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DAILY KENT STATER Monday, March 8, 2010 The independent student newspaper of Kent State University Weather: Partly cloudy HI 48, LO 32 LATEST UPDATES AT KENTWIRED.COM Sign up to receive breaking news updates from Kent State student media at KENTWIRED.COM Sports: Find out what ‘powers’ senior Chris Singletary has used to help get the men’s basketball team where it is today. 13 23 8 20 POINT LEAD FOR THE FLASHES AT HALFTIME POINTS SCORED BY KSU LEADING SCORER ANTHONY SIMPSON POINT CUSHION FOR FLASHES WITH FIVE MINUTES TO GO POINT VICTORY FOR KSU ON NATIONAL TV = 4 REGULAR SEASON TITLES IN SCHOOL HISTORY Ronald Kelly, the suspect charged with the attack on Kent State student Christopher Kernich, has been indicted on three more counts of misdemeanor assault. Kelly, who is also facing two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault, a second- degree felony, was indicted by a Portage County grand jury. According to the Record Courier, Kelly allegedly assaulted three other Kent State students on the night of the Kernich assault. In the early morning hours of Nov. 15, Kernich was nearly struck by a car driven by Glenn P. Jefferson Jr. Kelly and co-defendant Adrian Barker got out of the car and alleg- edly assaulted Kernich, who died a week later from his injuries at Akron City Hospital. Kelly’s arraignment for the new assault charges will be at 1 p.m. March 29 at the Portage County Common Pleas Court. His trial is set for May 4 in front of Judge John A. Enlow. Barker will be re-arraigned at 9 a.m. Wednesday after a grand jury amended two of his charges Fri- day. He has been React to this story and more at KentWired.com Kernich murder suspect faces three more assault charges KELLY indicted with two counts of murder and a count each of felonious assault and obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony. His trial is set to begin April 13 in the courtroom of Judge Enlow. Jefferson has been indicted with two counts of obstructing justice, a third-degree felony. His trial is set for May 25 in front of Judge Laurie J. Pittman in the Portage County Common Pleas Court. — Josh Johnston Cody Erbacher Daily Kent Stater The Kent State men’s basketball team turned Akron’s white out into a 13-point wipeout in front of a national TV audience en route to a Mid-American Conference regu- lar season title Friday night. Led by sixth man Anthony Simpson, the Flashes (23-8, 13-3 MAC) scored an overwhelming 74-61 victory over the Zips (22-9, 12-4 MAC) at Rhodes Arena for a season sweep of their archrivals. Kent State clinched the No. 1 seed in this week’s MAC Tournament and an automatic National Invitational Tournament bid with the win. Akron fell to the No. 3 seed with the loss. Simpson, a senior forward, starred in the final regular-season game, leading all scorers with 23 points while adding nine rebounds. “Anthony’s capable of doing that every night,” said senior guard Chris Singletary, who only played 15 minutes because of foul trouble. “It just so happened tonight his number got called on, and he rose to the occasion and played a great game.” Simpson ignited the Flashes’ offense, which started 0-for-4 from the field, with a mix of powerful dunks and arcing jump shots. He also threw in a couple juke moves. The Zips’ fans attempted to throw Simpson off of his game by taunting him frequently, but he used it as motivation. “I just laughed at them,” Simpson said. “My teammates and the ref was like, ‘Don’t say nothing to them; it’s not that serious.’ To me, now I look at them and I can laugh, right? “They (are) mad, they had their white shirts. Now they can take them off and be real upset.” Akron jumped out to a 7-3 lead to start the game. Behind an 8-0 run, Kent State took more than eight minutes into the half while the Zips’ shooters went cold. Routing their rivals Flashes clinch fourth regular season title in school history TESSA BARGAINNIER | DAILY KENT STATER Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy celebrates after cutting down a piece of net in the M.A.C. Center Friday night after the team arrived home from Akron. The Flashes beat the Zips 74-61 at James A. Rhodes Arena. With the win, Kent State clinched the Mid-American Conference regular-season title. + + + The Flashes extended their lead to 31-23 by halftime as Akron shot just 27 percent from the field. Kent State led the rest of the way in the second stanza behind 15 points from Simpson. With five minutes left in the game, freshman guard Randal Holt drove inside for a layup to give Kent State a 20-point cushion. White shirts then streamed toward the exits James A. Rhodes Arena. “To win a conference champion- ship, you’ve got to win on the road,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “I thought we played really well, and they were not great in the first half, and that was the difference.” The win marked the fourth reg- ular season title in school history and third in five seasons. Kent State returns to action in the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday against Ohio University, who beat Kathryn McGonagle Daily Kent Stater Oompa loompas, a gold-clad Willy Wonka and props labeled “Chocolate” and “Nut Room” were scattered around actors rehearsing for the production “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but this wasn’t just any production. It was per- formed Friday night in American Sign Language with the help of Kent State students. Even though the event was last Friday, the preparation for it tells a different story. “I think there’s so much the hear- ing community can learn from the deaf community,” said Jen Carrick, director of Signs of Grace at Grace Church, which is hosting the play. “And in ignoring that community, we’re really missing out, and I think both the deaf community and the hearing community, the deaf cul- ture and the hearing culture, have so much to offer each other.” The childhood classic will bridge the hearing and deaf societies, Car- rick said, when the actors take the stage to perform the tale about respect, honor and love that will be both signed and spoken. Grace Church in Middleburg Heights has been working in conjunction with SignStage, a part of the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, to bring “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to life. “Just because you’re deaf doesn’t mean you can’t be an actor, a profes- sional actor,” said SignStage director Bill Morgan. He said SignStage, which travels with deaf and hearing actors across the country putting on plays in sign language, agreed to donate the per- formance to Grace Church in return for rehearsal space. MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATE Willy Wonka takes Charlie and Violet down the chocolate river to get a closer look at the factory. SignStage On Tour produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Signs of Grace Church on Friday evening. SignStage On Tour is a professional children’s theatre company that tours nationally producing deaf theatre. All proceeds went to the CCCD School of the Deaf in Jamaica. SignStage on Tour joins two cultures Deaf and hearing communities work together in play See WONKA, Page 6 ONLINE KentWired.com View multimedia of the game. Ball State yesterday, 85-77, in the first round of MAC Tournament. Contact sports reporter Cody Erbacher at [email protected]. React to this story and more at KentWired.com USG CANDIDATES Matthew Gustoff Ever since Matthew Gustoff was initiated into Sigma Chi in spring 2008, he has held an elect- ed position in the fraternity. Four semesters of leadership experience later, he said he feels he has what it takes to hold Undergraduate Student Government’s executive director position. Gustoff, a junior business management major, said he knows how much responsibility is required to be executive direc- tor and feels he can handle it. If he is elected, Gustoff said he is looking forward to being a liai- son between the student body, student organizations and the administration. “Leadership’s never been a problem for me,” Gustoff said. “That’s one of my greatest assets: to be able to get a group of peo- ple together to achieve a com- mon goal.” In addition to his positions in Sigma Chi, Gustoff is also the vice president of programming for the Interfraternity Council. He worked as a hall representative for Wright Hall his freshman year. He is also involved in the city of Kent’s parks and recreation, where he does mostly athletics with children. If Gustoff is elected, he has six main goals he wants to accom- plish. He wants to improve cam- pus security, make the campus “greener,” work with the director of business and finance to produce a public annual report and to help voice the concerns of students to the administration staff. Justin Pierce Justin Pierce never thought he would learn a lesson from boxing he would later apply to politics. “If you don’t do every- thing possible you can behind the scenes, when you step in that ring, you’re not going to see a good outcome,” Pierce, a senior finance and account- ing major, said. Pierce said he can gradu- ate in December, but will defer his graduation one more semester if elected. Pierce said he is the only known two-term president of Delta Upsilon. He claimed his fraternity has gone from low GUSTOFF numbers to high num- bers in his presidency. He is also the current director of student advance- ment within USG. He has a very specific plat- form he calls the L.E.A.D. Movement, an acronym that stands for “link programs, exposure, accountability and diversity.” He said he believes this platform is an extremely realistic goal. “It’s going to be the theme,” Pierce said, “of every initiative student government focuses on next year if I’m elected.” It starts with the link pro- grams he is planning on insti- tuting. PIERCE See PIERCE, Page 6 See GUSTOFF , Page 6 Looking to act as liaison Hopes to L.E.A.D. EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s that time of year again: Undergraduate Student Government elections. Today, the Daily Kent Stater presents the profiles of the candidates for executive director. The USG election is tomorrow. Students can vote then by logging onto their FlashLine accounts.
Transcript
Page 1: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

DAILY KENT STATER Monday, March 8, 2010 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Partly cloudy HI 48, LO 32

LATEST UPDATES AT KENTWIRED.COM Sign up to receive breaking news updates from Kent State student media at KENTWIRED.COM

Sports: Find out what ‘powers’ senior Chris Singletary has used to help get the men’s basketball team where it is today.

13238 20POINT LEAD FOR THE FLASHES AT HALFTIME

POINTS SCORED BY KSU LEADING SCORER ANTHONY SIMPSON

POINT CUSHION FOR FLASHES WITH FIVE MINUTES TO GO

POINT VICTORY FOR KSU ON NATIONAL TV

= 4REGULAR SEASON TITLES IN SCHOOL HISTORY

Ronald Kelly, the suspect charged with the attack on Kent State student Christopher Kernich, has been indicted on three more counts of misdemeanor assault.

Kelly, who is also facing two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, was indicted by a Portage County grand jury. According to the Record Courier, Kelly allegedly assaulted three other Kent State students on the night of the Kernich assault.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 15, Kernich was nearly struck by a car driven by Glenn P. Jefferson Jr. Kelly and co-defendant Adrian Barker got out of the car and alleg-edly assaulted Kernich, who died a week later from his injuries at Akron City Hospital.

