the

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S PA P E R O F N O R T H E R N K E N T U C K Y U N I V E R S I T Y

orthernerEdition 52, Issue 13 [THENORTHERNER.COM] Thursday, November 21, 2013

facebook.com/northernermedia @northernermedia

SPORTS, PAGE 9 NEWS, PAGE 3

Women’s basketball recruits four new athletes

Peter Gitau’s journey to become a citizen of the world

PHOTO BY ERIN MULLINSJuniors Chandler Taylor and Wes Carman perform in the final rehearsal of Shakespeare’s popular play. The NKU Theatre & Dance Department is presenting “As You Like It” in the NKU Robert and Rosemary Stauss Theatre from Nov. 21-24 and Dec. 4-8, 2013.

See Page 4

Students question campus diversity

Viva Humanities series continues

HAPPENINGS Thursday, November 21, 201302

THEAROUND

UNIVERSITY

POLICEBEATSU N I V E R S I T Y

BEATSBEATS

The NorthernerGrif� n Hall Rm. 125Highland Heights, KY 41099Editor in Chief: (859) 572-6128Newsroom: (859) 572- 5620Designers Desk: (859) 572- 6677Advertising: (859) 572-5232Website: www.thenortherner.com

contactinfo

northernerstaff

furtherdetailsEntire content is copyright of The Northerner and may not be reprinted without prior consent. Views expressed do not represent those of the administration, faculty or student body. The Northerner is considered a designated public forum. Student editors have author-ity to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The Northerner staff respects the right to a free and open dialogue as allowed under the First Amendment.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFKevin Schultz[schultzk2@nku.edu]

COPY DESK CHIEFStephen Wilder[wilders3@nku.edu]

DESIGN EDITOR Emily Lindeau [lindeaue1@nku.edu]

PRINT NEWS EDITORMaggie Pund[pundm1@nku.edu]

WEB NEWS EDITORMac Payton[paytonj1@nku.edu]

SPORTS EDITORBrook Clifford[cliffords1@nku.edu]

PHOTO EDITORKody Kahle[kahlek1@nku.edu]

WEB EDITORBrendan Dickinson[dickinsonb1@nku.edu]

VIDEO EDITORRobert Huelsman[huelsmanr1@nku.edu]

PROMO DIRECTORChanell Karr[karrc3@nku.edu]

SALES MANAGER Erica DiMartino[dimartinoe1@nku.edu]

SALES ASSISTANTSAshley Hyden[hydena1@nku.edu]

STAFF WRITERS:

STAFF DESIGNERS: PROMOTIONS TEAM:

Erin Mullins[mullinse1@nku.edu]

William Mudd[muddw1@nku.edu]

Christa Curry[curryc2@nku.edu]

Heidi Rink[rinkh1@nku.edu]

Richard Cracchiolo[cracchiolr1@nku.edu]

Brad Bishop[bishopb4@nku.edu]

Matt Hemp� ing[hemp� ingm3@nku.edu]

Derek White[whited7@nku.edu]

Matt Spaulding [spauldingma@nku.edu]

Silvana Hill[hills7@nku.edu]

Evan Merrill[merrille2@nku.edu]

Elani Sininger[siningere1@nku.edu]

ADVISERMichele Day[daymi@nku.edu]

ARTS & LIFE EDITORNancy Curtis [curtisn1@nku.edu]

Diana Barrett[barrettd2@nku.edu]

Jessica Kopena[kopenaj1@nku.edu]

Kerry Skiff[skiffk1@nku.edu]

WHATTO DOT H I S W E E K E N D . . .H a v e a c h a n c e t o g e t o f f c a m p u s t h i s w e e k e n d ? C h e c k o u t t h e n i g h t l i f e a n d e v e n t s h a p p e n i n g i n C i n c i n n a t i a n d N o r t h e r n K e n t u c k y

Read our coverage from the Nov. 20 Viva Humanities speaker John Scalzi, a New York Times best-selling science fi ction author.

Look for plans to remodel the student organization space on the third fl oor of the Student Union in order to see how the student organiza-tions are reacting to this change.

Check out coverage of the women’s game vs. Western Kentucky Uni-versity this Saturday Nov. 23.

THIS WEEKONLINE

CHECK OUT

Viva Humanities series continues

THIS WEEKONLINE

CHECK OUT

THIS CHECK OUT

THIS

Student Union third � oor being remodeled

NKU Women’s basketball

Melody Doss wins A-Sun award for second week in a row

Women’s basketball player Melody Doss was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. The award can be attributed to Doss’ statistics at NKU, averaging 26.5 points, six rebounds and three steals per game.

NKU’s V.E.T.S. and Phi Alpha Theta present “Fill the Boot”

V.E.T.S. and Phi Alpha Theta will be collecting items for local veteran organizations until Nov. 22. Donated items will be distributed to the Cincin-nati VA Hospital, The Joseph House and the USO Military Personnel and Family Lounges at CVG. Items needed: individually wrapped snacks and mi-crowavable foods, grooming supplies, cleaning supplies. Drop-offs are in the Student Union lobby, MEP third fl oor and UC 131.

Psi Chi and the Psychology Club accepting donations

“Drop your drawers for Mental Health,”—these clubs are competing against faculty from the department of psychological sciences by donating

undergarments for Mental Health of America. Items can be dropped off in either of the offi ces of Psychological Sciences. On Dec. 4 at noon in MEP 331, there will be a “Drop your Draw-ers” party including a short presenta-tion from Mental Health of America. Any questions can be directed to stubbemanb1@nku.edu.

Put your congratulations an-nouncement in The Northerner

The Northerner wants to celebrate the end of the semester and this fall’s graduates. If you’d like to purchase a congratulation announcement with us to share in the glory of graduation, contact us at northerneradvertising@gmail.com. Also, stay connected with The Northerner on-the-go. Download the iNKU app and you can read our online publication!

PNC Festival of LightsNov. 23 - Jan. 4 @ The Cincinnati

Zoo, 5-9 p.m.The Festival of Lights returns to

light up the zoo nightly in its 31st holi-day season. Also featured are live stage performances, carolers, train rides and much more. Event is free with zoo ad-mission. Discount tickets are available.

