Around the World Music Series
Cyber Security
How Not to Be A Fish
Visual Art Showcase
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www.aroundkent.net
content volume 15 2017
publisher/photographer Matt Keffer 330.221.1274 info@aroundkent.net
art director Susan Mackle
illustrator Chuck Slonaker
contributing writers
Don Abbott David Badagnani Sara Hume Elliott Ingersoll, Ph.D. Mark Keffer Lynn Novelli Dr. Patrick O’Connor Julie Riedel Paul S. Wang
6 The Kent State University Museum 12 Alchemy: Transformations in Gold 14 Cyber Security: How not to be A Fish
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20 Visual Art Showcase 28 Around the World Music Series
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34 University Hospitals Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content of any manner is prohibited without written permission. aroundkent accepts no responsibility for solicited materials.
38 The Road Less Traveled
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44 KSU Fashion Store 48 The Belli and Streit Difference 50 The Snarky Gardener 55 Campus Wine Cellar 58 The American Dream
Cover: Baba David Coleman by Matt Keffer
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The Kent State University Museum
Offering a Look at History Through Costume and Decorative Arts
Sara Hume
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THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM offers visitors a look at the history of costume and decorative arts through its changing exhibitions in its seven galleries of work by many of the world’s great artists and designers. Closely linked to the Fashion School at Kent State University, the Museum provides students with first-hand experience with historic and contemporary fashions, as well as costumes representing many of the world’s cultures. An extensive collection of American glass, fine furniture, textiles, paintings. and other decorative arts combine to give context to the study of design. The Museum serves both the University and the community through exhibitions, public programs, and research appointments in the collections. Opened to the public in October 1985, the Kent State University Museum was founded with an initial contribution from New York dress manufacturers Jerry Silverman and Shannon Rodgers. Their gift included 4,000 costumes and accessories, nearly 1,000 pieces of decorative art, and a 5,000-volume reference library. In the 1960s, Shannon Rodgers began collecting what is now considered one of the finest period costume collections in the United States, today totaling more than 40,000 pieces. The Tarter/ Miller collection of some 10,000 pieces of glass formed the second major gift to the Museum. Together with the other decorative arts collected by Rodgers and Silverman, the Museum holds one of the most comprehensive teaching collections of fashionable design from the 18th century to the present. There are currently five exhibitions on view to the public.
Current exhibitions: Fringe Elements (July 28, 2017—July 1, 2018) From leather strips to silken tassels, fringe takes an array of different forms. Fringe is one of the
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most basic forms of ornamentation on textiles since it is a natural finish for weaving. When threads of the warp extend beyond the last weft threads, they create a fringe. While originally an integral part of the textile, most fringe is now applied separately to the garment. The beauty of fringe often derives from its motion. The loose threads swing and sway at the slightest movement. Although the pieces on exhibit are still, the drama and energy of fringe remains apparent. This exhibition assembles examples of fringe on costumes and textiles from around the world. While the uses of fringe are remarkably diverse, there are certain categories that emerge across national and cultural boundaries. Leather fringe can be found on Native American dress, Spanish equestrian wear and also suits from the 1960’s counterculture. Long silken fringe adorned dresses from the Jazz Age, shawls exported from China, and ornate costumes from the Victorian period. This exhibition highlights both the great diversity in fringe but also the surprising links between seemingly disparate cultures. The 1980s: An Age of Excess (through September 3, 2017) This exhibition highlights the sparkle and glamour of the 20th century’s ninth decade. Designer gowns and elegant street wear from Europe and America—including, among others Continued on page 8
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Fashion Timeline: 200 Years of Costume History (Ongoing) The “Fashion Timeline” showcases the Kent State University Museum’s world-class collection of historic fashions. Encompassing two centuries of fashion history, this exhibition is designed to show the evolution of styles and silhouettes while contextualizing the pieces with relevant political, technological, and cultural developments.
Continued from page 7 Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Ungaro, Chanel and Christian LaCroix, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Patrick Kelly, Donna Karan, and Pauline Trigere— are featured. Co-curated by Museum Director Jean Druesedow and Victoria Haworth, a senior fashion merchandising student at Kent State’s Fashion School. Fashions of the Forties: From World War II to the New Look (through March 4, 2018) The 1940s was a tumultuous period in history and the fashions of the time reflected the upheaval. World War II led to restrictions on what Americans and Europeans could wear because of rationing for civilian populations and uniforms for those who enlisted. The end of the war brought new freedoms. Christian Dior’s groundbreaking 1947 collection was known as the ‘New Look’ which came to refer more generally to the fuller skirts and hour-
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glass silhouettes that predicted the styles of the 1950s. The 1940s represented the moment when American designers first began to break free of rigidly following European fashion. Among the innovative American designers and name brands in the exhibition are Adrian, Hattie Carnegie, Sophie Gimbel, Charles James, Claire McCardell, and Valentina. This exhibition showcases a variety of different looks that typified the whole span of the 1940s including uniforms, suits, underwear, outerwear, swimwear, and even glamorous evening dresses.
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The first gallery spans the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. This was a period of revolutionary change that can clearly be seen reflected in the fashions. The American and French Revolutions radically changed the political landscapes while the industrial revolution transformed how goods, particularly clothing and textiles, were made. The luxury and rococo excesses of the eighteenth century gave way to the romanticism and neoclassicism of the early nineteenth century. The next room includes the second half of the nineteenth century to the dawn of World War I. Synthetic dyes opened up a world of color and the sewing machine facilitated the application of yards of ruffles, pleats, and fringe. The upholstered, heavy styles of the Victorian era eventually gave way to Edwardian froth and lace. The final room finishes the timeline with fashions of the early 20th century. While it may have been a period of world wars and depression, fashions also reflected the heydays of jazz and swing, the boldness of Art Deco, and the endless possibilities of technology from plastics to rockets. In addition to the garments on view in the Palmer and Mull Galleries, an array of accessories lines the hallways. The display is intended to be a permanent feature at the museum, but the individual pieces will be rotated frequently so there is always something new to see.
Glass: Selections from the Kent State University Museum Collection (Ongoing) This exhibition of glass showcases the breadth of the Kent State University Museum collection that has resulted from many donors’ personal collecting interests. Thanks to generous donors, the museum has amassed a diverse collection of glass that spans the Roman Era to the 20th century. In addition to the representation of American manufactured glass from the Tarter/ Miller Collection, other important contributions include art glass from Jerry Silverman and Shannon Rodgers, Roman glass from Jack W. and Shirley J. Berger, and perfume bottles collected by Ruth and Ralph Fuller, as well as Barry W. Bradley. This exhibition gives you a glimpse into the complete glass collection housed within the museum’s storage. The Kent State University Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of East Main Street and South Lincoln Street in Kent, Ohio. The museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am—4:45 pm; Thursday from 10 am—8:45 pm; and Sunday from noon—4:45 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for children under 18. The museum is free with a Kent State ID and free to the public on Sunday. Parking is free. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.
return, Hepburn’s performance clothes will be displayed in a special encore exhibit including: stage costumes from The Philadelphia Story, Without Love and Coco; screen costumes from such classic films as Stage Door, Adam’s Rib and Long Day’s Journey Into Night; and some of her television movies, such as Love Among the Ruins. In addition, Hepburn’s “signature look,” an ensemble of tailored beige trousers and linen jackets, will be spotlighted, as will vintage posters, playbills, photos and other Hepburnrelated artifacts.
Upcoming exhibitions: Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen (February 2, 2018—September 2, 2018) In 2008, the Kent State University Museum was honored to receive Katharine Hepburn’s personal collection of film, stage, and television costumes, as well as clothes worn by her for publicity purposes. In response to the overwhelming demand for the exhibition’s
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Alchemy: Transformations in Gold Akron Art Museum • Karl and Bertl Arnstein Galleries Organized by Des Moines Art Center Curator Laura Burkhalter October 7, 2017—January 21, 2018 By Des Moines Art Center and Akron Art Museum Staff Alchemy: Transformations in Gold brings together a group of international artists whose work incorporates gold (or another metal disguised as gold). In each case, this precious material not only imparts a sense of luxury, but also calls to mind connotations of the historic and cultural value various societies have placed upon the rare element. As glamorous and sought after as gold may be, it suggests complicated politics and potent symbolism. The works in Alchemy embrace both dark and light readings of this glittering metal.
weighing down the women in her pictures. She intends her images to raise questions about gender dynamics and cultural stereotyping. Gold is used as currency throughout the world, and the first known gold coins date back nearly 3,000 years. Many monetary systems were based on the gold standard, meaning that circulating coins and paper money were backed up by gold reserves. The United States abandoned this standard in the 1970s, but it’s safe to say that in most minds, gold equals money—conceptually, if not actually. Don and Era Farnsworth’s Art Notes series reimagines the dollar in various guises, using tools of humor, irony, and political comment. Many pay homage to famous artists of the past— particularly those so famous they’ve become commodities themselves. Elements of these artists’ lives or quotes by them tease out the complex connections between art and money. Vincent van Gogh, famous for enduring poverty in life, stares from a bill stating, “The way to know life is to love many things.”
Luis Gispert combines gold chains and glittering stone into sparkling abstractions, referencing the decadence of hip-hop and rock-n-roll culture as well as post-war abstract painting. Inspired by the power of a hydraulic press, the artist created custom, asphalt-like canvases (made of painted gravel), in which gold necklace chains are pressured into distorted lines. Both metal and stone are polished to a high shine, resulting in dynamic patterns of gold on black, resembling lightning strikes or cosmic bodies in space. Zarina constructs paper works and prayer bead sculptures in gold leaf, referencing architecture and contemplative spirituality. The ornate designs and symmetry of India’s Mughal architecture, of which the Taj Mahal is the most famous example, particularly appeals to her. Following these influences, rich materials and references to buildings appear throughout Zarina’s work. Lalla Essaydi uses glittering gold-toned bullet casings to create garments and backdrops that
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Blinding Light 2010 Zarina (Indian, born 1937) Okawara paper gilded with 22-karat gold leaf 73 x 39 x 1/2 inches Courtesy of the Artist and Luhring Augustine, New York
refer to Islamic visual culture, which she then works into large-scale staged photographs. A strong metaphor for violence, the woven fabrics she creates are extremely heavy, literally
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Rachel Sussman will install a site-specific work mid-way through the run of the Akron Art Museum’s presentation of Alchemy in homage to the Japanese tradition of “kintsukuroi,” in which ceramics are repaired with gold. Objects used in daily life naturally incur damage, and rather than disguise cracks and breakage, kintsukuroi honors repair as part of an object’s history. Sussman will “repair” a crack in the lobby with gold resin. Related photographs by Sussman will also be in the exhibition.
Bullets Revisited #3 2012 Lalla Essaydi (Moroccan, born 1956) Three Chromogenic prints mounted to aluminum with a UV protective laminate Each Panel 88 x 71 inches Courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery
Trained as a geologist, Charles Lindsay transforms salvaged aerospace and biotech equipment into his ambitious installations and sculpture. These circuits, retroflectors, laser-optic parts, and colliders, many of which are gold, take on new roles in Lindsay’s installation, Field Station. The artist imagines an outpost set up in a new world and questions what humans will bring as pioneers from Earth. Lindsay will transform an entire room in the Arnstein gallery into an immersive, futuristic field station. Other participating artists are James Lee Byars, Los Carpinteros, Catherine Chalmers, Dorothy Cross, Olga de Amaral, Laurent Grasso, Hank Willis Thomas and Shinji Turner-Yamamoto. —Des Moines Art Center
Detail of Field Station 2016—2017 Charles Lindsay (American, born 1961) Courtesy of the Artist Alchemy: Transformations in Gold was organized by the Des Moines Art Center. Its presentation in Akron is supported by the Ohio Arts Council. Additional support is provided by the Hilton Garden Inn-Akron. Media support provided by ideastream® Opening Party is Friday, October 6, 2017 at 6:00 pm Gold Drip II 2015 Don and Era Farnsworth (American) Acrylic / aqueous paint, water-based and acrylic inkjet, hand applied gold leaf on engraved $1 U.S. bank note 2 5/8 x 6 1/8 inches Courtesy of the Artists and Magnolia Editions
Jimmy Page 2015 Luis Gispert (American, born 1972) Polychrome stone, gold chains 60 x 49 inches Courtesy of the Artist and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, Illinois Image Courtesy of the Artist and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago
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THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES
Cyber Security: How Not to Be A Fish
Paul S. Wang
Introduction The information highway that is the Web and the Internet makes life so easy and enjoyable for everyone everywhere. The cyberspace where communication over computer networks takes place has become must-have infrastructure for any modern society. However, in cyberspace, just like in physical space, bad things can happen. Such things include delivering unwanted/ unwelcome materials, eavesdropping, breaking and entering, information theft, datanapping, and other cyber crimes. Surely, we want to take full advantage of the Web/Internet while guarding against possible downsides. In the latest editions of AroundKent (Vol 13 and 14, aroundkent.net), we have given an overview of Computational Thinking (CT) and followed up with how to apply CT in our daily lives. In this third article, we turn our attention to cyber security. Widely publicized recent security breaches range from information theft to influencing democratic elections to holding computers for ransom. No wonder why many individuals feel edgy about their own security and privacy online. You are not alone if you feel unsure or even helpless. While cyber security is a vast area and involves many factors and players—Internet providers, computer software and hardware companies,
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search engines, social media, and government agencies—here we focus only on a basic understanding of safety measures for individual users.
