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Friday, January 21, 2011 The independent student newspaper of Kent State University Weather: Snow, HI 14, LO 6 LATEST UPDATES AT KENTWIRED.COM Sign up to receive breaking news updates from Kent State student media at KENTWIRED.COM DAILY KENT STATER Taylor Titus [email protected] Daily Kent Stater Journalism and computer sci- ence majors are collaborating in a newly offered class, Web Program- ming for Multimedia Journalism. “We wanted to create a course that creates new opportunities for CS and journalism students,” said Paul Wang, computer science professor. The objective of the course isn’t to turn programmers into journal- ists and journalists into program- mers, but for each major to col- laborate with the other. “One of the goals is to increase literacy, make it so these groups of people can talk to each other bet- ter and also increase knowledge of technological problems facing news organizations,” said Jacque- line Marino, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “CS students are going to be a greater value to media organization if they understand the basic value of journalism.” The idea for the class started with buzz in the news about pro- gramming journalists. Marino reached out to Wang. Then Mari- no, Wang and journalism lecturer Sue Zake submitted a grant in March 2010. The University Teach- ing Council awarded a grant of $6,500 for the class. “We want to instill an appre- ciation and understanding of journalisma in the CS majors, and in the journalism majors, we want them to have a bet- ter understanding of the Web and how computer science can enhance their journalism,” Marino said. The class currently has 12 jour- nalism students and 12 computer science students. Wang is teaching the journalism students program- ming in the Math and Computer Science Building, and the com- puter science students are learning the basics of journalism by Marino and Zake in Franklin Hall. “Since I started the class, I’m starting to see the connection between the programmers, jour- nalists and VCD students,” said Douglas Dzurilla, senior computer science major. The main focus of the class is the final project. The students are divided into teams of both com- puter science and journalism stu- dents. The students have to create original journalistic content tai- lored to a specific audience and integrate computer science and journalistic elements. The students can develop a multimedia feature, a new website or a game that can be adapted for different media. Professional publications, such as The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Magazine, Akron’s the330.com, as well as KentWired.com and The Burr will be watching the progress of the class. “I feel like this is where journal- ism is headed,” said Erin Perkins, a graduate student in magazine journalism. “In order for us to keep our jobs, we need to start thinking about technology and how we can use it to benefit our story.” Taylor Titus is the College of Communication and Information reporter. New multimedia class combines CS and JMC majors “The hope is that students who partici- pate in the demo week want to continue taking (the classes) and ultimately purchase them for the semester,” McKendry said. This semester’s demo week had 1,250 people participate, as compared to the 800 people who participated last spring. McK- endry said that she attributes this to New Year’s resolutions and the holiday weight people want to lose before spring break. “January and February are the busiest months,” McKendry said. “We typically have about 61,000 to 63,000 people come to the Rec during January and then the atten- dance drops off in March.” While the SRWC staff doesn’t have new policies to accommodate the increased amount of students, it continues to use the system of waiting lists for machines like treadmills and ellipticals, McKendry said. Some students said they found themselves getting impatient during these busy times. Rec Center demo week draws increased interest Proposal introduces unique class ideas Zachary Culler [email protected] Daily Kent Stater Those in charge of streamlin- ing the new Kent Core require- ments have revealed a possible solution to soften the feared effects it may have on funding educational departments. Timothy Chandler, Senior Associate Provost, who is head- ing this project, said he hopes to redesign the core classes within the next three years by placing a higher focus on interdisciplinary classes — courses taught jointly by professors from multiple depart- ments. The shift to Kent Core, approved by Faculty Senate, will significantly reduce the number of classes in the current Liberal Edu- cation Requirement system. Since departments receive a portion of the tuition of each Students may notice an increase in the amount of people at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center in the beginning of each semester. The SRWC demo week this semester was the biggest demo week it has ever had, Guest Services Coordinator Maggie McKendry said, with an increase of about 450 participants from last year. Running from Jan. 10 to 15, the week offered free classes ranging from spinning to swing dancing for anyone who wants to participate. Erin Vanjo [email protected] Daily Kent Stater student enrolled in their cours- es, removing core classes could potentially cut funding to certain departments. TOP ENROLLED CORE CLASSES SPRING 2010 1. College Writing 1 2. Intro to Psychology 3. 7 Ideas that Shook the Universe 4. Intro to Sociology 5. Intro to Human Communication 6. College Writing 2 7. Music as World a Phenominom 8. Princpals of Micro Economics 9. Algebra for Calculus 10. US History Modern Kent Core classes getting makeover MATT HAFLEY | DAILY KENT STATER Chris Rousos, junior nutrition and dietetics major, works as an assistant guest services employee at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Chris is swiping in Joseph Napier, freshman justice studies major. See CORE, Page 4 See REC, Page 4 “It’s annoying in the beginning of the semester to have to wait for a machine,” said Lindsey Petrillo, sophomore integrated lan- guage arts major. “But once people get busy they’ll stop going.” For those who don’t, the SRWC has made a few changes to some of its most attended courses and added one new class into its programming. NIKOLAS KOLENICH | DAILY KENT STATER Paul Wang, a computer science professor, teaches Web Programming for Multimedia Journalism on Wednesday. The course has been funded with the help of a Summer Teaching Development Grant from the Kent State University Teaching Council. LINDSAY FRUMKER | DAILY KENT STATER Guest musician Eric Gould watches as student poets perform at the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. at Oscar Ritchie Hall on Thursday. Gould later accompanied Mwatabu Okantah, professor of Pan-African Studies, as he performed poetry. Ryan Collins [email protected] Daily Kent Stater Martin Luther King Jr.’s story and influence was celebrated Thursday evening at Oscar Ritchie Hall in a free event presented by the Center of Pan-African Culture. The program, called “In Search of the Real King: Testimony, Poetry and Music,” featured an address from George R. Garrison, Pan-African studies professor, poetry from Mwatabu Okantah, Pan-African studies professor, as well as other poets and music by the Hue People. MLK remembered through the arts See MLK, Page 4
Transcript
Page 1: Jan. 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

11

Friday, January 21, 2011 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Snow, HI 14, LO 6

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

DAILY KENT STATER

Taylor [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

Journalism and computer sci-ence majors are collaborating in a newly offered class, Web Program-ming for Multimedia Journalism.

“We wanted to create a course that creates new opportunities for CS and journalism students,” said Paul Wang, computer science professor.

