Daily Kent Stater

DAILY KENT STATER Monday, April 1, 2011 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Snow/Rain, HI 41, LO 34

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TRAIN DERAILS IN KENT

SECOND AREA TRAIN ACCIDENT THIS WEEK

A train derails behind the baseball diamond at Plum Creek Park in Kent on Thursday. No one was injured in the accident, said the cleanup crew.

Kent Dance Ensemble Concert this weekend

NIKOLAS KOLENICH | DAILY KENT STATER

makers included them in the bill, which passed the Legislature on Wednesday and was signed into law by Republican Gov. John Kasich on Thursday.

“We don’t run from the house fire; we don’t run from the gunshot,” Cox said. “We’re the guys that got to say, ‘OK, we’re going to go fix this problem real fast.’”

Under the Ohio plan, police and firefighters won’t be able to bargain with cities over the number of people required to be on duty.

That means they can’t negotiate the number of staff in fire trucks or police cars, for instance.

Supporters of the bargaining

limits say decisions on how to equip police and fire departments should be in the hands of city officials, not union members.

“Shouldn’t it be the employer who decides what’s safe and what’s not safe?” said state Rep. Joseph Uecker, who was a police officer in the Cincinnati area for 15 years.

“Don’t you think they are the ones who should decide whether they should have one or two or three people in a car? That’s what we call management rights.”

Cleveland police Officer Anthony Sauto is recovering after a bullet that pierced his leg a few months ago during a night shift on the west side of town. The wound will heal,

Professors and students react negatively to SB-5 Anna Staver astaver@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater

VALERIE BROWN | DAILY KENT STATER

Gov. John Kasich signed the controversial bill to curtail collective bargaining for public employees in Ohio into law yesterday evening.

Reaction by professors and students to the passage of Senate Bill 5 has been mostly negative.

“It is a grotesque attack on the middle class that has built the country and the state,” physics professor Jon Secaur said.

“The bill has nothing to do with

economic issues but is all about breaking unions and tightening the stranglehold that selfish conservatives have on state and national government.”

Senior justice studies major Scott Demko said SB-5’s passage upset him because several of his friends plan to go into law enforcement.

“It jeopardizes their pensions and benefits because they can no longer bargain for either of them,” Demko said. “Everybody I work with who is a justice studies major is pissed off. I voted for Kasich and now I regret it.”

SB-5 passed in Ohio’s House

of Representatives on Wednesday after tense debate on the floor. The house amended the Ohio Senate’s version of the bill so it was sent back to the senate for a second vote.

The bill passed the second vote in the senate Wednesday night. Both votes broke on mostly party lines with Republicans supporting the legislation.

SB-5 will restrict collective bargaining for most public employees to wages only and makes it illegal for unions to negotiate fair-share clauses into their contracts.

See REACTIONS, Page 2

Vandalism leaves police with no suspects Kent State University Police Department was still investigating graffiti found at multiple locations on campus and had no suspects as of Thursday evening.

Police first received reports o f t h e g r a ff i t i a t 7 : 5 3 p . m .

Wednesday.

Graffiti was found on a Kent State sign at the intersection of Main and Lincoln streets, inside of Verder Hall, on a sign near Oscar Ritchie Hall and along Terrace Drive. Police are still investigating other locations.

In Verder Hall, black graffiti was found in the first, second and third floor stairwells, the third floor hallway and the

fourth floor men’s restroom.

Matt Uzl, building automation and control center operator, said Campus Environment and Operations received a call from the police about the graffiti at about 11:50 a.m. Thursday.

Uzl said the paint shop crew from Building Maintenance and Repair cleaned the spray paint off of the sign at Oscar Ritchie and in Verder Hall.

Director of Operations Roy Christian said his staff cleaned up the main Kent State sign as well.

— Caitlin Restelli is the student politics reporter.

— Nick Walton, public affairs reporter

Ohio unions decry bargaining bill CLEVELAND (AP) — Unlike Wisconsin’s high-profile effort to limit collective bargaining rights for public workers, Ohio’s new law includes police officers and firefighters — who say it threatens the safety of them and the people they protect.

Opponents have vowed to put the issue on the November ballot, giving voters a chance to strike down the law. The firefighters’ union in Cleveland plans to hit the streets and help gather signatures.

Patrolman Michael Cox, a 15-year veteran of Cleveland’s police force, said Ohio overlooked the inherent risks of police and firefighting work when law-

Members of the Kent Dance Ensemble dance to a concerto by Vivaldi during dress rehearsals for the ensemble’s show “Coming of Age” on Thursday.

A 27-car train derailed Thursday morning near Plum Creek Park off Cherry Street in Kent.

William Callison, president of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Co., said two engines and two cars of sand derailed around 5:30 a.m. Callison said the cause of the derailment appeared to be a broken rail.

“It’s not that common, but broken rails occur from time to time when you have hot and cold, and sometimes defects appear in the rail, and you will have a broken rail,” Callison said.

Callison expects the train to be back in service by Friday evening but said it would depend on how long it takes contractors to fix the rail.

The park closed Thursday because of the incident.

Kent fire chief James Williams said the department learned about the incident around 7 a.m. and monitored the up-righting process to make sure there were no leaks coming from the fuel tank or oil from the engines.

The incident is the second train derailing in northeast Ohio this week. Monday morning, 14 cars of a 111-car CSX train containing ammonia and chlorine derailed in Newton Falls, east of Ravenna. The accident forced residents within 500 feet to evacuate until after 5 p.m. No one was injured and no dangerous chemicals were leaked.

JACKIE FRIEDMAN | DAILY KENT STATER

The Kent State sign at the intersection of Main and Lincoln Streets was vandalized Wednesday.

but he worries that patrolling the streets will be even more dangerous when he returns to work.

“That’s my No. 1 concern,” Sauto said. “We put our lives on the line.”

The 350,000 public workers covered under the law can still negotiate wages and certain work conditions — but not health care, sick time or pension benefits. The measure also does away with automatic pay raises and bases future wage increases on merit.

Wisconsin’s measure covers 175,000 workers but exempts police and firefighters.

See BARGAINING, Page 6

Student charged with drug trafficking

Two Kent State students have been arrested and charged with drug trafficking by the Portage County Drug Task Force.

Phillip A. Federspiel, 24, of Streetsboro, has been charged with three counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a third-degree felony, after selling Ecstasy and prescription drugs to an undercover agent in the Streetsboro/Aurora area for three months, according to the task force.

Federspiel, who is listed as a freshman chemistry major in the Kent State directory, was arraigned Monday and is scheduled to appear in front of Judge Laurie Pittman in the Portage County Court of Common Pleas May 13.

Federspiel was released after posting a $1,000 recognizance bond at his arraignment.

