Poem – The Biased Squirrel
By Maya McDaniel
The Biased Squirrel
Screaming as you chuck a piece of bark
Only from your perspective can you see me.
Threatening above all else, a monster perhaps?
Everything about me is different from you.
But I wish you no harm
For if I did…
How easy it would be to inflict,
But this is not who I entice myself to be.
No matter how you perceive me,
I will never do you harm
Because it is not about what you deserve
But what I believe
So scream, dig up my plants, and chuck bark at our dog ALL YOU WANT I know you do these things out of fear and ignorance after all
How pitiful, and how tempting sometimes to let go of the leash
But I will not, because then you’d be right
I will cling to the leash, and control the chubby little beast
So that we can part ways
And I will be at peace
Knowing you are already becoming obsolete
Kent Alumni and Success After College
By Machingo
This project in the Trumbull Satellite is based on Kent Alumni who have succeeded and have grown on to be famous in their careers post-college experiences. Often as college students, it is easy to panic and worry about our futures, and to worry about failures. I decided to write about people who have succeeded in their fields with great success, both to recognize that succeeding is possible, and to also celebrate their successes. We often forget to take the victories we can in life, and to appreciate great things.
Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh is widely considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He is the lead guitarist in the widely successful band the Eagles and a member of the James Gang, another famous band. Walsh grew up all around the Midwest and east-coast, before settling into college life here at Kent State. He was a student during the Kent State shooting in 1970, and partially would leave due to realizing that his life may be more than college. He would then kickstart his musical career, and would go on to help create some of the most famous pieces of music of all time.
Life’s Been Good
A life in the fast lane is never easy
From Columbus to Chicago to New York and Jersey
My musical talents lead me around
While I hoped to find some solid ground
Led to Kent
It felt heaven sent
But when there was a massacre
Music became a fastener
For my own degree
Was not a priority
I went through many bands
While the strings touched my hands
Fast and fluid I played
But the bands could not have stayed
Until I found my gang
And our fame sprang
Then I started to fly as an Eagle
My skill was considered regal
No longer stuck in a creative cell
And out of a band hotel
I blossomed into a superstar
Life’s been good to me so far.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is a critically acclaimed academy award nominated, and golden globe winning actor. He is from Pennsylvania, would attend Kent State, and would grow fond of his time here. He would return to Pittsburgh, and work for the hit children’s show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He would go onto start his acting career, initially playing many comedic parts, such as Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously, before finding a collaborator, Tim Burton, who would use him for both comedic roles such as the titular Beetlejuice but also giving him his first serious starring role as Batman. Keaton would springboard this role into a long and successful career, finding future roles in critically acclaimed films such as Birdman, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Spider-Man Homecoming. Keaton would also return to give the Kent State commencement speech in 2018.
The Birds
Growing up in PA
My life would give me a lot to say
My home in a neighborhood
Where I would witness plenty of good
Comedy paid a price for me
After I did not get my degree
Starting out in comedic pictures
Giving quotable lines to be taken as scripture
Say my name three times
And I would break my confines
My first avian role
A character that was a lost soul
A new career high
With a light in the sky
I quickly outgrew the spot
The character I was not
Playing an actor is one thing
A new light it would bring
A career rejuvenated
A character hallucinated
A new ground is broken
And a commencement to be spoken
Playing a multitude of roles
Accomplishing many goals
I leave you with a few words
I love to play the birds.
One Flew West: A Short Story
By Angelo Digiacomo
Isn’t it funny how your memories of a person change once they’ve gone out of your life? I don’t mean death, not necessarily, but sometimes a more serendipitous case; I know better than anyone how people can up and leave you with little notice, and just like that, your entire perception of them has been reshaped, both the good and the bad.
The last memory I have of Palin was just that – he stepped out the door with a few small, taped up boxes in his hands, and was on his way to sunny Californ-i-a; he had always dreamingly spoke of the state, as if it were some long forgotten civilization or culture that was waiting to be rediscovered, but I never thought that he would up everything and leave so suddenly. I don’t think he thought that, either.
Me and Palin first met each other at University orientation when we happened to sit next to each other at the start of it all – when you don’t know anybody else in the crowd, the friendliest looking stranger in the room is your best bet, and I suppose we both saw each other as rather friendly unknowns. He seemed rather unassuming – he was a few inches shorter than me, which probably made him look very small to others, with bright green eyes and thick, curly brown hair that piled up neatly on his thin head. When we started quietly talking, though, that’s when more was revealed about ourselves – he was curious about my music major, which I gladly entertained, and after some psychology talk from him it was clear that he wasn’t the same unassuming figure I initially took him as. We exchanged numbers, dorm locations, and were eventually on our merry ways for the rest of orientation; it was certain that we would talk again at that point.
Palin always loved to visit my place, especially since I was lucky enough to not have a roommate, which meant that he saw a lot of my initial music composing – it was around that time when I picked up a cheap acoustic guitar to get better at understanding works by Tárrega, Sor, and other classical composers that worked with the instrument, as my only experience prior had been idly strumming on one at a friend’s home every now and then during a visit. I didn’t play it a whole lot, since it was not only hard to learn compared to the woodwind instruments I was familiar with but also because it always went out of tune, but a few of the friends always found it a neat thing to have around – my guess is that they thought it would help pick up women. Still, Palin seemingly always had his eyes on it when he would stop by, and one day he broke his silence.
“Ritchie – your guitar.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“I know you have that around for your degree and for studying composers, but would you care if I stole it for a bit? Just to try and learn? I’ve always wanted to when I was younger.”
I had no reason to say yes to him when he asked, but I had equally as little reason to say no – we had been friends a bit at that point, and as far as I was concerned the guitar was so cheap that it wouldn’t have mattered if the thing ended up broken. I asked for 50 bucks up front, just in case, and he came back to me next week with 50 in hand, and just as quickly I sent him on his way with the wooden nickel – it’s not like I couldn’t study Tárrega without it, anyhow. I trusted Palin to take good care of it anyhow, and I had secretly been planning on saving for another, better, acoustic guitar anyways. I thought little of the encounter at the time.
