Feb. 1, 2016

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UC downs Houston

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Fast start propels women’s basketball team to a conference victory over the University of Houston

Moving decision

The fate of the proposedmove of the UC School of Law could come by the end of semester

THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

‘MY THOUGHTS ARE CROSSED OFF RIGHT AWAY’

UC Republicans feel outnumbered

Talk stops now as Iowa goes to caucus AMIR SAMARGHANDI | NEWS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

Miller said the current GOP primary has worsened her experience on campus.

Most college campuses aspire to the highest of “Candidates like Donald Trump make the inclusionary practices — constantly striving to experience more difficult because a false stigma make everyone of all beliefs and backgrounds feel is placed on what actually are Republican ideals respected and welcome. and people automatically assume that candidate’s To some conservative students at the University extreme ideas are accepted across the party when of Cincinnati, they feel they are the ones being they usually aren’t,” Miller said. marginalized.

GOP presidential candidate and former “Sometimes it is difficult to express my political neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson proposed using viewpoints because the campus culture is openly the Department of Education “to monitor our hostile towards conservative ideals,” said Morgan institutions of higher education for extreme Miller, a second-year accounting student. “At times, political bias and deny federal funding if it exists.”

I have been hesitant to express my opinion because Darren L. Linvill, writing in Faculty Focus, an of the sensitivity of an issue academic research publication, or I know I’ll just be screamed researched potential liberal at and a fair discussion won’t bias in academia and cites a At times I have been occur.” recent study that said, “first, in hesitant to express my Cameron Uptmor, treasurer disciplines that tend to attract of the UC College Republicans, opinion because of the liberal students (e.g. sociology, said he experienced similar American studies, and cultural sensitivity of an issue or ire before even entering the anthropology) there was no I know I’ll just be screamed discussion because he is a relationship between students’ conservative. at and a fair discussion political views and the grades “My thoughts are crossed they received.” won’t occur. off right away because I’m a “Second, in disciplines that -MORGAN MILLER conservative,” said Uptmor on attract conservative students a News Record podcast. “I’ve (e.g. economics and business), been called ignorant, racist, conservative students actually selfish before I can even offer an opinion.” made higher grades than their more liberal peers.

Brad Johnson, the Republican student group Such findings suggest that conservative students president, said he deals with consistent opposition are not having their grades regularly penalized due to his beliefs. to their beliefs.”

“I’m a political science major and the vast Politically, the alleged bias does not affect the majority of students and professors are very voting pattern of college graduates, with polls liberal,” said Johnson. showing 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney New York University’s Jonathan Haidt estimates winning college graduates by a 12-point margin a nearly 300-1 liberal to conservation ratio and former President George W. Bush winning among professors, but says that ratio may be college graduates by a 6-point margin in 2004. underreported due to a fear conservatives have of being “outed.”

AMIR SAMARGHANDI | NEWS EDITOR

All the political courtship comes to an end with the Iowa caucuses Monday, switching the focus of the media and political class from endless and varied polling data to definitive election results.

The final Des Moines Register poll was released Saturday, showing Donald Trump leading the Republican field in Iowa with 28 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was in second at 23 percent. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL.), at 15 percent, was the only other candidate drawing above double digits in the GOP. Trump’s position in the Hawkeye state seems to be a love-hate relationship, with Trump only getting 7 percent as the voters’ second choice, while Cruz got 17 percent of likely caucus-goers’ second choice.

Net favorability — measuring a candidate’s overall favorable rating minus their unfavorable rating — is also an issue for the Trump campaign. Trump had a 3 percent net favorability rating among likely caucus-goers, meaning he has a high unfavorable rate. Comparatively, Cruz had a 37 percent rating, while Rubio was at 49 percent.

On the Democratic side, the same poll shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reclaiming her Iowa lead with 47.3 percent, a 3.3-point lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) at 44 percent.

Clinton had a 7.5-point lead over Sanders on Jan. 23, according to RealClearPolitic’s averaged polling data.

Ann Selzer has run the Des Moines Register poll since 1988 and is widely considered the best Iowa pollster with a very strong track record. She has called 8 of the last 9 winners for both parties, with an average margin of error less than 4.5 percent.

Iowa votes first in the presidential primaries due to its unusual and long-standing caucus system. The caucus is used in 13 states and is a more complicated process than just casting a vote.

“Iowa is reflective primarily and almost exclusively of Iowa and nowhere else — if you wanted the first state to look and think like America, Ohio would vote first,” said David Niven, a UC political science assistant professor and political speechwriter. “If you wanted the first state to reflect the most extreme views found within the farming community, then you would put Iowa first.”

Iowans must attend public meetings at 7 p.m. local time Monday. Locations range from school gyms, arts centers, churches, libraries, restaurants and even fire stations. In all, 1,681 precincts vote for a candidate, which can take several hours.

Republicans and Democrats caucus separately, and do

Average Iowa Polling

Source: RealClearPolitics SEE IOWA PG 2

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

Week of events highlights Campus Recreation Center’s anniversary ALISON BAXTER | CONTRIBUTOR

As the Campus Recreation Center turns 10, the university will hold a weeklong birthday party that benefits students.

The CRC will host several events through Saturday, when an anniversary celebration at the center will follow. Among many freebies, the CRC will be giving out free smoothies and trail mix and hosting boot camps.

The CRC was built in 2006 and cost $109 million. It takes $4.5 million to operate the center each year, according to Kim Schmidt, director of the CRC.

What has come of the center has “far exceeded expectations,” said Schmidt. She also gave credit to her staff and student employees, saying they are the “heart and soul” of the program.

The center includes 200 strength-training machines, 111 cardio machines and three pools. It is located in the middle of MainStreet and attached to dining halls, offices and student classrooms.

Schmidt says she is proud that the CRC is “a place where people choose to come.”

Before the CRC, the UC community worked out in the Armory Fieldhouse and in the basement of the Shoemaker

building, with less than a third of the space.

According to Schmidt, use of CRC has increased by 61 percent since 2006. She said the staff is currently looking into ways to expand the workout facility.

Known for its architecture and equipment, the center is a big campus employer. On top of offering 300 part-time jobs for students it employs professionals in yoga, massage therapy and nutrition.

Working eight to 10 hours per week, the center has a flexible schedule for students, said Gabby Pimpas, a second-year nursing student.