A June 13, 2017 Bloomberg News article titled Russian Cyber Hacks on U.S. Electoral System Far Wider Than Previously Known said “the Russian hackers hit systems in a total of 39 states”.
We will explain things clearly and provide practical advice on how to improve safety, spot dangers, and avoid falling victim to various baits and lures that come your way in cyberspace.
Generally, a cybersecurity attack exploits one or more vulnerabilities in your system or network, including the Internet as well as phone networks. Here are some common attacks that should concern us end users.
We begin by talking about security attacks. Next, we will explain security measures regularly applied on the Web and Internet. Then, you will learn exactly what to do.
Phishing—Collecting private or confidential information such as userIDs, passwords, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, account numbers, phone numbers, PINs, addresses, and birth dates by tricking users to supply them through phone calls, emails, or fake websites. For example, an email may ask the user to increase email storage space, change login information, fix an old unpaid invoice, or manage a package delivery by clicking a link in the email. The link leads to an official-looking online form put up by the attacker. Or, a scam may inform you of a sudden wealth that you can receive by sending your bank account information and often a handling fee or tax!
Cybersecurity Attacks You may still remember that one day after Thanksgiving 2013, the large retail chain Target suffered a security breach. According to a New York Times blog, “Cybercriminals appear to have focused on the point-of-sale systems in Target’s retail stores, which collect information from customers’ credit and debit cards, and potentially personal identification numbers, or PINs.” The stolen information can be used to create counterfeit credit or debit cards. In May and June 2017, two back-to-back ransomware attacks took place. The WannaCry ransomware and a cross of it with the Petya ransomware infected tens of thousands of computers worldwide, according to The Intercept and The New York Times. A ransomware holds an infected computer for ransom by encrypting all its files. The files are decrypted only when payment has been made. Cybersecurity attacks can be from a single individual or a well-organized group, some, the so-called advanced persistent threat groups, could be connected to industry or even governments.
Spoofing—Pretending to be someone, at some IP address, from a certain website, sent from some email address, or located at certain GPS locations. Spoofing is usually done by falsifying data used in communication protocols. For example, the email sender (the From header) can be spoofed easily. Malware—Malicious software of all kinds including computer viruses, ransomware, worms (spreading themselves through the network), trojan horses (hiding in seemingly legit applications), keyloggers, spyware, and rogue security programs.
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Eavesdropping—Spying by secretly monitoring network communications or leaking electronic emissions from equipment. The man-in-the-middle attack carries this further by intercepting messages between two correspondents, and perhaps even altering the messages as they are passed along to the other end. Cyber crimes are a serious and global concern. Governments, private sectors, and academic institutions have acted to produce countermeasures, including legislation, regulation, law enforcement, protection of communication infrastructures, and Computer Emergency Readiness Teams (CERTs) in the USA and other countries.
Lock and Key Security in cyberspace is not so different from that in physical space. In any case, there is no escaping from the need to deal with our own security in cyberspace. It may be a bother but there’s no alternative. How do we keep things safe in physical space? Is it not lock and key? The same goes for cyberspace. There, we want to keep our email account, bank account, online purchase accounts (Amazon® or eBay® account for example), memberships (Facebook®, Twitter®, LinkedIn®, or Netflix® membership for example), and so on under lock and key, as well. These are known as protected resources online. To unlock and access a protected resource, the key is usually a userID-password pair. Only the correct userID and password can unlock the protected resource and give you access. This process is usually called login or signing in. Continued on page 16
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Continued from page 15 The assumption is that only the owner has the key and no one else does. Hence, we must do our best to keep it that way. In cyberspace, the process of verifying the identity of a user in order to grant access to protected (locked) resources is known as authentication. The most common way of authentication for users is by userID and password.
Taking Care of Passwords In physical space we need to take care of our lock and key. In cyberspace we must also safekeep our userID and password. •A void short passwords. Use 12 or more characters that include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and special symbols. Keep your password easy to remember but hard to guess. Don’t use family names, 1234, 0000, or whole words. For longer passwords, consider a secret phrase. •D on’t use the same password in different places. This way, if a password were compromised, the damage would be limited to one place. But, this means that you will have many passwords, one for each of your accounts online. •W rite down your userID, password, and other authentication information (such as answers to security questions) somewhere safe. Consider saving them in a file kept offline (on a USB drive for example). It is best to also encrypt the file. •W hen setting up answers to security questions, avoid using real answers and invent your answers instead. For example, use a fake birthday, mother’s maiden name, hobby, model of first car, and so on. Record these in your file, too.
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• Change your passwords from time to time just to be extra safe. • Make sure you are not being observed or video recorded when you log in. This is especially important when you are in a public place. Consider login to important places only from the privacy of your home. To be extra secure, set aside a computer for the sole purpose of doing important business online. Don’t use that computer for any other purpose. • Do not leave your computer or cell phone unattended after login. Lock the screen if you must leave for a short while. Always log out immediately after finishing your business. Close your browser or shutdown your system afterwards. • Use the browser auto-login feature, where your browser remembers your userIDs and passwords for different websites, only if you enable a browser master password to protect the saved login information from others who may gain access to your computer. Select your browser’s advanced security option to set your master password.
Dear Me, My Password! You are not alone in feeling frustrated when you cannot remember a certain password. It happens to all of us, including those who never thought it possible for them. It is tempting to cop out and use the same password at many different places, making it easier to remember. Of course, that is unsafe and ill advised. Saving your passwords in a secure file is a good solution. It is always possible to reset your password. Usually, forgot my password is an option at login time. Clicking on that option starts a process
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where you need to answer questions to establish your identity and to demonstrate that you are the owner of an account. The answers you provide will be checked against data stored in your account (your address, email address, phone number, security question answers, and so on) for verification. When things check out, you will receive an email with instructions for setting up a new password. Your email address, being a way to identify your account and to send information to you and you alone, is critical in this whole password reset process. Therefore, it is important for you to make sure that no one except you can receive your email. It is never a good idea to allow someone else to handle your email. The point is, if someone could receive your email, that person would potentially be able to reset the password to some other account of yours, such as, goodness forbid, your bank account. The same goes for your cell phone. A text message to your cellphone can be an alternative to email for resetting your password. And no one needs to be reminded that losing your cell phone is bad.
Encrypting Your Sensitive Data To keep files with sensitive data on your computer safe, you should encrypt them. For example, you may want to keep scanned copies of family driver licenses, passports, birth certificates, stock certificates, and so on in files. It is a good idea to encrypt such files. The file with login info should be encrypted. Or use a password manager, such as LastPassTM, to store your passwords. When a file is encrypted, it becomes a pile of scrambled garbage data to anyone but the person who knows the key to decrypt the file
back to its original readable form. Many tools are available for file encryption including Microsoft Word®, LibreOffice®, and AES CryptTM, just to name a few. Be careful, forgetting the key for decrypting a file means the file will be lost forever. It is OK to use the same master key for all your encrypted files. Just make sure that key is secure and not used for any other purpose. Back up your encrypted files. You don’t want to lose these files if something happens to your computer.
Cybersecurity Habits Organized countermeasures and the technologies on the Web and Internet for identification, authentication, encryption, and so on are all well and good. But, the human factor is still the weakest link in cybersecurity. As users in
cyberspace, we all need to do our best to tighten security, and hopefully we can collectively make cyberspace more secure for everyone. Here are some suggested actions for individual users. • Make sure system updates relating to security are installed as soon as possible. • Enable firewalls and configure them correctly on your routers and computers. On your wireless router, use WPA2/WEP wireless security and turn off remote admin access. • Download and install software only from known and trusted websites. Avoid FREE software that is too good to be true. • Encrypt sensitive files on your computers and smartphones.
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• Do not give your userID or password in response to an email or a phone call. Make sure you have initiated a login by yourself. • BACK UP your important files on external disks (detachable from your computer), on flash drives, or on the cloud in encrypted form. • Do not access your online accounts from public places or use borrowed computers. • Keep your laptops, tablets, and smartphones with you all the time. Close down your Web browser after finishing with a login session. Lock the screen if you need to be absent for a short while. Do not leave them in your car or otherwise lying around! Continued on page 18
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Continued from page 17 • Be careful with flash drives and other similar free gift items. They may contain malware that can infect your computer. • Be extra careful with Microsoft IE® and Outlook®; most security attacks target these applications due to their popularity. Consider using computers running Unix®/LinuxTM. •F or mobile devices, install apps only from official app stores, and enable the screen lock (and SIM® card lock) features. Install an anti-virus app. Do your best, and you’ll be glad you did. If everyone does his/her part, cyberspace will be that much more secure.
Use Common Sense When you receive an email with a fantastic deal that sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Do not open any attachments. Delete the email immediately. To lure you in, phishing emails make up different stories, such as online storage over quota, security policy changes, package delivery problems, and other clever tricks. Be suspicious, do not believe such stories without double checking on your own. No legit business or organization will send email to a customer and give some excuse to ask for your userID and password. Neither will they give you a clickable link to enter such information. If you receive an email like that, it may indeed lead you to a phishing site where any information you enter will be stolen. You can spot the phishing site by paying attention to the browser Location box where the site URL is displayed. Is the URL the official company site? Is there a lock icon next to the URL? If not, get out of there immediately.
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Web browsers will display a secure icon in the form of a closed padlock when HTTPS (secure HTTP) is in use. This means data traffic between you and the site is encrypted to prevent eavesdropping. Clicking on the lock icon reveals the digital certificate of the site. Examine the certificate to satisfy yourself that the site is not counterfeit. To be safe, avoid clicking any link in an email or strange site. Always go to your intended site directly on your own by typing in its URL such as bankofamerica.com, vanguard.com, or amazon.com. Well-managed businesses and organizations usually send sensitive information to customers not by email but by messages placed in a secure inbox accessible only after login. To avoid being swindled, we should never disclose personal information over email, by texting, by phone, or at a site not arrived on your own initiative. Let’s all refuse to become a phishing victim. It is good practice to never send any sensitive information over email unless it is encrypted. Overlook this and suffer the consequences. Imagine, we may have a different president in this country if the Democratic National Committee (DNC) staff had better sense of cyber security.
Help>Report Web Forgery option. Or contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).
You Can Do It We have discussed the basics to protect yourself in cyberspace. All this may seem complicated and not particularly urgent for you. Nothing bad has happened to you or your computer. But when it happens, it will be too late. Hopefully, by acting on some of the suggestions here, you’ll start to make it safer. You don’t have to do everything all at once. Make a start, and then I am sure you will become more confident to follow through. I hope you find this article useful and please feel free to give your feedback to me at pwang@cs.kent.edu. I look forward to continuing this series of articles on CT.