By the next semester, Palin and I were rooming together, and we were equally thrilled about it – by that point we had gotten to know each other very well with philosophical ponderings on people, study sessions, and a few party visits – it was times like those when I learned how useful the sometimes rational thinking of Palin was. Most significantly, though, Palin had become a capable guitar player, at least to my ears – I hadn’t gotten much better at it, which promptly had me switching back to clarinet, but Palin fell head over heels for the guitar, and on any given day I could come after work to see him playing Bob Dylan or The Beatles, and he was gradually getting better. It was nice to watch, especially because he was probably getting better use out of the guitar than I ever would have.
But I was noticing subtle changes in him, and they were becoming more noticeable since I was now living with the guy; the big one was that his confidence was slipping. When we first began studying together and hanging out almost every other day, he was boldly confident in his classes and his major, to the point of almost arrogance – I distinctly remember him once betting that he would ace an exam that he hadn’t studied for, to which I later became the happy recipient of 10 dollars later that week. Over his second semester, though, that bold conviction of his ability had begun to slip, and he was gradually becoming more and more unsure of his own work. I distinctly remember one conversation we had not long before he eventually found his way.
Palin was sitting, deep in thought, resembling some sort of ancient Greek statue, when he quietly asked me something.
“Ritchie, do you think you made the right choice with your major?”
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
“Because I’ve been asking myself that question more and more, and my answer is always more unsure than the last time.”
“Well, it happens to all of us sometimes – I remember when I first started some of these classes asking if I really wanted to go through this for four years, but you shake it, and you realize that it is exactly what you want to do, y’know?”
“I guess, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while – I’m not so sure I’ve got it in me.”
A week later, it was the middle of February, and I was out most of the day with my then-girlfriend for a fun Valentine’s Day out – I had let Palin know where I’d be for the day, and he gave me his typical silent acknowledgement of a head nod before getting back to some Humanities work. When I got back to the dorm, however, he wasn’t working; he had a handful of small boxes packed and some bags of clothes.
“What’s going on, Palin?”
“Richard, I’m leaving.” It was the only time he ever called me by my actual name.
“Is it something I did? Is it the mess? You know you can just tell me to be cleaner!” I didn’t want to be upset, but we had gotten rather close in a short amount of time – I always did get attached to things quickly.
“I’m not just leaving dorms, Rich – I’m leaving, period.”
“What?” It was something I never expected from someone like him – to up and leave seemingly so suddenly seemed like an impulsive move from a man who was so meticulous and calculated.
“I’m taking a long drive, and I’m not stopping until I get to Sacramento. I need a change of things.” It was obvious then that it wasn’t irrationality – he had thought about this plan for a while.
“But what about the psych stuff? You loved that! You killed for it, and now you’re just gonna abandon it all?”
“I did for a while, but it was when I met you that I realized what I really wanted to do, and that’s try and go into music, too. I always found that stuff interesting, but it never clicked that I could do it until I had you around, Rich. Forget about all that psych bullshit; it doesn’t mean much to me anymore.”
In hindsight, it was obvious that this would happen – maybe not so soon, but it was festering within him like a growing balloon. I guess we both never expected it to burst so suddenly.
“Why not just change majors? You have time, you’re smart as all get-out, and I’m sure everything can still work out that way.”
“Maybe it would have, Rich, but I know that’s not what would have made me happy. I’m sorry about this all being so sudden – I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid you would get upset. I can’t blame you.”
We sat in silence for a bit, looking around at the slightly more bare walls, before my eyes were drawn to the same guitar that I lent him all those months back; the same guitar that really set the path of his future up, and the same one that was taking him far away. As far as I was concerned, the guitar was very cheap.
“It’s only right that I give you this, then, if you’re really leaving.” He looked at it with an amount of reverence, before looking back at me with slight surprise.
“Thank you, Ritchie. Don’t forget about me up here.”
For the last time, we hugged, emotion being held back as best we both could manage. With a few small boxes in one hand and a cheap Jasmine guitar in the other, he quietly walked out of the dorm to the parking lot. The click of the doorknob was the last proof of his presence, and it was at that same moment when I realized how much bigger the room suddenly felt.
Poem – Telephone Pole
By Mya Sanders
Outside my window I see two deflated balloons trapped on a telephone pole Or maybe it was one of those 40 pound dog food bags
Maybe it’s a silk scarf that slipped off the lady down the street’s head
There is such a weird sense of connection with this balloon or bag or
scarf, Almost like I’ve met whoever held it before
Maybe I did
That the balloons that released for the family who lost their son three streets over might have found a new comforting home on the pole that gives my phone service
Or maybe the lonely older man who lives four houses down’s dog passed away after a long 16 years of life and that was his last bag of food he ever had to buy
Perhaps that lady lost her headscarf that she used to wear to keep her head warm after chemo stole her hair and now it’s glued to this telephone pole
There’s so many little ways life begs us to move on
But for some of us we’re still left stuck in the air
Wind never knocking us loose
And that’s just something we’ll learn to grieve with
One draft at a time
Voters Right A Humanitarian Issue
By Charles Quinby
In all fifty states that make up the United States of America, every citizen over the age of eighteen and a citizen of the United States has the right to vote. No one is required or forced to vote, but the Constitution of the United States of America protects the right to do so. The twenty-sixth Amendment Article, One of the Constitution states that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of age. To not be denied or abridged as long as the person is a citizen over eighteen, in simple terms, means there is a right to vote without being told no or having that right made challenging to achieve. To not be denied or abridged as long as the person is a citizen over eighteen, in simple terms, means there is a right to vote without being told no or having that right made challenging to achieve.
