Issuu

FALL | 2010

m a g a z i n e

WINTER PRODUCTION

STUDENT FILMMAKER

THEATER INSTRUCTOR

‘Winter’s Tale’ Teaches Professionalism | 15

Behind the Master’s Degree | 20

‘Reel’ Education | 18

BEHIND THE SUIT AND TIE ALISSA O’NEILL

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ROSE SCHNEIDER

BEHIND THE MASTER’S DEGREE TOM NEPOMUCENO

KID CUDI HANNAH MINGUS

BEYOND THE BUCKS BRYAN WARRICK

THREE’S COMPANY HANNAH NUSSER

STUDY TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER DANAE KING ‘REEL’ EDUCATION BOBBY WADDLE TO THE BARGAINING TABLE ALLISON BORGELT VEG CLUB HANNAH BEALER

‘WINTER’S TALE’ TEACHES PROFESSIONALISM ASIA RAPAI

A NOBLE REUNION HANNAH MINGUSKEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3

1 BGSU

ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

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419-353-7732

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Letter from THE EDITOR DEAR READERS, This fall, Key Magazine celebrates what makes college a personal experience for each of us. Whether we participate in theater, music, or athletic activities, join any of the various student organizations or work on campus, our choices to do so are defining us daily. The proof is in the following pages. Students are going beyond their coursework, sharing their talents with others to learn more about themselves and build connections at the University and in the world around them. Read their stories, penned by journalism students with their own tales to tell, and learn what you can do to make your time in college distinctively yours. Sincerely,

Allison Borgelt, editor-in-chief, and the Key Magazine staff

EDITOR Allison Borgelt

A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R Alissa Oâ€™Neill

WRITERS KEY MAGAZINE

Key Magazine is published by the Office of Student Publications at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, 43403. It is distributed at locations throughout campus and at select locations in the surrounding community of Bowling Green. Student editorial offices are located in 28 West Hall, and any questions related to content may be directed to student editor Allison Borgelt at aborgel@bgsu.edu or by calling 419-372-8086. Questions related to advertising in Key Magazine may be directed to Assistant Director of Student Publications Tonya Whitman at twhitma@bgsu.edu or by calling 419-372-0430. Key Magazine is published two times per academic year at Bowling Green State University, once in the fall and once in the spring. Student Publications, Division of Student Affairs

Hannah Bealer Danae King Hannah Mingus Tom Nepomuceno Hannah Nusser Asia Rapai Rose Schneider Bobby Waddle Bryan Warrick

COPY EDITORS Sarah Bailey Emily Tucker

PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrea Fehl Jessica Hanna Ben Hull Tom Nepomuceno

DESIGNERS Ashley Beilharz Deanna Falk Morgan Swedberg

Table of CONTENTS 5

T H R E E ’ S C O M PA N Y

by Hannah Nusser

8 T O T H E B A R G A I N I N G TA B L E by Allison Borgelt

KID CUDI by Hannah Mingus

BEHIND THE MASTER’S DEGREE by Tom Nepomuceno

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE by Rose Schneider

STUDY TOGETHER, S TAY T O G E T H E R by Danae King

VEG CLUB by Hannah Bealer

‘ W I N T E R ’ S TA L E ’ T E A C H E S PROFESSIONALISM by Asia Rapai

‘ R E E L’ E D U C AT I O N

by Bobby Waddle

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A NOBLE REUNION by Hannah Mingus

BEYOND THE BUCKS by Bryan Warrick

BEHIND THE SUIT AND TIE by Alissa O’Neill

THREE’S COMPANY Sisterly trio works and plays together in Falcon Marching Band By Hannah Nusser

Sarah, Megan and Beth Vickio, sisters in the Falcon Marching Band, gear up for rehearsal before the Nov. 10 football game versus Miami University.

I just think it’s really incredible all three of them are so talented and so willing to work hard. - Carol Hayward

wo proud parents sit in a sea of orange and brown, eagerly awaiting the halftime show. Like so many Falcon football fans, they’ve come to watch the game. But for Craig and Debbie Vickio, the main event is the halftime show when their daughters, Megan, Sarah and Beth Vickio, take their positions on the field. “One of the biggest challenges is finding them out on the field,” said Craig Vickio, University staff psychologist. Megan and Sarah have been in the Falcon Marching Band for four and three years respectively. The arrival of freshman Beth this semester completes the talented trio. Falcon Marching Band Director Carol Hayward said she’s thrilled to now have all of the Vickio sisters in the band. Siblings are common in the organization, Hayward said, but in eight years as director she doesn’t recall ever having three siblings at once. “There’s an excitement around the band that’s contagious, especially within families,”

Photos provided by Tom Nepomuceno

Hayward said. “I think they learn that it’s a good place to be. It’s a safe place. It’s a place where they get to know people.” With 270 members, the marching band is the largest student organization on campus. Its members represent every college on campus and almost every major, Hayward said. The group only operates during football season, performing at football games and other select events. “Part of it is remembering this isn’t just about my daughters,” Craig said. “This is about many, many other BGSU students who have a passion for what they’re doing, and (me) being able to step back and enjoy the show.” For the girls, the appeal of becoming band members started early. They were born and raised in Bowling Green and have been in band since fifth grade. It was their mother, Debbie, who encouraged them to join band at a young age. Debbie played trumpet from fifth grade through high school. “I enjoyed it so much that I wanted the girls to at least give it a try,” Debbie said. “I

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thought if they stuck with it they’d get the same enjoyment out of it I did, and they seem to.” The rich sounds of the trombone and trumpet filtered through the Vickio home throughout the sisters’ youth; someone was usually practicing her instrument. “It sounded really pretty … it almost sounded like we had the radio on, so I kind of went with it,” Beth said. When it came time for college, the girls and their father agreed the tuition waiver due to his University employment swayed them in attending the University, but it wasn’t the only factor. “We have a very close-knit family,” Craig said. “I think they very much wanted to be close to home. Yet at the same time, it was important to us that their college life doesn’t become an extension of high school.” For the Vickio sisters, joining band in college was the perfect way to combine camaraderie with a common bond to create lasting friendships and life-changing experiences. The laid-back, welcoming nature of the Falcon Marching Band appealed to the bashful sisters as a way to get involved and become more outgoing.

A TALENTED TRIO Megan Vickio, 22, was the first to make her mark in the Falcon Marching Band. Joining the band her freshman year was just the start of her musical involvement on campus. “At the time I liked getting into as many musical ensembles as I could,” said the longtime trumpet player. Megan played in the marching band every year until scheduling conflicts interfered in fall 2009. She came back this semester as a fifth year senior. She also participated in the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, University Band and Athletic Band throughout her schooling. Spring 2011 will be her fifth consecutive year in Athletic Band. “Music is my biggest hobby,” she said. “Honestly, I love it all. When I’m at home, even when I’m doing homework or anything, really, I’ll be listening to all different kinds of music. I love listening to music; I love playing trumpet, singing, I just love it.” The family said Megan is the most timid of the sisters. She saw marching band as a way to make friends; spending almost every day practicing and playing at football games together tends to lead to special bonds among bandmates. “I think band does help me to come out of my shell more because there’s just so many people you get to meet through band, and you get comfortable with the people you see every day,” Megan said. With a newfound confidence, Megan

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Megan Vickio (top, left) rehearsing with her section, Sarah Vickio (top, right) standing at attention with her section and Beth Vickio (bottom) rehearsing with her section.

began to branch out. She spent the last three summers working at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. “I decided, what the heck, I’ll try something new,” Megan said. The bold move astonished her family. “The first summer they put her on microphone games, which to this day I have a hard time envisioning her doing that, but she did it,” Craig said with a proud smile. Megan said her post-graduation plans are unclear, but she’s OK with that. She switched her major numerous times (from education to psychology to journalism to early childhood education) before finally settling on a general music major this year. “I’ve just always been that indecisive person,” she said with a laugh. For trombone player Sarah, marching

band serves more as a social avenue than a musical outlet. In fact, she said, she hardly listens to music outside of practice. “I don’t have any kind of iPod, CD player, anything,” she said. “The only time I really hear music is at band … it’s never been a big thing for me.” Sarah is an exercise science major. When not in class or at band practice, she can be found on the elliptical machine at the Student Recreation Center. She said she works out at least one to two hours a day. She was injured while training for a marathon last summer, but still plans to tackle the 26mile challenge next summer. “Working out, exercise science — yep, that’s my passion,” she said. Sarah has her older sister to thank for convincing her to join marching band.

Sarah, Megan and Beth Vickio take a break from Falcon Marching Band practice to pose with their instruments.

“She was constantly trying to convince me, ‘Come on, you have to be in the marching band’ — And I was convinced, ‘I’m not doing marching band,’ right up until orientation,” Sarah said. In addition to winning the Falcon Marching Band’s Most Outstanding Freshman Girl award, Sarah also met her future husband, fellow trombone player Darin Hurst, while in the band. They became engaged last summer and are planning to wed in September 2012, shortly after she graduates. Hurst graduated last spring and now lives in Columbus. Sarah, who visits Hurst as often as her schedule allows, hopes to become a personal trainer in Columbus when she graduates. “The only problem is, when you know where you’re headed you just want to get there,” she said. Falcon Marching Band newbie Beth graduated from Bowling Green High School in June. Like Megan, she plays the trumpet. And like Sarah, she was on the fence about joining marching band until freshman orientation. She walked up to the marching

We’re serious when we have to be. It is all just fun, though.

”

–Sarah Vickio

band booth and signed up on a whim. She hoped having two older sisters in such a large, welcoming community would help smooth the transition from high school to college. “I just did it,” she said. “I like being part of something. They’re really nice people most of the time and really down-to-earth. I guess going into college I knew they’d be nice … and I could probably relate to them pretty well and we could all relate to something together.” Beth is optimistic about her declared major, early childhood education. She plans to join Athletic Band in the spring and is looking for more ways to get involved on campus. She played tennis throughout high school and stays in shape by running. When there’s time to relax, she hangs out with friends. “I’m big on movie nights,” she said.

