The Northerner Print Edition - Sept. 16, 2009

PLAYBILL

Extra: Kaseke’s run to the top Sports: NKU wif�e ball club News: Big green climb

A �rst look at the NKU theater season

Sept. 16, 2009 Edition 44, Issue 4-Value: 50 cents

thenortherner.com

2 Edition 44, Issue 4

NEWS

VIEWSSometimes doing extra isn’t the way to go:Why extracurricular activities don’t pay off

SPORTSIf you start it, they will come: NKU faculty and staff use wiffle ball club to benefit community.

Cover StoryNKU Theatre Season Preview: A look into the seven plays that make up the theatre departments ‘09-’10 season.

8 & 9

4 & 5

6 & 7

12&13

A&E Once a dancer, always a dancer: NKU professor Heather Britt talks about her career jump from performer to mentor.

10&11

Band of Brothers: Student veterans and supporters help collegiate newcomers.

WHAT’S INSIDE

3Edition 44, Issue 4

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “art imitates life.” But the phrase only scratches the surface of art’s importance. Whether you realize it or not, it affects us all. It has the power to inspire and shape a community or culture and, at times, can challenge us to better ourselves. Its presence anywhere, in any community, is an important one.

None could be truer for the Northern Kentucky University Theatre Department – whose ‘09-’10 season kicks off on Oct. 1 with a rendition of Shake-speare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Our theatre group is more than just a group of actors covering Shakespeare. They are an entire department of dedicated students and teachers who strive for per-fection in every performance. Some of us are huge theatre junkies who analyze, critique and discuss every aspect of a show. There are others that go simply for entertainment

purposes. The beauty part is that theatre serves both needs. It is there for us to engage in and reflect on, as well provide the much-needed escapism from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Still, there are small differ-ences that set a college theatre company apart from the professionals. Anywhere else, the closest we ever come to knowing the person portray-ing a character on stage is in the bio of a playbill. Here, the actors are our fellow class-mates. We see them everyday, walking to class, sitting in the quad or eating in the Student Union — making the connec-tion between us and the art they produce something more than just performer/viewer. It also makes art do more than imitate life — it makes it a part of our lives.

-Tim OwensPrint Editor-in-Chief

contactinformationThe NorthernerUniversity Center Room 335Highland Heights, KY 41076Editor in Chief: (859) 572-6128News & Sports: (859) 572-6677Features: (859) 572-5859Advertising: (859) 572-5232Fax: (859) 572-5772

E-mail: [email protected]

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

northernerstaffPRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEFTim Owens[[email protected]]

WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJoe Castelli [[email protected]]

NEWS EDITOR Kelly Phelan [[email protected]]

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Rachel Frommel[[email protected]]

MANAGING EDITORMark Payne[[email protected]]

PRESENTATION EDITOREmily Teaford[[email protected]]

ASST. PRESENTATION EDITORKarli Wood[[email protected]]

ASST. VIEWS EDITORBrandon Barb[[email protected]]

WEB ASST. VIEWS EDITORHeather Willoughby[[email protected]]

A&E EDITORJeremy Jackson[[email protected]]

SPORTS EDITORMichael Collins[[email protected]]

PHOTO EDITORCharlotte Etherton[[email protected]]

ASST. PHOTO EDITOREd Morris[[email protected]]

STAFF WRITERJenn Corbett[[email protected]]

COPY EDITORSCassie Stone[[email protected]]Chelsea Asher[[email protected]]Judy Hussey[[email protected]]

ADVISORGayle Brown[[email protected]]

AD MANAGERWilliam Fisher[[email protected]]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERPatrick Delaney[[email protected]]

ASST. A&E EDITORJustin Mattingly[[email protected]]

Note from the Newsroom

EXTRA 14&15

NEWS


NKU gets its very own ‘band of brothers’Student veterans, supporters work together to help newcomers navigate higher educationCassie StoneCopy Editor

Transitioning back to civilian life after being on active duty or in a combat zone can be difficult. Add to that transition going to college and you have a unique set of challenges for veterans pursuing higher education.

With those challenges in mind, groups such as V.E.T.S (Veter-ans for Education and Transition Support) and the Veterans Ad-vocacy Committee (VAC) were formed.

“The people at NKU were very supportive,” said Bill Schwartz, a sophomore secondary education major, “but there was no support group for us coming in.”

Schwartz explained that though the Veteran’s Adminis-tration (VA), a government or-ganization dedicated to assisting veterans, offered some help, he still had no peers to talk to about things such as how to register for classes or convert his military ex-perience over to a civilian tran-script so he could get credit for his work in the military.

Citing these challenges, a group of NKU students began V.E.T.S. in spring 2009 as a way to provide help to veterans and their supporters on campus. The NKU chapter is the first one rec-ognized in the greater Cincinnati area by its national organization, Student Veterans of America.