More info: www.cincinnatizoo.org

Lee BriceNov. 22 @ The Madison Theater, 9

p.m.B-105 welcomes country music star

Lee Brice to The Madison Theater along with special guests the Taylor Shannon Band. Tickets cost $28. Doors open 8 p.m.

More info: www.madisontheateron-line.com

Broadway Across America: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 @ The Aronoff CenterFor a limited time the classic tale hits

the stage featuring songs such as “You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch” at The Aronoff. Based on the timeless children’s story The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he ever knew. Ticket prices and times vary by day.

More info: www.broadwayacrossa-merica.com/cincinnati

The Complete History of Comedy (Abridged)

Nov. 21 - 24 & Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 @ Eden Park

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park welcomes The Reduced Shakespeare Company presenting a comedy of a different kind. The production tracks every form of comedy from the jokes of the cavemen to Chris Rock. Ticket prices and times vary.

More info: www.cincyplay.com

Nov. 15, 10:20 a.m.: A department in Landrum reported a departmental laptop stolen, saying that it was stolen between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012.

Nov. 14, between 10:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.: A parking permit was stolen out of a car parked in Kenton Garage across from Griffi n Hall.

Nov. 15, between 9 p.m. and 9:29 p.m.: Someone was found semi-con-scious next to a pickup truck in The Bank of Kentucky Center’s parking lot. The person was taken into custody for public intoxication.

Nov. 15, between 10:10 p.m. and 10:50 p.m.: A drunk man was taken into custody after fi ghting with people who were in front of him at the Justin Moore concert at The Bank of Kentucky Center.

Nov. 16, between 4 a.m. and 4:21 a.m.: A female was raped in the cardi-nal wing of Commonwealth Hall by a man she had met through social network-ing. The case is currently open and police are investigating.

Nov. 16, between 10:15 p.m. and 11:29 p.m.: Two individuals were ar-rested for drunkenly trespassing inside The Bank of Kentucky Center after being found by BOKC security.

Ed 52, Issue 13 NEWS 03

ews

IF YOUCAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT,HOW CAN YOU DREAM OF RETIREMENT?

Expert advice to get you to and through retirement. Get started at TIAA.org/plan.

At TIAA-CREF, we want you to be confi dent about your retirement. Not worried. That’s why we’ve spent the last century helping our customers plan and manage their fi nances to get them through every single day of their retirement. It’s how we deliver Outcomes That Matter.

BEST OVERALLLARGE FUND

COMPANY

The Lipper Award is based on a review

of 36 companies’ 2012 risk-adjusted

performance.

The Lipper award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years’ Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12. TIAA-CREF was ranked against 36 fund companies with at least fi ve equity, fi ve bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on www.tiaa-cref.org. TIAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors. Consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully beforeinvesting. Go to tiaa-cref.org for product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Read carefully before investing. Type of service available varies. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, and Teachers Personal Investors Services Inc. ©2013 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association – College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017. C11804B

50210003 C11804B FTM Can’t Sleep 9.5x6.8 NWSPRNT_1.inddCyan Magenta Yellow Black

71454

Gitau: from schoolboy in Kenya to university leader

Maggie PundNEWS EDITOR

Story continued on pg. 5 see GITAU PHOTO COURTESY OF TRICIA KRAMER

“I think people don’t always understand my journey, the journey to be who I am,” Peter Gitau said. “It’s been a strug-gle, but a very determined struggle.”

Every morning for 40 minutes, he walked, usually bare-foot, down the rural road from his family’s remote village home in Kenya to school. By his side, on his daily trek there and back, were his two brothers and four sisters, once they were old enough to travel and learn.

These schools did not always have lunch, enough books or even electricity, but each day the dedicated students made the trip.

The family would return to the village before the sun came down to a home fi lled with relatives and empty of tech-nological “distractions,” such as televisions or computers.

“I actually grew up in a village where I probably wore my fi rst pair of shoes when I was going to secondary school,” he said. “And I was fi ne, and I never felt I was missing any-thing.”

His home across the world is where Gitau, NKU’s vice president for student affairs, took the fi rst step of his aca-demic journey and started to develop his educational life mission.

“It’s hard for people to see me there, to place me there, to think this guy came from that village and now he’s the vice

president of student affairs,” Gitau said. “But really, that is a story that informs the way I do things and why I have the same expectations for my kids and those that I work with and for the students that I serve. Those values come from afar.”

His upbringing and the values it instilled have helped him each step of the way as he moved across the world and throughout the country in his career as “a lifelong educator,” according to Gitau. His passion for education, equality and supporting others developed early on, and he doesn’t see it ever ending.

“You grow up knowing that you need to help others, and that becomes a part of your orientation,” he said.

Education is “a valuable tool” to help get people “out of the situation they are in,” whether you live in Kenya or the United States, Gitau said. He believes in making this oppor-tunity possible for the diverse population that makes up the NKU community.

“One of the reasons I value what I do here at NKU is be-cause I want to make sure our students have as much oppor-tunity as possible,” Gitau said. “If you think about the needs that are represented in such a huge, diverse population, it’s so hard.”

At NKU, Gitau is responsible for overseeing all the univer-sity’s student support services and organizations on campus and the development of the new Campus Recreation Center.

NEWS Thursday, November 21, 201304

Shirby Ferguson describes the demo-graphics of the NKU community as “like peppered grits.”

Ferguson, a junior public relations ma-jor and president of the Black United Stu-dents organization at NKU, says the uni-versity has made progress in the number of African-American students on campus, but there is still a very long way to go.

“You have a big bowl of white grits and you sprinkle some pepper on them, but once you stir up the grits, the pepper tends to disappear, and you see it periodically as you dip your spoon in the bowl, but it gets overlooked. And I feel like as African-American students on this campus, we get overlooked.”

And while this “progress” she refer-ences has been made in terms of quanti-tatively increasing the African-American student population, Ferguson’s allusion to NKU remaining a predominantly white campus is accurate.

