Anna Brinkmann profile Read more about one of NKU’s volleyball leaders on pages 8-9 Edition 68, Issue 02 Wednesday, September 29, 2021
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Emerging Leaders on NKU’s Campus
Left to Right: Jayvon Shack, Chris Roat, Aliya Cannon, Molly Glick, Sandra Brazzani
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SUBJECTS AND TAKEN BY CAMERON NIELSEN/MATTHEW DIETZ ILLUSTRATION BY: YSABEL CORDOVA-ELIAS
02 Happenings
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
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WWW.THENORTHERNER.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matthew Dietz [dietzm5@mymail.nku.edu] MANAGING EDITOR Madison Plank [plankm3@mymail.nku.edu] NEWS EDITOR Mildred Nguyen [nguyend8@mymail.nku.edu] ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Braden White [whiteb15@mymail.nku.edu] SPORTS EDITOR Matthew Dietz [dietzm5@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Brendan Connelly [connellyb3@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Kaycee Sloan [sloank1@mymail.nku.edu] COPY EDITOR Misti Hopper [hopperm7@mymail.nku.edu] PHOTO EDITOR Cameron Nielsen [nielsenc1@mymail.nku.edu]
ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Kiley-Shea Steiner [steinerk2@mymail.nku.edu] DESIGN EDITOR Allie Rose [rosea18@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. DESIGN EDITOR Ysabel Cordova-Elias [cordovaely1@mymail.nku.edu] WEB EDITOR Sean Gibson [gibsons13@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. WEB EDITOR Elizabeth Bauman [baumane1@nku.edu] ADVERTISING Payton Hubbard [hubbardp1@mymail.nku.edu] ADVISOR Michele Day [daym1@nku.edu]
Letter from the Editor Emerging Leaders on Campus Leadership comes in many different forms, with many different styles and from many different people, some of whom may be similar to you, and some of whom may be nothing like you. But at the end of the day, regardless of who they may be and whatever field or industry that they are a part of, a leader needs to be able to possess the traits and the desire to be able to effectively represent not just the organization or company that they lead, but also those who look up to them and turn to them when the going gets tough. In the last year and a half at Northern Kentucky University, the going has certainly gotten tough. Many of the social settings that students and other members of the campus community were eroded, an eerie quietness falling over campus that made for perplexing times to be a college student or staff member.
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“When evaluating his leadership style, and contemplating which traits Roat possesses that make him an effective leader, he said that he believes that it is his compassion that is able to endear him to his colleagues, as well as his ability to be adaptable and understanding,” I wrote. Assistant Sports Editor Brendan Connelly caught up with former NKU women’s basketball player Molly Glick, who recently accepted a new job as an assistant coach on head coach Camryn Whitaker’s staff to return to the Norse.
But as the fall semester continues to march on, the university has begun to regain that vibrance and sense of community that has been missing since March of 2020, the month during which the world as we knew it dissipated.
“Being a director of operations for a Division 1 women’s basketball team isn’t easy. As the title implies, they are responsible for all program operations on a day-to-day basis. It is not a job for just anyone, but it ended up being a perfect fit for Molly Glick, a member of the NKU team from 20152020,” Connelly wrote.
With that vibrance and jubilation creeping its way back into everyday life at NKU, The Northerner set out to find emerging leaders on campus who are guiding the university back to the way that life used to be, and empowering the rest of the community to come back stronger than ever.
Fellow Assistant Sports Editor Kaycee Sloan spoke with NKU senior and volleyball player Anna Brinkmann, who is playing a massive role for the Norse on the court this fall, and has already taken home a Horizon League Volleyball Player of the Week award on Sept. 15.
News Editor Mildred Nguyen spoke with NKU spanish lecturer Sandra Brazzani, a native of Venezuela who has been instrumental in teaching students about National Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15.
“NKU’s women’s volleyball head coach Liz Hart said Brinkmann has improved in every aspect of the game since her freshman year, especially in terms of communication,” Sloan wrote.
“As a Spanish lecturer, Brazzani ensures that her students do not only learn the language but also get to immerse themselves in the culture. For this reason, every semester she takes her students to a food truck in Fountain Square in Cincinnati, where they can order food in Spanish and practice the language with her family,” Nguyen wrote.
In addition to the outstanding stories on emerging leaders on campus, our photo and design teams did an excellent job of curating wonderful visuals and graphic designs to allow our publication to stand out visually.
Arts & Life Editor Braden White caught up with senior acting major Jayvon Shack, who is preparing to headline his first mainstage School of the Arts theatre show, “Torch Song”, which runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 9.
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she has in the past served as an NKU R.O.C.K.S. mentee and mentor, the ambassador for the office of African American Student Initiatives, president and public relations chair of the National Panhellenic Council, and SGA senator,” Plank wrote.
“Throughout Shack’s journey through high school and college, theatre still has the same meaning to him,” White wrote.
As the fall semester continues, these emerging leaders on NKU’s campus will continue to do their part to welcome campus life back to NKU, and in the process, continue to become the best possible leaders that they can be in their respective fields. Sincerely, Matthew Dietz Editor-in-Chief
“Theatre means to me to tell the important stories of people who don’t have a voice,” Shack said. Managing Editor Madison Plank spoke with SGA President Aliya Cannon, while I sat down and spoke with her colleague, SGA Vice President Chris Roat. “Cannon has always been active throughout campus, where
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Ed 68, Issue 02
News 03
SGA president talks leadership: “You can be who you want and still conquer the world”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SUBJECT
PHOTO BY: CAMERON NIELSEN
Madison Plank MANAGING EDITOR
Raised in a single parent household in an urban, poverty-stricken area of Louisville, Kentucky, senior social work with minors in social justice and human addiction and SGA President Aliya Cannon faced many challenges that built her to become a better leader. Cannon described one of the biggest challenges she’s had to overcome is actively overcoming herself. “A lot of times in African American communities we don’t acknowledge our mental health or understand the behaviors we may have are traumatizing,” Cannon said. Cannon added that last February she began navigating her own mental health journey.
and public relations chair of the National Panhellenic Council, and SGA senator. She currently serves as SGA president, president of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated and student board of regent. She also sits on the international and regional board of directors for her sorority. A planner full of highlighted activities throughout the month sat open on Cannon’s desk in her office in SU 330 as she reflected on her experience at NKU. “The experience part [at NKU] has kept me here and has allowed me to develop into the leader I am today,” Cannon continued. “If it wasn’t for the NKU experience that I’ve had thus far, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today.”
