s e c i o v k r sta E N O n o i t i E/ed E R H T e volum FALL/2018
LE FEATURE ARTDIC ragon: “Chasing the on Drugs” r a W e th f o y c a c The Effi AN BY ADAM GOODM
starkvoices TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter From the Editors................ 1 Letter From the Intern.................. 2 About Stark Voices........................ 2 Article Introductions.................3-4 Feature Article............................5-9 Articles.................................... 10-30 Instructor Acknowledgement.... 31 Staff and Contributors................ 32 art: MICHAEL NICOLARDI cover art: CHRYSTAL ROBINSON
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Stark Voices, as the celebration of student writing it is currently, began as a conversation between writing teachers and co-advisors. We were searching for a way to share exemplary Stark State student writing with a broader audience and revitalize our student publication, which was not working for logistical reasons. After thoughtful discussion with our colleagues in the English Department, the concept of Stark Voices as a journal of student writing was born. Over the past few semesters, this publication has experienced growing pains, but it has also made great strides in becoming a work of which we are so very proud. We depend upon multiple partners across the College, including faculty, administration, and students. Our partners in graphic design, especially Ryan Gray, have been integral to our success. The lynch pin, though, from conception to publication, has always been our student editor. Editing Stark Voices is an internship requirement for students earning a Technical Communications degree. Our student interns work tirelessly all semester long. They choose and edit essays, maintain contact with authors, write copy, and facilitate communication with our design partners. We have always known that our editors work hard and spend countless hours in order to help Stark Voices come to fruition each semester, but the reality of
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this work has never been more clear than when we had to complete it ourselves. This semester, Stark Voices was left without a student editor. As co-advisors, we did not want to lose the momentum the publication had gained, nor did we want to delay the publication of the incredible essays that had been submitted. We decided to take on the editor duties ourselves; we are writing teachers with decades of experience between us. How difficult could it be? Really difficult, it turns out. Putting together Stark Voices this semester was delayed by our multiple job duties, logistical difficulties, and the sheer bulk of time needed to commit to developing a quality publication. This has truly been a labor of love, as well as an exercise in gratitude for all of our committed partners across the College. We are especially grateful to our past and future student editors, for whom we can now experience true empathy. With exhaustion, pride, and gratitude, we are finally, and ecstatically, ready to present our newest issue of Stark Voices. Now, can we please get an intern? Nicole Herrera Elizabeth Modarelli Co-Advisors and Temporary Editors, Stark Voices
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starkvoices My arrival on the scene of Stark Voices was a semester too late to relieve the advisors, so I would be pretentious to take much credit for the bulk of this edition. At first, I experienced something of a deja vu moment, having been published in the 2015 edition. However, my comments as the latecomer are not about self-promotion, but rather about the awe-inspiring literary talent of my peers. As I read these student essays and narratives, I was caught up in their innate value, their unique perspectives, and their thought-provoking positions. The insightful and inquisitive observations they have made about the world around them sparked in me a glimmer of hope for our nation’s ethical ethos. One thread was clear throughout each piece: honest, courageous self-introspection. As long as students, community members, and citizens continue to ask the hard questions and have uncomfortable conversations, our society will continue to progress. Education is not just about the transfer of ideas, but the
LETTER FROM THE INTERN active consideration and endless proofing of those ideas. “The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask,” and this publication is reassurance that the students of Stark State are asking all the right questions.
Ariana Barrett Technical Communications Intern, Stark Voices
ABOUT STARK VOICES Stark Voices is committed to recognizing Stark State students’ excellence while facilitating an academic conversation highlighting diverse perspectives, critical insights, and thoughtful reflection through publication of student work. To ensure that the publication holds to the academic standards of excellence, submission of work is accepted only through an instructor with the consent of the student. Materials must be nonfiction and must comply with general requirements, which include clear focus, substantive content, unique voice, accurate citations, included references (as applicable), and a minimal need for editing. Stark Voices is overseen by a committee of professors within the English and Modern Languages Department. Technical Communications majors, in their last semester before graduation, are required to hold an internship position within the committee and oversee the publication process, holding all executive titles and responsibilities. As such, Stark Voices is
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a student-run publication that incorporates a culmination of learned processes that include all aspects of publication, such as interviewing, customer service, editing, layout and design elements, and collaborative efforts between faculty and the student body. Stark Voices encourages all students with an interest in communication, publication, writing, and graphic design to consider joining the committee and assisting in the recognition of fellow students. Faculty who encounter high-quality student writing and wish to foster academic achievement and advance student success can submit student essays for publication consideration throughout the academic year. DISCLAIMER: The content of this publication represents the academic exploration of individual students. The perspectives expressed are not representative of the official positions of Stark State College.
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starkvoices Chasing the Dragon: The Efficacy of the War on Drugs
PG ADAM 5 GOODMAN
Adam Goodman communicates his unique perspective on the War on Drugs as an individual recovering from a substance use disorder. Readers are challenged to consider the economic and sociological implications of these policies both domestically and abroad. The War on Drugs is far reaching, and this discussion is critically important in light of our nation’s current opiate epidemic. Instructor: Duane Dodson
School Counselors’ Responsibility in Student Safety Winner of the SSC Writing Center’s 2017/18 Academic Writing and College Competition Essay Contest
PG 10
KATELYN SAUSAMAN
An engaging essay on the need for greater initiative by school counselors to battle bullying, Katelyn Sausaman’s piece offers both a legal and an ethical compass for dissecting the challenging role that school counselors face. Instructor: Jennifer Koladin
Becoming Human
PG SADIE 14 OWENS
This essay delivers a poignant and relatable look at her discovery of self-expression. Sometimes humorous and sometimes painful, her self-proclaimed “essence of Orange Crush” denotes more than mere rebellion. Writer Sadie Owens recognizes the universal human need for personal creation. Instructor: Cassie Sanford
Regaining Police Legitimacy
PG JOSEPH C. 16 WILLIAMS
A chance encounter with a young man propels Joseph Williams to question the nature of his profession as a police officer. He takes us through a well-thought-out and philosophical consideration of what policing should look like. Appropriation of power and the needs of the community come to a crossroads. Instructor: Nicole Herrera
Making a Difference Where it Counts
PG 18
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SUSANNA MARTIN
Downtown Canton is being restored physically, but how are we addressing the restoration of its citizens’ lives? In this essay, Susanna Martin looks at how to effectively mentor urban youth. She concludes that we can best serve the future of Canton by addressing the emotional and mental needs of these young people. Instructor: Nicole Herrera
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starkvoices Lack of Sustainability of STNAs in Long-Term Care Facilities
PG 20
SABRINA GABRIEL
The heavy workload, low wages, and poor morale are just a few reasons that Sabrina Gabriel believes STNAs are underappreciated in health care. This essay offers Sabrina’s personal and professional experience as an STNA in a long-term care facility and challenges us to understand the negative predicaments this particular labor force is facing. Instructor: Nicole Herrera
The Media’s Expectations of Female Musicians
PG TAYLOR 22 MARINO
Although the glass ceiling is becoming thinner in a #metoo atmosphere, many women still face professional pressure to perform to an unattainable standard; the music industry is no different. Taylor Marino uncovers entertainment media’s “group think” about females in the music industry, and she encourages women to be true to themselves. Instructor: Justin Barber
How Do We Break the Cycle of Poverty?
PG 26
RACHEL DENNISON
Generational poverty has become a hot-button topic in the debate regarding minimum wage and work-life balance in our country. Rachel Dennison offers a peek into her experiences as a third-generation child in poverty. She asks the proverbial questions some are afraid to vocalize, and she prompts us to find the answers to this critical topic for ourselves. Instructor: Elizabeth Modarelli
A Moment in Time (Originally Presented at the 2018 SSC Symposium)
PG 29 KRISTEN HEBERT
MICHAEL WILLIAMS PG 33
Chronicling a house party gone crazy, Michael Williams parallels his gradual intoxication with his blossoming affections. From the country roads to the bonfire, this coming of age story is an honest and relatable look at adolescence. Instructor: Tom O’Brien
NICOLE MEADE
PG 36
Crystal Cove (Originally Presented at the 2018 SSC Symposium)
Infinitesimal - Winner of the SSC 2017/18 Creative Writing Contest
A striking beach, a looming move across the country, and soothing poetic language: These are just the tip of what Kristen Hebert offers us in this personal narrative. Her experience with adapting to change sweeps us into the waves.
In this poem, Nicole Meade offers a succinct but complex look at death and the human grieving process. Using elegant prose and lyrical language, Nicole dives deeply into the universal experience we share when we lose those we love.
Instructor: Tom O’Brien
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Instructor: Jennifer Koladin
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starkvoices CHASING THE DRAGON: THE EFFICACY OF THE WAR ON DRUGS by ADAM GOODMAN
Many people have heard of the term War on Drugs, but what does that phrase encompass? In simplest terms, the war on drugs is a phrase given to the U.S. government campaign towards the prohibition of drugs, more often than not geared towards curbing supply. Although coined by Nixon in 1971, this campaign has spanned several presidencies, and we continue to see some of these key policies in place today, along with their unintended consequences. One such policy was the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which included the infamous Controlled Substances Act within its definition. Although it did generally lessen penalties associated with narcotic offenses--only for the time being--the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Act established the scheduling system still in place today, which classifies drugs and narcotics based on their potential for abuse and legitimacy for medical purposes (Musto & Korsmeyer, 2002). Although under Nixon’s administration, penalties for narcotic offenses were lowered, this did not last long as the nation soon witnessed the implementation of cruel minimum penalties under Reagan’s presidency during the 1980s; under Reagan’s leadership, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988, which established harsh mandatory minimum sentences for drug possession and trafficking offenses, particularly with crack cocaine due to its infamous expansion throughout American inner-cities (United States Sentencing Commission, 2011). Although some of these sentencing requirements were altered under the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, these crucial legislative acts laid the groundwork for mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines still in use today (United States Sentencing, 2011). Some argue that the success of the war on drugs can be measured on a much smaller scale: the personal sobriety of individuals. I can attest to such a statement; as a recovering addict myself, I understand the significance of treatment and rehabilitation programs and acknowledge that they are essential to combating such an atro5
cious vice. Proponents of the war on drugs contend that each person who is going through or who has ever gone through a federally funded treatment program, and is maintaining sobriety represents a victory for both the program and the individual (“Statistics,” 2015). While I agree with both of these points, I do find the lack of whole-sightedness to be antagonizing. While it is praiseworthy to continue combating illicit drug abuse, and the continued sobriety of our fellow Americans is a priority of utmost importance, it is also worthy to note that the statistics above neither represent the whole issue, nor do they reveal the bigger picture. Although there is a noticeable increase in the amount of seizures and drug-related arrests, these draconian policies have been largely unsuccessful, resulting in nothing short of the mass incarceration of American people and the substantiation of drug-related violence, while having little effect on the actual demand for illicit substances. First, let us take a look at incarceration rates in America and how the war on drugs has affected these numbers. With Nixon’s declaration in 1971, the federal and state governments began issuing systematic mandates pressuring local police agencies to show progress in
“the quickest way to show ample progress is through the number of arrests made” the newly enacted policies (Bobo & Thompson, 2006). The quickest way to show ample progress, as one might imagine, is through the number of arrests made (Bobo & Thompson, 2006); thus began the propelling of our society into an era referred to as the “era of mass incarceration.” This evidence was substantiated in 2012 by Lauren Glaze and Erinn Herberman of the U.S. volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices Department of Justice, who noted that the prison rate has jumped tremendously over the decades – from 161 people out of every 100,000, in 1972, to 707 people out of every 100,000, in 2012, with over 2.23 million people actively incarcerated during 2012 (as cited in Travis et al., 2014). The rapid increase of inmates has led to horrific overcrowding in our country’s prison system. Many of the state and federal prisons operate at, or even above, one-hundred percent capacity (Travis et al., 2014), with an estimated 58% of federal prisoners serving time for drug-related offenses (Gray, 2010).