Schwartz said he re-tired after spending 22 years in the infantry out of Fort Bragg in North Car-olina and be-gan at NKU in the fall 2008 semes-ter. He is also currently the publicist for V.E.T.S.

The group offers a mentoring service, gives tours of the campus and provides points of contact for medical and dental coverage, among other services.

Adding to the support V.E.T.S. provides, the Veterans Advocacy Committee was formed this year. Dave Merriss, the director of the One Stop Center and chair of the committee, explained that it is made up of 30 faculty mem-bers from across campus who are interested in furthering the sup-port offered to veterans.

The committee meets to re-view NKU policies and how they affect veterans. When necessary, they offer recommendations to improve policies and increase awareness of veterans on cam-pus.

Merriss’ brother who com-

pleted his bachelor’s and mas-ter’s while on active duty, and his son is currently serving in Iraq. The issue of support for veterans hits close to home, especially for Merriss.

“Imagine,” Merriss said, “be-ing in Iraq knowing you are about to be released and know-ing that you want to pursue a de-gree when you get home.”

Part of what the VAC does is coordinate efforts across the university to help get potential students in distant parts of the world enrolled at NKU.

Calling himself the “welcome wagon,” Merriss helped coordi-nate a meeting between a Ma-rine Gunnery Sgt. applying for admission to NKU while he was-still on active duty and Jeremy Lovell, the president of V.E.T.S., who gave the marine and his wife a tour of the campus.

Merriss and Lovell also helped arrange a meeting with the College of Education and Maria Reverman, who handles ap-plications for aid for veterans in the Registrar’s office.

Merriss said that there are currently more than 300 veterans receiving

benefits. “The problem with (the) old

programs is that they don’t pay enough,” Merriss said.

Under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, veterans typically receive fall and spring tuition paid for three years, plus a $1,263 month-ly living stipend for nine months and a $1,000 book stipend for the year, Merriss said.

Reverman explained that there are different qualifications to receive one of the different “chapters” of aid. To be eligible under the new bill, the student would have had to been on ac-tive duty for at least 90 consecu-tive days after Sept. 11, 2001. If the student qualifies 100 percent for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, they are also entitled to funds under the Yellow Ribbon Program. This aid is offered to six undergradu-

ate, five graduate and five law students with a cap of $2,500 per student per year. Reverman said that there are only five under-graduates, three graduates and one law student using the Yellow Ribbon Program benefit.

Schwartz explained that many veterans do not know what aid is available to them. To help com-bat this, V.E.T.S. is holding a semi-nar tentatively slated for late No-vember to explain the benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill and who is qualified. The group is also work-ing with the History and German Departments on Projekt Mauer, a celebration of the anniversary of the Berlin Wall.

Currently, Schwartz said V.E.T.S. is looking for ways to raise money for the group. Any-one interested in joining the group is encouraged to e-mail Jeremy Lovell at [email protected] or Bill Schwartz at [email protected]. They have also set up a Blackboard site that anyone can join to get informa-tion about upcoming events. To be added to the group, just con-tact Lovell or Schwartz.

The next meeting for V.E.T.S. will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Student Union, room 105. After the meeting there will be a barbeque and cornhole games.

There was no support group for us coming in.

--Bill Schwartz, V.E.T.S. publicist

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NORTHERNER


Northern Kentucky Uni-versity is going to have a lot of fit undergraduates if NKU Wellness and the President’s Climate Commitment Task Force’s latest program, the Big Green Climb, works.

NKU has added decals to the elevator doors in the Lu-cas Administrative Center, the old University Center and every academic building on campus.

These decals encourage students to “Take the stairs, burn calories and save the environment.” NKU Well-ness and the President’s Climate Commitment Task Force worked together to support the decals.

“This is a six-week chal-lenge which encourages par-ticipants to take the stairs in-

stead of the elevators to burn calories and save the earth,” said Maggie Gough, student wellness manager.

“The Big Green Climb is part of the university’s con-tinuing efforts to promote not only health and wellness, but also environmental re-sponsibility,” said Chris Cole, director of communications at NKU.

Students will notice two decals posted on the afore-mentioned elevators on cam-pus. One decal is supposed to increase awareness of the campaign.

The other decal is more permanent, and is to remain on the elevator after the campaign has ended. There are also plans to develop signs to guide students to-

ward stairways. Gough emphasized that

the stickers are designed to get people to consider taking the stairs to save energy and promote physical activity.

“I take the stairs when the elevators are too slow, but the truth is when you’re a full-time student and all your classes are in one day, carrying a backpack filled with books, notebooks and a laptop up the stairs is not very helpful to my body as it causes back trouble,” senior Stephanie Rodriguez said. “So if I feel like taking an elevator so I don’t have to walk up five flights of stairs with 30 pounds on my back, then that is my prerogative.” Several offices on campus participated in the design of

the Big Green Climb pro-gram.

