The Exponent Print Edition: Feb. 21, 2024

INFORMINGTHE THEBALDWIN BALDWINWALLACE WALLACE UNIVERSITY AND INFORMING AND BEREA BEREACOMMUNITIES COMMUNITIESSINCE SINCE1913 1913

the

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

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print edition vol. 109 no. viii Student publishes book: ‘The Mind Field’

since 1913

By SOPHIA ROSSERO Staff Writer

Gabriel Hill, The Exponent

Brooke Balamenti shows off her self-published work.

On Feb. 11, “The Mind Field,” a book written and self-published by senior creative writing student Brooke Balamenti, was listed on Amazon.

“The Mind Field” is a coming of age story about a 17-year-old girl named Amethyst in Stodgekins, a community for gifted people.

Amethyst starts to learn about her own abilities and has to find her own place in the world — with some twists and turns along the way.

“It’s a book that’s meant for young adult and middle-grade audiences,” Balamenti said.

Balamenti began writing this book when she was fifteen

and finished the book during the spring of her junior year in high school.

During her first year in college, she started talking to literary agents. She was told that her book was too long and does not fit into a genre as nicely as they would like from a debut author.

Balamenti said that one literary agent even told her that “sometimes they won’t even look at the letter if the word count is too high.”

Balamenti then decided to go the route of self-publishing.

“I think what we’re seeing a lot with novels is that it doesn’t necessarily matter who your publisher is as much as it matters how you’re doing on social media,” Balamenti said.

Balamenti's love for writing began at a young age. She said

that she remembers receiving a writing prompt in the second grade, and she continued to write it for weeks after. She also said that her teachers would tell her that she would become a writer one day.

Balamenti said that publishing this book has been a “long time coming,” despite others not expecting her to complete the project when she was so young.

Balamenti advises others who want to publish books of their own to “stick with it” and that “it does not matter how old you are.”

While Balamenti said there are some nerves surrounding the book’s release, she is extremely excited. She said the release of her book has given her a positive focus.

She also said to write stories

that you would like to read and to not write for others.

“Don’t force yourself,” Balamenti said. “Just write for yourself.”

Balamenti will also be having a release party for her book on Sunday from 1-4 p.m. in Sandstone 3 of Strosacker Hall. At the release party, baskets based on themes from the book will be raffled off. The tickets for the raffle will cost five dollars. The tickets can be purcahsed with Venmo or cash.

There will also be copies of “The Mind Field” for 15 dollars. All the money will go to Glimpses of Grace, a nonprofit for teens and their families navigating cancer.

Faculty vote on revised curriculum for 2025 incoming class

By SIMON SKOUTAS Executive Print Editor

INSIDE

From Feb. 5-9, 79 percent of Baldwin Wallace University’s full-time teaching faculty voted in favor of the new Choose Your Competency core model that will be implemented for all incoming students in 2025 and open to current students who may wish to switch to the new curriculum.

T h e C h o o s e Yo u r Competency model focuses on seven foundational skills: effective communication, critical analysis, quantitative l it e r a c y, c i v i c l it e r a c y, mu lt i c u ltu r a l l e ar n i ng , scientific literacy and wellness.

Along with the foundational skills, the Choose Your C omp etenc y mo del has students choose three additional cours es t hat push them toward “career competency” in an area of their choosing. The courses for the skills and other courses will all be classes that are already offered by BW. The recent vote was between two models after they were narrowed down from the four original options voted on in November.

The other model was the ACTA model that focused on the foundational skills offered in the Choose Your C omp etenc y mo del but also included economic understanding along with a few differences in the contents of the foundational skills.

The core models have been in the works since 2021 by Indira Gesink, core director and professor of history, after the Strategic Planning Committee asked the faculty to revise the core model to be an “innovative studentcentered core curriculum that is outcomes-focused.”

Both core models voted on involved a reduction in the core size, and Gesink said that while the current model requires a minimum of 57 credits to complete, the new model could be completed in 31 credit hours.

“There’s a lot of students who are in high credit hour programs, so it’s going to make it a little bit easier for them to graduate in four years,” Gesink said.

Due to course requirements f or m a ny pro g r a m s i n the cons er vator y, Clint Needham, a professor in the Conservatory of Music, said that many students could not

fully participate in the core, which led him to favor the Choose Your Competency model. “ T h e r e’s a b i t m o r e inflexibility with the ACTA model, and it was just very hard to envision how a Bachelor of music and music education, and even how the BFA could fully participate in an active core, so for all those reasons, we kinda collectively got behind the competency model,” Needham said.

While Gesink said she expects both models to equal the same savings potential of around $425,000, she said the Choose Your Competency model could reach $1.3 million in savings compared to around $900,000 for the ACTA model. This price difference is largely due to the fact that since the ACTA model requires an economics requirement, a new professor may have to be hired.

As the Midwest is expected to see a more rapid drop in college enrollment in the coming years than the rest of the U.S., Gesink said the new core model could mitigate the size of the enrollment cliff.

The ACTA model would have allowed BW to market an A rating, but Gesink said

she worked with current high said she recommends that student’s department of study school students to gauge students speak to their advisors has changed requirements for opinions to make all the core to determine if switching to their major or minor during models nationally unique and the new core is the right course this time, they would be marketable. of action because switching subject to those changes.

“Most of our students come to the new curriculum would from about 300 miles around, mean that students would so if we have a nationally switch catalog years. If a unique curriculum, we might pull more students f rom ot her st ates,” Gesink said.

The core w i l l b e Ryan Acevedo, Bailey Croft and completed by March 1 to Israel Gole spearheaded the determine which courses return of The Exponent’s bi-weekly Subscribe Here: will be offered under newsletter, bringing important each foundational skill. stories right to your e-mail.

Leah Kania, sophomore vocal Covering the highlights of weekly performance student and news stories and arts and culture chair of the academic events, the updated newsletter affairs committee, which is the best opportunity to stay sends representatives to faculty senate meetings, updated with our publications each said that while they week. heard discussions about the new core, they placed their trust in the faculty to determine what was best for the students.

“The faculty has the students’ best interests at heart, and they’re doing what is best for the University, and this is a very challenging time for everyone,” Kania said.

Once t he core is implemented, Gesink

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Roar your way into the New Year

First Watch opens new restaurant in Panera Bread's previous location.

Lunar New Year celebration rings in the year of the dragon.

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PAGE 3 NEWS 1-3 Cleveland Browns Property

THE EXPRESSION 4-5 International Film Series

LIFE & STYLES 6-7 Buzzin Black Friday

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THE BEREA COMMUNIT Y’S PA P E R O F R E C O R D

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 Israel Gole Benjamin Michael Hall Nick Irelan Meredith McCord Ursula Saadeh Ella York Staff Writers Ryan Acevedo Bailey Croft Bryanna Feagler Jason Heisler Simon Jones Emma Lambert Madelyn Liberati Annie Lindley Kristen Miller Sage Mullins Isabel Rivera Sophia Rossero Justin Verhosek Maria Vurbic Mae Werstler Layout Editors Elise Coble Hailey Noszek Photographers Ethan Kish Allison Reed Gabriel Hill Cartoonist Halle Vargo

FACULTY ADVISOR

Huixin Deng, Ph.D. hdeng@bw.edu

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.

ADVERTISING POLICY Anyone wishing to advertise in The Exponent should email the advertising director at exponentads@bw.edu. Ads must be submitted by the Monday before publication date and not conflict with the university mission.