violent behavior while under the influence (Atkinson et al., 2009). These statistics are a solid testimony to the correlation of violence and emerging or growing drug markets in America. This pattern resonates throughout the world. As previously mentioned, the war on drugs has had a far more profound effect across the world, particularly in developing countries where drug profits are seen as a means of survival. But what do these countries have in com-
Although it may have been the most dramatic result of Nixon’s “war,” mass imprisonment is not the only repercussion of this tremendous failure of public policy. The war on drugs brought violence not only to America, but to third world countries, which strive to remain big time suppliers of America’s indefatigable demand for illegal drugs. With the introduction of crack cocaine in America in the 1980s, particularly in the inner cities, we have seen an emergence of impersonal homicide, in which the victim is unknown or is hardly known to the assailant (De La Rosa et al., 1990). These hitmen-style slayings, more often than not, are linked to the drug trade, with competing dealers hoping to either corner the drug market or to preserve unspoken, unofficially designated territories (De La Rosa et al., 1990). Studies conducted in Los Angeles have revealed that 35% of methamphetamine addicts between the ages of 18 and 25 admitted to having engaged in FALL/2018
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starkvoices mon? Each and every one of them has seen augmented rates of violence as the result of the increasing power of gangs or organizations often engaging in the distribution of drugs. Take, for instance, a country like Mexico. Since the early 2000s, Mexico has seen a sharp increase in violence, as competition between organized crime groups began to grow, particularly with drug cartels (Heinle et al., 2017). According to the Mexican government, between 2007 and 2014, there were more than 164,000 victims of homicide, many of whom were killed in the struggle between the Mexican government and competing drug cartels (Breslow, 2015; Lee & Renwick, 2017). This number, as observers have noted, is significantly more than the amount of casualties--within the same seven-year span, mind you--killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
1999, the CDC recorded fewer than 1,500 deaths due to synthetic opioids, compared to more than 20,000 in 2016 (“Overdose Death Rates,” 2017). This same pattern has been observed with almost every other type of drug imaginable. The same study found that in 1999, approximately 2,500 people died from heroin overdose, compared to more than 15,000 people in 2016, making up but a small portion of the estimated 64,000 deaths from overdose in 2016, compared to only around 18,000 in 1999 (“Overdose Death Rates”, 2017).
shocking is the increasing danger of using drugs, particularly due to the increase in purity, in conjunction with the relative decrease in prices (Moore & Elkavich, 2008). This increase in purity, along with the introduction and mixture of dangerous, synthetic chemicals–chemicals like fentanyl or carfentanil--has led to a substantial influx of drug-related deaths and hospitalizations. According to the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), synthetic opioids have accounted for the largest increase in deaths due to overdose; in
In order to remain clean, I had to be willing to give up everything I valued at the time so that I could grasp the bigger picture I so desperately wanted to envision. What I came to realize was that in order to change my life, I had to change my entire mentality. I had to become willing to question myself and my intentions so that I could push back the urges to use and begin to address the issues that compelled me to resort to the behavior. This is where the war on drugs fails in terms of policy; authorities would rather bust dealers and users than ad-
As a recovering addict, I understand all too well the afflictions associated with living in a drug-filled society. Struggling for years on end, I have seen it all, from incarceration to the despair followed by repeated overdoses. However, none of the aforementioned was ever quite enough for me to stop my drug abuse. I eventually grew Given this senseless violence, not to mention the mas- to the point where no law, no man, and certainly no jail sive rates of incarceration, surely our country must have could keep me from using; despite multiple overdoses made some discernible progress in fighting substance and the threat of death constantly lingering over me, I abuse? While one might reasonably expect this to be still refused to remediate my chaotic behaviors. the case, it is not so. In fact, the war on drugs has done Naively, I had always imagined that in order to quit uslittle to decrease the use or demand for illegal substanc- ing drugs, one had to simply quit using drugs–quite easy, es (Moore & Elkavich, 2008). According to the White right? What I found out was that even when I reached the House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Amer- point that I no longer wanted to take drugs, it was not as icans spend, on the whole, about $100 billion a year easy as I had imagined; this led me to constantly falling on illegal drugs, which is roughly the same as it was in short of my expectations due to frequent relapses, with 2000 (Lee & Renwick, 2017). This statistic demonstrates no meaningful time in between uses. Over time, I learned a complete inability to reduce consumer drug demand, that the essence of sobriety encompassed so many more which offers additional evidence of the failure of the aspects than merely abstaining from drug use. I came war on drugs. to find out, through constant struggle and failure, that While drug abuse rates have remained relatively stable maintaining sobriety required much more work, much over the past few years (Schulden et al., 2009), what is more dedication, and significantly more sacrifice.
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starkvoices dress the underlying mental issues that spur addiction (Stoever, 2002). These rooms also play a vital role in minrates throughout our nation. imizing dangers because they provide a hygienic setting Before my struggles, I never truly understood the na- with needle exchanges and/or additional paraphernalia ture of addiction. I, too, always wondered why addicts to reduce the risk of transmitting blood-borne diseases couldn’t simply refrain from using drugs. Through years facilitated through drug abuse (Stoever, 2002). of turmoil and misery, I have finally found my answer: Addiction is a mental disease that demands a sort of twisted, self-destructive satisfaction only appeasable through the enhanced euphoric “remedy” of mind-altering substances. With this in mind, I strongly believe that the war on drugs has failed in achieving its explicit goals. From an observational standpoint, it would seem as if the war on drugs is too focused on relinquishing the supply of drugs rather than decreasing consumer demand or addressing the root of the problem. Instead of focusing on this supply, which we have seen hasn’t worked as planned, our country should focus its resources on reducing demand for drugs, starting with education and cultural changes.
Although certainly an unpopular idea in this country thus far, it is time that we learn from our European counterparts. As an addict, I understand that no one but the user will be able to determine when they have had enough or when they are ready to quit using. Each and every addict will reach that point at some time in their life, and as a civilized, modern republic, it is our duty to ensure that these people live long enough to reach this opportunity. Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members,” which furthers the notion that, in order to claim superiority as a superpower nation, we must do right by our constituents–all of our constituents–which includes the responsibility to help those that cannot help themselves, this parOnce both education and culture are addressed, it be- ticular case being those suffering from addiction. comes necessary to scrutinize our existing policies and For too long, our country has been rife with the scourge cast aside those deemed either nonessential or coun- of addiction. How long must we suffer the effects of failed terproductive in results; it is time that we abolish these policy before we begin to embrace policies of progrespolicies and implement programs that facilitate and fos- sion, the same policies previously cast aside out of fear ter recovery, starting with repealing punitive drug en- or worry? Never before has our country shied away from forcement laws that punish addicts for small, personal conflict, opting rather to charge headfirst into adversity, amounts of drugs. We must decriminalize all drugs–at regardless of the foes or challenges we must endure. But least personal amounts of such–so that instead of send- now, like never before, we are faced with a new advering people to punishment-based institutions such as jail sary--one with no discernible face or form, yet formidaor prison, we can focus on getting them the help that ble in all of its might. For too long drugs and addiction they so desperately need. Furthermore, for those not have ravaged our lands, taking from us scores of decent ready to quit using, we should aim as a country to re- men and women alike, helpless, like lambs before the duce the dangers involved in using drugs, which would slaughter. It is now time that we take action, as a country, involve the establishment of European-style “consump- to make comprehensive reform in order to rid ourselves tion rooms,” which allow users to ingest their drugs (ob- of this plague before it encompasses ourselves and our tained elsewhere) in an anxiety-free environment under children. It is time that we end this war for good. hygienic and relatively low-risk conditions, monitored References by health-care professionals to minimize risk (Stoever, 2002). These consumption rooms have been established Atkinson, A., Anderson, Z., Hughes, K., Bellis, M., worldwide to achieve several purposes, most notably Sumnall, H., & Syed, Q. (2009, June). Interpersonal Vito initiate contact between users and health-care pro- olence and Illicit Drugs [PDF]. Liverpool: Centre for fessionals to offer drug-related services and counseling Public Health. FALL/2018
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starkvoices Bobo, L.D., & Thompson, V. (2006). Unfair by design: The war on drugs, race, and the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. Social Research: An International Quarterly, 73(2), 445-472.
ground between health and public order concerns. Journal of Drug Issues, 32(2), 597-606
Travis, J., Western, B., & Redburn, F. S. (2014). The growth of incarceration in the United States: Exploring Breslow, J. (2015, July 27). The Staggering Death Toll causes and consequences. of Mexico’s Drug War. Retrieved from http://www.pbs. United States Sentencing Commission. (2011). History org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-staggering-death-toll- of Mandatory Minimum Penalties and Statutory Relief of-mexicos-drug-war/ Mechanisms [PDF]. De La Rosa, M., Lambert, E., & Gropper, B. (1990). Drugs and Violence: Causes, Correlates, and Consequences [PDF]. Department of Health and Human Services.
Gray, J. (2010). Why our drug laws have failed: a judicial indictment of war on drugs. Temple University Press. Heinle, K., Ferreira, O., & Shirk, D. (2017, March). Drug Violence in Mexico [PDF]. Department of Political Science and International Relations. Lee, B., & Renwick, D. (2017, May 25). Mexico’s Drug War. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/mexicos-drug-war Moore, L. D., & Elkavich, A. (2008). Who’s using and who’s doing time: incarceration, the war on drugs, and public health. American Journal of Public Health, 98(5), 782-786. Musto, D. F., & Korsmeyer, P. (2002). The quest for drug control: politics and federal policy in a period of increasing substance abuse, 1963-1981. Overdose Death Rates. (2017, September 15). Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/ trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates Schulden, J. D., Thomas, Y. F., & Compton, W. M. (2009, October). Substance Abuse in the United States: Findings From Recent Epidemiologic Studies. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC3144502/ Statistics- Drug Seizures. (2015, November 13). Retrieved from https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/201/~/statistics---drug-seizures Stoever, H. (2002). Consumption rooms - A middle 9
Adam Goodman is a second-year Government
and Legal Studies major, hoping to obtain a bachelor’s degree in political science and eventually go to law school and enter into a career in the American political system. His essay was based largely on his experiences as a struggling addict as well as a desire to see reform in American drug policy. Adam currently works for an Amazon distribution center. volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices SCHOOL COUNSELORS’ RESPONSIBILITY IN STUDENT SAFETY by KATELYN SAUSAMAN
“I’m sorry, Hannah, but there is nothing I can do for you unless you are willing to involve your parents or the police; this is out of my jurisdiction. I’m not trying to be blunt here, Hannah, but you can move on...” says fictional high school counselor Mr. Porter in the Netflix Original television series 13 Reasons Why (2017). Hannah Baker, a high school student who finds herself wandering into her school guidance counselor’s office following an unsettling encounter, indirectly expresses her desire to end her life after revealing that she has been bullied and raped by a fellow classmate. Unsure about how to approach the situation, Mr. Porter begins to question Hannah’s innocence in the act, doubting his ability to ensure her safety, security, and justice. At the conclusion of their discussion, Mr. Porter advises Hannah to move on and look past the experience. Hannah interprets his words quite literally, and she takes her life that same afternoon. Unbeknownst to Mr. Porter, the last words he speaks to Hannah Baker before she commits suicide express his inability to aid her in any capacity; the best advice he can give is to move on. As a school counselor, Mr. Porter explains to Hannah his lack of jurisdiction over her reported sexual assault. Hannah requests that Mr. Porter keep the conversation confidential, but by doing so, he tells her there is nothing at all he can do to help her. However, the content of Mr. Porter’s conversation with Hannah is not out of his authority; in the United States, the school counselor’s right to protect the student supersedes confidentiality when a student has been sexually assaulted, regardless of the student’s wishes and location of the incident (Stone, 2012). Although a school counselor holds a limited role in pursuing bullying cases outside of school property, when a situation involves sexual harassment, suicidal tendencies, or tendencies of harm to others, a school counselor should become involved.