NKU Wellness, along with NKU Green, collaborated to create a campaign that would reach many NKU students and came up with the idea of the decals. Throughout the brainstorming phase, NKU Wellness conferred with the Office of Disability Services to take into consideration the needs of the physically challenged.

“With their guidance, we also incorporated a sponsor-ship program within the chal-lenge so that those who are physically unable to take the stairs can still participate in the challenge,” Gough said.

Health, one step at a timeNew program tries to put elevators on the endangered listKelly Phelan News Editor

10 Ways to Be “Green” @ NKU

1. Use recycling centers on campus. 2. Use your own beverage containers to reduce waste of water bottles and cups.

3. Refill your beverage container at on-campus Oasis stations.

4. Climb stairs instead of using the elevators.

5. Conserve paper by filing documents digi- tally instead of print- ing.

6. If you do print, use both sides of the paper.

7. Unplug electrical devices such as lap- tops when they’re not in use.

8. Purchase Energy-Star rated appliances when possible.

9. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

10. Use re-usable shop- ping bags.

* Information based on list at: www.nku.edu/ green

Charlotte Etherton/Photo EditorThe “big green climb” program, campaigned all over NKU, aims to support wellness taking the stairs instead of elevators.

Sean HarklessJunior, Theatre

“It’s healthy to have extracurricular activities especially for the social

aspect.”

VIEWS

Heather WilloughbyAssistant News Editor

It’s not all about the extra you doExtracurricular activities don’t always benefit you in the long run

It is that time of year when classes have all settled in, ev-eryone has gotten into their own routine so they can pri-oritize to find their “down-times” and all of the student organizations on campus are beginning to recruit full-force. Students are making the decision on whether to participate, at what degree he is going to commit his time and efforts and how many organizations he wants to take on. Some students start to stress about which is going to look best to pro-spective employers and/or graduate schools.

Actually, extracurricular activities may be less impor-tant than you think. That is not to say that they do not matter at all — they do. But I think people place a much higher emphasis on being ac-tive in a number of student organizations than necessary.

According to a study pre-sented by Slippery Rock Uni-versity of Pennsylvania, in which 362 representatives of

business and industry and 500 college faculty were s u r v e y e d , b u s i n e s s e s looking to hire college grads rank e x t r a c u r -ricular activi-ties number eight out of 15 in impor-tance. Those surveyed from grad-school admissions also ranked extracurricular eight out of 15.

While extracurricular ac-tivities ranked the same on both lists, they were much further down than I had ex-pect them to be, and I was especially shocked that em-ployers placed a higher em-phasis than graduate schools.

While these activities were listed as “not as important” along the scale, I still feel that they are crucial to a student’s success beyond college. I am relieved, however, to discov-

er that this means we do not have to load up on all sorts of crazy activities to help fur-ther our careers. I feel like this indicates that students can just focus on one to three activities throughout their undergraduate careers and easily meet the extracurricu-lar requirements.

On the other hand, stu-dents should not be par-ticipating in organizations simply to get ahead. I think that despite the basic incen-tives to join and participate in an organization, it is vital to leadership and social skills development for students to

take on an active role in college out-side of academia.

According to the survey, employers deemed personal-ity, grades, the na-ture of non-college related jobs and breadth of life expe-riences to be some traits higher than extracurricular in-volvements. Gradu-

ate school admission faculty felt that grades, proficiency in writing, breadth of life ex-periences, contributions to the school and publications/awards were of the most im-portant. With some organiza-tions, you can meet some of these needs with ease.

For example, if you par-ticipate in an organization/activity that puts you in a situation, allows you to meet different people or broad-ens your general perspective, you will gain at least one life experience. Say you join a service organization and you

meet someone with a disabil-ity that you had no previous knowledge of. This service you performed just once ig-nites a passion to advocate and raise awareness of this particular situation, while giving you a chance to inter-act with someone you may have never met otherwise. Through your organization, you may have expanded your entire world view.

While I advise experienc-ing as much of college as you can, and I plead for you not to be a “PCP” (parking lot, class, parking lot), I also do not wish upon anyone tak-ing on more than they can handle. Pulling your orga-nizations into a specific area of concentration will present much more value than trying to take part in everything. One or two organizations can tell prospective employ-ers/admissions experts a lot about you and what you have learned through your many life experiences.

Katie BergerSophomore, Musical

Theatre

“Depends on the stu-dent.”

Robyn NovakSophomore, Theatre

“Harder for them to keep up with their grades.”

Compiled byBrandon Barb & Charlotte

Etherton

Do you think it hurts students grades when they are involved in

more than one on cam-pus group?

rnpnorse poll responses

Meagahan SharrardJunior, Theatre

“Good to be well round-ed, but they need to make their grades a priority.”


Students should not be participating in organiza-tions simply to get ahead.

