Volume 84 Issue 4

COVER FRONT

Volume 84 Issue 4

Contents

STAFFEditors-in-Chief - Marc Blanc & Sandra Creech

Content Editors - Allison Kridelbaugh & Daniel McIldu!Copy Editors - Aundrea Bishop & Maddie Otterdaughter

Layout Editors - Sydnie Barnette & Maddie OtterdaughterPhoto Editor- Maddie Otterdaughter

Photographer Maddie Otterdaughter

Writers Alex Ledet

Matthew SunthimerKyra WalkerLaTessa Gray

Guest WriterRachel Favetta

AdvisorDavid Massucci

3 EditorialBoys in Choir4 Student LifeAmnesty International ConcertAmnesty International Concert Photo SpreadAntioch CollegeSocial Anxiety in TeenagersTeachers’ Opinions in the ClassroomTechnology and RelationshipsKent Schools Levy12 OpinionPerks of the Family TableOld v. New CartoonsExcessive Spending15 Arts & Culture“Spring Breakers” Film ReviewPhilosophy of HumorAWOLNATION: All I NeedInterviews With Artists23 NewsVintage Yearbook Goes to Kent Historical SocietyRailroad History25 SportsGenetics Behind AthleticismAge and Athletics

Editorial3

May 2013

Volume 84 Issue 4April 2013

The Colonel is an open forum of student expression. It is not reviewed or censored by school o!cials prior to publication. Published material does not necessarily re"ect the views of the Kent City School District or the publication as a whole.

The Colonel is a member of the Ohio Scholastic Media Association and a 2010 All-Ohio Award winner.

Send press releases, guest columns and letters to the editor to:

The Colonelc/o Theodore Roosevelt High School1400 N. Mantua St.Kent, OH 44240

All published material is protected speech ad-hering to the legal de#nitions of libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy.

Boys in Choirfrom joining choir?” but Tanner has an answer to this as well. “I’ve been in choir for 14 years. I feel as though I can sing, and if it wasn’t for me sticking with it for 14 years, I wouldn’t have the skill that I have today. Like, I have a better ear for things, and I’ve made long lasting friendships in this, just like

any sports team. By now it’s just like another subject to me, like math or English.” “But really, you just have to look at professional singers,” Dionne adds, addressing an issue many young men associate with being in choir. “Usher, Justin Timberlake, Barry Manilow, Frank Sinatra, but they’re not all !aming homosexuals and they sing. It’s not a gay activity. "ere are gays in everything, from football teams to mathletes. Pretty much every male performer

was in choir at some point in their life. And choir is like the blueprints to being a performer.” Mr. Fowler, the new choir director here at Roosevelt, always has his doors open. Audition, give it a try. It can be a challenge, but one well worth the e#ort.

On the Cover:Junior Michelle Clark models for a photo representing social anxiety.Article on social anxiety on page eight.

story | Sandra Creech

photo | Maddie Otterdaughter

hen the 2013-’14 school year rolls around, Roosevelt’s amount of male participants in choir will be severely depleted. Once the seniors that walk our halls now have switched the tassel on their caps,

our competition choirs will be dented by a major disadvantage. Unless, of course, more men up and join our wonderful music program (and let’s not forget, ladies love a man who can sing). Senior Tanner Dionne is ready to pass on the torch to new coming choir members, but $rst, of course, we [the school choirs] need new choir members, and he is ready to elaborate on his theory as to why: “I think a big problem is that people hear the music [we sing] and think, like, ‘Oh, that’s not for me.’ [But] I listen to all types of music. I listen to dubstep and classical. What we sing, no, it’s not my favorite, but it’s challenging music.” Some may still question, “Well, what can I gain

W

Men’s Chorus

he Roosevelt High School Amnesty International club hosted its annual bene$t concert on March 8, 2013. "is year, the club chose to give half of their

proceeds to Destiny Rescue, a group dedicated to rescuing women and girls from sexual slavery and providing them with jobs making jewelry. "e show featured four Roosevelt bands and musicians including "ree Mile Island, Noah Gfell, Stu# It!alian and Dead End Job. Perception provided poetry in between sets. Attendance at the show was somewhat sparse, but everyone there undeniably enjoyed a fun-$lled night of music. Kicking o# the event was friend duo, "ree Mile Island. Roosevelt sophomore Andrei Christian and his friend from Stow, Gabe Francis, a junior, played a few covers on their electric guitars, singing in a pop-punk inspired way. "e two received mixed reception, however as the set progressed, they gained more and more con$dence. Noah Gfell performed next, with heart-felt original songs played on his acoustic guitar. His calming voice paired with seasoned guitar playing evoked much swaying and smiles from everyone in the crowd. All in attendance were quiet and respectful, probably thinking about their own signi$cant others as Gfell dreamily sang of his. Next up was Stu# It!alian, featuring Aaron Leclerc on rhythm guitar and lead vocals; Rachel Favetta on saxophone, melodica, snare drum and backup vocals; and Vailey Dennis on lead guitar. "e trio gave the most diverse set, with Favetta playing a plethora of instruments. "e band played both original and cover songs. "e crowd danced and cheered throughout the whole set as these seasoned performers provided upbeat indie rock songs $t to shake booties to. Finishing up the night was Dead End Job, featuring Danny Rickard on guitar and lead vocals, Aidan Printy on bass and backup vocals and Marc Blanc on drums. "is punk trio got the whole house rocking, and I’m sure there wasn’t a still foot in the Roosevelt cafeteria. "e band played original songs as well as covers of older

Tsongs. "e 80s punk aesthetic was prominent in Dead End Job’s set and it was well received. A t the end of the night, Gabe of "ree Mile Island unexpectedly went back up to the stage to play a few more songs, all covers, on Leclerc’s guitar. "is feat was probably an attempt at redeeming his band’s earlier show. Most people were a bit confused as Gabe messed up words to the songs, but overall I believe all students and alumni at the concert had a great time. Following up with Amnesty International co-president Phoeby Trask, I asked her opinions on the outcome of the concert. “I was really happy with the concert and I thought everyone did a great job,” she said. She went on to express some disappointment in the lack of attendance, but gratitude for the energy of those who were there. Overall, the Amnesty International Bene$t concert was a success, and students of RHS should look forward to the concert of 2014.

story | Sydnie Barnette

photos | Maddie Otterdaughter

May 2013

Amnesty International Bene!t Concert

Student Life 4

Volume 84 Issue 4April 2013

The Colonel is an open forum of student expression. It is not reviewed or censored by school o!cials prior to publication. Published material does not necessarily re"ect the views of the Kent City School District or the publication as a whole.

The Colonel is a member of the Ohio Scholastic Media Association and a 2010 All-Ohio Award winner.

On the Cover:Junior Michelle Clark models for a photo representing social anxiety.Article on social anxiety on page eight.

Dead End Job plays at the Amnesty Concert.

