DAILY KENT STATER
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Snow showers, HI 24, LO 14
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Kent student sentenced for Nov. 2009 assault case Dave O’Brien
Record Courier A Kent State student has been sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting and seriously injuring a fellow student during a November 2009 fight in the parking lot of a Franklin Township convenience store. Martin J. Gorbey, 22, was given the minimum sentence of two years in prison by Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman following his November 2010 conviction on a charge of felonious
assault, a second-degree felony. He faced up to eight years in prison. According to court records, Pittman ordered Gorbey to have no contact with the victim, 21-yearold fellow KSU student Anthony D. Anderson, except to write him a letter of apology. She also fined Gorbey $500. Gorbey, a Warren native who was living on Third Avenue in Franklin Township at the time of the incident, was accused of seriously injuring Anderson on Nov. 25, 2009, during an incident at Sheetz, located at 1762 E. Main
St. on the Kent/Franklin Township border. In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, defense attorney Brian Coffman argued Gorbey was an “excellent candidate” for probation and that a prison sentence was “not necessary.” Gorbey had no prior criminal record, nor any substance abuse problems, Coffman wrote to the court. “Society benefits by Martin receiving a college degree, not a prison Ph.D.,” he wrote. “As sure as this was Martin’s first appear-
ance before any criminal court, it will be his last.” Following Gorbey’s guilty plea, Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci previously said Gorbey told Portage County sheriff’s detectives that he and friends took a taxi to Sheetz after a night out in downtown Kent, and only assaulted Anderson after Anderson attacked his friend. Witnesses told investigators the incident began after an intoxicated person made inappropriate sexual comments to female customers, Vigluicci said.
Coffman contended in court documents that Gorbey only committed the offense because Anderson had assaulted one of Gorbey’s friends, Perry Finley, by shoving him to the ground and repeatedly kicking him. “Fueled by equal parts alcohol, testosterone and adrenaline, Mr. Gorbey confronted Mr. Anderson, who had just assaulted his friend,” Coffman wrote. “The two men engaged each other and, in the end, Mr. Gorbey prevailed physically.” Vigluicci said Gorbey struck Anderson, wrestled him to the
ground, struck him two or three more times as he lay on the ground, then walked home. Anderson told investigators he was pushed up against the building, punched in the head and knocked to the ground, Vigluicci said, and suffered a broken orbital bone in his face. Coffman wrote that Gorbey’s actions “did not rise to the level of a defense (defense of another), however his loyalty to his friend and his desire, albeit horribly misdirected, to defend his friend’s honor cannot be ignored” by the court.
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I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Darrell to the Kent State family. Joel NielsEn DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
PHILIP BOTTA | DAILY KENT STATER
Vanessa Kraps, a library and information science graduate student, places a book on the shelf of the Kent State University Main Library. Due to state budget cuts, the library will not be able to be open 24 hours as planned.
Library halts plans to extend hours Cassandra Beck
cbeck6@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater
MATT HAFLEY | DAILY KENT STATER
Darrell Hazell, Kent State’s new football coach, greets the crowd during halftime of the Kent State vs. Youngstown State men’s basketball game on Dec. 21.
Football coach feels at home
‘I chose Kent State, why can’t you?’ Lance Lysowski
Llysowsk@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater
W
hen Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen offered Darrell Hazell an opportunity to be Kent State’s 20th head football coach, Hazell did not flinch. He kept his composure and took time to process the job offer he had waited 25 years to receive. While he kept a straight face, he was more than excited. After 25 years coaching college football, spending the past seven seasons as assistant head coach and mentoring the wide receiving corps at Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel, Hazell’s time had come. “I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Darrell to the Kent State family,” Nielsen said. “When you’re looking for a head football coach, it’s not just a matter of if they can coach — it’s important to make sure they are a fit for this program, for this campus and this community. I have no doubt in my mind that Darrell is that person.” Hazell felt at home. The 46-year-old was born and raised in New Jersey, but following a standout high school playing career, Hazell played football at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.
