The Vindicator - December 2016

Vindicator Cleveland State University’s Arts and Culture Magazine

DEC 2016

STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGN SHOW csu’s secret gem art program

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women in the STEM field at CSU

the artists behind the work

best movies of 2016 you haven’t seen these, but you should

the persecution of indigenous peoples by sports teams

living in an interfaith family celebrate the holidays together

DEC 2 Letter from the Editor 3 Contributors 4 Online 5 Calendar ARTS 7 Gordon Square 9 The Best Movies of 2016 CULTURE 11 Growing Up in an Interfaith Home 13 Studying Abroad 15 The United States of Immigrants 17 Capitalism: A System of Exploitation FEATURE 19 Voodoo: The Underground Practices 21 Connie Shultz: Defying Standards 23 Coventry 27 The Future of Design SOCIAL ISSUES 35 Pro-Sports and Indigenous Peoples 37 The 44th President: Barrack Obama 39 The Case Against the Death Penalty 41 The Need for Diversity in STEM POETRY 43 Quality Over Quantity 44 Little One 45 XX 46 Culinary Eulogy

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Self: Art Exhibition The artists and work from the first CSU design exhibition.

EDITOR’S LETTER

A SPECIAL

GOODBYE

I

n the almost three years I’ve been a part of the Vindicator’s staff, I’ve seen this publication grow and change so much. From only a handful of regular contributors to more than 20 constant writers, poets, artists and designers, this magazine has grown in size and focus since my start.

I hate sappy shit, but for this, I’ll make an exception. For all the headaches you all have caused me in the years I’ve spent as a contributor and managing editor, I wouldn’t trade any of it. This publication allowed me to find my place on campus — a home when I wasn’t stuck in the communication or art buildings. I have met some of the most passionate, dedicated and kind people through this magazine.

This issue is no different — the works in here are some of our strongest

yet and it’s a great way to end the year.

We have a wrap up of movies released this past year by Vindi veteran Greg Elek, highlights on the Gordon Square and Coventry art districts and an interview with Cleveland journalist and personality Connie Schultz — and so many more I wish I could list here.

I welcome whoever will take my place as managing editor and wish the Vindi another 40 years as a Cleveland State staple. Thank you for letting me be a part of this community and give a voice to issues over the years.

Stay inspired, stay critical, and let your voices be heard,

CARISSA WOYTACH MANAGING EDITOR

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 2

Faculty Advisor Julie Burrell Media Specialist Dan Lenhart

CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Arbela Capas

Art/Creative Director Nicole Zollos Managing Editor Carissa Woytach Multimedia Manager Evan Prunty Culture Editor Elisabeth Weems Arts Editor Benjamin Heacox Feature Editor Holly Bland Copy Editor Kyrie Anderson Online Editor/Junior Designer Michella Dilworth Middleweight Designer Andriana Akrap Junior Designer Alyssa Miller Poem Designer Jessika Riane Poem Designer Rebecca Petro Contributing Writer Sage Mack Contributing Writer TJ Hayes Contributing Writer Joseph Schmittgen Contributing Writers Marissa Beller Contributing Writer Gregory Elek Contributing Writer Alana Whelan Contributing Writer Caitlin Cole Contributing Writer Eden Johnston Contributing Writer Mackenzie Paul Contributing Writer Louis Walee Contributing Poet Arbela Capas Contributing Poet Chau Tang Contributing Poet Andy Hammersmith Contributing Poet Elisabeth Weems Disclaimer Magazine theft/fraud is a crime. Single issues of the vindicator are free, to obtain copies contact the Vindicator or student life.

The content of the Vindicator does not necessarily represent the opinions of Cleveland State University, its students, faculty, or staff: nor does it represent the members of the Vindicator staff or our advisors unless otherwise stated. The editor reserves the right to comment on any issue that affects the student body in general as well as the multicultural community at large.

Letters to the editors and other submissions are accepted, however they must have the authors name, address, major if applicable, and telephone number. All submissions become property of the Vindicator and the Vindicator reserves the right to edit submissions as deemed necessary.

2121 Euclid Ave, MC 471, Cleveland, OH 44115 216 687 2118 3 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

ONLINE

THEVINDI.COM Watch our interview with Connie Schultz after her talk at TEDx Cle State Reality Shifts

“College bound Chad is at it again, engaging in intellectual conversations. Few weeks in, his exterior image is a happy person but on the inside, he’s broken. He puts on his mask for the world to see what he wants them to see. Living in a materialistic world, he longs for adventure and romance.”

CONTINUE READING ONLINE

Check out our new and improved website!

@nahomy_rookie10: The new @Vindi_CSU issue is amazing!

Read past issues and other stories that didn’t make it in our print edition!

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM! @VINDI_CSU AND SEND US YOUR VINDI PICS! WITH THE HASHTAG #VINDI DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 4

CALENDAR

what’s happening in...

DECEMBER 6

Middle East Conflicts – Any Prospects for Resolution at The Happy Dog A panel discussion as part of “Happy Dog Takes On The World” speaker series, the City Club of Cleveland will present a panel of experts and scholars who will discuss the likelihood of stability in the Middle East, including factors that have influenced the conflicts there.

This free event invites The Cleveland Council on World Affairs, international Partners in Mission and the Northeast Ohio Consortium for Middle Eastern studies to look at major events of the past five years within the region. December 6

7:30PM, 5801 DETROIT AVE

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Glow Winter Spectacular at The Cleveland Botanical Garden One of Cleveland’s most celebrated holiday traditions, Glow Winter features decorated trees, gingerbread houses, live music, light displays, holiday shopping and much more.

It runs through the end of the month, open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m. For more information, visit the Botanical Garden’s website.

December 9 10AM TO 9PM, 11030 EAST BLVD

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Tremont’s Annual Santa Shuffle at Tremont Tap House This annual event, benefitting Tremont West Development Corporation’s year-round community programming, invites Clevelanders for a one-mile run/jog/walk/crawl from Tremont Tap House to The South Side. Bring your own Santa suit, make sure and grab a hat and gloves for this holiday favorite. Day-of registration starts at 2 p.m. and is $30. The race starts promptly at 4 p.m., with a postrace party at Southside until 8 p.m.

December 10 2 T0 8PM, 2572 SCRANTON RD

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Science Café at Music Box Supper Club The second Monday of every month, Music Box Supper Club hosts scientists and intellectuals from throughout Greater Cleveland, inviting them to give informal lectures on major breakthroughs and current topics in their fields. December’s event features Vincent M. Monnier, M.D., from Case Western Reserve University. Monnier will speak on research concerning the risks of aging, and age-related diseases.

December 12 7PM, 1148 MAIN AVE

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Light Years & MoreFall / My Mouth is the Speaker / Up To Nothing / Long Shot at Mahall’s 20 Lanes Known by their merch slogan “We probably opened for your favorite band,” Light Years will headline this pop-punk fest at Mahall’s in Lakewood. Supporting acts include hometowners Dead Fall, Up to Nothing and My Mouth is the Speaker, all from the Greater Cleveland area.

Tickets are $5 at the door or online via ticketfly. December 17 7PM, 13200 MADISON AVE

20 Classical Revolution Cleveland at The Happy Dog Presenting chamber ensembles in accessible venues, Classical Revolution invites members of the Cleveland Orchestra and graduates of the Cleveland Institute of Music on the third Tuesday of each month to Happy Dog west. The event is free, though a donation is suggested. For more information, visit Classical Revolution CLE’s Facebook page. December 20 8 TO 11PM, 5801 DETROIT AVE

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ARTS

CLEVELAND’S

GORDON SQUARE

Check out some cool things to do in this emerging arts district. // Benjamin Heacox

A

way from the glittering chandelier over Playhouse square and the conventionally beautiful institutions around University Circle, art is happening in tandem with local Cleveland life. Less than 15 minutes west of Downtown, several arts and entertainment districts have begun to form and flourish.

Since 2007, the Gordon Square Arts District (GSAD) has been transforming the Detroit Shoreway from a street with a few theatres into a neighborhood dedicated to the growth and cultivation of Cleveland’s unique artistic identity.

What is Gordon Square Arts District?

Nine years ago, Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT), Near West Theatre (NWT), the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSDCO), and owners of the Capitol Theatre partnered together to create the GSAD.

Together, the new partners were able to raise $30 million dollars to be used towards aggressive renovations and restoration projects. The campaign included the renovation of CPT’s century-old buildings, the ground-up transformation of the Capitol Theatre, the Construction of a new streetscape, the paving of additional public parking lots for visitors, and the construction of a new home for the Near West Theatre.

This campaign served as the foundation for GSAD’s contributions to the Cleveland renaissance. These well-known projects became the pillars of the community’s success.

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Theatre Theatre has always had a strong presence along the Shoreway. The project originated with community theatres like CPT and NWT that fused community outreach with their art, helping make Gordon Square not just a cool place to visit, but also a neighborhood that aims to make a difference. Cleveland Public Theatre is widely known for its investment in projects to encourage youth to participate in the arts. Annual core programs like the Student Theatre Enrichment Program take students

from low income areas of the inner-city and provide job training through performing arts productions. CPT also offers after school programs for children who live in public housing, giving students an outlet through dance and song as well as encouraging creative thinking.

Across the street, Near West Theatre invites people from around Cleveland to audition for community productions. No experience or training is necessary, just the desire to perform.

People from all ages and back-

grounds have come together here for decades to put on locally funded shows for their community.

“It’s vital to learn community, build trust, and experiencing people from many different cross sections of life. And you can learn by engaging with people through a production,” said Amy Clausen, General Manager for Near West Theatre.

Tickets for upcoming shows can be found at cptonline.org and nearwesttheatre.org 78th Street Studios Gordon Square is home to one of the largest art and design warehouses in Ohio, 78th Street Studios. While Cleveland has one of the best traditional art museums in the country on the East Side of town, 78th Street Studios offers more relaxed, informal art immersion for patrons.

The historic warehouse built in 1905 is now both a gallery and a creative space for local artists. While dozens of artists put on exhibits in the vast space, others host classes, shops, and special community events down the halls and rooms.

Local Businesses Flourishing While the local institutions like NWT and CPT invest in community development, the neighborhood’s thriving small businesses add texture and life to Detroit Ave.

Gypsy Beans and Baking Company is an independent and locally owned European style coffee house in the middle of the square. Open 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., the shop purchases and sells local baked goods from The Westside Market, City Fresh, the Souper Market, and Red Cedar Coffee Co. connecting people with local food.

Novelty shops and clothing stores also line the streets of Detroit Ave. Trunk, a men’s boutique, collects lightly used clothes, accessories, and lifestyles to create unique

PHOTOS BY ANDRIANA AKRAP

UPCOMING EVENTS:

fashions. Owner Jason Estremera invites local fashion designers to help him stock the store and create new outfits.

Across the street, Superelectric Pinball Parlor hosts retro gaming tournaments with a vast collection of pinball machines and retro arcades. The parlor offers games like Ghostbusters, Black Knight 2000, Flash Gordon, Eight Ball, Night Rider, and at least a dozen more, allowing people to enjoy a retro electrical funhouse with its own set of period-art to observe and admire.

The Masterplan To keep the momentum of GSAD alive, community leaders have developed a masterplan to continue expanding the district.

Winter Ride

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat

Music and performing art in venues and businesses throughout Gordon Square, as well as performances on the street.

Near West Theatre presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical. Need an entertaining break from finals?

General admission is only $10.

Meetings with residents, local business, and founding arts organizations are underway to hear new ideas as community investors like MKSK Studios look to expand both east and west along Detroit Ave. More public art, local storefronts, public parks, bike lanes, and modern housing will be built along the street along with a connection to the waterfront according to the City of Cleveland Planning Commission.

The goal of the Masterplan is to expand and connect the growing local communities just west of the downtown scene. The current growth of GSAD is ideally just the beginning of a larger trend of beautification occurring all through and around the greater Cleveland area. •

78th Street Studios

Over 50 arts venues inside 78th Street Studios open up every Third Friday of the month from 5 - 9 pm.

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 8

ARTS

THE BEST 2016 MOVIES YOU DIDN’T SEE T

These are the movies you should see before the new year. // Gregory Elek

here’s absolutely no point for me to make a proper top ten list when I haven’t seen every movie of 2016 multiple times. It’s not even possible considering so many smaller and foreign movies won’t even get a wide release or Blu-Ray release until the year after the movie comes out. So, instead of the basic top ten why not bring attention to some of those smaller or foreign movies that were lucky enough to get a wide release. I’m going to mainly focus on the quality of the films as opposed to the plots, so don’t worry about spoilers! I haven’t gotten to see all of these movies twice yet so consider this more of a casual fun recommendation list as opposed to hard analyzations. Let’s talk about movies!

MOONLIGHT Director: Barry Jenkins Starring: Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali This could be the best 2016 film I’ve seen so far.

It’s definitely the most powerful. Moonlight is a coming-of-age story that follows a boy whose upbringing is riddled with drugs, violence, and discrimination. I knew literally nothing about this movie going into it and I think that’s the best way to watch it. You can tell the director put a lot of thought into this one. The camera work changes drastically depending on the vibe of what’s onscreen. Every part is played to perfection including several child actors, and that’s rare.

The movie is presented in a very unique way where you’ll get to points where you aren’t really sure what exactly happened to certain charters to where everyone stands and this adds a lot of suspense and intrigue going in the movie. It will also pace some traumatic events out so right when you’re getting over something in the past you’ll get hit with something that’s happening in the present. I would recommend this movie to everyone, but fair warning, it’s a lot.

GRADE: A 9 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

TICKLED

Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve Starring: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, David D’Amato

It seems like documentaries are almost always left off lists like these and I’ve never understood why.

They’re still films, they have narratives, they have characters. The only difference is that they’re real, and I would be doing this entire issue a disservice by not talking about this documentary. Tickled follows investigative journalist David Farrier as he comes across a professional tickling league that starts getting aggressive with him.

This documentary is unique because normally a documentary will start off relatively plain and have a shift at some point. I This documentary is just weird and bizarre from the beginning. It also turns into one of the most interesting and bizarre character studies that I’ve ever seen. t’s

almost like a TV special in the way David Farrier is talking to us and walking us through the story.

