‘It’s been a journey’: Women entrepreneurs share their road to success during the first annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Week page 4 and 5
Vine & Branches coffee page 7
Edition 64, Issue 12 Wednesday, November 13, 2019
thenortherner.com @northernermedia
PLAYOFF LOSS ENDS SEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER SEASON ENDS WITH TOURNAMENT LOSS AGAINST UIC
See more on page 8 Chloe Mills (19) fights past a UIC defender during the semifinal game of the Horizon League Tournament against UIC.
PHOTO BY COLIN JOHNSON
02 Happenings
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
NORTHERNER STAFF
WWW.THENORTHERNER.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Natalie Hamren [hamrenn1@mymail.nku.edu]
WHAT TO DO Check out the hottest campus happenings and can’t-miss events in Greater Cincinnati.
MANAGING EDITOR Josh Kelly [kellyjoshua17@gmail.com] NEWS EDITOR Billy Keeney [keeneyw1@mymail.nku.edu] NEWS EDITOR Josh Goad [goadj2@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. NEWS EDITOR Noelle Horn [hornn3@mymail.nku.edu] ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Kane Mitten [mittenm1@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Corinne Byrne [corinnefaith217@gmail.com] SPORTS EDITOR Sierra Newton [sflnewton@gmail.com] PHOTO EDITOR Colin Johnson [johnsonphotography6626@gmail.com] ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Maya Shaffer [mayakat1998@gmail.com] VIDEO EDITOR Abby Behrens [behrensm1@mymail.nku.edu] VIDEO EDITOR Megan Mixon [mixonm1@mymail.nku.edu] DESIGN EDITOR Billy Keeney [keeneyw1@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. DESIGN EDITOR Noël Waltz [hailee.waltz@gmail.com] WEB EDITOR Laine Harrett [nicholasharrett25@gmail.com] ASST. WEB EDITOR Sean Gibson [seanpgib@gmail.com] SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kate Fulmer [fulmerk1@mymail.nku.edu] ADVERTISING Samantha Brown [northerneradvertising@gmail.com] ADVISOR Michele Day [daymi@nku.edu]
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Mural of Martha, the last passenger pigeon, at 15 E. Eighth St. in downtown Cincinnati. PHOTO BY BILLY KEENEY
12-16 NOV
16
NOV thru -17 FEB
MEAN GIRLS | ARONOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS | $35 | 7:30 P.M. A teen cult classic meets Broadway in “Mean Girls” the musical. Protagonist Cady Heron finds herself in the jungle that is high school where she must fight The Plastics—a trio of popular girls—and take down the queen bee herself, Regina George. Coming straight from the mind of Tina Fey herself, it’s everything you loved about the movie revamped into musical madness. If you’re going on Wednesday, be sure to wear pink. WIZARDFEST: A HARRY POTTER PARTY | THE LUDLOW GARAGE | $11+ | 7:15 P.M. Cincinnati has its very own Harry Potter World for one night only. Throw out your muggle clothes, don your Hogwarts robes, grab your wand and head on down to the Ludlow Garage on Saturday night for Harry Potter trivia, a DJ playing songs from the films as well as throwbacks from the ‘90s and 2000s and a costume contest. Wizard-themed drinks will be served as guests enter to win a trip to London for two. DESTINATION MOON | CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER | $16.50 | 10 A.M TO 5 P.M. Put up your space buns and fly to the Cincinnati Museum Center to check out the exhibit of artifacts used in the Apollo 11 Mission. You can see Buzz Aldrin’s gold-plated helmet visor, thermal-insulated gloves and more. See the star chart that probably won’t tell you your horoscope but helped Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to boldly go where no one has gone before.