Kelly’s arraignment for the new assault charges will be at 1 p.m. March 29 at the Portage County Common Pleas Court. His trial is set for May 4 in front

of Judge John A. Enlow.

Barker will be re-arraigned at 9 a.m. Wednesday after a grand jury amended two of his charges Fri-day. He has been

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

Kernich murder suspect faces three more assault charges

KELLYindicted with two counts of murder and a count each of felonious assault and obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony. His trial is set to begin April 13 in the courtroom of Judge Enlow.

Jefferson has been indicted with two counts of obstructing justice, a third-degree felony. His trial is set for May 25 in front of Judge Laurie J. Pittman in the Portage County Common Pleas Court.

— Josh Johnston

Cody ErbacherDaily Kent Stater

The Kent State men’s basketball team turned Akron’s white out into a 13-point wipeout in front of a national TV audience en route to a Mid-American Conference regu-lar season title Friday night.

Led by sixth man Anthony Simpson, the Flashes (23-8, 13-3 MAC) scored an overwhelming 74-61 victory over the Zips (22-9, 12-4 MAC) at Rhodes Arena for a season sweep of their archrivals.

Kent State clinched the No. 1 seed in this week’s MAC Tournament and an automatic National Invitational Tournament bid with the win. Akron fell to the No. 3 seed with the loss.

Simpson, a senior forward, starred in the final regular-season game, leading all scorers with 23 points while adding nine rebounds.

“Anthony’s capable of doing that every night,” said senior guard Chris Singletary, who only played 15 minutes because of foul trouble. “It just so happened tonight his number got called on, and he rose to the occasion and played a great game.”

Simpson ignited the Flashes’ offense, which started 0-for-4 from the field, with a mix of powerful dunks and arcing jump shots. He also threw in a couple juke moves.

The Zips’ fans attempted to throw Simpson off of his game by taunting him frequently, but he used it as motivation.

“I just laughed at them,” Simpson said. “My teammates and the ref was like, ‘Don’t say nothing to them; it’s not that serious.’ To me, now I look at them and I can laugh, right?

“They (are) mad, they had their white shirts. Now they can take them off and be real upset.”

Akron jumped out to a 7-3 lead to start the game. Behind an 8-0 run, Kent State took more than eight minutes into the half while the Zips’ shooters went cold.

Routing their rivalsFlashes clinch fourth regular season title in school history

TESSA BARGAINNIER | DAILY KENT STATERDirector of Athletics Laing Kennedy celebrates after cutting down a piece of net in the M.A.C. Center Friday night after the team arrived home from Akron. The Flashes beat the Zips 74-61 at James A. Rhodes Arena. With the win, Kent State clinched the Mid-American Conference regular-season title.

+ + +

The Flashes extended their lead to 31-23 by halftime as Akron shot just 27 percent from the field. Kent State led the rest of the way in the second stanza behind 15 points from Simpson.

With five minutes left in the game, freshman guard Randal Holt drove inside for a layup to give Kent State a 20-point cushion. White shirts then streamed toward the exits James A. Rhodes Arena.

“To win a conference champion-ship, you’ve got to win on the road,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “I thought we played really well, and they were not great in the first half, and that was the difference.”

The win marked the fourth reg-ular season title in school history and third in five seasons.

Kent State returns to action in the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday against Ohio University, who beat

Kathryn McGonagleDaily Kent Stater

Oompa loompas, a gold-clad Willy Wonka and props labeled “Chocolate” and “Nut Room” were scattered around actors rehearsing for the production “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but this wasn’t just any production. It was per-formed Friday night in American Sign Language with the help of Kent State students.

Even though the event was last Friday, the preparation for it tells a different story.

“I think there’s so much the hear-ing community can learn from the deaf community,” said Jen Carrick, director of Signs of Grace at Grace Church, which is hosting the play.

“And in ignoring that community, we’re really missing out, and I think both the deaf community and the hearing community, the deaf cul-ture and the hearing culture, have so much to offer each other.”

The childhood classic will bridge the hearing and deaf societies, Car-rick said, when the actors take the stage to perform the tale about respect, honor and love that will be both signed and spoken. Grace Church in Middleburg Heights has been working in conjunction with SignStage, a part of the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, to bring “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to life.

“Just because you’re deaf doesn’t mean you can’t be an actor, a profes-sional actor,” said SignStage director Bill Morgan.

He said SignStage, which travels with deaf and hearing actors across the country putting on plays in sign language, agreed to donate the per-formance to Grace Church in return for rehearsal space.

MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATEWilly Wonka takes Charlie and Violet down the chocolate river to get a closer look at the factory. SignStage On Tour produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Signs of Grace Church on Friday evening. SignStage On Tour is a professional children’s theatre company that tours nationally producing deaf theatre. All proceeds went to the CCCD School of the Deaf in Jamaica.

SignStage on Tour joins two culturesDeaf and hearing communities work together in play

See WONKA, Page 6

ONLINEKentWired.comView multimedia of the game.

Ball State yesterday, 85-77, in the first round of MAC Tournament.

Contact sports reporter Cody Erbacher at [email protected].

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

USG CANDIDATES

Matthew GustoffEver since Matthew Gustoff

was initiated into Sigma Chi in spring 2008, he has held an elect-ed position in the fraternity. Four semesters of leadership experience later, he said he feels he has what it takes to hold Undergraduate Student Government’s executive director position.

Gustoff, a junior business management major, said he knows how much responsibility is required to be executive direc-tor and feels he can handle it. If he is elected, Gustoff said he is looking forward to being a liai-son between the student body, student organizations and the administration.

“Leadership’s never been

a problem for me ,” Gus to ff sa id . “That ’ s o n e o f m y greatest assets: to be able to get a group of peo-ple together to achieve a com-mon goal.”

In addition to his positions in Sigma Chi, Gustoff is also the vice president of programming for the Interfraternity Council. He worked as a hall representative for Wright Hall his freshman year. He is also involved in the city of Kent’s parks and recreation, where he does mostly athletics with children.

If Gustoff is elected, he has six main goals he wants to accom-plish. He wants to improve cam-pus security, make the campus “greener,” work with the director of business and finance to produce a public annual report and to help voice the concerns of students to the administration staff.

Justin PierceJustin Pierce never thought

he would learn a lesson from boxing he would later apply to politics.

“If you don’t do every-thing possible you can behind the scenes, when you step in that ring, you’re not going to see a good outcome,” Pierce, a senior finance and account-ing major, said.

Pierce said he can gradu-ate in December, but will defer his graduation one more semester if elected.

Pierce said he is the only known two-term president of Delta Upsilon. He claimed his fraternity has gone from low

GUSTOFF

numbers to high num-bers in his presidency. He is also the current d i r e c t o r of student a d v a n c e -ment within USG.

He has a very specific plat-form he calls the L.E.A.D. Movement, an acronym that stands for “link programs, exposure, accountability and diversity.” He said he believes this platform is an extremely realistic goal.

“It’s going to be the theme,” Pierce said, “of every initiative student government focuses on next year if I’m elected.”

It starts with the link pro-grams he is planning on insti-tuting.

PIERCE

See PIERCE, Page 6See GUSTOFF, Page 6

Looking to act as liaison

Hopes to L.E.A.D.

EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s that time of year again: Undergraduate Student Government elections. Today, the Daily Kent Stater presents the profiles of the candidates for executive director. The USG election is tomorrow. Students can vote then by logging onto their FlashLine accounts.

11

Page 2: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Page 2 | Monday, March 8, 2010 Daily Kent Stater

22

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

HAVE AN EVENT YOU WANT TO SEE HERE? Send information to [email protected] by the Thursday of the week before. (Due to space restrictions, not all events may be included.)

CAMPUS CALENDAR For the week of March 8-14

WTM R F S

Sn Gymnastics vs. Bowling GreenWhen: 1 p.m. Where: M.A.C. Center

n Wind Ensemble concert When: 3:30 p.m. Where: Cartwright Hall Room 306 n Kent Anti-Racist Action meetingWhen: 8 p.m.Where: Student Center Room 320

n College of Nursing LuncheonWhen: 11:30 a.m. Where: Student Center Ballroom

n KSU Med Tech Club meetingWhen: 5 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 322

n KSU Ballroom Club practice

When: 6 p.m.Where: Student Center Room 204

n Relay for Life meeting

When: 6 p.m. Where: Student Center Governance Chamber n Women’s Liberation Collective “Ask a Cop” meeting When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Kiva

n American Red Cross BloodmobileWhen: 11 a.m. Where: Student Center Room 204

n Bead It, Glue It, Write ItWhen: 5 p.m.Where: Eastway Center Lower Lounge

n Muslim Students’ Association meetingWhen: 6:30 p.m.Where: Student Center Room 314

n Habitat for Humanity meetingWhen: 7 p.m.Where: Henderson Hall Room 201

n Kent Political Union meeting When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 309

n Commuter/Off Campus Students meetingWhen: 5 p.m.Where: Student Center Room 321

n Women’s Resource Center film “The Lioness”