Blake Taylor, a fifth-year health education promotion student, has worked at the center for a year. He said the whole center functions under one word: teamwork.

The center has hosted notable annual events including the DAAP Fashion Show, career fairs, Disability Open Swim Meet and the MainStreet Stride.

As well as hosting events, the facility has partnered with UC Health, Children’s Hospital, EPA and the Cincinnati Zoo to provide discounted memberships.

You can get more information about CRC’s anniversary by following the hashtag #CRCturns10.

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

As the Campus Recreation Center turns 10 years old, the university will hold a weeklong celebration that benefits students. Among many freebies, the CRC will be giving out free smoothies and trail mix and hosting boot camps. The CRC was built in 2006 and cost $109 million. It takes $4.5 million a year to operate.

THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

FREE

2 / NEWS MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

Cincinnati: friendly or unfriendly?

TAYLOR JACKSON | CONTRIBUTOR

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR

Air Force men and women stand at parade rest for the Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 10, 2015, on McMicken Commons.

City to join new program for veterans SAMANTHA HALL | STAFF REPORTER

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley launched the Veterans Economic Communities Initiative (VECI) Wednesday in an effort to increase employment and educational opportunities for veterans.

The initiative’s goal is to combine national and local services to better the families of veterans, military members and service members through private and public organizations, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

These organizations plan to offer resources that can contribute to the training, employment and education of veterans, allowing the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge local fields of work.

More information on the VECI will be revealed at 11 a.m. Wednesday during a news conference at 3 E. Fourth St. in downtown Cincinnati.

“Having more opportunity outside of contracts is definitely needed,” said Mike McCormick, a second-year informational technology student and Army specialist.

“Employers are looking for civilian experience so any increase for civilian work is appreciated — literally nothing I learned in the military can be used outside of the military.”

The program is currently in several cities, including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The cities were selected based on the unemployment rates of local veterans, the current veteran population, as well as the expected increase in veteran population, according to the VA. Cities with the VECI in place were given a path for economic success due to the involvement with the leaders of locally owned non-profit and philanthropic organizations.

Veterans and current military members in Cincinnati can expect a similar outcome due to its success in other cities, which can eliminate the fear of losing work after retiring from the military.

“There is already a huge amount of support from the federal and state — under the Title X Order, I never lose any progress with my schoolwork but I do lose what I learn so it’s difficult to develop civilian skills for work,” said McCormick.

“Benefits are lost once you leave the military, unless you get a leg blown off or something, so you really aren’t in the military once you’ve retired — that leaves years lost of information, you’re basically starting over again.”

The University of Cincinnati offers ROTC programs for the Air Force, Navy and Army — this leaves a great number of student military members, as well as non-student military members within the Cincinnati area.

Cranley’s movement to push forward with the VECI will be even more necessary due to the expected increase of veterans within Cincinnati.

“I know it is difficult for me to keep up in school so I can’t imagine what it might be like for these guys that will retire later in life, with even more years behind them,” said McCormick.

The city of Cincinnati is known for things like Skyline, Graeter’s, Opening Day and Oktoberfest. However, the friendliness of the Queen City depends on whom you ask.

Two recent rankings had contradicting results. One listed Cincinnati among America’s most friendly cities, while another listed the city as one of the least friendly.

Cincinnati was ranked No. 8 on Groupon’s list of “America’s Friendliest Cities,” basked on local business’ customer satisfaction ratings. Providence, New Orleans, Tampa, Hartford, Dallas and Houston topped the list.

However, Cincinnati ranked No. 18 on Travel and Leisure’s list of “World’s Unfriendliest Cities,” based on votes from the magazine’s readers. Other cities on the list included: Milan, St. Louis, Boston, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Moscow and New York.

James Lake and Courtney Wilkens, both lifelong residents of Cincinnati, agreed that

the city is a friendly place.

Lake, a first-year University of Cincinnati student, said the atmosphere of the city lends to its friendliness.

“UC especially is a very open campus,” Lake said. “Cincinnati all around is very polite. You meet nice people everywhere you go. Yes, I have met unfriendly people, but not to the point where I think everyone in the city is.”

Wilkens, also a first-year student at UC, agreed with Lake.

“I’ve been to other places that are a lot meaner than we are,” she said.

Travis Moenter, a fourth-year student originally from Toledo, offered a comparison of cities.

“In my opinion, Toledo isn’t the nicest area,” Moenter said. “People are pretty rude up there. It’s a breath of fresh air coming to a city where people are a lot more welcoming, appreciative of things, and more friendly in general.”

While Moenter believes Cincinnati is a friendly place, he did suggest a reason why

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR

Cincinnati is ranked No. 8 among America’s most friendly cities while another poll listed the city as the No. 18 least friendly in the world.

Decision on law school move may come soon HUY NGUYEN | NEWS EDITOR

A final decision to move the University of Cincinnati College of Law to The Banks could be made by the end of the semester.

“Due to class, classroom space, as well as other spaces in the College of Law significantly deteriorating, the College of Law is no longer an adequate space for the 296 students,” said Andrew Naab, Student Government president, at the SG meeting Wednesday.

With about 300 students and 40 faculty members, the law school is the smallest college on campus. Founded in 1833, it is the fourth-oldest continuously operated law school in the nation.

It was Ohio’s only law school for 50 years, and began with 17 students.

The proposal for the law school to be moved to The Banks was announced by Cincinnati Councilman Charlie Winburn in February 2012 as a city investment opportunity.

“The law school will have an opportunity to connect again to our downtown development, our economic center, all the court houses, all the lawyers that are downtown,” said Winburn.

Sean Kenny, a University of Dayton fourth-year psychology student, is applying to the UC law school as his primary choice.

He agrees the proximity to the Hamilton County Justice Center would be convenient for students.

“With regards to UC moving downtown, I think that would be a good idea for the UC law school to be close to where it can make the most impact, especially since there’s a lot of legislation that does take place within downtown, and there’s the courthouse downtown and everything like that — it would be closer to where the law actually happens,” Kenny said.

The UC Board of Trustees has yet to make an official decision for the law school relocation, but is expected to discuss the possibility at their meeting Tuesday.

“Discussion will need to be had regarding to affordable housing, transportation, parking, some of the different services that are being provided, how the fees, costs, instruction will

breakdown, what fees the law students will pay for now that they will be offsite, and a multitude of others,” Naab said.