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD Many band members realize early on the commitment to marching band leaves them with little leisure time. While students join campus organizations to make friends and have fun, marching band is a serious commitment requiring hours of practice and music memorization each week. “It’s a rare night where all of my daughters are home,” Craig said. The girls gear up for practice five days a week for about two hours each day. Practices take place in any weather, and sometimes musicians must come early or stay late for extra work with their sections. Because Beth and Megan play trumpet, they spend a lot of time together in their section. “I’m always on a separate side of the field,” Sarah said of rehearsals. “During band it’s very rare that I actually get to talk to them

or see them or anything.” Sarah said being in the band feels like being in a home away from home, even if she doesn’t see her sisters often during rehearsals. “You get to know everybody so fast, and it’s so relaxed with everything,” Sarah said. “We’re serious when we have to be. It is all just fun, though. The entire rehearsal Dr. Hayward will be making light of everything and cracking jokes, yet still getting down to business.” Hayward said all of the Vickios have a tremendous work ethic and have always represented their sections well. Megan was cosection leader of the trumpets her junior year. “I just think it’s really incredible all three of them are so talented and so willing to work hard,” Hayward said. “I just wish there were more of them,” she said with a laugh. The girls said their investment in marching band rewards them every week. Beth said she is always working to improve and loves the satisfying feeling of accomplishment after a show. She also enjoys playing popular tunes such as Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” for a crowd of thousands. “It’s fun to be able to pick up an instrument and actually have something you’re kind of skilled at,” Beth said humbly. “And getting the chance to perform it and actually feel like all your hard work has gotten you somewhere and people can actually enjoy what you’ve done … it’s kind of exciting.” Sarah gets a thrill out of watching the band’s performances on YouTube. “I really like after you finish a show, being able to go back and get on YouTube and see all the posts of the show,” Sarah said. “When I watch it after we’ve been practicing and rehearsing and rehearsing … it’s like, ‘Oh, so that’s what we’re doing.’” The girls’ parents, Craig and Debbie, pledge to attend every home game, and try to enjoy the band as a whole. But it’s still a challenge to not pick out the sounds of those familiar trumpets and trombones. “I think my wife gets tired of me saying, ‘Where’s Megan? Where’s Beth? Where’s Sarah?’” Craig said with a chuckle. “But it’s nice to just be able to sit back and watch the KEY show.”

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TO THE BARGAINING TABLE FACULTY UNIONIZATION VOTED INTO REALITY By Allison Borgelt, editor-in-chief

State Employment Relations Board representatives sort ballots submitted in the vote for faculty unionization. The official count was taken Oct. 20 at SERB headquarters in Columbus, with an end result of faculty unionization being voted in, 391-293. Photo provided by Dr. David Jackson

We’re really interested in giving faculty a voice. That’s beyond anything else–we want to have a say in our own future, and a seat at the bargaining table gives you a voice. – Karen Craigo

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t all came down to two piles, as up they grew. The stacks of ballots, one containing votes in favor of University faculty unionization and representation by the Bowling Green State University Faculty Association and the other containing votes against it, seemed to be about the same height at first, said Karen Craigo, FA director of communications and instructor in the General Studies Writing Program. “It was really kind of nerve-racking,” she said. But on Oct. 20, the State Employment Relations Board found the stack of votes in favor was taller — by 98 ballots, Craigo said. After two years of FA campaigning and the third vote on faculty unionization in the University’s history, unionization was voted in, 391-293. “Not surprisingly, we’re really happy and pleased with the outcome,” said Dr. David Jackson, FA president and associate professor of political science. “We think it’s a

real mandate for change at BGSU, given that 87 percent of the faculty voted, and then 57 percent of those who voted, voted in favor of collective bargaining.” More than 800 full-time faculty members received secret ballots in the mail to fill out and return to SERB between Sept. 28 and Oct. 12. They and other faculty members heard appeals from both sides of the unionization debate leading to the polling period. “We’re really interested in giving faculty a voice. That’s beyond anything else — we want to have a say in our own future, and a seat at the bargaining table gives you a voice,” said Craigo of the FA’s goals before the voting took place. Contented faculty who feel they have a voice and are happy with their pay, she added, will “stay longer instead of just going to a new university that pays more. … (A)nd that really benefits students, which has to be the bottom line.” A chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the FA had several reasons for wanting collective bargaining at the University. An FA information sheet, titled “Driving It Home: Sharing the BGSUFA Case for Collective Bargaining,” echoes Craigo’s statement about the FA’s interest in giving faculty more of a voice and also says the FA believes collective bargaining “will bring excellence, tradition, competitive salaries, collaboration, recourse (and) transparency.” “I have to say that in the long run, of course, we’d like to improve our situation, which isn’t very good in terms of salary compared with other Ohio institutions, but I think for most of us, being in the position to be able to negotiate that with binding negotiations, that’s what we’re really aiming for first,” said Dr. Geoffrey Howes, FA vice president and professor in the Department of German, Russian and East Asian Languages, before the voting took place. The University’s faculty salaries were ranked “11th out of Ohio’s 12 public institutions and stand tens of thousands below the national average for public institutions,” according to the FA’s “Know the Facts: Competitive Faculty Compensation” sheet. It shows the 2009 average salary for all faculty as $63,137, higher than Shawnee State University’s ($55,670) but lower than the Univeristy of Toledo’s ($67,313), Kent State

Photos provided by Andrea Fehl

Representatives from the BGSU Faculty Association, University administration and Advocates for Academic Independence (a group of faculty) speak in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union as part of a 90-minute forum on unionization, sponsored by the BGSU Faculty Senate on Sept. 21.

Dr. David Jackson, BGSU Faculty Association president and associate professor of political science, presents the case for faculty unionization at the Sept. 21 BGSU Faculty Senate-sponsored forum.

Dr. Kenneth Borland, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, shares the University administration’s case against faculty unionization at the Sept. 21 BGSU Faculty Senate-sponsored forum.

University’s ($68,247) and Ohio University’s ($78,158), to name a few. “If we are negotiating salary increases and benefits and certain aspects of working conditions, grievance procedures, I think I can say fairly certainly that for the most part, there will be an increase in faculty satisfaction because there will be … an increased sense of security,” Howes said. Dr. Kenneth Borland, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, in one of several forums he held in September to discuss the unionization movement, said the University has made recent strides regarding increased faculty compensation. “(W)e started working on it, got the 2.5 percent increase pool this year, as well as the deans and I just received the market adjustment pool, which is additional money to go to faculty,” Borland said. “And then we also worked with the

Faculty Senate Budget Committee and senate leaders and others throughout the year very openly and transparently, and we were able to project 2.5 percent increases not just for this fiscal year, which we accomplished, but for the next two fiscal years, which we should be able to accomplish if we can do our best work of stewardship … if we can see the state bring forth the support that they’ve been bringing forward, and even knowing that they’re bringing forward less … we should be able to do the 2.5 percent the next couple of years. It’s all modeling, it’s projections, but we’re working toward achieving that.” Borland, who previously served as an administrator at The Pennsylvania State University for eight years, said he “worked with the faculty union (at Penn State) day in, day out” for those eight years, and so “a lot” of what he has “thought and said about

faculty unionization certainly is shaped by that experience.” Borland said he didn’t want collective bargaining to “box in” the faculty or threaten academic freedom, which he described as an “individual thing within the context of the scholarly community.” “I don’t want us to be boxed in, and collective bargaining agreements are boxes,” he said. “Boxes that all sides agreed to, sometimes begrudgingly, not without feeling that they didn’t get everything they wanted, but it’s a box. And I don’t want that independence to be boxed in. I don’t want the scholarly, the academy’s culture and the … artifacts that we often use to describe our selfidentity as professors to be at risk. I’m very, very passionately concerned about that.” On Oct. 20, the day the voting results were made known (but not yet certified by SERB — that was done Nov. 18), a note addressed to faculty and staff and signed by Borland and University President Dr. Carol Cartwright was posted on the University’s website, stating: “The administration thanks everyone who took the time to vote in this election. While we would have preferred a different outcome, we respect the process and its result. We must all now commit to continuing the sound stewardship of the University in these difficult economic times. “We have a responsibility to negotiate a contract that is in the best interest of Bowling Green State University. The administration and the Board (of Trustees) will continue to work with all appropriate University stakeholders to find ways for BGSU to continue to serve its mission to our students and the people of the state of Ohio.” Before a contract is negotiated, the FA has some work to do. Jackson said the organization, which has seen an increase in membership, hopes to have a new constitution ratified by the end of fall semester and officer elections at the beginning of spring semester 2011. He said the FA has “put together a number of committees to begin research on bargaining topics,” including salary issues, benefits and specific concerns of non-tenure-track faculty, in addition to the creation of a membership committee and the expansion of the FA’s communications committee. Future plans include a survey of all faculty members to find out what they’re interested in bargaining for, he said. “We want all … ranks of all faculty from all colleges to have their concerns negotiated for,” Jackson said. “It is the faculty’s group; it is their voice now.” KEY

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KID CUDI: The Centennial concert that crammed Anderson Arena

By Hannah Mingus

An excited crowd of students watches the Oct. 3 homecoming concert in Anderson Arena.

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he “House that Roars” certainly did not go back on its name when it hosted Bowling Green State University’s Centennial homecoming concert featuring Kid Cudi and opening acts QC and Chip tha Ripper on Oct. 3. Those students who were able to get tickets began packing into the arena as soon as the doors opened at 6 p.m. QC and Chip tha Ripper got the audience pumped for Cudi’s appearance, and many students were familiar with them because of their past performances at Sky Bar in downtown Bowling Green.

“Students seated on the second level even climbed over the bars and sprinted down the bleachers until concert security spotted them and put a stop to it.”

