Med School. Pharmacy School. Law school. For a student pursuing a career in these majors, the first words that often come to their minds is COMPETITION. How can I set myself up better than the other students? How can I outperform the student next to me? How can I butter up the professor to get a killer recommendation letter? How can I get the best insights, study guides and tips and avoid sharing it with anyone else?
Often times in these programs, it’s a dog-eat-dog world. I am lucky enough to be a contingent pharmacy student, meaning that I have a seat saved for me in the PharmD program as long as I keep up my grades in my first two years. For me, my only competition is my lack of motivation versus all of my coursework. However, with application season in full swing, I see the fires of competition brimming in my peers’ eyes.
Someone recently found a great website for studying for organic chemistry exams. However, since they feel that it will put them ahead, they keep it to themselves. Students sign up for a group project and, unbeknownst to the other group members, one member has already spoken to the professor and got the rubric for getting an A for their part, but does not share this information with the rest of the group. Friendships begin to crack and it becomes more of an “each man for himself” world.
This is the completely wrong way to approach undergrad. Instead of having a system where we are pitted against our peers, we should develop a system where we work together to develop new things and ideas.
Modesty check: we are all only human and incapable of knowing everything. Who knows what the student sitting next to you in calculus has to offer? Who knows what great insight that girl in your physics class has? Finally, who knows what a truly motivating friend your lab partner could be? Instead of withholding information and tips to ourselves, I believe that we should be more open to sharing and bringing classmates together.
I’m not saying to send a mass email to the hundreds of students in your class with study tips, but form a small study group of close friends where information can be freely shared. In just a small group of five people, each of you could have useful information that the others did not have. Combined, your knowledge source could be an arsenal.
By now, you might be thinking that if you form a group of you and four others, you are helping give away four seats in the program that could have been yours. However, if you all work together, everyone should be contenders at the same level and this will guarantee five seats for all of you, instead of just one for you.
Once you are in the program, wouldn’t you want a core group of friends to be there to suffer through it with you? The benefits to working together greatly outnumber the benefits to butting heads and making enemies. Why stress about putting someone behind when you could be alleviating your stress by working together with other like-minded students? I urge you, make it your resolution to cut the competition and find your core study and support group. Your seat (and your sanity) may just be saved.
Alexis Nieszcur is a second-year majoring in pharmacy.

When I sat next to Andrés Medina during UT’s production of “The Laramie Project,” I saw him as any other theatre major. I even had the pleasure of taking a film class with him last semester. But, right before the house lights dimmed for the show, Medina leaned over to me and expressed his excitement for the upcoming production of “No Exit.” He is the director of “No Exit” and he said to me with humble enthusiasm that “It’s kind of a big deal.” It is a completely student-run production — the actors, the designers and the young director, are all fresh and inspired students and Medina got me excited.
Months later I found myself once again at the Center for Performing Arts, Little Theatre. As I watched “No Exit,” Medina’s presence could be felt at each point of the show. The conceptual set design was very striking, the creation of fellow student William Collar. The set was all white. Three couches dressed the stage and the back drop was a large ascending staircase that twisted all the way up to the catwalk of the theatre. The never-ending staircase is reminiscent of M.C. Escher, and the minimalistic white set is, according to Medina, inspired from Peter Brook’s blank-canvas version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Surrounding the entire stage was a web of thin ropes, separating the audience from the performers. The ropes created the illusion of opaque walls, and which made the audience feel like they had X-Ray vision.
Suddenly the lights dimmed and a trap door appeared in the center of the stage—the characters entered … and they could never turn back the remainder of the play.
The play was about three deceased souls, played by Davion Brown, Olivia Pierce and the tragically hilarious Christina Pinciotti, who were trapped in a room with no exit. These unlikely characters would have to “exist” with one another forever in this room. I would be doing Jean-Paul Sartre a disservice if I tried to summarize his absurdist, existential play any further.
With absurd theatre like this, the success of the play depends on the actors, as they must appear to understand the logic of their own unusually — and unconventionally — written words and actions. The student actors were able to do justice to the characters.
“No Exit” is particularly challenging because all of the actors (with the exception of the Valet) are on stage the duration of the show. Once they enter, they can literally never exit. Even if they are not speaking, they must be aware of their movements at all times — it is existentialism at its finest. Through careful staging, the chemistry between Brown, Pierce and Pinciotti worked wonderfully. I found myself simultaneously listening to Pinciotti’s monologue while watching Brown and Pierce react. Each actor made their presence felt at all times and formed a cohesive group.
Medina handled his material with competence, and was able to stay faithful to the script as well as bring forth his own unique interpretation.
My only complaints were the sequences where the blackouts or music were used to portray the passing of time. In order for the existentialism to work, I think blackouts should be avoided just as much as exits.
Unlike “Henry V” or “Laramie” I found it very difficult to immerse myself into Sartre’s absurdist play. I felt a meta-theatrical, existential crisis, and I wasn’t alone. Other members of the audience seemed just as uncomfortable as me. It seemed like they were rudely shouting things at the stage just to distract themselves from having scary thoughts about their own existence.
At the beginning the characters in the play spoke about the ordinary things we all try hard to ignore, like blinking, breathing and sleep. Then they started panicking, desperately searching for a mirror to see their own reflection. This particular scene was done to show that, ironically enough, without mirrors, we are even more aware of ourselves and our existence. This is how they were able to dig deep into the psyche of the audience and make them question their own existence.
“No Exit” was a scary play, but splashed with humor, making it a delightful experience. It is a wonderful showcase of what UT theatre students can do.
Evan Sennett is a first-year majoring in film studies, and he is also an IC cartoonist.

As a Ph.D. student, I’ve been looking at the myriads of non-academic and non-traditional positions that are there for us now. Lately, the traditional career track of Ph.D. students is changing. It was interesting to discover how the recipient of the Ph.D., someone who has been traditionally defined as a specialist in a particular field, has now become the exact opposite: a trained specialist with skill sets that could cater to a wide variety of analytical, written and management positions.
The occupations that have become relevant to Ph.D.s include management consultant, writing positions, quantitative analysts and so on. Even industry positions have discarded the traditional association of a Ph.D. as being another cog in a machine, useful only for serving a specialized or repetitive role. Companies have also realized it is more profitable to restructure the Ph.D. role to head individual projects, rather than doing routine experiments on projects decided by the general conglomerate of the company.
The management consultant position is a perfect example of how Ph.D. skills have become transferable, and how Ph.D.s in something as different as the various STEM fields can fit in this position. Management consultants work on the strategy, management and operations of a business. They are essentially the problem solvers, analysts and strategists just like Ph.D.s. The core work of a management consultant is understanding the fundamentals of each of the sections so as to be able to guide and direct them in the most effective way. I often think that a management consultant is someone who is looked to for providing both the innovation and the critical thinking required for any part of the project.
If any graduate student has been reading, I’m sure the management consultant work will resonate very strongly with their own — I know it did with me. The long hours and the undefined work are only the superficial layers of similarity between being a management consultant and being a doctoral student, at least in the STEM fields.
The innovative function of finding the most effective methods with limited resources, data analysis and the use of data to plan a strategy are all things that come naturally to those with a Ph.D., and from what I understand, these are core for managing a business as well.
The skills mentioned above are also useful for positions that require analytical skills, strategic planning and leadership. Leadership is a quality that isn’t intuitively associated with a Ph.D. However, I’ve learned that having to learn from a principal investigator, as well as mentoring other students in lab, gives a graduate student the perspectives of both dealing with upper management and delegating people working with you.
It is time that the traditional perspectives of a Ph.D. change, and that institutions realize they need to develop the analyst, strategist and problem solver in their doctorate students, rather than just developing them as a specialized employee of a certain field.
Understanding and realizing this will only go so far, though, if this is not met with change and action. This change can take shape in the form of courses and workshops at universities which will cater to the characteristics in Ph.D.s that make them so transferable and versatile. Universities have already started offering business and journalism classes to their Ph.D.s. UT needs to get on board with this as well.
Tomer Avidor-Reiss, a professor of biological sciences at UT, once told me that when you graduate with a Ph.D. and get out into the world, you’re not going to be judged simply based on the techniques you know as a doctorate. He told me I was going to be judged on the basis of whether I have the ability to figure out a problem, learn a new technique by myself within a short period of time — essentially, on whether I can take the project handed to me and just make it go. That was a very different, yet real, perspective he had given me.
There is an Academic Leadership Academy workshop that the UT business school holds to educate graduate students about industry and how to succeed outside of academia. Here, Ph.D.s from the mathematics, engineering, biological sciences, chemistry and other such non-business departments are brought in and given knowledge about business, something we don’t otherwise get in our graduate courses.
This workshop is a small step, but a step nonetheless. It is important for UT to integrate non-STEM courses in graduate curricula. It is time UT and other universities realize that they aren’t just molding an expert in a small section of a certain subject area. Rather, they are molding a person who should be able to fulfill various roles in various subject areas.
Maisha Rashid is a Ph.D. student in cancer biology and the IC opinion editor.