As of Fall 2012, 87.6 percent of NKU’s student population was white, compared with the 6.3 percent population of Afri-can-American students.

“There is just no understanding,” she said. “When I get up in the morning, I know I’m coming to a white campus. I know I might not get rewarded all the priv-ileges... I don’t get looked at the same.”

The solution to this problem, accord-ing to Ferguson and fellow sociology ma-jor Brandi Estrada, is to recognize race as an issue, so it can be discussed and dealt with.

“If you don’t see color, you don’t see me,” Ferguson said referring to her status as an African-American student. “When we begin to acknowledge race as an issue, we can deal with the problem.”

Estrada said she looks to NKU as an institution to properly address these is-sues and represent the African-American population.

“A neutral mindset for our institution is not enough,” Estrada said. “We need con-

tinued help and resources for this popula-tion.”

Ferguson recognized hiring more Afri-can-American faculty as a place to start.

“There’s no sense of familiarity,” she said. “Nothing looks like us.”

As of 2011, there were 24 full-time Af-rican-American faculty and 473 full-time white faculty. Compare this to 2007, when there were 29 full-time African-American faculty and 460 white full-time faculty, you see a slightly decreasing African-American full-time faculty member popu-lation and an increasing white full-time faculty member population.

Ferguson said this trend leaves a lack of familiarity in the classroom and surround-ing environment and can lend a degree of resentment from African-American stu-dents toward the institution.

“You really begin to resent the school,” she said. “ And a school is nothing without the people in it.”

Ferguson suggested that this could be a cause of issues such as lower graduation and retention rates for the African-Ameri-can students at NKU.

From the fall 2006 freshmen class, Afri-can-American students have a 13 percent lower six-year graduation rate compared with the white population, according to data from the NKU Office of Institutional Research.

NKU’s demographic history

From 1980 to December 2008, NKU was under a desegregation plan after it was out of compliance with the Civil Rights Act.

Other universities within the state were also put under this plan which “aimed to address the grievances or the concerns of African-Americans,” according to Chair of the Department of Social Work Willie El-liot, who has served in the role of special adviser for campus diversity for the past five-and-a-half years.

“In 2008 we were released from that [desegregation] plan with the caveat that

we would develop a statewide diversity plan,” Elliott said.

Since then, the university has adopted a new Campus Diversity Plan. This plan was devised after surveys were sent across campus to receive input and feedback from 16 focus groups, according to Elliott.

The main goals of that plan were to establish a new full-time position to deal with diversity issues and to focus on de-mographics around African-Americans and Latinos.

The next step would be another round of campus surveys to develop a new plan for the next five years, according to Elliott.

“So we’ve gone through the desegrega-tion plan, we’ve been under a diversity plan and now we are moving more toward inclusiveness. And, inclusiveness is the broadest range of diversity.”

Moving forwardElliott said that he would like to see

more African-American students, faculty, staff and administrators.

As shown, NKU has made progress in increasing the number of African-Amer-ican students; between 2007 and 2012 there was a 26.7 percent increase in en-rollment.

“NKU has changed in that it’s much more accepting,” Elliott said. “I came in 1989 and the biggest change I see is that Northern is more reflective and more ac-ceptive of difference. In our society, dif-ference is equal to deviance and that’s the fear.”

Earlier this month, NKU President Geoffrey Mearns announced that he will establish the new position of senior ad-viser to the president for inclusive excel-lence.

Mearns said he plans to create a search committee over the next few weeks and anticipates having an adviser selected by April or May.

But is all this enough?Some African-American students and

faculty believe there should be more of an emphasis on black studies in the cur-riculum.

“The only thing to help this is to kill

ignorance with knowledge,” Ferguson, the Black United Students president, said. “And that’s why programs like black stud-ies are important.”

Courses in the black studies minor of-fered at NKU are designed “to provide stu-dents with an interdisciplinary perspective of the life of African-Americans, including Africans and African people through… their contributions to humanity.”

Professor Michael Washington teaches classes for the black studies minor and believes that all students across campus should be required to take at least one of these courses.

These black studies courses were part of the old general education requirements before the university switched its pro-grams in Fall 2010, Washington said.

“The black studies courses are impor-tant because all people need to be aware of these issues and have training to deal with these issues in black culture,” Wash-ington said.

Several students rallied together earlier this semester at a strategic planning open forum to “save black studies” and raise awareness for these courses and the ben-efits they could have on NKU.

Along with classes such as those offered in the black studies minor, there are other resources offered specifically for African-American students.

Ferguson’s organization, Black United Students, looks to foster the development of African-American students along with other places on campus such as African-American Programs and Services.

“The campus must be culturally validat-ing to all students,” Elliott said. “We need African-American student affairs, black studies, so that when African-American students come, they can gravitate toward that, but in a year or two they need to then move out to the larger campus.”

Overall, Ferguson seemed optimistic about the idea of inclusion, but admitted the American idea of a melting pot doesn’t always work.

“If you melt together and lose a sense where you came from, you tend to lose who you are.”

Kevin Schultzeditor-in-chief

African-American students feel lost in the crowd

6-year Graduation Rates By Race

YEAR: 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

BLACK 13% 11% 30% 32% 25%

WHITE 34% 33% 35% 37% 38%***nKU office of institutional research

FULL TIME FACULTY BY RACE:2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Black

White

29 30 31 28 24

460 450 453 459 473

***nKU office of institutional research

FALL ENRoLLMENT BY RACE2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012YEAR:

733 840 890 961 944 929

12,858 13,068 13,188 13,302 13,177 12.987

Black

White

***nKU office of institutional research

To stay involved with impacting global education, Gitau founded a non-profit organization, The African International Foundation for Educational Excellence, about a year ago. The group “aspires to cre-ate educational excellence in rural African communities,” and they are “committed to providing educational development in Af-rica,” according to their vision and mission statement.

He founded and ran another interna-tional non-profit organization, Teach My Kenyan Children, for a little over 10 years, according to Gitau. The group had the same aim of impacting Africa through education-al development and improvement.