Articles and photographs in The Exponent, letters from readers, columns, cartoons and other elements within these pages do not necessarily reflect the position of B aldw in Wa l l a c e University.

Cleveland Browns property purchases in Berea fuel speculation on mixed-use development project

By JASON HEISLER Staff Writer

The Cleveland Browns recently purchased over 30 acres around its current headquarters and practice facility in Berea. This move has sparked speculation that the NFL franchise has plans for a substantial mixed-use development and an expanded campus.

"The experience of Cleveland residents and visitors to our city is top of mind for us, and we are committed to developing our North Coast Lakefront into a world-class, well-programmed, peoplefocused space,” said Cleveland Chief of Staff Bradford Davy in an article by the NEOtrans blog from October 2023. "We

see the activation of Browns Stadium as a key part of that vision."

Already at 34 acres, the site could reach 40 acres.

"I can't expound on the details at this time, but the opportunity is exciting," Berea Mayor Cyril Kleem said on social media.

In Fe b r u a r y, re p o r t s emerged that Browns owners Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam have reached a purchase agreement for 176 acres near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. This agreement opened speculation that the team may construct a new stadium in the City of Brook Park.

Browns spokesman Peter John-Baptiste said in an article by the NEOtrans blog earlier this month that the

Benjamin Michael Hall, The Exponent

The Cleveland Browns training facility on 76 Lou Graze Blvd. team aims to "greatly improve our fan experience while also

creating a transformative and lasting impact to benefit all of Northeast Ohio."

While the city negotiations continue, Baptiste said the Browns are "methodically looking at every possibility" for their future stadium plans.

Adam Zeidler, a junior vocal performance student, said they believe a suburban stadium could work for the Browns but considers downtown's energy irreplaceable.

"I don't think a new stadium is necessarily a bad idea," Zeidler said. "It'd obviously be awesome being so close, but I think being downtown is a much better spot. It's got more to do around there, and it's like the heart of Cleveland."

Other students shared Zeidler's sentiments on the stadium's potential change of

location and noted the possible transportation benefits.

"I think the options are open for them there. I think that moving the stadium there would open up a lot of interesting options travelwise," Caleb Reed, senior business information systems student, said. "The airport has a metro system going in and out of the city. So, realistically, anyone living downtown can hop on the metro and go right to the stadium. So it's almost perfect travel-wise."

The Brook Park location of fe r s a c c e s s t o m aj or highways, rail transit and t he C le vel and Hopk ins International Airport. The acreage also provides enough sp a c e shou l d t he te am decide to leave their current downtown stadium.

Final Berea community meeting held for transportation safety

By ISRAEL GOLE Managing Editor

O n Fe b. 6 , t h e f i n a l community meeting was held for the “Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative for Downtown Berea Multimodal Transportation Improvements Study” at the Berea branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

After gathering feedback from residents during the second meeting in December, the project team formulated a list of solutions to various transportation problems in downtown Berea and presented them to the public at the third community meeting.

Project Manager for the initiative Chuck Fawcett showed a slideshow detailing the specific recommendations that will be made to the City of Berea to improve transportation. While these improvements covered a variety of topics ranging from traffic flow to parking, the main emphasis was on improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bikers, both in the City of Berea and on the Baldwin Wallace University

campus.

For example, Fawcett said the project team is recommending more pedestrian refuge islands in the middle of Front Street to shorten the distance of road people must cross at one time.

“Providing opportunities for pedestrians to cross Front Street is important,” Fawcett said.

Fawcett also said they recommend curb bump-outs installed on crosswalks in areas with high pedestrian traffic and low visibility, specifically on Beech Street and Seminary Street where BW students frequently cross. “[The bump-outs] go out into the parking lane so that a pedestrian can walk out and not be in the street,” Fawcett said. “They’ll be more visible [to drivers] than just in between two parked cars.”

Two BW students, Emma Stamper, a junior sustainability and international business student, and Lucas Chambers, a senior sustainability student, were present at the meeting.

Both students said they liked the proposed idea of curb bump-outs.

“I walk a lot in that region,

and I find it difficult to look around the cars,” Chambers said. “If I’m able to step out to where the [parked] cars end as well, I do think that would be beneficial.”

These bump-outs would be installed in areas where pedestrians and vehicles interact, including both Beech Street crosswalks near Davidson Commons.

“That’ll help with visibility for pedestrians and shorten their crossing of the roadway,” Fawcett said.

Regarding the angled crosswalk at the intersection of B eech and E C enter Streets, Fawcett said it could possibly be straightened out, but it is more important to accommodate the students’ walking paths.

“Where people are walking is where they want to go,” Fawcett said. “If we can accommodate that path, that would be the best route to take.”

Fawcett said they are recommending clearly visible painted bike lanes along the left side of the curb on both Seminary Street and Beech Street that would still leave more than enough room for

The Student Senate held their first meeting of the 114th session on Feb. 13.

The Academic Affairs Committee reported on the last Faculty Senate meeting that was held. The campus has shrunk from six schools to four schools: the School of Business; the Conservatory of Performing Arts; the School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences; and the School of Science, Health and Engineering. The faculty’s salary and budget committee has been disbanded until fall.

The committee also reported on the last Faculty Senate town hall about the plan for recovering from the deficit.

The plan is to save $17.1 million by the

next fiscal year. They will be spending 5% less on education per student.

Senator Irene Jayapandian was nominated, elected and sworn in as the Senate President. Senator Jayden Madge was sworn in as Student Senate Pro Tempore. Four senators who were reelected were sworn in.

The Clay Club’s charter was revised and approved to add a new position.

The Porch Community charter was revised and approved to amend its funding section.

At the Feb. 6 meeting, the Academic Affairs Committee spoke about how they reached out to the Department of Accessible Education to learn more about how they make different programs accessible to students.

Sophomore Ella Quick was also sworn in as Student Senate Secretary.

of wayfinding signs around Berea. Fawcett said that kiosks could be set up around Berea with signs showing “a map of downtown Berea and all the destinations [pedestrians and bicyclists] can check out.”

Fawcett said that the wayfinding signage could be built upon too, including around the BW campus.

“Baldwin Wallace University might have some other key buildings and things that they would want to have part of this as well,” Fawcett said.

Fawcett said these recommendations will not be put into effect immediately but will likely be implemented over the next few years as the city applies for grant money for these projects.

“We’re goi ng to t a ke your feedback from today and finalize these recommendations into our report,” Fawcett said.

“We’re going to be looking at implementation, looking at costs for these different things and prioritizing them for the city’s consideration as they take this process and move it forward.”

Reporter's Notebook: Berea City Council

Reporter's Notebook: Student Government

By ANNIE LINDLEY Staff Writer

vehicles to safely drive down those streets.

“That leaves… an 11-foot driving lane, which is plenty wide. That’s like interstate width,” Fawcett said.

B oth BW students in attendance said that they are in favor of adding clearly marked bike lanes.

“I bike, so on Seminary and Beech Street, having a bike lane would be better,” Stamper said.

“I really liked the proposed idea of having a painted bike lane on one side of Seminary and painted parking on the other side of Seminar y,” Chambers said. “I feel like that would help balance out a lot of the issues that are going on there.”

To improve pedestrian safety even more, Fawcett said they are looking to improve one-way signage on Seminary Street and may even test out temporary speed humps there.

“There are opportunities for testing temporary speed humps... and putting those in to see how well they work and see how well people like them or not,” Fawcett said.