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NORTHERNER


Football season is upon us. So I beg the question — Col-lege or professional?

As I sit here writing this, I am flipping back and forth be-tween a college game, Clemson University vs. Georgia Tech, and the opening NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steel-ers and the Tennessee Titans.

The Georgia Tech game was a hard-fought one. GA Tech was up 21-0 in the first quarter. But the team I used to root for when I lived in South Carolina, Clemson, battled back to 27-27, finally ending with GA Tech winning on a field goal in the last minute of play, final score 30-27 GA Tech. It just goes to show that anything can happen in college football.

On the other channel, it is a typical NFL game — great de-fenses fighting each other with low scores on the board. Final score 13-10 Steelers on an over-

time field goal. Bengals fans will hate me for this, but I like the Steelers. It is their defense that draws me to them. Led by the dominating Troy Polama-lu — defense is always tough. And I want to clear something up that Cincinnati fans still talk about. A few years ago, Palmer went down with a knee injury. That wasn’t intentional — ac-cidents happen in football.

For me, it is all about col-lege football. There is just so much more suspense and hard-fought football at the col-legiate level. Do not get me wrong, the NFL is full of the best of college players and at times exciting to watch, but it comes down to the viewer re-ally. Football is football.

In my eyes, collegiate foot-ball is every play, all four quar-ters. At the professional level, I see players take plays off and slack. I see prima donna play-

ers whine and cry when they lose or get nailed by a line-backer. Like I said, it is football — stuff happens.

I like college football. A team can be down thirty points then out of no where come back and win. There is just more excite-ment. A good example of this is the Miami (FL) vs. Florida State game a week ago. That game went down to the wire. Both teams exchanged touch-downs and big plays until the clock read 0:00.

That is what I love to watch; hard hitting, hard-won games. I am a fan; I want to see points on the board and players put-ting everything into each play. That is in the NFL, but there are also players caring too much about money.

Players should not care how fat their paycheck is. They are playing a game that they sup-posedly love.

Brandon BarbAssistant Views Editor

College over pro ball

I hate when I lose something. I hate it even more when I real-ize I lost something at a place where I probably will not get it back again.

There are those rare occa-sions, however, when some-body calls you and says that he or she had found your lost item and returned it.

I’m not bragging, but when I find something I usually go to great lengths to make sure that person gets it back.

I was pleasantly surprised this week as I scrolled through the police reports to find some-

body on campus had done something nice themselves.

A person in Lucas Adminis-trative Center lost a purse. This could have been bad for that person.

But an upstanding Northern Kentucky University commu-nity member walked by and picked the purse up and turned it in. If in the wrong hands, it may have never returned to its owner.

This is to you, purse-finder: thank you. I only hope that the next time I lose something, you find it.

NKU BEHIND BARSMark PayneManaging Editor

Photo contributed by MCT Campus

Jeremy JacksonA&E Editor

NKU Theatre PreviewInside the plays that make up the ‘09-‘10 season

Last year, Northern Kentucky University’s Theatre Depart-ment performed an array of productions, from the musical ver-sion of Working to the plays featured within NKU’s very own Y.E.S. Festival. This year, through a series of suggested plays of every genre and time period, the theatre department has nar-rowed the field to promote the same high-caliber playwright, dance, acting and stage management from years past. The seven plays chosen offer something for every theatrical flavor.

1. Much Ado About NothingThe romantic comedy from the quill of The Bard, Much Ado

tells the story of two lovers that are to be married in a week. The Sicilian duo team-up with the Prince of Aragon, to assemble a diabolical scheme that will attempt to hoodwink their friends (Beatrice and Benedick) into proclaiming their love for one an-other. Directed by Mike King, Much Ado runs from October 1-11 at NKU’s Corbett Theatre.

2. RhinocerosOver the course of three acts, residents of a small French town

metamorphous into, you guessed it, Rhinos--save one townsman named Berenger. The play was first performed in the early 1960s by a European drama group that called themselves “Theatre of the Absurd”. Rhinoceros features overtones that address Com-munism and Nazism, pre WWII, and confronts such themes as conformity and culture. Directed by Daryl Harris, who special-ized in alternative or experimental theatre, Rhinoceros runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8 at NKU’s Stauss Theatre.

3. Titanic The Musical:Punctuating the fall semester, Titanic combines the timeless

story of the tragic voyage of 1912 with Tony Award-winning music. Boasting a cast of 36, Director Mark Hardy says the musi-cal is huge and will be a challenge to both the student-actors and production crew alike. “The score is almost as massive as the ship,” Hardy said. Titanic runs from Dec. 3 to 13 at NKU’s Corbett Theatre.