“I am very passionate about social ineq-uities,” he said. “I am very, very passionate about educational access because I am one of those who should not have had access to education. The system was basically rigged out of my favor.”

His “soft spot” for groups engaged in community development, activism, diver-sity and service learning has led him to trav-el around the world to support and speak about education and equality.

“He did not forget where he came from,” said his wife, Trizah, who is also from Ke-nya. “He really has a passion for education and a big heart. And he wants people to do well. That’s why he travels back and forth to Kenya.”

In January, he will be traveling back to Kenya with Andrá Ward, a new member of the NKU Board of Regents, and a Southern Illinois University Carbondale representa-tive to present at a conference with princi-pals and other education leaders.

“I feel like I’m in a position to affect more change and to help more people now on even a global scale than when I started,” Gi-tau said.

Gitau and his wife live with their fam-ily in the Northern Kentucky area. He has two daughters, Joy and Hope, who attend Dixie Heights High School and Turkeyfoot Middle School. His son, Tim, is a criminal justice major at NKU.

“He tries to balance his time very well to be able to be with his family and also be able to do what he needs to do,” Trizah said.

Where his journey beganWitnessing the state of the educational

system firsthand as a child who the system was “rigged against” helped him discover his natural calling in life to become a life-long educator and advocate for educational access, according to Gitau.

Along with his siblings and other children in the village, Gitau understood the value

and worth of a good education from an ear-ly age. He said the young men and women start adopting a strong sense of responsibil-ity for themselves and their education very early on where he is from.

“There is a work ethic that I am re-ally thankful I grew up with,” he said. “We worked hard. We studied hard. We aimed for perfection.”

In Kenya, education is “the tool to get you out of poverty,” according to Gitau. Kenya continues to have a competitive educational system and culture that he has been a part of, or trying to improve, throughout his life.

“You either worked hard and survived, or you didn’t,” he said. “It’s an elimination sys-tem. If you didn’t work hard and you didn’t make the grade, you get eliminated.”

During eighth grade across Kenya, all students were required to take a national exam based on what they learned over the last eight years in their school. The students were judged on the same standards, despite the quality of their primary education, the resources they had available or their socio-economic status, according to Gitau.

“This is make or break; this exam is the one that is going to determine where do you go next,” he said. “It is a very, very stressful time for kids and families.”

Families without the money or resources were forced to make sacrifices for educa-tion. For example, Gitau’s older brother and sister happened to finish primary school at the same time. Their family only had the resources to send one of the children to school.

His older brother chose to attend trade school and help pay for his sister to receive a higher education. He also ended up help-ing put Gitau through school.

“So, I know that I stand on the shoulders of others, so I’m not afraid to be a shoulder to somebody,” Gitau said. “If it were not for my brother, I would not be who I am.”

Later in life, Gitau returned the support and helped his older brother achieve his desire “deep inside” to finally further his education. His brother fulfilled his educa-tional dream and earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in civil engineering in the United States.

“What I am doing here and the success that I have in my career is not just for me, but for others that made me successful or helped me be successful,” Gitau said.

In Kenya, Gitau went on to become a school president at his secondary school and receive a bachelor’s degree in second-ary education at Kenyatta University in Nai-robi. For his first job, he was a secondary school teacher for five years.

Continuing up the educational ladder

After moving to the United States in 1994, he gained a Master’s degree in educa-tional administration from Eastern Illinois University. In addition, he went on to gain a Ph.D. in higher educational policy and ad-ministration from the University of Kansas. He also served as a principal in Kansas for three years.

“My dream was I would like to be able to help change policy,” Gitau said. “So, af-ter teaching in the class I was like, I would really like to get a degree in administration because many times that’s where policy gets changed and you can influence the direction of a whole educational system.”

He has held administrative positions at multiple American universities. Before coming to NKU, Gitau served at Southern Illinois University Carbondale for about five years as the associate vice chancellor and the dean of students. At the University of Dubuque in Iowa, he served as the dean of student life. In addition, in Indiana, he was the executive assistant to the president for diversity as well as the director of multicul-tural affairs at Manchester University.

“He really feels strongly about other peo-ple and the success of other people, so that’s one thing that stands out,” his son Tim said.

He continues to act as “a shoulder” to others through his non-profit foundations and to advocate for the creation of multi-cultural educational systems that help produce graduates that are “citizens of the world.”

“One of the things I love about NKU is I think one of our goals is to produce stu-dent graduates that are also citizens of the world,” Gitau said. “Global citizenship means that you want to do something to help improve the conditions of those people around you. You do that either by traveling and taking part in a project contributing or by learning about others or working with someone who is different.”

His son Tim credits his father with teach-ing him how to be an upstanding citizen. His father’s career path helped him to be open to new friends and experiences in life.

“Some people that have never moved around are scared to move, to make moves with their life,” Tim said. “If I was told I was moving to Asia tomorrow, I wouldn’t even care because I’ve had to start my life over before.”

The day his son graduates college at NKU will be the greatest day of his life, according to Gitau.

Currently, Gitau and his family are set-tling down in Northern Kentucky and do not plan to leave any time soon, according to Trizah.

“I’m always scouting for opportunities to do something, a new adventure, a new chal-lenge, and I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of those here,” Gitau said.

Ed 52, Issue 13 NEWS 05

The tobacco task force’s policy statement was approved by NKU’s Board of Regents last Wednesday.

So far, only the policy statement has been approved, said NKU’s Dean of Students Jeffrey Waple. He said the recommendations found on the task force’s report that was released Wednes-day are still subject to change.

While the tobacco ban begins on Jan. 1, Waple said the upcoming spring semester will devote a lot of time to educating students and staff.

According to Waple, the first violation results in a warning and the second results in a meeting in

Waple’s office.“If they don’t comply to the policy, there may be

a fine to that,” Waple said.Waple said that students and staff will be

monitoring for violators, rather than the campus police.

“We’re going to ask everyone to be that watch-dog for us,” Waple said.

The recommendations report says that the temporary tobacco signs seen across campus are scheduled to be removed in July. Waple said they will likely be up until the 2014 fall semester.

“We also have a longer range plan for when we’re going to take the majority of the signs down.