The objective of the course isn’t to turn programmers into journal-ists and journalists into program-mers, but for each major to col-laborate with the other.

“One of the goals is to increase literacy, make it so these groups of people can talk to each other bet-ter and also increase knowledge of technological problems facing

news organizations,” said Jacque-line Marino, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “CS students are going to be a greater value to media organization if they understand the basic value of journalism.”

The idea for the class started with buzz in the news about pro-gramming journalists. Marino reached out to Wang. Then Mari-no, Wang and journalism lecturer Sue Zake submitted a grant in March 2010. The University Teach-ing Council awarded a grant of $6,500 for the class.

“We want to instill an appre-ciation and understanding of journalisma in the CS majors, and in the journalism majors, we want them to have a bet-ter understanding of the Web and how computer sc ience

can enhance their journalism,” Marino said.

The class currently has 12 jour-nalism students and 12 computer science students. Wang is teaching the journalism students program-ming in the Math and Computer Science Building, and the com-puter science students are learning the basics of journalism by Marino and Zake in Franklin Hall.

“Since I started the class, I’m starting to see the connection between the programmers, jour-nalists and VCD students,” said Douglas Dzurilla, senior computer science major.

The main focus of the class is the final project. The students are divided into teams of both com-puter science and journalism stu-dents. The students have to create original journalistic content tai-

lored to a specific audience and integrate computer science and journalistic elements. The students can develop a multimedia feature, a new website or a game that can be adapted for different media.

Professional publications, such as The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Magazine, Akron’s the330.com, as well as KentWired.com and The Burr will be watching the progress of the class.

“I feel like this is where journal-ism is headed,” said Erin Perkins, a graduate student in magazine journalism. “In order for us to keep our jobs, we need to start thinking about technology and how we can use it to benefit our story.”

Taylor Titus is the College of Communication and Information reporter.

New multimedia class combines CS and JMC majors

“The hope is that students who partici-pate in the demo week want to continue taking (the classes) and ultimately purchase them for the semester,” McKendry said.

This semester’s demo week had 1,250 people participate, as compared to the 800 people who participated last spring. McK-endry said that she attributes this to New Year’s resolutions and the holiday weight people want to lose before spring break.

“January and February are the busiest

months,” McKendry said. “We typically have about 61,000 to 63,000 people come to the Rec during January and then the atten-dance drops off in March.”

While the SRWC staff doesn’t have new policies to accommodate the increased amount of students, it continues to use the system of waiting lists for machines like treadmills and ellipticals, McKendry said.

Some students said they found themselves getting impatient during these busy times.

Rec Center demo week draws increased interest

Proposal introduces unique class ideas

Zachary [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

Those in charge of streamlin-ing the new Kent Core require-ments have revealed a possible solution to soften the feared effects it may have on funding educational departments.

Timothy Chandler, Senior Associate Provost, who is head-ing this project, said he hopes to redesign the core classes within the next three years by placing a higher focus on interdisciplinary classes — courses taught jointly by professors from multiple depart-ments. The shift to Kent Core, approved by Faculty Senate, will significantly reduce the number of classes in the current Liberal Edu-cation Requirement system.

Since departments receive a portion of the tuition of each

Students may notice an increase in the amount of people at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center in the beginning of each semester.

The SRWC demo week this semester was the biggest demo week it has ever had, Guest Services Coordinator Maggie McKendry said, with an increase of about 450 participants from last year. Running from Jan. 10 to 15, the week offered free classes ranging from spinning to swing dancing for anyone who wants to participate.

Erin [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

student enrolled in their cours-es, removing core classes could potentially cut funding to certain departments.

TOP ENROLLED CORE CLASSES SPRING

2010

1. College Writing 1

2. Intro to Psychology

3. 7 Ideas that Shook the Universe

4. Intro to Sociology

5. Intro to Human Communication

6. College Writing 2

7. Music as World a Phenominom

8. Princpals of Micro Economics

9. Algebra for Calculus

10. US History Modern

Kent Core classes getting makeover

MATT HAFLEY | DAILY KENT STATERChris Rousos, junior nutrition and dietetics major, works as an assistant guest services employee at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Chris is swiping in Joseph Napier, freshman justice studies major.

See CORE, Page 4

See REC, Page 4

“It’s annoying in the beginning of the semester to have to wait for a machine,” said Lindsey Petrillo, sophomore integrated lan-guage arts major. “But once people get busy they’ll stop going.”

For those who don’t, the SRWC has made a few changes to some of its most attended courses and added one new class into its programming.

NIKOLAS KOLENICH | DAILY KENT STATERPaul Wang, a computer science professor, teaches Web Programming for Multimedia Journalism on Wednesday. The course has been funded with the help of a Summer Teaching Development Grant from the Kent State University Teaching Council.

LINDSAY FrUMKEr | DAILY KENT STATERGuest musician Eric Gould watches as student poets perform at the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. at Oscar Ritchie Hall on Thursday. Gould later accompanied Mwatabu Okantah, professor of Pan-African Studies, as he performed poetry.

Ryan [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

Martin Luther King Jr.’s story and influence was celebrated Thursday evening at Oscar Ritchie Hall in a free event presented by the Center of Pan-African Culture.

The program, called “In Search

of the Real King: Testimony, Poetry and Music,” featured an address from George R. Garrison, Pan-African studies professor, poetry from Mwatabu Okantah, Pan-African studies professor, as well as other poets and music by the Hue People.

MLK remembered through the arts

See MLK, Page 4

Page 2: Jan. 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

Page 2 | Friday, January 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

22

CORRECTIONS

NewsAssigning editorsLydia Coutré [email protected]

Emily Inverso [email protected]

Kelly Petryszyn [email protected]

Taylor Rogers [email protected]

Nicole Stempak [email protected]

Jessica [email protected]

City editorAllison [email protected]

Copy desk chief Jennifer Shore [email protected]

Kentwired editorFrank Yonkof [email protected]

FeaturesFeatures/A.L.L. editor Laura Lofgren [email protected]

Assistant Features/A.L.L. editor Nicole Aikens [email protected]

sPOrtsSports editor Cody [email protected] sports editorLance [email protected]

OPINIONOpinion editorRabab [email protected]

VIsualsPhoto editor Rachel Kilroy [email protected]

Assistant photo editorHannah [email protected]

Design directorStefanie Romba [email protected]

A.L.L. design editorKate Penrod [email protected] page designerSara Scanes [email protected]

DAILY KENT STATER240 Franklin Hall

Kent State UniversityKent, Ohio 44242

NewSrOOm 330-672-2584Editor Regina Garcia Cano [email protected]

Managing editor Josh Johnston [email protected]

Managing editor Kelly Byer [email protected]

Manager Lori Cantor330-672-0887, [email protected] manager Tami Bongiorni330-672-6306, [email protected] manager Chris Sharron330-672-0886, [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 330-672-2590Account executive Katie Kuczek330-672-2590

Account executiveNicole Lade330-672-2585Broadcast and magazine repre-sentative Paul Gimmel330-672-2585Online representative Kevin Collins330-672-3251

The 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.

weeKeND eVeNts

Have an event you want to see here? Send it to [email protected] by Thursday the week before.