When: 5 p.m.Where: Kiva

n Undergraduate Student Government public meeting

When: 5:30 p.m.Where: Student Center Governance Chamber

n Speaker: Studio Luz When: 6:30 p.m.Where: Cartwright Hall Room 306

n KSU History Club meetingWhen: 7:15 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 311

n Battle of the BandsWhen: 8 p.m.Where: Rathskeller

n Stedman Graham Presentation When: 9:15 a.m.Where: Student Center Ballroom

n Movie: “The Boondock Saints II”When: 3 p.m. Where: Kiva

n Beans, Rice and Spice

When: 4 p.m. Where: Eastway

n Speaker, Robert Craldini When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Michael Schwartz Center Room 177

n Biology Club meeting

When: 7:30 p.m.Where: Student Center Room 317

n Comedy night When: 9 p.m.Where: Rathskeller

n K.A.S.A. Dance RehearsalWhen: 7 p.m. Where: Student Center Room 310AB

n Movie: “The Boondock Saints II”When: 11 p.m. Where: Kiva

n NEO Hot Air Balloon Pilots Association trade show When: 7 a.m. Where: Student Center Room 204 n Honors College retreat When: 10 a.m. Where: Student Center Room 310C

n Women’s Workshop When: 1 p.m. Where: Student Center Rooms 302, 303, 304, 306ABC, 307 Movie: “The Boondock Saints II”

When: 11 p.m. Where: Kiva

NEWSNews team leader Regina Garcia Cano [email protected] News team assistant Kelly [email protected] Campus editors Anthony [email protected]

Kristyn Soltis [email protected]

City editor Tom Gallick [email protected]

Copy desk chief Joshua Johnston [email protected]

KentWired editorFrank Yonkof [email protected]

Social media editorAustin Corthell [email protected]

FEATURESFeatures team leader Melissa Dilley [email protected] team assistants Pamela Crimbchin [email protected]

Erin Perkins [email protected] SPORTS Sports team leader Cody Francis [email protected] team assistants Caleb Raubenolt [email protected] Randy Ziemnik [email protected]

FORUM Forum editor Sarah Steimer [email protected] ViSUAlS

Photo editor Caitlin Sirse [email protected]

Assistant photo editor Daniel R. Doherty [email protected]

Design directorJustin Armburger [email protected]

Design supervisorsKristina Deckert [email protected]

Sam Twarek [email protected]

DAILY KENT STATER240 Franklin Hall

Kent State UniversityKent, Ohio 44242

NEwSRooM 330.672.2584Editor Doug Gulasy [email protected]

Managing editor Christina Stavale [email protected]

Multimedia editor Sara Scanes [email protected]

CORRECTiONSThe Daily Kent Stater recognizes the responsibil-ity to correct errors that occur in the newspaper. When errors occur in the newspaper, corrections will appear in this space as promptly as possible.

Manager Lori Cantor330.672.0887, [email protected] manager Tami Bongiorni330.672.6306, [email protected] manager Evan Bailey330.672.0886, [email protected] officer Norma Young330.672.0884, [email protected]

Classifieds ad manager Kelly Pickerel330.672.0883, [email protected] adviser Carl Schierhorn330.672.8286, [email protected] adviser Susan Kirkman Zake330.329.5852, [email protected]

ADvERtISINg 330.672.2586Sales Manager Rachel Polchek 330.672.0888

StUDENt MEDIA 330.672.2586

Account executive Michelle Bair 330.672.2697 Account executive Korie Culleiton 330.672.2697 Account executive Bethany English 330.672.2590 Account executive Schuyler Kasee330.672.2585

Account executive Katie Kuczek330.672.2590Broadcast representative Daniel Meaney330.672.2585Online representative Kevin Collins330.672.3251

Page 3: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Daily Kent Stater Monday, March 8, 2010 | Page 3

33

Katie CorbutDaily Kent Stater

In a nail-biting competi-tion, the Kentucky Wildcats topped the Kent State Golden Flashes by one tenth of a point with a final score of 196.050 to 195.950.

Even with a loss Friday in the M.A.C. Center, many team goals were met and exceeded.

From the first rotation on vault, through the fourth on floor, Kent State trailed Kentucky by tenths, but the Flashes kept fighting against the 15th ranked team, event by event.

On the vault, junior Chris-tina Lenny took first with a score of 9.9 and was followed by two gymnasts from Ken-tucky tying for second place (9.875). Freshman Lauren Wozniak set a personal best on the event, scoring a 9.825 and tied for fourth with Ken-tucky’s Jasmine Minion.

Some uncharacteristically low bar scores pushed the Flashes behind the Wildcats by almost two tenths, but sophomore Erin Rothrock prevailed in a three-way tie for first scoring a 9.850.

Head coach Brice Big-gin was disappointed with the scoring and believed that more than one gymnast deserved higher marks.

“Lenny might have been off on a cast or two,” Biggin said. “But Abou (Mitri) had just a little wobble on her dis-mount and that was it. She hit every handstand. It’s frus-trating, but the girls did what they needed to do.”

The season-long challenge of the beam exercise is where the Flashes excelled over the Wildcats by meeting their goal of hitting five out of six routines. The Flashes counted not one fall, and the first four gymnasts went up and per-formed solid routines.

Senior Brittany Kopp was very pleased with the beam team’s performance consid-

Gymnasts find their fireering their past struggle on the event.

“It felt amazing to go up and not have a fall before me,” Kopp said. “That just felt so great, hav-ing the first three girls hit. The intensity from the crowd was great.”

Placing first on the event was junior Christine Abou-Mitri who tied her personal best of a 9.875. Tying for fourth with Kentucky’s Hillary Furguson was sopho-more Brianna Skiffington, who set a personal best (9.775) after struggling to find focus in previ-ous meets.

The Flashes continued to make up ground on the Wildcats in the fourth rotation on floor. While the Wildcats took top honors in the event, the Flashes showed extraordinary determination. Placing third was senior Lydia Barrett (9.875) and in a three-way tie for fourth was Lenny, Abou-Mitri and Minion of Kentucky (9.850).

Once aga in , Abou-Mit r i showed why she is ranked in the top 25 in the country in the all-around competition as she placed first in the meet with a score of 39.275. Following her was her teammate Lenny (38.600) and in third was Andrea Mitchell of Kentucky (38.450).

Biggin couldn’t say more positive things about Abou-Mitri and her success as an all-around competitor.

“She’s just not budging,” Big-gin said. “That girl refuses to break. She’s so focused right now in the way she’s competing and leading this team.”

Coach Sharon Sabin would have l iked to have topped her alma mater, but was still extremely proud of the girls’ performance.

“You’re upset because you lost, but we actually didn’t lose 100 percent,” she said. “Our kids were faced with a team and they didn’t crumble or choke. They rose to the occasion.”

The fight that Sabin saw in the team is what she hopes to see in the future, especially in the Mid-American Conference Cham-pionship that draws closer and closer. Biggin was disappointed that the 21-meet home winning streak came to an end, but felt that regardless of the loss, the

meet can still be looked at as a positive thing.

“Wins and losses matter to a point,” he said. “We did what we needed to do tonight to feel successful. The win streak comes to an end to a team that’s ranked 15th in the country, and it took their best meet of the season. We know we did our job.”

Kopp was upset about the loss, but had similar emotions as her coaches.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” she said. “It’s my second to last home meet as a senior. It would have been nice to pull out a win, but we have to take the good that happened tonight. And there was so much good that happened. We can’t focus on the loss.”

Contact sports reporter Katie Corbut at [email protected].

JESSICA KANALAS | DAILY KENT STATERJunior gymnast Christina Lenny performs on the vault during yester-day’s meet against Kentucky. Lenny received a 9.9 on her performance and took first place in the overall vault results. The Flashes lost the meet against the Wildcats.

Earn top-team score for season

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

Rachel JonesDaily Kent Stater

Heading into day two of the Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships with four wrestlers in title matches, the Kent State wres-tling team had a series of upsets and emerged with five wrestlers advanc-ing to the NCAA Championships.

The No. 16 Flashes placed sec-ond in the tournament this week-end with 73 points behind Central Michigan’s 94 points.

Kent State coach Jim Andrassy said he had mixed emotions about the tournament.

“We had five national qualifiers, so I’m pretty happy about that,” Andrassy said. “Overall, we were expected to get second, but it would have been nice to upset (Central Michigan).”

Senior Danny Mitcheff (30-3) dominated Central Michigan’s Scotti Sentes, ranked first in the MAC, win-ning 8-2. After Sentes beat him at the home match Feb. 21, Mitcheff said he was excited to win the rematch.

“I knew it was going to be tough just because he’s beaten me earlier,” Mitcheff said. “Losing’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes you learn from it, and I did and got the win because of it.”

Mitcheff, ranked eighth in the nation, took the 133-pound champi-onship title, which advances him to the NCAA Championships.

“The biggest part was definitely winning against the guy I lost to before,” Mitcheff said. “I feel good about the win. It gave me more con-fidence.“

The upset set a new Kent State record for most career wins (127). For the second year in a row, the senior took home the award for the Most Outstanding MAC Wrestler. Andrassy said all of those accom-plishments in just two days are minor to Mitcheff.

“This is just one step for Dan-ny,” Andrassy said. “He’s wrestled about as well as I’ve ever seen him wrestle before. If he wrestles like he did in that last match, he could be a

Wrestling sends five to NCAA Championships

CAITLIN SIRSE | DAILY KENT STATERSenior Danny Mitcheff fights for position against Central Michigan sophomore Scotti Sentes in the 133-pound title match at the Mid-American Conference Championships at the Rose Center yesterday. Mitcheff won the match 8-2 and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.

national champ, and that’s what he’s looking to do.”

In one of the closest matches of the tournament, sophomore Bren-dan Barlow, ranked 15th in the nation, upset Central Michigan’s Jarod Trice for the MAC title at 285 pounds. Barlow had only one word to describe the match: long.

“I was hurting,” Barlow said. “I went into it knowing I could win, but I didn’t really expect it to come down that far.”

The Central Michigan crowd roared through the nine overtime periods while the heavyweights battled for the MAC Champion-ship title and a ticket to nationals. Andrassy and Central Michigan coach Tom Borrelli argued over almost every call the referees made, but Barlow said he did not mind.