I have a bug inside of me that will never go away. It is a virus without a cure: the constant urge to create moving images. Films.
Perhaps you have that bug too. I know that there are at least a handful of other UT students who work countless hours, tirelessly staring at a computer screens or film viewers as if it were their lifeline — an extension of themselves.
Filmmaking is hard — really hard. Despite the difficulty, it is impossible for us to divorce ourselves from the moving image. It is a part of us forever, in the same way that a virus can never truly be eliminated.
The Center for Performing Arts is holding the annual Student Filmmaker’s Showcase at Center Theatre this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. It is the only time every year when the Department of Theatre and Film opens its doors to the public and showcases the blood, sweat and tears of those of us who have “the bug.”
Film professors hand-pick the best student’s work from the year and showcase it as one, but diverse, packaged collection of short films. There is no running theme or motif for the showcase other than variety.
The diverse films show us and project the different psyches of our peers. Not every filmmaker at the University of Toledo makes black and white 16 mm film dramas, similar to how not all painters use water color. The great thing about the annual showcase is that each film is sprung from a different perspective of the world.
Not only do we share our different views of the world, but we share different views of our university as well. All of the films in the showcase are products of the students at UT. Many of them were filmed right here on campus. Some will look like they were made right here at UT, while some will transform the university into another world.
James Aponte’s “Pursuit” was filmed on the engineering campus, but through clever lighting and framing looks almost unrecognizable. “Pursuit” exists in a space that we all share, but you would never know it. Other projects, like John Troth’s experimental documentary, “I’m Sorry For Being Such an Asshole” defy space entirely. Troth’s film seems to exist nowhere but in the filmmaker’s head.
The showcase is like an invitation to the many subjective angles of space and time. With the excessive use of cellphones and social media taking away our imaginations, we may not all be able see like filmmakers. However, that is not the point of filmmaking. The point is that we are all UT students — bug or no bug. We share a campus, a generation and a humanity. The Student Filmmaker’s Showcase is a celebration of that shared humanity — oh, and there’s a pretty cool free party after the show, too.
Evan Sennett is a first-year majoring in film studies, and he is also an IC cartoonist.

Every candidate in the current presidential campaign is free to express their views. However, being presidential candidates, their words and expressions can influence many people and bring up many issues and topics. Like any other election season, this year’s presidential candidates have introduced a lot of narratives into the public discourse. One narrative that, surprisingly, is becoming very popular among Americans is the message of prejudice, hate, division and bigotry.
A particular candidate is spreading hate, loathing, vindictive and contemptuous feelings towards Muslims, illegal Hispanic immigrants or immigrants in general. Unfortunately, this message seems to resonate and is influencing both liberal and conservative Americans.
There is an ongoing dialogue about this candidate who, as we all know is none other than the infamous Donald Trump. He is inspiring so much hate the question becomes: should he even be given access to the high office of United States president? I think that the answer to that will depend on what the American public thinks and what qualities they want in their next president.
I think in the end Americans essentially have to choose whether they want the culture of love or hate. Love is a complex idea and most of us easily toss it out through the window the moment our personal wellbeing is at stake. This is what makes the political campaigns a good platform to perpetuate hate — using hateful language and unfounded fears to whip up “patriotic” sentiments to achieve personal goals. It is easier to reciprocate hate if we believe other people also hate us or our country. And so, Trump is choosing to win votes by spreading hate, as that is the more gossip-worthy and attention-grabbing dialogue.
We’re told the Mexicans are only criminals who rape our women and that every Muslim wants to terrorize America. So naturally, we should reciprocate such hateful intentions. I’ve been thinking about whether there’s a thing as “justified” hate within certain contexts. How much effort does it take to turn a “loving” people into a hateful people?
Trump is telling Americans that building a big wall around America to stop immigrants, driving out “criminal” immigrants, and viciously attacking people who express opposing views and lifestyles will make the country great again. I agree I’m new to that concept of America but I find it difficult to believe that the U.S. can really be that vindictive.
This is the 21st century: a period where most Americans embrace the importance of diversity and increasing global interactions. Strangely, however, the country seems to agree with building this Great Wall of China or the Berlin Wall in America.
So what is the appropriate time for loving Americans to speak up against this growing culture of hate and divisiveness? What is the right time to tell the world that America does not develop based on hateful sentiments? Fortunately, some people have started leading the way, like the creator of the popular Humans of New York Facebook blog who posted: “I realize now that there is no correct time to oppose violence and prejudice. The time is always now. Because along with millions of Americans, I’ve come to realize that opposing him is no longer a political decision. It is a moral one.” Similarly, Elizabeth Warren spoke against the promotion of a form of hate that is virulent and that is bad for the country.
These unilateral efforts are inadequate if ordinary citizens refuse to speak up. We need to send the message that everyone, irrespective of their looks, origins, beliefs or lifestyles, needs love.
We should choose a parallel message to hate. We should talk about building the economy, politics and society without resorting to hate or exploiting the anger in people. So while the messengers of hate and division may even become president of this great country, we have a choice to renounce that message and replace it with the message of love and unity. Let us rise and make America great again.
Philemon Abayateye is a doctoral student in geography and planning.