Federspiel’s girlfriend, Kelsi C. Owen, 19, also of Streetsboro, was arrested in connection with the investigation on Federspiel. Owen, who was not listed in the student directory, was charged with trafficking Ecstasy, a fourth-degree felony, and had her arraignment in front of Judge John Enlow last Friday. A recognizance bond was set at $2,000.

Her pre-trial is set for Aug. 9.

A third man, Brandon J. Whitesel, 23, of Streetsboro, was charged with a fourth-degree drug trafficking felony in connection with Federspiel. He posted a $7,500 bond at his arraignment Monday in front of Judge Pittman, and his pre-trial is Aug. 25.

— Josh Johnston, city editor

Page 2 | Friday, April 1, 2011

WEEKEND EVENTS FRIDAY n Graduate Student Senate Conference When: 7 a.m.

Where: Student Center

n Sand Wars by Phi Kappa Tau When: Noon Where: Centennial volleyball court

n Kiswahili Language Hour When: 3 p.m.

Where: Oscar Ritchie Hall Room 240 n UNICEF KSU Walk for Water When: 3 p.m.

Where: Risman Plaza

n African Night When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Student Center Ballroom n Late Night Entertainment by CSI When: 9 p.m.

Where: Rathskeller n Real Late Reels: The Sandlot When: 11 p.m.

Where: Kiva

SATURDAY n Spring Race by Recreational Services When: 8 a.m.

Where: Student Recreation and Wellness Center

n Real Late Reels: The Sandlot When: 11 p.m.

Where: Kiva n Late Night Entertainment by CSI When: 9 p.m.

Where: Rathskeller

SUNDAY

n USO Talent Show Auditions When: 3 p.m.

Where: Kiva

240 Franklin Hall Kent State University Kent, Ohio 44242 NewSroom 330-672-2584

Editor Regina Garcia Cano rgarcia1@kent.edu Managing editor Kelly Byer kbyer@kent.edu

News Assigning editors

SPORTS

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n Worship Gathering-h2o Church When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Bowman Hall Room 137

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Taylor Rogers

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Nicole Stempak

OPINION

Jessica White

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Visuals

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Go to KentWired.com to see the interactive entertainment calendar. The calendar covers entertainment events on campus and in the city of Kent.

Standardization in drug policy should be part of public health debate Michaela Write

mwrite@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Public health is the hottest national debate right now, and drug policy should be part of the discussion, said Duane McBride during his speech Thursday on “The Evolution of Drug Policy: The Role of States and Communities.”

McBride studies the prevention of risky health behaviors, drug policy, health services and the drugs-crime relationship. He is the research professor and chair of the behavioral sciences

department at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich.

“Maybe our best hope in the public health community is getting advocacy for freedom of policy, doing away with mandatory minimums, not sending 15-year-olds to adult courts (and) diversion to treatment,” he said explaining that punishment for drug possession is not uniform.

McBride also spoke about prohibition, the cocaine break, medical marijuana and drug addiction. He said the best hope for drug policy in public health might be in community experiments.

“Public health needs to worry about economic development,” he said. “Population health dramatically improves if there’s a job opportunity, educational opportunity and dramatic emphasis.”

Frank Henry-Ala, member of the Public Health Student

Stefanie Romba sromba@kent.edu

Features

Speaker draws attention to flaws in drug policy

Duane McBride, a professor from Andrews University, spoke about drug policy at Moulton Hall on Thursday.

DAILY KENT STATER

Lydia Coutré

K e nt W i r e d.com

LINDSAY FRUMKER | THE DAILY KENT STATER

Daily Kent Stater

Alliance and a health policy and management major in Kent State’s master’s program, agreed with McBride that public health can be an advocate for accessing health care.

“Public health in general is about promotions,” HenryAla said. “So an advocate for health care in a college such as this shows who is being affected by it. Health policy and management focuses on policy and manages how the message gets out there and how implementing those things changes for certain things like health care reform.”

McBride came to Kent State as part of the public health speaker series sponsored by the College of Public Health and the Public Health Student Alliance.

Michaela Write is the religion and College of Public Health reporter.

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CORRECTIONS

The Daily Kent Stater recognizes the responsibility to correct errors that occur in the newspaper. When errors occur in the newspaper, corrections will appear in this space as promptly as possible.

Political science department revises courses available for majors Students to have option to take more electives Kelly Tunney

ktunney@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Beginning this fall, political science majors will have the option of changing their catalogue year, giving them more elective options to focus on their concentrations. The

From Page 1

BARGAINING Ohio unions decry bargaining bill Kasich has said his $55.5 billion, two-year state budget counts on unspecified savings from lifting union protections to fill an $8 billion hole.

In northeast Ohio, fear that a loss of bargaining will result in layoffs and further cutbacks is rippling through the law enforcement community.

After Kasich’s signature on the bill, Democrats have 90 days to gather more than 230,000 valid signatures to get it on the fall ballot. Loomis believes that if

From Page 1

REACTIONS Professors and students react negatively to SB-5 Kent State professors have a fair-share clause in their contracts. This means those who have not joined the union are required to pay a representation fee because the union is legally obligated to represent non-members. Those fees can no longer be collected, but the union will still be legally obligated to represent all professors in disputes with the university.

SB-5 also directly impacts university professors in another way by reclassifying those who participate in Faculty Senate and other advisory organizations as management. This means if they are union members, they will have to choose between remaining in the union and staying

catalogue year is the year students enter Kent State.

This new track reduces the number of required core courses in the major from seven to four and increases the number of elective courses in the major from four to seven. The core requirements for political science students act as introductory courses. All majors still have to take the senior seminar course.

Incoming freshmen will be required to follow the new track, but current students have the choice to switch.

Thom Yantek, director of

undergraduate studies for political science and associate political science professor, said increasing the political science elective courses will allow students to personalize their major.

“What students are going to be able to do with the new major is design a major that is a little more in sync with their wants,” he said. “They can take more courses they really want to take as opposed to courses that we want them to take.”

Yantek was part of the undergraduate committee that started working on the changes last year

Senate Bill 5 goes unchallenged, the two-man rule will be the first thing to go.

“They’re going to give up our safety for the illusion that there’s more police on the street,” Loomis said. “That’s horrifying. Guys get killed.”

State lawmakers did make lastminute changes to the measure in the House that allow police and fire officials to bargain for vests, shields and other safety gear.

“What this bill is going to do,” Loomis said, “is allow bean counters and people who have never walked a step in our shoes, sitting behind a mahogany desk, to make decisions on our safety.”

Like other public employees, law enforcement officials are also worried about things like rising

health care costs. Youngstown firefighter Dave Cook, 43, thinks it will be tough to attract qualified candidates to the dangerous profession if health care costs go through the roof.

“Who’s going to come into a police or fireman job when the starting pay is $24,000 a year?” he said. “What type of recruits are you going to get?”