“I was getting really tired, so it was nice when the coaches would argue, and I caught my breath.”

In tiebreaker three, Barlow ended the 4-4 match by earning riding time advantage by three seconds.

“I was happy Barlow could hold off the way he did and stay calm,” Andrassy said. “(Trice) gets a little bit out of control sometimes.”

After defeating Trice, ranked third in the nation, Barlow expects a high seeding in the NCAA Championships. While his ulti-mate goal is to be an All-Ameri-can, Barlow is currently focusing on getting healthy again.

“I was healthy all year until a week before this,” Barlow said. “I got sick right before this, and I pulled a muscle in my rib. Adren-aline is a pain killer, I guess.”

Sophomore Dustin Kilgore (33-1), ranked first in the nation, continued his winning streak at the tournament by defeating Ohio’s Nick Purdue by major decision, 13-5.

“I’m excited,” Kilgore said. “I was able to get a major (decision) in each of my matches. I came in here and wasn’t really expecting that.”

Ranked first in the MAC, Kilg-

ore said he did not know what to expect at this tournament.

“I use the same strategy for each match, but (this weekend) I wasn’t going out like I usually do,” Kilg-ore said. “I was just going crazy. I actually had to step back a little bit. Just because you’re seeded first, you don’t know what’s going to happen. I went out there and got the job done.”

As the 184-pound champion, Kilgore automatically advances to nationals.

“I’ve been sick lately, but once I get past that, I’ll be 100 percent,” Kilgore said. “I’m going in there looking to be an All-American and win it.”

Sophomore Ross Tice (25-12) placed second in the 165-pound weight class. The runner-up title advances him to the NCAA Championships. Tice wrestled five matches total, which is more than any Kent State wrestler competed in this weekend.

Freshman Keith Witt, ranked third in the MAC, placed second in the 174-weight class. With an upset Saturday and a loss Sunday, Witt still qualified for nationals.

The fourth-place finishers for Kent State were sophomore Troy Opfer (17-19) at 125 pounds and freshman Chase Skonieczny (21-17) at 141 pounds.

While there are a set number of wrestlers per weight class who will advance to nationals after this weekend, the NCAA will announce the 33 at-large qualifiers Wednesday. The NCAA Champi-onships will take place March 16-18 in Omaha, Neb.

“We’re going to give the guys a few days off to rest,” Andrassy said, “to get their bodies back and let them feel good about everything.”

Contact sports reporter Rachel Jones at [email protected].

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ONLINEKentWired.comView an audio soundslide of the MAC Wrestling Championships.

Page 4: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Page 4 | Monday, March 8, 2010 Daily Kent Stater

DKS EDITORIAL BOARD

ABOUT THE OPINION PAGEThe Stater hopes to encourage lively debate

about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily en dorsed by the Stater or its editors.

Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions become pro perty of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.

Submit letters to:■ Letters to

the EditorDaily Kent Stater

240 Franklin Hall/KSU

Kent, Ohio 44242■ [email protected]

Subject: Letters to

the Editor■ Fax:

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The Opinion Page is an outlet for

our community’s varied opinions. FAMOUS QUOTE

“Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.”.”— Zelda Fitzgerald

OPI

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Doug Gulasy Editor Christina Stavale Managing editor Sarah Steimer Forum editor

Thomas Gallick City editorCaitlin SirsePhoto editorSara ScanesMultimedia editor

VIEWour

A healthy distrust

SUMMARY: Almost everyone tells us that education is one of the most important

things in the world, but then they make it almost too expensive to attain.

Last week I wrote a column in response to one written by another columnist. The column was called “Country first” by Anastasia Spytsya (Feb. 25), and my response was called “How I learned to stop worrying and love America” (March 1).

I expected a response, and I got one. It attacked my intel-lect and my irresponsibility as a lazy, disinterested American lib-eral journalist who committed his distrust in the powers that be to paper for no reason other than to get a laugh.

Sure, I like to throw a joke or two in a column, and I’m never opposed to the occasional ram-bling. Frankly, if it were not for this column, newspaper writing would bore me to death.

I responded to a column I found to be incredibly oversim-plified, nationalistic and encour-aging of a mentality I believe only furthers the issues we face as a nation.

My column was called anti-patriotic. Unfortunately, this is the most primitive division between conservatives and liber-als, and to perpetuate this divi-sion is wrong.

I am not unpatriotic or anti-patriotic. I am opposed to blind, unwavering nationalism. It is dangerous and there is nothing unpatriotic about saying that.

Plus, I was not a big fan of the downright xenophobic state-ment about Canada made by my fellow columnist, which still has not been addressed.

If there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s when someone legiti-mizes his or her views by com-paring them to the forefathers.

But while we are here I just have to ask: Am I not exercis-ing my most fundamental right, one held in the highest regard by those who wrote dissenting pieces like “Common Sense” or the “treasonous” Declaration of Independence, by addressing my grievances through writ-ing? Surely Thomas Paine would think so.

(Oh, for the record, “pieces of writing” is not derogation. I write pieces, you write pieces, Heming-way wrote pieces).

I have always had my rights handed to me, as it was put, but among those rights is the right to question my government. I use that right to its fullest extent, and it has led me toward contempt for our government. Philosophically, our country was founded on con-tempt and distrust. It functions as it does because politicians do not trust one another and we do not blindly trust politicians.

Look at a situation like the war in Iraq. Opposition to the war does not exist solely because pacifism exists. Opposition exists because there is a historical context.

People remember images of the My Lai Massacre when they see images from Abu Ghraib. They aren’t exactly the same, but it’s easy to see how one is a deri-vation of the other. Plus, make a quick switch from “spread of

DID YOU KNOW?

On this day in 1917 In Russia, the February Revolution (known as such because of Rus-sia’s use of the Julian calendar) began when riots and strikes over the scarcity of food erupted in Petrograd.— History.com

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WAYNE STAYSKAL’S VIEW

The most backward decision in AmericaLast Thursday, thousands of college stu-

dents across the country protested budget cuts to state university systems. Students took to the streets, letting lawmakers hear their pleas to put money back into the schools.

The argument many are making is that such cuts to publicly funded institutions drive up tuition, limit classes and make higher education unavailable to many low-income students.

And there should be protest. Cutting money from higher-education budgets is a completely backwards way of taking care of business dur-ing a recession. As much as any student would understand that the cuts must happen some-where, how could it make sense to anyone, student or not, to essentially take money away from the future: us?

It is difficult enough as it is for many stu-dents to pay for college and demanding that they pay higher is absurd. If anything, students

should have to pay less in times of recessions because they are hurting much more than oth-ers. It’s difficult to tell a student with a 15-cred-it hour load who is already working one job to pick up another so he or she can pay for those credits.

And what if a student in a particular major can no longer take a very important class just because it’s unpopular and was determined worthy of being cut? This student, who is already paying plenty to get the education he or she deserves, can no longer do so.

What do we say to the brilliant high school senior who had always planned of going to college to study medicine but now cannot do so because the costs are just too high and his family can’t give him the financial help he needs? This could have been the student who made a serious medical breakthrough if given the chance.

If people plan to proceed to tell young peo-ple that college is an absolute necessity, things had better change in terms of funding. Do not tell someone they need food to survive, then refuse to help them attain the nourishment they need.

Education is terribly important in our country, especially if we, as a nation, hope to remain at the top. Why add obstacles to that? We have every right to protest this twisted decision to cut higher education funding. And protest we will.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board whose

members are listed to the left.

Nick Baker

Frank Yonkof

Apparently, loving people is a crime

communism” to “spread of ter-rorism” and you basically have it down.

I listed some of the greatest crimes committed by our govern-ment since the nation’s inception in the hopes of getting people to say, “Damn, that’s a long list. What happened with Freeway Ricky Ross and the CIA? Maybe I should read about it.”

Instead, I was told to examine issues in other countries, specifi-cally the former Soviet Union, in hopes that I would relent a little on my contempt toward some of the American atrocities I listed in my previous column.

There was mention of the Ukrainian genocide, which was used in an effort to challenge my worldly knowledge. Inter-estingly enough, this babied liberal was raised by the son of conservative Ukrainian immi-grants. My grandmother, Luba, was born in the Ukraine in 1924. I never met my grandfather. She keeps the wedding photo and marriage license in a box at my uncle’s house in Cincinnati. It may have something to do with the SS guards on either side of the “wedding party” or the eagle and swastika stamp at the top of the document.

She survived the Ukrainian genocide, though not all her fam-ily was so fortunate. Her first-born infant son was killed dur-ing the war. She survived labor camps administrated by both Stalin and Hitler’s regimes, and immigrated to the United States in the late 1940s.

Just saying. I’m a little more familiar than you may think.

In all seriousness, because what seems to be the reoccurring criticism of my columns is that they lack seriousness, I wrote the original piece to do anything but pass the time.

Some of the most poignant political and social commentary in modern history has been humor-ous. While I will not commit my column to the “most poignant” list, there is nothing wrong with making a point through humor.

But I am dead serious.I have the right to think and

speak for myself, regardless of what someone may define as “patriotism.” So I’m going to flog a popular horse from the conser-vative stable and leave you with this:

Don’t tread on me.

Nick Baker is a senior magazine journalism major and columnist

for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].

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The “animal rights” community was cer-tainly unhappy with my column last week (“Humans always come before animals,” March 1) when I stated that I would never donate mon-ey to an animal shelter because I would much rather donate to human causes.

It provided good entertainment as one girl compared me to “Hitler, Stalin and Caesar” before claiming my editors should be “eutha-nized” for printing such a view, that a human life is more precious than that of an animal.

But the most entertaining response came from fellow columnist Thisanjali Gangoda (“Humans are animals…,”March 4), who was not too happy with the fact that human beings come first in my book.

