Fairness Campaign
NKU’s LGBTQ community has high hopes for positive change with Kentucky’s 63rd governor page 6
Remembering Kobe Bryant page 8
Edition 65, Issue 02 Wednesday, January 29, 2020
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PENSION AFTER BEVIN
See more on page 4 and 5 Source: AP/Wikimedia Commons/Kentucky General Assembly
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BILLY KEENEY
02 Happenings
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
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 [kellyjoshual17@gmail.com] NEWS EDITOR Billy Keeney [keeneyw1@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. NEWS EDITOR Rachel Smith [rachelsmithnku@gmail.com] ASST. NEWS EDITOR Noelle Horn [hornn3@mymail.nku.edu] ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Kane Mitten [mittenm1@mymail.nku.edu] ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Alyssa Weber [alyssamweber22@gmail.com] ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Corinne Byrne [corinnefaith217@gmail.com] SPORTS EDITOR Sierra Newton [sflnewton@gmail.com] COPY EDITOR Kyle Wade [kwade1371@gmail.com] PHOTO EDITOR Colin Johnson [johnsonphotography6626@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 Sean Gibson [seanpgib@gmail.com] ADVERTISING Samantha Brown [northerneradvertising@gmail.com] ADVISOR Michele Day [daymi@nku.edu]
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The Cincinnati skyline as seen from Devou Park in Covington.
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ART AFTER DARK: MONOCHROMATIC | CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM | FREE | 5 P.M. Art After Dark is consistently one of the best events to attend in Cincinnati. Every iteration features great music, food, drinks and plenty of stellar art. This month’s theme is “Monochromatic,” with a black and white costume party to celebrate the beginning of the new decade and the closing of the “The Levee: A Photographer in the American South” exhibit on Sunday. Don’t miss your last chance to see it!
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CINCINNATI WORLD CINEMA: OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORTS | GARFIELD THEATRE | $11| 7 P.M. Film snobs rejoice: The Garfield Theatre, home of the Cincinnati World Cinema, will be screening several of this year’s Oscar nominated short film documentaries, like “St. Louis Superman” from the U.S. and “In The Absence” from South Korea. Six films total will be screened at the Garfield. To see them all, you’ll need to return on another day or come to one of their marathon days.
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ONESIE BAR CRAWL | OVER-THE-RHINE | $15+ | 2 P.M. - 10 P.M. Are you interested in walking around Over-the-Rhine while looking like a complete idiot for slightly cheaper drinks? If so, head to 16-Bit Bar + Arcade on Saturday from 2 - 4 p.m. in your best onesie to pick up a ticket for the Onesie Bar Crawl—and get a koozie and an event T-shirt. Participating bars include 16-Bit, Mr. Pitifuls, MOTR, The Drinkery, OTR Live, Below Zero and more.
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SUPER BOWL | EVERYWHERE | 6:30 P.M. It’s the Super Bowl. What else is there to say?
What you missed at SGA Jan. 27 Josh Kelly
MANAGING EDITOR
New All Card Design Secretary of Public Relations Jessica Archer revealed the design pitches that herself and Senator Will Jones designed. They showcased three ideas, two of which included a solid color backing and the NKU seal opposite of the student’s photo. The other design featured the NKU Athletics logo instead of the seal. Chair of the Student Rights committee Brynn Cahal brought up the idea of putting the suicide hotline or including the counselor on-call number on the back of the card. Cahal said that placing the information on the back of the All Card would be another way to get information to the students. Archer said that when the University decides what designs it approves of, it will then allow the student body to vote on the best design. New senator applicants SGA announced that it will be holding interviews for
mid-year inductees to the senator position. They have 14 applicants that have applied for the position and will interview the candidates on Jan. 30 and 31. The new senators’ first meeting will be Monday, Feb. 3. “Secretary Clary mentioned that we have 14 applicants for the Senate, which is the highest we have ever seen in a midterm appointment,” SGA President Jarett Lopez said. “I’ve already had people start reaching out to me interested in being a part of 2020-2021. That’s super exciting.” Valentine’s Day philanthropy The philanthropy event scheduled around the Feb. 28 men’s basketball game against Wright State University is being rescheduled. Philanthropy and Service Committee Chair Lauren Goodwin pitched the idea of moving the event to the Feb. 14 game against IUPUI. Because it will be Valentine’s Day, Goodwin would like to sell “candy grams” for a dollar, where customers will receive them during game time.