What you missed at SGA Nov. 11 Josh Kelly
MANAGING EDITOR
US 27 update
During Monday’s SGA meeting, Adam Grant from Fairmount Properties gave an update on the construction happening on the corner of Nunn Drive and Alexandria Pike. Grant said the function of the center will be the place where NKU and the community intersect. “It’s a place for shared gathering. It’s a place for coming together to shop, to dine, to live, to work, to recreate,” Grant said. “It’s an attempt to establish better connectivity between the campus of NKU and Highland Heights.” Grant said the project’s three-phase total will be $112 million, coming completely from institutional review boards and tax increment financing. The first phase of construction on the OrthoCincy building and St. Elizabeth Healthcare Center is expected to be finished and opened in April 2020. Phase II is expected to include retail and restaurant space, market-rate apartments and an extended-stay hotel with meeting space and professional office space. Plans for Phase III are not yet decided. Phases II and III are expected to be in the field opposite of the current construction. Grant also asked opinions on potential names for the center when Phase II and III are completed. Justice Mia Derks said that the intersection is a high traffic area and asked if there were any plans to help with the traffic. Grant said that Marshall Lane is looking to be the
primary access to relieve some traffic off of Nunn Drive. Justice Lauren Goodwin asked what would be the appeal to get students to live in the apartments when there are less expensive options around campus. Grant said that it’s about value proposition. “It’s about finding people that are willing to pay a particular rent for a certain set of amenities for a certain level of finishes within the apartment. And for the convenience of being close to campus and everything that that means,” Grant said. Sbarro construction AAfter the discussion ended, student body president Jarett Lopez opened the floor for committees to give updates on projects. Derks said construction on Sbarro will begin the week following Thanksgiving. During this, the area behind Build Pizza and Tú Taco will be shut down. However, Tú Taco will be moved during the construction period. There is still talk about the decision between putting Qdoba or Panda Express on the first floor of the SU. Parking appeals Senator Alex Konderer reported a precedent change last week for parking appeal claims. “Now, if you complain about how you weren’t able to spot to find a spot for 20 minutes, there is a small chance
Ed 64, Issue 12
News/Viewpoints 03
Veterans Resource Station taking donations for deployed military members
Rachel Smith
PHOTO BY BILLY KEENEY
REPORTER
This week, NKU’s Veterans Resource Station (VRS) is asking students to “fill the boot” for their annual donation drive. The large papier-mâché boot will be outside the VRS this week for students to donate supplies to an Army National Guard unit currently deployed in Iraq. “We’re taking donations like canned food, personal hygiene items—things like that. Individually wrapped snacks like beef jerky and ramen noodles are also accepted,” VRS Coordinator and U.S. Navy veteran Travis Roy said. Roy said these care packages often raise morale in an overseas unit because it provides a small piece of home. “It’s just like Christmas morning for them,” Roy said.
Roy said the VRS felt compelled to help those overseas because of the team’s own experiences. “We’ve all been deployed and we know what it’s like to be there,” Roy said. “So we can’t forget about them, and this is a small token of appreciation for the sacrifices they’re making.” The unit also has a recent NKU graduate serving there, according to Roy. For Roy, this is his first “fill the boot” campaign. He says that as long as he is involved with the VRS, the drive will continue. The drive runs through Nov. 18. The boot outside the Veterans Resource Center, UC 131.
What’s your Thanksgiving horoscope?
Josh Kelly and Noël Waltz
MANAGING EDITOR, ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR
Scorpio: You’re looking forward to being home and just being able to relax, sit and definitely not move for a long time. Some people will be getting the food coma. But you—you’re looking forward to that post-food stuckness.
Aquarius: You are prepared for the question: what are you going to do after college? Everything you touch turns to gold and your plans post-graduation are going to as well … at least that’s what you’re going to tell everyone.
Taurus: Once the last crumb has left your plate, your food coma will start to commence. Be careful on how long you sit on the couch, you might not get back up until the next night. Enjoy the season and happy hibernation.
Leo: You’ve gathered everyone around the table, they’re stuffing their faces and now you can tell them everything that’s happened this semester. They have nothing to do but sit and listen to you— the perfect Leo plan.
Sagittarius: You are anticipating the Tupperware bowls you’ll have in your fridge when you get back. All of your favorite dishes will keep you filled for days on end. The stars advise mixing your macaroni with sweet potatoes for an even better taste.
Pisces: Being the sign that’s the most in-tune with their emotions and those around them, the stars are saying you are going to enjoy just being home. Whether your home is made of friends or family, it’s going to be a special season.
Gemini: Back-to-back-to-back NFL games are on all day on Thanksgiving. Your fantasy teams are set and your seat on the couch is mentally chosen. Enjoy a few drinks to help with the digestion of the turkey.