Another recommendation from the study is the addition

By ANNIE LINDLEY Staff Writer The Berea City Council met for their bi-weekly meeting on Feb. 5.

The council first read an ordinance about implementing the 2024 fire code.

The council read three other ordinances. The first ordinance is a 2024 update to the Ohio building code.

The second ordinance would allow the administration to accept a $43,000 grant from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council.

That grant money from NOPEC will be used within the city to increase energy efficiency for infrastructures.

The last ordinance concerns the resurfacing of Bagley Road. A federal fund of $4 million would be allocated

towards that project if it is passed after three readings. This project would start in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

It was reported that 80% of the Bryant Street sewer has been completed, with only the connection to the other sewers remaining. The Route 237 project should be done by late spring or early fall with Front Street expected to be completed later this year or next.

The council discussed the issue that residents have brought up about road blockages during school dropoff and pick-up hours on Bonds Parkway down Eastland Road.

Suggestions for mitigating this issue included new signage, continuing traffic enforcement, working with the Homeowners Association and talking to the Police Chief about increased enforcement.

BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, February 21, 2024 | THE EXPONENT

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Incumbent Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley faces strong criticism from mother of Tamir Rice ahead of Democratic Primary

By SIMON SKOUTAS Executive Print Editor

After a contentious Democratic endorsement for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor that resurfaced questions over the criminal investigation of the fatal police shooting of then 12-year-old Black child Tamir Rice, his mother, Samaria Rice, said she will continue to advocate against incumbent Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley regardless of any promises to re-open her son’s case from opposing candidate Matthew Ahn. “If I have to go knock on every door in Cleveland, which I have already started, just for [O’Malley] not to be prosecutor, that’s what will happen,” Rice told The Exponent. “Believe me, I’m not worried about my family.

He should be worried about me. And if he don’t want to be embarrassed, he needs to drop out of the prosecutor’s race.”

While early voting for the March 19 primary begins Wednesday, there will still be four weeks until the voters know which candidate is likely to hold the seat.

Near the end of President Donald Trump’s administration in 2020, a civil rights investigation into

the shooting of Tamir Rice stalled, and in a lawsuit filed against the City of Cleveland on behalf of Tamir Rice’s estate, Cleveland paid out $6 million to settle the wrongful death case.

Samaria Rice said that in 2017, O’Malley agreed behind closed doors to look back into the case.

“They come in like they’re gonna do something and help the people and they never do nothing,” Rice said. “They actually forget who helped them get in.”

However, O’Malley said, “Her memory is inaccurate” and that his message has always been consistent.

In a Cleveland.com article from 2017, O’Malley said that he did not plan to revisit the case without new evidence arising. He also said that he was working on an agreement with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to ask for a special prosecutor to take control over the case if evidence did come to light.

O’Malley told The Exponent that the reason he has not reopened the case is because new evidence has not arisen.

At the Cuyahoga County Democratic Executive Committee meeting held on Jan. 6, where the members voted on the Democratic endorsement for county

prosecutor, neither candidate received the 60% vote required for a Democratic endorsement.

O’Malley received 58.5% of the votes and Ahn received 38%.

O’Malley said that during t h e m e e t i ng , R i c e w a s screaming at his supporters.

“She was yelling racially derogatory comments at my African American supporters, and it was very disheartening to see,” O’Malley said.

One of O’Malley’s Black supporters backed this up in an interview with IdeaStream Public Media, who said that Samaria Rice shouted statements such as “slave master” during the meeting.

Rice also agreed to making these statements.

“I’m willing to work with the new prosecutor. I would never work with Mike O’Malley because he’s a ‘slave catcher,’” Rice told The Exponent.

Ellen Kubit, Ahn’s campaign manager, said that while she does not remember that incident occurring during the meeting, she said she does not understand O’Malley’s “obsession with Samaria.”

“It’s v e r y c o n f u s i n g , especially the way he characterizes Black advocacy as somehow being intimidation,” Kubit said.

Kubit said her campaign team has also not made any promises to re-open Tamir

Rice’s case.

“We don’t make promises, ethically speaking, and as a lawyer, it is not something Matthew should do,” Kubit said.

One of Ahn’s promises that has drawn support from Samaria Rice is his promise to halt discretionary juvenile bindovers, where children can be sent to the adult court system at the request of the prosecutor.

As Cuya hoga C ount y sends most children to the adult court system out of Ohio’s 88 counties, the issue of discretionary bindovers draws a distinction between what Ahn said is his “researchbased” approach and O’Malley’s time in office since 2017.

“Don’t keep incarcerating the children,” Rice said. “It’s the school to prison pipeline and we’re trying to stop it.”

Nearly all bindovers in Ohio involve Black children, and according to research conducted by the United States Department of Justice, children tried as adults are 34% more likely to commit another crime than when they are tried in juvenile court.

“I’d like to put a pause on discretionary bindovers so that we can actually understand those disparities and come up with a system that is fairer,

that is more data driven and that is more evidence based so that we can actually best hold children accountable in a way that will make sure they are not going to come before the court again,” Ahn said in a forum Thursday hosted by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

During the forum, O’Malley said halting discretionary bindovers will violate Marsy’s law, a component of the Ohio Constitution that gives rights for the victims of crime and requires the victims to meet with the prosecutor’s staff.

“It’s basically a mandate that he will ignore the will of the victims and it’s a violation of his oath,” O’Malley said. “It’s a violation of the Constitution of the state of Ohio to tell people on the front end, ‘I will not listen to what your views are.

I have already made a decision, and I have predetermined the outcome of this case.”’

However, Ahn said he does not believe that halting discretionar y bindovers is a violation of the Ohio Constitution.

While Ahn also said he will stop the use of the death penalty, O’Malley again appealed to the impact of Marsy’s law in his defense of capital punishment in an interview with The Exponent.

“When we have situations

involving families of murder victims, more than not, it’s us pushing back and saying [the death penalty] is not appropriate,” O’Malley said.

However, Ahn said the death penalty is a policy failure all around since jurisdictions that use it see higher murder rates, it’s more expensive and can be erroneous.

“The prosecutor's office has very few checks and balances on it,” Ahn told the Exponent.

“If a prosecutor says ‘Hey, we’re not going to seek the death penalty,’ you know who can tell the prosecutor’s office that you have to do it anyway?

The answer is nobody.”

Samaria said that if Ahn wins the election and does not fulfill his promises to aid juveniles, she will advocate against his future re-election.

“If he gets in and doesn't want to do what he says he’s going to do, and he wants to tell him that he’s really a politician, it will be the first and the last time he will be a prosecutor,” Samaria Rice said.

To read more about the candidates ahead of the primary, read our coverage at bwexponent.com/ cuyahogaprosecutor

First Watch opens new location in Middleburg Heights

By RYAN ACEVEDO Staff Writer

First Watch, the breakfast and lunch chain that has picked up steam throughout the Cleveland area, opened their doors to their new Middleburg Heights location on Jan. 29.

The First Watch restaurant chain has grown throughout the state over the last few years, with their opening at 18320 Bagley Road being their newest addition.

“For nearly two decades, First Watch has made good mornings across Cuyahoga County and our newest re st au r ant prom i s e s to continue this momentum with fresh takes on your brunch favorite,” David Gaines, the

vice president of Operations at First Watch, said.

General Manager for the Middleburg Heights location Sarah Rennaker said that while the chain now spans across the United States, she looks forward to their location in Middleburg Heights.

“We actually started in California, then moved to Florida,” Rennaker said. “It’s [the Middleburg Heights location] a great location. We think we’re kind of a one-of-akind breakfast spot that would be a great addition to our area.”

