinson says SDS is happy to work with the other political groups across campus.

“We want to see $15 an hour for students. We want to see ecofriendly food. We’re not gonna stop until we get it,” Hutchinson says. “We’ll see where this goes, and we’ll see if we need to escalate.” Hutchinson did not elaborate on what escalation would look like.

In November, students marched from the DI Hub to Risman Plaza with numbers painted on yellow signs. The numbers were how old each of the students would be in the year 2046, when global average climate increases tops two degrees Celsius – an irreversible and devastating blow to the world’s ecosystems. It was the first major action taken by Sunrise Kent State, a local chapter of the nationwide environmental action movement.

Grace Springer, sophomore journalism major and action lead for Sunrise Kent State, says the group formed last fall during the pandemic. Being limited to online action and organizing was a big obstacle, but this semester marks their first on-campus presence.

“It’s been just a huge growing process since the beginning,” she says. “I’m really hopeful for the place that we’re at right now starting to do more visible action on campus, which has been such a huge goal of mine.”

The demonstration in November was the only action item the group planned for the fall semester.

“As far as more action, we don’t have anything specific yet, but there are also primary elections coming up in May for a couple of congressional seats. One of our senators, Rob Portman, is stepping down,” Springer says. “Obviously, we have no idea who’s running yet, but once we figure that out, hopefully we can back candidates, get people registered to vote, stuff like that. All really important to our cause.”

“They need to give us a living wage, they need to pay us on time, and they need to give us inclusive options.”

As far as partnerships, Sunrise works mainly with SDS, and they can both be seen at each others’ protests and demonstrations.

Springer says one of many goals for the spring is to develop relations with other campus organizations further.

One of their other goals is to encourage students to use their agency to fight for climate reform, whether that be at the ballot box or in a group during a protest.

“If you are worried about climate change, I know that there’s a lot of stress and anxiety that comes along with that, but what I’ve done and what I encourage everybody to do is to join up with other people like you and to try to get people in power to recognize the extent of this problem and take action on it,”

Sehar Shaikh speaks to crowds at the protest for better food quality and higher student wages. Oct. 5, 2021.

Springer says. “So by joining Sunrise, I’ve been able to express my opinion and show my support for these policies. That’s how I think that I’m doing my part in the fight against climate change.”

Higher minimum wages, discrimination and environmental issues are not new subjects of protests. Roseann “Chic” Canfora, professor in Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism and survivor of the shootings on May 4, 1970, said she’s happy to see SDS, BUS and other campus activists still fighting all these years later.

“I’m very proud to see the success that SDS had in getting Aramark off campus and more recently, just to see students rallying with Kent State employees, as we’ve seen Harvard students do historically, around issues of fair wages,” Canfora says. “I am inspired to see this activism return to campus and to do so in earnest, particularly the groups that inspired me 50 years ago.”

Both Chic and her brother Alan Canfora were involved in SDS, and the latter dedicated his life to honoring those wounded and killed in the May 4 shootings. SDS and BUS partnered together in their protests of the Vietnam War and the military-industrial complex in the 1960s, including a joint takeover of the Student Activity Center in 1968.

Not only are the same activist organizations thriving today, they are more connected than ever, giving them an edge that past activists lacked.

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“Students today do have a greater sense of interconnectedness, they see and they understand intersectionality that we were not so aware of 50 years ago,” Canfora says. “We knew war and poverty and a lot of the things we saw around us that we didn’t like were rooted in racism. But today, we have a much greater acknowledgment of how they’re all related.”

Canfora says that activists today can’t simply focus on a singular issue, and that everything impacting young people today has an underpinning of racism and social injustice.

“When I think of Black United Students, I remember one of the first women that inspired me was this young Black woman who was just so angry when the Oakland Police were coming to recruit for their racist police force,” Canfora says. “And that was a single issue that BUS was uniting around, that SDS also united around, but this woman was screaming about race and not even aware yet that she was also being discriminated against because of her class or because of her gender and possibly other ways too. There seems to be a blending of them, where we are discriminated against from multiple fronts.”

Students speak their minds in Risman plaza.

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Canfora teaches Media, Power and Culture and Media and Movements in the journalism school, showing students the role traditional print and broadcast media play in a social or political movement, from drawing the public’s attention to pressing issues to being a platform for activist voices. But Facebook and Twitter were not available to protesters of the past, and they can be as much of a blessing for activist causes as they can be a curse.

“Social media is a double-edged sword. I marvel when I think of what we would have been able to accomplish 50 years ago with social media, but unless we do find a way to have kinds of restraints against outright propaganda, that is dangerous. As we saw on January 6, I think that’s the worst part of that doubleedged sword,” Canfora says.

On the other hand, Canfora describes the positive impacts social media has had on the awareness of issues like police brutality with Black Lives Matter, sexual harassment against women with Me Too and wealth inequality with Occupy Wall Street.

Students demanded livable wages and eco-friendly food.

“I’m inspired when I see social media used to pull people out of the darkness of decades and decades of oppression and social injustice, because they don’t feel so alone,” she says. “They see those voices out there, they hear those voices and we don’t have to all be in the same room to hear them anymore.”

SDS and other politically active groups marched for the demands submitted to the university.

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL ‘GOGH’!

The dynamic relationship between art and the brain Words and photos by Emma Andrus Art by Preston Randall 34 | THEBURR.COM

I have never been one for numbers.

From a young age, I knew that no matter what I pursued in life, it would have nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with the creative. I liked to draw, I liked to create art and do crafts, I liked to make music, and more than anything, I liked to put words together in meaningful ways.

This is not a selective phenomenon. Our brains naturally experience cognitive changes as a result of art, art consumption and the creative — including reduced stress, improved focus and an easier time processing emotions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, four in 10 adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. That same polling of adults revealed the pandemic had significant disruptions to overall well-being and mental health.

How do we cope with the impact this time in history has on our brains and hearts?

Earlier this month, I turned to art.

Months and months ago, I bought tickets to the Cleveland, Ohio, Immersive van Gogh Exhibit, an art-filled showcase of music and paintings located in cities across the country.

The Immersive van Gogh Exhibit located at Lighthouse Artspace in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo by Emma Andrus.

Van Gogh was known to struggle with his mental health throughout his life, often sharing that his art was his outlet.

In a letter to his brother written in July of 1882, he wrote, “Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony and music inside me. I see paintings or drawings in the poorest cottages, in the dirtiest corners.

And my mind is driven towards these things with an irresistible momentum.”

I did not really know what to expect beyond what Facebook advertisements showed, but I will say the exhibit exceeded my expectations.

After showing your ticket, you are guided through a curtain and into a room filled with music. Art is projected on the walls and floors. Mirrors are set up throughout the room for art to bounce off of from every angle. There are marked circles on the floor either empty or with a bench for social distancing while viewing the exhibit, but it is also efficient in making viewers feel like their experience is more personal and intimate.

The exhibit cycles through some of van Gogh’s most famous artwork, including “The Starry Night” (1889), “The Bedroom” (1888) and “Sunflowers” (1888).

It starts in darkness, which eventually builds to rich, vibrant, flashing colors. Individual paint-strokes, swirls and shapes are broadcast on the screens, floors and mirrors. After being visually guided through the series of artworks, the exhibit ends in a cyclical fashion, returning to flickering lights and eventually, ending in darkness. You almost become one with the art.

At the end of the exhibit, there are murals and props to take photos with, including a briefcase filled with tubes of paint and a comically large bucket of “paint” tipped over on its side, complete with a giant paintbrush.

As I crawled into the bucket of paint, seated on the edge of the giant paintbrush, ready to take a picture, I slipped off the paintbrush and dropped into the bucket. And I laughed. Hard.

Probably an overly ridiculous amount. There was a whole line of people ready to show their tickets and enter the exhibit directly in front of me. But I did not care.

I was distracted. I was pulled out of the mundane and ordinary of everyday life, the hustle and bustle of essays, group projects, lectures, editing, writing, meetings, eat, sleep, repeat. I felt: good.

And that is art for you.

Whether it is listening to music, making music, doing a little craft or even viewing artwork, take some time amid the busyness of everyday life and “Go out and paint the stars.” Your brain will thank you.

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Words by Holly Liptak Photos by Anna Lawrence Throughout this magazine there are short features of female artists and their work. They have worked extremely hard this semester while juggling family, full-time jobs, senior shows and whatever else life has thrown at them. These artists have turned raw creativity into works of art reflecting issues and experiences they’ve had in their own lives.

