daily kent state | friday, february 26, 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010 • The independent student newspaper of Kent State University • Weather: Snow HI 28, LO 26

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DAILY KENT STATERSPORTS: Indoor track and field teams head north for MAC Championships PG A6

Michelle BairDaily Kent Stater

Despite the heavy snow, Jay Sean and DJ $crilla made their way to the M.A.C. Center last night to perform for students.

“We do a lot of shows,” Kent State graduate DJ $crilla said. “But there is nothing like com-ing home to Kent State.”

The second song played was dedicated to Kent, called “I am KSU.”

T-shirts promoting the song and CDs were thrown into the crowd, and “I’m Hollywood” was performed as well.

The center vibrated from the high energy jumping, dancing, sirens and other $crilla sound-effects. Pink and purple lights beamed from the stage and into

the audience. The girls were all dolled up in

their dresses, leggings and high-heeled boots. People on the floor in the front row reached for the rappers, who grabbed hands in return.

“I want everybody ‘bouncin’,” yelled $crilla. “If you’re ready to party, make some noise!”

The crowd was definitely making a lot of noise, especial-ly when Jay Sean came out. He opened his performance with “Down,” and played some of his favorite songs, including covers and his first-ever single called “Eyes on you.”

“Just in case you didn’t know,” Jay Sean said. “I’m from London, England, and it’s beautiful to be here in Ohio. Sometimes when I get on stage and start talking

Jay Sean rocks the M.A.C. Centerpeople get confused.”

Colleen Habib, a freshman fashion merchandising major, said she heard of Jay Sean when he was still in Europe.

“I knew about him before he came here,” she said. “I had all of his songs on my iPod before he was popular.”

Jay Sean said he is all about having fun.

“I want you guys to leave here feeling like you know me a little bit,” he said. “I want you to sing with me, dance with me and lose your mind.”

Contact the on-campus enter-tainment reporter Michelle Bair at

[email protected]

React to this story and more at KentWired.com

Kelly Petryszyn | Daily Kent Stater

When Marlene Broyles worked at Fashion Bug in University Plaza 20 years ago, business was booming. The businesses helped each other out.

If someone was shopping for a size that Fashion Bug didn’t carry the employees would recommend that customers check the other cloth-ing store, 10 Below. The other businesses would return the favor and recommend Fashion Bug if it had something their store didn’t carry.

That rarely happens today because many stores have left the plaza including Giant Eagle, Jo-Ann Fabrics, a hair salon, drugstore and oth-ers. Today six spaces are empty, two of those are office spaces, property manager David Weil said.

Part of the reason for the shift from booming to bare is lack of big businesses bringing people to the plaza.

Broyles, now a part-time sales leader at Fashion Bug, said about 75 percent of the store’s business is affected by the flow of people in the plaza. She said the movie theater is currently the biggest draw; however, many of the businesses that brought foot traffic into Fashion Bug in the past have left.

“There is really no reason to come to the plaza unless you’re going to go to a movie or get your taxes done,” she said.

The decline is a low point on a business cycle that plazas encounter, community development director Gary Locke said. The economy’s sluggish effect on busi-ness makes it challenging to get new tenants.

When Giant Eagle left the University Plaza it was hard to find a new tenant to fill its space, Locke said. Businesses weren’t interested in competing with super-stores such as Walmart, in which two exist within in a five-mile radius of the plaza.

Michael Cose, assistant manager of Dollar General, agreed that superstores have changed the dynamics of plazas.

‘Plazas have taken a dive’Josh Johnston | Daily Kent Stater

Mary Woodyard has watched the stores come and go. Hills, Ames, Tops Department and grocery stores build at 1600 S. Water St. and then disappear. The location today is a nearly

vacant shopping plaza with a vast, empty parking lot.“I guess I had thought that perhaps another store would take

over,” said Woodyard, who has been at the neighboring Tires and More for 18 years. “When it (the building) was open, it was clean, it was shiny, it was brand new, it was state of the art. I really didn’t think it’d be empty this many years.”

The plaza that stands today was built by Tops Markets after the New York-based grocery store bought the former Hills building and demolished it. The Kent store opened on May 22, 2002 — the 50th Tops location in Northeast Ohio, according to the Tops Web site.

The new building included a 49,000 square foot gro-cery store and smaller storefronts connected to it.

Kent City Councilman Wayne Wilson, whose ward includes the empty plaza, said businesses from other parts of town picked up and moved into the plaza.

“When Tops went in down there, the hair salon (Famous Hair) was (by University Plaza),” he said. “They moved down there thinking newer building and better traffic and all that. Then Tops moved out on them.”

Tops closed in February 2004, not even two years after opening. In the surrounding area, most of the Tops stores were shutting down as well, said Dan Smith, Kent eco-nomic development director.

“Apparently their expansion plans across the area were a bit overreaching,” Smith said. “Ravenna, Kent, Akron — all of them closed about the same time.”

Stores moving in and out of the location isn’t uncom-mon though. As far back as Wilson can remember, the site, at the south end of Kent near state Route 261, has been a revolving door of businesses.

‘A lost part of town’

Suzi StarheimDaily Kent Stater

Kent State named Mark James, professor and vice chair of the Department of Tropical Medicine at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medi-cine, as its new founding dean of the College of Public Health yes-terday. James will begin as dean of the college on July 1, 2010.

“The opportunity at Kent State University is ideal in that it allows one to build the col-lege in the vision of a founding dean, together with a committed administration, faculty, staff and students,” James said.

Prior to the naming of James as dean, Robert Frank, provost and senior vice president of aca-demic affairs, served as interim dean of the college since its inception in 2009.

James has been with Tulane University in New Orleans for 21 years, which he said is “prac-tically my whole professional career.”

Prior to becoming president of Kent State, Lester Lefton served as Provost at Tulane University.

James said Lefton’s move from Tulane to Kent State was not the reason he was recruited.

“We met professionally only, and he probably doesn’t recall me in meeting me personally,” James said.

Lefton “was responsible for beginning the undergraduate Public Health program at Tulane in 2004,” James added.

James, who specializes in infectious diseases and tropical medicine, said he is very happy to have gotten the position at Kent State.

“I came to a school that exactly matches my technique,” James said. “Over the course of 21 years, I have developed the cumulative experience necessary to become a dean of a College of Public Health.”

James said the process of obtaining the position started in September 2009 when he saw an advertisement that went out for a new dean of public health at Kent State.