In recent years this has been a new battle that most fifty states have with their citizens. It is, at times, a highly publicized battle but mostly stays hidden and silently engaged. Some states want Voter Identification Laws that make accessibility to voting harder for those of lower income levels which in most cases makes this constitutional right harder for minorities to attain.The cost of the identification that is needed to vote in Ohio can cause the voter the inability to vote if a valid Id is necessary. The cost for identification as well as documentation needed is on the states website https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/doc-fees.aspx
Ohio is one of the states consistently trying to make voting harder for its citizens.https://www.10tv.com/article/news/politics/elections/dewine-signs-bill-requiring-photo-id-to-vote-in-ohio/530-4f94afed-a8f4-41d6-897e-f33371b4d419
Not only has Ohio been working to make voting harder, but those in power with more financial means have also worked and succeeded in some areas with redistricting precincts to make it so those low-income and minority voters have lost their votes. It is causing a direct attack on the rights of those that do not have means. Those affected are the ones that most of the laws and funding affect the most. However, parties and politicians fight to silence them by removing their voting ability. Creating a modern-day humanitarian crisis that should not be taking place due to the protections of the Constitution. This paper aims to bring to light the push to silence voters and strip their rights to vote away by creating laws that have the most impact on low-income and minorities.
One must first understand the constitutionality behind the right to vote to understand the significance of what could be considered silencing against Ohio voters. It is hard to believe that it was not until nineteen twenty that all citizens of the United States over eighteen were granted the right to vote.
This should have always been allowed in a country that claims to be the most accessible country in the world. The United States has always been the country that everyone wanted to immigrate to for a chance at freedom and success. The United States was a country that was founded on this pursuit it has always been the melting pot for those looking for freedoms..https://abcnews.go.com/US/photos/americas-complicated-history-immigration-45351576/image-45353679 The search for a better life, the search for happiness and wealth. From the outside looking in, we here in the United States look as if we have it all together when there is a constant fight for power. It took the country over a hundred years to finally hold a presidential election where all citizens of legal age could use their voices and cast their votes. “On June 29, 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a 25-year Voting Rights Act (VRA) extension. Though the Act had been renewed twice before by Presidents Nixon and Ford, the 1982 reauthorization made Section 2 of the VRA permanent. This section of the bill prohibited the violation of voting rights by any practices that discriminated based on race, regardless of if the practices had been adopted with the intent to discriminate or not.” (4) one would think that this renewal of such an important act leaving the Act to be considered permanent, that it would be the end of the story when it comes to attempting to disenfranchise voters, but disenfranchisement comes in many forms.
We strip our convicted felons that are incarcerated rights to vote away, but prior to their conviction we award them a jury of their peers to deliberate their convictions. Then once that conviction takes place, we take their right to vote on legislation that affects them. Taking that right to vote away also sheds away that jury of their peers; those peers still have that right to vote. So are they really now still considered a jury of their peers? It is an after convictions stripping away of the right but it is also a right that was stripped that was constitutionally protected. Trying to find the harm in allowing those in prison to be able to cast a vote is really hard to do. Especially since time and time again we see people be released due to wrongful convictions. This form of disenfranchisement to voting rights is one that most likely will never change. There is never a real fight to allow incarcerated felons the right to vote. There is a non profit called the Marshall Project that aims to show transparency of those incarcerated they are treated humanely though they do not aim for policy reforms their work often leads to it. Why Millions of Americans Will Be Left Out of the Midterms | The Marshall Project
There is a constant battle over voter identification, and those who endorse this will claim widespread election fraud in every election, which they use to push their claim. Even though the facts are evident, that is not the case. We have politicians and lobbyists that work tirelessly to redistrict areas of the state in a manner that would consistently allow one political party to have the ability to win elections. These all equate to the disadvantages of voting rights that minorities and lower-income individuals face while trying to cast votes. To many, the issue of voter’s rights will never exist, nor will they ever feel the effects of disenfranchisement, which makes it hard to get them to understand what implications these types of restrictions will have on individuals. For those it affects, they fight tirelessly to keep their right to vote.
The push for voter identification laws comes from the fear of election fraud. Those for this movement will claim that without these laws, just anyone could vote and could vote multiple times. Take that, and adding the fear of hacking into the ballots themselves gives the perfect amount of fear to attempt to push through an agenda. This fear is just an ignorant lack of knowledge from people that do not understand the depths of securities involved in the computer programming that runs electronic voting machines. “Most Americans believe the right to vote is one of the most important constitutional rights.1 Moreover, eight out of ten Americans are concerned that the country’s voting system is vulnerable to hackers.2 Although new voting technology has been implemented across the country, it largely enables, rather than prevents, hacking, causing “frightening vulnerabilities” for election administration.3 It seems that “America’s most ancient civilian office, the local election clerk, has become saddled with new and alien responsibilities tantamount to a military contractor.” (6). Just reading that quote by Jacob Rush would make one question the safety of votes. Nevertheless, that is also a ploy to push the agenda of fear to get people on board for voter identification laws.
In the research done by The Brennen Center for Justice in the works published by John Levitt titled The Truth About Voter Fraud the issues surrounding voter fraud are unraveled. The Brennan Center for justice is an advocate for the truth.https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote/vote-suppression/myth-voter-fraud This research shows how the media uses the buzz word voter fraud or fraudulent elections whenever something occurs in the election process to further push that fear into the citizens. How this leads the viewers to believe that there is true fraud taking place. Telling how if a voting machine miscounts the ballots it’s labeled as fraud. If a voting machine goes down and isn’t used again in that election that is also labeled as fraud This research also enlightens the reader to learn that “The most common example of the harm wrought by imprecise and inflated claims of “voter fraud” is the call for in-person photo identification requirements. Such photo ID laws are effective only in preventing individuals from impersonating other voters at the polls — an occurrence more rare than getting struck by lightning”(8) If true voter fraud is more rare than getting struck by lightning as Levitt states the only reason for the push would be to disenfranchise voters. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/01/truth-about-election-fraud-its-rare/ These pushes for voter identification never truly fix any problems that actually do take place with the elections themselves. It is also very suspicious that when election fraud is brought up the elections are very close in votes. How would voter identification actually disenfranchise voters from their constitutional right to vote.