Ed 65, Issue 02
Sierra Newton
Sports/Happenings 03
Wright State defeats NKU 95 - 63
SPORTS EDITOR
Friday night’s rivalry matchup at the Nutter Center ended in the Wright State Raiders’ favor with a whopping 32-point win. NKU now falls to 14-7 on the season and 6-3 in the conference. Wright State advances to 18-4 overall and 8-1 in the Horizon League; their only loss in the conference was to UIC 76-72. Senior guard Tyler Sharpe led the night with 18 points, shooting 1-of-5 from the 3-point line. Sophomore guard Bryson Langdon finished with 16 points and led the team in assists with three. Redshirt junior guard Jalen Tate also added 16 points and sophomore forward Adrian Nelson contributed eight boards and three points. Wright State came out of the gate on a 10-2 run with Tate being the only one to score for the first two minutes. Sharpe and Faulkner eventually put points on the board, cutting the score down to 12-7. The Raiders jumped ahead to a 17 point lead, and the Norse went into halftime trailing 48-28. At halftime, the Norse shot for 31.34 percent from the field and only made 2-of-16 from the 3-point line—one each from Sharpe and Faulkner. Wright State
shot 60 percent from the field and 6-of12 from three. The Raiders started the second half with a 13-4 run and the Norse answered back with 12-4 run starting at the 15:57 minute mark. The Norse weren’t able to make another run, and Wright State’s lead never dipped below 20 points. The game ended with a blowout victory for Wright State, 95-63. NKU scored 30 of their 62 points in the paint and grabbed 28 boards. Wright State scored 40 points in the paint and collected 43 rebounds. The Raiders dominated the offense, shooting 61 percent overall and 54.5 percent from the 3-point line. NKU’s shooting didn’t improve much from the first half; they shot 39.4 percent from the field and only made 4-of-22 from the 3-point line. Tate’s 16 points was a new season high, and Sharpe now has 11 games where he has 18+ points. The rivalry of the D-I era now sits in WSU’s favor at 6-5. Next, the Norse head to Green Bay, Wisconsin to take on the Green Bay Phoenix. The game is set for 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 31. The game will be broadcast on ESPN U.
Tyler Sharpe (15) during the game against Coppin State.
PHOTO BY COLIN JOHNSON
VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE ONLINE AT INSIDE.NKU. EDU/HOMECOMING TABLE BY JOSH KELLY
04 News
Amid pension crisis, Besh What went wrong and wha Billy Keeney NEWS EDITOR
After Kentucky educators marched on Frankfort on April 2, 2018 in the wake of the final approval of Senate Bill 151 (SB 151), the controversial proposal was later overturned by the Kentucky Supreme Court for being unconstitutional. It wasn’t the beginning—nor end—of the fight for public pension reform in the Commonwealth. But now, reform has taken a giant step toward the finish line with Governor Andy Beshear’s announcement on Tuesday night that he would fully fund Kentucky’s pension system in an attempt to whittle down the system’s $43 billion debt. Beshear and the future NKU Assistant Vice President Government, Corporate & Foundation Engagement Adam Caswell said it’s still too early to tell how the pension system will look under the Beshear administration. However, Beshear announced that he would fully fund Kentucky’s pension systems during his 2020 budget address on Tuesday night. It was one of his biggest campaign promises. According to the proposal, Kentucky Employment Retirement System (KERS) will receive an additional $56.5 million for the 2021 fiscal year and $63.9 million in the 2022 fiscal year. In addition, healthcare for state employees will receive $9.3 million in 2021 and $34 million in 2022, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. “My promise to you is simple; I will always contribute the required contribution amount to our pension plans,” Beshear said in his address. “By doing this year after year, we’ll protect your pensions and guarantee each of you a solid retirement.” The Republican-controlled legislature of the past two years tried to cut funding to what was already one of the worst-funded pension systems in the country. Their attempts were met with protests from state educators and employees, and former Governor Matt Bevin’s attempt to cut pension funding