James said Kent State then

“When it (the building) was open, it was clean, it was shiny, it was brand new, it was state of the art. I really didn’t think it’d be empty this many years.

MAry WoodyArdTires and more employee

Kelly Petryszyn Daily Kent staterSince Tops moved out in 2004, businesses have left the plaza at 1600 S. Water St. Currently, only two businesses remain in the plaza.

Plazas left out in cold from lack of big business

state route 261

East Summit Street

state route 59

South Water Street

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2

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Map Key1. Kent State University2. University Plaza3. Plaza at 1600 S. Water St.

KENT’S PLAZAS

See LOST, Page A4See DIVE, Page A4

James named dean of public health

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

selected eight to 10 individu-als and had a search committee interview them at the Cleveland airport.

“I had an hour-long inter-view,” James added. “It was then narrowed down to a group of four.”

After the last four were cho-sen, James visited Kent State for a second interview, which took place Nov. 9 through 11.

He said there was then “a period of silence” in which the administration must have been making up its mind.

James’ last trip to Kent State was Feb. 19. On this day, he gave a presentation to faculty and met with Lefton, Frank and senior associate provost Tim Chandler.

“This was just a quick, one day trip,” James said of his most recent visit to Kent State.

After James left, faculty dis-cussed his hiring for two to three days, and he received the confir-mation call from Frank the after-noon of Feb. 24.

“I’m feeling wonderful,” James said. “It helps when some-body has a big interest in you and vice versa.”

James signed the official agreement yesterday morning by fax and said it was an easy choice for him partially because of the faculty at Kent State.

“I felt very comfortable with the faculty there,” he said. “There is a very strong collegiality.”

Frank said he is very “really delighted to have (James) here,” and thinks he will be a big asset to the College of Public Health.

“Kent State University’s Col-lege of Public Health is poised to prepare students to meet the region’s and nation’s need for trained public health profession-als,” Frank said. “Dr. James’s knowledge of what it takes to build an accredited program of public health will guide the col-lege to meet those needs and leverage the educational and research strengths of its faculty.”

James’s resignation from Tulane is effective June 30, 2010, and he will begin at Kent State during the first week of July.

During the summer, James said he will meet with other important units on campus.

See DEAN, Page A4

KSU ‘exactly matches my technique’

Caitlin sirse | Daily Kent staterJay Sean performs songs from his album ‘All or Nothing’ in front of an enthusiastic crowd last night at the M.A.C. Center.

Page A2 | Friday, February 26, 2010 Daily Kent Stater

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FOR YOUR INFORMATIONTODAY’S EVENTSn College of Arts and Sciences faculty meetingWhere: Kiva When: 10:45 a.m.

n Fashion show ticket tableWhere: Student Center lobbyWhen: 11 a.m.

n Gymnastics vs. Northern IllinoisWhere: M.A.C. CenterWhen: 7 p.m.

n Late Night ProgrammingWhere: Rathskeller When: 9 p.m.

n “Precious”Where: Kiva When: 11 p.m.

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tHe tOP 5 STORIES OF THE WEEK

4. Ravenna man arrested for heroin trafficking

5. Basketball team wins 20th game

3. Kent State hires dean of public health college

2. National Register of Historic Places adds May 4 Memorial site

1. January assault victim diesYesterday, Kent State named Mark James, professor of tropical medicine at Tulane

University, as its dean for the College of Public Health. James replaces Provost Robert Frank as head of Kent State’s newest college. Frank

had served as interim dean of the college. James has taught at Tulane since 1994 and is chair of the Biomedical Institutional

Review Board for the Tulane University Health Sciences Center.

A Kent State graduate student died Sunday, one month after suffering head injuries in an assault in downtown Kent.

John T. White, 28, of Delaware was assaulted at about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 23 near the intersection of South Water and West Main streets.

Two people, John H. Ragin Jr., 21, of Akron and Hallie E. Nuspl, 21, of Akron, were arrested in connection. Ragin pleaded not guilty to felonious assault, a second-degree felony, while Nuspl pleaded not guilty to obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony, and assault, a first-degree misdemeanor.

White is the second Kent State student in three months to die after an off-campus assault. Christopher M. Kernich, 23, died in November.

The National Register of Historic Places added the May 4 Memorial site to its register Tuesday, about two months before the 40th anniversary of the campus shootings.

A group of four Kent State professors began the nomination of the site three years ago, receiving endorsements from Gov. Ted Strickland and the Kent State Board of Trustees, among others.

The register waived its usual 50-year waiting period to add the May 4 site.

“America knows about (May 4),” said English professor Laura Davis, part of the nominating group. “The world knows about this. This is a story that marks an important turning point in American history.”

The Portage County Drug Task Force arrested a 28-year-old Ravenna man Fri-day for allegedly trafficking heroin outside the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

Roderick Wheeler is charged with trafficking heroin, a third-degree felony; possession of heroin, a fourth-degree felony; and possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

Commander Pat Burns of the task force said Wheeler’s arrest is unrelated to two on-campus heroin busts in November.

For the 11th time in 12 years, the Kent State men’s basketball team has reached the 20-win plateau. The Flashes took advantage of a late-game comeback to beat Western Carolina 74-72 Saturday at the M.A.C. Center in their ESPN Bracket-Busters game. Sophomore Justin Greene scored 21 points in the victory.

Kent State won at least 20 games in 10 straight seasons, running from 1998-2008. The streak ended last season, when the Flashes ended with 19 victories.

The Flashes (21-8, 11-3 Mid-American Conference) followed up Saturday’s tri-umph by winning 75-69 at Bowling Green Wednesday night.

Student artwork will be on display in Stopher Hall for the fourth annual student art show tonight hosted by the Honors College and College of the Arts.

Nine students contributed pieces to the FLUX show, including pottery, paintings and clothing. Six theater and music students will have portfolios of their work on exhibit during the reception as well.

The theme this semester is about fluctuation of art and art forms.

FLUX occurs at the same time as an art show in the School of Art Gallery as well as the Downtown Gallery.

Victoria Bocchicchio, senior special assistant to the dean of the Honors College, said this correlation

between shows offers a great chance for people to experience the work of undergraduate artists.

Opening night starts at 5 p.m. All students are welcome to come and view the displayed works.

— Bethany English

Students display their crafty accomplishments at art show


DKS EDITORIAL BOARD

ABOUT THE OPINION PAGEThe Stater hopes to encourage lively debate

about the issues of the day on the Opinion Page. Opinions on this page are the authors’ and not necessarily en dorsed by the Stater or its editors.

