The Exponent Print Edition: Oct. 25, 2023

INFORMING THE BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY AND BEREA COMMUNITIES SINCE 1913

the

OCTOBER 25, 2023

since 1913

GREAT COMET HITS GREAT LAKES

print edition vol. 109 no. 1ii Creator of Siri visits campus, speaks on humanistic artifical intelligence

By HANNAH WETMORE & KAYLA MURO Executive Web Editor and Managing Editor

Photo by Ursula Saadeh

“It’s fun to see different generations of this program not only interact but get to act on stage together, and I think that has made it very special.”

VICTORIA BUSSERT

SEE PAGE 4

BWEXPONENT.com

Director, Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre

On Thursday, Tom Gruber, the co-founder of Siri Inc., which ultimately developed the Siri digital assistant, visited campus to speak about the future of artificial intelligence, which he said has the potential to positively impact the future’s professional environment.

Gruber currently works on humanistic AI, an AI whose focus is on collaborating w i t h hu m a n s t o m a k e our relationship with AI trustoworthy rather than competitive. Gruber said that while there are everyday concerns for the emerging t e c h n o l o g y, t h r o u g h regulations and a focus on improving human’s critical t h i n k i ng , p e opl e c ou l d see improvements in their collegiate and professional lives. “[AI is] smart and playful, entertaining, it does amazing stuff,” Gruber said. “But you

Pride @ BW celebrates LGBTQ+ community

By MEREDITH MCCORD Managing Editor

INSIDE

Baldwin Wallace University’s Center for Inclusion hosted Pride @ BW, an event to help celebrate students and faculty members identifying with the LGBTQ+ community on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day. Despite past events that have taken place on BW’s campus to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, this is the first year that Pride @ BW was hosted. Ana De Freitas Boe, BW’s Coordinator of LGBTQ+ services said that the event was designed with the intention of increasing visibility.

“This is a campus wide celebration of LGBTQ+ people, and it was really the idea of Dr. Randi Congleton, the new chief diversity and

inclusion officer, she wanted to create a sort of signature e vent t hat re a l ly helps create LGBTQ+ visibility on campus,” Boe said.

Boe said there is good reason to believe that about 20 to 30% of BW students identify as LGBTQIA+.

“To have those students and faculty members feel seen and celebrated, that's what this event is about,” Boe said.

While this event celebrated students and faculty members, d i f fe re nt org an i z at i ons including Equality Ohio, Out Support, Colors+ and PFLAG attended the event as well.

These organizations are spread across the Cleveland a re a a n d h e lp prov i d e education and resources to the LGBTQ+ community as well as allies to the community.

Jena Parks, co-president of

BW’s LGBTQ+ student group, Allies, said that some members might have heard about these organizations for the first time through Pride @ BW. “Having those community partners there was, I think, so important just to see that you have resources in Cleveland that you might not know about,” Parks said.

Pride @ BW is different from other pride events that have taken place on campus being that this event took place not during June’s Pride month, but rather, during October.

This let room for an event to take place during LGBTQ+ History month, October, said Ellen Posman, a committee member of the Center for Inclusion Heritage Month.

“We wanted to have a Pride event, but it made it really difficult to schedule something

When in Rome...

BWVP brings the Roman Civil War to Playhouse Square in adaptation of "Giulio Cesare."

in June because students aren’t here, so we decided on October because October is LGBTQ+ history month,” Posman said.

Even though students are not here in June to celebrate Pride month on campus, there are organizations on campus that support and celebrate LGBTQ+ students throughout the academic year.

Although Allies was not a direct partner with Pride @ BW, they are an on-campus re s ou rc e t h at s t u d e nt s identifying with the LGBTQ+ community can be involved in.

Parks said that while they do some education and outreach programs, their main focus is building a sense of community where members SEE PRIDE >> PAGE 3

wouldn’t give it the controls of an air pl ane w it hout supervision.”

Gruber said that there are some issues with AI technology; it doesn’t always know what it is talking about and frequently will make mistakes, an activity called an "AI hallucination."

“These machines accidentally, by the nature of the way they are built, will emit a series of words that sound right but aren’t true,” Gruber said. “There is absolutely nothing to tell you in the machinery that is not true. They have no way to know and no way to care, you have to become a better critical thinker.”

Gruber said that with AI’s inability for deep critical thinking, humans could further focus on the activities which require critical thinking rather than on menial tasks, which, he said, is ever more important in our digital age.

“There is a lack of critical thinking skills today, with social media and all this nonsense, where people can

choose to believe anything they want. They can choose to believe Uncle Fred down the hall instead of the Mayo Clinic,” Gruber said.

Gruber said he sees room for AI automating jobs in Gen-Z's professional future such as call centers, or other tasks where machines can outperform their human counterparts.

“It’s a miserable thing for humans to do [call centers].

Driving too, humans are pretty bad drivers,” Gruber said. “We are getting machines that are better. When they are, we should replace ourselves with machines.”

Gruber said he sees AI as a tool that can help people and college students alike. For example, with appropriate use of this technology, a student can utilize AI as an assistant.

However, if a student goes beyond the appropriate use of AI, Gruber said that they would only be cheating

SEE SIRI >> PAGE 3

PARENTHESIS

A podcast by The Exponent

Photo by Benjamin Michael Hall

Matthias Andujar, Cole Graham and Zella Miller discuss issues pertaining to the student body, the Baldwin Wallace campus and the greater community from a student perspective on the "Paranthesis."

The podcast provides a space for them to speak on the issues covered in print without representing an overall opinion of the Exponent.

A yellow jacket love story

Class of 1971 and 1972 alumni get engaged at the 2023 Bold & Gold Festival.