Go to KentWired.com to see the interactive entertainment calendar. the calendar covers entertainment events on campus and in the city of Kent.KeNt wireD.COm

fridayn Regional Campuses Deans’ meetingWhen: Noon Where: 320 Student Center

n c.s.i. award ceremony planning committeeWhen: 1 p.m.Where: 311 Student Center

n pan african studies Kiswahili language hourWhen: 3 p.m.Where: 240 Oscar Ritchie Hall

n Kent state film society meeting

When: 5 p.m.Where: 316 Student Center

n college summit dance play auditionsWhen: 6:45 p.m.Where: 250 Oscar Ritchie Hall

n Ksc programming “paranormal activity 2”When: 11 p.m.Where: Kiva

saturday

n student financial aid registrationWhen: 8 a.m.

Where: Cartwright Hall Lobby 3

n Kaplan mcat courseWhen: 5 p.m.Where: 201 Bowman Hall

n Ksc programming “paranormal activity 2”When: 8 p.m.Where: Kiva

n c.s.i. late night entertainmentWhen: 9 p.m.Where: Rathskeller

n Ksc programming “paranormal activity 2”

When: 11 p.m.Where: Kiva

sunday

n usa field hockey conferenceWhen: 10 a.m.Where: 313 Student Center

n Kaplan mcatWhen: 4 p.m.Where: 203 Bowman Hall

n Women’s Liberation Collective meetingWhen: 7 p.m.Where: 311 Student Center

THOMAS SONG | DAILY KENT STATERDianne Kerr, a professor of health sciences at Kent State, was asked to be a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show in November 2010.

Brittney [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

A Kent State professor is still receiv-ing gifts from Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things 2010 show.

Dianne Kerr, associate professor of health education and promotion, said a matching cashmere sweater and throw are “on their way.”

Kerr said she was chosen to be an audience member because of her contribution to her community and the large amount of help she has given to others.

“I’ve done a lot of work with AIDS in the community,” Kerr said. “I have a support group for women with breast cancer, and I’ve sponsored an AIDS orphan.”

She said none of the audience members knew what Oprah’s show was going to be about that day.

Oprah surprised the audience after she opened up the Nov. 19 show with a few thoughts on meditation, Kerr said. Oprah then ripped off her black dress revealing a sparkling red dress underneath while exclaiming that the show was her Ultimate Favorite Things show.

“What they told us in the studio was, ‘You were all selected because you’re givers, and we want to do a show about giving,’” she said.

This highly anticipated show, an annual event, gives each audience member a few of Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things. This year’s gifts ranged from a brownie pan to a 7-day Caribbean cruise, Kerr said.

“I think she wanted to give back to givers,” she said. “It’s really amazing that she would

do that stuff for people she didn’t even know.”Kerr said she has been a big fan of Oprah

and uses clips from the show in her classes because of the TV star’s devotion to giving support to AIDS and women’s health.

Last summer, Oprah announced this would be the last year for her show and invited her viewers to go to her website and explain why he or she is an ultimate fan.

“I’ve always wanted to at least be in her audience,” Kerr said. “I’ve always wanted to shake her hand.”

Kerr went on the website, explained how she integrates the show into her lectures and that her program has inspired some of her stu-dents to do more things for others.

“I just thought, ‘I’m going to go on there, say how I feel and probably never hear any-thing about it,’” she said.

The call came in October to invite her to the November taping in Chicago. Kerr said she thought it was a prank because her students tease her about using Oprah clips in class.

“It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person,” said Carolyn Shinsato, a former student of Kerr’s. “She has really done a lot of work to educate and advocate health issues that everyone faces on a daily basis.”

Shinsato said taking Kerr’s class has moti-vated her more than the professor’s visit to Oprah’s show.

“She’s a great educator and just having her as a teacher motivates me to take the time to educate others the same way she has taken the time to educate us,” Shinsato said.

Rachel Chilton, a graduate student, was taking Kerr’s class last semester and witnessed the excitement.

Professor recipient of Oprah’s favorite things

“She’s just always trying to help people,” Chilton said. “When we found out that it was Oprah’s Favor-ite Things Show, we just thought it was so fitting because she obviously works so hard to help other people and for her to get recognition for it. It was really cool.”

Since the taping, Kerr has given several loans to women in Ecuador that needed help through Kiva.org, a

nonprofit loan organization and has sponsored another AIDS orphan.

Kerr said she sat back by the door where Oprah makes her entrance and finally got to shake her idol’s hand.

“It was an amazing experience,” Kerr said. “I’ll never forget it.”

Brittney Trojanowski is a news correspondent.

Page 3: Jan. 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

Daily Kent Stater Friday, January 21, 2011 | Page 3

33

I’m sure you’ve seen the messages being spread across billboards, television commercials, newspapers, online adver-tisements, fast-food cups, sidewalks and any other means of getting to you that the advertising agencies can think of. I even recently found an advertisement tucked in between the pages of a book I bought from Borders: “A New Year, A New You!” The message is abundantly clear: “2010 sucked for you right? 2011 is the time to stop sucking and be awesome! Be a thin-ner, more interesting, sexier, all-together better YOU!” Right? Am I right? Of course I am, but that’s not exactly the point.

Every year, I feel bombarded with ads telling me that I need to lose weight, exercise more, that my heaviness is obvi-ously a sign that I’m not an active enough person or that I’m simply lazy or glut-tonous, or maybe both. If I am to take the advertisements literally, the only important thing in life is to be thin, sexy and attract similar people. Moreover, according to these ads, diet and exercise aren’t enough. You need to take pills, diet drops, get plastic surgery, gastric bypass, consume ungodly amounts of Tabasco sauce and vinegar, stop eating fruit, stop eating meat, stop eating starches, bread is bad for you now, never mind it’s fine, oh wait it’s bad for you again. Dairy is fatten-ing, but you need that kind of fat. It’s all a

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. Submis-sions 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:

330-672-5064■ Be sure to include your phone number.