“Man, this is heavy,” Marty McFly stated as he strolled into his hometown thirty years into the future – 2015. It’s hard to imagine the possibilities of the future even ten years down the road, let alone thirty. In the futuristic Hill Valley of movie “Back to the Future Part II,” flying cars were the norm, hoverboards had replaced the obsolete skateboard and holographic technology dominated every aspect of life.
I think it’s safe to say that when we think of the future, we envision technology galore — everything automatic, simple tasks conducted by robots and devices that completely alter our lifestyles. As amazing as this may all seem, it makes you think — when does technology become too much?
It’s absolutely ridiculous how much technology has taken over people’s lives. First of all, carrying out a normal conversation becomes difficult. It’s not uncommwon that I often find myself speaking with someone’s forehead as their eyes are glued to the devices on their laps. Not only is this super annoying, it’s rude, inconsiderate and just shows you how much that person doesn’t care for what you’re saying.
Furthermore, technology has made people extremely lazy. Of course, it can be helpful, but the reliance people have on it these days is sure to diminish brain activity. For instance, if you needed to get directions back in 2003, you’d have to pull out that handy map and plan out your route in advance so you know what streets to take. Nowadays, we have a woman’s voice inside a box telling us where we need to go — no need for a measly map. While this is helpful, it also makes us rely less on our own intellectual capacities.
The rapid increase in technological advancements from just over ten years ago has increasingly caused us to lose the ability to perform simple tasks. That’s why the fast food industry is booming — people no longer want to take the time to cook a fresh, home-cooked meal and gather around the dinner table to swap the day’s stories. Instead, dinner for Suzy is eating buttered popcorn on her bed, watching Netflix and having three conversations on her phone. How is this healthy? Why have people succumbed to Suzy’s dreadful ways? This generation is all about the now — if people want, people better get, or people lose interest almost immediately.
Though technology has had a profound effect upon our lives, I think that children are suffering the most from these advancements. And the worst part is they don’t even know it. Kids these days don’t know what it’s like to live in a world without technology, where people were more in tune with the environment and nature.
Whenever I leave the house, I am constantly surrounded by people half my age attached to some sort of technological device. This bothers me to no end. I sincerely do not understand what these third graders could possibly need a cell phone for — homework help? When I was in elementary school, no one had a cell phone. If you wanted to talk to someone outside of school, you had one of two options: A) knock on their front door; or, more commonly, B) pull out the school directory, call the landline and ask to speak to your friend.
In addition, I feel like children don’t understand the meaning of “play” anymore. Gathering the neighborhood kids for a day of games and fun on a perfect summer evening was a dream come true. Kids back then were active, and enjoyed running around to have fun with others. Nowadays, “play” for kids is downloading the new trending app. It amazes me how different my childhood was from kids today, considering it really wasn’t too long ago when cell phones were a rarity, YouTube didn’t exist and Apple existed to most people as a fruit.
So, going back to the question “Is technology too much?” Yes. Yes it is. And it will continue to advance in ways we never thought imaginable. Who knows, maybe one day we will have flying cars, and hover boards, and self-tying shoes … actually, Nike has already created tennis shoes that tighten up for themselves, and gave its first pair to Michael J. Fox. Like I said before, these advancements are ruining our abilities to carry out basic tasks. Our children may never know how to tie their shoes — and that’s scary to think about.
Samar Ayoub is a first year majoring in biology.

Hi, my name is Joe. And even tho I have a bachelor’s degree in English, I speak and write in text language. Here is why I think it’s OK:
Language changes, it always has and it always will.
And unlike French, English has no governing body that tells us what is and is not proper English. In fact, “proper” English is a myth. The French have what is called the Académie française, a council of 40 members that decides the proper way French is spoken and written, and publishes the official lexicon. English, on the other hand, has no such restrictions.
In English there are no official guidelines, even if your grandmother occasionally yells at you for saying “me and my friends” instead of “my friends and me.”
Linguistically, all forms of English, written or spoken, are deemed acceptable so long as the exchange is mutual and clearly transmitted between the two communicating parties. (I know this definition sounds so academic, but all it means is as long as you are understood, you are good.)
So if I am writing a column like this one, and I spell “though” as “tho” and people still understand what I am saying, then I am still effectively writing in English.
All those grammarians and strict prescriptivists out there are probably having a heart attack, but I have a piece of advice for them. It’s time to stop holding onto the rules so hard.
Do you think your idol and role model Shakespeare thought too hard about rules? No, he invented new words to fit his mad metrical poetry. Also, language has changed since Shakespeare’s time (we even got rid of entire pronouns).
The English language is going to continue to change too, and as a writer and speaker of English, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto something that is going to keep changing. Do you think that if newspapers were written in early modern English (which is only 500 years old) that many people would understand? Of course not! Ye might think me mad.
It is because the evolution of the English language is reflective of the way the world changes with time. Language changes and it changes fast, and with global influences and technology, it has the ability to change even faster.
Around 1,000 years ago, Old English looked like this:
HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum,
þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!
And technically this is still English — well, Old English. Over time, the language evolved and changed because of various French invasions and conquests of what is now Britain.
Other languages and cultures influence English more than any other factor. Many of our words have been stolen or adapted from other languages like Latin, Greek or French, even tho our grammar comes from the Germanic structure.
Sure language doesn’t change over night, but as it changes it is important to embrace it. All variations of English are just as acceptable as another.
Language variation is SO important too. It represents the of parts and pieces of our identity. No one’s language choice or dialect is exactly like another’s, they can be similar, but each are unique. But just because someone uses bigger words does not mean they are intelligent, or because someone uses “tbh” does not mean they are ignorant.
Perhaps if you spoke to me or read my texts, you might not be able to tell I have a degree in English. You might have the preconceived idea that someone with extensive training in the language would use it in a “proper” manner. Wrong. My degree taught me much more than just writing to sound intelligent.
I learned that communication can happen in so many ways, and the subtle nuances matter A LOT.
The reason I use “tho” instead of “though” is because it is shorter and more efficient. Even some of my English professors, who have doctorate degrees, spell it this way. The English language has lots of left over rules from Old English, French, German, Latin, etc. that aren’t really useful now. So why not change them?
I’m not saying that we have to rewrite our whole language to be more efficient, but if an adaptation arises, becomes popular, and modern English speakers still understand you, then why not use it?
At its roots, the English language is democratic — it morphs to fit the needs of those who use it most.
Therefore, if groups of English speakers collectively use new words or phrases, then they will actually be written into the language. Over time, I envision and hope that the dictionary keeps up with the rapid evolution of our lingo. Heaven knows Imma keep writing in my own voice altho it might not be reflected in the dictionary, and everyone else should do the same.

Joe Heidenescher is a recent UT graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English.

If you’re like me, you have to look away, mute or change the channel every time one of those heart-wrenching animal shelter commercials comes on TV. The animal’s sad eyes and the depressing background music make the perfect recipe for a guilty heart.
People always go crazy when they see a puppy running carefree or a tiny kitten snuggled up with its littermates. However, despite the extent to which people are drawn to these innocent animals, our shelters are still overflowing with the unwanted animals. Why is that?
According to the ASPCA, five in ten dogs and seven in ten cats that enter shelters are euthanized, simply because there aren’t enough people to adopt them. These statistics are heartbreaking. Many of the animals that have been euthanized could’ve benefited so much if they’d had a special human companion to love them.
Why are these statistics so high? One major reason is that people will often choose pet stores instead of animal shelters for their new companion. Pet stores are often in more prime locations, which see a lot of foot traffic, compared to the more isolated and less expensive locations that shelters are built around.
Some people also associate stigmas with shelters, calling the shelters dirty and filled with depressed animals. People would much rather shop than adopt. In reality, most shelters are extremely clean and often offer state-of-the-art medical facilities and play areas.
Many people go to buy a pet with the aims of buying a purebred dog or puppy. Pet stores sell extremely high-priced purebred animals, a lot of which are from puppy mills with disgusting breeding conditions. In addition, if a purebred pet does not meet breed standards or has some ailment, the breeders at the mill will put it down immediately.
Over 25 percent of shelter dogs are purebred, but while an adoption fee at a shelter can cost you under $100 for a purebred dog, it would cost hundreds at a pet store. Plus, if you buy the purebred from the shelter, you leave feeling happy because you saved the life of the animal you adopted and you also got the purebred pet you wanted.
Even with those avenues, sometimes it can be better to choose a lovable mutt over a purebred in any case. The number of pets euthanized because they don’t look the way the breed should or have some disability is truly disheartening. Sure, purebred pets are adorable, but they often have numerous health problems and can cost to upwards of a few thousand dollars depending on the breed.
Next time you are in the market for an animal companion, I urge you to adopt, not shop for your new friend. Websites such as petfinder.com allow you to search for shelter pets by location, breed, size, age and by specifics such as color and coat pattern, declawed status or any special needs. This and other websites help you to truly find the perfect shelter pet match for your wishes.
Over four million animals were adopted from shelters this past year. Until all the shelters are empty and no animal has to be senselessly euthanized, urge everyone you know to adopt their next furry family member from the local shelter. You will save money, save a life and perhaps never have to feel so guilty again when those commercials come on the TV.
Alexis Nieszcur is a second-year majoring in pharmacy.