On the following pages: Dead End Job, Noah Gfell of Summit, members of the crowd, Stu$ It!alian, and Gabe Francis of Three Mile Island

ellow Springs, Ohio was founded as a utopian settlement in 1825. Although the communitarian e#orts were abandoned shortly a%erward, some students have

begun calling the southwest Ohio village “utopia” once again. Yellow Springs’ Antioch College is waiving the four-year tuition of all admitted students for the next two years, an opportunity that, to many young academics, only sounds possible in a socialist dreamland. "e almost clinically insane sounding o#er is an attempt by Antioch to regain its once distinguished reputation and brilliant student body. From 1852 to the late 20th century, Antioch College was a revered private institution famous for racial equity and political activism. In its heyday, the school produced such successes as Coretta Scott King, "ey Might Be Giants guitarist/multi-instrumentalist John Flansburgh, “Star Trek” actor Leonard Nimoy and two Nobel Prize winners in politician/humanitarian Jose Ramos-Horta and geneticist Mario Cappecchi. A%er over a century of success, Antioch sputtered into a di&cult transition to the New Millennium. Terrible management decisions, a drop in enrollment and negative media coverage of students engaging in seemingly aggressive political demonstrations brought the college to its grave in 2008, when it was laid to rest with a tarnished reputation and a maxed-out credit card. A%er a year of bearing the sight of grandiose Antioch Hall standing abandoned, a group of alumni formed the Antioch College Continuing Corporation to raise money and support in hopes of someday reopening Antioch’s doors. "e corporation reached its goal two years and $17 million later. Antioch College started

educating young students again in fall of 2011. In January of 2012, Antioch announced that all students who begin class in the 2012-’13, 2013-’14 and 2014-’15 school years would be getting a four-year liberal arts education free of charge. 2,500 people found this o#er irresistible (even though the cost of room and board was and still is about $8,980 a year), as the Antioch admissions o&ce !ooded with applications.

“We don’t want economics to be an impediment to a high-quality liberal arts education,” Antioch President

Mark Roosevelt said. According to ctcl.org, only about 85 students currently attend Antioch. "e college’s acceptance rate for the 2012-2013 school year was six percent and most of those admitted students took rigorous high school courses while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA. Clearly the college

thinks highly of its progressive education program, which includes using narrative evaluations in place of letter grades and sending students all over the

world for volunteer and vocational training in “co-op programs,” and it has its sights set on producing more Nobel Prize winners.

Despite the academic rigor, some conservative students have criticized Antioch for being “cult-like” and intolerant of students who do not hold a “liberal” worldview, and attending the school in the near future is a risk as

there will not be a graduating class showing where a revitalized Antioch education can get students

until 2015. Antioch is certainly not the place for scholars who do not feel comfortable attending a school with 84 other students in an isolated village of 3,000 residents, either. However, in 2010 (a%er the school’s closing), Antioch College was recognized on Hu&ngton Post’s list of “Top Non-Traditional Colleges in the United States” alongside Brown and Wesleyan University, and the “Colleges "at Change Lives Guidebook” said that “there is no college or university in the country that makes a more profound di#erence in a young person’s life or creates more e#ective adults.” "is along with the free four-year tuition makes Antioch College worth applying to for many high schoolers, including myself. At the risk of giving myself more competition, I highly suggest students (especially current juniors and seniors) with a taste for progress, free education and adventure look into Antioch College.

story | Marc Blanc

photo | via Antioch College, antiochcollege.org

May 2013

A Small College With an Even Smaller Price TagYellow Springs, OH school waives all tuition for accepted students

Antioch College’s logo

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Student Life7

8Student Life

Social Anxiety in Teenagersocial anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders in the world. It is the third largest psychological problem in the United States today, a%er depression and alcohol dependence. It is estimated

that 19.2 million Americans have social anxiety d i s o r d e r . Every day we interact with people, having absolutely no idea of the inner turmoil going on in their heads. Some may call it a growing trend that is overly used as an excuse for the common nerves, but it’s still extremely p r o m i n e n t e v e r y w h e r e , including our school. "e e#ects that social anxiety has on education are pretty t r a n s p a r e n t for the most part. "e fear of raising your hand in class, picking a partner to work on something with, presenting a project or reading an essay aloud; the possibilities are nearly endless. Every aspect of those grueling eight hours deal with so many di#erent social encounters that could make someone with this disorder go insane. One of the most crucial goals of any educational facility is to make the students feel as at home and comfortable as possible. Given the attributes of social anxiety, that task isn’t possible. Teachers deal with di#erent students all throughout the course of a day, and changing assignments to meet one person’s needs isn’t very feasible.

“Making the situation more di&cult is that social anxiety does not come and go like some other physical and psychological problems. If you have social anxiety one day, you have it every day for the rest of your life, unless you receive the appropriate therapy from an experienced therapist,” Dr. "omas A. Richards, Ph.D., psychologist and director, says. "e sad truth of the matter

is that actually getting over social anxiety can be next to impossible, especially if you’re a teenager unaware of your disorder. Dr. Richards continues, “You can be extremely diligent about helping them, but it truly is a self problem.” "ere isn’t much you can do to help a teen that has social anxiety, but that doesn’t stop what most of us feel when you see it. "e telltale signs of blushing and $dgeting are enough to see that someone isn’t okay talking to you, and teachers can feel awful about letting someone who clearly isn’t c o m f o r t a b l e present to a class.H o w e v e r ultimately, as sad as it is, we really can’t help. It can sometimes even be di&cult to decipher who

actually has the disorder and who is just shy. Most of what’s

assigned in classrooms are projects that do lead up to something important, so dropping the task isn’t going to help, either. What we can do as a high school with many people su#ering from this disorder is to be understanding and knowledgeable about it. By at least being conscious of the symptoms, we can know how to interact with them and be aware of what we’re saying and doing. "ough it still might not make them comfortable, it’s enough to make their already stressful school life more bearable.

story | LaTessa Gray


Junior Michelle Clark models for a photo representing social anxiety.

S

May 2013

Teachers Share Personal Opinions in the ClassroomWhat are teachers allowed to say to their students?

e’ve all been in a class where the conversations shi% to what some teachers call “uncharted territory.” Whether it is evolution or religion,

politics or government, most teachers don’t disclose their personal opinions in the classroom. "ere have been many rumors !own around the world about what teachers are allowed to say. Most people think that if the instructors broadcast any opinion on non-school related topics, they’d get $red. "at’s really not the case. “It’s de$nitely a personal choice,” Christina Dreher-Rodesheim, psychology and U.S. history teacher says. “You want to keep an air of professionalism [in the classroom].” While she confesses that she doesn’t share her opinions in front of the class as a whole, she does with individual students. “It depends on the relationship between student and teacher, I think,” she explains. “"ere are cases where you can be more open with one

student than another.” One of the reasons why many people presume teachers will be $red for sharing that kind of information is because of the potential perception that the students and their parents could have of the educators and their opinions. Dreher adds, “I don’t think that anybody should be judged by their opinions, but is that reality? No.” Sophomore student Mitchell Roman felt the

W same. “I think it would happen [teachers being judged,” he said. “Personally, I like peoples’ opinions and I’m very interested in what people have to say.” When asked about his parents’ opinions on the matter, he was very confident in them s h a r i n g his same beliefs. In contrast, geometry a n d a l g e b r a t e a c h e r

Shawn Kiss says he enjoys giving his opinion to his classes. “Sometimes just to help students relate. It de$nitely keeps the student-teacher relationship strong because it’s important for students to know who you are.” He maintains that it is a personal choice and a good technique for learning. However, algebra teacher Eric Hughes is on the fence. He says that he “rarely” shows his opinion, but when he does it’s for a good reason. “It’s a personal choice. I just don’t want to push my opinions on anyone.” When asked about what he thought about the judgment that may or may not occur, he a&rmed that it’s just simply a fact of life. Only in a “perfect world” would anyone be able to share their opinions without some kind of judgment. Chemistry teacher Chris Knopick claims he shares his opinion all the time. “Kids are really impressionable,” he states, “As long as you present both sides and you’re not trying to sell your side, then just telling them is okay.” It’s all really a matter of choice and trust. Teachers are de$nitely more open with the students they think are mature enough to handle it, which is certainly viable and understandable. Is it right that anyone should be cautious about what they should say? No, but it is a sad fact of life. It is ironic, however, that rumors suggested that the administration keeps teachers from what they say, but in reality it’s us. As Mrs. Dreher-Rodesheim said, “"ere is no handbook saying what we’re allowed to say.” Everything teachers share is solely their choice.