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NEWS 1-3 November election guide

THE EXPRESSION 4-5 'The Exorcist'

LISTEN HERE:

LIFE & STYLES 6-7 Campus ghost stories

SPORTS

8 Women's volleyball

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ELECTION 2023

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STUDENT EDITORIAL STAFF

Executive Print Editor Simon Skoutas exponent@bw.edu Executive Web Editor Hannah Wetmore Exec. Business Coordinator Sunaina Kabadkar Executive Art Director Alexis Watkins Managing Editors Cole Graham Benjamin Michael Hall Tommy Maroon Meredith McCord Kayla Muro Ursula Saadeh Ella York Staff Writers Ryan Acevedo Cadence Downey Caitlin Bowshier Bailey Croft Bryanna Feagler Hailey Gandias Israel Gole Maria Vurbic Saraphina Groh Nick Irelan Niko Gemelas Emma Lambert Kathryn Raubolt Isabel Rivera Sophia Rossero Jason Tafoya Justin Verhosek Mae Werstler Ryan Acevedo Layout Editors Elise Coble Hailey Noszek Cartoonist Halle Vargo

FACULTY ADVISOR

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NEWSPAPER POLICIES T h e E x p on e nt i s t h e student-run newspaper of Baldwin Wallace University, which is intended for the entire college community. The Exponent is funded by the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences as well as advertisements. The Exponent is produced by the student staff on a biweekly basis during the academic year. Questions or concerns about the content of articles or other material published herein should be directed to student staff of The Exponent or the faculty advisor. The office of The Exponent is located in Loomis Room 185. It is the right of The Exponent to print all material deemed newsworthy and gathered in a fair and unconditional manner. No advance copies of stories will be shown, and reporters' notes are considered confidential. No "off the record" information will be accepted.

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The Exponent's Guide to the November Election The Local Angle State-wide Ballot Initiatives Berea Municipal Court Judge Member of * Denotes incumbent

Candidates: Michele Lynch vs. Sean Kilbane As presiding Judge Mark Comstock, the longest-serving judge of the Berea Municipal Court, enters retirement, voters will decide between Sean Kilbane and Michele Lynch to serve as the Municipal Court Judge over Berea, Brook Park, Middleburg Heights, Olmsted Township, Olmsted Falls, the Metroparks and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for the next six years.

One of the major issues facing the court is budgetary issues.

Kilbane said that while the Berea Municipal Court serves many localities, the fiscal responsibility often falls on the Berea community. Comstock said he wants the court to modernize, and both Lynch and Kilbane seek to find ways to improve fiscal efficiency through modernization.

They both wish to maintain safety in the area, and Lynch said that focusing on mental health issues, substance abuse and preventing recidivism are all ways she hopes will protect the community.

Kilbane has been working in law since 2014, and Lynch has worked in the profession for almost 25 years. Kilbane is currently an Assistant Prosecuting attorney in the Criminal Division’s Major Trial Unit, and Lynch now works as an attorney for the Chapter 13 trustees office who handles bankruptcy cases. Kilbane has worked in criminal law throughout his time, and Lynch has worked in criminal and civil litigation, which she said will serve her well in the diverse functions of the court.

Clerk of Municipal Court

Candidates: Johanna Hamrick vs. Joseph DeMio vs. Micahel Gammella The Clerk of Courts handles the court's business functions, and voters can vote between Joseph DeMio, Michael Gammella or Johanna Hamrick as the Clerk of Court for the next six years.

DeMio is currently the Councilman at Large for the city of Strongsville and has over 25 years of experience in the court system, working as a bailiff for over 20 years. DeMio said that his plan for the budget issue is to work more closely with the State Attorney General to take the burden off of the city. DeMio also said he wants to find ways for the court to improve collections through modernizations and different payment plans.

Gammella is the former mayor of Brook Park and former Union President of the United Auto Workers Local 1250. Gammella said that he hopes to bring in some help to address the budget issue and said that he has experience in crisis management. Gammella said he has experience serving the community and hopes to bring his experience to a more modern court.

Hamrick is the President and Senior Management Executive of CSI Holding, a business located in Berea and the Business Development Director of VFB, a veterans non-profit organization.

Hamrick said that her business experience will help her as Clerk of Court. Hamrick said that with people retiring and working on collections, implementing fees and various other methods, she could improve the budget.

Ward 1 Councilmember

Candidates: Jonathan Montag vs. Leon Dozier Sr.* Leon Dozier Sr. and Jonathan Montag, running as the only opposition candidates for Berea’s City Council, would represent Ward 1 for the next two years. Ward 1 includes parts of Front St., Baldwin Wallace University and the Cleveland Brown's training facility. Montag said he is running against the incumbent because he wants to improve communication between residents and the City Council, which he said has been lacking in the ward.

Both candidates said that improving infrastructure in the area to help against flooding problems is a goal that they have. Both candidates also said that as Ward 1 houses the Browns training facility, they want to ensure that any new properties that the Browns purchase take the current residents into consideration.

Reporter's Notebook: Student Government

By JUSTIN VERHOSEK Staff Writer

On Oct. 3, the 113th session of Student Senate began, with Senate President Brenna Holiday winning another term in her position after running unopposed. The Campus and Enivronmental Affairs Committee said they met Tim Washington, BW’s Safety and Security Supervisor, to further work toward turning the driveway between the Student Activity Center and tennis courts into a oneway.

On Oct. 10, a new student organization,

Board of Education

Candidates: Steve Cika Jr. vs.

Cori Farris* vs. Larry Gabbard vs.

Katie Michal Candidates (to fill resigned seat): Rick Mackvs. Keith Simmons School boards carry out the functions of setting school policy and hiring the treasurer and superintendent. Cori Farris, Katie Michal and Rick Mack are a part of the Tri-City Ticket, symbolic of the TriCity representation of Berea, Brook Park and Middleburgh Heights. Opposing candidates Steve Cika, Larry Gabbard and Keith Simmons are a part of the “vote4abetterbcsd” ticket, which stands for bringing about a better Berea City School District.

One of the rec urring themes in school board meetings in recent years is the politicized nature of the concerns expressed by parents and community members.

The candidates who spoke to the Exponent all see the politicization of school board meetings as negative, but Gabbard said it is not just the politicization of the school board meetings but that there is possibly an indoctrinating ideology in the schools that does not provide space for dissenting opinions.

On the campaign website for the “vote4abetterbcsd” platform, critical race theory is defined as a problem and the website says that “school curriculum has increasingly been infested with disastrous woke ideology. Our children are b eing ‘gro omed’ by radical influencers without the parents' knowledge.”

However, Farris said the idea of indoctrination results from manufactured issues promoted by politicians.

Among other school districts, Berea City Schools s aw a d e cl i n e i n t h e i r standardized test scores.

Since in-person schooling, the school has begun climbing again, but “vote4abetterbcsd,” along with members of the TriCity ticket, said that they want the scores to keep trending upward.

Student Alliance for Neuro Diversity, was approved by the Student Senate. This organization seeks to form a connection and advocacy group with other neurodivergent students.