Their menu features many classic breakfast and lunch items as well as a collection of healthy and unique options, such as specialty iced coffees and juices.

Rennaker said their First Watch location is there

“to make everybody’s day brighter.”

“We like to serve fresh, good quality ingredients. That’s kind of what sets us apart from everyone else in the type of ingredients that we use,” Rennaker said.

According to First Watch's expansion plan, the chain plans to continue their growth with new locations in Brunswick and Uniontown set to open later this year. “ There’s still so much potential for growth in Cleveland and so much demand for better breakfast and lunch occasions, which is why we’re working hard to keep First Watch top of mind and first in line here for years to come,” Gaines said.

According to the website, the restaurant chain seeks

to source seasonal fresh ingredients.

“First Watch will continue to position itself at the forefront of innovation in the daytime dining sector, introducing new menu items before they hit the mainstream and offer a rotating seasonal menu that changes five times a year at a price point and value that encourages frequency,” Hunter Carpenter, a First Watch public relations representative, said.

Whether one is looking for a new restaurant experience or a new flavor in their traditional morning ritual, First Watch provides a unique experience for Middleburg Heights residents.

“First Watch is a community gathering place, appealing to a wide guest base from older generations who see breakfast

Benjamin Michael Hall, The Exponent

The newly arrived First Watch location in Middleburg Heights open for customers. as a ritual, to younger guests who treat the morning meal as an event, a social occasion,” Carpenter said.

First Watch is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. They are located at 18320 Bagley Rd.

Their menu, mission and other information can be found on their website.

Cuts to theatre department lead to partial closure of Groundlings Café

By AUTUMN ZINK Contributing Writer

The Theatre and Dance Department now faces cuts due to Baldwin Wallace University’s budget deficit that led to the partial closure of the Groundlings Café, a small coffee shop in Kleist Center for Art & Drama.

Along with other budget cuts impacting students, Groundlings Café will only be open during the evenings of performances.

Jeff Herrmann, chair of the Department of Theatre and

Dance, said the atmosphere provided by Groundlings Café will be missed.

“I think students need a place to gather and hang out and socialize and work on their homework and rehearse and stuff like that,” Herrmann said. “Groundlings made this a warmer environment for them to do that in, and now we’ve lost that.”

Ava Mastrone, a senior acting and directing student who worked on bringing back Groundlings Café after the pandemic, said that she was saddened by the closure.

“That was just disappointing

that the deficit affected the tiny little coffee shop that wasn't really hurting anybody,” Mastrone said. “It provided a place for people in the theatre department to gather, and they knew that if they needed a little refreshment, they could go there.”

A f t e r t h i s s e m e s t e r, Groundlings Café will only be open for the shows, running solely on volunteer status, Herrmann said.

Along with the café s closure, around a dozen courses in the theater department were canceled due to low enrollment after the University increased

the minimum number of students required for a course to be offered.

“A course can only be offered if at least 10 students register for it,” Herrmann said.

He r r man n s ai d t he s e cancellations will not prevent any theatre students from graduating.

“We had to do quite a bit of juggling. But we’re still able to... work [it out] so that it doesn’t affect any student graduating,” Herrmann said.

Nonetheless, Mastrone said that she knows of students whose path to graduation is affected by the class

cancellations.

“There was a class I was going to take, stage combat one, but it got cut because of the budget,” Greta Bedell, a BFA acting student said. “Now, I have to take both [classes] senior year, which is fine, but it just threw me off my schedule.”

In response, some theater department faculty members have tried their best to accommodate students’ needs, Herrmann said, such as doing an independent study for the Vectorworks class — a software programming course many theatre students need to graduate.

Herrmann said that he had five students who needed to take the class on Vectorworks to graduate, and while he could have waived it, he felt it would not be helpful for their education to do so.

“I wanted them to learn the program,” Herrmann said.

Herrmann said adjusting to a tightened budget would be a learning experience.

“I've worked in several companies, and I always have a budget to think about, and sometimes I'm asked to cut things,” Herrmann said. “So that’s a good lesson to learn early on.”

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THE EXPONENT | WEDNESDAY, February 21, 2024 | BWEXPONENT.COM

The Expression

Arts and Culture Coverage from The Exponent AT THE MOVIES

Oscar-nominated ‘American Fiction’ explores plight of succesful Black authors JUSTIN VERHOSEK Film Critic

“Ame r i c an F i c t i on” closed out 2023 strong, having nominations f or B e s t Ac t or, B e s t Supporting Actor and the coveted Best Picture at this year’s upcoming Oscars.

Absolutely worthy of all these accolades, this film follows Jeffrey Wright’s Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, an E ng l ish profe ss or whose publications are often overlooked by both publishers and readers alike.

It i s n o t u n t i l h e encounters another author’s book that is widely acclaimed but leans heavily into traditionally Black stereotypes that Monk is suddenly impassioned to write. He pens a satirically extreme version of one of t he s e p opu l ar ye t stereotypically “Black” novels to demonstrate how demeaning and ridiculous they are; in doing so, however, he quickly rises to fame as audiences completely miss his message and unirionically fall in love with his book.

T h e e nt i r e c a s t i s absolutely spectacular with

Jeffrey Wright standing out in particular as Monk. His performance has incredible depth and layers as his character is torn between his hatred for his book’s fame and the desire to keep the stunt going to financially support his family and his mother with Alzheimer's disease.

One scene stands out in which he gives an intentionally fake “Black” performance to someone interested in his book while acting increasingly nervous, subtly enough to be misinterpreted by the person he is talking to, but just enough to let the audience know his growing fear over his mother’s current condition.

“Ame r i c an F i c t i on” excels most in diving into the conversation of how systematic racism can affect Black art. Monk’s original work is often seen as not “Black” enough to be marketable to an audience, especially a white one. He sees this as a major problem, as all the stories by Black authors being praised lean into demeaning stereotypes.

Monk knows he can write in this way and receive accolades he wishes his own original work received,

but he struggles with the morality of continuing this inaccurate narrative.

While we see most things through Monk’s perspective in the film, several voices in his life offer rivaling perspectives on his stance, and the audience is rightly never given a clean answer as to who is right in these discussions.

Beyond his accidental claim to fame, Monk is also struggling with handling new financial burdens placed on his family.

This quickly becomes an incentive to hold onto his newly found fame, but it also means that he is interacting more with his family than ever before.

The movie does an excellent job of developing his family members and the interpersonal relationships that Monk shares with them.

Ultimately, “American Fiction” is an incredibly thought-provoking drama with excellent characters that deserves to stand as one of the best movies of 2023. And with a recent wider release, now is a great time to give this a watch.

“American Fiction” is available to watch in theaters or on Apple TV+ now.

‘Iron Claw’ reinvigorates repetitive sports biopics film genre SAGE MULLINS Film Critic As 2023 drew to a close, audiences saw a theatrical release of a movie genre we have seen countless times before: sports biopics. “The Iron Claw” tells the true story of the Von Erich family.

Famous wrestler Fritz Von Erich wants his four sons, Mike, Chris, Kerry and David, to enter the professional wrestling realm and do what he never could: win a championship title. The film documents his sons’ battles with the immense pressure to win the championship as they balance their sport and sanity.

“The Iron Claw” was directed

by Sean Durkin, a Canadian director with only a few movies in his filmography. Despite his lack of notoriety, this movie serves as an exhibition of his directing abilities.