“I struggle a lot with myself and trying to break barriers within my childhood and my past, and trying to overcome those so that I can move forward,” Cannon said.
Cannon said that as a student leader, she wants to make NKU feel more like a community to those of all backgrounds.
Cannon has always been active throughout campus, where she has in the past served as an NKU R.O.C.K.S. mentee and mentor, the ambassador for the office of African American Student Initiatives, president
“Sometimes we scream diversity, equity and inclusion, and we forget that we have to do things behind that to make it a reality,” Cannon said.
Cannon added that there is a bigger picture to making this goal happen. “Giving different groups spaces and offices doesn’t mean that we’re creating a space for diversity, equity and inclusion, and I just want to make sure that every community, no matter their culture, their background, their beliefs feel supported here at NKU,” Cannon said. Cannon, who is biracial and grew up in an African American household, attended Louisville Central High School, a predominantly Black high school in western Louisville. “I was very used to being around my peers, around my culture, and not being the only person of color in different settings,” Cannon said. “So when I came to NKU, it was a culture shock.” Cannon said that her experiences as a member of a minority race on campus has helped her create a route to establishing change throughout campus. “I know what needs to be changed and I know how other students are feeling …
That’s what made me run for SGA president, as I saw there was a need for positive change,” Cannon said. Cannon said that becoming a leader means being yourself. “This world, our government, our institutions, our lives and even our parents have always taught us that there’s a specific stereotype you have to fit as a leader, there’s a specific way you have to carry yourself, or how to look or to talk, and I disagree with all of that,” Cannon said. As an active member and student leader throughout campus with her own personal life obstacles, Cannon hopes to make a lasting impact on the way leadership should be framed within student involvement at NKU. “A leader is never going to stray away from who they are at their core, and with my leadership, I want other students to learn that as well. I want them to know that you can be who you want and still conquer the world,” Cannon said.
04 News
News 05
Being a leader is nothing new for SGA Vice President Chris Roat Matthew Dietz EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Chris Roat is in his first year with Northern Kentucky University’s Student Government Association this semester, serving as vice president alongside SGA President Aliya Cannon. However, Roat is no stranger to being a leader on campus and a voice that is heard throughout the NKU campus community. In addition to his role as SGA vice president, Roat is also currently serving as Vice President of Recruitment for Sigma Phi Epsilon, a fraternity at NKU, as well as the Vice President of Member and Community Development on the Interfraternity Council at NKU. For Roat, being part of these
organizations and taking on leadership roles in them has allowed him to step out of his comfort zone, while strengthening the interpersonal communication skills that are vital for a campus leader. “It really allowed me to step out of my shell and really be able to talk to people, because obviously if you’re doing recruitment you have to be able to be a very personable guy and be able to connect with different groups of people, different types of people in order to talk to them about joining your fraternity,” Roat said about becoming vice president of recruitment for Sigma Phi Epsilon, also commonly known as Sig Ep. Roat, a junior, is a Social Studies Education and History double
major, and has considered using other through the National those degrees to become a US hisPan-Hellenic Council, as well tory teacher at the high school levas through the Center for Stuel as a potential career path. dent Engagement, where both Roat and Cannon worked as “I’ve had a lot of teachers that student employees. made a really strong impact on my life, specifically history teachers, “Anyone that knows Aliya so I’m really wanting to give back knows that she’s a change agent and be able to give that same exon campus, it’s one of her pasperience to future students,” Roat sions,” Roat said. “As soon as I said. came to NKU I started hearing the name Aliya Cannon, and I Of course, part of being a teachknew that she was somebody er is being able to effectively lead that I really wanted to get to a group, and through his position know, because we have a lot of in SGA, Roat is getting the opporthe same goals and passions.” tunity to gain valuable experience in that department, alongside his On the campaign, Cannon and running mate and SGA President Roat focused their attention on Aliya Cannon. three main tenets, which were accountability, transparency Roat said that he and Cannon and integrity. As the semester were able to get to know one ancontinues on, Roat said that
PHOTOS BY MATTHEW DIETZ
he, alongside Cannon and other members of SGA, will continue to back up what they promised on the campaign trail. “ As far as transparency goes, I think we’re doing a really good job with that. We’re really trying to make those connections with the student body and having that open line of communication between the two,” Roat said. One initiative that has become a priority for Roat personally is the sustainability that he and the rest of SGA are hoping to provide on campus, and continuing to make NKU a “green campus.” When evaluating his leadership style, and contemplating which traits Roat possesses that make him an effective leader, he said that he believes that it is his compassion that is able to endear him to his colleagues, as well as his ability to be adaptable and understanding. “I try to be just understanding, and not too hard on people for maybe needing a deadline changed or needing to reevaluate some of the stuff that they’re working on, just because of the way life’s going at the time,” Roat said. “I’ve realized that people that give empathy to those going through it really turn out to be the most effective leaders, so I’ve just tried to implement that as I go through my everyday life.” As an influential leader in three organizations, Roat spends much of his time on campus at NKU, whether that is in his office in the Student Union, helping lead SGA meetings or other administrative duties that come with his jobs. But away from school, Roat dedicates
much of his free time to another passion of his: baseball. Although Roat has not played organized baseball since he was in high school, when he played summer ball for all four years, he continues to spend time watching the hometown Cincinnati Reds, attending games at Great American Ball Park and playing his favorite video game franchise: MLB The Show. “I’m a big PlayStation guy,” Roat said. As he continues to navigate his way through his new position with SGA, Roat has found that the most challenging aspect of the vice presidency thus far is having to hear the hard conversations that go on behind closed doors, and ways in which NKU students and members of the community are negatively impacted. “Having to know and hear some of the bad stuff that happens on campus really can be challenging,
because I kind of want to look at it from this outside bubble of ‘everything’s great, NKU’s great’ and it is, it’s just there are some things that go on behind the scenes that you really don’t want to have to hear, but you do,” Roat said. As Roat has reflected on what he would like his fellow NKU students to be able take away from his vice presidency, the focal point that he wants students to remember is the integrity that he will carry with him throughout the year, and the transparency and open line of communication that he wants to continue to have between himself and the community.
