November 8, 2016 VOL. 57 NO. 4

Varied views highlight BLM discussion BY ELISE WATKINS

Three members of the Stark County community sat down with Walsh University students, staff and faculty for an open discussion of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement that has swept the nation in recent years. Dr. Will Cooley, associate professor of history, arranged the panel in conjunction with his fall African-American history class. The panel, titled “What ‘Black Lives Matter’ Means to Me,” took place Oct. 27 in the Barrette Business and Community Center. The panelists included three Stark County community members who hold different viewpoints on the movement. Colin Louis of the Stark County Urban League, Corey Minor Smith, a Canton City School board member, and Shondor Thomas, a Walsh alum and Shaker Heights police officer, led the discussion of what ‘Black Lives Matter’ represents to them. Cooley chose these particular people to lead the conversation because they represent three generations of African-Americans offering different perspectives on the movement. The three provided insight as to how they respond to the media’s perception of African-Americans and police brutality cases. “The main goal of this panel discussion was to help people understand the ‘Black Lives Matter’ issue and the strained police/community relations, especially among African-Americans,” Cooley said. Each panelist spent approximately 10 minutes giving an overview of their personal backgrounds and their position on the movement. The session was then opened for questions.

Louis provided insight on the importance of holding everyone accountable for their actions, including the African-American community, and how the movement should aim to get a collective understanding on how to make the country better. Minor Smith gave an emotional testimonial on being a mother to black men in today’s world. She discussed the daily fear that her sons have of the police due to projected media images and how she, as a mother, combats those feelings. Finally, Thomas told his experience as an African-American police officer, revealing to the audience his own fears and struggles in his job. Through the discussion, Thomas, Minor Smith and Louis brought up the pros and cons of the movement. One con was that the message can get misconstrued through inaccurate media perceptions and poor execution of protests, with some ending in violence. A pro of the movement is its ability to give those who feel voiceless during issues of mistreatment a way to be heard. The event concluded with discussion of potential solutions to unify the nation. The need for open communication between all races in order to build stronger relationships with one another was a focal point, along with a call for more minority police officers. Mental health and tactics training for police officers were also proposed potential solutions. In all, the panel provided the audience with valuable perspectives on a subject that is, unfortunately, an ongoing issue in our country.

2 News

Concert benefits Uganda school BY JILL BRESNAHAN

The junior Blouin Global Scholars held a fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 4 featuring the band Foreign Figures. All the proceeds went to support the University of the Sacred Heart in Gulu, Uganda. “When we returned from Uganda, we were all eager to take action, and education is the way to change the world,” said junior Blouin Global Scholar Kathryn Paul. “Sacred Heart is dedicated to promoting the betterment of the minds, bodies, and hearts of the individuals that attend.” Since the University of the Sacred Heart strives to develop students’ minds, bodies, and hearts, the Blouin Global Scholars wanted to find a band with similar values. The Foreign Figures band members describe themselves as “a powerful anthemic and emotionally driven alt-pop outfit from Orem, Utah.” “We’ve always been a socially conscious band

because we were raised that way. Now, we share it through our lyrics and charity work,” said bass player Seth Dunshee. Once Foreign Figures hit the stage, the audience in the Walsh gym truly started to “Come Alive,” as their song title illustrates. “We are humble and grateful to be here and to help raise awareness to benefit the University of the Sacred Heart in Uganda,” said lead singer Eric Michels. The band generously donated over $1,000 to the University of the Sacred Heart. The Blouin Global Scholars goal is to raise $5,000 by the end of the semester. The GoFundMe account they created has been a success. “We are so grateful for the support we have received from the students, faculty, and staff at Walsh,” said Paul.

Sir Walter finds a home near gym BY KATIE REMARK

If you have passed by the Cecchini Family Health and Wellness Complex lately, you may have noticed that the oak tree that once shaded the entrance is no longer there. However, there is a masterpiece in its place. Instead of removing the dying oak tree completely, it was the decision of Mark Heffernan, director of athletic media relations and game day operations, to save parts of the tree to create a replica of Walsh’s swashbuckling mascot, Sir Walter. Dan Kidd, local woodcarving/ chainsaw artist, saw Heffernan’s idea and ran with it. Students are immensely enjoying the creation. Senior Katherine Schaffner especially appreciated the idea and its execution.