A METHOD TO THE MADNESS Student artists find themselves in their work in a world of unrest

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STUDIO ART MAJOR WITH A CONCENTRATION IN PAINTING “I’m not really sure what my art style is yet. I know that I lean towards realism and portraiture, and my stuff is very politically and socially based. I’ve just been asking a lot of different questions about society and religion and desires that I’ve had for myself. My art now is kind of me having a conversation with myself and trying to [filter] through all the noise. I have a husband and two kids, and then school on top of that, so I kind of just have to find the time. I’ll be painting or doing my homework and then my son will say, “Mommy, I need help with XYZ.” Then I have to do that and only God knows how long that will take. And then I try to get back in – It really is a push and pull. My goal is to go to grad school and then I’d like to start an after school art program for low income children. Art programs are expensive, and I think that’s important to keep the youth [involved], especially those who might like to be a little more troubled or might not have as much going on at home.”

More of Philpot’s art can be found on Instagram at @philartpot

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ASTROLOGY AND TAROT IN THE AGE OF UNCERTAINTY

The cultural re-welcoming of an ancient tradition Words by Annie Zwisler Art by Preston Randall I glance down at my phone while driving to school and think, “Well, yeah.” Finding the right words to put how I have been feeling for the last few months of this year never seemed this simple, yet they stared at me from my phone screen. Co-Star, a personalized astrology app, asks me “Are you looking for intensity? Today you feel torn between change and stagnation.”

Opening the app, I would find a breakdown and predictions for my week, as well as advice, opinions from others and my overall horoscope. My chart has been the bread and butter of my daily understanding of the events in my life and how I let it affect me.

For centuries, people have always looked for answers. Religion, sacred texts, even natural resources have pointed people in directions of answering: Why? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Astrology has become a one-way ticket for people to gain some understanding and purpose in their everyday lives and continues to grow in popularity.

Astrology, in layman’s terms, is the study or understanding of the planets, their movement and their relation to each other and the information that it gives us about our daily lives. Lately, astrology enjoys a broad cultural acceptance and buzz on different social media platforms. According to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey, almost 30% of Americans believe in astrology. The Atlantic proclaims, “Astrology is a meme.” For a meme, its life cycle has run unusually long. Modern astrologists frequent the social media app TikTok, with users @aaarantzaaa

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and @loveexistvision being some of the most followed. Social media astrologists often read charts for upcoming weeks or months, predict the events for the upcoming year and can anticipate a “forecast” for every astrological sign.

“The easiest way to explain it is that astrology is the placement of the planets when you were born. Then that conversation goes more into how these planets influence you in your daily life,” junior communications studies major and astrology enthusiast Casey Barbour says. “It acts as a spiritual guiding system that helps make better sense of your life.”

Reading your astrological chart is the first step into understanding what it is telling you and interpreting it in a way that makes the most sense in your daily life.

“The Big Three is how you move through life and how people see you. It encompasses you at a surface level, and the other planets in your chart will be more in depth. Not everyone will see the depth, but the Big Three can be more obvious,” Barbour says.

According to astrology website lunarandlilac.com, it can be broken down into one major guide, or the Big Three: Sun sign: The part of your personality that spends the most time in the spotlight. It dictates how you express yourself and how you like to recharge. This is determined by the month and

date you were born. When people ask, “What is your sign?” this is the one they are looking for.

Moon sign: This represents your inner self and emotions. It is often referred to as your hidden personality, kept from others and how you see the world around you. This is determined by the full date, place and time of birth and finding your position around the moon.

Rising sign: This reflects how other people see you. Your rising sign determines the energy of both your outward personality and your birth chart as a whole. This can also determine how you react to this publicly and privately. It is determined by the exact time you are born.

The other planets meanings in relation to your sign are as follows:

universe. The tarot is a pack of playing cards, originating in 15th century Europe and eventually used for divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy in 18th century Europe. While tarot designs can vary, all tarot decks are uniform in a couple of ways.

The major arcana are the deck’s 22 trump cards and, when pulled during a reading, typically refer to major influences and revelations and represent significant life events and/or figures in a person’s life. The minor arcana refers to more everyday matters and influences. Like any playing cards, tarot cards have four suits: wands, swords, pentacles and cups. Each suit represents a different facet of life.

Wands: Symbolize creativity and passion Swords: Symbolize intellect

Mercury: Planet of logic and communication

Pentacles: Symbolize work and money

Venus: Planet of attraction and romance

Cups: Symbolize emotion

Mars: Planet of desire and ambition Jupiter: Planet of luck and expansion Saturn: Planet of karma and growth Uranus: Planet of rebellion and change Neptune: Planet of illusion and collective awareness Pluto: Planet of death and transformation Together, these make individual astrological birth charts and help create a guide for those looking for purpose or reason in their daily lives. Astrological charts can be found with a simple Google search, and many will include a plethora of information on unique birth charts and planets. Astrology enthusiasts like Barbour encourage chart readers to be wary of information overload.

“With every spiritual thing, the message is usually to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. Even if you’re like, ‘Oh it’s a sign from the universe,’ this person may be giving this advice just based on what they’re seeing about me. It takes some of the pressure off it,” Barbour says. “Astrology apps like Co-Star can be more easily digestible than the whole chart.”

Astrology and tarot cards are closely related within the cosmic

“Every tarot card has a corresponding planet and elements.

Each of the signs guide each card. Understanding the elements along with the signs can be helpful in understanding what your reading is telling you based on your signs,” writer, educator and astrologist Raechel Anne Jolie says.

Each suit is also aligned with a grouping of astrological signs.

For example, wands are fire signs, swords are air signs, pentacles are earth signs and cups are water signs. These meanings come into play when reading tarot cards.

“Understanding the elements is helpful. Working with a card in a particular ‘season’ when it is a sign’s predominant season can help triangulate your Big Three and feel aligned with understanding your approach to your sign,” Jolie says.

There are many ways to read tarot cards, including the simple three-card spread, the Celtic cross and a seven-day spread. There can be a spread for any situation, and it can be interpreted in many different ways. Not every reading is a death sentence or a prize winner. It can be completely up to the interpreter or how it fits within your daily life.

“It doesn’t have to be a scam, and it doesn’t have to be determined. I see it as an extension of therapeutic practices in healing. My interpretation can be one of many,” Jolie says.

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STUDENT EMPLOYMENT IN A FLASH

Students discuss the fundamental differences in on and off-campus jobs Words by Carla Thigpen Photos by Alex Miller

The recent labor shortage has created problems across the nation as companies scramble to scrounge up employees.

At Kent State, this lack of staff forced many dining options on campus to cut their hours or not even open at all. While student employment is offered at locations including the Student Center and the library Starbucks, the dining halls are in need of the most help. As well as on campus, off campus establishments and its employees have also been affected by the labor shortage.

Elisa DeRose, a Kent State student worker at local downtown coffee shop, Tree City, explains how there is an increased wait time for customers. “We deal with angry customers all the time, because of increased wait times on food and drinks. There was a sign put up in the drive through telling customers to be patient with the staff and to expect longer than usual wait times.”

“We remain committed to providing employment opportunities for our students and to regularly evaluating wages based on employment market conditions, and as of right now, we have over 300 student employees,” Sommer Dunlevy, assistant director of marketing for Housing and Culinary Services, says.

“We deal with angry customers all the time, because of increased wait times on food and drinks.”

Some student workers at the Design Innovation (DI) Hub are content with their work environment and coworkers, but others are unhappy with the pay.

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Senior DI Hub employee Gina DiCicco has had a positive experience with her job.

“I have been working on campus since my sophomore year,” DiCicco says. “I have really enjoyed working on campus all three years and the environment is definitely a place that I have enjoyed working at.”

Senior Frances Roberts has been working on campus since fall of 2018 and has had a worthwhile time working at the DI Hub, much like DiCicco, but her experience has been hindered by the wages.

“I love the environment, and the people are nice and caring.

Students aren’t working because of the low wages, and students have tuition to pay for. The students are also young adults trying to get by and the starting pay is not enough for the cost of living in my opinion.”

University Culinary Services currently has over 300 student employees employed around campus but are still in need of more student workers.

At the beginning of the semester University Culinary Services employed less than 50 student workers. “This is amazing progress toward our estimated need of 500. New student applications have slowed, but we are confident the wage increase will assist with attracting more students and incentives are being offered to keep students engaged” Dunlevy says.

Some of the incentives for students include scholarship programs for culinary services.

According to the Kent State website, on the Student Employment Pay Plan page, the student baseline wage is currently $8.80 but will be increasing the first of the year to a baseline pay of $9.30 with a range to $17.70. The higher wages are typically for higher up positions such as student managers,

Gina DiCicco, who has been working on campus since her sophomore year, working at the DI Hub. web designers, lab assistants, computer technicians and flight instructors. Culinary services listened to the wage concerns from the students, though it took students calling for change for a long time.

