Knapic Talks Integrity at 2012 Starner Series
9/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | General
By David Carducci
www.kentstatesports.com
Barbara A. Knapic pointed out the irony even before she stepped to the podium in Kent State's Cartwright Hall on Wednesday night with the hope of inspiring a crowd of Golden Flashes student-athletes during the 11th Annual Starner Distinguished Speaker Series.
"I'm a lawyer, I'm in politics, and I'm going to talk about integrity," said Knapic, a 1979 Kent State graduate and former Golden Flashes' gymnast who is now a partner at the law firm of Oldham Kramer Professional Legal Services. Among other past duties, Knapic served as the Chairperson and Public Member of the Ohio Industrial Commission under former Ohio Governor George Voinovich.
For a little more than a half hour, Knapic shared some stories from her time in Kent and how that time has helped her to a set of guidelines she uses to make good choices in life, her work in the law and in politics.
She also talked about how some former and current Kent State athletes and coaches inspired and impressed her when she has returned to watch games, matches and meets at her alma mater.
"You are incredibly impressive," Knapic praised. "Kent State has some amazing examples of athletes and people associated with athletics who have shown great integrity. I praise the coaches who obviously have stressed the importance of academics, recognizing that these young athletes will, as they say in the NCAA commercials, go professional in so many fields other than sports."
Knapic recalled being in Dix Stadium on Oct. 30, 2010 when Kent State retired the uniform number of former Flashes' quarterback and current Cleveland Browns' star Joshua Cribbs.
She and her husband, Chuck Whitson, "stood cheering in the stands, honoring this great Kent State athlete, and then Josh Cribbs … brings out this huge check, like from the Publisher's Clearing House," Knapic remembered. "And that day, he presented a check to Kent State University that represented the repayment of his scholarship. He credited KSU, both his academic and athletic experiences here, with helping him to become the football player and the person that he is.
"I tell that story every chance I get. Every time someone talks about how corrupt sports is, I have to stop them and say, wait a minute. Did I tell you about Josh Cribbs repaying his scholarship and hoping to make an example so that other professional athletes do the same thing? I was and I still am impressed with the integrity Josh Cribbs showed that day."
As a Kent State student-athlete from 2001-04, Cribbs would have attended the first three events in the Starner Distinguished Speaker Series, listening to George Jenkins (class of 1963), Reverend Ronald J. Fowler (1959), and Christine Plonsky (1979). We can't know if those speakers helped to inspire Cribbs to the integrity that so impressed Knapic back in 2010. But according to Knapic, the fact that students like Cribbs have a chance to attend events like the Starner Distinguished Speaker Series only helps to reinforce integrity and decision-making skills.
Buzz (class of 1967) and Marilyn (1971) Starner endowed the speaker series showcasing successful former athletes to serve as a source of education and inspiration to current student-athletes. The Starners believe the skills students develop in athletic competition also lead to success in life after college.
"The one thing I hope the student-athletes take from this is that it's so much easier to choose to do the right thing than it is the wrong thing," said Knapic. "If that message reaches just one person out there, than it is worth it."
Kent State coach Brice Biggin said Knapic has already had an impact on the student-athletes on his gymnastics team. Knapic visited with the team before and after Thursday's event, and she is a regular at the Flashes' meets.
"There has been such a proud tradition of gymnastics at Kent State, but it is one of the sports that may not get all of the recognition," said Biggin. "To have someone like Barb, as successful as she has been, come back and speak to the student athletes is important … For our kids, it helps to see the success she has had. She was able to come in to the girls a little bit today and tell them some inspirational things she did and how important the sport was to her."