though school counselors often put a strong emphasis on a student’s academic development, guidance counselors also provide the assistance necessary to fulfill the psychological needs of a student in a school-related environment. According to the American School Counselor Association (2017), counselors are educators prepared to use developmental strategies, learning strategies, social skills, and self-management skills with children and adolescents. Guidance counselors effectuate proactive programs to teach students skills needed for future academic, social, and emotional development (ASCA, 2017). Counselors are present in schools to provide both direct and indirect student services; they work with anything from core curriculum instruction to student crisis response (ASCA, 2017). As a part of their work, school counselors are obliged to respond to student emergencies within their personal lives, and if necessary, refer students to be examined by a counselor of a higher authority. Bullying is a common cause of distress among many children and adolescents, resulting in a reached state of “emergency.” Although there are varying degrees of bullying, each type is capable of emotionally and physically triggering a student,
“as a part of their work, school counselors are obliged to respond to student emergencies”
prompting a student-counselor intervention. Marie E. Buczkowski, (2012), an Educational Assistant at McAndrews Law Offices in Philadelphia, states that schools have a responsibility to protect each and every student. Throughout a student’s time in high school, a counsel- A school needs to be a safe and friendly learning enor carries responsibilities to monitor the progress of vironment where individuals should be free to express students in their studies, sociability, and behavior. Al- their thoughts without fear of harassment or judgment FALL/2018
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starkvoices (Buczkowski, 2012). School counselors are required to help students and families navigate their way through solving disagreements between students in a school-related environment. Counselors are accountable for involving parents and legal authorities when actions are not addressed by school policy (ASCA, 2017). Although school guidance counselors unequivocally work to solve student affairs within the school, the process becomes more complex when bullying occurs outside of school property, or not within the hours of a school day. With advancements in technology, cyberbullying has become a major contributor to social harassment, typically among high school-age teenagers (Buczkowski, 2012). Cyberbullying allows students to verbally attack others from behind a screen, off school property, and outside of school hours. Bullying unrelated to school is a more difficult area for guidance counselors to control. However, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center (2016), states are required to have laws regarding cyberbullying and school interference. Schools do hold the jurisdiction to discipline students active in cyberbullying while away from school. Counselors can report cyberbullying if a student disobeys regulations by harming another via social media (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2016). To conclude, the Cyberbullying Research Center states:
can result in a far more physically threatening outcome. According to Equal Rights Advocates (2015), a legal rights resource, in a high school learning environment, sexual assault and harassment are fatal to the comfort of a student, interfering with their academic performance and ability to interact with other students. Although sexual harassment can present itself verbally, visually, or physically, all forms may equally impact a student’s psychological stability following the incident. When a shift in a student’s academic performance, sociability, or behavior becomes apparent at school, a guidance counselor reserves the right to investigate the student’s personal life (Stone, 2012).
Although the intention of school guidance counselors is to assist a student based on their personal needs, some may argue that they have no business intruding on the personal lives of a student. Allison Leotta (2017), former federal sex-crimes prosecutor in Washington D.C., suggests that acts of sexual violence should instead be reported directly to the police department immediately following the incident; the legal authority should be notified promptly to collect evidence. Unless there is a disruption in the education of the assaulted student, the school should not interfere with the investigation of personal student matters. However, reporting sexual assault requires courage, so if a victim decides to come Schools simply do have the authority to reasonably forward, they should do so to whomever they trust to discipline students for any behavior (whether at handle the situation (Leotta, 2017). school or away from school) if such behavior results If a student, however, finds themselves seeking the adin, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, a substan- vice of their high school guidance counselor over the tial or material disruption at school or if the behavior trauma of sexual assault, the school counselor, under infringes on the rights of other students. (Cyberbul- law, is required to act according to regulations. Julie lying Research Center, 2016) Prato, a guidance counselor at Jackson High School Schools may take measures to lawfully protect the safety in Massillon, Ohio, notes that students who approach and security of their students, despite the whereabouts their school counselor to discuss an act of sexual violence are in search of a trusted adult, as most adolescent of the harassment. victims fear explaining, and therefore reliving, the cause Similar to the lengths to which a school would go to of their situation to a parent or guardian (personal comdefend a student from cyberbullying occurring outside munication, December 14, 2017). Federal law requires of school, schools also can take extreme measures to the school counselor to promptly notify and involve protect a student from sexual assault and harassment both the school administration and the parents and/or occurring outside of school. Although, legally, schools guardians of the victim if they are a minor. According treat all forms of bullying very seriously, sexual violence to the United States Department of Education Office 11
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starkvoices for Civil Rights (2011), under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972: If a school knows or reasonably should know about student-on-student harassment that creates a hostile environment, Title IX requires the school to take immediate action to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects.... If a student files a complaint with the school, regardless of where the conduct occurred, the school must process the complaint in accordance with its established procedures (Ali, 2011).
tion about the allegations if the information is maintained by the school as an “education record” under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. (Ali, 2011) Regardless of the student’s request for confidentiality, the school counselor is obliged to take further action, thereby exposing the privacy of the student.
As a repercussion of severe bullying and sexual violence, adolescent victims commonly show symptoms of depression, anxiety disorder, and loss of interest or motivation in their daily activities, an indication of suicidal Although the school must take immediate action in ideation. Julie Prato adds, notifying administration, the school counselor should I take remarks like “I can’t do it anymore,” or “I’m done, I provide the proper emotional support to the assault don’t even care anymore” very seriously. It’s alarming to victim. Russlynn Ali (2011), Assistant Secretary of The hear straight A students talk about how they don’t care United States Department of Education, declared that about their grades anymore, or students who dreamed the school should take action to protect the victim from of becoming a doctor, just lose all desire to do anything further harassment by the perpetrator while on school at all. (personal communication, December 14, 2017) property. Additionally, the education of the perpetrator must not become interrupted or skewed due to the al- If a student exhibits warning signs of suicidal intentions leged charges; the student must receive the same educa- while speaking with a guidance counselor, the parents tion and treatment by all school faculty while they are and/or guardians of the student should be notified immediately, followed by the referral of the student to a still attending classes on school property (Ali, 2011). mental health specialist (Gale, 2016). Students who A concern of most sexual assault victims surround- have suffered from bullying and sexual assault deem ing the involvement of the school is confidentiality suicide as a way to escape from the shame of their evthroughout the case. Although Hannah Baker, age 17, eryday lives. With the proper treatment and medical requested her conversation with Mr. Porter remain con- attention, suicide can be prevented; the concern of a fidential, under federal law, he was required to report single individual can change the outcome of another’s her case to the school administration and to her parents life (Gale, 2016). because she was under the age of 18. Even if a student requests confidentiality and privacy throughout the in- In order to eliminate the uncertainty of school involvevestigation, that wish cannot be granted under law. The ment in cases of sexual violence and suicide ideation school, however, must protect the assaulted student’s among students, school counselors and administrators wishes for privacy from other students and school fac- need to be aware of their options when pursuing cases. ulty; the school may only involve the necessary per- Laws have already been established to enable involvesonnel needed in order to carry out the investigation ment of the school, but how well these rules are enof their case (Stone, 2012). In 2011, The United States forced is in the hands of the counselor. Department for Education determined: Despite the brokenness that consumed her, Hannah The school may weigh the request for confidentiality Baker walked into Mr. Porter’s office in search of a reaagainst the following factors: the seriousness of the alleged son to continue her life, hoping to hear words that could harassment; the complainant’s age; whether there have change her mind. Mr. Porter, although capable, did not been other harassment complaints about the same indi- exercise his right to help Hannah. Instead, he turned vidual; and the alleged harasser’s rights to receive informa- her away, enabling her suicide. Clay Jensen, Hannah’s FALL/2018
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starkvoices best friend, tells Mr. Porter following the tragedy, “Hannah recorded 13 reasons why she killed herself. And you’re number 13. And everyone who comes before you on these tapes knows what you did and didn’t do. And they always will...” (13 Reasons Why, 2017). By involving themselves in the lives of students in danger, high school guidance counselors can defend the security of students, creating safety and trust within their school. If an opportunity arises to save someone’s life, it should not be declined.
Gale Student Resources in Context. (2016). Teen Suicide. Student Resources in Context, Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2181500293/ SUIC?u=mass12242&xid=221e4466 Leotta, Allison. Reporting a Sexual Assault. Cosmopolitan. October 09, 2017. Retrieved from http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a60085/reporting-sexual-assault-rape/.
Stone, C. (2012, July 01). Sexual Violence Among our Students: The School Counselor’s Legal Role. American References School Counselor Association, Retrieved from https:// 13 Reasons Why [Television series]. (2017, March 31). www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/july-auCalifornia: Netflix, Retrieved from https://www.netflix. gust-2012/sexual-violence-among-our-students-thecom/title/80117470 school-cou Ali, R. (2011, April 04). Dear Colleague Letter: Sexual Violence. United States Department of Education, Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ ocr/letters/colleague-201104.pdf American School Counselor Association. (2017). The Essential Role of High School Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/ asca/Careers-Roles/WhyHighSchool.pdf Buczkowski, M. E. (2012). Bullying and the Responsibility of Schools. McAndrews Law Offices P.C., Retrieved from http://mcandrewslaw.com/publications-and-presentations/articles/bullying-and-the-responsibility-of-schools/ Cyberbullying Research Center. (2016). Can a School Respond to Off-Campus Cyberbullying? Retrieved from https://cyberbullying.org/can-a-school-respondto-off-campus-cyberbullying Equal Rights. (2015). Sexual Harassment At School. Retrieved from https://www.equalrights.org/legal-help/ know-your-rights/sexual-harassment-at-school/ Gale Student Resources in Context. (2016). Bullying and Suicide. Student Resources in Context, Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ ReferenceDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=&displayGroupName=Reference&docIndex=&source=DirectLinking&prodId=&mode=view&jsid= 13
Katelyn Sausaman wrote her contest-winning
essay as a second-semester College Credit Plus student at Jackson High School. A Public Administration major, Katelyn began attending Miami University this fall. Upon graduation, she plans to go to law school and become an Estate Planning Attorney. Katelyn was inspired to write her essay because of the recent suicides in our community, along with the popular Netflix television series 13 Reasons Why. volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices BECOMING HUMAN by SADIE OWENS
The only difference between robots and humans, besides the whole alive and dead thing, is that humans have the ability to dye their hair. On the surface, my claim may seem completely ludicrous, but I learned this lesson through an exceptionally unique (or perhaps, depending on perception, dreadful) choice, which followed with my luscious locks ending up a vibrant shade of orange.
ning the all-black outfit choice of the day. I had begun what I like to call my “Experimental Aesthetic Phase,” a time period of my life that took place in my preteens to early teens in which I thought I definitely understood what I was about, but definitely did not. However, my 12-year-old mind had it all figured out, and I was ready to make the big leap: dying my hair orange. The idea had milled around in my mind from a very young age, as I swooned over the locks of my then favorite singer and dreamt of the day we would finally match. To me, she represented everything a woman like myself should be: unapologetically tough, mighty, and liberated. She made decisions that so wonderfully contradicted the norm, and I loved it, so I took a leap of faith. My adolescent mind, at the time so beautifully untouched by true self awareness, did not register--or, more likely than not, care--that others may not see the daring color as I did, so it wasn’t hard to make the choice; I simply did it.
Although the 6th-grade version of myself saw the decision purely on a surface level, I’ve later come to view it as an incredibly defining part of my childhood. The choice to dye my hair a unique and unnatural shade and the reasoning behind the decision correlate with my current beliefs; my need to create is essentially integral to my outlook and my core values. To me, looking in the mirror after I had changed what seemed to be such a miniscule part of myself felt like the beginning of a shift in my beliefs and understanding of who I truly am. As odd as it may seem, it felt like I had suddenly become a human The day came faster than expected, and my parents and being without realizing I had been a robot all along. I headed off to the salon, where I underwent a lengthy As my life has progressed, I’ve realized even more so combination of bleaching and dying that ultimately left that I value self expression over most everything else. me with the shade I was looking for: bright, traffic cone Without creativity, I truly believe that I, as well as the orange. I faintly remember a small, false smile plastered world in general, would be nothing: all shell and no sub- on the consultant’s face, a look I now assume was fueled stance. The core values that are often learned through by the fact that, although she had done exactly what was childhood lessons may be more quantitative to others, asked of her, she likely felt like she had failed at her job. but to me, the true characteristics of contentedness are What I remember most, though, is the incredible joy to continually reinvent myself, to make music and art in I felt as I gazed at my reflection. If I were to be asked ways that please me, and to forever work to stray from about a moment in my adolescence where a switch was an unhealthy obsession with pleasing the consumer of flipped in my head, I would have no problem pinning my art. Through dying my hair an unconventional hue the sentiment to this split second, with an irrefutable of vibrant orange, I learned the value of this self expres- life in my eyes that I had not seen before and the essence sion and its meaning to my personal identity, happiness, of Orange Crush swishing past my shoulders. and fulfillment. Regardless of my love for my hair, however, it seemed It was the end of my second year of middle school, and I very, very badly wanted to be cool. I spent my mornings bopping to Paramore, obsessing over their carrot-headed singer Hayley Williams, and unapologetically donFALL/2018
that many of the people around me aligned more with my hair dresser’s opinion, unspoken or otherwise. Everywhere I went, very much including my schoolmates (particularly the administration), I got looks. Howev14
starkvoices er, I still fell more and more in love with that traffic cone color, and through the summer and the next year, as my hair faded into a light, airy peach, I remember desperately clinging to that new orange feeling. It took me a while to realize, but I believe now that what I was searching for was an extreme version of the release, the raw emotion, of expression. The sensation of doing something for ourselves, without thinking of others and their opinions, is something that is often hard to come by. As we grow in body and mind, we become more and more aware and feel more pressure from all angles to be accepted, to be loved by the world, to please people. If I’m being honest, I haven’t felt the way I did when I looked in the mirror very often since. However, the times that I do feel that infinitely beautiful tugging at my heartstrings, that feeling at the top of a rollercoaster, I remember. For me, they are almost always on a stage that feels like home. Or maybe a coffee shop in a mall that no one visits. Maybe in a choir room, singing on my own. The setting doesn’t really matter, but the story is always the same: I am creating, I am expressing myself, and I am not thinking of others, if only for a moment.
in the calluses on my fingers, cuts from strings that I ignore, earbuds, and words flowing from my pen; however, it all started with an interesting dye job on a light, warm day. We may not all learn the value of self expression in such a unique--or even public--way, but we all do learn it; sometimes, we just have to be reminded of how important this value truly is. Although it is difficult, sometimes the best thing to do is embrace the awkward or ugly attributes of what we create. Being released from the robotics of societal pressure does not have to be dramatic or uncomfortable; it should feel right and be for our own benefit.