Working on campus does not work for all students, because the pay is not sufficient enough, or the types of jobs offered may not be what all students are looking for in a job. Offcampus jobs may offer better wages than on-campus jobs and can also give students a different opportunity to interact with more of the public on a day-to-day basis. Off-campus jobs bring another factor: transportation. If the job is not located downtown, students living on campus or without a personal mode of transportation need to find a different way to commute to work which can be inconvenient.

Junior Charisma Matejka works at the Fruit Stand in downtown Kent where she says there is a friendly and fun environment and provides much needed break from other activities. Many other students from Kent State also work at the Fruit Stand with Matejka.

“I think with my job specifically, it’s great for students, because they make the hours very short. The owners are 24 and graduates from Kent, so they care a lot about the school and all of us,” Matejka says.

The labor shortage continues to sweep campuses across the nation. With many efforts, wages are being increased and incentives are being put in place.

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In collaboration with Fusion Magazine

BLOOMING IN ISOLATION An exploration of gender from the start of the pandemic to today

Words by Moira Armstrong Art by Tiffani Nelson The COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during the lockdown stage, has negatively impacted the queer community in many ways, from isolation in unaccepting households to lack of access to medical procedures to worsening mental health.

According to a survey conducted by the Trevor Project at the start of the pandemic, 40% of young queer people considered suicide in the past year; the number increases to 52% in regards to transgender and nonbinary youth.

of prejudice result from the affected individual’s interactions with others in public, such as “school bullying/harassment so bad the respondent had to drop out.” Additionally, there is frequent pressure to perform certain gender roles for protection from such injustices. As Griffin Wynne writes in an article for Cosmopolitan, “Sometimes you may choose your safety over your self-expression. You may opt for what’s easy over what’s authentic.”

However, not all of the effects of the pandemic are negative for trans and nonbinary people, especially for those living on their own or in accepting households. Bobbi Reidinger, a professor of sociology at Kent State who teaches the course Sociology of Gender, explains why in an email.

However, when the pandemic shut down schools, workplaces and other public spaces, many trans and nonbinary people felt safer in their day-to-day lives as the burden and threat posed by an unaccepting populace are removed. For example, Noah Gibbons-Shapiro of San Jose, California, who is nonbinary, presented as masculine for about three years before the pandemic. Then, growing out their hair made them want to explore a more traditionally feminine style in the secure environment that social isolation provided.

“Our gender is something that is inherently social,” she says.

“We have an understanding of gender, because others around us have told us what is considered masculine or feminine (which society tells us are the only two options as we live in a world still dominated by the rhetoric surrounding a gender binary). We’re then rewarded socially for falling into those categories.”

That societal structure of expectations and rewards, as well as punishments for not falling into the accepted categories, was completely dismantled by the pandemic’s lockdown stage.

“Because our identities are reinforced by those around us, when we’re no longer around as many people, that reinforcement lessens if not disappears altogether,” Reidinger says.

This has had three main positive effects on trans people: increased safety, gender experimentation and gender redefinition.

First, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 63% of trans people have experienced serious acts of discrimination throughout their lives. Many of these forms

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“Because our identities are reinforced by those around us, when we’re no longer around as many people, that reinforcement lessens if not disappears altogether.”

“At home, I can make my gender and expression whatever I want it to be and define it however I want because it’s only for myself. Outside, I have to constantly be thinking about how others are perceiving my gender and what that means about my safety,” they say.

Ezra Silkes, a junior double major in theatre design, technology and production major and integrated LGBTQ and religious studies at Kent State who is also nonbinary, expresses a similar sentiment: “I wasn’t faced with choices like ‘What bathroom do

I need to go into?’ I wasn’t faced with choices like introducing myself to new people with new pronouns. I didn’t have to come out to someone for eight months straight … Gender itself fell by the wayside and gave me the ability to play with it more and present in ways I hadn’t done before.”

This introduces another benefit of lockdown: the unique opportunity to explore gender with more freedom and confidence than usual. In an article from them titled “How Quarantine Can Help You Learn to Accept Your Body and Gender Identity,” Douglas Haldeman, a clinical professor of psychology at John F. Kennedy University, describes that a break from the public eye can help people ignore the perceptions and standards of others and focus on discovering and practicing different presentations. He “suggests trying out a different way of connecting with yourself, one in which ‘this is not for presentation or how I might be read – this is just for me.’”

Gibbons-Shapiro and Silkes both did this and greatly enjoyed the experience, but it was also an opportunity taken advantage of by people who identified as cisgender before the pandemic and began to question their gender in the absence of societal pressures.

For example, Delia Brennan of Brecksville, Ohio, who uses they/ she pronouns, viewed herself as a cisgender woman before the pandemic. She struggled with impostor syndrome when she did question her gender, because many of her friends were going through similar processes. However, when quarantine began and she did not see those friends frequently, she “realized it was personal.”

largely in person with no distancing requirements and a mask mandate that is only required indoors. However, despite these changes, many of the lessons learned by trans and nonbinary people during the lockdown stage of the COVID-19 pandemic have not only lasted but made a permanent impression.

During lockdown, Brennan lived at home and rarely went into public spaces. Now, a majority of her classes are in person, she lives with four roommates and she has much more frequent interactions with others, many of whom she is coming out to for the first time. They feel that coming out during quarantine paved the way for these introductions.

“Quarantine allowed me the time to grow and process my gender identity, come out to those close to me and then eventually, come out publicly on social media, all while classes were remote, and the world was pretty shut down,” Brennan says. “Now that things are opening back up, I feel like my complete comfort and practice coming out has made new interactions really straightforward regarding my identity.”

Since the end of lockdown, Gibbons-Shapiro moved from living at home with their parents and attending school virtually to living on their own and going to school in-person, and Silkes has started working an in-person job. Both continue to embrace the gender presentations they first experimented with in quarantine.

“I think I’ve sort of honed in my comfort with things I associate with femininity and gotten into a really good practice of knowing what will be comfortable to me and wearing those things,” Gibbons-Shapiro explains. “It feels less experimental than it did last time we talked. Instead, it feels like a more regular routine in my practice of gender.”

Silkes agrees with this sentiment.

“Lockdown allowed me to think about my gender and gender expression in a way that felt completely comfortable for me and only me,” she says. “I was able to ponder who I wanted to be and how I wanted to express myself in a completely honest way.”

Quarantine also positively impacted her coming out, allowing for a quicker timeline and a more straightforward path to genuine self-expression for Brennan, who is now out as a queer, nonbinary woman.

This concept resonated so strongly with trans and nonbinary people that over a dozen responded to the call for interviews for this article. It was impossible to include them all, but everyone reflected the same idea: quarantine overwhelmingly improved relationships with gender for trans and nonbinary people who live in their own homes and in accepting households.

Reidinger expresses that all of this aligns with what she would expect.

“When our social interactions lessen, as they have with the pandemic, it isn’t surprising that people begin to question things,” she says.

Now, many lockdown and quarantine restrictions are lifted. Ohio is not under any stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, curfews or limits on group gatherings. Kent State is back to operating

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“I have found myself being a lot more willing to go into the caricature side of gender,” they say. “I do find myself being a lot more willing to touch femininity and mess around with femininity and find comfort in femininity in a queer way.”

Despite these freedoms, the return to in-person elements of life has brought up safety and comfort concerns.

Gibbons-Shapiro feels very safe at their school, which has a high queer and trans population, but they are still not always comfortable with gender experimentation in all scenarios.

“I don’t think I’d choose to wear something like a dress out to go into town or into a less queer space at this point because of safety concerns.”

Silkes, similarly, states that they are not always comfortable presenting femininely in public.

“I would be perceived as a woman, and I think that would be so discomforting that it would turn me away from [femininity].”

These dangers and discomforts can very quickly turn deadly.

“Now that things are opening back up, I feel like my complete comfort and practice coming out has made new interactions really straightforward regarding my identity.”

The Human Rights Campaign reports that at least 46 trans and nonbinary people were murdered in 2021. This number exceeds 44, the number of murders reported by the organization in 2020.

While more comprehensive research is necessary to determine the cause of this increase, the organization speculates that increased time in public is partially to blame.

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Regardless, the pandemic-adopted mindset is here to stay. Haldeman recommends, “Everything you’re doing and everything you’re learning about yourself, you really should carry on after the period of social isolation.” Trans and nonbinary people clearly embraced this idea. In fact, they seem even more committed to it than before.

Cecil Blue of Las Vegas, Nevada, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, always felt pressured to dress masculinely and repress their traditionally feminine interests to pass as nonbinary in a way that was acceptable to cis people. However, quarantine changed that, and they do not intend to go back to the way things were.