The idea of voter identification sounds simple enough. Why would anyone oppose it? Opposing it would be almost a stretch in terms of finding a way to have it without taking a right to vote away from those without funds would be the best solution. It can cost, on average, thirty dollars to get state identification; that is, one must have an address and all the documentation needed to obtain such identification. If the voter does not have these items in place, they can not obtain that coveted identification from the state that would award the right to vote. In urban city areas, most do not drive; they use public transportation due to being unable to afford vehicles or the lack of space to park a vehicle. Why is this important? Simply because many of these individuals never held a driver’s license, the primary form of identification. However, a state identification card that people can get, which is more common among this population of individuals. The cost and paperwork needed to obtain this identification is comparable to that needed for a driver’s license.
Voter identification is just one of the battles voters face when having their voices heard through casting their votes. Gerrymandering, the manipulation of boundaries of voting precincts to sway an election in favor of one party or a specific class of people, is another infringement on Ohioian’s constitutional rights to vote freely.https://publicintegrity.org/politics/elections/who-counts/ohio-votes-under-extreme-gerrymandering-that-favors-republicans/
Kent, Ohio, is one of the many areas in the state that is always in question when redistricting occurs. Those for this push to redistrict know that the Kent area has always been a very liberal democratic stronghold. Redistributing the votes in that area would allow the opposing party to gain control of the votes. Why would there be this constant push to redistrict this tiny college town in Northern Ohio? Why would lobbyists assume this area is and always will be a liberal democrat area? To understand why this area is always at the center of this debate, understand the history there. Then one can fully understand why this area is considered politically the way it is.
Kent is no stranger to being in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, nor is it a stranger to protesting for humanitarian rights. In the spring of nineteen seventy, there were anti-war protests directly following the United States invasion of Cambodia during what was supposed to be a time of exit of the Vietnam War. What happened at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, would go down in history as one of the most investigated shootings in American history. On this day, the National Guard opened fire on the college campus, killing four and shooting thirteen. Of those who lost their lives that day, one student walked to class. They fired into a crowd of college students that day, those doing the firing being members of their own government’s military.
It was a turning point not just in the anti-war sentiment that had been going on for years, but it would also be a turning point on how the area of Kent would be perceived as a democratic area.
The May 4 coalition was formed after the senseless deaths that occurred during this demonstration. This coalition was fighting to memorialize the area where the students lost their lives. It is hard to believe that this, too, was a battle that needed to take place. Throughout Mariam Jackson Shall Not Move Us, those for the memorialization and against the location of the annex of the gym are continuously referred to as liberals. Liberals have widely been known to support the democratic party. The democratic party is the party that has fought for access to easy voting and against gerrymandering. The Republican party has led the push for redistricting, for tougher laws on voter identification. The Republican party, in a sense, was also at the forefront of the fight against not honoring the lives lost that day. This is why this area is a hot bed for this debate to today
https://kentwired.com/34004/latest-updates/opinion-gerrymandering-funny-word-serious-problem/
Taking a deeper look at the areas that lobbyists and some legislators try to gerrymander you will see a long standing history of inequalities. First we need to take a look at how Ohio is redistricting. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/politics/us-redistricting/ohio-redistricting-map/
Many of the areas were redlined at one point or another. Redlining is the term used when banks would not issue loans for homes in certain areas. This was a form of housing inequality that plagued the lower income societies for many years. Redlining has not been legal in quite some time but the redlining of these districts has allowed there to be areas that vote more democratic than others.
The map from https://guides.osu.edu/maps/redlining shows just how detailed redlining truly was.
The lobbyists and legislators that lead the fights for the redistribution of votes in these areas like Kent know the history of the areas and prey on the people of them to silence their votes. However they will claim that this is not to silence those in these areas but is being done to simplify the amount of representation to an area making it cheaper in a sense with less representation needing to be on the government’s tax funded payrolls.
The opponent against voting being a simple process certainly does play on the fears of the citizens of the country. It is hard at times to not want to agree with the arguments that they present. It is also very difficult to not fall victim to the thoughts of lower taxes due to less representatives. The campaigns that are waged are heavily funded and have serious consequences on the honesty of elections. The honesty that is the very thing that they claim to be fighting for.
Though these fights that took place in the seventies in Kent are different in nature than those seen there today, nonetheless a show of the constant fight for constitutional rights in Ohio. The fight for constitutional rights is a humanitarian crisis that needs to be fought with the same diligence as the demonstrators had while protesting the Vietnam War
To some, what is written in this essay may not sound like an actual humanitarian crisis in terms of what most deem the term crisis to mean. However, it is simply on the merit of what a vote truly means, what it does, and what it stands for. The freedom to cast a vote that would elect representatives that make the laws that affect the citizens casting a vote is how people are represented. The Constitution protects the ability to cast a vote without jumping hurdles. The districts in place allow for fair representation without the worry for one party or the other to redesign lines of demarcation in voting precincts to monopolize the governments with the prospective party’s political leaders.
In closing, there has always been a struggle for power across party lines in the country’s history. We, however, can not allow this struggle to dictate voter’s rights, disenfranchising voters to sway laws or elected officials. Just like the days of the Vietnam Era when students demonstrated for the freedoms of others, we need to continue to stand to protect these fundamental rights guarded by the Constitution. We can never forget our history and how far we have come.
Works Cited
1.“The 26th Amendment Gains Approval, July 1, 1971.” POLITICO, www.politico.com/story/2017/07/01/the-26th-amendment-gains-approval-july-1-1971-240006. Accessed 9 May 2023.
2. ABC News, abcnews.go.com/US/photos/americas-complicated-history-immigration-45351576/image-45353679. Accessed 9 May 2023.
3.“Analysis | the Truth about Election Fraud: It’s Rare.” The Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2022, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/01/truth-about-election-fraud-its-rare/.
4. Bos, Carole. “May 4th – Kent State Shootings.” AwesomeStories.Com, www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/MAY-4TH-KENT-STATE-SHOOTINGS-School-Busing. Accessed 9 May 2023.
5. Carrillo, Karen Juanita. “Ohio Votes under ‘extreme’ Gerrymandering That Favors Republicans.” Center for Public Integrity, 6 Oct. 2022, publicintegrity.org/politics/elections/who-counts/ohio-votes-under-extreme-gerrymandering-that-favors-republicans/.