The Opinion Page is an outlet for

our community’s varied opinions.

FAMOUS QUOTE

OPI

NIO

N

Regina Garcia CanoEditor Josh Johnston Managing editor Rabab Al-Sharif Opinion editor

Laura LofgrenFeatures team leader/A.L.L. editorLydia CoutreAssigning editorHannah PotesAssistant photo editor

VIEWour

DID YOU KNOW?

SUMMARY: We’re here for four years to earn degrees, but we also may as well make the most of our time and money.

What are you doing this weekend? Checking out the late-night mov-ie at the Kiva? Cheering on the

Kent State men’s basketball team Sunday afternoon? Going home?

It is no secret Kent State is a suitcase cam-pus. Most of us are close enough that we can go home on the weekends. After all, laundry is free, and the food is usually better.

But why not stick around Kent and get involved in something?

One thing we’ve noticed around campus is the lack of pride students have toward Kent State. On any given day, you could count just as many — if not more — Ohio State T-shirts on campus as Kent State

DREW SHENEMAN’S VIEW

T-shirts. Unless ESPN is in town, student attendance at basketball or football games is sparse.

In November, after the men’s basket-ball team beat Robert Morris on national TV in the M.A.C. Center, Colonials coach the low student turnout. Granted, that game tipped off at 8 a.m., but still, no one could disagree with him.

It’s not just about attending sporting events, though. Having pride in Kent State could mean getting involved in Undergraduate Student Government or hall council. You could attend the numer-ous concerts, speakers, movies or plays on campus. You could choose to enjoy

your time as a student here, instead of just going to classes until you graduate.

The university’s done plenty to foster involvement and pride in the last year. The number of weekend and late-night events seems to skyrocket every semester. Sure, we don’t always agree with everything the uni-versity does, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be proud to be Kent State students.

We’re here for four or five years paying tuition (many of us out of our own pock-ets) and taking classes. We may as well make the most of it.

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

members are listed to the left.

Have some pride, Kent State

What is it with America and guns?For fear of being ridiculed, I’ve held back.

I’ve never been explicit about my opinions of gun laws in America, and frankly, it’s because the entire subject is infuriating.

The media, politicians and public over-look the core issues. It’s also a complex issue involving passion, history and cul-ture. We are fixated on the violence that people create with guns, yet we continue to have such open gun laws that allow nearly everyone in town to own one (or more).

When America debates about gun laws, the idea of personal responsibility is disregarded and instead we blame politi-cal rhetoric and the current state of our country as the cause. For example, as the tragic shooting in Arizona unfolded nearly two weeks ago, every news channel and government official scrambled to make statements about the need for toning down aggressive political speeches. It’s true that many politicians use extremist language and that most Americans are financially strapped, but is that the real reason why this unfortunate event occurred? There was mention of the perpetrator having psychological disorders, which could have added to his sadistic behavior, but what about the bigger picture?

We may never know why Jared L. Loughner shot 17 individuals at a politi-cal rally. But we do know by what means

he destroyed the lives of the victims, their families and their communities. Therefore, it seems obvious that our country should push for more restrictive gun bans, especially after countless vio-lent occurrences.

This is not the case. Americans love to cling to their history and pride. We would not be the country that we are today without an established military and our gun-toting identities. We accept structural violence as being the American way, and we only condemn it after mass shootings and “unforeseen” acts of carnage.

Rarely do we challenge our love of guns on the basis that they are too acces-sible and that there are too-limited gov-ernment mandates on gun education and safety. Why is it a terrible idea to have more extensive gun laws? Does it impede on our civil liberties and the second

amendment, or does it put a dent in the wallets of gun lobbyist profiteers?

In an article by the BBC, American his-tory professor Saul Cornell of Fordham University in New York, said, “The threat of French, Spanish and Indian hostility on the frontier meant that from the very beginning America was a society that relied very heav-ily on a population that is armed.”

The notion that we must use guns with vigilance against possible threats is a cultural norm that we accept day to day, with little concern for fostering nurturing, productive and accepting communities devoid of numerous guns.

I believe that people do have the right to own a gun for reasons such as hunting or self-protection, but I also think that, as a society, we should challenge ourselves, and our government, to ask a simple question: What are we really afraid of?

Before another tragedy occurs, we should encourage gun education and safe-ty for the gun owners of America.

Thisanjali Gangoda is a senior political science major and columnist for the Daily Kent

Stater. Contact her at [email protected].

A new year, a new you!

Gregory Porter

“Common sense is not so common.”— Voltaire

On this day in 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.

— Source: history.com

Thisanjali Gangoda

LETTERS TO THE EDITOROn Wednesday, Congress will

hold a vote to repeal what many Republicans refer to as Obamacare. House Speaker John Boehner said of this vote, “Repealing the job crushing health care law is critical to boosting small business job cre-ation and growing the economy.” While it’s certainly possible the law may pass the House, there is little chance of this bill becoming law once it goes to the Senate.

On the surface, this seems like a symbolic act of defiance by House Republicans, but I believe this is an act of desperation. All of the she-nanigans that the right wing of our country has pulled over the past two years point to that.

Selecting Sarah Palin without understanding all of her political stances to save a mismanaged and by-that-point-doomed campaign of John McCain was desperate.

The core tenant of the Tea Party is fiscal responsibility, which is an obvious obfuscation. Where was the Tea Party when G.W. Bush tripled our National Debt and left Obama with a trillion dollar yearly budget deficit? The answer to this question is simply that the group is doing a solid job of appealing to older people’s racism and fear of “socialism.” The rise of the Tea Party was inherently desperate.

Calling the President of the United States a liar during the State of the Union Address was a true mark of desperation.

The campaign platform espoused by those on the right

everywhere of “don’t vote for incumbents” of the past election cycle was desperate.

The persisting and pervasive cackling from the right about the president’s birth certificate or his religious affiliation is desperate.

The political rhetoric from the right suggesting revolution, second amendment remedies, succession and the general “I want the presi-dent to fail” attitude is desperate.

Nearly everything this Congress will do will be out of desperation.