Well watching this I laughed, I was sad, I was intrigued, and I was legitimately angry. It’s truly engrossing. My only issues are 1. there were a few times where I felt a little bored and 2. I think a few things could’ve been presented in a different order or just have been cut completely to help things flow better, but that’s a very minor complaint. This is a film that will make you think about homophobia, self-hatred, athletics, and exposure in completely new and twisted ways

GRADE: A-

SWISS ARMY MAN Directors: Daniels

Starring: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

What a movie. There’s truly nothing like it.

Swiss Army Man follows an abandoned, hopeless protagonist who tries to make his way home with the help of a dead body. There’s a little bit of everything here. One second you’ll laugh your ass off at a fart or boner joke and the next you’ll contemplate everything you did wrong in your last relationship. This movie also has one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard, composed wonderfully by Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. The music becomes its own character. Just like the crazy movie the music will do things you don’t expect and go from making you laugh

THE LOBSTER Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux, John C. Riley What does The Sixth Sense, Jaws, and Ghostbusters all have in common besides the fact that they’re classics? They’re high-concept, you can easily pitch to someone what the movie is about because of one big idea. This makes a movies lifespan much longer because they’re easier to discuss with your friends, and it doesn’t get much more high-concept than this. The Lobster follows a quirky group of characters in an alternative future where everyone single must live in a group home and if they can’t find love in 45 days they’re transformed into an animal of their choice. The concept of this movie alone gave it legs to stand on, and for the most part, it was de-

to making you cry, and the music turns into something special. The majority of the score is accapella, and this almost feels like voices in the main character’s head. There’s even times the main character will sing and the score will come in to accompany him. Sometimes the movie will have a few overdramatic sections, and it does take a bit more time to get rolling than it needed to. Even though this isn’t the most expertly-crafted movie of all time, or even of the year, if you were to see only one movie this year, I would recommend this one.

GRADE: B+ livered well. For the first half, it was a very funny and interesting look at how we view relationships in society and there was a lot of hilarious social commentary. About halfway through, the movie takes an unexpected turn (if you haven’t watched the trailer, please avoid it) and is still rather good, but the movie definitely loses something at that point. The acting and music are all great and this is one of the most gorgeous-looking movies I’ve ever seen. It will make you want to start playing golf. There is some voice over in the movie that I wasn’t always crazy about, but they did wrap it up in a unique way so I couldn’t be too upset about that, and that’s the biggest thing the movie has going for it. It keeps surprising you, and you’ll definitely have a different experience watching it depending on whether you’re single or in a relationship.

GRADE: B DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 10

CULTURE

GROWING UP IN AN

INTERFAITH

HOME

G

rowing up, my sister and I had a very interesting and pleasantly-confusing time, having been raised by a Jewish mother and a Catholic father. When my parents were getting married, they were asked which religion their children would be raised.

My mom would reply, “We will raise them to learn both and let them choose.” That didn’t necessarily sit well with the Rabbis and Priests they were talking with to officiate their ceremony. Several officiates refused to marry my parents because neither of them would convert to the other’s religion. In fact, they were married by the only Rabbi in Cleveland at the time who would officiate interfaith weddings. Some told my parents the marriage would never last due to religious differences.

My parents proved them all wrong. They just celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary this October. Just like my mom told the Rabbis and Priests, my sister and I were raised with both Jewish and Catholic traditions and essentially learned the best of both worlds and were inevitably sometimes confused.

I’ve always been interested in the stories of both Chanukah and Christmas. The story of Chanukah is rather fascinating. It is of the victory of the Maccabees, who were the leaders of a Jewish army who defeated the Greek-Syrians and regained control of the Holy Land (then called Judea, now Israel).

The first Chanukah took place around 200

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Living in a diverse family led me to a greater curiosity about my heritage. // TJ Hayes

B.C.E. At the end of the war, the Jewish people once again prevailed against oppression. The “miracle” of Chanukah followed the victory, in rededication to the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE). The Menorah had only enough oil for the candles to stay lit for one day, but by the Miracle of God stayed lit for eight days! Henceforth, the reason why Jews across the world light the candles on the Menorah for eight nights in commemoration of the victory of our ancestors and the subsequent miracle. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. However, I don’t remember us going to Synagogue (where Jews gather for worship and education) for Chanukah services or going to Church for Christmas. Instead, I remember being with my entire family, both Jewish and Catholic and enjoying our time together. I vaguely remember an interesting discussion between one of my Jewish relatives and one of my Catholic relatives about the similarities and differences between Judaism and Christianity.

From what I recall, it was a long discussion of them mostly agreeing with each other. One difference that was discussed was the idea that Jewish people are God’s chosen people, and that Christians see Jesus as the son of God and the chosen one. A similarity that they found was that the Jews and the Christians share common ancestors; the descendants of

Adam and Eve, like Abraham.

At home, my family and I have a tradition every year to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on Christmas Eve, and then to watch “A Christmas Story” on Christmas Day. I’m looking forward to continuing the tradition my family has been celebrating since before I was born. This year will be especially interesting because Chanukah will start on Christmas Eve at sundown, therefore making Chanukah and Christmas land on the same day for the first time in five years.

We’ll have “Christmasukah,” again. This year, we’ll be watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and we’ll light the Menorah in observance of the first night of Chanukah.

I personally find it rather exciting that one of most important Jewish holidays and one of the most important Christian holidays are together considering that Jesus himself was Jewish and grew up to be a Rabbi.

Religion-wise, I have a rather interesting family heritage. My fraternal grandparents (Of Blessed Memory) were Catholic and were of Irish and German heritage, and my maternal grandparents (Of Blessed Memory) were Jewish and of Russian, Romanian, Polish and Israeli heritage. In Judaism, we honor someone’s memory by saying “May their Memory Forever be a Blessing” or “Of Blessed Memory.”

Having grown up celebrating both

the Jewish and the Catholic holidays, it’s always been interesting seeing two different religious perspectives. This always raised questions for my sister and I to our parents about our religious heritage. Questions such as “Why are we following two religions?” or “Which religion came first?” These questions were always answered with interesting responses such as “Judaism came first, and Christianity eventually followed as a result of a Jewish descendant,” or “Dad is Catholic and I’m Jewish, and we wanted you both to see both sides.”

When I was little, I remember thinking about how lucky my sister and I were for being raised with two different religions.

I remember I was in second grade or so with a group of friends and we were discussing the upcoming winter holidays. One friend said “I can’t wait for Christmas,” and another said “I can’t wait for Chanukah,” and I said “I’m looking forward to both.” My friends looked at me, confused, and one asked “What do you mean? Are you Jewish or Catholic?” I told them that I was both Jewish and Catholic.

One of favorite holiday memories in my childhood was going to my Aunt Bev and Uncle Denny’s (Of Blessed Memory) for Christmas. My late Uncle Denny was my dad’s older brother and they were quite close.

Something that I distinctly remember from my visits to see my Uncle Denny and Aunt Bev was their large and beautiful painting of Jesus, which is still hanging up in my Aunt Bev’s living room.

I find the similarities between Judaism and Christianity to be incredible. Being raised both Jewish and Catholic has helped me to have both an understanding and appreciation for both faiths. By learning about both of the faiths of my heritage, I am able to see more than one perspective of what may be the same thing, such as the Almighty. Even though I primarily practice Reformed Judaism, I’m rather excited about learning about my Catholic heritage as much as I have been exploring my Jewish heritage. While I was in Israel last winter, we went to Old Jerusalem, which is divided into the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian Quarters. When I was there, I managed to get lost in the Jewish Quarter, as it was the first time I had been there. I figured out that I was still in the Jewish Quarter when I was greeted by Orthodox Rabbi and we briefly discussed the history of Israel. I’m hoping to eventually return to Israel and venture into Old Jerusalem’s Christian quarter to see things through the perspective with which my dad grew up.

My dad grew up in a very diverse neighborhood in South Euclid. His family was Catholic and his neighborhood consisted of

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY TJ HAYES

“

A Jewish mother, a Catholic father, a Jewish son and a Catholic daughter.

Quite the combination!

Jews, Italians, African Americans, Catholics and Christians. My mom grew up in Cleveland Heights. However, her neighborhood wasn’t as diverse as my dad’s. She and my grandparents were one of few Jewish families in the neighborhood. My mom actually knew interfaith traditions during her childhood as my sister and I had in ours. One of her aunts, Annie (Of Blessed Memory) had converted from Judaism to Lutheranism after marrying.

So every year, my mom and my grandparents would go to Aunt Annie and Uncle Johnny’s house for Christmas and they would come to my grandparents house for Jewish holidays such as Chanukah. As a result of both of my parents growing up in interfaith neighborhoods, they passed down an understanding and appreciation for religions other than their own to my sister and I.

With “Christmasukah” soon upon us, I’m looking forward to it more this year than I did five years ago. My recent interest in re-exploring my Catholic heritage along with my Jewish heritage may make this year’s holidays more of a history lesson. Now, does that mean that I’ll start going to Temple on Friday, and Church on Sunday? It’s far too early to tell. Some have already told me that I cannot acknowledge both my Jewish and Catholic faiths, but that’s not going to stop me. I’m starting to get more involved with organizations other than the Jewish organization Hillel, of which I am currently president at Cleveland State University, such as Newman Catholic Campus Ministries. Last semester, I attended Newman’s Ash Wednesday Mass on campus and wore a yarmulke, (a Jewish skullcap worn in respect to God). Toward the end of the semester, Hillel and Newman held an interfaith Passover Seder. I’m quite eager to celebrate the holidays with this newfound interest in re-exploring both of my religious roots.

Even though my sister and I were raised both Jewish and Catholic, we both took different paths with regards to our religious practices. I practice Reform Judaism and my sister practices Catholicism. In a religious sense, our parents ended up getting one of each. In regard to religious variety, I’d say that my family is quite intriguing. A Jewish mother, a Catholic father, a Jewish son and a Catholic daughter. Quite the combination!

What I loved about growing up both Jewish and Catholic is that it opened up my horizons to my curiosity to other religions from the very beginning. What I’ve learned from growing up in an interfaith home is the importance of appreciating each other’s differences. As I learn more about my Jewish and Catholic heritage, I look forward to making more discoveries of the faiths that have been in my family longer than I can comprehend. •

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 12

CULTURE

STUDYING ABROAD: changing the narrative Globalism is here to stay, and by studying abroad and making an effort to connect with international populations on campus, students can experience cultures other than their own. // Mackenzie Paul

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However, studying abroad remains a luxury that large numbers of students see as unattainable, either academically or financially. The cost of study abroad programs ranges significantly depending on where one is interested in studying. Thankfully, there is an increasing number of resources to make studying abroad more accessible to more American students. Students

“

There is an increasing number of resources to make studying abroad more accessible..

“

N

othing better illustrates the global nature of modern education than the fact that international students make up about 13 percent of Cleveland State’s student body, and about 10 percent of students at American universities study abroad. In today’s rapidly globalizing society, cultural barriers are blurred by the ability to communicate instantly and travel great distances in the fraction of the time it took 100 years ago. As the world moves toward increased globalism and cultural exchange, having a global perspective and the ability to understand and respect cultures that differ from our own is more important than ever. Studying abroad, regardless of where students end up, is an undeniably, unforgettable experience that can completely reshape your worldview - if you let it.

Students who study abroad do not passively gain knowledge and experience divergent cultures and lifestyles. Rather, each student must actively push themselves to gain these kinds of experiences. Of course, what that experience means differs from student to student; for some, it could be gaining proficiency in a foreign language; for others, it could include an internship while abroad in whichever field they are studying. Ultimately, one’s study abroad experience is what one shapes it to be.

I have had the incredible fortune to study abroad twice; for a year in high school and for a semester in college. When I was 16, I spent a year in Warsaw, Poland, and I spent the spring semester of my junior year of college in Prague, Czech Republic. Both experiences taught me invaluable lessons about independence and self-reliance, and also allowed me to cultivate a deeper appreciation for international communities after returning to Cleveland.

who qualify for Pell Grants are able to apply to the Gilman Scholarship, an institution that grants over 2,000 scholarships of up to $5,000 per year. Organizations such as Diversity Abroad provide scholarships and grants for low-income and first generation college students. The Center for International Services and programs has a

partial list of scholarships on their website with clickable links. Depending on where you want to study abroad, the final cost of spending a semester abroad can even be less expensive than the total cost of attending Cleveland State.

Of course, with such a diverse student body and large presence of international students, life-changing perspectives can be gained here at Cleveland State, but only if one seeks them out. Actually look at your weekly CSU Calendar e-mail instead of immediately moving it to your trash folder, check for fliers for events around campus, and most importantly, look around your classrooms and push yourself to recognize and appreciate the diversity of students who surround you, international or otherwise.

If you are curious about what kind of education abroad experience is possible for you, stop in to Main Classroom, room 412, for walk-in advising hours.

(Monday-Friday, 1-3 p.m.)

Here are some study abroad requirements to know about: Must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Must have completed one semester at CSU if you’re a transfer student, and two semesters if you are an incoming freshman.

Cannot have any violations of the student code of conduct.

Be in good standing with treasury services.

"The photo is of the Medici Fountain l (or La Fountaine de Médicis) located in Le Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris. This is a beautiful, shady and calm spot where Simone de Beauvoir liked to come to study!"

- Monet Roberts

“This picture was taken in early August, when I first got to Cleveland.

When I looked through the American map to find out the location of Cleveland before I left for America, I saw Lake Erie was just above it. I never expected that I could have a chance to see a Great Lake.”