Virgo: Never really liked to go out and get Black Friday deals because all the things you really want are online. You’ve already got an early start on the items and getting every college student discount before Monday hits. Just make sure that you remember to press checkout.
Capricorn: With the true beginning of the holiday season and the start of Black Friday sales, you recognize that this is the time to start bragging about how great you are. Take advantage of this time and milk those birthday and holiday gifts.
Aires: The idea of Black Friday was made for Aires’ go-get-it attitude to thrive. The thought of you going out and chasing the best deal exhilarates you. Be sure not to hurt anyone—that flat screen isn’t worth it.
Cancer: The moment you’ve been waiting for. Everyone can stop yelling at you for celebrating the holiday season before Thanksgiving. Now, you can bring out your snowmen, the fake frost spray and maybe that big ‘ol evergreen.
Libra: The centerpiece of most dinners: pumpkin pie. After Starbucks went to their holiday menu, you’ve been missing your daily pumpkin fix. Go ahead and have the whole pie, no one will miss it.
04 Features
Features 05
‘It’s been a journey’: Women entrepreneurs share their road to success Rachel Smith
ILLUSTRATIONS BY NOËL WALTZ
REPORTER
Hennasha Candler created Edgy Pooch in 2013.
During the first annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Week, NKU invited women of color to share their experiences as entrepreneurs with students and faculty. For Hennasha Candler, Taren Kinebrew and Karla Boldery, entrepreneurship is a long, enduring road of independence, innovation, frustration and joy. Meet Hennasha Candler For Hennasha Candler, six years and one phone call changed everything. “I always liked seeing pets cute,” Candler said. That’s the origin story behind Edgy Pooch, a pet grooming service that has expanded into 21 cities such as Atlanta and Los Angeles. According to Candler, the success has felt like it happened overnight, though her business has been open since 2013. In April, Candler signed a contract with a pet company to provide her services outside of the Cincinnati area. But before the trips around the country, Candler remembered starting her business at Overthe-Rhine years earlier with a completely different business model. When Candler first started her business, she had an intrinsic desire—like all entre-
preneurs do—to make herself stand out from the pack. “Most entrepreneurs have a certain energy about them,” she said. “They have to be fearless and keep moving ahead of the times.” But becoming an entrepreneur had its learning curves, Candler said. She grew up in a poverty-stricken area in Cincinnati, and was the first person to graduate high school and attend college in her family. According to Candler, these experiences made her transition into a business owner very challenging. “I didn’t know anything about business. I learned from making my own mistakes and errors,” Candler said. Because of outside circumstances, she also had to deal with constant re-evolutions of her business. According to Candler, Edgy Pooch was originally a pet clothing and accessories store. But when she was forced to move out of her storefront location twice because of construction on OTR, Candler had to revise her company. To do so, she looked for a need in the Cincinnati community. From there, she came up with a new idea: a pet grooming company that comes to the customer’s house. “The fact that we come to our clients
Karla Boldery created Latina Entrepreneur Academy in 2016.