“I don’t want to be doing things behind the scenes, I want to be upfront and show our students what we’re working on, how I’m doing it, showing them that I’m not taking any short cuts and doing what really needs to be done for the
student body,” Roat said.
For Roat, just as important as the policies that he is able to help enact, is his reputation around campus as a caring leader and someone who other students are able to look up to and see as a compassionate face on campus and a person who cares about their well-being representing them in SGA. “I just want to be known as a good guy, and that’s within student government and life in general, I just want to be known as a good guy,” Roat said.
04 News
News 05
Being a leader is nothing new for SGA Vice President Chris Roat Matthew Dietz EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Chris Roat is in his first year with Northern Kentucky University’s Student Government Association this semester, serving as vice president alongside SGA President Aliya Cannon. However, Roat is no stranger to being a leader on campus and a voice that is heard throughout the NKU campus community. In addition to his role as SGA vice president, Roat is also currently serving as Vice President of Recruitment for Sigma Phi Epsilon, a fraternity at NKU, as well as the Vice President of Member and Community Development on the Interfraternity Council at NKU. For Roat, being part of these
organizations and taking on leadership roles in them has allowed him to step out of his comfort zone, while strengthening the interpersonal communication skills that are vital for a campus leader. “It really allowed me to step out of my shell and really be able to talk to people, because obviously if you’re doing recruitment you have to be able to be a very personable guy and be able to connect with different groups of people, different types of people in order to talk to them about joining your fraternity,” Roat said about becoming vice president of recruitment for Sigma Phi Epsilon, also commonly known as Sig Ep. Roat, a junior, is a Social Studies Education and History double
major, and has considered using other through the National those degrees to become a US hisPan-Hellenic Council, as well tory teacher at the high school levas through the Center for Stuel as a potential career path. dent Engagement, where both Roat and Cannon worked as “I’ve had a lot of teachers that student employees. made a really strong impact on my life, specifically history teachers, “Anyone that knows Aliya so I’m really wanting to give back knows that she’s a change agent and be able to give that same exon campus, it’s one of her pasperience to future students,” Roat sions,” Roat said. “As soon as I said. came to NKU I started hearing the name Aliya Cannon, and I Of course, part of being a teachknew that she was somebody er is being able to effectively lead that I really wanted to get to a group, and through his position know, because we have a lot of in SGA, Roat is getting the opporthe same goals and passions.” tunity to gain valuable experience in that department, alongside his On the campaign, Cannon and running mate and SGA President Roat focused their attention on Aliya Cannon. three main tenets, which were accountability, transparency Roat said that he and Cannon and integrity. As the semester were able to get to know one ancontinues on, Roat said that
PHOTOS BY MATTHEW DIETZ
he, alongside Cannon and other members of SGA, will continue to back up what they promised on the campaign trail. “ As far as transparency goes, I think we’re doing a really good job with that. We’re really trying to make those connections with the student body and having that open line of communication between the two,” Roat said. One initiative that has become a priority for Roat personally is the sustainability that he and the rest of SGA are hoping to provide on campus, and continuing to make NKU a “green campus.” When evaluating his leadership style, and contemplating which traits Roat possesses that make him an effective leader, he said that he believes that it is his compassion that is able to endear him to his colleagues, as well as his ability to be adaptable and understanding. “I try to be just understanding, and not too hard on people for maybe needing a deadline changed or needing to reevaluate some of the stuff that they’re working on, just because of the way life’s going at the time,” Roat said. “I’ve realized that people that give empathy to those going through it really turn out to be the most effective leaders, so I’ve just tried to implement that as I go through my everyday life.” As an influential leader in three organizations, Roat spends much of his time on campus at NKU, whether that is in his office in the Student Union, helping lead SGA meetings or other administrative duties that come with his jobs. But away from school, Roat dedicates
much of his free time to another passion of his: baseball. Although Roat has not played organized baseball since he was in high school, when he played summer ball for all four years, he continues to spend time watching the hometown Cincinnati Reds, attending games at Great American Ball Park and playing his favorite video game franchise: MLB The Show. “I’m a big PlayStation guy,” Roat said. As he continues to navigate his way through his new position with SGA, Roat has found that the most challenging aspect of the vice presidency thus far is having to hear the hard conversations that go on behind closed doors, and ways in which NKU students and members of the community are negatively impacted. “Having to know and hear some of the bad stuff that happens on campus really can be challenging,
because I kind of want to look at it from this outside bubble of ‘everything’s great, NKU’s great’ and it is, it’s just there are some things that go on behind the scenes that you really don’t want to have to hear, but you do,” Roat said. As Roat has reflected on what he would like his fellow NKU students to be able take away from his vice presidency, the focal point that he wants students to remember is the integrity that he will carry with him throughout the year, and the transparency and open line of communication that he wants to continue to have between himself and the community.
“I don’t want to be doing things behind the scenes, I want to be upfront and show our students what we’re working on, how I’m doing it, showing them that I’m not taking any short cuts and doing what really needs to be done for the
student body,” Roat said.
For Roat, just as important as the policies that he is able to help enact, is his reputation around campus as a caring leader and someone who other students are able to look up to and see as a compassionate face on campus and a person who cares about their well-being representing them in SGA. “I just want to be known as a good guy, and that’s within student government and life in general, I just want to be known as a good guy,” Roat said.