May 2013

9

Mr. Knopick teaches using technology such as laptops and Moodle.

Mrs. Dreher-Rodesheim administers a quiz in her history class.

Student Life

Mr. Knopick teaches using technology such as laptops and Moodle.

oday, nearly everyone has a cell phone and about 500 million people use some kind of social media website, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or a combination of these

and others. Although these sites are all good ways to stay in touch and communicate, they have undoubtedly changed our generation and the way we form relationships. People have a need to be on the go all the time and want things instantly. It’s more common to hear about someone adding a friend on Facebook than it is to listen to people talking about physically meeting someone. Which, when you think about it, should be the other way around. When just talking to people online it may be easier, but you don’t necessarily have to be yourself. You have time to think about what you want to say. But you can’t really have a relationship just based online without physically meeting the person. "ere are only so many things you can know about someone without physically meeting them. Meeting people online can also be dangerous. A few years ago, a movie called “"e Craigslist Killer” came out on Lifetime and it was based on the true case. "e now-convicted “Craigslist Killer” infamously lured his victims in with an ad on Craigslist about potential work on a farm. When talking to people online you never know who they really are. You could think they’re someone, and when you $nally meet, they could turn around and be someone else. Which in many cases where this happens, you never really know who you could be talking to online unless you already know the person. Recently, MTV aired a show called “Cat$sh.” It is essentially about people who date online without even meeting in person. "e show’s mission is to get the couples to $nally meet in the !esh a%er months or even years of online

Technology and RelationshipsKyra Walker takes a look into the impacts of technology on relationshipsstory | Kyra Walker


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May 2013

10Student Life

courtship to see if these people are really who they say they are. In some cases they are telling the truth and these couples work out but in most cases they don’t. Someone is just playing a prank, doing it for their own satisfaction or pretending to be someone else. In many cases people are unhappy with who they are. "is may include body issues or even how they see themselves. Pretending to be someone else takes that away from

themselves, for just a little bit. It has been said that 1 in 5 relationships start online. I never really understood how people could do this until I met a student who did this herself. For her, meeting people online was a lot easier. In person she was very shy and in some cases had a mild case of social anxiety. Not physically being in front of someone took all that pressure o# of her. She was able to get close to people while still being in her own comfort zone. When she $rst started doing this, she would talk to a few di#erent people at once, with no intent to even meet them. Which in a way is playing with people’s emotions and can cause hurt feelings. But she did this anyway. "is went on for years. It wasn’t until recently she started talking to someone she actually intended on meeting. For her, this was never dangerous, because these people were never complete strangers.

"ey might have never met but had multiple mutual friends who already knew each other. For now she has

stopped doing this, since her current relationship status has changed. Regret is not something she has. Since this has led her to meeting her current boyfriend of 8 months now. It is sad just how many members of our generation do this and consider it normal. "ere is nothing normal about this. "e fact that people would rather text, talk on the phone or video chat with their lovers instead of having face to face, or “real” relationships is unbelievable and, quite frankly, woeful.

Junior Corey Shimensky checks his phone while hugging his girlfriend, junior Jessica Gordon.

May 2013

11

Kent Schools LevyVoters will decide on district’s funding in May

espite popular belief, the school doesn’t have an abundance of money to a#ord some of our luxuries here at Roosevelt. For

those of you who don’t know what a levy is, it’s what funds our schools here in Ohio and is a very controversial topic roaming around Kent this time of year. An $8.9-mill levy was placed on the ballot for this upcoming May, and though we’ve never lost a school levy, the current economic troubles have some fearing that this may be the year. A person with a house of a value of $100,000 would pay $272.56 per year extra in taxes; that amounts to $0.75 a day. Admittedly, those numbers are pretty intimidating, so you can see why so many people are hesitant to pay the price. So how will their hesitancy a#ect us? According to our superintendent Dr. Giancola, “...in order to continue to educate our students in the way our community expects, school districts in Ohio have no other viable alternative than asking local taxpayers for operating funds.” With the levy in place, we can guarantee that the clubs and programs we currently have continue to have a spot in our school system, along with using and updating the technology that we have.“With the passage of the levy, we will maintain our commitment to excellent classroom instruction, technology, and extra curricular opportunities for students, as well as our current bus transportation system. In addition, we want to increase safety and security measures and resources in our schools,” Brian Bialik, treasurer, states. Because of our recent rating of

Excellence with Distinction mixed with the school already cutting back on many expenses, a lot of Kent’s citizens consider the levy unnecessary. However, the levy doesn’t just impact our school. “Kent Schools are facing a signi$cant cash de$cit, and increases in costs such as energy, transportation, classroom materials and others add to the problem. Because of the Ohio House Bill 920, our local tax income does not increase according to in!ation. "is new levy will keep our schools solvent until 2019,” Bialik continues. He also tells us that in the past two years only, the states support of our schools has decreased by around $2.3 million. For those assuming that the levy won’t a#ect them,

especially if they don’t have a child enrolled in our school system, they should think again. “"e quality of our schools has a direct and positive in!uence on property values. Realtors tell us that our excellent reputation is one of the top reasons people buy homes in Kent. Passing school levies is an important part of the continuing promise responsible citizens must make to educate the next generation,” Bialik continues.

Despite the commotion around the topic, a lot of students are unsure of

just what the levy is, and what it means as far as our education goes. Only few who are informed through relatives actually know how the levy could a#ect them. “If it doesn’t pass, teachers could get $red or laid o#, or even forced to retire early. "ey’ll cancel a lot of programs. My parents are supporters,” sophomore Christopher Hoskin says. With most of us being teens under the age of 18, there isn’t much that we can do to ensure that the levy is passed. However, getting information, formulating an opinion and sharing that knowledge with our community can hopefully sway us to make the right decision for our schools here in Kent. According to Bialik, the most important thing that we can do is share what we know. “We need your help to get our message out. In order to give our children the excellent education they need in today’s high-tech, competitive world, we need to support the Kent Schools.”



D

Student Life

Kent City School District Board of Education

them. Only about three quarters of American families donate money, and if that statistic includes you, that’s great, but trying to push people into donating because they’re big spenders isn’t right.