- Xuepei Wang

Edgewater Park, Cleveland - Sabhari Rajan Periyaandhavar

Cliffs of Moher - Gabrijela Uskokovic

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 19

CULTURE

THE UNITED STATES OF IMMIGRANTS: THE HEART OF AMERICA The first step to building bridges is to break down our mental barriers about who comes from beyond our physical borders. // Joseph Schmittgen

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magine waking up in the morning. You get out of bed and gather up all of your recyclables and shopping bags to take to the grocery store. You have to get there early because that’s when the fresh bread is just put on the shelves. If you get there too late, there may not be any bread left to buy. You should make sure not to forget to bring your recyclables though, because in Germany, just the thought of wasting anything is frowned upon. You can’t forget to bring shopping bags too. It isn’t like back home, where there’s a bagger pulling out plastic bag after plastic bag, strategically placing your milk next to your yogurt and your apples next to your bananas. The most frightening, anxiety-cultivating moment in this whole ordeal is that once your items are rung up, you are on the clock. You must somehow get all the food you bought into your bag, pay and leave as fast as you can.

What makes this moment very stressful is feeling the scolding, scrutinizing eyes from those behind staring right at you. “Puenktlichkeit,” is a big thing in Germany. To be punctual, on time, quick and efficient. It

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plays a role in the smallest aspects of life to the biggest.

Although the globalization of western culture has made it somewhat easier for us to assimilate from country to country, the differences in culture are profound in all aspects of life. Even in the simplest of daily activities like grocery shopping, there are many things to adjust to. I experienced this last year while living in Germany. I met many people who had just immigrated there. What I realized is that we were going through very similar things, whether it was the difficulties with the language barrier, getting our visas, or trying to find our way around town. Going through this experience made me wonder what the mindstate of the immigrant is. I’ve always admired that someone would take such a risk in leaving their homeland on the whole-hearted belief that they were doing the right thing for themselves in search of a better life, inner peace, or out of necessity. Think of the families. Imagine being a father or mother having to take care of your children or even two sets of grandparents. The overwhelm-

ing amount of responsibility and stress seems unfathomable. They make some of our daily struggles look easy.

As Americans with our immigrant heritage, I feel that if we look to our past through modern immigrants, we can find inspiration, wisdom and solutions. I wanted to further explore the mindstate and drive of immigrants to America to learn about their stories, and what insight we can take away and incorporate into our lives.

When I first started this journey, having befriended his son initially over a love of comic books, I met Baldwin Wallace professor Param Srikantia. Srikantia, originally from India, is an intellectual in every sense of the word. In India, he was a scholar; he’d already attained three masters degrees and was a host of two television shows. Coming from an environment that is the heartland of eastern wisdom, in our interview, Srikantia talked in-depth about his journey to the west starting in 1992.

Srikantia first arrived in Iowa City in pursuit of a doctorate in Organizational Management and Behavior at the Univer-

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We have to realize that our country came to be because of these different immigrant cultures that make up our nation.

he arrived, Khoja longed to one day come here. Arriving first in San Diego, Khoja was initially nervous, fearing possible discrimination because of his religion and nationality. “The definition of happiness is different from one person to another. Some want money, others want kids, better life, car, education.” Khoja said. The pursuit of happiness to him is seeing people with their families living comfortably and secure at home. Being around Khoja, I can see this through his actions. At many of the Muslim Student Association events, he’s looking out for others, making sure everyone has enough to eat and a ride, and he always greets you with a handshake and a big smile.

Lastly, I wanted to know more about those who came here and grew up as immigrants. I met with Brenda Castañeda, a freshman at CSU majoring in Linguistics, to talk about her upbringing as a Peruvian immigrant who moved to the US at the age of five. We discussed the many aspects of Hispanic culture from which we American-born citizens can learn. She expressed that even though that some parts of Latin American culture have been exploited or bastardized, there are many treasures that should be seen. She spoke about the tightknit family life and how connected they are even to extended family. Castañeda expressed that although the distance between family members may be great, when they meet, the value of family is that much greater. Something I always admired about Latino immigrants is their hard work ethic. When I asked about this, Castañeda responded, “I feel that a lot of it comes from family, and the idea of working for the betterment of the whole.” We conversed about the collectivism in Latin American culture, and that resonates in the diligence seen so evidently in Hispanic workers. “I’ve seen some Latinos work the most low-end jobs, but it’s that sacrifice for family that keeps them going,” Castañeda said. This work ethic also comes from the circumstances they confront as a minority in America.

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sity of Iowa. Throughout his journey, he encountered a series of reassuring lessons, many of which he incorporates in his lecture circuit, “Why Life Sucks.” When he came to America, he was 30 years old. He’d already visited on a couple of occasions for scholastic conferences, and two of his brothers had been living here as early as the 1970s. From his story, I learned about the many differences between western and eastern cultures. Srikantia noticed that Americans were much more preoccupied by a state of doing, whereas Indians concentrated moreso on one’s state of being. For example, an American restaurant owner would be more interested in knowing how many restaurants you’ve worked in before becoming a chef there. In contrast, an Indian employer would focus on what kind of worker you are and your personality. As an educator, Srikantia saw many differences in the educational systems. He said that American educators are more interested in trying to standardize people and specialize students to a specific trade. On the contrary, he spoke about how Indian teachers are more concerned with celebrating the differences between students and developing them as human beings. Since 1992, his state of mind changed from, “How do I fit in?” to “How do I introduce these people to what they’re missing?” In a culture that often measures happiness in terms of material means, Srikantia suggested that the places in the world that we would consider to be the saddest due to a lack of possessions are the happiest places in the world. This eastern wisdom teaches that happiness is a state of being; it comes to you and isn’t to be pursued. He saw that westerners find themselves often in states of sadness or depression because of this constant chase. From this, I was struck by the ideas of happiness.

As an American, I was taught that with a hard work ethic and determination, I’d be living a prosperous life through the American Dream and the pursuit of happiness, a fundamental right to freely live life in a way that makes you happy, as long as the rights of others are not violated. However, the American Dream often stresses material prosperity, which conflicts with Srikantia’s belief.

How do our international students at Cleveland State University perceive these American ideologies? I spoke with Mohammed Hameed Khoja, a Saudi Arabian MBA student, to inquire about this from a young person’s perspective. Although he didn’t know much about America before

For Hispanics, there’s that much more to fight for. They’re fighting for citizenship, they’re fighting for their families, for their culture, and they’re earning everything that they get. Hispanic immigrants exemplify many of the ideals of the American Dream, even more so than many natural-born citizens, who have reaped the benefits of our immigrant ancestors who came here with similar collectivistic attitudes. As a result of this conversation, I feel that we take a lot of what we have been given for granted.

We have to realize that our country came to be because of these different immigrant cultures that make up our nation.

American communities are what they are because of the many different contributions that these migrant-ethnic groups have offered and still do. Whether it be Srikiantia’s eastern wisdom, Khoja’s ways of pursuing joy, or Castañeda’s collectivistic values, I see so many Americans today slander these modern immigrants with such prejudicial rhetoric, especially towards Arabs and Hispanics. People fear what they don’t understand, and if we really make an effort to get to know these people and their cultures, we can find something that perhaps we’re missing in our own lives. Maybe they’re living out the American Dream more so than we are because of their diligent initiative to earn what they have. Perhaps we shouldn’t focus so much on getting them to catch up to our socio-cultural standards, but rather us catching up to theirs. •

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CULTURE

CAPITALISM:

AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF EXPLOITATION Insatiable and voracious, Capitalism is inherently degrading to the planet and the people who inhabit it. // Elisabeth Weems

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he common narrative of American history typically begins with the docking of a colonist’s ship on the eastern coast of the New Land. These brave new explorers, whom we regard as our cultural heroes, are often depicted as having mutual relations with American Indians — the indigenous peoples — and then only after trading hides and tobacco, and settling fair and honest treaties, did these courageous men secure the lands that eventually became the United States of America. In recounting to children these horrifyingly glorified tales of the men who conquered and settled, we have created generations of misguided and deceived youth with a lack of a true understanding of the principles upon which this country was founded. It was not by triumph, but rather by the decimation and displacement of entire indigenous tribes and the exploitation of land for profit, that early colonists established this country. It was not by fair treaties, but by manipulation and deception by land grant companies with an insatiable appetite for accumulating more profit, selling land like

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cuts of beef, regardless of the consequences.

Our economy has always flourished from exploiting people and the land, and it continues to do so today. Genocide and cultural warfare have persisted in this nation, all in the name of profit, for the entire duration of its existence. Today, the forms of exploitation of indigenous tribes, Americans and global citizens are exemplified by the consequences of capitalism, an economic system that is inherently exploitative.

The Cultivation of the Consumer

Historians are hardpressed to determine exactly when capitalism was invented, but it was defined by Pierre Proudhon in 1861 as “an economic regime in which capital, the source of income, does not generally belong to those who make it work through their labor.” The source of income does not belong to the people who create it, and have an uninhibited choice of lifestyle.

Regardless of how in control of our time and labor we think we may be, we are all slaves to the imperialistic capitalist system.

I do not actively choose to sell my labor

for a wage. I do not choose to incessantly consume material goods and to base my life around making and spending money.

I do not choose to contribute to a system that exploits me, yet I must conform to it to survive.

The cycle of capitalism is relatively simple: The laborer survives by selling their labor and combining their labor power with the means of production (capital goods), which are used to make consumer goods. Those consumer goods are then sold as commodities for money, a standardized means of exchange. For example, machinery and electricity are combined with the efforts of underpaid workers in Southeast Asian sweatshops to create Nike shoes, which are then sold at an obnoxious mark-up to around the world.

Those laborers own neither the resources to make the product, the product itself, nor the time or effort that was used to produce that commodity.

Within this system, there are three categories of people who interact through the exchange of money: The capitalists, the consumers and the laborers. Capital-

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDRIANA AKRAP

The Indigenous Perspective

For American Indians, capitalism directly contradicts the indigenous way of life. Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Movement, explained that the indigenous perspective of Mother Earth and nature is about more than just coexisting and being environmentally responsible. He said that it requires recognizing and having respect for the “Sacred Female Principle of Mother Earth.” This means recognizing that as humans, we do not have the right to exert dominion over natural resources. It means viewing the Earth as animate, and viewing ourselves as

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can neither buy love nor can we purchase happiness. Yet we continue to participate in this sick rat race that is capitalism because it’s the only way we know how to live. If we would challenge ourselves to accept that there are other ways to live, and that we do not have to accept exploitation, and that we can stand up to our oppressors, we could create a revolutionary force of change. We do not have to accept our water and food supplies being poisoned. We do not have to accept being drugging and intoxicated, killed by alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals. Like the Sioux Tribe of North

Genocide and cultural warfare have persisted in this nation, all in the name of profit...

its protectors. After interviewing him last spring, an experience comparable to hearing elder tales from a wise grandfather, I often think about my relationship to Mother Earth. I consider the ways that I connect with the elements around me through mediation, moderation and respect, and how I try not to take for granted the abundance of resources that surround me. However, this same level of compassion that I have for Mother Nature is not held by shareholders of corporations. Try explaining a spiritual connection to water and land to a millionaire who profits from exploiting it.

Resistance to Oppression

Although there are at least three benefits of capitalism — consumers pay less for goods, it creates jobs in peripheral countries, and it encourages competition — the endless self-expansion of our economy happens because of the exploitation of labor, land and people, all for money. The value of money is really an illusion because the dollar is no longer backed by gold, or anything for that matter, and it has no intrinsic worth.

We spend our days working for something that basically doesn’t exist. We define ourselves by our incomes and material possessions when none of it really matters. We cannot take our belongings with us when we die, and we cannot eat money. We

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ists are the people who own and invest in capital goods (i.e. land, natural resources and industrial equipment) with the aim of profiting more than was invested. The latter two typically alternate roles; in the same day, we clock in to work and check out at the store.

To maximize profits, capitalists intentionally reduce the cost of labor by paying workers as little as possible. In addition, private prisons and convict labor still exist within the US, allowing private enterprise to exploit the imprisoned population. Another way to maximize profits and to avoid paying fair wages is to export jobs to peripheral countries like Bangladesh and China, where workers are forced to perform in unsuitable and unsafe conditions.

Not only does capitalism exploit the laborer and the consumer, but preys on third world countries. This leads to globalization and the imposition of western, capitalistic values on people who have operated according to starkly contrasting lifestyles and modalities.

We constantly consume, and we work for a wage to purchase commodities. Our entire lives are centered around working, purchasing and saving. Labor too is considered a commodity to be purchased or rented by capitalists. This profit-centric mentality is not inherent in humans, nor would it be the chosen lifestyle of some people if given options. With the birth of advertising and the evolution of our cultural values over time came the inability to differentiate between needs and luxuries.

Through psychological persuasion, advertising companies employed by corporations create a sense of need for products to attain status or benefit in other ways. This has created a culture of perpetual dissatisfaction with what one has and a competition with the people we know to have the most or the best things. With the comfort of our smartphones, automobiles and vices, most people are not likely to pursue a lifestyle that contrasts with capitalism, the only system they’ve ever lived within.

And if they did choose to do so, one would be challenged to find a way to avoid the omnipresence of it. There are some who pursue minimalistic or nomadic lifestyles, but to totally avoid consumption of material goods, one would have to completely renounce society, like Tibetan monks and wandering ascetics. However, we don’t have to go to such extremes to balance the needs of the economy and of nature.

Dakota, we do not have to accept oil and gas industries impeding upon our lifestyles and pillaging the Earth in our backyards.

We do not have to accept taking out insurmountable loans to educate ourselves, and we do not have to accept that corporations store profits in offshore accounts to dodge paying taxes.

As Henry David Thoreau said in his essay “Civil Disobedience,” “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth--certainly the machine will wear out… but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.” •

FEATURE

VOO DOO

Roots

Scraped from the coast of Africa, Voodoo, as defined in this article, is an umbrella term for religions and cultures that have survived thrived and flourished in the Americas after its rebirths through the slave trade.

Chattel slavery was the biggest atrocity in human history, and resulted in not only a physical relocation but also mental metaphysical change in enslaved Africans who suffered its’ evils These traumas caused such a shift in enslaved africans that survived them that it caused a genealogical burden that is still prevalent today in their descendents. It resulted in the displacement and forced relocation of over 10.7 million Africans, though 12.5 were taken, millions didn’t survive the harsh boat ride from west Africa to the New World. Though they carried some of the cultures with them, many did not survive the boat ride due to suicide, starvation, disease and emotional/ 19 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

Descending from survival do we know pain, trauma, love and God. // Sage Mack

physical trauma. So many bodies were lost in the sea and thrown overboard that sharks in the Atlantic changed migrational patterns to follow the ships carrying enslaved Africans as they knew bodies would be thrown into the water as food.