They’ll still be some up, but they will be a little subtler,” Waple said.

For anyone wanting to quit smoking, Quit Now Kentucky (1-800-784-8669) line covers NKU.

Waple said the Healthy Monday Quit Clinics will continue next semester for in-person support. The clinics are on Nov. 18, Feb. 17, Mar. 17 and April 21 in the Student Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Waple said he is meeting with the compliance and marketing subcommittees of the policy task force on Monday to discuss some of the recom-mendations found on the report such as the compliance policy, signs and whether cessation products can be sold on campus.

Ricky CracchioloStaff Writer

Official tobacco policy released

GITAU CONTINUED

“You either worked hard and survived, or you didn’t. It’s an elimination system. If you didn’t work hard and you didn’t make the grade, you get eliminated.” -Peter GitaU

Get to know Gitau:• He is fluent in three languages.• He has “a very, very deep sense of adventure.”• He plays and collects different types of guitars.• He loves action movies where people are fighting for the

underdog.• He likes to travel, hike, fish, go to the library and watch

movies with his family in his free time.

Junior Wes Carman grabs the front of junior Chandler Taylor’s shirt with both hands and brings Taylor to his knees. Taylor’s surprised by this turn of events and fear spreads across his face as he struggles to get away. He spits in Carman’s face. Carman wraps his hand around Taylor’s throat as the two argue before Carman finally throws Taylor to the floor.

Then, they both wait.Sophomore Hunter Henrickson, who

portrays the character Touchstone in the production, watches the entire scene play out and says the fight looks good and to run it again so the two men go back to their starting positions.

Carman and Taylor play brothers Orlando and Oliver in this fall’s pro-duction of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, “As You Like it,” which direc-tor Sandra Forman said is about, “the unifying power of love.”

“[The play has] lovely language with lovely characters who are involved in delightful situations,” Forman said be-fore rehearsal.

Forman chose to stay true to the plays roots and is trying to produce it as close to the way Shakespeare in-tended and added that Shakespeare has remained relevant because his sto-ries are about timeless topics.

“We haven’t changed as a species very much. We like to think we do, but we haven’t,” Forman said with a smile.

Language of Shakespeare

“I think the language is delicious and beautiful which makes the characters yummy,” Forman said, also mention-ing how she believes people don’t take the time to enjoy it.

Watching Carman and Taylor on stage during their fight scene makes the audience instantly understand the scene. They may not understand all the words, but the meaning shines through which is why Forman said Shakespeare must be seen.

“Shakespeare is written to be spo-ken and to be seen and heard,” Forman said. “People went to the theatre in Shakespeare’s time to listen and that is the approach you must take.”

Forman said many people are often confused by Shakespeare but assures that it doesn’t need to be complicated.

“All [you] have to do is find the sto-ry,” Forman said. “Jealousy, love and

revenge are all things we know.”Forman also says Shakespeare is

about “beautifully expressing our deepest emotions and feelings,” and that her approach to this play has been the art of verbal seduction.

“I believe every character in this play is seducing someone and if not some-one, they’re seducing the audience,” Forman said.

Famous words

One of the most famous lines from this play states, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women, merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.”

“That’s profound,” Forman said who explains how Shakespeare is using beautiful language to describe the dif-ferent seasons of life and also how love

brings us together.Sophomore Anthony Newton plays

Jaques, the character who delivers those famous lines, and said Shake-speare’s work and the themes of his plays are “eternal.”

“The way he was able to explain that really set a tone that has lasted throughout the ages,” Newton said.

Labor of love

Stage manager and senior theatre major Stephen Fields said the crew and cast have spent months to make this show a success.

“In this business, you have to love it,” Fields said. “If you love it, it’s worth it.”

Henrickson said he spent almost five weeks creating his character Touch-stone, with the help of Forman and his other castmates, and said the role is

both “physically goofy...but also very intelligent and quick witted.”

“Finding the middle ground between ridiculous and smart has been a chal-lenge,” Henrickson said.

David Trump, junior theatre major who plays the villain Duke Frederick, said he enjoys “being able to capture the audience” and showing a darker side of himself.

“To make them believe what it is you’re saying and to want to hear more,” Trump said, “That’s my favorite thing.”

“As You Like It” opens at the Robert & Rosemary Stauss Theatre on Nov. 21 and Henrickson, as well as the rest of the cast and crew, hope the audience will enjoy themselves and will be able to relate to the characters.

“It’s been a journey and we can’t wait to share it with them,” Henrick-son said.

Robert Snow is raising awareness of the impacts that veterans have made in history by setting up displays around the Greater Cincinnati area of historic military memorabilia from the famous wars that American soldiers have partic-ipated in.

Snow, an NKU graduate with a degree in history, holds a variety of positions as a historian. He is a Squadron Historian for the Sons of the American Legion, Squadron 275 in Independence, Ky., and he is a Past Wing Historian for the Ken-tucky Wing of the U.S. Civil Air Patrol (2003-2006).

Snow served in the United States Navy from 1985-1994.

“I was a QM2/E-5 in the Navy which is equivalent of a sergeant in the Army,” Snow said.

Snow also served for six months in Orlando, Fla., where he did basic and advanced training. He trained in ship navigation and joined the Aircraft Car-rier USS John F. Kennedy CV-67 Crew. While being a part of this crew, he was deployed to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. After Snow’s deployment, he was assigned to the Convoy Com-modore Staff 105, which was located in Cincinnati, Ohio, said Snow.

Snow has years of experience being in the military, but his history with the military started when he was 12 years old. His father would introduce him to veterans and he would learn their stories. When he was a teenager, Snow started to collect artifacts.

“Much of the material I have has been donated to me by veterans I have known over the years or by the family of veterans who have seen what I do and allowed me to preserve,” said Snow.

Using the artifacts Snow has collect-ed over the years, he recently created a display for NKU’s Veteran’s Week of uniforms and memorabilia.

“To me, the artifacts can draw a person into reading more about the men and women who have served our nation and perhaps drive them to learn more about history,” Snow said. “For me, it’s all about keeping our veterans remem-bered.”