makes us stand out,” Candler said. Despite her success, she still has reservations about her worth as a CEO from time to time. She recalled an instance when a white customer asked her if she owned this business. Out of a reflex, she said no. “I wanted to make them feel more comfortable,” Candler said. “But then it was like, ‘why should that make them feel that way? What’s wrong with who I am?’” Candler said she wants to encourage all entrepreneurs to pursue their ambitions, regardless of the many obstacles that stand in the way. According to Candler, the reward is worth the challenge. “I went through hard times, but I never gave up,” Candler said. “And it gets easier over time.” Meet Karla Boldery Growing up in Mexico City, Karla Boldery was surrounded by entrepreneurs at every street corner and dinner table. When she was 10 years old, she was a cashier at her mother’s private practice and routinely visited her father at his phone battery manufacturing shop. That was the spirit of Mexico, according to Boldery. When she walked the streets
of her neighborhood, she felt a sense of innovation and craftsmanship glow from inside the houses. “In Mexico, if you go to any street, you can see a lot of homes that are gradually turning into some type of business,” Boldery said. According to Boldery, she experienced a culture shock when she moved to America. The “American Dream” wasn’t as attainable in the United States as it was in Mexico. “There are many more issues when starting a business here because there’s so much regulation and everything relies on credit. You can’t have an idea and just do it,” Boldery said. After moving to the area, Boldery graduated from NKU with a master’s in business informatics. She had been a coach for small businesses for 10 years before joining La Mega Media as Cincinnati’s Market General Manager in April. With her experience, she said there is a common thread amongst beginning entrepreneurs when they first start out. “I meet a lot of people that want to start a business just because. But they never really ask the right questions like, ‘why is nobody doing this? What am I trying to accomplish by doing this?’” Boldery said. “There are very few people who invest the time to
open their business for the long-term.” While she helped all types of small businesses during her tenure as a coach, Boldery had a specialized passion for those in the Hispanic community. Boldery said she has worked with over 800 Hispanic business owners and noticed a cultural disconnection between an entrepreneur’s need for networking and the Hispanic community’s culture of independence. “Looking at the statistics with minority groups, there is a self-belief that you can make it on your own,” she said. “We’re never good at asking for help. We are so culturally set that asking for help is a sign of weakness.” It is vital to the Hispanic community to change that perception, she said. Boldery was the president of Cincinnati’s chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens’ from 2014 to 2017. There, she started the Latina Entrepreneur Academy. According to Boldery, the academy targets Latina women from all levels of entrepreneurship—whether they are still students or have already started their business. The academy focuses on teaching skills like administration and fundraising, as well as fostering a community for Latina entrepreneurs to seek support from one
another. Since its opening in 2016, the academy has had 100 graduates. According to Boldery, the desire to help those in her community led her to partnering with La Mega Media earlier this year. In her experience as a small business coach, Boldery said the most rewarding part of the job was watching the evolution of fledgling entrepreneurs to successful business owners. “I have a passion for seeing people make it through,” Boldery said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people where the business was just an idea and years later, I see them growing and succeeding. And that has been the greatest satisfaction.” Meet Taren Kinebrew Taren Kinebrew recalls standing at her grandmother’s elbows in the kitchen, peering up at the mixing bowls as she listened to the soft-spoken instructions. “I was always the kid that enjoyed baking,” Kinebrew said. According to Kinebrew, food was a binding element in her family. Best memories were made sitting around the table, sharing food and warmth with one another. At family dinners, Kinebrew said she
Taren Kinebrew created Sweet Petit Desserts in 2009.
was always tasked with making the dessert. “The bakery came out of my passion. I’ve been baking my whole life,” Kinebrew said. But Kinebrew never envisioned herself owning a bakery. She worked as a programming analyst in Cincinnati for years until a casual conversation with a friend sparked an idea. “She said to me, ‘you should sell your desserts,’” Kinebrew said. “And I’ve been baking ever since.” Sweet Petit Desserts was founded in 2009 and has become a staple in Cincinnati’s OTR. According to Kinebrew, it was important to look for a gap in the community before establishing a new business. “When I started this business, I did some research and looking at the trends that were happening then,” Kinebrew said. She noticed a need for small desserts for parties and health-conscious customers. “I want to teach people that they can eat real ingredients on a small scale,” Kinebrew said. When the bakery became her full-time job, Kinebrew said she still found a need to not only serve, but educate people through her baking. In 2016, she began visiting
schools to host baking lessons. “For most of these kids, I’m old enough to be their mom,” Kinebrew said. “I feel like I am to them what my grandmother was to me.” Kinebrew was among the six women of color that were invited to speak at the “Redefining the Statistic” event during NKU’s first Women’s Entrepreneurship Week. The week was designed to highlight prominent women in local entrepreneurship roles. According to Kinebrew, she was surprised to learn that this event was the first of its kind. “It’s kind of funny that no one has thought to do it before now,” Kinebrew said. “But I think that’s the nature of women in entrepreneurship. As a woman, we typically are the last to be thought of when it comes to recognition.” Kinebrew said she was honored to be involved in the first celebration and is certain it will be a success moving forward. On the 10th anniversary of Sweet Petit Desserts, Kinebrew remembered the enduring challenge of maintaining her own business. “I spent the whole 10 years building this business and figuring out what’s next,” Kinebrew said. “It’s been a journey. I’m just thankful that I’m still able to do this.”