Excessive SpendingHow much money is too much?

f you earn your money, feeling guilty about how you choose to spend it shouldn’t happen. You work hard to make it, so why should someone tell you what to do with it or how much is

the right amount to spend on a certain item? Some may try to make you feel guilty when there is truly no reason for that. Di#erent people see the importance in buying di#erent things. Everyone is di#erent, which means they like di#erent things. $50 for a pair of shoes is not an outrageous amount. Even spending $300 on a purse is not a crazy purchase. If you have the money to spend then what’s the harm? I don’t really see one. If that’s what you like to spend your money on, then do it. If you feel it’s necessary to pay $200 for a pair of jeans that $t better you shouldn’t feel bad about doing it. It’s your money to spend on whatever you wish. As long as you have the money to spend on something, it really shouldn’t matter how you spend or save it. People may think if you would spend that money on helping others it would be well spent. "ey may see an importance in this, so to them they are able to justify why they spent so much. But those who think like this may not even donate their own money. Some people are willing to spend $50-$150 on a video game, which in my opinion is no di#erent. You may be $ne with spending $7 on a tee shirt and $10 on a pair of pants. Either way, nothing is wrong with whichever way you like to spend your money. Di#erent people like di#erent things and see the importance of spending it on di#erent things, even if that means they are supporting big businesses like Walmart and Coach. Some people may have a big problem supporting these places. Walmart is such a huge company, actually one of the world’s biggest. You can get basically anything you need there. If you boycott Walmart just because of this, you would have to boycott every company that does this, which in some cases you won’t know. "ere always will be people in poverty and people who have less than others. Donating to special causes is always a great thing to do. You could only buy clothes when they get too small or when you absolutely need

I story | Kyra Walker


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Dillard’sCharlotte Russe

ExpressHollister

Opinion 12

May 2013

May 2013

13 Opinion

Perks of the Family Table(DWLQJ�WRJHWKHU�KDV�PRUH�EHQHˉWV�WKDQ�MXVW�FRQYHUVDWLRQ

ormally, especially with our generation, when dinner is ready, everyone takes their food and either disperses or clumps together in front

of the television despite the fact that there is a table in the dining room. Sometimes the family wants to eat together, but it becomes too hard when you count out of home activities such as sports, study groups and the like. According to "e Food Marketing Institute only 40 percent of American families dined together in the year 2002, and they only did so around three of seven days a week. Only a generation ago, that number was in the 80 percent range, and the number is continuing to decrease. We’ve all grown up hearing the phrase “the family table brings loved ones closer together.” When you were younger, you probably laughed and shrugged it o# like it was no big deal. If you think about it, sitting down with your family to eat can do so much more than you think. We will start at square one. Your family may eat together in front of the television, and that is what you consider the family table. You’re all in the same room and eating together, so it’s basically the same thing, right? Wrong. Eating with your family while the television is on does not have the same e#ect as sitting down and talking together. "e television is a distraction, and it takes your mind away from the conversation at hand. Getting the same communication sitting in front of the television as one would seated at a table without background distractions is unlikely. Communication is a key concept of the family table. When families talk together, each member is given the opportunity to express his or her concerns. It lets the family know what is going on in the life of each member and makes sure that he or she is doing alright.

Manners are something else which can be communicated through dining with the family. If you’re eating alone, you may be curled up on your bed, leaning over a keyboard or video game controller. In the privacy of your own room, you can belch when you feel the need without worrying about anyone hearing you. Sitting at the family table, your manners can be corrected. Manners say a lot about a person and they can hold a long-term e#ect. "e family table can also be a learning experience for some. Spaghetti and hamburgers are some typical American meals, but they can always be replaced with a foreign dish. Expanding the choice of dinner meals can help teach di#erent cultures to those eating the food. It may take eight to ten exposures of the food before it is accepted, but it just might be worth it. A family doesn’t even have to go so far as to try food from another culture. By simply trading in the same old corn for broccoli or green beans, a person’s choice in food can be greatly in!uenced. Another perk of this is that it may increase the nourishment the family is receiving in their food. "ey wouldn’t be consuming the same four or $ve foods all the time. More health factors than nourishment can !uctuate depending on how many times a week the family eats together. Each year, "e National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University conducts a survey which focuses on how teens behave. It has shown that teens who eat with their families are more likely to perform well in school. "e same students reported to be less stressed and were less likely to smoke, drink or expose themselves to harmful substances or illegal drugs. Finally, two of the biggest concerns when it comes to mealtime are time and cost. It may take longer to prepare a meal than to take a trip down the road to McDonalds’ or Taco Bell, but it is much more cost e&cient. A family of around $ve people can spend anywhere from $600 to $700 or more on groceries a month. "at same family of $ve could also spend up to $100 or more if each person orders a steak dinner while eating out. If that family were to eat out every day that week, they could’ve purchased a week’s worth of groceries for the same price. "e family table has many more bene$ts than you may think. It could put a little extra spending money in your pocket and even bring the family closer to set out on a better future. It isn’t di&cult to do. Just have a seat and eat.

story | Aundrea Bishop

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April 2013

14Arts & Culture

May 2013

Old v. New CartoonsModern toons can’t compare to clever shows of yesterday

et me start out by saying that I don’t watch a whole lot of television. Don’t get me wrong, I did when I was a kid. As I grew up, I began to realize something about cartoons:

they just weren’t the same anymore! I grew up watching cartoons from my parents’ generation (Generation X as I’ve heard it referred to), as I’m sure many of us did. “Scooby-Doo,” “"e Flintstones” and “Tom and Jerry” are the most recallable of my childhood cartoons. I’m guessing you’ve heard of them. "en, the most tragic event of my childhood took place. Cartoon Network became known as “CN.” All of the shows I grew up with began to disappear or they were moved to Boomerang, a channel which, at $rst, you had to purchase to view. I pushed my bitter resentment aside and got over the fall of Cartoon Network, letting CN enter my life. "en, the second tragedy struck. Nickelodeon became known as “Nick.” All of the same shows were there, but they progressively became less and less interesting to me. "e same thing happened with shows on CN and Disney Channel. I continued to lose interest in the shows I either once loved or had recently begun to consume my time with to the point where I gave up on television and stopped watching it all together (I’m not sure which came $rst, but that’s the order in which I recall them changing). I’ve recently sat down with my brothers to watch some television for the $rst time in a while. I’ve noticed three things. One, there appears to be no reoccurring con!ict in any of these new cartoons. Two, all of the new cartoons look like something that I drew in kindergarten. "ree, they all suck.

L "ey’re terrible and completely uninteresting. Normally in the cartoons I grew up with, it was the same thing in all of them. Either two people (or in a lot of cases, animals) were con!icting or there was a family problem which was sorted out in the end with some comical relief. Now, I watch these new cartoons and can’t help but think of how vulgar they are! If this is what we are exposing our future generations to, we really need to seriously sit down and rethink it. "e subtle and/or disguised cursing along with the sexual references found in most new cartoons is enough to suck the innocence out of any child. I $nd myself a little shocked when I hear elementary school children quoting characters such as Mordecai and Rigby. “Don’t look at our crotches while we synchronize our

watches!” Who comes up with this stu#? A better question would be, “Who includes quotes like this in a children’s cartoon?” I don’t have much appreciation for the fact that my younger brothers run around screaming things like this in public. I go into stores now and all I can see is merchandise for shows such as “Adventure Time,” “Regular Show” and “"e Amazing World of Gumball.” Not to mention that every time I ask someone what time it is, he or she feels the need to scream, “Adventure Time,” at the top of his or her lungs. It’s just not funny. You may think it’s funny, but it’s really not. "ese

shows are just so immature, vulgar and completely unintelligent that they merely seem funny. "e only time I laugh when watching them is in a sarcastic manner to ward o# the pain when I realize that I’m actually watching this nonsense. Our generation has already earned the titles of “lazy” and “under appreciative.” We don’t need “unintelligible” to be added to the list, but the fact that we advertise these cartoons on our person

isn’t going to keep that label away. In fact, it’s quite counterproductive. We fuel the future, and at this rate, we’re not doing too well of a job. Limiting our exposure

to these new cartoons is a simple enough task to manage. We may even gain a few extra brain cells in the process. You never know.

story | Aundrea Bishop

photo | via CN

Scooby Doo

Opinion 14

“Spring Breakers” Review*RRG�JLUOV�JR�EDG�LQ�WKLV�SDUW\�ˉOP

ost everyone wanted to see some of the Disney girls go wild in the movie “Spring Breakers.”