Blue has nearly tripled the number of public interactions they have daily since the end of quarantine. Yet, they find that they still aren’t experiencing social dysphoria, even when misgendered by strangers.

“I don’t care … so long as I know who I am and the people I spend time with the most know me as myself,” says Blue.

They echo the prevailing scientific opinion that the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually evolve into an endemic, a type of disease Columbia University describes as “consistently present but limited,” which “makes the disease spread and rates predictable.” (The flu is considered an endemic disease.) As a result, they consider the changes in the ways they perceive gender as one of the “side effects of the pandemic”—one of the many inequities that COVID-19 uncovered that will persist permanently, which also includes social isolation, economic struggles, and the collapse of America’s image as a “first-world nation.”

“Going into lockdown in March and having our entire society shut down and then reform into a strange new world where no one can see half my face reminded me that actually, people’s perception of me doesn’t matter! Everything is fake. It can all be torn down and remade whenever,” Blue says. “We will never get back to a pre-pandemic mindset, and I will never go back to trying to perform gender for this society the way I used to.”

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RADICAL MESSAGES IN THE MEDIA An excerpt from a graduate thesis on the role social media plays in real world violence.

Words by Kyle DeAnna Art by Preston Randall As we look back on the January 6, 2020, attack on the United States Capitol it is important to remember the causes of that tragic day. Violent rhetoric shared on social media and across television screens radicalized everyday Americans to take it upon themselves to overthrow the results of our election process. Brave men and women in uniform defended our democracy, and, thankfully, our country pressed on. Our hearts go out to those that lost their lives during and after that day, and we are forever thankful for their sacrifice.

In the months following the insurrection, 702 people were arrested in connection with the attack, and many already received their sentences. What inspired these people to attempt such a brazen attack on our democracy? The common response to that question has been to blame powerful politicians such as former President Donald Trump or Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, politicians who loudly proclaimed the illegitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and gave foreboding speeches up until (and after) the events of Jan. 6. Of course, this kind of stochastic terrorism is partly to blame; yet, social media and the content it promotes and aggregates may be even more responsible.

Unfortunately, most social media users are no strangers to radical or misleading content.

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As obvious as it seems, not all user-created content is reputable or being created by good faith actors. “Trading up the chain” is a common tool used by misinformation creators. By taking advantage of an ambiguous situation,

trolls and far-right activists can plant a shocking or juicy claim that is difficult to fact-check or verify. It is then spread wildly on less-moderated message boards, such as 4chan, and quickly adopted into more mainstream sites like Facebook or Twitter.

From there, the misinformation can reach national news level heights. We have seen this play out many times, from the Barack Obama “birther” conspiracy to rumors about Hillary Clinton’s health prior to the 2016 election.

It is all too easy to create a fake story and spread it like wildfire. Trump himself was influential in raising the legitimacy of many of these conspiracy theories. If he retweeted or mentioned a conspiracy theory at a rally, it was automatically newsworthy by virtue of coming out of his mouth. To Congress, Former FBI Agent Clint Watts testified, “Every time a conspiracy is floated from the [Trump] administration, it provides every outlet around the world, in fact, an opportunity to amplify that conspiracy and to add more manipulated truths or falsehoods onto it.”

Even after labeling a source as misinformation, as Twitter eventually implemented in May 2020, it is hard to overcome confirmation bias in readers. This becomes even more difficult when some of the most powerful people in the world parrot the same misinformation.

Once a conspiracy theory or piece of misinformation is shared, it becomes nearly impossible to discredit. Homogenizing Facebook groups, 4chan message boards and other sites such as Gab, Telegram and Gettr will happily share and create memes and content to perpetuate the idea. Memes and posts

are then cross-pollinated throughout more mainstream social media sites and can eventually make it all the way to national news outlets. On a popular news outlet, the mere mention of it gives it power. Far-right and radical content has become so prevalent online that people can identify which memes are farright at a quick glance.

I created a survey to see if respondents could identify the political leanings of a meme without being able to decipher the words. The results confirmed that far-right memes are much more easily recognizable than far-left and more moderate memes. Even without words, the images themselves can be read as radical. The visual rhetoric of memes can be decoded and understood like hieroglyphs. The most radical meme I chose for this test was correctly guessed as right or far-right by 75% of respondents. This is alarming in that there is a real visual language that has been created and propagated by farright groups online.

I call on designers and programmers who work to create social media sites and new communication tools online to be more cognizant of the tools they create. There is a malicious movement growing online that seeks to cause real-world violence. We desperately need to stay vigilant against these groups and understand the threat they pose to our democracy.

The insurrection that took place on Jan. 6 was just one of many attacks far-right groups have carried out in recent years. The momentum for another act of violence is still ever-present, and we must all stay vigilant. We as a nation must stand together and fight the threat of extremism and misinformation or be doomed to face more serious acts of violence in the future.

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REDEMPTION OF RADIO In a time of great change and development, there is hope for the future of sound

Amanda Rabinowitz in the studio hosting NPR’s Morning Edition

Words by Shane McGinnis Photos by Abigail Bottar Radio as a medium is at a contentious point in its history. While it provides an accessible platform for anyone that wants one, it too must deal with the ever-changing, technology-ridden age that is much different than the one it was born out of.

The audio format holds a special place in people’s hearts.

“I love[d] to take the little transistor radio I had,” says Andrew Meyer, news director at WKSU, recounting his childhood wonder of radio. And at night when I should have been asleep under the covers, I was listening in to a local news station to the local stations that were doing radio programming at the time.”

Much of the allure of radio seems to come with the simplicity of the media. It does, after all, date back to the late 19th century.

Both then and now, it is a direct line of communication to anyone with a receiver. Wherever they happen to be, they can experience it.

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“I’m in your car, in your bedroom or whatever every day,” says Amanda Rabinowitz, host of Morning Edition for WKSU, describes the intimacy. “And it’s just so personal. And the other thing about it is that it’s so readily available. I mean, everybody has free access to radio. Anywhere you want to go, you can find a radio station, and it’s the same thing with podcasts. I mean, I can go anywhere I want, and I will have something to listen to.”

Not only is receiving simple, but radio also strips down broadcasters to their bare parts. They are unable to hide behind graphics or a set and are instead forced to lay out their thoughts and their voice in front of the audience. While this may seem like a troubling venture, those taking part see it as one of the most beautiful parts. Zac Max, general manager of Black Squirrel Radio, is grateful that there is a sense of anonymity, at least when it comes to physical appearances.

“I don’t like being in the public eye at all,” he says. “And my whole thing is, I’m not the story in any way. I don’t want to be in front of a camera … I don’t want to be the focus of whatever I’m producing. So, radio allows me to disconnect as much as possible, where it’s only my voice, and ... it allows me to be as … clean of preconceived notions as possible.”

With this direct input to listeners, there comes an innate responsibility. Local station WKSU broadcasts to more than 20 counties across Northeast Ohio. As a publicly-funded station, WKSU is part of, and supported by, the surrounding community.

Rabinowitz takes pride in the role the station plays in this region.

“We are tasked with serving the information needs of the audience that looks to us, to provide them with news and information that’s relevant to their lives where they live,” she says. “We need to always be aware of that and be sure that we’re doing our best to serve those information needs so that people are getting the news and the information that they are looking for.”

Recently, WKSU has entered into a partnership with Ideastream Public Media, a public broadcast organization based in Cleveland that serves 18 counties in Northeast Ohio. Much like

“It’s just so personal. And the other thing about it is that it’s so readily available. I mean, everybody has free access to radio.”

WKSU, Ideastream focuses on the local community and hopes to strengthen it through programming. Although some mixed feelings about the merger have arisen among the community, Meyer looks forward with optimism.

“I think it is going to be an extremely good thing for the communities that we serve all throughout Northeast Ohio. What it’s going to really allow us to do is to grow to better serve those communities. It’s going to open up resources, which have been limited to us up to this point,” he says. “I believe that it will allow us to grow and better serve journalism in Northeast Ohio, which has been greatly undeserved over the years due to contraction in the media … and I think there’s an opportunity there for us to become that number one source for trusted news and information in Northeast Ohio.”

Just like any change, there are bound to be growing pains. As a journalist, Rabinowitz is able to see the many sides of this situation. While it may take time to find a place in the everchanging structure around those working at the station, she is more interested in the teamwork that can happen because

“Keep in mind that 30 years ago, radio was ephemeral, you put a story together, right? It was broadcast. If you heard it in the moment, you heard this story. If you missed it, you missed it. With websites, that story lives on.” of the shift, as opposed to the sense of competition that was present at times before.

“We’re already having meetings with their reporters and their editors and saying, ‘Okay, well, what can we do together?