NKU Theatre PreviewInside the plays that make up the ‘09-‘10 season

4. Colored MuseumWritten by playwright George C. Wolfe, Colored Museum takes

the audience on an airplane traveling through time, making nu-merous stops to museum exhibits featuring historical displays of African-American culture, from slavery until recent times. The play is directed by Brian Robertson and runs from Feb. 18 to 28, 2010 at NKU’s Corbett Theatre

5. Top GirlsFirst produced in the early 1980s, Top Girls is about a woman

named Marlene who, in sacrificing her way up the corporate ladder, looks back in regret — especially for abandoning her il-legitimate child. The play is renowned for its dream-like opening in which Marlene confronts an assortment of famous, unyielding women throughout history, whom refused to be resigned to their own fates. Directed by Mary Jo Beresford, Top Girls runs from March 25 to April 3, 2010 at NKU’s Stauss Theatre.

6. Omnium GatherumIn the wake of 9/11, a group of eclectic individuals turn out for

an extravagant dinner party and express their views on terrorism, society and religion in a sometimes terse, sometimes funny man-ner. According to director Sandra Forman, the play was chosen due to its challenging roles and provocative topics. The title itself was derived from “mock Latin” for “a miscellaneous assemblage of persons,” Forman says. Omnium Gatherum runs from March 25 to April 3, 2010 at the Stauss Theatre.

7. Bye Bye BirdieBye Bye Birdie is a 1960’s musical known for its elaborate dance

numbers and renowned musical hits. The musical recounts the story of an Elvis-like rock singer on the verge of being drafted into the Army, and the elaborate hoax that ensues to keep him out. Direc-tor Ken Jones, (Director of Working and Urinetown) says the musi-cal will be a challenge to keep the story moving. Birdie is the final production of the 2009-2010 season and runs from April 15 to 25, 2010 at NKU’s Corbett Theatre.


Playbills created by Austin Dunbar

A&E


After a draining dance ca-reer, Heather Britt quit what she loved the most. How-ever, something was missing and her spirit was lacking. So she decided she wasn’t done performing. Multi-talented dancer Heather Britt is show-ing no new signs of fatigue as she takes on a full plate in the fall 2009 semester. She is now a seasoned teacher of 18 years and a full-time pro-fessor at Northern Kentucky University’s department of theatre and dance — where she teaches Modern and Jazz dance. Britt also works with underprivileged children and is currently choreographing for the Cincinnati Ballet’s show, New Works.

What was your inspiration

for your piece in the show New Works?

HB: The inspiration for my piece was really derived from the music. The music was composed by Peter Ad-ams, and it pretty much told me the story. It swells, it’s lush and haunting, and it has different emotions repre-sented throughout.

Had you ever choreo-graphed something of this caliber before?

HB: This was my first leap into the professional realm of choreography. I was ex-tremely nervous because there is always a question if you know you can rise to the occasion. It was a chance to present my art in front of my peers and to see if they liked it or not.

What were some of the ob-stacles you faced?

HB: The only obstacle that I came in with was working with ballet dancers. I studied

ballet everyday of my life, but professionally I danced modern. For some the bal-let dancers it was a new way of moving for them, but the dancers really rose to the oc-casion, also.

If there was one statement you could make about the piece what would it be?

HB: What I think the piece is saying, and I didn’t really know at first until it was fin-ished, is that regardless of the struggles or celebrations in our lives, we all have simi-lar struggles and celebra-tions. All of those things are welcome and wonderful be-cause it is pretty much kick-ing us on the right path. The piece is about different peo-ple’s stories, but how we all are really the same.

When did you discover your passion for dance?

HB: I started at the School for Creative and Performing Arts at age nine. I danced every single day and I loved, loved dance.

When did you decide

dance would be a big part of your life?

HB: From the time that I chose to start performing in San Francisco, is when I knew it was going to be a big part of my life.

Had you always wanted to teach, or was it something you fell into?

HB: Like choreography, it was just something that I fell into. Like it was with the piece for New Works, they came to me and asked me to choreograph a piece. Any other time, I would have said no, but I felt like it was an

opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

How has working with un-derprivileged kids at Uptown Arts impacted your life?

HB: I was the educa-tion and outreach manager at the Cincinnati Ballet while teaching a class called “Rhythm and Motion,” so my job for the ballet was to go into the community and work with children, adults and all different types of people. That is how I got the job at Uptown Arts. I just love working with children that would not have had that opportunity.

Can you express how you feel when students learn and progress with choreography?

HB: It is the best feeling to give a piece of choreography and then see how it is ap-plied to a student’s body. My job is to figure out why it is not working and make cor-rections. When I see those corrections work, it is excit-ing.

If you were not a danc-er, what alternative career would you have chosen?

HB: Originally I thought I wanted to go into physi-cal therapy. I have always been a very physical person and I did gymnastics. I did gymnastics when I was little so that is why I think I am so athletic in my choreography.

Do you like how, in this day and age, dancers use gymnastics as part of their choreography?