When Cudi did finally emerge onto the stage, excited fans jumped out of their seats and made a mad dash for it. Students seated on the second level even climbed over the bars and sprinted down the bleachers until concert security spotted them and put a stop to it. Cudi performed hit songs including “Revofev,” “Erase Me,” “Soundtrack to my Life,” “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Higher,” for which he invited Chip tha Ripper back to the stage. Students held their cell phones and lighters high above their heads as they sang along. At one point during the show, the smell of marijuana traveled through the bleachers, which kept concert security somewhat on its toes. The hype of the concert began long before the night of the show. Tickets went on sale around 7:30 a.m. Sept. 22, but students began forming a line around 9 p.m. the night before. “I walked into the (Bowen-Thompson Student) Union at about 7 a.m. that morning, and was really surprised at the number of people camped out,” said Ciara Eddings, director of music programming for the University Activities Organization. “We had to keep the doors locked until UAO was ready to begin the sale. Once that happened, people literally ran up the stairs to the Multipurpose Room. It was overwhelming, but really exciting to see all those people ready to buy tickets.” UAO handed the tickets over to the Union

front desk, where were they were sold from 4:30 to 6 p.m., when the show was sold out. “We had a continuous line wrapped around the desk with at least 10 people in line at all times,” said Kerry Keyes, a BowenThompson Student Union staff member. “It was crazy, and people got pretty upset. We had students trying to buy tickets up until the day of the event, even though we had signs up everywhere saying we were sold out.” The concert sold out in 11 hours, and according to Eddings, when a show does sell out, it normally takes a few weeks for that to happen. She said about 3,750 tickets were sold. Junior Jennie Hartman and her boyfriend, Jon Stout, a Bluffton University student, made sure they had their Kid Cudi tickets before the eleventh hour. The two said they really enjoyed the show. “I had never been to a concert on campus before, and I’m so glad that I went to the Kid Cudi concert,” Hartman said. “There were so many people, great lighting, excellent sound and Cudi really worked the audience. UAO made an excellent choice picking Cudi to help our campus celebrate 100 years.” Stout agreed that Cudi sounded great. “I do not go to BGSU, but I wish my college brought in artists like Cudi,” he said. KEY An exuberant crowd and even more animated Kid Cudi, Chip tha Ripper and QC. Photos provided by Tom Nepomuceno

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VEG CLUB LEAVES ITS MARK ON CAMPUS AND THE PLANET, ONE BITE AT A TIME By Hannah Bealer

Vegetables sizzle at a farmers market held Sept. 21 outside the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Photo provided by Ben Hull

My life is much better as a vegetarian. ... I’ve found a huge variety of foods available to me that I never would have discovered otherwise. – Adrienne Snyder

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magine a club that not only keeps its members feeling their healthiest, but also saves the planet at the same time. The University’s Veg Club, an organization for vegetarians, vegans and those interested in the “veg” lifestyle, does just that. Graduate student adviser Blaise Morrison had his work cut out for him when he first became involved with Veg Club in fall 2009. Initially, Veg Club was a group with little organization and no focus. “It was meek,” Morrison said. “Now our message is more coherent. Now there’s motivation and things we’re doing instead of just having a name.” The year Morrison took charge turned out to be what he described as a “trial year.” The club hosted informational nights, documentary showings and community potlucks. The group also took trips to the veg-friendly city of Ann Arbor, Mich. This year, Veg Club plans on bringing back several of those activities.

“We’re still a fairly new organization that hasn’t yet touched on all the things we want to do,” Morrison said. Morrison said he also plans to hand out pamphlets to students in a respectful manner. “There are some vegan activists who are hardliners. When you make something seem so difficult, you drive them away,” he said. “It’s about having greater awareness and making changes when possible. I’m not about being a perfect vegan. It’s not about perfection. It’s about greater awareness and striving for a cruelty-free life.” Many of the Veg Club members said they have reaped the benefits of excluding meat and other animal products from their diets. “Even from just switching from meat eater to a vegetarian, I started to feel a lot healthier,” said junior Chloe Deskins, vice president of Veg Club. “I have more energy throughout the day and don’t feel so gross after eating.”

Deskins has been a vegetarian since she was 13. In April 2010, she switched from vegetarian to vegan. While vegetarians refrain from eating meat and fish, vegans take it to the next level by avoiding any product that comes from an animal. This includes eggs, dairy products, honey, gelatin and more. Many vegans will also not wear clothing that is made from leather. Since becoming a vegan, Deskins has been surprised by the lifestyle’s health benefits. “I didn’t think that was possible,” she said. “All summer, I didn’t get sick. I usually get seasonal allergies, but I was perfectly fine. Even as the weather’s changing, I’m still fine. I feel a lot healthier.” Junior Adrienne Snyder, Veg Club’s officer-at-large, also noticed changes in her health after being a vegetarian for a year and a half. “My life is much better as a vegetarian because I feel healthier,” she said. “Initially, I thought that giving up meat would limit my food options. Instead, I’ve found a huge variety of foods available to me that I never would have discovered otherwise.” However, finding those options on or near the University’s campus has been an issue for some of Veg Club’s members. Both Deskins and Snyder said a lack of convenience is the only downside of choosing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. “Sometimes you just really want to feel full after you eat a meal,” Deskins said. “It’s better for your health not to feel that full gross feeling, but sometimes you’re like, ‘I just ate a sandwich, and I’m still hungry.’ I just miss that feeling of eating a sandwich and being full from it. I just feel like I need to eat something else.” Snyder said that, as a busy student, making healthy choices is difficult. “Making vegetarian meals is delicious, but sometimes it’s hard to find time to prepare good food,” she said. “Too many prepared foods contain very unhealthy items, with most of them loaded with meats and cheeses. But if we as consumers change our eating habits, the industry will change to adapt to our needs.” This is one of the reasons why Veg Club affiliates with University Dining Services and encourages supplying students with not only vegetarian and vegan options, but also healthier dishes in general. Dining Services reached out directly to Veg Club, looking for guidance and suggestions on how to make the University more veg-friendly. “We do a lot with Veg Club and work with them to bring awareness,” said Daria Blachowski-Dreyer, associate director

of operations and wellness for Dining Services. “Input is important and we need to go beyond pasta and pizza.” Dining Services has been working on creating clearer signs that advertise vegan and vegetarian food options within the dining halls. It also supports a Flexitarian lifestyle and encourage students to eat less meat. The University’s Senior Executive Chef Pat Hannan believes providing hot vegetarian and vegan dishes will also encourage students to stop eating meat every day. “We take any opportunity we can to educate them and promote what fruits and vegetables can do for you,” he said. While personal health and well-being is one of the major reasons several of Veg Club’s members became vegetarians or vegans, there were several other contributing factors. Morisson was a 15-year-old with high cholesterol and weight problems when he decided to become a vegetarian, and after giving up meat for two weeks, he never went back. After losing the extra weight and lowering his cholesterol, Morisson became more informed about animal rights, which soon became his “driving reason” for maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle. Veganism soon followed. “I started to realize that I can’t be consuming dairy products if I’m doing this for animal rights reasons,” he said. “The dairy farms are just as cruel and inhumane as the meat farms are. So that was my reason. It was a process. It wasn’t like one day I just cut it out. I started minimizing my dairy intake and then eventually was able to cut it all out.” Deskins became a vegetarian to fulfill a bet. In eighth grade, her best friend’s parents gave them several PETA pamphlets distributed at a concert. She and her friend decided to determine who could be a vegetarian the longest. “It went from being a bet to something I was really serious about,” she said. “As we did more research we actually got more passionate about it. It started off as a joke, and then we realized that what we were doing was actually really good for us and the environment. So we continued with it.” When one of David Sennerud’s friends had a heart attack, he began to re-evaluate his own health. Sennerud, a faculty member and supporter of Veg Club, became involved in a health program that suggested keeping away from all animal products in order to achieve optimal health. Sennerud lost over 70 pounds and lowered his cholesterol. He has been a vegan for seven years.

Fresh produce from local vendors was made available for students to purchase at the farmers market on Sept. 21. Photo provided by Ben Hull

Vegetarian/Vegan options on campus: Garden Emporium at Founders Keepers and Kreischer Sundial offer salad and fruit bars. On-campus diners can replace regular hamburgers with veggie burgers at any dining location. Fresh Fusions at Founders Keepers offers a custom vegetable stir fry. There are vegetarian options at almost every location in the Falcon’s Nest. Jamba Juice includes soy or whey protein in its drinks. BGSub, Mondo Subs and Steak Escape offer vegetarian subs. Salads by Design, located at McDonald Dining Hall, provides custom salads.

Vegetarian/Vegan options off campus: Squeaker’s Vegetarian Café and Health Food Store Subway – Veggie Delite Panera Bread – Tomato and mozzarella panini, Mediterranean veggie sandwich, garden vegetable soup Pita Pit – Veggie pitas including Garden, falafel, hummus, babaganoush, feta, American Swiss and cheddar. Chipotle – Vegetarian burrito

Terminology Vegetarian – Someone who does not eat meat or fish. Vegan – Someone who does not eat anything that comes from an animal. This includes meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, etc. Many vegans also refrain from wearing leather. Pescetarian – Someone who does not eat meat, but does eat fish. Flexitarian – Someone who rarely eats meat. Veg – A term used to collectively describe a group that consists of vegetarians and/or vegans.

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“It doesn’t cure everything,” he said. “But it does help.” Several other members, including Veg Club’s President Miriam Hitchcock, changed their lifestyles in order to better the environment. “I already preferred a more plant-based diet,” said Hitchcock, a sophomore. After learning about the amount of water and energy farms use to maintain business, she decided the meat industry was unsustainable and wasteful. As an Photos provided by Jessica Hanna

environmental policy major, she became more convinced that consuming meat was bad for the planet. Snyder took a similar stance. “I initially chose to be vegetarian because of the many detrimental effects meat production has on the environment,” Snyder said. “When I learned more about vegetarianism, I found so many more reasons to live a healthier lifestyle.” Junior Amy Good eats the smallest amount of meat possible, recycles and monitors her driving time in order to reduce her carbon footprint. “I don’t need to continue making it worse by eating a lot of meat,” she said. Currently, Good is working on cutting meat completely out of her diet. The vegetarian and vegan diets are shrouded with misconceptions. “How do you get your protein?” is one of the most common questions vegetarians and vegans have to answer. “There’s this assumption that meat is a part of your diet and you have to have it,” Morrison said. “That’s the biggest myth. I would say that our bodies thrive more on plant-based foods. You get more than enough

protein from your vegetables and grains.” Sennerud agreed. “It’s not as hard as people think,” he said. “Your body does not normally have the enzymes to digest animal products. You don’t need meat, and there’s flavor in a lot of other foods.” Morrison said many Americans have restricted diets consisting of nearly all meat and dairy products. “When you tell someone you don’t consume that, they’re like, ‘What do you live on? Lettuce and tree stubs?’ It’s amazing to me,” Morrison said. Vegetarianism and veganism are not difficult, Morrison said. “It has made me better because I have the self-satisfaction of knowing that I’m not contributing to unnecessary violence. My life is driven by compassion for all things, so knowing that I’m living ethically is a wonderful feeling,” he said. Snyder agreed. “It’s healthy,” Snyder said. “It takes less energy to grow plants rather than animals. It’s delicious. It’s interesting. I think a better question is, why not go vegetarian?” KEY

Blaise Morrison, Veg Club graduate student adviser, passes out information to a student during the Sept. 21 farmers market on campus, while second-year graduate student and member Gustavo Cardona runs the club’s table.