Although it may seem foreign, sometimes cutting our hair in an outdated style, hanging a horrible self portrait on the wall, or singing the wrong notes as loud as we can feels just as right, if not moreso, than what we are expected to do. As people with the ability to freely choose what we are going to look like and create, it is only right and just that we run with our humanity and always remember that how we express ourselves matters and is allowed, regardless of the conventionality of the final product. The magic that flows from our fingertips is not validated by the perfection of what we conjure, Art and expression don’t have to be traditionally appeal- but the feeling this conjuring gives us; flying free is only ing or trendy to be worthwhile, or to matter. We don’t falling if we let someone tell us so, and Orange Crush have to be pretty to be beautiful. Not everyone will find can be a hair color, if only we believe hard enough; or, such joy and fulfillment in making music, or even dy- perhaps, think less. ing their hair, but all human beings have something that they do for themselves, or should. Some may call it our passion, or our calling; the name, itself, is meaningless. It’s that feeling, the kind I try to describe but can never quite get right; for me, it comes from paint smeared on a canvas, words on paper, notes in the air. It is a release of tension, and it reminds us of our humanity, reminds us who we are when we forget. Although I may not be qualified to give advice, the one thing I will always stand by is to hold onto that feeling of being free. We must express ourselves, no matter whether or not it is through art or our appearance, no matter whether or not the way we do so is trendy, or popular, or conventionally beautiful; it still always matters, and we all have that something. I find it most now 15
Sadie Owens is a Canton South High School stu-
dent in her second year of classes at SSC. She is committed to pursuing further education with the intention of using words to lift the voices of those that are often ignored and helping to share the universal truths that are innate within all of us. Sadie hopes to work for a publication or organization that is dedicated to helping people. While writing her essay, Sadie was inspired by her own neglect of the type of freedom described in the text.
volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices REGAINING POLICE LEGITIMACY by JOSEPH C. WILLIAMS
As I was on patrol one Sunday afternoon, I stopped at the retirement home in town. I walked in, and the first people I saw were the receptionist and her grandson. I walked over, gave the 9-year-old a high five and began talking with them, asking how their day had been going. The young man told me he liked my hair; I was wearing it in a fauxhawk style. Of course my response was, “Thanks, man.” The next phrase that came from that boy’s mouth would change me and be the focus of my thoughts for quite some time. His words still echo in my mind, “You know, you’re really nice for a police officer.” This stopped me like a bullet to my vest. Why would he say that? How did he come to this conclusion? My biggest question: What can I do to change the way my community views police officers?
the alleged robbers’ descriptions, and two of them--including King--ran, police said. When officers caught up to them and tried to arrest them in an alley, King pulled what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband, and Mason shot him...” (Hanna, J., & Sgueglia, K. , September 15, 2016). Through this trying time, the Mayor of Columbus and the Police Chief expressed their condo-
A lot can be learned from two major incidents. One would be the shooting of Michael Brown from Ferguson, Missouri, and the other is Tyre King from Columbus, Ohio. Both teens were shot and killed by police; however, the outcomes were different. With the Michael Brown shooting, riots ensued all over the city. This case opened up a lot about the police department as well as the justice system in Ferguson. One example of discourse between the courts and police is from the case of a woman who had two parking tickets and was arrested two times over the parking tickets when she had been actively making payments. The courts routinely mixed up court dates, causing defendants to miss their court dates and resulting in more charges and possibly warrants for their arrest. On September 16, 2016, Tyre King was shot and killed by the police. According to the police, “The shooting happened after a man told police that a group had pulled a gun on him and stole an unspecified amount of money,” police said. Officers eventually saw three people matching FALL/2018
art: CHRYSTAL ROBINSON
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starkvoices lences to the family and explained the process to the community.
gift, and I call it relational equity. We’ve lost it with one another. It’s not somebody else’s fault -- it’s all of our During the investigation, Columbus experienced some fault. We all take responsibility in this. But I say this: it’s peaceful protests. However, once all the evidence and not too late for all of us to build our cities and nation to facts were laid out, the community was able to swallow make it great again. It is never too late.” the horse pill that a 13-year-old boy had been shot and Change has to start in the communities. Police need to get killed by a police officer. The community saw that the involved with community programs, church programs, gun Tyre King had in fact looked identical to a real gun, homeless shelters, and whatever else might be at the heart and the officer had no choice but to shoot. What can be of the community. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King concluded from these two incidents is that the Colum- Jr., “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can bus Police Department had 26 years of building com- do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that munity relations, while the Ferguson Police Depart- (Gustafson, T., 2016).” It is time for our communities and ment had no previous rapport with their community. our police officers to work together to rid the hate and the Chief Melvin Russell of the Baltimore Police Depart- animosity that have enslaved us for far too long. ment has some remarkable accomplishments when it comes to regaining police legitimacy. According to the Baltimore Police Department’s website, “Under Chief Russell’s leadership, the Eastern District experienced a 40-year-low crime reduction” (Community Collaboration, 2017). Chief Russell Melvin (2015) spoke in a Ted Talk titled “I Love Being a Police Officer, but We Need Reform.” He goes on to say that he loves being a police officer and that “it’s always been a calling and never a job. And even with that, my personal truth is that law enforcement is in a crisis; it’s an invisible crisis, and it has been for many, many years (Melvin, 2015).”
References
Chief Russell was put in charge of the Eastern District of Baltimore in the mid 2000’s, which has the most violent, highest unemployment percentage at 46%, and the AIDS and tuberculosis rating was amongst the top 10% in the nation. It was at this point that Chief Russell (2015) decided, “We gotta do something different. We gotta think radical. We gotta think outside the box. And we started to realize that it could never be and never should have been us versus them.”
Russell, M. (2015, September). I love being a police officer, but we need reform . Retrieved from https://www. ted.com/talks/melvin_russell_i_love_being_a_police_ officer_but_we_need_reform
According to Chief Russell (2015), once the power was given back to the community, that is when change began to happen. Law enforcement often forgets that its duty is to protect and serve. It needs to be about treating our communities like our customers, our friends, and our family. Chief Russell (2015) continued on to say, “ Community and policing: we’ve all lost that precious
Joseph C. Williams is a Police Science major
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Community Collaboration Division . (2017). Retrieved from https://www.baltimorepolice.org/community-collaboration-division Gustafson, T. (2016, January 18). Driving Out Darkness. Retrieved from https://www.ourdailyjourney. org/2016/01/18/driving-out-darkness/ Hanna, J., & Sgueglia, K. (2016, September 15). Ohio officer kills robbery suspect, 13, who had BB gun, police say. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/15/ us/ohio-columbus-police-kill-teen/index.html
hoping to pursue an M.S. Forensic Psychology and secure a position at a Detective Bureau. Joe currently works at the Tuscarawas County Sheriff ’s Office. While writing his essay, he was trying to find answers or a solution to the problem of regaining police legitimacy. He has said that although he is only one person, he wanted to find a way to impact the community in a positive way. volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHERE IT COUNTS by SUSANNA MARTIN
Canton is home to many citizens struggling with crime, broken homes, and poverty. This causes an instability within the homes of the outlying neighborhoods, working against the renewal of downtown Canton. Restoration of historic buildings and publicizing events within the tourist area can only take the community so far. I find myself attempting to understand how the reviving of downtown Canton is going to help people encountering hardships. They must not be forgotten during the endeavors of the restoration.
tional and healthy connections built with youth can increase positive social-emotional development. A quality relationship between a mentor and student consists of several dimensions necessary to increase the effectiveness of the connection. First, a mentor must be a strong role model to demonstrate healthy lifestyle choices and teach the youth the reasons behind each decision. And then, sound advice must be given to help guide the youth to make sound decisions (Bellamy, Sale, Min Qi, Springer, & Rath, 2006). Youth within the Canton neighborhoods are in dire need of respectable It is important for local adults to invest in the future by adults to step up and teach them valuable skills. During working with the youth to help strengthen the neigh- adolescence, key decisions are made and set into moborhoods. Over time, Canton may experience natural tion that can shape the course of the rest of their lives. revitalization when local youth are mentored by adults that connect with them on a personal level, strengthen- Having the resources to mentor each youth individuing them emotionally, and teaching them important life ally would be worth the investment; however, it is not skills that will empower the youth to make a difference practical when looking at an area like Canton, which lacks economic stability. The article, “Spoken, But Perwithin their academics, lifestyle, and community. haps Not Heard,” addresses this difficulty seen within The neighborhoods surrounding downtown Canton economically deprived neighborhoods. Implementing make up a large percentage of the crime the local po- mentors that head up groups of adolescents increases lice department encounters. I learned about this from the ability to effectively impact a larger percentage of an interview with a Canton police officer, Jordan Shank. the youth (Bellamy et al., 2006). Adolescents in low-inThe crime within these neighborhoods was also ad- come communities are susceptible to substance abuse dressed by Judge Forchione during a radio interview. and criminal activity; therefore, the goal is to guide them The judge links the high crime in the neighborhoods to make responsible decisions to reduce the amount of to the deterioration of the family unit. Youth do not youth that are at a high risk within the community. have stability within their homes. He explained that Working with youth effectively requires adults to conthis crime is adding to the decline within the local comnect on a personal level. When youth come from a difmunity (Forchione, 2017). The weakening of the famificult background, it takes patience to slowly gain their lies is adversely affecting the development of the young trust. According to the academic journal article, How people. The youth need guidance to learn how to make to Support Me in Connected Learning, youth connect wise decisions. with adults when they show emotional support during Adults mentoring youth during critical life changes can high and low points throughout adolescence. Creating help fill the gap that is left by broken homes. The aca- a safe and nonjudgmental atmosphere is important. It demic journal article, “Spoken, But Perhaps Not Heard,” is also meaningful when adults remember previous conexplains that an increase in academic success, behavior, versations and ask how the youth is doing with specific and a decrease in substance abuse may be seen when struggles. This speaks volumes to a young person (Vachildren are effectively mentored by an adult. Inten- clavik, Sánchez, Buehler, Gray, & Rodriguez, 2017). It FALL/2018
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starkvoices is not uncommon during adolescence for young people to feel invisible and unheard. When an adult takes the time to develop a friendship, youths take notice. They crave to be seen and understood in a world that is fast paced and appears to only be picking up speed.
Forchione, F. G. (2017, July 19). Guns, Gangs & Violence on The Gary Rivers Show. Retrieved from News-Talk 1480 WHBC: https://www.facebook.com/ Stark-County-CIRV-Community-Initiative-to-Reduce-Violence-751812381569235/
In this nonstop culture, it is critical for adults to slow down and invest in these youths that are pushed to the edge and lack focus. Teaching young people important life skills during adolescence and molding them into strong adults can save youth from future heartache that is self-inflicted. The academic article, Youth Community Gardening Programming as Community Development, talks about the importance of increasing self-esteem within youth through interactive programs. Creating a place for adolescents to become involved and learn life lessons is an effective way to influence change and impact lives (Fulford, & Thompson, 2013). Teaching youth practical life skills is an important action to take. It develops their ability to grow into dependable, self-sufficient adults who can give back to their community in the future.