Voodoo, and its relative practices, was birthed in North, Central, and South America after African descendents and enslaved africans were forced to conceal their beliefs and assimilate to the culture that was forced upon them by European colonizers. With the threat of death waiting by their feet, enslaved africans had no choice

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Palo was shaped into creation by enslaved Africans..

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rowing up in a household that practiced a west African religion, I had always heard beautiful stories of my people. I saw images of strong resilient black priest and priestesses such as my mother who held true to believing that we, as African descendents, were powerful and naturally spiritual people. I had always known how rich in culture and beauty the faith we practiced was, but when one is in a western world, and doesn’t conform to their ideals, life can become a whirlwind of hateful comments and the blatant smearing of everything you hold dear.

When one hears the word Voodoo, one immediately thinks of crazy people chanting evil spells, devil worship, and the infamous cloth voodoo doll that you can stick pins into to hurt your enemy. Really, the word voodoo derives from the Dahomey tribe’s religion known as Vodun, meaning “god, celebration of god.” This is a clear example of how the western world has outright defaced and rejected all ideals and concepts if it does not fit the superior colonial European mold.

THE SACRED, UNDERGROUND PRACTICE

but to hide or erase religious beliefs. European colonizers taught enslaved africans that their religious beliefs were devilish, beastly and should be terminated, that they were to either assimilate to European culture or risk death. To make slaves, one must take away their humanity as there is nothing more human than one’s cultural religious and spiritual identity. To strip people of that is to make them incapable of confidence and power therefore incapable of escape.

An example of this is when Yoruba people were ripped off the coast west coast of Africa and placed on slave ships. To survive they, in fear of being beaten, thrown overboard or “made an example of,” would swallow and digest

over and over again religious relics to hide and carry with them to the New World.

As Voodoo is a term coined by the western world, it is best to refer to these cultures as what their names truly are. The Yoruba tribe comes from what is now Nigeria, and its practices can be seen in the Caribbean South America, and even centrally here in the United States in a small African village in South Carolina, called Oyotunji.

Palo was shaped into creation from enslaved africans that were largely taken from the Dahome people of what is now The Republic of Benin. Much like Yoruba, Ifa Palo largely celebrate deities through sacrifice rituals and festivals. Palo also largely incorporate ancestor worship and connecting to the deceased.

Santeria, a coalesced child of Yoruba Ifa, was birthed from the Caribbean and survived through colonial pressures by its concealment with catholicism. This can be seen through the burning of candles on Orisha (gods and goddesses that are worshipped in Ifa) shrines that was once a Catholic/ Western practice that is not seen in the original Ifa culture but was adapted through the incorporation of Catholicism into Santeria.

Concealment with Catholicism aided in the survival of many of these cultures. In the Caribbean and South American catholicism was instilled by the Spanish, French and Portuguese so these cultures were able to blend and get through the forced assimilation during slavery.

Enslaved africans used saints like Saint Barbara to actually in secret worship african Ifa deities like Shango.

What Voodoo Truly Is

In media especially, we see Voodoo portrayed as people who devil worship and chant evil spells at others. This can be seen with shows like American Horror Story: Coven and The Serpent in the Rainbow, where worshippers can be seen killing other humans as a means of sacrifice to the God and using evil vices to bring harm onto others.

This is especially untrue for the specific religions

Ashe Ashe Ashe The views and facts expressed in this article are from the writer’s experiences and have not been fact checked for historical or cultural accuracy.

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As someone raised in the Yoruba Ifa, I have known and felt Africa from birth which is a privilege not many African Americans have had.

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they portrayed in both films.

American Horror Story: Coven pictured Marie Laveau, an actual women dated back in New Orleans in the 19th century. She was portrayed as a vengeful witch that sought to destroy her enemies through black magic and voodoo spells. In actuality, Marie Laveau, though much of her history is truly unknown, was a prominent figure in the voodoo community in New Orleans at the time that worked to heal the sick through hoodoo medicinal practices.

These misconceptions bring about unwarranted hate and ignorance towards those that truly practice voodoo, thus pushing it further underground which could completely lead to its erasure.

Voodoo, and the cultures that reside under its umbrella, oftentimes use natural and spiritual means to become higher and closer to “god.” For example, Palo has deities that are called Lowahs that are usually earth based and use herbs and plants for healing and spiritual purposes. Many of these cultures forbid using the practices for harmful means as it would only result to harm onto you tenfold.

As someone raised in the Yoruba religion known as Ifa, I have known and felt Africa from birth, which is a privilege not many African Americans have had. As of late, African religions such as Ifa, Palo, Santeria and Voodoo/Hoodoo have flourished in the U.S as there is an enlightenment among African Americans and those of African descent to ditch western ideologies, religions, and oppressions and get closer to our roots which reside in Africa. African descendents are collectively leaving the church, embracing our natural hair, and cherishing these various African cultures. This beautiful transition can prove to be special in that it creates a powerful proclamation of self love and black power something so needed to remedy the traumas faced by those of african descent globally. As said by Beyonce we shall “Let this healing be glorious.”

CONNIE SCHULTZ: DEFYING STANDARDS

How my role model defies society’s standards and simultaneously defied mine. // Holly Bland

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here’s always something about having the opportunity to meet your role model in person. You research them, receive direct updates of their social media, read every word they write — continuously observing how they carry themselves. Because if you want to be successful, you look to those in the position you’d want to be in, right?

And now they’re in front of you — your heart beating faster than that one time you rode the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point.

I’m standing just feet away from the very reason I ever considered journalism as a career path in the first place.

I am mortified. What should I say?

She’s a journalist, if I try to interview her, will she criticize my amateurity? Here she is, surrounded by people, planners of the event, other journalists, members of the tech crew, her friends, family, husband. She’s trying to please

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everyone all at once, she headlined this event, does she even have time for me? I sat through her talk, I’m satisfied and giddy as it is — I’ll take a rain check on meeting her this time.

If you’re thinking I coughed up the courage to approach her myself, you’re wrong.

I was just lucky to have been accompanied by two dear friends and colleagues, one of which convinced us to suck it up and talk to her and the other actually, well, sucked it up and talked to her.

It was then I learned she was even more admirable than I had imagined. Energetic as she is, she warmly welcomed our approach and enthusiastically accepted our request to speak with her for a few moments — she was excited that our school’s publication wanted to interview her. I expressed how her sister was a teacher of mine in high school — we’re from the same home town, no big deal — she basically squealed and insisted on selfie-ing with me. Yeah,

dreams really do come true.

Connie Schultz, a respected journalist, defied my standards of her as a role model, and continues to defy the standards of women over 50.

A Talk of Inspiration Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist born and raised in Ashtabula, Ohio, spoke at the TedX Cleveland State University event Friday, October 21. The theme of “Reality Shifts” explores the current state of the shifts happening both globally and locally, and the people and organizations that are driving this change.

For Schultz, her words of A Woman Over Fifty: A Life Unleashed, was the closing talk of the evening, falling under one of the four subdivisions of “Reality Shifts,” as the “self-reflective shift.”

Schultz focused on outlining that age does not define your success, and that there is

PHOTOS BY EVAN PRUNTY

no such age that you should tell yourself to stop pursuing your dreams. Women over 50 are not invisible, but far from.

“There is no such thing as an age at which you should become invisible, particularly for women,” she says, during an interview with the Vindicator after her talk.“There is no age at which you should tell yourself that you are done growing, that you’re done learning and that you are done pursuing your dreams… you can have new dreams.”

Schultz mentioned during her talk that she was in her 30s when she finally felt that she reached where she wanted to be in her career when she began writing for the Cleveland Plain Dealer — serving as one of the main talking points that age really doesn’t define your success.

She also introduced the crowd to numerous notable women in her life through a slideshow, highlighting those that not only supported her throughout her life but have inspired

her just as much. The stories she shared of them further illustrated that age is but a number, and they are, as Schultz says, “defying the traditional expectations that women become invisible at the age of 50.”

Schultz has shown to be a testament to that. Not only is she a Pulitzer Prize-winner, she is a professor of journalism at Kent State University, a nationally syndicated columnist for Creators Syndicate, has contributed to Politico and Parade Magazines, and has authored two books, Life Happens: And Other Unavoidable Truths, and … and His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man. Her first novel is also in the works — her achievements continuing to grow.

In addition to success being undetermined by age, she also stressed to not listen to the negative voice inside your head, “We all have it, but it is so important that you send it on it’s way.”

She referenced an example of an article she stumbled upon one day titled “Nailpolish Advice for Women Over 50,” stating that wearing neutral polish means no one will notice your hands, as if that is the sole underlying factor that could give away age — ultimately telling her to be invisible. She added that there are so many external attempts to undermine us and make us feel that we are only as good as our youngest moments, or our most beautiful moments by somebody else’s standards. We need not listen to those external attempts, she says, and do not allow that negativity reside in your own mind.

Schultz quoted Lucille Clifton, “What they call you is one thing, what you answer to is something else.” She added that you get to determine who you are, what you’re called, and how you’re identified.

In regards to negativity, she recalled something her mother used to tell her, “you’re going to meet a lot of people that try to make you feel worse about yourself, try not to be one of them.”

For aspiring journalists, Schultz told the Vindicator that having a tribe of fellow writers early is an important piece of advice.

“These are writers that want to see you succeed, and you want to see them succeed.” Supporting one another and learning how to critique makes us better writers.

“Let’s say you get the big story on the homepage — that doesn’t lessen my abilities, it doesn’t lessen my potential impact in my career — it just means today, you got the homepage story.” But you must have people who believe in you and who get you — make friends with some fellow writers and some fellow journalists and support one another.

Schultz reflected on the TedX event on her Facebook page, “We must carry as we climb, my sisters. This reality shift for women of my generation is good news for younger women, too.

We are living an essential truth: The adventure continues, and at any age, it is ours to own.”

bigoted posts or ‘liking’ high school friends’ newborn pictures and various life events — Cleveland has Connie Schultz. She has given the ‘follow’ feature on Facebook a whole new identity, and it comes in the form of adorable pictures of her dog Franklin, her husband Senator Sherrod Brown, credible news, and Connie columns all in one.

With more than 160,000 followers, Schultz engages the local community with her posts. She is open about her politics, but welcomes conversation — not without monitoring, though. She remains diplomatic all the while sharing credible content through her personal platform.

She shares snippets of her personal life with her followers, showing how personable she is. Additionally, she adds critical insight on things. As she mentioned in her TedX talk, “I’m just a woman with something to say.”

She stays true to her beliefs — always voicing her views unapologetically — not in the absence of supportive facts, of course.

Schultz showcases two key fundamentals of journalism — professionalism and ethics — to the arena of social media. A well-informed public is on it’s way, even if print is on its way out.

Lessons Learned Aside from breaking through standards based on age, not caving into that negative voice inside your head, sticking with a tribe of fellow writers, all the while encompassing professionalism and ethicality — quit waiting to be invited.

Something Schultz really stressed during her TedX talk was to never wait to be invited. Women have a history of waiting for the invitation to do things, and “if women waited for the invitation we still wouldn’t have the right to vote.”

“Not waiting for an invitation” stuck a little more heavily with me than I thought. As an aspiring journalist, it’s often nerve-wracking while you’re working on a story and you’re searching for your sources, especially at events. I find myself “waiting for the weird turn of fate” that will land the source right into my lap that might perfectly fit into what I’m covering.

It also struck me, in the midst of attempting to cough up the courage to introduce myself to her, it would have been better to have an invitation — but that’s simply not how life works. Instead, having that sense of confidence of “not waiting for the invitation” can get you what you want and take you where you want to be. Not waiting for that invitation might challenge the patriarchy, allow you to live your dream or land you an awesome story — you might just even meet your role model.

So, “as the adventure continues,” as Schultz says, “do not to wait to be invited to make a difference in the world.” •

A New Kind of Community Speaking of Facebook, during a time where we are stuck quickly scrolling past distant uncle’s DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 22

COVENTRY The small neighborhood in Cleveland Heights that is known for its diverse food shops, hip atmosphere and cool nightlife. // Alana Whelan & Caitlin Cole

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he colorful and vibrant stretch between Mayfield Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard, known as Coventry Village, has been an important piece to the East side for almost 100 years. Coventry Village is a small part of Cleveland Heights, and is a hub of punk and hippie culture for the city. In 1890, the farmland surrounding Coventry Road, which was known before the 1890s as Streator Road, was purchased by lawyer Patrick Calhoun when he was passing through town. He decided to name the area Euclid Heights and planned for it to be a community of upper-income Protestants.

In 1892 the road was renamed Coventry Road.

In the time following 1910, Calhoun’s realty company went bankrupt due to the decreasing demand for large houses . As a result, apartment buildings were built on empty lots near Coventry.

The Heights Theatre, built in 1919, began the first industrial and commercial area in Cleveland Heights. By 1922, the area had gained a bank, restaurants, retailers and other shops. The immigrant Jewish community came to the area in the 1940s and 1950s, which resulted in newer shops and restaurants. The 1960s were the start to the hippie era for the strip and the colorful and free style is still seen today in the art, shops and people that reside in the area. Between 1970 and 1990, three different fires caused architectural change within the community. Many buildings had to be torn down and rebuilt, changing the aesthetic of the area. In the 1990’s there was a rebirth of more high-end shops and restaurants, which co-existed with local service merchants that sold quirky and interesting items. The strip is a hangout place for many college students from John Carroll, Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State Universities. Today, the Coventry strip is still as vibrant as it was in the 1990’s, and now is known as an inclusive and lively neighborhood as well as a popular concert destination.

The Grog Shop

The Grog Shop opened in 1992 as a concert venue and bar that hosts a variety of bands and live entertainment, also serving many different 23 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

types of beers, micro-brews and other beverages. The venue was located at a different spot in Coventry when it first opened, but since 2003 it has occupied a larger space on Euclid Heights Boulevard.