The provost is critical in shaping the future of any university — they are traditionally second in command. And with so many vacancies in President Sharon Gaber’s leadership cabinet, the provost role has become even more crucial to the stability of the University of Toledo. With the stakes so high, Andrew Hsu (pronounced “shoo”) seems to be the correct candidate for our community.
As provost, Hsu will be in charge of communicating with the faculty, a crucial role that he emphasized in his open forum. It’s been a tumultuous, slow-healing relationship between the administration and the faculty after the Lloyd Jacobs administration ended in 2014. Faculty members felt discouraged to speak out about issues, had no updated contract for five years, and felt there was a lack of shared governance between the administration and faculty. While Gaber has taken steps to be open and rebuild that relationship, having a provost who is also in favor of shared governance to help foster that relationship will be helpful in days to come.
When visiting UT, Hsu emphasized his ability to work with a university community on developing and implementing strategic plans. As a key figure in shaping the academic state of the university, we believe Hsu’s experience at other institutions will allow him to communicate effectively about the university’s future. Making a strategic plan is one thing, but having the ability to work with the people at UT to carry it out is another.
During his time here, former provost Scott Scarborough had a number of items he wanted to accomplish in his five-year plan. He quickly jumped into several ambitious projects (like the Schoolcraft College partnership) and restructured some programs in a way that only made sense to a few. Many of those ideas floundered once he left, and UT’s vision and plan have been somewhat muddled and unclear ever since.
Now with Gaber at the helm hammering out a clear, concrete set of goals that address topics like diversity and spending, UT seems to be back on track. Enrollment is one of her primary topics, and Hsu said that was one of his focal points when he visited. He spoke about his work increasing the San Jose State College of Engineering enrollment. In his forums, Hsu focused on advising and first-year mentoring to increase retention as well, another problem UT has struggled with solving.
Hsu’s background set him apart from the other candidates in that he has first-hand experience in limited opportunities for education. Hsu grew up in China and for a period of his life worked as a laborer, unable to receive education for a period of about five years. Because of his upbringing, Hsu said he is deeply committed to helping underprivileged and disadvantaged students find an education. Balancing this goal while achieving excellence is no small challenge, but Hsu said he wants to avoid becoming elitist while empowering students, aiming for both “access and success.”
To us, this is one of Hsu’s most important qualifications for the job. Having a provost who understands how to be successful while addressing disadvantaged students’ needs is something the UT community is desperate for. Any university should aim to both encourage excellence and provide support, and UT is no different. With Hsu using his prior experience to further these goals, we feel he is an excellent choice for provost. Going forward, it is our job as a community to provide the feedback and input necessary to maintain shared governance and collaboration between the university’s administrators and ourselves.

A few months ago I wrote a piece for the IC critical of U.S. foreign policy. Not surprisingly, the first comment on the column was a bit of advice suggesting that I either embrace the government’s actions or move to another country. As many of us are aware, the “love it or leave it” bromide is an example of a pathetic sort of nationalism that refuses to even acknowledge the critic’s position. Accordingly, I didn’t address the comment and simply forgot about it until a couple of personal and political events related to this idea occurred recently.
After the Super Tuesday elections, several news outlets reported that search engine queries about immigrating to Canada from the U.S. had jumped by up to 1000 percent. As impressive as the number may sound, it is allegedly dwarfed in comparison to the number of similar queries that followed Bush’s election back in 2000. In fact, it seems that Americans regularly threaten to pack their bags for Canada whenever a presidential election is near. However, the threats are mostly empty and very few people actually even attempt to leave the country. But why not? If people have such serious qualms with the country, why stick around?
The simplest answer I can think of is that it’s easy to have an emotional reaction to a highly publicized and undesirable event, but in reality the problems eventually might not seem substantial enough to justify a drastic action. Everybody has a voice in a democracy, so none of us can get our way all of time. Although America might have some problems, it’s still as good a place to live as anywhere, right?
Well, as it turns out, the problems facing the U.S. are likely more serious than we care to admit. Looking at the data makes me think twice about the claim that the U.S. is a great place to live, or even a good one. In light of this host of problems, the desire to get out of the country seems more and more reasonable.
The U.S. has a horrifying incarceration rate of 716 out of 100,000, making it number one in the world, holding over a fifth of the planet’s prisoners. In comparison, Russia comes in at a distant second with 455 per 100,000 and other developed nations average around 100 per 100,000.
We are also leading in terms of healthcare costs, but not necessarily quality. The U.S. spends about 17.4 percent of GDP on healthcare while Sweden, which is number two, spends less than 12 percent. Some commentators like to claim that our healthcare system is the best in the world, which could explain the high cost. However, statistical analyses of healthcare costs around the world place us near the bottom of the 34 developed OECD countries. And as a result of the high cost of health care, about one-in-four Americans currently die in bankruptcy.
A final measure of U.S. leadership can be seen by looking at military spending. We fund about 37 percent of the world’s armed forces, which gives us a greater “defense” budget than at least the next nine countries on the list combined. Thanks to our financial commitment to militarism, we’re able to maintain 630 bases in foreign countries around the world, which surpasses any nation or empire in history. Depending on your stance, this could be good or bad, but it certainly makes you wonder what else we could be doing with that money.
I could go on with statistics that show the problems facing the United States. My purpose is not to make a comprehensive list, but to hint at the severity of the problems we’re facing. And given the direction we’re going, it could be overly optimistic to suppose that significant change is likely or even possible in the near future. Perhaps for those of you who don’t love being in the U.S., the best option is to leave it.
That sentiment became especially relevant for me when I was admitted to a Ph.D. program in Canada a week before Super Tuesday. I’ve since accepted the offer and gotten the necessary paperwork to immigrate. And why not?
Many of us are discontent with the way things are and the way they’re going in the U.S. Real causes for concern extend far beyond the results of the next presidential election. For those of us who want to address even more difficult problems than those produced by imperialism, racism, unfettered capitalism and anti-intellectualism, the best choice may be to look for a life elsewhere.

Kyle Novak is a masters student of philosophy.