Fulford, S., & Thompson, S. (2013). Youth Community Gardening Programming as Community Development: The Youth for EcoAction Program in Winnipeg, Canada. Canadian Journal Of Nonprofit & Social Economy Research / Revue Canadienne De Recherche Sur Les OSBL Et L’économie Sociale, 4(2), 56-75. Retrieved from https://starkstate.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=95036861&site=ehost-live Vaclavik, D., Sánchez, B., Buehler, K., Gray, T., & Rodriguez, E. (2017). How to support me in connected learning: Youth perspectives on adult supportive behavior and its benefits. Journal Of Community Psychology, 45(7), 906-921. doi:10.1002/jcop.21901
Working with the youth is not an instantaneous fix for a community; however, it is a sustainable way for the city to work towards revitalization. Establishing children as the focus for Canton’s regrowth will encourage local people to connect with the vision of revitalization and make a difference. Encouraging local public figures to mentor the upcoming generation is a powerful tool that can be used for the betterment of the community. The life and enthusiasm in youth is important and needs to be harnessed for the success of the regrowth in the Canton area. A city is only as strong as the community and neighborhoods that surround it. References Bellamy, N. D., Sale, E., Min Qi, W., Springer, J. F., & Rath, S. (2006). Spoken, But Perhaps Not Heard: Youth Perceptions On The Relationship With Their Adult Mentors. Journal Of Youth Ministry, 5(1), 57-75. Retrieved from https://starkstate.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=23010806&site=ehost-live
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Susanna Martin is a nursing major with plans to
graduate from Malone University with a bachelor’s in nursing and eventually obtain a master’s in nursing. Susanna hopes to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. While she enjoys the charm of the Downtown Canton area, she sees the surrounding neighborhoods struggling and wants to bring awareness to the local community about the children within these neighborhoods and their need to be mentored. She is currently a server at a local Italian restaurant. volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices LACK OF SUSTAINABILITY OF STNAs IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES by SABRINA GABRIEL
“Marge, don’t try and pick that up, okay? It’s supposed to be there,” I exclaim for what seems like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, as she struggles to bend out of her wheelchair. Marge, a resident in a long-term care facility that I work in as an STNA, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and believes the power outlet on the floor is a picture frame and continually tries to pry it off the ground. She is one of the twenty residents I am responsible for during any given shift, and while I certainly love my work as an STNA, it definitely gets to be too much to handle at times. Marge is a perfect example of how much attention each resident requires, and there never seems to be enough help to go around to make sure each resident is properly looked after. Since becoming an STNA, I have definitely noticed the high turnover rate that is prevalent in the community. STNAs are given more work than one should handle, while having to deal with more issues than they should. The lack of sustainability of STNAs in long-term care facilities stems from the poor working conditions, inadequate pay, and subpar training and education. Many STNAs will tell you that they chose to pursue their job because of their love for taking care of others, despite the many challenges it brings. Unfortunately, carrying out this task is made even harder when the working conditions are so poor. For starters, STNAs are given unrealistic workloads, inevitably leaving residents’ needs unmet and raising the risk of harmful and costly complications. At the facility that I am employed at, there are approximately twenty residents assigned to one STNA, and only two STNAs are required on any given shift. The residents in these facilities have many needs, from toileting, changing, feeding, showering, dressing and being watched over to ensure their safety. With twenty residents requiring constant attention, it becomes impossible to attend to each resident in a timely manner. This increases the risk of complications developing or injuries occurring. FALL/2018
For instance, if a resident needs to have their brief changed, but so do fifteen other residents, that resident is forced to sit and wait until an STNA can get to them. This can lead to breakdown of the skin and cause ulcers, which can then lead to infection. It is also a safety risk to have so few STNAs watch over so many residents. With only two of us on a shift, we are unable to keep eyes on every resident, which means there is a risk that someone may fall and we would not immediately know. While an STNA strives to give the best care that they can, it is often impossible due to the high workload. We are then forced to leave work feeling like we were unable to properly do our job, and this feeling can drive many of us to want to quit. In addition to the high workload, STNAs are forced to work unhealthy schedules due to the lack of employees available to pick up shifts. Longterm care facilities are able to mandate their STNAs to stay if someone calls out or they are short staffed. This means that if an STNA just worked an eight-hour shift and the supervisors needs them to stay, the supervisor can force the STNA to work another eight-hour shift. So, an eight-hour shift turns into an unwanted sixteen-hour shift. Then, after that sixteen-hour shift, they may have to come back to work just eight hours later for their next scheduled shift. This leaves STNAs sleep deprived, and working on little sleep is dangerous as mistakes can easily be made. These poor working conditions drive STNAs to want to quit, and it does not help that the pay is not great either. For the amount and type of work STNAs do, one would think they would be paid generously. This, however, is not the case. According to Glassdoor, the average STNA makes $9.00 an hour (Salary: STNA, 2017). Considering that an STNA has to pay out of pocket to receive training and earn their certification, this number seems a bit low, especially when this type of work is so demanding. Most fast food and larger retail stores start their employees out at $10 an hour, which makes an STNA’s pay seem like an insult. 20
starkvoices Even though STNAs pursue this job because it is their passion, economic factors often force them to leave the job they love and take a job that will pay them more fairly. According to the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (2001), which is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and American Nurses Association, STNAs are usually paid appreciably less in long-term care facilities than they are in hospitals, which is why many of them leave to find better jobs in hospitals. Additionally, many STNAs do not have retirement benefits, and many who are offered health care benefits cannot afford to accept them because of the cost of deductibles, copayments, and premiums. Wages and benefits must be fair and competitive with those in hospitals and other places of employment that offer higher salaries in order for STNAs to want to stay in long-term care facilities. In addition to higher pay, training and education must also be recognized as factors that drive STNAs out.
ed screaming and pounding on the walls, exclaiming that she wanted to go home and be with her husband. No amount of textbooks or simulations with dummies could have prepared me for that moment. Scenarios like the ones aforementioned are described in training, but when I was faced with them all by myself for the first time, I was overwhelmed. Having to deal with those two intense situations all alone and so early on left me feeling scared and inadequate. If I had been given the opportunity to shadow another STNA, I would have felt more comfortable and confident. Many STNAs leave because they encounter scenarios like I did, and it scares them away. Working as an STNA has offered me an insider’s view of the main issues that contribute to the lack of sustainability of STNAs in long-term care facilities. Such an important job should offer the best possible working conditions, adequate pay, and substantial professional development and training. Sadly, due to current conditions, the STNA turnover is extremely high. If we want to improve the workplace quality in long-term care facilities, substantial changes must be made. Residents in these facilities deserve the best care that can be offered, and to do this, we must first take care of the STNAs who care for them.
While STNAs must receive training and certification in order to work in a long-term care facility, additional education is usually needed. Unfortunately, many facilities do not offer this. Many times, facilities believe that once an STNA has certification, the STNA is prepared for the increasingly complex needs of residents. While the training that an STNA has to go through is extensive, hands- References on experience is what is really needed, and until an STNA National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform. has time to get that, they are not fully prepared. (2001.) The nurse staffing crisis in nursing homes. ReWhen I received my certification and began my job, I trieved from http://theconsumervoice.org/uploads/ expected to be eased in since the job is so important files/issues/Consensus_Statement_Staffing.pdf and deals so personally with residents. Instead, I was immediately given twenty residents to look after, and Salary: STNA. (2017). Retrieved from https://www. no additional help was around if I had needed it. While glassdoor.com/Salaries/stna-salary-SRCH_KO0,4.htm I studied a textbook and role-played with a dummy during my training to become an STNA, I still needed time to acclimate myself to working with real people, and I especially needed time to get to know the characSabrina Gabriel is a second-year nursing major. teristics of Alzheimer’s disease first hand, since so many She plans to obtain her RN, BSN, and eventually her MSN residents in long-term care facilities have it. During my first week on the job, a resident with Alzheimer’s threw a bowl of hot tomato soup at another resident, and at the same time, another resident start21
and aspires to work in a hospital, specifically in labor and delivery. Sabrina works as a state-tested nursing assistant, which provided personal experience concerning the issues that stem from the lack of nurse’s aides. She hopes her essay sheds light on the topic.
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starkvoices THE MEDIA’S EXPECTATIONS OF FEMALE MUSICIANS by TAYLOR MARINO
Women in the music industry have faced many complex struggles regarding their careers, especially issues concerning the expectations of others. In the late twentieth century as well as the twenty-first century, access to entertainment media has become significantly easier due to the Internet. When more people have access to entertainment media outlets, the ideas those outlets promote are more easily integrated into society. Many of these outlets encourage the belief that female musicians should have certain personality traits, such as femininity, while also creating music that popular culture considers acceptable. When women do not embody these traits, they are ignored or ridiculed. The important achievements of female musicians are diminished through unfair critiques of artists who do not embody the traits media outlets believe women should possess.
sonality of the artist or whether certain types of music are considered suitable for women. In an article published by The Guardian, Harriet Gibsone (2017) discusses the expectations of female musicians. These expectations include factors such as the pressure on women to be not only talented musicians, but also socially conscious and fashionable (Gibsone, 2017). Expectations that female musicians should possess a vast array of qualities that do not relate to their musical capabilities are harmful in several ways. Pressuring women to participate in areas that are irrelevant to
“while it is true that some women have acquired significant their muThe struggles that female musicians face may often wealth from be overlooked due to the successes some women have musicians se e th , c si achieved in their musical careers. The senior editor of face chalForbes, Zack O’Malley Greenburg (2016), highlights continue to the accomplishments of several women in the music ated by outre c s e g n le industry. Greenburg (2016) refers to popular singer and songwriter Taylor Swift, whose world tour for her side forces” album titled 1989 grossed over a quarter of a billion dollars. Greenburg (2016) also mentions Adele, a musician who makes the majority of her income based on album sales instead of touring; Adele even released the best-selling album of 2015. Entertainment attorney Lori Landew of law firm Fox Rothschild states that female musicians are becoming increasingly successful, as well as gaining the ability to ignore expectations others have set regarding superficial matters, such as physical appearance (Greenburg, 2016). While it is true that some women have acquired significant wealth from their music, these musicians continue to face challenges created by outside forces. These challenges rarely relate to the actual music created by these artists, but instead focus on matters such as the perFALL/2018
their careers in order to succeed musically requires artists to limit their focus on creating music in exchange for directing their attention to other areas, such as fashion. These expectations are potentially detrimental to a musician’s career. While she may be talented and hardworking, if she does not exhibit the traits that certain media outlets want to see, it is unlikely that her music will be heard by a large audience, therefore limiting the musician’s success. The significant successes of female musicians receive less media attention if the genre of their music is controlled by men. Author and editor Noah Berlatsky wrote an article for news outlet Quartz (2016) addressing the lack of women inducted into the Rock and Roll 22
starkvoices Hall of Fame, as well as the minimal discussion questioning this disparity. Berlatsky (2016) notes that fewer than fourteen percent of these Hall of Fame members are women. The article ponders why this statistic exists when musical groups consisting of all women, as well as solo female musicians, are an integral component to rock music (Berlatsky, 2016).
out the development of the genre. Women are likely not mentioned when discussing rock music because they are not assumed to even be a substantial part of rock music; this is due to the emphasis on masculinity within the genre. This assumption, as well as the media’s expectations that women should not present themselves with masculine traits, may be why womThis disregard for the women who contributed to rock en are left out of rock music. Women musicians being music is a problem because it allows others to false- deprived of recognition for their work because of the ly believe that women were not important through- qualities they embody is a common occurrence in the music industry. Gender expectations and bias are not limited to the genre of rock. Billboard journalist Chris Willman (2014) discusses country singer Kacey Musgraves, whose song “Follow Your Arrow” struggled on the Country Airplay chart, yet she performed at the 2014 Grammy Awards and even won two awards that year. Willman (2014) suggests that Musgraves’ song was prevented from achieving widespread success due to music critics who believe her music is too unconventional. Greg Swedberg, the program director of radio station KEEY Minneapolis, claims that if Musgraves would “choose a more happy, easy approach” to her music, her songs would be played by radio stations (Willman, 2014). Musgraves’ manager, Jason Owen, insists that the singer is “still a 25-year-old who loves fingernail polish and shopping” (Willman, 2014). Owen continues this statement by saying, “Kacey is super girly, and a lot of the music doesn’t reflect that, but as a person she really is” (Willman, 2014).