What are you guys working on today, so that we can work on something different,’ and we’re not competing, or, like, we got this story first, we’re serving the same people. We shouldn’t be against each other, Rabinowitz says. “The media landscape is changing so much.

It’s getting increasingly more difficult in this landscape to operate and be able to be in the black, and that’s just the times that we’re in. So if we can combine forces and be one news service from Cleveland all the way to New Philadelphia and as far [as] Lakewood to Youngstown, why wouldn’t we do that?”

In the audio landscape of Kent, WKSU is not the only station of importance. Black Squirrel Radio, who provide a wide range of content from sports to lifestyle and music shows, is an important staple in the student journalism landscape. It provides a place of expression and exploration for a younger generation of broadcasters. Max is grateful for the role that BSR fills. While the university may not provide a full spread of audio-based courses, BSR opens up opportunities for students to gain experience that they may not have otherwise.

“The main goal of BSR is to prepare or, really, to cultivate a passion for radio and to prepare students for a potential career in radio,” Max says. “We’re just helping people who may want to go into radio be more prepared because the journalism school doesn’t have that much in terms of radio.”

BSR is able to do what Max sees as one of the best parts of the radio platform. He views it as a place where someone can

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pursue anything they are passionate about, from music to news and sports, all while being able to reach those with the same passions.

While there is a beauty in the simplicity of radio and a responsibility that comes with it, the emerging market of smart devices has caused a disruption in the way the public interacts with audio journalism and storytelling. Smartphones more powerful than Apollo 11 computers seem like a very clear threat to technology from the 1890s. Much of audio journalism’s response seems to be a rethinking, rather than a reinvention, of what has made it such a fixture in communities.

The rise of online accessible stories and podcasts is an essential part of how audio journalism is adapting. The Pew Research Center shows a slight decrease in terrestrial radio listenership. This contrasted with the increase from 14% to 41% of the population saying they listened to a podcast in the past month. This growth hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Keep in mind that 30 years ago, radio was ephemeral,” Meyer says. “You put a story together, right? It was broadcast. If you heard it in the moment, you heard this story. If you missed it, you missed it, right? With websites, that story lives on. It can go back and be listened to. With websites and digital, you have the

ability to create distinctive audio, which is separate from what goes on broadcast. [Now,] you can push it out via podcast … it has fractured the audience in a way, but it has also given us that much more ability to really reach our audiences wherever they are.”

The changing landscape also forces introspection, encouraging improvement across the board. Those on the platform are looking to what makes it so special because that is ultimately what is going to keep it around.

“Ultimately, I think it stokes creativity and it keeps us fresh in terms of always adapting, always evolving, always thinking about what’s new … audio storytelling is painting pictures with words,” Meyer says. “It’s creating the theater of the mind through the use of words, through the use of sound, and that always held great appeal because as opposed to print where it’s on the printed page or TV where you see everything right, you actually get to use your creativity to help stoke the imagination.”

The theater of the mind is, after all, the most important part of audio storytelling. As long as the creativity and passion stay around, it seems as though there is hope for the future of the platform.

PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS

INVISIBILIA

Invisiblia – Latin for invisible things – looks at the forces that make us who we are. The hosts tell engaging stories while focusing on people’s beliefs, ideals, and personalities.

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RADIOLAB

99% INVISIBLE

Radiolab dives deep into topics ranging from science and sociology to law. They take deep questions and follow them with answers that you didn’t see coming.

Their love for learning along with their innovative sound design make for an interesting listen.

99% Invisible turns the lens onto the world around us. It explores design, architecture and the systems we interact with. The hosts give stories that make you look deeper into everything as you go about your everyday life.

STUDIO ART MAJOR WITH A CONCENTRATION IN CERAMICS “My art style is kind of weird. I don’t usually keep a sketchbook or anything – I’m kind of bad at that. But I get these ideas in my head and I just sculpt them. And sometimes they turn out right, sometimes they don’t, sometimes they get trashed. Right now, [my work] focuses on experiences I’ve had in my body. What motivated me to make these pieces specifically was working on myself and reflecting on feelings I’ve had in the past. [Making art] kind of releases feelings of anger I’ve had toward myself and I learn to appreciate myself instead. I work a full-time job from 8:00 to 5:00 … I spend all day long [in the studio] and then after I get off work, sometimes I come back here to work. Truly, I wish I had more time to do stuff, but I make what I can in the time that I have. [I’ll be successful] just as long as I make art for the rest of my life. No matter what that looks like.”

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In collaboration with Uhuru Magazine

ROOTS The history of Black hair and liberation of appearance in America

Words by Mia Barnes & Sophie Young Art by Destiny Franklin The similarities between how African Americans view their hair and how their ancestors viewed it are only noticeable to those who are educated on the subject. Sold by their own people and forced to live on a new land, there was only one thing that connected African Americans to their roots: their hair. Europeans successfully took away other parts of their culture, such as their drums. Something like hair was a challenge. What grows from their scalps cannot be changed from the inside, nor can it be erased.

PRIOR TO COLONIZATION To make Black people lose pride in their hair, Europeans stripped them of it. In order to enslave a group of people for many years, the oppressors need to take control of their minds. Cutting the hair of the enslaved was the first step. The unfortunate success of such action proves to be challenging to overcome centuries later.

Until the Black liberation movement, Black people looked down on their hair as a result of white supremacy. By reevaluating their unhealthy view on their hair, Black people could obtain true liberation. Back home in the 15th century, Africans’ hair was their pride and joy, and as a community, Black Americans are slowly making their way back to that.

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In “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America,”

by Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps, the significance and history of Black hair is explored. It is important to mention that Africa is a continent made up of 54 different countries and over 3,000 tribes. Though cultures within the continent differed, they all shared one thing: the cultural significance of their hair. Hairstyles were used for non-verbal communication and commonly determined someone’s marital status, religion, age and even wealth.

For example, Byrd and Tharps reference Senegal’s Wolof culture, where young girls below marrying age partially shaved their heads to emphasize their unavailability for courting.

Women of age wore a particular hair style that would be more likely to attract someone of the opposite sex. In connection to sex, in countries like Senegal and Ghana, women could not work on the heads of men. The two sexes were to be separated, but the need for beautiful hair was the same for both.

Whether their hair was in braids or in a headwrap due to their superior status in society, it needed to be done. If it was not, some tribes such as the Mende tribe in Nigeria would believe the person was insane or depressed. This unfortunate reality still rings true today. It is common for Black women to miss work and even class for a hair appointment for fear of being judged.

Since hair was an integral part of African culture, the individuals

responsible for creating these hairstyles were oftentimes the most trustworthy people in their society. The process could last several hours, sometimes several days using a handmade wooden carved comb, efficient in removing tangles and knots.

The Yoruba tribe encouraged young girls to learn how to braid, and if proven to be talented, they became responsible for braiding for the entire community.

Other Europeans noticed the importance of hair to the African people when they first arrived in Jamestown around 1444.

Byrd and Tharps reference an excerpt written by Jean Barbot, a French explorer, who wrote, “The Senegal Blacks [have] their hair either curled long and lank and piled up on their head in the shape of a pointed hat.” When traveling, European explorers searched for riches they could only dream of. To their surprise, they found nations and traded with the people there.

Byrd and Tharps wrote, “the relationship between the two was transactional, exchanging weapons, textiles, liquor and shiny baubles for gold, ivory and sometimes even a small number of human slaves, who would be taken to the European continent and sold.”

In addition to that, the versatile hairstyles of these people did not go unnoticed. By the 16th century, the Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, British and French conquered territories they themselves could not work. It was then they realized they needed a labor force to work the land they just acquired. Due to a century-long friendship with their African trade partners, the soon-to-be oppressors turned to them for assistance.

“With the shaving of their hair came the erasure of their identity.

Arriving without their signature hairstyles, Mandingos, Fulanis, Ibos and Ashanti peoples entered the New World, just as the Europeans intended, like anonymous cattle.”

The nature of this request was unknown by the West Africans, and since the Africans themselves were willing to trade in human cargo, the Europeans sought to exploit the situation.

The total number of humans taken to new land at any one time reached the hundreds, and larger tribes began attacking smaller tribes in order to obtain more people. Over the course of nearly 400 years, approximately 20 million men, women and children were sold into chattel slavery. Enslaved people arrived in the Caribbean and the colony of Jamestown; however, some also entered the Arabian slave trade.

According to Byrd and Tharps, the second crime committed against the people of West Africa was unspeakable. Once upon the ship, the heads of the Africans were shaved. Europeans said it was for sanitary reasons, but the enslaved people were confined so closely they had no choice but to ingest the feces of others. With the shaving of their hair came the erasure of their

identity. Arriving without their signature hairstyles, Mandingos, Fulanis, Ibos and Ashanti peoples entered the New World, just as the Europeans intended, like anonymous cattle.