6. Chapman, Allegra. “Voting Rights: Will Court Protections Deliver?” The American Prospect, 26 Sept. 2016, prospect.org/civil-rights/voting-rights-will-court-protections-deliver/.
7. “Citizenship and Voting Rights: Should Resident Aliens Vote?” Taylor & Francis, www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13621020600633093. Accessed 9 May 2023.
8. Columbia Law Review – JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40041766.pdf. Accessed 9 May
2023.
9, “Documents & Fees.” Ohio BMV, www.bmv.ohio.gov/doc-forms.aspx. Accessed 9 May 2023.
10. “Education Resources Information Center.” ERIC, eric.ed.gov/. Accessed 9 May 2023.
11. “Ensure Every American Can Vote.” Brennan Center for Justice,
www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote. Accessed 9 May 2023.
12,“The Fight for the Right to Vote in the United States – Nicki Beaman Griffin.” YouTube, 5 Nov. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9VdyPbbzlI.
13. Grillo, Mike. “Remembering the 1982 Voting Rights Act Amendments ” Avoice – Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ” African American Voices in Congress.” Avoice, 23 June 2008, avoice.cbcfinc.org/news/remembering-the-1982-voting-rights-act-amendments/.
14. Hess, John. “Opinion: Gerrymandering: Funny Word, Serious Problem.” Kent Wired, kentwired.com/34004/latest-updates/opinion-gerrymandering-funny-word-serious-problem/. Accessed 9 May 2023.
15. Lartey, Jamiles. “Why Millions of Americans Will Be Left out of the Midterms.” The Marshall Project, 29 Oct. 2022, www.themarshallproject.org/2022/10/29/why-millions-of-americans-will-be-left-out-of-the-midterms.
16. Politics & Voting in Kent, Ohio – Best Places, www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/ohio/kent. Accessed 9 May 2023.
17. Press, Author: Associated. “Dewine Signs Election Changes into Law Including Photo ID Requirement.” 10tv.Com, 6 Jan. 2023, www.10tv.com/article/news/politics/elections/dewine-signs-bill-requiring-photo-id-to-vote-in-ohio/530-4f94afed-a8f4-41d6-897e-f33371b4d419.
Positivity All Around
By Landry Torres
There is nothing more confusing than trying to find your path to life
Humans hate being confused, lost, or feeling like they’re sinking
It’s okay not to be okay, but negativity causes strife
The key is to try some positive thinking
Unpleasant feelings are normal, in fact they are gonna happen quite often
But positive thoughts can shut it down quickly as long as you don’t stall
Accepting your emotions without judgment can help your hardened heart soften
The reality is, a change in your mindset can do it all
It’s hard to see the good in a bad situation
Negativity, for many, can sometimes be a habit
But it’s time to change our generation
When you see an opportunity to share positivity, grab it
Make someone smile today; it’s really rewarding to see
When you make someone’s day with an act that is kind
It doesn’t cost anything, it’s totally free
To practice loving others and positivity within your mind
It’s really easy, there’s no race to win, no hill to climb
I know that you have it in you
And as soon as you know it, there will come a time
That others will see your positivity shine through
Hacksaw Ridge – Movie Review
By Mia Blackburn
Conscientious Objector: Desmond Doss
Hacksaw Ridge is a true story based on a medic during World War II, who was stationed in Okinawa. The medic Desmond Doss refused to carry a gun because he believed it was wrong. He wanted to save lives and not take them, unlike the other soldiers. He was considered to be a conscientious objector, which is someone who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service. The movie follows the event of Desmond of how he ended up deciding he wanted to join the Army and his training and the events of the battle at Okinawa where he saved 75 people. The movie made in 2016 was based on the documentary film The Conscientious Objector from 2004. The documentary is about Desmond and how he became the first conscientious objector to win the Medal of Honor in World War II.
The movie starts with Desmond when he was a little boy and shows him and his brother getting into a fight and he hurts his brother very seriously. After that Desmond wouldn’t condone any violence. Years later while the war was occurring he was in his home town and he helped save a boy’s life. He took him to the hospital and there he met his future wife. After his brother joined the military Desmond knew he couldn’t sit at home while other men were out fighting he needed to help in some way. So Desmond enlisted, training wasn’t just hard physically but also mentally and emotionally because more solid officers had trouble accepting that he didn’t want to carry a weapon. This was very uncommon because how are you supposed to defend yourself in the middle of a war? He was bullied for his beliefs and was teased by the other soldiers in his platoon. Partway through his training Desmond was put under arrest because he failed to follow orders because a leader told him to pick up a gun and he demanded. After the trial, Desmond was allowed to go to war without a weapon to defend himself as a medic. He and his platoon were sent to Okinawans and they had plans to try to take over Hacksaw. Once they got up on Hacksaw they made some progress but were forced to retreat. Everyone retreated except for Desmond. He stayed there all night, saved injured people, and lowered them down from the
ridge. When morning came he lost the cover of night and the Japanese troops came out to make sure that if people were still up on the ridge, they would kill them. Desomond found two more people and was being chased to the edge of the ridge, they made it to safety and Desomnd saved 75 people by himself.
Based on reports and articles the movie was mostly accurate to the actual event. However one of the crucial characters named Smitty wasn’t a real person, but the way he acted towards Desmond was a representation of what real soldiers did. Throughout Desmond’s training, he was teased and ridiculed for not wanting to pick up a weapon. One part of the movie that sticks out and is real is when Desmond is up alone on the ridge at night saving people he would pray to god asking, “Please god, help me save one more”. At the end of the movie, it shows clips of the real Desmond Doss in an interview saying how he just kept asking god to help him save some more people. His faith that was presented in the movie was a real representation of how his faith helped him survive and save 75 men. Doss was a Seventh-day Adventist, he had strong beliefs that he wasn’t going to compromise for the army.
