The Exponent Print Edition: March 1, 2023

Berea City Council considers plans for City-owned houses, works toward keeping student renters out of Historical District

By SIMON SKOUTAS Managing Editor

On Feb. 16, a Berea City Council finance committee meeting was held to hear the proposals from both the city and the Century Home Garden District Homeowners Association as to what should be done to the two vacant City-owned houses located on 180 and 190 Beech St., an area in which the City is attempting to disallow Baldwin Wallace University students from renting.

Ward 4 Berea City Councilwoman Erika Coble, who represents part of BW and the Historical District of Berea, said the City wanted to receive the houses and place owner-occupied deed restrictions on the properties

which would not allow them to be rented to students. Coble said this decision was made not because of the BW students themselves, but because of the landlords.

The two houses on Beech Street were obtained by the City in 2016. At that time, the historical homes were leased to students by DiGeronimo Companies, a construction company based in Independence, Ohio. Through an agreement with the City, DiGeronimo Companies was given a City-owned parking lot and an alleyway to construct the building on Front Street which houses BW dorms and various businesses such as Starbucks.

When houses within the Historical District of Berea were rented to students in

the past, there were some problems, said Marlene Shurell, president of the HOA.

“There were some problems when they had the party houses because, you know,

kids are kids, and the kids who went to the party houses are the kind that like to act up a little,” Marlene Shurrell said.

Dan Karp, assistant vice president and director of

university relations, said that when students break the rules in the rental homes not owned by BW, people will reach out to BW for help. Although BW administration tries to offer help, the landlords are rarely notified.

“The third-party landlord is responsible that if students don’t take good care of the property... We do try to help and resolve the issues where we can because you’re our students, and we want you to be good neighbors,” Karp said.

Ward 5 Councilman Rick Skoczen said that regardless of whether money is put into the two City-owned houses, anyone could still purchase the houses and place them in a college student’s name, and the City might end up with the “college issue again.”

“It would get us back to

[where] we didn’t want to be, which was that [we] had college students back in the district,” Skoczen said. “We don’t know if they’re renting and then we can be back to square one with what we were dealing with before.”

One of the proposals from the City of Berea was that the City would acquire 188 Beech St., which is currently owned by BW; in turn, the University would take a portion of land behind 190 Beech St. The backyard of 190 Beech St. faces the side of the Lou Higgins Recreation Center, and BW would want to turn this into a deed-restricted landscaping barrier. This option included tearing down all three houses and building two new

Student government welcomes new leadership GAME ON!

As the BW Esports program grows, its members are hoping to attract members of all abilities — and dismantle the sport's social stigma.

By KAYLA MURO Staff Writer

In the month of February, new leadership roles were taken by BW students through the student government. On Feb. 14, the Student Senate elected a new president, and the week following, the 111th student body president and vice president Matt Perry and Maree Horne had their inauguration ceremony.

Perry has been involved in student government since he was a first-year. He had previously been a part of the Facilities and Sustainability Committee in Student Senate, as well as serving as the student body vice president this past year.

“I think student government is a fantastic opportunity for anybody that is trying to get involved on campus,” Perry said. “It gives you the responsibility to lead your fellow group of students.”

government bolstered his love for event planning and student engagement. Perry said that throughout the years following Covid-19, participation in clubs and organizations has been down, and he hopes to help to grow student involvement.

“I feel a lot more connected to what’s happening here at BW,” Perry said.

Student government acts as a conduit between students and the administration. Perry and Horne are willing to take questions and concerns from the student body.

The inauguration not only marked a new era for student government, but also highlighted its importance. During his remarks, President Bob Helmer reflected that he has made less than a handful of decisions himself and emphasized that much of BW is powered by shared leadership.

READ MORE ON PAGE 8

Perry emphasized during his remarks that student

In addition to the new student body president and student body vice president, Student Senate is also

introducing new leadership.

Brenna Holliday, a sophomore music education major, was elected as the Student Senate president on Feb. 14.

Holliday said that she joined student government four weeks into her first year and served as both a member and

the head of the academic affairs committee. Holliday said that she hopes to elevate students’ voices on campus and is looking forward to sharing future Student Senate projects.

Upon being notified that the Student Senate president position would be open, Holliday said that she knew she wanted to push herself to the next level in leadership.

Holliday said that the Student Senate is a growing organization and one that has made an impact on campus. Holliday also said that working as a senator is a great way to get involved and meet new people.

“Throughout my time in senate it’s … grown so much,” Holliday said. “All the senators are so excited to do things and I think it’s amazing.”

El Torito Tacos to open Berea location

Kayla Muro, The Exponent Matthew Perry is sworn in as student body president by BW Supreme Court Chief Justice Dave Muro.

Austin Patterson, The Exponent 180 Beech St. is one of the vacant City-owned houses for which the Berea government and local homeowner's association have propsed plans.

Courtesy of Damien Campbell The BW Esports Valorant team poses for a photograh on the team's media day.

THE BEREA COMMUNITY’S PAPER OF RECORD

STUDENT EDITORIAL STAFF

Executive Editor

Justin McMullen exponent@bw.edu

Senior Editor

Sunaina Kabadkar

Managing Editors

Cole Graham

Matthew Morales

Emily Muench

Austin Patterson

Simon Skoutas

Hannah Wetmore

Art Director

Alexis Watkins

Web Editors

Henry Haas

Isabel Rivera

Chase J. Gilroy

Staff Writers

Griffin Arnold

Caitlin Bowshier

Dina Dakdouk

Chase Gilroy

Raejanae Martin

Gloria Mireles-Barrera

Chris Moran

Kathryn Raubolt

Sophia Rossero

Ursula Saadeh

Kayla Muro

Ella York

Meredith McCord

Kelly Coyne

Olivia Garrett

FACULTY ADVISOR

Huixin Deng hdeng@bw.edu

NEWSPAPER POLICIES

The Exponent is the 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 and 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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Math department moves to new course model for remedial students

By KATHRYN RAUBOLT Staff Writer

In the fall of 2022, the mathematics department at BW began to implement and pilot a new model to help students graduate on time.

The new model comes in the form of a class, MTH-120 Applied College Mathematics, a four-credit hour course that includes a help section in addition to the normal college class.

Brent Strunk, the department chair of mathematics and statistics, said that the idea of the new co-remediation model is to eliminate the remedial courses that keep students from graduating on time.

“If you have a student who is underprepared in some way, either from an ACT, SAT,

or a placement test score, they used to be put into a class that started with a zero, which was 021 here,” Strunk said. “But the issue with that is it puts the student a semester behind their degree plan because that student isn’t in their prerequisite course until their second semester.”

Applied College Mathematics is not a new course at BW. However, it no longer requires a prerequisite.

If a student meets the threshold, they can be placed in a MTH-120 course that has no help section, but if a student needs it, they will be enrolled in a five-day per week course.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday students will attend the normal college course, earning their normal credits for their degree or core requirements. On Tuesday

and Thursday, students will go to a help section with the instructor and an inclass tutor that provides help either on material that will be needed to complete future lessons or on material that was previously learned in the class.