Readers are encouraged to participate through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions become pro perty of the Stater and may be edited for mechanics, Associated Press style and length without notice. Letters should not exceed 350 words and guest columns should not exceed 550 words.

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The Opinion Page is an outlet for

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VIEW

Conan will survive NBC’s betrayal

SUMMARY: As nice as Acorn Alley is and as great as all the other downtown plans sound, we cannot abandon other parts of

the city, because they will be noticed.

On Monday, Jay Leno will return to “The Tonight Show,” a show he and millions of others know rightly belongs to Conan O’Brien.

It is a show Leno began hosting in 1992. In 2004, he made a deal with NBC to give the hallowed late-night talk show to Conan in five years. And in 2009, he stuck to the plan and handed the reins over to the redheaded comedian. Instead of riding off into retire-ment in one of the 200 vintage cars he owns, Leno decided he wanted to remain on television.

In a stroke of poor judgment, NBC scrapped its 10 p.m. scripted drama programming and gave the time slot to ol’ Big Chin, Monday through Friday. And so “The Jay Leno Show” was born. It was a revolutionary idea that was sup-posed to completely change the game of primetime TV.

Sadly, Leno didn’t pull in any-where near the amount of viewers the network had hoped for. NBC local news affiliates around the country complained of a signifi-cant drop in lead-in viewership since the show’s inception. Many said they would stop airing it. The network needed a Plan B. Like many bullies throughout history, they targeted a ginger.

Poor Conan O’Brien was only seven months into his run as host of “The Tonight Show” before NBC decided to pull the plug. Well, they weren’t exactly pulling the plug. They were just going to give Leno a half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. and bump Conan’s “Tonight Show” to 12:05 a.m. (which might as well be called “The Tomorrow Show”). Under NBC’s proposed plan, Jimmy Fallon would also be bumped, to 1:05 a.m., and God only knows what would happen to Carson Daly.

Feel ing s l ighted, Conan declined NBC’s offer, saying, “I believe that delaying ‘The Tonight Show’ into the next day to accom-modate another comedy program will seriously damage what I con-sider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting.”

Conan left the show Jan. 22 with class, support from fans, and a hefty — but fair — paycheck. He received a reported sum of $32 million to leave NBC, with $12 million for his staff. This may sound like an egregious amount of money, but consider that the staff of more than 200 expected its new job to last longer than seven months. After moving themselves and their families from New York to California when Conan left “Late Night” almost one year ago,

DID YOU KNOW?On this day in history, two national parks were established in the United States 10 years apart: the Grand Canyon in 1919 and the Grand Teton in 1929.— History.com



CHRIS SHARRON’S VIEW

Downtown isn’t the only part of our town

Although downtown Kent has been receiving a face-lift, both with the new Acorn Alley and upcoming

plans, other parts of Kent have been forgot-ten.

Some students don’t even realize there is more to the city than the strip of piercing par-lors, bars and specialty stores that line either side of Main Street. That could be because there isn’t much else. Places where business used to boom have had to move out — and not much has stepped in as a replacement.

Outside of downtown Kent, shopping pla-zas are slowly dying, and a number of them have only held a couple of stores in recent years. Kent Plaza is home to the theater and little else. The local businesses that are still around are suffering because there is nothing to bring traffic — i.e. students — to the area.

These empty buildings also mean fewer jobs and less tax revenue for the city.

And they’re just plain ugly. The empty buildings and vacant lots are eyesores. Driv-ing by, they’re more than easy to forget. Sure we are trying to rebuild downtown, and that is an important part of revitalizing the city, but there’s more to Kent than just the down-town area.

If folks are driving into Kent by way of state Route 76, they’re going to pass Univer-sity Plaza before they come to downtown Kent, and that is not the best first impression to give. We’re sure some of students remem-ber a few days when they’ve come back from spring, winter or summer break and drove in almost expecting to see tumble weeds roll through the parking lot of the plaza.

It’s important for a town to try to keep its

businesses alive. Although Walmarts are a major reason for other stores such as Ames to close its doors, it’s not an excuse. While the city of Kent is offering to help new businesses get their start, why not offer a space in the University Plaza? We’re sure some deal could be met with the owners of the plaza — and it will really help move traffic throughout the city of Kent, not just from the school to down-town and back.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board whose

members are listed to the left.


Mike Crissman

Rabab Al-Sharif

The hardest-working pickle in cyberspace

‘Torture memos’ can’t be forgotten

they suddenly found themselves out of work in an economy that’s rough, to say the least.

However, Coco won’t be vaca-tioning on a beach, tanning his pale Irish self, for long. It looks as if he might embark on a the-ater tour, performing aspects of his past TV show along with new stage-appropriate elements across the country and abroad.

He is also rumored to be in negotiations with FOX, which has expressed serious interest in hav-ing a late-night talk show of its own. Conan, though, would have to wait until Sept. 1 to appear on television again, as his deal with NBC stipulates.

The moral of the story is that good things can come from a disaster. Despite losing a show that he waited his whole life to have, Conan O’Brien has gained a large new fan base that may not have watched his show much in the past. People root for the under-dog, and just like a clichéd movie, it looks as if he’ll come out on top — stronger, funnier and better than ever.

The whole NBC debacle has cast Conan in a much more favor-able light than Leno. Metaphori-cally speaking, Leno is seen as the evil white man who came to America and raped the native’s land. Conan is Squanto.

Leno has tried salvaging his public image since the fiasco began. In a ploy for sympathy, he went on Oprah trying to seem like the victim. He also tried mak-ing light of his unpopularity in the recent Super Bowl commer-cial with David Letterman. It’s all swing and a miss as far as I’m concerned.

The bottom line is Leno and the bigwigs at NBC treated Conan like dirt. If and when Coco returns to late-night television this fall, he and his hair will come back in a blaze of glory, getting everything they deserve and then some.

Mike Crissman is a freshman journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him

at [email protected].


It’s official. Nickelback is in fact less popu-lar than a pickle.

The battle started earlier this month when the Facebook group titled “Can this pickle get more fans than Nickelback?” (Spelled incorrectly intentionally to avoid copyright infringement) was created by user Coral Anne as a joke.

Now that the pickle has surpassed Nickel-back in fans, I doubt that the Canadian band is laughing.

The page was apparently inspired by anoth-er page that set up a smackdown between an appetizer and a surprisingly popular celeb-rity, a growing trend on Facebook. The group called “Can this onion ring get more fans than Justin Bieber?” proved that a fried food was more popular than 15-year-old Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.