was the biggest reason he was voted out of office, according to Time Magazine. How did we get here? Data from the Associated Press shows Kentucky’s public pension plans now total over $43 billion in unfunded liabilities as of 2019—a stark contrast to when pensions were fully funded in 2000. Primary reasons for the accumulation of debt over the past two decades can be attributed to underfunding and risky investments. Between 2003 and 2016, the state’s governors and the General Assembly failed to create enough money for state employee and teacher pensions, according to the Courier-Journal. Instead, lawmakers used pension money for roads and schools since other tax revenues in a recession economy could not fund those projects on their own, according to David Sirota in a PBS Frontline special report. During those years, governors and lawmakers shorted pensions by $3.8 billion—and, in fall 2009, invested a portion of the pension’s portfolio into Wall Street
hedge funds. A December 2017 lawsuit filed in Franklin County Circuit Court by eight current and former public employees alleged that Kentucky Retirement Systems (KRS) made $1.2 billion in investments with hedge funds that lacked transparency and had high fees. The lawsuit also alleged that KRS obscured the severity of the pension crisis with false assumptions of future returns from the hedge fund investments. Additionally, a 2017 report from Philadelphia-based consulting company PFM said a big reason for Kentucky’s rising debt was because of lawmakers’ inaccurate assumptions in the state’s employer funding. The state expected employer funding, which is based on a percentage of the employer’s payroll, to grow—but it didn’t. According to PFM’s report, even if the state and employers made all the required payments to the funds each year, those payments wouldn’t have been enough to pay off the annual interest on unfunded liabilities.
Governor Andy Beshear gives his budget address on Jan. 28.
PHOTO BY AP
Bevin’s impact Bevin outraged Kentucky teachers—including NKU professors, who protested with students outside the Student Union in 2018—and drew scrutiny from then-Attorney General Andy Beshear when he signed SB 151 into law on April 10, 2018. SB 151 was controversial for a slew of reasons. The bill—which was overturned by Kentucky’s Supreme Court—would’ve seen increased contribution rates for retirement benefits and an end to the inviolable contract for new teachers. In the bill, the retirement eligibility for future teachers increased to age 65 with five years of service, or when the employees’ combined age and years of service equal 87. At the very least, SB 151 would have caused a $20 million hit to NKU’s finances. Pension and NKU NKU currently has 700 employees in the KERS—the most of any university, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. The state placed NKU in KERS in the 1970s. In 2019, NKU’s pension payment was $18 million. This year, the payment is $31 million under the current plan, Caswell said in an interview with the Herald-Leader. According to Caswell, no university could currently afford the multi-million dollar cost to exit the pension system with a lump sum payment. He expects most will choose the 25-year repayment plan. “Public pension reform is arguably the greatest financial issue that the state and NKU have faced,” Caswell told The Northerner. “Over the last couple of years, we have been faced with what could be financially devastating contribution rate increases.” Caswell said NKU currently pays 49 cents on every dollar it pays their pension employees. Without the action by the legislature during last summer’s
News 05
hear offers hope at’s next? What can employees do?
special session, it would’ve gone up to 93 cents. “It’s an unsustainable system for NKU,” Caswell said. “But fortunately this past summer, the legislature passed House Bill 1 (HB 1) in a special session that gave us options of how we may address the pension system in the future.” The first option, according to Caswell, would be to do nothing. But by
“Public pension reform is arguably the greatest financial issue that the state and NKU have faced ... we have been faced with what could be financially devastating contribution rate increases,” said Caswell.
