Kent, One Year Later

TOSS

The campus Pointe fight isn’t the only memorable violence in Kent in the last year.. A year ago today Christopher Kernich was assaulted in downtown Kent and later died. TV2 Reporter Kassandra Meholick looks at how this event has influenced Kent nightlife a year later.

INTRO

The assault on Kernich taking place a year ago today was followed a few months later by another fight resulting in the death of another student. A stabbing also took place in the same area early this past spring. I talked to the Kent City Police, fraternity members and students about what, if anything they are doing differently because of the events occurring over this past year.

Package Length [2:50]

CG: Kassandra Meholick, TV2 Reporter [0:43]

CG: Chad Budy, Vice President Delta Upsilon [1:04]

CG: Pat Gallagher, President Delta Tau Delta Fraternity [1:21]

CG: Lieutenant Cole, Kent City Police [1:45]

CG: Khala Febres-Cordro, SO, Spanish Major [2:10]

CG: Zachary Messinger, SO, Pre-Accounting Major [2:22]

CG: Lea Baron, SO, Spanish Translation Major [2:30]

Last school year Kent State students suffered the loss of two fellow students due to violent acts.

On the early morning of November 15th 2009 Adrian Barker and Ronald Kelly punched Christopher Kernich and stomped his head on the sidewalk on East Main Street. Kernich died a week later.

On January 23rd 2010 John H Ragin assaults John T White in downtown Kent. White dies a month later as a result of injuries he sustained during the altercation.

On March 12th 2010 Jordan T Hall stabs Max E Pruiz and attempts to stab Ryan A Pilz outside of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity on East Main Street.

STANDUP [MEHOLICK]

THERE HAVE BEEN TWO INCIDENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HERE ON EAST MAIN STREET JUST OUTSIDE OF THESE FRATERNITY HOUSES. HOWEVER, STUDENTS AND PARTY GO-ERS STILL FLOCK TO THE PARTIES HOSTED ON THIS STREET EVERY WEEKEND. I ASKED THESE FRATERNITIES WHAT, IF ANYTHING ARE THEY DOING TO MAKE THEIR PARTIES SAFER.

Chad Budy, Vice President of Delta Upsilon Fraternity works on planning ways to keep parties from getting out of hand.

SOT [BUDY]

WE DON’T LET ANY RANDOM PEOPLE IN, WE CHECK THE IDS AND MAKE SUR E THAT THEY ARE KENT STATE STUDENTS CAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH THE STABBINGS AND ALL THE PEOPLE DIEING THEY FROM AKRON, OR THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON OR SOMEWHERE, NOT A KENT STATE STUDENT.

Pat Gallagher is the president of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and hopes to make this a safe year.

SOT [GALLAGHER]

WE DO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THESE RANDOMS OUT THAT WE DON’T KNOW SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE ANY ISSUES. WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PEOPLE WE HAVE HERE SO I’D DEFINATLY SAY A LOT HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER THIS YEAR.

Being the victim of assault is 100 percent preventable according to Lieutenant Cole of the Kent City Police, who patrols the streets and witnesses Kent night life on a weekly basis.

SOT [COLE]

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING STUDENTS CAN DO IS TO NOT GET INTOXICATED AND TO NOT BE AROUND THOSE WHO ARE. THE EARLIER YOU GO DOWNTOWN OR THE EARLIER YOU GO TO A PARTY AND LEAVE THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET IN A CONFRONTATION.

I asked Kent State students if the events of this past year have changed their perspective on going out at night in Kent.

SOT [FEBRES-CORDRO]

I DON’T THINK IT’S REALLY CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE AT ALL, LIKE YEA I GUESS IT CROSSES MY MIND EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE THAT SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN BUT OVERWISE I STILL GO OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.

SOT [MESSINGER]

UMM SOMEWHAT I MEAN I KNOW PEOPLE WALK TOGETHER IN PAIRS NOW INSTEAD OF LIKE BY THEMSELVES. PEOPLE ARE JUST MORE AWARE OF PEOPLE IN THEIR GROUP.

SOT [BARON]

I STILL GO OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND STUFF BUT I GUESS IM MORE CAUTIOUS OF WHO I AM AROUND OR WHAT I AM AROUND IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. IF I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE I JUST LEAVE.

For TV2 News, I’m Kassandra Meholick.

TAG

No life threatening or fatal injuries resulting from a fight have been reported this year. For TV2 News, I’m Kassandra Meholick.