The Wellness Committee provided updates on the conditions of on-campus washers and dryers. The senators said that both of their contacts reached back, and the laundry machines that were identified have been worked on. Further, berry cups are planned to be in the Union soon, along with a Google form for opinions on other options.

Issue 1

Issue 2

Issue 1 is an amendment to Ohio’s constitution that would enshrine the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions” in the Ohio Constitution.

This would include rights to abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care and continuing pregnancy decisions. This bill would still allow restrictions on fetal viability by the state to a degree but only when it does not harm the pregnant patient’s life.

If the amendment fails to pass, it is possible that in the future, abortion could be banned even in cases of rape, incest or risk to the mother’s life.

Issue 2 aims to legalize cannabis in Ohio and apply regulations on marijuana that would treat it the same as alcohol. The initiative will “legalize and regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of marijuana and marijuana products to adults ages 21 and up” as well as “home grow for adults ages 21 and up with a limit of six plants per person and 12 plants per residence.”

However, the initiative still allows employers and landlords to place limits on their employees and residents.

R e p re s e nt at i v e s o f t h e initiative say that it will have many benefits to the economy, such as over $400 million in revenue each year which will, in part, disperse throughout the community in a social equity and jobs fund along with funding for addiction and drug abuse treatment programs.

Issue 5

Issue 5 is a tax that would increase funding for Cuyahoga Community College. The issue would renew an existing property tax of 2.1 mills and usher in an increase of 0.4 mill for each $1 of taxable value to contribute towards operating costs for educational services.

This means that per $100,000 of property taxes, the residents’ taxes would increase by $14 a year to support education funding.

By SIMON SKOUTAS, HANNAH WETMORE AND ISRAEL GOLE

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Reporter's Notebook: Berea City Council

By KAYLA MURO Managing Editor

Berea City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 2 Barb Jones, director of law and public safety, said that new state laws regarding distracted drivers law went into effect a few months ago,

and officers could begin citing offenders as of Oct. 3.

Director of Public Wor k s , Tony A r m a g n o, announced the annual Road Program was complete; howe ve r, t he E me rs on Avenue project, repairing its sidewalk and concrete, will be done within the month.

BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, October 25, 2023 | THE EXPONENT

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FAFSA overhauls create delays for need-based financial aid

By KATHRYN RAUBOLT Staff Writer

On Oct. 5 the Financial Aid Office of Baldwin Wallace University sent an email which explained how the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is delayed until mid-December, or at the latest Jan. 1, leading to delays in offer letters for the next school year.

In 2020, Congress passed The FAFSA Simplification Act leading to a complete overhaul of the application in 2023 for the 2024-2025 application including changes such as the reduction from 108 questions to 36.

Will McGinley, director of financial aid, said the

new application is meant to be simpler and shorter for families, but may include changes that could impact a student’s aid. Federal aid will now be calculated using the Student Aid Index instead of the Expected Family Contribution.

O n e n ot a b l e c h a n g e , Mc G i n l e y s a i d , i s t h e parent involved in the new calculations. Instead of using the parent that houses the child for most of the year, the new calculation will be based on the parent and their spouse that provides at least 50% of financial support. The SAI will also no longer take into account the number of children a family has in college.

“It used to be that you'd take income and assets divided by the number [of children] in college, and you'd get your EFC,” McGinley said. “Now, the SAI is going to be derived from income and assets and not divided by the number [of children] in college.”

Additional changes found in the new application include demographic questions of race, sex and ethnicity, which will not be used in calculating financial eligibility and whether a student is expecting to live on campus.

Many of BW’s aid is merit or endowment based and will not change based on the new index. However, students receiving the Federal Pell Grant, a state grant, Federal

Work Study, subsidized loans or the BW Grant, may see changes depending on their SAI. Miles Heyse, third-year film studies and business administration student, said he used to qualify for work study when he originally came to BW, but no longer receives it due to financial changes in his family. Heyse also said that within the FAFSA “certain things were counted against me that felt unfair when our financials changed” during his freshman year and hopes those are resolved in the future.

McGinley said that offer letters are usually released before the holiday break for admitted incoming students and late February to early

March for returning students.

This year, students can expect offer letters a couple months later than usual in the spring semester.

Rusty Bechen, first-year studio art student, said that with the delay, he is “a little nervous” because he would like to know what expenses will look like for the next school year, regardless of whether it’s a positive or negative change.

“That's the tough thing about it being a federal organization, they can't really cater to everybody individually, which would be amazing,” Bechen said. “But honestly, the change is going to be great for some people and it's going to hurt others.”

As families prepare for the

PRIDE: Professor says SIRI: Creator of Siri says inclusivity has grown regulations needed on AI Continued from page 1 can have fun.

“We try to foster a community for LGBTQ+ people at BW and our allies, because everyone deserves a place where they feel like they are represented, and they are welcome and wanted here,” Parks said.

Allies plans to take part in other events for members of the LGBTQ+ community later in the year such as Pride Prom and the Lavender Graduation Ceremony.

Despite the positivity that came from this event, BW still has work to do to make campus more inclusive, Boe said.

“It doesn’t mean that there aren’t little places where someone faces a microaggression or somebody gets misgendered, we have work to do, we definitely as a community are not perfect, we are a work in progress, but when I arrived at BW in 2004 it was not as inclusive as it is today,” Boe said. “And I feel like the longer I’m here, the more it really does become a place where LGBTQ+ [people] can be their full selves.”

Continued from page 1 themselves out of their education.

Gruber also said that he recognizes the common concerns brought about AI, such as intellectual property issues.

“You can pretend to be anybody stealing one’s intellectual property identity content and use it to make a profit or to disappear or to harm them,” Gruber said.

In response to these dangers Gruber said he advocates for federal regulations on the industry.

He described how much AI has already become integral to everyday life and that it would be necessary to focus regulations on these types of AI to ensure protection for people at risk of the dangers of fraud and other risks of AI. “When we put the superpower of the new AI on top of it [fraud], it's going to be a real problem.

So we’ve got to put some things in place for that…That is a problem that concerns almost all the AI scientists,” Gruber said.

When creating Siri Inc., Gruber said he had accessibility in mind. He said that he hoped to create something that appealed to people of all ages and abilities could be easily reached through a “one button push.”

release of the new FAFSA, McGinley said that everyone needs a Federal Student Aid username and password comprised of the student and the identified parent and their spouse providing the majority of financial support.