Why do I see all of this as des-peration in the face of huge losses during the midterm elections? Historically speaking, if you want citizens in the middle to stop vot-ing, you move your rhetoric and ideology hard right or left. This dissuades people from voting, being interested or even listening at all. All the while you motivate your base to vote.

Voters who were ideologically in the middle, Hispanics, African-Americans and the youth rocked the political boat. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for all those groups to identify with social con-servatism, the current bedrock of the Republican Party. The clock is ticking and the GOP knows it.

Preston Burnham is a freshman exploratory major.

little too much to take. I’m a big guy, sure, and if I were to

dress as Waldo it wouldn’t exactly take long to find me. Still, I am comfortable with my body and how I look. I have always been a large guy. I’m 6 feet 2 inch-es tall and with weight added to my big frame, I’m by no means what American society considers “sexy.” Does it matter, though? I’ve never had a terribly difficult time procuring dates because what one person considers attractive is so very, very subjective.

I don’t try to be heavy, and I’m not exactly trying to be thin either, but my body is wired to be this way. A quick glance at my extended family will sup-port that notion. I could eat the exact same thing as a thin person every day and not lose a single pound. Trust me, I’ve tried. All the South Beach Diet did was leave me lethargic and hungry. I

don’t eat unhealthily on a daily basis, so why change my lifestyle to suit the needs of someone else?

My point being, advertisements about weight loss hit a soft spot (no pun intended) with Americans. These ads often promote destructive means of achieving a particular body size that most people are entirely inca-pable of achieving in the first place.

According to recent studies by Market-data Enterprises, the United States obesity epidemic fuels a $55 billion industry that, for the most part, helps nobody but the weight loss industries themselves.

If you’re looking to lose weight in the new year, especially after excessive holi-day eating, be smart and don’t fall into dieting fads and, for the love of all that is holy, don’t pay attention to advertise-ments trying to push society’s image of what’s “hot or not” upon you.

My suggestions will always be to learn to love your body the way it is, eat intel-ligently and workout daily. You can be heavy and healthy; those two are most certainly not mutually exclusive.

Gregory Porter is a junior visual communication design major and guest columnist for the

Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected] his signature last week,

President Barack Obama ended the military’s distasteful policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” In doing away with this discriminatory practice, he also ushered the American armed forces back into the mainstream of American life. One salutary consequence is that some of the nation’s most prestigious universities now are willing to host Reserve Officer Training Corps units on their campuses, ending a decades-long standoff between the country’s educational elite and its military.

Many campuses dropped ROTC during the 1960s and 1970s as student and faculty objections to the war in Viet-nam mounted and protesters viewed the program as offer-ing assistance to a discredited military engagement. The end of that war and of the draft softened objections at some campuses, but they were reignited in recent years over the military’s policy of dis-criminating against gays and lesbians. Colleges that forbade discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation understand-ably were reluctant to allow an organization that explicitly engaged in such discrimination to operate on campus.

As a result, however, the gap between America’s elite univer-sities and its largely poor and minority military grew ever wid-

er, with unhappy implications for society as a whole.

With the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” several lead-ing universities moved quickly to close that gap. Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust called the action historic, say-ing it affirmed “American ide-als of equal opportunity and underscores the importance of the right to military service as a fundamental dimension of citizenship.” Faust added that she was “pleased that more stu-dents will now have the oppor-tunity to serve their country.”

At Columbia, President Lee C. Bollinger said the repeal “effectively ends what has been a vexing problem for higher edu-cation, including at Columbia — given our desire to be open to our military, but not wanting to violate our own core principle against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”

ROTC may not be right for every university campus — indeed, interest at some schools is so low that the military itself may not want to return to them. But it highlights the signifi-cance of ending the ban that the nation’s military and social values no longer collide. That alone is progress.

The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times. McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

Campus doors may reopen to ROTC

VIEWtheir

Page 4: Jan. 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

Page 4 | Friday, January 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

44

Chandler said offering courses with multiple profes-sors would promote coop-eration among departments and prevent competition for funding. This proposal would mean the professors’ depart-ments would each get a share of the revenue generated by student tuition.

For example, the university could offer a course about sus-tainability taught by professors from the architecture and geol-ogy departments, Chandler said. Both departments would receive funding.

Chandler said interdisci-plinary courses would also have an educational value.

“You’d get professors from different departments teaching together,” he said. “And you’d talk about how all of these areas are connected instead of focusing on how they might be separated. Our world is extraordinarily complex, and we need to have an under-standing of its problems from a variety of perspectives.”

Even though this idea might settle the issue of departmen-tal funding, Chandler said interdisciplinary courses could

Yoga, Zumba and spinning used to be instructional classes with a set roster but are now group exer-cise courses. A new class, called bootcamp, debuted during demo week. Its participants meet two days a week and receive a pre- and post-assessment to help track body changes. They also work with a dietician to keep track of nutrition.

Jan. 10 was the first day of the spring semester ’s opening, and SRWC swiped 3,602 students and community members into its

From Page 1

RECRec Center demo week draws increased intrest

facility, McKendry said. Monday, she continued, only 2,362 swipes were recorded.

Despite the amount of people who work out this first week, McKendry said she doesn’t usu-ally hear complaints from students or community members. Instead, she said people will usually alter the times they come in and are usually understanding.

“I enjoy working out because it keeps me healthy and in shape,” Petrillo said, who has gone to the Rec on a regular basis over the past year. “Just because it’s busy, I won’t stop going.”

Erin Vanjo is a Student and Recreational Wellness center reporter.

From Page 1

COREKent Core classes getting makeover

complicate the lives of transfer students, since multi-genre cours-es might not satisfy the narrow transfer requirements of most tra-ditional universities.

“If we fail to fit our classes within the transfer model, stu-dents coming into the university would have to take a vast number of courses all over again, and stu-dents transferring out would have to do the same,” he said.

Chandler said he would be working with the University Requirements Curriculum Com-mittee to discuss this idea in the coming months.

Don Williams, co-chair of the URCC, said the committee will be re-evaluating and redefining all of the core classes, regardless of whether the shift toward interdis-ciplinary courses occurs.

“We will be looking at each course in the core and evaluating how well it satisfies desired learn-ing objectives,” said Williams, dean of the Honors College.

Chandler said once they have a better idea of what next year’s budget will be, they will have a better idea of how soon they will make the shift. “But there seems to be, at least amongst the deans, some real understanding that this would be a good system to move toward.”

Zachary Culler is an academics reporter.