The Vindicator sat down and spoke with owner Kathy Blackman, who has been running the Grog Shop since the very beginning.

She explained how it hosts a variety of music nearly every night, and is active within the community of Coventry. Over the past 24 years it has been a place where both local artists and bigname acts come to share their music with anyone who wants to enjoy it. Indie, punk, folk, metal, acoustic and funk are just to name a few of the genres that are played at the Grog Shop. Almost every Monday, “Make ‘Em Laugh Monday is hosted, sometimes having nationally recognized comedians perform. They will also occasionally host spoken word poetry readings, dances and karaoke.

The Grog Shop has truly become an epicenter of music culture in Cleveland as a whole, acting as a large driver of the Cleveland music scene.

“I would like to think we have some impact on the [Cleveland music scene] just as a vehicle for people to perform, and either start their careers or end their careers,” Blackman said.

Many local bands, such as Who Hit Me, the Village Bicycle, Sweepyheads and more play at the Grog Shop often. She also mentioned how the venue has helped to start the careers of some musicians. Bright Eyes, Fun, Fall Out Boy and Band of Horses are a few of the bands she mentioned that played at the Grog Shop frequently before they became big. Just hearing the names of these bands makes it clear how large of a driving-force the Grog Shop has been, not only in the Cleveland community, but within the punk and indie music scenes in general.

Along with being a big part of the Cleveland music scene, Blackman talked about the Grog Shop’s collaboration with other locations, such as the Beachland Ballroom and the Agora. By having shows that are promoted by the Grog Shop and held at other venues, they are

able to present bands and support those venues, while still bringing in money for their own.They are also able to promote by being active within the Coventry neighborhood. “We definitely look out for each other as business owners, try to cross-promote and do things to help the area as a whole,” she said.

By staying active within the community, they are able to foster a respectable character with other businesses, and welcome a diversity of people to their shows. Even further, they get the community engaged by hosting other events, such as karaoke night at the B-Side Liquor Lounge and Arcade. Also owned by Blackman and situated underneath the Grog, B-Side is more of a hang-out spot where people in the neighborhood can come and play arcade games, pinball, enjoy a full bar and dance as a DJ plays an assortment of music. B-Side is a bit more exclusive than the Grog Shop because it is always 21 and older, but is otherwise a very welcoming and fun space to spend time in.

The Grog Shop has become a central concert venue for bands to come play in the Cleveland area, and with it’s magnetic atmosphere has helped to create a community that connects the musicians and audience in the best way. By hosting local talent as well as more distinguished musicians, the Grog Shop allows a variety of people to come enjoy music and entertainment everyday of the week.

Monday Night Open Mic

The Grog Shop is definitely one of the most important parts of Coventry’s music scene, but one of the oldest and most influential pieces to it’s history, is the Monday Night Open Mic. For almost 30 years, it has been a staple for the community and it’s history is rich. It all began at Arabica Coffee House in 1989, at 1854 Coventry Road. It was an idea given by Charlie Mosbrook, to help expand Monday night business.

The Vindicator was lucky enough to sit down and talk to Mosbrook, about open mic’s impact on Coventry and his part in the Cleveland music scene. When he thought of starting an open mic in the late 80s, Mosbrook had just returned from living in Chicago and

was working as a barista at Arabica. According to Mosbrook, it was a huge success from the start and a “launching pad” for new, local musicians.

When Arabica closed, in 2001, Caribou Coffee took over the space and then Phoenix Coffee in 2007. During the time of Caribou Coffee, open mic was relocated to different spots, including B-Side Liquor Lounge and Arcade. Open mic returned to it’s starting address at the time of Phoenix Coffee Occupying the space. It moved with Phoenix, to it’s new location at 1793 Coventry Road and Mosbrook continues to run and organize it each week. With four CDs currently circulating, a traditional music download in progress and abilities in vocals, guitar and mandolin, Mosbrook has the experience needed to keep open mic thriving.

Cleveland State student, Noah Biddle moved to Cleveland from New York and has been involved with open mic for 10 years. He often sings and plays guitar there and says open mic helps him feel closer to the community.

Mosbrook gave the Vindicator insight on what he thought open mic meant to the the Coventry residents.

“It gives people the opportunity to get out and do something, gives them an outlet and it builds it’s own community,” he says.

The community that Mosbrook mentioned is more than just musicians. It includes the listeners and poets. Doc Jamming, a local poet, has been writing poetry on and off since 1960 and has been reading at Phoenix for almost three years. The environment is welcoming and supportive of performers, who write their own music or poetry. Mosbrook says it can be seen as a workshop for any age range and any experience level.

Y

Upcoming Grog Shop Events Thursday 12/08

Radkey, The Fame Riot, So Long Albatross 9:00 pm, All ages

Thursday 12/15

Against the Current: In Our Bones World Tour - OTW/ALCATEL IDOL 4/Cricket, CRUISR, Beach Weather, The Sleeping Sounds 7:00 pm, All ages

Friday 12/23

PHOTOS BY EVAN PRUNTY

Northcoast Christmas: The Modern Electric, Nick D & the Believers, Teddy Boys 9:00, All ages

Wednesday 12/28

River Oaks, Mark Rose, The Promise Hero

Eat Here

Culture

Cafe Bon Appetit Locally roasted, organic coffee and mediterranean style dishes that encourage healthy eating.

2767 Euclid Heights Blvd

The Coventry strip offers a community for young adults and families to thrive, by creating different events that involve not only the residents but all of the area’s businesses. The Coventry Village Summer Series is a combination of live music, outdoor movies, food and an assortment of unique events that occur weekly for the community. It starts with a free yoga class by SpyngaFlows and is followed by a community drum circle on Sunday evenings. Mac’s Backs Books holds book signings and the other shops participate during a market held on Tuesday nights.

The market consists of the local shops selling items and even Marc’s, the grocery store located at the heart of the strip, sells produce and other summer items. The market also hosts different live bands each week. Every Thursday night, an outdoor movie theater is set up in P.E.A.C.E. (People Enhancing a Child’s Environment) Park that features classic films appropriate for all ages.

One Thursday night is set aside for cartoons and a giant whipped cream pie fight. The colder

Grum’s Sub Shoppe Mainly famous for their subs but also hot dogs, salads, french bread pizzas. They’ve been a part of the Coventry area for over 30 years.

1776 Coventry Road High Thai’d Cafe Thai Cuisine known for the right amount of hot, sour, sweet, salty and bitter flavors.

1791 Coventry Road Inn on Coventry A family style restaurant that has been a part of the Coventry strip since 1981 and is especially popular for their breakfast menu.

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd.

Pacific East Japanese Restaurant Japanese and Malaysian dishes, with the largest sushi menu in Northeast Ohio. Winner of the Silver Spoon Award for best Japanese restaurant.

1763 Coventry Road Pho and Rice An intimate, bustling shop with delicious Vietnamese and Thai food.

1780 Coventry Road Piccadilly Organic frozen yogurt with locally bought toppings.

1767 Coventry Road Tommy’s Restaurant Open since 1972, the menu consists of vegetarian and vegan options.

Includes many items for health conscious eaters. They were voted “Best Milkshake East of the Mississippi” by Rolling Stone magazine.

1824 Coventry Road

25 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

months are also filled with events that range from yoga workshops to indoor activities for children and their families.

Coventry is an area of Cleveland Heights that brings together people from all different backgrounds, creating a diverse and involved community. The businesses are very welcoming and offer a variety of events that accentuate the togetherness of the people.

Though Coventry Village is really just a small part of the larger city of Cleveland Heights, it is an attraction that brings in people from places outside of the Cleveland area, which helps the city itself to thrive. Coventry Village, being known for its punk and hippie culture, is also a very liberal area, which branches out into the city of Cleveland Heights as well. The progress that has been made in the structure of the community reflects on the ballots of the residents that live in the Coventry and Cleveland Heights area.

Lifestyle

Mac’s Backs

Shop Here

The Coventry strip is filled with an abundance of culture, as seen in the shops and restaurants that cater to the community. The short walk takes you up and down the street offers you food that ranges from award-winning sushi to famous milkshakes and everything in between. Local art, fair trade items, home goods, clothing and antiques are just a few of the things you can find in the Coventry shops. It’s safe to say that there’s something there for everyone.

Mac’s Backs is a small bookstore that was opened

by Jim McSherry in 1978 in Chagrin Falls. After moving around a bit, a second location was opened in Coventry in 1982, and is currently managed by Suzanne DeGaetano, whom The Vindicator was able to chat with about the store.

She mentioned that their current location is the third location they’ve been in since opening in Coventry due to many changes. The little bookshop receives a lot of attention because it is across from a parking garage and is connected to the popular restaurant, Tommy’s. While the bookstore appears small at first because of its cozy atmosphere, it actually has three floors and carries a wide variety of books. Mac’s Backs sells new and used books, as well as hosts multiple events throughout each month. Some of these events include talks from authors who have just published a book, and monthly poetry readings which have been going on since 1984. These events are almost always open and free to the public, with the exception of some workshops that organizations like Literary Cleveland host.

The Vindicator asked DeGaetano what some of the biggest changes have been since the bookstore opened. She mentioned that the addition of technology to the book world has had a huge impact on how readers access and purchase their books. Ebooks and online retailers like Amazon have changed the way many people read. However, she spoke about something that has had an even bigger impact on Mac’s Backs itself. She said, “Probably the biggest change for us has been the rise and then the departure of the big box stores.” When the Border’s and Barnes and Noble in the area went out of business, people had to find another bookstore to browse and purchase their physical books, so when they found Mac’s Backs they had a source to do that.

DeGaetano then added, “I think it’s important for there to be bookstores for people to browse in so that they can be exposed to different ideas and lots of different books in a way that you don’t get when you’re browsing with technology.” While technology has had a big impact on the bookworld, it has not stopped people from wanting the experience of going into a store to purchase a book. Browsing in a bookstore creates feelings that are incomparable to the experience of browsing for a book online.

Mac’s Backs serves as a sort of community center for the readers of the Coventry area.

It is an important piece to the neighborhood and plays a big role in community activities, such as the Coventry Village Summer Series. Mac’s Backs is proof that independent bookstores are still going strong as important parts of the reading community.

Seeing Coventry Village is an experience that includes all sorts of cultures through the food, music and shopping options offered.

One might say the best experience starts out with a cup of Phoenix coffee, while exploring Coventry’s shops.

Cleveland Candle Company Sells premade candles and lets customers use their creativity to make their own.

1810 Coventry Rd

PHOTOS BY ALANA WHELAN

Phoenix Coffee Company Phoenix Coffee Company has been part of the Cleveland coffee scene for over 25 years, roasting the best quality beans at four locations. The Coventry Village location has been operating since 2007, when it began at 1854 Coventry Road.

This location hosted coffee houses for 37 years.

Arabica Coffee House was the first coffee shop at that location, open from 1976 to 2001. Caribou Coffee occupied the space after Arabica and when it closed, in 2007, Phoenix Coffee began there. The cafe moved into it’s current location, in 2013.

Phoenix’s manager, Amber Finucan, has been with the shop for about a year-and-ahalf. Finucan described the environment as being “warm and neighborly” because of the great people that reside in the area. The shop’s customer base consists of a all kinds of individuals, from college students to families.

“A large number of our customers are regulars, and those relationships are very important to us,” she says. “I think one of the best parts about our environment at Coventry is how much it can vary.”

The customer base at Phoenix and the baristas that work there are important to this welcoming environment but the new location is also a part of that. Finucan said the move was filled with advantages that included better street visibility and easier access, which resulted in a business increase. When asked what set Phoenix apart from other local coffee roasters, Finucan said that Phoenix has been roasting coffee for over 25 years and the process of finding the best coffee beans is very precise. “Our Coffee Director travels the world to source the best possible crop from farmers with experience and ethical practices, and we roast coffee for over 100 wholesale customers,” she said. “Phoenix coffee cares deeply about its providing the best possible product, as well as the best possible customer service and that sets us apart.”

Phoenix is important to Coventry because it not only serves its customers, but it serves the community. Finucan said that Phoenix gives donations to local events and causes. The shop provides opportunities to local musicians, by hosting Monday Open Mic and also for artists, by offering a place to display/sell local art.

Whether it’s just coffee that you’re looking for or more, Phoenix has something to offer.

Passport to Peru Specializes in eco-friendly and Fair Trade products.

1806 Coventry Road Big Fun A super cool toy store that carries both new and old items, it is not unlikely that customers will spend hours here finding amusement in all the little trinkets and toys. Carrying everything from legos, to Madlibs, to action figures, to fart cushions, Big Fun has toys to satisfy every person’s entertainment needs.

1814 Coventry Road Blush A boutique that focuses on selling women’s clothing and items from independent designers.

1783 Coventry Road City Buddha A hip store that sells cool treasures, including incense, clothing, jewels and special gifts.

1807 Coventry Road In the 216 A popular shop that sells local and handmade art, and highlights Cleveland in their clothing and other products.

1854 Coventry Road Avalon Exchange A resale clothing shop that buys and sells gently used, cute clothing.

1798 Coventry Road

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 26

18 VINDICATOR | FEBRUARY 2016

THE FUTURE OF DESIGN AIGA Cleveland State put on the first all graphic design art show at CSU. The students of the graphic design program are the hidden gems at Cleveland State and we finally get to see their work presented. We talked to a couple of design students featured in the show to find out who the people behind the designs are. // By Carissa Woytach & Arbela Capas Contributed to by Holly Bland

H

idden right on the edge of campus and in the middle of all the dazzling theatre signs is the Middough Building, where the graphic design majors of Cleveland State spend most of their time. Although separated from the inner link of campus, the arts campus is tucked right in the beginning of downtown Cleveland.

Next to the Middough Building are the Galleries of Cleveland State. It doesn’t seem like a lot of people think about a graphic design program or if there even is one. Intentionally or not, it seems some people don’t even consider it as a major at first. However, this ever-evolving field is becoming an important part of growing businesses and industries in today’s technologically advanced world. Graphic design is really something that can touch every type of industry, because everyone wants their product, idea or message to look good and pull people in.