art: CHRYSTAL ROBINSON
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Although it is troubling that many radio stations refuse to play Musgraves’ songs merely because of the diversity in her music, perhaps it is even more concerning that some individuals, such as Swedberg, reinforce the idea that Musgraves should modify her music in order to appeal to the media. Swedberg’s quote shows that he believes Musgraves’ struggles with gaining popularity are partially because her music is not typically happy. This supports volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices the expectation that female musicians must create mu- Schoemer mentions that the Spice Girls based their sic that expresses contentment, therefore limiting the marketing on the idea of “girl power,” which Schoemer creation of music that conveys negative emotions. believes makes their music “inept” and “unoriginal” Rather than encouraging Musgraves to continue cre- (1997). Kim Gordon, the former bassist for rock band ating music that portrays the ideas she wants to ex- Sonic Youth, even states that she feels the Spice Girls press, Swedberg advises the singer to write music that are “repulsive” due to their strong messages of femiis “easy.” Swedberg’s acknowledgment of the fact that ninity (Schoemer, 1997). Musgraves’ music is intricate and meaningful through his suggestion that she should simplify her music supports the sentiment that women should create transparent, uncomplicated music in order to be successful. Musgraves creates songs that do not embody traditionally feminine qualities due to factors such as the complex emotions in her music, which causes her music to be dismissed by many in the music industry as well as the media. The quote by Musgraves’ manager, Jason Owen, is unsettling because he attempts to change the public’s perception of Musgraves not only as a musician, but as an individual person. The singer does not express conventionally feminine mannerisms, and because this is an obstacle to her success, Owen seeks to alter the way the media views Musgraves rather than supporting her nonconformity. Owen recognizes that Musgraves’ music is not what the media would consider typically feminine, so he attempts to convince the public that she is the woman others want her to be. He insists that Musgraves as an individual is “super girly” despite minimal “girliness” in her music. Owen assures the media that she is interested in activities like shopping and painting her fingernails, which are not inherently negative interests, but his failure to recognize characteristics that truly represent the musician is an issue due to the false ideas the statement creates about her. This expectation of femininity can severely conflict with the musician’s ability to succeed. Women in the music industry are expected to be feminine, yet sometimes, musicians can be perceived as overly feminine, for which they may also be criticized. In a Newsweek article, writer and editor Karen Schoemer (1997) discusses this in relation to the Spice Girls, a popular musical group formed in 1994. FALL/2018
Schoemer’s article denounces the Spice Girls due to their expression of feminine qualities, even stating that the musical group’s recurring theme of empowerment for girls means the group is untalented. This article suggests that when women display an amount of femininity that some consider to be unacceptable, the music those women create does not have any significant value. This article also promotes the idea that when women show too many feminine traits, their reputation in the music industry is damaged; because of this idea, the assumption that too many feminine traits are a flaw in one’s character is supported. Because musicians who show qualities traditionally associated with women are considered unskilled, the assumption that women are inherently inferior musicians is reinforced. The notion that female musicians should show a precise amount of femininity is representative of the expectations certain media have for these musicians.
Women in the music industry are expected to possess a certain degree of femininity in addition to having a conventionally attractive appearance in order to gain media attention. In an article published by New York Daily News, entertainment reporter and news anchor Elizabeth VanMetre (2015) acknowledges the media’s focus on the physical attributes of women rather than their music. VanMetre (2015) refers to a segment of “The Mike Gallagher Show,” a radio show hosted by Mike Gallagher, where he and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace shamed singer and songwriter Kelly Clarkson because of her weight. Wallace briefly complimented Clarkson’s singing abilities and then proceeded to state, “She could stay off the deep dish pizza for a little while” (VanMetre, 2015). Kristy Loye, writer for The Houston Press (2016), discusses the media’s destructive criticism of Clarkson nearly a year after VanMe24
starkvoices tre’s article was published. Loye (2016) points out that despite Clarkson’s nomination for a Grammy Award, many conversations about the singer were fixated on her weight.
References
When discussions about musicians narrowly focus on physical features, the idea that women are required to have conventionally attractive traits in order to be recognized for their musical talent is upheld. When women are shamed for not being considered aesthetically pleasing, the idea that they should alter their appearance in order to fit the standards of others is reinforced. This is because when people are ridiculed for something repeatedly, they are likely to change that aspect of themselves in order to avoid harsh criticism; this is even more significant when the person is no longer bullied but instead receives praise for conforming to gender expectations. The negative discussions about women who are not considered attractive promote the idea that women must possess certain physical qualities in order to be adequate musicians. Women receive the message that if they are considered unattractive, their music becomes irrelevant in relation to their appearance. The physical appearances of women do not have any correlation to their musical skills, yet much media representation implies that qualities such as a person’s weight are more relevant than the music they have worked so diligently to create.
Gibsone, H. (2017). Pop’s glass ceiling: why new female stars can’t break through. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com
Women in the music industry face a large variety of struggles incited by media coverage and expectations. Women are expected to be traditionally feminine at all times, which limits the artists’ abilities to be original in their music while also achieving their goals as musicians. The belief that female musicians should always be feminine restricts how artists can express their personalities due to the fact that femininity is constantly forced upon them. Expectations that do not involve music, such as how conventionally attractive an artist is, distract from the important work of these musicians. These expectations greatly harm musicians who do not conform to these characteristics due to the fact that it is unlikely these artists will receive media attention. 25
Berlatsky, N. (2016). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can’t seem to find any female artists, so we made them a list. Quartz. Retrieved from http://www.qz.com
Greenburg, Z. O. (Ed). (2016). The world’s highest-paid women in music. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www. forbes.com Loye, K. (2016). Sexism in music media: The problem no one wants to address. The Houston Press. Retrieved from http://www.houstonpress.com Schoemer, K. (1997). The selling of girl power. Newsweek, 131(1), 90. VanMetre, E. (2015). Chris Wallace under fire after fat-shaming Kelly Clarkson. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com Willman, C. (2014). Country Radio’s Girl Problem. Billboard, 126(5), 6-8W
Taylor Marino is a second-year psychology ma-
jor who plans to earn a master’s degree in psychology and become a counseling psychologist. She was inspired to write this essay by her strong belief that women in the music industry shouldn’t have to conform to certain traits in order to avoid mistreatment. She enjoys listening to music and painting. volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices HOW DO WE BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY? by RACHEL DENNISON
If we were to walk into almost any soup kitchen, we would find a variety of people, all of them linked by one thing: Poverty has hit them hard. They are living without. One of the people we will see there is a young, exhausted mother doing what she can to make ends meet and give her children a better life. She probably grew up in poverty herself and had plans and dreams about how she would raise her children differently. Somewhere along the line, she got stuck, and for now, here she is, just trying to get her children at least one hot meal that day, and maybe some clothes that actually fit from the free clothing room. This is the cycle of poverty.
All these unexpected expenses and not enough finances to pay them. There was no money left to save, so there was nothing in the emergency fund. Does this mean my parents were just lazy? I would definitely have to argue no. Did they make some wrong choices along the way? Probably, but everyone does.
Many people like to say things like, “Well, if he had gone to college, he wouldn’t be in this situation.” I get it; that is the easy answer. We have to have something to blame, but the problem with this “solution” is that my dad did go to college in 2006 to earn a degree in massage therapy. He worked so hard, spent all his time and money, Why do some children grow up receiving every toy they and graduated at the top of his class, but when it came see advertised on TV while others have to wear the same time to get a job in the field, there were no openings. If pair of socks with a hole in the toe until their parents get that wasn’t bad enough, soon the career guidance cenpaid Friday of next month? Did the one set of parents ter at the college said they couldn’t do anything else for work harder than the other? Is the latter set of parents him. So it turned out the thing that was meant to pull us just lazy? The answer isn’t that easy, once we explore a out of the gutter and put us at least a little closer to the little deeper. Looking from the outside, it might seem top actually just put us in more debt. the family with everything worked harder, though that When my parents got married, they were already in a might not be the case. great deal of debt, so they bought the best thing they I would like to present the case of the hardest working could afford, a little fixer-upper right here in Akron, not man I know: my father. My father has worked almost far from where they both were raised. Both of my parevery day of his life since he was seventeen years old. ents grew up in poverty, and they had every intention of He has worked forty-five years at the same job. One ensuring that I did not grow up the same way. would think, with him working so much, we would My mother grew up with three sisters and one brother in have everything we ever needed, but most of the time a tiny, two-bedroom, one bathroom house. Her fatherwe went without. My parents’ paychecks would be just -my grandfather--used to tell me stories about growing enough that we couldn’t qualify for government aid but up in the Great Depression. He was pretty young, but not enough to cover the bills. Sometimes it would feel he remembered things in great detail. He told of how like things were finally working out. The bills were paid he learned to save money and ration food, and he could on time, we had food in the fridge, and I had new, clean find a use for almost anything. He had boxes and boxes clothes to wear to school. Then life would happen. The of little trinkets he had saved over the years, so when guaranteed promotion at work didn’t come through, but we had already bought new tires with the promised something broke, he could refer to one of his many unmoney. Emergency room trips and medical bills came labeled boxes and find the exact piece he needed to fix in the mail. The insurance refused to pay for vital pre- the item. Yet all of this wasn’t enough to rescue him and scriptions. The car broke down. There was a hole in the his family from poverty. roof. A water pipe broke, and the basement flooded. My father grew up with even less. He was raised in a FALL/2018
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starkvoices house with his parents, his sister, and his grandmother. Both my grandmother and grandfather went to work, sometimes working two jobs each, just to get by. Some might say people are poor because they are lazy and do not work hard enough. Maybe that is true for some. There will always be lazy people, but it seems that most ‘poor’ people are working harder and getting less. Both of my grandfathers were in the military and were very hard-working men.
poverty, they are doomed to stay there for the rest of their lives and then watch their children have the same struggle.
No one wakes up in the morning and thinks, Man, I really want to get behind on my bills today, but it happens. We make plans. We write bill due dates in organizers and make tight budgets. We put money aside. We don’t buy that new pair of black, strappy stilettos we have been eyeing. Rather than going out for date night, we How can people work two full-time jobs and barely opt to stay in and binge watch our favorite TV show on make ends meet? Is it all because of bad choices? Or do Netflix. Still, we can’t make the cut. We took all the prethings we cannot control contribute to the problem? My cautions; how did this happen? Is it because we stopped mother’s father did not choose to spend his childhood and got donuts one morning before heading into work? Do we have to cut back even more; is that the answer? If we can’t rely on finances, what can we rely on?
“some might say Like any other cycle, there are highs and lows. This cycle people are poor be- may look a little different depending on whom we are about, but one thing remains true; it isn’t easy cause they are lazy...talking to break. Children grow up in poverty, get a job as soon as they come of age. Somehow, along the way, they end but it seems most up stuck in that job because they were never able to fur‘poor’ people are ther their education or their skill set. Then they have d n a r e rd a h children of their own, and those children sadly end up working stuck in the same cycle. If we dig a little deeper, we can getting less” see there is also some cycling going on in the everyday in such a time as the Great Depression. Later on in his life, he was drafted into World War II and was unable to complete high school. Another choice he did not get to make. My grandfather did do a lot of studying during his time in the Navy and was able to earn a college degree without completing high school, although during that time, his hearing was damaged significantly, which affected him throughout his life. Because of things out of my grandparents’ control, my parents were affected as well. My grandparents grew up in poverty, and as a result of this, my parents were raised similarly, and ultimately, I was as well. I am not the only one. Generational poverty is a real issue. Generational poverty is when three or more generations of a family grew up below the poverty level. It is all around us, and it seems that when children grow up in generational
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life of the impoverished family. The paycheck comes. The bills that can be paid are, and the rest will be put off until next pay. The family lives on bare minimum, eating canned goods and wearing ‘hand me downs’ for as long as possible, just trying to make ends meet. The next paycheck comes, and the first thing that the family does is head to the grocery store; they are hungry and tired of eating unappetizing food. Their appetite gets the best of them, and more is spent than what was planned in the budget. Again, there is not enough money to pay all the bills, so some are put off. The family then must go back to their “just making ends meet” type of living. Eventually, there will be a high in the cycle. The income tax return or a bonus from work comes in the mail. Finally, the bills can be paid, and there is a little extra money. That money should probably be put into a savings account, but there are so many things the
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starkvoices family needs, so many things they went without, and so many things they put off fixing because there was no money. So pretty soon, all the extra is gone. The high in the cycle might last for a while, but then there is a car accident or a large medical bill, one of the “life happens” moments I spoke about earlier. There is now a huge expense, but all the extra money has already been spent. The vicious cycle continues.