“Once again, Mr. Yonkof has proved to be insensitive, illogical and one-sided in framing his arguments, this time about why animals are less worthy creatures than humans.”

I suspect that she jumped to conclusions about things I simply never said.

For the record, I never discouraged people from donating to animal shelters. Why? Because I really don’t care if they do or don’t.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m passionate about my opinions and have no problem putting them out there. But at the end of the day, I rarely (if ever) claim my ideas are the “truth.” I’m just here to provide my worldview on things. And no one is forcing Gangoda to read my columns, especially when I have never finished reading any of hers.

What I did discourage in that last column, however, is the mindset that humans and ani-mals are on the same level. It’s a sad, sad day when a self proclaimed “human rights activist” cannot stand up for the basic right that human beings, while never perfect, deserve to be treat-ed with more respect than an animal.

What I did not say was that animal abuse is justifiable in any way. Surely people are respon-sible for the animals they choose to own, and I would never kick a puppy because it was in my way. But if I had to choose between saving a child or a kitten from a fire, I would surely save the kid.

I thought everyone would do the same. But apparently, I was mistaken.

Gangoda is living in a Disney fairy tale when she makes statements on how animals and people are “one of the same.” Even better, “No two causes are alike and no one cause trumps another in importance.” So I guess the Facebook group “Bring back Saved by the Bell” is just as legitimate as the Make a Wish Foundation?

To be quite honest, I’m not upset that Gango-da chose to attack my column. If she was in one of my classes, I would have no problem mak-ing friendly conversation with her. I guess I was more disappointed she missed the main point of my column: Some people give more respect to animals than they do to people.

Was it really fair for someone on KentWired.com to claim that my editors should be “euthanized” because I simply wrote an opin-ion she didn’t like? I know online commentators are sometimes unbalanced, but talking about killing a human because I refuse to donate to an animal shelter?

It goes to show you that a column can be tak-en wildly out of context. The idea was simple, but in the end, it proved too simple for many to handle, and everyone was analyzing what I supposedly stopped short of saying.

I think after two weeks of back and fourth snickering, people are tired of all this Forump-Page drama. Lord knows those Thursday girls are crazy, and I for one am looking forward to getting back to talking about less controversial topics like politics and religion.

Frank Yonkof is a sophomore newspaper journalism major and columnist for the Daily

Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].

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Molly Cahill

Total buzzkillGrowing up where I did in California, I

found there were typically two schools of thought when it came to the military: You either thought they were on par with baby-killers or a back-up plan to pay for college. And up until about two years ago, I have to say I personally didn’t care one way or the other as long as they left me out of it.

But finding out that a guy my brother and I grew up with joined the Marines right out of high school forced me to re-evaluate that stance. And when my brother decided to fol-low him, I could no longer pretend it was someone else’s problem.

There is no way to truly describe just how haunting a military graduation is to someone who has never been to one. I’ve seen two, and I can still remember the sight of row upon row of faceless young men, some not even old enough to drink, standing at attention on the parade deck. They said it was supposed to be a celebration of boys becoming men and how far they had come, but the only thing I could think about was how many of them would be dead 10 years down the road.

People assume you’re proud and happy that a member of your family decided to join the military. I don’t think it’s really one of those things you can learn to be happy about. Learn to accept that person’s decision and be

happy for them, yes, but if you don’t start out overjoyed you’re unlikely to feel that way later.

Knowing there are people out there risk-ing their lives for their country is very dif-ferent from the knowledge that one of them was once the baby you remember your par-ents bringing home from the hospital. The only thing worse than the constant worry he will be deployed is trying to keep a smile on my face when people say how thankful they are that my brother chose to serve his coun-try. A word to the wise: Think before you speak. Because not everyone is going to want to hear you “semper fi” them to death.

There was a sort of long-standing joke in my family that if the government ever rein-stated the draft, we would be relocating to Canada. I say joke but there is no doubt in my mind about our worshiping the maple

leaf if the time came. Most of our friends were dumbstruck to find out my brother had joined voluntarily. I will admit I had a good bit of fun springing the news on people when they were drinking.

The hardest thing to get used to was how seldom he and I get to hang out now. We were always very close as a family and before he joined the Marines, the longest we’d gone without seeing each other was maybe three weeks. So those first 13 weeks while he was in boot camp were difficult. Now because I’m away at school in Ohio, I’m lucky if we can manage to be in the same place every four months.

Accepting the decisions of people you are close to can be difficult and may even change your own perspective in unexpected ways. So don’t buy that house in Quebec just yet. Besides if you think Ohio has miserable win-ters, try visiting Montreal.

Molly Cahill is a senior pre-journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater.

Contact her at [email protected].

44

Page 5: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Daily Kent Stater Monday, March 8, 2010 | Page 5

55

POLICE BLOTTERThe blotter is a record of charges

filed by the police. The listings do not represent convictions or reflect guilt. It is the Daily Kent Stater’s policy to publish on-campus and off cam-pus arrests, charges and incidents of interest to the public.

CAMPUSTHURSDAYn Kristin M. Packer, 19, of Wadsworth was charged with underage drinking at the M.A.C. Center. n Eric R. Kahle, 18, of Solon was charged with public indecency at Wright Hall. n An alcohol violation was reported at Fletcher Hall. n A miscellaneous drug offense was reported at Prentice Hall. n Dominique R. Brown, 20, of Detroit was charged with disorderly conduct at Koonce Hall. FRIDAY n Bradley R. Cain, 18, of Brook Park was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Sean M. Patterson, 19, of Brook Park was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Sean E. Dolan, 19, of Brook Park was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Kyle D. Smith, 19, of Strongsville was charged with underage drinking at Prentice Hall. n Matthew A. Tuttle, 19, of Cuyahoga Falls was charged with a miscellaneous drug offense and possession of drug paraphernalia at Dunbar Hall. n Christopher P. Edwards, 19, of Cuyahoga Falls was charged with a miscellaneous drug offense and possession of drug paraphernalia at Dunbar Hall. n Nicole M. Shevlino, 19, of Massillon was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n Lauren A. Paddock, 18, of Clarence, N.Y., was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n A miscellaneous drug offense was reported at Prentice Hall. n Taylor L. Stefanov, 19, of Canton was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n Lindsey S. Schultz, 18, of McMurray, Pa., was charged with underage drinking at Fletcher Hall. n Matthew T. Altman, 20, of Plain City was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Allen J. Unkefer, 19, of Homeworth was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Maria N. DeFranco, 19, of Independence was charged with underage drinking at McDow-ell Hall. n Michael C. Swigert, 20, of Louisville was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Richard A. Otis, 20, of Cleves was charged with underage drinking at McDowell Hall. n Criminal damage was reported at the Music and Speech Center and Allyn Hall. n Disorderly conduct was reported at Prentice Hall.

Darren D’AltorioDaily Kent Stater

This upcoming fall, a chal-lenge is being issued to Kent’s elementary schools. Students at each of Kent’s five elementary schools must attempt to collec-tively accumulate one million minutes of reading outside the classroom.

The program is called “Reading Millionaires,” a reading incentive project first implemented in a Georgia ele-mentary school in 1995.

Joseph Giancola, superin-tendent of Kent City Schools, said the program is based on a reward system. Students will read recreationally, keep-ing track of their minutes in a log. Parents will sign off on the minutes. The schools keep track of the totals. Students in classrooms that accumulate the most minutes will be rewarded with books.

“The plan is for students to be reading more outside of school,” Giancola said. “More reading equals more success.”

Giancola collaborated with Kent Rotary International and Nancy Padak, professor of teaching, learning and cur-riculum studies at Kent State, to introduce this idea to the school district.

Giancola asked Padak to speak about literacy in the

Kent City Elementary Schools to adopt reading initiative this fallIncentive-based program rewards books to top readers

community at one of the Rotary’s meetings with the goal of part-nering with the schools in some capacity.

Using $5,500 of grant money, Kent Rotary International will pro-vide the books for the program.

“The Rotary sees the impor-tance of developing partnerships,” Padak said. “They see how impor-tant education is to their organiza-tion.”

Padak said 20 percent of adults in the U.S. cannot read and write well enough to get by in everyday life. She said Reading Millionaires helps kids develop good reading habits at a young age.

“Reading achievement is due to how much kids read,” Padak said. “They must put their noses in books.”

Giancola said the program’s success would be measured when the next round of the Ohio Achievement Assessment is given to students.

“It would be nice to see incre-mental change,” he said. “Any change in student growth is worth being happy.”

Padak said she has seen the program work with great success, but it will take more than this to help students struggling with reading comprehension catch-up.

The Ohio Department of Edu-cation 2008-2009 report card for Kent City School District shows the district fluctuating around 10 percent above the state require-ment of 75 percent in reading comprehension. The percentages steadily decline from 87 percent at the third grade level to 75.9 per-cent at the eighth grade level.

“There is a diverse group here in Kent,” Giancola said. “There are

economically disadvantaged parents trying to keep up, but they don’t have the time and energy.

“Wherever there is econom-ic need, it’s likely reading is at risk. Where there is economic disadvantage, there is academ-ic disadvantage.”

Right now, the project is in a developmental stage.

Lori Slattery, director of instructional programming for Kent City Schools, said she is developing the reading logs and other forms parents and teachers will use during the program. She will be dispens-ing information to teachers, students and their families as details are finalized.

“This gives every kid the opportunity to own a book,” Slattery said. “The Rotary wants books in kids’ hands.”

Padak is confident of the effect this program will have on elementary students in Kent.

“I know this works,” she said. “I know the research. It’s based on principles that work, and it’s elegant in its simplic-ity.”

Giancola is looking at it from a research perspective.