It’s prevalent Durkin wanted to make the film a story about family, loyalty, passion and love that would sit with audiences even days after watching. He succeeded, as he went on to create one of the best sports biopics of the decade.

The film stars Zac Efron, who rose to fame from Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise.

After being an icon from many people’s childhoods, it's easy to view him as Troy Bolton, the hot commodity basketball

player turned singer who stole our hearts over a decade ago.

But with his role as Kevin Von Erich, we see him fulfill his true potential.

We see not only maturity and emotional intelligence in Efron’s performance but also the lengths he is willing to go as an actor. In preparation for this role, Efron underwent a physical transformation that would require months of training to truly embody the wrestler's physique.

He was not the only performer that stood out. Lily James does an excellent job portraying Kevin’s wife as she struggles to raise a family amidst the Von Erich boys’ downfall. Jeremy Allen White, Holt McCallany and Maura Tierney, just to name a few, also deliver deep, notable performances.

The actors also have the task of learning complicated wrestling chore og raphy t he y must manage on top of their already challenging roles. Everything is executed realistically to keep the audience’s eyes glued to the screen.

The movie pulls at the audience’s heartstrings with its moving story and impressive dialogue. The screenplay allows the actors to work with beautiful conversations, showing the gritty, complicated, lovefilled relationships the movie explores.

The dramatics are balanced

with light-hearted elements to create the perfect combination of humor and depth. These, combined with the stunning sets and lighting, create an environment ideal for the emotional story to unfold.

Despite the heartbreaking events of the film, some may find it was not as upsetting as the trailers made it seem.

Though it is easy to leave the theater feeling touched by the story, it may be harder to feel genuinely distraught.

Those aware of the professional wrestling family know how frequently tragedy fell upon them. Considering the nature of those events, is the movie as upsetting as it should be? Quite frankly, no. Is it still impactful, nonetheless? Yes, but the film doesn’t cut as deep as one would expect for a plotline so outlandish.

We start to see devastation unfold almost like a pattern, making details of the plot very predictable. This can lead viewers to be underwhelmed and disappointed at the lack of intense emotional disruption and surprise.

Nonetheless, the dynamic p e r for m an c e s an d we l l written screenplay make “The Iron Claw” a moving and entertaining movie worth seeing.

“The Iron Claw” is now playing in theaters.

Asian Student Alliance hosts campus' first Lunar New Year celebration

By MEREDITH MCCORD Managing Editor

Asian Student Alliance hosted its first-ever university-wide Lunar New Year celebration in the Black Cultural Center on Feb. 9 to ring in the year of the dragon together as a community.

Lunar New Year, a festival celebrated on the first new moon of the new year, is “one of the biggest celebrations in East Asia,” said Sungjin Im, faculty advisor of ASA. ASA has been active on campus for a little over a year. In that time, they have sponsored events that specifically focus on celebrating Asian cultures while also engaging the BW community.

“This event [Lunar New Year Celebration] is a way for all of us to learn together, and create new traditions, and just come together as a BW community, not just Asian students or just Asian faculty,” said Elanna Su, ASA's president.

Su said that the idea for

a Lunar New Year party has been in the works since ASA’s inception.

“We always had the idea of a Lunar New Year party just because it’s a big community event and it’s something that unites a lot of different Asian cultures,” Su said. “It’s something that we can all come together for and share our traditions.”

This year’s Lunar New Year celebration comes just over a year after the anniversary of ASA’s creation.

“ASA was founded very recently, just last year,” Im said. “It was created to give the Asian community at BW a sense of community and to promote knowledge and awareness.”

While the original intent of ASA was to promote knowledge and awareness of Asian cultures, Su said they also desired to engage students, staff and faculty from all across campus.

“We are a community of Asian students and their allies, faculty and whoever else wants

to join from the BW community to help educate the community about AsianAmerican culture, Asian culture and to foster that sense of community and belongingness to learn more together,” Su said.

Im said that even though this is the first time ASA hosted this celebration, they intend to continue with the Lunar New Year celebration and other Ursula Saadeh, The Exponent similar events Left to right: Rachel Fibbi, Elanna Su and Jennifer Nguyen enjoy the festivities at ASA's Lunar New Year in years to come. event.

ASA has also been active event and a partnership Su said that anyone in been pushing is that you don’t on campus by hosting other with the Center for Global the BW community can have to be [ethnically] Asian events since its creation, such Exploration. These events are participate in the organization. to join ASA,” Su said. as the ASA bonding event, in addition to their monthly “One of the most important Ramen Night, a K-pop dance general meetings. things that we have always

BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, February 21, 2024 | THE EXPONENT

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International Film Series to hold second weekend of showings

By SAGE MULLINS Staff Writer

Baldwin Wallace University will close out their annual International Film Series that has been screening films from countries such as France, Germany, Pakistan, South Korea and Spain through the last two weekends of February.

Funded by the Student Government and Albertine Cinémathèque Grants, the International Film Series focuses on increasing visibility and awareness of cultures from around the world. The committee also partners with the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Culture along with other cultural programs on campus.

“We were the only French program in Ohio to receive the grant [from Albertine C i n é m at h è q u e G r a nt s ] this year among 40 schools nat ionwide, w hich is a pretty big honor,” Marissa Pope, the co-president of the International Film Series committee, said.

The event is free and open to the public. Held in Marting Hall room 114, they showcase films that are all critically acclaimed and recent in

addition to one classic French film.

“Film viewing is exciting in a theatrical format,” Nadia Sahely, a professor of French and Francophone studies, said.

“It is so different from viewing a film from your computer at home.”

In addition, Sarah Burger said that participants will have the opportunity to take part in discussions about the film with others.

“S o m e t i m e s w e h av e discussions about the film after… or sometimes we have guest speakers come in to discuss the relevance and importance of the film,” Burger said.

Pope said that they will also hold receptions in between the showings with international foods. For example, the Spanish program is serving cuisine from the movie from their corresponding culture.

“It’s a really fun experience that really brings together all different parts of the c o m mu n i t y a n d r e a l l y celebrates all the cultures,” Pope said.

Burger said that the event attracts people from various high schools and people from all over the Cleveland area.

Last year was the film series'

first year back in person since the pandemic, but they still gathered an audience of over 500 people.

“For so many people in the community, alumni, friends of the school, students and professors, this is an event that people look forward to,” Pope said. “It is an integral part of our school and our community here.”

Pope said that international films often go unrecognized

by American viewers, which, she said, might be because subtitles are required for comprehension, or that people are only accustomed to Hollywood films.

Sa hely s aid t he litt le exposure that these movies receive means people are missing out.

“The films tell many untold stories, shed light on global perspectives and depict many transformations in our world,” Sahely said.

Wit h t he French and German majors being cut due to the deficit, the question was raised whether the event will be able to continue for the upcoming academic years.

Bu rge r s ai d t h at t h e committee remains hopeful the event will continue because it is funded by the

Student Government and not the school itself.

“One thing that was kind of a miscommunication on BW’s part was that they said that the entire French program was cut and that’s not true,” Burger said. “They are cutting the major, but the minor is still available.”

Pope adds that the study abroad and the classes are still available as well, but Finn Pasatta, a first-year who is earning his experiential

learning credit, said he is concerned for the future of the festival.

“Part of the conditions of the grant is that the University supports this event, and that the French program is active on the campus,” Pasatta said.

“We are slightly worried that if the French program is less visible it will impact whether we get this grant in the future.”