According to Naab, $25 million would have to be raised within a 90-day period to make the move.

The SG passed a resolution Wednesday, demanding the Board of Trustees includes students and faculty in relocation discussions.

“It’s growing a lot, and it’s becoming one of the better law schools in the country, so when it comes down to this expansion, it’s really, like, integral for us to kind of be part of the process and figure out what that future looks like,” said Elysse Winget, SG at-large senator.

While the SG bill demands student and faculty input, it does not take a stance on the movement to The Banks. Many still expect the move is a strong possibility.

“It is likely guaranteed that the College of Law will be moving down to The Banks, Lot 24, that’s directly behind the General Electric building,” said Naab.

“Expanding to include more students is always a good thing, because there will be a lot of people who have the opportunity to learn and become more delved into law, especially within the Cincinnati area,” said Kenny.

The Banks is the name of the developing Cincinnati riverfront between Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds.

It is the second-largest mixed-use urban development design in the country. The city has invested over $2 billion in the project, according to Naab.

Development began April 2008 as a revitalization of the riverfront, and includes new buildings for luxury apartment residences, hotels, and retail and office spaces.

The project is associated with 2,400 jobs and $275 million in economic activity annually, according to the Economics Center of the University of Cincinnati.

Limbach appointed to be new VP of research SYDNEY ARMSTRONG | CONTRIBUTOR

Professor Pat Limbach is likely to assume the position of vice president of research for the University of Cincinnati on Feb. 15.

His position is still awaiting approval by the UC Board of Trustees. The previous VP of research, Dr. William Ball, held an annual salary of $387,600.

Limbach has been a member of the UC faculty since 2001, serving as a chemistry professor in the McMicken College of Arts and Science. He was Department of Chemistry chair from 2005 to 2010 and interim associate dean for research and graduate affairs in 2013.

He earned his doctorate from The Ohio State University in 1992, and has held positions at the University of Utah, Louisiana State University and UC, where he was named Ohio Eminent Scholar and the 2009 Cincinnati Chemist of the Year.

As a bioanalytical chemist, Limbach focused on mass spectrometry, modified ribonucleic acids (RNAs), ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes and protein translation.

“The key is to maintain the status at the University of Cincinnati as a highly regarded research university,” Limbach said.

In his 15 years at UC, Limbach has built connections and relationships to discover the research programs, which carry

it might be seen as unfriendly.

“It had a really bad reputation in the past,” Moenter said. “I think people are stuck in the notion that it was unfriendly.”

Shawn Spriggs, a third-year criminal justice student from Indiana, had another suggestion.

“Maybe we’re unfriendly because we’re Bengals fans, so every time the Bengals lose the city is mad,” he said.

Aaron Sommerville, a third-year criminal justice student from Cincinnati, added, “There are a lot of Steelers fans around.

We get mad at them.”

There is optimism about the future of Cincinnati and its friendliness. Even the Travel and Leisure ranking published a positive statement that accompanied Cincinnati’s ranking.

“Slowly, the city has worked to shed its prudish disposition,” according to the magazine. “Institutions like the 21C Museum Hotel are working to revitalize districts and give new life and personality to neglected buildings.”

extensive potential.

Limbach said he has a passion to see these programs move forward onto “bigger and better things” while here at UC. “One thing that puts the University of Cincinnati above many universities is their R1 research ranking — this is given by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, and shows that we are an accredited, high ranking research institution,” said Sarah Kaising, a secondyear neuropsychology student.

While driving the university’s programs further, Limbach will ensure to celebrate and encourage the success and accomplishments the research programs encounter.

Limbach will balance his current research pursuits alongside his new position as vice president. He described his research as interdisciplinary, allowing him to handle both roles at the school.

Limbach hopes to strengthen the primary theme of team-based research across colleges. Networking with the different offices will provide more opportunities and benefits for both graduate and undergraduate students.

As VP, Limbach will lead the university’s research and discovery initiatives, including $396.8 million in funding for UC’s 2015 fiscal year. The sponsored research funding will reach to many labs, graduate research, clinical level research

and capstone projects.

“We are already doing great work in all of our departments, biomedical engineering to chemistry — the more money we have to invest in novel ideas and innovative technologies, the more we as students can impact our community,” Limbach said.

MINHAJ SHAHID | CONTRIBUTOR

Patrick Limbaugh, answers pressing questions about the future of the department in his office in Rieveschl Hall.

SEE IOWA PG 1

so in different ways. GOP caucus-goers cast a secret ballot, and the results are tallied locally then sent to the Iowa GOP’s headquarters.

Democratic caucus-goers declare their support for a candidate and physically stake out assigned positions in the caucus room. That means Clinton and Sanders supporters will literally be in opposite sides of the room deliberating on the candidate’s merits.

“Iowa is totally lacking in economic and ethnic diversity — this means that the results in Iowa can sometimes be wildly out of step with the rest of the nation,” Niven said. “The media and the political class are desperate to measure the strength of presidential candidates. Far more than the actual delegates at stake, Iowa is important because it is viewed as important.”

Niven said that while a win may not be a sign of what is to come, a loss can have serious impact on a campaign, especially for long-time front-runners Clinton and Trump.

“What a bad result would mean is a huge surge of credibility for their opponents,” Niven said. “A few early wins for Clinton could squash her opponents. A loss in Iowa could well mean Clinton will have competition all the way through the process. A loss in Iowa would really be a pin in the Trump balloon. Trump is unique in constantly talking about his own popularity — and it’s very hard for a braggart to take a loss.”

COLLEGE LIFE / 3 MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

Libertarian group finds home at UC

Hoxworth hosts blood drive in TUC

SOPHIA GAINES | COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR

SOPHIA GAINES | COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR

Students will have the chance to help save a life this week in the span of about 45 minutes.

The Hoxworth Blood Center will be holding a blood drive from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of TUC daily through Friday. Donors will get a free medium Domino’s pizza.

In addition to Hoxworth’s previous incentives, such as stadium blankets, shirts and gift cards, “the number one reason that individuals donate blood is because they want to help save someone’s life,” said Jim Tinker, division director at Hoxworth.

In 2015, college blood drives accounted for 4,552 donations from UC, or 12.8 percent of all Hoxworth Blood Center donations, according to Tinker.