“This is education research,” he said. “We don’t have experi-ence with this, so I have no idea of the reality of achieving one million minutes. I don’t know if it is achievable.”

Contact public affairs reporter Darren D’Altorio at

[email protected].

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Strickland visits Portage County recycling facilityAnthony Holloway Daily Kent Stater

Portage County leaders and their associates presented Gov. Ted Strickland with a project proposal Friday afternoon during a visit to the Portage County Solid Waste Management facility in Brimfield.

Strickland said he came to the facility to “learn and listen.”

The visit started with a tour of the plant. Strickland viewed what William Steiner II, director of the Portage County Solid Waste Man-agement facility, said is the biggest waste management plant in Ohio.

Steiner said he wanted to be able to show Strickland what they were doing at the facility and that despite the economy, the facility is running efficiently after recycling numbers increased by 100 tons this past year. In 2007, the plant shipped out more than 22 million pounds of recycled products, including glass, plastic and aluminum cans.

Following the tour, Strickland made his way to hear a presentation from Vadxx Energy CEO Jim Gar-rett. Garrett, who has experience in energy business with Marathon Oil Corporation and others, told Strickland and the crowd of Portage County leaders about his intention of turning formally unrecyclable materials into crude oil.

“This is not a research project,” he said. “We have letters of intent in hand for four commercial units.”

Garrett said besides Portage County Solid Waste Management facility, the others are from places in Summit and Cuyahoga counties.

Steiner said the relationship

between the Portage County plant and Vadxx Energy is still prema-ture and has yet to be approved.

Garrett touched on the advantag-es of Vadxx Energy on how it would affect the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, but he also empha-sized one advantage important to Ohio by dedicating one PowerPoint slide to the issue, reading, “good jobs, good jobs, good jobs.”

“One unit employs about 20 peo-ple,” he said. $55,000 a year, com-pensation and benefits, good jobs. Technician jobs, electrician jobs.

There’s one plant, one of our partners, that has a plant that could take 20 to 30 units. He has already a letter of intent with us. He is out of Cleveland, but he runs a multi-state organization.”

Vadxx Energy CTO William Ullom said the output per unit is eight gallons of oil per minute and 90,000 barrels of oil per year.

Portage County leaders aren’t the only ones interested in the possibilities, though.

“These units will be manufac-tured in Akron, Ohio,” he said. “The Republic of China heard about this and offered us a grant to move our manufacturing facilities to China. Well, we said ‘no, thank you,’ with words to that effect.

That’s what we’re focused on, translating this technology into good jobs for Ohioans, and we think we have a good shot at that. “

Strickland said despite the many appealing advantages, there is still an added benefit.

“If you weren’t concerned about jobs being created, the energy being created or the influence of imported

EMILY HORNE| DAILY KENT STATERGov. Ted Strickland visits the Portage County Solid Waste Management facility Friday afternoon to hear a proposal that could help change the way Portage County recycles.

nology development that makes existing industries more produc-tive, is looking to be renewed for $700 million that will be utilized over the next four years.

Strickland sat in on the pre-sentation with others from the county such as County Commis-sioners President Chuck Keiper; Dan Banks, Board of Commis-sioners grant administrator, and members of the Brimfield Town-ship council.

Contact reporter Anthony Holloway at [email protected].

oil, you take all those off the table,” he said. “It’s still a good thing to do because of the environmental aspect. I don’t see any downside.“

Garrett said the current hurdle is getting capital. The costs estimated for the machines total $2 million. Ullom said since one of Vadxx Ener-gy’s units produces 90,000 barrels of oil a year, and with the cost of a barrel of oil up to around $75, there would be a positive cash flow once oil production begins.

Garrett said this cash flow allows for future assistance to be needed.

“There is a lot of advanced energy out there that need continuous gov-ernment support. This is not one of

them. If we knock the first couple of dominos over, the market forces will really take off.”

Strickland was expected to talk about the different grant programs Ohio is looking to offer businesses, but the length of the Vadxx presenta-tion overtook his time. He was able to comment on what he had going on with those programs.

“It’s a proven job-creating pro-gram,” he said of the Ohio Third Frontier program in an interview after the tour. “We’re hoping to renew it on the spring ballot.”

Strickland said the program, which is targeted to nurture early-stage companies and foster tech-

Page 6: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Page 6 | Monday, March 8, 2010 Daily Kent Stater

Six Kent State students worked to make this a special night, from which all the proceeds went to a trip Grace Church members are taking to Montego Bay, Jamaica, to donate time and supplies to the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf.

“Sadly, in Jamaica, deaf chil-dren are often neglected, perhaps abused, they don’t have any lan-guage,” Carrick said.

CCCD, with help from Grace Church and other missionary work, is able to educate deaf six to 22-year-olds, providing them with language, a vocation and others to connect with. The school relies on donations of basic things we take for granted, Carrick said. For example, she said, printer car-tridges, pens and craft supplies are in high demand. She said a ship-ment of Sharpies brought the prin-cipal to tears on their mission trip last year to the same school.

Kent State students help where they can while practicing their signing skills. Some were be ush-

From Page 1

WONKASignStage on Tour joins two cultures

ers, some were selling tickets and others worked in the café before the play.

Kaleigh Lambe, junior Ameri-can Sign Language major, is required to work in some capac-ity in the deaf community and said she chose the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” produc-tion because of both their work in Jamaica and the bridging of the two cultures here in the U.S.

“This will let people get a better understanding of deaf culture and how deaf people live their everyday lives,” Lambe said. “It’s not neces-sarily a disability, but a way of life.”

Co-owner and co-director Erin LaFountain, a Kent State alumna from the theater program, said the children are the ones who benefit most from this production. Instead of being forced to watch an inter-preter the entire time, the children were able to take in the wonder of the performance, she said.

“The kids sit there the entire performance looking at the side of the stage where the interpret-ers sit, but now they get to actu-ally experience it. Just to see the look of amazement on their faces is exciting,” LaFountain said.

LaFountain said that sign lan-guage isn’t just a tool for commu-nication, but a conduit for creativ-

ity, art and beauty in theater, but is a very small, often ignored, niche.

“It’s not just the art of the-ater, it’s the art of signing, too,” LaFountain said.

D a v i d P e n n y, s e n i o r applied conflict manage-ment major volunteered, said bringing deaf and hear-ing kids, as well as deaf and hearing adults, together for a common goal is one of the most fascinating parts.

“I guess a lot of the other countries have no language at all for the deaf, and if we can help out, why not?” Pen-ny said.

Friday night, Kent State students helped to bridge two cultures: the deaf and hearing, raise money for the under-privileged deaf in Jamaica and helping to pull off a marvelous play in a way it’s never been done before for deaf children, Carrick said.

Contact arts and sciencesreporter Kathryn McGonagle at

[email protected].

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

He also wants to inform Presi-dent Lester Lefton of student orga-

These programs will allow bet-ter communication between all the different student organizations, between students and the adminis-tration and between the university and the university to the city of Kent. He wants to put a string of chains in the Student Center to represent the “strong chain of the student organi-zations at Kent State.”

Secondly, he said he doesn’t think USG is well-known enough on campus. He said a lot of students didn’t even know USG was respon-sible for Jay Sean coming to Kent State. He wants to expose USG and its accomplishments to the student body. Pierce wants new, educational programming for shows and such.

He also wants to work on a freshman outreach program, which would work to make freshman more involved on campus in order to get a proper college experience.

Pierce’s third point is the idea of accountability. This includes goal set-ting, director and student account-ability and guidance. All of these points, Pierce said, push for prog-ress. He wants next year’s student government to affect the student

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GUSTOFFUSG Executive Directors

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PIERCEUSG Executive Directors

government 10 years from now.His final point is that of diversity.

He wants to work with different cul-tures and organizations in Kent State to “diffuse culture,” which, he said, will show what every culture and organization has in common. This involves utilizing what he called the tipping point.

“The tipping point is what I’m going to be pushing,” Pierce said, “and that is bringing student orga-nizations together and collaborating on projects, student organizations that would never come together.” He mentioned an example that he has connected UNICEF with the Dodgeball for Haiti event.

“My personality has grown,” Pierce said, “into one where I just won’t feel worthwhile if I’m not doing something significant, if I’m not helping make a difference on campus.”

— Nick Glunt

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

nizations and to create a listserv to the presidents of all organizations on campus. He said he thinks orga-nizations are important to Kent State because they help improve the col-lege experience for students.

“The goals that I have,” Gustoff said, “I want them to be realistic.”

He said he doesn’t want to be some politician that makes “obnox-ious goals” that never pan out.

Gustoff said security at Kent State is the main issue he wants to address. He hopes to do so by working with the city police, campus security, the city of Kent, residence halls, the administration staff and Kent Inter-hall Council.

He said he has a dream of put-ting up some kind of security post on Main Street to enhance the security of students coming back to campus from downtown Kent.

Another goal of his is to attend one meeting of every student orga-nization on campus. He wants to be acquainted and familiar with every organization.

“The passion that I would have for this position,” Gustoff said, “is second to none. Bottom line.”

— Nick Glunt

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATERCharlie Bucket, played by Craig Fogel of Sign Stage On Tour, has just realized that he was the finder of the final golden ticket. Sign Stage On Tour is a professional children’s theatre company that tours nationally producing deaf theatre. Sign Stage On Tour produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Signs of Grace Church on Friday evening. All proceeds went to the CCCD School of the Deaf in Jamaica.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City was held up as a national example of bold thinking when it tried to integrate its schools by making them better than the suburban districts where many kids were moving. The result was one school with an Olym-pic-sized swimming pool and another with recording studios.

Now it’s on the brink of bank-ruptcy and considering another bold move: closing nearly half its schools to stay afloat.