n Hazell
will make a base salary of $300,000 per year and the potential for incentives.
n Assistant
drastically.
coaches salaries are not expected to increase
n During
his time at Ohio State, Hazell mentored former Buckeye and current NFL receivers Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn Jr., Brian Robiskie and Anthony Gonzalez.
n ”No
one has had more of an impact on my career as a football player than Coach Hazell,” Gonzalez said. “However, in many ways, it is the impact that he has had on me as a person that I value most. It is the combination of football know-how and personal integrity that will make him a great addition to Kent State University.”
Hazell played four years at Muskingum and got his first break in coaching at Oberlin College following his senior year. From there, he left for jobs at Western Michigan, West Virginia, Rutgers and Ohio State, among others. Kent State’s newest coach, who earned a reputation for being a top recruiter of talent, said that even though he grew up in New Jersey, Ohio has become his home. “I love Ohio,” Hazell said. “It seems like I always end up back in Ohio. Whenever I leave, I end up in Ohio. I went to school out here. I coached at Oberlin College, which is where I really cut my teeth in college.” See FOOTBALL, Page 5
The Kent State Main Library has postponed plans to extend hours for this semester, in anticipation of the state budget cuts. “We’re being very cautious how we proceed,” said James Bracken, dean of University Libraries. The library had plans to be open 24 hours a day Monday through Friday this semester to better fit the needs of the students. However, the current library hours are 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7:30
a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays. Kendra Eustache, sophomore exploratory major, said she would have used the library had it been open later. “I often stay up late to get stuff done,” she said. “I would use it a lot because I’m more productive at the library, plus it’s quiet.” L a s t s e m e s t e r, s t u d e n t s requested to extend the library hours. “We’re absolutely flattered that students want to use our facilities,” Bracken said. “We’re excited students want to be here.” See LIBRARY, Page 5
Lovejoy to re-evaluate teaching assessments Britni Williams
bwilli61@kent. edu Daily Kent Stater Faculty Senate is looking to make teaching LOVEJOY evaluations more effective through a new commission headed by anthropology professor Owen Lovejoy. Faculty Senate Chair Mack Hassler said that discussions between the president, provost and executive committee of Faculty Senate showed the need to create the Lovejoy Commission to assess current methods of evaluating professors. In a background information packet given to Faculty Senate
on Jan. 10, Lovejoy wrote, “It has become increasingly clear that our assessment of teaching performance is not nearly as objective, probing or systematic as the other primary character of evaluation — research and scholarship.” Hassler said he appointed Lovejoy to be the chair of this commission. Because the commission was formed this semester, there is no timeline for when to expect the change in evaluations. Lovejoy said the current methods of evaluating teachers are used by college advisory committees to determine the future of professors. These evaluations are sometimes used to decide if a professor gets a promotion or tenure. See LOVEJOY, Page 5
Phase two of Acorn Alley to be completed by fall Jacqueline McLean
jmclean2@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater A year and a half after Acorn Alley opened, plans for downtown construction are continuing. Since the creation of Acorn Alley, Ron Burbick, local entrepreneur and philanthropist, has thought about expanding the project. The addition will include three new buildings on Erie Street that will be connected to Acorn Alley by a cross alley. The buildings will include several restaurants and small shops. A Wild Earth Outfitters and coffee shop will be added as well. “It will give students much more of a reason to come downtown other
than going into a bar or having a tattoo put on,” Burbick said. “We have a number of student-run businesses in the whole Acorn Alley facility.” “We’re trying to partner as much as we can with groups from the university to truly make it a community and university-wide adventure.” Burbick is also adding luxury condominiums to the top floor of each building. He does not expect the condominiums to be ready until fall 2011. As a result of the development of Acorn Alley II, South Depeyster Street and West Erie Street will be closed until the expected finish date of July 1. See ACORN, Page 5