On his way to work Thursday morning, Cleveland police Officer Henry Steel said most officers would support the effort to repeal the bill. But at work, he said, it will be business as usual.

“We’re all professionals,” he said. “We’re going to do our job, period. We’re going to do our job. We may not be too happy about it.”

on their department’s advisory council, for example.

History Department chair Kenneth Bindas said in a phone interview that he sees a difference between his current job as chair and his previous one as professor.

“I don’t quite understand how all professors will suddenly becomes managers,” Bindas said. “I’m confused as to how that will be implanted.”

When Bindas was a professor, he served as a union representative for Kent State’s American Association of University Professors chapter.

“My reaction to it is that is a roll back on rights of workers that have been fought long for, and represents a regression on how we view work and educational workers particularly,” Bindas said.

President Lester Lefton said in an email statement that he is still committed to working in partnership with the professors

at Kent State. “ T h ro u g h s h a re d g o v e rnance, faculty members and the Faculty Senate play a central role in the life of the university,” Lefton said. “It is certainly my intent for that relationship to continue, with or without collective bargaining.”

Now SB-5 is likely headed for a referendum vote this November if the unions and their supporters can collect 230,000 signatures in the next 90 days.

Kent State’s non-tenure track union representative Tracy Laux said getting SB-5 on the ballot would not be a problem because all public unions expected SB-5 to pass. He said have many of them, like the firefighters’ union, have been preparing for a referendum fight for weeks.

“I do know that other public unions that have greater resources and greater numbers than AAUP-KSU have mapped out quite a few things.” Laux said. “I know they have a plan.”

after members expressed interest about allowing more electives.

“We didn’t go into it initially with the rationale in mind of freeing up the major,” Yantek said. “We were just doing some bookkeeping and looking at course titles and course sequences when some of the newer members of the faculty started indicating that maybe there were too many requirements and not enough electives. That just got the ball rolling.”

Despite the political science major requirements changing, the minor will stay the same,

Yantek said.

Yantek said in order to change to the new catalogue year, current students can go to the College of Arts and Sciences office after the changes take effect in the fall.

Stephanie Mehle, senior political science and justice studies major and member of the undergraduate student committee of the political science department, said students should consider their credits earned before making the switch.

“I think it’s important for students to know that if they want to change to the new catalogue year

they can, no matter where they are,” she said. “It depends on what would personally benefit them.”

Tommy Walsh, junior political science major, said he is still debating whether he will switch.

“It’s not much of a difference for me, so I don’t know if I’m going to be switching,” he said.

“But we can’t switch anyway until next fall, so I’m going to talk with one of my counselors and see what he says is my best options. We’ll just have to go from there.”

Kelly Tunney is the College of Arts and Sciences reporter.

ANTHONY VENCE | DAILY KENT STATER

Models take one last walk across the stage as the Modista 2nd Annual Tres Chic show ended. The show was held at the Student Center Ballroom.

MODISTA celebrates women, diversity and style

Bright cocktail dresses, long form-fitting gowns and multicolor sequins lit up the runway at the second annual MODISTA: Minority Fashion Group show Thursday night.

This year’s “Tres Chic” show celebrated MODISTA’s third year on campus and the various talents of student designers. For the show, MODISTA collaborated with the Women’s Center and D’Angelo McCornell.

McCornell, of the D’Angelo Show, emceed the show and added humor between designers’ presentations.

“We celebrated stylish women throughout history and diversity along with style,” said Katya Philmore, creative director and president of MODISTA. “I wanted the show to be broad and open so there would be a lot of people showcasing their work.”

Philmore said the group started working on the show at the end of last semester, and it was a huge effort for the group’s seven members.

As the bright lights began to dim and the audience

grew silent, the show opened up with a bang by a string trio played by students Wael Elhalaby, Reginald Lewis and Varun Nagarajan.

After the trio performance, models started strutting out in clothing ranging from black-tie suits and prom gowns by Gown Chic to more casual, everyday monogrammed clothing by Fresh by Fortune. Models posed in the spotlight as they showed off the clothing.

Designers Sade Simmons and Phantashia Hall had models walk out in bright, flirty cocktail dresses while the audience looked on in awe of the fun clothing.

MODISTA fashion group is one of the more diverse groups on campus while maintaining an open door policy with designers and models, Philmore said.

“Our group is a big melting pot of the student body,” Philmore said. “Everyone helped out to make the show a success.”

— Yelena Tischenko, fashion reporter

OPINION

Daily Kent Stater

The Opinion Page is an outlet for our community’s varied opinions.

Submit letters to:

Letters to the Editor Daily Kent Stater 240 Franklin Hall/KSU Kent, Ohio 44242 ■ stater@kent.edu Subject: Letters to the Editor ■ Fax: 330-672-5064 ■ Be sure to include your phone number.

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Friday, April 1, 2011 | Page 3

ABOUT THE OPINION PAGE The Stater hopes to encourage lively debate about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page.

Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily en­dorsed by the Stater or its editors.

Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions become pro­­perty of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words, and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.

DKS EDITORIAL BOARD Regina Garcia Cano Editor Josh Johnston Managing editor Rabab Al-Sharif Opinion editor

Laura Lofgren Features/A.L.L. editor Lydia Coutré Assigning editor Lance Lysowski Assistant sports editor

FAMOUS QUOTE “A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.”

— Ayn Rand

our

SUMMARY: The LGBT studies program is trying to raise money for its LGBTQ Emergency Scholarship Fund. It’s a cause we think you should support.

VIEW

M

Show your support for a fellow student

embers of the LGBTQ community are too often victims of discriminatory bullying and rejection. One such victim was tormented so much by other residents in his hall that he left the university fearing his safety. He has since returned to Kent State but without financial support from his family. The student was able to tap into the LGBTQ Emergency Scholarship Fund to help him cover some of his expenses.

The emergency fund is “for an LGBTQ student facing financial emergency caused by parental abandonment because of the student’s gender identity and/or sexual orientation,” according to the LGBT studies’ website.

This student, Anthony Imes, will speak at the Kent State University LGBTQ Emergency Scholarship Fund Benefit on Saturday. There will be a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. in the

Cleveland Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, followed by a screening of “A Marine Story,” which is part of the Cleveland International Film Festival. The movie tells the story of a servicewoman affected by the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Tickets for the benefit are $75, which provides admission to the reception and the film. People can pay an extra $25 to enable a PRIDE! Kent member or LGBT studies minor to attend the event.

Proceeds from the event will support the LGBTQ Emergency Scholarship Fund that started in Fall 2010 with an anonymous $500 donation. Molly Merryman, co-coordinator of the LGBT studies minor program, said the fund is running low, and she has had to deny a student help until after the fundraiser.