The book From Computing to Computational Thinking can be ordered at: computize.org
Reporting Cyber Attacks Report email scams, phishing, Web forgery, and other security attacks you encounter immediately. Forward any suspected phishing email to 3us-cert.gov/report-phishing or the Anti-Phishing Working Group reportphishing@antiphishing.org. Contact authorities or the legitimate businesses to alert them. Use your Web browser’s
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A Ph.D. and faculty member from MIT, Paul Wang became a Computer Science professor (Kent State University) in 1981, and served as a Director at the Institute for Computational Mathematics at Kent from 1986 to 2011. He retired in 2012 and is now professor emeritus at Kent State University.
Visual Art
S H O W C A S E
The ‘volume’ at which visual artists speak varies greatly, and their chosen medium can naturally make for very different kinds of statements. The work of Kathryn Shinko addresses difficult subjects in a powerful, unflinching manner, but often does so in the unexpected medium of hand embroidery. Guest writer Christopher Richards— Kent State graduate (MA, 2016) and Curator & Collection Manager at ARTneo, The Museum of Northeast Ohio Art—
Mark Keffer KSU Class of ‘88
provides features on ceramic artist Judith Salomon and painter and printmaker Phyllis Seltzer, both artists who convey their own distinct sensibilities and have each had a long and important presence in the art of our area.
K A T H R Y N
S H I N K O The art of Kathryn Shinko is comprised of various different series and subtly divergent sensibilities; and it often pushes the boundaries of what is ‘proper’ in art. At a time when much art seems to be overly deferential to community standards, her work speaks in an independent and refreshingly edgy voice. Her Vignettes Series, for instance, confronts viewers with harsh, sexual statements in texts (from titles of adult videos) that are woven into majestic landscape scenes. The incongruity of these two elements creates a jolt that makes the viewer question the pairings’ relationship. By incorporating these phrases into neutral and serene contexts, their degrading, even violent, nature is spotlighted. In other series, she continues the exploration of opposing emotional and psychological connotations. Her Karadzic Suite and Heydrich Series both incorporate photographic images of ruthless war criminals, but are treated attentively with hand embroidered embellishments. The delicate nature of the material make up of these
Karadzic Suite 1: Radovan Holds Nebojsa, His Grandson, While He Sleeps Soundly on His Chest hand embroidery on printed photograph (original photo by Rob Siebelink), 8.5 x 11”, 2016
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works is at odds with the content of the images. This tends to heighten the dark nature of the source material, but also creates a complex combination of emotions through such a contrast. ‘But We Thought You Wanted to Play with Us’, from the Heydrich series is particularly effective in this regard. The whimsical, brightly colored characters attempting to interact with one of most abhorrent members of the Third Reich reflects a perplexing reality regarding human nature. The gamut of behaviors of which we are capable is staggering.
The Heydrich Series: Why Couldn’t You Just Have Been a Nice German Boy? hand embroidery on printed photograph, 10 x 8”, 2012
Shinko describes her central approach: I use traditional fiber art techniques to confront uncomfortable social and psychological issues—particularly those involving sex and its connection to power. Provocative statements, lurid colors, disorienting patterns, and disturbing imagery are constructed using familiar materials: cloth, thread, paper, and yarn. My goal is to examine—and either revise or reaffirm—our understanding of the complicated dynamic of male and female relationships, and the power-play that defines them. Kathryn Shinko received her BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Akron in 2011 and her MFA in Textiles from Kent State University in 2015. Her work has been shown across the United States, in exhibitions in Chicago, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Denver, Santa Ana, Erie, Ft. Lauderdale, and throughout Ohio. She has been featured in the online publications Curatorial Collective, Refigural, and JungKatz.
The Heydrich Series: But We Thought You Wanted to Play with Us hand embroidery on printed photograph, 10 x 8”, 2012
In 2016 she received an Honorable Mention for the Surface Design Association's Creative Promise Award for Student Excellence and was published in the Winter 2016 Issue of the Surface Design Association Journal. Most recently, she was nominated for the 2017 American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award. Kathryn has worked as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Akron and as a sales associate for Don Drumm Studios & Galleries. www.kathrynshinko.com
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Visual Art J U D I T H
S H O W C A S E
S A L O M O N
Written by Christopher L. Richards Judith Salomon, recipient of the 1990 Cleveland Arts Prize for Visual Arts, creates slab-built functional ceramic vessels. They are domestic objects intended to be used, coming to life when filled with food or plants. But function isn’t her primary focus. When empty, her work is meant to be contemplated, appreciated for their structure and brightly hued geometric patches. She stated in a 1978 Plain Dealer article, “I’m concerned with their being useful, but I think a good pot shows an expression of who made it. There’s something that catches the eye, a feeling for it.” The collage like quality is more than just visual interest, it helps define mass and volume. This makes her work appear heavy, but through the delicately constructed slabs, Salomon’s pieces are surprisingly lightweight. Her work is inspired by her love of architecture and suggests the idea of sculpture. Salmon moved to Cleveland in the early 1980s to take a position at the Cleveland Institute of Art. She had never been to Ohio before and quickly took inspiration from the surrounding cityscape, building up the walls of her pieces like a stadium, the interiors reflecting the exteriors. Beyond the architectural interest she found in Cleveland, Salomon has been inspired by Constructivism and Japanese packaging. The brightly colored geometric forms that define her work from the 1980s and 90s develop a patchwork aesthetic reminiscent of De Stijl or Russian Suprematism. “Know
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Blue/Black Checkered Cachepot Collection of Artist, 1992
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Soup Tureen Collection of Artist, 1992
Large White Vase Collection of William Brouillard and Jessica Winiarski,1981
your sources,” she always emphasized to her students, “Copying is a great tool as long as you know you are copying.” Salomon masterfully incorporates inspiration from previous movements to create her own unique works of art. One of the more important lessons Salmon instilled in her students was to get their work out there. Salomon rarely exhibits her work locally. Instead, she focuses on generating a national and international audience. For approximately 10 years, she was represented by the Garth
Clark Gallery and had her ceramics shown in New York, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. She has exhibited in one-person and group shows in San Francisco, Washington, Atlanta, and in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. The importance of expanding an artist’s reach is advice that was passed down to her by one of her professors who told her to “stay mobile.” The advice has paid off, not only in entering exhibitions, but also in doing lectures and workshops everywhere from Colorado to Tsukamoto Gakuin University in Osaka Japan.
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Salomon’s interest isn’t in making social statements with her work. While she likes the idea of setting a table with functional items, her passion lies with space and how it is defined, “When I work, I visualize a volume and then I construct planes of clay to enclose it.” While her pieces can be used, her interest in form over function, volume over weight, brings her into the realm of the postmodern. www.judithsalomonceramics.com
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Visual Art
S H O W C A S E
P H Y L L I S
S E L T Z E R
Concourse II Ozalid on mylar, Collection of the artist, 1979
Written by Christopher L. Richards Celebrated for her heat-transfer prints, Phyllis Seltzer is a virtuoso in her mastery of printmaking techniques, including intaglio, woodcuts, screen printing, lithography, and ozalids. An interest in the perception of spatial relationships is often a key element to her work, rooted in her background in architecture and design. Seltzer’s art explores the urban
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landscape of Cleveland’s Flats and downtown; mines the wealth of vintage photographs from historical archives; and comments on social issues. By creatively combining established printing techniques with new technologies, she speaks to a sense of nostalgia, yet continues to look forward. Throughout her career in the arts as a painter and print maker,
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Seltzer demonstrates curiosity and love of experimentation. As an interior designer in a Cleveland architectural firm, Seltzer observed technical drawings being reproduced in the “blueprint” or ozalid process. She began to wonder how this technology could be applied fine art.
Looking to explore new technologies, Seltzer began to use the color Xerox® machine and heat transfer paper to create prints from her paintings beginning in the 1980s. With these works, her subject shifted to the city and industrial scene. Her paintings of urban architecture offer the viewer an opportunity to see familiar landscapes in a new way.
Compact Electrostatic heat transfer print, Collection of the artist, 1993
Soon, she was using it to make sepia-toned prints of her drawings on mylar. Working in this media, Seltzer was able to tackle a variety of subjects, including nostalgia for early American past times and examine social issues such as the Women’s Liberation Movement in pieces like Concourse II. In this work, the classic car paired with a nude woman are seen common objects of desire. The woman in the composition takes on an empowering stance that both engages and denies the male gaze. While the ozalid enhances the vintage quality, Seltzer found that it had limitations. The process and materials were unable to withstand long exposure to light without fading and because of its continued deterioration Seltzer abandoned the process.
Through architecture, Seltzer explores spatial relationships, either by flattening the forms or weaving multiple points of view into one composition. The use of intense colors help the paintings translate effectively into matrixes for electrostatic transfer prints. At the same time, the colors give her work an expressive quality, changing the way we perceive the urban environment. The small scanning widow of the Xerox copier forced her to piece together images creating lines and
sections that are askew, overlapping as one sheet of transfer paper meets another. This process also allows her to reconfigure images and create several unique works of art from a single painting. In the late 1990s and 2000s, Seltzer began reintroducing the figure into her cityscapes. In works like About, she combines vintage imagery with the skyline of Cleveland. This return to history and nostalgia brings her career full circle while providing a fitting tribute to the city that she calls home. Celebrating the past, the advancement of technology, the progress of social justice, as well as freedom of dissent, Seltzer’s art reflects the society in which we live. Whether working in landscapes, or with the figure, Seltzer illustrates the American experience. phyllisseltzer.com
About Oil on linen, Collection of the artist, 2015
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Around the World MUSIC SERIES
David Badagnani
Connecting with the Source Baba David Coleman and the Legacy of African Drumming in Kent “I’ - i’, ba - shé . . . I’ - i’, ba - shé . . .”