Otherwise, the student risks being marked ineligible for federal aid.

For additional information regarding federal student aid, visit studentaid.gov or contact the BW One Stop by phone (440)826-2121 or email onestop@bw.edu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are encouraged as a method to bring issues of concern into the public eye. Letters should be typed, limited to no more than 300 words, include a full name and include a phone number for confirmation. Letters may be submitted via form at bwexponent. com/contact/letter-tothe-editor. All letters must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday the week before any publication.

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THE EXPONENT | WEDNESDAY, October 25, 2023 | BWEXPONENT.COM

The Expression

Arts and Culture Coverage from The Exponent AT THE MOVIES

‘The Exorcist: Believer’ breathes new spirit into beloved franchise JUSTIN VERHOSEK Film Critic

Director David Gordon Green returns from spearheading the recent “Halloween” sequel trilogy to continue another beloved franchise through “ The Exorcist: Believer,” possessing the audience along with the two girls fallen victim to the demons.

There are now two families that must deal with the mystery of what has happened to their daughters after they disappeared in the woods one day after school.

The two girls, Angela and Katherine, are found three

days later, traumatized and showing signs of possession.

Aided by Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil, the mother of the possessed Regan from the original film, the families are left trying to pull the demons out of their daughters.

While technically a sequel, “The Exorcist: Believer” is more of a standalone. The original is referenced, and some characters overlap, but this film makes the right choice to keep its focus on its own story, using the original film as only a means of providing context to the world.

There may be two possessed children, but the focus is on Leslie Odom Jr.’s Victor

Fielding, the father of one of the girls who lost his wife in a tragic accident right before she gave birth. The film excels at setting up Odom’s character and his dynamic with his daughter, Angela, played by Lidya Jewett; however, the same cannot be said for the other family.

Rather than splitting the focus between the two, the film makes the decision to be almost entirely from Odom’s perspective. While this allows an emotional bond to form between Odom and the audience, it significantly steals the attention away from developing the other family in the film.

Including the perspective

of the other family could have created a more serious dilemma, where the viewers could see how different families navigate the same frightful situation.

The other semi-major character within the film is the returning Burstyn, performed

by MacNeil. While Burstyn is an eye-catching part of the trailer, her appearance in the film only catches audiences up to her point in life since the original film. Fans who are looking for a film that heavily involves her will be disappointed. Still, the film was better delivered through the new characters than if the director chose to overly focus on selling nostalgia.

As for the horror in the film, there were some genuinely good effects and makeup; however, films in this series truly excel when they can capture the fear and desperation that a family would incur if their own daughters were possessed by an evil spirit. All of this was done very well, although the film unfortunately falls back on a few easy to deliver jump scares.

The film does think of clever new ways to enhance the meaning of the “The Exorcist” name and provides a pretty satisfying conclusion to these characters’ stories in the process.

This is just the start of

Green’s new sequel trilogy, and it will be intriguing to see where things will go next.

Much like Green’s take on “Halloween,” “The Exorcist: Believer” does not end with loose threads.

Hopefully, this is not an indication that history is repeating itself and Green has a plan this time, rather than making one solid film only to follow it up with two somewhat directionless sequels.

“The Exorcist: Believer” is available to watch in theaters now.

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ delivers dark themes, emotional confusion ELLA YORK Head Film Critic

This past weekend, Martin Scorsese debuted his highly anticipated feature film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a three-and-a-half hour epic that grabbed audiences with its story of love, betrayal and murder, but ultimately wasn’t able to justify its bloated runtime.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” told the true story of the Osage Native American tribe when oil was found on their land. The Osages became wealthy from owning the oil rights, which attracted white opportunists to the reservation. The opportunists plotted to gain this wealth in any way possible, including

marrying and killing Osage people.

The story centers around a man named Ernest Burkhart, who comes to live with his uncle William Hale after returning from World War I. Ernest falls in love and marries a wealthy Osage woman, Mollie Kyle. William, who has already gained the trust of many Osage people, devises a plan to murder everyone in Mollie’s family so that the oil rights are inherited to Ernest and eventually William, a plan Ernest takes part in.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest, Robert De Niro as William, and Lily Gladstone as Mollie, and with a name like Scorsese attached to the project, it is easy to see why this film was so highly anticipated.

The film effortlessly showed the duality of the opportunists as they show their love to the Osage people while simultaneously stabbing them in the back. Scorsese expertly shows the power that William holds as the puppet master for the whole scheme, making it extremely heartbreaking to watch as the Osage people put more and more trust in him.

Gladstone gave the best performance of the film, unafraid to show raw emotion as Mollie watches the tragic events unfold. Her portrayal of grief was unmatched, so much so that it outshined e ve n D i C apr i o, w h o s e performance was convincing and nuanced.

But one of the more questionable decisions made

by Scorsese was to center

the film around Ernest. For one, knowing early on who is murdering the Osage people takes much of the suspense out of the story. But the strangest part of this decision lies in Scorsese’s attempt to almost win sympathy for Ernest.

It is no secret that Ernest is not too bright, making him an easy target for William’s manipulations. Scorsese makes it clear that Ernest was, in part, manipulated into participating in William's plan, but is that enough to excuse Ernest’s actions that deliberately hurt and deceived the woman he claimed to love?

While his actions would make him seem evil, Scorsese does not paint him as such.

The film is not clear in

its direction, leaving the audience confused on how to feel about Ernest. Are we supposed to pity him? Hate him? Sympathize with him?

Feel angry? A film dealing with a subject this heavy should not have the lack of emotional direction it did.

It wou l d h ave m a d e infinitely more sense to center the film around Mollie.

Watching her go through the grief of her family members dying one by one and ultimately learning it was at the hands of her husband would have made for a much richer story that is able to have an element of suspense.

Despite this, the film did indeed pay respect to the Osage people, as Scorsese consulted with them throughout the entire

production of the film.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” was filmed in Osage Nation, a federally recognized tribal land in Oklahoma, with DiCaprio, De Niro and Gladstone all learning the Osage language.

Overall, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was captivating in telling the tragic story of the Osage murders with intricacy and respect; however, the film’s superfluous runtime lead the film to lack direction through its muddy waters.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is available to watch in theaters now.

Theatre students and alums shine in regional premiere of ‘Great Comet’

By URSULA SAADEH Staff Writer Great L akes Theater’s “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812” recently closed its three-weekend run at the Hanna Theatre, marking an end to a years-long production process.