On November 18, the Cleveland State graphic design program had the first design exhibition of it’s kind, inviting students to show their in-progress work to family, friends and alumni.

Hosted by the American Institute for Graphic Arts (AIGA) Chapter at CSU, the show was titled SELF: Cleveland State Design Exhibition & Open House.

“Historically, we haven’t gotten a lot of design work in art shows here,” says Sarah Rutherford, a design professor and the faculty advisor for AIGA, also one of the organizers of the show.

Rutherford (pictured below) says that design is very distinct from art. She says that since design is communication based, the two concepts don’t alwaysdon’t fit well together in a gallery. This particular exhibition was open submission, accepting work from all class levels and was meant to show the progression of talent in the program.

Rutherford says that a lot of people, including alumni, don’t know exactly where the design major is located on campus, since their relocation to the Middough building in 2012. She also says that the curriculum is new as of 2014, so this was a good opportunity show people who don’t know about it.

“It was a modernizing process for our program that a lot of the courses we have built were maybe reflective of a different direction for the profession. Now, design has expanded to so many things,” Rutherford says. She adds that while there’s the traditional print design professions, there are also now opportunities in web, animation, motion graphics and design research, as well as working in different sectors. “We just want to make sure that we’re creating portfolios

that enable [students] to take the next step of where they’re going.”

The exhibition was composed of two parts: one made up of students work and the other feature posters. The AIGA group tried to make this show as special as possible, so they had members from the student group submit specific designs based on the theme of identity.

“Student took this in different directions, they went through a process of developing the subject,” Rutherford says. This show was for one-night only. The feature posters will be up for a while, but the rest are coming down friday night.

“Doing something like this show is the highlight of being a faculty member in this department. Because we have really excellent students that need to be seen in our community and are capable of putting together a show completely like this on their own.”

So who are the students that chose to pursue graphic design? Why did they choose it?

What inspires them? And why is it important that they stuck with it to this day?

“

Graphic design is really something that can touch every type of industry..

“

18 VINDICATOR | FEBRUARY 2016

Ben Rodriguez

PHOTOS BY CARISSA WOYTACH & EVAN PRUNTY

Major: Graphic Design, Senior Originally a fine art major in drawing, Ben Rodriguez (right) transferred to graphic design after his first year. Balancing between his love of drawing and his commitment to graphic design, he brings his skills as an illustrator and artist into his design work whenever possible.

“I think the design department has a very large curriculum,” he says about his time in the design department. “I thought I was going to just create beautiful pictures, but its more that.

It’s a lot of dealing with problem solving, looking at things through other eyes — graphic design is mostly communication and bettering people, no matter where they’re from.”

An art merit scholar, Rodriguez admits it’s hard to rock back and forth between the two art worlds. “I feel like I have to go back and forth,” he says. “I miss drawing because I’m doing a lot of graphic design work, a lot of technical stuff, so I miss the organic feeling of [doing] things just to do them...”

President of AIGA, he came to advisor Sarah Rutherford during the summer with the idea for the design showcase. Meant to highlight the talents of the graphic design department, as well as give alumni a chance to see the new building since the department’s move back in 2012.

The first half of the show, Self, is about the artist’s identity as individuals and how they project that into the community, Rodriguez says.

These feature pieces created by AIGA members will be up on the walls of the design department through mid-December.

“Everyone’s bringing a personal touch to their own pieces,” he says. “I know I’m doing mine on homosexuality, we have one who’s doing theirs on African American violence issues, another’s doing theirs on depression — so we have a lot of different spectrums. It’s a little depressing, but it’s issues I think people are scared to talk about and it’s good to see how graphic design can [make] fine art.”

The second half of the show is student work from selected classes across the major.

From foundations to upper level, it invites students to show a breadth of design and highlight their growth as graphic artists.

“CSU and the community really hasn’t seen what designers do and what the curriculum is, let alone do they know that the art building exists,” he says. “So this is a way of showing people in the community where we are, what we do, and bringing in alumni to give inspiration to our undergraduates.”

Julia Balodis Major: Graphic Design, Senior “Originally I thought marketing was the way to go, but as I started taking marketing classes, I realized I wanted to be a part of the actual advertisement,” Julia Balodis (work on left) says.

“So slowly I started moving more over to the graphic design part of it.”

Now, she is a graphic design major with a marketing minor, and submitted several class projects to the November 18th show, including an infographic for NASA, an advanced type project involving food, and rebranding for the Waterloo Arts district.

“Like most people I like going online to do my research,” she says about her process for creating designs. “But I really enjoy going outside in nature. I mean, I could just go sit in the woods for five hours. I like taking pictures, candid pictures where people aren’t paying attention, I find that really inspiring — and really things I actually enjoy doing. I like going to sports bars and watching sports because that just inspires creativity and happiness.”

Graduating in May, Balodis plans to take time off and travel the United States before settling into a structured nine-to-five, while continuing to do personal work along the way.

Frank Madison Major: Graphic Design, Senior Frank Madison (right) became interested in graphic design while in MC2 in high school, he says. While the classes weren’t necessarily graphics-oriented, he liked the design portion of the fabrication process within the program.

“I always liked the design process, but not building the stuff,” he says. “I think that’s what gravitated me to it. I knew I didn’t want to be an engineer or anything like that so I think that’s what gravitated me more towards graphic design.”

Madison’s work focuses on what he feels is true to himself, he says, as well as gaining inspiration from outside sources.

“The whole show is about about self and self identification, and I identify myself, of course, as a black young male,” Frank Madison says, talking about his feature piece. “The piece is a silhouette of myself and a gun to the side of my head like someone is shooting me and on the right side where everything would splatter out I have my dreams, my family, love or things that if someone would shoot me for no reason or a senseless act would happen, I would lose all of these qualities about myself once I’m dead and gone.”

“

I wanted to push myself a little bit..

“

Kevin Moran Major: Marketing, Junior Minor: Graphic Design

A graphic design minor for the past two years, Kevin Moran (right) takes a logical approach to his work, stemming from a background in marketing. Spending a lot of time researching, he says he takes his audience into account when designing.

“For the feature piece, I wanted to push myself a little bit and do a more pure graphic illustration, which I don’t do often,” he said. “For coursework, I would say a good 50 percent of my time is spent researching stuff — looking at similar projects, trying to find out the target audience, if there’s an ability for me to add data that wasn’t really provided or other students weren’t doing, that’s usually what I’ll spend a good chunk of time on.”

His work shown includes his feature piece — tackling his change in external to internal individuality as he’s gotten older — and work made for Waterloo Arts rebranding, as well as older projects, which he says is inspiring to look at, especially for any freshman that visit.

“I think it’s been really great as we move further in the system to look at some of your older stuff,” he says. “Because sometimes in your day to day you don’t feel like you’re getting better, and then you look back at some of the stuff you created in your first intro classes.

I like to show incoming freshman that might be self-conscious about their work that you do indeed get incredibly better.”

Graduating next year, Moran plans to apply to a firm he interned with in New York City in digital advertising — giving him the ability to mix his marketing and design skills.

Brock Fahringer Major: Graphic Design, Junior Minor: Marketing Starting out as an engineering major, junior Brock Fahringer (left) found his place as an artist late in his school career. Starting out at a STEM high school, he got his first taste of design work when he was asked to create t-shirts for the school.

Fahringer works in several design mediums, including 3-D rendering. While he lost his files of past coursework, he will have a feature piece. Using Blender, a 3-D program, he sketched out several symbolic designs, inspired by researching online. His finished piece is three different organic shapes with the color and feel of anxiety, depression and self-doubt, respectively.

“The whole show is about individuality and being yourself and one of the things I wanted to touch on — I wanted to make it about me but relatable to everyone else — I dove into the issues of anxiety, depression and self-doubt,” he says. “I thought those were heavy hitters that a lot of people know exist but they don’t quite understand, especially if they don’t have those symptoms.”

Working in a modern, urban style, Fahringer designed the poster (cover photo) used for the show — which was used for this month’s cover. Trying a new process for creating the poster, he shot photographs, printed them, and then, while scanning them in, moved the paper to create unpredictable, digital glitches in the final images.

“It was fun seeing the idea that graphic design is such a controlled subject and space, it was really cool to use that dichotomy —using something that’s very unpredictable to kind of get it the way you want,” he says. “I think, in a sense it represents all of us. Not all of us know exactly who we want to be or where we want to go yet, the loss of clarity, by using that distortion kind of represents that.”

Nicole Zollos Major: Graphic Design, Senior Minor: Marketing Art director of the Vindicator and senior graphic design major, Nicole Zollos (left) was originally a biology major. Coming to Cleveland State undecided, she tried out science before moving into her current field.

“You’re being forced to learn what I had once liked to learn about,” she says, “I just didn’t like how the program was run, it’s force feeding you information so fast that you can’t retain it.”

Trying her hand at the “artsy stuff” she’d always liked before, she moved into graphic design with little experience other than a high school Photoshop course.

Zollos says she worked in photography before graphic design — something that her mother turned into a career through their shared interest.

“Back before she knew [photography] was her calling and I knew this was my calling, we were already just kind of playing around with stuff,” she says.

In her third year, Zollos is a member of AIGA and for her feature piece was originally going to touch on an issue involving a feminist issue. Deciding against it, saying it didn’t represent her individuality, she instead focused on travel.

“I want to show a little bit about how when people travel, they tend to learn something about themselves or bring something back with them they didn’t necessarily know,” she says. “Like when I went to New York I had never been away from home or anything, so I came back with a whole new perspective and a whole new appreciation for certain things that I probably still wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t had gone.

It’s just the realization that the more you go and travel, the more that you’re going to learn about yourself and what you can really do.”

THE PERSECUTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THROUGH PRO-SPORTS Offensive team names and logos have yet to be changed, while underlying problems go unnotcied. // Eden Johnston

35 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

PHOTOS BY EVAN PRUNTY

even during the World Series. On a side note, the ‘Chief Wahoo’ cap remained the top seller in the team store even after the announcement.

The reason for not removing the logo altogether? Apparently, for historical purposes.

“Paul Dolan — the owner — said in February that he understands that it’s offensive to some native people, but [Wahoo] is part of Cleveland history, and they are going to do whatever is in the best interest of preserving that history,” says Sundance.

Indigenous activist — and Canadian — Douglas Cardinal recently proposed a ban which would prevent the Cleveland Indians from using their name and logo during the American League Championship Series in Toronto.

Unfortunately, the case was dismissed without explanation.

Sundance remains optimistic however, and believes CAIM can find other ways to lead to the baseball team’s removal of their name and logo, such as through the Major League Baseball

“

Native Americans currently face a host of other problems outside the realm of sports.

nearly double the national rate, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are 3 times as likely to be killed by police than whites, also according to the CDC. The Department of Justice reports that Native American women have the highest rates of rape and assault out of any other demographic. These problems are huge, and seem to go unnoticed by Americans.

Sundance believes that the historical persecution of Indigenous people is partly to blame for these statistics, as well as the modern-day systemic racism which penetrates America’s school systems.

“A lot of this racist and bigoted behavior is learned in school and that’s where a lot of our children lose their self-esteem. We have problems with teen suicide, which comes from a lack of self-esteem. Living amongst our colonizers and with all our immediate concerns, it’s very difficult to maintain self-esteem in this racist environment,” says Sundance.

As for those Indigenous people who don’t think ‘Chief Wahoo’ is offensive, and can’t see the persecution of their community? Sundance says that they are free to believe what they want.

“Everybody has the right to be wrong.

Everybody has the right to be racist, but racism should not be institutionalized. Not at the sports stadium and not in the school systems,” he says.

The Vindicator reached out to the Cleveland Indians baseball team, who declined to comment.

“

T

he modern-day institutional racism that Native Americans face is common knowledge, mostly through media coverage of controversial professional sports team logos and names such as the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians. While these stories only scratch the surface of injustices experienced

by Native Americans, they paint a very clear picture. Americans know of Indigenous people’s plight, yet do not care enough to do much of anything about it, since resistance has yielded no lasting results.

But this doesn’t stop the Native American community from activism. The Cleveland American Indian Movement (CAIM) is one of these organizations, which have been fighting since the 1970s for the removal of the Cleveland Indians name and ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo, as well as a permanent place for an American Indian cultural center in Cleveland.

The director of CAIM, Sundance, — a Muscogee — does not need to explain why the ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo is offensive, as the cherry-red skin of the caricature is explaination enough.

However, there remains a false narrative amongst Clevelanders that the name ‘Indians’ is not offensive, and instead honors the Native American community.

Sundance explains the real reason why the sportswriters of the Plain Dealer as well as other news outlets pitched the name to the baseball team — previously called the Spiders, the Lake Shores and the Blues — who ran with it starting in the 1915 season.

“They had done so because the year before, 1914, the Boston Braves won the World Series. And [Cleveland] wanted their own Indian so they could have their own Indian magic to win the World Series. So, why is it offensive? Well for a people who have been victimized, our colonizers preyed upon us, [committing] mass genocide, mass rape, they’ve stolen our culture, they’ve stolen our land, they’ve stolen our children and [now] they want to rub our heads for luck. That’s obscene,” says Sundance.

The reluctance to do anything about Cleveland’s racist history is reflected in the ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo, which was born in 1947, but was not denounced by the Plain Dealer until 2014.

CAIM has experienced this sort of resistance from the baseball team as well as its fans for a long time.

“We’ve been doing this for 40, 50 years. So when we started there were different owners, there were a number of owners over the years. And so each new owner has new policies and makes new promises but ultimately the promises never come to fruition,” says Sundance.

One such promise came in April of 2016, when the baseball team officially delegated the ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo to secondary status, replacing it with a Block C. This change hasn’t amounted to much however, as the offensive logo is still on the team’s jersey sleeves and appeared on their cap numerous times during the playoffs,

(MLB) organization itself. The MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has already agreed to speak with the Cleveland Indian’s owner about the controversy sometime after the World Series.