Even I can’t lie that the idea of seeing stars such as Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens show a more mature side to their acting was intriguing. I didn’t have a lot of faith, thinking they couldn’t pull o# a role so di#erent from their other ones, but their acting capabilities were the least of the movie’s problems."e movie was not worth the $ve minutes it took to get to the theater."e basis of the movie revolves around the four girls played by Ashley Benson from “Pretty Little Liars,” Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and Rachel Korine. "e only distinct character was Faith, Gomez’s character, who was an innocent

church girl with a few rebellious friends she’d known since kindergarten. Looking for some adventure, she agrees to go on vacation with those friends, and is the only character to actually experience any development. We begin to be clued in to her regret when Brit, Benson’s character, admits that she and Vanessa Hudgen’s character, Candy, robbed a diner using squirt guns to get the needed money for the vacation. "e horror is pretty evident on Faith’s face as they con$de in her, but the situation is quickly forgotten as they resume their short experience of nonstop drugs, partying and sex.In the midst of the fun, the cops end up at one of the parties the girls are at and [the girls] are arrested. While the other girls are upset, Faith is terri$ed. She tells her friends about her fears and how being in jail was not what she wanted out of her vacation. As her friends attempt to console her, we see the tide change in Faith’s character. "ere’s a small but de$nite change in her views on her once boring life, and that is the only

Mcharacter development throughout the entire movie.While in court, the judge said that they could either stay in jail or pay their bail. "ere was no way that four broke college girls could come up with that kind of money, but a rapper and gangster named Alien, played by James Franco, bails them all out. If you want to see James Franco’s pretty face, “Oz” is your best bet. His character is physically revolting in this $lm, which bodes well for his personality. He shows the best acting, playing the role as a creepy stranger extremely well. His voice makes even the audience uneasy, an almost southern twang with a bit of just plain eeriness. While he doesn’t seem at all appealing to us, three-fourths of the girls cannot see past his money. Faith calls out Cottie, Korine’s character, for jumping in the car with him, but follows, having no other choice.When he brings the girls back to his place, Alien hits on a hysterical Faith, who abruptly leaves, telling her friends she

wants to go home.Her friends are only slightly sympathetic. When Faith shares her troubling thoughts of what could potentially happen if the girls were to stay, they write it o# as

Faith not being as rebellious as they are. So instead of following their friend home, they send her o# in a melodramatic group hug. "e movie is an hour and forty-$ve minutes, and a%er the $rst $%een, Selena’s character is gone. She was an obvious advertising ploy to attract more watchers as she truly was more of a guest star rather than a main character. It’s also a%er that $%een minutes that the movie goes completely downhill. Having no substance, the next hour is sex, drugs, crime and partying. "e movie had a foreshadowing e#ect, where scenes from the future would play quickly in the beginning, so you would see each scene more than once. It was almost like they $lmed maybe ten good scenes and then switched them around over and over with an audio of James Franco saying, “Spring break.” "e three girls le% (Cottie, Candy and Brit) become almost like Alien’s “Charlie’s Angels” in a very warped way. "ey essentially build up a dependent relationship upon him, craving his safety in money and gain it by committing crimes. "e only con!ict we run into is that of Gucci Mane’s character, Archie, who is an old friend turned rival to Alien.


TLSXSW�`�ZME�1YWI�4VSHYGXMSRW��WTVMRKFVIEOIVW½PQ�GSQ

Arts & Culture

May 2013

“The movie was not worth the !ve minutes it took to get to the theater.”

15

"ere’s one single confrontation between them before it turns ugly and they’re side by side in two cars, Archie with a girl and Alien with his girls. "ey threaten each other, but the end

all is that Archie’s girl shoots Cottie in the arm. Distressed and ready to go home, Cottie turns to her friends. She cries about how spring break is over and everyone is going back to their lives, so she has to, too. "ey listen to her, showing more compassion than they did with their last friend, but return to the ritual of sending her home with a big hug. "at leaves Candy and Brit, who were the craziest to begin with. "ey both posses a liking for guns, and they’re both equally attracted to Alien. Alien, angry with Archie for shooting Cottie, plots to kill him. You can tell that her being shot was just an irrelevant and spur of the moment lead into any type of problem because the story was desperately lacking one. Alien had no prior interest in Cottie. He had only shown a#ections toward Faith, Candy and Brit. "e only insight we get is when he breaks into song and sings about his four “chickies.” Had the $lmmakers tapped more into the minds of Candy or Brit, the $lm would

have been much better and had more substance than it did. Instead, they used the name of Selena Gomez to lure people in and executed a hal'earted plot line that le% us unsatis$ed. "e movie overall was like one big Gucci Mane music video.

Sadly enough, the director Harmony Korine had a fairly good reputation for writing the movie “Kids” in 1995. Usually, his work comes across as tasteful, even in his direction of “Gummo.” However, with “Spring Breakers,” he took a turn for the worst that nobody should have to witness.

Arts & Culture

May 2013

16

After Faith goes home, the girls get close to Alien.

Candy, Brit, Cottie and Faith get arrested in “Spring Breakers”

Philosophy of HumorWhy do we laugh?story�`�1EXX�7YRXLMQIVphotos | Maddie Otterdaughter

umor is o%en blindly accepted as one of those natural human behaviors that “we just do,” but when observed closely one may $nd it is a bit more intricate and interesting than we initially think. Some

of you may $nd yourselves one day thinking, “Why do we laugh?” or, “Why do we laugh at the things we do laugh at?” or simply, “What makes s o m e t h i n g funny?” "e objective of this article is to delve into the complex nature of humor and hopefully come to a better, more philosophical understanding of human nature and the development of laughter. Let it be clear that this is a mere digression of philosophical thought, not necessarily the answer to these very intricate questions. In an attempt to establish a starting point to this very complicated discussion the $rst question that will be addressed is, “What kind of things do people laugh at?” So, what kinds of things do we laugh at? It has been observed by comedian a%er comedian, philosopher a%er philosopher, that a majority of jokes stem from a very simple idea: su#ering. It seems that most jokes intend for someone or something at some point in time to be made fun of, hurt or in some way be put down. One example is a prank. When we laugh at a prank

we are literally laughing at one’s pain. "ere exist a world of jokes that resemble the same nature of humor that we $t into categories: dead baby jokes, “your mom” jokes, women jokes, Helen Keller jokes, Holocaust jokes and racist jokes. All of which are prime examples of jokes that ordinary people laugh

at that all have to do with the su#ering of other

people. Dead baby jokes and Holocaust jokes may seem rather o#ensive, and many of us think that those who laugh at such matters are unkind, but many of those who think it takes a hurtful mind to laugh at such things would be surprised to $nd that a great deal of the population will slip a chuckle to this kind of humor. In nature, Holocaust jokes resemble the same fundamental basis as pranks. However awful this may seem on surface level, in philosophical argument, one cannot ignore the mass majority of individuals that $nd these particular kinds of jokes funny. We don’t just laugh at horrid atrocities either; we also tend to laugh at the fact that some things are simply