Apparently a lot of foods are more popular than a lot of Canadian celebrities.

After only about two weeks of existence, the pickle triumphantly reached its goal to get more fans than the platinum-selling band.

Even though it only took a couple of weeks for a cucumber soaked in vinegar to get more fans, the band shouldn’t take it too hard. I mean, pickles really are a deliciously irresist-ible snack.

Perhaps if the group was “Can this sardine get more fans than Nickelback?” the outcome

Nearly a year after the 9/11 attacks, a pair of government lawyers produced memos that gave cover to the Bush administration’s sub-sequent use of waterboarding and interroga-tion techniques widely considered to be forms of torture.

Those documents — and the damage they caused to America’s standing in the world — should never be forgotten. Sadly, there’s a real chance of such a memory lapse following a decision last week by the Obama administra-tion.

Late Friday, the U.S. Justice Department closed its books on John Yoo and Jay Bybee, concluding that the two attorneys should not be held legally responsible for writing the “torture memos” in 2002 and 2003. The Justice report reversed the recommendation of its own ethics officials, who had slammed Yoo for purposely violating his duty to pro-vide “objective and candid legal advice” and Bybee for acting in “reckless disregard” of his responsibilities.

Before the two slink off scot-free, the rele-vant disciplinary boards — in Pennsylvania in Yoo’s case, the District of Columbia in Bybee’s — should take a hard look at their transgres-sions and decide whether to revoke their law licenses.

That’s what the ethics officials recom-

may have been different. Unlikely, but pos-sible.

Although the page attracted plenty of anti-Nickelback traffic, its creator assured in a lengthy note on the group’s page that she meant no harm to Nickelback when she cre-ated the group.

“I am not using this page to endorse any hate toward the band Nickelback ... I do not wish Nickelback or any other bands any ill will and hope they would see the same humour in making this page as I have,” she wrote. “This pickle page is strictly intended for humour, and anyone else can see this how they wish to, but the whole time I was pro-pickle, more than anti-Nickelback.”

You don’t have to apologize to us, Coral Anne; it’s not your fault that Nickelback lost to a pickle.

For all those Nickelback fans out there who are sore about this loss, you need to calm

mended for these two lawyers. (Yoo since has returned as a law professor at the Uni-versity of California, Berkeley. Bybee was appointed by then-President George W. Bush to the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.)

With the Justice Department taking a pass, senior members of Congress should not let this go quietly. Some are not.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California occu-pies a particularly influential position. She sits on the Judiciary Committee and as chair-woman of the Intelligence Committee knows only too well that waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques did the coun-try more harm than good.

An opportunity comes Friday at a hear-ing called by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who argues that Bybee never would have been confirmed as a federal judge had senators known about his role in the torture memos. The senator says “the right thing to do” would be for Bybee to resign.

The House Judiciary Committee, which has nine California members, also plans a hearing, as yet unscheduled.

Rather than focusing on Yoo and Bybee, however, Congress can be most constructive in figuring out the right way to comprehen-

down and stop preaching about the band’s record and ticket sales.

First of all, if this pickle hadn’t brought Nickelback into the spotlight, half of the world wouldn’t even remember that the band even existed. The pickle has definitely gotten Nick-elback some free press.

Secondly, the band has sold millions of records (yeah, I couldn’t believe it either) and it still only took two weeks for a pickle to get more fans. I would definitely not be bragging about that.

In the band’s defense, a pickle appeals to a much broader audience than a crappy so-called rock band, so it’s really not all that sur-prising that the pickle came out on top.

Currently the pickle has acquired about 1.5 million fans, with Nickelback trailing at about 1.4 million.

The pickle’s overnight success leads me to believe that this is just the beginning for our juicy friend.

Maybe when the pickle goes on tour Nick-elback can be the opener.

Rabab Al-Sharif is a sophomore magazine journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].

sively show to the American people what went astray in the war on terror. Several civil liber-ties and human rights groups are calling for a special prosecutor or a nonpartisan commis-sion, or both, to look into the use of torture.

To his credit, President Barack Obama spoke out forcefully against torture and ended its use almost immediately after taking office. But he is eroding that bold stand by not hold-ing to account those who let it happen. Over and over, he has said he wants to look forward, not backward, including at Bush war-on- ter-ror tactics such as domestic eavesdropping and the treatment of suspected terrorists.

Sometimes, however, you have to correct past wrongs before truly moving forward. The lawyer disciplinary boards can — and should — hold Yoo and Bybee accountable for some of the worst disgraces to occur in the after-math of 9/11.

The above editorial was originally published Feb. 24 by the Sacramento Bee. Content was

made available by MCTCampus.

VIEWtheir

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C l a s s i f i e d s

Nominations for the 2010 Student Leadership Awards are due on March 5 to the CSI office. Nomination forms are online at http://dept.kent.edu/csi Awards Ceremony will be held April 19th at 6:30pm in KSC Ballroom.

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“Plazas have taken a dive,” he said. “Now people can go to Wal-mart once and get all they need, as opposed to stopping at three differ-ent stores in a plaza.”

When business in the plaza was strong, it actually took away business from downtown, Locke said. Downtown Kent suffered in the 1960s, shortly after the plaza opened with all spaces full.

Grocery stores used to be a big draw to the plaza. Acme was the grocery store in the 1980s and when it closed, stores left, dimin-ishing the plaza traffic, said Robert Irr, vice president of retail leasing for J.J. Gumberg Co., owners of the plaza for almost 30 years, in an e-mail. Apples grocery store briefly moved in and then Giant Eagle replaced it. During this time, tenants filled the plaza again. The Giant Eagle was smaller than most and there was a Giant Eagle in Stow, so corporate shut it down in 2007, Irr said. Save-A-Lot has since moved in, only filling a part of the 32,000 square feet space. Save-A-Lot assistant manager Cory Nume said it took a while to get business going when the store opened and it is still not as busy as expected. He said it is one of the slower

Tops replaced Hills. Hills replaced Ames, which origi-nally replaced a Hills (Ames bought out Hills Department Stores in 1999). Hills took over when Gold Circle liquidated in the 80s. The first store change Wilson remembers is Gold Cir-cle replacing a Clarkin’s, which originally relocated from Uni-versity Plaza.

“It just never really seemed to click down there,” Wil-son said. “I guess it’s possi-bly because it’s too far from downtown maybe, or they just haven’t had the right thing go down there.”