06 News
A Spanish lecturer’s celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month Mildred Nguyen NEWS EDITOR
Sandra Brazzani’s Spanish faculty office is tucked deep inside the Department of World Languages and Literature. On the wall opposite her desk hangs a huge graphic that depicts service learning projects with Indigenous communities in Venezuela. On the desk, next to her computer, is a box of Mexican snack cakes that she plans to give out to students for National Hispanic Heritage Month. “I’m in love with my culture. I consider myself an ambassador to it,” Brazzani said. “This month is even more special.” Brazzani was born in Valencia, Venezuela to Italian immigrant parents, who sought new opportunities in the South American nation following the devastation of the Second World War. She studied languages at a Catholic university in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and started working in Canada after her marriage in 2001.
to a food truck in Fountain Square in Cincinnati, where they can order food in Spanish and practice the language with her family. For National Hispanic Heritage Month this year, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Brazzani took her students to a concert organized by Empanadas Aquí, a Venezuelan restaurant in Cincinnati. The concert took place on Sept. 25 and local Latino artists were invited to perform. For Brazzani, music is part of the immersion process. She plays Latin music in her classes so that students can understand its rhythm. She also teaches her students the names of Hispanic people who have had an influence on her life and the community, such as her friends from Venezuela who have gone on to pursue successful ca-
reers in the United States.
“You want them [the students] to be more motivated to learn, more inspired, more immersed in the culture,” Brazzani said. According to Dr. Caryn Connelly, Chairperson and Associate Professor of Spanish, Brazzani is heavily involved with organizing events on campus and in the community. She is going out in the community with students and has brought speakers on campus, including local and national Hispanic lawyers. “She’s energetic, creative and a team player,” Connelly said. “She always brings real world perspectives and connections to students.” Brazzani is especially passionate about service learning proj-
ects, in which students get to learn about, interact with and provide support for Indigenous and Creole communities in Venezuela. “She’s very involved with her projects in Venezuela,” said Irene Encarnación, senior lecturer in Spanish at NKU. “She’s a very young talented faculty [member]. We hope to recruit more Sandra’s in the future.” According to Encarnación, two years ago Brazzani invited some Venezuelans to the Department of World Languages and Literature. It gave the department a new perspective on the economic, social and political situations in Venezuela that are driving a great number of immigrants, including pro-
Her love for teaching, Brazzani said, began when she was given the opportunity to teach Spanish at a college in a small Canadian town. She earned her degree in Education, specializing in teaching Spanish as a second language. Her husband’s career with Procter & Gamble then took them from Canada to Cincinnati. Brazzani worked at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University before coming to Northern Kentucky University in 2015. As a Spanish lecturer, Brazzani ensures that her students do not only learn the language but also get to immerse themselves in the culture. For this reason, every semester she takes her students
A National Hispanic Heritage Month concert took place on campus.
PHOTO BY MILDRED NGUYEN
fessionals, to the US. “Not all immigrants come from the same place, and we all have different reasons,” Encarnación said. “Some are here for professional development. Some want to support their families. Some simply want to follow the American Dream.”
“I think we’re going back to normal,” said Leo Calderón, Director of Latino Student Initiatives. “But we need to go ahead, develop, bring back students and create that college experience … and at the same time, keep up with COVID protocols.”
News 07
ican Baseball” presentation on Sept. 22; “In the Heights” movie home,” Brazzani said. “I want showing on Oct. 1. students not only to learn Spanish in class, but to continue When asked about her plans for learning so that they can open the future, Brazzani said she doors in their lives.” would continue with her career and service learning projects and possibly work on a PhD.
According to Calderón, National Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated at NKU for 20 years, beginning in 2001. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between NKU and the wider community and showcase the Latino community’s rich history.
For Brazzani, immigration is one of the greatest challenges faced by the Latino community in the US. The problem is becoming more common as difficult economic and political situations in Latin American countries are pushing more Hispanic Heritage Month at people to leave, Brazzani said. NKU typically includes a Latino lecture series where prominent Brazzani hoped that the Lati- figures and activists are invited no community could have more to campus to talk about their disopportunities and more jobs. ciplines. She is proud that one of her Venezuelan friends is a vice “We try to deviate from that this president at Procter & Gamble year,” Calderón said. One of the and another friend has been key events this year is Carnaval helping the community with del Barrio -- meaning “carnival psychiatry at the University of from the neighborhood” -- held Cincinnati. She is also proud on Sept. 24. It featured the Cuthat her nephew, whose pho- ban Amador Sisters, the stutograph is framed on her desk, dent-led NKU Latin Jazz Combo graduated from NKU with a and the Latin music ensemble degree in Global Supply Chain Son del Caribe. Management. “It was important for us to have “I’m very happy when I see my an outdoor event, to bring in facstudents have success,” Braz- ulty, staff, students and people zani said, recalling a student from the community,” Calderón who wrote to her in Spanish to said. “We had a keynote speaksay that she was working with er to do presentations online last Brazzani’s husband for Procter year and it was well attended, & Gamble. but we need that intimacy, that human contact. We need to be When asked about challenges around people.” posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazzani said things are Other events celebrating Hisgetting back to normal this fall panic Heritage Month include semester. She teaches face-to- the Kick-off Reception on Sept. face classes on Monday and 15 featuring Marilyn Zayas, the Wednesday, online classes on first Latina judge to be elected Friday. to an Ohio Court of Appeals; “A Diverse Diamond: Negro League, Cuban and Latin Amer-
PHOTO BY CAMERON NIELSEN
“Globally there are 509 million people who are Spanish speakers. 13 percent of the English-speaking population speak Spanish at
06 News
A Spanish lecturer’s celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month Mildred Nguyen NEWS EDITOR
Sandra Brazzani’s Spanish faculty office is tucked deep inside the Department of World Languages and Literature. On the wall opposite her desk hangs a huge graphic that depicts service learning projects with Indigenous communities in Venezuela. On the desk, next to her computer, is a box of Mexican snack cakes that she plans to give out to students for National Hispanic Heritage Month. “I’m in love with my culture. I consider myself an ambassador to it,” Brazzani said. “This month is even more special.” Brazzani was born in Valencia, Venezuela to Italian immigrant parents, who sought new opportunities in the South American nation following the devastation of the Second World War. She studied languages at a Catholic university in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and started working in Canada after her marriage in 2001.
to a food truck in Fountain Square in Cincinnati, where they can order food in Spanish and practice the language with her family. For National Hispanic Heritage Month this year, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Brazzani took her students to a concert organized by Empanadas Aquí, a Venezuelan restaurant in Cincinnati. The concert took place on Sept. 25 and local Latino artists were invited to perform. For Brazzani, music is part of the immersion process. She plays Latin music in her classes so that students can understand its rhythm. She also teaches her students the names of Hispanic people who have had an influence on her life and the community, such as her friends from Venezuela who have gone on to pursue successful ca-
reers in the United States.