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Juniors Dwight Chen and Stan Zalewski laugh at jokes told during lunch.

cute, adorable or just plain silly. Meaning, the function of humor is to stimulate happiness. When many of us see something cute or silly, we laugh because it makes us experience the silliness with a greater sense of pleasure. Be mindful of the fact that humor can be diverse; obviously what one person $nds funny, another may not. "e fundamental ideas behind jokes are the discussion, not any particular joke. "e single most important question is, “Why?” It must be understood that each of the following perspectives assume a certain degree of information. "e $rst perspective assumes the following criteria: human beings are innately good, compassionate and loving. Human beings also seek companionship and are compelled to be with others. Humor, as a natural human behavior, is perceived to be a defense mechanism to situations that we $nd ourselves uncomfortable with. Laughter makes us feel good; it is delightful and it makes us happy. "e stimulus is pain and su#ering, so the response is laughter. We laugh because it makes us feel better. We use humor to stimulate laughter and in turn, we are coping and combating the negative su#ering of other human beings. In other words, considering this particular stance on humor, those who truly understand humor and can laugh at anything are not sadistic in nature. Rather, they are the most compassionate individuals because they realize that they are upset that others are su#ering. Understanding the following perspective also assumes a set of criteria: human beings are innately evil, self-centered and self-indulgent. Humans also seek to gain from other’s su#ering. Humor can o%en make others angry, o#ended and even hurt. It can be used to directly put others down and harm each other. It can be used as a tool to more comfortably despise groups of people. We laugh because it acts as a source of power over other human beings. Fact is, humor can hurt others because we are attacking that individual, and o%en times belittling that individual who is su#ering. Many of us $nd it disrespectful to joke about particular topics that are sensitive to select groups. Due to this taboo that comes about in certain groups, it can be speculated that these individuals feel they are not being taken seriously and are hurt over the fact that some would not consider the others’

feelings of hurt. Whether it is money, violence or simply humor, we use these tools as a source of power over other human beings. An alternative understanding would be that it is a combination of both perspectives. Much of us naturally laugh at jokes in accordance with the $rst perspective. Others create jokes and laugh at others to maintain power or put down others intentionally for the sake of su#ering. Many of us do both and sometimes we are completely unaware of the fact that we are doing so. "ose who understand the intricacies of humor understand that humor behavior is !exible, complicated and o%en times unclear.

May 2013

Arts & Culture 18

Junior Clay Shannon is brought to tears over a joke told by a classmate.

All I NeedA review of AWOLNATION’s concert at the House of Blues in Clevelandstory | Rachel Favetta

photos | via Alyssa Nilsen

magine standing in a crowd of sweaty strangers for just over three hours, all waiting for the same thing. All buzzing with greater levels of excitement as the time draws near. Finally,

a%er an hour and a half of some awful deejay, forty-$ve minutes of a decent set by the opener, Mother Mother and half an hour of nothing, Aaron Bruno, the lead singer of AWOLNATON, walks onto the stage. AWOLNATION is an electronic rock band most widely known for their song “Sail.” "e combination of Aaron’s raspy screams and the intense synth backbone makes this song simple yet genius. Needless to say, it was the most anticipated song of the night. It was the penultimate song, which I found strange. By the time you get to the end of a set as crazy as theirs, you have no energy le%, not that that hindered any enjoyment of the music. "ey opened with a pumpin’ number called “Guilty Filthy Soul.” "e crowd went insane, as it’s another one of their most popular songs. Everyone was jumping and pulsating together as one body. "at’s my favorite thing about music: its ability to break through barriers. Did I know Brandon, the kid standing next to me, before that concert? No, and I still don’t, but it doesn’t matter because we didn’t have to know anything about each other to share an amazing night. We were sweating on each other and our shoulders were touching. When you go to Applebee’s, people will leave an entire seat between themselves and strangers. Even though they’re all just waiting for the same thing, no one makes conversation or even eye contact. It really makes you wonder how we’re progressing as a species, and if music will always have the amazing unifying ability it has today. Would you trust one hundred randomly

selected people to li% you up over their heads without dropping you? At the beginning of the show, the venue strictly prohibited any and all moshing, crowd sur$ng or stage diving, but by the end of the third song, a%er Aaron had challenged us to see “how many people we could get to crowd surf on this next one,” the bouncers were at the front of the stage helping people o# the sea of hands, and even hugging them. "e only person that was dropped before making it to the front was a rather large thirty-something guy, who never should’ve asked anyone to pick him up anyway. Music creates a trust between audience members. Everyone there suddenly has a connection. You won’t be given those sideways looks for describing how impactful a certain song was on your day or even your life, because everyone there appreciates it just as much as you do. "e band pours its heart out on stage, giving you the

unspoken permission to do the same in the audience, but you don’t do it with words; you do it by dancing. You do it by letting go of your inhibitions and jumping around like a crazy person. No one cares that you look ridiculous, because they do too. In the middle of the set, AWOL “took it up a notch” with “Soul Wars.” Another one of their fast-paced, powerful, passionate songs. "is is my personal favorite, and arguably the best song of the night. With this newfound

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The crowd goes wild for AWOLNATION.

energy instilled in the crowd, the band seizes the opportunity to whip out another fast one, advocating an excellently compiled setlist. Now that everyone is coated in a new layer of sweat, which is not just their own, Aaron asks them to put their arms around the two people next to them. He says it doesn’t matter if you know them or not. Some people are a little wary, but within a minute everyone is linked. "e band starts playing “All I Need,” a calmer, slower song about how all one needs is “you smiling at me,” life and love. "e whole audience is swaying, like tall grass in the wind, and that atmosphere of trust returns. You can almost feel the hearts swelling. It’s getting toward the end of the concert now, and the $rst strains of “Sail” hit the crowd. You can’t hear anything over the yelling and applause for a good thirty seconds. Once the initial excitement dies down, everyone sings along. Aaron could literally stop singing and it wouldn’t matter. So he does. He leaves the stage twice during the song, and the people are just le% !oating in the moment. "e instrumentation, as I said earlier, is simply genius. Although the bassist looks incredibly bored with his one note every four beats, the audience is quite the opposite. "e sound !oods in as if it’s coming from all directions, and the people are going nuts. Everyone is screaming “sail!” on the downbeats, even with the lead singer o# stage. When he $nally comes back on for good, everyone cheers again, and the song winds down. AWOL ended the concert with “Burn It Down,” their fastest, most pumped-up song. It’s hard to tell what’s actually going on, because everyone is jumping all over the place and the strobes are going just fast

enough to make life seem like a !ipbook. "e end of the concert feels like a dream; the last two songs were surreal. Aaron is thanking everyone for coming, saying typical end-of-concert stu# about how the fans are the “true fuel” and how he “couldn’t have gotten where he is today without you.” "e lights go out, and everyone is

quiet for a split second. "en the chanting starts. It only takes about thirty seconds for the band to get back onstage for their encores. "eir $rst encore is sel$shly a new song that no one knows, just to prove that they are writing new music and that it is still amazing. "eir second encore is another one o# their only album, “Megalithic Symphony;” something that the crowd recognizes and can sing along to but still leaves them wanting more. Just to, once again, attest to their skill at organizing a set list. AWOLNATION is a very talented group who is also, in my mind, very underrated. As Max Bemis, the lead singer of alternative rock band Say Anything, once said, “I’d rather have our considerable but not huge conglomeration of brilliant individuals than a million people who only like one single.” AWOLNATION is essentially famous for Sail. It

is not their best song, but it is a great one. It’s unfortunate that a large pool of their fan base only knows them for that one single and doesn’t appreciate their even greater works. Max Bemis gets to have a more personal and powerful e#ect on his fans because of the nature of the relationship. It’s quicker to teach a class of two than it is a class of twenty-two. If you’ve never heard of AWOLNATION, I encourage you to give them a listen. "ey write and perform powerful music together. It’s something everyone should get a chance to appreciate.