“Under this new model, it’s one and done because students can take their requirements and be done regardless of where they start,” Strunk said.

Additionally, students in MTH-140 Precalculus Math can be enrolled in a similar model. However, due to a smaller number of students, an additional MTH-040 course provides in-class support. This co-requisite course was implemented four years ago to help reduce the number of students in remedial courses for

Precalculus.

“The students not enrolled in the additional support group still have the option to go. We tell students up front that this exists on Tuesdays and Thursdays and if they need extra help one week, they are welcome to come join the party,” Strunk said. “But the students identified as needing the extra support are required to go every week.”

The idea of co-remediation has begun to be implemented across the country in many different formats. Prerequisites for most lowerlevel statistics courses and math education courses at BW were removed about five to six years ago altogether.

“We just decided remedial math was not a good fit for these courses at all,” Strunk said. “They weren’t getting anything out of them, so

why were we making students take them? So, MTH-101, 105, 108 and 111 had their prerequisites removed years ago.”

In the Fall 2023 semester, all remedial courses were removed in the mathematics department. Those that can place higher will still be placed in those courses, but any student that doesn’t will be put into MTH-120 with support.

“The hope is that we can help students get to their majors and get through their math courses faster and be more successful with the additional academic support, so they can get where they need to be on-time. That’s the goal,” Strunk said.

Engineering department awaits accreditation board fate

By GRIFFIN ARNOLD Staff Writer

Baldwin Wallace University’s engineering program is in its final stages of the accreditation process under the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology.

ABET confirms if university programs meet the qualifications that would allow institutions to confer degrees and licenses in engineering programs.

Professor Jennifer Kadlowec, the chair of the engineering department within the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics &

Computing, has been one of the few members working on moving this project forward to expand BW’s engineering major.

“I knew what to do to get basic information to put together a readiness review,” Kadlowec said.

This review consists of a detailed list including the curriculum, the university facilities and how students are admitted into the program.

In June 2022, the engineering program submitted their self-study report which is a more comprehensive version of the “Readiness Review.” Once reviewed, ABET sent a few representatives to BW’s campus to check out the

facilities and meet the board.

The team will now wait until August to receive a verdict from ABET.

Kadlowec said that students and parents worry if an institution does not have an ABET-accredited program. However if the program is approved, she said that the program can grow and begin offering specialized engineering disciplines.

Currently, the engineering B.S. program is an allencompassing experience that touches on many forms of engineering. Martin Mann, an engineering and horn performance student with an emphasis in acoustics at BW, said the major exposes

students to a wide variety of engineering disciplines.

“It’s a mechanical engineering degree, but with added knowledge and classes for civil, structural, electrical, and manufacturing,” Mann said.

Mann has experienced the program through its early stages and said it has grown tremendously over the years. Mann said that he is excited about BW’s recent steps to hire a fabrication lab technician.

“As a result, we students have been learning a bunch more and we have been given access to more opportunities,” Mann said.

With the accreditation of BW’s engineering program,

the department will be able to open more opportunities for students like the fabrication lab. The influx of potential students will also be a massive push toward growing the program and will allow it to branch into new, specific majors for students.

Right now Kadlowec, and her team aren’t looking too far ahead into the future with that specific goal since each new major would require another report and confirmation from ABET, however she said she is hopeful for how the program can develop over the coming years.

Self-defense course teaches safety tips to BW community

By SUNAINA KABADKAR Senior Editor

On Feb. 26 from 6-8 p.m. in the Center for Innovation and Growth, BW Safety and Security, the Berea Police Department and martial arts instructor Michael Cunningham taught female and female-identifying students, faculty and staff vital self-defense techniques. The event was split up into two workshops. Half of the attendees listened to a safety talk by Safety and Security Supervisor Timothy Washington, Berea Police Lieutenant Aaron Krouse and Berea Police Patrolman Nick Huskins. The other half participated in a handson self-defense lesson by Cunningham, known on campus as “Master Mike.” At around halfway through the event, those groups switched and attended the other workshop.

“I'm the hands-on guy. I'm the one who's teaching how … to defend against someone who's attacking you from different scenarios,”

Cunningham told The Exponent before the event.

“As you know, from any kind of martial arts, you’ve got to practice, practice, practice. But it'll be basic skills that are just quick and easy to learn for defense and to get out of a [dangerous] situation.”

Cunningham said that after years of teaching self-defense classes, he has come up with an agenda that works. He goes to the classes with some content prepared, but the rest of the time he opens it up to questions from the attendees.

Some of the topics covered included how to get out of common holds by an assailant and how to defend against a weapon. Cunningham said one of his favorite weapons other than his hands and feet is a pen.

“If you don't click the pen, it's just an object of pressing on pressure points. … If you had a weapon, I would click the pen and now it's a sharp object. … It could cause more damage and injury to that person if it was life or death,” Cunningham said.

Washington went over some safety techniques

like not opening doors to the dorms for people you do not know or using situational awareness. Krouse and Huskins prepared a slideshow to supplement the information that Washington’s talk provided.

The addition of BPD to this type of event is new. In the past, Washington and Cunningham organized these classes alone. Washington said that the University benefits from having such a close relationship with BPD, adding that some BPD officers are also employed by the University on its Safety and Security force.

Krouse said that the good relationship between the BPD and the University “starts from the top” with the chief of police and the upper administration of the University.

Kerry Mullen, director of residential life and housing, was the woman who started this whole process. In an email to the Exponent, Mullen explained how she learned of the Birdie safety devices when she attended a conference.

A Birdie personal safety alarm is a small device about the size of a keychain pepper spray that consists of a loud alarm and flashing strobe light. It is a product created by women, for women.

Mullen wanted to bring Birdies to campus but needed a way to cover the cost of $29.95 per device.

Mullen filled out a proposal for the Women for BW grant and reached out to campus security, BPD and Cunningham.

After presenting her idea to the Women of BW, Mullen received the grant and collaborated with Safety and Security, BPD, Cunningham, associate sociology professor Julie Newcamp and the Sociology/Criminal Justice/ Forensic Science Club, also known as the Crime Society, to host the first self-defense program on campus since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Actually, me and [Cunningham] used to do a program years ago. And it was really getting a lot of popularity, where I would talk about safety items and he would do self-defense. Then

Covid sort of stopped that,” Washington said.

Sidney Durkin, senior criminal justice major and president of the Crime Society, was one of the few students that worked on this event. Her main focus was to help advertise to students.

“Because it [the grant] was given to us by the Woman for BW, we decided to have an event that was for female and female identifying students in hopes that the event will be a success and that we can open it up to the rest of campus and all of the BW community,” Durkin said.

Currently, Cunningham and Washington are in talks with BPD to organize more self-defense classes for the Berea community. They also plan on hosting more classes for BW students and staff in the future.

Sunday’s event can accommodate up to 100 students and some spots are still available. Individuals can register on the SignUpGenius found under the Events tab in Jacket Connect and receive a free Birdie at the end of the event.

Buzzin’ Black Friday offers learning opportunities on circulation of Black dollar, showcases products by Black-owned vendors

By JILLIAN SMITH Contributing Writer

Baldwin Wallace students were able to engage in the first-ever Buzzin’ Black Friday event on Feb. 17 from 3-6 p.m. in the Student Activity Center.