Students that want to donate blood should have healthy iron levels, be hydrated and bring a photo ID. Prescreening and paperwork should take students 30 minutes, while donating blood takes 15 minutes.

Hoxworth’s donations benefit patients at 30 local hospitals. Donations decreased significantly recently because of the recent snow, Tinker said. For that reason, some Hoxworth blood went to central Kentucky to help those affected by the severe weather.

Cancer treatment, organ transplants, surgeries and trauma from automobile accidents are some of the most common instances where blood transfusions are needed, Tinker said.

Organ transplants can use 20 or more units of red blood cells. Although blood donations can vary throughout the seasons, the demand for blood is consistent.

Joshua Rich, a 5-year-old born with a blood disorder known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohstiocytosis (HLH), was one of many helped through donations to Hoxworth.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is one of few facilities in the country familiar with HLH, said Christine Rich – Joshua’s mother – to Hoxworth.

Hoxworth therapeutic apheresis staff treated Joshua for two and a half years.

He is now doing well and began school in August 2015.

“You could give an hour giving blood and you can give someone 60 years,” Rich said to Hoxworth.

UC has been supportive when it comes to promoting blood drives, sending emails, postcards and displaying digital signs, but word of mouth is still the best recruitment tool, Tinker said.

Donors can sign up for the Premier Donor Club on the Hoxworth website.

They will earn points towards restaurants and movie theater gift cards.

More information on giving blood can be found on Hoxworth Blood Center’s official website.

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR

The Hoxworth Blood Center will be holding a blood drive from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of TUC daily through Friday. Donors will get a free medium Domino’s pizza.

Libertarians are neither Democrat nor Republican; they are their own breed and are becoming more prevalent on campuses nationwide.

Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is a national pro-liberty organization with over 600 groups at colleges throughout the country, including the University of Cincinnati.

YAL UC, which meets weekly in TUC, has about nine core members who show up consistently to meetings and about 16 who help out and come to different events, according to Drake Lundstrom, a secondyear mechanical engineering student and

treasurer of YAL UC. In 2012, YAL UC won a lawsuit against UC eliminating the “free speech zone” that extended just outside TUC. Now, the entire campus is open to free speech.

Libertarians do not look at the political spectrum as left to right, but from most government to least government, according to Ashley Baradihi, a fourthyear marketing and psychology student and vice president of YAL UC. She said she does not see much difference between Republicans and Democrats, as they both want big governments, just in different ways.

However, Libertarianism makes sense to her.

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is a national pro-liberty organization with over 600 groups at colleges throughout the country, including the University of Cincinnati. Drake Lundstrom (left) is a second-year mechanical engineering student and treasurer of YAL UC, and Ashley Baradihi (right) is a fourth-year marketing and psychology student and vice president of YAL UC.

Lundstrom also believes Republicans and Democrats are similar.

“Mitt Romney ran as a Republican candidate and he was the one who created Obamacare,” Lundstrom said. “If you look at Hilary Clinton…she is a bigger war hawk than anybody on the Republican side except for maybe Chris Christie. “ Foreign policy for Libertarianism varies from person to person.

Lundstrom explains the Libertarian nonaggression principle as, “you can’t initiate aggression” unless you are responding to an attack. He believes the same principle should apply to nations.

“ISIS came about as a direct result of the U.S….Why did we topple him [Bashar alAssad]? Especially when it’s none of our business,” Lundstrom said.

Another principle of Libertarianism is private property, which Lundstrom describes as “I am me. My body is mine.

My stuff is mine. You can’t touch it. I can do whatever I want with it.”

This includes the issue of legalizing of drugs.

“Issue 3 was not good in my opinion,” Baradihi said. “I’m all for legalization of weed, but I don’t want the government controlling it.”

Lundstrom said when Portugal legalized drugs, most drug use decreased because, unlike the U.S, people looking for help were not scared they would be arrested.

“If we decriminalize a lot of non-violent crimes, including drugs…that would lessen up the prison population,” Barahidi said.

There is also a uncertainty among Libertarians with the presidential election.

“I’m not 100 percent sold on Rand yet. I like a lot of the things he has to say, but he’s going to work for my vote,” Baradihi said.

Lundstrom noted Rand Paul’s voting record was impeccable until he began running for president. According to Lundstrom, the candidate got softer on some issues and could have done better in the debates.

“Rand, in order to get to the masses had to run either an R or a D because that’s what people know,” said Barahidi.

For Barahidi, it would be ideal if Libertarians had their own party, so that Libertarian candidates would not have to compromise on principles by running in a more prevalent party.

International student admissions competitive SARAH SIKORA | CONTRIBUTOR

Students from around the world who wish to attend the University of Cincinnati have unique processes for applying to the school and making arrangements to stay in the U.S. As of fall 2015, UC had 3,373 international students, while the total university headcount, both undergraduate and graduate, was 44,251, according to the UC 2015 Student Fact Book.

Sevsem Okay, a secondyear international sociology doctoral student from Turkey had to go through a competitive application to get into UC. Okay found the process of acquiring a visa to be less difficult than other international students because of a Turkish government scholarship helped cover visa costs.

Her scholarship transferred over to her U.S education, but there were still many other aspects to take into consideration.

At UC, the criteria for international applicants vary depending on the college.

The general application is similar to what U.S. high school seniors fill out when applying to colleges.

The admission testing for international students, however, is different.

International students are not

required, but have the option to take the ACT or SAT. All international students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Other testing depends on the student’s home country.

The TOEFL, with a 120 maximum score, measures the language proficiency of nonnative speakers who wish to study in the U.S. According to UC’s admission requirements for international students, the Lindner College of Business requires a minimum score of 79.

However, the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services requires a minimum score of 66.

Okay had to achieve a score of at least 100 on the TOEFL as she was pursuing a graduate degree. A recommendation letter and minimum 3.0 GPA were also required.

Okay said the biggest challenge, however, was speaking English on a regular basis and adapting to life in the U.S. “Before the study, I was not able to communicate properly.

I still have some problems with fluency,” Okay said. “My first problem was the language barrier. Also everyone in the apartment uses the same washing machine. That was unacceptable for me and hard to get used to.”

Okay has been in the U.S. for

two and a half years and said she s now more acclimated to culture in the U.S. and on campus.

She said she loved how welcoming people were when she arrived and how friendly they continue to be.