Hills, Ames, Gold Circle and Clarkin’s have all gone out of business. The only busi-nesses that remain in the build-ing are Famous Hair and Fancy Nails.

Smith said one possible reason stores fail to survive at the site could be the number of Walmarts in the area. Four Walmarts exist in a 10-mile radius around Kent.

“Without question, they’re a main competitor,” Smith said. “I think you just need to



From Page A1

LOST‘Plazas have taken a dive

From Page A1

DIVE‘A lost part of town’

Save-A-Lot locations. Weil is working on filling the

empty spaces. The company he works for, Spiegel Properties, wants a national tenant.

“Our real goal is to get a big ten-ant so people will go there,” he said.

Soon the plaza will have to compete with a more bustling downtown.

Kent is developing a down-town revitalization project that will revamp downtown by adding a hotel, conference center, multi-purpose transit facility and more. City officials are optimistic that this will help the plaza.

Councilman Wayne Wilson said he predicts this development will have a positive effect on the plaza. A busier downtown could draw people to the outskirts of downtown, including University Plaza, which is located in Wilson’s Ward 3. Also, if many businesses want to move into downtown and there is not enough room, the city will recommend avail-able spaces at the plaza.

The plaza is not forgotten. Wil-son said the city’s attention is cur-rently focused on downtown, but after that project is developed the city will shift more focus to outlay-ing areas like the plaza.

Contact public affairs reporter Kelly Petryszyn at [email protected].

see their parking lot on any given weekend. They’re a major force in the industry.”

Because of the low prices Walmart offers, Smith said other stores have difficulty competing. Local stores have to offer better customer service or specialized goods in order to keep up.

“I think at some point, too, it’s good to remind people if they don’t patronize local stores, they cease to exist,” Smith said. “It’s a staunch reminder to us all.”

On the other hand, a Walmart in the plaza itself couldn’t hurt, Wilson said.

“Quite honestly, if they put a Walmart down there, we’d proba-bly see the thing packed 24 hours a day,” he said.

While the city is currently focused on the development of downtown Kent, Smith said they have been “actively pursuing” businesses for the empty plaza.

“When we see other retailers move into Tops properties, we contact them,” he said. “While the downtown does take our time, we still promote other community areas.”

What makes the area more dif-ficult to re-tenant is that there’s a separate building owner and landowner, Smith said.

Tops is still paying the lease on the property. Drew Sulzer, presi-dent of Reisenfeld and Company,

which handles the leasing of the building, said Tops has eight to 10 years left on the lease at around $20,000 a month.

McGill Property Group, a property developer based in Flor-ida, owns the ground lease and the buildings at 1600 S. Water St. Matt McGill, project manager for McGill Property Group, said in an e-mail, a change of ownership of the land is in process, but he could not release any details.

Meanwhile, Mary Woodyard from Tires and More can only look at a vacant lot with disap-pointment.

“All the time, I bet there’s not a day that goes by where a custom-er goes, ‘Hey Mary, what’s going in the building next door?’ As if we have control over it,” she said. “We have all kinds of great ideas. Between ourselves and our cus-tomers we could probably name 20 different things that could go in there or would do well in that location.

“We’re sort of in a lost part of town.”

Contact public affairs reporter Josh Johnston at [email protected].

Overall, James said he will focus on undergraduates in the College of Public Health, and then graduate programs. He said he also expects faculty to establish research programs.

“I knew going in that this job was meant for me,” James said.

Along with James’ teaching experience are other positions he has held in public health. These positions include chair of the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Biomedical Institutional Review Board, secretary of General Faculty for the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and mem-ber of the University Senate at Tulane University.

From Page A1

DEANJames named dean of public health


Classified ads can be placed by FAX at (330) 672-4880, over the phone at (330) 672-2586 or by e-mail at [email protected]. If you fax or e-mail an ad, please be sure to include run dates, payment info and a way for us to contact you.

For information about placing a Display ad please call our offices at 330-672-2586 or visit us at 205 Franklin Hall, Kent State University. Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

By Linda Black

Today’s birthday (2/26/10) Expect drama in your life this year. Power plays occur all the time, but you’ll be at the focus. An older associate knows the score and has good ideas for handling strangers who act like friends. Consider first impressions two or three times. Trust your instincts.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is 7. Flavor your activities with some element from a dream. Get creative early and leave adjustments for later in the day.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is an 8. If you have a big weekend planned, start early and take care of arrange-ments. Check details as something changes -- in a good way!

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 6. Remain open to all offers that come your way today. Can’t say yes to every-thing? Ask for rain checks. Adapt wisely when others change their minds.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 6. Begin a new day with renewed energy. Take an early walk to get the juices flowing. Remain flexible. New ideas tip the scales your way.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 6. Exaggerate if you must just to get it out of your system. Then devise a practical way of achieving the desired result. Planning saves time in the end.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7. You tend to take off in all direc-tions at once. Not helpful! Focus on yourself first, then have a private conversation. Share responsibility for a key decision.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Today is an 8. Never think that the project is complete. Someone can always make changes. The question is, do these little adjustments really help?

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 5. Plan on more sorting and organizing. Another person may need your assistance here. Yes, you are better at it! And helping actually gets you out the door faster.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. If you weren’t so busy today, you’d have more time to hang out with friends. As it is, you need to focus to keep from getting scattered.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is an 8. Busy doesn’t begin to describe it. A few major changes occur early on, and you shift gears to accommodate an associate’s ego. It had to happen sooner or later.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8. You’ve passed a milestone. Associates pose a question that you answer easily. Your position in the workplace moves forward.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 5. Go there. Do that. Come back. Leave again. Today is all about movement in and out of your space.

horoscopeOffice assistant needed. Kent area apartment community is looking for an office assistant. Full Time Summer help. General responsibilities include customer service, general office responsibility, phones/computer and some sales. The successful candidate will be organized, self-motivated, outgoing and possess good communication skills. Fax resume to (330) 677-4651 attention Jeanette. A drug free work place.

Mother’s helper needed, 10-15 hour/week, Angela (330) 425-1615

A & W DRIVE-INSOPENING SOON

Now accepting applications for all positions. Apply in person only. M-F between 1 and 5pm at the following

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Drivers: Great Benefits & hometime! Avg. 200mi/week! .32-.41CPM no touch freight CDL-A, lyr Exp. (888)560-9644.

Wanted: Tutor for 6th grade boy, all subjects in Ravenna home 330-839-8716.