Despite my father’s own experience, he has always pushed me to pursue a higher education. Even when I was very young, he would ask me what I wanted to do with my life. He encouraged me to dream big, and I always knew I was expected to go to college. Why would he want me to follow this path that did not work for him? Is he setting me up for failure? No, he understands that though sometimes it can be a great risk, a college So the question remains: How can we break the cycle degree might be the best way out of poverty, and it is a of poverty? It might seem impossible and hopeless. chance worth taking. Doing nothing is a greater risk. Maybe that is the first step: changing our mind set. We Education, though probably not the only option, is the don’t have to live like this. We can better ourselves. We best escape from generational poverty. Early childhood can overcome. It is not impossible, and it is not hope- education, literacy skills, and higher education are all less. That is definitely a start, but it can’t be all. It is steps for a better tomorrow. Likewise, the lack of these not enough to simply say, “We are not going to be im- three things can contribute to the crippling cycle of genpoverished anymore.” Something has to change. If gov- erational poverty. I have not yet arrived, but I believe I ernment aid is available, it might be something to take am on my way to breaking out of generational poverty advantage of, but with that, one also runs the risk of get- through education. ting too comfortable with being stuck. It seems to me that savings is a must, although just as I discussed earlier, it is a nearly impossible task for the impoverished family. It might come down to saving coins or whatever is available, but just making sure something is being put away. Investments could be the way to go, but if one isn’t careful, it is possible that the money will just be going to waste. Maybe it means going back to school and getting a degree. This may lead to more debt, but it also will hopefully lead to a new career with higher wages and more job security. Higher education may not always be the answer, but it could be a person’s best chance out of poverty. Truth be told, sometimes going to college does not offer anything but more debt. My father went to college in order to provide a better life for us. He worked a full-time job and took accelerated classes. It was hard on us as a family because we got to see very little of him, but in his free time, he made it up to me, helping me with my homework, encouraging my creative side, and playing Barbie dolls with me. He made the dean’s list time after time. Unfortunately, though, none of this mattered when it came time to find a job in the massotherapy field; there was nothing for him. Now he owes a huge debt and does not have the promised career to pay it.
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Rachel Dennison is a second-semester nursing
major who plans to get her BSN and RN and work at Children’s Hospital. Rachel wrote her essay after wondering about the causes of the poverty that touches so many lives and asking, “How do we make a change?”
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starkvoices A MOMENT IN TIME
by MICHAEL WILLIAMS Looking out at the darkening sky, I was already losing myself. Danny was speeding down the highway, everything blurring by in a rush. My thoughts splintered in a million different directions, partly because I was still so surprised that I was going to my first party, but mainly because both Danny and Sara were rapping loudly to some song I had no hope of ever knowing. It was one of those moments where I felt simultaneously completely here and everywhere else, making me want to somehow join in on this terrible song, but also knowing that I never could. Not that I would really feel comfortable doing it anyway. Although I’d been around Sara since middle school, I didn’t know Danny in a real enough way to just jump into this, again, terrible song.
car, throwing me into the door as we drove down the long driveway of a modest country home in the middle of absolutely nowhere, the nearest house probably a mile down the road. Cars were already lining the driveway, most of which I recognized, some I had no idea. Dana said it would be a small party, but if it was anything like her, it was bound to be larger than life.
A hollow existence, but one that hadn’t failed me yet.
everyone,” I said, attempting a joke that would probably fall flat.
“Finally!” Sara cheered once Danny parked next to a silver Nissan with one too many dents in it, screaming that it belonged to Dana.
“Yo, big Mike, help me with the shit,” he said as I nodded and wordlessly got out, following him to his trunk. Danny stood a full head taller than me, so the irony of his nickname for me was not lost on me. Then again, Pulling my eyes away from the window, I watched Sara everyone I know seemingly towers over me. If I were flip off passing cars for no particular reason that I could more clever, I’d make up some perfect reason as to why tell, her blonde hair flying like she was in the middle of I’m short, but since I’m not, I won’t. a wind tunnel. “Can’t you go any faster?” she yelled over Smirking at me, Danny popped open his trunk before at Danny as he turned down the music. ripping up a thick black blanket revealing a warehouse “Yeah, let’s go faster so when we get pulled over, the cops of booze. “Drunk in Love” was blasting from the inside can see the goddamn distillery we have in the trunk. of the house, filtering out to where Trevor sat alone in Real effing brilliant,” he deadpanned. He immediate- front of a bonfire watching it dance. ly got punched in the arm as she kicked her comically short legs up on his cluttered dash, pushing old boxes of Briefly forgetting what I was doing as I neared, dropping cigarettes and candy bar wrappers out of the way as she off the booze, I sat beside him on one of the many chairs did. “Don’t have to be a jerk,” she snapped back.As the set up around the fire. His usually tame green eyes were car picked up speed, pushing me back into my seat even wild as he looked over at me, the flames heightening all more, I watched them bicker, gossip, then bicker again. of his features perfectly. I considered joining in and making up random gossip Feeling my heart pick up a little, I quickly looked at the about some kid in our class just to start something, but fire to get lost too. “You actually made it,” he said in that I defaulted and stayed quiet. It’s not in my DNA to think same neutral tone I’d grown to accept as not unfeeling, up perfectly sarcastic, yet somehow funny jokes for peo- but who he is. ple to eat up. I sat by and watched, laughed when I had “Y-yeah… figured I’d come,” I shrugged, looking back at to, and shut up every other time. him. “I didn’t think you’d come. You always say you hate City streets morphed into corn fields and open country so seamlessly that I almost didn’t notice how far away Smirking, he nodded, looking back at the fire. “You from everything we were. Danny abruptly turned his know me well, but I was bored and decided ‘What the 29
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starkvoices hell?’” he said, making me laugh. At that moment, Dana stuck her head out her back door and yelled, “WE’RE DOING SHOTS, BITCHES!” Laughing at her, I looked to Trevor for some idea of what I should be doing, but he just rolled his eyes dramatically. “Why do I come to these things,” he grumbled more to himself than to me. “D-did you want to go in?” Snorting, he unrolled the sleeves of his flannel, making
me realize suddenly how cold it actually was out there. I watched as he shook his head. “I’d rather not. You go have fun.” I didn’t really want to move, but I stood up and trotted up Dana’s deck into the kitchen, where I saw reckless teenagers throwing back shots, dancing on each other, and taking pictures, all while singing to the loud, obnoxious music. Every counter was filled with food, booze, and for some reason, jello cubes, making me think this party was going to be bigger than just a few friends. This was setting up to be a banger. It made me wonder where I fit in all of this. “Mike!” a girl shouted, making me jump, which was a shame because I was just getting comfortable enough to fade out in the middle of the kitchen as I watched everyone dump alcohol down their throats. Charging for me was Dana, of all people, practically pushing past others and stopping suddenly in front of me. Basically the Queen Bee of the seniors, Dana was the encyclopedia when it came to anything that had to do with social circles. Her hug was a vise, and her long, curled hair brushed up against my cheek, giving off hints of peppermint. “Whataya doing just standing here? It’s a party!” she shouted even though I was literally inches away from her. Looking at the bottles of booze and the jello that I still couldn’t figure out, I started to feel overwhelmed. “I uh…” “Shut up! We’re doing shots!” she said as Danny, out of nowhere, materialized, draping his arm down her shoulder. “I heard ‘shots,’” he said. “Get off, moron,” she grumbled, nudging him off as he went over to kitchen’s island, poured three shots of clear alcohol, and handed each of us one.
art: CHRYSTAL ROBINSON
FALL/2018
“Time to break you in, black man,” he said, making Dana cackle. 30
starkvoices I begrudgingly joined in, once again aware of the fact “Y-you drunk yet?” she slurred. that they were always reminding me that I was their Shrugging, I smiled. “I, uh, don’t think so?” I asked, alonly black friend. most losing my train of thought. I watched in awe as they threw back their drinks like Her Cheshire smile widened even more as she unthe obvious pros they were and wondered what it would screwed the cap of the bottle and took a quick sip before taste like. In movies, they always glamorize drinking, tapping my chin. “Open up.” making it seem like a fun time up until they pan over to the crying girl in the corner covered in her own vomit. “No! Mike, keep your damn mouth closed!” Trevor Staring down at my own drink, I made a silent decision yelled. “What the hell? You trying to kill him, Sara?” to not let my own inhibitions ruin tonight. I threw back Dropping her head on my shoulder and shifting all her the drink like they did and immediately flinched at the weight on me, she flipped him off. “Get off Mike’s junk, taste and the burning as it slithered down my throat. Trey. He’s uh... a big boy.” She sounded far away. “Jesus, drink much?” Danny laughed hysterically at my lack of skill at drinking.
Frowning, Trevor shook his head before going back to his phone. “Fine, whatever. If he dies, I’m not helping It was only after my seventh cute little jello cube that I bury the body.” realized they were soaked in vodka. I swear, my friends love me. Later, back outside at the fire, I tried standing up but nearly tumbled out of my seat in the process. A quick hand caught me, preventing me from doing just that. “You’re a mess, Mike,” said Trevor, who’d done the saving. “Sit. Still,” he emphasized. I crumbled back into my seat, the whole world spinning. My head whirled as I tossed it to my right to see Selena and Danny making out. Turning to my left, I saw Trevor on his phone, scrolling away, smirking every now and then at whatever Reddit had to offer and sipping on probably his eighth beer for the night. My eyes shifted up to the clouded sky above, and I breathed clouds from my lips as I realized that I really liked this feeling. This sort of half here, half nowhere sensation. Plus, it was nice being around these people who, for three years, didn’t know I existed, or so it felt. How a simple question like, “Do you want to sit with us at lunch?” can change a whole world. It makes it all, somehow, worthwhile.
Looking back to me, she tapped my chin again, getting me to open my mouth wide. The rational part of my brain that usually would have told me this was a bad idea was on vacation at the moment. Everyone around, except for Trevor, of course, was chanting for me to chug until I couldn’t keep down as much as she poured. Lightly pushing her hand away, I swallowed what was in my mouth, letting the cinnamon flavor warm my insides all the way down to my stomach, and smiled up at her. Then I looked at Trevor, who for some reason, looked terrified. “Goddamn, bitch drank half the bottle!” Dana laughed hysterically as I looked back to Trevor and shrugged. “I feel fine.” Turns out I wasn’t fine. I lost track of time after a little bit.
As I was spinning out of control, the party only got bigA heavy weight landed on my thighs, pulling my at- ger and louder as most of the seniors from the football tention down to find Sara’s crazy and ever-drifting eyes team showed up, adding to the chaos. I was in the center trying to find mine. Holding a bottle of amber-colored of it all, blinking in and out of moments like I imagine liquor with a dancing devil on the bottle, she smiled, cameras do, collecting them as I went along aimlessly. leaning her head down to me, spilling her blonde locks The grass felt cooler and sharper on my fingers, my nose in my face. numb, and my tongue grazing over a mysterious cut on 31
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starkvoices my lip. The noise of the party was white as I kept my eyes on the galaxy above, the clouds finally breaking apart, leaving me in the middle of an entire universe. I couldn’t break the silence, nor did I want to.
“Of course you are,” he grumbled before heading out.