Former Governor Matt Bevin after the Nov. 6 2019 election.
vising on the financial ramifications of all three choices to determine the university’s best option. In order to potentially leave KERS, NKU will first need to retrieve its unfunded liability information from the system. The university plans to receive that by Jan. 30. “They’re required by law to give us our unfunded liability information no later than 60 days after Jan. 30,” Caswell said. “Once we have that information, we will be able to assess all the sticking with the status quo, it would options that exist currently for us to leave NKU in a system where it would exercise and will work with our Board be subjected to increased contribution of Regents.” rates. Who’s affected? “It would be a financial blow to the university,” Caswell said. NKU, Western Kentucky University, The second option is a hard freeze, Eastern Kentucky University, Murray where all KERS employees will exit the pension system. NKU would then owe State University, Kentucky State Unithe retirement system an unfunded li- versity and Morehead State University, ability that it would pay off over time. along with other quasi-governmental The third option, a soft freeze, would allow NKU to leave all of its Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees (employees that entered the pension system before 2014) in KERS, but have Tier 3 employees (employees hired after 2014) exit the system. However, a soft freeze still comes with an unfunded liability that NKU would have to pay back to KERS over time. NKU has an outside consultant ad-
“This is arguably the greatest financial decision NKU has ever had to make,” said Caswell.
PHOTO BY AP
agencies, are directly affected by the pension crisis, according to Kimberly Wiley, Chair of the Staff Congress Pension Committee. Caswell said that NKU hasn’t experienced as significant of a blow as other universities due to its relatively young age—but that doesn’t mean it’s not struggling. “If you look at the unfunded liabilities of all the universities in Kentucky affected by the pension system, NKU is on the lesser end,” Caswell said. “We haven’t had as large of employee bases over time, but that doesn’t mean that our number is insignificant.” According to Wiley, Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees will be affected the most, with the majority of Tier 1 employees losing a significant amount of money over their years of retirement. HB 1 requires NKU Tier 3 employees to exit the public pension system by June 30, 2020 and enter NKU’s defined contribution plan it has through Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) on July 1. Wiley said before the loss of employee choice in HB 1, employees could choose if they wanted to stay in the system, or roll over into the mandatory TIAA defined contribution plan. “With that gone, we don’t know where we’re going,” Wiley said.
NKU’s Staff Congress formed the adhoc Pension Committee to represent and provide information assistance to all staff regarding pension issues through education and resources for managing their pension. “We wanted to make sure all staff employees were informed and that they knew what was going on,” Wiley said. According to a Pension Committee handout, the committee’s main goal is to help NKU staff learn how to navigate the KRS Self Member Service, as well as help Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff learn how to access and use the Benefit Estimate Calculator to determine their monthly retirement benefit estimate. “Our goal is to keep employees educated,” Wiley said. “There are a lot of employees that haven’t even logged into the current system.” According to Wiley, some employees don’t even know what they have in their pension or where they fall in the system. In order to educate employees, the Pension Committee had a TIAA representative come to NKU and speak. Additionally, the committee has had monthly help sessions. “We can’t sit by idly and wait for Frankfort to solve these problems for us,” Caswell said. “We’ve got to be thoughtful in our approach, offer solutions, let them know the various scenarios and be able to make an educated decision at the end.” “This is arguably the greatest financial decision NKU has ever had to make.”
KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON THE PENSION CRISIS AT THENORTHERNER.COM, @NORTHERNERMEDIA ON TWITTER
06 News
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Fairness Ordinance: Haven for LGBTQ students
Kyle Wade
COPY EDITOR
Even though NKU is a safe haven against discrimination, it is still legal for any reason outside of campus boundaries. This means people can lose their jobs, housing or be denied service because of their religion, race or sexual orientation—essentially, fired for what makes them who they are. Only 17 of Kentucky’s over 400 cities—along with Woodford County as a whole—have enacted the Fairness Ordinance that prohibits discrimination, according to the Fairness Campaign, a Louisville-based nonprofit organization that lobbies against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. “It’s still legal to fire a person, to deny them housing or to refuse accommodation in most states across the country today, including Kentucky. The Fairness ordinance can effectively eliminate discrimination,” Bonnie Meyer, NKU’s director of LGBTQ programs and services, said. How does the newly appointed governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, play into Fairness Awareness? According to Anna Burt, NKU sophomore and integrative studies major, they don’t believe Beshear can sway cities to pass Fairness Ordinances alone, but they do believe that he will raise awareness, and to them, “that’s a great start.”