EVENING POSITIONSDependable people for our Monday - Friday 4pm-9pm positions. Flexible

hours. Call 330-650-6011 for Joy.

Brimfield Curves looking for part time worker for 3-8pm shift, M-F, just 2 evenings/ week. (330) 968-4966

Campus Company Promotions CoordinatorEnergetic students needed to create buzz about new college student Web site. Contact: [email protected]

Renew Psychological Services. P.C.C. or psychologist to provide counseling in a well-established, Christian, private group practice. Prime location- Hudson. Dr. McMorrow, (330) 655-2674

Well-established landscape design/build company in Hudson area seeking hardworking, goal oriented person to fill immediate full-time foreman position. Clean driving record required. Subject to background check. CDL a plus. 3-5 year foreman experience required. Fax resume to 330-656-1944 or email to [email protected]

Riverside Wine Bar 911 N. Mantua St., Kent—Food service, retail, server and bar help needed.

Non-smokers only, must be 21 for server & bar. Apply in person Monday-Friday 12-4 pm. Apply

only if available for employment for 1 year and willing to work a minimum of 3 shifts/week. We schedule around classes.

Free chocolate sample every FridayEmpire 135 E. Main St. Kentwww.empirekent.com

(330) 968-4946

Pregnancy Center of Kent. Here to Help (330) 839-9919

Found money in parking area of Circle K on Main Street in Kent across from Whitehall on Thursday, Feb.4, 2010 at approximately 8:30 am. If you can describe the number of bills, their denominations, how they were folded and the total amount, arrangements will be made to return it to you. Email: [email protected]

Field Jacket found on campus - contact Peggy 330-672-5822.

All real estate advertised herin is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” State and local laws forbid discrimination based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you have been wrongfully denied housing or discriminated against, call the FHAA at 330-253-2450 for more information.

NOW LEASING FOR FALL5,4,2,1 bedroom Houses.Efficiency. Good Location Near KSU.Call (330) 554-8353

Whitehall East Townhomes - 4 or 5 bedroom leases, with 3 bathrooms, great rent options with all inclusive plans. Some newly rennovated, all units washer/dryer and dishwaher included. Call or text today 330-990-4019. www.whitehall-east.com

LUXURY 4-BEDROOM UNITSlarge, clean, all appliances + FREE washer/dryer. (330) 714-0819

Shrewsberry Rentals 3, 4, and 6 bedrooms starting at $900. 4 bedrooms $1475. 6 bedrooms $2,000. Trash, sewer, and recycling paid. 330-221-2881

Spacious 2&3 bdrm apts @ Holly Park. Gas heat paid Sign up now for fall and receive $100 off first 6 months based on a twelve-month lease. (330) 678-0823

Now leasing for fall. 2br apt $699-750 a month includes gas, water and trash. Many great amenities. Hurry in now, before you get locked out. (330) 673-8887

Now accepting applications for summer and fall! Studios, 1&2 bedrooms still available-Hurry In! 330-678-0746

**Summer and Fall Specials** Furnished/unfurnished studios, 1&2 bedrooms, Call now 330-678-0123

Apartments for Rent:3 bedroom apartment Half of a home. Living Room, kitchen,bath. No pets. One bedroom available now $230/month. 330-673-85051 bedroom apartment in a house. Kitchen, living room, bath, . Separate entrance. No pets. One year lease. Available in August. 330-673-8505

Rent in KentEnjoy spacious 4&5 bedrooms duplexes with 2 full baths. Great condition, great location, A/C, W/D, dishwasher, deck, garage. $1,200-1,750. 330-808-4045

GREAT PRICES! GREAT PROPERTIES!3, 4 & 5 bdrm properties starting at $1000/mo. Call Rich at 330-807-6090

Now Leasing for Summer and Fall.2 BR Apts. Heat, Trash & Water pd.Pool, Pets welcome, $665-$725.Close to KSU 330-673-5364

Available Fall 2010. Act now!Looking for 5 responsible students for newly renovated university townhome. Call after 8pm (440) 622-3630.

Great campus condo. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath. Available August. Call Dr. Miller at (330) 618-7764

NO WATER BILL! NO GAS BILL!4&5 Bedroom duplex available for fall starting at $330/mo!Each side has 2 bath, W/D. Dishwasher, deck, garage, etc. Close to campus and on bus route. Last one I have available! Call Sweeney (740)317-7294.

Remodeled, University Town Home, 5 BR, W/D, Dishwasher, 2.5 Baths, $275 per room, Will go fast, 330-808-4045

3 Bedroom house available for Fall. Great condition, full appliances, $350 bedroom 1, $325 per bedroom 2 and 3. Close to Campus 330-673-1225

$100.00 Reward fill units by 2/15/10. AVAILABLE FALL: UNIVERSITY TOWNHOUSE. SUMMIT ST. 5 BDS, 2.5 BATHS, STOVE REFRIG, DISHWASHER, WASHER/DRYER, A/C. $250.00 PER PERSON; 2BD 1BTH TOWNHOME. LAUNDRY, CARPORT. INTRODUCTORY OFFER 1ST 3 MONTHS $495.00. WWW.JLCASTO.COM CALL 688-7040.

Kent - 1,2&3 bedroom. $500, $590 and $750. 330-677-5577

For 2010-11: One Month Free Close to Campus 2 Large apartments, licensed, private parking, large yard, large front porch. 4 bedroom $1300/$325 each. 4/5 bedroom $1400, $280-$350 each. (330) 626-3957

University Townhomes 5 bedroom 2.5 bath. $265/month tahays-management.com, 330-612-0767

1, 2 & 3 bedrooms, near KSU, from $500/month + utilities. www.rentkent.com 812- 655-0777

Stow: 2 & 3 bed townhomes with one car garage. Pets welcome, 10 min from KSU. Prices $665-$850 call (330)686-2269.

Kent- 3&4 bdrm townhouses for fall, $395 pr rm includes gas & trash 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com

Kent- 1 bdrm & efficiencies for fall, starting at $450 pr mth includes ALL UTILITIES 330-678-3047 or BuckeyeParksMgmt.com

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3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage, condo-styled duplex, on two acres, $1100/mo. 330-221-4533

Tired of a roommate? Live in our newly remodeled one bedroom apt for $495, you only pay electric. (330)678-0972.

Two bedroom apt near KSU $615 per month all utilities except electric included. Call (330)678-0972.