Nearly falling asleep, I peeked my weighted eyes open one last time to a just barely visible Trevor setting down a trash can beside me, a small blanket just covering my “You’re gonna catch a cold, dumbass,” Trevor said, legs. A smile pulled at my lips, almost releasing what I sounding a planet away as I turned all three of my heads wanted to say. The words would get jumbled anyway-to find him lying down next to me, carrying a blanket. too many clouds in my head. “Here,” he said, throwing it over me. Still, for the last few moments before the dark swallowed “Thaaaankkksss,” I said slowly, making sure he could me--a short break in time--I was in heaven. understand me. Laughing, he put his arms behind his head and looked up at the stars with me. A thought floated up to my head, pulling me to say something, but instead, I said nothing and followed all of his eyes to what he was watching. “You’re gonna regret this in the morning,” he said simply. Lifting my arms up, I dropped them, disappointed when they hit the ground. “I thought I would … fly … ” “You’re not a bird, dumbass.” “Don’t gotta be a bird to fly,” I pointed out. Laughing, he sat up looking down at me. Another thought bubbled up, but I shot it down just as fast. Some things should never be said. “You’re not making sense,” Trevor said. Pointing at him, I smiled. “Your face doesn’t make sense!” Rolling his eyes, he grabbed me up, making my world feel like it had flipped upside down, immediately making my stomach gurgle. “I … I don’t feel good,” I groaned, falling into him as he caught me. “Goddamnit, Mike; know your limits,” he grumbled, practically carrying me inside the house, as I protested the entire time that I was fine. Stumbling inside Dana’s now completely empty home, I took two steps before collapsing onto the carpet of her living room. My stomach roared, seconds from erupting, but I couldn’t move. Gravity cemented me to the ground. As all of the universe’s forces threatened to kill me, a single thought bubbled up. “I’m going to puke,” I said simply, eliciting a groan from Trevor. FALL/2018
Michael Williams is an English major who
plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in English and become a published author. This essay was based on personal experience. Michael says, “My only goal with my writing is that at least one person can look at it and relate with me as I retell, recreate, or make up a story. That’s all I ever wanted.”
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starkvoices CRYSTAL COVE
by KRISTEN HEBERT The sun above is hot. The hot where you can feel your skin burning and cooking. It would have been unbearable if not for the cooling ocean breeze. It rushes toward me, fluidlike, and envelops me, kissing away the pain of the sun. Together they invoke a sense of belonging, stirring my memories, letting the nostalgia slip through. I stare out across the ocean and watch the waves and light dance. The ocean beckons me, pulling me toward her. I bow to her request and stand, feeling the clean white sand crunch beneath my feet. I walk forward and feel my feet scream at me to hurry and save them from the pain of the sunbaked sand. I ignore their pleas, instead choosing to commit the sensation to memory. I find myself stopped at the edge of the water, wondering how I came to be here so soon. Had I somehow slipped into a dream these last few moments?
first time in my life, I will be three thousand miles away from these shores. Three thousand miles away from these sands. Three thousand miles away from familiarity. Will this all be a giant mistake? I feel the panic rise as my inner voices begin to argue. Logic versus emotion. Logic reasoning that this change is good. This change is growth. This change is a step toward the future. Without this move, none of this can occur. California is nothing but quicksand, and you’re slowly sinking. The muckiness of your world rises higher every time another earthquake rolls through and shakes the emotional molecules of your foundation. Maybe soon the sinking will cease, but you know you’ll be stuck. Besides, Michael will be there. You would have been swallowed whole already if it weren’t for him.
At this, I smile and look back toward the shore where my husband, Michael, is sitting in his bright green and black Guinness board shorts. The pride wells up in me as I think about those words: my husband. It’s been a few months now, but it’s still fresh to my vocabulary. Husband. Husband. Husband. I think about how jaded toward love I was just a few years prior and chuckle at I lie back and begin to float, closing my eyes and soak- myself for becoming so disgusting and in love. I watch ing in the warmth of the sun as I wait for the next set of him and notice he is staring out toward the horizon waves. I pay attention to the feeling of my body as I ad- with a pensive look on his cleanly shaven face, his long, just to the cold and think back eight years to my ocean salt-stiffened hair battling the wind. What is he thinkstudies class in high school. We had learned about the ing? Are his thoughts the same as mine? transferring of heat and energy that day and how when A tide of panic rises swiftly once more, bringing with it a you enter cold water, it literally steals your warmth as strong undertow that sweeps me off my feet. I’m drownit attempts to balance out and regulate. What was the ing again. Emotion versus logic. A familiar rumbling is scientific name of that again? I can’t recall and instead heard, and my world begins to shake. It is chaotic and push the thought aside, drifting back from my momen- strong. Emotions flood in with the backing power of a tary daydream. tsunami, consuming everything and giving no quarter. And then, as I have a thousand times before, I begin to fly. My feet move forward as fast as they can carry me. The expectant rush of the cold Pacific courses through my body as I plunge headfirst into the nearest wave, crashing through its wall and emerging with a sharp gasp as I take back the breath that the sudden cold has stolen.
Suddenly and without warning, a wave washes over me. I find myself drowning under a flood of memories rushing to the shores of my consciousness. A wave of realization--that I will be so far from home--peaks and comes crashing down. The move is tomorrow. For the 33
What are you doing? How could this have ever been a thought? What if it doesn’t work out? What if you’re just as stuck there as you are here? What if you hate it? What about your friends? What about your family? This is your home! volumeTHREE/editionONE
starkvoices Every thought pulls me deeper into the depths. I look out across the horizon and do the best to soothe my mind. Anything to claw my way back to the surface. The set is finally here. I watch as the deep chilled blue begins to swell. It starts slow, picks up speed, and rises into a shining, brilliant wave of jade glass, crashing amongst pearls.
seek. I find a friend, and we twist and turn through the coral like speeding torpedoes in a game of chase. This is my happy place. This is where I am most at peace--that is, until my lungs finally scream at me for the oxygen they so desperately need. My brother and I pop up to the surface like adrenaline-filled beach balls, donning I watch as a wave approaches me, and suddenly I’m large smiles on our faces from the recent rush. We make twelve again. The image of my six-year-old brother our way toward each other as quickly as we can in order materializes out of my memory to play our old games of dancing with the waves. In Act 1, we pretend we are ships riding out a storm and do our best to glide over the wall of approaching water just before it breaks, catching air and crashing down into the trough with great speed. After a few sets, we begin to grow weary and come in closer to shore to dance our most cherished game. Act 2 begins, and we turn our backs to the surf, waiting with excitement for our favorite game. Our ears prick up at the sound of the white water rushing toward us. Doing our best to keep our eyes on the shore, or else lose the game, we trust in the sea that she will do us no harm. And then she hits. Cold, pruney fingers rush quickly to our noses, keeping out the burning of the salty seawater as we throw ourselves back into her embrace and go under. We are at her will. I make my body as limp as I can, allowing her to push, pull, and spin me as she pleases. The ride is exhilarating and one I always wish will never end. My imagination takes me to the oceans of Hawaii, and I pretend to be a dolphin, spinning and playing with the waves as I feel the buttery warm smoothness of the water fall away from my skin, its warmth a comforting hug so welcoming it could never be close enough. I’m flying through the water amongst a rainbow of fish and coral. We begin to play together as the rays of light flood down from above like a disco ball on the ocean floor, the coral around us providing hiding spots for a game of hide and FALL/2018
art: MICHAEL NICOLARDI
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starkvoices to get ready for the next wave, and then we repeat the me are no longer violent but the gentle rocks of a mothgame all over again. er laying her child down to sleep. I feel her love radiate I look toward the shore and see my husband beckoning through me as I slip into the land of dreams. for me to come in. At this, I realize that it’s about sundown, and it’s time to go home. I feel my heart break as I’m sucked back into the sobering truth of today, watching as my brother fades in front of my eyes. Only four years prior, he had made a similar move to the shores of New England. Was it this difficult for him to leave, too? I can feel the warmth of the Hawaiian oceans leave my body, and I am left alone with cold reality.
I wake from my dream, blinking the sand and salt from my eyes to find that she has gently laid me to rest on the sands of her shores. I reflect on the last few moments, still in a daze from my momentary sleep. What just happened?
My prayers are answered. She is strong.
of her prized possessions.
The force knocks me from my feet, and I am pulled under, tossed violently in every direction. True panic rises within me as I try to make sense of my surroundings. What is up? What is down? Where am I? Every glimpse of some type of orientation is quickly snatched away. I tell myself she will set me free soon. She will let me go. But she holds on. I do my best to reason, despite my oxygen source depleting. Yet the reasoning is not reasoning at all. Nothing is left but primal fear. I feel the salty taste of seawater enter my body, burning like holy water on the skin of a sinner, my body thrashing and clawing, looking for a surface that does not seem to exist. Suddenly, she makes herself heard--Let go.
Another wave eases over me, stronger than all the others felt this day. It brings with it a feeling of intense contentment, and I know this gift presented is one of parting. All feelings of fear of the coming move wash away with each new break, my uncertainties eroded. I look out once more toward the vast expanse, light dancing on serene indigo waves. This is my home. She is a part of me. She will always be with me. Everything will be okay. She will miss me, too.
As my mind comes back to me, I look down to notice my right hand closed in a fist. It is then I notice the feeling of something within my palm. I reflect on how strange this is, as I can’t recall grasping at anything but the turbulent The last wave of the day is quickly approaching, my water rushing around me. Still puzzled, I open my hand mind drowning in emotion once more. But I am stub- slowly, like an oyster revealing its beautiful secret. born, and the truth is, this is my last wave as a Califor- In my palm lies a stone. As to the type, I have no idea, nian. I refuse to not make it count. I ready my body, but it is unlike anything I have ever seen here in my 25 back to the surf. One last game with her. One last dance. years. It is flat and smooth, its weight ethereal, its color I listen intently at the roar of the ocean’s waters behind the same gray as the wings of the ocean birds. Yet, most me, stampeding closer with every second. I pray that striking is what lies at its heart. A perfect circle, as if the she is strong and carries me far so as to live out every ocean herself had grabbed it from her depths and sat moment I can with her. And then she hits. wistfully rubbing away at it for hundreds of years. One
The message is clear. I do as I’m told without a second more of thought. All the tension releases, and I go limp once more, my mind deciding fully that I will not be scared. She has never harmed me before and will not do so now. The peace floods in, and I am freely at her will. No longer afraid. I feel her strong embrace of gentleness swirl around me like a protective bubble. Her pulls on 35
Kristen Hebert is an Early Childhood Education
major with plans to eventually earn a doctoral degree and become a college professor.
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starkvoices INFINITESIMAL
by NICOLE MEADE
Memories faded but, And color dripped from glass as blood fell to the pavement Ink bleeding through gaps of parchment Breathing labored mistaking the air to be thin Seeds were planted in my marrow as flowers bloomed on my skin Hate hidden behind clenched teeth and bleeding gums Sorrow sewn into faces A patchwork of wounds becoming scars We keep Obituaries as photo albums, Cold skin looking wrong, as an imitation of what should be A stillness that is haunting as the soul is an absentee Visiting friends and sorrows swept up in waves Loving words cold over stone and marble graves Eyes rimmed red and bleeding sleep Counting, counting innumerable sheep Time buries wounds Covering them in memories and new tissue Our pain, a remembrance of what was.
Nicole Meade is a second-year Mechanical Engineering major who plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Nicole says, “During the time that most of the poem was being written, I wasn’t in a good place. By writing some thoughts and feelings out, I was able to climb back to a good place.
FALL/2018
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starkvoices STAFF AND FACULTY Technical Communications Intern Ariana Barrett, Editor Advisors Nicole Herrera, Associate Professor of English Elizabeth Modarelli, Assistant Professor of English Graphic Artwork and Publication Design Ryan Gray, Adjunct Professor of Visual Communications Special Thanks to Duane Dodson for proofreading ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS art/photography
Chrystal Robinson is a Stark State student,
mother of two girls, and the Art Director of Jupiter Studios in Alliance, Ohio. Her paintings have been featured in galleries and art shows nation-wide including Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, New York, and Washington D.C.. Locally, Chrystal’s work can be found in Canton’s Museum of Art, and she is a featured street artist through Arts in Stark’s First Friday events. Having a heart for children and the arts, Chrystal maintains that visual arts can change the world. With this motivation, she continues the work of curating, designing, and directing programming that furthers this vision. 37
Michael “Jersey” Nicolardi is a Graphic
Arts major in his first semester as a returning student at Stark State. He is the owner of ArchAngel Tattoo and Art Gallery in Canal Fulton and has been a professional tattoo artist for 18 years. He is also an accomplished artist working mostly in watercolors, acrylics, and recently digital medias. His artwork has been published worldwide in books, magazines, and featured in museums and art galleries. He plans on continuing tattooing and working as a freelance graphic designer after graduation. volumeTHREE/editionONE