Snow was invited to NKU to set up his display in the University Center by Dave Merriss, assistant director of Veteran Services. Merriss said it was easy to schedule Snow for the event because he is an alumni who cares about the university.

“He wants to help people raise aware-ness of the military for the students at the university,” Merriss said. “He does not charge for showing his collection and he has to schedule time off from work

without pay.”This isn’t the only display that Snow

has set up. Throughout the past fi ve years, he has set up displays for various Veteran’s Day events, including an exhibit in the NKU library.

“He is wonderful to have as a partner in bringing greater understanding of military history and war to our students, honoring our veterans and their sacrifi c-es, and preserving history in a personal manner,” said Bonnie May, lecturer of history.

Merriss and Snow believe that the sto-ries behind the uniforms are important for people to know.

“It reinforces that these uniforms were worn by real people who served, some of which are no longer with us,” Merriss said. “It is important to not lose these stories so that generations know who these people were, what they did and why.”

06 ARTS & LIFE ARTS & LIFE 07

rts & LifeStudents prove ‘all the world’s a stage’ as they bring life to Shakespeare’s words

Erin MullinsSTAFF WRITER

Corbin Fox-Ash stares at a Jolly Rancher wrapper left on the ground in front of a trash can in the entry-way of the Business Academic Center. The fall wind blows the miscalculated toss around the fl oor every time the doors open. People may not notice it crunch under their shoes on the way to the elevator.

But Fox-Ash does.As he relaxes in one of the chairs surrounded by the

glass walls giving a view of the lake, he is also careful not to rest his arm on the window. He sees people leave fi ngerprints on the windows of the Student Union every day as they read or eat lunch with friends.

Fox-Ash has the day off from his classes, but he knows he could be responsible for cleaning these messes when his shift as a custodian starts later in the afternoon.

Fox-Ash has been taking the maximum amount of six credit hours a custodian at NKU can take a semester since January of 2012. He started here as a custodian the year before and currently puts in a 40-hour work week with evening shifts.

“They see me as an employee,” Fox-Ash said. “I’ve had to put up with that for awhile. You know you put up with judgments. There’s going to be that. Once they get to know me and see what I’m about, they fi nally understand it.”

As students in his classes get to know him they usu-ally ask him why he works at NKU, to which he replies, because they pay for school.

“Like other students I can’t afford my education, but I took a different approach,” Fox-Ash said. “I fi gured I can do this and do it right; not paying out of pocket.”

There are currently 59 employees in custodial posi-tions at NKU and four of them are accessing the tuition waiver benefi t, according to Lori Southwood the senior director of Human Resources. Southwood said NKU provides a tuition waiver for all currently employed full-time faculty and staff members for up to six credit hours per semester.

“There’s a story behind it. People don’t see that. They

just see workers and there’s a story behind each and every one of them,” Fox-Ash said.

After high school at Ryle, Fox-Ash went to the Uni-versity of Kentucky for his fi rst semester of college. He said his grades started to slip near the end of that fi rst semester, partly because of depression from being away from home.

He left UK after that semester and took his high school job at McDonald’s back because it was easy money. After watching his bank account dwindle and about another six months pass, he took a custodian job here at NKU, hoping to soon return to school.

Fox-Ash is currently leaning towards a fi nance major with a sports business minor. Math isn’t something he goes home and reads about every night, unlike his usual routine of watching Sports Center, but he said he has always been great at it.

Fox-Ash believes combining the two is a win-win. He developed the idea for this degree while talking to staff

members he met on his shifts.“I try to put on a nice image and the more people I

can meet the better,” Fox-Ash said. “More connections will defi nitely help you in the long run.”

Fox-Ash met Jeff Iker, coordinator of New Student Orientation, while cleaning offi ces on his usual 3:00 to 11:30 routine in the Student Union. Iker said he noticed Fox-Ash because he was tall like him, but also noticed that he had a great attitude while doing the job he does.

“There’s a selfl essness and humble attitude he has doing the job he does,” Iker said.

Iker feels there are things students could learn from Fox-Ash. He believes that Fox-Ash personifi es never being above any type of work.

During his time cleaning in the Student Union, Fox-Ash also met Jeff Varrone, Entrepreneurship Institute’s student coordinator and part-time faculty member. Varrone teaches a Geology 100 class that Fox-Ash is currently enrolled in.

“I’ve never seen him in a bad mood. He’s always willing to say hi,” Varrone said. “That’s a quality that will carry him.”

Even with a positive attitude, Fox-Ash said he is working on patience. He wants to rush toward com-pleting his degree, but is currently only allowed to take two classes a semester. Although he mentions there has been talk of changing that rule.

“Just hold your horses…patience,” Fox-Ash said. “It’ll happen. Just keep going to school; keep working. People will see that.”

Fox-Ash started cleaning in the Administrative Building this week, which he hopes will have a little more routine. The Student Union can have too much spontaneity to it, leaving him with hours of work to do in little time.

He also hopes to try and move to a morning shift in the near future so he can have a little more time to spend with his girlfriend or to talk to other students on campus, instead of always leaving quickly for class or work.

“Wherever my degree will take me in the future when I get it, I’m excited about that,” Fox-Ash said.

Student juggling custodial work and college courses

Matt Spaulding STAFF WRITER

Jessica KopenaSTAFF WRITER

Veteran uses traveling display to educate

PHOTO BY HEIDI RINKCorbin Ash-Fox cleans a window on campus. Ash-Fox works as a custodian on campus while taking courses as well.

The cast during the final dress rehearsal of “As You Like It.” The show opens Nov. 21 at the NKU Robert & Rosemary Stauss Theatre. PHOTO BY ERIN MULLINS

VIEWS Thursday, November 21, 201308

iewssudoku

Scan to check your answers or go online to thenortherner.com/sudoku-solutions

What obstacles have you had to overcome & how have you overcome those obstacles?

Norse Poll Compiled by Nancy Curtis, Mac Payton

POLL RESPONSES:NORSE

CLASSIFIEDS:

“Figuring out scheduling and now managing that time. When I can do homework, excercise all of that. I’ve overcome it through experience. Just not getting too stressed if it gets diffi cult in the future.”