“I think it was an extremely innovative idea to turn the tree into a sculpture,” said Schaffner. “It was a smart way to save the tree and make something wonderful out of it.” Many people on campus loved this concept and have admired the result of the project. People are stopping on their way into the building and admiring the carving. Sophomore Garrett Galentine enjoys the statue as well. “I am glad we used the tree for something,” he says. “I think the statue will liven up Walsh’s campus forever.” Walsh has linked a video to the university homepage that shows the step-by-step creation of the wooden Sir Walter in fast motion. Overall, the statue is an exceptional addition to campus.

Millennials want more

View Point 3

BY SARAH WALTERS

I am a millennial. I am 22 years old, graduating college soon, trying to live life to the fullest while working part-time, and I’m basically always broke. This seems to be the trend for most college students, and we are okay with that– for the moment. We are a generation unlike any before us. We have come from all walks of life, and it turns out we all want a lot of the same things. We are the most accepting generation by far, and we want to make an impact in the world around us. We have grown up during the technology boom. We have learned quite a bit going from dial-up internet to having the World Wide Web literally at our fingertips. We are a generation built on technology, but that is not what defines us. Millennials want to call out politicians and start making our own rules and our own way. No longer do we conform to the rules that society once deemed “just the way it is.” We are fighters, and we are dreamers. With the election already here, millennials at Walsh have a lot of viewpoints on what they, and others their age, need from their next president. Our generation is concerned with economic and social issues and is determined to make a change. We want college to stop being so

unbelievably expensive, and we want to be able to come out of school knowing we are educated enough to get our ‘big kid’ job– even if that means starting from the bottom. “I want someone who can improve our economy so that we are able to get jobs after spending all of this time and money in school,” said Megan Mansfield, a junior. “I also want someone who is a good person as our president, and someone who we can trust.” This year’s election has been a focal point for everyone, especially millennials. There has never been an election quite like this one, and there will probably never be one like this again. Granted, they were not the most moral and upstanding candidates, but they both stood for something that millennials wanted: change. Joey Beals, senior, reveals he is looking for someone we can relate to and who is humble and down to earth. Junior Jackie DuBois wants a president that does what’s best for our generation and doesn’t let us down. While there are hundreds of issues that we as millennials want addressed with this election, in the end, we just want the president to help our generation soar to new heights, accomplish our goals, and stand behind our passions.

The Walsh University

Spectator Editor-in-Chief Elise Watkins Art & Layout Editor Seth Kurzen Staff Writers Carson Bogdanovich Eric Bowman Amanda Bresnahan Jill Bresnahan Tim Cook Luke Donatelli Jacob Linkous Sofya Logunova Alex Moneypenny Joseph Pourier Katie Remark Ronnie Stokes, Jr. Sarah Walters Faculty Advisor Dr. James Parramore Chair, Division of Literature, Language and Communication Dr. Mark Rogers

The Walsh University Spectator is produced and managed entirely by students. It is published during the academic year under the auspices of the Division of Literature, Language and Communication. The Spectator accepts full responsibility for the editorial content of its pages. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the student body, the faculty, the University, Spectator Staff or the Division of Literature, Language and Communications. Staff editorials reflect the view of a majority of the editorial board. Please send us your comments and opinions. Be brief. Letters must be received in the Spectator mailbox in the David Student Center (Box #1063) or via e-mail ([email protected]) at least one week prior to the issue’s publication date. The Spectator reserves the right to hold or edit any submission received. As an organization, the Spectator accepts the responsible traditions of the democratic press to inform, entertain, investigate, interpret and evaluate. The Spectator recognizes its responsibility to provide a forum for diverse opinions, to serve the interests and needs of the Walsh University student body and to provide news and commentaries that are fair and accurate.

4 Arts & Entertainment

Battlefield 1: Realistic WWI gaming BY CARSON BOGDANOVICH

The new and highly anticipated game “Battlefield 1” has finally been released for all major gaming consoles. EA Dice developed “Battlefield 1” as a first-person shooter game, and it was published by Electronic Arts. The game was released on Oct. 21 for XBox One, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows. In my opinion, “Battlefield 1” is a more realistic form of the popular “Call of Duty” game. In the past, I always used to play “Battlefield 4” because of the realistic feel it gave, and after playing that game I realized that I could never go back to playing “Call of Duty.” Last year, the gaming world was introduced to “Battlefield Hardline” as well. Unfortunately, it did not offer the same realistic effects that I am used to playing with, so it was somewhat of a disappointment for me. However, “Battlefield 1” goes back to the original game’s roots with its theme, offering users like me that familiar feel. As a result, I think it is a must-have for anyone who is into first-person shooter games.