Students can enjoy free pizza for giving feedback on Kent State’s libraries and services from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

The event will take place in the Performing Arts Library in the Music and Speech Center. Students can sign up through the library’s website under the Features section on the left sidebar.

James Bracken, dean of University Libraries, will be present to meet with students.

“We want to hear what we can do better to fit the needs of the students,” Bracken said.

— Cassandra Beck, library reporter.

Pizza for your thoughts

MATT HAFLEY | DAILY KENT STATERZach Motrunecs, senior Visual Communication Design major, lifts weights in the weight room at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center on Tuesday.

Garr ison spoke about King’s influence and the later years of King’s life.

“What most Americans don’t know about Dr. King, or have not thought about suffi-ciently, is the fact that he lived another five years after that famous speech given in 1963,” Garrison wrote in an e-mail. “Taking time out to commem-orate the legacy of Dr. King is a way to remind us of our civ-ic responsibilities and duties, the moral imperatives that should set the parameters of our lives, and to refocus us on the mission, vision and phi-losophy of education extant at this institution.”

Alfreda Brown, the univer-sity vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said she loved the event. She also spoke of King’s impact on her personally.

“I’ve been able to progress, and I’ve been able to look at life in a much more positive way than my parents were,” she said, adding she was glad to see so many students.

Lauren Glanton, junior pre-nursing major who attended the event, talked about King’s importance.

“Without him, I wouldn’t be able to probably attend college as I am now and have the freedom to become a nurse,” she said.

Okantah wrote in an e-mail that he bel ieves educat ion occurs both inside and outside the classroom.

“King is one name in a long roll call of heroes and ‘sheroes’ whose legacies must be nurtured and kept alive,” he wrote.

Ryan Collins is the ethnic affairs reporter.

From Page 1

MLKMLK remembered through the arts THOMAS SONG | DAILY KENT STATER

Bart Ehrman speaks at the Kiva on Thursday. His lecture titled,“Jesus Interrupted ‘Revealing the Hidden Contradictions of the Bible,’” addressed and explained the inconsistencies found in the Bible. More than 400 students, teachers and visitors attended the lecture. Ehrman is a well-known author who has made appearances on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

PREACHING THE WORD

Page 5: Jan. 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

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 Nancy Black Today’s birthday (01/21/11) Money may not grow on trees, but this year it seems that way for you. Plant trees -- your grandchildren will be grateful for the shade on a hot day. Plant seeds in the garden and in your career. You and your future generations will all reap the benefits. Water appropriately.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 5. It’s a good day to clean your desk or start that organizational project you’ve been putting off. Per-severe and you’ll be grateful for the improvement. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 7. To successfully manage today’s goals, you need to pay attention to what others think and allow them to make changes to improve the design. Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7. Decisions could be tricky, as you don’t get a clear picture of what others really want. Ask them to explain, and really listen for hidden gold. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 7. You’re just about ready to take a vacation, but the choice of destination is still undecided. Compare locations and travel dates for the best price.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 6. You’d love to be done with a particular project. Don’t push so hard that you break something. Instead, spark someone’s curiosity about how it could all come together. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 6. Unusual new ideas send you back to the drawing board. Take time to think about possible applica-tions, and restructure the group to manage it all. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 6. Imagine that everyone feels loved and respected. Then make it your business to create that atmosphere around you. This may be easier than you thought. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7. Although you act indepen-dently now, your compassion flows. Personal needs and help for others aren’t mutually exclusive. You can do both.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. Someone else appears to be in charge, but you pull the strings from backstage. A family member provides unusual costumes and props. Enjoy the show! Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 5. If someone else feels under the weather, try simple home remedies. It may not take a prescription. Some-times some chicken soup and kindness go farther. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 6. The last of yesterday’s requests gets fulfilled early, through independent action. You may not even know how it actually happened. That’s okay. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7. Use your skills to formulate a question. Sensitive feelings require compassionate consideration. Create an atmosphere of trust that values independence.

horoscopeAre you a Kent State student interested in entering a raffle for a chance to win a $200 book scholarship? Stop by the table in the Student Center Jan. 24-28 between 12-2 MWF or 5-7 TR to sign up!

THE PLACE IS RAY’S

CONNECT. ENGAGE. ACHIEVE.UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT (USG)19 elected 6 appointed positionsAPPLICATIONS AVAILABLE - 226 KSCInfo: [email protected] or 330-672-3207

An awesome summer job in Maine! If you’re looking to spend this summer outdoors, have fun while you work, and make lifelong friends, then look no further. Camp Mataponi, a children’s summer camp, has positions available in Land Sports (lacrosse, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, field hockey), Waterfront (sailing, canoeing, waterskiing, life guarding, WSI, boat drivers), Ropes Course, Tennis, H.B. Riding, Arts & Crafts, Theater, Dance, Gymnastics, Video, Photography, Nurses, Maintenance, Cooking and more. Top salaries plus room/board & travel provided. Call us today, 561-748-3684 or apply online at www.campmataponi.com

Attendant for female w/ disability. Mornings and early evenings available. Able to drive van. 330-678-7747

PART-TIME EVENINGS We are looking for dependable people. Evenings 4-9PM. We offer flexible schedule and No Weekends. No experience necessary, call Joy after 2PM at 330-650-6011.

Help with iPhone App Development Needed.Preferred skills:Strong math background including quaternion, experience with Xcode and C++, OpenGL/OpenGLesPay up to $20.00/per hourPart time, could lead to full time permanent position330-671-3465 or please send resume to [email protected]

$8-10/hour doing maintenance cleaning for office. As little as 6 hour/week. Must have reliable transportation. To apply call 330-338-3237 and schedule an interview.

Christine Galvin Design, a website design studio located in Hudson, OH, is looking for a Marketing/Communications Intern. This is a paid, 10-week internship. We will work around your schedule

(10-15 hours/week) and help you develop the portfolio you need to thrive in today’s job market. Visit http://www.cgalvin.com/

jobs.php for details. Application deadline: Monday, January

24.

Buyer Beware!We make every effort to screen

for fraudulent advertising, however, we cannot guarantee

the veracity of the advertisers and their messages in this section.

It is important for consumers to respond to any advertisement

with the utmost caution.

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

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.