“A lot of schooling. Getting my masters at Miami was a rough two years. I overcame that time by relying on family and friends through the tough times.”

“Just staying on task. I want to jump around alot. I’ve overcame it by managing time more effi ciently.”

Casey Sumner - Freshman - Undeclared

Katie Waters - Instructor - Mathematics and Statistics

William Kruspe - Freshman - Journalism

Spacious 6 room apartment in the heart of Bellevue with views of historic Mt. Adams and Cincinnati skyline. -- All utilities paid, references and credit check required. Contact Debbie, 859-491-4500

Over the last two years, the Board of Re-gents has been faced with several major deci-sions including the hiring of President Geof-frey Mearns, the approval of the university going tobacco-free and the adoption of the university’s strategic plan for the next fi ve years.

And what do all of these motions have in common? All of them were approved unani-mously.

In fact, throughout 2012 and 2013, the Board approved 26 motions unanimously, according to the board minutes. There was only a single motion approved by the board non-unanimously.

To me, as a student and a member of this university, this is a concern. This is a concern for students and members of the university community overall.

The board approved the tobacco-free poli-cy, and then a vague strategic plan that many people feel won’t accomplish much, and is just a rehash of where the university is natu-rally heading. And they did so without what seems like much thought or debate.

During the last meeting, only regents An-drá Ward and Elizabeth Thompson spoke up about the strategic plan, both in support. And then it passed with unanimous support.

In fact, during the entire meeting on Nov. 13, Erik Pederson, the student representative to the board, did not speak up to express his opinion or represent the students once.

To me, this signifi es a deeper problem: that the board really only serves as a rubber stamp for whatever comes before it.

Many members of the university have ex-pressed concern about the tobacco policy. Myself, I don’t like it. I think if I need a ciga-rette to get through the day, then I should be allowed to have a cigarette. Who are these 11 people to tell me anything different?

I don’t smoke, but if I did, it should be my choice.

That’s not to say that the opposition doesn’t have compelling arguments.

I’m weird. In moderation, I like the smell of cigarette smoke. It reminds me of the summer camp I’ve worked at for the last fi ve summers. It reminds me of my best friends. It reminds me of Saturdays, going out to the local fl ea market with my father and brother, where the vendors and patrons would light up inside of the building, causing it to nostal-gically reek.

However, many people don’t like smoke blowing in their faces. In that respect, I agree with having designated smoking areas, like the university currently has until the ban takes effect in January. As long as these des-ignated smoking areas were somewhat off the beaten path, and as long as the policy is enforced, I believe that everyone would be content.

Alas, the time for debate is over, because 11 people sitting around a table decided they knew what was best for us, in restricting this right to do what we want to our bodies, with-out even debating about it.

Mac PaytonNEWS EDITOR

Board of Regents: Anything more than a rubber stamp?

WO

RDSE

ARC

H

Ed 52, Issue 13 SPORTS 09

ports

505Celebration{ When: Thursday, December 5 from 4pm to 6pm

RSVP to engage@nku.edu!Come celebrate the work that students and faculty have done this semester for 505, which is a service learning experience where students can get involved in the community!

The early period collegiate basketball national signing day has officially started (Nov. 13 - Nov. 20), and on the first day, NKU women’s basketball team announced that it received four letters of in-tent.

The coaching staff and head coach Dawn Plitzu-weit announced the signing of Molly Franson, Mi-kayla Terry, Kasey Uetrecht and Faith Sanders.

“I love the kids we have, I love the kids that are coming in,” Plitzuweit said. “I think Karmen Gra-ham, our recruiting coordinator, has done a tre-mendous job with this class. We’re really excited about our future.”

Molly FransonHeight: 6’1”Position: ForwardVictor J. Andrew High SchoolChicago, Ill.

“Molly Franson’s a post-kid out of Chicago, Ill.,” Plitzuweit said. “She can play with her back to the basket. She can face the basket. She can score at the basket. She can shoot from the arc and she can put it on the floor. Molly has good size and good length and will help us with another post player in our program.”

“I think [the potential] is one of the things that attracted me to NKU,” Franson said. “The oppor-tunity there and the potential the program has un-der Coach Dawn. The coaching staff is just a great group of people. They really know how to get after it in practice, but off the court, they’re just awe-some people and I really can’t wait for them to be my coaches.”

Mikayla TerryHeight: 5’11”Position: Guard/ForwardLansing Christian High SchoolLansing, Mich.

“She’s around 5 feet 11 inches, has a very strong frame, very good hands, she’s very good rebounder, and is very versatile,” Plitzuweit said. “She plays point guard for her high school even though she’s listed as a two guard this year. She’s strong enough and big enough to even play at the post for us, but she’ll mainly play on the perimeter.”

Women’s basketball coaching staff recruits four new athletes

Evan MerrillSTAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY KODY KAHLE

Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit coached the team against Cincinnati this season.

CONNECT WITH US ONLINEFor more information go to sixatsix.nku.edu

showcasing the research and creative projects of NKU students

Come out to this FREE lecture to learn about Kairee Franzen's research and the impact her program made on young girls in Newport!

When: Tuesday, December 3, 2013  6:00 p.m.Where: The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County- Main LibraryWhat: Six@Six 2.0 lecture- Beauty, Body Image and Breaking BarriersPresenter: Kairee Franzen

Kasey UetrechtHeight: 6’0”Position: ForwardClinton Massie High SchoolOregonia, Ohio.

“Kasey’s probably around 6 foot, she’s really a four or five kind of player who can face the bas-ket, shoots it well, is a very good passer and under-stands the game very well,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s someone who can direct traffic from the post as well which is atypical.”

“They’re [the coaches] very family oriented which I love; the main one that recruited me was Karmen,” Uetrecht said. “She’s as friendly as can be and wasn’t always concerned about the basket-ball standpoint, she would just wonder how my day was and just about myself aside from the basket-ball part of it. All of them are just amazing people and amazing coaches, but this place is amazing; I don’t think any school compared to NKU for me.”