The committee hopes the event raises awareness of the French program and increases

awareness for not only the French culture and language but for all other cultures.

For the full film schedule and more information, visit https://www.bw.edu/events/ international-film-series/

Courtesy of Nadia Saheley

Left to right: Finn Pasatta, Marissa Pope and Sarah Burger attending the film festival on Friday.

The Great White Way comes to campus with student-formed Broadway Band

By RYAN ACEVEDO Staff Writer

First-year Conservatory students have taken the initiative by bringing Broadway music to the stage with Broadway Band, a new student-run ensemble at Baldwin Wallace University.

The ensemble was founded by Nick Stanick, a music education and music composition double major, and Reese Clements, a music composition and percussion performance double major.

They are performing a variety of Broadway tunes across the many years of Broadway’s rich history.

“It's an idea that I had when

we both found ourselves wanting to do more musical theater style, pit stuff, but due to schedules and everything it was just hard for us to do that," Stanick said. "So, we asked ourselves 'Why don't we make our own opportunity for it?' and the next day, we started putting it together."

Clemens said the inspiration for the Broadway Band stemmed from his friends at Berklee College of Music.

“It is based on something my friend at Berklee College of Music is doing there,” C l e m e nt s s a i d . “ T h e i r endeavor is a little more in depth. They have full staging, micing and everything.”

On top of putting on the production, along with

finding students to perform and conduct, Stanick and Clements are also composing all the music themselves.

“We do it, so we don't have to buy the music,” Clements said. “It also helps us understand a little bit about the music. Every single note on the page is something that we made the choice of."

With how vast the catalog of Broadway show tunes is, it presents a unique challenge for the duo to pick music.

"Once we had a list of songs, which started with 25, we narrowed it down to around eight. We have a mix of uptempo ballads, super slow ballads and one piece that's just voice and piano ballad," Clements said.

Members of Broadway Band include music education majors, composition majors and performance majors.

"I know Nick as one of my really good friends, and he asked me to be in this project, singing a song I actually really enjoy," Sophie Reese, a freshman music theatre major, said. "I decided that there was no reason I wouldn't join because I did it for him and for more experiences and opportunities for my major and my advancement as an music theatre major."

While Broadway Band gives opportunities for more expansion into the Broadway scene, it has also laid the path for other theatrical collaborations, especially

with local artists wanting to perform their shows.

One such artist group, the Temple Brothers, has been in conversation with Stanick and Clements, Stanick said.

“I've met up with Gideon and Reece, and we're all kind of working together on this upcoming production," Stanick said. "Gideon has kind of taken me under his wing a lot. He's helping me guide the production and figure everything out to find the sound that we want."

Wit h t h i s d i f fe re nt opp or tu n it y for c ro s s Conservatory collaboration, Stanick and Clements said they see the potential for expansion of the event moving forward.

“We definitely want to continue to put this on either every semester or every spring.

We're not sure yet," Clements said.

"We're going at this one step at a time," Stanick said. "We're finishing the first concert, because we're still working out rehearsal days and trying to get everyone in. We want to consider adding some nonBroadway songs to the roster, but we still plan on keeping it predominantly Broadway.”

The inaugural Broadway Band concert will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. in Gamble Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center aims to promote narrative change through open dialogue with community

By HANNAH SIM Contributing Writer

The Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus C e nt e r i s e n c o u r a g i n g facilitated discussion with students, faculty and staff of all faiths, genders and sexualities.

“TRHT as a Campus Center really is working to promote narrative change and dialogue within the BW community,” said Emily Shelton, a recent graduate and TRHT Center intern.

Incentivized by the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, the idea of the TRHT Center was proposed as a way to help the campus climate.

“One of the tasks of this group was: what initiatives,

what tools, can we implement that can be a part of the solution?” said CJ Harkness, director of Spiritual Life and one of the main officers of the TRHT Center.

Although inspired by the BLM Movement, the TRHT Center is not exclusive to any race, religion, gender or sexuality. It is also open to both students and faculty.

“It’s a campus center that provides a space for faculty, staff and students to engage across differences,” said Randi Congleton, TRHT Center officer. “It provides a space where you can have facilitated dialogue across differences that move towards the goals that CJ just mentioned.”

The TRHT Center hosts these conversation through jacket circles. A jacket circle

is held to discuss and listen to each other’s stories.

Elanna Su, a sophomore History student, attended the jacket circle held for the National Day of Racial Healing on Jan. 16.

“It was a diverse group of people who were listening to each other,” Su said. “When I sit there, I’m thinking, I’m listening, I’m not trying to think of what I’m going to say.”

Cogleton said that any student organization, class or group of faculty interested i n h av i ng a f a c i l it ate d conversation can request a jacket circle with the TRHT Center.

The next meeting will be a collaboration between the TRHT Center and AmeriCorps on Feb. 28.

Courtesy of Hannah Sim

Left to right: Emily Shelton, Courtney Robinson, Randi Congleton and CJ Harkness, the team behind the TRHT Center, meet in the Lindsay-Crossman Chapel.

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THE EXPONENT | WEDNESDAY, February 21, 2024 | BWEXPONENT.COM

Life & Styles The Center for Global Exploration hosts ‘I Heart Travel Day’ on Valentine's Day to encourage people to love traveling

By MARIA VURBIC Staff Writer

Students gathered in the lobby of Strosacker Hall on Valentine’s Day to show their love for studying abroad in an event called “I Heart Travel Day.” The Center for Global Exploration partnered with the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department to host the Valentine’s Day themed event to garner more interest for the Center for Global Exploration and for studying abroad as a whole.

Gaby Rolim Da Silva Figuero is an international student and a leadership in higher education intern at the Center for Global Exploration, and she said she hoped to dispel any misconceptions about the study abroad experience.

“The idea is to promote our programs for students to go abroad,” Figuero said.

“Because sometimes people have this idea that going abroad is too expensive or not for them.”

Another goal that the Center for Global Exploration has is to teach students about the upcoming study abroad programs that they can sign

up for next year. The facultyled trips include ones to Guatemala, Ireland, Japan and Zambia. There is also an opportunity for athletes to travel to Greece.

This is not the first year that “I Heart Travel Day” has been hosted. Figuero explained why the study abroad program typically used Valentine’s Day as a theme for this informational event.

“Normally people see Va lent ine’s D ay just as something romantic, and we wanted to demonstrate that you can love other things,” Figuero said. “So why not love traveling, getting to know other people and other cultures?”

This year, I Heart Travel Day featured a Jeopardy-style game focusing on traveling and music from different countries and cultures. Hallie Vavrus, a leadership in higher education intern at the Center for Global Exploration, was in charge of coming up with the questions.

“We wanted questions that students might not know,” Vavrus said. “That’s going to get student’s gears going and thinking about traveling.”

“I Heart Travel Day” also featured pink paper hearts where students could write down the place they were most

interested in visiting.

“S o o u r plan is to get an idea of what locations p e o p l e are more i nt e re s t e d in gett ing t o k n o w,” Figuero said. “ Then we can promote these on our social media.”

Other attractions included sweetheart candies, prizes and Maria Vurbic, The Exponent a raffle Left to right: Gaby Rolim Da Silva Figuero and Hallie Vavrus work the Center for Global Exploration’s I basket full Heart Travel Day booth in the lobby of Strosacker Hall. of goodies that students “Nobody goes abroad and for Gl ob a l E x pl or at i on Both I Heart Travel Day and could enter to win. comes back the same person,” uses these holiday events Lucky Travel Day take place Va v r u s a n d F i g u e r o Figuero said. “You always to connect students with before the deadline to sign up expressed how important they learn something different that information about holidays for a semester or year abroad think studying abroad is for will be valuable for your life.” in other countries. on April 1, allowing students current students.