Helping students in situations such as Imes’ is incredibly important. There is no reason a student should feel unsafe on this

campus because of his or her sexuality. It’s sad that this scholarship is even necessary, but we are thankful to have it. It’s a wonderful testimony to the university community that we have this kind of help available.

While $75 is a lot of money, please consider going to this benefit. If you can’t, encourage others. It’s an important cause.

Even if you can’t attend, you can make a donation online at kent.edu/lgbt/benefit. cfm, where you can also purchase tickets.

Merryman said they need to raise at least $10,000 to make the fund sustainable. Every small donation will help a student in need.

Support the LGBTQ community here on campus and contribute to the Emergency Fund.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board whose members are listed to the left.

NATE BEELER’S VIEW

DID YOU KNOW?

On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools’ Day by playing practical jokes on each other.

— History.com

Boys like girls, and girls like boys … sometimes

Although the title may insinuate that this is a tribute to a popular alternative-pop band that has phased out of both charts and hearts, it isn’t. This column is one in a series that I will be writing for the remainder of the semester that will focus on gender and dating. The idea came about after a handful of recent nights on the town — some with a few close girlfriends, some with a group of guys where I was the only girl and some with both sexes.

After running with all three crowds, I was highly interested in studying (both in my free time and academically) topics of gender relations, feminist theory and dating. I hope to give an honest approach to my perspective, thoughts, notes, opinions and observations to readers on the subject. I want to open the door for these topics and encourage feedback to get the ball rolling.

The following is part of my first installment “Guy’s Girl.”

Is it possible to be a feminist who enjoys hanging out with guys more than women? I am not sure if this contradicts itself, but if so, so be it. I didn’t always enjoy this more. It was only well into college that I’ve found myself regularly hanging out with the guys, oftentimes more so than the girls.

A friend said she’s just “one of the guys tonight,” which seems to be a pattern over the last few months. And guess what — I’m having a heck of a time and actually being myself. Here are the reasons I like to hang with the guys: n Guys will give it to you

Cassandra Adams

straight up: Guys will tell you how it is. If they happen to get pissed off, they talk about it, fight (well, not with you, hopefully) and it’s over.

Girls let it drag out. There’s gossip, backstabbing, jealousy, cattiness and quite possibly hair pulling. n They like to play games: This is a favorite — air hockey, trivia, beer pong, cool fighting ninja video games, basketball, bowling — this can be really refreshing. n They don’t judge you: Overall, guys don’t really give a crap about what you “ought to be.” They take you as you are without letting their judgments get in the way too much.

Heck, they don’t care if you’re quiet, loud or obnoxious — there’s somebody for everybody. n Sports, beer, food and sex: If you’re a girl who likes any of these things — hell, even comfortable enough to admit you love them — then you just hit the gold mine with being a “Guy’s Girl.”

Next week’s column will go into more detail about the differences of running with different types of groups.

Cassandra Adams is a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at cadams35@kent.edu.

Denial of climate change is irresponsible and dangerous My daughter, age 5, is a member. Chances are, so is a youngster you know. In fact, every child on Earth born after June 23, 1988, belongs to what I call Generation Hot. These 2 billion young people will spend the rest of their lives coping with the hottest, most volatile climate that civilization has ever known.

Recently, I went to Capitol Hill with members of Generation Hot (and the Sierra Club, our country’s largest grass-roots environmental organization) to confront the politicians whose denials and delay have done so much to land Generation Hot in this predicament. We wanted to know why my daughter and the other 2 billion members of Generation Hot have to suffer because Republicans in Congress refuse to accept what virtually every major scientific organization in the world, including our own National Academy of Sciences, has said: Manmade climate change is happening now and is extremely dangerous.

Sen. James Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican who has famously called climate change “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,” told our group that “the science is mixed” and his scientists know better than ours. Frank Maisano, a public relations consultant for big energy companies, told us that “the science doesn’t matter”; what matters is what’s politically feasible.

“The science does matter,” Caroline Selle, a member of our group who works for the Energy Action Coalition, responded in a blog the following day. Selle added: “We face a climate catastrophe that will define our generation and the future of our country, and the solutions to this crisis will create jobs and improve public

Mark Hertsgaard The Free Lance-Star health. So why aren’t we acting? Unfortunately, the answer is simple: Capitol Hill is swarming with ‘climate cranks’ — politicians willing to trade our future for their own political gain.”

It is not political partisanship but journalistic accuracy that compels me to report that the vast majority of climate cranks on Capitol Hill are Republicans. Denial of manmade climate change became a litmus-test issue for the GOP during the 2010 congressional elections; not one new Republican member of Congress now says he or she accepts that human activities are dangerously overheating the planet.

Only in the United States is this seen as unremarkable. Republicans are now the only major political party in the world that still rejects mainstream climate science.

Look at the right-of-center parties now heading the governments of our closest European allies: Britain, Germany, France. None of them has questioned the science behind climate change for more than a decade; they may argue about which policies are best to address the problem, what mix of government regulations and private-sector actions is most desirable, but not one challenges the science.

Indeed, these parties’ climate policies are far more aggressive than those of U.S. Democrats, much less those of Republicans.

I date the beginning of Generation Hot to June 23, 1988, because that is when humanity was put on notice that greenhouse gas emis-

sions were raising temperatures on this planet and that if emissions weren’t reduced humanity’s survival would be threatened. The warning came in NASA scientist James Hansen’s testimony to the U.S. Senate. When The New York Times printed the news on Page 1, “global warming” became a household phrase in news bureaus, government ministries, business offices and living rooms the world over.

As a father, it infuriates me that Hansen’s warning, and countless subsequent ones, have gone unheeded. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, the former chief climate adviser to the conservative government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, agrees. “This was a crime,” he told me, referring to Washington’s longstanding failure to take serious action against climate change.

But the wrong people are being punished.

The youths of Generation Hot have been condemned to spend the rest of their lives coping with harsher heat waves, stronger storms, deeper droughts and sea-level rise, while climate change deniers sit comfortably in the halls of government and corporate power.

Our collective failure to act sooner means that we now face a double imperative in the climate fight: We must halt and reverse global warming even as we install protections against the climate impacts that, alas, are unavoidable in the years ahead.

This essay is available to McClatchy-Tribune News Service subscribers. McClatchy-Tribune did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of McClatchy-Tribune or its editors.

Page 4 | Friday, April 1, 2011

Daily Kent Stater

Belleria wins Pizza Wars charity event Event raised more than $1,700 for Townhall II Kate Murphy

Kmurph23@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater The second floor of the Student Center was full of laughter, music and the strong smell of pizza Thursday night.

Delta Sigma Phi, a new fraternity on campus, hosted the Pizza Wars event to raise money for sexual assault awareness week.