Schools off ic ia ls say the cuts are necessary to keep the district from plowing through what little is left of the $2 billion it received as part of a ground-breaking desegregation case.

Buffeted for years by declin-ing enrollment, political squab-bling and a revolving door of leadership, the district’s fortunes are so bleak that Superintendent

John Covington has said diplo-mas given to many graduates “aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”

Kansas City is among the most striking examples of the chal lenges of saving urban school districts. The city used gobs of cash to improve facili-ties, but boosting lagging test scores and stemming the exodus of students were more elusive. Like other big-city districts, it finds itself struggling to become more than just the last resort for large pockets of poverty in the urban core.

Some districts like Boston and Cleveland have tried busing in students from other neighbor-hoods, while others such as Chi-cago have built magnet schools with specialized facilities and curriculums.

The latest possible solution

for Kansas City is the plan Cov-ington submitted to the school board last week that called for closing 29 out of 61 schools to eliminate a projected $50 mil-lion budget shortfall. Coving-ton also has said he wants to cut about 700 of the district’s 3,000 jobs, including 285 teachers. The school board vote is Wednesday.

The proposal has stunned the community.

“It’s crazy,” said Donnell Fletcher, the father of two girls, ages 4 and 12. “I just hope that with all the changes that they are planning on making, that the kids are the ones who are the most important and that hope-fully they will get the resources and the education they need to be successful.”

— Associated Press

Kansas City wants to close half of its public schools

Page 7: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Classified ads can be placed by FAX at (330) 672-4880, over the phone at (330) 672-2586 or by e-mail at [email protected]. If you fax or e-mail an ad, please be sure to include run dates, payment info and a way for us to contact you.

For information about placing a Display ad please call our offices at 330-672-2586 or visit us at 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

By Linda Black

Today’s birthday (3/8/10)This year you feel driven to ac-complish more with the opportuni-ties you are given. Find time each day to dream in solitude. Then, carry those dreams into the world of partnership. Share your ideas. If necessary, draw them into your private space to share inspiration.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 6. Obsess early in the day. Get it out of your system. Then accept a challenge to change the way others view your work. They don’t need to understand your motivation.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)Today is a 7. Logic compels you to demand substance from your co-workers. They have little desire for anything but fantasy. Try not to demand compliance today.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)Today is a 6. Social contacts obsess over tiny details. Create a differ-ent perspective in which minu-tiae blend into the bigger picture. Agreement will follow.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)Today is a 5. Don’t fuss when associates continue to brainstorm and you prefer action. You can’t do it all today anyway. Plan it for tomorrow.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)Today is a 6. You worry about the plan that was made long ago. Can everyone attend? Go ahead, even if someone calls in sick. You don’t want to delay.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Today is a 6. Your partner is out thinking up ways to spend the mon-ey. Hopefully you’ve established a budget beforehand.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Today is an 8. Circumstances allow you to either fall in love, increase the power of a current relationship, or direct your passion into growing your beauty.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)Today is an 8. Although you obsess about creative elements in the design, the overall project holds together nicely. Associates polish up the appearance.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Today is a 7. You want it all: love, recognition and responsibility. Well, maybe not so much responsibil-ity. Take every action necessary to move it forward.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)Today is a 7. It’s a good thing that you enjoy your work, because to-day the pressure’s on to get more done in less time. Relax in order to get into the flow.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Today is an 8. Although the ball’s in your court, there’s a lot of action on the other side. Take care of your responsibilities and leave oth-ers to theirs.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7. If your feelings aren’t already pinned to your sleeve, wear them proudly. You can’t hide them anyway. Earlier efforts bear fruit.

horoscopePregnancy Center of Kent. Here to Help (330) 839-9919

Mike’s Place Monday nights32 cent wings - $2 margaritas

Mike’s Place Tuesday nights $2.50 gyros - $2 Long

Islands - Bar only

PLAY SPORTS! HAVE FUN! SAVE MONEY!Maine camp needs fun-loving counselors to teach All land, adventure & water sports. Great Summer! Call 888-844-8080, apply: campcedar.com

Office assistant needed. Kent area apartment community is looking for an office assistant. Full Time Summer help. General responsibilities include customer service, general office responsibility, phones/computer and some sales. The successful candidate will be organized, self-motivated, outgoing and possess good communication skills. Fax resume to (330) 677-4651 attention Jeanette. A drug free work place.

Local part-time furniture mover needed. Must be available at least 2 full days a week. Monday-Sunday. $11/hour to start for helpers. $13/hour for drivers (clean license required) 330-689-1900.

Brubaker’s Pub, Stow now hiring cocktail waitresses and servers. Apply in-person Monday-Friday 10a.m.-6p.m. at 4141 Bridgewater Parkway, Stow

Bartenders needed - no experience required. Earn $20-60/hour. Call us at 740-205-6432.

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Cooperative (MVOC) is seeking a full-time Community Organizer Fellow to work in the Youngstown and Warren, Ohio communities. The Fellow will work with a senior community organizer to coordinate grassroots issue campaigns and projects, identify and develop leaders, and bring together a broad base of institutions and residents to work collectively to address quality of life issues.

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collective is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Youngstown/Warren Region by identifying and developing leaders, organizing neighborhoods, and building capacity to achieve healthy communities.

Qualifications:-Excellent written and oral communication skills, organizaion, interpersonal skills and ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds.-Proficient in Microsoft programs including Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, and internet research.-Interest in social justice issues-Must have a valid Ohio driver’s license and access to a reliable car.

For more information, visit www.mvorganizing.org/organizingfellow or email your resume and cover letter to [email protected].

NIGHT CLUBNOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS

ARENASports & Entertainment Complex

(Formerly Mustang Salliz)1543 Streetsboro Plaza Drive 44241Apply in Person Mon, Tues & Wed

4pm to [email protected]

Free Psychic Readings 3-5 pm every ThursdayEmpire 135 E. Main St. Kent

www.empirekent.com

Found money in parking area of Circle K on Main Street in Kent across from Whitehall on Thursday, Feb.4, 2010 at approximately 8:30 am. If you can describe the number of bills, their denominations, how they were folded and the total amount, arrangements will be made to return it to you. Email: [email protected]

Field Jacket found on campus - contact Peggy 330-672-5822.

NOW LEASING FOR FALL5,4,2,1 bedroom Houses.Efficiency. Good Location Near KSU.Call (330) 554-8353

Whitehall East Townhomes - 4 or 5 bedroom leases, with 3 bathrooms, great rent options with all inclusive plans. Some newly rennovated, all units washer/dryer and dishwaher included. Call or text today 330-990-4019. www.whitehall-east.com

LUXURY 4-BEDROOM UNITSlarge, clean, all appliances + FREE washer/dryer. (330) 714-0819

Shrewsberry Rentals 3, 4, and 6 bedrooms starting at $900. 4 bedrooms $1475. 6 bedrooms $2,000. Trash, sewer, and recycling paid. 330-221-2881

Spacious 2&3 bdrm apts @ Holly Park. Gas heat paid Sign up now for fall and receive $100 off first 6 months based on a twelve-month lease. (330) 678-0823

Now leasing for fall. 2br apt $699-750 a month includes gas, water and trash. Many great amenities. Hurry in now, before you get locked out. (330) 673-8887

Now accepting applications for summer and fall! Studios, 1&2 bedrooms still available-Hurry In! 330-678-0746

**Summer and Fall Specials** Furnished/unfurnished studios, 1&2 bedrooms, Call now 330-678-0123

Rent in KentEnjoy spacious 4&5 bedrooms duplexes with 2 full baths. Great condition, great location, A/C, W/D, dishwasher, deck, garage. $1,200-1,750. 330-808-4045

GREAT PRICES! GREAT PROPERTIES!3, 4 & 5 bdrm properties starting at $1000/mo. Call Rich at 330-807-6090

Now Leasing for Summer and Fall.2 BR Apts. Heat, Trash & Water pd.Pool, Pets welcome, $665-$725.Close to KSU 330-673-5364

NO WATER BILL! NO GAS BILL!4&5 Bedroom duplex available for fall starting at $330/mo!Each side has 2 bath, W/D. Dishwasher, deck, garage, etc. Close to campus and on bus route. Last one I have available! Call Sweeney (740)317-7294.

Remodeled, University Town Home, 5 BR, W/D, Dishwasher, 2.5 Baths, $275 per room, Will go fast, 330-808-4045

University Townhomes 5 bedroom 2.5 bath. $265/month tahays-management.com, 330-612-0767

Stow: 2 & 3 bed townhomes with one car garage. Pets welcome, 10 min from KSU. Prices $665-$850 call (330)686-2269.

Kent- 3&4 bdrm townhouses for fall, $395 pr rm includes gas & trash 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com

Kent- 1 bdrm & efficiencies for fall, starting at $450 pr mth includes ALL UTILITIES 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com

Kent- 2&3 bdrm for fall, starting at $425 pr rm some include ALL UTILITIES 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage, condo-styled duplex, on two acres, $1100/mo. 330-221-4533

Tired of a roommate? Live in our newly remodeled one bedroom apt for $495, you only pay electric. (330)678-0972.

Two bedroom apt near KSU $615 per month all utilities except electric included. Call (330)678-0972.

All real estate advertised herin is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information.

KENT/BRIMFIELD. Newer 3 & 4 Bdrm duplexes. 1 car garage. $900-$1100 per month. 330-338-5841 or 330-329-1118

Kent - 1,2&3 bedroom. $500, $590 and $750. 330-677-5577

STUDENT RENTALS FOR THE ‘10-’11 YEAR

Are you looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, a studio, a duplex, a house, or a student

rooming house with 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 bedrooms?

Our staff is ready to help you with all your housing needs.

Check out the list of available rentals on our website

www.jkohlre.comclick on Rental Management,

Student Rentals, or you can stop in or call our office.