In the basement studio of his West Akron home, Baba David Coleman patiently coaches two of his students, first verbalizing, then playing the interlocking rhythms of the iyá, itótele, and okónkolo—the large, medium, and small members of a family of hourglass-shaped “talking drums” called batá— which rest horizontally across the players’ laps and are played with the outstretched fingers of both hands. If executed properly, the synchronized beats effectively emulate the low, medium, and high tones of the Yoruba language of Nigeria, producing phrases that can actually be understood by its speakers. It’s important to get it right, because, for believers, these rhythms aren’t just for enjoyment; they are the primary means of connecting with the orishas, divine messengers with the power to intercede on behalf of humanity. Mention his name to almost anyone in the area who is involved with African music, and they are likely not only to be aware of Coleman and his reputation, but to
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have actually benefited from his knowledge, either directly or by way of one of his many students. After 50-plus years of teaching, his extended “family” of former pupils is now spread out across the country as well as far beyond, like the branches of the iroko, a venerable African tree for which his society is named. A handsome and charismatic figure, usually clad in the white garb favored by the children of Obatalá, Coleman has a sagacious demeanor and a youthful visage that belies his chronological age—he is nearing his eighth decade. He also has deep Kent ties, having made the Tree City home more than once over the course of his life. It is thus of particular significance to his local admirers that he will return to Kent for a long-awaited solo performance for Standing Rock Cultural Arts’ “Around the World” Music Series, to take place on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 8 p.m. (Originally scheduled for the series’ inaugural season in 2015, he was forced to cancel that appearance due to a bout of ill health, from which he has fortunately now recovered.) Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, Coleman was first drawn to the drum while attending junior high school in the early 1960s. Growing up in what was at that time a primarily Latino community, there was ample opportunity to hear Afro-Caribbean drumming performed by top Cuban and Puerto Rican percussionists such as Mongo Santamaría, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, and Daniel Ponce. During his teen years, he was provided a rare entrée into the music and culture of the African continent as well, at a time when few in the U.S. had any knowledge of such traditions and only a tiny handful of new immigrants from Africa had yet made their way here (most of these being college students from the newly independent nations of Nigeria or Ghana). By chance, not
just one but all three of Coleman’s older sisters had married African American performers who had reconnected with their heritage and become pioneers of African drumming in the U.S.: Babafemi Akinlana (born Al Humphries), Chief Bey (born James Hawthorne), and Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu I (born Augustus Edwards), the latter of whom traveled to Ghana in 1965 to trace his ancestry, a journey echoed in Roots author Alex Haley’s similar visit to Gambia seven years later. Along with a few others (including Roger “Montego Joe” Sanders and Sonny Morgan), they had all studied and performed with Babatunde Olatunji, a Yoruba musician who had come to the U.S. from his native Nigeria in 1950. Best known for his 1960 album Drums of Passion, Olatunji was probably the first household name in the world of African drumming. During this time, when many African Americans were searching for new and more authentic spiritual paths, a few inhabitants of New York City discovered Orisha, a traditional faith from their ancestors’ homeland of West Africa. Although it had originated in the Yorubaspeaking corner of southwest Nigeria that Olatunji was from, its ceremonies were already being practiced on both sides of the Atlantic, having been maintained since the 19th century by communities of African descent in the Latin Caribbean (most notably but not restricted to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil). Although Spanish and Portuguese plantation owners had imposed Roman Catholicism on their enslaved African workforce, traditional religious practices remembered from home continued, hidden in plain sight through the conflation of the orishas with individual Catholic saints (hence the Spanish term Santería). Drumming, which, along with the speaking of African languages, was allowed
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to continue in these areas during the colonial period, was the essential means of communicating with the religion’s divinities, inviting them down from the heavens and into the ceremonial space, each orisha responding to his or her particular rhythmic pattern and accompanying song. The vibrant, visceral nature of these African-derived ceremonies being thought of as complementary to the more quiet, staid Christian liturgy, it is not uncommon for adherents to participate in both, attending a bembé ceremony on Saturday night, then going to mass in a Catholic church on Sunday morning. In the Latin Caribbean, the same “rhythms of the saints” are sometimes transposed from the batá to more conventional secular drums such as congas, and knowledgeable listeners can even detect their use in popular genres such as rumba, mambo, and salsa. Over time, elements of the Orisha tradition (which is also known as Lucumí in Cuba) have even found their way into American popular culture: Desi Arnaz’s Ricky Ricardo character from the I Love Lucy TV series of the 1950s popularized a song called “Babalú” (its title being a reference to an orisha named Babalú Ayé), and Beyoncé even made reference to the orishas Oshun and Yemayá in her celebrated maternity photos of early 2017, which were taken by Ethiopian-born conceptual artist Awol Erizku. As Coleman tells it, he became a professional musician in 1964, when Babafemi, impressed by the 16-year-old’s talent, began inviting him to join him for performances and ceremonies, introducing him along the way to numerous prominent musicians (including Olatunji himself ), and eventually initiating him as a servant of Obatalá, the most powerful of the orishas, also known as the “Father of the World.” He soon found himself performing regularly Continued on page 30
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Around the World MUSIC SERIES Continued from page 29 as drummer/singer for bembé ceremonies, and, along with Babafemi and fellow drummer Richard “Pablo” Landrum, was hired for an outdoor performance/workshop on 111th Street by Dr. William “Billy” Taylor’s newly established “Jazzmobile” program, one of the Free Outdoor Summer Mobile Concerts it presented all five of New York City’s boroughs. After several years
of further instruction from Chief Bey and many others in the community, Coleman’s first real teaching job came in 1977 when he was given his very own classroom at P.S. 113, on West 113th Street in Harlem (right next door to the house in which the legendary magician Harry Houdini once lived), teaching drumming from 9 to 5. In subsequent years, he had the opportunity to share the stage with many of the most important names in the world of African and Afro-Caribbean music, and got to know many of them well. Notable among these was Chuck Davis, the forefather of African dance in America, with whose dance company he performed and toured widely beginning in 1970,
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even performing on one occasion at New York’s Lincoln Center. Another powerful force in Coleman’s development was “Papa” Ladji Camara, a master drummer from Guinea who in the early 1960s, just after his nation’s independence, became the first to introduce American audiences to the djembe (a large goblet-shaped drum originating in the Mandinka culture of Mali, whose name, according to Coleman, means “everyone gather together”). Camara, who had been a
close friend of Chief Bey since the two first met in 1959, joined and toured with Olatunji’s troupe for several years beginning in 1963, and eventually established his own drumming and dance studio in the Bronx in the early 1970s. Now that, 50 years later, all of these players of the past generation have passed on, Coleman believes himself to be the most senior African American akpon (the Yoruba name for the cantor who leads Orisha ceremonies) to have originated from that early New York scene, and his membership in this select group of practitioners is documented in John Mason’s 1997 book Orin Òrìsà: Songs for Selected Heads. In this light, his sobriquet Baba (meaning “father” in
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Yoruba) is not just a nickname, but in fact a title denoting his status as established ceremonial leader. His reputation is such that for four years in a row he was invited to bring his batá to Bahia, Brazil for a religious freedom conference, to show solidarity with the Candomblé religious tradition, which suffered official discrimination and some believed was in danger of being erased from that nation’s cultural landscape. Coleman first came to Ohio in 1989 with his first wife, Linda Thomas Jones (also known
as Mama Fasi), a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and herself a respected drummer, educator, and Yoruba spiritual leader. Their home on Cleveland’s East 93rd Street became a hub for African drumming, and the two taught many female students to drum, something that Chief Bey had encouraged, but which was at that time still a rarity. It is there that Coleman met ethnomusicologist, instrument builder, and educator Dr. Craig Woodson, with whom he continues to have a productive working relationship. He relocated to Kent in 1992, while his current wife Lyneise Williams (now a professor of art history at UNC Chapel Hill) pursued a master’s degree at Kent State
Around the World University. Together with Williams, in the early 1990s, he formed the Iroko Drum and Dance Society, an assemblage that would have wide cultural ramifications, and which continues to the present. “Everyone does everything,” as he puts it: “sing, dance, and play the drum, and it’s like a family.” Their choice of a mighty tree as metaphor is significant in several ways, relating on one hand to the central importance of the sacred grove to Yoruba identity, but also to his adoptive city’s popular nickname. Iroko became the first African group to join University Circle’s popular Parade the Circle event, giving memorable multimedia performances in 1990, 1991, and 1992. Coleman still has fond memories of his home on Hudson Road, which is now gone, having been demolished to make way for the new Stanton Middle School. Through the ‘90s, he became a familiar figure in Kent, often collaborating with KSU professors such as the now-96-year-old Halim El-Dabh (who he considers an important elder and mentor), Pan-African Studies professor Mwatabu Okantah, and African Ensemble director Kazadi wa Mukuna. During his time in Kent, Coleman took numerous aspiring drummers under his wing, by principle accepting all who have sought his tutelage regardless of their gender or ethnic background. “Chief Bey shared with me the fruits of his tree,” he explains, “and in the same way it is now my duty to pass on those fruits.” Those to whom he has provided advanced instruction over the years have included Elec Simon (of STOMP fame), Joe Rynd, and John Spuzzillo. Among his most dedicated students was Brian Klempp, a Michigan native who had come to KSU to pursue a master’s degree in ethnomusicology at KSU; he spent years learning advanced djembe techniques, and even some of the secrets of djembe and shekere
making. (In addition to his playing and teaching, Coleman is also well known as a craftsman of musical instruments, building beautiful, high quality djembes, ashikos, and shekeres. He says that “My drum making is what supported me my whole life, and put my wife through Kent and Yale.”) In 1996, Coleman relocated with his family to New Haven, Connecticut, where his wife spent eight years studying at Yale University for her Ph.D. (receiving her degree in 2004). There, he continued performing, teaching, and giving workshops, and received an unprecedented two C. Newton Schenck III Awards for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, in 2002 and 2011. He also recorded and performed all across the U.S. and in Europe with the New Haven-based Afro-Semitic Experience, a unique cross-cultural group that blends spiritual songs from the African and Jewish diasporas within the context of a jazz band augmented by African percussion. During his absence, the Omo Iroko (“Children of Iroko”) Drum and Dance Society, an offshoot of Iroko that formed in 1997, continued Coleman’s legacy, giving frequent performances and workshops throughout Northeast Ohio. In addition, Brian Klempp founded the Kent African Drum Community (now known as Ka De Dunaa) in the early 2000s, giving regular performances with them until his untimely death from cancer in 2009. Coleman’s eventual return to Ohio in 2011, after 15 years away, came as welcome news to those who knew him, and he quickly reconnected with old friends and began to take on new students. The members of Ka De Dunaa were especially delighted when he agreed to serve as their advisor,
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MUSIC SERIES his mentorship buoying their spirits at a time when the recent passing of Brian weighed heavily on their hearts. “We lost our teacher,” they told him, “but now we have our teacher’s teacher.” He also makes an occasional appearance at the drumming sessions at Kent’s One Center, and in 2014 took part in the historic Opus for 1001 Drums, a cross-cultural extravaganza organized by Grant Marquit for the One World Festival held in Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens. Coleman’s son Olugbala (Olu) Manns, also a KSU graduate, is himself a fine drummer and educator, having directed the Hiram African Drum Ensemble since 2005. Olu, who still lives in Kent, has also made a strong connection with Africa, traveling each year to Ghana and also spending time studying in Guinea, “the heart of it all” for djembe drumming. Members of Omo Iroko also continue to live in Kent, and the group’s members continue to meet regularly at Coleman’s home for weekend drum practice. Now firmly rooted in Northeast Ohio, Coleman continues to use drumming for what he believes to be its highest purpose: “a means of bringing people together, knocking down walls of fear and oppression.” He feels energized by the continuing interest in the knowledge he has to pass on, and looks forward to the weekly visits of each of his students, two of whom he will bring to perform with him at his October 14 performance. When asked how he feels about his return to the city that has been such an inspiration to him over the years, he doesn’t hesitate before saying, “I live in Akron, but Kent will always be my home.”
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Around the World MUSIC SERIES
Following its first two successful seasons, Standing Rock Cultural Arts’ “Around the World” Music Series is gearing up for its third season of world music concerts, which bring outstanding performers from diverse cultures for six intimate evenings of music at the North Water Street Gallery, located at 300 North Water Street, Suite H in downtown Kent. All concerts are preceded by a 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet featuring light food and drinks. A donation of $10 at the door is suggested. The performances are as follows:
Concert 1
Concert 3
AppalAsia
Mariachi Santa Cecilia
September 23, 2017
October 28, 2017
A unique Pittsburgh-based trio, Mimi Jong, Jeff Berman, and Susan Powers explore the intersections between traditional Chinese and American mountain music, using erhu and zhonghu (Chinese fiddles), lap dulcimer, clawhammer banjo, and voice. Creating warm and soulful music that transcends cultural boundaries, the group’s performances are like a meeting of old friends.
Named after the patron saint of musicians, Northeast Ohio’s premier mariachi band will make their Kent debut with a performance of traditional and modern songs of Mexico, using trumpet, vihuela, guitarrón, accordion, and voice. The band’s performance is presented in conjunction with Standing Rock’s 15th annual Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, and traditional Mexican foods (including steak tacos provided by Taco Tonto’s) will be available for a nominal charge.
Concert 2
Baba David Coleman and Friends October 14, 2017 One of the pioneers of African music in the U.S., master drummer, drum builder, and teacher Baba David Coleman lived in Kent for many years and has been a mentor to generations of students, providing training, encouragement, and wisdom. Supported by members of his Iroko Drum and Dance Society, this engaging performer’s presentation will include songs, stories, and a demonstration of the batá, a set of three “talking drums” originating among the Yoruba people of Nigeria, whose intricate cross rhythms are used to commune with divinities known as orishas.
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Concert 5
Around the World MUSIC SERIES
Oleh Mahlay January 13, 2018
Concert 4 Bill Crouse
The 60-string bandura, a zither-like instrument with a crystalline tone, has been called “The Soul of Ukraine.” Formerly played by itinerant blind bards called kobzari, who served as the conscience of their nation, the bandura and its tradition were nearly extinguished over the past century due to rigorous Soviet oppression and the disruption of the Second World War. Bandura performer/ vocalist Oleh Mahlay, a proud inheritor of this tradition who serves as the artistic director and conductor of the North American-based Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, will introduce listeners to this magical instrument and its compelling history.
November 11, 2017 Presented in collaboration with KSU’s Native American Student Association (NASA KSU)
Concert 6
An enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians and a Faithkeeper of the Coldspring Longhouse on the Allegany Territory near Salamanca, New York, Bill Crouse is a talented and respected singer, drummer, dancer, visual artist, and language educator who has toured extensively through North America and Europe with his Allegany River Dancers. Accompanying himself with a traditional water drum, he will share songs and stories of the Seneca, the westernmost of the Six Nations of the Iroquois, also discussing the historical and spiritual significance and use of music in their traditional circle. His daughter Ashlyn, who is also a fine dancer, will join him for several numbers, and he will bring several of his acrylic paintings for display.