Overall Hacksaw Ridge is a great way to learn what happened in our history. Some people might not want to watch the documentary The Conscientious Objector (2004), because they might think it’s boring and it’s not an interesting way to learn about the past. However, due to the fact, the movie is accurate and based on the documentary it is a fun and intriguing way to learn about World War II. The film is full of engaging parts that will keep you on your toes and interested in the film.
Nia’s Blues
By Tabitha Thomas
Nia Adeyemi looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. She was wearing her favorite outfit: a long white flowy skirt, a lavender knit sweater, and a pair of nude ballet flats. Her tight 4c curls were in two big poofy buns.
“What do you think Brownie? Should I put my butterfly clips in?” Nia asked her dog.
The dog briefly glanced in her direction and then looked away. He was laying on her red duvet covers on her bed. She had literally tried on ten different outfits in the past hour and she hated every single one. She studied her Rihanna poster that she taped on her wall hoping to gain a little inspiration. Nothing came to mind. As she studied Rihanna’s facial features, her eyes began to water. She had to look away. She reached for her eye shadow kit and decided to go with the color gold. Gold always looks amazing against her dark brown skin. For her lips, she decided to go with a nude brown.
“You’re going to school, Nia, not a runway fashion show,” she whispered to herself.
After she put on her favorite rose scented perfume, she studied her reflection again, turning from side to side. Her body had developed rapidly since she was ten. She was now fourteen years old. Her breasts were already full and rounded as well as her hips. She was still quite short, only five foot two, but she accepted the fact that she was never going to be tall. She was the first in her friend group to develop breasts and her friends often praised her for this. But deep down inside, she hated having a curvier figure because everyone at school noticed. School. The word school had her paralyzed. This was gym class day which meant that she would have to change and shower in front of the other girls. As Nia tried to think of something positive, she couldn’t help but notice the little pooch that she had on her stomach.
“Ugh!” she said out loud. “I wish I had a flatter tummy Brownie!”
Nia considered her stomach to be a problem area. Most of the boys in her grade, especially Trevor, the class bully, would constantly make fun of her weight. The teasing and taunting at school was never ending, yet Nia accepted the fact that this was her life at school. She glanced around her bedroom and looked at her Rihanna poster once more. She loved Rihanna and everything that she stood for. Rihanna was beautiful with piercing green eyes and high cheekbones. She was an absolute beauty and everything that society deemed as attractive.
“Then there’s me. Short and dumpy,” Nia said to herself.
She kept thinking about her mother, Yolanda Adeyemi, and her powerful words. “Rewa, you have such beautiful skin. Don’t you forget that.”
Rewa was Yolanda’s nickname for Nia and is Nigerian for beautiful. She tried to believe in her mother’s words, but she was running out of faith.
“Nia, come on now, it’s time for school! I don’t want you to be late!” Yolanda exclaimed. “I’ll be right down!” Nia shouted back.
She checked her appearance one last time and finally made her way downstairs. This was as good as it was going to get. Five minutes later, Nia met her mother in the kitchen.
“Hi, rewa! You look so precious in that lavender sweater,” Yolanda exclaimed as she wiped down the kitchen counter.
Nia forced a thankyou to come out of her mouth. She couldn’t help but marvel at her mother’s beauty. Yolanda had a striking bone structure with beautiful almond shaped eyes. Just like Nia, she had curly 4c hair that she kept in a large afro. Her mom could have easily been a model, but she chose to be a nurse practitioner. Yolanda immigrated to the country well before she was born. She met Nia’s father, Tobey Adeyemi, in college back in the nineties. He was tall and handsome and thought the world of Yolanda. He died when Nia was only six years old of leukemia. Nia had missed her father dearly and she knew her mother did as well. Every now and then she saw sadness in her mother’s eyes, but she would always tell Nia that she was alright. Her mother, though a very optimistic person, was very good at hiding how she truly felt.
“Alright, I am officially ready. Let’s go,” Yolanda said in a rush.
Nia grabbed her lunch and walked towards the front door. She paused. She felt a jolt of electricity transpire throughout her body. She knew that today was going to be dreadful.
During the car ride to school Yolanda would tell Nia the usual. She reassured her that everything would be alright, but this usually went into one ear and out the other.
“Just remember, it’s only gym class,” Yolanda said.
“Mommy,” Nia groaned.
“I’m serious Nia. I don’t want you to be self conscious of yourself.”
And here it came- the speech. Yolanda gave Nia the “inner beauty” speech every morning.
“Nia, you know I’ve said this time and time again, but don’t forget how beautiful you are. I don’t want you to listen to any of those knuckleheaded boys at school. You get your shape from your grandmother, you know.”
But Nia had a hard time believing her. As Nia looked out the window she gazed out at the sky. The sky was especially clear today. She wondered if her father was looking down on her from heaven. If so, she needed him now more than ever. Suddenly, her mother’s voice started to interrupt her thoughts.
“And don’t forget how kind and how smart you are,” Yolanda said.
Nia had forgotten her mother was still talking.
“Do you understand, Nia?” remarked Yolanda.
“Sure mom,” said Nia. “Whatever you say.”
They had arrived at Robinson High School and she started to feel a little lightheaded. Yolanda touched her cheek tenderly and whispered in her ear.
“Remember, rewa, how amazing you are,” said Yolanda.
Nia hugged her mother as tight as she could. She didn’t want to let go of her. “Go on now, rewa, try to have a good day at school.”
Nia got out of her mother’s car and headed inside the huge building. It smelled of coffee and Axes body spray, typical of middle school. Posters that read, Go Robinson Bobcats Go! were plastered everywhere on the walls. As she walked toward her locker, she could see Trevor and his friends lurking around the corner. She took a deep breath.
“Maybe they won’t notice me today,” Nia thought to herself.
And then came the insults.
“Uh-Oh, here comes fat pants Nia!” shouted Trevor.
She tried not to respond as Trevor and his friends started laughing. As she opened her locker door, a bunch of protein bars came flying out.
“Just in case you plan on losing weight, Nia,” Trevor said smugly.
She looked around and saw other kids laughing at her. Nia’s face felt very warm and she started to feel her heart beat really fast.