Buzzin' Black Friday is a pop-up shop created by sophomore political science student Daisjah Brown, a Brain Center fellow. The event brings in local Black vendors selling products ranging from

hair oils to candles, press-on nails, hair line-ups and much more.

The goal for the event is “to help create an inclusive community here at BW between our students and faculty of color and showing them in a positive light that the university really hasn't done before,” Brown said.

The inspiration for this idea struck while Brown was on a civil rights alternative break trip last year to Montgomery, Ala., and Atlanta. While on the trip, Brown saw that many

businesses were gas stations or liquor stores, and that not many people of color owned any businesses. She talked to fellow students about the idea of bringing local black vendors to campus, and the student recommended she become a Brain Fellow. She then joined the Brain Fellows team, where the idea began to blossom and became a campus event.

“[I want] people leaving feeling like they learned something, and I want people to leave feeling like

University-backed research finds correlation between redline zones, lead contamination in soil

By KAYLA MURO Staff Writer

Research by Annette

Trierweiler, an assistant professor of environmental science, conducted alongside BW students since fall of 2020, found a statistically significant correlation between the redline zones of the Greater Cleveland area and dangerous lead contamination in soil.

Trierweiler led nine students working on independent projects, as well as over 20 students engaging with this project for course work. The team aimed to test if there was a correlation between redlining, which was the process of denying mortgage loans based on the perceived risk of demographic areas, and lead contamination in soil.

“I was interested in the question of whether there was an environmental legacy with the practice called redline,” Trierweiler said, “The practice occurred as a result of the New Deal era where the government would rate the quality of neighborhoods and investments, real estates and mortgages are based off of these [redlined] categories.”

Redlining categorizes areas into zones with grades of A, B, C and D to indicate which communities should be invested in. C and D zones were not invested in, furthering low economic growth. These areas were often comprised of minority communities, such as immigrants and people of color, Trierweiler said.

Lead contamination in these areas caused it to become a “food desert,” Trierweiler said.

These zones are incompatible with growing fresh produce and often have a shortage of nearby businesses selling fresh and healthy foods, which is an extreme disadvantage since many communities in these areas already suffer from poverty.

These areas also now have low housing rates, and getting the soil tested becomes a landlord issue, despite its effects on the houses current occupants.

The lead in the soil, especially surrounding the houses, is often attributed to lead paint that was used prior to the 1970s, when it was banned. Lack of investment in these older homes with lead paint prevented progress from being made.

For the research, the BW students traveled through the Greater Cleveland area going to individual properties testing the infiltration, compaction and color of the soil. Analyses of composition were conducted on location using a hydrometer, said Rowan Riendfleisch, a junior environmental science major who participated in the research.

After testing in areas such as community gardens, playgrounds and house lots, the research participants returned a letter detailing the quality of the soil, Emmalee Keep, a BW alum involved in the project, said.

“On a residential level, if there were high levels of lead detected, we would contact whoever was living there [and we would] provide a couple of suggestions [on] how to keep their kids, families and animals

there is positivity in the Black community that is not shown in the media,” Brown said.

At Buzzin’ Black Friday, Tameka Rashid, vice president for student affairs, spoke about the event and Brown.

“I really applaud the effort of what Daisjah and her team have done to not only provide a space for entrepreneurship and our businesses that are here today and represented but to provide an opportunity for education and an educational space to learn,”

Rashid said in her speech.

At the event, students were able to learn about the circulation of the Black dollar and Black businesses. There were chances to win prizes and enter a raffle, including winning a BW center basket.

This will be one of many events the Brain Center will host this semester. A food drive was held in collaboration with the Ohio Athletic Conference on Feb. 24 in the Lou Higgins Rec Center. There will also be pop-up pantries throughout

the rest of the semester in various dorm buildings. Additional information on these initiatives can be found on the Brain Center's Jacket Connect page.

Lorain County locals fight against potential biosolids facilty in Grafton Township

By CHRIS MORAN Staff Writer

safe,” Riendfleisch said.

Since food products cannot be grown in soil with lead contamination for safety reasons, the team would provide alternative options for areas where this dangerous substance was present. Options to prevent food from being infiltrated by the lead depend on the severity of the contamination. Some examples of feedback would be to dig up the soil or add raised beds.

Trierweiler and the students did not find traces of lead in soil while sampling from locations on or around playgrounds. Contaminated soil in such an area can be especially dangerous. Ingesting lead is extremely harmful, and there is a possibility of young children putting their hands in the dirt and into their mouths.

Although no students are currently in place to participate during the summer, Trierweiler will continue this project collecting and analyzing data for this project. Continuous questions about soil health, environmental justice, and possible industrial sources of lead urge Trierweiler to stay active in her research.

Photo caption: Under the supervision of Annette Trierweiler, students collect soil samples to gauge lead levels in redline zones.

In Southeast Lorain County, which is approximately 16 miles from campus, a large parcel of land lies unoccupied aside from a gravel driveway, where plans to build a biosolids handling facility have some members of the public expressing their unease. Others, like the Lorain County Health Commissioner, argue that public alarm may be unwarranted.

A company called Grow Now LLC has its sights set on the parcel in Grafton Township to build a facility for storing biosolids, a substance often used as fertilizer derived from leftover human waste in water treatment facilities.

In response to the proposal, which would place the facility on the Northwest corner of Law Road and State Route 83, community members have dotted the landscape with signs that read “No Bio Solids in Grafton.”

Those responsible for the signs are a group of Grafton Township residents who have attended local trustee meetings and pooled some money together to get legal help to prevent the biosolids facility from being permitted by the local government.

Chris West, a resident of Grafton township and a part of this group responsible for the signs, said his main work was to engage the issue with a law firm. West said he has some personal concerns about the biosolids being part of his community.

“I’m concerned about the smell in the air and added vehicle traffic from trucks hauling [biosolids] in and out of our neighborhood,” West said. “I’m definitely concerned about the local wildlife. You know, we’ve got creeks and streams on our property and… whether its groundwater or overflow, I don’t want it anywhere near my property.”

West also said that while he built his dream home in the neighborhood, having biosolids there could impact

those selling the housing market in the area.

“You know if this happens, if it goes forward, it's going to affect property values.” West said “That’s not number one on my list because I’m not planning on leaving.”

Lorain County Health Commissioner Mark Adams said that the Lorain County Health Department does not have much, if any, say over what happens with a potential biosolids facility at this time, but that when it comes to complaints, the Health Department would play a part.

“If someone was to call any complaint, if anything was to happen, our Health Department would most likely go out and investigate it and we would forward anything to the [Ohio Environmental Protection Agency].” Adams said. “When it comes to the licensing piece, its highly regulated by the EPA.”

The EPA has set standards for biosolids maintaining that any sewage sludge be low in dangerous pathogens, as well as a series of chemicals that can be hazardous to human health.

“The processing of human waste has gone on for years, and it's successful when it is applied in agricultural settings so long as it is treated exactly

the way it is supposed to be treated,” Adams said.