“A few months ago, I had a close family friend who was raped,” said Brady Ruffer, Delta Sigma Phi president. “I know fraternities get a bad reputation with sexual assault happening in their houses. We’re a new, upcoming fraternity, and our goal was to

make the Greek community better.

So if we can get the fraternities to stand up together, hopefully we can initiate some change.”

Students paid a $5 entry fee that covered the cost for all-youcan-eat pizza from 11 different companies. The students received three tickets after paying, which were used to vote for the company of their choice. The winner of the event was Belleria’s Pizza.

Nearly 350 students came to Pizza Wars to indulge in the variety of pizza. Freshman biotechnology major Katie Czinger enjoyed her time at the event.

“Belleria’s had the best pizza,” Czinger said. “I gave them all of my votes. Their pierogi pizza was different and so delicious.”

All the proceeds will go to Townhall II, a local nonprofit that works with battered women, sexually assaulted women and people with drug or alcohol addictions.

“It’s a safe place of resources for many people,” Ruffer said.

“They are facing many budget

cuts from the state, so the money will go towards that.”

Many students also appreciated that a fraternity was getting involved with this cause.

“I think it’s great that they are raising money and awareness about sexual assault,” sophomore nursing major Rebecca Spott said.

“It was a fun event that attracted a lot of attention.”

At the end of the two-hour event, Delta Sigma Phi tallied their profits at $1,735. They plan to make this an annual event, and the winner ’s trophy will travel every year.

“I think it was an excellent evening,” said Greg Jarvie, vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “Raising over $1,700 was a great thing for such a wonderful organization like Townhall II.”

MATT HAFLEY DAILY KENT STATER

Zouheir Kahwaji, an employee at Kent Market 2, serves pizza to students at Pizza Wars on Thursday.

The event was hosted by Delta Aigma Ohi to raise money for sexual assault awareness.

Kate Murphy is the room and board, buildings and grounds reporter.

UNICEF KSU hosts walk to raise funds for children A student organization will demonstrate how far some children must walk each day to reach the nearest source of water 3 p.m.

Friday at Risman Plaza.

UNICEF KSU invites all students to participate in the threemile walk through campus, which amounts to the same length some children must walk each day to get water.

“Of the 900 million people worldwide who lack access to water, over half of them are children,” said Taiwo Adesina, president of UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) KSU. “They’ve done

nothing to deserve the situation they are put in, but every day they are forced to walk to get any water.”

Adesina said students do not have to pay to participate in the walk. The number of participants will determine the amount of money donated to the Tap Project, which will provide water to children living in Vietnam, Togo and the Central African Republic.

“Students have an opportunity to make a difference and change this issue,” Adesina said. “All you have to do is show up, sign in and walk. We will be giving a sign-in sheet to our financial sponsors.”

Adesina said the need for water is often neglected because in the U.S., citizens have several ways of getting water.

“It’s a major issue,” Adesina said. “We tend to overlook it because water is easily accessible, but people do suffer to get water, and the water they get isn’t necessarily clean.”

T-shirts will be sold in the Kent Student Center before the event for $10. The proceeds will go toward UNICEF’S Tap Project.

Christine Morgan, student affairs reporter

Daily Kent Stater

For information about placing a Display ad please call our offices at 330-672-2586 or visit us at 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

CLASSIFIEDS

Friday, April 1, 2011 | Page 5

Classified ads can be placed by FAX at ­( 330) 672-4880, over the phone at (330) 672-2586 or by e-mail at ksuads@yahoo.com. If you fax or e-mail an ad, please be sure to include run dates, payment info and a way for us to contact you.

www.KentWired.com

On-Campus Employment Parasson’s Italian Restaurant Hiring All Positions, All Shifts, Starting at $8-$10/hr. Apply in person 11AM9PM, no phone calls please. 3983 Darrow Rd., Stow

Network and Telecom Services is seeking student workers for the spring/summer and fall semesters.

Starting pay is $8.50/hour. Flexible schedule. Call 330-672-3747.

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT. Summit County Health District Mosquito Control Program. $10.30/hr M-F 8am-4pm. Mid-May through August.

Primarily outdoor work. Biology/ health/science majors preferred. msmith@schd.org / 330-926-5602 EOE

FREE HEAT

Lawn Fertilization Company seeks employee. Must have valid Ohio drivers license 4 points or less, please call 330-688-3389 Jobs for Students!

Simply Color Industries, a photographic printing business, wants your help! We are looking for creative and hardworking individuals to join our production team. 12-24 hours per week Flexible scheduling (4 hour shifts) Light Assembly. No Experience Necessary.

Email your interest and resume to harold@simplycanvas.com Barrington Golf Club Seasonal summer servers/cooks/ bartenders, meals and uniforms provided, competitive wages, apply in person.

350 N Aurora Rd Aurora EOE

Affordable Housing!

1BR $451 2BR $584 3BR $656 -On Busline -Laundry Facility -Secured Buildings -Appliances included -Free Gas, Heat & Water

Kent State student needs tutor for basic math course. 440-231-6466 Dietary Aides The Campus of Anna Maria of Aurora, a nursing care facility, is taking applications for dietary aides to work day and afternoon shifts.

Day shift positions are 6am-2pm, 7am-3pm, 11am-7pm. Afternoon shifts are 3pm-7:30pm and 4:30pm8:30pm. These positions include dishwashing, dinning room servers, meal prep, and tray line. Statring wage is $7.75 an hour. Apply @ 889 N. Aurora Rd. Aurora, OH 44204 or aberry@annamariaofaurora.com.

We are located about 14 miles from main KSU campus. For more information call 330-562-6171 FT/PT Enthusiastic retail sales position available! Apply within, Stow Sports, 3774 Fishcreek Road, Stow. or Office.underwood@gmail. com.

TUTORS/SI LEADERS NEEDED! The Academic Success Center is accepting SI Leader, Peer Mentor, and Tutor applications until Thursday, April 14th for Fall Semester 2011.

Tutors are needed for Accounting, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Finance, French, Geology, Italian, Nursing, Philosophy, Psychology, Seven Ideas, Spanish, Study Skills, and Writing.

Tutors must have a 3.0 GPA and be available to work 8-12 hours per week. Starting Pay: $8.50 To apply or for more information, visit 207 Schwartz Center or www. kent.edu/asc/jobs Match Support Specialist Big Brothers & Sisters of Portage County. 19hrs/week. Must be able to work afternoons, evenings and some Saturdays. Must be at least a junior in social service major.

Facilitate mentor/child relationships.

Phone support, case notes, assist with planning. Supervise monthly group activities, assist with training, orientation, fundraising and volunteer recruitment. Must complete a background check, have valid Ohio driver’s license and current auto insurance. Must be able to be covered under the agency’s commercial auto insurance. Reliable transportation.