HB: I welcome any new idea. The beautiful thing about contemporary cho-reography is that anything

goes. I might not like a cer-tain piece but someone else does. So bring it on, I wel-come all the artistry out there.

What do you think of the dance program at NKU?

HB: I think it is blossom-ing and I have seen the danc-ers evolve greatly since I have been here.

In your opinion, what kind of classes should be added at NKU?

HB: I think that dancers should be diversified in what styles of dance they take. I do think the dance depart-ment could really benefit from dancers taking a ballet technique class, as well as the dance department.

Justin MattinglyAsst. A&E Editor

Once a dancer, always a dancerNKU professor talks about her transition from dancer to instructor

Justin Mattingly/Assistant A&E Editor

NKU professor Heather Britt shows of her skills in class.


NORTHERNER

Jeremy JacksonA&E Editor

International cuisine in the ‘NatiTwo restaurants that bring global flavor to the streets of the Queen City

Andy’s Mediterranean Grille

Located at 906 Nassau Street in Cincinnati, Andy’s is an oa-sis of Lebanese delights. As the name suggests, the restaurant has an entire menu dedicated to the flavors and aromas of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. From falafel—$7 (fried chick-pea patties served with tahini sauce), and the Mediterranean sampler—$12 (hummus, baba ghannouj, labneh, tabouli and ol-ives), to the weekend belly danc-ing performances. Andy’s makes you feel as if you’re abroad while still keeping it cheap.

Food Favorite: Shish Tawook: At $12 for two skewers of char-broiled and marinated chicken breasts, served on a bed of rice, you can’t miss.

Best Beer: Lebanese Car Bomb: $8—This drink contains the best of both worlds, Almaza (Lebanese pilsner) combined with a shot of Arak (clear alco-hol) dropped straight in.

Specials: Mondays is half off all drinks and food from 5pm-11pm. Monday–Saturday get a three course dinner for two for $25.

Ambar India Restaurant

Get ready to cook your taste buds. Ambar offers an array of Indian cuisine that can stifle even the most tem-pered tongues. Whether you are ordering the chicken vin-daloo—$11.59 (chicken pieces and potatoes served in a tangy hot sauce) or a lamb cur-ry—$12.59 (lamb simmered in curry sauce) you will enjoy both the speedy service ac-companied by Indian clad sur-roundings. Be sure to specify the amount of heat/spiciness for each dish when placing your order on a scale from one (mild spice) to five (crying out of your sweat glands). Ambar is located at 350 Ludlow Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio.

Food Favorite: Vegetable Samosa—$3.49. Listed as an appetizer, the Samosa (deep fried crisp pastries stuffed with mildly spiced potatoes and green peas) is almost big enough to be a main course.

Best Beer: King Fish-er—$4.49. King Fisher is a crisp Indian lager that is sure to extinguish the spicy inferno.

Charlotte Etherton/Photo EditorAndy’s Mediterranean Grille in Cincinnati serves up Eastern Mediterranean delicacies.

Other Options:

If you aren’t craving Mediterranean cuisine, Andy’s also offers anywhere from 3-6 flavors of hookah at $12 each.

More info: 513.281.9791 or www.andyskabob.com

Other Options:

Can’t make it to Ambar? Try one of their sister restaurants!

Baba in Oakley Kanak in Montgomery Akash in Downtown Cincy Raja in Mason & Guru in Crescent Springs

Mike CollinsSports Editor

If you start it, they will comeNKU faculty and staff use wiffle ball club to benefit campus community


SPORTS

Photo Courtesy of NKU Wiffle Ball Club

Takayuki Orii (pitching) , Nick Monger (batting), Brian Brinker (fielding) play wiffle ball every Saturday during the fall semester.

With the smell of freshly cut grass filling the air and the dirt around the diamond neatly raked, the home team trots out onto the turf to be-gin the game.

The batter steps into the box, slightly grinning at the pitcher as he twirls the bat in his hand. Digging his left foot into the ground, he takes a practice swing and then points the tip of the bat in the direction of the left field wall. The pitcher rocks back and delivered the first pitch.

The ball, filled with holes, flutters through the air and across the plate for a strike. The proven hitter chuckles to himself and then focuses his eyes on the pitch-er. The man perched upon the mound glares back, and serves up a grimace. He whips back his arm and throws the ball. It slithers through the breeze like a side-winding

snake. The plastic sphere seems to

grow larger as it reaches the plate. A loud smack ensues after the force of the bat con-nects with the ball, sending it into the warm air. In the outfield, the players shield the sun from their pupils and watch the ball drop over the fence. This is the scene, or something like it, that takes place at each game for the Northern Kentucky Univer-sity Wiffle Ball Club.

Bob McCoy, the equipment manager for the Electronic Media and Broadcasting (EMB) program at North-ern Kentucky University is preparing for the start of the wiffle ball season.

McCoy serves as one of the founders of the NKU Wiffle Ball Club. The fall '09 semes-ter marks the club's third year at NKU.