THE START OF BLACK HAIR IN AMERICA Interested in the Africans’ agricultural expertise, slave owners demanded they work on plantations in the southern heat. If they took a break or worked too slowly, they faced torture, so they did not have time to focus on their appearance. They lacked the wooden combs made in their homeland. Byrd and Tharps write, “Out of desperation for a tool to replace the African combs, the slaves began using a sheep fleece carding tool to untangle their hair.” The resources used on one’s hair was closely tied to the condition it was in.

The work environment had an effect on the condition of their hair. Their hair became matted and scalp diseases ran rampant.

In order to contain infections like lice, the women wore rags around their head.

The men turned to shaving their hair, wearing straw hats or even using animal shears to cut their hair short. If the enslaved lived in closer proximity with their master and their family, they chose to imitate their owners. According to Byrd and Tharps, “it was fashionable for white men of the upper class to wear wigs.” As a result, some enslaved Africans took to wearing wigs as well; others shaped and styled their own hair to look like a wig. The texture of one’s hair became a way for slave owners to other them.

They looked down upon and criticized features like dark skin and kinky hair. The colonizers considered these traits inferior and imposed that belief on slaves — Black women in particular.

This feeling of inferiority pervades the Black community even today.

After the international slave trade became illegal in 1808, colonizers instead traded them from plantation to plantation.

A new African American culture was created by mixing European culture with pieces these people still had left from the motherland. Since the introduction of Africans to America drastically changed, it became extremely difficult for the people in captivity to love their natural hair.

Without palm oil, combs and herbal treatments commonly used in African countries, African Americans needed to find another way to groom their hair. Since Black hair is naturally dry, Byrd and Tharps write, “Black people took to using oil-based products like bacon grease and butter to condition and soften the hair, prepare it for straightening and to make it shine.” Men used axle grease to both dye and straighten their hair. To this day, Black people in America use hair grease like Blue Magic in an effort to add moisture.

To straighten their hair, women slathered their hair with butter, bacon fat or goose grease and then used a butter knife heated in a can over a fire as a crude curling iron. That inspired Black people to use a hot comb, a tool that many African Americans still use today. Similar to putting a butter knife over a fire, a metal comb placed over the stove straightens the hair as one combs through it.

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Having straight hair became a goal for Black people, not only because of the need to assimilate to current fashion trends, but looser hair signified economic opportunity and social advantage.

In the 19th century, more than 100,000 free Black people were the children of white slave owners and enslaved people.

“While the increase of natural hair representation and the visibility of the natural hair community is positive, Black hair is still under a microscope.”

Because of this, lighter skin and loose curls became the standard of beauty amongst Blacks, and those who passed as white tried their best to cash in on it. Having those features gave the enslaved privilege, such as not performing back breaking work, getting hand-me-downs from their owners family and even an education. The need for hair care products was first met by Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone.

BLACK HAIR PRODUCTS Malone set out to fix the issue many Black women faced, such as hair loss and breakage from high levels of stress. She made a product called the Wonderful Hair Grower and began selling it door-to-door. After Malone’s success, Sarah Breedlove, also known as Madame C.J. Walker, began taking notes. Walker was an entrepreneur who created a line of hair care products catered to Black women. The Walker system, which included all of the products one needed to achieve ultimate results, was made available for purchase, but only for those who were trained by Madame C.J. Walker herself. The straightening tool of choice was the hot comb, which is often reported as an invention of Madame C.J. Walker. However, this straightening tool was created by the French in the 19th century. Due to the high demand for her products and the popularity of the hot comb, Madame C.J. Walker became the first self-made female millionaire in the United States.

At this point in time, it was easier for Black women to straighten their hair and assimilate to the European beauty standards.

With that, came a rise of Black women straightening their hair to compete with other races in contests such as beauty pageants.

Criticism of straight hair came from prominent leaders within the Black community, including Booker T. Washington. According to Byrd and Tharps, “Booker T. Washington directed his anger not at the Blacks who straightened but at the manufacturers that made straightening products, on the grounds that they promoted a white standard of beauty.” Following the criticism, the popularity of straightening systems continued to increase and black women continued to find new ways to straighten their hair.

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Inventions such as the relaxer, invented by Garret Augustus Morgan, chemically altered the texture of Black hair and made it straight. To keep their hair straight, Black women would wrap their hair and only take it down when needed. This practice was similar to the way their enslaved ancestors treated their hair on the day of Sabbath. With this innovation, styles such as cornrows and locs became a common hairstyle only among the older generation of Black people in the U.S..

Discrimination against skin color and hair texture, known as colorism and texturism, created a social caste system. For example, Byrd and Tharps refer to “parties on college campuses referred to as ‘taxed parties,’ that would tax men based on how dark their date was.” Then, 10 years into the Civil Rights movement, colored people and negroes started to be referred to as Black people. This group decided to adopt a Black identity and visual appearance.

BLACK HAIR AND LIBERATION During the Civil Rights movement, Black people started to push against the notion that their Blackness made them inferior.

Natural hairstyles became a way for them to connect with their African roots. Hair picks, earlier introduced as hair combs made of plastic or metal, were used on natural hair. When the Civil Rights movement started to decline, so did the attention towards natural hair. However, the natural hair business still boomed throughout the 2000s, and pretty soon white entrepreneurs wanted a piece of the pie. Nowadays, there are Black hair care lines that are Black owned and some that are not. In a Voxx article titled “The beauty industry profits off Black women. Now Black women are fighting for accountability,” Cheryl Wischhover says the Black hair industry is worth 2.5 billion dollars alone.

Now that studies such as Cheryl’s have been made, companies are beginning to target Black consumers. Fortunately, this forces companies to place Black people in advertisements and collaborate with Black content creators. While the increase of natural hair representation and the visibility of the natural hair community is positive, Black hair is still under a microscope.

Black hairstyles such as afros and locs are still considered unprofessional by many and aside from the possibly experiencing of racism and sexism, Black women hoped they would not face hair discrimination. To some, these styles represent rebellion and are intolerable. This prompted policies like the Crown Act,passed in states such as California in an effort to ban hair discrimination.

Hair in African American culture is not just a style or a trend; Black hair is their identity. It is common for a Black girl to fondly remember her mother doing her hair in the sink or smelling the chemicals in a relaxer. The tradition of bonding through hair in homes, barbershops and hair salons has continued. On college campuses like Kent State, students braid the hair of their peers and even run successful businesses. It is no wonder why Black people feel so confident after getting microbraids, a new lace front or a nice cut. Each hairstyle has a story, and Black hair in America needs to be respected.

CORNROWS

BOX BRAIDS

FRO

BANTU KNOTS

FULANI BRAIDS

LOCS

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HELLO, HI AND DAD’S ROSEMARY CHICKEN THIGHS A peek into “All Mack, No Cheese,” a blog revolving around all things food

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Words and photos by Mackenzie Shaffer Hello, friend. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Mackenzie, also known as Mack, and cooking has always been a prevalent and comforting activity in my life. I feel most myself when I’m cooking, and being able to make something for someone to eat and enjoy is one of my greatest pleasures. The taste of good food, the people you’re enjoying it with and the environment surrounding you can make for some of life’s sweetest moments. Needless to say, I find great joy in orchestrating these moments for others — and for myself, as well — with food being the foundation of it all.

We all have certain foods that hold special places in our hearts –– and taste buds –– that bring us back home no matter where we find ourselves in the world. I see it only fitting to share my most special recipe with you. Behold: Dad’s Oven Roasted Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Red Sauce.

This dish is my comfort food. It’s so simple that it’s basically foolproof, not to mention it’s a crowd-pleaser. Without further ado …

Serving size: 2 thighs per person Time: 1 hour Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45–50 minutes Ingredients For the chicken: 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper 1 tablespoon dried rosemary Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional) For the sauce: 1 clove fresh garlic, minced 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, vinegar-based/Carolina-style (look for “sweet and tangy” somewhere on the bottle) 2 tablespoons hot sauce (Louisiana or Frank’s Red Hot each work really well) Spritz of lemon juice

1.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.

2.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper and dried rosemary.

3.

On the lined baking sheet, coat the chicken thighs in the olive oil, ensuring both sides are well covered.

4.

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with the seasoning mixture, ending with the thighs skin-side up on the tray (this is very important).

5.

Place the tray on a middle rack in the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes until the skin is crispy and browned.

6.

With about 10 minutes left in the chicken cooking process, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and place on low to medium heat, stirring frequently. The sauce should finish as your chicken does with a few minutes to thicken a little.

7.