Samuel Salsbury June 23, 2018 One of only a few non-Indians to play the sarangi, a bowed instrument with 39 strings, Samuel Salsbury will present an evening of music from the Hindustani tradition of North India, to which he has devoted intensive study over the past four years with his guru Pandit Santosh Mishra, an 8th-generation sarangi master from Benares (Varanasi). Using an instrument that is 125 years old, his program will comprise a full classical raga as well as two bhajans (devotional songs), with tabla accompaniment.
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Training, Technology & Teamwork Deliver Faster Stroke Treatment at UH PORTAGE MEDICAL CENTER JOE R. OF KENT WAS AT HIS DOCTOR’S OFFICE
on a June afternoon for what he expected to be a routine appointment for his arthritis. This particular afternoon, though, Mr. R’s appointment quickly turned from routine to emergency. During his preliminary exam with the nurse, Mr. R. began slurring his words, his right arm went limp, and the right side of his face began to droop. Fortunately, the nurse recognized the symptoms of stroke and called 911. Also fortunate for Mr. R., the Kent Emergency Squad, which arrived within minutes, is the first squad in Portage County to be part of UH Portage Medical Center’s new telestroke program. A First in Stroke Treatment for Portage County The program’s goal is to reduce the time from the start of a patient’s stroke symptoms to when the patient gets treatment. At its heart is an advanced stroke life support class that the UH EMS Training & Disaster Preparedness Institute is providing for Portage County EMS
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teams. Institute Director Daniel Ellenberger introduced the training to Ohio from the University of Miami, Florida, where it was developed. In an intensive eight-hour course, a team of UH advanced stroke life support experts teach EMTs and paramedics how to administer the Miami Emergency Neurologic Deficit (MEND) screening. They learn how to use the screening to evaluate a patient’s functioning on specific mental and physical tasks and use that data plus the patient’s overall symptoms to determine what area of the patient’s brain the stroke is affecting. “MEND helps the EMTs catch strokes that can be missed by other, lessintensive stroke assessments, so it’s better for the patient,” explains Raymond Pace, EMS Institute Instructor. Technology on Board To maximize benefits to patients, UH is providing Portage County EMS squads iPads that connect directly to the UH Portage ED through
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FaceTime. With Mr. R. aboard the ambulance, the EMS squad called the UH Portage Emergency Department via an encrypted FaceTime connection. Emergency medicine physician Dave Konopka, MD, took the call—the first to use the new technology. “They were about 10 to 12 minutes away from the hospital, and the paramedics and I were communicating the entire trip. The patient was conscious and talking, so I also was able to communicate with him,” Dr. Konopka recalls. Dr. Konopka continued the MEND assessment with the paramedics, asking Mr. R. a series of questions such as his name and the current month and having him perform simple movements like touching a finger to his nose. Through the telestroke technology and the EMTs’ knowledgeable assistance, Dr. Konopka was able to complete Mr. R.’s stoke assessment during the ambulance trip. “We knew when his symptoms had started, how they progressed, much of his medical
history and his current condition,” he says. “By the time the ambulance arrived at the ED, we were prepared for an incoming patient with a stroke.”
with stroke symptoms undergo a CT scan to make sure there is no bleeding in the brain, which would mean tPA is not safe for that patient.
Timely Treatment
Mr. R. was in the CT scanner one minute after his arrival at UH Portage—a fraction of the American Heart Association’s recommended 25–minute door-to-CT time. The nurses weighed Mr. R. so the correct dose of tPA could be calculated, and Bayus called the UH Portage Pharmacy to alert them for the potential need for the medication.
Time is critical in treating stroke, stresses Mike Bayus, RN, the head nurse on duty in the UH Portage ED that day. “tPA, the ‘clot-busting’ medicine used to treat stroke, can only be used in patients that meet specific criteria—including receiving treatment within three hours of the start of stroke symptoms.” That’s where telestroke gives the patient and the medical team an advantage, he says. “Telestroke lets the doctor put his eyes on the patient much sooner, so by the time the patient arrived we knew what we were dealing with, the order for CT was entered and we had alerted the CT team,” Bayus explains. Patients
Within 15 minutes, Dr. Konopka had read the CT scan, verified it was not a bleeding stroke, and called the stroke specialist at UH Cleveland Medical Center to confirm that tPA was appropriate for this patient. Just 37 minutes after arriving at UH Portage, Mr. R. was receiving IV tPA.
By the time he was transferred to UH Cleveland Medical Center an hour later, Mr. R.’s stroke symptoms had resolved. He stayed overnight at UH Cleveland Medical Center, went home the next day and has made a full recovery. “The Kent squad and technology played a big role in the successful outcome through their training and initiating telestroke,” Bayus says. “The difference with telestroke is the time to CT, which equals time to tPA. And that can make the difference between complete recovery and lifelong impairment.” Meanwhile, news of better patient outcomes due the telestroke program is spreading, and the UH EMS Institute is getting bombarded with requests from Portage County EMS teams, Pace reports. To date, the institute has trained 10 teams and is expanding the program as quickly as possible to meet the demand.
Mike Bayus, RN, and Jen Schlarb, RN, talk to EMT via UH Portage Medical Center’s new telestroke program.
Emergency medicine physician Dave Konopka, MD, tests a patient to assess severity of stroke.
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UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
Portage Medical Center Expands Services, Welcomes New Doctors University Hospitals Portage Medical Center invites readers to meet three of the newest additions to the hospital’s medical staff. These physicians expand the medical center’s specialty care with additional services to meet the needs of area residents.
hristopher Tisdel, MD C Orthopedics
Robert Dallara, MD Pain Management
Jonathan Umbel, DO Gastroenterology
S pecial interests: All foot, ankle, and knee orthopedic conditions, including ankle and knee minimally invasive arthroscopy; ankle and knee total joint replacements; all general orthopedic conditions and fractures
Special interests: General pain management, neuromodulation for post-surgical pain and complex regional pain syndrome
Special interests: Liver disease, colon cancer screening and prevention
As the director of a DR. CHRISTOPHER TISDEL new department at UH Portage, what are your Office at UH Portage goals? Medical Center, Musculoskeletal complaints 6847 N. Chestnut St. are one of the key reasons Ravenna, Ohio 44266 that people go to the Also Sees Patients At UH doctor. My number one Streetsboro Health Center goal is to get every person 9318 State Route 14 in Portage County with Streetsboro, Ohio 44241 these types of problems to 330-297-6030 think of UH Portage Medical Center as the place to go for care. We’ve recently added hand surgery and sports medicine subspecialists and will be adding a hip and knee replacement subspecialist soon.
Who is a typical orthopedic patient and what are the most common problems you treat? There really is no typical orthopedic patient. I treat patients ranging from the young athlete with an injury to an 80-year-old with arthritis. The most common problems are the ones that come with age and wear and tear on the body such as arthritis, fractures, and back problems. What is new in orthopedic surgery? Techniques for every orthopedic procedure have improved over the past decade. Ankle replacement for arthritis has improved markedly over the past 15 to 20 years to where patients now regain 60 to 80 percent of motion and, most importantly, get rid of the pain and swelling. We can now perform a lot of knee and ankle procedures with scopes, on an outpatient basis.
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What attracted you to your specialty? Pain can be very DR. ROBERT DALLARA debilitating when it goes on for a long period. I like the Office at UH Portage Medical Center, interventional aspect, 6847 N. Chestnut St. the fact that those Ravenna, Ohio 44266 who suffer with 330-297-6055 chronic pain can be helped with different approaches to their condition. What are some of the most common types of chronic pain you treat? Pain after back surgery is very common, experienced by about 40 percent of patients. Also, I see a lot of patients with complex regional pain — out-of-proportion pain in a specific area of the body. This condition is caused by a disconnect of the central and peripheral nervous systems. What are some of the latest treatments for chronic pain? We have many treatment options today that are safe and effective, including different non-opioid medications. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a noninvasive technology that targets specific nerve endings that are responsible for chronic mechanical back pain. For many patients, an RFA treatment can provide years of pain relief before it needs to be repeated. Neuromodulation is another minimally invasive treatment for chronic pain. It involves applying electrical stimulation that acts as a pain pacemaker and can lead to lasting pain relief for certain types of lower back pain and other chronic ailments.
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What do you find rewarding about your specialty? Helping patients through their disease state to the point where we can work together to manage or cure their disease is very satisfying.
DR. JONATHAN UMBEL
Office at UH Portage What are some of the Medical Center, most common problems 6847 N. Chestnut St. that you treat? Ravenna, Ohio 44266 For patients 50 and over, 330-297-6060 screening for colon cancer is becoming very common. Colonoscopy has been proven to be the best tool we have to prevent colon cancer, and we are starting to see more people taking advantage of it. For younger patients, I treat a lot of people with chronic digestive problems such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
What is new in digestive disease diagnosis and treatment? For diagnosis, we now have high-definition colonoscopy that lets us view more details. Also new is a fecal test to screen for the presence of DNA that indicate the presence of advanced polyps. If it’s negative, no need for a colonoscopy at that point, and the individual should repeat the test in three years. In treatment, we have made major advances in curing hepatitis C. We now have oral medications that cure 95 percent of patients in three months — a major advance, considering the cure rate used to be 30 percent.
Come meet Dr. Tisdel and Dr. Umbel on Saturday, September 30, 8 am–12 pm as they present at the Kent State University Hotel & Conference Center. Register at 330-297-2576.
nts.
Dr. Joe Hendershott Dr. Patrick O’Connor
The Road Less Traveled is a recurring feature that describes the path creative, interesting people took to get to where they are in life. Most creative people have traveled very interesting paths to get to where they are … usually zig-zagging a lot, shifting artistic gears, retracing steps, exploring new passions, revisiting previous works,
Overview Dr. Joe Hendershott is a nationally recognized educational consultant, speaker, author, and professional development trainer. His life’s work has been devoted to understanding and reaching wounded children who have experienced trauma. This requires a basic understanding of the effects of trauma on learning, behavior, and relationships. In 2006, Joe presented at a conference in Colorado. He was there to share his experience and knowledge on the subject of teaching children who are wounded from trauma. Only one person showed up for his presentation. Somewhat dismayed, he did his presentation anyway with
failing a whole bunch, and generally bouncing back often. All these experiences are part of their creative profile and serve to motivate and inspire them. This feature tells that story. This issue of The Road Less Traveled explains the path of Dr. Joe Hendershott, president of Hope 4 the Wounded, Inc.
Author note: If a reader would like to suggest someone to be considered the subject of a future Road, e-mail the publisher at info@aroundkent.net.
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the thought “this one person wants to learn about this subject and that’s why we are both here.” This rather humble start ignited a journey that has taken Joe to many more places than he ever expected. And, he has shared his message and wisdom with thousands since that first conference presentation. In Orlando, Florida in June 2017, the National Dropout Prevention Center partnered with Joe for the second national conference on this subject. The “Reaching the Wounded Student” conference featured keynote speakers, presenters, vendors and about 500 professional people who strive to make a difference for students who have experienced
an
“
I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
”
— Robert Frost
trauma. Teachers, judges, parents, probation officers, corrections officers, counselors, social workers, and others attended. They are trying to figure out how to support children wounded from trauma. Joe thinks of these professionals as first responders. Plans are underway for a third conference in June of 2018.
What is Wounded? The term “wounded” is a relatively new one to describe difficult situations some students have experienced from traumatic events. It is often confused with “at-risk”. Basically, being at-risk means there are various conditions which could result in harm to a child. These are often related to socioeconomic factors. Students in at-risk situations are often thought of as “hard to reach and hard to teach” and usually have high dropout rates. Being wounded means the harm has already occurred. It means the children are beyond at-risk. Dr. Hendershott (in 7 Ways to Transform the Lives of Wounded Students) defines wounded students as “children who have
Joe, Dardi and their children; Hope 4 The Wounded based in Kissimmee, Florida
experienced or continue to experience emotional and/or physical traumatic events.” There are some estimates that as many as 47% of our school children have experienced trauma in their lives. Another startling statistic is about 30% of children entering kindergarten are traumatized. The most common trauma experiences relate to physical and emotional abuse, drug abuse, violence, and incarcerated parents. The effects, if untreated, often last a lifetime. As a result, wounded children have an increased likelihood of further adverse experiences as adults. Trauma has become a national priority in recent years. This is due in part to legal proceedings filed against school systems that lacked training for staff and teachers to address the needs of traumatized students. Many teachers were trying to care for wounded students but lacked the professional know-how to do so. Joe Hendershott and his family feel called to respond to this need.