Efficiency and 1 bdrm apartments available now. Heat included! Call 330-678-0746

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WHITEHALL EAST TOWNHOMES4/5 bedrooms, 3 bath CONDO. AFFORDABLE rent options with utilities included starting at $365/mo. Newly renovated, flooring, all appliances included, lighted parking and entrances, on the Campus bus line, near rec center. Get your group and call 330.689.8888. www.whitehalleast.com

3 BR - 2 Bath spacious duplexOlympus Drive - off LoopClose to Campus - $800419-357-4897 [email protected]

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For 2011-12: One Month Free Close to Campus 2 huge apartments, licensed, private parking, large yard, large front porch. 4 bedroom $1400/$350 each. 4/5 bedroom $1500, $300-$375 each. (330) 626-3957

Kent 2/3 bedroom - heat, water, and trash included. $575/$700. 330-472-9671. KENT RENTALS 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses. Call Rich 330-730-4004.

University Townhomes and Whitehall East Townhomes

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Spacious 4&5 bedrooms houses with 2 full baths. Great condition, great location, A/C, W/D, dishwasher, deck, garage.

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Leasing for fall, newer 5 bedroom 2 bathroom house. Huge private yard, large deck, close to campus $1600/mo. Call Mike 330-554-3976

Kent- 1 bedroom upstairs. $400 + utilities. 330-673-3151 after 6pm.

Kent- 2 bedroom upstairs $550 +utilities W/D hookup. 330-673-3151 after 6pm

Leasing for Fall: South Lincoln St. Condo. 2 bedroom 1.5 bath. No pets, heat included. $725/mo. 216-524-0745

Room for rent on S. Water Street in Kent. Close to downtown and bus service. $245/month includes utilities and parking. No Pets. Call 330-678-3536

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SAVE $$$Leasing for Fall, beautiful, newly redecorated, 2 bedroom apartment. FREE gas, water and trash. $275/student. 330-687-6122.

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Now Leasing for Fall, a beautiful newer condo, 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, double car garage, central air, backyard deck with great view. $375/student. 330-687-6122

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Now Leasing for Fall. Kent 6-8 bedroom houses. Close to campus. 330-626-5910.

2 bedroom apartment, 1.5 Baths, central air, fireplace, attached garage, no pets, $650 + utilities, Cuyahoga Falls (330) 923-6401

One bedroom apartment. Half a block from campus, private parking, all utilities paid, Cable. $475/month. Available Now. Call 330-931-0434

AVAILABLE FALL: UNIVERSITY TOWNHOUSE. 5 BDS, 2.5 BATHS, STOVE REFRIG, DISHWASHER, WASHER/DRYER, A/C. $250.00 PER PERSON ; WWW.JLCASTO.COM CALL 330-688-7040.

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Daily Kent Stater Friday, January 21, 2011 | Page 5

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Page 6: Jan. 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

Page 6 | Friday, January 21, 2011 Daily Kent Stater

Rachel [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

New Year’s resolutions are meant to change people for the better.

Justin Manns, Kent State bas-ketball player, thought changing his hairstyle would make him feel better, but he had no idea it would turn him into a better per-son — and player.

“I just felt like I needed a change coming into the new year,” Manns said. “I went by new year, new haircut, new me.”

The junior wanted to cut his hair in the past but chickened out at the thought of his head being too cold. He kept saying he would do it in the summer instead, which turned into next summer, which turned into the summer after that…

But after almost five years since his last haircut, he decided to stop delaying his plans and cut off his shoulder-length dreadlocks.

While hanging out at teammate Michael Porrini’s house with a few other players on New Year’s Eve, Manns confessed to his friends the plans for his head.

“I said, ‘When we go into the new year, I’m going to cut my hair,’” Manns explained. “They thought it was a joke at first, but I was like, ‘I’m serious.’”

Testing his word, his team-mates searched the house for scis-sors and clippers. To prove his seriousness, they made Manns cut the first dread himself.

Once the first one hit the floor, his teammates continued to cut and shave Manns’ head until there was nothing left.

“Personally, I think he was trying to look more like me,” said the clean-shaven Kent State coach, Geno Ford.

Manns looks like a completely different person post-haircut, but Ford said Manns’ personality is just as diverse when he is on the court compared to off it.

When he’s playing, the coach-es beg Manns to talk more and demand more from himself and his teammates.

B u t o n c e he leaves the c o u r t , F o rd s a i d M a n n s likes to be the center of atten-tion, constantly cha t t ing up his teammates and being “the kind of guy that guys will flock toward and enjoy being around.”

While the coaches have tried all sea-son to get on-court Manns to be more like off-court Manns, Ford said some-thing clicked after that monu-mental haircut.

“He’s really played harder, been more vocal and had more production since he cut his hair,” Ford said. “Had I known, I would have held him down and shaved him myself a long time ago.”

But is it really the shaved head that’s made the 6-foot-11-inch cen-ter a better basketball player?

“I really do think it is,” Manns said. “I think ever since I cut my hair, there’s been nothing but posi-tive things happening. My num-bers, my effort at practice, being vocal and my enthusiasm (have all increased). I think my coaches can attest that I’m a different player.”

The coaches definitely noticed a different player walk into the 7 a.m. film session on New Year’s Day. Ford said Manns didn’t make any

jokes or nega-tive comments about his new hairdo.

Ford said, “He just said, ‘Hey, it’s a new year, I’m going to have a new attitude. I’m going to play better, and I’m going to play harder.’ We’re (21) days into it, but I have to be honest, he’s really done a 180. It’s not just for show – he is a new person, and it’s helped

out our basketball team and made him a better person,” Ford said.

Manns said he feels different on the court because he’s no lon-ger selfish. Even if plays or shots don’t go his way, he is maintaining a positive attitude and vocalizing encouragement to his teammates.

The players and coaches are proud of his attitude adjustment, but everyone else is still adjusting to his shaved head.

“My mom didn’t believe it,” Manns said. “She said I look all of 12 years old. Everyone keeps say-ing I look young, I look 16, I have a baby face – all that. A lot of people couldn’t believe it.”

A lot of people also don’t believe Manns played only four years of organized basketball before joining the Flashes.

“Justin Manns has a lot of potential – that’s just something that jumps out about him at you,” Ford said. “He’s played with much more passion and a much higher, consistent energy level than he was toward the beginning of the year.”

Manns said his goal is to be named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, but most fans know him as the player who executes crazy, effortless dunks.

“I feel that my team feeds off the alley-oops, dunks and blocks,” Manns said. “You see that boost in the team and in the crowd when there’s a dunk or alley-oop, and the jungle goes crazy.”