04 Features
Features 05
‘It’s been a journey’: Women entrepreneurs share their road to success Rachel Smith
ILLUSTRATIONS BY NOËL WALTZ
REPORTER
Hennasha Candler created Edgy Pooch in 2013.
During the first annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Week, NKU invited women of color to share their experiences as entrepreneurs with students and faculty. For Hennasha Candler, Taren Kinebrew and Karla Boldery, entrepreneurship is a long, enduring road of independence, innovation, frustration and joy. Meet Hennasha Candler For Hennasha Candler, six years and one phone call changed everything. “I always liked seeing pets cute,” Candler said. That’s the origin story behind Edgy Pooch, a pet grooming service that has expanded into 21 cities such as Atlanta and Los Angeles. According to Candler, the success has felt like it happened overnight, though her business has been open since 2013. In April, Candler signed a contract with a pet company to provide her services outside of the Cincinnati area. But before the trips around the country, Candler remembered starting her business at Overthe-Rhine years earlier with a completely different business model. When Candler first started her business, she had an intrinsic desire—like all entre-
preneurs do—to make herself stand out from the pack. “Most entrepreneurs have a certain energy about them,” she said. “They have to be fearless and keep moving ahead of the times.” But becoming an entrepreneur had its learning curves, Candler said. She grew up in a poverty-stricken area in Cincinnati, and was the first person to graduate high school and attend college in her family. According to Candler, these experiences made her transition into a business owner very challenging. “I didn’t know anything about business. I learned from making my own mistakes and errors,” Candler said. Because of outside circumstances, she also had to deal with constant re-evolutions of her business. According to Candler, Edgy Pooch was originally a pet clothing and accessories store. But when she was forced to move out of her storefront location twice because of construction on OTR, Candler had to revise her company. To do so, she looked for a need in the Cincinnati community. From there, she came up with a new idea: a pet grooming company that comes to the customer’s house. “The fact that we come to our clients
Karla Boldery created Latina Entrepreneur Academy in 2016.
makes us stand out,” Candler said. Despite her success, she still has reservations about her worth as a CEO from time to time. She recalled an instance when a white customer asked her if she owned this business. Out of a reflex, she said no. “I wanted to make them feel more comfortable,” Candler said. “But then it was like, ‘why should that make them feel that way? What’s wrong with who I am?’” Candler said she wants to encourage all entrepreneurs to pursue their ambitions, regardless of the many obstacles that stand in the way. According to Candler, the reward is worth the challenge. “I went through hard times, but I never gave up,” Candler said. “And it gets easier over time.” Meet Karla Boldery Growing up in Mexico City, Karla Boldery was surrounded by entrepreneurs at every street corner and dinner table. When she was 10 years old, she was a cashier at her mother’s private practice and routinely visited her father at his phone battery manufacturing shop. That was the spirit of Mexico, according to Boldery. When she walked the streets
of her neighborhood, she felt a sense of innovation and craftsmanship glow from inside the houses. “In Mexico, if you go to any street, you can see a lot of homes that are gradually turning into some type of business,” Boldery said. According to Boldery, she experienced a culture shock when she moved to America. The “American Dream” wasn’t as attainable in the United States as it was in Mexico. “There are many more issues when starting a business here because there’s so much regulation and everything relies on credit. You can’t have an idea and just do it,” Boldery said. After moving to the area, Boldery graduated from NKU with a master’s in business informatics. She had been a coach for small businesses for 10 years before joining La Mega Media as Cincinnati’s Market General Manager in April. With her experience, she said there is a common thread amongst beginning entrepreneurs when they first start out. “I meet a lot of people that want to start a business just because. But they never really ask the right questions like, ‘why is nobody doing this? What am I trying to accomplish by doing this?’” Boldery said. “There are very few people who invest the time to
open their business for the long-term.” While she helped all types of small businesses during her tenure as a coach, Boldery had a specialized passion for those in the Hispanic community. Boldery said she has worked with over 800 Hispanic business owners and noticed a cultural disconnection between an entrepreneur’s need for networking and the Hispanic community’s culture of independence. “Looking at the statistics with minority groups, there is a self-belief that you can make it on your own,” she said. “We’re never good at asking for help. We are so culturally set that asking for help is a sign of weakness.” It is vital to the Hispanic community to change that perception, she said. Boldery was the president of Cincinnati’s chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens’ from 2014 to 2017. There, she started the Latina Entrepreneur Academy. According to Boldery, the academy targets Latina women from all levels of entrepreneurship—whether they are still students or have already started their business. The academy focuses on teaching skills like administration and fundraising, as well as fostering a community for Latina entrepreneurs to seek support from one