CAIM plans on requesting a dialogue with the MLB before this proposed meeting.

“We hope that [the MLB] will intervene on our behalf when they talk with the team, with the owners, and at least to have them be a little more informed about what’s going on. We hope that change is right around the corner.”

Sundance said.

Native Americans currently face a host of other problems outside the realm of sports.

Suicide among young Native Americans is now DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 36

SOCIAL

THE 44

TH

PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA The symbolism of President Obama’s tenure didn’t equate to substantial progress. // Louis Walee

I

remember the applause, the smiles and the tears. God, I remember the excitement, the genuine happiness on the faces of family, friends and community members. The elders of today — many of whom suffered tremendously during the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights movement, and the post-Civil Rights hysteria of the 80’s and 90’s saw salvation in that man’s presence. The youth saw an image of themselves, someone to look up to and aspire to be. I believe we all saw something that day, on November 4, in 2008

For many of us in the Black community, Barack Obama’s ascension to presidency was momentous, synonymous with a holy sign. It was as if a savior had descended upon his people and extended his arms to embrace his flock and bringing them to a holy land. Collectively, many of us were inspired, impassioned and jubilant by what we had witnessed. Many of us looked at him as an extension of our very own flesh and blood.

The Black community has been the staunchest supporter of President Obama throughout his tenure. We defended him as he faced a torrent of opposition due in part to his Republican and Conservative counterparts, who attempted to subvert just about everything he either proposed to do (i.e ObamaCare and Nuclear START treaty). We supported his efforts feverously. He was suspected of being a “secret Muslim” and an illegal immigrant, and was questioned many times to show proof of his birth certificate. He was disrespected regularly and received death threats. Yet the Black community didn’t wavered in their support of him.

Under President Obama, we’ve seen both overall Black unemployment rates drop from 12.7 percent in 2009 to 8.8 percent in 2016 and Black teen unemployment rates drop from 35.3 percent in 2009 to 23.3 percent this year, according to CNN. Legislation such as the Affordable Healthcare Act (ObamaCare) has given access to many Blacks who didn’t have medical insurance.

In other areas such as median household income and poverty, we’ve seen stagnation and worsening conditions, yet this is to be expected to some degree.

No matter which circumstances the president had to deal with, he overwhelmingly had the support of the Black community. Blacks voted, campaigned and raised awareness to

37 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

contribute to his presidential bid, 96 and 93 percent of whom voted for him in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He was tirelessly defended by Blacks while racial slurs were targeted at not only him, but the First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha. Blacks gave president Obama everything they had over the course of his presidency, and while this speaks to the devotion of Blacks to the president, I don’t believe that devotion was reciprocated by President Obama to Blacks. I don’t believe enough was done to address Blacks by president Obama.

Economic Fluctuation

Blacks have economically fallen farther behind whites under President Obama as the wealth gap has continued to increase between the groups. In 2009, there was a massive drop in Black wealth.

Pew Research Center reported that the average white household’s net worth was 20 times greater than that of any Black household. As of 2013, the gap improved slightly for Blacks. Blacks also own fewer assets including homes. It is important to acknowledge that there was a massive recession from December of 2007 to January of 2009 prior to President Obama taking office.

As of 2014, 27 percent of all Blacks lived below the poverty line, compared to just 11 percent of all Americans, according to the US Census Bureau American Community Survey.

While the diminishing Black wealth can’t be completely attributed President Obama, our reluctance to possibly take up the issue of our economic misery with the president is also a hindrance. Our unwillingness to address the issue continues to undermine our influence, power and voice in America.

Black buying power is projected to reach $1.2 trillion during 2016 and $1.4 trillion by 2020. Blacks hold a bundle of economic potential as we’ve held historically, demonstrated in the case of “Black Wall Street,” the name given to Greenwood Avenue, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a community populated only

by Blacks, as the segregationist policies at the time forced Blacks to live amongst one another.

It became America’s envy because this relatively small Black community had its own bus line, high schools, hospital, public library, commercial buildings that housed professional doctors, lawyers, dentist, clothing stores, restaurants, and movie theaters. Blacks’ dollars circulated within

the community anywhere from 36 to 1,000 times prior to leaving the community, according to The Philadelphia Sunday. This type of Black buying and spending power illustrates the strength of Black economic power.

Despite “The President’s Agenda and the African American Community,” a report outlining policies aimed at benefiting Americans, including Blacks, there has been a lack of economic advancement and empowerment under President Obama, which has undermined Black communities. This is upsetting considering the centuries of economic disadvantage we’ve been subjected to and how we have to continuously cope with considerable joblessness and economic depravity.

Problematic Policies

Policy has been a critical area of Obama’s presidency. While he has instituted myriad policies like Expanding Coverage, My Brothers Keeper and The Stimulus, the strength they’ve carried within the Black community is questionable.

Michael Eric Dyson, author and professor at Georgetown University Professor, remarked that President Obama has practiced “the politics of racial sublimation.” Dyson elaborated that President Obama “took the energy of race and redistributed it over the political landscape in a host of racially neutral projects — Obamacare, primarily — which could have racial benefits without an overt message of aiming policy at minority communities.”

Princeton University Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. remarks in his book “Democracy in Black,” that under President Obama, “Black communities have been devastated.” Glaude said that policies like “My Brother’s Keeper, a public-private partnership that address the crisis of young men and boys of color, have only been a “Band-Aid for a gunshot wound.”

A remedy to understanding policy and its relationship to the Black community was best said by Columbia University professor Frederick Harris. In his book, “The Prince of the Ticket,” he argues that President Obama essentially felt less compelled to act on behalf of Blacks because Black leaders were unwilling to put pressure on the president. In contrast, liberal-leaning constituencies such as women’s rights groups, Latino organizations and LGBT rights activists, approached and pressed him to adopt their policy goals.

PHOTO BY EVAN PRUNTY

Societal Upheaval

America has always been a divided land, and the division continues with the current racial turmoil. According to the most recent census data,whites make up 62 percent of the American population but only 49 percent of those killed by law enforcement officials. On the contrary, Blacks make up 13 percent of the population, but account for 24 percent of those killed by law enforcement. This means that Blacks are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement officials. The unjustifiable killings of Blacks by law enforcement have stigmatized Black America these last few years and will likely continue to.

In light of these killings, it is disappointing that the president hasn’t passed any federal legislation directly addressing law enforcement in relation to the Black community. Black communities have a history of being terrorized throughout American history, whether by the Klu Klux Klan or white mobs (Tulsa, Oklahoma and Rosewood, Florida); the FBI through their Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) and the CIA through its involvement in the destruction of Black communities through drugs (i.e. Crack cocaine); the Clinton Administration’s (1993-2001) “Three Strikes” provision of the 1994 Crime Bill or the hourly denigration by the capitalistic, white American-dominated media that help to fuel a negative image of Blacks. This is all in addition to the many unfortunate encounters with law enforcement that result in Blacks being racially profiled, harassed, beaten, unlawfully arrested and tortured.

During Obama’s tenure, the Department of Justice has investigated police departments across the country, examining racial bias and misconduct in various departments. Measures of reform have been instituted to modernize police officers by giving them new equipment (i.e body and dashboard cameras) and better training. I don’t believe this reform will change anything. New equipment won’t change the

mindset, and neither will training when racism is embedded into the national fabric and psyche of America.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report revealed that the number of Blacks killed by law enforcement has surpassed the worst years ofrlynching during the Jim Crow Era. There have always been lynchings in America, but there weren’t any reliable statistics until about 1882, which showed an average of 67 Blacks lynched per year between 1882 and 1890, 1882 being a peak year when 161 Blacks were lynched. It’s alarming in 2016 when you have more Blacks killed by the very people who are sworn to protect them versus mobs of white supremacist in the post-reconstructionist south at the time. For America today, this racially motivated violence is likely only to worsen.

After the shooting of Trayvon Martin in February 2011 by George Zimmerman, Obama delivered a speech and said, “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.” He later remarked after the slaying of Michael Brown that Brown’s death “stains the heart of black children.” The president’s comments, while comforting to some, don’t reflect action and that inaction came at the dismay of many in the Black community.

Many young, Black activists are disappointed with the president. Activists in Ferguson were disappointed by the president’s inaction in response to the situation in Ferguson. That disappointment has been shared by communities who’ve had family, friends and community members murdered by law enforcement, and who haven’t had the opportunity to meet with the president to voice their concerns and frustrations.

With so many Black names joining the list of deceased including Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Tanisha Anderson, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and Korryn Gaines, I believe more could have been done

by President Obama to visit the families and

the communities of the victims. That includes community leaders, many of whom in the Black community call for tangible steps to be taken, such as community policing and instituting all Black police forces in Black communities.

Many Blacks are dismayed that Obama visited victims families after the shooting in Orlando and Dallas, but not Black victims of police shootings. Does the Black community not deserve the same consideration?

Racial Paradox

The issue of race has indeed been Obama’s biggest challenge during his presidency, and paradoxically the least-addressed directly. Obama seems to have been hesitant to address race directly. Blacks knew he was the president, but sometimes, as Van Jones, Obama’s former special advisor on green jobs once said, “sometimes it felt like he was president of everyone except Black people.”

Whilst many Blacks were caught up in the symbolism of President Obama, we hadn’t received actual substance that is desperately needed. While Blacks have ardently supported the Democratic party, it hasn’t been reciprocated.

Our support for the democratic party is strategically manipulated, yet any criticism for the party is resented. Alas any effort to hold the president accountable on race is shunned.

President Obama hasn’t led on racial issues possibly because he wasn’t trying to. His universal approach to racial issues has made him more of a spectator with a voice than a prominent leader in racial discussions. Overall, I believe his presidency has been a complicated one, marked by the times we live in. He has simultaneously achieved success and fallen short. Following his departure from office I believe it is pivotal that Blacks in America look amongst themselves and work to foster a culture of self-sufficiency and collective dependency. No matter who’s in office, we must take care of one another. • DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 38

SOCIAL

THE CASE

AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY Abolishing capital punishment in Ohio. // Marissa Beller

O

n January 16, 2014, at 10:15 am, convicted killer Dennis McGuire was brought in to be executed at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.

Strapped to the gurney, he made his final statements with his children and daughter-in-law were in attendance. At 10:27, the syringe containing an untested lethal injection cocktail was administered. A few minutes into the execution, he started choking and gasping audibly for air, clenching his fists and struggling against his restraints.

At 10:53, he was finally pronounced dead.

It took nearly 30 minutes for him to die, the longest in Ohio since 1999 – McGuire’s family members, who witnessed the entire ordeal, were traumatized.

After his execution was condemned as inhumane, Ohio stayed all further executions until they considered the Supreme Court Task Force’s 56 recommendations to ensure fairness and accuracy in the capital punishment system. However, Ohio is planning on reinstating executions in January, even though most of them haven’t been considered. The amount of reasons that the U.S. death penalty system is broken and

39 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

needs to change are overwhelming.

1) It doesn’t deter or protect from violent crime Firstly, there is no proof that the threat of execution stops people from committing violent crime. If someone is behaving under the influence, acting out of rage, or fear, or suffering from mental illness, they aren’t going to weigh the threat of execution at some future date. Murder is an “in-the-moment” action that isn’t going to be stopped by a public or future threat.

After the National Research Council reviewed more than three decades of research in 2012, they concluded that studies supporting deterrence were “fundamentally flawed,” as they used “incomplete or implausible models” and didn’t consider noncapital punishment. Additionally, states that don’t employ the death penalty have actually had consistently lower average murder rates than states that do over the course of several years. In fact, some criminologists, such as William Bowers of Northeastern University, believe that society is brutalized by the use of the death penalty.

The overwhelming conclusion from years of

deterrence studies is that the death penalty is, at best, no more of a deterrent than a sentence of life in prison.

Furthermore, the safety of society can be assured through life without parole, but executing convicts doesn’t keep other inmates safe from potential harm. Former Delaware warden Frank Thompson says that “programs to treat inmates with… dependency or mental illnesses, appropriate inmate-to-staff ratios for the proper supervision of prisoners, adequate activities and work programs, and effective classification systems” are actually effective, and that no professional “would trade any of these programs or resources in order to keep the death penalty.”

2) It is an arbitrary and discriminatory system With this in mind, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that a mandatory death sentence for all first degree murder convicts would be unconstitutional. This law, by definition, makes death sentences completely arbitrary, and capital punishment becomes a “death lottery” based on geography, race, and legal situation. Ten counties in Ohio

accounted for nearly 80% of all state death sentences in two decades, even though they represented less than half of the state population. Of the 138 inmates on death row in Ohio, more than half are people of color, even though they only make up 13.1% of Ohio’s population. Over 70% were convicted for the murder of a white person, even though more than half of all homicide victims are black.

In addition, local politics, the location of the crime, plea bargaining, and pure chance can all affect the legal process.

Ohio’s definition of “death eligible” has widened for prosecutors determining which crimes are truly the “worst of the worst.”

Almost all death row inmates couldn’t afford an attorney, and public defenders are frequently overworked, underpaid, and inexperienced. In the most extreme cases, some have fallen asleep in trials or have arrived under the influence.

3) True justice cannot be obtained through retribution The Supreme Court’s 1976 ruling recognizes that retribution isn’t just in every instance. If a convict is executed after a capital case, but is later found innocent, and it is discovered that a prosecutor withheld mitigating evidence or that a member of the law enforcement pressured a witness

into giving a false testimony, no one would suggest that professional should also receive the death penalty. However, if the argument of retribution in our justice system were to stand on its own, this would have to be the case.

Retribution is another word for “revenge.” The emotional impulse for revenge alone isn’t a defense for a statistically flawed system. If someone were to avenge a death and kill a convicted murderer outside of capital punishment, the law would label them a murderer as well; ironically, allowing executions endorses killing as a form of ‘payback,’ perpetuating the very crime it tries to condemn.

Many victim family members agree with this. Melinda Dawson, who lost her mother to violence, states, “I understand the impulse to destroy the perpetrator in the name of something called ‘closure’, but what I’ve discovered … is that healing is only possible when I choose to stop the cycle of killing, rather than perpetuate it.”