Regardless of his hairstyle, Manns will continue to excel offen-sively and defensively on the court.

And while his head is much cold-er when he’s walking to and from class, the center does not regret the haircut that gave him a better atti-tude and basketball stats throughout the conference schedule.

“I feel better that I cut my hair,” Manns said. “I feel like I was looking like a stereotype (before) because I’m tall with a lot of tattoos and dreads. Now, I look like a man. I’m a new person.”

Rachel Jones is the men’s basketball reporter.

NEW YEAR, NEW MANNSONE PLAYER’S RESOLUTION TRANSFORMS MORE THAN HIS LOOK

Had I known, I would have held him down and shaved him myself a long time ago.

He’s really played harder, been more

vocal and had more production since he cut his hair.

GENO FORD | COACH

Matt [email protected]

Daily Kent Stater

After another key victory in Mid-American Conference East play Wednesday against rival Akron, Kent State women’s basketball (14-3, 5-0) will hit the road to Muncie, Ind. to take on Ball State (7-11, 2-3 MAC) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Flashes are entering a stretch of six games against MAC West opponents, three games at home and three away. At home, the Flashes hold an impressive 8-0 mark, but on the road the team is 5-3.

Entering the thick of MAC play, the Flashes are playing their best basketball. With an impressive 72-55 victory over Akron, where the team had a 21-point lead at one point, the team has shown they can handle themselves in any situation.

“Every game we go in we know it’s going to be a fight,” said senior forward Chenel Har-ris. “We try not to look at the score and take easy because at any given moment, we could have a lead and next thing lose it.”

All time, the Flashes are 35-12 vs. the Cardinals, and split the season series last season with a home win for both teams. Coach Bob Lindsay knows the Cardinals well, with an all-time record of 27-7 against them.

“In this league, or any league, you have to defend no matter who you’re playing whether it’s west division or east division, you have to come out and defend at your best level every game if you’re going to have a chance to win,” Lindsay said. “When you play on the road, you almost have to be better than that.”

The tough road trip will be a true test of the Flashes’ defense because of Ball State’s potent offense.

“Ball State is a good offensive team and they’ve played well recent-ly so every time we get out there we have a tough game with them and I expect the same thing with them on Saturday,” Lindsay said.

Ball State is coming off a tough loss to Northern Illinois, 73-62, on Wednesday, and has confer-ence wins over Western Michigan and Central Michigan this season. Senior forwards Emily Maggert and Ty’Ronda Benning for the Cardinals average double-digit points and both are strong on the boards.

The Flashes will look to con-tinue their hot shooting from beyond the arc to add another element to an already strong offense. Against Akron, the Flash-es shot 50 percent from three that accounted for 21 points.

Matt Lofgren is the women’s basketball reporter.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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“With the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Alex Smith, quarterback, from the University of Utah.”

This was supposed to be Aaron Rodgers, the superstar quarterback from California. The kid who was barely recruited by Division-I programs. The same kid who went to a community college his freshman year. Every NFL draft analyst agreed that the first quarterback taken, obviously by the struggling 49ers, would be him or Alex Smith. But nobody thought the remaining of the two would drop so far.

The Green Bay Packers even-tually selected him at the No. 24 spot. The pick was somewhat surprising, but then again, it made sense. He would sit one year behind the legendary Brett Favre, learn the tricks of the trade, be finely crafted into a Pro Bowl quarterback and take over Lam-beau Field once Favre decided to hang up his No. 4 jersey.

Smith went on to sign a six-year, $49.5 million deal with the 49ers as the NFL’s top draft pick. Rodgers, on the other hand, signed a five-year, $7.7 million contract. The drop-off was significant, not only in numerical order, but also financially.

During his rookie sea-son, Rodgers did what everyone expected: held a clipboard as a Reebok NFL Equipment model on the sidelines. Rodg-ers played in just two games during the Packers 4-12 season. At the end of the year, Favre decided to return for “one more season.” Back to the bench for Rodgers. But, you know, just one more year. This old guy can’t take the punishment for much longer, right?

It turned out the person who would take the worse punish-ment in 2006 was Rodgers, in mop-up duty. The backup filled in for Favre in a blowout loss and broke his left leg, ending his second season before it even really started. To make matters worse, a gray-haired, teary-eyed Favre announced he was coming back for 2007.

For the third straight year, Rodgers was still a backup quar-terback. But this time, it was the last preseason he would spend as the No. 2 quarterback.

Following the 2007 season, Favre played his first game of “maybe, umm, I don’t know if I can return, but…” The Packers organization, surprisingly, was not about to sit around and wait. They named Rodgers their starter for the 2008 campaign. Favre eventually went on to play for the

New York Jets.During the three years that

Rodgers spent behind Favre, Smith did not live up to the hype in San Francisco. He played in 32 games over three years, passing for just 31 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Nobody knew if the 49ers made the right choice with their 2005 first overall pick, given that Rodgers attempted just 35 passes over that same time span.

Little did they (and the rest of the world) know that it would take all of one season to see that the 49ers pulled an Al Davis for the ages.

In his first season as a starter, Rodgers passed for 4,038 yards

and 28 touchdowns. As for Favre and Smith?

Favre had as many interceptions as touchdowns (22) for the Jets, and Smith

missed the whole season due to injury. Rodgers ended that year with a lot more than jaw-dropping

statistics, too. He signed a six-year, $65 million extension.

In 2009, Rodgers became the first quar-terback in NFL history

to pass for over 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a starter. He made the Pro Bowl. His jersey sold. People started to know Rodgers’ name as most forgot Smith’s. With the trade to Green Bay rival Minnesota and ongoing drama, Favre became less and less of a hero in Packer nation. All signs pointed up for the kid from California.

This past week, Favre filed his retirement papers to the NFL. Smith is about to be cut from the organiza-tion that drafted him first overall.

This weekend, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will face the Chicago Bears for a chance to win their first NFC title since Favre did so in 1997. A trip to the Super Bowl is just one game away. I think it’s safe to say that it was worth the wait.

Rodgers is here to stay, and the Packers aren’t going to have to draft a quarterback for a long time.

Michael Moses is a sports columnist for the

Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected] PHOTO BY MEGANN GALEHOUSE

Michael Moses

Aaron Rodgers: It’s his time

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SPORTSSports editor: Cody Erbacher • [email protected]

JACKIE FRIEDMAN | DAILY KENT STATER


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