Students and faculty make selections among various fresh fruits and vegetables at the campus farmers market, held Sept. 21.

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Bob Walters, 8, practices his lines as Prince Mamillius with undergraduate coactors. One of Walters’ lines, “A sad tale’s best for winter. I have one of spirits and goblins,” led to the naming of the play.

Co-director Heidi Nees (right) advises actors on blocking during a rehearsal on Oct. 14 in the Eva Marie Saint Theatre. Photos provided by Andrea Fehl

‘WINTER’S TALE’ TEACHES PROFESSIONALISM By Asia Rapai

“

There’s that awareness of what it’s like in the professional world. They really do push us to experiment.

”

– Jeff Sneed

fairy tale about time has provided a realistic, professional experience at the University for students of many ages. The Department of Theatre and Film performed “The Winter’s Tale” by William Shakespeare Dec. 2 through Dec. 5 in the Joe E. Brown Theatre. The play is one of Shakespeare’s last and provided the foundation for what the directors turned into a coming-of-age story. Darin Kerr and Heidi Nees are doctoral graduate students who co-directed the production. With a mix of graduate students, faculty members, an 8-year-old and several undergraduate students, the directors worked to put on a production with professional standards. “The actors are really critically thinking about the show, they’re really embodying these characters as well,” Nees said in an interview before the production. “I’m glad they recognize it as a challenge.” The process of preparing the production was handled with education and professionalism in mind, the directors said. They wanted students to gain acting and theater skills, as well as people skills

that will help them in the professional world and in life. “They want us to learn what it’s like,” said junior Jeff Sneed in an interview before the production. “There’s that awareness of what it’s like in the professional world. They really do push us to experiment.” Sneed has acted in several Shakespeare productions, some of which were professional plays. He has also previously acted in another version of “The Winter’s Tale.” Although he has a strong knowledge of Shakespeare, Sneed said he learned from playing the character Florizel. “This time is completely different. That’s what you get with Shakespeare,” he said. “We all have separate challenges.” Sneed analyzed the directors’ choices with casting and themes for this production based on his past experiences with Shakespeare. “All characters are significantly younger than they are originally played,” he said. “It shows the vibrancy of youth. When you’re young, you’re not settled into your life. You don’t know what you want, but you think you do.” Undergraduate students played the three major characters of King Leontes

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(Left to right) Co-director Heidi Nees and actors Sarah Katka (Paulina), Scott Sanville (King Leontes), and Leigh Yenrick (Queen Hermione), rehearse the scene that gives the play its name.

of Sicilia; his queen, Hermione; and King Polixenes of Bohemia, while graduate students and faculty members surrounded them as a court offering wisdom and advice. When King Leontes becomes consumed by the idea that Hermione could be pregnant with King Polixenes’ child, he makes impulsive decisions that harm his family. After tragedy takes over, the play jumps ahead 16 years with a more comedic feel, as the characters realize their transformations through time and the lessons they learned. The directors said they are happy with the way the ensemble of actors fit the play. “It was really out of the audition process that we came to emphasize the sort of generational aspects of the piece and the relationship of youth to age and everything in between,” Kerr said. He said when Nees and himself first discussed the play, the only directional concept they had was that the story was like a dark fairy tale. Nees said an abandoned baby princess and a man being eaten by a bear brought a dark fairy-tale feel to the story. “Going into the process, we weren’t sure necessarily who was going to audition,” Kerr said. “We went into it, and the conceptions of the characters started to shift.” Nees said she was nervous about the lack of direction she initially had in mind for the play. She agreed that the auditions sparked an idea for them. “It hit us at the same time,” she said. “It’s working really well in terms of our vision for our play aligning pretty well.” Nees and Kerr used the basic conceptual framework they initially established,

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including the concept of grounding the piece in 1914 Great Britain, Nees said, but they didn’t realize the idea of age would play such a big role. Nees said that with senior Scott Sanville’s look and demeanor, he plays more of a boy king in his part as Leontes. This brings an aspect of the Napoleon complex to his character. “Leontes as a character is somewhat immature,” Kerr said. “He has outbursts almost seen as temper tantrums.” Kerr said this emphasizes the idea of power being thrust on people at a very young age. “The character’s in the process of maturation, rather than a middle-aged man who’s having a bad week,” Kerr said. Both directors feel this theme can make the story relevant to traditional college students. They said it’s also beneficial to the actors because it gives them another way to relate to their characters, aside from interpreting Shakespeare’s script. Although he feels confident as an actor, Sanville said his part as Leontes is intimidating. “This is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in terms of acting,” he said in an interview before the production. “There are an enormous amount of lines.” Sanville said he was glad to take on the challenge, though. “It’s going to be a lot,” he said. “I’m excited. They wouldn’t give me the part if I couldn’t do it.” Everyone is on each other’s side and willing to help, especially the faculty and graduate students, Sanville said.

“I can do it,” he said. “Everybody’s super supportive.” Sanville isn’t the only actor who felt strong support. Bob Walters, 8, was excited to take on the role of Prince Mamillius, the son of Leontes and Hermione. Walters, son of Karen (Detrick) Walters and Mike Walters of Bowling Green, has learned to embrace the varying types of people one can encounter in theater productions. “Go with all age groups, and don’t be worried if you’re with a bunch of other kids, bigger kids than you,” he said. Like many of the actors, of which he is at least 10 years younger than most, Walters learned the importance of working with all kinds of people through his experiences at the University’s Horizon Youth Theater. “There are new kids in plays at all ages,” he said. “You never know who you’re going to meet.” Walters, who is in third grade at the Montessori School of Bowling Green, said he likes the experience that older people have to offer.

with all age groups, “Go and don’t be worried if you’re with a bunch of other kids, bigger kids than you.

”

– Bob Walters

“There are all different experience levels and everyone just helps each other,” he said. “The Winter’s Tale” was Walters’ first Shakespeare play, and he faced challenges in his role. He said compared to other productions, this was the one in which he had to do the most acting. “It’s kind of hard. I was pretty much myself (before),” he said. “It’s new for me to not act like who I am.” As the production grew nearer, Walters’ anticipation grew, but his nerves were under control. “I’m kind of excited,” he said in an interview before the production. Graduate student Dawn Schluetz played a servant/first attendant to Prince Mamillius. Because she was with Walters onstage, Schluetz watched over him offstage as well. “My intention is to make him my little buddy backstage so he has absolutely no worries onstage,” Schluetz said in an interview before the production. “I want to make him feel like a part of the whole cast.” Schluetz said she is used to working with children in this setting because she taught theater for about 28 years. She came back to school to attain a second master’s degree so she can teach theater at the college level. “I just really enjoy working with college people,” she said. Schluetz said it’s interesting to work with younger people because of the perspective they offer. “You see it again through someone else’s eyes who has never done this, and it’s exciting all over again,” she said. Although she is more experienced than many of the others in the production, Schluetz said she doesn’t feel much different from when she was one of the youngest. Just like anybody else, she must keep the right attitude and do what she needs to as part of the team. “There are certain things that are always worries, always joys,” she said. “The more you go onstage, the more you’re able to control it.” Looking back on her experiences, Schluetz said she always appreciated when the older actors took the time to make the younger actors feel comfortable. She was glad to be able to offer that to the younger actors for this production. Senior doctoral graduate student Matthew Gretzinger offered assistance to the production process by acting as Camillo and serving as dramaturg, which means that outside of acting, Gretzinger researched the play and historical information. He gave lessons at rehearsals relating to the verse of Shakespeare’s language, as well as the meaning behind the text. Gretzinger said he

has studied Shakespeare in a variety of ways for about 20 years. Although he has a well-rounded knowledge of Shakespeare, he said no one person in the production is an authority. “This feels like it is going to be a strong collaboration,” Gretzinger said in an interview before the production. “We’re all students. That should be more important than where you’re at down the road.” He added that he is learning from the production as well, as this is the first play in which he has served as dramaturg. “I think it is a good capstone,” he said. “The creative part of acting seeds the research part of being dramaturg.” Gretzinger said the play is difficult to cast and the directors used a good strategy of surrounding the passionate, young actors with the older actors who have been doing this for a while. “The contrast of youth and age gives it more dimension and makes it seem more real,” he said. Gretzinger said he has faith in the undergraduate students who have challenging roles and that he sees how their parts could be daunting for them at their level of experience. “There’s something about being younger and having the whole world in front of you,” he said. “It makes them seem courageous.” Gretzinger has previously worked with senior Leigh Yenrick who plays Hermione. He said Yenrick is extremely disciplined. “If there’s something she doesn’t know, while working on it, she will master it,” he said. Even with her experience of acting in at least one production every semester

at the University, Yenrick said she felt she would learn from the challenge of her first Shakespeare play. “The production itself is very intimidating,” Yenrick said in an interview before the production. “I didn’t imagine to be here. I thought I was honestly too young to play her.” As many of the actors do, Yenrick sees this Shakespeare play as more challenging than his more well-known plays. When she saw how the directors interpreted the story, she grew excited about her role. “This is a little bit different take than I would’ve imagined,” she said. “It makes the story more interesting. It heightens the stakes a little bit, especially for my character. It makes her words that much more powerful.” Yenrick said she enjoys learning new perspectives and tips from the people she works with in each production. “With every show, I get a new bite of cake,” she said. KEY

There are certain “things that are always worries, always joys. The more you go onstage, the more you’re able to control it. – Dawn Schluetz

”

Scott Sanville (as King Leontes, left) practices his character’s angry, boy-king demeanor.

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

Theatre and Film instructor shares behind-the-scenes knowledge

‘REEL’ EDUCATION

Photo provided by Tom Nepomuceno

By Bobby Waddle

”

Anything that would keep me quiet for two hours was really highly valued.