LGBTQ Ambassador and President of NKU’s Common Ground Meredith Read said former Governor Bevin often wouldn’t answer hard questions on LGBTQ-related topics. “Instead, he would just change [the] subject or make it all about religion. He never faced the troubles that face our community,” Read said. Beshear’s approach is different than his predecessor’s. During the Democratic primaries, he said in a statement to Kentuckians for the Commonwealth: “As Attorney General, I’ve been a voice for the voiceless and ensured everyone is equally protected under the law I’ve sworn to uphold … Discrimination is wrong, and I’ll be a governor for every Kentucky resident.” Jarett Lopez, student body president and a lead ambassador for NKU’s LGBTQ services, said he is excited to move past Bevin, who he said leaned more towards a religious approach and who previously enacted an executive order that effectively removed county clerk’s names from marriage certificates. This move, according to Lopez, was pursued because of religious views on gay marriage. Lopez also said that Kentucky now has a governor who supports enacting a statewide Fairness Ordinance, and its ratification would be a welcomed change. “The patchwork of Fairness Ordinanc-
es we currently have in Kentucky is simply unacceptable,” Lopez said. He helped support the newly appointed Fairness Ordinance in Highland Heights. Meyer said that raising awareness for a statewide ordinance is important because it would yield an array of benefits for the LGBTQ community. Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky Jacqueline Coleman made an impact on raising LGBTQ awareness by participating in the 2019 NKY Pride Parade; Meyer said actions like these show support to and raise visibility on issues that impact the LGBTQ community. According to Meyer, she has seen a bipartisan effort against discrimination when the Fairness Ordinance passed unanimously in Dayton, KY on Aug. 6, 2019. Meyer hopes that politicians can replicate that effort in Frankfort no matter their party. “Sometimes we get too focused on the R’s (Republicans), the D’s (Democrats) and the I’s (Independents), but what we’re seeing is more and more people are supporting Fairness and the LGBTQ people,” Meyer said. “A statewide Fairness Ordinance would cover all of us. At that point, the city ordinances would no longer stand.” Beshear’s top priority may not be dedicated solely to LGBTQ issues but accord-
ing to Lopez, all issues are LGBTQ-related because they are in every community. “Beshear also brings other benefits for the LGBTQ movements—we typically think of marriage issues, bathroom adjustments and other accommodations— Beshear is looking to fix Medicare, which would be huge for my community,” Lopez said. On his first day in office, Beshear created a new state school board. Read hopes to see this education reform produce “protections for all Kentucky students in the future.” Read’s main concern: conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is “a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression,” according to the Human Rights Campaign. This practice has been denounced by many organizations worldwide, including both the American Medical and Psychological Associations. “There’s not a single city in Kentucky that has a ban on conversion therapy being performed on minors,” Meyer said. Read doesn’t think ending conversion therapy should be limited to just Kentucky, however. “We want to see everyone treated fairly nationwide. I just [saw] that a transgender legislator was just re-elected, which is super cool,” Read said. In October 2019, the Supreme Court heard three cases regarding nationwide discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender. A ruling is expected in June—the same month when LGBTQ rights are celebrated. Read said they are “hopeful, but not too hopeful. My fingers are crossed.” “This could make for an either really good or bad pride month,” Burt said. Meyer said that no matter what the ruling was, they would all celebrate Pride Month regardless.
For more information supporting Fairness Campaign or becoming an ally of NKU’s LGBTQ community, visit Bonnie Meyer in the Student Union, room 309.
WANT MORE NEWS STORIES? CHECK OUT THENORTHERNER.COM Fairness Ordinance areas in Kentucky.