According to the U.S. News and World Report, UC is in the top 200 global universities due to the vast scholarship opportunities and diverse environment.

“I was studying at the ELS Language Center in California and my advisor recommended me to apply to this school,” Okay said.

ELS (English as a Second Language) is a private English language school with over 80 locations in the U.S. and is utilized by international students preparing to study in a U.S. university.

UC offers over 150 master

and doctorate programs, which can be appealing to international students, according to UC’s website for international students.

International students can also combine bachelor and master’s degrees in the College of Engineering, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences, but are not required to pursue a master’s degree.

There are over 100 undergraduate programs for international students to take at UC. There are also over 30 clubs and organizations that work to cultivate relationships between international and native students, including International Justice Mission UC Campus Chapter, Saudi Arabian Student Association, Club Hispano and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association.

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

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4 / ARTS MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

REVIEW: Humorous play tackles ethnic diversity ‘Native Gardens’ gets world premiere at Playhouse in the Park through February ALEX BARHORST | STAFF REPORTER

PROVIDED BY QUEEN OF JEANS

Queen of Jeans, who released their debut album last week, wows listeners with dreamy hooks and beautiful insturmentals.

Q&A: Queen of Jeans pioneering ‘denimcore’ RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS EDITOR

Philadelphia-based band Queen of Jeans released their debut album Jan 21., gaining attention around the Internet for its psychedelic, dream pop-inspired waves of sound.

The band — Miriam Devora (vocals), Matheson Glass (guitar), Nina Scotto (bass) and Patrick Wall (drums) — labeled themselves as denimcore and “estrogen on ice” on their social media profiles, thoroughly amusing and confusing anyone trying to pinpoint their genre.

Devora spoke with TNR about the background of the band, her process when writing music and those interesting and fun genre labels.

The News Record: What are the members of the band’s musical backgrounds, and how did you all meet?

Miri Devora: We’ve all been playing music since adolescence and have been in several bands leading up to this one, and actually, all met on the premise of playing music together.

First Mattie and Nina met, then Mattie met me, and finally we all met Patrick just this year when we were searching for a drummer for Queen of Jeans.

TNR: How long have you been a band?

MD: We just celebrated our oneyear anniversary on New Years.

TNR: What musicians and ideas do you draw inspiration from?

MD: Our music library is as eclectic as Peyton Sawyer’s in “One Tree Hill,” honestly. But to name a few: Dusty Springfield, Roy Orbison, Camera Obscura, Warpaint, Lana Del Rey, B52s, and Cocteau Twins.

TNR: What is your process like when writing music?

MD: I tend to wait until everyone

has left the apartment and then I sit down with my guitar and some coffee and start working things out.

Throughout the years my writing process has changed a bunch, but typically I get a melody going in my head, craft the chords around it and then write a bunch of vocal harmonies along with that.

TNR: Can you talk a little bit about the name Queen of Jeans?

On your Soundcloud, you are listed as denimcore. Does that relate to your name at all?

MD: Queen of Jeans is a homage to “King of Jeans”, an old warehouse that used to sit on Passyunk Avenue, right about where we live in South Philly.

The day that iconic, slightly suggestive sign for the store came down, it was a huge topic around town. Nina came up with the idea of using that name, but changing the focus.

“Denimcore” is a hashtag I used when we were first starting to post our music and photographs to social media. It was just my silly take on a category for what I imagined a denim-influenced band might fall under.

TNR: Follow-up to that one, how would you define denimcore?

MD: Badass chicks plus Patrick causing a ruckus, or maybe just sending you to sleep with angelic three-part harmonies.

TNR: Did you coin the term “estrogen on ice”? Queen of Jeans is the first result on Google if you search that.

MD: That is incredible. Our buddy from Work Drugs should be credited for that one.

It got started one night when we were all hanging out after a show.

He was just spitballing ideas for us for our Internet presence, and that one has always stuck out in our mind because it’s quite out there and fun.

Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park is hosting the world premier of an entertaining comedy that promises to warm hearts and draw laughs from a diverse crowd.

“Native Gardens” — a play written by Karen Zacarias — runs through Feb. 21 with tickets starting at $30.

Zacarias is widely renowned as one of the most widely produced Latina playwrights in the United States with award-winning productions such as “The Book Club Play,”“Legacy of Light” and “Mariela in the Desert.” Her works often focus on bringing to light cultural rifts or observations within society.

“Native Gardens” deals with two families of differing ethnic backgrounds having a dispute over property before a big gardening contest and business barbecue on the upcoming Saturday.

Issues arise when Tania begins creating a native garden in her yard — a garden that only grows plants native to the region they are being grown.

Frank feels slightly judged by his neighbor’s garden, because he takes great pride in the upkeep of his traditional English garden, which is in no way native to the play’s setting of Washington, D.C. Eventually, the tides turn to all out warfare as the neighbors begin to quarrel with one another.

The families bickering back and forth is quite humorous considering one couple is part Chilean and Latino, and the other is an elderly white couple who want nothing more than a nice lawn.

The lead role of the pregnant Latino wife, Tania — played by Sabina Zuniga Varela — was performed well and is especially impressive as her first performance in Cincinnati.

She is no amateur in the theatre business, however. She has appeared in numerous pieces, including her recent work with “Mojada: A Medea” in Los Angeles.

Tania’s husband, Pablo, played by Gabriel Ruiz, is an attorney who moved himself and his wife to D.C. in order to start up a new job.

Race and sexual identity are dealt with, sometimes in hilarious ways. At one point, Frank, the stereotypical white neighbor, utters an obvious racial slur against his neighbor. The look on Tanya and Pablo’s faces compared to Frank and his wife’s obliviousness is a good example of how the play deals with a common issue.

John Lescault, who plays Frank, does a great job of portraying the poor, heavy, lawn-caring man as he deals with a crisis that is all-important to him, but may seem trivial to the audience.

Karen Ziemba, the actress who plays Frank’s wife, creates humor through her behavior and strange mannerisms.

The set of “Native Gardens” — created by set designer Joseph P. Tilford — does a masterful job of bringing the outdoors into the theatre. The set showcases the lawns of both neighbors in varying states of disrepair and maintenance.

The show is like watching a good comedy on a rainy day. While maybe a little forgettable after awhile, it cheers you up and is a nice event to experience with loved ones and friends.