Send resume to HR director, Family & Community Services, Inc. 705 Oakwood Street #221, Ravenna, Ohio 44266. EOE

Buyer Beware!

We make every effort to screen for fraudulent advertising, however, we cannot guarantee the veracity of the advertisers and their messages in this section. It is important for consumers to respond to any advertisement with the utmost caution.

By Nancy Black Today’s Birthday (04/01/11).

Adventure lies ahead. Brace yourself for the time of your life, for discovering uncharted territory. New doors open up. Step in boldly, and let the wind carry you forward. Buy only what you need today.To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

CALL 330-678-0761

Hrs. M-F, 9-5. Sat, by appt. only. leasing@mjmmanagement.com 1214 ANITA DR., #101 EHO TTY711 special expires 02/28/11 WHITEHALL EAST TOWNHOMES Whitehall Boulevard off Summit now taking apps for fall 2011.

5 bedroom/3 bath.

All appliances including Dishwasher, W/D. Rent plan starting at $290/person/ month.

Ask about the all-inclusive plan!

Call or text 330-434-6141 www.rentalsakron.com

HELP WANTED!!

Golf course- Raccoon Hill now hiring snack bar/beverage cart waitresses. 5 minutes from campus, 21 & over please. Call Jason or Jen at 330-673-2111.

horoscope

All real estate advertised herin is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information.

Efficiency and 1 bdrm apartments available now. Heat included! Call 330-678-0746 Hurry!!! Efficiency apartments still left. Call 330-678-0123 $100 OFF 1ST MONTH’S RENT Kent: 2-3 bdrm spacious apt. move in now Call 330-678-0823 NOW LEASING FOR FALL 5,4,2,1 bedroom Houses.

Efficiency. Good Location Near KSU. Call 330-554-8353 KENT RENTALS 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses. Call Rich 330-221-0030.

Spacious 4&5 bedrooms houses with 2 full baths. Great condition, great location, A/C, W/D, dishwasher, deck, garage.

Several units available: -Deluxe 4/5 bedroom units. $360 per room.

-All inclusive, $350 per room.

330-808-4045 Hurry In 2BR Apts available for Fall Free Heat and Water, Pets Welcome, Outdoor Pool 330-673-5364 1 & 2 bed apartments. All utilities included except electric. Call to schedule your tour today (330)6780972 Large 2 bedroom 1.5 bath apartment $585/month + deposit & electric.

Heat, water and trash included. 330312-0066 or 330-968-4930 Apartments for Rent: 1 bedroom apartment in a house.

Kitchen, living room, bath. Separate entrance. No pets. One year lease.

Available in August. 330-673-8505 or 330-221-8218 1&3 Bedroom Apartments Close to Campus Joe (330)310-1494.

Kent- Quiet 1, 2&3 bedroom. $525, $590, $780. 330-677-5577 HIDDEN PINES Town homes 4 bedrooms 2 bath. W/D. ALL utilities included. $365/mo/bdrm www.hidden-pines.com 440-708-2372

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 6. Don’t take yourself or others too seriously today. Not only is it April Fools’ Day, but the moon is in your twelfth house, and there’s a tendency to overthink everything.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8. Visualize a future that really lights you up. First, choose an exciting game (without gambling).

Instead, invest in a direction that helps people. Save up for it.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. Enjoy your time at home.

Reminisce about the past with a loved one. Take on a home-improvement project. Embrace your roots. Do something just for yourself.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 7. You may find yourself moderating a clash between normally gentle souls. Maybe a joke backfires.

Remind them of their friendship. Avoid risks today, and celebrate foolishness.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 6. Don’t believe everything you see or hear in your head. Don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s all about fun, remember? Let an idealist lead you.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7. Start the month by writing that communication you’ve been putting off. Be open to new experiences.

There’s so much to learn. Don’t be afraid to play the fool.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7. Who do you want to be?

What role (and what costume) do you most want to wear? Who would you most like to impact? Daydream it, and then notice any roadblocks.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 7. All of a sudden, everything looks possible ... and it is. An adventure is calling. Don’t take off before the job is complete. Plan the trip well to avoid complications.

Rent

Rent

Kent near downtown and campus 2 bedroom apartment, all utilities paid except electric, $350/bedroom + security deposit. (330) 676-9440

Available in Fall!

3 bedroom units close to campus.

Wellmaintained starting at $800/ month. Call today 330-329-2535

UNIVERSITY TOWNHOMES, 4/5 bedroom, 2.5 bath, A/C, W/D, $290 per bedroom.440-552-5840. djerina@blmrentalproperties.com

Great campus condo. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath. Available August.

Call Dr. Miller at (330) 618-7764

FALL: 3 BEDROOM APARTMENT, WATER AND WASTE PAID, $285/ BEDROOM, 330-221-5540.

4 bedroom House.

Clean, close to campus, Sherman St. Call 216-533-5770 or 330-687-3449

NO UTL INC UNIVERSITY TOWNHOME. 5 BDS, 2.5 BATHS, STOVE, REFRIG, W/D, A/C. $345.00 PER PERSON; WWW.JLCASTO. COM CALL 330-688-7040.

1 or 2 bedroom, Kent. 927 S. Water. $500 includes trash & water. Near campus & on bus route. Parking, big yard, & porch. Chris 330-221-4411

$495.00 FIRST 3 MONTHS. 2BD 1BTH TOWNHOME. LAUNDRY, CARPORT. jlcasto.com 330-688-7040

3 Bedroom House, Kent - 927 South Water $750 includes trash & water. Near campus & on bus route.

Parking, big yard & porch. Chris 330221-4411

Buckeye Parks Mgmt.

Serving Kent for over 30 years 2011-2012 Leases 2,3,4 bdrm apts Some include utilities Prices starting at $375 per room 330-678-3047 BuckeyeParksMgmt.com KENT/BRIMFIELD. Newer 3 & 4 Bdrm duplexes. 1 car garage. $900-$1200 per month. 330-338-5841 or 330329-1118 kentarearentals.com Fall: Akron U area large 6 bedroom house, near au campus, 2 full baths, 2 kitchens, full basement, off-street parking, $380/month, utilities paid.

Call Kevin 330-328-1084.

Kent—Nice House Close to Campus and Downtown, 6/7 people, Available Fall 330-297-6539 KENT- Large 5/7 bedroom 2.5 bath, new kitchen, baths, windows. Clean and quiet, large fenced yard. $410 per, includes utilities, washer/dryer.

5 minutes to KSU 330-906-2525 University Townhomes: 4-5 bedrooms.

Available August. $290/month, AirConditioning, Washer/Dryer, clean. On bus route.