Matt Harlan, another Grafton Township resident opposing the potential biosolids facility, said he worries that Grow Now will use quirks in regulations to their advantage in building its facility.

“Myself, personally, I am trying to find out as much of the science behind what they are claiming to do and how they’re able to use it to their advantage.” Harlan said. “They claim it as agriculture so they can get away with a lot of stuff that the government can’t get around.”

Despite EPA standards for what can be in biosolids, Harlan is still concerned about potential pollution. Harlan said that biosolid use creates a problem through the healthdamaging synthetic chemicals like perfluorooctane sulfonic acid perfluorinated alkylated substances, which are not the chemicals that the EPA is searching for.

“They call them forever chemicals. They’re in everything, and that's the stuff that gets into the ground and never goes away,” Harlan said. “So there's a handful of those chemicals that they look for, but they don’t look for anything else.”

Chris Moran, The Exponent Signs reading "No BioSolids in Grafton" are a common sight in yards throughout Grafton Township as residents fight against a proposed biosolids handling facility.

Courtesy of Annette Trierweiler

The Expression

Arts and Culture Coverage from The Exponent

THE EXPONENT AT THE MOVIES

What does ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ mean for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

By ELLA YORK

Staff Writer

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” kicked off its phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing the big bad for Marvel’s next phases of films and giving yet another small taste of the multiverse to come. What does the third “Ant-Man” installment say about the future of Marvel’s multiverse saga?

The “Ant-Man” movies have always been relatively lowstakes chapters of the Marvel storybook, relying on mostly

charm and humor rather than original or complex plot to entertain the audience. However, given that “AntMan and the Wasp” served as an important piece of the puzzle when it came to setting up the time travel aspect that was crucial to the plot of “Avengers: Endgame,” the significance of these movies in the overarching story is not to be ignored.

So far, the only Marvel projects exploring the multiverse thus far have been “Loki,” “What If…?,”

“Spider-Man: No Way Home,”

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and

Review: ‘Quantumania’ is a

By GRIFFIN ARNOLD Staff Writer

Imagine putting the CGI from “Spy-Kids: 3D" or “Sharkboy and Lavagirl” and sprinkling in everything wrong with the recent “Star Wars” sequels. You would get something close to “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Marvel Studios’ launch into phase five of its Marvel Cinematic Universe is lackluster, boring and uninspired.

For those who haven’t been keeping up with the myriad of movies, television shows, books, post credit scenes, random cameos in cereal boxes or the 20 other vehicles Marvel is using to tell their stories: in this installment, the multiverse is under attack by a mysterious man named Kang the Conqueror. Similar

to Thanos, Kang will be the MCU’s next big baddie, and with his frankly horrible introduction to the big screen … who cares?

“Quantumania” takes place right after the events of “Endgame” with Scott Lang, his girlfriend Hope, his daughter Cassie, and a few more recognizable faces traversing the Quantum Realm. For the uninitiated: this is the magical dimension where Janet van Dyne was stuck in for the last 30 years and was ultimately saved from in “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” While in the Quantum Realm, Scott and his family meet different factions of people who were left to ruin after Janet was taken back to Earth. The family then has to stop Kang from his plans to leave the Quantum Realm and destroy other timelines.

The cast was mediocre,

now “Quantumania.” As these films don’t have a very strong connection to one another, it begs the question when and how Marvel will start to connect the dots.

The first connective tissue beginning to tie the movies together is the “Quantumania” villain Kang the Conqueror. For some backstory, Kang’s true identity is Nathaniel Richards, a descendant of both Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom. Living in the 31st Century, Nathaniel Richards discovered time travel and the existence of the multiverse, and become the conqueror

seen in “Quantumania.”

Kang is slated to appear next in “Loki” season 2 and “Avengers: Kang Dynasty” for certain, but there has been speculation as to where else he may appear before the next big Avengers event, such as “Moon Knight” season 2, “What If…?” season 2, “Deadpool 3,” or “Fantastic Four.”

Along with Kang, the younger heroes Marvel has introduced throughout phase four may be part of the plan to start connecting the films together. The additions of Cassie Lang, America Chavez, Peter Parker, Kate Bishop, Riri

Williams, Billy and Tommy Maximoff and more hint towards a Young Avengers line up to be seen in the near future.

Of course, all of these films and TV shows are building up towards another “Endgame” level event. In just two short years, Marvel will attempt to recreate the success they had with the Infinity Saga by releasing “Avengers: Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” just six months apart.

Many question, though, if Marvel will be able to recreate that success at all. As fans complain of predictable plots,

an overuse of commputergenerated imagery, priority of quantity over quality and poorly written characters, it’s unclear whether Marvel will be able to get the fanbase back in their favor enough to drum up the same excitement towards the next big crossover.

The next film installment of Phase Five will be “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” releasing on May 5. Highly anticipated, this film will hopefully give more insight on the direction of phase five and begin to make it clear where the fans stand on the development of the Multiverse Saga.

attempt to continue a flailing universe

with the only exception being Jonathan Majors playing Kang. Majors delivers such devastating blows in his speech during this movie. His long pauses and the content of what he is saying shows how Kang should be seen as a massive problem to the characters. Majors doesn't have to rely on the writers making him quippy and rather focuses on the power of Kang as a character. Unfortunately this still doesn't make Kang a well-written character in the slightest, but it Majors worked well with what he was given.

Paul Rudd reprises the role of Ant-Man without the wit and humor of the series’ previous installments. The rest of the cast give lackluster performances, though they aren’t helped by the script, which is packed with throwaway, cringeinducing one-liners. Most

notable in this category is Kathryn Newton, who plays Cassie. Cassie is given similar treatment as America Chavez in a previous Marvel film, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” where her character is simply reduced to a plot point who needs to be saved all the time rather than a fully fleshed out character. Newton's acting is wooden and inexpressive, and she essentially only says the word “Dad” with the most neutral face known to man. I never found myself caring about the relationship between Cassie and Scott; the necessary chemistry between the two was not properly built upon or continued from the prior installments. The only new piece of information the two share in “Quantamania" is that Cassie went to jail.

As to not spoil, there are a few notable characters and

scenes that show how much funding and time Marvel has taken out of its films and migrated to different projects. Frankly, this film is a waste of time for people who have spent the grueling hours watching all of the recent Marvel projects — and for the people who haven’t, it is confusing and hard to follow. By the end of the film, it is clear that there was no need to make this movie at all from a creative or narrative aspect. Everything we learn from the film has been explained ad nauseam in previous movies or shows.

What’s missing, especially for comic book fans, is anything that distinguishes this movie from any other generic science fiction movie. Without Ant-Man and his family or the Marvel title card, there would be no discernible way to tell this

is in the MCU. Perhaps this disjointed, foreign feeling was a creative choice to depict the titular Quantum Realm. But “Quantamania” reads more like an action film that has cut down massively on visual effects and writing and was made simply to prove that the MCU isn’t burning out. If Marvel wants to create good and compelling stories, it needs to step back, listen to criticism and ask itself: who is this movie for? How long does it think people can last with such a dense timeline of content? Is it a studio that tells compelling stories or one that churns out unsatisfactory films in order to make a quick buck? Unfortunately, it seems it has decided to follow the money.