PROVIDED BY PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK

“Native Gardens”, playing at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through Feb. 21, provides comedy for diverse audiences.

Kanye’s ‘Yeezus’ ages well when revisited two years later ALEXI FRICK | CONTRIBUTOR

With Kanye West dropping his new album “Swish” this month, I have been thinking a lot about his last release, 2013’s “Yeezus,” which left a bad taste in many mouths. Most fans claimed the old Kanye was gone, but maybe that was the point — maybe with “Yeezus,” Kanye ushered in a whole new take on what hip-hop music can be.

When “808s & Heartbreak” was released in 2008, most listeners had the same negative sentiments. Looking back, that album ended up influencing popular music for years to come. From Kid Cudi to Drake to The Weekend, “808s” ended up pushing the sound of music.

The bare drums, the simple piano keys and the emotional auto tune used by Kanye defined a new genre of hip-hop mixed with pop music.

Before “Yeezus,”“808s” was Kanye’s most experimental album and became his most influential. Three years after “Yeezus” — which is significantly more experimental than “808s” — I have been wondering if the same can be said.

Both albums saw Kanye reaching into the strangest parts of his brain to make music, and both were criticized by a lot of people when they first dropped. It was a few years after the fact you could see the impact they both had.

Music certainly got weirder last year, with acts like Young Thug having success. I think Kanye can definitely be attributed to the risks Thug takes.

I, like the many other Kanye fans, did not like “Yeezus” at first — in fact I hated it.

But in 2015, my opinion changed.

The abrasive sound was the main reason.

I could not compare it to anything that came out in 2013. Early in 2015, I decided to put it back on my phone and give it another chance. I let it sit there for months before it became part of my daily shuffle.

A few months ago, I noticed that the

dark, complex, almost industrial type sounds of the album were actually quite enjoyable.

When a song like “Black

Skinhead” or “Hold My Liquor” ended and the next song on my shuffle was Travi$ Scott’s “Rodeo” or A$AP Rocky’s “At.Long.Last.A$AP,” I noticed how similar they sounded. Not exactly in terms of sound, but the complicated

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

beats that do not follow a singular song structure and switch things up every minute or so I did not really appreciate the sheer creativity that went into “Yeezus’” beats until I heard the same type of creativity in songs from artists like Young Thug and Travi$ Scott — even Future. Those artists focus on a certain sound or feeling instead of lyrics. Kanye was one of the first to do that in modern music with “Yeezus” and that really had an unseen impact on a lot of current artists.

The main complaint about “Yeezus” was the lack of any lyrical depth or even the clever lines that Kanye usually delivers.

It was panned. Now the main defense for criticisms about Travi$ Scott, Young Thug, Future, Migos and countless others who currently rule the airwaves is they care more about the sound and feeling of their music instead of lyrics.

Nobody listens to Migos because they talk about anything that is important or socially relevant, but their voices flow well and their sound is something that catches your attention.

I did not realize the same defense can be made for “Yeezus” until the aforementioned generation of hip-hop artists began coming to power.

Kanye was not trying to give us meaningful lyrics, he was trying to give us a different sound, and we were not used to it. All of his albums up to “Yeezus” have some very personal, heartfelt or well-written bars. That is what we came to expect from Kanye.

When we did not get that, most people trashed the album. Without Kanye being the first to take those risks three years ago, we would not have the same type of rap artists we have right now.

The influence is pretty clear, but maybe “Yeezus” just needs a few more years to fully resonate with critics and fans.

5 / LIFE & ARTS MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

UCB tackles UC life with famous brand of improv MEGAN WESTHEIDER | CONTRIBUTOR

Students gathered in the Great Hall of Tangeman University Center Thursday to watch Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), a renowned improvisational and sketch comedy group that once featured famous comedians such as Amy Poehler, Tiny Fey and Aziz Ansari.

UC’s Programs and Activities Council (PAC) brought the group in as a change from stand-up comedians and magicians and provide students with a more interactive experience.

UCB provided their comedic improvisational skits to entertain students for an hour.

To start the show, the four UCB members asked the audience about college life in Cincinnati and attempted to learn “Down the Drive,” UC’s chant that can be heard at sports games.

Once they were satisfied with the answers, the group set up an interview with a student to learn about his experience at UC, which they later incorporated into their performance.

After the interview, the performers announced the show would be unique and never seen again.

UCB proceeded to spin off student’s college experience by giving it a humorous twist, from experimental roommates who want to push dorm beds together to the queen of England eating at Skyline and imagining Calhoun Hall as a prison, with resident advisers using Diet Pepsi as their weapons of choice.

“Props to them,” said David Watkins, a third-year journalism student. “They didn’t have a lot to work with from the interview.”

Elana Pentelnik, a third-year industrial design student,

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found the UCB’s interpretations of vague text messages yelled from the crowd to be the funniest part of the show.

John Halliman, a second-year exploratory student, said it was his first time seeing an improv show.

“I’ve heard of the people that have come from this group, so I have comfort knowing that those comedians came out of this group” Halliman said.

While not every student in the audience was familiar with what an improv show entails, the UCB name raised expectations.

Sheridan Sackman, a second year psychology student, echoed Halliman’s statement, saying that even though she had never attended an improv show, her friend filled her in on the group and its performers, which gave her confidence in the quality of performance.

“They just made it all up on the spot” said Claire Casper, a third-year urban studies student. “Like when they interviewed that kid, I could never think on my feet like that.”

ELISABETH JACOBSON | CONTRIBUTOR

Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), a renowned improvisational and sketch comedy group, gives their spin on student’s college experience in their performance in the Great Hall of TUC Thursday evening. UC’s Programs and Activities Council (PAC) brought the group in.

Make your winter fashion bright as spring KARLY WILLIAMS | STAFF REPORTER

Although spring collections are popping up in clothing stores, a few more weeks of winter still loom.

It is easy during these cold months to throw on anything warm and leave for class. However, sprucing up your winter wardrobe can have you looking forward to putting a killer outfit together in the mornings, and feeling great when you strut into that big lecture hall.

Drape with a cape Capes are a perfect way to be draped in style while adding a layer of warmth. This trend comes in a range of styles for both men and women, from sleek modern cuts and patterns to eclectic looks perfect for the free-spirit fashion lover.