How do you Prepare for This? When you look at Joe’s work, you might expect him to be a minister, psychologist, social worker, probation officer, psychiatrist, or a counselor of some type. His work, however, incorporates many of the concepts and skills from those professions. His extensive first-hand and professional experience, training in adoption and foster parenting as well as professional development have prepared him to address the many aspects of working with traumatized youth. He has blended his personal,
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Dr. Joe Hendershott is a nationally recognized educational consultant, speaker, author, and professional development trainer.
professional, and educational experiences into a coordinated approach to meeting the needs of traumatized youth. This is a multi-faceted problem and thus requires a multi-faceted solution. Joe comments, “every experience, both personal and professional, has brought me to this spot”. Joe grew up in Ashland, Ohio doing pretty much what all kids did in friendly, small town America. He loved sports and the outdoors. He went to The Ohio State University in the mid1980s, earning a physical education teaching degree while minoring in science. His passion for working with traumatized youth began at OSU during his sophomore year as part of the Directions for Youth initiative (now Directions for Youth and Families). He was also part of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program, serving Continued on page 40
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Continued from page 39 as a big brother. His little brother got into trouble and was sent to the Boys Village School—a residential treatment center in Wooster, Ohio. Joe went to visit him. During the visit, he met the school director Bob Maruna. After getting to know Joe, Bob offered Joe a position as a summer school recreational therapist. He accepted and worked there for nine summers! He blended his experience in physical education with his passion for working with wounded youth. Bob is acknowledged in Joe’s first book on trauma. He still works part-time at the facility (now called the Village Network) and they remain in contact.
Professional Preparation
working with wounded children. Dr. Wardle really helped shape Joe’s beliefs and approach. A major lesson he learned from Dr. Wardle was to suspend judgment when working with wounded children and to meet them where they are.
Personal Preparation In addition to studying and working with wounded youth, Joe lives in this world. He comments, “witnessing brokenness up close and personal has had a profound impact on my work. At some point, the calling on my heart became greater than the perceived safety of the status quo.” By this time, he and Dardi Painting by Road Less Traveled alum George E. Miller
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Each of us has a Road Less Traveled. Joe does, too. However, Joe’s RLT is a bit different than most. His RLT is really more of one family’s RLT. His wife Dardi and all their children are a significant part of Joe’s RLT. In fact, they started a resource and training group called Hope 4 The Wounded based in Kissimmee, Florida. The mission of the group is to “equip, empower, and encourage those who are called to work with the broken and lost children of this world.” There is a tremendous need to provide resources on this subject. Joe feels he, Dardi, and their children can respond to God’s calling to assist in this important area. In fact, it is their personal ministry. The group’s resources are designed to educate and empower anyone working with children who are wounded. The end goal is to provide resources and programs that foster esteem building and emotional development. They offer consulting, conferences, books, seminars, and recently started an online certification program that focuses on working with wounded youth. They already have over 100 participants! More information on their work can be found on the Hope 4 the Wounded website http://www.hope4thewounded.org
After college, he took his first teaching position as a physical education and science instructor at a military academy in Florida. He has served as an educator/administrator in diverse settings such as juvenile corrections facilities, treatment centers, private schools, public schools in both rural and urban settings, and alternative schools. All of these experiences convinced him that wounded children can be found everywhere at any age. Joe continued his education studying for a masters degree at Ashland University in educational administration. This led to additional teaching and administrative positions in a number of schools for youth at-risk. He followed the masters degree with a doctorate in educational leadership studies at Ashland. Dr. Harold Wilson, his doctoral advisor, had a major influence in his development. Dr. Wilson’s support (he even traveled to Alaska once to hear Joe present at a conference) set the bar very high for Joe. Also, Dr. Terry Wardle of the Ashland Theological Seminary provided Joe the specialized knowledge and skill of
A family RLT
(married in 1993) had foster-parented nine children in addition to raising five biological children. He was also formalizing his theories about how to make a difference in the lives of kids who have been traumatized. Joe’s background in teaching and educational administration fit nicely with the work he and Dardi did in their personal lives.
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Joe and Dardi have five biological and four adopted children. Four adult children are teachers: Kaelee (4th grade), Kearsten (Special Education), Kyler (Special Education), and Kameryn (Biology). They have five children still in K–12 schools. Kade is a senior in high school and four children are in grade school. K’Tyo is from Ethiopia while Kemeri is from China. Kaya and Kendi are adopted from Ohio. Their daughter, Kameryn, joined Dardi on the trip to Ethiopia to bring K’Tyo to their family. Also, son Kade went to China with Dardi to
bring Kemeri home to America. Joe remained at home to tend to the remaining children. Joe and Dardi gave all their children the same first initial in their first name. This was intentional as they (and their children) wanted this to serve as a way for everyone to feel connected to each other.
wounded children. These are the people who read his books, attend his conferences, and earn his certificate. To Joe, these professionals have a “first responder” role. He, Dardi, and their children want to equip this group of first responders to be successful in meeting the needs of traumatized youth.
Joe and Dardi have blended their calling to serve those in need. Together, they are presenting at national professional conferences. They are also planning to write a much needed book on the role of parents and family members to support adopted children. Their personal and professional lives enable them to provide a holistic look at addressing the myriad of needs of wounded youth and those who serve them.
The approach Joe teaches focuses on three main themes in support of wounded students. He believes and practices that we must foster quality relationships with youth. Those relationships can only succeed when they are viewed from a healing perspective. Any attempt to control the relationship is likely to fail. The three themes in his approach are: • Understanding • Reaching • Transforming
“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” — JOSHUA J MARINE
The Hope 4 the Wounded Approach Joe believes we need to rethink our approach to working with wounded youth. We need to expand our thinking and move away from a “one size fits all” approach. He believes the strategies in place for at-risk children are preventative in nature. He has made it his mission to make a distinction between at-risk and wounded children. We need to shift our thinking away from “fixing” broken youth. We need to work toward putting those who have been wounded in a position to experience educational success and transformation in their lives. He wants to equip professionals with the knowledge, skill, and experience to meet the growing needs of
The most important way these three themes can be achieved is to: • Suspend judgement • Understand the difference between at-risk (preventative strategies) and wounded (responsive strategies to the effects of trauma) • Listen to the wounded youth plea: “As my caregiver, do you understand me and what I am dealing with?”
Joe and Dardi Hendershott at the 2015 National Dropout Prevention Network Conference
and being a father of nine. In the process, he has learned “a whole lot about patience, grace, mercy, empathy, and forgiveness”. He intends to continue to follow his calling.
What is Down the Road?
Joe believes every child has a story and sometimes that story overshadows their gifts and abilities and impedes their academic success. He feels privileged to do this work. He is humbled when he meets people who say his training has inspired and encouraged them in their profession. He shared his feelings that “knowing I get to play a small part in others’ lives as they seek to make a difference in the lives of marginalized children inspires me to keep going”. Joe practices without preaching.
“To be honest, I’m not totally sure how I got here,” Joe comments. Seems like an odd observation from someone who has followed his calling for over 35 years. He has, throughout his journey, held steadfast to his belief that the needs of others exceed his own. He has committed extensively to his work and done much of it on his own “dime and time”. Joe has had many unexpected events both personally and professionally in his RLT, such as working at Boy’s Village, writing books, adopting children,
Joe, Dardi and their children, in all their personal and professional endeavors, feel called to guide those who support wounded youth. They are leading dozens of professionals to address this important work. Their goal is to follow God’s call to equip first responders to position wounded youth to experience transformation through education. The ultimate benefactors of their work are the wounded youth who so desperately need our support, understanding, and hope as they heal.
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greeted with a friendly “hello” and discover racks filled with locally handmade merchandise. Spot spools of thread scattered around the white cubes of artisan accessories and FS Store logo goods. Flip through the racks for something to try on in the changing room, decorated with fabric swatches and illustrations.
Fashion Laboratory The Fashion School Store; Julie Riedel
Teaching Kent State Fashion Students about the Fashion Industry
U
nderneath The Fashion School Store’s, (FS STORE) green and gold sign stands a mannequin wearing a royal blue dress beside displays of scarves and home decor. Behind the window display is a laser cut wood, cash desk with, “A Fashion Workshop for Students & Faculty to Bring Ideas to Life” written above it. Inside to the right is a blue wall with a laser cut wood hanging, and a mannequin wearing a digitalprinted coat. Walk through the door to be
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The FS STORE opened in 2012 as a new way for fashion students to learn about the fashion industry. It enhances Kent State University’s Fashion Program by acting as a live retail lab for students to plan, create, and interact with merchandise. It’s an environment for test marketing and receiving customer feedback, while experiencing a retail space. Multiple classes work with the store to further The Fashion School’s comprehensiveness. Fashion students are encouraged to visit, sell in, and apply for jobs at the store to expand their abilities. “The best part of working here is really being able to interact with all the Fashion School students that collaborate in these classes and bring down merchandise for us to be able to display to the community, and sell through the fashion school store,” said Marguerite Loomis, The FS STORE Manager. “I’m seeing a lot of creative talent, which is really exciting. There’s always something new in the store; it’s very unique.” Loomis is responsible for the store’s daily operation, while a curatorial team made up mostly of KSU Fashion School faculty develops its big picture. The curatorial team formulates its future and directs its merchandise. Since the fall of 2014, Jihyun Kim, Ph.D. associate professor and faculty director of The FS STORE, who goes by Dr. J, heads the team. But the six other members provide insight about
the store’s planning and its role in KSU’s Fashion School. “I believe we are truly one of a kind, live retail laboratory because some other universities may have some kind of a storefront, yet not like us. For instance, Savannah College of Art and Design offers a shop for the entire college, thus not that heavily focused on fashion products like us,” said Dr. J. “Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Southern California has a store selling the donated merchandise to raise scholarship fund, and the products that they are selling are not their students’ creation. So, we are very proud that we are truly one of a kind by planning, presenting and selling our student and/or faculty made, unique high quality garments.” Most of the merchandise is handmade by students, alumni and professors, who have several methods for selling in the boutique. The most common is contacting Dr. J who guides students through the process of costing, pattern making, material selection, and construction. Fashion School professors are asked if they have any personal projects they’d like to sell. Classes, like Collaborative Fashion Production, create merchandise for the store. Then there are individual investigations, where students take an elective dedicated to creating a garment. These investigations aren’t always offered; there needs to be a desire for a specific garment, or a teacher or student interested in doing one.
School of Visual Communication Design (VCD), developed the course and taught it, with help from Brett Tippey, assistant professor and program coordinator for Architectural Studies. Retail Design from Concept to Fabrication was created through a teaching development grant awarded to Peters by KSU’s University Teaching Council. The grant was for developing a design-build class involving multiple programs. Peters had heard through colleagues that The FS STORE wanted to make a few changes, so she contacted Dr. J about being the course’s client. Then she contacted Tippey to create a bridge between the School of VCD and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. Throughout the class, Peters acted as the project manager, keeping her students organized and helping them develop their designs. While Tippey acted as a consultant offering advice about design and construction. During the semester, 16 students representing the Fashion Merchandising, VCD, and
Architectural Studies programs participated in the three-credit hour class, which began with students analyzing local retailers and developing three design concepts. After spending weeks researching, designing, planning, and working on fabrication, the store closed for about a week for students to remodel it, reopening on April 27. “The reason I wanted to take the course was due to where I have started to focus my studies: environmental graphic design, which in a basic sense is graphic design in the build environment, and in many ways, is a bridge between graphic design and architecture. It really interests me,” said Alexander Griffin, senior VCD major with architectural studies minor. “The course was based around a retail space that would be rethought with a new design to better serve its purpose.” Continued on page 46
Since opening, The FS STORE has changed. In April of 2015, the store moved from Acorn Alley to 201 East Erie Street, Suite B. Then in the Spring 2017 semester, an interdisciplinary class titled Retail Design from Concept to Fabrication remodeled the store. Daphne Peters, prior KSU assistant professor in the
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has cherished the past year learning about fashion from the employees, as she teaches them business skills.