Austin Patterson, The Exponent

zh en” is BW Dance’s annual partnership with a BW professor, in which the cast and creatives translate the professor’s research into movement. This year’s concert “fyoo zh en ’23: Sumagsisa, Beautiful Flower,” explored the research of Karen Barahona, associate professor of Spanish, who traveled to Ecuador through the BW-Universidad del Azuay faculty research exchange program in 2019. To learn more about the performance and the creative process, read Staff Writer Ursula Saadeh's article at bwexponent.com/dance.

Based on the research of Karen Barahona, associate professor of Spanish, “fyoo zh en '23: Sumagsisa, Beautiful Flower,” which ran Feb. 22-25, showcased themes of nature, gender equality and empowerment.

futile

Dance

students collaborate with Spanish professor to share story of indigenous women in Ecuador

First-year Conservatory students adjust to new rehearsal schedule

Despite busy schedules, students remain hopeful for Spring 2023

By STEFFI BURDICK Contributing Writer

Rehearsals for the spring semester’s Conservatory events and ensembles started immediately after students returned from winter break, leaving little time for adjustment back to campus and their new schedules, especially for first-year students.

Maribell Salazar, a first-year vocal performance major, said it was a little “jump scare” having to start instantly, but she knew it was coming. She performed in BW’s recent production of the opera “We’ve Got Our Eye on You,” which ran from Feb. 3-5.

“The show was a month away by the time we were coming back to school, so I knew it was inevitable,” Salazar said.

Many ensembles on campus also started right at the beginning of the semester.

Skyler Bruno, a first-year arts management major and music minor, switched to the Motet choir this semester, whose rehearsals started on the first night back from break. The switch brought a slight change to their schedule.

Bruno said the adjustment “was a little wonky,” but they did not find jumping right into rehearsals too difficult.

Jordan Moore-Stone, a firstyear music industry major, shared a similar experience. He said that BW Singers began promptly, starting with 11 new pieces for the semester. He said it had been an adjustment to devote enough time to practicing all the pieces.

Individual practice time is essential for Conservatory students. Leah Kania, a firstyear vocal performance major,

explained how she mostly learned music individually and received feedback in her private lessons. She had to adapt her practice time to fit within her new schedule.

“We constantly are learning so much material. … If you don’t do one thing for a week, it can easily snowball,” Salazar said.

Nevertheless, Bruno, Kania, Moore-Stone and Salazar all expressed that they have become more comfortable with their schedules as the semester has progressed.

Salazar said her classes and ensembles have helped her develop organizational skills to manage her study and rehearsal times.

“[Being in the Conservatory] has made me more of a hard worker than ever before," Salazar said. "It means you’re getting to where you want to be one day.”

Moore-Stone said he adjusted to this semester by acknowledging the variety of the many pieces being prepared by BW Singers. He has looked at it optimistically and noted how it helps him grow as a singer.

Kania also expressed that she has seen herself grow from last semester to now, as she is more confident and willing to try new things in her performances. Her fellow first-year vocal performance classmates have helped her become more comfortable, and they have “become more like a family,” she said.

With rehearsals already underway, these students are preparing for more exciting events this semester at the Conservatory.

For example, Bruno, Kania and Salazar are all a part of the Motet Choir. They said the choir has begun preparing for

BW’s Bach Festival, happening April 21-23. It has brought them joy and excitement for their performances, and they

are looking forward to it.

“I get to do the big thing the Conservatory is known for! That’s so exciting,” Bruno said.

HOUSES: Berea plans to exclude student renters from Historical District

Continued from page 1 homes that would be available for sale to families.

In response to this proposal, one member of the HOA, Rob Shurrell, said that this option would go against an agreement made between the University and the City which establishes the neighborhood as a Type

A Single Family Residential District.

Yet, in an interview with The Exponent, BW President Bob Helmer said while there were discussions and thoughts on this matter put into writing in the 1970s and 1980s, there is no signed legal agreement.

“What we try to do is keep

an open line of communication and keep the neighborhood updated on our plans,” Helmer said.

In addition, Marlene Shurell said that communication with the most recent BW administration has not been as fluid as it has been with previous presidents.

“[In the past] we’ve always had a very open conversational relationship. And we reached out several times, but I guess he’s [Helmer] just busy and hasn’t been available, so we’d love it if he were able to have conversations with us” she said.

In response, Helmer said

the neighbors did not check his calendar when they asked him to join them for a meeting on Monday, Feb. 13. However, he has always wanted to talk to the neighbors and have a meeting with the community every semester.

“The thing is, I travel a lot in February, and so I was out

Humans of BW: What are students doing over spring break?

of state the 12, 13 and 14, so I wasn’t here,” Helmer said. “So, I simply wasn’t able to go to that meeting. I emailed the person that sent out the invitation and said I wasn’t able to attend and somehow that became I didn’t want to talk to the neighbors.”

ANDREW SORIANO Class of 2025

Major: Psychology

“I’m going to California (LA area) to visit a friend that I finally got back in touch with. We’re gonna go hiking, swimming, shopping. Might go to an NBA game, we’ll see.”

MAJA JEKIC

Class 2025

Major: Public Health

“I’m just gonna see some of my old friends from high school. It’s one of their birthdays so we’re just all gonna get together and spend some time. We’re probably gonna spend some time at her house. We haven’t seen each other since like October.”

GENEVIÉVE CARREÑO

Class of 2024

Major: Arts Management & Entreprenuership

“I’m going home. I have a doctor’s appointment. I need to get my car touched up and I don’t have any money to go anywhere else. I’ll probably come back to campus a little bit early to work. I have a hair appointment on the Friday of spring break, so I’ll be here for that too.”

Steffi Burdick, The Exponent

First-year vocal performance major Maribell Salazar performed in the opera "We've Got Our Eye on You" in early February.

Life & Styles

Northeast Ohioans carry on Paczki Day tradition on Fat Tuesday

By KELLY COYNE Staff Writer

Paczki Day and Mardi

Gras represent two popular variations of Fat Tuesday celebrations across Northeast Ohio. On Feb. 21, people from all over the area swarmed to Rudy’s Strudel in Parma to purchase paczkis before the Lenten season.

Fat Tuesday is a celebration for some Christians where people indulge in sweets and meat before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

Baldwin Wallace senior Danny Rocco has been celebrating Fat Tuesday for as long as he can remember. Rocco’s mom would make Gumbo and Jambalaya and purchase different pastries including paczkis for the occasion.

As a Catholic, Rocco makes Lenten promises each season. Instead of giving something up every season he often

tries to add something to be a better person. In the past he has made sure to check on his grandparents, aunts and uncles and help friends and classmates. This Lent he is trying to be at least 5 minutes early to every class.

“I think [Fat Tuesday] is a good time, party, a lot of fun before you go into where you’ve got the Easter season

coming up,” Rocco said. “It’s a lot of trying to be more reverent to the Easter season. I think about Jesus dying on the cross. I think it’s a big party before you get into that. It’s about family, friends, and just having a good time.”