Throw one over a warm sweater and pair with any cut of jeans — all you need to do is just match the cape style of the jeans accordingly. Do not wear a 1960s Woodstock-style cape with jet black ripped jeans that look like they were just resurrected from a 1990s grunge show. Be savvy.

Embrace the bootie Booties are the ideal tall-boot alternative that can make your legs look shorter.

They come in more diverse styles than tall boots. Try out different heel heights and toe styles to find your best fit.

Pair yours with a skater skirt and fleecelined leggings for a change. For extra warmth, wear thick socks rolled down to create a short break in the colors of your outfit. Just remember to keep sock

color complementary to the color of your bottoms and boots.

If you are a guy looking for the ultimate pair of boots, try out black or brown Doc Martens or a Chukka boot.

“My suggestion for guys is to get a simple boot that they can wear with anything,” said first-year

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

fashion design student Maeve Morris. “A chukka boot is great to dress up or just wear with jeans, and they’re cute on girls too.”

Tame your facial hair Morris also recommends guys take care of their facial hair.

“In winter, men venture more into facial hair — they should be honest with themselves if a beard is a good look or if it doesn’t grow well,” Morris said. “And if it does, learn how to maintain it and clean it up.”

Products like beard oil or beard balm can help tame the hair, condition skin and reduce itching.

Block it up Color blocking, the style of blocking multiple high contrast solid colors on a single clothing article, is traditionally a spring trend, but works well for winter too.

If you wear a lot of grey and black tones, this look is perfect to add some liveliness without being overbearing. Try out a modern color block sweater or go retro with a vintage style windbreaker.

Color block beanies are perfect for those who still want a pop of color, but don’t want to get too adventurous.

Go out on a fringe Fringe scarves are an affordable way to add eye-popping texture to any outfit.

Wear them with a solid color winter coat to keep your look simplistic, and keep that bitter wind off your neck on MainStreet.

6 / SPORTS MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2016

Bearcats nip UConn for a signature win CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team has been searching for their signature win of the season. They might have found it Thursday, when they defeated the University of Connecticut Huskies 58-57.

After losing four games this season by a 2-point margin, concerns grew about the team’s ability to close games. The Bearcats silenced those concerns and leapt to second place in the American Athletic Conference.

Held scoreless for over six minutes in the second half, the Bearcats were struggling until freshman forward Jacob Evans sparked the Bearcats. His steal and layup with a minute remaining kept the Huskie lead at two.

After Evans’ score, Cincinnati’s defense forced two missed shots by UConn, setting up a chance to tie the game with 15 seconds left.

With 11 seconds remaining, sophomore forward Gary Clark received a pass underneath the basket and was able to put the ball in to tie the game while drawing a foul. He stepped to the line, completing the three-point play, giving UC the lead.

“Initially, [the play] was for Troy [Caupain],” said Mick Cronin, UC head coach. “But he had a strip on that. Then, I figured ‘let me get a bigger guy in there. I wanted to use Troy as a decoy and then Gary could go attack the rim. He’s a bigger guy with a better

chance of getting it up on the rim, with Tay [Ellis] and Jacob rebounding on the weak side. Gary made me look really good.”

UConn had possession with just a few second left, but their last shot bricked off of the front rim and the buzzer sounded.

Cincinnati clinched the win and their bench met the players on the court for a brief celebration.

“It’s a quality win against a really good team,” Cronin said. “You’re talking about a team that has beat some real teams now.

They play as good of a non-league schedule as anyone else in the country. They’re going to win a lot more games, so it’s a big win.”

Cincinnati’s defense kept UConn quiet during much of the second half, holding them to 21 points on 28 percent shooting and 12.5 percent from the three-point line.

The solid defensive performance set the stage for Cincinnati’s 16th win of the year, one many believe was desperately needed.

“I think the game went well,” said Drew Jandys, a UC alumnus. “I thought we rebounded well, I thought we played good defense, and we came through at the end.

Gary Clark came through huge at the end.”

Fellow UC alumnus Dan Meyer was also impressed with Clark.

“It was great to finally win a close game,” Meyer said. “It’s always great when that happens, but more importantly, you saw the drive and the confidence in Gary Clark and some of the other guys at the end of the

game, which has been seemingly lacking sometimes. It’s good to see them come out and shoot early in the shot clock and just go for it.”

Cincinnati moves to 16-6 on the season and returns 8 p.m. Thursday to Fifth Third Arena against the University of South Florida. The game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.

FILE ART | NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Baseball looks to rise in conference standings CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER

DAVID T. FOSTER III | CHARLOTTE OBSERVER | TNS

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) yells as he celebrates with the team after winning the NFC Championship over the Arizona Cardinals Jan. 24 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

OPINION: Panthers will be champs DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

There is one more game left in the NFL’s 2015-16 season, involving the two best teams in the league – the No. 1-seeded Carolina Panthers against the Denver Broncos.

The game includes Carolina’s Cam Newton, the possible league most valuable player and the Denver Broncos, who are No. 1 in overall defense.

Newton and Denver’s defense have both been dominant this season. Something has to happen for a team to win this game.

The Panthers played two top-five defenses during the playoffs ― the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals ― but neither could stop the Panthers’ offense. Carolina scored 31 points against Seattle and 49 against Arizona.

With two other elite defenses embarrassed by the Panthers, who could say the Broncos will be the team to actually slow down Carolina’s offense?

The Broncos played elite quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger during the playoffs, taking care of both.

Roethlisberger did not throw a single touchdown and Brady had two interceptions, on top of being sacked four times.

Could the Broncos do the same thing to Newton?

Newton is a much different quarterback than Brady or Roethlisberger — he can beat teams through the air and on the ground.

Newton ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona. He ran for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season.

Newton’s ability to run will force the Broncos to change their style of defense from how they played the previous two games.

The Broncos faced only two fast quarterbacks this season – Teddy Bridgewater of the Vikings and Andrew Luck of the Colts.

Denver beat the Vikings 23-20 on Oct. 4, 2015, holding Bridgewater to 23 yards on three carries. They lost to the Colts 27-24 in November — their first lost of the season.

Luck rushed for 34 yards on six carries.

Bridgewater and Luck did not hurt the Broncos much, but neither did Newton’s explosiveness. Luck was injured most of the year and has never had a season where he ran for over 400 yards. Bridgewater only ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Newton will be the most explosive athlete the Broncos have faced all year. They may struggle with containing him throughout the game.