Continued from page 45 The store’s new look tells the story of a fashion design studio, with the design concept titled Modern Atelier. During the remodel, students decorated the changing room, created an accent wall, put the store’s mission above its new cash desk, and made new display units, transforming the store into an engaging space. The remodel was designed to give students real world experience and came with its constraints. Students had to work within their $10,000 budget (provided by The Fashion School and the College of Communication and Information), accommodate the client’s wants, and a deadline that had the store done before the KSU Annual Fashion Show, plus restrictions set by the store’s property owner, on what could not be changed structurally, like lighting. “I loved working on this project, because the students were all very enthusiastic, engaged and willing to put in the extra time to take on
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this project which had a lot of unknowns for them. I couldn’t tell them on day one what exactly they were going to be designing, because that was really up to them,” said Peters. “It felt very much like being a part of a team, as you would in an office. I really enjoyed learning and being inspired by the students’ ideas.” The FS STORE is a learning mechanism, but it is a business. It sells merchandise, and hires fashion students as employees, giving students a taste of the fashion industry and the work involved in running a store. As the manager, Loomis supervises the store’s business procedures. She manages student employees, and oversees store operations. She also sits on the curatorial team, acting as the liaison between the store and Fashion School, helping the curatorial team plan for the store’s future. Loomis is a KSU business school alumnus, with no previous fashion experience. However, she
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“I’m totally enjoying myself. I think it’s an immense value. I’m able to make them (student employees) understand the retail environment in terms of, from an operational standpoint. They’re coming from the perspective of designing and merchandising, and I’m able to make them see there’s physical inventory, a sales budget, customer service, and other aspects to running a small business boutique,” said Loomis. “So they’re helping me and I’m helping them. I let them go ahead and use their creative expression in terms of visual merchandising, and setting up displays that need to be placed on the store floor. I’m coming from the business side, helping them understand how to work a sales register, how to handle opening and closing procedures, and to understand how a small boutique business operates.” Emily Wainio, KSU junior fashion merchandising student, started working at The FS STORE in August of 2016. She hopes to work there until her 2019 graduation. Wainio wanted to work in the store for retail experience and to further her education. Working in the store has taught her customer interaction and retail logistics. It also lets her practice skills she’s learned in class, like visual merchandising. Wainio works between 10 and 12 hours a week. During her shifts, she helps organize the store, manage merchandise, oversee daily operations, and interacts with customers. She greets everyone who comes in, answers questions, and offers help. The FS STORE is a part of the community, complementing, not competing against, local businesses. It compares its merchandise to other shops downtown to ensure it’s offering
unique merchandise. It participates in downtown events. Plus, its employees enjoy talking to customers who range from Kent community members, KSU alumni, current students, and future students and their parents.
believe that engaging our students in terms of behind the scene of The FS STORE help them build true appreciation of the industry through the hard work and hands-on experience” said Dr. J.
“We hope to reach out to a larger number of students in the fashion school and beyond such as art students and business students in terms of the fashion business opportunity. So we hope that Fashion School Store continues to offer students the ability to experiment with their ideas and to take a part in planning and operating the store, developing and using their skills while studying in the Fashion School. We
After browsing the store, watching the slideshows showing students’ work, and reading about your new garment’s designer on its label, walk to the cash desk to check out. Have a conversation with the fashion student employee about the FS STORE, or their education, before taking your new purchase through the glass door and into your closet.
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volume 15 | 2017 • www.aroundkent.net
The Belli & Streit Difference
Dr. Stephen J. Belli began practicing in Kent 25 years ago, with Dr. Laura M. Streit joining him in 2012. Their shared commitment to providing quality orthodontic results for children and adults has culminated in the partnership they are proud to announce this year. Most of the patients they serve are from Portage and Summit counties. However, many others find that with the newer technology provided by our doctors, there are fewer visits, and it is worth the trip from more distant locations as well.
Orthodontic Specialists The Ohio State University was home for Dr. Belli while he received his dental degree and orthodontic training. Dr. Streit received her dental degree from the University of Michigan and her specialty training at Case Western Reserve University. As specialists, they have each completed 2–3 additional years of intensive education that is specific to orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. Both doctors are certified by the American Board of Orthodontics, which means they have independently undergone hundreds of additional training hours that allow them to give the highest level of patient care.
Top 1% Invisalign Providers in the Nation Dr. Belli ®
Stephen J. Belli, DDS, MS Laura M. Streit, DDS, MSD 1551 South Water Street Kent, OH 44240 330.673.6411 BelliStreitSmiles.com volume 15 | 2017 • www.aroundkent.net
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and Dr. Streit are the only board certified Top 1% Invisalign providers in Portage County. While many dentists and orthodontists may offer Invisalign, it is our doctors’ experience that makes your experience the best it can be in terms of beauty and function. In an
“There’s no greater honor in my profession than watching someone’s confidence be built.” — Dr. Streit —
Photo by Tylar Sutton, Courtesy Akron Life Magazine
effort to provide more patient comfort and convenience, our practice has been offering this alternative to braces for over seventeen years. With your cooperation, you can have peace of mind that the creation of your new smile will be efficient and successful with lasting results.
Invisalign for Teens Teens are great candidates for this method of treatment, and in fact, are some of our best patients. Individuals who lack self-confidence during this time may find great comfort in knowing they are straightening their teeth without anyone knowing. Parents often find it extremely rewarding to know they have
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with the most wonderful team.” — Dr. Belli — helped to alleviate at least some anxiety for their child during this period of time. Teens love it because they can play sports and musical instruments without the concerns of wearing braces. Brushing and flossing becomes easier and there are no food restrictions. After the initial consultation and thorough analysis of your child’s teeth, our doctors will determine if Invisalign Teen® is right for them.
Casual Family Atmosphere We pride ourselves in offering a comfortable atmosphere where you feel welcomed like family each time you visit our office. From the first phone call, to your consultation, to your treatment completion, we value that you have chosen us to be a part of your dental health team. Each visit gives us the opportunity to prove that. Patients enjoy that we end each appointment on a sweet note by offering them a trip to our ice cream freezer for a treat to take home.
Technology Matters Continuous improvement in technology is vitally important to our commitment in providing quality orthodontic care. We use CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) imaging and digital scanners which exceed industry standards and enhance the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of our doctors, making your experience the best it can be. Most importantly, Dr. Belli & Dr. Streit combine the use of this technology with a highly personable approach, knowing that each patient requires a customized treatment plan in response to their individual needs. Changing the way your teeth look is an important healthcare decision and we respect that you have many choices. Discover the Belli & Streit difference for yourself by calling us to schedule a consultation. For more information, we encourage you to visit our website at www.BelliStreitSmiles.com.
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The Belli & Streit Difference • The only board certified orthodontic specialists in Portage County • Top 1% Invisalign providers in the nation • State-of-the-art technology • Highly trained and experienced staff • 24/7 after hours care available • Family friendly environment • In-house lab ensures quality control • Flexible appointments • Zero % in-house financing plans available
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Don Abbott
the Snarky Gardener
PEOPLE TEND TO IDOLIZE THE FAMOUS, including movie stars, rock stars, reality stars, and sports stars. I’m a fanboy of famous authors in the organic food movement. I know this seems to be an oddly specific niche, but as someone who proudly calls himself “The Snarky Gardener”, it does make some sense. One of my favorite authors is Joel Salatin, a famous farmer (yes, they do exist) who I first saw in the film “Food, Inc.” On their Western Virginia farm, Joel and his family raise food animals in ways which
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“respect and honor the pigness of the pig and the chickeness of the chicken.” A few years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Joel speak at the Mother Earth News Fair held in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. I was nearly giddy as I listened to him read his audiobook “Folks, This Isn’t Normal” in my car as we drove the two and a half hours from Kent. After his speech the following day, I waited in line for an hour to have him sign the same book in physical form and have my picture taken with him. This
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was literally my first author-signed book and remains one of my most prized possessions to this day. A year after meeting Joel Salatin, I stood in my primary care physician’s waiting room and noticed a brochure with two beautiful brown cows staring at me from the cover. I asked myself, “What are cows doing in my doctor’s office?” Picking up the pamphlet, I discovered it be an advertisement for Tierra Verde Farms, a grass-fed farm in Deerfield only seventeen
miles away from my house. Not only did they sell beef, they also grew pasture-raised chickens (for both eggs and meat), turkeys, sheep, and pigs. The brochure stated their practices mimicked nature by rotating the cows on grass first and then bringing in chickens and turkeys days later to clean up. Thinking of poultry eating the bug larvae from cow manure immediately excited me as this was exactly what Joel Salatin discussed during his talk. I had been planning a ten-hour round trip trek to Virginia so I could see his farm in action and purchase some of Joel’s high-quality processed chicken, but now I could do so locally. After our first visits to their farm-located store to procure beef, chicken, pork, and eggs, we (meaning the Snarky Girlfriend since I’m not necessarily the most people-friendly person I’ve met) broached the subject of having Kent Food Not Lawns (our little chapter) come out to tour the farm. We promised those visiting would purchase some goodies, as that’s only fair after Mike Jones (the owner and operator) would spend several of his limited hours showing us around while teaching his farming methods and philosophies. Also, it’s only fair to meet the animals since we are the ones consuming them on a regular basis. I grew up on a small four acre “gentleman’s farm” in Green (just north of the Akron-Canton Airport), so I do have an understanding of the
farm experience. To supplement our caloric intake, we raised chickens, ducks, feeder beef, turkeys, and rabbits. The rabbits were mine as someone gifted us four New Zealand Whites (you know, white fur and pink eyes) which we kept together in the same cage until one gave birth to a litter. Turns out, we owned three does and a buck, and they just did what rabbits are known to do. Soon after, I joined 4-H and learned how to properly raise the rabbits, including care, husbandry, and sales of bunnies to magicians and snake owners. And I also ate
the movie “Babe” didn’t help us enjoy our normal bacon consumption, but it was definitely more honest. We also witnessed the herd of forty or so cows performing their daily move from one pasture to another. Mike explained that they knew what to do and where to go just as we would if outside of an all-you-caneat buffet. The cows know delicious green grass when they see and smell it. It was a little tragic when the calves got separated from their mothers because they didn’t know to move with the rest, but the reunion five minutes later made it all better. Even the turkeys were happy to see us. Mike said it was because they are naturally curious, though I thought it was because the turkeys recognized who feeds them daily.
a few of these cute little fuzzy creatures. People would ask us how we could eat animals we nurtured from infancy. The answer? “With a knife and fork.” Who knew snarkiness was hereditary? Touring Tierra Verde, I observed how much reverence Mike gives his animals. He genuinely cares for them while acknowledging that his pigs, cows, sheep, and poultry will someday “graduate” to the freezer. I also took note of how happy the animals were. Okay, the bees were not happy to see us, but it was hot that day and we had to move quickly out of their territory so we didn’t get stung. But the other animals were great. We went under the trees to commune with the pigs. Smart little buggers, they kept nipping at our heals. Of course, seeing cute pink little guys who reminded us of
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During this first tour, I made a joke saying I wanted to pick out a specific still-alive Thanksgiving turkey and name it Malcolm. Since then, the Snarky Girlfriend and I purchase a turkey from Tierra Verde Farms every year. This inspired me to write the following poem (one of the first and possibly last of my life) while taking a creative writing course at Kent State University last fall.
Continued on page 52
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A Great Life Commercial table turkeys talk and squawk of trouble, Tight quarters, terrible air, and toxic waste. Thirsty things never traveling by foot or under trees, They will never know the texture of tall grass, Eat termites or ticks by tapping the ground, Teach tiny poults to take cover as winged Terror threatens to attack from a thousand feet up. Touring the range-free farm makes my mind mentally Process meeting who may be on the Thanksgiving menu. I know what you are thinking. “How can you still eat animals after meeting them face-to-face?” There are some who have changed their diets after such tours or even after giving the whole “eating living breathing creatures” concept some deeper thought. If you are one of those people, good for you. Just don’t send me any communications trying to convince me to change my evil ways. I understand your point-of-view, but I still won’t listen to you. I eat bunnies, for goodness sake. I’m way beyond saving.