What makes “Battlefield 1” unique is the fact that it is based off of World War I, so all of the weapons and the maps are from that time period. In addition, players are able to use aircraft and ground vehicles from this time period, which adds a little more interest than what you get from a “Call of Duty” game. “With Battlefield 1, EA and Dice have proven the viability that World War I is a time period worth revisiting in first-person shooters,” according to a reviewer at Gamespot.com. “It brings into focus countries and nationalities that do not exist today while also shedding light on how the outcome of that war has shaped our lives.” I am not aware of any other war games that are solely based on the World War I era, so I thought that it was something interesting and new as a game concept. If you haven’t gotten this game yet, I highly recommend you go out and do so ASAP—you won’t regret it.

Star Wars fans anticipate “Rogue One” BY AMANDA BRESNAHAN

When Disney purchased Lucasfilms, people weren’t really sure what to think, especially pertaining to the acquisition of the rights to the “Star Wars” franchise. However, when it was announced that there would be another trilogy and several standalone movies, the nerds of the world rejoiced. The first movie from the tentative list, “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” was released last year. It was the first episode of the new trilogy, and it set the framework for the rest of the episodes in the trilogy to follow. Most importantly, the appropriately titled episode not only described the plot of the movie, but also the state of the “Star Wars” fandom. It was the first “Star Wars” movie to come out in 10 years, so it set the stage for the expansion of the franchise. “Rogue One” is the first standalone “Star Wars” movie ever, and it takes place in the time between “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and “Episode IV:

A New Hope.” The story focuses on a group of Rebel spies trying to steal the plans for the Death Star, the Imperial weapon of mass destruction. The movie seems to have a darker tone than any “Star Wars” film to date. I think the main reason Disney is choosing to tell this story now is that the Empire had an entire trilogy dedicated to its origins, but the Rebels never really got an origin story. The fight between the Rebels and the Empire was already in the thick of things when viewers were dropped into “Episode IV: A New Hope.” The release of “Rogue One” will hopefully fill in some blanks and give viewers a more complete picture of how the Rebels came to be in a time when things seemed so bleak. “Rogue One” drops in theaters everywhere Dec. 16. May the force be with you.

Sports 5

Cavs notch first win against Malone BY JACOB LINKOUS

In their final run in the GLIAC, Walsh football has had a tough season this year. The GLIAC features the number one team in the nation and also four other teams in the top 25, so the Cavs have felt the brute force of playing in one of the top conferences in the nation. Walsh opened this season with a record of 0-7 before the homecoming contest against the Malone Pioneers on Oct. 22. Malone left the GLIAC a year before Walsh, and has not played any teams in the powerhouse conference this season. No matter the sport, it seems that games against Malone are always close, regardless of the talent level of the teams. This game was a classic, and was also the last game of a certain player’s career. Quite possibly the hero of the game and easily the player of the game, senior Aaron Male starred in an extensive role for the Cavaliers in his final contest with Malone. It was a battle to the finish with the Cavs finally coming out on top 24-21. Male finished the game with a team-leading 153 rushing yards and a team-leading 56 receiving yards. Male did not travel with the team to their Oct. 15 game against Wayne State due to complications with

an injury. However, there was no way that Male was going to miss his last career game against Malone “Injuries are a part of the game,” said Male. “But it feels good, you can’t ask for anything better than to go out with a win, especially when it’s against your rival Malone.” Male’s biggest highlights from the game were his two rushing touchdowns. The first rushing touchdown was a one yard run, and his second touchdown was a 65 yard run. He also had a 46-yard catch and run to set the Cavs up for a score. Walsh’s next opponent was Ohio Dominican on Oct. 29. Ohio Dominican was ranked 31st in the nation before the game, and is now ranked 26th. Walsh battled early on in the first half and was only down 1413 at the end of the first half, however, the Cavs were outscored 28-0 in the second half. On Saturday Walsh ran into another buzz saw in the form of the Ashland University Eagles. The 17th ranked Eagles ran their record to 8-2 with a 56-0 spanking of a struggling Walsh team which managed only 79 passing yards and 7 rushing yards. Walsh will look to finish the season with a win on Saturday at home against Northwood.