The Center for Global “It’s kind of cool because to learn about studying abroad “It’s not just like learning Exploration will host another we have these holidays here in before making a commitment. in a classroom,” Vavrus said. event similar to “I Heart Travel America, but they might not be “When students study abroad, Day” on March 13. Being so the same in other countries,” they’re getting not only the close to St. Patrick's Day, this Vavrus said. “We try to blend experience, but also hands-on event will be called “Lucky American holidays while learning that a classroom can’t Travel Day.” talking about other countries provide.”

Vavrus said that the Center as well.”

Some alumni reconsider field of study after ending up in unrelated job While students may choose their majors with a future career trajectory in mind, not all alumni end up working in their field of study.

Morg an Kn ox graduated with a degree in communication studies in 2022 but now works as a clinical researcher.

“What I do now is a lot more medical. That is why it is very different [from communications], and I don’t have a medical background,” Knox said.

Knox said that while many of her courses did not align with her current job, taking Courtesy of Kaylee Spangler just one course, quantitative Morgan Knox, a BW alum whose job differs from her major. communication research

methods, sparked her interest in data entry and research.

This led her to apply for a job at Akron’s Children Hospital.

While she was able to acquire the job, she said it would have been beneficial to have a major that more heavily focused on research if she wanted to “move up” the ladder in her career.

Samantha Watterson is another example of an alumna who ended up working in a career path outside of her field of study.

Watterson graduated from BW in 2019 with a biology degree and is now the graduate assistant coach for the BW Softball team. Nonetheless, she went into business, becoming the chief operating officer for Poppin’ Cleveland.

“As far as my day-to-day job, I was running a company, and

reached out to confirm if the check was legitimate.

“They were impersonating BW’s payroll department via email,” Wynn said. “They were spoofing an email address that had a display name of bwpayroll@bw.edu. It doesn’t exist. We don’t host it.”

The student was nearly caught in what Wynn called a “check scam.”

“Some anonymous source

Officer Tom Mathis said many scammers have been utilizing artificial intelligence in recent phishing attacks.

“Keep in mind a lot of the scammers are not native English-speaking people,” Mathis said. “But with the advent of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence, you can’t say the English is poor.

AI is now making those spoof emails.”

By KAYLEE SPANGLER Contributing Writer

I did not study that in college,” Watterson said.

As Watters on is now training to become the General Manager at Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes, she said her unrelated field of study has not held her back.

“I never once to ok a business class in college, and now I have five years of experience running a company,” Watterson said.

Watterson said she thinks it would be best for first-year students to not be locked into a specific major right off the bat.

“I d o not t h i n k t hat freshmen should be allowed to declare a major,” Watterson said. “I think you should have to come in undecided every single time.”

Watterson said that given what she now does, she would not have studied biology.

“I would have switched my major 100%,” Watterson said.

“I do not think at 18 years old I should have been allowed to make that decision.”

Some BW students are also in a similar position, where they are finding that their career goals are unrelated to their current studies.

Bryon Norment, a senior history student, said he plans to become a K9 handler.

Norment said becoming a K9 handler does not even require a college degree.

Still, Norment said that had he planned to become a K9 handler near the beginning of his college career, he would have chosen differently.

“I would probably pick [a degree] that aligns more with the field in general,” Norment said.

Student receives scam email impersonating BW payroll department

By BAILEY CROFT Staff Writer

Near the end of January, a Baldwin Wallace University student contacted Chief Information Officer Melissa Bauer and Security Analyst Nathan Wynn after receiving a check from what was presumably BW’s payroll department. The student

will contact you saying they have an opportunity for you to get paid, or they’re going to give you money for a shopping spree or something along those lines,” Wynn said. “The student responded and sent over their resume and a couple other pieces of information, nothing like social security number, credit card number or anything like that.”

Chief Information Security

Wynn pointed out a few potential red flags to look for in emails or text messages that could indicate that the message is a scam.

“If you’re not expecting the email, that should set off red flags,” Wynn said. “Grammar issues should set off red flags.

Immediate services, that’s another one. If they’re emailing you saying you need to take action right this second, that

should set off more red flags.”

For any phishing concerns, or technological problems of any sort, contact Baldwin Wallace’s Infor mation Technolog y department at (440) 826-7000, helpdesk@bw.edu or their oncampus location at 20 Beech St.

BWEXPONENT.COM | WEDNESDAY, February 21, 2024 | THE EXPONENT

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Buzzin’ Black Friday returns bigger than ever to showcase Black-owned businesses

By HANNAH WETMORE Executive Web Editor

On Friday, 15 Black-owned vendors turned out to showcase their entreprenuership in the Student Activity Center.

“Black entrepreneurship equals innovation. That’s what it is. So with this we’re helping Black vendors realize who they are and how they can label themselves as an entrepreneur and how they help educate our community” said Daisjah Brown, junior political science student and founder of Buzzin’ Black Friday.

The event brought together Black-owned businesses to give them an opportunity to interact with students on campus through a vendor fair in the SAC. This year,

over 15 Black-owned vendors attended the event as well as a food truck, Blasian Fusion, for students to enjoy free food and raffle prizes such as gift baskets and gift cards.

Brown created the event last year when she was working as a Brain Fellow for the Baldwin Wallace David and Frances Brain Center for Community Engagement and has continued the project with current Brain Fellow Noah Mowery, a junior double major in business management and human resources.

Some businesses attending the fair included a local barber, nail care vendors, lashes, skincare, juice, t-shirts, food, desserts, music and many other Black-owned businesses that offer a variety of products and services that students need

Ursula Saadeh, The Exponent

Students browsing items sold by Perfect Pineapple Wraps, which sells hair wraps for all types of hair. but are not always visible to them.

Brown said that a key aspect she fought to preserve is a lack of fees for vendors and students. Instead, they are offered $100 honorarium’s for

vendors to show up to support their attendance.

Brown said that the purpose of the event was not to be performative but to highlight education on the history of Black entrepreneurship

such as lesser known Black entrepreneurs who invented commonly used tools and products such as the stoplight and peanut butter.

“We’re not having our vendor stop the event to speak about being a Black person owning a business in America.

That’s not the case,” Brown said. “We’re having people go around and interact with different things.”

Brown said she faced obstacles in finding vendors that would match the event’s intentions.

“It is so hard to sit and try to find a vendor that not only fits your event but just in general,” Brown said.

Additional resources that helped Brown prepare for the event were JumpStart and LaunchNet, who, in

Fragrance guide: Find the signature scent that suits you best

By EMMA LAMBERT Staff Writer

Scents make a big impression. They can bring back memories, conjure up emotions and even change our mood. From sweet gourmands to fresh herbs, there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to one’s signature scent.

First, a quick explanation of the formulation of fragrances.

There are base notes, middle notes and top notes. Simply put, the top notes are the first impression — the thing one smells upon first spritz. The middle notes, also known as heart notes, reveal themselves slightly later but make up for most of the scent. The base notes are the final impression, adding to the complexity of the top and heart notes.

For the terms, some can be quite confusing at first glance. So, what exactly is a “gourmand” or “lactonic” fragrance? These are the accords, or the general

THE EXPONENT

descriptors formed from the mixing of notes to create an overall impression. To find your fragrance vibe, let’s look into some accords.