Now Leasing for Fall. Kent 6-8 bedroom houses. 330-626-5910

4-5 bedroom University Townhomes for rent August 2010. Starting at $270/month. Water included. 440-336-6761 www.kenttownhomes.com

Rooms for Fall 1 block from campus. $350/mo includes ALL utilities, cable and internet. Chris Myers (330) 678-6984

FALL—Now Renting: 1 bedroom apartment, 7 and 8 person houses. 1 year lease, NO PETS. (330)678-3489.

For Fall: 3 bedroom apartments $400/month per room, security deposit required. Heat included, laundry room. No pets. Across from KSU. (330) 554-3024

KENT/BRIMFIELD. Newer 3 & 4 Bdrm duplexes. 1 car garage. $900-$1100 per month. 330-338-5841 or 330-329-1118

2 & 5 Bedroom Houses 1 Block from KSU (330)673-0650

STUDENT RENTALS FOR THE ‘10-’11 YEAR

Are you looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, a studio, a duplex, a house, or a student

rooming house with 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 bedrooms?

Our staff is ready to help you with all your housing needs.

Check out the list of available rentals on our website

www.jkohlre.comclick on Rental Management,

Student Rentals, or you can stop in or call our office.

Jack Kohl Realty EHO237 East Main Street Kent, OH

44240Phone: 330-677-4722

Fax: 330-677-4730

Spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath duplex. LR and Family Room, W/D, A/C, $960/mo, Available July (330)630-9285.

4 Bedroom House, 2 bath, S. Lincoln, $335/person/month +utilities. (330)297-0255

Kent—3 bedroom, 1 full bath. 2 levels. Newer carpet+flooring. Paid water w/appliances. $750 a month. 330-815-2869.

Kent near downtown and campus 2 bedroom apartment, all utilities paid except electric, $350/bedroom + security deposit. (330)676-9440

Now Leasing for Fall a beautifully newly redecorated 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath duplex. $275/person, (330)687-6122.

NOW LEASING FOR FALL1 block from KSU Beautiful newly redecorated 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse apartments $325/student 330-687-6122

SAVE $$$Leasing for Fall, beautiful, newly redecorated, 2 bedroom apartments. FREE gas, water and trash. $275/student. 330-687-6122.

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University Townhomes: 1-2 bedrooms. Available now. $225/month, Air Conditioning, Washer/Dryer, clean. On bus route. 330-760-0451

University Townhomes: 4-5 bedrooms. Available August. $265/month, AirConditioning, Washer/Dryer, clean. On bus route. 330-760-0451 www.vargorealty1.com

Daily Kent Stater Friday, February 26, 2010 | Page A5

CLASSIFIEDSwww.KentWired.com

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team looks to improve u p o n l a s t year ’s sec-o n d - p l a c e f inish and d e t h r o n e Akron, win-ner of the last five indoor titles.

“I’m excited,” sophomore Diana Dumitrescu said. “I would like to win the MAC Champion-ship with the girls team and make history.”

Heasley and Dumitrescu have had the highlight performances of the teams’ season so far. Dumi-trescu surpassed the school pen-tathlon record by 110 points, and Heasley now owns the school’s second-best time in the 800-meter run. Both have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

They are also two of several Kent State athletes aiming to defend individual MAC titles from last season. Both have out-

p e r f o r m e d everyone in the confer-ence so far this season and said they understand how impor-tant it is to sustain that high level.

“We worked hard all semester to get good results,” Dumitrescu said. “I hope to do the best that I can to help us earn some points.”

Heasley said he knows to take his early-season successes lightly coming into the conference meet.

“A track meet can go either way,” he said. “One person that’s not expected to rise up can win. Another person that’s expected to win can slip up.”

Other Flashes with confer-ence-best marks this season are Dumitrescu in the women’s triple jump, sophomore Princeton Bry-son in the men’s 200-meter dash, senior Aiman Scullion in the men’s 3000-meter run, sophomore Dean

Jody MichaelDaily Kent Stater

The accomplishments of Kent State’s indoor track and field teams include five school records, nine athlete-of-the-week honors and six national provisional qualifiers. But all along the athletes have had their eyes on the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at Central Michigan.

The men’s team won the indoor championship last season and is now out to defend its crown.

“With us winning last year, we’re nervous that we’ve got to defend our title,” junior distance runner Destin Heasley said. “Our energy’s high because this is the biggest meet of the year for the team as a whole.”

Meanwhile, the women’s


SPORTSSports editor: Cody Francis • E-mail: [email protected]

ON THE WEB AT KENTWIRED.COM

GYMNASTICS

React to this story and more at KentWired.com.


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Katie Corbut Daily Kent Stater

The Kent State gymnastics team aims to regain confidence in their performances on beam, an event that has seen falls that have lowered the team’s overall score.

After last Friday’s win, the coaches sat down with the gym-nasts to reiterate their confidence in the team as a whole but rein-forced the need for more tough-ness on beam.

“We’re not going to have any new people start training beam, so we’re going to have to work with what we have,” assistant coach Sharon Sabin said. “We’ve been setting our goals too high, looking at the whole season was a little much for some of these kids. Sometimes you have to take a couple steps back.”

The coaches told the gym-nasts the new goal is to make five out of six routines on each event because the team counts the top five scores. The gymnasts were asked to set personal goals prac-tice by practice, day by day. This new mindset, junior Danielle Durbin said, is the result of the added pressure on beam.

“It’s obviously hard to see the beam team fall, especially how consistent most of them are in practice,” Durbin said. “Each meet is a new meet and we are all trying to improve the team score.”

Last week’s victory against Northern Illinois and Rutgers at the ‘Flip for the Cure’ meet showcased the Flashes’ strength on the bars and floor. Durbin,

Lance LysowskiDaily Kent Stater

With two games left in the season, the Kent State women’s basketball team finds itself in the thick of a race for a first-round bye in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Even though the tournament has yet to begin, several players can’t help but think of the hard-ware awaiting the conference’s top team.

“Everyone wants a ring so our goal is to get a ring, nothing less,” senior forward Yoshica Spears said.

Kent State (18-8, 11-3 MAC) are currently ranked second in the MAC East Division, and have an opportunity to unseat conference-leading Bowling Green when they face off Saturday at Anderson Arena.

If Kent State can win out, defeating Bowling Green and Buffalo (March 2), the Flashes will hold a tie with the Falcons for first in the division. The tiebreaker goes to the team with the better record against the MAC West divi-sion’s top team, Toledo, where the Flashes have the advantage.