Plate chicken and spoon sauce over the thighs.

Garnish each thigh with a fresh rosemary sprig. Enjoy!

These chicken thighs are foolproof — as long as the internal temperature of each thigh reaches 165 degrees, you’re golden. Literally. You can’t burn them, you can’t dry out the inside, they’re actually perfect.

No matter how long you cook the thighs, the skin stays crunchy and delicious, and the inside stays tender and juicy. Aim for 45 minutes at least, but if you find you desire a crispier skin, 50–55 minutes should do the trick as well. You could also broil them at the end for a minute or two, but this is a tricky game to play if you’re not a diligent oven-watcher.

As you stir your sauce, taste it. If it tastes too tangy for your liking, add more barbecue sauce a tablespoon at a time. If it tastes too deep, add more butter a tablespoon at a time. Adding more of either butter or barbecue sauce (or hot sauce if you like the heat) will affect the texture of the sauce. If you find your sauce appears to be too runny, increase the heat and bring the sauce to a slight boil so it can thicken. If your sauce appears to be too thick, decrease the heat and add a bit more butter. Additionally, keep in mind that your sauce will thicken rapidly when it is removed from heat altogether, so try and serve it immediately.

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STUDIO ART MAJOR WITH A CONCENTRATION IN PAINTING “Most of my day is spent in the studio, or [at home] sketching things, working things out, just because I have such a heavy workload. Most of my work is about my identity as a queer Black woman and even though I’m not super explicit all the time, it’s just to convey my own experiences … I want people to be able to relate in some way or put themselves in my shoes. My style, I would say it’s pretty surrealist. I like to go for dreamscapes, working through things like the subconscious and my feelings. So, I try to reflect that through like a bunch of textures and build up through layering of a canvas to really show that emotional process through it. I’m not super open, I don’t like to be super vulnerable.

But with art, that’s the best way that I can find myself.”

More of Erby’s art can be found on Instagram at @kiwii.art

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A CULTURAL BACKYARD

Akron community extends hospitality to get concert culture back on its feet Words by Grace Marie Burton Live music took more than a dip for the last year and a half; it crashed into a hill, somehow survived and struggled to crawl back to civilization. Numerous venues shuttered in the wake of the pandemic. Venues that cemented themselves into their communities were erased in a matter of months. It made everybody involved with music both sad and confused. Would there even be places to host music? When would they be allowed to play and enjoy live music again?

Live music seemed for a long time effectively comatose — that was until this past spring. With increasingly good weather and vaccination rates, people felt more comfortable stepping outside and heading to music festivals around the country. It was not just on a national level either; various Akron DIY (do-it-yourself) venues began having shows as well. The DIY community is not exclusive to Northeast Ohio; there are hundreds within the United States. A DIY music scene is a freely-tied group of local citizens creating homemade performance spaces within their homes and hosting both local and traveling bands. The scenes of nights like this are similar to ‘80s teen movie parties; crowded between wood paneled walls, passing boxes of beverages around rooms and packed together in muggy basements adorned with LEDs, grandmotherly couches and often washers and dryers.

For the DIY music community, it is a familial bond. Shows are weekly family reunions filled with a cornucopia of cheap beer and occasionally a bag of factory-made snacks. People share every little thing: earplugs, lighters, audio equipment and makeup. It is an egalitarian family party for everybody involved, which leads to the creation of many memories. It also changed the dynamics of these sorts of events. They used to have this homey warmness, sharing food and music in a familial way.

Now that we know how COVID-19 spreads, it casts a deadly blanket over any future attempts to reconstruct the scene.

The pandemic separated everyone, musicians or not. Multiple groups attempted to soothe the wound with Instagram livestreams. Kent State’s own Black Squirrel Radio tried to hold digital concerts with local groups. These digital events, which brought the music they love to their individual homes, did not entirely fill the void. Over livestreams, a 24-pack of variety White Claws can not be shared, nails can not be painted in a circle and a newbie can not be given a set of earplugs for the next band. Nobody could wander around, clinging to a metal bucket for donations. In numerous ways, the physical distance grew even more evident as the year progressed.

That was until this summer when Akron’s DIY venues started hosting shows once more. In the dawn of returning concerts, new venues began to pop up and start hosting shows all around Akron, playing host to local and traveling bands.

One of these venues is Tune Temple, run by DIY veteran Chrisitan Prieman. Originally hailing from Chicago, Prieman is a veteran of both Illinois and Ohio DIY circles, participating in independent music since his teens. Prieman moved to Akron for the music scene in the early days of the pandemic around late February. Taking his experience in Chicago’s underground scene and his excitement for this new scene, Prieman began the early stages of his new venue. Despite being very familiar with how independent venues are run, Prieman did not expect the initial mundane annoyances that came with starting up.

“I had to get a PA mixer and then the speakers,” Prieman says.

“I wanted to mount them on the wall instead of having them just on stands, so I had to figure [that] out [since] I’m not a handy

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person at all. All the decorations and stuff that I have in the house [...] then of course I always thought cause [it’s] very rare that you get an actual bed to sleep in [on tour]. So because I’m extra, I was like, ‘I should get beds for touring bands to sleep in if they come through and they play here.’”

Tune Temple held its first show this past September. It was an open-arms reunion for the entire family. It was also a new, hopeful chapter for everybody on an individual and community level and the first time people’s pandemic evolutions could be shown off to the world.

“I thought for sure there would be nobody,” Prieman says. “I also expected to [pack the] place at the same time. I’ve never hosted anything before. We didn’t have any full bands that first night; it was an acoustic night, but the turnout was actually pretty good.

It’s not a huge space, but I was so surprised, and everybody who came that night was just so respectful of the space.”

Tune Temple is not the only new venue bringing people together. Another newly formed space is Whipstaff Manor, mostly focusing on acoustic sets. Run by another scene pro Casper Dandridge. Similar to Tune Temple, Dandridge decided to start Whipstaff Manor within the midst of the pandemic-livemusic-slug. Hosting shows from their top-floor duplex apartment, the Whipstaff shows tend to feel more like a sleepover. The communal feeling is amplified by the performers who are usually playing on non-electrical instruments transforms the normal party atmosphere of these shows into a toned down, hang out session atmosphere. It has an after class snacking and jamming session vibe, which is unique considering the often intense nature of some of these DIY shows. Unlike Tune Temple though, Whipstaff has a simpler origin story.

“When me and my former roommate moved in,” they say, “we really just wanted an Alomar [a local solo artist] set to be honest.

We moved in the middle of the pandemic, and there were no shows going on.”

In this absence of shows, especially from their buds, Dandridge decided to host shows at their home whenever it was safe enough to begin.

Dandridge plans to hopefully host more than just acoustic shows in the future; they say it does hinge on the approval from their downstairs neighbors, a lovely family who is normally okay with the 20-somethings shout-singing above them during dinnertime.

Whipstaff Manor has been hugged into wide open and nonjudgmental arms. Dandridge speaks about their hope for the future of the scene as a whole, even with the current uncertainty about live events.

“It seems like our community [are a] close-knit circle of artists and are [also] very attentive when it comes to making sure people have proof of vaccinations [and that they] are masked up,” Dandridge says

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Aside from venues birthed from the pandemic-absence, other organizations sprung up to assist and support the earnestly ramshackle community. Garbage Kids Vegan, run by couple Shawn Cordes and Karen Stetner, is a catering business that specializes in food for DIY or small venues, a unique operation in a scene crowded with whatever processed food that travels easiest and tastes the most decent.

Both have professional kitchen experience, a vegetarian lifestyle and a general love of cooking. However, it was not until Stetner and Cordes visited the South and returned with inspiration that they decided to create Garbage Kids Vegan.

“We went down to Nashville, ... and Shawn had made friends with a person who has their own vegan biscuit company,” Stener says. “We just met up with them and saw them at a show where they were distributing [food].”

They took this model and decided to implement it into the familiar and wildly different, in comparison, music scene. The two did not want their food to have the typical gentrified vegan posture that comes from metro vegan cuisine, so Stetner called their food “comfort vegan food,” and Cordes coined the term “vegan for the masses.” For their recipes, the two take inspiration from the regularly-frozen snack foods that defined their snacking habits as children. Recipes like this made it easy to bring ingredients from their own home and cook in others homes, something they did at a show I attended. That does not mean there is not any elbow grease that goes into these simple meals.

“We made our own Velveeta cheese from scratch,” Stener says.

“It’s like a juxtaposition of trash but also scratch refinement.”

Currently, their signature item is a vegan-style Pizza Roll with vegan pepperoni, beef and cheese, but they are looking forward to expanding their menu at future events. They will also continue to serve at shows specifically, maybe even having a brick-andmortar store one day. Eight now, the main focus is serving the community. That usually means cooking in unfamiliar kitchens while a party roars in the background.