”

– Dr. Mark Bernard

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s a child, Mark Bernard read comic books and novels to pass time in a remote east Tennessee mountain town. Then his family bought a VCR. Bernard headed to the local convenience store to rent all of the movies he could watch. When he asked to see R-rated movies, his parents convinced the owner to let him rent anything he wanted, allowing him to develop his film expertise, particularly in classic Hollywood and horror movies. “Anything that would keep me quiet for two hours was really highly valued,” Bernard said with a laugh. Bernard is anything but quiet about his passion for media literacy as an instructor (and newly-christened Ph.D.) in the Department of Theatre and Film. While he may not be interested in creating films himself, he understands the film industry and what goes on behind the scenes. This understanding impresses Dr. Cynthia Baron, Bernard’s dissertation adviser. “He knows the (year), month and sometimes the day that films have been released,” Baron said. At the University, Bernard channels his film interests through teaching classes,

advising the University Film Organization/ BG Reel group, showing films for Tuesdays at the Gish and judging UFO’s 48 Hour Film Festival competitions. BG Reel member Brett Strauss finds Bernard’s friendly personality and film interests to be particularly enjoyable in the classroom. “Lots of people strictly talk about Academy Award winners,” Strauss said. “It’s refreshing to see someone who likes B-level films and classic horror films.” Dr. Hope Bernard, who also works in the Department of Theatre and Film with a theatre specialization, said her husband’s teaching style comes from his love of discussion and the exchange of ideas. “Being a southerner, he’s a natural-born storyteller,” Hope Bernard said. “His style is very approachable. He uses a lot of humor, but he also puts a lot of content in there and expects a lot from his students.” This love for stories helped him through college, beginning with his undergraduate and master’s degrees in English literature at Carson-Newman College and the University of Tennessee. He came to Bowling Green in 2005 to complete a one-year master’s degree in American culture studies before

completing a four-year doctorate, in the same program with a specialization in film, media and culture, this past summer. Bernard ultimately chose to study film over literature because of his interest in the commercial process of filmmaking. The balance filmmakers have to strike with pleasing audiences, their crew members, their studios’ visions and their own creative desires is a defining aspect of the industry, he said. “Filmmakers have to do this dance that other artists don’t have to do,” Bernard said. This fascination with the business side of filmmaking drives his research, leading to his dissertation on horror films and his fall 2009 seminar on superhero films and national security. These projects are examples of why he feels everyone should look closely at film. His seminar examined two of 2008’s biggest blockbusters, director Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight.” Both films contain questionable messages about the United States’ military policy, as well as subtext validating the country’s right to police (and in “Iron Man’s” case, rule) the world, he said. The subtext disturbs him as a selfproclaimed leftist, progressive and pacifist. He views “Iron Man” as a “commercial for the military” and did not find the film to be entertaining, but he enjoys “The Dark Knight” as a well-made film that questions some of “Iron Man’s” ideologies. An example of this is provided when Morgan Freeman’s character, Lucius Fox, criticizes Batman’s method of using sonar technology to spy on the entire city to catch the Joker. After the Joker is captured, however, Batman destroys the technology. “You get Morgan Freeman saying, ‘You have gone too far, you’ve stepped over the line,’” Bernard said. “I don’t think you ever have those kinds of moments in modern day films, and when you do, that person’s wrong, that person’s always wrong. It is a little bit troublesome that Batman is right, but (the film) at least questions (this).” Bernard has no problem with viewing films for fun, but he says people should be aware of what a film “may or may not be trying to do.” He acknowledged that filmmakers may not be aware of the messages their films present, particularly Nolan. “(Nolan’s) work on the ‘Batman’ films shows how even unknowingly, filmmakers buy into this idea that national security cinema (is selling),” Bernard said. “The world is dangerous, (and) what it takes to tame the world is (for) the white, corporate man to

shed his privilege … go into the wilderness, and learn how to conquer the wilderness and then come back and protect the civilized world from the wilderness. “It’s all very John Ford, John Wayne … and very cowboys and Indians,” he added. “The fact that someone as smart as Nolan still falls into the same storytelling tropes speaks to how pervasive they are in our culture.” On the other hand, his dissertation examined the wave of horror films in the last decade by a group of filmmakers dubbed “The Splat Pack,” when films developed an excessively bloody style. His paper (which he hopes to publish as a book) says the rise of the DVD allowed distributors to release unrated versions of films, creating a spike in home viewings for people looking for things they cannot experience in theaters. “It got to the point where (directors) like Eli Roth were saying, ‘I don’t even consider the theatrical version of my films (to be the final draft),’” Bernard said. “What comes out on DVD is the real thing.” This leads Bernard to wonder about the future of the industry, particularly with declining theater attendance. With Colin Helb, he co-founded the Tuesdays at the Gish film series, which gets people to attend a free show and allows them to discuss obscure films that they may not see otherwise. “(Colin and I) really wanted there to be this idea of community on campus and film culture,” Bernard said. “What we wanted to do with Tuesdays at the Gish is give people a reason to leave the house. You can see your friends, you can hear a really cool introduction to a film (and) it might be a movie that you (normally) wouldn’t choose to watch.” The Gish Theater is also the site of the 48 Hour Film Festival, during which Bernard is able to judge films made by students as they get the chance to find out what makes a marketable film. He is particularly good at determining genre (film categories like action, superhero and comedy) conventions and how well the filmmakers can stick to them. “I think it’s really fun to pick up on things like this and talk about them because the people made them,” Bernard said. “That sometimes works better than sitting in a classroom and saying, ‘Well, you’ve read your chapter on genre, do you have any questions?’” He is also working on starting a forum for undergraduate film students to submit papers for discussion. He got the idea when he thought about the opportunities film

”

Being a southerner, he’s a natural-born storyteller,” Hope Bernard said. “His style is very approachable. He uses a lot of humor, but he also puts a lot of content in there and expects a lot from his students. – Dr. Hope Bernard

”

production students have to exhibit their work compared to film studies students. “I see it as just a chance to enable students to share and get feedback on film papers that they have written and are particularly proud of,” Bernard said. Bernard’s willingness to help students write and discuss film can be partially attributed to the fact that his entire personality is on display at school — Hope Bernard says the only thing he does differently at home is dote on their two cats, Spumoni and Giuseppe — bringing his hobbies and passions to the classroom. Baron said she expects to see Bernard continue his studies in media and culture, lecturing extensively and publishing his work. But she can’t forget his favorite pastime. “He will be going to movies constantly,” Baron said. “He probably won’t take too KEY many days off.”

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BEHIND THE MASTER’S DEGREE One man’s work as a Marine, Mormon and Master’s student By Tom Nepomuceno

Collin Mapp and his production aide, Nick Leysens, shoot Mapp’s video for his Master of Fine Arts film in front of Brathaus in downtown Bowling Green. Photo provided by Tom Nepomuceno

The Marines trained me to keep a level head, and sometimes when I’m on set it can be stressful, but I feel cool. - Collin Mapp

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ollin Mapp hasn’t been sleeping well. He’s starting to feel the crunch. For the past month, Mapp has been working on his project: a video written, directed and shot by him for his Master of Fine Arts show. Weeks of planning have gone into this; storyboards have been drawn and redrawn, actors have been cast and shooting locations have been determined. Then his cell phone rings. It’s the real estate agent calling Mapp about one of Mapp’s chosen locations, a parking lot on North Main Street where he planned to shoot a large portion of his film. The agent tells Mapp he will not be able to use that location, causing him to rethink his plan this far into the game. “Sometimes, you run into boulders with projects, but you have to be committed,” Mapp said. This isn’t the first problem Mapp has had with his project. Key roles have not been cast, and there are problems with the ending. One of his child actors has broken his ankle. However, the broken ankle will work for that role, Mapp said.

Through it all Mapp remains calm, working around problems without tearing his hair out or losing his temper. Nothing is certain and that’s something Mapp, like any veteran of the film industry, knows — that little things come up unexpectedly and must be worked around. The project is only one part of Mapp’s busy life. On top of his MFA project, he teaches a class, is working on a documentary and is also working on something he likes to call “crayon-a-mation.” Shooting a film, teaching a class, grading student projects and working on another film could stress Mapp out, but he stays calm. “Whenever he is feeling overwhelmed he goes out for a jog,” said Jeff Simonetta, Mapp’s roommate. As the days have gone on, Simonetta said Mapp has been jogging more. Jogging helps keep Mapp’s stress low, and so do stress management classes courtesy of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Mapp doesn’t look like a Marine. His hair is wrong; instead of something clean-cut he wears his hair in a faux-hawk. He also lacks that gung-ho attitude that goes with being a Marine, and he doesn’t have any Marines

When I was at the University of Utah an actor came in, Peter Riegert, and said, ‘Don’t let society tell you what the definition of success should be.’ That always stuck with me. – Collin Mapp memorabilia in his studio. Mapp seems too free-spirited to have been a Marine. He says he isn’t a conformist, and to envision him wearing fatigues seems odd. Simonetta has known Mapp for two years and didn’t know about his friend’s tour in the Marines until a few weeks ago. “He’s always coming up with stories,” Simonetta said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one day he told me he went on an African safari.” Mapp graduated from high school when he was 17 and intended to go to college, but college would have to wait until Mapp fulfilled his religious obligation: a mission. Being a Mormon meant that Mapp would have to go on a mission, which included volunteer and church work, for two years. That left him with a year and a half to do whatever he wanted before he started his mission. A strong sense of patriotism, along with a hunger for adventure and wanting to serve his country, led Mapp to consider the Marine Corps Reserve, which would allow him to take a two-year hiatus to go on his mission. When a recruiter contacted Mapp, the pieces fell into place; he would be a Marine. Joining the Marines satisfied Mapp’s sense of adventure and patriotism. He grew up reading G.I. Joe comic books and watching Star Wars and Indiana Jones, idolizing those heroes and what they stood for. The idea of being a hero filled Mapp’s head; that idea led him to enlist. The Marines imbued Mapp with a sense of commitment and calm. Being pushed

Collin Mapp works on a storyboard for his Master of Fine Arts video in his studio, located in the Fine Arts Center on campus. Photo provided by Tom Nepomuceno

physically and mentally during boot camp trained him to stay cool under pressure. He said the physical stress and the unrelenting pressure from the drill sergeant made him feel like his brain was frying and a grey, viscous gel was oozing from his ears onto the grass. That kind of pressure prepared him for the film industry. “The Marines trained me to keep a level head, and sometimes when I’m on set it can be stressful, but I feel cool,” Mapp said. When Mapp enlisted, he conformed. He followed their rules; he cut his hair to meet the Marines’ standards, wore the uniform and followed orders. His physical conformity was the only aspect that changed, though. The Marines couldn’t change his sense of heroism or his personality, despite his new cookiecutter image. The Marines have a core values class that recruits have to take. During the core values class, the drill sergeant removes his hat, his symbol of authority, and lowers himself to the recruits’ level. This is the time in which Marines can open up to each other, Mapp said. The topic one day was what makes a good soldier. When it came time for Mapp to answer, he didn’t say that a good soldier is one who follows orders or one consisting of testosterone and an assault rifle. Love and compassion make a good soldier, Mapp responded. Mapp’s answer didn’t catch any flak, but he never had to test his conviction. His time in the Marines was up six months before the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003. Once he was out of the Marines, Mapp went to Minnesota on his two-year mission. After his mission he moved to New York City, where he did freelance work for various companies until one day he decided to go back to school for a fine arts degree. Eager to hop back into the role of student, Mapp Googled “degree in fine arts.” Bowling Green State University was at the top of the list. “I had heard of Bowling Green when I was in my undergrad because of the football scores, and when I moved to New York there’s this park on the southern tip of Manhattan called Bowling Green,” said Mapp, “and that’s how Bowling Green existed in my head.” Mapp had been to Ohio once while on a campus visit to the University. Something about the Midwest region resonated with