Faith SandersHeight: 5’10”Position: Guard/ForwardJenkins High SchoolSavannah, Ga.

“Faith Sanders is a dynamic athlete and is very different than any other player in our program right now,” Plitzuweit said. “She has size, length, athleticism, and in time, will be a good player for us. Although our style of play is a little different than what she’s been in, she’ll add an up-tempo ability that we don’t really have a lot of right now.”

According to Coach Plitzuweit, they’re not ex-pecting anymore recruits for the 2014 recruiting class.

C H E C K O U T N O R S E G A M E C O V E R A G E O N L I N E @ T H E N O R T H E R N E R . C O M

SPORTS Thursday, November 21, 201310

Samsung Galaxy S® 4HTC One®

Activ. Fee: May req. $36/line. Credit approval req. Early Termination Fee (sprint.com/etf): After 14 days, up to $350/line. IL Port-in Offer: Offer ends: 1/23/2014. $100 port-in credit for smartphones, feature phones and mobile broadband devices. Available only to eligible IL accounts with valid Corp. ID. Re-quires port-in from an active number (wireless or landline). Svc credit request must be made at sprint.com/promo within 72 hours from the port-in activation date or svc credit will be declined. Ported new-line must remain active 61 days to receive full svc credit. You should continue paying your bill while waiting for your svc credit to avoid service disruption and possible credit delay. Other req. may apply for installment customers. See store or sprint.com for details. Excludes tablets, upgrades, replacements, and ports made between Sprint entities or providers associated with Sprint (i.e., Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Sprint As You Go and Assurance), all CL and plans $10 or less. Port-in Payment Expectations: Svc credit will appear in adjustment summary section at account level. If the svc credit does not appear on the first or second invoice following the 61st day, visit sprint.com/promo and click on “Where’s my Reward”. Individual-Liable Discount: Available for eligible company, org. or agency employees (ongoing verification). Discounts subject to change according to the company’s org.’s or agency’s agreement with Sprint and are available upon request for monthly svc charges on select plans. No discounts apply to second lines, Add-A-Phone lines. Unlimited Talk, Text, My All-in Plan, Mobile Hotspot or add-ons $29.99 or less (excludes Unlimited, My Way Data). Other Terms: Offers and coverage not avail-able everywhere or for all devices/networks. May not be combinable with other offers. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. ©2013 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Android, Google, the Google logo and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. The HTC logo, and HTC One are the trademarks of HTC Corporation. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Discount courtesy of WSCA

Activation fee waived for new activations. Up to $36 value. Req. new 2-yr agmt.

off select regularly priced Sprint monthly service.Req. new 2-yr agmt.

GET A SERVICE CREDIT OF SAVE WITH DISCOUNTS

%100$ for each eligible new-line activation when you move from another carrier.May req. new 2-yr agmt/activation per line.

OFFERS FOR OF

TAKE CREDIT FOR MAKING A SMART CALL.For a limited time, switch to Sprint from another carrier and receive a $100 service credit for each eligible newly activated line of service.

VISIT SPRINT.COM/PROMO/ within 72 hours of port-in activation to request your $100 service credit.

Don’t delay! Offer ends 1/23/2014.

Use this code to claim your discount. Corporate ID:

Get your best deal online at

sprint.com/stateofkentucky

Have Sprint and need your discountClick: sprint.com/verify

18

iL30788PC

EMPLOYEESNORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

GVSKY_WCA_ZZZ

866-639-8354 Visit a local Sprint Store: sprint.com/storelocator

*GVSKY_WCA_ZZZ*

N135214CA

K A R A O K E N I G H T9 P.M - 1 A.M

LOCATED IN THE MARTHA LAYNE PLAZA, ACROSS FROM CALLAHAN HALL

Locally owned and operated by an NKU graduate!

The Norse men’s basketball team fell to a 0-4 overall record on Nov. 19 in a 74-61 loss at the hands of in-state rival Morehead State Universi-ty in front of 2,144 fans at The Bank of Kentucky Center.

“We got off to a really slow start,” said Dave Bezold, men’s basketball head coach. “Once again, I think it carried over from San Diego in our ability to make a shot.”

The men took an early 1-0 lead to start the game on a free throw from freshman forward Daniel Camps. However, they didn’t see a lead again until 1:14 left in the fi rst half when freshman forward Deontae Cole drove to the basket for a layup to give NKU a 31-30 lead.

The Norse went into halftime with a 33-32 lead, despite being down 16-3 earlier in the fi rst half.

However, NKU got into foul trouble in the second half, allowing Morehead to take the lead fi ve min-utes into the second half.

Morehead took their biggest lead of the game (15 points) with 3:20 left in the game on a dunk by Angelo Warner.

NKU was plagued by 21 turnovers, including fi ve steals by the Eagles.

The scoring was led by freshman

guard Dean Danos with 13 points, including a perfect eight for eight from the free throw line, followed by sophomore center Jalen Billups with 11 points. Billups was also per-fect from the free throw line, going fi ve for fi ve.

“I’m getting more and more con-fi dent as the season goes on,” Danos

said. “I’m not playing well enough to get wins though.”

Bezold believes the team got a little better during the game, but there are certain things they have to improve on.

The Norse will travel to New Or-leans this Saturday to take on Tu-lane (4-0) in the Cure UCD Classic.

Clayton CastleSTAFF WRITER

NKU falls to in-state rival Morehead University

PHOTO BY KODY KAHLE

Freshman forward Daniel Camps shoots against Morehead State.

UPCOMINGGAMES:

WOMEN’S

MEN’S

NKU vs. Western Kentucky (home)

NKU vs. Robert Morris (away)

NKU vs. Tennessee Martin (away)

NKU vs. Tulane (away)

NKU vs. Southeast Missouri State—in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

NKU vs.Texas State—in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

11/23/13 @ 7p.m.

11/29/13 @ 1:30 p.m.

11/30/13 @ 1:30 p.m.

11/23/13 @ 10 p.m.

11/29/13 @ 7:30 p.m.

11/30/13 @ 7:30 p.m.