Aaron Male carries ball for some of his team leading 153 yards in Saturday’s win over Malone at Hoover High School.

6 Sports

Walsh volleyball looking for strong finish BY Sofya Logunova

The Walsh University women’s volleyball team is now 9-15 overall and 2-10 in conference play with five matches left to play against Findlay, Wayne State, Malone, Ohio Dominican and Lake Erie. The Cavs will host Ohio Dominican and Lake Erie on Nov. 11 and 12 for their last home matches of the season. “Our season so far has been going pretty well,” said head coach Kassie Kadera. “We play in a tough conference, so you can’t really take any days, practices or matches off. It’s coming to a close now. We have five matches left, and we expect to finish out strong with a few wins under our belt.” Overall the 2016 team is very young, and welcomed five new freshmen and some sophomores this year. According to Kadera, all are doing very well, and the team is working on rebuilding this season. “We have two [freshmen] that consistently play for us, and all three of the other freshmen have seen time off the bench,” said Kadera. Although the team is young and has added several

new players, they all recognize the importance of team chemistry and getting along well. “We all are like best friends, which makes it really easy to play together and be a good cohesive team,” said senior Liza Pflugradt. “There are still a lot of things that we need to work out, but I think overall the season has been going decently well. Record wise it doesn’t really show that, but there is still a lot of improvement that we’ve made throughout the season, and that’s a huge positive in not just this season, but in our program.” Walsh fell to Tiffin in straight sets by scores 25-20, 25-18, and 25-18 in GLIAC action on Saturday, Oct. 29. Walsh competed with the Dragons throughout all three sets, but couldn’t get over the proverbial hump to take the lead. “I am seeing a lot of improvement from the beginning of the season till now, and I am expecting to see more improvement from here all the way through next weekend,”said Kadera.

Men’s basketball challenges mighty OSU BY TIMOTHY COOK

The Walsh University’s men’s basketball team is collectively considered to be a force in the North Canton, Ohio area. The team has been a top 25 Division 2 team for almost five years now and is looking to have a strong 2016/2017 season. On Sunday, the team played against Ohio State University for the 10th time to start the season off. The exhibition game was held in Columbus at the Value City Arena. Many of the players were motivated to begin the season against Ohio State and have high hopes for their upcoming season. “We are excited. Not too many players get a chance to play Ohio State,” said freshmen Chandler Vaudrin and Blake Furcron. “We feel like we are going to be really good and we are going to do things that we couldn’t do last year.” Vaudrin and Furcron will join two returning starters that played last year. Seniors Trey Fletcher and Zac Carter both returned this year.

“This should be a competitive game and we have to give it all we got because playing against them will be a learning process,” said Fletcher, a power forward, as the Cavs prepared to square off against the Big Ten power. The game was in fact competitive, but the Cavs unfortunately fell to Ohio State by a score of 85-67. At the beginning of the second half, Walsh was down 40-32 and still very much in the game. Fletcher led the team with 26 points, followed by Carter, who had 15 points and four assists. Freshman center Andy Brunet gained nine rebounds for the team, with Fletcher and Steven Carpenter having six. “This season will be a great season because we are young, and we will come together as a team,” said Fletcher. The team’s season starts officially on Friday, Nov. 11 against Ohio Valley at 7 p.m., followed by a game against rival Malone University on Saturday.

Sports 7

An Indian summer, a fans’ autumn BY ALEX MONEYPENNY

The Cleveland Indians gave the city of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio an October to remember with a rousing trip to the Fall Classic: The World Series. The Indians’ road to the postseason and World Series wasn’t easy to say the least. They lost one of their best hitters, Michael Brantley, for the entire season due to a shoulder injury. But injuries to key players didn’t stop there. The Tribe also lost two starting pitchers out of their rotation, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco. However, these setbacks did not stop the boys from coming together and doing what many thought to be impossible. The Indians acquired reliever Andrew Miller from the Yankees and lefthanded outfielder Brandon Guyer at the trade deadline. These moves helped solidify an already stellar bullpen and filled out the outfield cast as the team looked to the beginning of the postseason. The Tribe finished second overall in the American League and were looking at a first round matchup with the Boston Red Sox. The Indians were underdogs against a young, talented Red Sox lineup, but the Tribe completed a four game sweep, advancing to an American League Championship Series which would put them against the powerful Toronto Blue Jays. Again, no one gave the Indians a shot. The Indians rode the wave of their success from the ALDS and

