The past year for The University of Akron sports programs has been filled with excitement, change and heartbreak. In November, the Zips football team earned the MAC East Title after their 24-12 Wagon Wheel Victory over rival, Kent State. The Zips then began preparing to face off against MAC West Champions, The University of Toledo Rockets. On Sat., Dec. 2 the teams headed to Detroit, MI to compete in the 2017 Mid-American Conference at Ford Field. Upon a heartbreaking first half, the Zips continued to fall to the Rockets, losing 45-28. Following the loss, the team focused their sights on the upcoming Boca Raton Bowl. Coming into the match the Zips (7-7 overall) knew there was work to be done to beat Florida Atlantic University (11-3 overall). However, the four second-half touchdowns made by FAU proved to be too much for Akron to overcome, losing 50-3 to Florida. “Overall, I thought the season went pretty well. We were able to accomplish most of our goals, despite the many...

Those already or looking to be involved in The University of Akron’s esports team got together for their first forum to discuss the future of the team. The forum began with President Matthew Wilson talking about the impact that esports has and will have on the University itself. He also stressed on how it will be compared to other sporting events, as a testament to the sports growing popularity. The Director of Esports, Michael Fay Jr., then took the stand. He spent his time mostly talking about the details that others have been looking for. It was announced that there will be five different teams spotted in four different locations, one of which being off campus. The team captains have also been selected. The teams will be separated by the game the teams will be playing. The teams will be made through a five-hour tryout session during this month. Scholarships were also a topic discussed, as the University will look to create scholarships for those who are part of the...

On Friday, April 13th the Akron RubberDucks held their home opener against the Trenton Thunder at Canal Park in downtown Akron. This year’s opening day marked the teams 22nd anniversary as Akron’s premier minor league baseball team, and with a sold-out game, the community certainly showed their support for the beloved team.   “It was great to see the community come together to support the Akron RubberDucks with a sold-out game for their first game of the season,” Kendall Martis said, a senior accounting major at UA and opening day attendee.     The game started off rather uneventful as both teams seemed to be evenly matched well into the game. However, by the fifth inning, the Ducks pulled ahead with a 1-0 lead against the Trenton Thunder. But then Trenton answered back quickly scoring runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, taking a 2-1 lead. This was the final score, leaving the RubberDucks with a 4-5 record early in the season. “I love RubberDucks games...

The Buchtelite has grown substantially over the course of the school year and it could not have been done without the help of the student body. As the independent student newspaper, The Buchtelite takes pride in both writing news that students may not have known about and relaying their concerns and opinions to the entire campus community. Last spring semester, the paper had gone on hiatus. It was brought back with a new staff and a new business model. Growing our readership and involvement with the student community was one of the goals we had in designing our new model. The more involvement The Buchtelite has with students, the more we can better understand, and thus, better write about topics and concerns they are interested in. We communicate with students in several ways. If we do not talk to students directly or via email, The Buchtelite releases surveys to gather information. We also accept opinion pieces from students which may be published in the paper. I want to thank...

The University of Akron will be holding several graduation ceremonies from May 11 to May 13. Each of these ceremonies will be held at E.J. Thomas Hall. This may be of concern to many students. The University splits graduation ceremonies by divisions of respective colleges and degree levels, such as graduate and undergraduate. For several reasons such as time and efficiency, this seems more practical than holding one large ceremony, which is done at several other colleges in the state. However, E. J. Thomas can seat just under 3000 people. The limited seating at E.J. Thomas is what is causing issues for students. For some ceremonies, students have received as many as seven tickets for their guests to use. However, other ceremonies are only able to offer students as few as four tickets for guests. For some, this may work well, but for others not so much. My question to the University is, why limit this number? I have had many discussions with students where they have reached the conclusion...

With the end of my first year at The University of Akron almost in sight, I have been taking the time to look back at all the adventures I’ve been on, the friends I have made and the changes within myself as a full-time college student. As a college student who is physically disabled, I have been able to do so many more things on campus than ever before growing up. Bowling between my classes was an option when the weather wouldn’t let up, or catching Pokémon near the Student Union while heading to my next class. While many may not understand the extent of joy I get from these minor activities, those with disabilities that prohibit them from participating in the same manner as others know the exact feeling I do. The thing is, having to deal with my wheelchair and other medical equipment can be time-consuming. Sitting outside with friends can be harder than some may believe, especially if the batteries in my equipment are not charged. Getting to class on time is gravely difficult...