“You want them [the students] to be more motivated to learn, more inspired, more immersed in the culture,” Brazzani said. According to Dr. Caryn Connelly, Chairperson and Associate Professor of Spanish, Brazzani is heavily involved with organizing events on campus and in the community. She is going out in the community with students and has brought speakers on campus, including local and national Hispanic lawyers. “She’s energetic, creative and a team player,” Connelly said. “She always brings real world perspectives and connections to students.” Brazzani is especially passionate about service learning proj-
ects, in which students get to learn about, interact with and provide support for Indigenous and Creole communities in Venezuela. “She’s very involved with her projects in Venezuela,” said Irene Encarnación, senior lecturer in Spanish at NKU. “She’s a very young talented faculty [member]. We hope to recruit more Sandra’s in the future.” According to Encarnación, two years ago Brazzani invited some Venezuelans to the Department of World Languages and Literature. It gave the department a new perspective on the economic, social and political situations in Venezuela that are driving a great number of immigrants, including pro-
Her love for teaching, Brazzani said, began when she was given the opportunity to teach Spanish at a college in a small Canadian town. She earned her degree in Education, specializing in teaching Spanish as a second language. Her husband’s career with Procter & Gamble then took them from Canada to Cincinnati. Brazzani worked at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University before coming to Northern Kentucky University in 2015. As a Spanish lecturer, Brazzani ensures that her students do not only learn the language but also get to immerse themselves in the culture. For this reason, every semester she takes her students
A National Hispanic Heritage Month concert took place on campus.
PHOTO BY MILDRED NGUYEN
fessionals, to the US. “Not all immigrants come from the same place, and we all have different reasons,” Encarnación said. “Some are here for professional development. Some want to support their families. Some simply want to follow the American Dream.”
“I think we’re going back to normal,” said Leo Calderón, Director of Latino Student Initiatives. “But we need to go ahead, develop, bring back students and create that college experience … and at the same time, keep up with COVID protocols.”
News 07
ican Baseball” presentation on Sept. 22; “In the Heights” movie home,” Brazzani said. “I want showing on Oct. 1. students not only to learn Spanish in class, but to continue When asked about her plans for learning so that they can open the future, Brazzani said she doors in their lives.” would continue with her career and service learning projects and possibly work on a PhD.
According to Calderón, National Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated at NKU for 20 years, beginning in 2001. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between NKU and the wider community and showcase the Latino community’s rich history.
For Brazzani, immigration is one of the greatest challenges faced by the Latino community in the US. The problem is becoming more common as difficult economic and political situations in Latin American countries are pushing more Hispanic Heritage Month at people to leave, Brazzani said. NKU typically includes a Latino lecture series where prominent Brazzani hoped that the Lati- figures and activists are invited no community could have more to campus to talk about their disopportunities and more jobs. ciplines. She is proud that one of her Venezuelan friends is a vice “We try to deviate from that this president at Procter & Gamble year,” Calderón said. One of the and another friend has been key events this year is Carnaval helping the community with del Barrio -- meaning “carnival psychiatry at the University of from the neighborhood” -- held Cincinnati. She is also proud on Sept. 24. It featured the Cuthat her nephew, whose pho- ban Amador Sisters, the stutograph is framed on her desk, dent-led NKU Latin Jazz Combo graduated from NKU with a and the Latin music ensemble degree in Global Supply Chain Son del Caribe. Management. “It was important for us to have “I’m very happy when I see my an outdoor event, to bring in facstudents have success,” Braz- ulty, staff, students and people zani said, recalling a student from the community,” Calderón who wrote to her in Spanish to said. “We had a keynote speaksay that she was working with er to do presentations online last Brazzani’s husband for Procter year and it was well attended, & Gamble. but we need that intimacy, that human contact. We need to be When asked about challenges around people.” posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazzani said things are Other events celebrating Hisgetting back to normal this fall panic Heritage Month include semester. She teaches face-to- the Kick-off Reception on Sept. face classes on Monday and 15 featuring Marilyn Zayas, the Wednesday, online classes on first Latina judge to be elected Friday. to an Ohio Court of Appeals; “A Diverse Diamond: Negro League, Cuban and Latin Amer-
PHOTO BY CAMERON NIELSEN
“Globally there are 509 million people who are Spanish speakers. 13 percent of the English-speaking population speak Spanish at
08 Sports
Sports 09
Anna Brinkmann: becoming a leader on the court KAYCEE SLOAN
for her team as well is what makes Brinkmann
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Senior Anna Brinkmann has had an impres-
sive three years on the Northern Kentucky
University volleyball team. As a freshman in 2018, she was named to the Horizon League
All-Freshman team. In 2019 during her
sophomore season, she received the AVCA All-Northeast Region honorable mention and
was named to the All-Horizon League First Team.
During the 2020 spring season, Brinkmann
earned her second straight All-Horizon League First Team Honors, was named the Horizon League player of the week twice and
ranked third in the Horizon League in kills and sat just outside the top-10 in digs as an outside hitter.
With the volleyball team’s last season tak-
ing place in the spring, this past summer was
spent conditioning and strengthening the team, since they didn’t have the offseason they are used to.
So far this season, Brinkmann has recorded 116
kills and 114 digs during 10 matches. She is also
ranked second in kills for the Horizon League trailing behind by only eight kills. While Brink-
mann has been killing it at the net, she is also communicating and talking more on the court.