Remodeled. 330-760-0451 www. vargorealty1.com VERY CLEAN 2 bedroom house, 2-car garage, no pets, private yard, $750/month + utilties&deposit. Call after 6pm 330-673-3224 Fall: Free Heat 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath condo. No Pets. $700. 330-678-3557 3 bedroom apartment available2nd floor. 1300-sq ft. $350/month/ bedroom includes water, gas, electric, cable and internet. Porch, living room, office, den, kitchen, bath. 8 miles from campus, plenty of parking, fall/summer opening 330310-0278 2nd floor 2 bedroom apartment.

Includes water gas, electric, cable and internet. $350 for fall. $300 for summer. Off I-76. 330-630-7713 Now leasing for Fall: a beautiful newly redecorated 2 bedroom duplex, washer/dryer hookup, 3 blocks from downtown and KSU, $300/student. 330-687-6122.

Now leasing for Fall: a beautiful newly redecorated 2-bedroom 1.5bath, townhouse with washer/dryer hookup, central air, free water and garbage pickup, $350/person. 1 block from KSU. 330-687-6122 Kent 1 bedroom cottage. Water and gas included. Pets negotiable. $550 plus deposit. 330-677-5031

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8. Don’t allow the work to overwhelm you. There’s always going to be something to do, and that’s great.

Take one step at a time, and you’ll go far more quickly than you think.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7. Devote more attention to love. Spend some time painting or doing a creative project, preferably with kids or for a cause you love. Your volunteer efforts are appreciated.

2 bedroom apartment, free utilities. $550/month + security deposit. No pets. 330-673-8271 3 bedroom house. $690/month + security deposit and utilites. No pets.

330-673-8271 Now Leasing for Fall. Kent 7-8 bedroom house. Close to campus.

330-554-9510 Whitehall East Town Homes AKA “The New Town Homes” Whitehall Blvd. off Summit Now taking apps for Fall 2011 *5b/3ba *All Appliances Included *Dishwasher, Washer, Dryer *Lighted Parking *Many units with all newer flooring Rent plans starting at $290/person/ month Ask about the all-inclusive plans Call or text 330-990-4019 www.whitehall-east.com 4/5 Bedroom duplex available for fall $310/mo!

Each side has 2 bath, W/D. Dishwasher, deck, garage, etc. Close to campus and on bus route.

No Gas Bill. No Water Bill.

Last one I have available!

Call Sweeney (740) 317-7294 4 Bedroom House, 1.5 Bath, $400+electric, Main St., Available Fall (440)278-0396 or (440)463-2926 sbajan@kent.edu University Town Homes 5 bedroom / 2.5 bath town homes Start at $300/month/resident Call 330-990-4019 tahays-management.com 2 bedroom apartments Close to campus $550 Rentkent.com or 812-655-0777 One Bedroom Apartment All utilities included plus cable. Half block from campus, available June. $475/month Call 330-931-0434

ROOMMATE NEEDED NOW OR FALL in nice 4 bedroom twinplex. $385 all inclusive. 5 minute drive to KSU. Free Washer/Dryer. 330-7140819 University Townhome Roommate fall semester w/4 girls, all inclusive $340/mth; 440-552-5840 / djerina@blmrentalproperties.com

Mowing, Spring Cleanup, Mulching, Edging, Bed Installation and more! 330-842-4125

Studio Apartment sublet for April 1st through August. $515/mo. Hoschip@ gwis.com

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 9. Money comes in. Resist the urge to splurge. Don’t be fooled by the glitter of pyrite: it’s fool’s gold. Enjoy how pretty it is, and leave it where it lies.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 9. Who’s the fool now? You’re on top of your game and there’s no stopping you today. Others say good things about you and laugh with you, not at you.

Page 6 | Friday, April 1, 2011

Daily Kent Stater

Go to KentWired.com for men’s baseball and women’s softball coverage.

Also check out the spring football blog.

SPORTS Sports editor: Cody Erbacher • cerbache@kent.edu

Gymnastics team heads to NCAA regional at Ann Arbor Flashes look to keep strong after MAC Championship Tyler Goddard

tgoddar1@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater

MATT HAFLEY| DAILY KENT STATER

Freshman Alex Marcantonio chose the Kent State softball team to stay closer to her family.

Freshman softball player balances playing time with family time Brad Tansey

btansey@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Teams like Ohio State, Purdue and Kentucky recruited Alex Marcantonio. Instead of going to a bigger school, she chose to go to Kent State to be closer to home.

Marcantonio, a North Canton native and freshman on the Kent State softball team, didn’t want to leave her family, which is the driving force behind her early success on the field.

“Having (family) here makes softball much easier to gradually accelerate into,” Marcantonio said.

H e r o l d e r s i s t e r A s h l e y, played softball, and that’s where Alex got her competitive drive.

For years, Alex modeled herself after her sister.

Alex’s twin sister, Ada, has been supportive of Alex her entire life.

“Even on the bad days, she’ll tell me how great of a softball player I am or how beautiful I am, sometimes,” Alex said.

In the beginning of the school year, Alex struggled adjusting to college while trying to manage softball as well.

In a fall game, Alex remembered shaking from nerves.

In the fall semester, she went home every weekend.

“I would just go home and basically cry and vent to them,” Alex said. “(My family) would tell me just to push everything.”

The ability to go home every weekend helped Alex persevere

through tough times.

Karen Linder, Kent State head coach, said she admires someone who has a family-oriented mentality.

“To me, that’s something that was preached to me from my parents is that family comes first,” Linder said.

Alex was surprised at how easy the transition was from the fall semester into the spring, which is when the team started traveling more.

During home games this season, Alex said she will be much more relaxed knowing her family is there supporting her.

“The sight of my dad and sister and all of them being there helps me,” Alex said.

Alex is fourth on the team with a .370 batting average in 25 starts — the most of any freshman on the

team. She’s played outfield, shortstop and first base as the only freshman to start every game.

When projected starting left fielder Holly Finchum was injured in a car accident, Alex filled the void in left field — a position she’s never played.

“Alex has the ability that she could probably play any position on the field,” Linder said.

Alex wanted to take advantage of every opportunity she was given because she felt she had to prove herself as a freshman.

Despite the success, she doesn’t get caught up in the statistics. She’s focused on winning and, of course, on her family. ­Brad Tansey is the managing editor of KentWired.com.

Butler back in Final Four? Yeah, baby!

I told you. I told you to not pick the top seeds.

I warned you in my last column that the experts are always wrong. The analysts on ESPN don’t know any more than the general public during March Madness.

Except, of course, for me. I was the genius that put the Butler Bulldogs back into the Final Four. Take that, Dick Vitale — yeah, baby!

I always a fan of the underdog. I love a true Hoosiers story. Last year, I was away from American civilization, stranded in Italy, watching college hoop games at wee hours of the morning. I loved the Butler Bulldogs. I hated Duke, and I wanted that desperation shot to drop almost as much as Gordon Hayward himself.