Collin Mapp, a master’s student at the University, joined the Marines in 1997. Photo provided by Collin Mapp

Mapp. The small town atmosphere, slower pace and fresh air were something that he liked about Bowling Green, and he eagerly applied to the University’s graduate program. The slower pace of the Midwest allowed Mapp to focus on his various projects. “Right now, this one has my focus,” said Mapp, gesturing toward the storyboard behind him. It’s the storyboard for his MFA project. Basic, hand-drawn pictures on white poster board detail the progression of the story. Yet, Mapp isn’t bursting at the seams for this project. He feels that it’s something he has to do to move on. “When I was at the University of Utah an actor came in, Peter Riegert, and said, ‘Don’t let society tell you what the definition of success should be.’ That always stuck with me,” Mapp said. Mapp’s work is upbeat, light-hearted, colorful and humorous. He makes his pieces with the intention that anyone of any background or creed could enjoy them. “My kids love his work,” said Heather Elliott-Famularo, Mapp’s adviser. ElliottFamularo has been trying to get Mapp to make his work more thought-provoking, rather than just another film with a happy ending. She wants him to focus on concept, the fine art part of film, causing a clash between what Mapp knows, film, and what the art department wants. “Stress would come between how he views what film is and how the digital art department views filmmaking. From my understanding it’s a 50/50. He can still express his views, but expose the students to experimental filming,” Simonetta said. KEY

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Meagan Vance, a junior, describes what it’s like to be blind.

Jenna Karg demonstrates how to use her BrailleNote, which serves as a text-to-braille translator.

Photos provided by Ben Hull

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: Blind students speak out, share experiences

By Rose Schneider

“

I’m blind, OK? It’s no big deal. ... I’m not helpless, I promise.

”

– Jenna Karg

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

enna Karg constantly has people going out of their way to help her. They open doors when she seems to be struggling to find the handle and ask if she needs help finding places on campus. But Jenna, a self-described independent person, likes to be left to do her everyday routines on her own. Jenna is legally blind, but she does not consider herself disabled. “I’m blind, OK? It’s no big deal,” Karg said. “I’m not helpless, I promise.” Karg, 19, has retinopathy of prematurity, the result of being born four months prematurely. “(The doctors) were amazed that all that really was wrong with me was that I’m blind,” she said. Karg explained that ROP caused her retinas to not grow or attach properly to her eyes. Her right retina, which is completely detached from her eye, has necessitated the use of a fake eye. “It’s like a really thick contact lens,” Karg said. Despite only being able to see some light and bright colors, the sophomore mildto-moderate intervention specialist major

refuses to let her disability define her. “I’m a person. I’m not just the blind student,” she said. Junior Meagan Vance, a friend and roommate of Karg’s who is also legally blind, shares Karg’s stance of independence. “(Jenna and I) are in college, we know how to manage things,” Vance said. Vance, 20, was born with oculocutaneous albinism, which causes a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. Vance said this lack of pigment in the back of her eyes keeps them from working efficiently. “Light goes straight into your eye and through your eye instead of reflecting,” she said. This condition makes sunlight and other bright lights painful to view, Vance said. In addition, when Vance is stressed, she experiences nystagmus, or uncontrollable eye movement. “The eyes just can’t stay stable, so they jiggle around a lot,” she said. Vance said the nystagmus has caused her much frustration. “Try to focus on reading something if your eyes are swinging back and forth,” she

Jenna Karg’s guide dog, Bilco, takes a break by her side in the BowenThompson Student Union.

said. “It’s very irritating.” Vance said she also has a lack of depth perception, which requires her to use a white cane, especially when crossing the street. “I don’t really know what depth perception is, like, I can’t imagine it,” she said. Vance said she does not use a cane frequently, but when she does use one, she usually has negative experiences with the people around her. “Nobody cares on campus, everyone just shoves through,” she said. “I’ve had people walk through my cane or walk over it.” An English education major and copy editor for The BG News, Vance said she tries not to let her albinism get in the way of her daily life. She loves reading despite one of her greatest struggles, which is not being able to read small print. She has found a way to combat this issue with electronic books and notes in PDF files. “Technology is a great thing,” she said. But Vance still has other struggles in the classroom. In one of her classes, she found that she was having trouble taking notes, so she went to the University’s Office of Disability Services and picked up a sign-up sheet to pass around her classroom to see if anyone would be willing to help her with notes. When she went to her professor and asked her to pass around the sheet, Vance said that the professor “was very nice about it, and said she would make an anonymous announcement.” However, when Vance went back to class, the professor’s announcement was different than she had expected. “My professor made an announcement that a student with a mental disability needed

help with notes and stared right at me. … It was offensive because I do have the mental capacity to take notes, just not the vision,” Vance said. Vance said she felt the announcement affected what people thought of her. Karg said she also has had to deal with some people assuming that, because she is blind, she is also mentally disabled. “I hate it when people pity me and treat me like a 5-year-old,” she said. Karg described an instance when she and a group of friends went to eat at a restaurant and the waiter asked one of her friends what Karg would like to drink. “Oh, I was so angry,” she said. “I’m not deaf, I’m not stupid, just talk to me.” Karg added that she gets just as irritated when strangers come up to her to pet Bilco, her 3-year-old black Labrador guide dog, when she is chatting with friends or trying to make it to class on time. “A lot of people that try to help Jenna or touch her dog, they’re just trying to help and be good citizens,” Vance said. “But they feel like because she doesn’t have eyes, she can’t do anything.” “I don’t mind people asking me about my dog because it’s perfectly fine,” Karg said. “(But) the other day I had like three people come up to me in Founders and start petting my dog and I was standing there talking to a friend.” Karg said she thinks people probably wonder how in the world she can get around campus simply by relying on a dog. “He does know where I’m going, but I have to direct him,” she said. “I can’t say, ‘Go to the Education Building.’” Karg insisted that Bilco is far from perfect. “He’s not a robot,” she said. “He has off days where he’s like, ‘Oh, look a person; I’m going to go sniff them.’” Despite Bilco’s tendency to become distracted, Karg said she would choose her guide dog over constantly asking others for help. “I hate having to rely on people,” she said. Karg said she also gets irritated that her use of a guide dog has made her “famous” on campus as “the girl with the dog.” To combat stigmas that Karg and many other students with disabilities endure, the University’s Office of Disability Services is attempting to educate students. “The last couple years, before the fall semester starts, (Disability Services) does a presentation for the hall directors and the resident advisers, in talking about some of the issues students are coming to college with,” said Rob Cunningham, director of Disability Services. Cunningham said his office, which works with more than 500 disabled students at the

“

Try to focus on reading something if your eyes are swinging back and forth. ... It’s very irritating. – Meagan Vance

”

University, nine of which are blind, wants people to know that just because someone is labeled as disabled, does not mean they are incapable of leading a relatively normal life. “(Our blind students) are very independent,” he said. Cunningham said accommodations have been set up to ensure that each blind student is able to lead the independent life he or she wants. “It’s to make sure these students have equal access to participate in all aspects of what it means to be a student,” he said. These accommodations include electronic textbooks, early registration opportunities, extended exam times and, most importantly, mobility orientation. “(They) go through this routine that basically orients them to campus and helps them get around independently,” Cunningham said. “Now, that takes practice and repetition, but it’s really kind of an art.” He added that blind students rely on landmarks, textures and sidewalks to familiarize themselves with campus. Karg said the suddenly ending sidewalks are still confusing and she finds it very easy to accidentally go down to the wrong sidewalk. “Lately what’s been difficult for everyone, but especially for a blind student, is the changing construction,” Cunningham said. To combat this problem, Cunningham said Disability Services asks to be notified of construction on campus so the students who are blind or in wheelchairs can be informed. Despite the problems both Karg and Vance endure, both say they live normal lives. They have Facebook accounts, send e-mails, text on their cell phones, go to the pool, watch movies and live in an off-campus apartment with two other roommates. “I’m (just) a person,” Karg said. KEY

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

STUDY

TOGETHER,

STAY

TOGETHER The dynamics of combining college and marriage By Danae King

Photo provided by Christy Mesaros-Winckles & Andrew Winckles

“

It’s very much a juggling of schedules constantly. When you both are in school you have to really make the effort to set aside time to see one another.

”

– Christy Mesaros-Winckles

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

oing through college can be tough: classes, homework, a job, a spouse. Wait, what? A spouse? That’s right, well, at least for the married students who attend the University. University graduate student Christy Mesaros-Winckles just celebrated her fourth wedding anniversary this past May. Christy and her husband, Andrew Winckles, live together in Holland, Ohio, and go to separate schools, each working toward a Ph.D. Christy drives 30 minutes to the University every weekday, while, two to three days a week, Andrew makes the hour-and-fifteen-minute trek to Wayne State University in Detroit. “It’s very much a juggling of schedules constantly. When you both are in school you have to really make the effort to set aside time to see one another,” Christy said. The couple has been juggling their schedules ever since they got married in May 2006. They didn’t have a traditional courtship and engagement; as Christy said, “It was the type of thing where friendship fell into love and we realized that we had this ability to have this really great partnership.”