NKU’s women’s volleyball head coach Liz Hart
said Brinkmann has improved in every aspect of
the game since her freshman year, especially in terms of communication.
“I think where she's had to grow the most is hav-
ing to be more vocal, and she does that, but she
does it in a way that she’s not talking constantly, but when she does decide to talk, it's the appropriate thing to say and it's exactly what needs to be said at the right time,” Hart said.
Doing anything she can to be the strongest and
best player she can be, not only for herself, but
stand out when it comes to leading.
stronger, so I think we all really worked hard in the summer to get stronger so
When asked what makes Brinkmann deter-
mined to lead on court, her response was simple: her teammates.
that we’re ready to play and practice ev-
leyball is such a team sport. If you only have one player playing well in the game, you’re not going to win,” Brinkmann said. “You need
to pass, you need to set, you need to hit, so I
think it mainly comes from that to try to get everyone going as hard as they can.”
impres-
sive career so far and stayed at NKU over the
summer and conditioned with Brinkmann be-
fore the season began this fall. Burke said that the team came in very well conditioned.
“We didn’t have that spring season to get
lot of ownership for what they do on the court and it shows.
eryday,” Burke said.
There has been a change in the dynamic
“A lot of it comes from my teammates, vol-
Junior Anna Burke also had an
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NKU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
on the court with the team and players.
COVID-19 was a hard season on student athletes at every college campus, but the
determination of the Norse volleyball team never strayed far.
“There has been a lot of improvements.
We have better team chemistry this year,
we work hard every day. We want to
win, so we come in, we're focused. We talk to each other, and make sure that we
“I don't feel like I'm screaming at them
like I have my previous couple teams, we're always having to be the motor
for them and they've got the motor. So as
Upcoming Volleyball Schedule:
main goal for the season, and to have a re-
SEPT. 30: AT MILWAUKEE
I want to have fun and I want to be remem-
OCT. 1: AT GREEN BAY
person,” Brinkmann said.
OCT. 3: AT UIC
conference tournament. I think that's our ally good senior year, not only the wins, but
bered as not only a great player, but a great
a coach, one of the greatest things you can
OCT. 5: VS ROBERT MORRIS
nal drive,” Hart said.
With the first home game being Oct. 5, for
OCT. 8: VS PURDUE FORT WAYNE
the regular season and have fun.
OCT. 9: VS IUPUI
ask for from the team is to have that inter-
Brinkmann’s senior year, her goal is to win
“They always say that winning the regu-
take our mistakes and improve on them,” Burke said.
Team chemistry was something that
Hart also touched on. This team takes a
“I think it was definitely different because our
spring is mainly for getting stronger and fo-
cusing on those little technical things that you
can't really work on in the fall,” Brinkmann said.
Getting stronger and growing was something
that Brinkmann did very well.
“It's funny because I just watched film with
my coach from my freshman year and I’ve definitely grown not just on the court, but off
the court as well. The coaches, my teammates, they've done a great job of shaping me into the person and player I am today,” Brinkmann said.
Anna Brinkmann during a match in the 2021 spring season . Anna Brinkmann during a match in the 2021 spring season .
lar season is harder than winning the actual
ANNA BRINKMANN STATS (Through 9/28): Kills- 116 Points- 136.0 Assists- 9
08 Sports
Sports 09
Anna Brinkmann: becoming a leader on the court KAYCEE SLOAN
for her team as well is what makes Brinkmann
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Senior Anna Brinkmann has had an impres-
sive three years on the Northern Kentucky
University volleyball team. As a freshman in 2018, she was named to the Horizon League
All-Freshman team. In 2019 during her
sophomore season, she received the AVCA All-Northeast Region honorable mention and
was named to the All-Horizon League First Team.
During the 2020 spring season, Brinkmann
earned her second straight All-Horizon League First Team Honors, was named the Horizon League player of the week twice and
ranked third in the Horizon League in kills and sat just outside the top-10 in digs as an outside hitter.
With the volleyball team’s last season tak-
ing place in the spring, this past summer was
spent conditioning and strengthening the team, since they didn’t have the offseason they are used to.
So far this season, Brinkmann has recorded 116
kills and 114 digs during 10 matches. She is also
ranked second in kills for the Horizon League trailing behind by only eight kills. While Brink-
mann has been killing it at the net, she is also communicating and talking more on the court.
NKU’s women’s volleyball head coach Liz Hart
said Brinkmann has improved in every aspect of
the game since her freshman year, especially in terms of communication.
“I think where she's had to grow the most is hav-
ing to be more vocal, and she does that, but she
does it in a way that she’s not talking constantly, but when she does decide to talk, it's the appropriate thing to say and it's exactly what needs to be said at the right time,” Hart said.
Doing anything she can to be the strongest and
best player she can be, not only for herself, but
stand out when it comes to leading.
stronger, so I think we all really worked hard in the summer to get stronger so
When asked what makes Brinkmann deter-
mined to lead on court, her response was simple: her teammates.
that we’re ready to play and practice ev-
leyball is such a team sport. If you only have one player playing well in the game, you’re not going to win,” Brinkmann said. “You need
to pass, you need to set, you need to hit, so I
think it mainly comes from that to try to get everyone going as hard as they can.”
impres-
sive career so far and stayed at NKU over the
summer and conditioned with Brinkmann be-
fore the season began this fall. Burke said that the team came in very well conditioned.
“We didn’t have that spring season to get
lot of ownership for what they do on the court and it shows.
eryday,” Burke said.
There has been a change in the dynamic
“A lot of it comes from my teammates, vol-
Junior Anna Burke also had an
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NKU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
on the court with the team and players.
COVID-19 was a hard season on student athletes at every college campus, but the
determination of the Norse volleyball team never strayed far.
“There has been a lot of improvements.
We have better team chemistry this year,
we work hard every day. We want to
win, so we come in, we're focused. We talk to each other, and make sure that we
“I don't feel like I'm screaming at them
like I have my previous couple teams, we're always having to be the motor
for them and they've got the motor. So as
Upcoming Volleyball Schedule:
main goal for the season, and to have a re-
SEPT. 30: AT MILWAUKEE
I want to have fun and I want to be remem-
OCT. 1: AT GREEN BAY
person,” Brinkmann said.