“Hey Trevor! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size!” shouted her best friend Danielle as she came to Nia’s aide.
“Oh, is that supposed to hurt my feelings!” Trevor said as he and his friends began to walk away.
“Don’t pay any attention to those jerks Nia. There’s nothing wrong with how you look.” “Yeah, I guess you’re right Danni,” Nia said in a somber tone.
As Nia grabbed her gym bag, Danielle briefly touched her hand and gave her a great big hug.
“Remember, I want you to tell me everything that happens in gym class today. I’m gonna tell my older brother about Trevor and his friends. Maybe he can put them in their place,” said Danielle
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” said Nia as she put on a brave smile. But deep down she knew that something was going to happen.
Nia entered the girls locker room with precaution. She waited until all the other girls were finished so that she could undress. She looked at her naked body in the mirror. All she saw were lumps and bumps. She knew that Trevor and his friends would get a field day out of making fun of her. She took her make-up off, put her dress clothes away in her locker, and headed towards the gymnasium.
“Just get through gym class and you’ll be fine,” Nia whispered to herself.
She sat down on the gymnasium floor with the rest of her classmates. Then, came Trevor and the rest of his friends. Nia could feel Trevor’s eyes on her. They all sat behind Nia making a bunch of mooing sounds. Just then, Mr. Marks, the gym teacher, entered the gymnasium.
“All right class, I want each of you to run ten laps around the track. Come on, let’s go,” said Mr. Marks enthusiastically.
The whole class groaned. Running laps was something that they all had to do each morning and Nia despised it. As Nia stood up, she suddenly fell hard to the ground.
“Don’t trip fat pants!” Trevor exclaimed at Nia.
The whole class erupted in laughter.
“What’s going on? Why are you all laughing? Trevor, this better not have anything to do with you!” exclaimed Mr. Marks.
“It’s nothing Mr. Marks. Nothing at all!” Trevor said mischievously.
Nia could feel her eyes starting to tear up. This was going to be a long, hard day.
School had ended at around two thirty. Nia saw her mothers smiling face and quickly got into the car.
“Hi baby! How was school?” Yolanda asked.
“Fine, mom, just fine.”
Nia felt bad lying to her mother. She had another terrible day. Trevor and his friends tripped her numerous times throughout gym class, in math class, and during lunch. He had repeatedly called her “fat pants Nia” throughout the day while making cow sounds.
“You don’t seem okay, rewa,” Yolanda said observantly.
“Mom, please don’t. I told you I’m fine.”
“I know you’re not okay Nia. I can see it in your eyes. I’m your mother. I can always tell when my baby is feeling down.”
But Nia just looked out the window and stared up into the sunny blue sky.
“Is that boy and his friends still picking on you?” asked Yolanda.
“Mom I already told you,” Nia said as her voice began to trail off.
“Don’t you ‘mom I told you’ me. Answer the question, Nia, is this boy still picking on you?”
At this point Nia couldn’t avoid her mother if she tried. Her mother knew when something was up. In fact, Yolanda knew all along. She knew that her daughter was being bullied and by a group of boys nonetheless. This made Yolanda feel helpless. She tried to handle the situation quietly because she didn’t want to worry her daughter even more. She had even tried talking to the school principal, yet she did absolutely nothing.
“We can’t move Nia to a different class because they’re hurting your daughter’s feelings, Mrs. Adeyemi,” Principal Williams remarked in a meeting three months ago.
This aggravated Yolanda. She was running out of options and she was afraid that Nia would harm herself. Yolanda also knew that Nia missed her father. She knew that if Tobey were alive today, he would have hunted those boys down like a dog.
“Lord, my baby is in so much pain and there’s nothing that I can do. If only Nia knew how beautiful she was,” Yolanda thought to herself.
For the remainder of the car ride, Nia and her mother sat in silence unaware of what to say next.
As soon as they got home, Nia ran straight upstairs to her room, threw her book bag on the ground, and collapsed on her bed. She began to cry. She didn’t know how much longer she could take. She cried for a good hour or so. Brownie, their house dog, tried to cheer her up but it was no use. She tried to watch a little bit of tv, but that made her feel even more depressed. Why is it that every television show always features a white, thin actress? Or if the actress is not thin and white then she is typically something that is closest to white. As soon as she saw the image of Kirsten Stewart in a war movie, she began to cry even more. Is this what society considers to be the most beautiful? Not that Kirsten Stewart isn’t beautiful in her own right, but doesn’t society consider other women to be beautiful as well. She tried to watch an episode of Euphoria. Of course, Nia wasn’t allowed to watch the show due to its graphic nature, but that didn’t stop her before. The image of Zendaya startled her. Even without make-up, she was absolutely gorgeous. Zendaya had to be at least five foot ten with a slender physique. And then Nia thought of her friends Danielle and Teresa. Danielle, like Zendaya, was also biracial. She played a lot of sports and was athletically built. Her friend Tersea, on the other hand, was a brain and had blonde hair and blue eyes. All the boys worshiped Danielle and Teresa at school. Would anyone ever find Nia as beautiful as her friends? As beautiful as Zendaya or Kirsten Stewart? The thought of that began to make her cry all over again. She noticed that there were no dark skinned black girls on the show Euphoria. Come to think of it, they weren’t really a whole lot of dark skinned black girls as the main lead of any show. Not only was there a lack of dark skinned representation, there was also a lack of plus size diversity as well. Frustrated, Nia threw the remote at her television screen. This made Brownie bark out loud. Suddenly, Nia heard a knock on her bedroom door.
“Nia, are you alright sweetie?” said Yolanda in a soothing voice.
“I’m fine mom,” Nia said as she wiped away her tears.
But, as always, Yolanda knew. She opened her daughter’s bedroom door and saw Nia’s tear stained face. She held out her arms to her daughter and Nia embraced her.
“Shh, It’s okay, rewa, Mommy’s here,” Yolanda whispered.
“No, it’s not okay mommy. I…I don’t know what to do. I just feel like there’s something wrong with me!”
“Oh, Nia, there is nothing wrong with you babygirl. You are beautiful. I promise you that.” But this made Nia cry even more.