I have cried alone in my car in the past month more times than I should admit in a published column. It is all because of the song “7 Years” by the Danish band Lukas Graham.
There are certain songs that always make me feel something — the best songs should always make you feel something. “Hey Ya” by OutKast makes me happy, “You Are My Sunshine” makes me nostalgic, and “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train makes me want to change the channel immediately.
I was riding in the car with my mom a couple of weeks ago before watching a Michigan State basketball game on TV. The radio was playing commercials so I changed the station and “7 Years” came on. I asked if she had heard it before because it is always on the radio, but she said she hadn’t which confirmed my suspicion that she lives under a rock. Then those cursed lyrics came on. From under my sunglasses I teared up, and few tears fell. My mom saw my tears and just laughed at me. She ended up leaving me in the car to have a moment by myself while she went inside the Anderson’s to get her snack.
I’ve heard “7 Years” probably 20 times, and when it gets to a certain part it makes me feel really sad. The lyrics go, “I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once. I hope my children come and visit once or twice a month.” Instant tears. And I think to myself, “Why? Why do I feel this way? I shouldn’t be so affected by this.”
I think the reason that line affects me so much is because my parents are getting older (like everyone else) and they will be retiring at the same time I will be the busiest with my life. I don’t want to become the kind of person that only sees their family on holidays or just once or twice a month, but I have a secret fear that I will, and it might even be less often than that. I don’t want to be like the Papaw’s grandchildren who went viral when they didn’t show up to his dinner where he made them all burgers. I have all the time in the world to visit my parents now, because I live at home, but in the years ahead I won’t have that kind of convenience.
“7 Years” is all about growing up and the problems we face with age. It goes from someone being seven years old and struggling to make friends, to an 11-year-old who faces social pressure, and then they’re 20, working on a career, imagining what they will be like at age 30 and 60. They imagine older life as someone who has children and only gets to see some of their friends from the past. It is a coming-of-age tale, and I think the reason the song is getting so much air time is because the song resonates with so many people.
So if you catch me crying alone in my car, there is a 78 percent chance that I am listening to “7 Years.” And there is also a good chance the same song affects you in some way, too.

Morgan Rinckey is a third-year double-majoring in English and Communication.

God bless Roger Corman. His low-budget B-movies defined an era of cinema. After the Golden Age of film in the 30s and 40s, Hollywood went into hibernation. While European films began to blossom, the US had simply lost its influence on the silver screen.
American films in the 1950s and early 60s had lost the zany creativity of the Classic Age. The craziest, funniest, most imaginative films of this period in American film weren’t a part of the A-list Hollywood studio pictures. Perhaps television was ruining the big screen, or perhaps the studio system was losing its momentum. Either way, if one wishes to find originality in the cinema from the middle of the twentieth century, look no further than the low budget films of Roger Corman.
It has been said that “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960), a Roger Corman production, was filmed in only two days. The film is a strange, dark, self-aware horror-comedy. It is celebrated today for its campy dialogue and corny acting. Jack Nicholson makes a brief appearance in this movie in one of his earliest roles. This cult classic was brought back to life in 1982 as a Broadway musical — a perfect fit for the hokey humor of the original. The musical was then turned into a big budget musical film (starring Rick Moranis and directed by Frank Oz) and has obtained a huge cult following over the years.
With so many versions of the story leading to different interpretations of the original, it is important to continue the celebration of this cheesy tale by talking about the preceding interpretations. When the University of Toledo’s Department of Theatre and Film decided to produce a version of “Little Shop,” director Edmund Lingan chose to pay homage the horror influences of the film. As mentioned in his director’s statement, Corman’s darkly humorous voice is mixed into Lingan’s “theatrical cauldron” for the play.
“Little Shop” is a spectacle, filled with rotating sets, dozens of costume changes and an ever-growing man-eating plant puppet. The small space of UT’s Center Theatre works very well for this type of show. The modestly sized stage is designed such that it stuck right in the middle of the audience, resulting in a transportation of each spectator directly onto Skid Row. It ends up being an intimate space that brings the spectator very close to the spectacle. Production Designer Daniel Thobias has once again crafted a smart set which transforms the theater space into a very interactive set and one that seems to always be in motion.
A solid cast of enthusiastic actors kept me well-entertained and reminded me of Corman’s original film. But while the actors were so accurate, the orchestra seemed to disappear into the voices of the actors. The musicians were playing off stage with microphones. Without their acoustic notes naturally filling the Center Theatre, the artificial condensed sound of the orchestra failed to create any excitement from the musical numbers. This was important since one should feel the presence of instruments in a musical. Without them, I became disinterested in the songs: a major problem for this medium.
“Little Shop of Horrors” is a dysfunctional play, and with this in mind Edmund Lingan very aptly directed his team. The cynicism of the 1960s shows through the direction and the corny attitude of the actors was matched by the huge man-eating plant, Audrey II. The carnivorous herb was an effective presence throughout the show, even while he just simply sat still in the background like any other prop. Through all the hokey comedy in the foreground, the static Audrey II is the true horror in the “Little Shop,” and the play acknowledged that idea.
Lingan has given UT an exciting finale to the Film and Theatre season. UT’s production of this classic plant story holds it roots respectfully in the Corman tradition.

Evan Sennett is a first-year majoring in film studies, and he is also an IC cartoonist.

Were you one of those people who grew up knowing exactly who they wanted to be when they got older? Were you one of the lucky few who, when asked in 4th grade, proudly said firefighter, author or painter and stuck with it ever since? Well, I wasn’t.
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up. I jumped from author to lawyer to first female president. I even tried paleontologist on for size, but nothing seemed to fit. Even when I came to UT I became a communication major simply because I knew I was good at public speaking, and it was a pretty general field.
So this is how I was, wandering aimlessly through a degree I didn’t think I cared about, when I applied for The Independent Collegian. Well, technically when my friend badgered me into applying for the IC and I reluctantly gave in. That would have been a little over a year ago.
Now I am the Editor-in-Chief, having moved quickly through Associate News Editor and News Editor in only about a year. It was a quick learning curve, and at times almost unbearably stressful, but always worth it.
But now I know what I want to be when I grow up. Being a reporter here at the IC sparked a passion I have never known before. Now I have been given the opportunity to help run the paper, and I’ve never been more grateful.
Getting the opportunity to be the Editor-in-Chief of the IC is something I could have only dreamed about. Being only a third-year student in the fall would make me one of the youngest EICs the paper has had, which means I won’t have a whole year of experience most others in the position have had, which is both exciting and nerve racking.
Thank God I won’t be the only one working here.
I could never have accomplished anything this year if it wasn’t for the amazing group of people I get to work with. Every day I am impressed by the amount of passion, skill and creativity that my coworkers have and bring to the table every week.
This is a huge transitional year for us here at the paper. We are losing a lot of really talented and exceptional people including our general manager, managing, sports and copy editors as well as our personal vagrant editor and layout guru. It’s going to be hard to come back in the fall knowing that so many of the people I’ve come to know and love won’t be around every Tuesday night.
But I will, and I think that is how you truly know you’re doing what you should be doing with your life. When your friends no longer work with you and you feel like you’re alone, if you still get excited about doing what you’re doing, then you’re in the right place.
The thing about the IC is it’s not supposed to be a place that you stay for too long. People come and go every year, gaining the skills and experience they need. It’s all about the learning experience.
On the other hand, some of us end up here for most of the time we spend at UT, sometimes even longer. We continue to grow and learn every year, become experts in the IC and everything it encompasses. We are definitely the minority here, but also an important element to its sustainability.
Even my academic adviser, who has truly been a huge factor to my growing success and confidence in what I am doing, warned me to not let the paper overrun my life. But how could I not? I think this stems from a misconception that when you throw your whole heart into something you truly care about you’re going to let other things fall through the cracks, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with letting the paper overrun my life.
If I’ve learned one thing from this, it’s not to worry if you don’t know what you’re doing right now. For a lot of people, myself included, you won’t know until it smacks you in the face.
At the same time, don’t settle for mediocrity, either. Don’t allow yourself to be comfortable in a position that doesn’t consume and excite you. Don’t work without passion. Once you find your niche, you will be able to go above and beyond even your own expectations of yourself, and you’ll finally be able to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grown up?”

