Feb. 2, 2017

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Men’s Baseball

UC baseball team looks forward to their new season

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4 Paws for Ability

Student lives enriched by furry friends

THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2017

NEWSRECORD.ORG

Travel ban affects UC students ‘My grandpa’s body has to go back home alone’

EMILY STOLTZ | CHIEF REPORTER

Kasra Karamlou, a third-year neurobiology student and current president of the UC Arabic Club, saw the fallout from President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration order first hand. “Over the weekend, my grandpa died,” said Karamlou. “My uncle wanted to take his body back to Iran because that was his wish. But because of the ban, none of my family would be let back in the country if they left, so my grandpa’s body has to go back home alone.” Karamlou’s family is just one of many across the country affected by the ban. Right here on campus there are 75 students and 20 faculty members from the seven countries listed in the executive order. Signed on Jan. 27, it bars citizens

of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States for at least the next 90 days. According to Karamlou, his parents traveled to and from Iran fairly often because of their dual citizenship status. However, since the executive order was implemented, they are fearful they will not be allowed reentry. UC’s International Services Director Ronald Cushing says no students are currently stranded abroad. However, many students do have family members and dependents affected by the order. Cushing cited a student whose spouse is currently held up in Iraq, and a researcher whose parents were stopped in Vienna. The Customs and Border Protection Agency reported 721 people who were denied entrance into the United

SHEPARD FAIREY

“Greater Than Fear” by artist Shepard Fairey.

States after the ban took place, according to The New York Times. The Times reported Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly defended the order, saying it was not a ban, but rather a “temporary pause” so that the department can review the current vetting system, primarily the vetting of refugees, in order to protect the country from terrorists. Although Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, defended the order, saying that the term “ban” is not appropriate. President Trump tweeted that “Everyone is arguing whether or not it is a ban. Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of country!” Regardless of semantics, many students at UC remain concerned about the implications of the order. In a statement to the university’s international community, Cushing, along with Vice Provost for International Affairs Raj Metah, said they will “do everything possible” to support international students and ensure safety as well as academic success. There is still uncertainty about which countries may be affected in the future, said Cushing. The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a 90-day evaluation of current vetting processes. After the evaluation period, some countries may be added to the list, and those already included may become permanently banned, according to Cushing. Interim President Beverly Davenport, along with Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Peter Landgren, issued a statement to the UC community. The statement expressed to students, staff and faculty that the White House executive order caused “great alarm,” and discouraged any students or faculty members from traveling to the seven countries named in the order until they have a better understanding of its implications. The statement assured students that UC is dedicated to maintaining global diversity, saying that the order “runs counter to our university’s core values.” Addressing the international community directly, Davenport and Landgren maintained that the presence and participation of international students, faculty and staff are highly valued and welcomed at the university.

Mexican tariff ‘very harmful’ to Cincy JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

Last week, President Donald Trump unveiled his plan to “make the Mexicans pay for the border wall.” Trump’s solution is to place a 20 percent tariff on imports from Mexico. While press secretary Sean Spicer has stated that it is not a formal proposal, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted again that Mexico would not be paying for a wall. Additionally, Pena Nieto canceled his plans to meet with Trump, indicating souring relationships. In 2014, there were an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US, according to data from the Pew Research Center. But building a wall may not significantly reduce illegal immigration, as most undocumented immigrants come into the country on work visas and simply overstay their visas, according to Pew data. Igor Kovac, a graduate assistant in political science, believes that a wall could be an effective deterrent to illegal immigration, but will not be the sole determining factor. “It is more about the

determination and resolve of the current regime,” said Kovac. Nonetheless, this plan would not be conducive to a healthy regional economy, according to Director of the UC Economics Center Julia Heath. “A 20 percent tariff on Mexican goods would be extremely harmful to the local economy,” said Heath. “The Cincinnati region is the state’s largest export area--$24.1 billion, almost half of the entire state’s exports. Trade makes up 14 percent of the local economy, and Mexico is the region’s second largest recipient of our exports. One of the problems with tariffs is that prices will increase for everyone.” The other problem is in export industries, according to Heath. “Contrary to what most people think, import industries and export industries are not separate things. A substantial share of the parts used in the goods that we export are themselves imported, so restricting imports (including making them more expensive) will have profound effects on our ability to export our goods. This would have profound