Based on a 70-page excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s “War &

Peace,” “Great Comet” centers on the lively Natasha and the melancholy Pierre. After arriving in Moscow, Russia, Natasha falls in love with another man while her fiancé is off at war. Meanwhile, Pierre tries to search for the meaning of life.

This production marked the regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning “Great Comet,” originally written and

composed by Lakewood native Dave Malloy. BW professor and director of musical theatre for the Great Lakes Theatre and the artistic team began preparing for this production for over a year.

“I think whenever you’re doing the first regional production on a show, you’re really starting essentially from scratch,” Bussert said. “So, you want it to be really special.”

“Great Comet” fuses opera and electronic dance music to create a lively 1812 Moscow.

Senior music theatre student Jessi Kirtley, who played Natasha, said that entrancing audiences was at the forefront of the cast’s mind every night.

“There were challenges in the fact that it’s such an experimental piece to begin with,” Kirtley said. “The challenge was to figure out how we could get people on board with it and … really to buy into the world that we’re creating.”

Bussert and the artistic

team did extensive research on early nineteenth century Russia. BW’s chair of theatre and dance, Jeff Herrmann, designed the set for this show, and he said that his inspiration came from current and past Russian vodka rooms and tearooms.

“The original production is very immersive, and we knew we wanted to create immersive experiences,” Herrmann said.

“In the Hanna Theatre, we were trying to figure out a way to bring the audience as close to the stage as possible and make them feel like they are in a Russian tearoom.”

This production of “Great Comet” has strong ties to BW, not only with its creative team but also with its cast and crew.

The cast mainly comprises BW music theatre students and graduates handpicked by Bussert, who said that having the same training helped the cast quickly jump into rehearsals.

“It’s fun to see different

generations of this program not only interact but get to act on stage together, and I think that has made it very special,” Bussert said. “They’re taking a lot more risks than you would normally have if you hadn’t known the same vocabulary. We all have the same expectations because we all spent four years together.”

Herrmann said he feels joy at seeing the BW graduates who are part of the stage management, sound and set painting team grow.

“I get to see them doing what they’ve learned in the classroom and see them build their resumes and work on an actual production professionally,” Hermann said.

Pre m i e r i ng i n B oi s e, Idaho, at Idaho Shakespeare Festival, a sister theater to Great Lakes Theater, the cast and crew of “Great Comet” gained additional experience mount ing t his show in an outdoor amphitheater.

This brought about stage

lighting and weather-related challenges.

“It was really awesome just to go out and do an internship like that, where I got to just see what career path I’m heading towards after BW and doing something that is so professional and outside of the educational type of setting,” Kirtley said.

“There’s something about all of this where we all seem to be bonded in a more special way than I would say [about] a traditional show,” Bussert said. “I thought Cleveland audiences deserved to see a first-class production of it.”

Pictured: Jessi Kirtley.

Photo by Ursula Saadeh, The Exponent.

BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, October 25, 2023 | THE EXPONENT

‘The Dining Room’ uses minimalist set for rich storyline

Saraphina Groh, The Exponent

René Copeland directs actors as they rehearse a scene from "The Dining Room."

By SARAPHINA GROH Staff Writer Baldwin Wallace will be putting on a performance of A.R. Gurney’s “The Dining Room” from Wednesday to Sunday in the Kleist Center for Art & Drama’s Black Box Theatre, performing a wide range of characters and experiences through only six performers.

René Copeland, an assistant professor of acting and directing at BW, will be directing the play as a part of BW’s sketchbook series.

A u n i qu e c om e dy of manners, “The Dining Room” depicts the overlapping s i t u at i o n s o f d i f f e r e nt households in only one setting. The play tells the stories of different families in different time periods who are all united by the same dining room furniture set.

“This is a small cast show, it’s only got six actors playing all of the roles, and because of the way the play is structured, I was really interested in doing

it in the round,” Copeland said.

The performance of this play is unique due to the circle setting, which allows for a distinct connection between the audience and the actors.

Copeland said the setting called to her, helping her create her vision of the performance.

“It’s been a passion of mine to get to direct in that format,” Copeland said.

Along with its unique setting, the intricate characters are pl aye d by on ly six actors. Copeland found this particularly enjoyable, as she was able to connect with the actors on new levels as she watched them grow through their characters.

“It’s fifty plus roles being played by these six actors.

I really love just being able to work with good actors on figuring out what’s the difference between these characters,” Copeland said.

“In relatively short scenes they have to communicate something important in a pretty brief period of time.”

With the content and meaning of the play delving

into multiple directions, Copeland said the audience can take away a piece that is unique to their own experiences.

“There’s something built into us as human beings about that activity, being in this place where it’s about getting together with people, and that’s what ‘The Dining Room’ is about,” Copeland said.

The intrigue behind the connection occurring in this play is an additive to the interest of the performance.

The meaning of connecting to others through a dining room table allows the audience to interpret the play to their own liking.

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Opera season kicks off with spymovie take on ‘Giulio Cesare’

By RYAN ACEVEDO Staff Writer

Baldwin Wallace voice performance students will kick off their 2023-24 opera season on Friday at the Playhouse Square with a unique take on George Friederic Händel’s “Giulio Cesare.”

BW’s director of opera studies Scott Skiba, who is also the stage director and producer, said their approach to Händel’s “Giulio Cesare” is “inspired by James Bond spy movies.”

Seduction, betrayal, lust for power and revenge are the main convections of this loose adaptation of the Roman Civil War. Written by Händel, this opera celebrates its 300-year anniversary.

“Händel often lends itself to this organized crime and mafia sort of take,” Skiba said.

“But we just did this with the previous opera, so we used disguises and sneaking around to get the idea of spy movies.”

With this added flare, Will Nicholson, a junior vocal performance student

who plays Achilla, said that the performance has high potential.

“The dramatics of the opera are amazing, the story is compelling, the vision that Director Scott Skiba has is incredible, and I’m so excited to see it by the time opening night comes around,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson said that on top of having a creative production, the cast has faced some creative challenges.

“I have never had to do recitative before, and within this role, there’s quite a bit of it,” Nicholson said. “The main struggle I have is making sure that I’m conveying the text correctly so the audience can understand what the characters are going through.”

Based on the work with the vocal faculty and Skiba himself, the department picks operas based on the different students and casting scenarios with which they are presented.

Skiba said that with opera, the performers are their own instrument.