Kent State coach Bob Lindsay

Our energy’s high because this is the biggest meet of the year for the team as a whole.” — Destin Heasley, junior distance runner“

Dumitrescu Heasley

Sophomore Princeton Bryson leads the pack as the gun goes off. Bryson finished first in the 200-meter-dash Saturday,Feb. 20 in the fieldhouse.

FILE PHOTO BY MATTHEW GRCIC | DAILY KENT STATER

Wood in the men’s high jump and the men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Heasley, Matt Moffett, Javon Walker and Curtis Eaton.

Head coach Bill Lawson said he felt confident after seeing a lot of personal-best marks in the team’s last three meets.

“We need to continue doing the things we have been doing,” he said. “If you put the last three weekends together and add them up, that is basically what we have to do.”

Heasley said he credits Lawson for helping to ease some of the ten-sion as the conference meet nears.

“He’s been serious about it but encouraging,” he said. “He believes that we can go out and win it.”

Contact sports reporter Jody Michael at [email protected].

Flashes ready for big meet

Teams geared for MAC title runs

Cody ErbacherDaily Kent Stater

Senior leadership has gone a long way for the Kent State men’s basketball team this season.

The Flashes wouldn’t be near their top position in the Mid-American Conference without the efforts of the seniors, who will be honored before this Sat-urday’s game against Miami for Senior Night.

The Flashes (21-8, 11-3 MAC), currently tied with rival Akron for first place in the MAC East, feature six seniors on the ros-ter: guard Chris Singletary, for-ward Frank Henry-Ala, forward Anthony Simpson, guard Mike McKee, guard Tyree Evans and center Brandon Parks.

Here’s a list of what each senior has brought to the table in their final year for the Flashes.

Chris SingletaryWhen he’s not in the game,

the Flashes’ offense struggles with consistency. His underrated ability to spread the ball through-out the offense provides a tough matchup for opponents because he also is one of the team’s lead-ing shooters. Even without the ball, Singletary’s muscular 6-foot 4-inch, 220-pound frame makes it a challenge for defenders to size up to the guard offensively and defensively.

Frank Henry-AlaNo matter whom you ask

on the team they will tell you that Henry-Ala is Flashes’ best defender. In the crucial minutes of the game when a defensive stop is needed, Henry-Ala will be on the floor. Whenever there is an opponent that just cannot seem to be stopped, Henry-Ala will guard him. He may not post huge numbers on the stat sheet, but he does give the Flashes an

edge on defense.

Mike McKee and Tyree Evans

Both of the guards are placed in the same category because they are the players everyone looks to for a clutch 3-pointer. McKee and Evans spend a majority of their time behind the arc waiting for the time to arise for another out-side shot. Whether a defender is playing tight defense or they’re left unguarded, these players know how to score.

Anthony SimpsonIn the conversation of college

big men, he is an exception. Simp-son has the ability to back down any player and post numbers in the paint. But he has a jump shot to complement his post play that makes him difficult to matchup against. With that being said, he has arguably the best ability on the team to get the M.A.C. Center crowd to their feet with a power-ful dunk.

Brandon ParksHe’s the big man down low

with the sole responsibility of owning the post play on the court. Parks doesn’t have a con-sistent jump shot or the ability to throw down those high-flying dunks like Simpson, but he does have the size and the ability to defend the bigger post players in the MAC.

Contact sports reporter Cody Erbacher at [email protected].

Six seniors to play final home game

Halftime Awards CeremonyAll-Pro tight end Antonio Gates will be among several former Kent State athletes honored during the Centennial Varsity “K” Hall of Fame ceremony at the men’s basketball game Saturday. Gates, who earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior in 2003, will have his No. 44 jersey retired at the halftime celebration.

Flashes prep for farewell

said he is not concerned with where the Flashes are seeded come tournament time, but wants the team to focus on the next two games.

“As far as the byes go, I say this every year, the byes to me aren’t necessarily very impor-tant. I don’t like having seven of eight days off,” Lindsay said. “I’d rather play on that Satur-day, but if we get a bye, we get a bye. We’re trying to win as many games we can.”

The Flashes’ dominance against conference opponents has continued to progress throughout the season, as the team has won nine of its last 10 games.

The Kent State attack ranks among the top five in the MAC in scoring margin and field goal percentage, but Spears said the team’s defensive effort late in games still needs to improve.

“I think we always get to the point in the game when we have a good defensive effort, but towards the end we give up a little bit,” Spears said. “We have to keep the intensity going con-sistently in the second half, and not just get to the 10-minute mark and let them get whatever shot they want.”

Although failure to close out

opponents has been the team’s weakness, that was not the problem for Kent State in their last meeting against the Falcons.

The Flashes lost 89-61 on Jan. 16, as Lauren Prochaska, the Falcons’ junior guard and reigning MAC Player of the Year, scored 24 points in the route over Kent State.

Lindsay said the team has improved greatly as the season has progressed, and believes the team is poised for the upcoming schedule.

“I think we have confidence that

we can win games,” Lindsay said. “That’s where we are. We aren’t perfect. There are a lot of things we need to improve, but I think have some confidence that we can win and that we can make plays to win. That’s basically what we have been doing.”

Contact sports reporter Lance Lysowski at [email protected].

Senior forward Yoshica Spears fights for possession against two Central Michi-gan defenders Jan. 27. Kent State travels to Mid-American Conference leader Bowling Green on Saturday.

FILE PHOTO BY HANNAH POTES | DAILY KENT STATER

KSU women makelate-season push Team seeks 10th win in last 11 games

along with senior Lydia Barrett and junior Christine Abou-Mitri recorded season-best scores at the meet.

Sabin was part icular ly impressed with Durbin’s routine, and was glad to see her finally get to show what she’s capable of doing.

“It was fun to see Danielle finally come through,” Sabin said. “She’s been working really hard and that’s the thing with your depth in the team. You have to have your kids ready because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Sabin said the coaches stress that the gymnasts cannot simply be competitors.

“You can’t just say, ‘oh I’ll do it on meet day,’” Sabin said. “I wouldn’t be a very good coach if I trusted that. I want to see it every day. I don’t want to go into a meet wondering what’s going to happen.”

Sabin said she believes that when a gymnast can make nine out of 10 routines in practice every day, in the meet she will become more comfortable and confident.

Sunday, the Flashes will face Ball State in conference action. The Cardinals are not tradi-tionally one of the most com-petitive teams in the MAC, but, Sabin said, “This year, they’ve been having one of their better years.”

Contact sports reporter Katie Corbut at [email protected].

Coaches target team’s improvement on beam

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