@northernermedia ILLUSTRATION BY NOËL WALTZ
Ed 65, Issue 02
Arts & Life 07
Home away from home: More than an organization Alyssa Weber ASSISTANT ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
It has been three and a half years since senior criminal justice major Nahawa Ada Sesay, has gone home to see her family. Her home in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, is over 20 hours away. However, because of the NKU organization Welcoming International Students Home (WISH), Sesay has found her second family. “I’ve learned that you don’t necessarily have to refer to people that you’re related with by blood as family. You will also refer to people that make you happy to spend quality amounts of time with as your family, and WISH is family for me,” Sesay said. WISH was founded in August 2018 by the administrative secretary of the International Student Union, Toni Schneller, her husband Tom, and NKU alumni Chris and Megan Cole when the four agreed that there needed to be more of a connection between international and domestic students. The mission of WISH is to encourage friendships between the entire NKU student body and to develop an appreciation for other cultures in the process. Members of the organization participate in various activities together such as shopping, sporting events and bowling free of charge. Besides making them feel at home, WISH actually has a double meaning, Schneller said. ‘Wheels, Instruction, Support and Hospitality’ serve as the principles for the organization’s volunteers. According to Schneller, the volunteers—which include NKU students, faculty and alumni—first go through hospitality training and then go on to provide international students with transportation to and from events organized by WISH, but also to and from the airport. Within the last year, WISH’s airport pickup list has grown from 30 students to about 120, Schneller said. President Brandon Hart and Vice President Abigail Jenkins, who are both from the U.S., create welcome boxes for students complete with essentials such as snacks and bedsheets, help the international students get familiar with the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area and help the founders organize and plan WISH events, particularly over campus breaks. The international students that stay on campus during university breaks are the students that WISH reaches out to due to loneliness and depression being a serious problem, Hart said. “Most times around the holidays, international students have to stay on campus
while the rest of the students go home, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to be able to share my family’s Thanksgiving and holiday experiences with some of the students,” Hart said. For students that are 3,000 miles away from home, WISH becomes their community, Schneller said. Last semester, Schneller welcomed about 20 students to her home for a late Thanksgiving feast on Nov. 30. “I made to-go containers so that they’d have enough for Sunday; dorms are sad when there’s no meal service,” Schneller said.
“Every person, culture and language is so beautifully unique and it’s so cool to be a part of an organization where we can celebrate our differences and what makes us special,” Jenkins said.
PHOTO BY NAME NAME / THE NORTHERNER
According to Schneller, between 75 and 85 percent of international students never enter an American home or make friends with any domestic students. “They basically just are with other international students on campus,” Schneller said. Schneller considers it an honor and a privilege to get to know the international students involved with WISH. “They just impress me so much and their ability to adapt and not only adapt, thrive; a lot of them learn to cook and they’re learning everything in a second language,” Schneller said. Jenkins, who joined WISH in 2018, has invited international students to her home during past winter breaks to decorate Christmas cookies or go shopping. She said being involved has helped her learn to be a friend to everyone, “not just the people who look like or speak the same language as me.” “Every person, culture and language is so beautifully unique and it’s so cool to be a part of an organization where we can celebrate our differences and what makes us special,” Jenkins said.
@northernermedia
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BRANDON HART
08 Sports
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) waves as he walks off the court in Salt Lake City on Mar. 28, 2016.