The paczki holds a special place in Fat Tuesday celebrations in Northeast Ohio due in large part to the

bakeries like Rudy’s Strudel in Parma. Paczkis are fried leavened dough filled with either savory or sweet fillings with powdered sugar on top. It dates to the medieval ages in Poland, when people would use up all their sweets and treats they would not be able to eat during Lent. This turned into the creation of Paczki Day, celebrated by Polish people all over the world the day before Ash Wednesday.

Rudy’s has been featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show, on PBS, the music publication Pitchfork and various local news sources. Through Pitchfork they were recognized for their Pavement Pierogis, an ode to the band Pavement. They have also gone viral for a special Kate Bush themed pierogi.

In 2008, Eugenia Polatajko and her daughter, Lidia Trempe, became co-owners of Rudy’s.

The bakery has been a

part of Trempe’s whole life. As young as about 3 or 4 years old, she was the human doorbell letting her mom know when a customer came in.

This year marked the 75th anniversary of Rudy’s opening in Cleveland. It eventually moved to Parma, home to some of the largest Ukrainian and Polish populations in Ohio.

The Paczki Day celebrations included a sort of birthday party for Rudy’s. While customers were waiting to purchase their paczkis there was cornhole, cake, polka dancing lessons and DJ Kishka to ring in the momentous day.

Paczki Day in Northeast Ohio is more than indulging in treats it represents a community coming together. By 3:30 p.m. all paczkis were sold out, representing roughly 80,000 sold on the day.

Trempe said, “It’s become really big and it’s really

important to me,” Trempe said. “It’s like literally my favorite time of the year. Nothing means more to me than Paczki Day because it is taking that memory of my babcia (ed. note: “babcia” translates to “grandma” in Polish) making me rose petal paczki.”

Some Rudy’s customers have patronized the business for generations. Trempe has attended weddings, funerals and various other occasions of some of her customers, whom she considers like family.

“Food crosses all cultures. There is nothing more intimate and loving than sharing a meal with somebody,” Trempe said.

The story of immigrant success in America is seen firsthand through Rudy’s, and Trempe said that she is living her “American dream.”

“Everything that my

El Toritos Tacos to open in University Market on Front Street

By CHASE J. GILROY Staff Writer

With The Lazy Bee out of commission for over three years, there has been an empty spot at 126 Front St. waiting to be filled by a new business. That is where the Mexican bar & grill El Torito Tacos is set to come in.

The new El Torito Tacos location opening soon in University Market, the mixeduse dorm and retail building next to BW’s Conservatory of Music, will be the third restaurant in a chain that spans across Northern Ohio. El Torito currently has open locations in Twinsburg and on Pearl Road in nearby Middleburg Heights.

Charlie Schalk, a sophomore environmental science and geology student,

said that they and their peers have not heard much about the upcoming restaurant.

“I wish we knew a bit more about it. Generally, I feel like we haven’t really heard anything other than that it’s supposedly opening soon,” Shalk said. “I wonder if it is associated with [BW] at all, or if it is like an independent business or anything like that.”

Esmeralda Duarte, a part owner of the family business’s Middleburg Heights location, said that they have no plans yet to partner with the University but that they are open to the idea.

“We have heard about the Baldwin Wallace meal plan, but we haven’t gotten in contact with anyone to set that up,” Duarte said. “When we actually start opening, we will work on talking with

them about it.”

Currently, the date of the grand opening is unknown, but Duarte said they should have that information solidified soon.

“We don’t have a date yet. We are finishing up the last few details in the kitchen right now, so we hope to have a date by March for sure,” Duarte said. “Otherwise, we should definitely be open before the end of the semester.”

Schalk said they hope El Torito’s Taco will accommodate dietary restrictions since they and their friends have struggled in the past to find food that fits their needs.

“I’m definitely hoping that they’re a dietary-inclusive restaurant. I have a minor gluten allergy, and I know a lot of friends that have peanut

Chase J. Gilroy, The Exponent

El Torito Tacos, which currently has locations in Twinsburg and Middleburg Heights, will bring the same menu, featuing items such as beef nachos, to University Market in Berea.

and other tree nut allergies and stuff like that,” Shalk said. “I feel like sometimes the [Union dining hall] struggles to meet those requirements, so it’d be nice to have another affordable option right next to campus when you know you might struggle to find a

dinner.”

Duarte said El Torito’s Tacos provides various vegetarian options and that they are more than willing to work with customers on providing meals to meet individual dietary needs.

“We have a vegetarian

section that I really like,” Duarte said. “I highly recommend the veggie fajitas for sure, and I think our veggie taco meal is the best.”

Once they have an official opening date, the owners at El Torito said that they will put up posters, get in contact with BW, inform the City of Berea and begin promotional work to let people know what is coming.

“Meanwhile, if anybody wants to swing by and check out our food and drinks here, they can come down to our Middleburg location,” Duarte said. “We will have the same menu, the same name and a lot of the staff will be moving between locations as well. I’ll be over there at the Berea location myself as well.”

Column: Students give love –– and hookups –– the old college try

By OLIVIA GARRETT Staff Writer

Your college years are for “exploring and opening up your heart,” said junior education major Daniela Shkembi. But how many college students, particularly in the age of online dating, are willing to open their hearts up to love?

Many college students use dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, or Grindr to connect with others — in a

2021 study conducted by the University of South Carolina, 45 of 69 students surveyed reported that they use one or more dating apps in the last 12 months. Students can use these dating apps for various reasons: casual dating, hookups and even long-term relationships.

Dating apps have the ability to connect users with other people in the area as fast as possible. This instant connection and the temporary relationship that follows introduced the idea

of modern-day hookup culture, or casual dating. In both hookup culture and casual dating, casual sex and hookups are encouraged, and relationships are formed without the involvement of commitment.

Solé Hall-Hamilton, a senior education and English major, said that they use Tinder and Bumble mainly for hookups. Hall-Hamilton said that communication is the most important thing when approaching the app for a hookup.

Hall-Hamilton said they want to ensure they are on the same page as the other person regarding how they approach a hookup or casual sex situation. Hall-Hamilton said that they need the other person to see them as a person and not just a sex object.

With the protection of a digital environment also comes the phenomenon of “ghosting” in which a person abruptly stops communicating with the other person. Hayoung Vall, a junior English major,

said ghosting is one of the disadvantages of casual dating.

“Hookup culture is dangerous because we’ve normalized cutting off communication out of nowhere,” Vall said.

C. Manson, a sophomore education major who opted to conceal their first name, said that they view dating apps as only for hook-ups, and said that they have found difficulty forming emotional connections with the people they matched with.

Shkembi said the dating apps lack passion while also redefining what it means to date, but that it’s all up for interpretation.

“Sex [and dating] have different meanings for everybody,” Shkembi said. “It’s very subjective and personal.”

For Manson, they said dating can be short-term.

“Dating doesn’t have to be permanent — it’s okay to see where things go and take it

Kelly Coyne, The Exponent Rudy's Strudel in Parma's Polish Village sold out of roughly 80,000 paczki by 3:30 p.m. on Fat Tuesday this year.