another. Since its opening in 2016, the academy has had 100 graduates. According to Boldery, the desire to help those in her community led her to partnering with La Mega Media earlier this year. In her experience as a small business coach, Boldery said the most rewarding part of the job was watching the evolution of fledgling entrepreneurs to successful business owners. “I have a passion for seeing people make it through,” Boldery said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people where the business was just an idea and years later, I see them growing and succeeding. And that has been the greatest satisfaction.” Meet Taren Kinebrew Taren Kinebrew recalls standing at her grandmother’s elbows in the kitchen, peering up at the mixing bowls as she listened to the soft-spoken instructions. “I was always the kid that enjoyed baking,” Kinebrew said. According to Kinebrew, food was a binding element in her family. Best memories were made sitting around the table, sharing food and warmth with one another. At family dinners, Kinebrew said she
Taren Kinebrew created Sweet Petit Desserts in 2009.
was always tasked with making the dessert. “The bakery came out of my passion. I’ve been baking my whole life,” Kinebrew said. But Kinebrew never envisioned herself owning a bakery. She worked as a programming analyst in Cincinnati for years until a casual conversation with a friend sparked an idea. “She said to me, ‘you should sell your desserts,’” Kinebrew said. “And I’ve been baking ever since.” Sweet Petit Desserts was founded in 2009 and has become a staple in Cincinnati’s OTR. According to Kinebrew, it was important to look for a gap in the community before establishing a new business. “When I started this business, I did some research and looking at the trends that were happening then,” Kinebrew said. She noticed a need for small desserts for parties and health-conscious customers. “I want to teach people that they can eat real ingredients on a small scale,” Kinebrew said. When the bakery became her full-time job, Kinebrew said she still found a need to not only serve, but educate people through her baking. In 2016, she began visiting
schools to host baking lessons. “For most of these kids, I’m old enough to be their mom,” Kinebrew said. “I feel like I am to them what my grandmother was to me.” Kinebrew was among the six women of color that were invited to speak at the “Redefining the Statistic” event during NKU’s first Women’s Entrepreneurship Week. The week was designed to highlight prominent women in local entrepreneurship roles. According to Kinebrew, she was surprised to learn that this event was the first of its kind. “It’s kind of funny that no one has thought to do it before now,” Kinebrew said. “But I think that’s the nature of women in entrepreneurship. As a woman, we typically are the last to be thought of when it comes to recognition.” Kinebrew said she was honored to be involved in the first celebration and is certain it will be a success moving forward. On the 10th anniversary of Sweet Petit Desserts, Kinebrew remembered the enduring challenge of maintaining her own business. “I spent the whole 10 years building this business and figuring out what’s next,” Kinebrew said. “It’s been a journey. I’m just thankful that I’m still able to do this.”
06 News
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Nursing students provide healthcare to underserved regions
Caitlyn Helton CONTRIBUTOR
Americans in underserved communities, often rural areas, face a multitude of obstacles that make it hard to get access to affordable medical care. Health disparities in these rural communities come in the form of economic, social, racial, ethnic, geographic and health workforce factors, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Combined, these factors limit the access to care for many rural Americans, who make up 15 to 20 percent of the country’s population, according to the National Rural Health Association. The Nurse Advocacy Center for the Underserved (NACU) is an organization that connects nursing students and registered nurses to partner locations in these underserved regions so they may provide care. NACU’s goal is to help people who have trouble finding or affording healthcare get the help they need to live long, happy lives. Volunteers with the organization offer their skills and services for many unpaid hours in order to provide health screenings, meals or distribution of various hygiene products. NACU currently partners with four locations in Kentucky: Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, Madison Avenue Christian Church, Ida Spence United Methodist Mission at City Heights and Golden Towers. Each location provides opportunities for NACU’s workers to ensure visitors are healthy, happy, fed and clothed. Additionally, most partner locations have places to house the underserved, so care is in close proximity. NACU also provides free testing for a variety of illnesses and conditions, as well as programs that educate the public on healthy practices to ensure that people are educated, aware and able to take care of themselves effectively. NACU has held seminars educating diabetics on how to make snacks that are considerate of their condition and sessions based on teaching people how to dress for extremely cold weather. NACU handed out nutritious snacks and gloves at the relevant seminar. Anyone can receive supplies from NACU, though healthcare is only provided for individuals over the age of 18. Care beyond the body “As far as experience with the clients at the [Madison Avenue Christian Church],
Jennifer Hunter, director of the Nurse Advocacy Center for the Underserved.