PHOTO BY AP
NKU appreciates the life of Kobe Bryant
Sierra Newton SPORTS EDITOR
Sunday morning, NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13 year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Maria-Onore Bryant died in a helicopter crash along with seven others. TMZ was the first to break the story of Kobe Bryant being involved in the helicopter crash. Hours later, they revealed the identities of John and Keri Altobelli, the parents of Gigi’s teammate Alyssa Altobelli. Sarah Chester and Payton Chester (13), Christina Mauser—a girl’s basketball coach—and the pilot, Ara Zobayan were also on board. “Growing up—my entire childhood— we had these debates all the time: Kobe, LeBron or Michael Jordan, and I would take Kobe,” redshirt junior guard Jalen Tate said. “You don’t gotta tell me no stats. You can have all the facts to back it, but it’s always something in the back of my heart and mind just knowing ‘No, I don’t care what you say! Kobe’s greater! Kobe’s always going to be great.’” Sunday afternoon, NKU men’s basketball team had just finished practice when the news broke of Bryant’s passing. The team was finishing their stretches when Coach Horn brought the team back together. “Usually, after practice, all the coaches get out of [the gym], have their post-practice coaches meeting and coach stayed out a little longer,” Tate said. “And he actually brought us back in together after we broke [the huddle] the first time to let us know the news.” Senior guard Tyler Sharpe explained how a wave of disbelief came over the team and that no one could grasp what
actually happened in that moment. “Everybody was like, ‘Kobe?’ because obviously you only know one Kobe,” Sharpe said. Sharpe recalled his first memory of Kobe’s impact on his life in seventh grade. Sharpe said his mom bought him basketball shoes once or twice every year. One week, he wasn’t feeling too well and used that as leverage to help get a specific pair of sneakers he had in mind: one of Kobe’s signature shoes. “A pair of Kobe’s that had been on TV every commercial and that was the first pair of shoes that I actually picked out at Foot Locker. I got to pick the exact color and the exact shoe that I wanted,” Sharpe said. “And it just happened that my middle school team was black and yellow, like the Lakers, kind of, so they matched. But that that memory stuck with me just because that was the first time I ever picked out my own pair of shoes.” Although he grew up partial to LeBron, Sharpe never questioned Kobe’s mentality—the Mamba Mentality everyone has come to appreciate. “In the back of your mind, Kobe is gonna win the game, like this is how it goes. It doesn’t matter who’s on a team, who’s hurt. Kobe is finding a way,” Sharpe said. “That’s something that, even if you’re not a fan, you appreciate and as a basketball player, something that you want to take note of and carry with you.” Tate had a hard time believing Bryant had passed even after 24 hours of coverage. To Tate, sports legends like Kobe ap-
pear to be “immortal, you don’t picture that day that they’re leaving earth.” Sharpe took the news personally as he spoke with sophomore teammate Trevon Faulkner. He said that it reminded him Bryant and James are only human, even though “we put them on such a high pedestal that it doesn’t seem like that’s even fathomable.” “I was actually talking to Trevon yesterday about how crazy it is. I was like, ‘I’m not trying to sound dark, but it almost seems like you could leave the arena right now and go get in a car accident and die. But it almost seems like Kobe can’t, LeBron can’t,’” Sharpe said. Sharpe went on to acknowledge that Bryant and James are human despite their status as basketball legends. Since the passing of Bryant, many tributes have been made across the NBA and the world of sports. During his career, Bryant wore jersey numbers 8 and 24— both were retired by the Lakers in 2017. In several recent NBA games, 24 second shot clock violations and 8 second backcourt violations have been committed in his honor. Several teams have worn 8 and 24 jerseys during warmups, and some players who currently wear 8 or 24 in games— like Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie—are permanently changing their jersey numbers. Fans are even petitioning to have Gigi’s AAU jersey hung in the rafters of Staples Center in between his iconic Lakers gear. Despite these acts to honor Bryant,
Sharpe feels that something more permanent would fit someone of Bryant’s caliber. A petition that has now reached over 2 million signatures was started to change the NBA logo to the silhouette of the legend. “Rebranding is good for anything. Jerry West had a great career, one of the best players ever, but he’s not the best player ever,” Sharpe said. “If you’re going to rebrand with somebody like Kobe, nobody’s going to disagree with it.” Many NBA players who are currently in the league credit Kobe for different aspects of their game. Sharpe looks up to Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers because of his reputation for being an underdog and his sharp style of play. Tate looks up to Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets because of their similar builds and style of play, and Kyrie Irving for “the way he goes about his craft.” All of these players have shown, in both the past and the present, an appreciation for Kobe Bryant. “I’ve gotten closer with people [because of Kobe.] The closest people in my life, we all have loved Kobe. My mom, my uncle,” Tate said. For the past few days, stories of Bryant’s life has brought people together— although in trying times, he still inspires everyone with his unprovoked passion to achieve his goals and the goals of the people around him. In the words of Bryant... Mamba out.