McCoy and 11 of his friends

enjoyed playing wiffle ball during the summer months, and when it was time to re-turn to school, they had to quit.

In the fall of 2007 McCoy and his companions came up with an alternative that would allow them to play wiffle ball year round.

“We all met at the Perkins just off campus to discuss our ideas,” McCoy said. “Why should we stop playing when summer ends? We thought about how NKU had all these clubs; why not wiffle ball?”

This season, the club will have five teams that will com-pete against one another. Each team has six players with four people playing in the in-field. Other than the reduced amount of people on the field of play and a fielding system called the clutch, the club en-forces many of the same rules as baseball. The clutch sys-

tem does not require teams to have a first baseman or a catcher. When someone gets a hit, the fielder has to throw it back to the pitcher before the runner reaches first to record an out, according to McCoy.

“We try to abide by Major League Baseball rules,” Mc-Coy said. “However, there is no bunting, no stealing and no leading off.”

Early in the season, when the weather is still warm, the Wiffle Ball Club will play games outdoors. When the inclement winter weather ap-proaches, they head into the Albright Health Center to continue their season.

“My favorite place to play is outside because I like to hit home runs,” McCoy said. “I tied for the home run leader in the first season that we started the club.”

Playing wiffle ball isn't the only thing that drives the

club as they pursue opportu-nities to help the community around them. The club and its members are hoping to participate in a wiffle tourna-ment in the spring that acts as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness, according to club president Andrew Brown.

The club looks to partner with Chicks and Chucks, an organization that develops fundraisers to help breast cancer patients financially during their fight against the disease. The association is a resource for breast cancer pa-tients who require the prod-ucts and services to help them cope, according to http://www.chicksandchucks.org/.

“It’s not just about playing wiffle ball,” Brown said. “As a club, we want to do the best we can to benefit as many people as we can around the community.”

NORTHERNER


Rodney MooreStaff Writer

Athletics Web site gets a reboot Site promises more information for the avid NKU sports fanatic

Whether you are an ada-mant sports fan, a citizen in the community or a prospec-tive student-athlete, the new Northern Kentucky Univer-sity athletics Web site has everything you need — and then some.

Northern Kentucky Uni-versity has shaped and cre-ated a new and revised athletics information Web site in an attempt to garner more attention to the grow-ing NKU sports fan base on campus.

Chris Hafling, director of marketing promotions at NKU, “really spearheaded the preliminary efforts to gauge what we wanted the site to include and highlight,” said Mike Anderson, assis-tant sports information di-rector at NKU.

It features several services, including a special Athlete of the Week section that highlights one male and one female athlete, along with providing the opportunity to sign up for an e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on NKU sports via e-mail.

The main feature is a link to both mens’ and womens’ sports, which highlights re-cords, upcoming schedules and player profiles.

“The decision to redesign

the Web site came strongly last year when the Great Lakes Valley Conference made a push to outsource athletic Web pages,” Ander-son said. Since then, more GLVC schools have out-sourced their athletic Web sites.

Whether a fan or prospec-tive student-athlete, the site offers a special “Inside Ath-letics” section that features links such as a staff direc-tory to get in touch with your NKU athletics staff, and employment opportunities available within the NKU athletics department.

If you are an NKU stu-dent and want up-to-date statistics on games in prog-ress, there are live audio or video streams that allow you to follow your favorite ath-

letes as they compete. If you would rather be there live and in action, the site also has a link that allows you to purchase tickets for upcom-ing games. Anderson said he is a fan of both featured im-provements.

For hardcore Norse fans, the Web site contains a fan zone where you can fol-low NKU athletics on Twit-ter, acquire information on the popular Norse Force fan club, or easily access the online store where you can purchase NKU attire to wear while you’re tailgating or just supporting the team around campus.

There is a visitor informa-tion section for those travel-ing to NKU to watch their fa-vorite team play. The section features hotels, tailgating,

restaurants around town and a campus map.

The site also features a link to the Norse Kids Club, NKU athletic camps for the com-munity youth and a special community programs section.

“The Web site is a won-derful way to display NKU athletics to the community and allow the community to donate money to athlet-ics through the marketing or the booster club,” Anderson said “The booster club will put on fundraisers to garner revenue for athletics, such as the next one which will take place Oct. 2, which will re-volve around a golf outing.”

One of the improved and exciting aspects of the Web site features a prospective student-athlete section that contains links to recruiting

information, questionnaires and NCAA eligibility infor-mation.

Prospective recruits can take a glimpse into the his-tory of NKU in the tradi-tions and history section that highlights all of the awards athletes have received, as well as career achievements, a hall of fame section, an All-American section and cham-pionship history.

There is also a feature enti-tled “Why NKU” that focus-es on quick facts and a virtual tour of the campus. On top of all that, you can retrieve in-formation on all of the facili-ties, both new, old and under construction for your infor-mative viewing.