First, and the most recognizable, is floral. There are variations, like white, pink or yellow floral, but this accord is exactly what it sounds like.

A flowery scent, derived from plants — rose, iris, violet or hundreds of others. To complement this, the accord is known as “powdery,” a soft scent that pairs well with florals.

Fruity fragrances have berries, stone fruits or similar ingredients, but they are not quite gourmand— for that, think cupcakes, vanilla and cookies. Gourmand is edible.

Fruity fragrances can be light and summery, with peach, apple or berry — or dark, with pomegranate, blackcurrant or fig.

Spices can be cinnamon, patchouli, pepper and a t hous and ot hers. Spic y fragrances are warm and

alluring, often great for fall and winter.

A fragrance described as fresh may contain citrus, woody or green accords. The careful combination of accords is what creates the “mood” of a fragrance. Is it a daytime or nighttime scent? For summer or winter? For the beach or going out? And accords get more complicated: balsamic, amber, animalic, etc.

It qu i c k ly b e c om e s confusing. Instead of analyzing accords, let’s return to the vibe idea. How do you want your fragrance to make you — and others in the room — feel? Do you want something sweet, sultry or fresh? Something that leaves an impression or can only be smelled on the skin?

For the bolder of us that want our fragrance to enter the room before us, look for one with strong projection and sillage. Projection is how far out the scent reaches, such as an arm’s length away. Sillage is the trail that the fragrance leaves behind. For perfumes

with high projection and strong sillage — introverts use with caution — strangers will approach you to ask what you are wearing.

Fragrances that are notoriously strong include Tom Ford’s Ombre Leather, Le Labo’s Santal 33 and Chanel No. 5. The concentration of perfume oil in a fragrance also determines the strength, with eau de parfums, which have around 20% pure concentrate, being stronger than eau de toilettes and eau de colognes, which have around 5-15% pure concentrate.

For a more “intimate sillage” and a you-but-better scent, there’s also plenty of simple, universally flattering options.

Glossier’s You and Phlur’s Missing Person are currently viral for their natural, cozy vibe — a fragrance that sits close to the skin.

Now that I’ve laid out some accords, here are some recommendations for popular fragrances that match one or more of your preferred

accords.

Because floral is such a huge umbrella, there’s a lot I could say, but I’ll introduce some of the legends. Dior’s Miss Dior is a classic, feminine scent and the bottle has a cute bow! Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 68 is a woody floral and dupe for the iconic and expensive Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Gucci Flora, Valentino Donna Born in Roma and Viktor & Rolf ’s Flowerbomb are all iconic floral scents.

Some are stronger than others, but each have a different floral accord that makes them magic, and for many, timeless.

For fans of fresh, green fragrances, an affordable option is Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea, a classic, clean scent. For those looking to splurge, Diptyque’s Philosykos is the dream Mediterranean summer fragrance, with accords of fig and coconut complimenting its green backbone.

For fans of spice, YSL’s Black

part, sponsored the event.

JumpStart not only helped her create connections with businesses in the community, but also provided funding for the food truck.

L aunchNet program manager Catie Lenahan said she worked closely with Brown and Mowery “It’s been really fun to work with both of them, just to see their leadership take place and see the work they are doing,” Lenahan said.

“They both believe in this entrepreneurial initative and that entrepreneurship is everywhere.”

Opium, Kayali’s Vanilla 28 and Maison Margelia’s REPLICA By the Fireplace are all good choices. Spice can be a compliment, like in Vanilla 28, or the star of the show, like in By the Fireplace.

And remember, fragrances don’t really have a gender.

There are “feminine” and “masculine” fragrances, but each works their own magic with your skin chemistry. No two fragrances, even the same bottle, smell exactly alike on everyone. Make sure to test them on skin, because paper testers can be misleading.

The most important part of finding your signature scent is just going out and finding it! Whether it be through smelling it on someone else, hearing rave reviews online or something else entirely, get out there and smell it! And remember, don’t overspray — it's best not to give your classmates a headache because of how strong, albeit good, you smell.

QUOTEACROSTIC

BY HANNAH SIM, PHY-104 GENERAL PROBLEM SOLVING

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, February 21, 2024 | THE EXPONENT

8

SPORTS

Globally ranked racquetball athlete attributes professional athletic journey to BW's competitive environment

By NICK IRELAN Sports Editor

Former Baldwin Wallace Un i v e r s i t y r a c q u e t b a l l player Thomas Carter has experienced notable career success since graduating in 2017.

Graduating with a degree in finance, Carter won both the singles and doubles national titles during his senior year at BW. Post-graduation, he embarked on a journey in the Racquetball Pro tour for the USA, where he is currently ranked No. 17 globally.

Additionally, Carter has launched his own coaching business.

In reflecting on his journey, Carter said that sports have instilled a competitive spirit and a relentless drive for selfimprovement on and off the court.

“When competing, obviously you either win or you lose, so all athletes must learn to deal with failure if they want to be successful in

the long term,” Carter said.

“This tough lesson has taught me how to focus on what I can control instead of solely focusing on results.”

Carter said he acknowledges and appreciates the transformative impact of his college racquetball team experience.

“I was very fortunate to play on a team filled with talented and competitive players,” Carter said. “We pushed each other hard in practice.

This...helped me grow as a racquetball player and more importantly as a person. I am very grateful for that.”

Carter extends his appreciation to BW and the individuals he met there that supported him throughout college.

“I am lucky to have built relationships with a lot of great people at BW, from teammates, coaches, professors to alumni,” Carter said. “On top of that, the racquetball community as a whole is very tight-knit.

These relationships have definitely helped me out in

many ways over the years in my racquetball career, mainly by providing me with support and guidance.

Additionally, Carter said that the relationships he has made will help him in his future career endeavors.

“I also know these relationships will help me smoothly transition to a new career when I decide to move on from playing racquetball professionally,” Carter said.

Patrick Keebler, the director of the BW Career Center, said it is important to offer these services that support career development to studentathletes.

“Last year we developed a career management selfdirected course on Canvas,” Keebler said. “The content was designed specifically for student-athletes and can be completed in less than 20 hours.”

The career management course features comprehensive lesson plans covering finances, inter viewing techniques, networking strategies and

Courtesy of Kevin Savory

Thomas Carter participates in a competition in Oregon. other career development tools specifically for studentathletes.

To enroll in this course, students can contact the Career Center for access. The Career Center organizes numerous events for all students, whether

actively seeking employment or simply curious about exploring opportunities with various companies.

“Many student-athletes attend our career fairs and networking events, of which we offer six of these each

year,” Keebler said. “For example, this week, we have two career fairs happening — an accounting fair and a social impact career fair.

THE EXPONENT

CROSSWORD AND WORD SEARCH

WORD BANK

BY MEREDITH MCCORD

BUZZINBLACKFRIDAY

FRAGRANCE BROWNS NEWSLETTER CORE

IN THIS WEEK'S PODCAST ACROSS

DOWN

[4] A screening event showing films from other countries [6] An extension of the exponent called the Parenthesis

[1] ASA hosted an event celebrating this holiday [2] A BW student publishing a book is considered an [3] A popular lunch and breakfast restaurant opening in Middleburg Heights [5] A day focused on encouraging students to study abroad

Matthias Andujar, Zella Miller and Loc Wilson discuss issues pertaining to the student body, the Baldwin Wallace University campus and the greater Berea community from a student perspective in the “Parenthesis.”

LISTEN TO THE NEW EPISODE HERE: