Feb. 9, 2017

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Kasich’s education budget

Ohio governor reveals his new budget for education

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Student-athlete GPAs

Female athletes tend to keep grades higher than their male counterparts

THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2017

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Socialists rally to make UC a sanctuary campus JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

The UC Socialist Students rallied Wednesday to make the University Cincinnati a sanctuary campus.

This follows the move by Cincinnati City Council to declare Cincinnati a sanctuary city in a 6-2 vote last week, defying President Trump’s immigration ban.

Currently, 39 cities across the country are so-called “sanctuary cities” with laws limiting how much local law enforcement can cooperate with federal authorities to hold immigrants in detention.

The group had a particular set of demands for the incoming University of Cincinnati President Neville G. Pinto, who will take office in late February.

The demands included prohibiting Officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering campus without a warrant, refusing to provide information pertaining to student and faculty immigration status with ICE or any organization cooperating with ICE and instructing UCPD not to enforce immigration laws.

On Dec. 9, a petition coauthored by students and faculty members to make UC a sanctuary campus

was delivered to Interim University President Beverly Davenport, Provost Peter Landgren, Public Safety Director James Whalen, and the Board of Trustees, according to a statement released by the group.

“As a public institution based on the freedom of intellectual inquiry among a diverse body of students and faculty, the university has a moral and ethical

obligation to defend the campus from far-right attacks on immigrants,” reads the petition.

UC continues to monitor the fluid situation on a day-to-day basis and will continue to “provide a safe haven for intellectual freedom and the voices of the many,” regardless of their status as U.S. citizens, immigrants, international students or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

(DACA) students, said UC Provost and Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Peter Landgren.

But UC Socialist Students still want a legal commitment from the university, regardless of current reporting practices, said UC Socialist Students Vice President Griffin Ritze. “I don’t mean to be alarmist, but I could see the Trump administration

begin to demand the university start to report immigration status.”

Students showed an outpouring of support for UC’s immigrant community on Wednesday.

“I’ve always been taught to love my neighbor,” said first-year graphic communications design student Tabitha JordanNichols. “Immigrants are our neighbors too. And I refuse to let a Cheeto

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Students protest at a campus rally to make UC a sanctuary campus, Wednesday, February 8, 2017 on McMicken Commons.

tell me not to love my neighbor.”

Vice President of Safety and Reform Robin Engel said the university’s police department does not actively enforce federal immigration laws or ask students for their immigration status and will continue that practice.

UC also does not share protected information like immigration status with the government, except for the information required by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, according to a memo from UC Public Relations Director . Reilly.

But the term “sanctuary campus” is not legally defined, according to information released by the university. The university also cannot prevent the federal government from enforcing immigration law and will not “obstruct justice or the enforcement of US law.”

Student Government At-Large Senator Nicole Price said that she was working on a bill to get UC designated a sanctuary campus, although “it is not so much about the actual words as the policy.”The idea was also discussed at Wednesday morning’s Protest Response Team meeting, according to Price.

Bearcats not yet in the clear in AAC ETHAN RUDD | STAFF REPORTER

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Theresa May delivers a speech outside the House of Commons on July 11, 2016 in London. May is poised to become the next prime minister.

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President Donald Trump arrives to announce the Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017.

Trump: A particularly polarizing president EMILY STOLTZ | CHIEF REPORTER

One of President Donald Trump’s most defining characteristics is his ability to polarize. His election to the office of the President of the United States may drive a wedge even further into the fractured politics of Europe.

The rise of alt-right, nationalist parties in Europe and now America, is reshaping politics as we know them.

Last June, Great Britain voted to leave the European Union, a controversial and unprecedented transition.

According to an article in the New York Times, in a joint press conference between President Trump and Britain’s new Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump praised the move by the U.K. “Free and independent Britain is a blessing to the world,” he said.

In the same press conference, Prime Minister May stressed the

importance of a strong relationship between the United States and Great Britain due to common interests, according to the article. “There is much on which we agree,” she said.

Much like the 2016 American presidential election, Great Britain’s decision to leave the European Union polarized the nation, as well as the world.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is desperately trying to temper fears of what Brexit and Donald Trump’s election could mean for the future of world politics.

Following President Trump’s election, Chancellor Merkel extended a congratulatory message, peppered with reminders of what democracy and freedom imply.

According to an article in the Washington Post, Chancellor Merkel reiterated that a common value between the United

States and Germany is the respect for the “dignity of each and every person, regardless of their origin, skin color, creed, gender, sexual orientation or political views.”

Many fear that Donald Trump’s presidency coupled with Great Britain’s move toward independence from the European Union could indicate an end to liberal values and a shift toward far-right, nationalist policies, according to an article in Forbes.

France is also in the midst of a controversial election, with Marine Le Pen leading the conservative National Front Party.

Le Pen vowed to her constituents that, if elected, she will follow Great Britain’s lead and leave the European Union.

According to an article in The Guardian, Le Pen wishes to put “France first” by freeing the country from the “tyrannies of globalization.”

According to the article, Le Pen, like Donald Trump, has also denounced Islamic fundamentalism, even going as far to say that Muslim garb, mosques and street prayer were threats to French culture.

Emmanuel Macron, Le Pen’s opponent, said that the National Front Party’s ideals “betray” liberty, equality and fraternity, according to the article.

Macron and Chancellor Merkel are two key players in the opposition to the recent rise in antiinterventionism among major world powers like the United States and Great Britain.

The polarization of France during their current election season is yet another example of a major world power divided between liberal and conservative values.

The French election will be held on April 23.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that the American Athletic Conference basketball does not revolve around the University of Cincinnati, especially if you’re a Bearcat.

But, believe it or not, the AAC is not a one-man show; there are, in fact, other teams.

Do not let the facts fool you either. Even though the Bearcats are undefeated in conference games, they still haven’t completely distanced themselves from the rest of the pack yet.

Additionally, UC will face the toughest part of their inner-conference schedule as they close out the season.

The Bearcats (21-2) will match up with Southern Methodist University (20-4), the University of Memphis (17-7) and the University of Houston (16-7) before their season ends.

SMU is the one team the Bearcats have not totally distanced themselves from.

The Mustangs are ranked No. 25 in the most recent AP poll, and they sit in second place in the AAC behind Cincinnati, having just one conference loss as of Feb. 8.

That single blemish represents the loss the Mustangs suffered to Cincinnati Jan. 12 when the Bearcats staved off a lastsecond SMU comeback in Fifth Third Arena.

The Mustangs have won 16 of their last 17 games while holding their opponents to 66 points or less over that same stretch.

To say the least, SMU is a balanced team — five of their players are averaging at least 9.4 points per game – and they are the Bearcats biggest threat within the AAC. “Somehow as a coaching staff, we got to do a better job for our kids next time we play SMU,” said UC head coach Mick Cronin following the Bearcats 6664 win. “Got to find a better way to play defense against them because as the game went on, we took nothing from them.”

Memphis is No. 3 in the AAC with an 8-4 conference record, and Houston is right behind them at 7-4.

Brothers Dedric Lawson and K.J. Lawson spur Memphis, as they have combined for an average of

18.8 rebounds per game.

Dedric leads the AAC in rebounds, is second in scoring, fourth in blocked shots, ninth in steals and tenth in assists.

Despite featuring that prolific duo, the Tigers have been a little inconsistent this year.

Recently, Memphis dropped to the University of Central Florida – a team stuck squarely in the middle of AAC play.

Houston features two of the AAC’s top-five leading scorers in Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson.

However, the Bearcats will have to contend with more than just Gray and Dotson when they match up with the Cougars for the second time this season.

“They’ve got three guys who can shoot the lights out in Gray, Dotson and [Wes] VanBeck,” Cronin said after UC’s victory in Houston Jan. 7.

Still, the Bearcats held Houston to just three treys on the Cougar’s own court earlier this season.

Expect UC’s game plan to be similar when they match up again.

“What we try to do is try to make them expend a lot of energy on defense chasing us and guarding us in our motion, hoping that would take their legs as the game went on so they wouldn’t shoot the ball as well,” Cronin said.

Things could become a lot more interesting in the AAC between now and March, especially with SMU breathing down UC’s neck.

The race to finish is on, and UC controls its own destiny.

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kevin Johnson (25) calls for the ball during the first half of the SMU game at Fifth Third Arena, Thursday January 12, 2017.

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Macy’s faces their uneasy future PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

MCKENZIE GRAHAM

Macy’s, the largest U.S. department store chain, recently entered talks with Canada’s Hudson’s Bay about a possible takeover.

Since Macy’s stock hit a peak in 2015, it has fallen more than 50 percent. It is estimated that the company currently holds roughly $7.5 billion in debt.

In terms of growth rates, the company has been in overall decline.

Investors of the Cincinnati retailer have been restless as of late, pushing for instant reform that can create profit.

Fast fashion companies such as Hennes & Mauritz and online retailers like Amazon have toughened competition for orthodox retailers like Macy’s.

Decreasing foot traffic in stores and minimal consumer loyalty are additional conflicts.

Fluctuating shopping habits from millennials

have left the company in dire need for innovation.

In 2013, Macy’s hired over 1,000 college graduates for the second straight year.

In addition, they hired hundreds of students in their third and fourth years in college as interns. Since then, those numbers have dropped off.

They are currently ranked in the top 50 of Universum’s list of “America’s Ideal Employers” for business students.

There are 32 stores spread out in the state, with Macy’s having over 800 real estate holdings in the entire country. It is estimated that the company employs roughly 8,000 people in Ohio.

Hudson’s Bay owns a list of reputable department stores, including Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue.

They have been known for their ability to acquire and redevelop companies.

A year after they purchased

Saks Fifth Avenue, its marquee location in Manhattan was valued at $3.7 billion. Hudson’s Bay spent only $2.9 billion to acquire the entire company.

In a 2015 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Hudson’s Bay Chairman Richard Baker said he believes many retailers aren’t properly valued because investors don’t realize the value of the real estate they hold.

As of late, Macy’s has been selling off some of their stores.

Macy’s is an intriguing prospect for investors on the outside looking for U.S. assets, but minimal talk is expected with foreign companies because of the geopolitical risk.

Activist investor Starboard LP has been vocal in regards to Macy’s next step, pushing the company to implement a joint venture. In 2015, they made a public presentation valuing the entire company at $33.7 billion.

The company recently entered a joint venture with Brookfield Asset Management in an effort to restructure and develop at least 50 stores.

The margin that Brookfield controls could yield to their side if the two groups were to strike a larger deal.

The deal with Brookfield would most likely involve increased joint venture partnership, with the emphasis on Macy’s real estate holdings.

Other potential Macy’s bidders could include Fast Retailing (Japan) and Primark (UK).

Shares of Macy’s have jumped slightly over the past few days, in response to the preliminary talks with Hudson’s Bay. According to regulatory filings, executives at Macy’s will leave the company with large severance packages if the company is acquired.

Kasich releases new education budget plan MOUNIR LYNCH | STAFF REPORTER

The office of Governor John Kasich released a new education budgeting plan at the end of January that places importance on making the cost of college more affordable for Ohioans.

The new plan adds over $50 million to the state’s postsecondary education budget, but incorporates many new initiatives that may help make college more affordable for UC students.

There are many plans within this budget relating to education, but here are just a few things this new budget does.

Freezes tuition and general university fees for public colleges for two years

UC’s undergraduate, in-state tuition costs $11,000 per year on main campus, with additional undergraduate fees varying across colleges. Due to this part of the plan, Ohio’s public colleges like UC will not be permitted to increase their tuition for the next two years.

However, this is not new for UC, as the university has issued a tuition freeze during five of the last six years. Other Ohio colleges have followed suit.

Cuts textbook costs

This part of the plan sets to limit the burden of textbook costs to $300. Under this plan, the university must cover any desired costs over the students’ maximum $300.

Creates a new Ohio Institute of Technology, and Western Governor’s University

The Ohio Institute of Technology created under this budget will make sure that Ohio’s schools and colleges are equipped with the latest technology. Educational research resources are also covered by this new institute.

Western Governor’s University will be created as the newest Ohio

public college. This university is an online program created by many Ohio community colleges that will allow community college graduates to transfer automatically into the college using their previously earned credits.

Founded 1880 University of Cincinnati 45221-0135

Allows community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees

This part of the plan allows community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees at an affordable community college price.

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Creates the “Finish for your Future” scholarship program to encourage college dropouts to return.

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This new scholarship program to be sponsored by the State of Ohio will provide money to students who left college after completing three years of school because they could not afford to remain in school until graduation. These funds are to be matched by the universities and designed to give third-year dropouts a chance to finish school.

Second-year philosophy student Gus Ricksecker is surprised by Kasich’s “surprisingly liberal” approach to higher education.

Any UC student knows that books can be incredibly expensive, and Ricksecker likes Kasich’s plan.

“I like the textbook initiative, especially because its groundbreaking for the whole country. Paying for books out of pocket is difficult, and hopefully this incentivizes professors to choose the best books for students rather than their own, the cheapest option,” he said.

Kasich sees these plans as a “Glimpse of the future.” As it has been reported that Ohio’s public colleges are among the most expensive in the nation to attend, many students hope that this “future” is less expensive through these plans.

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks to members of the media outside the West Wing on Nov. 10, 2016 at the White House in Washington, D.C.

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UC panel discusses Trump’s actions

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Uncertainty remains widespread as the curtain closes on the third week of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Amidst a hotly disputed immigration ban, historically contested cabinet confirmations and routinely inflammatory comments toward the media, President Trump remains a contentious public figure.

A UC panel has initiated a dialogue addressing the controversy surrounding the Trump administration.

“The US Presidency & Our Common Future,” a panel discussion hosted by the UC Office of Equity and Inclusion, convened for the third and final time this Tuesday. Panelists addressed topics on democracy, freedom of the press and the Supreme Court.

Professor and Political Science Interim Department Head Laura Jenkins cited “truth, justice and the American way,” a nod to Superman, as foundations we must protect to maintain our democracy. Referring to them as “Superman’s trifecta,” Jenkins emphasized the importance of upholding these values.

“Citizens must push back against the erosion of truth,” said Jenkins, referencing the reemergence of racist beliefs and ideologies.

“White supremacy traffics in untruths and conspiracy theories.”

Untruths, however, can be difficult to spot. In late

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JACOB FISHER | STAFF REPORTER

U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward the residence as he arrives at the White House on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017.

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2016, fake news stories gained sweeping notoriety as Facebook users shared more false publications than legitimate ones.

“Trump has used the term ‘fake news’ as a form of doublespeak to refer to professional news outlets that produce stories unfavorable to his administration,” said associate professor and Journalism Department Head Jeff Blevins.

President Trump sustained media criticism earlier this week for a tweet in which he disputed polls from accredited news sources that suggested public unpopularity of his immigration ban.

“Any negative polls are fake news,” the tweet reads.

“Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting.”

Trump’s relationship with the media has repeatedly proved antagonistic.

Despite First Amendment protections maintaining freedom of the press, which Blevins called “a fundamental check on government power,”Trump has advocated for increased restrictions on the media.

“Trump suggested that libel laws should be changed to make it easier for government officials to sue people who question their behavior,” said Blevins.

The president’s administration has backed this stance. In an interview with The New York Times, Chief Strategist Steve Bannon said the media

should “keep its mouth shut.”This comment came days after Trump’s senior advisor Kellyanne Conway defended White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s false claims about the inaugural crowd size, calling them “alternative facts.”

“As a journalist, I have to just outright dismiss this notion of alternative facts,” said Blevins. “There are facts, and then there are things that are not facts.

These things are mutually exclusive.”

While the Trump administration may challenge journalists’ obligation to honest reporting, it will likely have a difficult time limiting their rights to do so. Blevins cited Brandenburg v. Ohio, a landmark decision in which the Supreme Court held that the government may not punish inflammatory speech unless it was liable to incite “imminent lawless action.”

“If the Supreme Court can protect the rights of a KKK member who uttered hostile words as ‘mere advocacy,’ surely it can protect the rights of journalists,” said Blevins.

Still, many find the abrupt return of prejudiced views highly troublesome.

Jenkins elaborated on this concern, stressing a shared responsibility to “expose and challenge organized racism.”

“The Holocaust did not begin with killing,” said Jenkins. “It began with words.”

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LIFE & ARTS / 3 ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ is classsic feel-good movie experience THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2017

SAMANTHA HALL | SENIOR REPORTER

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS. The comforting warmth that is “A Dog’s Purpose” doesn’t fall short of a classic feel-good film, complete with a range of adorable pups, sad endings, new beginnings and a cutesy narrator to match.

It does, however, lack originality.

The narrator experiences many lives with different owners, homes, genders, treats and names, but we call him Bailey.

With no surprise, a large chunk of the film told the story of Bailey’s favorite owner throughout all his lives. The owner is Ethan, a football star

living in southern parts of the U.S. who has a full scholarship to college.

Their relationship is great – for the most part – and the film doesn’t fail to forget the hardships of owning a misbehaved, lovable dog.

After the tear-jerking death of Bailey, viewers are pulled into his next life; it’s a pattern that continues after each death until he reaches his fifth life, where his goal is to find happiness again.

Small ups and downs occur, yet, miraculously, Bailey finds his way back to Ethan (as shown in its trailer). Everyone is happy together and life is great.

Luckily, when the credits roll, it doesn’t feel like you just spent two hours watching a mediocre

movie, but that maybe a mere 40 minutes have passed.

While the movie was shy of greatness, the criticism of its possible neglect toward the animals featured drags its reputation down further.

As an animal lover, I felt unsure if giving money toward the film was a good decision, but after researching the possibly misleading footage of animal neglect released, I felt comfortable enough to pay my $8.40 for a ticket. I even brought my personal therapy dog as well (he slept the whole way through).

Truthfully, the film isn’t exceptionally full of quality (despite the dreamy appearance of Dennis

Quaid), and the destructive sadness of “Marley and Me” was more enjoyable than the outlandish stories told in “A Dog’s Purpose.”

If you’re looking for a movie that provides a bland vision of happiness and an unsatisfyingly, “too good to be true” ending, “A Dog’s Purpose” is for you. Despite its irresistible adorability, the film lacks depth, interesting characterization and what it’s like to truly own a pet.

While it was a perfectly average movie, spending more than a dollar at the Redbox would not be worth it to see this film.

Final thoughts leaving the Oakley Cinemark: if only it were that easy.

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Kareem the Dream ISABELLA JANSEN | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR

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CCM presents Concert Orchestra NOELLE ZIELINSKI | CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music presented its Concert Orchestra this Tuesday in its own Corbett Auditorium.

The concert featured pieces

by Amilcare Ponchielli, George Gershwin and Francis Poulenc.

These pieces, though lacking words, told stories expressed through the performers’ swift motions and the sounds created by their instruments.

These sounds harmonized together to create one symphony of music that filled the auditorium.

The concert was also visually pleasing to the audience, due to the rhythmic and synonymous movement among the performers in the orchestra. Concertmaster Shannon Lock, a second-year violin performance student, led this movement. Lock started playing about 14 years ago.

“I started playing because my older brother played, and I wanted to do it too,” said Lock.

Aik Khai Pung, the music director and conductor, led the concert itself. Pung’s liveliness and control flawlessly guided the orchestra

through every piece, and his character brought a radiant energy to the auditorium.

The cohesiveness of the entire performance showed the work that Pung, as well as the entire orchestra, put into perfecting the show. The unity and success of the orchestra can be attributed to many things.

Michael Goist, a graduate assistant in his second year of working toward his D.M.A (Doctor of Musical Arts) studies in orchestral conducting, attributes it to the time the orchestra has spent playing together.

“They are much more cohesive than they were in September, and, like I said, I think that’s just a matter of spending time playing together over a long period of time,” said Goist.

Lock said, “Since we all go to school together, we are all pretty friendly. It’s great to perform with my friends and classmates.”

The concert started with a piece entitled “Dance of the Hours” from the opera “La Gioconda.”This piece was an amazing introduction into the next series of pieces performed, which were from the opera “Porgy and Bess.”

After a short intermission, the orchestra performed a series of selections from the ballet “Les

Biches.”Though all of the pieces were extraordinary, both Lock and Goist agreed that “An American in Paris” was their favorite one performed.

“It’s one of those pieces that I’ve known for years and finally get to play,” said Lock.

On the other hand, Goist said, “His music has this easy-going swagger to it that is quintessentially American, but he doesn’t sacrifice any musical complexity to achieve that.”

The piece composed by George Gershwin contains several complex parts to it, one of which involves adding taxi horns to the percussion section. This provides an entertaining layer to the piece.

“The harmonic language that he imports from the realm of jazz has a lot in common with turn-of-thecentury European composers. It is very rich and sensuous,” said Goist.

The riveting and beautifully implemented piece was the perfect finale, which encompassed the orchestra’s experience and skill, as well as their passion. The CCM Concert Orchestra performed magnificently under the hand of Pung and executed each piece with an enthusiasm that gripped the auditorium’s attention.

Art 4 All fosters adult creativity ISABELLA JANSEN | LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

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Long gone is a world where coloring is only sociably acceptable for individuals under the age of 10. Instead, it is more and more common for adults to purchase “adult coloring books.”

As college students come to realize, with adulthood comes adult responsibilities and adult stress.

Dr. Stan Rodski, a neuropsychologist and author of his own line of adult coloring books, says that coloring creates a relaxing mindset, which can also be achieved through meditation. Like mediation, coloring allows individuals to switch off their brains and focus solely on the moment.

While adult coloring is very popular in today’s society, any use of expression through art is a form of therapy that students can use to help cope with the everyday stress of college students who juggle adult responsibilities.

On Tuesday, Metamorphosis: Holistic Wellness Center LCC, held its first of four Art 4 All events.

This event will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday in February and is free for the public.

They will be accepting donations in order to help pay for the rental space where the event will take place at 4214 Airport Rd. This event invites individuals to come and bring their own independent creative art project to work on while enjoying the company of others and relieving some stress.

Metamorphosis was opened in 2013 by owner Kristy Brandabur to change the way that people look at their health, fitness and well-being.

The focus of Metamorphosis is to provide a personal setting for clients to improve physical and mental wellbeing while also teaching them the tools to sustain a healthier lifestyle that is

right for them.

Brandabur has created a warm and welcoming environment that allows individuals to feel comfortable and at ease on their very first visit.

It is an environment that advocates for holistic wellness, or promoting health as a whole throughout the mind and body.

Metamorphosis is able to do this through a number of different services, such as Total Body Detox, Restoration of the Soul and Functional Fitness Training.

All of these services are provided to the public at reasonable prices, and all instill the tools for a healthy lifestyle.

If you find yourself needing to get out of your rut, meet new people or, most importantly, relieve some stress, take the month of February to do so at Art 4 All. And if this does not seem to fit into your hectic schedule, there are many other beneficial services offered at Metamorphosis.

The highly successful 2013 movie “Now You See Me” amazed and entertained many; however, it was the start of a lifelong passion for magician and third-year chemical engineering student Kareem Elgafy.

Since seeing “Now You See Me,” Elgafy has been practicing magic since his senior year of high school.

“I personally did not take my magic seriously, until the people around me did,” said Elgafy.

The passion Elgafy has for both his magic and its ability to delight others is evident.

“The most powerful thing about magic is that for a split second, everyone has hope and there is a sense of inspiration,” said Elgafy.

It is Elgafy’s number one goal to use his talent to inspire those around him.

“You can channel that ‘woah’ into a ‘you can defy the impossible too,’” he said.

It is his hope to take each magic trick and put a story behind it that holds a deeper meaning. He used the example of a common trick known as tear and restore.

This technique begins by taking an object such as a playing card, tearing it into pieces while asking your audience if they have ever felt torn apart.

Finally, when you restore the card through magic, your audience is amazed, realizing that if they are broken they can always be fixed.

Elgafy has taken magic and has put a deeper spin on it, connecting it to life lessons that are valuable to every individual.

Magic has also been a source of validation for his major in chemical engineering. Despite being offered opportunities for a career in magic, he has always remained academically driven and never wavered from receiving a degree in

chemical engineering.

Instead, Elgafy has taken his two passions in life, chemical engineering and magic, and found a way for these to two things to coexist within his life.

Elgafy even attributes a lot of his success to his ability to do magic. He has even used magic while interviewing for a job position.

As a chemical engineer, Elgafy has had two co-op jobs through the University of Cincinnati with Marathon Petroleum. The first was in Canton, Ohio and the second in Houston, Texas.

Elgafy said that through his magic, he was able to make beneficial contacts and open doors for himself with influential members of the company.

Once his talent was discovered at his co-op, he performed magic every Friday at 3:30 p.m. on request from his coworkers.

In any environment, whether it is work, school or social settings, there is going to be differences.

“Even if there are differences and people do not like each other, once someone starts a magic show, that disappears. That is really, really cool,” said Elgafy.

It was during Elgafy’s second co-op in Texas this past fall, where he got the chance to audition for “America’s Got Talent.”

While he is still waiting on whether he got in or not, he is not really worried.

For him, the experience of auditioning, meeting new people and learning about their passions was good enough.

“He is just one of those people who always makes you smile,” said fifth-year communication student Nicole Price. “He is just as magical as his talent.”

Through the course of talking to Elgafy about magic, it was made clear that he is far more than just a magician, and he has a lot to offer the UC community.

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4 / SPORTS Female student-athletes succeeding in the classroom THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2017

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

When looking at athletic departments’ academic reports, specifically at the University of Cincinnati, one glaring notion stands out above the rest.

Statistically, female student-athletes are finding more success in the classroom than their counterparts.

In total, 103 female athletes made Dean’s List during the 2016 fall semester, compared to 91 men.

While those numbers are close, the number of male student-athletes on the Dean’s List is inflated by the football roster’s 109 total spots – by far the largest roster size of any team.

A better statistic showing the disparity between the genders is the percent of each roster making the list.

For example, 90 percent of the women’s golf team and 86.7 percent of the women’s soccer team were on the Dean’s List.

The most successful men’s team was soccer with 63.2 percent on the list.

In addition, 65.5 percent of the women’s swimming and diving team made the cut, compared to only 33 percent of the men’s swimming and diving roster.

Freshman diver Isaac Karn, who was one of the nine men swimmers and divers to make the Dean’s List, is not sure why there is such a difference between the genders, but he has figured out habits that help him succeed both in the classroom and the pool.

“Communicating with professors about meets and traveling really helps because it keeps you both on the same page and lets you get ahead on work that will be due. Keeping a daily updated schedule of tests and assignments also helps me stay focused,” Karn said.

The women’s soccer team had 26 of their 30 athletes make the Dean’s List, and all of them had a GPA higher than a 3.0.

Defender Kayla Utley says their head coach Neil Stafford always stresses the importance of academics.

“He would always stress that one day, soccer won’t be there, and having an education is very important. He definitely pushed me to be the best student-athlete I could be and is a huge reason I was able to succeed in the classroom,” Utley said.

Her teammate, midfielder Jaycie Brown, is not positive on the reasoning the females find more

success academically than men, but she does have an idea.

“It may be because men think they can get away with not giving their all in academics because they are not used to working super hard because they are naturally talented, where as in our program we are taught the importance of hard work on and off the field,” Brown said.

The higher performance from women is not just at UC. A study conducted by The New York Times says that walk-on male athletes earned an average GPA of 2.97, and recruited male athletes averaged a 2.84.

This is while walk-on female athletes earned a GPA of 3.22, and recruited female athletes earned a 3.18.

Heidi Grappendorf is a sports administration professor at UC and has studied women in sport for over 15 years. She says there are three possibilities to why female studentathletes tend to have higher GPAs and graduation rates.

One reason is that men have more opportunities to play professionally.

“Their focus may be on continuing to play, not on getting a degree or being a student,” Grappendorf said, adding that male athletes

may also see college as a means to making it pro.

The other two reasons are that male athletes tend to identify more with their athletic role than their student role, and that the scrutiny of playing men’s

basketball and football makes it more likely for their athletic demands to overtake their role as a student.

“Male athletes have traditionally received more encouragement, support,

recognition and validation for their athletic role than female athletes. This reinforcement strengthens their athletic identity – even from an early age,” Grappendorf said.

FILE ART

File art of women’s soccer player Kayla Utley in Gettler Stadium August 13, 2016.

NFL’s 2016 season in review JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER

A meaningful, professional football game will not be taking place for the next 211 days.

The ending of the 2016 season was not the storybook ending that most people outside the northeast hoped it would be, as the Rebellion failed to destroy the Death Star and The Empire ran by dark lords Bill Belichick and Tom Brady once again hoisted up the Lombardi Trophy.

Before we look ahead to Sept. 7, in the hopes a new hero will emerge to knock that prima-donna off his self-righteous thrown, let us look back at three of the biggest things we learned during the 2016 season.

The AFC South is the weakest division in NFL history

FILE ART

Alex Bloom wows UC’s track and field community CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

Alex Bloom is a name you’ll see in University of Cincinnati’s track and field record books for the foreseeable future.

Bloom set career highs in every aspect of his performance at the two-day Charlie Thomas Invitational in College Station, Texas, at Texas A&M University.

The largest of his achievements was the best conference score in the heptathlon, a seven-event contest, in which he scored a total 5,604 points – a career high.

It was also the eighth-highest score of any athlete in the country over the weekend.

“It means a ton to me, and I’ve just been working hard in the season and the offseason to work up to this kind of meet,” Bloom said. “As far as following up goes, I’m just going to do the best I can for these next couple of meets and really lead into the conference championships and hopefully do a little bit better there and be a conference champion.”

His point total from the event is the second-highest score for the heptathlon in school history, which is second only to current UC track and field coach Chris Weinberg’s score of 5,612 while he was a student-athlete at the school.

Bloom missed the mark by only eight points, but he continues to keep that number in mind as a goal of his to break.

Despite barely missing the mark for the heptathlon school record, Bloom set school records in the long jump with 7.19 meters and the high jump with 2.1 meters, forever cementing himself in the pantheon of great Cincinnati athletes.

These marks additionally broke the

invitational records. The previous record holder was world champion and Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton.

Outside of the long and high jump, Bloom cracked the top-five in school history in the other five heptathlon events – 60-meter sprint, shot put, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000-meter run.

Bloom says his love of athletics and the sport he plays is what motivates him to succeed.

“It’s been my life, always,” Bloom said.

“Track and field has just been my love, and I want to be a track and field coach when I graduate, and that’s what’s driven me the entire time.”

Due to his recent success, Bloom has begun considering taking his talents to a higher level.

“I didn’t used to think that was something I would pursue until as of late,” Bloom said. “I’m starting to get some ideas in my head that for a couple years, I think that I’m going to try [track and field] post-collegiately and see if I can make something out of it, see if I can make the U.S. nationals. And, who knows, maybe someday that will lead to bigger things.”

Moving forward into the near future, however, Bloom has set high goals for himself.

“I want to accomplish being an American Athletic Conference champion and NCAA All-American. Leading into my senior year, I just want to go up from there, including breaking Coach Weinberg’s school records and be an All-American in both the indoor and outdoor seasons next year,” Bloom said.

Many will point to the 2010 NFC West, where the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks became the first team with a losing record to make the playoffs – during a full season – after winning the division.

The case can be made for that division being the worst; however, I believe a division won by the leadership of Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage takes the cake.

The Houston Texans, the best team in that league, were actually outscored by over three points a game during the season, and they registered a record of only 4-6 outside their division.

It is unfathomable to think the Texans could be the best team in any division, until you look at the other teams in that division.

The Indianapolis Colts

are a complete mess of an organization with a convicted prescription drug-user for an owner, the Tennessee Titans have not made it to the playoffs since Vince Young was their quarterback and the Jacksonville Jaguars could be the worst team in the NFL if it were not for the historically abysmal Cleveland Browns.

Yeah, it is that bad.

The NFC South will once again send a team to the Super Bowl

Forget all the hype surrounding the Dallas Cowboys or Aaron Rodgers.

Honestly, forget the buzz around reigning MVP Matt Ryan and the Falcons, who nearly took home the Lombardi Trophy a couple of days ago.

Start focusing on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have assembled a young and very talented roster.

They certainly must address their horrendous safety-play if they want a shot at a championship, but the rest of that roster is filled with playmakers.

Jameis Winston has established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the game.

He has a solid list of weapons to throw to, including Mike Evans, Cameron Brate and Adam Humphries.

If Doug Martin, or any of the Buccaneers’ running backs, can stay healthy next season, this team has a shot.

Nothing can stop The Empire

Props to Roger Goodell, he tried his best.

His efforts to usher a four-

game suspension to NFL golden-boy Tom Brady for something as ridiculous as the deflating of footballs from two seasons ago did not go unappreciated by the rest of the league.

To the misfortune of Goodell and the other owners who want a fair playing environment, the greatest cheater in professional sports history, Bill Belichick, proved that nothing could stop him.

Despite losing his apprentice for the first quarter of the season, Belichick managed to go 3-1 during that span with unproven rule-benders playing behind center.

Once Brady returned, only the Seattle Seahawks, who finally realized that throwing the ball at the half-yard line is a bad idea, were able to defeat them.

If you had not already learned from coaching greats such as Rick Pitino, Jim Tressel and Art Briles, having ethical morality only sets you back in sports.

ANTHONY BEHAR | SIPA USA | TNS

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the postgame ceremony for Super Bowl LI after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

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