“Unlike theatre or music theatre, there are certainly

types and student attributes that lean towards types of roles, but with opera it’s like casting an orchestra,” Skiba said.

The opera will feature two different casts. The first cast will perform the Friday show and Saturday matinee, and the second cast will perform the Saturday night show and the Sunday matinee.

“The students are doing a great job. They’re all so talented. Part of picking the rep is imagining them excelling and doing really well, bringing their skills and talents to the role,” Skiba said.

A c c o r d i n g t o B W ’s website, the fall production utilizes costumes, lights and the orchestra to explore “non-traditional spaces and contemporary interdisciplinary approaches to opera in the 21st century.”

Tickets are now on sale for “Giulio Cesare,” premiering in the Helen theatre of Playhouse Square Friday to Monday.

“The Dining Room” will be performed in the Black Box Theatre in Kleist Center for Arts and Drama from Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Benjamin Michael Hall, The Exponent

Left to right: Beth Satariano, Kazu Nakamura and Aiden Eddy rehearsing a scene from "Giulio Cesare"

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THE EXPONENT | WEDNESDAY, October 25, 2023 | BWEXPONENT.COM

Life & Styles Alumnus proposes during homecoming festivities

By NIKO GEMELAS Staff Writer

On the morning of Sept. 30, Baldwin Wallace alumni, Bob Baxendale and Kathy Gordon, announced their commitment to one another during BW's homecoming festivities.

Baxendale, from the class of 1971, proposed to Gordon, from the class of 1972, after having reconnected during last year’s mega reunion.

Due to COVID-19, the classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972 reunion was combined to make a mega reunion in 2022.

Because of this, Baxendale and Gordon had the chance to reconnect after all their time apart. Since then, Gordon and Baxendale had begun conversing with each other and felt a connection between them both.

“It was just a chemistry thing,” Baxendale said. “It just seemed to work for both of us and that we were attracted to each other."

Since they started dating, the couple have done many road trips back and for th f rom Strongsville and Cincinnati,given

that Baxendale resides in Strongsville while Gordon resides in Cincinnati. When Baxendale and Gordon were not able to be physically together, they would Facetime with each other.

“We’ve essentially done 14 months of dating in 14 days because of the amount of time we have spent on Facebook or Facetime and learning about each other in our lives,” Gordon said.

Both Baxendale and Gordon have had prior marriages before they dated. Throughout their love journey, Baxendale and Gordon said they have learned about patience and compassion. After Baxendale’s wife of 46 years passed away in 2021, he said he found comfort in finding someone like Gordon to be “compatible with and to have a great time with for the many years to come.”

After the proposal, many of Baxendale’s and Gordon’s family and friends were surprised. Although Gordon knew that at some point this proposal would happen, she was still “taken aback” when it happened during homecoming weekend.

In fact, Baxendale said that proposing to Gordon was not initially planned to happen during homecoming. After spending time looking for a ring and finally purchasing one, Baxendale planned on giving it to Gordon at a prior event they both were going to attend. Since the ring had not arrived on time, plans changed, and Baxendale said he knew he was going to propose on BW grounds.

President Bob Helmer helped create a romantic ambience for the couple.

During his speech at homecoming, Helmer gave the microphone to Baxendale and the rest is history. The proposal was celebrated with flowers and champagne to create the special atmosphere for the day.

Going into the future, B a xe nd a l e and G ord on said that they strive to stay connected to the community by attending fundraisers within and beyond the campus community.

Baxendale said he loves to spend his time engaging in BW activities and events, traveling and working to help the Special Olympics program which allows people with

disabilities t o participate in the sports the y love.

Gordon, on the other hand, has j oi n e d a n organization to fundraise for and assist in the w o m e n’s e d u c at i o n community.

Growing older in this stage of life, Gordon said that having someone you enj oy being with or someone you can connect with easily is “something to be held onto.”

Photo courtesy of University Relations “ We’r e Couple shares romantic moment right after proposal not here for a long time. is short. It may seem when you know that your time is finite,” We’re here for a good time,” are in your 20s like you’ve got Gordon said.

Gordon said. “Try it because an enormous amount of time, you know, time on this planet but at this stage in life, you

Campus’s paranormal activity potentially spread to local business

By BRYANNA FEAGLER Staff Writer

Around campus, stories have circulated regarding p ar an or m a l a c t iv it y i n Kohler Hall and Lang Hall, a phenomenon which could have spread off campus.

Brock Malinowski, owner of Front St Social, a local bar near campus, said that “weird” events have occurred in their bar. Recently, Front St Social posted a reel to their Instagram showing that a cabinet unexpectedly flew from behind their bar.

However, these experiences are not new. In spring of 2021, Malinowski’s general manager posted a video to the bar’s Instagram account displaying a customer being hit in the shoulder by a shot glass that flew off the bar.

"It was not just like it fell off; it flew across the bar," Malinowski said.

Malinowski also said there have been experiences with a randomly ringing kitchen bell the bar used to have.

In addition to this, some bartenders have reported the change machines jingling, sudden noises from the pool table and televisions randomly turning on. Malinowski said that a cook had a harmful personal experience with one of the spirits.

"He went down to the basement one night, and he said he could not open the

door that he had unlocked that leads to the storage area…he got locked in the basement for about 20 minutes," Malinowski said.

Malinowski said he calls the experiences not necesssarily ghost sightings but "poltergeist" patterns due to the objects moving and things that seem odd and do not make sense.

Malinowski said that Front St Social used to be named Bar 107, where he also encountered a few strange experiences.

"One night, I went in for a Karaoke night…I came in, and everybody turned and looked at me. People were singing that sounded to me like gothic hymns,” Malinowski said.

“When I asked the bartender that night about it, I received an odd response, like 'do not worry about it' type of look."

Malinowski added that he also had a strange altercation with a woman at the bar who would not stop staring at him and his friend. When he kindly confronted the woman about the odd behavior and asked if they knew each other, she got up silently, walked out, got into a waiting car and drove off.

The Berea Chamber of Commerce hosted its Spooky Walking Tour on Oct. 6, which allows hearing of ghosts and haunting stories that have occurred throughout Berea,.

This attrac tion include stoppings into Kohler Hall and Lang Hall.