a lot of them just want someone to talk to,” Drake Main, a three-semester NACU nursing student, said. “Their stories range from unfortunate accidents, to drug abuse, to one small decision in their life that changed their path. Most of them are extremely grateful for the meal and the opportunity to talk to someone and just get stuff off their minds.” Michael Popper, another nursing student who spent the first seven weeks of the semester at Madison Avenue, had a similar experience and insights. “When it comes to helping others, nursing needs to extend from just hospitals and patients. It needs to move to educating, helping and mentoring the underserved populations that make up a greater number of people than we would realize,” Popper said. NACU began as a capstone project by a nursing student who conducted research comparing community health to whether healthcare was brought to the underserved or if patients had to go to a local clinic to get it. The research found higher instances of positive health outcomes “when you
bring the ‘clinic/healthcare services’ to the high risk, underserved populations where they live, work or play, instead of making the clients come to a medical office or clinic,” Jennifer Hunter, director of NACU said. As a result of the research, NACU was given a test run in Covington. Since then, NACU has served numerous patients and received many donations and grants in order to continue serving the local community. Hunter recently won first place and a $7,500 Northern Kentucky Funders’ Grant for NACU. Out of 80 applicants, NACU came in first. NACU is entirely donation and volunteer-based. Any donations received by NACU are divided among the four partner locations, and no one involved with or working for NACU is paid. Monetary donations go entirely to purchasing supplies for clinics, meals and education sessions, with no percentage taken for administration or other fees. Students can volunteer their time with NACU by contacting Jennifer Hunter. Anyone can volunteer, regardless of major. Students not pursuing a career or degree in nursing can help serve meals
and deliver and distribute donations and supplies. Nursing students can enroll in Hunter’s special NACU-focused class, where they’ll work at one of NACU’s partner locations. Nursing students have the opportunity to teach seminars about health, featuring topics such as dental hygiene, nutrition and how to dress for extreme weather.
Those interested in donating hygiene products, socks, gloves or other items to NACU can look at their website’s recommended list of donations and deliver any items to FH 499D. Contact Jennifer Hunter at hunterj10@nku.edu for more information.
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? COME TO OUR MEETINGS IN GH 204 MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. AND VIST US IN THE NEWSROOM GH 125.
Ed 64, Issue 12
Arts & Life 07
Andrea Rinck and Renee Jennings pour coffee.