Andrew seemed to realize their potential from the beginning, as he said, “I told her I wanted to marry her when I asked her out.” He describes the manner in which they met as “kind of a funny story.” Christy and Andrew met at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Mich., where they both got their undergraduate degrees. Christy, who was a year ahead of Andrew, knew who he was because friends of his family attended her church. One could say it helped that the two attended a fairly small university, as Andrew said, “she was relatively shy and I was and still am extremely shy. We ended up in the same class my first semester and Christy eventually just came and asked if I wanted to study for class sometime.” From there, their relationship progressed from an acquaintanceship to friendship. Andrew said they hung out for about a year as friends, and then once they started dating, it wasn’t long before they got engaged. “My husband and I are both kind of dorks, so we bonded over that whole academic, dorky experience,” Christy said. “It was fun talking as really good friends for

“

done with school, so can you hire them in a year when they’re done?’ There would be too many uncertainties and more than likely we wouldn’t be able to pull that off,” she said. Andrew and Christy are studying similar subjects; he is working on a doctorate in English literature, while she is studying rhetoric. In addition to being full-time students, Christy and Andrew also work as graduate teaching assistants, and Christy even does a research assistantship as well. With their busy schedules, both said it can be hard to find time to spend with one another. – Andrew Winckles “On average we work close to 60 hours a a year before we dated, and we’d always talk week with work and school and everything, about our research and the different classes sometimes 80 hours. We have to make time we were taking and we realized that we had a for each other, otherwise we wouldn’t see each lot of similar career goals and we had similar other very much,” Andrew said. interests.” “Each week we’ll try to set aside a day Andrew said he didn’t get down on one where we’ll go grocery shopping or different knee and perform the traditional proposal. things so we can catch up. And we call each “We’re a very sort of progressive couple so other on the phone a lot to talk. … You don’t … we just decided to get married and went out have as much time as you’d like with one and got a ring, we’re kind of direct people,” he another,” Christy said. said. The couple also shares a hobby: running. The two were engaged for about a year “Pretty much how it happened was and a half before they got married. I graduated from college and, as tends to Christy said she was able to graduate happen in college, I put on a lot of weight and early from Spring Arbor in December, and she just decided it was time to lose it,” Andrew married Andrew in May of the next year. said. “So I just started running and I didn’t “At the time, I thought I’d graduate in May much enjoy it at first and I kept at it and I 2006 and get married two weeks after that,” sort of got addicted to it. I’m not the kind of Christy said. “I don’t recommend that … I’m person who does things by half measures, so I glad I was able to graduate early.” ended up marathoning, and then Christy sort After they got married, Andrew finished of picked it up a little while after I did and she his bachelor’s degree at Spring Arbor and does half marathons now.” Christy took online classes to get her master’s Running is a way for Christy and Andrew degree while working full time. She said it was to spend time together without thinking about very helpful to get her master’s degree online, school or work, but it takes more than that to especially while “trying to have two people go make being married students work. through school and work full time.” “I’d have to say I guess it’s a matter of Currently, Christy and Andrew are both in priorities. I would say for both of us our the second year of their doctorate programs, marriage is probably our first priority, and even though Christy is a year older. Because then our second priority right after that is Christy was working full time, it took her about school,” Andrew said. 2 1/2 years to attain her master’s degree, while He also said it helps that they are both it took Andrew only about two years. So, when in school, as they understand that there are Christy finished her degree halfway through times when one of them has to be in school or the year, she wasn’t yet able to enter a graduate doing work. Christy said she thinks it would program. This led to the couple starting their be harder to be married and still be a student Ph.D. programs at the same time. if Andrew wasn’t in school as well. “I had to basically wait a whole year “We have a support network, we before I could apply because of how the cycle understand what we’re going through in our works,” Christy said. programs, so we can go home and we can vent Christy said this was a conscious effort on and we can talk about our research,” she said. her part because she knew if she and Andrew “He helps me so much with editing and all of wanted to get jobs together, they would have my research papers, and I mean a lot of really to be at the same pace in their programs. constructive feedback on things I should add “If I was a year before him or he was done to my papers to make them a better research a year before me, it would be really hard to say, project, and I do the same for him. I think it ‘Hey, can you hire my spouse, but they’re not actually makes us bond more to be students.”

I’d have to say I guess it’s a matter of priorities. I would say for both of us our marriage is probably our first priority, and then our second priority right after that is school.

”

However, being married students isn’t easy. “I think that the hardest challenge for married students is finances,” Christy said. “There’s this idea that when you’re married, two come cheaper than one. It’s not true, two people cost more money and when you’re an undergrad or even a graduate student, you don’t have a lot of expendable income so it’s all been very tight financially, but you learn to get used to it.” Both Christy and Andrew’s families were supportive of their marriage, and Christy said their families were also helpful financially; they got the couple some basic household items and even bought them a car, which they were unable to afford themselves. “Throughout the whole process they’ve just been really supportive of allowing us to continue our education and helping us a little bit financially when we need help,” Christy said of her parents and in-laws. Andrew said his parents also met as undergraduates and got married while at Spring Arbor University, so they couldn’t really complain. “Both Christy and I are eldest children who are highly independent and we know what we want, so I don’t think they were very concerned,” he said. Christy and Andrew want to be college professors, which, Christy said, could be a tough situation. The couple will be entering the job market at the same time; however, they are in two different departments. It could be hard to find jobs at the same college. “So what we’ve talked about is the fact that one of us is going to have to be an attachment to the other. So, if one of us gets offered a job, we’re going to have to petition and campaign for that university to hopefully hire our spouse,” Christy said. This situation won’t occur for a while, though, since both Christy and Andrew are still about two years away from earning their Ph.D.s. There are other couples like Christy and Andrew, couples who work to find a balance between both school and marriage. As Andrew says, “It’s a matter of priorities.” KEY

BGSU Main Campus Student Head Count by Marital Status* Married

Other

Total

Graduate

626

2,273

2,899

Undergraduate

409 14,397 14,806

Total

1,035 16,670 17,705

Data courtesy of Dr. Robert Zhang, associate director of Institutional Research in the University’s Office of Institutional Research *As of Sept. 7, 2010

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

A NOBLE REUNION Homecoming royalty returns for Centennial celebration By Hannah Mingus

Photo provided by Hannah Mingus

Photo provided by Stephanie Kuharik

Left: Former University homecoming royalty gather at Mileti Alumni Center on Oct. 2 for the Centennial Homecoming Royalty Reunion before heading to the football game. Top right: Two-time homecoming queen Linda Hecker (1954 and 1957) and her husband, Jack, enjoyed reminiscing with other alumni at the reunion. Jack was a University football player. Bottom right: 2010 Homecoming Queen Stephanie Kuharik and her fellow court member, Craig Obrock, wave to the crowd as they pass by in this year’s homecoming parade on Oct. 1.

“

It felt amazing, and was so exciting! There’s no way to tell who will win before it happens because it’s such a big university, and you don’t know who will actually come out and vote, and who knows who.

”

– Stephanie Kuharik, 2010 homecoming queen

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

omecoming only comes around once a year, but for some, it stays with them for a lifetime. Each year, the University crowns two students to represent the school. Since 1931 when the first homecoming queen, Ruth Carter, was crowned, 97 students have been given the title of homecoming king or queen. The first homecoming was held in 1922, following the University’s first football game a few years prior. On Saturday, Oct. 2, of this year’s homecoming weekend, the University welcomed back former homecoming royalty to the Centennial Homecoming Royalty Reunion at Mileti Alumni Center. In attendance were royals from decades spanning the 1950s through the present, including this year’s king and queen, Stephanie Kuharik and Dan Caldwell. The nomination process for this year’s homecoming queen began last spring. People nominated candidates online and applications were then sent out in the fall. The candidates with the top 10 scores were given interviews, which were also scored. Those with the top five scores overall were selected

to be on the court. Being involved on campus can help a student become nominated for queen, and this was especially true for Kuharik. During her four years on campus she was involved in Alpha Phi, BizX Entrepreneurial Leaders, the Equestrian Team, rugby, Dance Marathon, as a resident adviser in McDonald Hall, and as a student tour coordinator for the University, among other things. “Being an RA for three years, I met a lot of freshmen, and being an orientation leader also allowed me to meet people as well,” Kuharik said. “A lot of people knew me personally, or had seen me around.” Kuharik said the whole homecoming week was great, and that she had a lot of fun, from getting to know other women on the court who have had an impact on the University, all the way up to the final moments when she heard her name being called. “It felt amazing, and was so exciting! There’s no way to tell who will win before it happens because it’s such a big university, and you don’t know who will actually come out and vote, and who knows who,” she said. The process for being nominated for

“

The crown was floral, and was too big. When the president crowned me and he put the crown on my head, it came down right over my nose.

”

– Margarita Keller, 1956 homecoming queen

homecoming queen has changed greatly over the years and used to only require a picture of the candidate, with no campaigning or interviews. The 1950s were a simpler time, mainly remembered for Elvis Presley, baby boomers and big band dances. Twenty years after the first homecoming queen was crowned, it was Dorothy “Dotti” Borden’s turn to wear the floral crown. Her sorority, Delta Gamma, placed her on the ballot. “The nomination process was a preferential ballot. It made me happy to be elected because they could kill you in an election, and they didn’t. It was wonderful,” Borden explained. Two weeks after being voted homecoming queen, Borden was named the Sigma Chi Sweetheart. “I certainly never thought I would get it because I didn’t have blue eyes or blonde hair,” Borden said. “I was pinned at the time to a Sigma Chi, Gene Fenn.” That same year, Borden was also named Outstanding Senior Woman. Until 1957, students from any grade level could be voted in as homecoming queen. Linda Hecker was crowned in 1954 as a freshman and then again in 1957 as a senior. “The nomination process was having pictures hung up on campus without the candidates’ names on them, and the student body went in and voted. There were no