“We want to serve bands for free,” Cordes says, “making sure all members get some kind of food for as long as we can go with that. We do want to try to make some of our food into frozen dishes, so people can take it home as well.”

I was blessed to try some of their food at the Kling Thing, another local venue, Halloween party, the first event they catered. As I walked around the crowded room, costumes, candy and chatter galore, it made me envision the future of the music scene. It was scary, no doubt; that many people in a tight, shaky abode with music vibrating through my heels. I felt that awful, skin-tight and squeamish need to bail into another room of silence and fewer costumed people. Not from general social anxiety but from that fear we all share now. Is this simple

“It seems like our community [are a] close-knit circle of artists and are very attentive when it comes to making sure people have proof of vaccinations [and that they] are masked up.”

gathering, shared conversation or sharing of pizza going to affect myself and others around me?

Prieman has a realistic but skeptical outlook on the future of local live music: “I am a little pessimistic [...] I feel like COVID [is] here to stay at least in America. We can’t get on the same page. We as a country stop believing scientists, but that’s where we’re at right now. I’m not super hopeful that we will reach herd immunity. I feel like it’s [going to be similar to] how you get a flu shot every year.”

Garbage Kids Vegan spoke about the shifting dynamics of the scene since they entered and how it’s changing the scene for the better. “[There’s] a lot more women for sure,” Stener says.

“A lot more people [are] just trying to have fun and not like white [laughs]. Shows are just notorious [for letting someone get ]out a lot of energy and dance around and stuff.”

This outlook is important to have considering the brass tacks of the situation we’re living in. It is totally uncertain about what is going to happen within the next six months or year and to be

honest, it is not looking great in a local or national context. The family party has been dislocated to a digital space once again.

No more passing around beverages while discussing stick and poke tattoos and thrift store finds, at least for a little while. The odds seem insurmountable. Despite this constant feeling of hopelessness being preached at us in all directions, we should try and keep grasp onto something good.

Even if another lockdown is imminent, there is a better paradise to retreat to whenever we are healthy and able to come back.

The past year seems like it’s been a trial run for trying music shows again in this new atmosphere of anxiety and unreleased energy after the box-in of the past year and a half. This tension, at least within the Akron DIY scene, has led to the construction of remarkable shows and events. It’s made a lot of memories for a lot of people. This reminder can pull the members of the Akron DIY scene through this new slog without shows that there will still be a future for the scene. This spirit also makes you realize how much is going on within the cultural backyard (or in Kent standards, more like a nearby park).

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TWICELATION

A look inside Kent State’s isolation dorms, not once, but twice Words by Katie Flack Art by Preston Randall COVID-19 positive: two words we learned to fear over the past 19 months. Words that breathe to life death and disease and destruction not only around us but within us. Words we take precautions against, armoring ourselves with masks, hand sanitizer, vaccinations and the like. These words define every detail of our existence, of our day-to-day, to the point that many of us are so empathetically drained and weary that we can hardly bring ourselves to look at the words. We want to move on, we want happy stories, we want normalcy — another word ringing in the backs of our minds like a cruel taunt. But as it is now, such things are out of our grasp. So we still fear those two reality-shattering words, hoping they do not appear on our own test results, impacting our own lives.

Those words have creeped onto my records, forced me into solitude, twice in the past nine months.

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The first time I tested positive for COVID-19 was in January 2020, before I was eligible for vaccination. It was only my second week back on campus after winter break and hearing the explanation cautiously leave the pharmacist’s masked lips filled me with an electric disbelief. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t fathom what I was hearing. I was given instructions and time to pack. I dashed to my dorm, madly threw a tornado of belongings into a suitcase and two bags. Within two hours, I was in Van Campen Hall beginning my isolation period.

On September 29, I tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time despite being fully vaccinated. Feeling cold-like symptoms, I figured it was best to be sure of my status for the safety of myself and my classmates, especially given the Homecoming festivities surrounding me. I didn’t actually expect to test positive. This time I knew the process, but fearful of isolation,

I was filled with a drowning sense of hopelessness and anger.

Nevertheless, within a few hours, I was in Centennial Court E, starting yet another isolation period at Kent State.

Overall, the changes made between isolation protocols from spring 2021 and fall 2021 were an improvement — although, I was grateful to the COVID Response Team for their kindness and thoughtfulness in each circumstance.

To describe what actually went down in each of my experiences in complete solitude, I’ll start with my experience in spring 2021. Being in Van Campen felt like a downgrade from living in Stopher-Johnson all year, and I immediately realized I forgot shower shoes, though Kent State’s provided packing list reminded me of everything else. The room was small and a little cold, but I was given fleece blankets, sheets, towels and a pillow to keep me warm. Additionally, upon arriving in my room, I was greeted with a drawstring bag of goodies! Some of the standout items in this group included a Flashes Take Care of Flashes puzzle, a handwritten letter from President Diacon, a stress ball and two Kent State masks to add to my collection, all of which certainly went to good use. Additionally, the room was stocked with water bottles, Gatorade, individual bags of Miss Vickie’s chips and granola bars. For general meals, I was allowed to leave my room, meander down to the first floor lobby and grab a to-go box and accompanying paper bag filled with food. They were even careful to accommodate my allergies, and any mail I received would be transferred to this room as well.

This process was tweaked for fall 2021. For starters, CCE was a larger space with a more easily adjustable temperature that stopped me from freezing. Additionally, my room included its own bathroom and sink — a welcome change after my floor bathroom experience. This time, I did not receive a goodie bag from the COVID Response Team, which was a little sad, but it in no way impeded my experience. Rather than looking out the window at the ice arena where I tested positive, CCE looked out into a patch of trees where squirrels and chipmunks often ran past — however, a word of advice: please do not walk through this woodsy area directly next to the first floor windows at nighttime; it’s terrifying for those inside.

The main difference between this time and last: the food process. Instead of delivering food at each meal time, Kent State allowed me to pick a grocery plan from three options, where they would accommodate any allergies or dietary restrictions if necessary. Some of my favorite items from this grocery delivery included sandwich materials, frozen chicken pot pies, mashed potatoes, yogurt, nutri-grain bars, fruit cups and tea bags. I was a fan of this grocery change since it meant that I didn’t need to worry about the time of day or if my food might have gotten cold on the drive over. However, it had its drawbacks in that I had even less structure to my day and now had no appropriate reason to even step into the hallway, but I

recognize that no system is perfect.

Isolation was a lonely time. It’s funny to me how so many people will check in when they know you have COVID-19 but how you still feel completely alienated, separated, alone. I only went a total of one day without talking to a family member or friend on the phone during both isolation experiences, and I started questioning my own existence. I already talk to myself regularly when I’m alone, but I would be having full-on conversations with myself at every waking moment — something me and myself recognized as being perhaps a smidge odd.

To those who ask, I tend to describe the isolation dorms as a prison-hospital hybrid: you cannot leave, but you’re also a contaminant not to be put into contact with people. Finally, I know how it feels to live in the zombie apocalypse or during the Bubonic plague. I know how Eden felt in “Legend” or how Eleven felt in “Stranger Things.” Of course, I’m taking the opportunity to be dramatic, but all trash used within my isolation periods needed to be disposed of in bright red biohazard bags that made me feel otherwise.

More than anything else, the experience was as easy as it could possibly be because of the care the university took to handle it delicately. Everyone I spoke to on the phone was caring and compassionate, patient with my questions and concerns, immensely helpful with solutions. They scheduled my transportation in and out of isolation, they made sure I knew when food would be delivered/where to pick snacks up in the meantime, etc. Honestly, I feel like Kent State thought of everything that could be a concern in the situation and did something to amend it — I didn’t encounter a single problem the university couldn’t help me with when I stayed in isolation.

Now having my freedom returned to me, I look back at isolation as an important time of growth for myself. Life is stressful, especially when juggling classes in the midst of everything else.

Being isolated with COVID-19 is obviously not the ideal way to realize that you need to step back and refocus your priorities, but that was what it served as for me. I was going through the motions, getting overwhelmed, and I was forgetting what mattered: experiencing life. Check in with your loved ones, go to that concert, take that road trip, approach that person, because your life is too short to get caught in a whirlwind of due dates and stressors. Take care of what you need to take care of, but remember that your wellbeing is the priority.

And more importantly than anything else, get vaccinated! The university may take care of you when you’re infected, but you cannot anticipate how your body will react to the virus — I was fortunate that I had the vaccine to lessen my symptoms. Oncampus isolation is nice all things considered, but I hardly think that a small, empty room is the last sight your eyes should wish to behold.

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