According to the Ritter

Library Encyclopedia, Kohler Hall was previously a German Methodist orphanage asylum before being sold to German Wallace College in 1866. The hall has been used for a variety of purposes, such as a stop on the Underground Railroad and an infirmary and morgue for soldiers during the Civil War. Among the sightings that have been documented, some include a "little ghost girl" named Mabel and haunted underground tunnels that lead to the nearby Lindsey Crossman Chapel.

H o w e v e r, t h e m o s t ominous spirit that has been documented to have haunted Kohler Hall when it was a residence hall is the "blue mist." The mist had been said to press on the sleeping resident's chests, making it hard to breathe and had also ripped the covers off sleeping residents.

In 1826, Lang Hall, also called Emma Lang Hall, was built as a women's exclusive dormitory. The building was named after the wife of George C. Lang, a former BW trustee.

Emma also donated money to the college.

According to the Ritter Encyclopedia, Emma is said to still be haunting the halls of Lang Hall, especially the fourth floor, which is one of the male-exclusive floors in the building. She has been known to press down on males' chests when they are

sleeping, as well as moving and throwing utensils around in the Lang Dining Hall in the basement of the building.

In 2008, Summer Resident Assistants spotted "a young woman walking down the second-floor hallway" from outside the housing residence.

One of the more recent instances has been said to have happened in the firstfloor lounge, where male portraits positioned next to Emma Lang's portraits were thrown off the wall above the fireplace. The portraits of the males remain off the wall, leaving the picture of Emma Lang to stand alone.

Despite the occurrences, Malinowski said that rather harming the business, the business has been doing well.

"I think promoting the ghostly activity helped a little bit for the October season, but I do not like anybody scared of it…it seems to be a fairly friendly ghost if there is one," Malinovski said.

Bryanna Feagler, The Exponent

Former morgue, Kohler Hall, long rumored as haunted.

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BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, October 25, 2023 | THE EXPONENT

Female-led band Lilieae performs masquerade-themed show at The Winchester in Lakewood

Eric Whitacre hosts Q&A in Kulas Music Hall

By RYAN ACAVEDO Staff Writer

By ISABEL RIVERA Staff Writer

Female-led band, Lilieae, released their third EP, “Pretend & Dare,” on Oct. 13 with a masquerade-themed release show at The Winchester in Lakewood.

The audience and band members were hidden by masks and masquerade attire to match the theme. The night featured a costume contest, giving the winner the honor of going home with an official award from Lilieae themselves.

Fawx and Toro were the openers, setting the mood with their Midwest punk vibe.

Lilieae opened with songs from their previous albums, ending the first set with “Siren,” a song fit for Friday the 13th. The next set, after the costume contest, was dedicated to songs from the new EP, including “This Could Be So Sweet,” the song featured on their first ever music video release.

Lydia Puccini, vocalist and Baldwin Wallace University alumna and bassist Kayleigh Hyland form the foundations of Lilieae. Guitarists Eric Kennedy and Donald Pelc, along with drummer Joe Stefano, officially joined the band after the release of their first EP, “Level,” in 2019.

Hyland and Puccini went to high school together but reunited later in life through a mutual friend while Puccini was scouting members to form an all-female band.

Although member changes have resulted in a loss of the all-female aspect, Hyland and Puccini have remained the frontwomen throughout the

THE EXPONENT

Photo courtesy of Abby Leonardi

Ursula Saadeh, The Exponent

BW alum, Emma Puccini, sings alongside the other band members on Oct. 13 at The Winchester. ups and downs of creating a said they are also not impacted band. by the boundaries of having to Hy l a n d , o r i g i n a l l y a create a certain style of sound guitarist, started writing bass or to reach a specific number parts while in Lilieae. of songs on their albums.

“I didn’t even start bass for “We don’t really write to real until this band. Bass was be like, oh we have to write not my main thing,” Hyland this many songs, you know? said. “I just kind of messed It’s kind of just as inspiration around. So the things I wrote comes,” Hyland said. “But when we started, I couldn’t I’m also not gonna force actually play.” something. We’re quality over Collectively, they found quantity.” their footing in 2020, just to Puccini said that BW has have the rug pulled from under always been an important their feet by the COVID-19 factor in Puccini’s life. The BW pandemic. However, after radio station, WBWC-FM, their second EP, “RUN! RUN! had been a staple for a young RUN!,” in 2021, they began to Puccini, making her excited work on “Pretend & Dare.” to attend the school when she “Being a band that’s been was old enough. around for a couple of years, Puccini’s story has come full I feel like we’re always kind circle, from being inspired to of working on something, attend Baldwin Wallace by no matter what that is, so it listening to WBWC-FM to just seemed natural after we Lilieae now being a part of finished our last EP to start the regular rotation on the air. another one,” Puccini said.

“It’s nice to know that “We already had a couple even years past graduation, songs we were playing and the school that I went to still working on and kind of adding supports what I’m doing,” to it and getting it all together.” Puccini said. “And I love that Although the band brings they support our band."" their own individual flair and shappy when I turn it on and inspirations into their work, I hear our music.”

Puccini said she admits they are united by metal. Puccini

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In collaboration with his series with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, famous composer and conductor Eric Whitacre made a stop at Baldwin Wallace to talk to conservatory students about the industry and the journey he has been on during his career.

Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education,

Jami Lercher, said Whitacre’s presence was “digestible in any way,” and that he is far from a famous artist who is on a pedestal.

Whitacre spoke of his experience in coming up as an artist and how he met other great composers and conductors along his way.

To view the whole story: visit www.bwexponent.com/ whitacre

Students sling mallets to relieve midterms stress at Pumpkin Fest

By CADENCE DOWNEY & SARAPHINA GROH Contributing Writer and Staff Writer

On Oct. 6, the Yellow Jacket Activity Board partnered with student government and Residents Life and Housing to host the autumnal celebration Pumpkin Fest across campus to encourage a break from midterms.

As the event took place in multiple locations including the Circle of Warmth, the Student Activity Center and the Union West Lawn, the Pumpkin Fest included a wide range of activities. Students were given the opportunity to smash pumpkins, paint totebags, take a ride in a horse drawn carriage and enjoy an array of fall themed treats.

Greta Graffius, a member of YJAB and co-coordinator for the event, said that YJAB, Rezlife and the student government wanted a wanted a chance to bring together the students across campus and encourage a stress-free time to

relax and enjoy the company of friends.

“We thought it would be a nice little brain break with midterms and everything going on to have a nice way to spend time with friends away from some homework and enjoy and bring the community together,” Graffius said.