However, one statistics works in the Broncos’ favor – teams that rank first in total defense are 9-2 in the Super Bowl.

Defense wins championships but the Broncos will need to have their best defensive performance of the season to win Super Bowl 50. I have the Panthers winning 28-21.

The University of Cincinnati men’s baseball team returned to the practice field Friday for the first time since the end of last season, hoping to improve from a last-place finish in 2015.

The team finished at the bottom of the American Athletic Conference in 2015 with a 15-41 record.

Cincinnati starts with a stout challenge, heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Feb. 19-21 to face the Louisiana State University Tigers ― ranked No. 7 nationally in the D1Baseball.com Top 25 Preseason rankings.

“Obviously, they’re going to be a great opponent,” said head coach Ty Neal. “They’re going have two of their really good starting pitchers, so we’re really going to have our hands full there. They’re one of the more storied programs in college baseball. I would expect we’re going to play in front of 10 to 12,000 people. It’s good for us, because I think we’re building this program and I think we will be competing for championships soon.”

Junior outfielder R.J. Thompson believes LSU will be a good test.

“That’s going to be a tremendous challenge,”Thompson said. “I mean, seventh overall to start the year, 14,000 people in the stands.

It’s going to be the real deal and I think it’ll be a good test. We have a young team still, but it’ll be good to start the season that way, to see where we’re at and move forward from there. I’m very excited, it’s going to be unbelievable.”

The Bearcats lost star outfielder Ian Happ, who was selected ninth overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. It was the highest a University of Cincinnati baseball player has ever been drafted.

Happ’s production will be hard to replace — he led the team in batting average, runs scored, runs batted in, home runs, doubles and hits.

The Bearcats had many freshmen on the roster last season and continue the trend this season, filling the voids with this year’s freshmen and leaning on the sophomores to perform.

“That’s the plan, but we’ve got some veteran players on the team who are doing a good job, that are going to help us win this year,” Neal said. “The majority of our players are freshmen and sophomores. It’s important that they have a nice bond with each other, because they are the future of our program and its our job as coaches to develop them on the field and off of the field.”

One veteran player is Thompson, who was named second-team all-conference in the AAC Thursday.

“It’s a tremendous honor,”Thompson said. “The conference that we play in is tremendous. The competition is great and just to be recognized as one of the better [players] in the conference is great, but with that said, I’m not here for the personal stuff. We have a good team this year and baseball is a team sport. I’m looking forward to start the season. I want to improve and get better every day. I had a decent year last year, but there’s lots of things to improve on.”

Preseason honors come with expectations and the team is going to need Thompson to perform up to them in order to improve on last season.

“He’s a guy that’s been through it,” Neal said. “[Thompson] played

every day for us last year and he’s got some toughness to him, he’s got some grit, and he’s got some baseball skills that I think are going to allow him to have success. He’s a guy that you hope some of the younger guys watch play and how he goes about his business. Now, you don’t want every single player to look the same way or act the same, but you hope those guys take some mental notes about how he goes about his business and how he plays the game. He’s going to have a big role for us this year.”

After their three-game series against LSU, the Bearcats will head to Athens, Georgia, Feb. 26 to compete in the Georgia Foley Field Tournament against Western Kentucky University, University of Georgia and the University of South Alabama.

NICK STEINMETZ | CONTRIBUTOR

Head coach Ty Neal believes that the No.7 ranked team, Louisiana State University Tigers, will be a great opponent for the UC men’s baseball team.

NICK STEINMETZ | CONTRIBUTOR

Junior outfielder R.J. Thompson believes the first game against the No.7 ranked team, Louisiana State University Tigers, will be a good test for the young team.

NICK STEINMETZ | CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Cincinnati men’s baseball team returns to the practice field Friday for the first time since the end of last season. The team finished at the bottom of the American Athletic Conference in 2015 with a 15-41 record.

Hot start sends women’s basketball to win over Houston KYLE MARTIN | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati’s women’s basketball team earned their first home conference win of the season, beating the University of Houston Cougars 56-50 Saturday.

The Bearcats took an 18-9 first-quarter lead and never looked back, leading the Cougars for the entire game.

Hot shooting helped propel UC to the early lead. The Bearcats shot 46 percent from the field in the first quarter, hitting four of seven 3-point shots.

“Our energy when we came out was great,” said senior guard Alyesha Lovett. “We were

fighting from the opening tip.”

The Bearcats extended their lead early in the second quarter, up by as much as 12 points ─ the largest lead of the game.

Both teams struggled shooting in the second quarter. The Bearcats shot 31 percent from the field in the second quarter while Houston missed every 3-point attempt. As the game neared halftime, the Cougars applied pressure on Cincinnati and clawed back into the game, cutting the UC lead to seven at halftime.

The two teams fought for momentum in the third quarter.

With the Bearcats hanging to a two-point lead, senior guard Jasmine Whitfield’s

JACOB SCHUTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

UC women’s basketball wins their first home conference game of the season against the University of Houston Cougars 56-50 Saturday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats shot 46 percent from the field in the first quarter, hitting four of seven 3-point shots.

three-point play extended the lead to five.

Cincinnati took an 8-point lead at the end of the quarter, 43-35.

Houston gave one final push in the fourth quarter, fighting within two points with just over two minutes left in the game.

Sophomore guard Ana Owens sunk a jumper from the elbow with a minute left to give the Bearcats a 4-point lead. Houston was unable to score on the following possession ─ causing them to start fouling.

The Bearcats made four-consecutive free throws ─ two from Owens─ and clinched a 56-50 victory at home.

The win was much needed, snapping a four-game losing streak.

UC head coach Jamelle Elliot spoke highly of Owens’ late shots.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way my team preformed today at home,” Elliot said.

“Great players make great shots…I’m glad she was able to make the shots down the stretch, she gave us an opportunity to win the game.”

Owens sank 4-of-14 shots on the game, but her makes came when it mattered most.

“I just had to do what they need me to do,” Owens said. “I just try to keep playing and not think about the missed shots… We always have close games against Houston so it was nice to beat them.”

The Bearcats are now 7-13 overall this season and 3-6 in the conference.

“I don’t think we could start the second half of conference season any better than a win at home and playing the way we want to play at home for 40 minutes,” Elliott said.

The Bearcats will face the University of South Florida Bulls at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Tampa.