May 2013

Arts & Culture 20

Kenny Carkeet (left) on guitar and lead singer Aaron Bruno (right)

Portrait of the Artists as Young AdultsInterviews with art and photography students at RHS

ur school has students that excel in all forms of life, from sports to academics and from acting to writing. Two talents that are very prevalent at Roosevelt

that don’t always get the attention they deserve are art and photography. With the help of A.P. Art teacher Mrs. Atkins and Photo 3 teacher Mr. McClure, the Colonel had the opportunity to interview and showcase three dedicated and talented art and photography students.

Interviewee: D.J. BestC: When did you become interested in photography?DB: At the end of sophomore year, actually. I was looking for another semester-long class to take and $gured, “Hey, why not? Could be fun.”C: What got you interested in photography?DB: Well, a%er I got into Photo 1 I fell in love with it. It was di#erent and fun, so I stuck with it.C: What is your favorite part about photography?DB: My favorite part about photo is either the stories behind the pictures, as in why did you take it, what were you doing/thinking, etc., or a%er, when you get to step back and look at a $nished piece and go, “Now I like that.” C: What are your favorite subjects in photography?DB: My favorite subject is nature. I love nature photography, but another thing I love is anything close up. Close up shots just add such a di#erent perspective and generally end up looking really cool.

Interviewee: Evan PainoC: When/why did you start making art?EP: I started making art way back when I was a toddler just like everyone else and kind of always kept with it.C: What has been your favorite subject, medium or piece?EP: My favorite medium to use is graphite and I am currently working on my A.P. concentration of graphite drawings of buildings in Kent.C: What is your favorite part of art?EP: I’d have to say my favorite part about art is the

fact that it’s so relaxing. It’s a good way to relax but also be productive at the same time.C: How long do you plan on continuing your career in art?EP: I don’t plan on taking art classes in college but I think making art will always be a hobby, and I might take some classes when I’m older because I want to get into clay and ceramics.C: Do you have any advice for beginning artists?EP: I would suggest experimenting with di#erent mediums until you $nd one that you really like and that you’re really good at.

Interviewee: Erin ClineC: When did you become interested in photography?EC: Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to help my mom take pictures of everything. In sixth grade I got my $rst digital camera and ever since then I’ve been in love. I would walk around just looking for a di#erent way to look at ordinary things.C: What got you interested in photography?

story | Daniel McIllduff

photos | via interviewees

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A drawing done by Evan Paino

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A photo taken by D.J. Best

EC: I always looked for ways to be expressive, but I’m not the greatest drawer or painter. So, I picked up a camera. It allowed me to be creative and artistic without needing a special talent in drawing. C: What is your favorite part about photography?EC: Every time I take photos, it turns into an adventure. Whether I’m hanging a bit out of my window in six-degree weather trying to get the perfect icicle photo or laying on the sidewalk trying to catch the perfect angle of the puddle, I’m always challenging myself to $nd a di#erent perspective. I could take photos for hours and not even notice. C: What are your favorite subjects in photography?EC: I love taking photos of things that are happening in real life. Sometimes setting up people or objects doesn’t give me as much emotion in my photos. "ere’s nothing like capturing raw emotion in a photo. C: What are your plans for photography in the future?EC: I am planning on attending Kent State University to get my BFA(Bachelor of Fine Arts) in photojournalism. One day I would like to work my way up to becoming a photographer for National Geographic. "at would be my dream job. A photo taken by Erin Cline

May 2013

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story | Marc Blanc


The KernelColonel staff sends vintage yearbook to the Kent Historical Society

A treasure has been hiding from generations unknown just under the noses of students who have had class in

room 523. Underneath the sink, at the bottom of a cardboard box $lled with past issues of the Colonel lay a book published in 1923, covered in smooth, undisturbed leather. "e only art on the cover is a title in gold lettering: “THE KERNEL.” “"e Kernel” is not an issue of a monthly news magazine, but a yearbook commemorating the inaugural year of "eodore Roosevelt High School, when it was housed in what is now Davey Elementary. Names and faces lost to history reside within its pages, and although many of the yearbook’s students and teachers’ family trees have uprooted from Kent, the 1923 Roosvelt student body and faculty have lived in our city for the past 90 years, spending at least some of that time at the bottom of a box hidden in room 523. Extra-curriculars such as the mandolin and glee clubs, the football team (leather helmets and all) and popular sayings from the Roaring Twenties (“the cat’s meow” was their version of “swag”) are all immortalized on !awless, shining pages. "e only damage to the Kernel is the peeling binding, and it was decided at the beginning of April that this piece of history should not be kept in a box in the damp cupboard beneath the sink. At the same time, we wanted the entire school to be able to experience the leather-bound artifact, so we had to make sure it wouldn’t end up someplace where it would

sit behind glass for all eternity; this is where the Kent Historical Society came into play. "e Society, located on East Main Street, has a room where visitors can !ip through vintage publications looking for relatives or simply the thrill of glimpsing into the lives of Kentites of times past. Social studies teacher and Kent Historical Society member Mr. Amhrein gladly delivered the Kernel to the Society, where it is now on display and can be read by anyone, and by anyone, I mean everyone. Every person can $nd subjects of fascination in the 1923 Kernel, whether it be the period artwork, the elegant writing of the students or the obscure clubs that Roosevelt once had. It is unclear when the Kernel became the Colonel, or when it switched formats from yearbook to news magazine, as the next oldest issue of the Colonel

in the archive box is from the 40s, and it features the titular spelling we use today.

What is clear, however, is the Class of 1923 wanted their Kernel to be preserved and read by generations

to come, and we have a responsibility to honor their will. "is yearbook is truly extraordinary, and not in the empty modern sense of the word. It is extraordinary and amazing and incredible in the purest and strongest sense of language. "e feeling one gets while reading the Kernel is impossible to put into words; it is something that can only be experienced when holding the 90 year old work of students in one’s own hands.