One of the activities that saw a lot participation at this year’s Pumpkin Fest was the pumpkin smashing. Todd Heft, assistant director of Residence Life and Housing, provided the mallet which was used to smash the pumpkins.

“Some students asked if I had a sledgehammer they could borrow for an event.

I said ‘yes’, but asked what it would be for and they described their idea, I pointed out that a sledgehammer would just put a hole in the pumpkin, not smash it,” Heft said. “They needed something with a larger surface area that would impact more of the pumpkin”.

After signing a waiver, students moved to a large tarp

with pumpkins covering the surface. There was no limit to the number of pumpkins someone could smash and people took turns throwing them on the ground, stomping on them and smashing them with the mallet.

Wi t h t h e a m o u nt o f pumpkin themed activities, Analicia Guijlsa, first year english student in attendance at the Pumpkin Fest said that event provided a nice atmosphere.

“All the things seemed interesting and definitely like you would find them at a pumpkin patch,” Guijlsa said.

Another popular activity was the “Hocus Pocus” showing in the SAC. The students watched the film while painting a tote-bag.

The students also enjoyed fall themed snacks throughout the movie, such as apple cider and flavored popcorn.

“Pumpkin Fest definitely stands out because there is so much to do for different people,” Mitchell said. “There are a lot of options rather than just one event."

QUOTEACROSTIC

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INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the answers on the blank spaces with the help of the clues. Then, write those letters in the grid to reveal a quote. Black squares indicate the end of a word, and punctuation has been removed. When you're done, the first letters of the answers to the clues will be the author and subject of the quote. Answers will be posted on bwexponent.com.

BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, October 25, 2023 | THE EXPONENT

Women's volleyball keeps pace with top-ranked school

By TOMMY MAROON Sports Editor

On Oct. 14, the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets had not one, but two women’s volleyball games. One was against the Muskingum University Fighting Muskies, while the other game was a non-conference matchup with the top ranked school in the country, the Juniata College Eagles.

Juniata, who entered the match on an unbelievable 27 set winning streak, pushed it to 30 by sweeping the Yellow Jackets, but not without a fight. BW put up at least 15 points in each set and lost the matchup 25-18, 25-17 and 25-18.

It was worth noting that in the first and third sets, the Yellow Jackets scored the first point, and even made the Eagles burn a few timeouts.

What was also striking was that almost all the players had a kill percentage in the positive or at zero.

Junior student Sydney Simonson led the Yellow Jackets with nine kills and 21 total attacks against Juniata, while Jamie Snell, substituting libero for Lauren Gardner, led them with 20 digs.

In the end, Juniata took the game, as they got on some runs in all three sets, putting BW down in a hole that was too deep to dig out of.

However, it was not two losses for the Jackets back on Saturday, as they had a sweep of their own against Muskingum University.

Like BW’s loss to Juniata,

Benjamin Michael Hall, The Exponent

Yellow Jackets huddle before match begins the Muskies had a valiant lunch provided by some of fight as they lost their sets the parents. This allowed the 25-21, 25-19 and 25-22. BW players to meet up with their had a grand total of 41 kills, families and bond with their whereas Muskingum had 30. teammates, something that The Jackets also had a higher second-year coach Kristina percentage than the Muskies Fultz has been implementing. in all three sets and in the At the same time as the entire game. lunch, the Eagles swept Junior student, Sam Rueda, the Muskies 25-16, 25-16, led the Yellow Jackets with 11 25-12. A few days later, on points, which was answered Oct. 18, the Yellow Jackets

by Muskingum’s Mackenzie continued their Ohio Athletic Krous. In second place for Conference dominance with points for BW was Weiner, a clean sweep of Heidelberg who ended up with 8.5. The by a score of 27-25, 25-17 and libero Gardner had more 25-13. digs than anyone in that The Yellow Jackets are now match with 23, while Olivia 11-10 in the regular season, Zawadzki led them with a but also sit at a 4-2 record in .333 kill percentage. the OAC. Meanwhile, during the game between the Yellow Jackets matchups, the team and their families enjoyed a

Berea's Harvest Festival ushers in community in costume

By RYAN ACEVEDO Staff Writer As the air gains the first chills of fall, the people of Berea lined up in costume for the annual Berea Harvest Festival on Oct. 15.

This year brought new additions, including a viewing area for the Browns game referred to as the Dawg Pound, a diverse range of food vendors and a range of Harvest Festival traditions.

Megan Pochatek, the City of Berea’s administrator of special events, said that in moving the festival from Saturday to Sunday, the Dawg Pound allowed people to view the Brown’s game with their community while also giving more time for activities on Saturday.

“The watch party is a brand-new thing,” Pochatek said. “We decided to show the Browns because we moved our harvest festival from Saturday and added a haunted hayride yesterday [Saturday] and moved the festival to Sunday.”

In addition to the Dawg Pound, the Sunday festival included inflatable obstacle courses, a hay maze, craft booths and a candy trail that spanned most of the Coe Lake walking trail. Organizations and businesses from all over the Berea area came out to support the event, including the Berea Rotary, who handed out candy right next to the entrance. “ We’v e b e e n h e l p i n g out since the beginning, I believe” David Skrzynski, a representative of Berea Rotary, said. “In previous years, we’ve

Illustration by Halle Vargo

SPORTS

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Benjamin Michael Hall, The Exponent

Stephan Manchir celebrates with friends helped with rides and whatever candy as well." other activities they have, but Even with the cold and this year we’re just doing the damp weather, many of the candy trail.” attendants wore their choice of The festival brings out a Halloween costume including unique blend of different Batman and members of the food vendors ranging from PAW Patrol. seafood, cotton candy and One returning attendant, donuts. There were also a Stephan Manchir, rocked a lot of new faces representing GhostBusters themed vehicle food vendors such as Original and him and his crew turned Donuts. out in costume.

"We decided that we wanted "We've actually been doing to just start branching out to this for about ten years even more festivals. I looked and before it came to the lake,” then I saw that this one was Manchir said. "They had it in available,” said a worker at the downtown area with the Original Donuts. local businesses, but it got too One of the vendors selling big. So they moved it to the cotton candy, Allison Grazia, lake.” said that the cotton candy brought together adults and children alike.

“We try to go to a lot of kid-oriented and Halloween [events]. Anything that we could get our name out there,” Grazia said. "I mean, adults do get really excited about cotton