In addition, carrying out a death sentence forces negative psychological effects on those who participate. Six retired corrections officials stated, “Living with the nightmares is something that we know from experience. No one has the right to ask a public servant to take on a lifelong sentence of nagging doubt, and for some of

us, shame and guilt.” Inflicting that burden on anyone when there is an alternative is the opposite of justice, and the damage it can cause is irrevocable.

4) There may be a risk that the defendant is innocent Finally, death sentences themselves are irrevocable. If the convict is found innocent, that life can’t be taken back, and nothing can be done to truly make amends – and our capital punishment system has made numerous mistakes. Nine men have been exonerated from Ohio’s death row since 1976. Nationwide, 1,439 death row inmates have been executed, and 156 others have been found innocent; for nearly 9 people who have been executed, 1 person should never have been on death row in the first place. If a car manufacturer had the same failure rates, it would be run out of business.

Clearly, the death penalty system in the U.S. poses countless awful repercussions that cannot be reversed. We need to tell Governer Kasich to stay all pending executions until the recommendations of the Supreme Court Task Force have been considered and implemented by the legislature. We can’t afford to make any more mistakes. •

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 40

SOCIAL

THE NEED FOR DIVERSITY & REPRESENTATION IN STEM An explantion of the sparcity of women studying and working in the STEM field. // Dorothy Zhao

S

cience, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Much like the four elements, STEM is comprised of a field that is difficult to master as a whole. Despite being the daughter of a professor who taught computer science, I never gave the STEM field much thought, let alone any serious consideration, until this summer before entering college. Four years ago, during my freshman year of high school, I attended my first Tech Club meeting. I was hesitant to join; I didn’t have much interest nor experience in technology, but, because of my father, I felt an obligation to learn more about tech.

Perhaps I could find the same passion — although I didn’t plan to become a programmer or engineer back then. As I walked into the meeting, I realized with a shock that I was the only girl there. The stares I received while standing in the doorway intimidated me so much that I wanted to turn around and bolt, but I decided to stay. It was an awkward first year, especially when there was pizza served and the phrase “ladies go first” was uttered. I was even interviewed by the school newspaper about being in a club that had such a skewed male-to-female ratio. Despite the struggles, I never asked myself why there were so few girls in my high school’s Tech Club. My experience was not unique.

Walking into my Invitation to Computing class as a freshman this August, I wasn’t as intimidated as before. There were only about five girls to twenty boys in the room. I’ve adjusted to the disparity, but I now wish to address the issue. With the exception of life sciences, the gender imbalance in

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STEM fields is stark; the dearth of representation, diversity, and women in these rapidly growing fields should be ameliorated. The myths, theories, and biases behind why women are discouraged from joining, later pushed out, and not prevalent in STEM fields are many.

Myths Explanations for the low representation of women in STEM necessitate the dispelling of myths. It is a myth that women and men are not equally capable. Boys gain better spatial analysis and skills by on-hand working and working, but girls can develop the same skills with adequate training. It is a myth that girls and young women are just not interested in science. Social attitudes and beliefs are partially responsible for influencing and swaying decisions to study STEM subjects. The gender expectations that a boy will be active but a girl will be quiet and obedient lead to both covert and overt discrimination that women will face in STEM fields. The glass ceiling and the Queen Bee effect, however, are truths — not myths. The Queen Bee effect specifically applies to women; when one woman is successful in a male-dominated field, she views her triumph as not proving wrong the myths of women appearing weaker but as an exception to the detrimental stereotypes instead. Subsequently, this mindset leads to women actually

perpetuating the stereotypes instead of getting rid of the incorrect, but popular, beliefs.

Biases Real-world struggles women face in the STEM fields include needing to prove one’s credentials multiple times, avoiding appearing too masculine or feminine, and balancing family and work. According to the Harvard Business Review, black, Latina, Asian, and white women “report having to provide more evidence of competence than others to prove themselves... and finding themselves pressured to play a stereotypically feminine role [at work].” These feminine roles include being the “office mother” or the “dutiful daughter,” a disheartening forced expectation in the masculine culture of STEM. It bears mentioning that even simply speaking one’s mind or appearing decisive in the workplace causes backlash, as one would be labelled as too masculine. Acting just feminine enough means being amiable and deferring to others, lest one draws ire or ostracism.

Most disappointingly of all, nearly 50 percent of both black and Latina women report that they were assumed to be either administrative or custodial staff. Hitting the maternal wall, as well, means another obstacle for women.

Professional women see fewer opportunities and more questioning of their competence and commitment after having children. Conflict

The Pipeline Theory One theory aptly uses the metaphor of a leaky pipeline: if more girls became interested in pursuing science careers, then the low numbers will go up and the problem would be solved. At first glance, this theory appears weak without convincing evidence. However, a recent Cornell study helps to fill the void of evidence. The study found that when women acted more like men — delaying marriage and limiting the number of children to “focus exclusively on work” — women still experienced STEM bias. Research from the study showed women in STEM decrease in number when they are not hired for STEM-related jobs. Going from college to workforce is an essential section of the pipeline, and if women aren’t allowed to progress past this transition, then “they are not there to mentor other women...to climb the ladder and [to] help with hiring.” Additionally, the underrepresentation in STEM majors contributes to the employment gap when one takes into consideration that thirty-three percent of men earned a STEM degree in contrast to just fifteen percent of women. Data collected from a National Science Foundation study in 2014 also reveals that, while women obtain over half of U.S. undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, and math, women earn only twenty percent of degrees in computer science, engineering, and physics. To increase representation in every aspect — from early education to college to the workplace — of science fields today, misconceptions must be eliminated, biases elucidated, and theories proven.

STEM in College Focusing on women who are majoring in STEM subjects in college, what resources —

like academic and community support — are provided to ensure a welcome environment for the future scientists? At Cleveland State University, the organization called the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is described as a professional and social organization aiming to support women in engineering, and serves as a support group for engineering students.

President of SWE Sherry LaBonne, a senior majoring in Chemical Engineering, believes there aren’t more women in STEM, because women “ just don’t even think of [STEM] as a career option.” The thought of becoming an engineer did not occur to LaBonne’s peers until “they happened to meet an engineer — a woman engineer, in particular.” SWE.

“

It is a myth that girls and young women are just not interested in science.

“

between older and younger generations of women also comes to light when women must compete for a spot in male-dominated organizations, although there is some reported support among women in work environments.

Gender bias drives women out of scientific careers, and new studies support this statement. In 2010, a Yale study detailed how two identical resumes -- one for a student named “John” and the other for “Jennifer” — were sent to professors of both sexes. The results showed that no matter the age, sex, “area of specialization or level of seniority,” John was rated higher than Jennifer in areas of competence and hireability. John was even offered a higher salary by nearly four thousand dollars. Two studies conducted in 2012 and 2014, respectively, found that both sexes believe men were more competent and hirable than were women, even when the women were equally qualified. So, what rationale can be employed to both explain and fix the lack of women in STEM?

Secretary Sarah Bouchahine, a Chemical Engineering major in her junior year, describes her STEM experience as one of initial discouragement. Her family pushed her to more business or Health Sciences majors, but as she progressed, “[her] parents became more open to it...and saw that [she] was doing okay.” Bouchahine, like myself, did not plan to be an engineer until a few months before graduating high school. STEM, as Bouchahine states, is seen by some as “intimidating,” and “a male-driven field.” (The former possibly an effect of the latter.) Treasurer Julie Atol, a sophomore Chemical Engineering major who delved into STEM as a high school junior due to her love of makeup and skin care, believes “as a mentor, [one should] encourage younger students to enjoy math and science — [the subjects] aren’t as hard as you believe.”

To solve the issue of so few women in science, LaBonne suggests having more

organizations like SWE, outreach programs for younger women, and representation of women to show how accessible STEM is to women. Additionally, “creat[ing] a community within the college so that the women...starting engineering programs will have the support that will encourage them to stay in their field” would be another priority of SWE. LaBonne, Bouchahine, and Atol all add that they “haven’t seen discouragement among...classmates at all at Cleveland State,” that they haven’t felt treated any differently than the guys, and that they feel welcome here at CSU. How to Fix the Gender Gap The solution to the “leaky pipeline” is to ensure young girls do not get discouraged from STEM and older women do not drop out of their fields. Action must be taken to encourage young girls to pursue technology as a career. Camps, such as Girls Who Code, are fundamental in empowering women of all ages to join fields that have long been dominated by men. Other solutions include promoting a more collaborative workplace, where women do not bring down other women and do help the newest hires. Companies of all sizes must ensure equal pay for women in STEM jobs.

They should approach the gender bias the same way as one would for another issue in business — focus on objective measurements and improve said metrics. Both recruitment and retention in STEM are vital facets of reversing current trends. On paper, the answers appear simple: increase visibility, job flexibility, and childcare support in the work force. In reality, however, adjusting the gender gap is no easy task. Change can only occur with mindsets of each individual.

I’m grateful to say that I wasn’t discouraged from going into computer science. Although my journey in STEM has just begun, I won’t underestimate the importance of the foundation on which I could draw confidence from for classes and careers. Joining my high school’s Tech Club and attending Hyland Software’s tech camps presented opportunities I had never thought of. The support I received from mentors and peers, the inspiration I derived from women in science, and the expectations of my future are factors that have determined how I got where I am now. The strategic programs and role models help to create a more fecund environment for women in STEM careers. Changing the mentality behind women entering STEM is ultimately what will resolve the issue of so few women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. •

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY By: Arbela Capas To be a woman is to be in chains to want to live is an invitation to be shamed we are factories and warehouses for the patriarchy’s games for the institutionalization of our bodies, our souls and our wombs.

to a child that was conceived by rape you made her believe that God would condemn her for doing the most unholy of all things; Being a woman with a choice

I love how you will protect a hypothetical real girl rather than a “real” real girl with hopes and dreams and passions inside her skin you will do everything in your power for her to be born, but then you will do nothing to help her live you think your job is done when you save her from abortion? oh no, that is just the beginning

You pick quantity of lives over quality of life and you dare to call yourselves heroes who swoop in and save the unborn when you are murdering womanhood in the process

The minute that girl steps into our world she will be thrust into a void of sexism and ignorance a non-stop cycle of obstacles will be thrown at her as she struggles to prove her worth in this life that you have so generously gifted her So my question is: are you ready to do the work after that?

Are you prepared to combat the objectification, the assault, the inequality? are you ready to stop the victim blaming, slut shaming and cat calling?

You think i’m done? The list goes on. are you ready to help her smash through the glass ceiling, pick the roofie out of her drink, and put her rapist in jail? are you ready to tell her that she can be an engineer or a filmmaker--and a damn good one at that, and are you ready to own up to your socialized sexism and begin to unlearn it piece by piece? are you ready to actually save her life? you better. because you just convinced her mother to have a daughter even though she wasn’t ready You just successfully shamed her into giving birth

I hope you are proud for saving these “potential lives”, but please if you’re going to play God and decide what comes out of a woman’s body then make damn sure that the world they come into isn’t tainted with injustice and hatefulness Where mutilated fetuses are displayed on college campuses, and women can’t go to a damnPlanned Parenthood without being attacked by a mob or, scratch that--what clinic?

The clinics are gone and proper sex education isn’t taught in our schools because in our society white male politicians have women’s uteruses in their pockets and women are hating women for not being mothers and where a scared girl can’t even choose what to do with her life, her future, her body because her body isn’t her body at all And now suddenly she feels broken, unwanted and hopeless ending up wishing she wasn’t born at all.

So her stress and guilt that you caused eats her from the inside and she slits her wrists and says goodbye but hey, at least she wasn’t aborted, right?

Little One By: Chau Tang

Little girl, please smile Wipe those tears and don’t look down Don’t you know, you’re the reason people smile, well I do.

I know you’ve been through so much pain, and multiple people are the cause.

All you do is try to keep a smile, on people’s faces that come from different places.

The love you’ve been receiving is just a bit deceiving Because, you’re getting bruises every time you come home from school.

Yet no one notices, you smile and you focus On being happy, but it’s hard when your soul is crushed.

This has been happening since grade school, yet you weren’t brave enough to stop it.

Your heart is pounding; you just want it to all be over.

You cry every night and you’re scared when morning arrives.

You don’t want to leave your bed, because it’s the only safe haven you have.

You try and find another place, like a library or a café, but when you’re there, you feel like everyone just stares at you, and when they laugh, you are so paranoid that you think they are talking about you.

I want to let you know, you have a beautiful soul, and like an onion, you have many layers.

There will be people who care so stop and stare in the mirror and try to be happy So stop trying to please everyone, because not everyone will be kind.

ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA PETRO

Try and get that through your mind, and you will see, you are one of the many lights in this sea of darkness.

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 44 FEBRUARY 2016 | VINDICATOR 19

President Elect By: Elisabeth Weems Heart shattered by the dawn of a new day, gray day, mayday in this pseudo-democracy.

My cynicism leads me to believe that this game never favors me, even when a black man is in the Oval Office seat.

Help me.

Anxious tears effortlessly stream from the eyes of a nation, divided, tense, and tired from the ongoing fight.

My voice? My vote?

Stifled and silenced by an unjust system that elected a perpetrator of oppression.

45 VINDICATOR | DECEMBER 2016

ART BY: JESSIKA RIANE

The land of the rich and the poor, the mighty and the marginalized.

How exactly does he represent me?

Neither did she, neither do any of them.

The world awoke this morning and laughed at a sick joke, his dogmatism the punchline, but soon became sober and full of fear.

Culinary Eulogy

By Andy Hammersmith Cascade and wave, pursed lips Gregorian chants, frosted tips Money money money, isn’t it funny Hop hop hop, I am a bunny A hero defined by his palette, A man of stature and vigor.

While the waves ebb and flow, There’s one that does not vary.

Shining for all to see, Here lies Guy Fieri.

A pepperoni left on the grave, An ill omen for mankind.

ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA PETRO

And who will save us now?

The wind or the plow?

No, we all withstand the blow.

DECEMBER 2016 | VINDICATOR 46