The cover of the 1923 Kernel

A junior class poem (left) and art depicting the sophomore class (right)

News

May 2013

24News

ent, Ohio is a town known for its large university and top rated public school system. But many people don’t know it for what it really is, or used to be: a railroad town. A wealthy businessman and the town’s namesake, Marvin Kent, brought

Kent to its current place on the map. He believed that his businesses and the businesses of others in the area could and should be serviced by a railroad. "e planning for a railroad that was to link the western United States to the Erie Railroad in western New York began in October of 1852 and Marvin Kent worked his way to obtain a few charters allowing him to construct a railroad linking western Ohio to the southern tip of the Erie Railroad in New York. At $rst the Kent railroad Charter was called the Coal Hill Railroad, and along with his father and brother, Marvin Kent raised the $900,000 in stock subscriptions to build his part of the track. Construction started on Independence Day of 1853, and it wasn’t until ten years later that the $rst train would enter the town. In the process, the Coal Hill Railroad became the Franklin and Warren Railroad, but this was mostly just a name since there was no actual track yet. Shortly a%er that it became the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. During the Panic of 1857, Marvin Kent and his allies had to sell their railroad bonds in Europe, but once their $nancial situation settled, they were able to regain their bonds and continue building with the help of the Erie Railroad company. On March 7, 1863, Marvin Kent and other o&cials traveling by train arrived in Franklin Mills. "ese men were the $rst to enter the town a%er ten years of construction. "e Erie Railroad was an underdog for its time. A%er the Civil War, the nation’s economy was growing

and so were the railroads and the

competition between them. Huge railroad companies were competing for control of shipping and passengers. Some of these companies were the New York Central Railroad, mostly run by the Vanderbilts, or the Pennsylvania Railroad. "ese were both well-oiled machines as far as railroads go. On the other hand the Erie Railroad was stricken with frauds and scandals. In 1868 the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad was o&cially leased to the Erie Railroad. A%er 15 years of hard work and investments, Marvin Kent retired as the president of the company. In 1864 the grateful citizens of Franklin Mills changed the town’s name to Kent in honor of Marvin Kent. A%er Kent le% the railroad, the company went through many hardships including legal problems, bankruptcies and name changes. Between 1864 and 1914 the company had nine di#erent names, but everyone called it the Erie. As said by Bruce Dzeda, “No matter its name, it was Kent’s hometown railroad.” "e construction of the depot, which we all know today as the Pu#erbelly, was a big to-do. "e original depot was a cheap one-story building, described as being something “a railroad would build when new and without money.” To build a new depot the estimated cost was going to be $10,000 and the town would have to pay $4,000 of it. "ey raised the money and the depot was opened in June of 1875. "e original set was as follows: on the ground !oor there was a telegraph, the dispatcher’s o&ce, a ticket counter, a waiting room, a restaurant, bathrooms

and a large space for freight shipments. In the north tower of the depot there was a small library of books for railroad employees maintained by a station manager. Later on, the company told the station manager that he could not have his library taking up space in the depot so he moved it across the river and it became the Kent Free Library. Today all that remains of the Kent Railroad is one track and some old car depots. "e railroad still runs trains on it, mostly servicing the grain mill downtown, but it has long since stopped being a passenger train system. Even though many people don’t know about Kent’s beginning, the city will always be a railroad town.

History of the Kent RailroadThe rich past of the steel track running through our backyardsstory | Alex Ledet


K

The Pufferbelly

Sports25

Genetics Behind Athleticism

hether or not athletic ability is genetic has always been a question o%en asked. In a sample family, Son A is an incredible athlete playing baseball, basketball and even

football, while Son B can barely run a mile under ten minutes. Why is this? Is it simply because Son A is in better shape than Son B, or is it because their parents’ athletic ability was passed on to only one of the sons? Some ways to have a higher potential in excelling in human performance is by training, eating properly and exercising on a regular basis. Yet, for each individual, his/her genetics may limit him/her to what he/she are physically able to do, a#ecting his/her athletic performance.Endlesshumanpotential.com says that “genetics are the fundamental code that gives people their eye color, limb length, height, bodily proportions, reaction time, hair color, lung capacity, weight distribution and everything else that the body tends to lean towards naturally.” Your genes also determine how your body responds to training. Some people respond to training better than others, this is where more advanced athletes come from. Training increases your genetic e&ciency, but the overall extent of the training does, however, depend on your genetics. According to sportsmedicine.com, “genetics have a large in!uence over strength, muscle size and muscle $ber composition (fast or slow twitch), anaerobic threshold (AT), lung capacity, !exibility, and…endurance.” What this means is that an individual’s body make up does come from his/her parents’ genetics. "is is determined by the genes the parents have and what the child will inherit.

W "ere are some certain aspects to athleticism that do not depend on your genetic makeup; this would include balance, agility, accuracy and reaction time. However, these things can be improved with the appropriate training. "e more time spent on these aspects of athleticism, the better athlete one can become. "e answer to this frequently asked question is still unknown, even with research in progress. Princeton geneticist and molecular biologist, Dr. Lee Silver, has performed genetic testing research on this very issue. What Dr. Silver found is that “what most people don’t realize is the incredible power of the information that lies within the Human Genome Project. It’s a b s o l u t e l y going to happen that during the next decade we’re going to identify the genes that give i n d i v i d u a l s

di#erent athletic abilities.”

In the case for Son A and Son B, chances are both of

them have r a t h e r similar genetics, but Son A has trained more than Son B, hence his superior athleticism. Son A has prepared for his game and worked on his balance, agility etc., while Son B has only on occasion focused on his health. Whether it has to do with his genetic makeup or not cannot be determined.

story | Allison Kridelbaugh

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A strand of DNA

May 2013

Age and Athleticism+RZ�FHUWDLQ�DWKOHWHV�FDQ�VWD\�ˉW�DV�WKH\�DJH

here are many factors that could determine the end of an athlete’s career, such as a major injury, doping or even quitting. "ese can be avoided, but there is one factor

that will take out every athlete: age. "e peak age of an elite athlete has always been debated and it is di#erent for every sport, but the meaning of a “peak” is still the same: once you reach the top, its only downhill from there. But there are some outliers: athletes that seem to defy their age and continue to achieve even against younger competition. Take for example Bernard Lagat, an American middle distance runner. He is 38 years old and has the American record for the 3,000 meter run (7:29), the two-mile run (8:09) and the 5,000 (12:53) meter run. He set the two-mile record in February of this year at the Milrose Games in New York City. "e next three competitors a%er him were 24 years old and two were 26. Lagat also competed in the Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. Lagat does things a bit di#erently from younger runners to keep his body in good condition. His training is unique and to some other runners, ridiculous. He takes lots of rest, a good thing considering that running is a high impact sport. Every fall he takes a month o# from running. In this time he will gain weight which gives him something to burn once his training resumes.

THe describes this sabbatical as “pure bliss.” While in the height of his training Lagat only runs about 65 miles a week. A steep contrast compared to Cam Levins, one of Lagat’s opponents in the Milrose two-mile, who is famous for running 190 miles in one week of training. Lagat believes that the key to training is

intensity, not volume. He trains once a day for six days a week. On Monday he has an easy run, then on Tuesday a hard workout usually 500 meter repeats, then on Wednesday another hard workout—usually hills, then on "ursday another easy run, followed by a $ve mile tempo run on Friday, and to wrap up the week, Saturday is a long run. Another thing that keeps Lagat in shape and injury free is his form; it’s almost perfect. Injuries are something that can lead to a shorter athletic career. It takes time to recover from injuries and in some cases injuries can lead to more injuries. He keeps his arms loose and swings them through his hips, while kicking his heels back the right amount and li%ing his knees enough to cycle his legs through each stride. "rough all of this his

back is straight and his head is level and steady, even on the last lap of a 5,000 meter race. "e main reason for decline in a runner’s performance is related to something called the VO2 max. "is is how fast your body can get oxygen to your blood for maximum performance. In adults who don’t get a lot of exercise, their VO2 max decreases at about ten percent a decade beginning at age 30, but constant training, like Lagat’s, can slow the decline. What can be taken from Bernard Lagat’s example is a long successful athletic career requires strength, moderation, knowledge and the desire to win.

story | Alex Ledet

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Bernard Lagat is still successful at athletics at the age of 38.

Sports 26

May 2013

COVER BACK

Volume 84 Issue 4

Volume 84 Issue 4

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Transcript of Volume 84 Issue 4