I remember at the beginning of this season, ESPN did a special on Butler — the NCAA runner-ups. The tiny Indiana school that lost its star player, Hayward, to the NBA. They were returning three starters. The story focused on nothing in the past but focused on how tough the road ahead was. Could they even get back to the NCAA tournament this year? Nothing was said about a return to the Final Four.

And now look. Where’s Ohio State? Gone.

Pitt? They didn’t last. Kansas and Texas? Out, too. Here we are with three games left in the college basketball season, and the Bulldogs

Michael Moses are still standing.

Is it really that surprising? Do you think it’s that much of a Cinderella story this year?

Sure, they were a No. 5 seed last year and a No. 8 this time around. But everyone always talks about the “E” word: experience. This team made a run last year — a damn impressive one.

They came within a buzzer-beater of upsetting Coach K and perennial power Duke. So why are people calling this a surprise?

It’s not. They’re the ones returning to the Final Four. Butler should be the favorite and “experts” should have given them more credit from the start. Any other year, the defending runner-ups would have had a lot more hype.

But since they were a in a mid-major conference, since they were the one-in-a-million team to make it to the championship, the nation wrote off all hopes for a return to the title game.

The Bulldogs are led by forward Matt Howard and guard Shelvin Mack. Both Howard and Mack score more than 15 points per game and have been filling the hole Hayward left in the lineup. Butler has been battle-tested all yearlong, playing Louisville, Duke and Florida State during the regular season. It didn’t get much easier come tournament time, either.

They barely got by Old Dominion in the opening round, winning by just two points, but followed that matchup by beating No. 1-seeded Pitt, Wisconsin and most recently No. 2-seeded Florida. Impressive? I’d say so.

Butler has won 13 straight dating back to Feb. 3. That’s more than Kentucky’s 10 straight and UConn’s 9.

Virginia Commonwealth may be stealing the limelight from them with their George Masonesque journey to the Final Four, Kemba Walker may be taking this year’s tournament over individually and Kentucky may have the best young talent, but Butler is the favorite in this year’s Final Four. Nothing beats experience.

As for my pick, my bracket boasting the Butler Bulldogs in my Final Four — I wish it was true. It’s April Fools’ Day, people.

Michael Moses is a sports columnist.

No. 24 Kent State will compete in the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional Saturday to determine national qualifiers. The regional has six teams, with Stanford holding the No. 1 seed.

The Flashes are the No. 6 seed for the regional. Other teams include No. 2 seed Michigan, No. 3 seed Ohio State, No. 4 seed Iowa State and No. 5 seed Minnesota.

The top two team scores from the region will qualify for spots in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships to be held in Cleveland. Head coach Brice Biggin said the team was able to take away a few positives from the MAC Championship meet that could help them this week.

“We took away that we still need to be a little more confident, and even though we made routines, we need to be more aggressive on beam, and we need to be more aggressive on floor,” Biggin said.

Biggin said this week of practice has been short because they have been in the gym all season.

“Now it’s as much of a mental game, and physically, a lot of these kids are tired,” he said. “So we want to try and make practices a little bit easier because everyone at this point in the season is tired and they’re sore and they’re beat up and hurt.”

Biggin said it’s tough to say what a good qualifying team score would be because nobody knows what judging will be like.

“More importantly, we know that if we want a chance of being in the top two, we need to go out and really hit 23 out of 24 routines,” he said.

Biggin stressed that it’s important to go out and simply focus on the team’s routines and not worry about what other teams are doing.

The Flashes also have a few gymnasts with hopes of qualifying individually for Nationals. Senior Christina Lenny and freshman Marie Case will look to qualify for the all-around.

Sophomore Lindsay Runyan on the uneven bars can qualify with a good score, and Biggin said to watch out for Christine AbouMitri on the balance beam as well.

“She has really looked good the last few weeks,” Biggin said.

Lenny said she was happy with her performance at the MAC Championship and needs to carry over the same confidence and focus. She said it’s hard to pinpoint a score range that could qualify her for Nationals.

“It’s all about placement, so it all depends on how judges are scoring and how I do compared to how other girls do, so it’s really difficult to say what a good score would be,” Lenny said.

“Anything can happen the day of the meet, and we really need to just stay focused and work together as a team, and I think if we just do that then we would definitely have a shot.”

The NCAA Ann Arbor Regional is at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Tyler Goddard is the gymnastics columnist.

Nix headlines young Flashes defense led by new coaching staff Lance Lysowski

llysowsk@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Jon Heacock, Kent State defensive coordinator, blew his whistle to signal the end of a defensive drill Thursday at the Flashes’ second spring football practice.

The defense responded by walking toward the sideline.

Heacock was infuriated.

“There is not a day on this Earth that you walk off this football field,” Heacock yelled.

His young defense responded.

Led by sophomore defensive lineman Roosevelt Nix, the defending Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, the defense outperformed the offense in Thursday’s sevenon-seven and 11-on-11 drills.

The defense reached the Flashes’ quarterback untouched on several plays, and defensive backs broke up passes on a regular basis.

While Heacock is well aware of the inexperience that his defensive unit has to overcome, he expects his players to overcome that stigma.

“We need to be up-tempo, fast-paced and competitive at all times,” Heacock said. “We want to play with emotion and, at the same, be disciplined about it getting in the right gaps and staying in the right zones.

We will approach every practice as if we’re going against a nohuddle offense.”

Kent State is forced to replace six starters on the defensive side of the ball, including three potential future NFL players: safety Brian Lainhart, linebacker Cobrani Mixon and defensive end Monte Simmons.

The defense last season, which was coached by current Miami RedHawk defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis, used a

high-pressured scheme that used blitz packages to stop the opposing team’s running game.

When asked about last year’s unit, Heacock stressed how impressed he was with the way they performed and hopes to use a similar system with his team in the 2011 season.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a lot different,” Heacock said. “We’ll have some different schemes and do some different things, but the goal is the same as it has been for these guys and that’s to be the No. 1 defense in the conference and ultimately win a MAC championship.”

While he has the disadvantage of entering his first year with a depleted linebacking corps, Heacock has the advantage of having a high-caliber player like Nix. The 6-foot, 240-pound defensive lineman did not start one game last season but consistently obstructed the rhythm of opposing offenses.

He led the conference with 20 tackles for a loss, and ranked 11th in the country with ten sacks.

While players can struggle with early success in their college football careers, Heacock has been impressed with the way Nix carries himself in his second season on campus.

“What I like most about him is an eagerness to learn,” Heacock said. “I’ve been really impressed with him as a young man. I see him studying film, and he wants to continue to get better. I think he’s handling success the right way. He’ll continue to get better as long as he accepts coaching like he’s doing right now.”

Lance Lysowski is the assistant sports editor.