110 YEARS OF THE EXPONENT

2023 marks the 110th year that The Exponent has informed the Baldwin Wallace University and Berea communities. In our recurring series, we highlight the rich history of the Berea Community's Paper of Record.

By AUSTIN PATTERSON and JUSTIN MCMULLEN Photography Editor and Executive Editor

1956

George L. Forbes, pictured top line second from right, became the first Black member of The Exponent’s staff in 1956. Forbes went on to become a towering — if controversial — figure in Cleveland politics, having served as president of the Cleveland City Council as the city recovered from default from 1974-1989 and president of the Cleveland National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1992-2012. “When the history of this city is written a generation from now, George Forbes will loom as the one man who kept it from sinking," political lawyer John Climaco told Cleveland Magazine in 2008.

1970

On Feb. 23, 1970, a special edition of The Exponent was printed to draw attention to a gathering where Black Baldwin Wallace students spoke with their peers on the issue of racism on campus. In response to an incident in which a poster advertising a Black Alliance event about Malcom X was vandalized, Black students called for evening classes to be canceled so that all members of the BW community could attend the address. The program, according to an editorial featured in the Feb. 23 edition, entailed “free and open discussion between the white and Black community.” The following is an excerpt from that editorial:

PACZKI: Fat Tuesday traditions continue

across Cleveland

Continued from page 6 parents provided for me, that’s what it is,” Trempe said. "It’s meant they work day and night. The American dream is what my parents did: they put me through college, and I repaid the favor and came back and helped and I am so privileged. My parents did that for me.”

As a popular landmark with a storied past, Rudy's represents Cleveland’s trademark grit and positivity.

“The grittiness, the reality, and still the smile that happens on the face of every Clevelander is what I think is the most special thing in the world,” Trempe said. “I feel so lucky to live in this small, big city. The grit and the shine, that’s Cleveland.”

We seek respect, not love. We seek humanity, not degradation. We seek not whiteness, but an identity.

We seek honesty, not deception nor your gracious attempts at tokenism. And whitey smiles.

He smiles in his own iniquitous transfixed way, impervious to a problem he desperately tries to deny. A problem to which he day by day adds.

Whitey smiles at B-W. He smiled last Saturday night as Black students silently protested on the courts of Ursprung Gymnasium. His smile broadened as they took to the stands, and he gradually wiped their presence from his mind.

What’s behind whitey’s smile at BW? It is ignorance and withdrawal. Ignorance of the critical situation which does exist, and withdrawal from the realities of that situation.

It is the white man interpreting in his own mind the needs of the Blacks. It is the failure to understand, the inability to act to create a better atmosphere of understanding.

The white man offers his feeble gesture of understanding, his smile. He says he bears no hate, no prejudice. He rationalizes his own mind, and closes it to the realities that are afoot.

Some whites go overboard to prove their good intentions. They seek to be seen with Blacks, they teach in the innercity for a month or a year, then retire to their own worlds feeling justified.

They become alarmed when the Blacks attempt to establish their own identity. They would sooner have the Black race in a position to be controlled rather than have them take the initiative to determine their own destiny.

The Exponent joins with the President of the Student Body and all concerned students of good will on the college campus in urging the entire college community to be in attendance tonight in Kulas Auditorium for the most significant address on human relations that this institution has seen in its one-hundred and twenty-five year history. We cannot afford not to be there.

Continued from page 6 day by day,” Mason said.

The different aspects of college may be what draws some students toward more short-term dating. For Vall, she said that while she does not enjoy the “temporary affection,” she said she understands that the short time college students spend in school may make commitment less appealing.

Hall-Hamilton said that being an out-of-state student further impacts their willingness to commit since they aren’t going to stay in Ohio for long.

“I’m someone that’s more career-oriented,” HallHamilton said. “Love comes and goes ... If it comes along, great! But if not, that’s okay, too.”

For those who want to commit to a relationship, dating apps and hookup culture may influence how they wish to approach it.

Vall said she was cautious of committing to her partner because she worried about his “intentions” — if he was ready

to commit or if he wanted to remain casual. Prior to her current relationship, Vall actively used dating apps for casual dating and sex. Vall said that the dynamics of dating apps impacted how she went about her current relationship.

Vall also broached the topic of demonization of casual sex in hookup culture, especially for young women.

“Casual sex is demonized for women and praised for men,” Vall said. “And it makes women vulnerable to the idea that their value has gone down because of their participation in [casual sex].”

When it comes to casual sex, Shkembi said we need to stray away from the villainization of it — but a person should still understand what they are getting themselves into.

“Just be safe and smart about it,” Shkembi said. “You have to be prepared for any potential ramifications — both physically and mentally.”

For Vall, a period of “loneliness and emptiness” comes after a casual short-

term encounter on a dating app.

Hall-Hamilton said that how they feel emotionally and mentally after a hookup depends entirely on how they feel going into it. HallHamilton said body issues can be a factor, and said that they experienced situations where other people expressed an ideal body type they were seeking.

“When those conversations happen, I kind of go, 'Oh, I’m not very comfortable with that,'" Hall-Hamilton said.

Vall said that as a minority, she ran into other users that would seek out women of a certain demographic to fulfill a fantasy. Hall-Hamilton also said that this issue of fetishization is a downside to dating apps.

“You know when you’re being fetishized,” HallHamilton said. “It’s happening because someone doesn’t see me as a person.”

Courtesy of University Archives

The Exponent staff as pictured in the 1956 Baldwin Wallace University yearbook.

Courtesy of University Archives

Women's basketball avenge rivalry loss in OAC tournament win; loss to Marietta ends OAC run

By TOMMY MAROON Sports Writer

Six days after John Carroll University found a way to upset the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team at Moran Court, BW has returned the favor erased that heartbreaking result with an OAC tournament victory.

With the help of everybody on the roster scoring except two players, the Yellow Jackets got revenge with a 73-62 win over the Blue Streaks. BW won the rubber match against JCU and won the most important game of the season so far: a win in the OAC quarterfinals.

“I just practice a lot, every day I practice foul shots,” said guard Megan Hensel,

a graduate student. “Coach makes us practice at the end of games with ten in a row. So, building my confidence in the last few years and seeing my teammates have confidence in me, my coaches have confidence in me to give me the ball at the end of the game.”

Hensel made four field goals, with one of them being a clutch three pointer, but the main story about her was her free throws. Hensel made all but one free throw and was the game’s highest scorer with 18 points. She also had six rebounds, two steals and one block during the contest.

However, the game wasn’t all easy for the Yellow Jackets. Things started off slowly as they were trailing 15-9 after the first, which was part of an

Racquetball Club recruits new members for 2023 season

By MOLLY CANCIAN Contributing Writer

8-0 run for the Blue Streaks. Thirty-two of the Jackets' points came from the bench. Junior guard Carolyn Wochele scored 15 points, Wochele made three three-pointers and the Yellow Jackets outscored the Streaks in each of the contest’s final three quarters.

On Thursday, Feb. 23, the Jackets fell to Marietta in the OAC semifinal by a score of 71-65. Sophomore guard Emily Irwin led all players with a career-high 29 points. BW finished the season with an overal record of 22-5 and 14-4 record in the OAC.