On-campus ministry shares message through coffee Elena Ferguson
PHOTO BY PATRICK HIRSCH
REPORTER
Vine and Branches (V&B), a ministry of the United Methodist Church on NKU’s campus, is trying to change the way people view Christianity by passing out free coffee to students according to the full-time pastor at V&B, Renee Jennings. She said her predecessor David Johnston conceived the idea. “It came out of a conversation that we had about ‘how do we make ourselves less scary for college students to come up and talk to us?’” Jennings said. Jennings said they bought an espresso machine to make coffee when Johnston was the campus pastor, but they were still figuring out how to use it. Now that the experimental phase is over, they have been perfecting the free coffee events for about five-anda-half years now. Jennings said that churches have earned somewhat of a bad reputation, especially with college kids. “We recognize that the church has not made a lot of good press for itself in recent years, which grieves me on a level that I can’t fully express,” Jennings said. “We wanted to give something positive to associate with a faith group because I feel like most
college-age students or young adults don’t have a lot of super positive things that they associate with church.” Kayleigh Rinck, senior public relations major, and her sister Andrea Rinck, junior theatre and electronic media and broadcasting major, are both involved in passing out free coffee with V&B. “We are here to share our love for God and coffee with everyone else,” Andrea said. “I think our goal is to say, ‘hey, we are here if you need us and we are not forcing anyone to be a Christian or anything. If you want to have a relationship with God or get to know God or just start your journey with God, we’re here to help you.’” Kayleigh said that she loves making connections and meeting new people. “I just like to brighten someone’s day,” Kayleigh said. “Some people need that caffeine. I know me and if I don’t have coffee, I’m super grouchy.” Olivia Fries, sophomore human resource business management major, said that passing out free coffee is a way to spread the word of God, and also a way to get a group of people together that understand the struggles of daily college life. “I mean, of course we want to get
more people to join our organization and come and hang out during worship, and not even during worship; we hang out during the week too,” Fries said. “And not only that, but some people aren’t from around here, so they don’t have their home church right here.” Fries said V&B is a great place for people of faith to express themselves and feel comfortable doing it. “It’s neat just to be able to talk to each other, and you don’t have to be worried that somebody’s going to judge you based on your beliefs,” Fries said. Jennings said their coffee ministry also helps them inform students about their organization and how they can get involved. “We actually have had some students come in and check us out and have been very involved in our ministry and have grown a lot in their spirituality and their faith journey. And they found out about us because we were out serving coffee,” Jennings said. Jennings said that she has seen a positive response as they continue to give free coffee to students. People get excited when they see the V&B van, according to Jennings, and that positive association is exactly
what their goal is. In seeing this, she feels like some barriers between the church and young adults have been overcome and a certain level of trust has been built. “Nobody will ever be turned away from our coffee table, no matter how many cups of coffee you come up for during the day,” Jennings said. “We give out coffee as an expression of love because we believe that love is unconditional, and love is freely given to us by our Creator. So, it’s a small expression of that unconditional care and concern and love that we get from God. We give it on campus through cups of coffee.” Ultimately, Jennings wants NKU students to know that V&B cares about them and their wellness. “I think if I want anyone to take anything away from the coffee ministry, it’s that you all are loved,” Jennings said. “We care about you all as the student body, and ultimately that’s what we’re here for is to communicate that through this ministry. That you are cared for, you are loved unconditionally and through all things.” @northernermedia
08 Sports
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Women’s Soccer: Season ends in double overtime
Sierra Newton
PHOTOS BY COLIN JOHNSON
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
The Northern Kentucky women’s soccer team’s season ended in the Horizon League semifinals against no. 2 UIC, 1-0 on Saturday. The Norse end their season 9-9 overall and 5-4 in the conference. Over the season, senior midfielder Shawna Zaken scored 13 goals, the most by a single Norse in NKU’s Division I era. Sophomore goalkeeper Mimi Stines finished the season with 97 saves and averaging 5.39 saves per match; both are the most ever by a NKU women’s soccer player in a season. For the match, Stines only gave up one goal while making 11 saves on the 26 shots she faced. Sophomore forward Kiley Keehan tried a shot within the 14th minute of the game. In the second half, Zaken, freshman forward Lindsey Meyer and sophomore defender Chloe Mills all tried their hand at a shot but couldn’t get the ball into the net.
“Our team worked so hard tonight and throughout the season,” Head Coach Bob Sheehan said in a press release. “We made massive strides this year. Our seniors Shawna, Hannah, Ally, Jen [Farwell] and Julia [Tout] have all put their stamp on the program and all have made incredible contributions in their own special ways. We thank each of the seniors for sharing their unique talents with us. We also thank their parents for all of their support over the years.” The Milwaukee Panthers and UIC Flames went on to battle in the championship game with the Panthers placing first. NKU finished the tournament fifth overall. Zaken and junior midfielder Kailey Ivins were both named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
Shawna Zaken (8) passes the ball to a teammate during the semifinal game of the Horizon League Tournament against UIC.
Senior Ally Perkins (6) is comforted by a teammate after the loss in the semifinal game of the Horizon League Tournament.
Ashleigh Cronin (5) reacts during the post-game talk after the semifinal game of the Horizon League Tournament.