Over the summer I worked three different internships at several newspapers across Toledo. I enjoyed aspects of every single one of them, but the truth is there is no such thing as a “good” internship. Every internship you will ever have will always have great aspects and horrible nightmares. Besides learning how to manage my time on a ridiculously hectic schedule, I learned a lot this past summer on how to be a better journalist and an even better intern. I was able, through my experience, to find the top five most common ways that internships are horrible and talk about how I survived them all in one crazy summer.
My first internship was for a boss who couldn’t get back to me -probably the most blatant sign of a disastrous internship. I was hired around the last week of the spring semester and didn’t hear from them again for a whole month. Not only that, but texts, calls and emails went unanswered for weeks. While this internship was paid and the only one where I actually wrote as a journalist, it was made impossible by a boss who would never respond and was never around.
The only way to survive is to be persistent and value your own time. If you catch yourself stuck in an internship with a boss who’s harder to catch than a Snorlax, all you can do is try to contact them on a regular basis. If it’s an emergency, always call, but also make sure you check in every once in a while with an email, call or even a text if your boss is okay with that. If they ask you last minute to do something or you miss something you were supposed to attend because they never told you about it, make sure you’re polite, but firm and tell them that your time is valuable. You can’t make everyone good at communication, but you can control how you communicate and how you let people communicate with you.
My second internship began in the middle of the summer. I met a different kind of challenge: a boss who didn’t know how to be a boss. He never gave me any instructions on what I was supposed to be doing or how I was supposed to behave. Not only did we have a lack of communication, but also a lack of understanding of what I was capable of handling. It led to a lot of awkward adjustments when he would give me assignments and expect them to last me two hours, yet it would only take me 30 minutes to complete. For a long time I just went home early.
The way to survive an internship like this is to just be upfront about what you bring to the table and your skill set. Rather than sitting quietly for an hour wasting your time, make sure you ask if there’s anything else you can do and explain how you’re capable of handling more than just simple tasks.
As your internships progress, you will find that they are all horrible in more than one way and all uniquely so. The worst part of any internship or job is when you finally thought you had it all under control and figured out and then your boss avoids paying you. The same boss, who could never get back to me on time, soon became the boss who refused to pay me (go figure). When my internship was wrapping up and the summer was nearing an end, I was anticipating my paycheck. With the fall semester starting and textbooks, notebooks, pens and everything else still needing to be bought, I needed the money I earned from this job. So I kept texting and calling to ask when we could meet for him to give me my check. No answer. It was worse than before when he just never responded; now it really felt like he was ignoring me. After we even had to meet at a get-together for another job I had, he still didn’t bring my check and avoided me later that day as not to give it to me then.
The solution to solving this one is to be honest and upfront. If you think someone is avoiding you, tell them so. If that scares you, try showing up in their office when you know they will be there so it’s impossible for them to avoid you. Be assertive. Overall, respect yourself and the time and work you put into your job because you deserve to be paid for your work.
Shortly after my fourth horrible internship began, I made a horrible realization. For a journalism internship, I did very little journalistic work. The work I was doing did not help me grow in my field or learn anything new; Instead, I was more of a glorified, unpaid secretary. I had to write transcriptions, organize lists and make phone calls for him. All the stuff a secretary usually gets paid to do.
My advice to you about a job like this is to simply quit.
The finale to my five horrible internship disasters was actually the least horrible: when you’re the smartest person in the room and you’re the intern. It’s nice to work somewhere where you’re the expert, but when you’re constantly trying to teach your boss, it can get complicated.
Work with them as much as possible and volunteer to do the work they want you to teach them to do. That way you can still spend the same amount of time on it and your boss doesn’t have to rely on your directions.
You can learn a lot from being an intern. Everything has something to teach you, especially horrible experiences. But you have to always remember that it is still important to treat it like a job and not let anyone take advantage of you. Internships are there to help you become a better person and to advance your knowledge in your field. Your time is valuable and might be worth more than theirs someday. So go out there and land the internship of your dreams.

Last weekend, my family canned tomatoes. If you’ve never made homemade tomato juice, sauce or whole tomatoes, you probably don’t know that hot tomatoes smell. The scent gets into your clothes, your hair and your skin. No amount of scrubbing gets rid of the tomato. I’ll forever smell like the acidic redness.

But once a year, my sisters and I get guilt-tripped by our mother into canning tomatoes. And we suffer in the sweltering kitchen, all wearing “great-aunt Lucielle’s” homemade aprons. I’ve never met my great-great aunt Lucile because I’m pretty sure she died in the 1970s, way before I was born. But because my great-great aunt and her daughters, their daughters and my mother and her sisters all canned tomatoes together, we all have to can tomatoes together.

The first step is to wash all the tomatoes and separate the good from the bad. My aunt Laura always has to sort through each tomato herself, as she insists on making sure the tomatoes are up to par. Each tomato is carefully checked over for bad spots and for color. Bad tomatoes can ruin an entire jar of tomato soup. Just one, small rotten tomato can ruin an entire good thing that you spent time laboring over.

Next, the tomatoes have to be cooked. You can do this by filling up a large pot with quartered tomatoes and small amount of water and boiling them. It amazes me every time that the pot is quickly filled with water, even though I’ve only added the tiniest amount. This is where the smell comes into play. Hot tomatoes reek like three-day dead road kill. I cannot stand the smell of them. But in the end, I still eat them even though I know they smell like complete garbage when boiling.

Growing up, my job was the tomato squisher, which is the next step. Starting as early as age 5, I got to stand on the chair and squish the hot and cooked tomatoes with a plastic plunger and crank the handle on the gear. Tomatoes go into the funnel and juice comes out the other end.

But there’s another exit on the machine. All the gunk of tomato skins and seeds get smushed into a paste. It’s gross, but fascinating. It’s what is left of the tomato after all the juice is squeezed out. But in my family, nothing goes to waste. That garbage which we will eventually throw out, has to be squeezed once more through the machine to get every last drop of tomato juice. There’s a large amount that comes out the second time. It proves that everything has worth, even when I insist that I don’t have to run it through again because the tomato has no juice left in it.

Finally, you fill hot jars with the hot tomato juice, cover them with hot lids and screw on the rings. Place the jars in the pressure cooker and wait until you hear the whistle blow. My favorite part is hearing the lids pop while they are cooling; that is the way we know we have a job well done.

This process isn’t anything new to my life or my family. Every summer since I can remember, we’ve made tomato sauce at my grandpa’s house. And the same tradition occurred way before I or even my mother existed. It’s something that is distinctly old-world, brought over and handed down from generation to generation. It was much easier to can something with heat and store it that way because it stayed for months, not days. Canning isn’t popular anymore because it’s not needed. Anyone can run down to the grocery store and buy a can of whole tomatoes or juice for less than two dollars.

Someday, this tradition will be left up to my sisters and I. Well, mainly me. Even though I gripe and complain every year, I know that growing vegetables and canning them is a family tradition and I should keep it up. I probably even end up forcing my future children to help just like my mom and aunts have done to my generation and their mother did to their generation. It’s a family bonding experience.

I get to hear stories from my mother and her sisters about my extended family, stories about these people I’ve never met because they’ve been gone long before I was born. My grandmother died when I was just two years old. Canning tomatoes is a way for me to connect with these family members that I’ve never met.