Amazing moving animals mosey on over to us, One massive flock of white feathers and muted “caws”. Looking to the humans for safety and water under open skies, They have no fear, concern, or worry in their movements. For multiple years, we have named our turkey meal Malcolm, Maynard, Melvin, Mickey, Munford, Mildred, Monty, or Milly. Maybe it is mean to mark future murder victims. Maybe it means we will remember these moments.
On the flip side, there are many others who don’t want to know where their food comes from. In their minds, “the supermarket” is the only answer they will ever need, and their ignorance is bliss. I believe knowing your food is the best answer. Our grandparents and great-grandparents had no problem with all of this, as many grew up side-by-side with their farm animals. It was just the way life is. Our problem is that we have mechanized, commoditized, and economized our food to the point that it’s cheap but has no soul. Why not go out, get to know your farmer, and meet your meat? The best part is you can name your turkey anything you want (just not Melvin or Maynard, as those names are taken).
Maybe it might cause us to ruminate over this message. Our farmer tells us, “They have a great life then one bad day.”
To find out more about Tierra Verde Farms, go to http://tierraverdefarms.com. If you want to order one of Mike’s Thanksgiving turkeys, the site is https://tierraverdefarms.wufoo.com/forms/turkey-reservation-form. If you want to join us this fall for a tour of Tierra Verde Farms, we have one scheduled for October 15th at 3 pm. You can sign up through my website http://thesnarkygardener.com under the listing “Upcoming Events”. Just click that to RSVP via Kent Ohio Food Not Lawns. And don’t forget, my book, “The Snarky Gardener’s Veggie Growing Guide” is available on Amazon. Remember, the more vegetables you grow, the less animals you’ll need to eat.
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History and Purpose
Nostalgia and Memories
The Campus Wine Cellar has been Kent’s
Campus Wine Cellar stories are as
Exciting New Bar, Events and Wine Tastings
premier wine and beer store since 1962.
colorful as our selection. Many tell us
The Campus Wine Cellar has expanded,
Specializing in exceptional beer and wine,
that the first wine they enjoyed was from
redecorated, and opened a full bar with
we work to expose Kent’s populous to
the Campus Wine Cellar or that it was
monthly cocktail specials, rotating craft
the newest and best varieties of beers
here where they learned that beer came
beers. and happy hour specials served on
and wines. We offer a wine selection
with such variety. Others tell us they
the coolest, most unique live edge bar
that draws from all over the world,
remember how reliable the Campus
in Kent. We are planning a patio, which
including farms right here in Ohio and
Wine Cellar was because we were open
will allow patrons to enjoy the fresh air
an ever updating beer selection from the
late. Hearing history first hand from
with our full selection of wine, craft beer,
best imports, microbreweries, and an
patrons is gratifying but we have also
liquor, and cocktails from our experienced
incredible infusion of local and seasonal
heard some inspiring stories. One couple
bartenders. We feature award winning
craft beers. With over one thousand
told the story of purchasing their very
Lucci’s Pizza by the slice as well as
products for immediate pickup or
first bottle of wine at the Campus Wine
frequent free caterings for Browns games,
delivery, we always have the perfect
Cellar on their first date, and now, over
Indians playoffs, and other special events.
choice for any occasion.
twenty-five years later, they are still
Join us twice a month for informal wine
together and still enjoying their wine
tastings that offer four different specially
from the Campus Wine Cellar!
chosen feature wines for half glass tastes.
New Owners and Management
Each wine is chosen monthly by our staff
New ownership is stable, grounded, and
Devotion and Commitment
dedicated: we live in Kent, work in Kent,
The tremendous reputation the
culinary compliments for a personal,
invest in Kent, earned degrees from Kent
Campus Wine Cellar obtained as the
relaxing, and enjoying way to entice your
State, taught at Kent State, and are fully
oldest wine boutique in the Kent area,
taste buds, expand your knowledge, and
devoted to helping and serving the Kent
as well as having been one of the
find a new favorite wine!
area. New owners include John McNeil,
powerhouse sellers of beer in the entire
owner of longstanding Kent business PC
state of Ohio while holding the longest
Delivery Technology
Surgeons, Frank Smith, retired Kent State
hours and its convenient location and
Our late night legacy, known to so many
professor of Mathematics, and Kevin
great selection made it easy to thrive
longtime Kentites, continues and now
Smith, Kent State graduate with Master’s
for many decades. However, despite an
includes delivery. Replacing your late
in Business Administration. New manager,
unbelievable reputation as the best
night drive before last call with a quick
former Kent State student and daytime
store in town in the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and
phone call or a click for our safe, speedy,
face of the Campus Wine Cellar, Kelly
deep into this millennium, the last few
and dependable delivery services. Team-
Masaitis shares her creativity, energy,
years has seen turnover in management
ing with national Drizly.com to propel
and commitment along with over ten
and a corresponding lack of reliability.
Kent forward and bring convenience and
years of management expertise in
New ownership is devoted and committed
safety. As the first Drizly.com partner
restaurant, bar, and delivery service.
to stability and reliability. The new
in Portage County, the Campus Wine
After helping customers, Kelly enjoys
owners will restore the reputation. The
Cellar inventory is displayed in real time,
hiking with her German shepherd, fishing
Campus Wine Cellar is back, open late,
ready to take orders, and can be sped
Lake Erie with her dad, and watching
and open daily.
to any address in town. Perfect for gifts,
and paired perfectly with just the right
any CSI show, especially with a nice taste
unexpected company, cozy nights on the
of something special from the Campus
couch, large gatherings, and of course,
Wine Cellar.
the frequent need to restock the party!
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AMERICAN DREAM
The
Elliott Ingersoll, Ph.D.
Part I
I
n the past year there has been much reflection as well as gnashing of teeth about the idea of the American Dream. This has prompted me to explore the idea in two articles, this being the first. In this article you will hear from students at an urban university and what their idea of the American Dream is. In the next article, I address what these students see as threats to that dream. This much I can say; I am an American and I have an American Dream. Some of my liberal friends will say my dream is an anarchic nightmare (though many
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of them are narrative deconstructionists). My conservative friends will say my dream is a socialist dystopia (though several of them are on Medicare). Most people who don’t know me could not care less about my American Dream. That is their right of course; most of them are Americans and above all else, many Americans dream of simply ignoring each other. Studying the writing of journalist Hunter Thompson inspired my fascination with the American Dream. He wanted to author
a book on the death of that dream but by his own admission the topic was “too vast and weighty.” My own forays into the topic suggest that the American Dream is far from dead. It lives on in what some may consider the most unlikely of places. In this first of two articles on the American Dream, I will share descriptions of it from the students I teach. In the second, I will write about what my students feel we in the 21st century can do to facilitate the dream. I am generationally labeled a “baby-boomer.” By that definition, my American Dream is a narcissistic flight into self where I discovered my feelings with fantastic music, cheap gasoline, mind altering substances, and am now deferentially courted by the AARP. My “baby-boomer” moniker comes to me courtesy of two members of the Greatest Generation. My father, turned 93 this year, is living the American dream he fought for in WWII—winding down his days in the only home he ever bought with his wife of 63 years, enjoying grandchildren, reading, and turning up the television as loud as he likes. My father went to college on the G.I. Bill and has been an avid reader all his life. In going through some of his college books, I happened upon The Epic of America by James Truslow Adams (any book with “Epic” in the title must be authored by a person with three names). Puns aside, Mr. Adams’ early 20thcentury description of the American Dream is prescient and current. He wrote it was “the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every (person), with
opportunity for each according to ability and achievement…” He added that even by his book’s publication in 1931 “ … too many of us have grown mistrustful of … a dream of a social order in which each man and woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are capable and to be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of fortuitous circumstances of birth or position” (p. 317). I don’t think we mistrust the dream as much as those who seek to control access to opportunities that help us make the dream come true. While that will be explored in the next article, let me now share some diverse and yet strikingly similar views on the American Dream. I have the privilege of working at an urban university in Northeast Ohio. My students come from around the world and from many walks of life. In the past year, I have had conversations with them about the American Dream. Here is some of what they shared. Janine earned a master’s degree in counseling and now works at a center specializing in helping people conquer opioid addiction. Janine identifies as African-American and as an Evangelical Christian. Her mother and father died two years apart of heroin overdoses and she and her brother were raised by an Aunt. Janine says the American Dream is to walk freely and safely as a black woman from home to work; to someday own her own home and
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be recognized for her merits. As an alumni of the state university system, Janine says state schools are an integral part of her American Dream. Loans and one scholarship allowed her to work part-time while attending school full time. She sees the biggest threat to her American Dream is our society devaluing support for higher education. Janine believes prejudice and racism will always be with us, but they can be overcome. She celebrated last month paying off all her student loans.
“ I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That’s exactly what I’ve done.” WHOOPI GOLDBERG
Karwana earned a Ph.D. in policy studies and came to the United States from Uganda in 1985 with his Uncle to escape the Ugandan Bush War. His name means “born during wartime” which in his case was the Ugandan-Tanzania war. At age seven, he witnessed his parents being killed and hid “in the bush” with his Uncle Continued on page 60
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Continued from page 59 for two days. Since leaving Uganda, Karwana’s American Dream has always been to teach international politics. His dream took a big leap forward last year when he earned a tenured faculty position out of state. Karwana often fiercely debated fellow students who identified as African-American and the debates seemed rooted in vastly different childhoods. While he recognizes prejudice and racism, he says the American Dream is to be able to be a man, pursue education, and provide for a family. His most cherished early memory is watching the inauguration of President George H.W. Bush with his Uncle who pointed out that power could be handed off without killing. Karwana sees the biggest threat to his American Dream as divisive language that turns into divisive emotion. Like Janine, he values reasoning for its capacity to help people grow beyond divisive emotion. Ingrid is a first-generation Latino-American earning her master’s degree in Adult Learning and Development. Ingrid’s father and mother were granted citizenship in 1970. He is an oncological surgeon and she a Registered Nurse. Ingrid recalls their stories of a Mexico torn by gang wars and corruption. Even though her father was a prominent man in their home town, the whole family was vulnerable to kidnapping because they were financially well-off and light-skinned. She says it sounds crazy, but prejudice about skin seems worldwide. Ingrid’s parents resolved to move here when they
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“ I do believe we’re heading toward apocalypse – the collapse, the total shame and impotence of the American Dream” HUNTER S. THOMPSON 1972
learned Ingrid would be born in eight months. Ingrid describes her American Dream as complex. She says “many of my peers think I am too privileged and detached from the needs of ‘my people.’ My American Dream is the freedom to live my life as I choose, not to be obligated to a cause because of genetics or culture, and to include all people as my people. I believe in education and am pursuing my master’s degree in that. I am honored to be an instructor for anyone willing to learn. Being free to work in a field of my choosing is an important part of my American Dream.” Each of these students, in their own way, has an American Dream similar to James Truslow Adams. It is a dream of autonomy and the freedom to be who they choose to be. Each of
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the students whose stories I shared recognized that the American Dream can be a nightmare for many people. For them though, it is an ideal of meritocracy. All of them know there are people who would rid the planet of meritocracy if they could. They also know there are those willing to fight to preserve meritocracy. To them, this is part of the human condition, the human struggle for power and influence. To paraphrase several presidents, they would agree that freedom always has to be fought for in some manner. But a fight can be dedication to education, freeing people from drug addiction, or teaching people about international politics. Each of these students agreed that the living of their version of the American Dream, may dovetail with a fight for freedom. The late comedian George Carlin said that “the reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.” As much as I love Mr. Carlin’s work, I (and the students whose stories I shared) think he may have missed the mark here. Unlike most dreams, the American Dream cannot be fulfilled while one is sleeping or sleepwalking through life. It is a dedication to a way of life that requires fierce alertness, compassion, drive, and a willingness to act—even fight, if necessary. A little luck never hurts, but it is not the main ingredient. In the next article, we will explore the threats to the American Dream of my students and how best to facilitate the dream in the 21st century.
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