Having come up short in the OAC Tournament, the team now awaits its seeding in the NCAA Div. III tournament. The national tournament will begin on March 3.

As esports program gains steam, members hope to start campus club

By HANNAH OGDEN

Contributing Writer

As of this Spring semester, the Baldwin Wallace University Esports program has accumulated up to 35 active members and is looking to create an esports club to accommodate more interested students in the near future.

The BW Esports program initially launced in 2020, but Jake Grasso, BW’s assistant director of esports, has taken the initiative to help revamp it this past fall. Students have been competing in the video games Super Smash Bros., Call of Duty, Overwatch, Rocket League and Valorant.

Grasso said that the program can strengthen soft skills such as communication, teamwork and critical thinking. He said video games are a common interest among students, and there is a spot for everyone, no matter their skill level.

“I want them to come to this program and not be the same person they were when they first started four years ago,” Grasso said.

According to Grasso, the esports program is still young and has the potential to become hugely popular on campus since it can bring

together people of different backgrounds through a universal love of video games.

Grasso also said that a less formal esports club is possibly in the works. Alex Metot, a freshman psychology major on the Valorant team, said she is working with Grasso to make this club a reality.

“I can’t say what we have planned, but I will say it’s more than just competitive,” Metot said. “There’s Minecraft, there’s Roblox, [and] there’s Jackbox Games. Like once it gets in the works, you’ll see. It’s gonna be awesome.”

Compared to the competitive esports program, the esports club will welcome those who do not want to compete, but who just want to play video games with their peers.

Ben Cuomo, a freshman biology major on the Valorant team, said that he has bonded with football players that live on his floor over their common interest in video games. Cuomo took his love of games to the next level by joining esports.

“I think that that’s another thing for some people that maybe find it hard to talk to people, or they find it harder to make friends,” Cuomo said.

“They can come out to this

club, and they get friends that play a common video game with them.”

Cuomo said that esports is like any other varsity sport in a way, and they dedicate multiple hours a day to practicing new strategies and film review.

Kyle Covington, a junior public health major on the Valorant team, has recently joined the esports program and touched on the possible negative stigma surrounding gaming.

“There’s always like this stigma around it,” Covington said. “People think that just because you play video games, it means you’re antisocial.”

Covington said that from an outsider's perspective, people who play esports might be considered nerds or people who “don’t go outside enough.” However, he hopes that as the popularity of esports grows, people will realize that just because someone plays video games doesn’t mean that they are considered any of those things.

“People will hopefully realize just because you play video games doesn’t mean like anything about you other than you play video games,” Covington said.

As the BW Racquetball Club is recruiting for its 2023 season, members of the team and head coach said that while the BW racquetball team competes at a competitive level, the club offers varying levels of commitment and welcomes members at any skill level.

The racquetball team is currently competing at the Division II level, but in the past the players competed as Div. I athletes. Julia Stein, a junior biology and public health double major at BW and member of the racquetball team, said that being called a Div. I sport is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to recruiting new players.

“People just totally get the wrong idea because they think they have to be some pro to even try it out, but people should just try it out for fun,” Stein said.

The racquetball team has had a great deal of past success, having won national titles and seen its alumni play in professional leagues, head coach Andy Hawthorne said. But the team has always accommodated different players, he added.

“Even in the years that we’ve dominated the country in racquetball, we’ve always had beginners on our team,” Hawthorne said. “[Whether] you’ve never picked up a racquet or whether you’ve played for ten years, there’s a spot for you on the team.”

The racquetball team practices three times a week, but Hawthorne said that some players come to practice twice

a week while others exceed the three day per week mark.

Unlike the rigid practice schedule of some other sports, the Racquetball Club gives students the freedom to choose their level of commitment, Hawthorne said.

“We are as demanding as you want to be,” Hawthorne said.

Stein said that the flexible schedule offered by the team works well with her college schedule.

“It’s a really good experience to be on a team and play a sport in college but to not have it totally run your life,” Stein said.

Angie Case, a sophomore art education major, racquetball club player and team manager, said that she had little prior experience before joining the team. However, by leaving tournaments optional and even offering beginner brackets to new players, the team has become beginner friendly.

What makes the racquetball team special is the friendship that arise through participation and practice, Case said.

“There’s a certain energy about being part of a team,” Case said.

While Stein has been playing racquetball since she was five years old, she said that playing for BW has given her a new perspective on the sport.

“I’m kind of gaining

perspective of people who just like to play it for fun and who have fun playing,” she said.

There are also opportunities for students to get involved in the Racquetball Club outside of playing the sport. Emilio Leone, a junior creative writing and sociology double major, is one of the Racquetball Club managers along with Case. Leone is not a player, but he said he has fun while travelling with the team for tournaments.

“I’m not a very athletic person, so being involved in the team in a nonathletic way is fun for me,” Leone said.

Stein highlighted the fun at the core of the Racquetball Club experience.

“Whenever you introduce it to people, they have so much fun,” Stein said. “I like seeing that spark and joy in people.”

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 email to: exponent@bw.edu. All letters must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday the week before any publication week.

Social media helps BW athletics teams reach wider audiences

By MEREDITH MCCORD Staff Writer

The Office of Athletic Communications is using social media to recruit student athletes and reach a wider audience of on-campus and off-campus viewers throughout their 2023-24 men’s and women’s athletic seasons at Baldwin Wallace University.

While athletic events are open for students to attend

in person, information surrounding athletics is being shared through social media sources. For example, the athletic communications office, known on Twitter as @bwgameday, is just one of the places that students, parents and fans can find information surrounding BW Athletics.

“Athletic communications is responsible for promotion and publicity of Baldwin Wallace’s 28 intercollegiate sports,” said Jeff Miller, the director of athletic communications.

Miller added that working behind the scenes on any of these social media accounts is a great opportunity for students to gain experience in many different areas of media production.

Alyssa Klauminzer, an athletic communications student assistant, said that information is spread through informational tweets, livestreams, live stats, photography and sometimes through the radio.

“It has a positive impact

for students, as well as for parents, because they can stay up to date in real time with our teams, find information online for stats and video or articles about the teams and their game results, and provides that opportunity to support teams both in person and virtually,” Klauminzer said.

Social media is also being used to recruit future student athletes. Both the athletic communications office and the women’s basketball team have reported that they use social

media not only for reaching a wider audience but also for recruiting purposes.

Cheri Harrer, head coach of the BW women’s basketball team, said that the team uses the information that is spread through social media and focuses it “primarily on recruiting.”

Harrer said that she, too, follows the athletic communications team for the information and stats that are updated in real time as it’s easier to see when she can’t be

at the games in person.

“I follow it because I might be out recruiting, and I want to follow what’s going on,” Harrer said. “I’ll scroll through my Twitter feed to see how the games are going because I can’t sit there and watch the whole video.”

Disclosure: Alyssa Klauminzer, who was interviewed for this article, has contributed to The Exponent on a freelance basis.

Molly Cancian, The Exponent Julia Stein, Junior BW Racquetball Club Member, practices in the Lou Higgins Rec Center in preparation for the 2023 season.