This summer I spent a lot of time in my car, driving back and forth between jobs. It was the first summer ever I’d spent not living at home, so I was lonelier than I was used to, not having my four younger siblings around all the time. So I started listening to more podcasts.
That’s when I found a podcast titled Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink and I loved it immediately.
The story is about a woman who became a truck driver to scour the United States to try to find her wife who disappeared. Throughout the series the narrator has to try to figure out the story of a dangerous serial killer, the mysterious trucking company she now worked for and how Alice’s disappearance was connected to it all. The story itself is creepy yet captivating at every turn, and always keeps you guessing.
But the best part about the podcast isn’t the great LGBT representation, the amazingly inclusive and interesting plot or even the lack of commercials. The best thing about this podcast is that throughout this adventure she is on, the narrator talks openly and vividly about her anxiety and how it affects what she is doing.
As someone who has suffered from anxiety her entire life, this immediately struck me as strange. Talking about anxiety is not the norm; in fact I have spent most of my life actively trying to cover up my anxiety and convince everyone I’m OK. So to have someone talking openly about having anxiety attacks and how it felt to be so afraid — that it felt like your chest had a ton of bricks on it — made me continue to listen every day.
As the summer was nearing the end, I was having a hard time balancing my work and home life. I was feeling overwhelmed and with school right around the corner, it was starting to become too much for me. One day I was running late, and had to pull over in a parking lot on my way to work because I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
It was there, in my car once again, sobbing and gasping for breath as I felt completely overwhelmed by my anxiety that I first heard the final episode in the first season of that show called Thistle.
I won’t tell you what happens so as not to ruin it but the narrator does something very stupid and very brave. At some point she talks about how she is convinced she’s going to die and is about to give up, but then feels her anxiety come rushing back like electricity.
She uses her anxiety to fight off her attacker and she wins. This really spoke to me and it gave me the strength to pull myself together and get through the rest of my day. To hear someone talk about exactly what I was going through really helped me realize that I could overcome this obstacle as well.
Now whenever I’m feeling stressed out, or overwhelmed, I just pull out my headphones and start back at episode one.
Jessica Harker is a third-year communications student and the IC’s Editor-in-Chief.

The Big Apple announces itself in a peculiar way. As I step off the train I see the sidewalks bathed in old black gum, quickly reminding me that I’m not in Kansas anymore — or Toledo I should say. This ‘concrete jungle’, as Alicia Keys would say, is the cradle that molds you into the person you truly are.

The experiences from this past weekend would pass among my most memorable life experiences. I was in the Big Apple, one of the biggest cities, but I found myself among crowds of free-spirited and self-expressive people whose bohemian attitude exemplifies the importance of living life on one’s own terms.

I was in New York to attend AFROPUNK FEST, an annual festival held in Brooklyn. The city greeted me with unending music, food and good vibes. I finally felt like I could be myself without anyone judging me. I realize that being true to who I am is very important because the society we live in can sometimes mask our true identity. In New York City, people can be whoever they want to be without judgment.

As I stroll down Broadway Street, a woman to my left wearing a fuchsia gown is selling Indian inspired jewelry and to my right a man is dipping churros in the deep fryer. I walked further to see a homeless man sleeping with his dog; his bare feet were the color of coal, but he made sure to have food for his companion.

Immersed in the aura around me, my mood became chipper and pleasant; something that I don’t often get to feel due to my busy schedule. I stopped into a drink spot similar to Jamba Juice and grabbed a headache juice made with a blend of beets, carrots and cucumbers to help with the terrible migraine I had from a screaming baby on the plane. I called an Uber and was on my way back to the hotel to begin my festivities for the night.

When I got back to my hotel, I slipped my exotic print gown over my head, grabbed my girls and we were off. Unsure of which way to go we spotted a group of kids and trailed them. As we got closer and closer, my anticipation heightened and I began to pant like a dog, because I was so anxious and because I have asthma and it was getting pretty intense.

As I turned the corner, I was surprised by everyone’s free spirit. I saw dreadlocks in the shape of horns, fros taller than the Eiffel Tower and crowns accentuated with jewels and flowers. People wore outfits made of different colors as if they found the start of a rainbow and laid the clothes there, tribal prints painted on people’s faces and denim on denim as if I walked on the set of a Levis photoshoot.

No two people looked the same; everybody was just themselves and I loved it. After waiting in the mosh pit of a line, we finally reached entry and my eyes lit up with more amazement. My group and I walked a bit further to digest the scenery more. On the left of the park a punk concert was happening and on the right R&B and hip-hop, truly a mixture of vibes.

Prior to the trip I was most excited about the cultural atmosphere and once there I blended in like a bowl of nacho cheese dip fresh out of the microwave. I stayed on the punk side for a little bit and experienced some very loud very grungy music — I’m sure the artist lost his voice in the morning. A mannequin head was thrown around in the crowd as well as other unidentifiable objects.

After consuming the acidic music, I made my way to the right side which was filled with 90’s era hip hop and R&B. Vendors sold eccentric jewelry, African print clothing and paintings.

Poet and activist Nikki Giovanni spoke some invigorating words on what it is to be a black woman, which then opened up the next act, United Kingdom artist Laura Mvula.

After her performance, we raced back over to the punk side where Tyler the Creator was going to be. It was epic. We were packed in like sardines but the energy was unexplainable. We all bounced to the beat and rapped his rhythmic tunes. Soon he came to the end and the crowd dispersed. I was coated in a layer of sweat, not all of which was my own, and my feet were the color of charcoal from the dirt I walked in, but it was all worth it.

New York is truly a melting pot and AFROPUNK solidified that. People of different races, backgrounds, religions and sexual preferences were able to come in unison and enjoy an epic event. This city is judge free zone: I could probably walk outside in my silk PJs and get complimented about how daring or haute I look. A place that allows you to be true to yourself is what New York is and that is true freedom.

Amber Thomas is a fourth-year marketing and professional sales student and community co-editor.

It’s astounding how much you can learn from a short time of being back  in school for two weeks, but it’s the stuff outside of class that has affected me most. This school year I was   fortunate enough to get a work study job at the UT Athletic Ticket Office. It’s been incredible to work with such passionate people who love the Rockets just as much as I do, as well as being a part of the fans’ experience when purchasing their tickets.

The Rocket fans are such a phenomenal group of people who just have such passion for the teams, the school, and the players they support. I love being able to wake up each morning knowing that I’ll be able to meet another University of Toledo fan every time someone walks up to the box office to purchase a ticket.

However, it’s slowly becoming obvious to me each day I step into that office just how lucky I am to have this job.  There are many students out there who are not as lucky as I am and have to work full-time jobs or a job that they don’t enjoy as much as I enjoy mine.

The wonderful thing about having a job with work-study is that they work around my school schedule, and still leave me with enough time to study and do my homework. The idea of having a job that doesn’t give that option is terrifying to me. I am in awe of the strength and commitment the other students have. They work full time and still manage to attend classes, turn in homework, do internships, manage a social life, and, for some, parent.

The amount of dedication that is expected of one to pursue higher education is undoubtedly tremendous. It means sacrificing sleep, social activities and other important things which can really weigh down on a student. Let’s not talk about the stress of holding down a full-time or part-time job in addition to studies.

As a first-time worker, I’ve been struggling with the idea of how I’m going to be able to swallow all of this new information and stress of classes, but with the help of friends and my co-workers I’ve taken to the job pretty well. Handling stress with school and work is important, and finding ways to cope can be different for everyone.

For instance, I love to read and, luckily, my professors are keeping me busy in both stress relief and homework when it comes to assigned reading. For you it may be music, time outdoors, movies, painting, drawing, sports, or even working out. It’s all about balance and knowing that when you have some free time to spare, you should put it to the best use; use it to do whatever makes you happiest. Even if it’s 15 minutes, take some time out of your day to roll your shoulders, treat yourself, and maybe take a moment to call a friend or family member on the phone.