OCT. 3: AT UIC
conference tournament. I think that's our ally good senior year, not only the wins, but
bered as not only a great player, but a great
a coach, one of the greatest things you can
OCT. 5: VS ROBERT MORRIS
nal drive,” Hart said.
With the first home game being Oct. 5, for
OCT. 8: VS PURDUE FORT WAYNE
the regular season and have fun.
OCT. 9: VS IUPUI
ask for from the team is to have that inter-
Brinkmann’s senior year, her goal is to win
“They always say that winning the regu-
take our mistakes and improve on them,” Burke said.
Team chemistry was something that
Hart also touched on. This team takes a
“I think it was definitely different because our
spring is mainly for getting stronger and fo-
cusing on those little technical things that you
can't really work on in the fall,” Brinkmann said.
Getting stronger and growing was something
that Brinkmann did very well.
“It's funny because I just watched film with
my coach from my freshman year and I’ve definitely grown not just on the court, but off
the court as well. The coaches, my teammates, they've done a great job of shaping me into the person and player I am today,” Brinkmann said.
Anna Brinkmann during a match in the 2021 spring season . Anna Brinkmann during a match in the 2021 spring season .
lar season is harder than winning the actual
ANNA BRINKMANN STATS (Through 9/28): Kills- 116 Points- 136.0 Assists- 9
10 Sports
“It’s good to be back”: Molly Glick returns as women’s basketball director of operations Brendan Connelly ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Being a director of operations for a
For Glick, coaching is also an opportunity
Division 1 women’s basketball team
to pay it forward. She says all of her former
isn’t easy. As the title implies, they are
coaches have supported her, and she in turn
responsible for all program operations on
wants to give current and future basketball
a day-to-day basis. It is not a job for just
players that same feeling.
anyone, but it ended up being a perfect fit for Molly Glick, a member of the NKU team from 2015-2020.
In between finishing her playing career at NKU and returning as part of the coaching staff, Glick spent a year as an onboarding
“It’s been probably the easiest transition
specialist at Draper & Kramer Mortgage
we’ve had,” says head coach Camryn
Corporation. She says this job played an
Whitaker.
important role when it came time to come back to NKU.
The transition was so easy in part due to her familiarity with the program, but
“I actually worked for one of my old college
also because of her love for NKU and
coaches, Karmen Graham,” Glick said.
the athletic department as a whole. In addition to playing basketball and taking
In addition to playing for NKU, Graham
a sizable course load, she also interned in
recruited Glick and was on the coaching
the athletic department.
staff during her freshman year.
While at NKU, Glick set herself up for
“She [coach Graham] also knew I wanted
success, studying accounting and sports
to get into coaching, and she supported me
business. But she attributes her desire
with that,” Glick said.
to coach to her mother, Tammy. Glick’s mom coached her from the time she was
Current and former members of the coaching
five years old until the eighth grade, as
staff are not the only people that saw Glick’s
well as her summer travel teams during
potential. Grayson Rose, now a senior on the
high school.
NKU women’s basketball team, spent three years playing alongside Glick. The two also
“She [my mom] taught me to be a leader. She taught me to be someone who steps up to the challenge,” Glick said.
competed in high school, but being on the same team opened Rose’s eyes to Glick’s potential. “We always thought that she’d be a great coach outside of NKU because she was such a leader on the floor,” Rose said. When the time came to search for a new director of operations, Whitaker was part of the hiring process. She says that adding
Glick to the coaching staff was almost a no-brainer.
“I want somebody who we can trust, who I know is going to work extremely hard and buy into our culture that we’ve built. And who better than someone who was a part of that?” Whitaker asked. Now, as the Norse prepare for a new season, Glick’s days are consumed with reserving hotels and buses for road trips, providing player meals, keeping stats during practice, setting up and tearing down each practice, as well as working with the team’s student managers. Outside of her operational duties, Glick sees herself as a support staff for the players. She noted that her door is always open, and hopes to be someone that the team can rely on because of her experiences as a player. “I went through a coaching change. I’ve been through injuries. I’ve been through the good and the bad throughout playing in this program,” Glick said. “I can relate to what the players go through.”
As the youngest and newest member
of the coaching staff, Whitaker sees
Glick as a way to bridge the gap not only between coach and player, but also between generations.
“She was not too long ago a player, so
she brings a different perspective with the youth,” Whitaker said.
Glick ultimately wants to be a head
coach at the Division 1 level, but she is
Sports 11
PHOTOS BY CAMERON NIELSEN
aware of how much work she has to do to achieve that goal.
“I know I’m just starting. I know
I gotta work my way up the totem pole,”Glick said.
Despite an uphill climb, Glick is
grateful to start her journey at her alma mater.
“I’m excited to be in this
atmosphere and to have this chance. Huge appreciation for
Coach Whit and the coaching
staff for giving me this chance,” Glick said.
NEW
10 Sports
“It’s good to be back”: Molly Glick returns as women’s basketball director of operations Brendan Connelly ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Being a director of operations for a
For Glick, coaching is also an opportunity
Division 1 women’s basketball team
to pay it forward. She says all of her former
isn’t easy. As the title implies, they are
coaches have supported her, and she in turn
responsible for all program operations on
wants to give current and future basketball
a day-to-day basis. It is not a job for just
players that same feeling.
anyone, but it ended up being a perfect fit for Molly Glick, a member of the NKU team from 2015-2020.
In between finishing her playing career at NKU and returning as part of the coaching staff, Glick spent a year as an onboarding
“It’s been probably the easiest transition
specialist at Draper & Kramer Mortgage
we’ve had,” says head coach Camryn
Corporation. She says this job played an
Whitaker.
important role when it came time to come back to NKU.