finished off the Blue Jays in five games. Now, their eyes were set on the World Series. In an unlikely matchup, the Indians took on the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. These teams held the first and second longest droughts without a World Series title, the Indians at 68 years and the Cubs at 108 years. The series went a full seven games, and lived up to the hype. After taking a commanding 3-1 lead, Cleveland just couldn’t hold off the 103-win Cubs in the final matchup on Nov. 2. The Indians battled late to tie the game and took it in to extra innings, but they ended up falling just short of the title. What this team did for this city was something special, however, and was something we will not forget. As Cleveland looks back on this season, there are lots of great memories. A team that was always considered the underdog and rarely viewed to have a chance, went out day in and day out to prove everybody wrong. They carried the momentum of a city which had just won its first NBA championship in 52 years, and gave the city a feeling of, “Why not us?”. The Indians adopted a winning mentality and stuck with it. The city and fans were right behind them from the very beginning. It was a magical season which saw a team and a city truly #RallyTogether.

Top 10

Things to be “thankful” for this November 10. Student loan debt 9. Parking tickets 8. Finals week 7. Walsh’s wifi 6. Course evaluations

5. Profs. that don’t give study guides 4. “Simple” campus housing 3. Special event parking 2. Tim Cook’s headphones 1. The Spectator

8 Opinion Turnitin is turning off columnist BY JOE POURIER

Throughout the years of my academic career, I Aside from explaining how the benefits of Turnitin. have noticed one constant among professors: their com can be fooled, the algorithm of the site is flawed. obsession with plagiarism. Technology has advanced Did you know that you can change the way and now has provided educators with a tool to check computers read the text you write? Simply changing for plagiarism when grading their student’s papers. the underlying code in a document can make That tool is known as Turnitin.com. something read totally different to a computer than it Plagiarism is in-fact a bad thing, but the question is does on paper or in Microsoft Word. whether or not Turnitin.com is the best way to combat This is why there has to be an alternative to the site. the crime. Studies show that it is not. For this reason, Not only are students made to turn in their work and students should be questioning the credibility and aren’t compensated for the profits it will bring to the ethics of Turnitin.com. company, but the algorithm can very easily be fooled, Most students are unaware that every time a making the service useless. professor turns in their paper to Turnitin.com, it Maybe it’s time we stop for a second, while becomes part of the site’s database and will be used to technology progresses forward, and realize that ethics check other students for plagiarism. should still be exercised. Students forced to surrender Turnitin.com is a paid service, however, it simply their papers to Turnitin.com should be compensated uses an algorithm based on students’ work. Have from the profits the company gains by using their students received a cut of the material in the database. profits? Most have not, and In addition, the algorithm this is where the site should be should be fixed since it is questioned. currently way too easy to crack, The truth is that Turnitin.com which could potentially lead to is making money off of student’s the actual plagiarizers getting work. Once their work is turned away without a scratch. The into the site, they lose control potential for false positives of of how it is used and where it is plagiarizing while utilizing the distributed. In theory, this should site should be addressed by happen if one sells the rights to professors. their work, but not when they These issues lead to my final are forced to surrender the work suggestion of going back to the because a teacher wishes to use old-fashioned way of grading. the service. Instead of surrendering your Most of Turnitin’s content matches come “Turnitin allows me to ensure students’ work, simply grade it from student papers in its database. the academic integrity of the yourself. If something appears papers I grade and is used to to be plagiarized, or doesn’t not prevent students from engaging in plagiarism,” said sound like the student’s work, look it up. one professor. “The tool isn’t used to presume guilt, As for students, they should have the right to deny but instead to ensure the honesty of the student this practice unless there was a signed contract at the writing.” beginning of the course that stated that they must The professor is correct in this sense: the site does allow their work to be uploaded to the site. discourage plagiarism. And it can certainly help educators when it comes to ensuring the academic integrity of students’ work. However, is there a better way to judge a student’s work?