So whether you work weekends, night shift, day-to-day, or simply in the summer, I salute you for all the hard work and hours you put in to be the student and, one day, the graduate you will become. It will, in the end, all be worth it as we put on our caps and gowns and cross the stage to accept our degrees. Your persistence and dedication to your education shows how much you are willing to both sacrifice and invest in your future, a trait which many will see as both brave and highly employable. Until then, keep chugging that coffee and clocking in. Just know that you’re not alone and that you’ll be appreciated in due season.

Faith Snyder is a third-year student majoring in English and History.

One hundred and four years: a hundred and four years since the Titanic made its iconic journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States of America.

When most people think of the Titanic movie, two quotes typically come to mind: “draw me like one of your French girls” and “I’ll never let go.” I believe the movie Titanic was a true representation of what truly happened on that ship. It’s crazy to think that in two days, Jack and Rose fell in love and decided to get off the ship together.

Do you remember the scene when Rose told Jack she wanted to be with him romantically and how they sealed the deal with a passionate kiss at the railing of the Titanic? I always thought that two weeks had passed when the screen slowly faded to black. But it was only a day. I should have known though. There wasn’t a colorful background with the words “two weeks later” engraved in the center with the famous SpongeBob narrator stating it in what seemed to be a French accent to me when I was eight.

Nevertheless, the movie depicted the real-life experiences of each social class, from the coal-throwing workers at the bottom of the ship to the cigar lighters that bickered over who was richer in the snake pit. We should all take a minute to think about what it would have been like to be in the passengers’ shoes during those few days when the ship was sinking. Would you have been the person that allowed others to take your spot on the lifeboat? Or would you be the brute that forces their way to the front to situate yourself on a nice, spacious area of wood, whilst watching others jostling their way aboard the ship to say goodbye to their loved ones for good?

To my dismay, there was not actually a romance on the RMS Titanic that was as beautiful and meaningful as Jack and Rose’s. However, there still could be a Rose Bukater out there that altered her last name as Rose Dawson and changed her last name to her husband’s whilst keeping it all to herself. If this were the case, it’s no wonder that the survivor had kept it to herself because “a woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.”

Next time I’m diving under the Atlantic Ocean, I’ll be sure to keep it on the DL if I find the heart of the ocean or Jack’s drawing of Rose in a safe box. If I did broadcast it to the world, I’m sure it would be selling for millions on Ebay so maybe I would sell it — just to pay off my tuition. Then again, I wouldn’t want Caledon Hockley to get their hands on it, so I’d probably just stow it away in an old jewelry chest.

There are, however, other artifacts of the Titanic that can be purchased at auctions ranging from mere lunch menus to pieces of wood that may or may not have been a part of the ship. I can only hope that the celebration of the 104^th anniversary of the Titanic was not about establishing back-to-back auctions of these artifacts to make money. It should be about remembering the people that jumped off the ship or died in the frigid water because of the upper class’ fear of having their authentic leather coats touched by another human being in the life boats.

I suggest that when we celebrate the 105^th year of this unfortunate part of our history next April, we just sit on the couch with an elaborately styled China tea cup and matching plate and watch Titanic to obtain the mutual feelings that others aboard the ship had had. The romantic, yet tragic story of Rose and Jack may inspire us to find our own love story as beautiful as theirs.

Samar Ayoub is a second-year student in pre-med concentration.

The events of 9/11 continue to resonate among the most diabolical devastation mankind has ever known. Our world, and rightly America, has been greatly changed since that day.
On that fateful morning in 2001, not even the thousands of miles between America and my small hometown across the Atlantic Ocean in Ghana, and the typical childhood naivety, was enough to shield me from the raw and deafening impact of the tumbling Twin Towers. TV channels were replete with images of disoriented, wailing victims of the new reality and it became clear that one man masterminded this act. Osama bin Laden’s face quickly emerged as the face of evil, the face of terror haunting the conscience of us all.
Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-six —- that’s the total number of innocent people dying that day, including first responders, the faces of good. Only 19 of the angels of evil who hijacked and redirected American Airlines flights 77 and 11, respectively, to these towers died that day. Evil was real and it appeared to have overcome good.
These assaults were not only against America but against the world and all lovers of freedom and tranquility. After all, al Qaeda and its ambassadors chose New York City for a reason; the city is the best example of the proverbial ‘melting pot’ where people from different backgrounds coexist. In fact, citizens of 80 other nations died with Americans on that day, and this is not to water down the fact that Americans bore the greatest brunt of this carnage.
I’ll say as a prelude that evil should be punished. That is a necessary fundamental for a more perfect and peaceful society, because to be silent in the face of evil is to take the side of evil in itself. It is, however, mind-boggling that our approach to dealing with this particular evil since 9/11 has seemed counterproductive. These approaches have not only destroyed relationships between different members of our communities but also empowered wicked men by giving them exactly what they wanted.
I can imagine how difficult it would be to ask the victims of 9/11, or the victims of the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, or those affected by the 2015 San Bernardino attack or even the Orlando nightclub shooting in June this year to forgive. All this evil sprung from the foundation that 9/11 has laid, and being hateful, bitter and vengeful may sound better alternatives than forgiveness.
Actually, some people would say that demanding retribution and destruction to our enemies is the best means to attaining true peace — and even recommend doing so using whatever means necessary.
Unfortunately, identifying and punishing enemies through whatever means has brought our societies more damage than good. Today, we allow the government enormous powers to invade our private communications and activities, we’re involved in costly wars that don’t seem to end, we experience longer queues at our airports and allow ourselves to be subjected to stringent security searches, some very humiliating, and, of course, we deport more immigrants in droves than ever. The idea is that all these will make our communities safer and more peaceful.
But let’s be real with ourselves: Do we really feel safer now than before?
Rather than safety, we have communities and societies plagued by fractured relationships. We seem to have directed our anger, not at the actual forces of evil that need punishment, but at all people who we think don’t look or sound ‘American’ enough. Usually these are people that look different from us, people that mostly share similarities in religious beliefs and national origin to the enemies. They become proxies here at home in our search for retributions and revenge.
Somehow, our methods seem to encourage the so-called ‘homegrown terrorists’ than they discouraged them. Hardly a month goes by without some crazy gun-wielding guy in the news killing innocent citizens.
Have we become too focused on punishing ‘our enemies’ that we forget the importance of forgiveness? The price of unforgiveness is not only physical but also emotional death. As Lewis Smedes would put it, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover that the prisoner is you.”
On Sunday when we celebrated the 15th anniversary of Patriot Day, I hope it was not only a time for us to reflect on the loss of 2,996 innocent lives in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, all in a day. I hope it was also a time we reflected on how much our societies have changed since that day and how much we continue to lose financially, socially and emotionally as we try to punish the perpetrators. I hope we also had a chance to reflect on forgiveness as an alternative virtue.
The forces of evil will have us fighting each other, but let us show that forgiveness is a greater human virtue than vengeance and retribution. That will not be an easy route, but it is a proven route, and one that most of us have tried in our personal relationships.
It will take time to build but will sure help us change our opinions, break the social barriers we’ve erected among ourselves in our communities and help us build new structures upon which true peace and success will rest.
In the end, we should agree with John Connolly that evil is self-destructive and that, no matter how hard evil tries, it will never win. We should not be the victims of this self-destruction because as a society we possess more good than evil.

Philemon Abayateye is a third year PhD student in the Department of Geography and Planning.