interviews or campaigning, you were just lucky to have a good picture,” Hecker said. Borden lived in Kohl Hall her freshman year and the woman in charge of the hall had helped a freshman girl win homecoming queen two years prior, so the woman knew that it was possible for a freshman to do so. The Kohl residents nominated girls by wing and floor. The woman rallied all of the girls together to vote for Hecker, and she got voted in. “It shocked the campus. I did not hear about anything I was supposed to do until late afternoon on Friday, the day before homecoming. The girl that finally called me and came over to see me said, ‘This is such a crazy place. You could be homecoming queen again,’ and we laughed and laughed,” Borden said. “I said, ‘No, it’s not possible.’” Her senior year, Borden was placed on the ballot by her sorority, Chi Omega. She tried to argue that it wasn’t a good idea. “I’ve always thought maybe people are conditioned. They’ve seen her once so they know to vote for her again,” Borden said. Margarita Keller was voted queen in 1956, and she was nominated by her residence hall as well. “All of the groups on campus that were running a queen candidate would do a skit and they’d go around to the different residence halls. My skit was four girls singing in a quartet,” Keller said. The University informed her that she was elected queen by sending her a notice in the campus mail. Her parents were called the night before and given tickets to come to the game. Keller remembered what a beautiful day it was for homecoming that year. The court rode in on convertibles, and the class officers escorted her, along with two attendants. “The crown was floral, and was too big. When the president crowned me and he put the crown on my head, it came down right over my nose,” Keller said. The 1960s were a revolutionary time for everyone, especially college students. The baby boomers were growing up, and they wanted to fight for change. Bowling Green alumnus Dale Fondham remembered that during homecoming in the ’60s, the University opened up the dorms and allowed guys to go into the girls’ rooms, but not without supplying a few rules to go along with that newfound freedom. The doors had to be open, and the men’s feet had to remain on the floor. Being involved in Greek life continued to play a huge role in getting nominated for the homecoming court in the 1960s as well. The 1969 queen, Nancy Fondham, was

nominated through her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. Her longtime boyfriend and now husband, Dale, was in Beta Theta Pi, of which she was named the sweetheart. He made sure all of his brothers got out and voted for her. “I was shocked because one of my sorority sisters was on the homecoming committee, and she tried to throw me off,” Nancy said. “The night before it was announced she said it was a tight race, so I was expecting not to win. I was so shocked. There was a lot of screaming by my sorority. “The funny thing was I called home to tell my parents, and there was this pause and my dad said, ‘Out of all those girls, they picked you?’ I’m sure he didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” During that decade, the University began shying away from floral crowns and started using tiaras to crown the queens. “I don’t know if I still have my crown, I haven’t seen it in years,” Nancy said. “Tell them I pawned it!” Dale joked. After 1969, homecoming changed quite a bit on campus. “(1970) was a transitional year because of Kent State. You still had the traditions of homecoming, but things were changing and there was a lot more social consciousness here on campus. After 1970, homecoming wasn’t such a big deal,” Nancy said. This trend of change continued in the 1970s. After the 1974 crowning of the University’s first male homecoming queen, Rick Morrow, there was no homecoming crowning for two years. When the crowning was reinstated, the University crowned its first king and queen combination. “She got a tiara, and I got a tie tack,” 1977 Homecoming King Mark “Doughboy” Davis said. “When they brought homecoming elections back, they figured it was a time for both. It was a time of women’s liberation and gender equality. The timing with what was going on in the country made it ideal. It was another seven or eight years until they had another king.” Davis was involved in student government and Phi Kappa Psi, and he was a cheerleader. He said he was widely known on campus due to his involvement and nickname. Each of the University’s homecoming kings and queens has a special story. They are all a part of what makes the campus so rich with history. Carrying on the homecoming royalty tradition will only make it stronger in the years to come. KEY

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

BEYOND THE

BUCK$ By Bryan Warrick

Student workers gain experience for life after graduation

Photos provided by Tom Nepomuceno

I’ve learned a lot and I’ve grown from it, in a professional way. It helps students learn real responsibility early, even if they don’t want to. – Kelsey Robertson

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

ome students make classes their first priority, but for others, college life is about more than just classes. Many college students start working for the first time. Simple part-time jobs can be a great thing for students while they are attending college. In addition to the experience they provide, these jobs also offer students the opportunity to grow as professionals and make money to support themselves for the first time in their lives. “A job on campus has lots of benefits,” said Michelle Simmons, senior associate director of the University’s Career Center. “It helps them meet other students, learn how the University works and meet some of the faculty. For freshmen, it really helps with that adjustment phase when they first start here.” According to Simmons, there are over 1,700 students working on campus for the University this semester, with an additional 500 students working on campus for independent employers. Both numbers

normally increase as the school year enters October, she said. While it may be nice for students to be making money for themselves, there can also be a negative side to working while attending college. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day for them to do everything they need to do. Kelsey Robertson, a sophomore, is taking 17 credit hours this semester and working 16 hours each week at the University’s Residential Computing Connection on the side. While she said having a job is good, she also said it was hard to balance it out in the beginning. “At first, it was really bad,” Robertson said. “I wasn’t focusing on schoolwork as much. You could really tell my work was slipping.” Grades falling because of work has become a major problem in the United States in the last few decades, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In 2001, a study commissioned by Upromise Inc., a

Kelsey Robertson, a sophomore, works 16 hours each week for the University’s Residential Computing Connection, located on the fourth floor of the Mathematical Sciences Building.

college savings service, found that 57 percent of college students were working a job. That number had more than doubled since 1985. Moreover, they found that about 10.4 percent of college students actually worked 35 hours or more a week. 10.4 percent translates into more than 830,000 students nationwide, the study states. According to the Upromise Inc. study, 55 percent of students who worked that many hours a week said it had a negative effect on their schooling. In fact, it was found that there was a 10 percentage difference in grades between full-time students and students who didn’t work at all. But these numbers are from those students with full-time jobs. What about students who work only part time? How does work affect them? “I think it’s a positive in the end,” Robertson said. “I’ve learned a lot and I’ve grown from it, in a professional way. It helps students learn real responsibility early, even if they don’t want to.” Robertson said part-time work makes students experience real world issues directly, before actually going out into the real world. The 2001 study revealed that students who worked only part time were not negatively affected by work. The study’s conclusion stated that it may even be beneficial to students to work part time while going to college. Again, the reason was said to be the experience that is gained. “Experience is important now,” Simmons said. “Even more than it has ever been. Some jobs here could just be easy jobs

for a few hours, or it could be a job in the actual field a student is going into.” But regardless of where you work, any job can be beneficial to students, according to Simmons. “Any job will allow you to build skills,” she said. “Even if you work in fast food, which some people look down upon, you’re still learning. You learn how to deal with difficult customers, to work routines and how important policy procedures are. That kind of job shows that you are flexible. There are five or six skills from a fast food job that you can put on a resume or application. Any job has value.” Robertson is learning exactly what she needs for the future from her job on campus. “I’m actually working for what my major is,” she said. “I’m working entirely with computers, and my major is in computer science. It’s actually like a win-win situation for me.” Robertson also said her job has helped her to realize the kind of demand she will have to work with once she is out of college. “It’s been hard, but it’s what I do,” she said. The number of students going to work while also going to school full time continues to increase every year, according to the study. “Students should try and get a job while going to school,” said Simmons. “As long as they can manage their time and not fall behind, it is a great opportunity for them.” KEY

A job on campus has lots of benefits. … It helps them meet other students, learn how the University works and meet some of the faculty. – Michelle Simmons

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

BEHIND THE SUIT AND T E: A look into the life of USG President Kevin Basch By Alissa O’Neill, assistant editor

t was Kevin Basch’s 21st birthday, and he looked like any other college student in his Greek event T-shirt, plaid shorts and sandals. Unlike most newly-minted 21-year-olds, though, Basch would not be seen at the bars celebrating. Instead, he spent his birthday answering e-mails in his office and hoping to find time to work out. Life as the Undergraduate Student Government president has its disadvantages, and while Basch was feeling them on his birthday, he was still able to find the positives. “For me, it’s a celebration that I don’t have to be in a shirt and tie today,” Basch said. “That’s a big win for me.” Since being elected president in the spring, Basch has constantly been adapting to change in his day-to-day life. Downtime with friends and fraternity brothers in Lambda Chi Alpha has turned into time spent in meetings, and time spent talking with classmates has turned into constant communication with University administrators. “I meet more administrators than I do students these days,” Basch said. While Basch doesn’t have free time during the week, his roommate and fellow fraternity member, Evan Mossbarger, doesn’t treat him any differently. “We’ll hang out and play chess,” Mossbarger said. “We love playing chess together.” In addition to taking over the majority of his social time throughout the week, Basch’s role as USG president has also leaked into the time he has to focus on personal goals. Many of Basch’s goals for the year include agenda items he would like to accomplish with USG. All but one. “I want to go through the Marine Corps OCS Program, which is Officer Candidate(s) School, when I graduate here,”

KEY MAGAZINE | VOL 3 ISSUE 1 | FALL 2010

Photo provided by Tom Nepomuceno

Basch said. “You have to be in phenomenal shape to get into that program.” The Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Va., suggests that in preparation for the fitness area of acceptance, men should train for 45 to 60 minutes, three to four times a week. It also suggests candidates run three to four miles twice a week and aim to run at an eight-minuteper-mile pace — as a minimum. With the duties Basch has as USG president and with his fraternity, it’s sometimes a challenge to find the time to train. “I try to schedule a workout everyday; I try to work out every morning,” Basch said. “That’s on my schedule, but if something ever comes up and someone says, ‘Hey, we need to meet,’ usually that’s the thing that I say, ‘All right, you know, I can’t skip another meeting.’ So that’s usually the first thing to go, and that’s tough. It’s a shame I can’t devote more time to that, but you know, what are you gonna do.” When he was little, Basch had dreams of being a fighter pilot when he grew up until he realized he didn’t have the eyes for it. Even as a kid, Basch said he wasn’t interested in long-term plans, but tried to take life one step at a time. “I have a job and I do it to the best of my ability; even with USG when I got started I had no idea I was going to be president,” Basch said. “I just had my job, I did it, I did it well, I moved up. I did a job, did it well. I try not to look too far down the road.” While he doesn’t look too far into the future, he does know what he wants out of life and that’s what pulled him toward the Marines. “I never wanted to be the guy who has a nine-to-five job. I don’t want to be the guy who comes in, does his job, goes home and forgets about it. (The Marines) is really a lifestyle, it’s not just a job, it’s not

just, ‘Oh, I’m just going to go to work and get through the day so I can go home and watch football,’” Basch explained. “It’s, you’re there because you’re passionate about it. You’re there with a bunch of other people who are passionate about it. I love nothing more than giving myself to an issue, a job and making it priority number one.” USG Vice President Dan Caldwell said Basch applies himself like that in his role as USG president, and Caldwell has no doubt that work ethic will continue when Basch joins the Marines. “That’s his thing, really wanting to make the world a better place,” Caldwell said. “That’s his next step.” That next step may be a battle to achieve with his schedule restrictions, but Basch is willing to work for what he wants. “I’ve always loved a challenge. I love the opportunity to give back to this country,” Basch said. “I want to serve.” KEY

I’ve always loved a challenge. I love the opportunity to give back to this country. – Kevin Basch

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