effects on our region’s employment,” said Heath. The Peterson Institute estimates that increased tariffs would reduce employment in the Rust Belt by 4 percent. The U.S.’s average tariff on goods from World Trade Organization countries is currently 3.5 percent. “An increase to 20 percent would have a staggering impact locally and nationally,” said Heath. David Brasington, a professor of political economy at UC, says that while there would be gains for American workers, the increased cost of imports from Mexico would hurt American consumers more than it would benefit American workers. “I gather the new answer is not so clear-cut,” said Brasington. “NAFTA was enacted when a dollar bought four pesos. Now it buys 20. No one expected that large a swing, which, as Ross Perot famously predicted, meant a lot of US jobs going to Mexico.” Brasington noted that US exporting firms also have to pay for stricter environmental controls and healthcare for workers, driving up prices for US exports for foreigners, compared to imports from

foreign countries with less stringent controls and nationalized health care. Some would say that since Mexico enacts a value added tax on US imports, enacting a tariff on Mexican goods would just be leveling the playing field, said Brasington. “The Trump administration seems to think that Americans are willing to pay a little more for goods if it means more jobs in America,” said Brasington. “In the end it’s a political question. This is a big change from the globalization mantra of the

CAROLINA A. MIRANDA | LOS ANGELES TIMES | TNS

Sol, age 7, plays on the border wall, which stretches for miles into the western horizon.

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

UC Football head coach Luke Fickell speaks to media on signing day, February 1, 2017.

Fickell oversees first signing day DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

Newly hired Cincinnati Bearcat head football coach Luke Fickell finished his first National Signing Day at UC yesterday, and he immediately succeeded. Despite Fickell just being hired on Dec. 10, Cincinnati’s recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the American Athletic Conference, according to Rivals.com and Scout.com. “We were able to sign a great mix of young men from some of the top programs in the state,” Fickell said. “We had to get out there and do some work hanging on to the guys we had, and finding new ones. If you don’t have the types of guys other people are coming after, you’re probably not on the right ones. Players from great programs and winning programs bring the culture and attitude we’re looking for, which will make our team and program better.” Cincinnati brought in four Cincinnati-area recruits: defensive back Jarell White from LaSalle High School, linebacker Kyle Bolden from Colerain High School, offensive lineman Cody Lamb from Miamisburg High School and kicker Cole Smith from Middletown High School. “There’s an incredible amount of outstanding football players in the state of Ohio,” Fickell said. “First and foremost, we are going to look at the players in Ohio and see how they fit our needs. Sometimes it’s not all about measurables. It’s about what’s inside that chest. Stars don’t always make a great ballplayer.” Fickell said that White was a catalyst for this recruiting class, as he is a four-star recruit from the three-time defending Division II Ohio High School State Champion La Salle Lancers. “To have Jarell and his

ability to be a name, to be a guy that is very social, to be a guy that’s out there and says, ‘Hey, I believe in this. I believe in my city, I believe in my community and I believe in my university and coaches,’ it meant a lot,” Fickell said. There are two other big names making their way to Cincinnati in the upcoming season: Torrance Gibson and RJ Potts. Gibson is a transfer from Ohio State University. Coming out of high school in 2015, Gibson was a four-star quarterback recruit, ranking as the No. 12 player at any position in the state of Florida by 247Sports.com. Gibson converted to the wide receiver position at Ohio State because of his athletic ability, but he will go back to playing quarterback at UC. “Torrance is a great story,” Fickell said. “Torrance is a kid that was on top of the world. He was one of those guys that was incredibly highly recruited. This a new opportunity for him to come in and have that chance to play the quarterback position that he loves and has always dreamed of playing.” Potts is a four-star safety from Indianapolis and was ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the state of Indiana this year by 247Sports. “We needed him, more so just for the publicity,” Fickell said. “I know it looks better, and he’s maybe the highest rated guy, and we have high expectations for him. But I think it’s another one of those things that all these guys follow him.” There is one message Fickell and the other coaches give to their recruits that they think is important. “We’ve told them, we’re going to win,” Fickell said. “We’re not coming here not to be successful, and guys want to see other people believe that.”

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