Jack Kohl Realty EHO237 East Main Street Kent, OH

44240Phone: 330-677-4722 Fax: 330-677-

4730

Spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath duplex. LR and Family Room, W/D, A/C, $960/mo, Available July (330)630-9285.

Kent—3 bedroom, 1 full bath. 2 levels. Newer carpet+flooring. Paid water w/appliances. $750 a month. 330-815-2869.

Kent near downtown and campus 2 bedroom apartment, all utilities paid except electric, $350/bedroom + security deposit. (330)676-9440

Now Leasing for Fall a beautifully newly redecorated 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath duplex. $275/person, (330)687-6122.

Daily Kent Stater Monday, March 8, 2010 | Page 7

CLASSIFIEDSwww.KentWired.com

NOW LEASING FOR FALL1 block from KSU Beautiful newly redecorated 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse apartments $325/student 330-687-6122

For 2010-11: One Month Free Close to Campus 2 huge apartments, licensed, private parking, large yard, large front porch. 4 bedroom $1300/$325 each. 4/5 bedroom $1400, $280-$350 each. (330) 626-3957

1, 2, &3 Bedroom Houses & Duplexes all close to downtown available June and August (330) 678-7901

Available Fall: Triplex, each unit 3 Bedrooms, 1 bath house, large yard. $800. Also Large Duplex, each unit 2 bedrooms, 1 bath with garage $650; (440)953-8687 info www.yourhomerental.com

AVAILABLE NOWone large bedroom in house244 East Main$320 utilities included(330) 333-1531

Available Fall 2010. Act now!Looking for 5 responsible students for newly renovated university townhome. Call after 8pm (440) 622-3630.

Hidden Pines Townhouses, 4 lg BR’s, 2 bath, W/D, wood floors, ceramic tile. Spacious, very clean! ALL utilities included option as low as $365/BR. www.hidden-pines.com/ or 440-708-2372 Great campus condo. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath. Available August. Call Dr. Miller at (330) 618-7764

Apartments for Rent:3 bedroom apartment Half of a home. Living Room, kitchen,bath. No pets. One bedroom available now $330/month. 330-673-8505

1 bedroom apartment in a house. Kitchen, living room, bath. Separate entrance. No pets. One year lease. Available in August. 330-673-8505

3 Bedroom house available for Fall. Great condition, full appliances, $350 bedroom 1, $325 per bedroom 2 and 3. Close to Campus 330-673-1225

2 Bedrooms, 1-1/2 Baths. Close to Campus. $660/month. No Pets, go to www.lincolnwoodrentals.com or call 330-835-7737.

Available For FallHuge 4 or 5 bedroom units in great condition. Deck/patio, garage, large yard, washer/dryer hook up. $300/bed includes water and trash. (330) 612-4057

AVAILABLE AUGUST 1 Year Lease, house licensed for 8(5 bedrooms), 2 kitchens, 2 baths, University Drive, large off street parking $1800/month (330)760-0138

Rooms for Fall 1 block from campus. $350/mo includes ALL utilities, cable and internet. Non-smoking house. Chris Myers (330) 678-6984

Kent Condo! Very close to campus! (S. Lincoln St.) Now renting for Fall. 2 bedroom,1.5 baths Assigned parking, water, trash & heat paid! $750/month + electric. Accepting Visa/MC (330) 676-0796

2 bedroom upstairs apartment for fall. Newly remodeled,located on N Depeyster St. $310/person/month +gas +electric. lease references, deposit, no pets, 330-297-7117

1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments, close to campus. Joe (330) 310-1494

For Fall: 3 bedroom apartments $400/month per room, security deposit required. Heat included, laundry room. No pets. Across from KSU. (330) 554-3024

Page 8: Daily Kent Stater | Mon. Mar. 8, 2010

Page 8 | Monday, March 8, 2010 Issue No. 1

SPORTSSports editor: Cody Francis | E-mail: [email protected]

ON THE WEB AT KENTWIRED.COM

He’s the man the Flash fans love!The man the opposing teams wish would disappear!

H e is Chris Singletary, a senior guard for the Kent State men’s basketball team. Single-tary is the favorite for the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Award, and he is a major factor behind Kent State’s success, averaging 11.7 points a game.

With the MAC Tournament right around the corner, sports reporter Cody Erbacher sat down with Singletary to talk about his thoughts on his last season.

Batman has one rule — never to kill. But he is aggressive in his line of work.

The game of basketball has many rules, one of which is five fouls and you’re out.

Singletary has trouble following this rule, limiting his play-ing time in some games.

“Fouls,” Singletary simply stated about his biggest weak-ness. “Not being able to let stuff go. I feel like nobody should be able to score on me.”

Game after game, the Flashes have to worry if their star athlete will be on the court or watching from the sideline.

“Chris’ biggest weakness is he spends too much time next to the head coach,” Ford said. “He spends too much time on the sideline.”

Q:A:

Nah, being that the program has done so much for me on and off the court, I feel that’s a responsibility that’s granted of me. I don’t have a problem doing that being that the program and my teammates have done so much for me.

How is it that you are able to score and get other players involved without missing a step?

No, not really. I think that’s something that growing up in west side Chicago, playing in the alley, playing with older guys, playing street ball. I think that’s something that has made my game the way it is as far as being strong and aggressive with my moves. I know that I’m a big guy and guys are going to be physical with me, so that means I got to be even more physical. I never play tough to intimidate my opponent, but at the same time if that helps, so be it.

Having great leaders in front of me, taking things that I’ve seen them do and taking it and adding it to my game and my personality. I took what the past seniors had, put it into one bowl and made it into my own and led that way. Coach told me this program is always about the senior leadership. Me being a senior I thought it was only right that I step up and be that leader that coach knew I could be.

To be honest, I swear this is not a lie, until maybe a week or two ago I hadn’t even thought about it. To me, I haven’t even been playing that good. After my sprained ankle and after my knee surgery, I kind of felt that I wasn’t going to be able to be that player of the year player. That’s something I’m not real big on because that’s an individual award, and I’m more concerned on winning a MAC Championship.

In high school I played point guard, and you know the point guard is mainly getting teammates involved, so that’s where I picked that trait up. I always want to be able to pass and get my teammates involved because I’m able to score also, so if I’m getting my teammates involved and their scoring and feeling good about themselves, that can only help us. I can always break down a play and get a basket for myself.

Q:A:

It seems that whenever the game is on the line, the players and coaches look to you for answers. Do you ever feel too much pressure?

Q:A:

Next year when you’re gone how is the team going to replace you?

You’re never going to be able to replace what it was that specific player brought, but you can find ways to get multiple guys to bring in those things that that player has. So next year they can bring in a guy that’s a great passer and a guy that’s tough, then you put those two together and you got me.

Q:A:

You’re an intimidating player; do you think opponents are afraid of you?

Q:A:

Q:A:

With everyone tabbing you as the MAC Player of the Year, do you think you should be?

Batman, the Caped Crusader and the Dark Knight are one in the same, but now a fourth name can be added to the list — Chris Singletary.

By day, the senior guard is just a student. But when he steps onto the hardwood court in the M.A.C. Center, he’s the leader of the Kent State men’s basketball team.

By day, Batman is Bruce Wayne, a billionaire mogul. But when the bat signal shines high in the sky, he’s the protector of Gotham city.

Similar to the way Batman watches over Gotham City in secret, Singletary protects his teammates from their opponents on the court.

“Chris to me is similar to Batman in the sense that he’s a ringleader. He’s not afraid to stand alone,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “He does a great job making everybody else better.”

Without each of these superheroes, the things they look after would struggle in the path of harm’s way.

Villains would overrun Gotham City in the short term, but it would eventually regain composure and function properly.

Since this is the last season for the 6-foot, 4-inch player, the Flashes are going to struggle replacing him. Singletary has the tools that have quietly pushed Kent State to the top of the Mid-American Conference.

He uses his top-notch passing ability to get other players involved. He uses his exceptional leadership ability to lead the team in the toughest situations. He uses his brilliant basketball knowledge to break down any defense and get an easy bucket.

“Chris’ greatest ability on the court is to make everyone else better,” Ford said.

Singletary is the Dark Knight of the team, but it would be tough to tell since he doesn’t post team-leading numbers.

“With the Batman character, it was about him, but to him it wasn’t about him,” Singletary said. “In high school, I was like one of the top three players in the state, but you could never tell because I was real humble.”

Although he doesn’t have billions of dollars and Morgan Freeman to help him through everyday adversity, Singletary does have the ability to protect the basketball team and possibly lead them to a MAC Championship.

His Archrival

His WEAKNESS

The Joker hates Batman and Batman hates the Joker. Chris Singletary hates the Miami basketball team.Every superhero has an archrival. The Joker is just one of many on Batman’s mind. Miami is the only one

on Singletary’s mind.An outsider would think Akron or Zips’ fans would be the easy answer for Singletary, but that statement

couldn’t be more false. In the past couple of years, Miami has been known to keep the senior guard out of the equation.“Their coach is so smart with the scheme he comes up with,” Singletary said. “I would say with my four years

being here, I hate Miami the most. They play so slow, and they do everything right.”Singletary has not scored in double digits in three of the last four games against the RedHawks. He record-

ed 11 points in the senior-day game this season.“His numbers against Miami in the last two years are not

great,” Kent State coach Geno Ford said. “They double team him all the time, and they’re a great help defensive team.”

But after the win against Miami in the final game of the season, Singletary can leave this season knowing he beat the RedHawks on his senior day.

Stories by Cody ErbacherPhoto Illustration by Daniel R. Doherty

The KentCrusader

88

How did you become the leader that you are now?

DAILY KENT STATER FILE PHOTO


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