“Absolutely,” Anderson said very passionately when asked if the site will aid in re-cruiting. “(NKU web officials have) led the way to enhance the virtual tours to give pro-spective students the real NKU feel.”

Many parts of the Web site are still under construction.

“It is hard to say when any site will be 100 percent complete,”Anderson said. “New data is always being added, and we want to keep it as up-to-date as possible.”

The Web site is a wonderful way to display NKU athletics to the community.

- Mike Anderson, assistant sports information director

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EXTRA


A run to the topKaseke recounts his road to successMark PayneManaging Editor

Charlotte Etherton/Photo EditorKaseke went from refugee to SGA President at NKU.

Keith Kaseke ran from Zimbabwe to the United States, literally. Kas-eke, the first international student to become Student Government As-sociation President, was once on the cusp of becoming a world-class run-ner.

Zimbabwe

Kaseke, born in Zimbabwe, a country plagued with the HIV/Aids epidemic and economic problems, saw a different life than most Zim-babweans. His parents were entre-preneurs owning general stores and real estate and in fourth grade, Kas-eke began attending private board-ing schools on athletic scholarships.

“I think at my school of 662 stu-dents, we had seven (black) stu-dents,” Kaseke said of the ratio be-tween white and black student in boarding school.Boarding school, for Kaseke, wasn’t the teacher-slappping-the-hand kind you see in Hollywood films.

“The food was great. I don’t know if Chartwell’s wants me to say that,” he said jokingly. “It was almost like living in a hotel.”

He said for most students the only way to get off campus was to partici-pate in some type of sporting event.

“They’re usually in the middle of nowhere and the only way to get off campus was through some activity,” he said. “So, I started engaging in sporting activities. That was my tick-et to leave campus.”

Kaseke participated in rugby, field hockey and track during his years at EaglesVale High School. He said if you played a sport like rugby you knew you could get off campus on Saturdays and if you played field hockey you could get off campus on Fridays.

“That was a way to see southern Africa,” he said.

Out of Africa

In 2001, Kaseke’s athletic ability

led him to the University of Cincin-nati on a track scholarship. He chose UC because he had relatives living in the area, who attended the Col-lege of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning.

“Actually, when I came that was my goal, to become an architect,” he said.Once he arrived at UC, Kaseke did not see DAAP as a good fit for him and chose Entrepreneurship instead. Kaseke remembers one of his first classes at UC.

“I remember one of my first class-es was in an auditorium with like 400 kids,” he said. “I sat next to this girl—I had dreadlocks at the time — I sat next to this girl from Connecti-cut and she’s like, ‘I’ve never been close to a black person before, can I feel your hair?’ I thought it was a prank, so I played along.”

Kaseke said he didn’t know what Connecticut was, but soon realized this girl was from the countryside of the state.

“I never realized stuff like that existed, where somebody could ac-tually live, grow up their entire life in the United States and not meet a black person,” he said.

In 2003, Kaseke experienced a devastating knee injury, tearing his Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL). Kaseke had a decision to make: He could get surgery on his knee, end-ing his track career, or he could opt out of surgery, continuing to chase his dream of being an Olympic run-ner, but live in excruciating pain.

“My dreams had always been to run in the Olympics,” he said. “I had to choose between having surgery, or not having surgery, and seeing where it would take me. That was a really tough decision.”

Kaseke went back to Africa for a couple years to muddle over the dif-ficult situation.

“I was advised into having sur-gery,” he said. “When you have sur-gery it’s never the same.”

The surgery put an end to Kas-eke’s competitive running career.

Northern Kentucky is home

In 2005, he headed to back to the United States, this time his destination was Northern Kentucky University.

“Well, it was a no-brainer ‘cause the tuition was cheap-er,” Kaseke said of choosing to attend NKU over going back to UC.

Attending NKU has been a good choice for Kaseke.

“NKU has been one of the best decisions I’ve made,” he said. “Simply, because it’s a smaller university, and most importantly it’s a growing university.”

When Kaseke and his fam-ily first came to the U.S. they were given refugee status. In March 2009, Keith became a citizen of the U.S.

Kaseke makes Northern Kentucky his home, along

with the rest of his family, in-cluding his mother and father. He has two sisters and one brother. His oldest sister, Ka-ruva Kaseke, attends Berea College and his youngest sis-ter, Joy Kaseke, attends Con-ner High School. His brother, Taonezvi, attends NKU. He also has aunts, uncles and cousins that live in the area.

Besides keeping himself busy with SGA, Kaseke also plays field hockey for the Cincinnati Centurions and is the head coach for Xavier University’s club field hockey team.

Kaseke realizes the stakes are higher since he is the first international student to be SGA president.

“The stakes are higher,” he said, “The standards are high-er … I can’t afford to slack.”

NORTHERNER

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