The transition was so easy in part due to her familiarity with the program, but
“I actually worked for one of my old college
also because of her love for NKU and
coaches, Karmen Graham,” Glick said.
the athletic department as a whole. In addition to playing basketball and taking
In addition to playing for NKU, Graham
a sizable course load, she also interned in
recruited Glick and was on the coaching
the athletic department.
staff during her freshman year.
While at NKU, Glick set herself up for
“She [coach Graham] also knew I wanted
success, studying accounting and sports
to get into coaching, and she supported me
business. But she attributes her desire
with that,” Glick said.
to coach to her mother, Tammy. Glick’s mom coached her from the time she was
Current and former members of the coaching
five years old until the eighth grade, as
staff are not the only people that saw Glick’s
well as her summer travel teams during
potential. Grayson Rose, now a senior on the
high school.
NKU women’s basketball team, spent three years playing alongside Glick. The two also
“She [my mom] taught me to be a leader. She taught me to be someone who steps up to the challenge,” Glick said.
competed in high school, but being on the same team opened Rose’s eyes to Glick’s potential. “We always thought that she’d be a great coach outside of NKU because she was such a leader on the floor,” Rose said. When the time came to search for a new director of operations, Whitaker was part of the hiring process. She says that adding
Glick to the coaching staff was almost a no-brainer.
“I want somebody who we can trust, who I know is going to work extremely hard and buy into our culture that we’ve built. And who better than someone who was a part of that?” Whitaker asked. Now, as the Norse prepare for a new season, Glick’s days are consumed with reserving hotels and buses for road trips, providing player meals, keeping stats during practice, setting up and tearing down each practice, as well as working with the team’s student managers. Outside of her operational duties, Glick sees herself as a support staff for the players. She noted that her door is always open, and hopes to be someone that the team can rely on because of her experiences as a player. “I went through a coaching change. I’ve been through injuries. I’ve been through the good and the bad throughout playing in this program,” Glick said. “I can relate to what the players go through.”
As the youngest and newest member
of the coaching staff, Whitaker sees
Glick as a way to bridge the gap not only between coach and player, but also between generations.
“She was not too long ago a player, so
she brings a different perspective with the youth,” Whitaker said.
Glick ultimately wants to be a head
coach at the Division 1 level, but she is
Sports 11
PHOTOS BY CAMERON NIELSEN
aware of how much work she has to do to achieve that goal.
“I know I’m just starting. I know
I gotta work my way up the totem pole,”Glick said.
Despite an uphill climb, Glick is
grateful to start her journey at her alma mater.
“I’m excited to be in this
atmosphere and to have this chance. Huge appreciation for
Coach Whit and the coaching
staff for giving me this chance,” Glick said.
NEW
Ed 68, Issue 02
Arts & Life 12
Jayvon Shack describes his experience in first mainstage role
BRADEN WHITE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
a poem and perform it in front of the whole class. Everybody else didn’t memorize the poem, or people didn’t want to do it,” Shack said. “But I went home and studied it and performed it for the whole class and walked around “Torch Song,” a Tony Award-win- the classroom and was very theatrical ning play, is centered around the main about it.” character Arnold Beckoff, a homosexual Jewish man, drag queen and torch After getting recommended to audisinger. tion for a performing arts school by the teacher of that class, Shack reShack is a 2018 graduate of Cincin- searched online what a performing nati’s School for Creative and Per- arts school is. forming Arts, a K-12 performing arts school located in downtown Cincinnati. Before attending Cincinnati’s “I’d seen these people on stage with School for Creative and Performing the hair, makeup and costumes. From Arts, Shack initially did not have any that moment on, I knew that was what plans to attend a university. I wanted to do. It has always been something a part of me before I even “I didn’t think I was going to go to knew that it was a thing I could do for college because of money,” Shack a job,” Shack said. said. “Thinking of going to a school for $20,000 a year really wasn’t a goal until it became a goal. NKU really Throughout Shack’s journey through gave me an opportunity, and I am so high school and college, theatre still happy and blessed that I have gotten has the same meaning to him. as far as I did with these four years.” Jayvon Shack, senior Bachelor of Fine Arts acting major, is excited to be on stage for his first-ever mainstage SOTA theatre show “Torch Song.”
But even before going to Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts, Shack had always loved getting to talk in front of other people. Shack described a moment in middle school when he first started to learn more about performing. “The assignment was to memorize
PHOTO BY CAMERON NIELSEN
“It is very fulfilling to be able to play a character that is so in close proximity to my life. Getting to go through such interesting twists and turns and be able to witness the unfolding of a person’s life has all been so fun. There are some moments where I get discouraged like I could have done something better. But at the end of the day, it has been so fun Throughout the rehearsal process, to play such a carefree and confiShack mentioned ways he felt similar dent character,” Shack said. to the character he plays on stage. “Torch Song” runs from Sept. 29th to Oct. 9th in the Strauss “I see a lot of myself in him. It has Theatre. been more natural, and a challenge has been to be on stage and to be an actor even though my part speaks so much Show times: to me. Even though a lot of these components are my life, it isn’t my life,” • Wednesday, Sept. 29 7:30 Shack said. • Thursday, Sept. 30 7:30 “Not only are we putting on a show with a gay man, your lead is a Black gay man. You just don’t see that all of the time. I’ve never seen Torch Song be done with a Black man as the lead,” Shack said. “That is what Theatre means to me, putting people on a pedestal that has never really had the chance to be sat on a pedestal.”
He also added how this role has in- • Friday, Oct. 1 7:30 spired him and how he wishes his younger self could see what he is doing • Saturday, Oct. 2 7:30 in this show. • Sunday, Oct. 3 2:00 “Theatre means to me to tell the im- “I find myself at rehearsal thinking portant stories of people who don’t about how proud that 12-year-old gay • Wednesday, Oct. 6 7:30 have a voice,” Shack said. boy would be right now,” Shack said. • Thursday, Oct. 7 7:30 Despite the challenges Shack has gone Specifically with “Torch Song,” through while doing this show, he is • Friday, Oct. 8 7:30 Shack described what it has been most excited to be on stage again and like getting to play Arnold. have fun doing live theatre. • Saturday, Oct. 9 7:30