“Come here, rewa,” said Yolanda.
They both walked towards Nia’s full length mirror. As they were standing in front of the mirror, Yolanda put her arms around her daughter.
“What do you see when you look in the mirror?” asked Yolanda.
Nia didn’t know how to respond to that question.
“You want to know what I see. I see these large beautiful eyes looking back at me as well as beautiful luminous dark skin,” Yolanda marveled.
“All the boys at school say that I’m ugly and fat.”
“You’re not fat Nia. You have beautiful curves to your body. Don’t you know that some of the most beautiful women in the world are shaped just like you. Think of Tyra Banks or even Selma Hayak. They have beautiful curves to their bodies as well. You don’t think those two ladies have ever felt fat or ugly.”
“Mom, those are celebrities. I’m nothing like them.”
“You have more in common with those ladies than you think,” Yolanda said to her daughter. “I just wish that I can look like everyone else sometimes. You know, like Danielle and Teresa.” “You don’t need to look like them, rewa. I wouldn’t trade you for a thousand of Danielles and Terseas.”
Nia began to study her reflection again, this time she really studied her features. “You know who else you look like,” said Yolanda.
“Who?”
“Your father. I swear, sometimes I can see him through you,” said Yolanda. “I really miss him, mommy.”
“Me too baby, but just remember that your father is in a better place. He’s no longer in pain. You know your father would be very proud of you.”
“He would?”
“Absolutely, rewa. I mean, you’re sweet, considerate, and you feel your emotions deeply. Ever consider becoming a nurse?” Yolanda said jokingly.
Nia began to laugh. A slight smile appeared on her face. But, then her facial expression had changed to a bit of sadness and confusion.
“So what do I do?” asked Nia.
“I don’t know rewa, but we’ll figure it out together. I promise. I’m your mother and I always got your back no matter what,” remarked Yolanda.
Yolanda continued to hold her daughter in her arms. Suddenly, Nia felt a beam of light shine on both her and her mom. It was coming through her window.
“Daddy,” Nia whispered to herself.
She knew it was him. She felt her father’s presence around them. It was as if he was shielding them from the outside world. He had answered her prayers. At that moment, nothing else mattered to Nia. The spirit of father, combined with her mother’s warmth and kindness was all she needed. Nia didn’t know what would happen next, but in that moment, looking into mothers soft eyes, she knew that everything was going to be okay.
The End
Look Out Here She Comes
By Abby White
This is Jamie dribbling the ball down the court during the game against Alliance
This 2022-2023 basketball season was interesting because of how much talent we had on the team and where the coaches decided to play people. At the beginning of the season, people were getting put into positions that everyone knew weren’t right, including me. I played freshman year on varsity and started last year on varsity and I do not know how this year I was put on JV. Our head coach stepped away from coaching us and our new coach was clueless about what to do. You could tell he favored people and that was a big thing because if you weren’t on his good side you weren’t playing varsity. That happened to me and Jamie because we were there to play basketball. Since I was a freshman our old coach had always been the coach and this year we had to learn a new coaching style. It was different and I did not like it at first. The freshman was such a great group of girls to play with though so it made it worth still coming. I had a blast and the season turned out fantastic once he got more comfortable with his position in coaching but I don’t agree with the fact that people were overlooked and never got a chance to prove themselves. For instance, Jamie Kopac is such a fantastic player and I believe she needed some experience at the varsity level. She worked so hard every day no matter what we were doing and she was always giving it her all. If I’m being honest she probably worked harder than me most days. She is such a wonderful teammate and she is always cheering people on and we need that at the varsity level because it is challenging. By the end of the season, she was averaging ten points a game on JV, and for someone to do that as a freshman is impressive. Her basketball IQ is outstanding. Half of the passes she made I was wondering how she even saw that the player was open. I always asked her why she was so quiet and she just said she didn’t want to be a bother. I told her she isn’t a bother at all and that she needs to start voicing how she is feeling it will pay off in the long run and she slowly started believing it. I heard her more at practice and she was just a shining light. You could tell that she was comfortable being there now. During a game at the beginning of the season, our coach was impressed with how she was playing and always made comments about her playing style. I told Jamie that the coach was talking good about her and she might have a chance to shine on the varsity court. She was so happy and it made me feel good. When our coach looked at the stats sheet all you saw was her name leading everything. I would always hype her up to him and I think it worked for the last half of the season because he slowly started to give her chances to be on varsity. For the last game of the season, the coach took two freshmen to play varsity and she was one of them. I was so happy because talking to her telling her to voice her opinion and me hyping her up to the coach paid off. She is by far the best shooter on our team and it showed the last few seconds of our tournament game. She was more of a player that would go in when we were up by a lot but it was still time on the court. Now in this case I knew she could do it and I told our coach she needed to take the shot. We were down by two and needed a three to win and I asked the coach if she could shoot the ball to win the game. Our coach called a timeout and we set a play up just for her. She was supposed to run a c-cut right off of me and shoot a three. We executed the play perfectly and she ran a c-cut off of me and hit a three and we won the game. A c-cut is exactly what it sounds like. You run in the shape of a “c” around the player to get open. I was so proud of her that I couldn’t express the way I was feeling. She didn’t let the team down and made the shot and we got to advance into another game and I didn’t get yelled at by my teammates for choosing “the freshmen” to make the shot. Her confidence level after that shot skyrocketed. She thanked me after the game for talking to her, helping her gain confidence in herself again, and telling her to speak what is on her mind. I will see her in the hallway at school because we did end up losing. We had to play the number one seed and they completely whopped us so the season came to an end. If I’m being quite honest we didn’t even stand a chance but that is okay because it makes me feel good for how much I helped her out. After all, I play to impact people’s lives and not just to win. I know that I impacted her life and changed the way she sees life. Jamie is super quiet and doesn’t say much but now I’ll hear her in the halls laughing and talking up a storm some days and it brightens my day. She is finally showing her worth and living life to the fullest. That is what life is all about. You have to wake up every day to impact someone’s life positively.
